Selected quad for the lemma: power_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
power_n	ceremony_n	church_n	rite_n	2,845	5	10.3412	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A59624	The Act of Parliament against religious meetings, proved to be the bishops act, or, A letter of the Arch-bishop of Canterbury to his fellow-bishops, to promote the persecution intended by it printed, to save the trouble of copying it out : with some Animadversions thereupon.	Sheldon, Gilbert, 1598-1677.	1670 (1670)	Wing S3067; ESTC R17672	6,340	9

of so Holy a work they may give honour to God and by their own example instruct the People of their Parishes as they ought to teach them in their Doctrine We hope he is serious and if so and these things he would indeed have thus highly esteemed we need no more to justifie us in our continued refusal and utter abhorrance of them For to call any kind of Garments a Priestly Habit to command the wearing of them as conducing to the honour of God in his Worship and by these to think to instruct the People which is to make them not only significant but teaching Ceremonies This is to introduce the old Antiquated Iewish Rites and Habits which were to be disused with their Worship It is to fill the Church of Christ with as many Inventions under pretence of Decency as vain men are pleased to devise and wilful men have power to impose and lastly it is to render all Qualifications requisite unto the Ministry wholly useless For the Reading Clerk of every Parish or the Publick Cryers may do all that our Arch. requires as well as the ablest and most Learned Minister It will be necessary before we conclude to wipe off that slander wherewith he reproacheth those that joyn with the Nonconformists calling them Seduced People and their Teachers Seditious and self-seeking In just indignation against which base and unworthy Calumny we have this to say That we stand amazed that one who enjoys for his own single share more than would well maintain an hundred able Preachers with their Families and yet never did nor can do any thing in the Church of Christ to deserve the hundredth part of it should venture to charge any with self-seeking But we know that those who persecute the poor through the pride of their countenance will never seek nor make any inquiry into their own actions Ps 10.2 4. And indeed How can these Preachers be either Seditious or self-seeking who having often declared that Men for their Consciences are not to be imposed upon and being under the conviction of that Principle have quietly suffered the loss of all things rather than they would deny or forgo it whereas this unrighteous man not content with the full enjoyment of his own Corruption rather than Conscience will not let his Brethren alone but first procures a Law against them which he knew before-hand they could not obey and then seeks to destroy them for not obeying In which lot we have reason to rejoyce being used no otherwise than Daniel was by those that for his Integrity and Faithfulness envied him whose Faith and the gracious dealing of the Lord with him as it is on record for our encouragement so the unprosperous end of those malitious and crafty Contrivers we heartily wish might seriously be reflected upon by this their grand Imitator As for the Peoples being seduced it is a Cavil not worth the answering for we appeal to the reason of all unprejudic'd men whether those who are commanded to follow the Laws of the King and of the Church with an Implicit faith and blind obedience as this blind Guide would have them are not in much more certain danger of being seduced than those who are daily exhorted by their Teachers to search the Scripture and by that unerring Rule to order their whole Conversation Which all that ever heard the Nonconformists preach know to be the sum of their Doctrine And now having thus briefly made our defence We must as this Bishop saith he doth commit the success to God Almighty Believing which we fear he doth not that our Lord Christ hath committed to him from the Father the Government of the World as well as of his Church in it for whose Soveraignty and Supremacy according as the Apostle Paul hath stated it Rom. 14.9 10. we are now contending Therefore whilst our Adversaries are directed to seek unto Men for help against us and rely upon an Arm of Flesh our confidence is in the Name of the Lord who will in due time bring forth our Righteousness to light and then perhaps this very Man who now so proudly exalts himself shall see it and be ashamed at all his envy Mich. 7.9 10. Isa. 26.11 FINIS Par. 1. Par. 2. Par. 3. Par. 4 Par. 5. Preface Par. 5. Preface Par. 3. Par. 3. Par. 5. Par. 5.