Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	church_n	day_n	sabbath_n	20,024	5	9.8526	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A96902	The Solemne League and Covenant of three kingdomes, cleared to the conscience of every man, who is not willingly blinde, or wilfully obstinate. The antiquity of the Covenant on the Scots-side; the seasonablenesse of it on the English side; the admirable wisedome of God, in stirring-up the spirits of men on all sides, at such a time as this; all this with other things mightily conducing to, and promoting of the militia of kingdomes, and the posturing every person there, is referred to a place, where it may take up more room. The clearnese for the matter of this Covenant; the solemnity for the manner of it, is the subject of these few leaves, and yet to be made more clear to them thaT have a mind to understand. By E.W. Imprimatur Edm: Calamy, the morrow after wee lifted up our hands, and subscribed our names to this Covenant, Octob. 2. 1643.	Woodward, Ezekias, 1590-1675.	1643 (1643)	Wing W3505; Thomason E71_13; ESTC R14305	22,799	20

this way with every good man These are the turnings and windings of the crooked Serpent Thou hast vowed to serve God serve Him But for the matter of worship as God has prescribed And manner with the whole heart as God has commanded There is the opposition The main Brunt will be on the Lords Day touching that Solemnitie on that day and the Services proper to the day The man will perceive how subtle the Adversary is as much against the Due observing of The Lords Day as against The Lord Himself What needs all this strictnesse The Sabbath is made for Man not you for the Sabbath Sit out thy houre at Church in the Morning and as long at Evening and then recreate thy self God sayes He will have mercy Better and wiser then thy self say so and do so Archbishops and Bishops with their Curates and give thee fair allowance so to do in like manner as they do and teach Fool as thou art and slow to understanding what is Christian libertie Thou art now repeating the Sermon when thou mightest with lesse danger of an Earthly Prison when time was be elsewhere in the fields walking and doing after the Pleasure of thine own Eye Reader do not think slightly of this how ever it seems be confident the Devill works strongly and prevails mightily by precedents presenting before common Eyes the example of Bishops how they have or do walk before the People It is true there are examples of Gods Judgements which might be presented here in visible Characters and as terrible as was the writing on the Wall upon Dan 5. those that have done as the Divell has perswaded them and as the example of Bishops have led-on for has not The Lord Remembred all those abhominations the Breach of His onely Holy Day Has he not remembred all this and required it of the Bishops and those that have practised according to these abhominations The Bishops allowance and Rule But we go-on The Bishops carried it and their examples are snares at this day and their words eat as a Gangrene for which we ought and so we lift-up the hands to be humbled for what our own hearts have done and what the Bishops have done and because we were so well content to have it so I did not value the Everlasting Gospel If I had so done I had contended for it and more set my self against my self and those Men and their Doctrines But I return where I digressed how the Divell works with this Man now he has lifted up his hand to the living God The Divell tells him If thou wilt be strict be strict for thy self be not so for thy Houshold Children and Servants there they may take the Recreations as is allowed them by the Bishops who are not so precise No their houses were the Tabernacles of Robbers and as the Mountains of Prey Wilder Folk then Satyr's danced there Therefore though their house be not yet made a Dunghill as that infamous Lords-House was 2 Kings 10. 27. yet Blessed be God they are Prisons to hold those who are almost as bad as themselves and made so bad by their Bishops example Thou wilt Pardon me Reader if I am confused here when I look off my own heart as too often I do then I look upon Archbishops Bishops and their Curates all the Brutish Pastors in the Land as upon the fomentors of these Divisions Causers of these Distractions Authors of these Confusions in our Land Therefore I shall never mention them or any of these but as Jeroboam is mentioned in the Sacred Records Archbishops and Bishops c. That made Israel to sin Prophaning The Lords Day by a Law stopping the Mouths of Ministers thrusting them aside to hang like an Instrument whose strings are let-down or thrust-up into a corner as if of no more worth then themselves like a Vessell wherein is no Pleasure We Vow to be humbled for all these Blasphemies Impieties Iniquities for all that our own beguiled hearts have done here and all that these men have done by their examples We Vow also to be avenged of them and to reforme every man himself there to Center Reformation And thus the good Souldier A Christian indeed maintaining his Militia Resolved for his own part the Subject of the next Treatise and so by the good hand of God with him he confounds his Adversarys and lives above example according to the Rule and Tenour of the Curse and Oath he has entered into and to follow no man now but as he follows Christ Who is given a Leader and Commander to His People And so to take care speciall care of his family also intrusted to his care by The Lord Himself as in another Case and in a figure that Man (a) 1 King 20. 39. was See unto them thy Children thy Servants there they have the like precious Soul all one at that point of Cure Children and Servants all one their Souls as pretious as thine bought with the same Price Heirs to the same Inheritance pretious Souls as thine Thine and Theirs more pretious then a World then all earthly things there more ex●elling then the San when it shines in his strength These Souls are thy charge look to them if they miscarry if th●se perish by thy means and default they dye in their sins but their blood shall be required at thy hands life for life though not in exchange yet both shall perish together Therefore this man considering the terrour of the Lord walks wisely in the midst of his house he keeps a day to The Lord himself so shall his house too all the persons within his gates To be short in so clear a matter so fully charged upon the Governers for Souls know no sex Abraham will command his children (b) Gen 18. 1● As for me and my House we will serve the Lord (c) Iosh 24. 15. I and my Maidens (d) Este● 4 16 feared God with all his House (e) Act. 10. 2. Reformation is Personall it is centered and bottomed in self self Reformation in the heart and life He hath lifted-up the hand To all this he has subscribed his Name unto it We must now observe in the second place the solemnitie of these Actions and then we shall the better see every man his own engagement II. He lifts up his hand he subscribes his name His hand next week may be asleep in the dust but he has subscribed his Name That lives when the Man is dead But the least is in that though that tells it to posteritie ce●tainly there was never such a thing so done in our Israel A. Yes you will say we protested and entred into Covenant twice in all the Peoples sight ● T●ue but we did not lift up the hand I do not doubt but every honest man lifte●-up the heart those other times To that solemn Work Vow and Covenant formerly entered into A That is the better P●s●●●e of the two is it not B. No

Though I suspect my understanding in higher matters yet I am Confident here That this Declares the Heart of the Lord to His Poor Creatures and the very scope of this Divinitie Now see how the Preacher turned head upon his Text and his tayl to Heaven before a great presence uttering a notorious Heresie as all Men will call it except Archbishops and Bishops and their Curates Thus he Continued his Speech I will give the summe of it See the Indulgence of a God! And a large allowance from Heaven The Lord of Heaven and Earth will suffer His Sacrifice to give place while Masters and their Servants shall recreate themselves according as the Declaration for sports condemned to the fire by the hand of the Hang man gives them leave And Blessed be God That the Fathers and Lords of the Church and Tyrants over the sam● have been as open handed in tendering Mercy to Poor Creatures giving an Advouson to Riot on The Lords day and Causing it to be Read on that day and in that Place where they are to be the Mouth of God as their great Lord and Master is O Monstrous Stay a little This was Preached to their Lordships ear and Commanded to be Published by their Authoritie the highest in Heaven or Earth not onely Asserted to be by Divine Right but stablished by an Oath which upon true search will be found to be the most Daring Act and Device that ever was thought upon since the Divell first put it into the thoughts of the heart To be like God By their Authoritie who being above all that is Called God set their Right-foot upon the Church and their Left foot on the Common wealth wherein the Potters and their Wives are great sharers I tell them of it because if any thing in the World will make them sensible that will and swore these should rise no more By their Authoritie Archbishops and Bishops else they should have hindered it this Sermon was Printed Containing such abhominable Doctrines which with other the like has Caused more then a Schisme in the Church and been an an-let to that which follows Prophanenesse which like a mighty stood * Mr. Crook a Summersetshire Minister was the fore-man to promote that cursed liberty for sports on the Lords Day he has now made himself vile before all the people Came-in upon us in the Country most impetuously and the Potters with their Wives whom we should tender as Brothers and Sisters were Carryed away with the stream and how many drowned in that Devouring flood I cannot tell I Confesse my Spirit is stirred now for my Bretheren whom I should so love and to stirre-up their Spirits also I will enter into a Curse before I Proceed I conceive I have very good Warrant so to do Let my Tongue cleave to the Roof of my Mouth and that little cunning God in His good Pleasure has given my right hand let is be quite forgotten if I do not remember what Archbishops Bishops and their Curates have done Yea Let my Arm part from my Shoulder My hand from my Arm if I do not endeavour my utmost in my Place to extirpate and root them out and to throw their I may not call them Books after them And truely I thought to take this way To Petition the Assembly of Ministers That they would sentence these unclean and poysonous to the fire to be consumed there But I considered That the Assembly of Ministers as the Parliament The most Glorious that ever was seen in the world have their hearts intent upon these matters therefore I did forbear 2. I considered my self with the Potters and their Wives the Poor of the City whom God is not pleased for I will never say it is at the pleasure of Man and I hope that consideration will make me more patient of Winter cold so long as God is not pleased To supply with Coal and therefore is Wood a dear commodity We have not sufficient for our selves and that purpose too for indeed we want and that purpose requires plenty If I might expresse it so I would say Lebanon is Isa 40. 16. not suffici●nt to burn Whom Archbishops and Bishops those that refuse to Covenant with God and His people I had almost said for their Works deserve to be burnt else I le burn for them And if their Works be of such deserving so meritorious much more the Workmen Men of great Merit and deserving that way But truely I mean their Works as full of Superstitions Heresies and Prophanenesses as a viper is full of poyson But I said truely our Wood is not sufficient for that purpose and to serve our own turns too though yet if all were of my minde we would not make spare of Faggots for that Work though we chillid the more But I hope we may keep our Wood yet the Work may be done as well for the present tell Coal come-in That way we go and have sworn to take will do the businesse very well We will not ask what way because we are sworn Men and our Vows are upon us To do our utmost endeavour To extirpate Pluck up by the Roots the Hierarchichall Government and then we will do well enough with the rest If the Roots of the Oak be grubbed-up the Bulky Body must fall the Shreds Arms Boughes and out-Leaves must wither presently So if Archbishops and Bishops be thrown down All that which come-in grew-up and spred forth with them must down also All Superstitions Heresies and Pr●phanenesses And we have lifted-up the hand and subscribed our Names That out these shall even all that is contrary to sound Doctrine and the Power of Godlynesse That was well put-in the Finger of God put it there All that is contrary to sound Doctrine and the Power of Godlynesse All Archbishops and Bishops with all their Etceteraes have been so so contrary as Hell to Heaven The evill spirits to the good so contrary Then out they shall we swear they shall we will all with one (f) Zep. 3. 9. Consent in English Shoulder joyn hand to hand and shoulder to shoulder at this dead lift and out they shall be cast Left we partake of other mens sins and then of their Plagues too and that The Lord may be one and His Name one in the three Kingdoms There can be no doubt there And this for the Religious Part of the Covenant The Civill follows III. And that concerns the Kingdoms Birthright the Rights and Liberties of Parliament and then of the Subject Mine and Thine for we put altogether And God forbid we should not every Man lift-up his hand to maintain these for therein he maintains his own Rights and Liberties too and the Liberties of the Kingdoms Then I hope we will Maintain the Parliament which maintains all these but I go on The Lord forbid it me saith Naboth That I should give the Inheritance 1 King 21. 3 of my Fathers unto thee Give it he had but

world That they have made as great a Deformation in the Church as ever was seen in the world since the Councell of Trent the Iliad of that Age Nay the perfectest that ever was or now is I cannot perfectly tell what will be upon the Face of the Earth Grant that it shall do them no good nor scruple or offend us at this point for can it be a dishonour to the most perfect Church to Reforme according to the Word of God I trow not A Church cannot come up too neer unto the Rule the Word of God they may Rest at a distance too remote and farre off but I say again yet I need not say it but we have to do with unreasonable Men we cannot come up too neer unto the Rule of Doctrine and Discipline and Government What is that It follows To the Word of God That we endeavour All in All three Kingdoms To come up To the neerest Conjunction and Uniformitie in Religion Confession of Faith forme of Church Government Directory for Worship and Catechizing O Blessed Work I should speak to that but it would not be a little and Catechizing That we and our little ones may as Brethren live in Faith and Love and the Lord may delight in us This is all we have sworn unto And do we Repent Yes That we were so foolish as to make any Scruple here upon so cleer a Text. We are Satisfied now and had we an hundred Hands as I Read one Man had and half as many Mouthes we would do as much as much with all our Hands and Mouths as we have done and so for the next II. That we will endeavour in like manner the extirpation of Popery the Rooting of it out What else and Pr●la●y they were never seperated these came-in together and they must go out together Ay but the 〈◊〉 and his Wi●● their Sons and their Daughters too Pray let me use those words I mean Illiterate Persons may stumble at this for indeed though Pr●lacy has won●erfully Blasted it self as Tyranny has done yet good words both Tyranny is but Government and Prelacy a Superioritie amongst Church-Men and this must be and we allow of it with all our Hearts Therefore the Po●ters and their Wi●es we finde them entring into Covenant will observe what follows for explication and cleering their doubt touching Prelacy for Popery they know it well enough It is A walking in the wayes of Jeroboam who made Israel to sin and after the Whoredomes of Ahab and Jezebels house i● lifting up the Eye and the Heart to lying vanities this is plain 〈◊〉 And now they will understand Prelacy as well for know one and know both that is Church Government by Arch-Bishops and Bishops and their Chancellors with their Etcetera's together with I cannot tell what to call it but I have heard it called The Refuse and Garbadge of their Courts depending and following the Hierarchy as their train or as the shaddow the Body bringing in Superstition Heresie Schisme Prophanenesse c. Let Baal Plead for Baal because not one but three Kingdoms have sworn to Cast out his Lordship and his Images and to break down their house perhaps and make it as Baals a draught house Let Baal Plead and bring forth strong Reasons The Potter and his Wife will not Plead for them for though they may live in the Remotest Parts of the Kingdom yet they are not such strangers to the Common-Wealth of Israel as not to know though they understand not the word Hierarchy * I● is a Sacre● principal●●●e for it had its Originall f●●m the Heat●ens Arch Flamin● and Fla●in● co●inued with a very little change and ●esse Reason up ●ll most to this ●ay It is a cu●sed Government crept into the Church ●nsteed of an Hiera●●●●a a Sacred service whi●h 1. a●● shall be these Persons what they are what Blasphemies they have spoken besides hard words what Heresies they have maintained what Injustice they have done ungodly deeds and what In lets they have been to Prophanesse These cannot be Ignorant That the Government by Archbishops has been Tyrannicall Pharaoh like from the first Archbishop to him that three yeers a gone sate in his Throne I say Pharaoh like and his Bishops for they were his and at his Beck he said unto them do ye this and they did it Countenance Altars they did it and more Give the People a grant to Riot on the Lords day they did it Stop the Mouths of the Ministers they did it Thrust in the vile Throwout the Pretious they did it his Bishops And his Bishops were as Pharaohs Task-masters grievous oppressors they have by help of their Chancellors and their Etcetera's St●r●ned the Church of God evermore And for their Superstitions how Grosse Palpable and how many and Heresies as many How many all these I have no leisure to number my haires now The hearing of them would make a Mans hai●es stand up-right and his ears to tingle These are so many and so horrid I le report but one Heresie and this I will report because it has been an In-let to that which follows ever Prophane●esse and has done the greatest disservice that is Imaginable to the Potters and their Wives I mean still my Poor Brethren and Sisters in the Countries that live in the dark under the droppings of Cathedralls and the Cure of the forementioned such Brutish Men. I le Name the Heresie and the Heretick whom I have not heard named hitherto either in the high Court or in the Assembly In good time we may hear he is both found and thrown-out for that end I will Name him And that both may appear else as the old Custome was and as Reason is I le appear for him to suffer his Censure You shall hear the Text first I will have Mer●y and Matth 9 13. Doct●r Turners Text of Scripture fear●ul●y blasphemed not Sacrifice I will take leave to explain it I hope to my Lords meaning and that the Simple may understand If thou art going to offer a Sacrifice and a Work of Mer●y offer it self to thee in thy way which cannot be delayed w●rk that Thy Good and Gracious Lord will dispence with thee now for His Sacrifice He will let that stand aside that the Work of Mer●y to thy Brother may be done Nay let me adde That Mer●y may ●e shewn to an Inferiour Creature to an Oxe or an Asse I do not account him as one Calls him a Brother Brother Oxe and Brother Asse yet that thou mayest shew Mercy to either of Both and to tell thee how well Pleasing the shewing of Mercy to the lowest Be●e Anseltur Creatures for His Mercy is over all is unto The Lord The God of Mercies He will let His Sacrifice give Place the while thou art shewing this Mercy in helping these out of the Di●●l● when thou seest him faln as thou art passing by to offer thy Sacrifice the Calves of thy Lips now Prayers and Praises

Son a Daughter Deut. 13. a Wife a Friend if any of these be a Malignant or a Neuter he must not be spared Self and Self-respects with References to Him and to Her to this and to that has much to Plead here but all is easie Answered We are Sworn Men we are entred into an Oath we must do as King Asa did not Spare He is my Friend perhaps my Childe that 's the sorrow But he is an Enemy to God to good Men and to the Churches best Friend The Lord Jesus Christ And a Childe of Belial he is I cannot be to seek what I am to do having used all fair Means I must discover my Friend to be an Enemy indeed and do with the Childe as the Parents did with their Stubborn Childe Deut. 21. 18. bring him out unto the Elders for I do all as in the sight of GOD. And now we come to the main Point the very Center of Reformation Self a mans own heart and life there is the great Point indeed all the Lines that have been drawn and they have been drawn with the greatest exactnesse all the Prudence that we can imagine to be in Man with Reference still and directest tendency to the onely Rule and end The glory of God and mans eternall good All these Lines must be Centered now in my heart and life all ends in a personall Reformation for that is all in all to him that has lifted-up his hand now We must observe here first the wickednesse of some not a few Doctors and Proctors for the Church of Rome 2. The weaknesse for I will not call it wickednesse of others very many 1. See the wickednesse of this man he is a Legion I will speak of him single He cannot take the Covenant he could not take the former nor the latter nor this now Indeed hee cannot take it nay hee will Swear to and not Sin he has done and can do strange matters and yet no sin in all he do's to his Conscience He could proclaim an Heathenish Libertie to prophane The Lords Day in The Lords House and yet not sin he strained not at that Camel but swallowed it He could bend before Altars and set-up Images and not Sin Twenty things more the grossest abominations that can be named he can do and not Sin keep two Livings three for failing and attend neither and not Sin spill the blood of Souls and not Sin But a Covenant he cannot take and not Sin That like a Bone sticks in his Throat he cannot swallow that and not Sin This bruitsh man must not be spared such a Notorious Person we must never cease wishing that he were cut off who so troubles us That this vile Person for you heard what abominations he do's yet sayes he do's not Sin and what he will not do lest he sin That this so Vile a Person a Docter a Teacher of Lies may be set apart as was the Leper for he is as Infectious left he infect others I will assure the Reader what that is which makes this man slie from a Covenant He is not so Bruitish blinde or Seared though all this he is as not to allow of this Covenant Why do's he not take it then As sure as we live I can tell why because it ends in a Personall Reformation of all that is amisse he will never take it for he is amisse and besides his Rule in all he do's and if he enter into Covenant now he swears to oversee himeslf himself first then others Wife Children and servants his own House then the Act. 20. 28. ● Tun. 3 4. 4. 16. Tit. 2. 7. House of God But this is not all though he never did any of all this if he enters into Covenant he must shut his Ears from Hearing Blood and he has shed the Blood of Soules with no more Regret than he swallows Wine wherewith many times he is swallowed up he must shake his Lap at unjust gain but he cannot shake hands with his two Livings He must but I forbear I have said enough Isa 28. 7 to declare his wickednesse and because he is a Doctor a Teacher of others I will say but this he is another Mountebanke he can stab his body for gain so this Doctor his Soul and not Sin See their wickednesse We have sworn to do our utmost that these may be cut off who have taken Peace from the Earth 2. See the weaknesse of others very many their ignorance rather and pity it They will read the Covenant then raise Questions and make Doubts about it which Momus himself would scarce do who had an Art and made it his trade to make faults where he found none They will I say make questions about the beginning or midst or thereabouts and quickly receive satitfaction to all their doubts and then they enter into it never questioning the last point that great point touching Personall and houshold Reformation They never made question there for Conscience sake I mean not touching the lawfulnesse of it for there can be no question but touching the performance at this point standing to that they have so solemnly Covenanted to perform They had not one serious thought upon this matter It is their ignorance Blessed be God there shall be a course taken to thrust out this vile Parson their Doctor and to put in a precious Person in his Room who will make it his work to instruct and teach their poor people touching this last point Personall Reformation which is the Bottom and Center of all we have sworn unto even every Mothers Childe which is to bring home all this to himself there To Center all in his own heart and life This is the work indeed this is the labour This Personall Reformation the Centering of it in a Mans self and shewing it forth in a mans life and conversation And were it not that with God all things are possible and he requires no more of a People but that they be a people of willingnesses and he makes them so were it not for P●a● 110. 3. this the best man amongst us would flie-back from this work or faint before it considering the mighty opposition he must meet with now the potent Adversaries he must contend against The Devils in Hell and those in the Ayre and all his Servants on earth The Devill will give him good leave to lift up the hand for company to all the fore-mentioned To contend for Religion to fight for Religion to be all in shew for Religion but when Religion it contains all comes to be bottomed and Centered in a mans heart and life thou must be all this Religious and Faithfull and not for thy self onely but for all thy houshold all under thy charge and over sight when it comes to settle here as upon the true Basis and proper place then what stirs are here What an opposition I can more then guesse now what are the Wiles Depths Devices workings of Satan