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	keep_v	law_n	23,701	5	6.5100	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A66947	The dead-man's testament: or, A letter written, to all the saints of God in Scotland fellow-heirs of the blessing with those in England: for a view of the present work of God against the mystery of iniquity and for unity and love amonst themselves, in this day of the Lord's mercifull dispensation, and of the judgement of the whore. By Thomas Wood, sometimes inhabitant of Leith, lately departed this present life. And supplied by one of his own countrey-men, a lover of the true spirituall Beautie of Zion. Published by authoritie.	Wood, Thomas, of Leith.	1651 (1651)	Wing W3413; ESTC R221198	10,313	19

needeth to teach another but all of them know the LORD from the highest of them to the lowest of them Jeremiah 31. That which engageth them to their duty is the law put in their inward parts and written in their hearts It indeed and not to multiplication of Church-Assemblies keepeth them loyall to the Crown royall of Heaven Such Ecclesiasticall powers use often to restrain Christian Liberty but seldom or rather never promove the just freedom and liberty of the Saints Secondly in respect of the matter propounded and discussed in these Assemblies Know ye not Dearly beloved in them nothing for the most part was to be heard but needlesse debates and vain janglings Any thing heard in them was rather to minister Question then godly edification which is in faith How many tables and endless genealogies were heard amongst them which the Holy Ghost disclaimeth We learn no matter in Church-Assemblies from the Word but grave Cases of Conscience or matter of Controversie Acts 15. and of seasonable and necessary admonition for the good and edification of the Church Acts 20. But the LORD knoweth the Assemblies of this Church did not content themselves therewith but went far out of their sphere They could away with nothing so much as to examine the Books of Sessions Presbyteries Synods and Commissions They were not ashamed to rob the Magistrate of his right as their due Nothing could satisfie them but proceeding against Fornicators Malignants and all such delinquents as if they and they onely had had right to the temporall sword Nothing could be done in Parliament but what was ratified and allowed by them They pushed indeed with the two horns of the beast for the matter of such Assemblies is an acting with both swords Temporall and Spirituall And to colour all this there was a doing great wonders by making fire come down from Heaven on the Earth in the sight of men in establishing Popish Pennances or mo●k Repentances O! what deal of the Spirit did they pretend in these things And thus they deceived them that dwell on the earth Thirdly in respect of the manner of proceeding in these Assemblies It is known they carried on things in a State-way and not in a Church way They did not take every thing to the Law and the testimonie but they disputed every thing as Lawyers standing close by formalities Law quirks and Church Constitutions i● not of State also as the grounds and wayes of their procedure They did not proceed because it seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to them but because it seemed good to them and was according to the Acts and Practice of the Church Oh! was not this the over-word in and touch-stone of these Conventions Fourthly in respect of the Members of these Meetings indeed they were answerable to their National Church such as were Members of the one so of the other And it can not be forgotten how their Ruling-Elders did not only sit as Ciphers in them the Ministers taking all upon them but also they had no more Office-power but pro tempore yet I can see no reason why all other officers of Christ's Church so wel as Ministers may not injoy their office-power vel ad vitam vel ad culpam And for my self I saw no use they made of them but to carry on things by plurality of voices as if the matters of Christ's House had depended from the consent and opinion of men not from his own authority according to the Word and Spirit Fi●tly in respect of the power they did arrogate to themselves What they did they did not as Councels but as Court-Judicatures they did not proceed by way of advice and counsell and upon this accompt for it seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us but by way of command and upon this accomp● We enact and ordain Sixtly in respect of their outward pomp glory O! how much were they backed with the powers of this World And it is observable these Assemblies of late did begin with the accession of the Kings Commissioner thereto An. 1639. and I hope their pride hath perished with the accession of the Vice-Roy to the General Assembly 1651. The reign and rise of Classicall Power are from the earth Rev. 13. 11. and therefore it cannot but parish with the earth The fall of carnal worldly powers will beget its ruine Seventhly in respect of their tyrannie O! how much did they lord over GOD'S heritage they thought it their duty to Lord over their Consciences to plant over and transplant Ministers from them at random And I beleive the Lord of late hath given them plantation and transplantation beyond what they desired They thought it no sin to restrict people to forms of worship To emit Declarations Catechisms and stinte formes of Family-Worship and directions anent worshipping in publick in their own stinted and Presbyterian way They made it their great businesse even as their lips onely had preserved knowledge and all had been obliged to lay what they said or rather to swear what they spoke They thought it no Heresie to emit Acts against the private Assemblies of the Saints and their going from one first day of the week to another to hear those Preach of whom they expected most for Edification although their Parish-Priest had been an idiot void of the Saving knowledge of God They exhorted repentance out of all and whosoever would not take their mark upon them they restrained their Liberty by bills of excommunication and casting them over into the hands of the State Such indeed had not liberty to buy and sell amongst them Any who denyed their Acts and did not idolize their Covenant of which they made a State-Engine for establishing worldly powers was forthwith to be excommunicat No wonder For though they had Lambes hornes yet did they speak as dragons Rev. 14. 11. Eightly in respect of the proud title they did assume to themselves They were not ashamed Popish-like to call themselves the Church even as if holines and knowledge had been only to be found amongst them in their own accompt they were the Inheritance and Church of GOD by way of eminency and speciall propriety What is this I pray you beloved but the Man of sin sitting in the Temple of God exalting himself above God as God or that is worshipped Beware of this Whore dearly beloved and Come out of her that ye be not partakers of her sins and that ye receive not of her plagues POSTSCRIPT Dear Christian Reader I Must needs tel thee shortly what the Author of this Letter was how far he proceeded in it and how it came to my hands The Author of it was a most Religious body and much persecuted for the Truth He lived here in Le●th in a most privat and mean condition And though he was blinde in the eyes of his body yet as appeareth not in the eyes of his minde In him our Lord hath made it appear that he perfecteth his praise by the mouth of Babes and chooseth the foolish things of this World to confound the Wise His purpose was to emit this he did not fear to profess Christ openly though many of the rulers who beleeve in Him d●re not profess Him because of the Seribes and Pharises yet before he closed it he gave up the ghost And he wrote no more of this Letter but till you come to that which is spoken Pag. 12. concerning the Assemblies of this National Church which I have supplied at the desire of a Religious Officer of the English Army 〈◊〉 in the interim know I did read an imperfest and undigested Scroll of the Authors wherein he had hinted at severall of these things concerning the foresaid Assemblies which I express viz. Their ruling by plurality of voices their debating things of no 〈◊〉 and passing by the out searching the Mistery of Godlines and of Iniquity together with their imploying the temporall sword of the Magistrate in the matters of Christs Church and Kingdom But I durst not adventure to set down these things in the Authors own words and way though I had once intended it for he had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and confusedly d●●●●●ed them being called by GOD from hence before he had 〈◊〉 them and had taken them to his second thoughts Upon which accompt I have digested the last part of this Letter in mine own way and manner though in nothing d●screpant from his purpose lest had I done other wayes he having departed hence before he had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 leaving the leaving the close of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the last part of it should have been inferiour to the rest as possibly it is as yet Howsoever Dear Christian Reader take thou my good thin● for my good say embrace this Letter kindely and fare thou well FINIS