Selected quad for the lemma: power_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A84072
|
A guide to the humble: or an exposition on the common prayer Viz. I. The visitation of the sick. II. The Communion of the sick. III. The burial of the dead. IV. The thanksgiving of women after child-birth. V. The denouncing of God's anger and judgments against sinners, with prayers to be used on the first day of Lent, and at other times. By Thomas Elborow.
|
Elborow, Thomas.
|
1675
(1675)
|
Wing E322A; ESTC R227794
|
105,673
|
309
|
Law of Moses but not from any Christian rules left us by Christ and his Apostles We must not use our liberty for a cloak of maliciousness 1 Pet. 2.16 nor pretend it to destroy Christian duty Christ hath freed us from many yokes but not from that of subjection to God and lawful Superiors I desire as the Apostle speaks that our moderation and meekness may be made known unto all Men. Philip. 4.5 Yet we must not be so moderate to Men as to be cruel and injurious to God whatever the Law of Christ forbids may not be tolerated any thing in its own nature besides is tolerable enough there is nothing intolerable but sin and for Magistrates to tolerate that who have a power to restrain it is to make themselves guilty of the commission of it To deny the true God and set up a false is intolerable it is against the first Commandement To worship God after our own wills and not according to Gods will is intolerable it is against the Second To take God's Name in vain in words or works in words to swear for him in works to swerve from him to pretend for Him in words and practise against him in works is intolerable it is against the Third To make all things common and nothing sacred is intolerable against the Fourth To destroy order and bring in confusion to cry down Magistracy and Ministry to bring in a parity where God would have a superiority to impower the Servant against the Master the Child against the Parent the Subject against the Soveraign and so make one Mans will a Law to take away another Man's life is very intolerable and a breach of the Fifth Commandement This is the Commandement we have most a spite aâ— but it is the commandment which pâ—eserves us all and in the well keeping of it consists upon the matter the well observance of all the rest To give another Man power to take away my life to defile the Matrimonial Bed to injure a Man in his goods or good name to have a will to do it when he cannot and actually to do it whenever he can are all intolerable and breaches of the other Commandements If such things as these may be tolerated nothing is intolerable nay nothing but will be intolerable though tolerated for I think it as intolerable to live where all things are tolerated as where nothing is No Man who hath any Religion at all can pretend a Toleration for these things which are against all Religion and all Reason too Now because the Laws of God have so little influence upon Mens lives unless there be Custodes utriusque tabulae in the Church to see that both Tables be kept that of Religion and that other of Justice Therefore God hath invested Magistrates with a power and authority and lest many Precepts to command our obedience and subjection to them for to make other humane Laws to press on the observance of God's Laws and that Gods Law of Religion may be observ'd in the best manner the Church hath framed up Liturgies instituted decent Rites and Ceremonies all according to Apostolick Rules 1 Tim. 2.1 2. 1 Cor. 14.40 and if Men may be indulged a liberty to be exempt from humane Laws which are as the Ark wherein Religion is preserved God's Laws will in time be of very little regard among us Thus have I good Reader only to give some People satisfaction if possible taken upon me this task upon the Common-Prayer-Book to work People into a better esteem of it and that they may without any scruple of Conscience conform to it Farewell FINIS