Selected quad for the lemma: power_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
power_n	deny_v	form_n	godliness_n	5,889	5	9.5542	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A25199	An orthodox plea for the sanctuary of God, common service, white robe of the house being writ for the good of all, but more especially intended for the common sort, being composed in a stile fittest for their capacities / by G.A. Sometime of Oxford, of St. Johns.	Alsop, George, b. 1638.	1669 (1669)	Wing A2902; ESTC R16186	26,026	98

form so exactly couch't and fore-thought on as may be fit in an humble manner to be offered up unto the God of Order therefore when we prepare for the House of God we must also prepare in a fitted readiness what we shall have to say unto God when we come before him If for pardon of sin and begging of supplies if for giving of thanks for blessings and mercies received deliverances obtained why all this and whatever we shall or may have need of to put up to God must be seriously and devoutly forethought of to which intent there hath been and is at this very day fitted for our occasional wants holy and profitable Supplies the Divine-Service of the Church planted for a stable Worship and Service to God for ever So that none might rush into his sacred presence and there pour out before the God of Order and Holiness a long and tedious oration the most None-sence These were the common effusions of Olivers Saints Blasphemy and Rebellion with hum's and haw's coughs and impertinent fetches Now God of old to prevent this strange and irregular boldness prescribed a Set-form of Worship that men might not take up that boldness to speak any thing before him rashly especially the Guiders and Pastors of his People And the Lord spake unto Moses saying Speak unto Aaron and his Sons Thus shall they bless the people 1 The Lord bless thee and keep thee Numb 6.24 25 26. 2 The Lord make his face shine upon thee God himself did frame to his Priests the very speech wherewith they were charged to bless his people and be merciful unto thee 3. The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee and give thee peace Not leaving the blessing to their own extemporary effusions 't is plain enough known and that beyond the reach of contradiction that the ancient People of God the Jews had a particular Liturgy a Form of Divine-Service extracted out of the Holy Scripture as a constant Service for their approach to God upon all occasions their Benedictions being pen'd by the Masters of their Synagogues See Dr. Hamonds Practic Catech. Now this their Form of Worship as it was ordained for an exact Service to God so was it also intended to prevent the true Religion from all corruption in Doctrine that God might be served in all places with one and the same Order and Form of Divine Worship And as the Jews had their Forms of Divine Service so had and have the Christians also Luke 11.1 John the Baptist taught his Disciples to pray by Form and our blessed Saviour himself left us a Form of Prayer to signifie his allowance of that way of Worship and to prevent all temeritious effusions as also to take off all quarrels that might arise by the spirits of contradictions Our Saviour doth as it were stand up and speak to his Disciples to whom he was to leave the government of his Church after his Ascension my friends to take away all disputes that may be amongst you what kinde of worship my Church shall be served withal when ye pray say Our Father c. Luke 11.2 And as the Christians had their Set-forms of Prayer so had they also their Psalms and Hymns 1 Cor. 14.26 and all to make up a compleat Liturgy Matth. 26.3 For when they had sung a Psalm they went up into the Mountain and as the Jews had their Songs of Moses and Daniel Luke 1.46 so have the Christians the Songs of the Virgin Mary Luke 1.68 Zacharias and Old-Simeon Luke 2.29 And these are those which the Apostles doth so often say 1 Cor. 14 15. I will pray and sing with the Spirit And again Eph. 5.19 in Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs making melody to the Lord with my whole heart Now we know that Hymns and Psalms and such kinde of Prayer and Praises are not to be canvised on the sudden but to be premeditated and framed aforehand I but will some say all that St. Paul performed in this kinde he did it by the Spirit he prayed and sung by the Spirit All this we own God forbid else for know he that ventures upon any Form of Prayer or Hymn Psalm or Benediction without a devout and holy Spirit prepared for the work doth rather prattle than pray howl than sing Psalms All Gods Prayers must be prayed with the Spirit or else they fall under the scandal with those that the Apostle so long ago corrects That they use a Form of Godliness but deny the power thereof They therefore do very ill and uncharitable to the sacred Prayers of Gods Church to stigmatize it with that infamy crying of it down that it is barely carried on by Form without any power as if all Service and Devotion dwelt onely upon external performances but they that speak it without book they know not what they say for indeed how dare any take up that boldness to themselves to judge the heart of man when none knows it but God If our Worship be onely formal and hypocritical as many say it is I ask the Question how they know it Our words in our Service are Gods words our gestures and carriages with our habits are decent and comely when we perform our Worship Now what is within us none but God knows for let the worst of our enemies stand and behold our Order they must if they will speak truth When our service is performed with musical voyces devout hearts according to the old Latine verse Non von sed votum non chordula musica sed cor Non clamor sed amor cantat in aure Dei say that surely this is the place where God dwells I must confess we cannot free our Church altogether from sinful Pastors as well as refractory people for there hath always been Mixtura Ecclesiae from the beginning and will so continue Kain and Abel are the Churches Representatives who shows a mixt temper and composition of the Church from the beginning substantial and false-hearted attenders on the Altar of God Aug Ep. 145. Ad huc arca continet corvum columbam Clean and unclean birds the Dove and the Raven are both in the Ark and House of God And this hath been of old and will continue until the great Shepheard shall come and separate the good from the bad till then they feed together in the same pasture But however though there be and must be a mixture of good and bad Ministers and People yet the pure Worship and Service it self is unspotted Prayer and Praises have no errours Humanum est errare but Gods Service hath none And moreover in reference to the foregoing relation it hath been and is always the industrious care of the Fathers of the Church that none should be admitted to holy Orders to attend upon Gods Altar without they did seem and appear to be as well grounded in Grace as Learning that their offerings