Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	heart_n	incline_v	law_n	17,568	5	7.8253	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A47260	A sermon preached in the cathedral-church of Worcester at the Lent assize, April 7th, 1688 by Daniel Kenrick, Master of Arts and vicar of Kemsey in Worcestershire.	Kenrick, Daniel, fl. 1685.	1688 (1688)	Wing K307; ESTC R29934	21,872	36

Adoration for his Saviour and yet contrary to the Dictates of Heaven and the Doctrine of the Blessed Jesus make it his business to speak evil of Dignities and disturb the Peace of the Kingdom in which he lives II. I Proceed to shew that we owe a strict obedience to the Higher Powers of this Realm Which is easily evinc'd because they are such Powers which are Sovereign and as they are absolutely Supream so ought we to be absolutely obedient The Kings of this Realm are said crimine vacare because they owe an account of their Offences only to Heaven They are said to be Laws to themselves because tho in the Court of their own Consciences they are oblig'd to reign according to Law yet they are absolv'd of all Laws in relation to an earthly Tribunal The Kings of this Realm like those of the Jews may do whatsoever they think fit without Controlment from the Subject For since they are Gods Lieutenants can they be accountable to any but their Almighty Captain Since they are Heads of the Common-wealth what Member shall call them to Question and since they have the sole power of the Sword what hand can justly draw it without their Commission The Kings of this Realm by vertue their Prerogatives when Laws become sharp may soften them as they please and when too cruel totally pro tempore suspend them To the Prerogative we owe the calling of Parliaments the proroguing of the good and the dissolution of the bad To the merciful exercise of the Prerogative we owe that we our selves sit every Man under his own Vine and drink the waters of his own Cistern For by the same undoubted Rights of Soveraignty that the King in dispensing with the Laws shews the light of his Countenance to some of his Subjects by the same he may if he please become a Cloud and darkness to the rest For by the Rights of Supremacy he may do all things without Controlment and Coertion And altho he at any time act as he may do contrary to the Laws which himself or his Ancestors have ratified yet at the same time he Acts but according to the natural Laws and Rights of his Prerogative And indeed if we consider the Natural Laws and Rights of Soveraignty no Law can be made by a Soveraign but there must be this tacit Reserve in 't viz. That it shall continue in force only so long as the Supreme Power thinks it necessary and convenient And thus since the Kings of this Realm are Supreme we ought strictly to pay them such an humble Obedience as may be answerable to the greatness of their Power III. I come now to shew the reasonableness of our Obedience to the King in this present juncture of Affairs that is why we ought to comply and cooperate with his Majesty in the repeal of the Tests and Penal Laws and setling a lasting Indulgence in relation to Conscience for Matters of meer Religion And this I shall evince from these Eight following considerations 1. From the Nature of Conscience as to Matters of meer Religion 2. From the Genius of the Christian Religion consider'd in its first Planting and Propagation 3. From the ill consequence of Force and the happy Effects of Clemency in affairs of Religion 4. From the Allegiance and Gratitude we owe-to His Majesty 5. From the Liberty that is due to the Subject 6. From the Consideration of the Interest of the Church 7. From the Duties we owe toour Neighbours 8. From the Kindness that is due to our Country First From the Nature of Conscience as to Matters of meer Religion Now Conscience in relation to Matters of meer Religion in the present case is a Conclusion of the reason ableness or unreasonableness of our Belief drawn from Scriptures Thus when Men say they cannot believe such a particular point of Divinity or they must dissent from any parricular way of Divine Worship 't is as much as to say that their understanding tells them that such a point of Faith or such a way of Worship is not consentaneous to the Scripture And when Men say they Believe and Worship according to their Consciences 't is as much as to say that they do both because their understanding concludes that they act according to Gods Word Thus Conscience in Matters of Belief is purely an act of the Soul and since 't is so 't is impossible it should be forc'd and the impossibility of it ought to supersede all endeavonrs towards it Nay Conscience in relation to matters of Worship which is the effect only of the former tho you may obstruct its publick Exercise yet without converting Men into Statues you can never hinder its private and therefore when the Peace of the Kingdom is concern'd it ought to be permitted Besides let us consider that every Soul is only the Empire of Heaven God Almighty has set Conscience there as he has plac'd particular Kings in their respective Kingdoms that is as his sole Vice gerent Whosoever therefore violently Fights against Conscience fights against Heaven because he endeavours by undue means to subject Gods immediate Minister And tho Conscience like some Heathen Kings prove many times erroneous because it draws undue conclusions from Gods sacred word yet it is like those Emperors only answerable to Heaven for such Errors If it be here Objected That men justly ought to be punished if they will not believe when Scripture is rightly Interpreted I answer That I should have thought that the Eye of Faith is only the Gift of the Lord of Light and he only can incline the Heart who made it and therefore to pretend to bestow the Gift of God is to usurp the Prerogative of Heaven No this Gift of God can no more be conferr'd by Penal Laws and taking away Money than that which Simon hop'd to enjoy by giving money Heaven never opens the understanding by unlocking the Chest nor does it prick and wound the Conscience by mangling an Estate and ruining the possessor But some say Dissenters are not punish'd as religious and conscientious but for their disobedience to the Laws of the Nation But this Fallacy is so palpable that 't is easily solv'd by asking one plain Question viz. Why were those Laws made And the answer must be that the Spring which first mov'd their debate was Religion and the end for which they were made was that a religious Uniformity might be observ'd by all the Subjects of this Realm so that whosoever is punished by the force of those Laws whose source is from and whose ends are for Religion is really punish'd as religious and if he suffer not besides as an evil doer his punishment is unjust For in such a Punishment the Body suffers because the Soul is not of the same stamp with that of his Neighbour and for the same reason a Man may be lash'd because he has not as an agreeable a Face as those that liv'd around him for neither his