Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	apostle_n	day_n	time_n	10,440	5	4.2046	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A65677	An argument for toleration and indulgence in relation to differences in opinion, both as it is the interest of states, and as a common duty of all Christians one to another : by way of a letter / by a country gentleman.	Whitaker, Edward.	1681 (1681)	Wing W1700; ESTC R14877	9,571	21

in the Laws of it and it is proper for Christian People to settle Christian Religion by Law But still as I said at first Distinction must be made between Christian Religion or points of Faith contained as to the things to be believed only in the Creed commonly called the Apostles stiled by Ireneus the Catholick Faith between that matters of Opinion it being unsafe for any Government to inlay in its Foundation any Opinion that is disputable and doubtful To build a Government upon an Opinion that is disputable and doubtful is to build a House on the Sand and to lay a weak Foundation and a weak Foundation will deceive the Structure whereas to build to on the true Religion or that Christian and Catholick Faith which is established confirmed with uncontroulable reasons and from Heaven with the Authority of Miracles is to build on a Rock To build on Opinion is to weaken the State for if the Opinion be shaken the State totters But the Christian Religion is a Foundation that settles and keeps it steady being as Mount Zion not to be removed But to return lt is observable and very much to purpose That Jesus Christ although in his time there were diversities of Opinions and some of very ill nature and aspect even on all Religion for besides the Pharisees the Essenes and the Herodians there were the Saduces that denied Angels and Spirits and a Resurrection yet he never took occasion to intimate any Duty as incumbent on the Magistrate to take cognizance of them and penally to animadvert upon them nor doth he once reprove the Magistrate for not doing it nor is there any intimation of such a duty in all the writings of the Apostles which evidenceth what I said before that the Magistrate as so is concerned but in Natural Religion and not in the Christian except as it becomes a Law of the State The only Method that Jesus Christ and his apostles have obliged to even in case of Heresies and have recommended both by their Examples and their Precepts is to combate them with the Sword of the Spirit that is to reason against them from the Word of God and in case of obstinacy to withdraw from the Communion of the Heretick Indeed in case of ill manners and of Blasphemy of the former the incestuous person of the latter Hymeneus is an Exmaple I find them giving up to Satan which according to the sentiments of some being an act of punitive and coercive Power vested but in the Apostles whilest there was no Christian Magistrate doth seem to intimate that where there is he may yes he must in such cases cases of ill manners and of Blasphemy take Cognizance and use coercive and penal Animadversions and indeed this is the proper work of Magistrates But for Matters of Opinion not clearly and infallibly decidable from the word of God in which men of good and upright Conscience may have different lights Matters of no malignant Influence upon the State such as Popery hath or on the Societies of Christians in these matters I cannot find the Magistrate hath any thing to do no nor Ministers neither but to endeavour to convince and persuade and to rectifie mistakes if any be in such a manner as may manifest the due regard value they have for upright and well meaning though erring and mistaking Conscience Let us walk together in things in which we agree and for others refer them to the day that will declare We are all to stand before the Master and he must Judge And certainly it would much import to the healing of our Breaches and to allay the Heats and Animosities that reign amongst us if we more regarded the Conscience they who do dissent from us do make and the good designs and ends they aim at than the very Opinions and Practices themselves in which they dissent for in the former all good Christians agree and in the latter will ever differ we ought highly to value and honour tenderness of Conscience and Intentions directed to the Glory of God and the common good of the Church and of the World wherever we find them though we never so much differ in the subject matters of that Conscience and of those good Intentions This was the Healing Principle on which the Apostle proceeded when he said he that keepeth a day keepeth it to the Lord and he that keepeth not a day keepeth it not to the Lord thus with a grain of Christian Moderation and good Temper He at that time reconciled the most distant and contradictory Practices and Opinions 't is as if he had said the former he believeth the Law of God given by Moses that commandeth the observation of Days to be still in force and therefore keepeth a day because he believeth the Lord will have him the latter better understanding the nature of the Gospel and the true extent of Christian Liberty that we are not under the Law but under Grace and redeemed hereunto by the precious Blood of the Lord Christ he doth not keep the legal days it is in honour to the Lord Christ to the Redemption purchased by his Blood that he doth not And here let us be think how far a Principle of this kind would go towards healing in our present differences They who do Baptise Infants do it to the Lord they who do it not do it not to the Lord the former believing that the Convenant of Abraham is the Convenant of Grace are persuaded that the Lord will have them do it the latter believing that all things are become new and that we stand not on the old Basis are persuaded that he will not So he that kneeleth in the Sacrament doth it to the Lord and he that kneeleth not kneeleth not to the Lord the one believeth that in the act of receiving when Jesus Christ doth give himself he cannot take that unspeakable Gift from such a Hand too reverently too humbly and therefore He expresses that Humility and Reverence with his Knee the other believeth that the Lord Christ inviting him unto his Table obliges to the use of that gesture which may intimate the friendship and familiarity that by such an Invitation he is taken into and therefore he sits or uses a Table gesture as Christ and his Disciples did In a word men of good and upright Consciences think they may conform to the Worship as it is by Law established because they think the Rites and Ceremonies in it are no other than what are decent and also think the Officers of the Church impowered by our Lord Christ to institute and order in points of decency and those that do so conform conform to the Lord But on the contrary others persuaded that the Lord Christ as being faithful in all his House hath himself instituted all the necessary Officers and made all the necessary Orders and there being Officers and Orders in the Church that they cannot find Example or command for in