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	soul_n	10,399	5	5.2639	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A75807	The Christian moderator: or, Persecution for religion condemned, by the light of nature. Law of God. Evidence of our own principles.	Birchley, William, 1613-1669.	1651 (1651)	Wing A4243; Thomason E640_1; ESTC R206658	32,813	31

or set up by private authority and not by the authority of them that are our soveraigne Pastors is idolatry for the Commandement is THOU SHALT NOT MAKE TO THY SELF ANY GRAVEN IMAGE Thus in my judgment 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 then idolatry because there is only a want of commission no excesse in the degree of reverence And though afterwards he condemne 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 Councell 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 Councell 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 Idolls but because the honor exhibited to them is referred to the Prototypes they represent that so thorough 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 Councell is used the phrase of Religious worship when they treat of these questions nor any thing concerning them commanded as necessary but only their lawfullnesse 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 practise of others over whom they have no Jurisdiction nor condemn the judgment 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 termes of particular Writers the differences amongst Christians so fatall to the peace of Europe would be both lesse numerous and far more reconcileable 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 reall presence of our Saviour in the Eucharist is at least a probable Opinion and in order thereunto cite the most expresse and direct termes of the holy Scripture as first the promise of our SAVIOUR John 6. 5. The bread that I will give is my flesh which I will give for the life of the world and verse 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. Luke 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 foure Evangelists unanimously teach the Doctrine of the Reall Presence and not one single place produceable that in direct termes calls the Eucharist a signe or figure of Christs Body notwithstanding the maintainers thereof admit no proof as authenticall but the precise text of Scripture yet in this so important controversie they flie to logicall inferences and Philosophicall discourses and so make their own reason the Judge and not the Word of God rendring by their now and private interpretations this great Sacrament inferior in dignity not only to the Paschall Lamb a type of Christ but even to Manna which was but a figure of this very mystery Surely if we shal add to so many evident texts of Scripture the constant iudgment of the Fathers and the universall practice of the whole Christian world for above a thousand years since so long is acknowledged the absolute reigne 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 iudged guilty of the sin 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 obiect and therefore at most an error of fact and no formall 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 Controversie that men may be unhappy by being deceived but are not guilty unlesse they deceive themselves This kind of reasoning prevailed somewhat the more with me because the Apology of the reformed Churches of France expressely approves it saying if an Apostle had by mistake adored some other man resembling Christ when he lived on earth his error would have excused him Daillé 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 Doctrine but not Idolatrous in their practise to be pitied as souls misled not

Common-wealth and thereupon offer their earnest desires that all coercive Power and all civill Penalties for non-conformity be wholly repealed and some other provision made against such Papists as should disturb the publike peace Many and wonderfull are the deliverances which our good God has dispensed to his servants in reward of this their inclination to mercifullnesse yet amongst all the glorious appearances of the Lord for his people none can be found more eminent then the renowned victory over that rigid and severe Kirk-army of the Scots September 1650. who declining the mild counsell of our Saviour to possesse their souls with patience deservedly lost their lives by violence a fatall argument deciding manifestly this very controversie in favour of meeknesse where the maintainers of compulsion were no lesse ingeniously then cruelly confuted whilest assuming to themselves a Power to force our souls they could not so much as defend their own bodies In memory of which great Salvation from the pride and fury of the Presbyterian Priesthood the Parliament as a new Covenant of Thanksgiving for so seasonable a mercy in the same moneth enacted an abolishment of divers rigorous and penall Statutes contrived on purpose by the haughty Prelates to break the hearts of those whose consciences they could not bend which one Act has won more hearts to acknowledge and love the authority of the Parliament then all their stupendious victories have forced bodies to confesse and fear their Power and if it be not check'd by limitations and partiality in the execution will render them absolute Masters of all that understand their own felicity for what can be imagined more welcome to a Christian people newly delivered from an Antichristian bondage then to see themselves infranchised into a holy Liberty of proceeding sincerely according to their consciences in the Worship of their God Wherefore as we are full of joy for so excellent an Act by which as the Apostle saith we are called unto Liberty so we are full of hopes to be perfectly happy by the free and universal observation thereof without the least self-interest or respect of persons being so conformable to the constant received Maximes and solemn deliberate profession of the Parliament as appears by the Declaration of the Lords and Commons in answer to the Scotch papers 4 Mar. 1647. where folio 43. the Discipline of Ecclesiasticall Censures and all other punishmeuts for matters of Religion are disclaimed as grounded upon Popish and Prelaticall Principles not to be revived under any image or shape whatsoever and a little after folio 63. they proceed in the same sense We shall not be afraid at the day of Judgement that we have been more forward to set Christ at liberty then to cast him in prison it being better in our opinion where the case is not very clear to leave God to deal against many errours then to use his authority for the suppressing of one truth the weapons of fasting and prayer being both more Christian and more available in such cases then those of force and violence and yet more fully if possible in another Declaration in answer to the letters of the Scotch Commissioners 17. Feb. 1648. As for the truth and power of Religion it being a thing intrinsecall between God and the soul and the matters of Faith in the Gospell being such as no naturall light doth reach unto we conceive there is no humane power of coertion thereunto nor to restrain men from believing what God suffers their judgements to be perswaded of Words of that solid weight and precious value as deserve to be ingraven with letters of gold and religiously observed for ever by all tender consciences as an Oracle Conformable to the aforesaid Principles is that excellent Doctrine and advise set down by Mr. Parker and his Brethren in their Examen of the late Synods Confession of Faith in these words page 128. Liberty of Conscience may be infringed first by seeking by violent means to alter conscientious mens judgments and their present perswasion for it is the office of him who is the Lord of Conscience to lighten and change mens minds when and how he pleaseth Phil. 3. 15. Let us therefore as many as be perfect be thus minded and if in any thing you be otherwise minded God shall reveal this unto you 2. By inciting another by like forcible means to will and act against his Conscience and much more by imprisonment mulcts terrours or threats Rom. 14. 15. 20. 21. For this is to make him destroy his soul ver. 20. 23. 3. We may not disturb the peace of mens Consciences or make their hearts sad with our invectives or menacing them causlesly with terrors from the Lord Ezechiel 13. 32. Because with lies ye have made the hearts of the righteous sad whom I have not made sad c. And in page 230. thus But we would not have you assume to your selves or attribute unto others a Power to Lord it over mens Faith and Consciences especially when men walk obediently towards those that are in places of Rule and Authority and live a godly sober honest peaceable and unblameable life If men will do wickedly and defend a Liberty in Christ so to do let them be liable to the Sword of Justice for so doing But far be it from us so much as by example to draw a weak brother a Saint and fellow-servant of the Lord whom no man can accuse but for his differing judgement to do any thing against Conscience whereby he should condemn himself as the Apostle speaks Rom. 14. How much more ought Governours to be tender and abstemious in the use of violent and coercive means to precipitate men into such perillous and destructive courses All authority is given of God for mens welfare and much more for the preservation and not the destruction of the soul By these considerations I conceive is clearly demonstrated the freedome of a Christian soul in her commerce for heaven which since the mercifull bounty of God holds forth indifferently to all the cruell covetousnesse of man ought not to obstruct to any surely it is the worst of Monopolies to lay Impositions upon the way to Paradise Christ by his death removed the Angell that chased from thence our first parents and shall any of us take the Flaming Sword into our hands to sheath it in the bowells of a poor Pilgrime who with a sincere heart travails to the same Countrey only because he goes not in our company In my Fathers house are many Mansions saies Christ why may there not be as many paths that lead to them If they that have no Law shall be judged without the Law certainly they that unblameably mistake the Law shall be tryed according to those Expositions which appeared unto them to be the meaning of the Law-giver for the sense is the Law and not the letter specially having so gracious a Judge who has already declared by his Apostle 2 Cor. 8. If there be first a