Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n
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A65331
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English Cretes and atheistical Christians describ'd and instanced with directions for the reformation of all, from St. Paul's Epistle to Titus, the first Bishop of Crete : wherein is intimated the sacred order, and supreme power of episcopacy in the church, with the inferior ministry : concluding all with supplemental instances, and a lamentation of the churches present miseries.
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T. W.
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1695
(1695)
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Wing W117; ESTC R31986
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11,495
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34
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was Titus to manage the Stubborn and Heretical within his Diocese Chap. iii. 10 11. A Man that is an Heretick after the first and second Admonition reject knowing that he that is such is subverted and sinneth being condemned of himself Yet these our Rulers must especially avoid all Pride Ambition Tyranny Idleness Corruption and Covetousness with all Vice Passion or Selfishness wherewith the Princes of the World and Civil Magistrates too often exercise Authority and Dominion but we must all dischage our Sacred Function and do all things with the greatest humility and in the true Gospel Spirit of Meekness and Charity strictly imitating our blessed Saviour and giving good Example to all others Matth. xx 25 26 27 28. 1 Pet. v. 1 2 3 4. And now thus must the Younger obey their Elders c. ver 5. who may thus rebuke with all with the highest i. e. Divine Authority and let no Man despise them as St. Paul here sums up the Episcopal Office to Titus Chap. ii 15. which is the first direction for the Reformation of all and particularly for the suppression of the many unruly and vain Talkers and Deceivers urging the Commandments of Men that turn from the Truth legendary Fablers c. Like the bigotted Jews whose Mouths must be stopped who subvert whole Houses Teaching things which they ought not for filthy Lucre's sake Who with the rest before testified of and described must therefore be rebuked sharply that they may be sound in the Faith and become pure and undefiled Chap. i. 10 11 12 13 14 15. That none may give heed to fables nor regard needless controversies or any jarring disputes but avoid foolish questions and genealogies and contentions and strivings about the law for they are unprofitable and vain Chap. iii. 9. Thus comes in the next Directions which all should constantly observe and so diligently mind and practice the sound grave uncorrupt sincere Doctrine which they are dayly Taught under the true Gospel-Ministry in our excellent Communion Then would aged men be sober grave temperate sound in faith in charity in patience And the aged women likewise would be in behaviour as becometh holiness not false accusers not lyars or slanderers Not given to much wine teachers of good things teaching the young women to be sober to love their husbands to love their children to be discreet chast keepers at home good obedient to their own husbands that the word of God be not blasphemed Then would young men likewise be exhorted to be sober-minded Chap. ii 2 3 4 5 6. Then would servants too be obedient to their own masters and please them well in all things not answering again Not purloyning but shewing all good fidelity that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things ver 9 10. Then would Christians in general remember their necessary Duties and Obligations signified in the verse following and elsewhere For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works These things must we speak exhort and preach both in our life and doctrine ver 7 8. As thus too Must our Bishops rebuke with all authority and let no man despise them verse 15. And thus farther Must they and we and all be as we put others in mind to be subject to Principalities and Powers to obey Magistrates whose Civil Authority how great soever in Church-Matters supposes the Spiritual Authority of the Church and neither should interfere with the other c. See Bishop Parker's Religion and Loyalty and Letter Thus moreover ought we all to be ready to every good work to speak evil of no man to be no brawlers but gentle shewing all meekness unto all men Chap. iii. 1 2. So finally thus is pressed on the general Reformation with these indispensible Duties both of Clergy and Laity here briefly recommended concluding all verse 3 4 5 6 7 8. Wherein the Apostle exemplifies the state of Unbelievers and Sinners before Conversion and regeneration and their blessed condition after through Sanctification Justification c. For we our selves also were sometimes foolish deceived serving divers lusts and pleasures living in malice and envy hateful and hating one another But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour that being justified by his grace we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life This is a faithful saying and these things says St. Paul to his Bishop I will that thou affirm constantly that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works these things are good and profitable unto men Wherefore As 't is in Heb. xiii 16 17 18.20 21. to do good and to communicate forget not for with such sacrifices God is well pleased Obey them that have the rule over you and submit your selves for they watch for your souls as they that must give account that they may do it with joy and not with grief for that is unprofitable for you Pray for us for we trust we have a good conscience in all things willing to live honestly Now the God of Peace that brought again from the dead the Lord Jesus that great shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the everlasting covenant make you perfect in every good work to do his will working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom be glory for ever and ever Amen Supplemental Instances of some notorious Sins very dangerous in Church and State as to all Souls Collected out of the brief Heads of Self-Examination especially before the Sacrament in the Whole Duty of Man With a Lamentation of the Church's Calamities IN the black Catalogue of Sins or Transgressions of our respective Duties to God our Neighbour and our Selves laid down by that incomparable Author from this his first excellent Treatise that best of Books next to the Inspir'd These following Sins of Omission and Commission are particularly enumerated viz. 1. Not believing in God nor his Word Practically so as to live according to our belief 2. Presuming groundlesly on his Mercy while we go on in wilful sin 3. Not loving God for his own Excellencies nor for his Goodness to us not labouring to please him Not desiring to draw near to him in his Holy Ordinances Not longing to enjoy him in Heaven 4. Not fearing God so as to keep from offending him Fearing Man above
him by committing sin to shun some outward Suffering 5. Not trusting on God in Dangers and Distresses Using unlawful means to bring us out of them c. Not looking up for his Blessing on our Honest Endeavours Overcarking c. 6. Not acknowledging his Wisdom in choosing for us but having eager and impatient desires of our own 7. Not honouring God by a reverent usage of the things that relate to him Behaving our Selves irreverently in his House Robbing God by taking things that are Consecrated to him Prophaning Holy Times the Lord's day and the Feasts and Fasts of the Church Placing Religion in hearing of Sermons without Practice Breaking our Vows made at Baptism Prophaning the Lords Supper Prophaning God's Name by Blasphemous Thoughts and Discourse Giving others occasion to blaspheme him by our vile and wicked Lives Taking unlawful Oaths Perjury Swearing in our Ordinary Communication 8. Not Worshipping God Omitting Prayers publick and private Not Praying in Purity Faith Humility Attention nor Reverence 9. Not Repenting Fasting Mortifying nor solemnly Humbling c. 10. Placing our Love and other Affections more on Creatures than the Creator which is inward Idolatry 11. Unthankfulness to our Benefactors especially those that admonish us Not amending upon their reproof Being angry at them for it Not Reverencing our Civil Parent the lawful Magistrate Despising our Spiritual Fathers the Bishops and Pastors of our Churches Not loving them for their Works sake Not obeying those Commands of God they deliver to us Seeking to with-hold from them their Just Maintenance Forsaking our lawful Pastors to follow Factious Teachers Not loving our Spiritual Brethren i. e. our Fellow-Christians Having no Fellow-Feeling of their Sufferings Causelesly forsaking their Communion in Holy Duties Not taking deeply to Heart the Desolations of the Church which are now Calamitous and deplorable indeed 12. Being puft up with high conceits of our selves Carnal and Spiritual Pride greedily seeking the praise of Men. Directing Christian Actions as Prayer Alms c. to that end Committing Sins to avoid the reproach of wicked Men. Anger Inconsideration c. Uncontentedness in our Estates Greedy desires after Honour and Riches Seeking to gain them by sinful means Envying the condition of other Men. Not improving God 's Gifts outward or inward to his Honour Abusing our natural Parts as Wit Memory c. to Sin Neglecting or resisting the motions of God's Holy Spirit Uncleaness Intemperance Pampering the Body not subduing it c. 13. Being Injurious Unjust Cruel and Malicious to our Neighbour Oppressing by Violence and Force or colour of Law Theft Deceit false Witness Lying Ingratitude Want of true Love and Affection in Husbands and Wives Not bearing with the Infirmities of each other So in Friends Tyranny or Remisness in Parents and Masters Disobedience and Stubborness in Children and Servants Ill-nature in all 14. Want of Bowels and Charity to our Neighbours Not heartily desiring their good Spiritual or Temporal Not loving and forgiving Enemies Taking actual Revenges upon them Professing Kindness and acting none Backbiting c. 15. Not loving Peace Going to Law upon slight occasions Bearing inward Enmity to those we Sue Not labouring to make Peace among others Now let this short dismal Catalogue which is all a plain Contradiction to our most Holy Christian Profession with those Instances of Sins and Contrarieties to God and all True Religion before-mentioned be seriously consider'd bewail'd and reform'd in every guilty Soul then shall we soon be happy in our publick and private State here and more hereafter THE LAMENTATION c. BUT alas Since Christendom continues the vilest part of the World a Sink of all those abominable Pollutions which even Barbarians detest Since our Profession and our Practice are always at so wide a distance Since the Disciples of the Holy and Immaculate Jesus be of all others the most Prophane and Impure and the Subjects of the Prince of Peace be of all others the most contentious and bloody Since the Church in general is become an Aceldama a Field of blood and this particular true Catholick Apostolical Episcopal Church is so miserably dissected so shamefully over-run with Blasphemy Sacrilege Hypocrisie Covetousness and all manner of Prophane and beastly Licentiousness Uncharitableness c. is so maliciously undermined every where so cruelly oppressed and insultingly trampled upon in one place and so fatally surrounded with Enemies on all Hands Since her Sabbaths are Polluted her Ministry Contemned her Sacred Ordinances Prophaned and Slighted her Primitive Discipline Despis'd c. by her own sworn Members Since many of these are constant bosome Foes the most treacherous and irreclaimable sensual and worldly making no Conscience of religious Concerns and Duties much less of Defaming Injuring or Defrauding their own lawful Pastors especially the Inferior and most Laborious As if they had neither Divine nor Humane Right to their most reasonable Dues As if neither Christ nor his Apostles had given any Orders about the Reception Reverend Estimation and Maintenance of his Ministers Matth. x. 1 Cor. iv 1. and cap. ix 7. 11.14 Heb. vii to 10. As if Christians were herein allowed to be worse than either Jews or Heathens As if Sacrilege were no Sin As if the Curse of God did not attend it c. though he cursed a whole Nation for the same Mal. iii. 8 9. Since Christianity the best and purest Religion in the World is thus notoriously and uncontroulably scandalized even by the very Devote's and boasting Professors Since Matters are at this dreadful pass among us under the best establishment too What alas Can become of us What Judgments may we not justly hear What sad Calamities expect under such an universal decay of Christian Piety and all true Vertue and good Nature Yet shall we not mourn for Sion And pray for the Peace of Jerusalem This seems to be all left us to do O then let the Priests the Ministers of the Lord herein unite at least and weep between the Porch and the Altar and cry spare thy People O Lord and give not thine Heritage to reproach O Save Cleanse Enlarge and Defend thy Church good God In all time of our Tribulation in all time of our Wealth in the hour of Death and in the day of Judgment Good Lord deliver us Amen FINIS