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A33211 A discourse concerning the worship of the Blessed Virgin and the saints with an account of the beginnings and rise of it amongst Christians, in answer to M. de Meaux's appeal to the fourth age, in his Exposition and pastoral letter. Clagett, William, 1646-1688. 1686 (1686) Wing C4384; ESTC R171370 81,086 123

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the frightful Ideas of his Religion which we have entertained and to represent it in a more agreeable and pleasing Form than we have yet known it by Other Observations of this kind might be made to make it probable that it cost even M. de M. some little trouble to contrive his discourse into this plausible Appearance and to shew that 't is no easie matter at the same time to make a smooth Representation of their Religion and not to change it But I shall now offer my Reasons to shew the Unsatisfactoriness of his Exposition in this cause as he hath formed it 1. Setting aside their Profession of one God which is supposed in the Question concerning his particular Worship I find no outward Mark of the Adoration that is due to God only mentioned but that of Sacrifice which indeed M. de M. sayes is the principal But in a point of this consequence I wish he had been pleased to name he rest But I think I may appeal to the Sincerity of M de Meaux whether by Sacrifice he means any thing more than the Sacrifice of the Mass in which t●ey pretend to offer up offer up Jesus Christ the Son of God his natural Body Soul and Divinity as a Propitiation for the Quick and the Dead For my part I cannot find but they give all other outward marks of Adoration to the B. Virgin but this so that the Worship given to God and that to her are distinguished I fear but by one mark And what a rare Account is this of Gods incommunicable Worship if that mark too should prove to be one of their own Inventions if such a sacrifice as that was not appointed by God if indeed it be repugnant to the plain Authority of the Scripture as the exposition of our Doctrine hath irrefragably shewn in a very little Compass This is my first Ex●eption That all the outward marks of Religious Worship which God hath established they make common to God and the Saints and that which they give to God only they have made themselves 2. Even this very Sacrifice of the Mass is offered up by them in honour of the B. Virgin and the Saints For thus the Oblation runs in their Missals Accept O Holy Trinity this Oblation which we offer to thee in honor of the most glorious Virgin the Mother of God c. Now surely they would not offer God himself in Sacrifice to a Creature But it comes something near it to offer up such a Sacrifice in honor of a Creature For while this is done how can it be said that Sacrifice is reserved to be a Protestation of that Honor which is due to God only 3. They burn Incense to the B. Virgin and the Saints which being done as a Religious Rite in their Honor will hardly avoid being a Sacrifice For though this Rite of burning Incense was no part of the Religion that Jesus or his Apostles taught nor used at all in the Antient Church yet it should seem to be no less a Sacrifice now then it was among the Jews or then it would have been if it had been transferred from the Synagogue into the Church I suppose if the Church of Rome had thought fit to introduce the Oblations of Beasts and Birds into her Religious Worship she could not deny but such Oblations had been properly Sacrifices and were to be made to God only And that though it were Judaism to offer them at all it were yet Idolatry to offer them to any but to God But what should make any such difference between Slaying of Victims and burning of Incense that the former should belong to God only and not the latter I cannot comprehend For the Altar of incense was most holy unto the Lord it was overlaid with Gold which the Altar of Burnt Offerings was not and it was more holy then the Altar of burnt-Offerings as standing in the more Holy place and none but the Seed of Aaron was to come near to offer incense before the Lord. No wonder therefore that Hezekiah brake in pieces the Brasen Serpent when they burned Incense to it for this was no less than offering Sacrifice to it To conclude the Idolatry which the Heathens sought to bring the Christians to was no other then to take a little Incense in their hands and throw it into the Fire of their Altars But yet they burn Incense to the Images and Reliques of the B. Virgin and the Saints And then how can they pretend to sacrifice to God only But 4. Setting all this aside let us consider that they grant Sacrifice is to be offered to God only because it is established to make a publick Acknowledgment and a Solemn Protestation of Gods Soveraignty and of our absolute Dependance Now if this be true then whatsoever is established for the same purpose is holy to the Lord also And therefore Religious Invocation by Prayers for good things by Confessions of Sin by vows of Repentance and Duty and by Thanksgivings for benefits received is to be offered to God only For in truth these are acknowledgments and Protestations of Gods Soveraignty and of our absolute Dependence Nay in truth they are more noble and excellent Sacrifices than those Victims and other more sensible Oblations which God required under the Law or before it and which he does not require now But that which I lay the greatest stress upon is this That those material Sacrifices were so many Rites and Ceremonies of Invocation diversified according to the several ends of Invocation either for confessing of Sin or obtaining a benefit or returning Praises for Benefits received Hence it is that Prayer and Sacrifice are put one for the other in the Holy Scriptures as when it is said The Sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord Pro. but the Prayer of the upright is his delight By which words it is plain that the Sacrifice of the Wicked is his Prayer and the Prayer of the upright is his Sacrifice Now Prayer and Sacrifice strictly so called were both Acts of Worship but Prayer more excellent than Sacrifice because Sacrifice was the Rite of Prayer and a Rite which God required no longer than till that most precious Sacrifice of the Son of God was offered for us the Merit of which alone it is that made the Prayers of good men in all ages acceptable to God And by the way it would be considered by the Gentlemen of the Church of Rome That when those 〈…〉 perfect Sacrifices which prefigured the oblation of 〈…〉 once for all were offered under the Law the 〈…〉 God 's People were then made only to God 〈…〉 now that the Prayers of the Church are sanctified by the accomplishment of the Sacrifice of the Son of God to offer any of them to a Creature is rather a greater Dishonour to God than it would have been before For if the Patriarchs and the Jews were to pray to him only to whom alone they offered