Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	drink_v	eat_v	let_v	15,915	5	5.9494	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A92566	A vindication of conformity to the liturgy of the Church of England. In a letter, written to A person of quality, wherein satisfaction is given to certain queries suggested by a non-conformist.	P. S.	1668 (1668)	Wing S124; ESTC R183126	12,388	56

and want humility Ambition and Covetousness and Pride and Rebellion have stained the gifts of many in our late remembrance that might otherwise have done though not so much service to the Church as themselves supposed yet less mischiefe than through their mis-imployment she hath sustained By reason of these defects what hath our Church suffered whilst one was for a Classis Another for a gathered Congregation A third against Paedobaptisme A fourth against Monarchy and yet all would we credit them for Christ When these had Preached their severall Sentiments they concluded their Harangues with Prayers agreeable to their respective judgements and the Auditors that heard them must either with their Amen to such wild devotions seal contradictions or stand upon their guard to pick and choose where to joyne issue with those incoherent ejaculations which in defiance of all Authority of the ancient Church must be obtruded upon the world as the Dictates of the holy Ghost But 't is alledged That to enjoyn a set Forme so as not to suffer any parts of Gods worship to be carryed on without it though never so Scripturall seems to make an addition to Gods Word forbidden in Deut. and the Rev. nothing less For here 't is to be noted that some things are absolutely good as the Love of God and our Neighbour the believing of the Articles of the Christian Faith praying to and praysing of God c. And then some things are absolutely sinfull and wicked as all the violations of the Moral Law and the discredit of any thing commended to our beliefe under paine of damnation But then some things are of an indifferent and middle nature neither of themselves obliging us to the use or refusall of them but are left unto us under our Christian Liberty to be either forborne or imployed as our selves shall think fitting under no restrictions till our Superiours limit us but that of the Apostle Whether ye eate or drinke doe all to the glory of God And let us follow after the things which make for peace and things wherewith one way edifie another 1 Cor. 10.31 Rom. 14.19 of this kind are the words wherein we present our supplications to God the time when the Lords day excepted and the place where the Garments in which we Pray unto him Which circumstances when the Church determineth she is far from intending to make any addition to the sacred Oracles of Gods Word or from straightening that liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free For first The Church of England hath no such opinion as some of the Romanists have of the Orders of some of their Saints touching any constitutions that she maketh concerning the regulating of Gods Worship she placeth no necessity in them Indeed she judgeth that when such Laws are made they ought to be obeyed upon the obligation of the fifth Commandement But that obligation springs not from the immediate Law giver but from the Ordinance of him that hath commanded us to submit our selves to every Ordinance of Man for the Lords sake For even after her determination the Church supposeth the indifferency that was before still to continue in respect of the things themselves onely in respect of use and so farr as concerns us we are under restraint but yet not so that the violation of such Laws when it falleth to be committed upon some sudden emergency is esteemed a sin like the breach of Gods Laws so long as it is without wantonness scandall and contempt 2. The Church conceiveth her selfe not so bound to keep any Rites or Ceremonies established but that upon due motives she may alter them as she pleaseth prescribing to no other Church what they should doe but permitting unto them in this behalfe the liberty that her selfe taketh If upon this ground it should be inferred Why are such Ceremonies of which the Church declareth her judgement to be that in themselves they are indifferent pressed so indispensably that he that will not assent and consent to the use of them must not be suffered to use another manner of Worship which he conceives more Scripturall We answer That it appertains not to private men to judge what Publick Worship is most Scripturall but to the Governors of the Church and they think that the Liturgy established is as Scripturall a Worship as any that can be contested against it If the Scriptures had appointed with what words and after what express Forme the whole Service of the Church should have been managed that method would have obliged all Christians but such a Forme is no where extant in all the Book of God Indeed there is a generall Rule That all things should be done decently and in Order And a cleare Injunction that we should obey those that are over us in the Lord to whom it belongs to judge what in the publick Assemblyes is decent and orderly It may be this Querist would have every Minister of God in the Publique Service of the Church proceed according to the measure of his Talents which he supposeth may be husbanded to the edification of soules far more advantagiously than the prescript Formes can be which being known and alwayes the same are apt to beget or at least nourish in us formality oscitancy and dulness in those addresses that should be active and vigorous full of affection and holy zeale I know such things have bin pleaded but experience hath taught us that neither set Formes doe necessarily beget those evill effects nor doe the arbitrary conceptions of such Divines as have thought fitting to renounce complyance with the rule enjoyned them provide against them We have no desire to reproach men but if we had might we not tell them that the new methods of devision which entred upon the late banishment of the Liturgie were so far from spiritualizing the people that pertook of them that if Pride Contention Schisme Rebellious contumacy against Governors both Ecclesiasticall and Civill Oppression and Covetousness are works of the flesh a more carnall generation of professors cannot be produced I say not since the Reformation but scarce since Christianity than those that have upon pretence of Carnality Formality deserted the Communion of the Church of England 3. I hope upon consideration of what hath already been said the Querist may easily perceive that by his Assent and Consent to the Liturgy c. he will not fall under the guilt of setting up a power in co-ordination to our great Law-giver who is God and Man much less need he feare that hereby he shall advance a power above Christ For the Church of England pretends to no infallible authority over mens Consciences she is farr from checking any thing expressly commanded by the Spirit of Christ in the Writings of the Evangelists and Apostles onely by the help of that light which she thence receiveth she endeavoureth to direct and assist all the children within her Communion in the most ready course of performing the duties there required and herein