Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	day_n	sabbath_n	time_n	25,202	5	5.0710	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A63266	An apology for the non-conformists shewing their reasons, both for their not conforming, and for their preaching publickly, though forbidden by law : with an answer to Dr. Stillingfleet's sermon, and his defence of it, so much as concerneth the non-conformists preaching / by John Troughton ...	Troughton, John, 1637?-1681.	1681 (1681)	Wing T2312; ESTC R1706	102,506	125

of the Parishes any more then the Non-Residents may plead that they cannot reside with their own people or perform Ministerial duties to them because they must hold Communion with them amongst whom they dwell Thus the Dr in all his book hath said nothing directly to the question in hand but the Terms of Communion he saith are the same now as at the first Reformation but as to the Ministers this is apparently otherwise such Subscriptions and Declarations being required of them as no History can match except those imposed on the Jansenists in France of which ours seem to be an immitation The contrivers of our impositions being then in France when the Jansenists were removed from all Ecclesiastical Places by a like artifice as we afterwards were If he mean the Terms of Communion that concern the people as he elsewhere expresseth himself and restrains them to the Terms imposed by Law this is nothing to the purpose for the Ministers though they should submit to those terms when they act as private men may nevertheless be bound not to for sake the exercise of their Ministry Besides there is a Fallacy in restraining the Terms to those enjoyned by Law what if neither Ministers nor people can enjoy the benefit of the Law but new terms are imposed on them without Law as were the subscription to the Service Book Can. 36. whereby so many worthy Ministers were turned out in K. Jame's time the Reading of the book for Soorts on the Lords Day and the Reading of the Prayer against the Scots and the order for Preaching but once a Sabbath and then not to exceed an hour for disobeying which more were rejected in the late King's time and many such are still continued viz the constant Reading of the Communion Service though there be no Sacrament which makes the Prayers more tedious and fuller of Repitions then they need to be and also straitneth the Preacher if it do not hinder the Sermon the placeing the Communion Table and Railing it like an Altar and compelling the Communicants to come up by parcels to kneel before it contrary to Q. Eliz. injunctions must the people submit still because these things are imposed by Law do not innovations and corruptions come into the Church by degrees and by connivance at first and afterwards when their Authors are strong enough they are then established by Laws and Canons And yet the Argument holdeth not the things imposed might be submitted to at the first Reformation ergo they must be so still The Jewish Ceremonies were tolerated and practised by the Apostle Paul in the beginning of the Gospel and yet when false teachers and other peevish or timorous men contended for the observation of them still when the reason of it viz not offending the Jews was ceased and they were an hindrance to the Gospel then the same Apostle would not give place to them no not for an hour though Peter and Barnabas joyned with them Gal. 2.3.4.5 and ver 11. to the 18. Nor doth our practise reflect on our first Reformers unless they had been extraordinarily inspired to that work then indeed to vary from them or endeavour to correct them would be to reproach the Spirit by whom they acted But if they made that Reformation only as good and wise men acting according to Principles of Piety and Prudence as farr as they could in their circumstances it is no disparagement to them if others vary from them according to the times and circumstanees they live in My L. Bacon observes that in civil matters our Parliament does dayly alter our Laws Bacon 's Essays and suit them to the present times and case of the people yet this is thought no disparagement to the Wisdom or Justice of their Ancestours in former Parliaments but the Church ●●eth almost buried in the Rubbish of time and this must not be removed out of Veneration forsooth to Antiquity The best men not inspired can but do what is best for their own time we should therefore inquire not only whether the terms of Communion be the same now that they were at the first Reformation but also whether those terms be as necessary as Tolerable and as fit to be submitted to now as they wre then Nor did our Reformers expect that their endeavours should be made an unalterable Standard to all posterity The exprest in their Preface to the Common-Prayer Book their mind this purpose viz. That they had done what they could in reforming the Church and the Liturgy according to their light and as their times would bear and that they hoped those that came after would be able to do more and go further This I have heard from divers Ancient and Credible Persons who remembred they had read this passage in the said Preface though it be now left out And it is the more unreasonable to urge the platform of the first Reformation as a Rule not to be altered though in disputable and mutable things because some of these Reformers both Ministers and People of that time disliked some things that were imposed and because they were yoked with some Papists who dissembled their Religion that they might both keep their places and more effectually hinder the Reformation as Bishop Cranmer is said to have complained How ever the thing was an unquestionable Truth Nor is it altogether true which he saith that the dislike of our Liturgy or Ceremonies was wholly brought from abroad by Hooper Rogers c. such as had travelled in Germany and Helvetia where Cranmer himself had also been a considerable time But it sprang up at home also together with the first seeds of the Reformation Almongst Wicklif's Opinion recited by Mr. Fox and charged on him by his Adversaries there by many pieces of the present Non-Con-formity relating to Discipline and Ceremonies * Church Hist Cont. and Dr. Fuller reports that in the latter end of K. Henry 8th many Articles were complained of in the Convocation as being now common among the People as against Lent most of the Ceremonies and such like It is natural for Christians not only to desire to hear true Doctrine and to have true Worship but to have that Doctrine and worship maintained by such Discipline and expressed by such Ceremonies or Circumstances as are allowed by it and agreeable to it and not by exotick things of mans device and humour It is true then Conformity and Non-conformity were Twins conceived and Born together in the Womb of our Church and it is as true that Non-Conformity put forth its hand first though Conformity had the hap first to break and to be Midwifed into into the world by Law But indeed is it a Reflection on our first Reformers to desire to mend what they were not peremptory in and some of them disliked And is it no dishonour to them to change the Doctrine then establisht in chief Articles of Faith viz. the Pelagian and Arminian points which have so long reigned amongst us And

being the divinely inspired Law of the Church which they are to interpret and apply but seeing interpretation and application of the Scriptures is their work and every ordinance doth imply this more or less they ought not to be tyed generally and strictly to certain forms of words wherein to express themselves unless they were of divine inspiration and if all that Ministers were to say to the people was prescribed them as it might be in all as well as in those things wherein the Liturgy doth prescribe to them then the Ministry might be a calling as others are that men might in a common way take up to read all divine service but certainly there would need no solemn ordination or consecration to this office with Fasting Prayer and imposition of hands more then to any other calling 2. They object against our Liturgy that the matter of it and words also are generally taken out of the Service Books of Rome viz the Mass-book Ceremoniale Pontificale Romanum and that the form of it viz. the manner and order of the service is too much conformed to yea little different from the Popish Mass or Service now they say God in the Law refused to be served with any of the Forms Modes Ceremonies Customs Vessels or Utensils wherewith Idols had been served yea though the things were some indifferent Rites and Customs and which the idolatrous thought founded upon reason and nature and the vessels were of Materials of his own making It is true what is Scripture and from Scripture must be used though it was abused by Papists whatsoever is founded-upon divine institution comes from the word not from the Church of Rome but to keep to their Words Order Method c. seems too great respect to that Church and that service They knew very well there was no legal pollution upon the Words or Ceremonies because they had been used by the Papists as there was upon the Idols Utensils under the Law wherefore they might not be converted to mens private use but must be destroyed but to translate their service into our Church in things wherein we have the same liberty of composing forms and methods for our selves as any others have this seems too great a respect to that idolatrous Church from whence they came too easy a passing by all the Pollutions and Tyranny with which they had defiled and tormented the Church of Christ too great an acknowledgement of her as a worthy or eminent Church from whom we should take a pattern of our worship all which were certainly displeasing to God and by this symbolizing with Rome in our worship we harden the Papists as if we differed from them but in circumstantial things we keep in mind there ways and worship and so continually expose the people to the danger of returning to Popery and also reflect upon the reformed Churches chusing Rome for our Pattern keeping so near to her whereas they have all utterly cast her of and composed new forms of worship for themselves out of the Scripture nor can there be any other reason given why England above all other reformed Churches is so much sollicited to and in danger of relapsing into Popery from age to age but that her publick service and Church Government is so much like to that of Rome that the Papists think they may easily perswade us to receive all the rest seeing we are so zealous to retain so much of their Religion 3. They thought our Liturgy very defective in the publick Prayers partly in that there are very few things mentioned in them and those very generally either in the confessions of sinsor petitions for Mercies especially Spiritual and the Letany which is something more large and particular yet comes not near the secret wants of mens Souls mentioneth things so briefly and suddenly passeth over to others of a different nature that there is no time for mens thoughts to reflect on them or their Hearts to be affected with them which is one special end of Prayer and partly because of the abrupt breaking off and dividing one Petition from another into several Prayers most of the Collects containing but one single Petition or two at most this breaks off intention and affection neither is there any order among the Prayers or coherence of Petitions and some Petitions are repeated often in the same service yea some whole Prayers especially when the Letany is read there is a very needless repetition of almost all the Prayers for if that be comprehensive of all necessary things what need other Prayers be used at that time these defects viz confusedness incoherence tautologies in words or sence going backwards and forwards c. are objected as intolerable in the Prayers of particular Ministers who yet may out-grow such weakness and pray with better method and to better edification they are not then to be excused in the Church Liturgy where no man hath power to correct or alter any thing and Rulers are very unwilling to yield to amendments for fear of confessing something to have been amiss before 4. They were not satisfied with the Responses that the people should audibly speak after the Minister or alternately with him this lesseneth the gravity and seriousness of the Service hindreth the exercise of Thoughts and Affections in the people and makes the worship more like a Dramatick Action wherein every one acts their part and must wait for their Q. or time of speaking and silence rather then like the solemn service of God 5. They dislike the frequent repetitions of the Lord's Prayer which in every Morning and Evening service is twice used and once for every office that is added to them as when the Letany is read or the Communion Service or a woman Churched or a Child Baptized or a Marriage Solemnized or a Person buryed so that it is not unusual to rehearse the Lords Prayer five or six times before the Liturgy service be finished and yet the Minister must use it in the Pulpit after all They could not conceive any reason or excuse to be given for this custome but a superstitious conceit of that form of words almost turning them into the Nature of a Charm as if they could not be used too often and the very use of them made all other service the more acceptable 6. The corrupt Translations of the Scripture used in the Liturgy that there may and ever will be impersections in and doubts about Translation of Scripture whilst mens Knowledge is imperperfect and their Judgments diverse is granted by all but the Translations in the Liturgy in the Psalms Epistles and Gospels are grosly corrupt some contrary to the sence of the Text and in some places whole Verses omitted and the Titles of all Psalms are left out which in the Hebrew are the first verse of the Psalms and very necessary for the understanding of them therefore to oblige men to read these Translations only in the Church Service even when we have