Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	blood_n	body_n	jesus_n	12,126	5	6.1739	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A75805	The Catholiques plea, or An explanation of the Roman Catholick belief. Concerning their [brace] church, manner of worship, justification, civill governement. : Together with a catalogue of all the pœnall statutes against popish recusants. : All which is humbly submitted to serious consideration. / By a Catholick gentleman.	Birchley, William, 1613-1669.	1659 (1659)	Wing A4242B; ESTC R42676	68,166	129

GRAVEN IMAGE Thus in my judgement doth that learned Protestant absolutely clear the Papists of Idolatry though perhaps he had more precisely exprest this last way of transgressing the second Commandement if he had call'd it will-worship rather than Idolatry because there is onely a want of Commission no excess in the degree of reverence And though afterwards he condemn praying to Saints departed as Idolatry yet it is only upon a particular supposition of his own that there is yet no such thing as Saints in Heaven When I had read this passage of so famous an Author to the Recusant he to requite my civility immediately shewed me the words of the Council of Trent which he said differed nothing at all from Mr. Hobs and very little from me For as I thought that the exhibition of some inferior kind of reverence towards Churches and other Instruments of piety was probably unforbidden so that Council decrees the absolute lawfulnesse thereof in the 25. Session where to the Canon concerning Images are added these words of explanation Not that there is believed any divinity or vertue in them for which they ought to be worshipped or that they are to be petitioned for any thing or any confidence ought to be reposed in Images as of old was done by the Gentiles who placed their hope in Idols but because the honour exhibited to them is referred to the Prototypes they represent that so through the Images which we kisse and before which we bare our heads and kneel down we may adore Christ and venerate his Saints Upon occasion of which words the Papist assured me that in no Council is used the phrase of Religious worship when they treat of these questions nor any thing concerning them commanded as necessary but only their lawfulnesse declared that such as find benefit by their assisting the memory or exciting the affections may safely use them the rest may let them alone provided they censure not the practice of others over whom they have no jurisdiction nor condemn the judgement of the Church who has jurisdiction over them And hereupon we both agreed in this collaterall observation That if all modern Controvertists would restrain their disputes to positions generally received as of Faith in the Church of which they are members attending only to her expressions and not to the terms of particular Writers the differences amongst Christians so fatal to the peace of Europe would be both lesse numerous and far more reconcilable Whether Papists be guilty of Idolatry in the Eucharist BEfore we could proceed to the second part of this Question the Recusant upon some occasions was obliged to go into the Countrey whence he sent me this following paper Since it is concluded between us that Probability exempts from persecution I shall endeavour to prove that the Real presence of our Saviour in the Eucharist is at least a probable Opinon and in order thereunto cite the most expresse and direct terms of the holy Scripture as first the promise of our SAVIOVR Joh. 6. 5. The bread that I will give is my Flesh which I will give for the life of the world and ver. 55. My Flesh is meat indeed and my Bloud is drink indeed Secondly The performance of that promise in the words of Institution Take eat this is my Body punctually repeated by the other three Evangelists Mat. 26. 26. Mar. 14. 22. Luk. 22. 19. And thirdly the places declaring the use of this Sacrament in the Apostles time 1 Cor. 10. 16. The Cup of blessing which we blesse is it not the Communion of the Blood of Christ and the bread which we break is it not the participation of the Body of the Lord 1 Cor. 11. 29. He that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to himself not discerning the Lords Body Thus the great Apostle S. Paul and all the four Evangelists unanimously teach the Doctrine of the Real Presence not one single place produceable that in direct terms calls the Eucharist a signe or figure of Christs Body notwithstanding maintainers thereof admit no proof as authentical but the precise text of Scripture yet in this so important controversie they flie to Logical inferences and Philosophical discourses so make their own reason the Iudge and not the Word of God rendring by their new and private iuterpretations this great Sacrament inferiour in dignity not only to the Paschal Lamb a type of Christ but even to Manna which was but a figure of this very mystery Surely if we shall add to so many and evident texts of Scripture the constant judgment of the Fathers and the universal practice of the whole Christian world for above a thousand years since so long is acknowledged the absolute Reign of our Religion we may safely conclude the Doctrine of our Saviours presence in the Eucharist to be at least probable and consequently Catholikes in no wise accusable of rashnesse or obstinacy in believing a Position so efficaciously recommended unto them But admitting the Doctrine of non-reality to be true said the Letter of the Recusant yet ought not Catholikes to be judged guilty of the sinne of Idolatry because their adoration is not intentionally directed to any creature but to the Person of Christ our Lord and if He be not there their worship is mistaken in the place not in the object and therefore a● most an errour of fact and no formal Idolatry which no temperate Judge will impute unto sin much lesse our mercifull Redeemer who came to save not to destroy who accepts of the good meaning of his servants though mingled with humane infirmities as when Abimelech mis-took Sara from her husband being informed by Abraham that she was his Sister the sincere and conscientious King received absolution from God himself upon this account that he did it saith the text in the simplicity of his heart Gen 20. 6. which seems an expresse and infallible decision of this Controve●sie that men may be unhappy by being deceived but are not guil●y unlesse they deceive themselves This kind of reasoning prevailed somewhat the more with me because the Apology of the reformed Chu●ches of France expressly approves it saying if an Apostle had by mistake adored some other man res●mbling Christ when he lived on earth his errour would have excused him Daille chap. 11. As on the other side Mary Magdalens not adoring Christ when he appeared to her in the habit of a Gardener John 20. 15. was never accused as a defect of devotion wherefore since the Papists all professe not to terminate their adoration in the species of Bread and Wine nor any other creature but in the blessed person of our Lord I conclude them erroneous in their Doct●ine but not Idolatrous in their practice to be pittied as Soules misled not persecuted as malicious Nor can I satisfie my conscience since to this point the Opinion of the Papists is no more opposite to us than that of the Lutherans why we should freely allow

so great a penalty as the Sequestration of their Estates to do that which we will not do our selves all the relief and hopes that Smith and others in his condition who have both gone to Church and taken the Communion and Oath of Abjuration have received at the said Hall is that the said Commissioners have promised to move the Parliament to know what shall amount unto a Conformity and it might also be desired to know what Religion the Papists in case they be forced to leave their own shall conform unto since we have three severall Religions that at present seems to have an equall power or influence the Prelaticall or old Protestant as some call it is establisht by law the Presbyterian carries the vogue in the Pulpit but the Independent has the power and Countenance of the State Certainly the abovesaid strange proceedings must needs appear both to all reformed Churches abroad and to very many conscientious people at home as savouring of a design to make sure of the Papists estates whatsoever becomes of their souls And all this while we hold forth meeknesse and all this while we cry up Liberty of Conscience Is it possible we should so far forget our principles as to seize the estates of our neighbours and kindred for Religion and at the same time professe to venture all our own to purchase freedom of Religion is it possible we should expose our own lives in so long and dangerous a War to establish and secure Liberty of Conscience and at the same instant of time hang draw and quarter men for their Consciences how shall we answer at the day of Iudgment our shedding so much blood to deliver our Country from cocrcency im●matters of belief if as soon as the power is in our hands we imbrue them in the blood of our Countrymen meerly for their Religion have we so soon forgot those sharp reproofs of the Apostle Rom. 2. Behold you are called Iews and rest in the Law and make your boast of God you know his will and approve the things that are more excellent you are confident that your selves are guides of the blind and lights to them that are in darknesse instructers of the foolish and teachers of Babes who have the form of knowledge and of truth in the Law you therefore who teach another teach you not your selves you that preach a man should not steal do you steal you that abhor Idols do you commit sacrilege In the day when God shall judge the secre●s of men by Iesus Christ how can we answer that excellent and self-evident precept of nature Do as you would be done unto God is not mocked he promises indeed that the meek shall inherit the Land but surely means not such as seem meek only to inherit the Land Thus sharply went on my angry Presbyterian and I confesse I was extremely ashamed to hear him say so much reason that used to speak nothing but passion and to see my self so confounded by one that I have alwaies overcome with ease upon any other subject and should have liked far better his observations which with grief I acknowledge to be too true and open to all the World if they had come from an indifferent and unfactious spirit because I suspect they may perhaps proceed rather from envy towards the gainers than pity upon the losers for during the violent and therefore short dominion of the Presbyterians never were more cruel torturers of the Conscience than they never a more tyrannical Tribunal than their Iure divino Assembly and classical High-commission but the hand of the Lord stopt them in their full cariere and by wofull experience they now find the truth of Gods threatnings If you bite and devour one another take heed you be not consumed one of another Gal. 5. 15. Wherefore it shall be my dayly prayer to our great and good God that he would graciously inspire his servants who now sit at the Helm to prevent the like heavy judgments upon themselves and seriously considering that both their allegiance to Reason their duty to God their Engagement to their own Principles call so loudly upon them they would fulfill now our joy and compleat the good worke so happily begun by putting the tender-conscienced and peaceable-minded people of this Nation into a condition of perfect security for matters of Religion which cannot be effected without a generall Act of Conscience-indempnity firmly to be established as a fundamentall Law of the Land for all that professe the Gospell of Christ Postscript SInce there is scarce one whom something in these few sheets will not please nor very many whom something will not displease they therefore freely submit themselves not only to the Iudgment of the Civil Magistrate but of every civill man and I have according to the Order of Parliament hereunto subscribed my name William Birchley Persecution for Religion condemned c. IN the precedent part of this Discourse I have demonstrated according to that light which the Lord Christ hath infused into my Soul how much coercency in Religion is repugnant to the Law of Nature and by many evident and unanswerable Texts of Scripture shewed how displeasing it is to God how improper to advance the power of godlinesse and how extremely disagreeable to the sweet Spirit which guided our Lord Iesus in the propagation of his Gospel And after in the same little treatise I proceed to prove by the expresse words of the Parliaments and Armies Declarations that the great Principle wherein we glory wch we have so long fought to establish is a perfect Gospel-freedom absolute deliverance of the Conscience from all Tyranny and Oppression Which Discourse as I composed in all humblenesse of spirit and afterwards offered to the gracious Redeemer of our Souls who gave me the strength and power to finish it to his glory So I find not only my self for which I humbly thank the bounty of my God confirmed in my former judgement but others in some measure convinced in theirs of the unreasonablenesse and sinne of Conscience-Persecution Concerning which pious and modest temper of mutuall forbearance I shall only add to what I have mentioned in the former part this plain and familiar Observation That as the surest marke of a tender conscience in our selves is a tender spirit to others so the most infallible sign of a hard stony heart in our own brests is when we slit in pieces and shipwracke the Consciences of all that touch upon us But praised for ever be the Name of our God who still proceeds to guide and illuminate his Chosen graciously disposing them neither to presume upon themselves for their knowledge nor be cruell against others for their ignorance but humbly adore and wait upon the Divine Providence in the disposure of all things which fills my soul with exceeding joy when I consider it to be the generall sense of all the truly Godly and well-affected in this Nation that no quiet and