Selected quad for the lemma: order_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
order_n	appoint_v	church_n	time_n	2,525	5	3.6539	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A53253	A sermon preached at the assizes held at Reading, in the county of Berks, July 12th, 1681 by John Okes ...	Okes, John, b. 1649 or 50.	1681 (1681)	Wing O194; ESTC R9257	9,916	30

cometh up and when thou hast opened his mouth thou shalt find a piece of money that take and give unto them i. e. the receivers of the Tribute-money for me and thee Would every one in their proper places thus perform their respective duties we may by the blessing of God continue long to be a happy people There would be no need of affixing penalties of the Laws if men would be perswaded to do their duties till then which is daily to be wished there is need of a Sword of Justice to restrain the extravagant errours of froward men at least to correct their folly and obstinacy if they still persist in them for the Magistrate beareth not the Sword in vain he is the Minister of God to execute wrath upon him that doth evil and to him in a great measure we owe the security of our Lives and Estates for though the Law of God forbids the commission of murther robbery and such-like crimes yet it is to be feared through Atheism and Irreligion which too much abound in these our days those Laws would soon be forgotten if the Law of the Land did not provide a punishment answerable to those and such-like crimes it were well if one or the other or both would keep men in awe and bring us to a sense of our duty so as to make us voluntarily and freely Render to Cesar the things that are Cesar 's and unto God the things that are God's which brings me to speak of the second thing I mentioned contained in the words of my Text Viz. 2. Our Duty as it relates to God Him we must serve with reverence and a holy fear and frame the whole of our lives and actions according to the rules prescribed in his Word there we may be directed how to walk and there we have the general rules whereby things are to be ordered in the Church according to which our Governours are to make particular Laws and we to obey them to prevent that disorder and confusion which would otherwise unavoidably happen if every one was left to his own liberty of prescribing his own way of Worship I mean in publick according as his fancy or humour leads him Since God hath not appointed any certain Model of Worship whereby he will be served and no otherwise it is very rationally to be supposed that he hath left it to the prudence of our Governours to consider and determine how Christian Societies when they meet together may most solemnly and decently perform that duty which God requires of them And where is or can this be better practised than it is now in the Church of England the best model'd Church this day in the Christian World Her Doctrines are all heavenly and divine and that Worship which she prescribes is pure and undefiled attended onely with some innocent harmless Ceremonies in themselves indifferent but appointed to be used for Decency Order and Edification I shall not now spend time to prove the lawfulness or urge the usefulness of a set Form of Prayer to be used in the publick Assembly that hath been sufficiently cleared by the Pens of our learned Writers Now it hath pleased God to make the Magistrate his Vicegerent on Earth to take care of and defend his Church and then indeed may Kings and Queens be fitly stiled nursing Fathers and nursing Mothers when they cherish and propagate that Faith which was once delivered to the Saints And because we are beset with many both publick and private Enemies who would gladly destroy our Church and lay her Name and Honour in the dust she is therefore fenced about with good and wholesom Laws such as provide a punishment for her disobedient Children and a scourge for such as will not be reclaimed these if they were duely executed would preserve that reverence and esteem that is due to her these would reduce many of those already departed from her and preserve those that are yet in her Communion from being infected with the poison of Schism and Sedition as too too many have been already But I could wish rather that every one would be perswaded to reform his own errours and endeavour as much as in him lies to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace Would men lay aside their prejudice and embrace truth for the truth's sake there would be then some hopes of a general reconciliation But when they divide themselves into Schisms and Factions there is no hopes of effecting that which is of all good men to be wished namely that we might be all of one minde as there is one Lord one Faith and one Baptism If we could or rather indeed if we would walk together to the house of God as friends this would conduce much to the honour of God the credit and advantage of our Religion and the setling of a lasting Peace in this our troubled Nation this would be the way to discourage all the Plots and Conspiracies of the Romish Party and would be the best Bulwark against Popery it self so much dreaded among us it is their business and endeavour to keep us at odds the better to carry on their own designes and therefore they have their Emissaries up and down to preach Schism and Sedition into peoples ears By such arts as these they insinuate themselves among the poor deluded people of our separate Congregations and joyning with them in their clamours against the Church of England crying it down for superstitious and Popishly affected they pass there for gifted Brethren and real Popery is carried on by such disguises Whereas were we united among our selves they would soon find it in vain to make any such attempts upon us But alas while the breach is kept open by those sad Distractious and Divisions that are among our selves how easily may the Pope enter in Schismaticks whatever they pretend do but carry on the Pop●●● Cause for the more strength and number any Faction draws from the Church so much is added to her Enemy who hath perhaps no other hopes of destroying but by dividing us If therefore those good men that cause such Schisms and Divisions among us had that love for the Protestant Interest as they have for the bare Name they would be more zealous for the preservation of it and think it their duty at least in this juncture of affairs to comply with the Church and joyn in her Communion for securing our Religion rather than by perverseness and obstinacy endanger its total ruine If they had that love for Peace which they pretend they would seek more after it and prise it at a higher rate than to break the unity of the Church upon such slender accounts as now they do Oh that they would yet in time bethink themselves that we may at last with one minde and one accord praise and glorifie that God who is the God of Peace and Order This if we would do heartily and sincerely he would certainly reward us for it for they that love and seek peace shall enjoy everlasting peace hereafter Now to our God who is the God of Peace to his onely Son who is the Prince of Peace and to the Holy Ghost who is the Spirit of Peace be ascribed as is most due all honour glory praise power and dominion henceforth and for evermore Amen FINIS

every ordinance of man for the Lords sake whether it be to the King as supream or unto governours as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evil-doers and for the praise of them that do well But alas Fancy and Opinion sometimes over-rule Reason and Scripture both or else we should never have known such horrid impieties committed among our selves as to see a King dethron'd and murther'd by his own Subjects and the House of God which our Saviour denominated a House of Prayer to become a Den of Thieves which was too truly so indeed when our Churches were profan'd robbed and plundred of their decent Ornaments by wicked and cruel hands and pure Religion which is there professed forced to retire and hide its head in a corner and our Clergie the lawful Ministers of Christ sequestred from their Livelihood and employment too all which was violently carried on under the specious names of Reformation and Liberty of Conscience and the actors all this while the greatest pretenders to Religion and Holiness carrying a fair outside whatever was within But even thus did the Pharisees of old who could devour Widows houses under pretence of their long Prayers How far such practices as these are from that duty we stand obliged to by the Laws both of God and man must needs be plain and clear to every one that is not wilfully blind They are the greatest reproach to the Protestant Religion and even a scandal to Christianitie itself and therefore to be exploded and for ever abominated by all that put on the name of either The obedience required of us is a voluntarie and hearty doing what our lawful Superiour commands or patient suffering what he inflicts though it should be either without just cause or somewhat more excessively than the cause requires but in all lawful commands we stand obliged to do what he requires by Law to be done and a Passive obedience in this case is not a sufficient discharge of our duty much less can an active disobedience find any Plea For such as refuse to do what the Law commands though they may seem content to suffer the punishment it inflicts are no better observers of the Law than a Thief who is content to be hanged after he hath robb'd his Neighbours If either of them suffer the Law it is for their offence in transgressing it and what glory is it if when men be buffeted for their faults they take it patiently This makes them neither the better men nor the better Christians for besides that it is to be supposed that they would not suffer any penalty if they could find a way to escape it This doth not answer the end and design of the Law which requires our obedience in an active performance of the things commanded and the punishment is onely added in case of contempt and disobedience Such therefore a● refuse to obey the Law though they suffer the penalty it inflicts cannot reasonably be thought good observers thereof because it is not the punishment that the Law-giver intends but the doing that which he requires and such as refuse to do this or act contrary to it not onely offend the Magistrate under whom they live but even God himself who commands us to reverence and obey him This therefore can be no refuge for those pretending Zealots who endeavour to make the world believe they are peaceable good Subjects if they quietly suffer the penalty of the Laws Alas this is no discharge of their duty the Magistrate onely suppresses their rebellious practices for which they make Religion a Cloak and punishes their disobedience which they endeavour to palliate with Devotion but the duty required of them remains still unperformed and sin lies at their door who invert St. Paul's rule and think it sufficient to obey merely for wrath and not for Conscience-sake The Authours and Abettors therefore of such absurd Doctrines would do well to consider that when they fall under due correction this doth not acquit or free them from their first offence in breaking the Law but is designed onely to keep them in better order and make them better Subjects for the time to come Nor will it at all justifie our disobedience to lawful Authority what some men urge viz. That the things required are not commanded in the Word of God it is sufficient if they are not therein forbid nor contrary to it That the powers ordained of God and by him set over us have authority to order and determine some things not directly and expresly commanded in the Word of God is plain and evident even from those many Texts of holy Scripture which required and enjoyn obedience to the Magistrate As for those things positively set down in the Word of God there we have directions for the performance of them but then when we are commanded moreover even by the same Word of God to obey the Magistrate this must necessarily suppose him invested with a power to command us some things not before specified but left to his determination and so far as his commands are agreeable to the Word of God we are bound to obey them If the Magistrate command us any thing that is manifestly impious and contrary to the known will of God we are then with reverence to refuse and alledge our duty to God for our Warrant but this refusal must be with submission and reverence still reserving our lawful subjection and Loyalty this must be with a passive obedience not resisting but submitting to the penalties of the Law and in this case we must betake our selves to the weapons of the Primitive Christians viz. Prayers and Tears But thanks be to God we have no ground for any such complaints we have no Commands imposed upon us but such as are easie to be born and very agreeable to a good Christian temper May it therefore please Almighty God long to continue such a Prince among us whose endeavours may always be to protect and support such as are committed to him and to govern them prudently and after a holy manner And may it enter into every Subjects heart to be faithful submissive and obedient to his Soveraign not in outward appearance onely but in truth and sincerity It is not enough for us to own his Supream power and authority unless we assert them in our actions and demonstrate the reality of our intentions by all the outward acts of fidelity and love Nor must we be wanting if need so require to assist him with our Estates We are bid by St. Paul to render Tribute to whom Tribute as well as Honour to whom Honour is due And that Tribute was anciently paid is evident by our Saviour's determination in my Text of the Question proposed to him and elsewhere he confirmed the same though at the expence of a Miracle even by his own practice Matth. 17.27 Go thou to the Sea speaking to St. Peter and cast an hook and take up the fish that first