Selected quad for the lemma: love_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A42476
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Charis kai eirēnē, or, Some considerations upon the Act of uniformity with an expedient for the satisfaction of the clergy within the province of Canterbury / by a servant of the God of peace.
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Gauden, John, 1605-1662.
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1662
(1662)
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Wing G347; ESTC R26763
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28,892
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52
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stratagems and conflicts of malice which by falsities seeks to oppresse the truth and by jealousies to supply the defect of reall causes which might seem to justifie a New Engagement against him O those foul and false Aspersions those secret Engines employed against the Peoples love That undermining there opinion and just value of his Majesties Enemies and theirs too might blow up their Affection and their Loyalty O the sin and danger of poor Peoples soules whose eyes once blinded with mists of suspitions and fears they are soon misled into the most desperat precipices of action Alas for that loose licentious and languishing posture whereunto notwithstanding all means of settlement some mens distempers and indifferences allready have and farther seek to reduce this Nation as to any setled doctrine uniforme professions Catholique order and nationall Communion O what dividings shatterings schisms separatings sidings strifes envies animosities and contempts whence grow Confusion every evil work O that loose and indifferent way of Christian Administration and Profession that is insisted upon by some for themselves and posterity according to every mans private fancy choice and humour without such solemn establishment and publick union as hath in all Ages and Nations best edified and fortified counselled and corrected excited and increased both gifts and graces in a most comely and most Christian order with such harmony unity majesty and authority as best becomes the Servants Religion and Church of Christ O what beauty what order what harmony what unity what gravity what solidity what candor what charity what sobriety what correspondence is offered is endeavoured by the judicious affections tender compassions prudent councils conscientious care attended with discreet zeal fervent prayers and unfeigned tears of good men whose aim is to promote sound knowledge fruitfull faith hearty love discreet zeal severe repenting fervent prayer just fears unspeakable comforts well grounded hope spiritual joy heavenly meditation holy conversation tender compassions meekness of obedience and conscientious submission In a word a frame of Christian carriage to God and to others in order to mens own souls and their neighbours good O the excellent wayes proposed that Learning might flourish Knowledge multiply Graces abound excellent Preaching thrive Sacraments be duly administred and devoutly received the fruits of Gods spirit mightily diffused in common honesty hospitable kindness christian charity plain-hearted sincerity O the crafts and policies the frauds and factions the jealousies and distances the malice and animosities the rudeness and disorders the insolencies and hypocrisie the rashness and uncharitableness the envies and emnities the rapes and out-rages still pleaded for and upheld by Prophets that prophesie falsly that the Priests might bear rule by their means and the people will have it so What will they do in the end therof SECT III. NOw it pleased God by the publick Counsells of King Lords and Commons to give all just satisfaction to modest and sober desires to prevent all misunderstandings and miscarriages by the Act of Uniformity composed with that gravity and discretion of Pious Moderate and Wise men As might allay and fix the People to a due temperament guiding their well meaning zeal by such rules of moderetion as might best preserve and restore the happiness of Church and State a neglect of due obedience to this Act in such way as shall hereafter be expressed a contempt of its Authority a discontent under it restraints evil thoughts and discourses of the Authors and Imposers and a generall opposition to its blessed design of peace and settlement I appeal to the tender Consciences of sober men who live within sight of the great day of the Revelation of the righteous Judgement of God whether they be not 1. Exceeding sinfull 2. Desperately mischievous 3. Very dangerous 1. They seem to be very sinfull because they seem against the Consciences of good men which are guided 1. by the word of God which sayes expresly O consider it ye tender-conscienced men Submit your selves to every Ordinance of man for the Lords sake 1 Pet. 2. 13. Ye must needs be subject not only for wrath but for conscience sake Rom. 13. 5. though not for conscience of the thing commanded yet for conscience of the power commanding the thing it self may be indifferent yet your obedience necessary obey them that are over you in the Lord submit your selves It was a holy mans advice that we should take heed how we before-hand take up resolutions whether of opposing or not obeying Certainly however quiet conscientious not obeying both may and ought to have a very favourable and indulgent interpretation yet presumptuous disobedience justly subjects a man to the highest censure Expresse for this purpose is that Judicial Law which hath a great deal of morality couched in it Deut. 17. 12. The man that will doe presumptuously and will not hearken to the Priest or to the Judge even that man shall die and thou shalt put away the evil from Israel Take we heed then how we entertain any thoughts that way but rather prepare our ears and hearts to hear what the Lord will say unto us or see what message he will send by the hands of these his servants who have been so long time enquiring after his pleasure which being made known unto us resolve in what we may to submit and obey so did the Churches to whom Paul and Silas delivered their decrees they delivered them to be kept by them and so they were and so were the Churches established Now I praise you brethren saith St. Paul that you remember all things and keep the Ordinances delivered unto you 1 Cor. 11. 2. be obedient as to Christ that is by the same necessity for the same reason to avoid the same punishment to have the same reward by the same religion that you may not prevaricate the Lawes of God or do violence to your own consciences Nothing can adde light to these so clear words they are bright as the Sunne clear as an Article of Faith easy and Intelligible according to the nature of universal divine Commandements 2. This opposition to the Act of Uniformity is against the Oath of Supremacy which is this That we declare the Kings Highnesse Supreme Governor of this Realm and swear to assist and obey him and all authorities united or annexed to the Imperial Crown of this Realm A Religious attestation which most that oppose this Act have made before God the searcher of hearts with an imprecation of his heavy wrath upon them if they break it or abuse his name in it That they owned his Majesties authority in Ecclesiastical affairs Which Oath I hope they took in truth righteousness and judgement Do not they fear an Oath Do not they know that for Oathes the Land mourned I hope I speak to men fearing God that walk uprightly work righteousness and speak the truth in their heart and though they swear to their hurt yet change not Now alas you deny the
God is 1. To do such things constantly cheerfully and without sinful impediment which are most proper and advantageous to the excellent nature of man towards God in devout piety 2. To do those things charitably orderly and gravely and soberly which are duties of obedience publick or private which God hath commanded every one not onely in general but in particular places and callings as God hath set them in as free from that malice uncharitableness those envys discontents and worldly disorders in any kind as they may have dominion over meer natural and sinful man To be free out of a principle of love to obey God and Man for the Lords sake in order to Gods glory the pâ—ace good example and benefit of others in any humane or Christian society Prop. 9. We are agreed That there is a Liberty of wisdom piety and charity which ought to be exercised by Governors in Church and State according to their consciences making such Laws and Restraints as they in conscience think fit for the publick welfare although those Laws and Restraints are against the private opinions and liberties of singular men Publick men thoughts and conscience and not private are to be the rule of publick Lawes and good it were as unreasonable as it is impossible for Magistrates to frame Lawes according to their Subjects consciences and not their own and so when they do not regard the Pleas of private Liberty to overthrow publick order they are not to be spoken against as persecuting men when they onely keep them from those exorbitances that may undo them or as oppressing other mens consciences when they are onely discharging their own duty and consciences which they bear to Gods glory and the publick good for which they must be accountable to God According to the Magistrates conscience Christians truly blessed with tender consciences and meekness of wisdom are most willing to be kept within christian bounds and most unwilling to take any liberty either in opinion or manners beyond what in the truth of the word or in charity unto the publick peace is permitted and most thankful for all just restraints Prop 10. We are agreed That it is net enough for us to please our selves Rom. 15. 1. and satisfie our own consciences that we do but what we lawfully may but we ought also to bear one anothers burthen and do for o hers sake what we may otherwise and are willing to leave undone and so fulfill the Law of Christ and by love serving one another Omnia libera per fidem omnia serva per charitatem In indifferent things and that there are some things indifferent we all agree we should know and be fully perswaded that all things are lawful and to purpose and fully resolve for charity and peace to use or forbear the use of those things as we finde them expedient or inexpedient He that will have his own way in every thing whatsoever though others will take offence at it maketh his Liberty but a cloak of maliciousness by using it uncharitably we may retain our judgement concerning things indifferent with christian liberty but we mâ—st conform our practâ—ce for christian charity I am free â—â— my judgement for anyhabit gesture c I will submit in my practice to that which is publickly imposed I am free in my conscience and opinion by the law of man concerning things commanded I may think of them what I please I am bound in my conscience to submission active or passive by the Law of God and I must not do what I please when orderly Ceremonies are enjoyned not as the party but as the decencies and becoming circumstances of worship which all allow a man may be free to think that there might be more decent Ceremonies pitched upon by himself or others if they were in place or power and in the mean time submit to the wisdom of those in authority that imposed Prop. 11. We are agreed That as the publick Constitutions enjoyning Orders Decency and Uniformity tending to edification restrain not the Liberty of conscience whereby men are free to do or leave undone some things so the suggestions of men against those Constitutions do restrain mens liberty exercise dominion over their mindes by forbidding them that which we say they are free to as it is in superstition to enjoyn that as necessary which is indifferent so its superstition to forbid that as sinful which is in truth indifferent and therefore lawful so making that sin which God never made and ensnaring mens consciences and teaching for doctrines the commandments of men and therefore we should stand fast in the Liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free Prop. 12. We are agreed That they who can submit some impositions about things may submit to all which are imposed by the same Authority in the same manner to the same end Prop. 13. We are agreed That no Authority can in conscience or with safety allow men Liberty in ways of Worship different from the publick profession and conscience 1. Not in conscience because as the good Kings of Judah he is to allow no known evil 2 Not in safety because differences in Religion are dangerous to the State when that which should restrain stirs up mens passions therefore Josiah and the King in the Gospel compelled them to come in to serve the God of their fathers Inde furor vulgo Indeed for men furnish'd with just power in Church or State to leave men in a full liberty of seducing and being seduced is to concur with the malice of the devil and the folly vanity and madness of mens hearts to the ruine of multitudes I leave it your own consciences whether it would not be thought safe and conscientious by them if power were in their own hands and Church-affairs left to their ordering to forbid those things they now mislike with as much rigor and necessity of imposition as the Church now enjoyneth them Prop. 14. We are agreed That though many godly men should refuse to conform yet should we submit to order peace reason and Law not suffering our selves to be carried away with the high estimation of any men as to subject our selves to their judgement and wits without questioning the truth of what they teach or the lawfulness of what they enjoyn having not mens persons in admiration knowing that they are subject to such infirmities as we are Prop 15. We are agreed That it is lawful for the Magistrate to impose severe punishments upon the small faults of dangerous men of dangerous principles knowing that men of such dispositions who disobey in this are prepared to disturb in all so it s not lawful for the people upon the least offence to cast off necessary duty as knowing that they are at liberty to pray preach c. with what gesture or garment they will yet refusing to pray kneeling or preach in a Surplice O When