Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	word_n	work_v	world_n	829	4	4.1774	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A81459	Dictated thoughts upon the Presbyterians late petitions for compleat and universall power (in divine ordinances) to be conferred upon the presbyters by humane authority.		1646 (1646)	Wing D1413; Thomason 669.f.10[48]; ESTC R204497	9,153	1

DICTATED THOVGHTS Vpon the Presbyterians late petitions for compleat and universall power in Divine Ordinances to be conferred upon the PRESBYTERS by Humane Authority SUrely if these Presbyterians did but know indeed what the true Religion is and did account it the life and crown of all their I berties and priviledges as they pretend they would not so endeavour to infringe the outward much lesse the inward liberties and priviledges of the professors thereof as they have done and do If the manner of a pure and perfect reformation in all Christs ordinances were not hidden from their eyes which they pretend to account the beauty of Religion they would never seek thus to compell by civil sanction uncivil persons to divine obedience but hate the casting of holy things to dogs and pearls before swine and not torment those by constraint to worship God whose worship is abhorred by God A mind well informed knoweth that Gods true worship must proceed from the mind The mind must be moved by reason not by rigour To constrain men to the positive duties of the first Table of Gods Law is not mans but Gods It 's the devine unction of the word not the civil sanction of the world that frameth men in a spirituall posture pleasing to God Those persons that go this way to work and whom God hath so much honoured to promote and accomplish such a reformation lay the foundation of the Lords house upon the rock and are to be accounted as those famous witnesses were in the days of King Edward and Queen Elizabeth of happy memory Those that do otherwise are sandy foundation-layers friends to the midnight of Popery and enemies to the sweet dawning day of reformation What double honour divine providence hath devolved upon this age by causing the light of the truth of Iesus Christ to shine in the world exhibiting wholsome directions according to the perfect directory of the word of God we desire to accept from the directers with all thankfulnesse But in this work of such high concernment all the axes hammers and tools of mens inventions we utterly reject knowing that such polishers are no good reformers but great poluters of the sanctuary of the most High Spirituall minded men not persecuting spirits know that Iesus Christ is the Lord of all administrations and that he hath established the government and discipline of his Church sufficiently and firmly in his Word and hath cursed those that add thereunto or detract therefrom To it all persons must yeeld subjection and not dance about the golden calfe of their own invention much lesse desire it to be established by a civil sanction for that will not ease the extremity of their perplexed and amazed spirits nor heal the distempers of our distressed Nation Neither can the Parliament though excelling former Parliaments preserve Christs precious ordinances and in particular the Lords Supper from all contempt and profanation as these Presbyterians speake for that cannot be in this world If they do their utmost endeavour to keep all ignorant and scandalous persons therefrom are we to desire or doth God require any more of them in that particular But surely if it be true as these petitioners say that English Parliaments never had such a learned pious and faithfull Synod to hold forth sincerely the mind of Christ and the model of Church government agreeable to his will as this Parliament hath and yet Church government and discipline to this very day doth remain unestablished Then by this it may appear that the Synod hath been either very negligent and would not or deficient and could not establish it and so have not held forth sincerely the mind of Christ agreeable to his will as is pretended and these Presbyterians themselves affirm that their confession of Faith publick Catechisme must necessarily take up a far longer time then can possibly be spared from setling of government without many unavoydable and desparate mischiefs And whereas they would have it brought to passe by civil sanction that is Temporall power to constrain all men of and in the Nation both high and low rich and poor bound and free under pain of corporall punishment to do according to their determinations in matters of worship And therefore do they in their petition call out for a compleat power to be established upon the Presbyters It appeareth they conceive that the government of their Church will not be established without it at least in their way and according to their mind for without the Temporall sword their Kingdom Power Glory Preheminence and Maintenance which they stand for fals to the ground But their pressing argument is that no Parliament ever had such and so many forcible engagements upon them from God and unto God as are upon this And I wish the Lord would engage them to him and his more abundantly And whereas these say that the City of London did never so flourish with such a conscionable and painfull ministry as at this day I desire they were all more conscionable and painfull in good and then the City of London would flourish indeed But whereas these question whence then should it be that the children being come so near to the birth there is yet no strength to bring forth If they mean their two children viz. power and maintenance it is because the Man child Iesus Christ with his rod of Iron is about to crush the Priestly power and maintenance which they have conceived in their minds and so much cry out for with their mouths But these men who will not be content to bear with others in Religion call out for others to bear with them saying Bear with us a little in this fervor of our spirits it is for our Religion Reformation and the House of our God we cannot hold our peace They cannot hold their peace and why because they have not temporall power to stop the mouthes of those who stand for their Religion and the House of their God and cannot hold their peace more then they though not in craving for temporall power against the Presbyterians as the Presbyterians call out for it against them What way soever we cast our eyes say they we cannot but see most sad fruits of the not setling of Church government to this day Here they still lay their old creeping accusation as if Church government were not established Surely If the Angels of the Lord had not smitten them with spirituall blindnes they would before this have found the door of the visible Church And if their hearts had not been hardned by the deceitfulnes of sin they would ere this have entered into it for Church government was established by Iesus Christ and put in execution by his Saints long ago though contrary to the minds of the common multitude and their blind guides yea they waited not for the power or command of civil Magistrates for Queen Mary and such as shee would never assent unto the true Religion but the Saints