Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	work_n	worship_n	year_n	81	3	4.0757	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A60930	A candle lighted at a coal from the altar whereby the King and rulers of this nation with the people of this present age may see the stone on which many have stumbled, and the rock which hath broken to pieces unfaithful men once in authority, who instead of protecting, did persecute the people of God, when they had the high places of the earth in possession, and that these present rulers may take warning betimes, least they stumble at the same rock, and while they have opportunity they may rather become as nursing-fathers to the flock of God within these dominions, by giving due encouragement to tender consciences, and men fearing God as in matters of religion / and this is directed unto you by a subject of the King of Righteousness, Tho. Salthouse.	Salthouse, Thomas, 1630-1691.	1660 (1660)	Wing S471; ESTC R13989	18,411	26

whom he hath chosen to place his Name among and these poor of the world whom he hath made rich in Faith But he that reproved Kings for the sake of his people saying Touch not mine annointed and do my Prophets no harm hath smitten some of our Adversaries and opposers with a deadly wound and with Equity will he plead the Cause of the oppressed that have no helper in the Earth Therefore hearken unto this Word ye Heads and Rulers of the people and give ear O House of the King and all you in Authority whether in Church or State or of matters spiritual or temporal this is the Word of the Lord God unto you in this your day of Tryal touch not the Lords annointed nor offend not any of those little ones who are coming up out Egypt and Babylon neither seek to set up your selves as Lords over Gods Heritage by making Laws or prescribing wayes of worship to impose upon those tender Consciences and those Righteous Souls contrary to the spiritual Law of God according to his promise written in their hearts for behold the day is come in which the Lord is putting his Spirit in the inward parts and writing his Law in the hearts and in the mindes of his people so that we cannot submit to the Laws of the Medes and the Persians nor bow down to worship Nebuchadnezzars Image at the sound of the Musick whether Bell Organs Drum or Trumpet neither can we conform to the old Antichristian Traditions which in the time of ignorance was taught for Doctrines and Church Ordinances and imposed upon our Fore-fathers to be observed by them under pains penalties and corporal punishments neither can we worship or bow down to the resemblance or likeness of any thing either in Heaven above or in the Earth beneath nor in the waters under the Earth least we should provoke the Lord to jealousie who will not give his glory to another nor we cannot have mens persons in admiration because of advantage or for fear of persecution knowing that he who respecteth persons doth commit sin and is convinced of the Law as a transgressor Wherefore all you that are in Authority set up to Rule amongst men as Magistrates whether spiritual Military or Civil remember what the Rock of Israel hath said He that Rules amongst men must be Just ruling in the Fear and Wisdom of God that he may be a terrour to the evil-doers and a praise to them that do well and if you thus rule for God in his fear then will your light go forth as a morning without clouds and those under your Government will revive as the Corn and spring up as the tender grass out of the earth by clear shining after the rain and you must fear God and work Righteousness and hate oppression and covetousnesse else you cannot please God nor Rule for him amongst men neither can your Government be blessed nor of long continuance except you be Wise and Learned Just and Righteous Holy and Humble Gentle and easie to be entreated therefore be instructed O King and all ye Rulers of the earth and serve the Lord with fear and walk humbly before him for humility goeth before true honour and except you be Humble Holy and Upright you cannot be owned or accounted as the honourable of the earth although for a season you have the high Places thereof in possession to prove and try you as others have bin that were before you whom the Lord hath cast out rejected from bearing Rule amongst men not alone for your sakes but because of their unfaithfulness to the Lord in their day and the heavy yoaks which they laid upon the necks of those over whom they bore Rule and by reason of their envy violence and unkindness unto those sons of Jacob the Israel of God who are passing thorow your borders out of the house of bondage who did desire nothing of them nor now of you but to pass peaceably by the high way which is cast up and prepared for the Redeemed of the Lord out of Egypt and Assyria to that holy City whose Builder and Maker is God where they may worship God in the Spirit and Truth in the beauty of holiness and now let it enter into your Consideration that the Lord hath had a remnant of Righteous Servants in this Nation that have not defiled their garments with the detestible things nor with the abominations that have been committed in the land and that have not bowed their knee unto Baal and these are they that trembles at the Word of the Lord and they have been alwayes grieved and oppressed by reason of the great evils and abominations that have been committed in the land not onely open prophaneness pride and wantonness among the baser sort but also in things relating to Religion and the Worship of God and Church Ordinances so called and the Spirit of Grace and Truth which is poured forth from on high and which rests upon them hath strove from time to time with the Rulers of this Nation for Freedom and Liberty of Conscience in matters of such weighty concernment as the Work Worship of God and sometimes the Cry thereof hath entred into the ears of King Parliaments others in Authority and then they would promise or at least pretend a Reformation in Church and State and much action hath been in this Nation in a few years last past and the Lord hath overturned one Government after another without either Bow Battel-Ax or outward Weapon but not without giving them warning by his Watch-men either in word or writing for they have had precept upon precept and line upon line and the Lord hath pleaded with them by his Judgements and when his hand hath been upon them then they would humble themselves for a season and set upon doing something in answer to the expectation of that Spirit that did strive with them but it may and alwayes hath been observed that the people in whom this oppressed Spirit did strive and operate most of all and who were most zealous for a Reformation they have alwayes been accounted as Hereticks and Sectaries and reproached with the names of Puritans Round-heads and Quakers and such like brands of reproach as might render them odious to men in Authority or as a discontented people not fit to live upon the Earth yet nevertheless the witness of God in the Consciences of Men in places of trust hath somtimes answered to the cry of the oppressed so that they began to remove some Antichristian Yoaks of Bondage out of the way which was the greatest burden to tender Consciences as for instance several Monuments of Idolatry and Superstition was abolished all representations of the persons of the Trinity Angels or Saints in or about the Cathedral Collegiate or Parish Church or Chappel so called and the High Altars taken down and all Superstitious Vestments as Copes Surplices Roods Holy Water Funts Crosses Crucifixes and Pictures defaced and no more

the expectation of many who hath swept away the resuge of lyes and the unrighteous covering under which many were hid until the Lord appeared who is bringing down the loftiness of men that had set their nests on high and who were ready to say within themselves every one in his own heart I sit as a Queen and shall see no more sorrow I 'le ascend into Heaven and I will exalt my Throne above the stars of God I will sit also upon the Mount of the Congregation in the sides of the North whom God hath brought down into contempt and near unto the sides of the pit and upon whom he hath brought these two things in one day even desolation widow-hood and loss of Children let none rejoice over them nor seek to be avenged on them by killing their bodies or destroying their substance nor be lifted up by their fall for all these things have happened unto them for examples unto such as after all these things shall live ungodly and lift up themselves as Lords over Gods heritage for all things that have happened unto them all things written aforetime is for the admonition of these present Rolers this generation that they may not sit down to eat and drink and rise up to play as in the dayes of Noah and Lot for he that spared not the Angels that sinned but cast them down to Hell and delivered them into Chains of darkness to be reserved unto Judgement nor the old world that sinned who had corrupted their wayes upon the earth but brought in the flood upon the world of the ungodly and turned the Cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemning them with an overthrow for their ungodly deeds 2. P●t and he that cut off from Israel both head and tail branch and rush in one day the antient and the honourable he is the Head and the Prophet that teacheth lyes he is the tail Esay 9.14 and who hath reproved Kings for the sake of his People saying Touch not my annointed and do my Prophets no harm he is the same both in Justice and Power at this day and his hand is not shortned neither is he slack as some men count slackness but will render a Just recompence of reward unto every man according to his works whether they be good or evil and the sin of Sodom must not go unpunished for pride goes before destruction and a high mind before a fall therefore fear the Lord and tremble at the Word of his holiness all ye Rulers and People upon the earth and meet the Judge by the way kiss the Son least he be angry if once his wrath be kindled but a little blessed are all they that puts their trust in him Oh who would not fear the King of Nations whom God hath determined by a perpetual Decree to set upon the holy Hill of Zion by whom Kings reign and Princes Decree Justice and who will Rule the Nations with a rod of Iron and break them in pieces like a Potters Vessel And unto whom God will give the Heathen for an Inheritance and the uttermost parts of the Earth for a Possession That the Government may be upon His Shoulder from generation to generation of the increase of whose righteous Government and Peace there shall be no End And unto him who hath been despised and rejected amongst men and whose Visage hath been more marred than any man against whom the Kings of the Earth have shut their mouths and said We will not have this man to Reign over us Even unto this man of Sorrows who is acquainted with grief must all the ends of the earth look for salvation And unto him must all the Kings of the Earth and the Mighty men and the chief Captains bring their glory and their honour and cast their Crowns at his Feet that He whose Right it is may have the Crown and sway the Scepter in the Kingdoms of men and he must reign till All his Enemies be made his Foot-stool and all Thrones and Dominions Principalities and Pow●rs must be made subject unto him and they that will not have him to reign must be be broken to pieces And this is the Foundation which God hath laid in Zion and Other Foundation can no man lay then that which is laid which is Jesus Christ the Foundation of the Prophets and Apostles and whosoever believeth and buildeth on him shall never be ashamed nor confounded But they that believe not on him shall stumble and fall and be broken and snared and taken And this is the Rock and Corner-Stone which the Builders have refused which to us is elect and precious and is become the Head-Stone of the Corner and the Top-Stone of that spiritual Building which is fitly framed together and is growing unto an holy Temple in the Lord and that house which is builded on this Foundation shall stand as Mount Zion which cannot be moved for it is not divided against it self neither can the Gates of Hell prevail against it For whosoever are established in Righteousnesse upon this Rock are not soon shaken in minde nor tossed to and fro with every winde of Doctrine by the slight of men whereby they lie in wait by 〈◊〉 Policy and cunning devised Fables to draw people from the hope of the Gospel and from the simplicity that is in Christ Neither doth these people who are as Living stones or the spiritual house cry to the Magistrates and outward Powers to have Religion setled by outward force imposing penalties upon Non-Conformists unto and Disturbers of their Way and Worship and Ordinances For they are already setled and satisfied and established in the true Religion and in Righteousness and it is the Double-minded who are unstable like the Waters and are tossed to and fro like the troubled Sea that are unsetled and the best way to settle such in the true Religion or to leave them without excuse is to suffer the Ministers of Gods Word to preach the Gospel in the Power and Demonstration of the Spirit that the witnesse of God may be raised in them and the sober Principle brought forth to rule men in matters both Religious and Civil and this meek spirit and Principle is according to the will of God and minde of Christ And as this comes to be raised up by a powerful free Ministry to rule in men or in Families Congregations and Nations so they come to be setled and stayed and builded up a spiritual house that the Lord may dwel in them as he hath said To this man will I look that 's humble and of a broken heart and trembleth at my word and I 'le walk in them and dwell in them saith the Lord and they shall be my sonnes and daughters And that which is required of you is to keep the peace and to be a Tertor to the Evil-doers and not to suffer wicked men to fight and persecute and hale out of Assemblies and smite with the fist of wickednesse nor

to assault the people of God in their peaceable Meetings and to suffer no fighting nor striking nor imprisonment nor killing men about Religion and Worship and Ordinances For they that will fight and strike about Religion will never be settled in nor satisfied with any way of worship until-their minds be changed and their hands cleansed and their hearts purified neither will such adorn the Gospel by a good conversation under what name pretence or profession soever for that spirit is against every appearance of Truth in purity and an enemy unto the Lord by wicked works Therefore all you who are in the High places of the earth wait for counsel and direction from the Lord how to be ordered in this particular and be not hasty to give consent or encouragement to one sort more then another or to the people of one perswasion and judgement to be as Lords over all others for this hath proved the ruine and destruction of them whom the Lord hath cast out before you If you will be followers of Christ and rule for God you must be meek and lowly in heart and take up the Crosse to your own wills that you may be found among the Lambs faithful followers and numbred among the dust of Jacob whose Tents cannot be prevailed against by any Enchantment whatsoever And now all people to whom this is directed While the Candle of the Lord shineth upon your heads and giveth Light unto you walk in the light thereof and be not high-minded nor self-willed nor soon angry but fear the Lord and follow after Righteousnesse and Truth Peace and Union that strife and contention wars and fightings killing and imprisoning about Religion and Worship and Ministers maintenance may cease and come to an end and let God in all things relating to his Worship have the preheminence and the ordering and disposing of his People that trembles at his word and regards the opperation of his hand And read this and whatever else is directed unto you by the Lords faithful servants and Hand-maids whom he moves as Instruments to make known his minde unto you and neglect not the great salvation now begun to be spoken of The door of Hope is open and a price is put into your hands sleep not away your time like the foolish Virgins until the Door be shut against you Buy Oyl without money that your Lamps may be trimmed and kept burning that you may not stumble and fall upon the Rock of Israel They that are fallen had a Day and the Lord gave them warning both by word and writing in their day and this is your day in which the Lord waits to be gracious unto you and his Patience and long-suffering calls you to Repentance Oh! that you did but know in this your day the desire breathings of the Lords servants for your Eternal good and the things which doth belong unto your peace and what it is that the Lord requires of you yet a little while and the light is with you whilest you have it walk in it least your candle be put out and your Sun go down and the shadows of the evening overtake you whilest you have an opertunity exercise your selves as the servants of the Lord in doing good and following after righteousnesse for this is that which God requires of you all from the least unto the greatest to do justly to love mercy work Righteousnesse and walk humbly before him all the dayes of your appointed time that he may be glorified by you in your life time and you may have peace in your end Kingstone upon Thames 14. of the ●th month 1660. T. S. THE END

to be used in or about the Worship of God Likewise several Clauses and Articles of Ordinances and Acts of Parliament repealed which did impose Penalties upon people for not coming to Parish Churches for not keeping Holy Daies and for not hearing the Common Prayer with Penalties enjoyned to be imposed upon such as should use or read the Common Prayer in any Church or Chappel or private Family as may appear by several Ordinances and Acts of Parliament about that Year 44 and many Carnal invented Ordinances of the Church of Rome as sprinkling infants at the Funt finging before the dead bowing to the high Altar rails about the Communion Tables and abundance of such like things relating to the Worship and Service of God which was known to be but meer scraps and Rags of Popery were denied as beggarly Elements and rudiments of the world and no Ordinances of Jesus Christ to be practised among the Protestants Now these were good beginnings in order towards a Reformation in spiritual things and in relation to Church Worship but alas we have seen many good appearances and such fair promises come to little or nothing that we are jealous with a Godly Jealousie lest the old Serpent should deceive these Rulers and draw them back into bondage again in things of this Nature as he hath done them that formerly had the ordering and disposing of the great Affairs of this Kingdom who promised a Reformation both in Church and State and yet after these old corrupted Popish Ceremonies and Laws relating to spiritual Cognizance so called was abolished by the King Parliament Protector and his Councel they soon fell from those good beginnings and sought to set up themselves and their own Interests and then Religion was little regarded but as a Cloak for them to carry their own designs under and when they were setled in the high places then Magistrates and the Priests of the high Places consulted and took Councel together against the Lord and against his Annointed and instead of the old superstitious Laws and Ordinances they began to make new Laws to limit the Spirit to their Directions and Prescriptions and Observations by which the Servants and Handmaids of the Lord whose Consciences were tender and could not deny one Form to take up another instead thereof was haled before their Judgment Seats and somtimes whipped persecuted fined and imprisoned for reproving sin in the Gates for not swearing for meeting together in the fear of the Lord such like things until the Lord pleaded with the Rulers and visited for those things and made that Rock against which they strove and could not prevail a stone of stumbling and a Rock of offence on which they are fallen and broken to pieces Likewise King Charles the first and his Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament took away the High Commission Court when they saw the many harms and inconveniences that were in it and that it was a great snare and a bondage to tender Consciences and abolished several Acts and Ordinances that did bind people in an uniformity thereunto as may at large appear by an Act of the Parliament begun and held at Westminster the third of the ninth month called November in the year 1649. In which Act it is expressed that no Arch Bishop Bishop nor Vicar-general nor no Spiritual or Ecclesiastical Judg exercising Spiritual or Ecclesiastical Power or Authority shall by any grant license or Commission of the Kings Majesty his Heirs or Successors from and after the first of August 1●41 inflict any pain penalty or fine amercement imprisonment or other Corporal punishment upon any of the Kings Subjects for any matter or thing whatsoever belonging to Spiritual Cognizance or Jurisdiction and that they shall not administer any Corporal Oath whereby any may be forced to confess or accuse themselves in any offence whereby they are liable or exposed to any censure pain penalty or punishment on a spiritual account upon pain that every person who shall offend contrary to the Act above mentioned shall forfeit and pay treble dammage to every person thereby grieved and the sum of 100 pound to him or them who shall first demand or sue for the same Now this was a Legal Authority and this Act remains in as full force and vertue as if there had been no interruption of that power or as if it had been made by the King and Parliament now in being and therefore it may be expected that the Kings Subjects shall not suffer any penalty for not swearing or upon any spiritual account whatsoever for the King hath discharged all Judges and Ministers of Justice in the name of himself his Heirs and Successors not to impose any Oath pain penalty or punishment upon any person or persons male or female as upon a spiritual account and if the Kings Successors shall put this Law in execution it will be some ease to tender Consciences and will give the good people of these Nations hopes that a Reformation may yet be wrought and compleated in this Nation after all these strange alterations and overturnings though it is contrary to the expectation of many from any thing that appears visible Consider in time what the Lord God requires at your hands who are now intrusted with the Government and bring not upon the Nation the old Antichristian yoak of bondage which neither we nor our Fathers were able to bear let Christ Jesus the Everlasting high Priest who is the souls Bishop have the whole power in the Church as the head of it and let him order all things therein according to his Heavenly Wisdom and wonderful Councel both as to the Calling Ordination and sending forth Ministers to preach the Everlasting Gospel and Pastors according to his own heart and mind that the people may be fed with knowledg and understanding and let these Ministers sent forth by Christ who have the mind of Christ and do abide in his Doctrine have free Liberty without persecution to preach the Gospel in all the Provinces of these Dominions and suffer no Judg nor Minister of Justice to inflict any Penalty or Corporal punishment upon them on this spiritual account nor to cast them into prison for the Testimony which they hold and which is agreeable to the Testimony of Jesus the Word of God and Scripture of Truth for it is both against the Law of God also against the good Laws of this Nation that any man should suffer punishment persecution or imprisonment on any Religious or Spiritual account whatsoever Therefore let the world know even your adversaries themselves that you are of the Christian Religion by giving due encouragement to tender Consciences and to Christs Ministers to preach the Word in season and out of season without molestation or interruption by any colour or pretence of Authority derived from that higher Power For he who ascended up on high who led Captivity captive hath given gifts unto men for the work of that Ministry that there

may not be a famine of hearing the Word in this Nation and forasmuch as the Lord hath spoken we cannot but Prophesie Declare of the things which we have seen and heard and that which we have tasted and handled of the Word of life that people may be turned from the darkness to the light and from the power of Satan unto God and it is the Command of Christ unto his Ministers that as they have freely received they must freely give that the Gospel may be made without charge and it must be freely preached not for filthy lucre sake but of a ready mind and a necessity hath laid upon the Ministers of Christ in these last dayes and perilous times though the more they love the less they are beloved again to reprove sin in the Gates and to give warning to Magistrates and men in Authority both in word and writing by way of admonition exortation wholsom advice and counsel that in the fight of the Lord they may be clear of the blood of all men and that all might be left without excuse in that day when God shall Judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to the Gospel and because Judgement hath been turned backward and good Councel rejected by Protector Parliaments and others once in Authority and the Servants of the Lord cruelly persecuted by whom it was directed to them therefore hath the Lord rejected them from bearing the Sword of justice and now you are set as at the stearn of Government and this is your day of Tryal and the Lord God will prove you try you whether you will be a terrour to the evil-doers and a praise to them that do well or limit his Spirit as others have done before you and if you expect subjection to your power you must Rule for God in love and fear and humility and not as Lords over Gods heritage and then you will engage all the honest and upright hearted in these Nations to submit to your Government not for wrath or fear of punishment but for Couscience sake and this will be more honour to you and your Government then if you could force every individual person both professors prophane in the Nation to own you for fear of your wrath for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God and the best effects of it will but make hypocrites for fear of punishment persecution if God do not perswade the hearts of people by his Word and Spirit submit their spirits by his Power to very Ordinance of man both spiritual and temporal for the Lords sake they that were before you promised and pretended much as in matter of Reformation and removing of oppression both in Church and State but we may and do expect better things from you that have promised less and not made so much show of holiness as they did which if it so come to pass the Lord shall have the glory by whom you are permitted to bear Rule in the Nation and you shall not loose your reward if you be found faithful in what he requires of you according to what you know but if you walk in the steps of Tyrants and Oppressors and smite with the fist of wickedness and persecute tender Consciences for and concerning the Law and Worship of their God Then What can you expect But the same reward from him that is no respector of persons which they already have received that hated the reproofs of instruction and the good and wholsom Advice and Councel from time to time directed unto them by these suffring servants of the Lord that have all the day long been accounted as sheep for the slaughter who are coming up out of Egypt and travelling towards the Promised Land Now if it be matter of Conscience to one sort of people in this Nation or if it be supposed by them that the Book of Common Prayer or Divine Service so called is the best way of Worship and that they suppose it is well pleasing and acceptable to the Lord and from such a perswasion they do determine to practice it in their Families and in places of publick worship then let them that are so perswaded give liberty to others that are of another perswasion for the exercise of their Consciences according to their perswafion and Principles and let there be no fighting nor fining persecution nor imprisonment nor no corporal Oath or punishment be inflicted on the bodies and estates of the good people of this Nation upon any Ecclesiastical or spiritual account according to the true intent and meaning of the Act above-mentioned and as the Law of God requires of every man to do unto others as he would have others to do unto him and this will satisfie all the sober-minded and reasonable men in the Nation and make way for a happy settlement of pure Religion everlasting Righteousness and perfect peace among people in matters relating to the Worship and Service of God and in all things appertaining to the spiritual Kingdom and Government of Christ Jesus the chief shepherd and Bishop of our Souls whose right it is to reignes Supream head of the Church who is the Authour Finisher and Defender of our Faith and who is so to be owned especially in this Nation by them who are of the the Protestant Religion and who have denyed and protested against the Popes Supremacy and usurpt Authority and as his Supremacy and Authority is denyed so let his Lawes Institutions impositions be denyed also that it may manifestly be declared that lesus Christ is the head of the Church who is the Foundation of the Prophets and Apostles And they that are established upon him have no need of the Turks Alcoran for a Rule to walk by nor the Popes Mass to teach them the knowledge of God and Christ for God who commanded the light to shine out of darknesse hath shined in their hearts to teach them the knowledge of God and his Wayes and they that have received the Spirit of God and can pray with the Spirit and with the understanding have no need of the Bishops Book of composed or Common-payer which is a set Form of words that every prophane person can repeat for the Spirit it self will help their infirmities that have received it and make intercession unto God for the Saints and for Kings and all that are in Authority and they that have this Spirit of God for a Rule to walk by which is agreeable to the Scripture of the Prophets and Apostles they need not the Presbyters directory as a Rule for publick Worship Church Ordinances and Administrations for the God of Order teacheth them how to walk and worship and when to speak and pray as they are moved by his Spirit and in the Church of God they may all Prophecy one by one and if any thing be revealed unto him that sitteth by the first is to hold his peace for the Spirits of the Prophets are subject to