Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	aaron_n	apostle_n	law_n	17	3	4.2590	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A73391	Five sermons, preached upon several texts by that learned and worthy divine, Thomas Wetherel, B.D. sometimes fellow of Gonevile and Caius Colledge in Cambridge, and parson of Newton in Suffolke.	Wetherel, Thomas, 1586-1630.	1635 (1635)	STC 25292.3; ESTC S125573	76,283	292

chap. 4. 8. Draw nigh to God and hee will draw nigh to you How shall wee draw nigh to him Purge your hearts you sinners and clense your hands you double minded men come out of the dirt of corruption into the mountain of holinesse as your fathers worshipped in the Mountaine Thus much of the matter of the words I come to the second thing good in this speech this womans looking backe to the Religion practised by her fathers Our fathers worshipped Wherein shee declares that shee conceived two truths 1. That the Service of God is ancient beganne not in her dayes but had its Original from the Fathers 2. That antiquity of Religion is to be respected of those that seeke out the truth thereof For the first The service of God is ancient the Angels who were first made first beganne it Iob 38. 7. The Starres of the morning praysed mee together and all the children of God reioyced Men followed in their order Abel offered Sacrifice Euoch walked with God Noah builded an Altar in Seths time men beganne to call on the Name of the Lord the histories of ancient times declare that they before the flood erected brazen and marble Pillars wherein they left unto their posterity the memory of God and of his providence and that Religion was from the beginning of the world may be demonstrated divers wayes 1. The Image of God wherein man was made consisted in holinesse as one part thereof Ephes 4. 24. Now holinesse in man respecteth the service of God and when this Image was decayed by the fall of Adam yet so much of it remayned as carried men to some worship of God which being directed by addition of light from heaven carried them to the worship of the true God 2. God alwayes had his Church in the world some who were sheepe of his pasture and children of his love and these did worship him for worship is the bond that bindeth man to God without which man cannot be sayd to be the servant of God nor God sayd to be the God of man 3. God at the very first gave precepts of his worship So Adam in Paradise had a command to abstain from the tree of the knowledge of good and evill this abstinence was his worship of God and why did Able bring his sacrifice The Apostle saith it was by faith faith respecting the promise of God in his precept that by offering sacrifice hee should shew his expectation of that seed which was foretold to come into the world So that here every true worshipper of God at this day hath a good warrant for his doings that he followeth the footsteps of all his fathers the children of God who went before him and it may be a singular comfort to him in his holinesse that howsoever men of his owne time wherein hee liveth bee crosse unto him and every man would have his neighbour a Bird of the same feather that himselfe is yet that he is like to the old Fathers who were zealous toward God and stood in awe of his pre●ence that he doth converse with Seth Enoch Ahraham Isaac Iacob the holy Prophets yea Christ himselfe and his Apostles who though they lived among Lions yet did of old sustaine and uphold the service of God in spight of all opposition This is it which conjoyneth all the members of the Church together though living at severall times that they are united in the worship of God as many lines in the same center This comforted the Apostle Paul in the midst of his bands that after the way which the Iewes called heresie he worshipped the God of his fathers Acts 24. 14. Hee calleth God the God of his Fathers thereby to strengthen himselfe in his holy course against the Iewes who cryed out of him for an hereticke and so ought all true Christians who endevouring with an upright heart to feare God and keepe themselves unspotted of the world not stained with the iniquity of the times wherein they live are like to be branded with the title of Novelists they ought to looke upon the wayes of the holy Fathers who lived in times past and seeing themselves walke in their steps and to bee heires of their righteous living hence to take courage that they goe not in by-pathes where none went before them but in the Kings high-way wherein all the Saints of God walked to heaven thus the Fathers worshipped God and thus they worship him This is the first thing this woman conceived the Service of God is ancient The second thing was that the Antiquity of Religion is to be respected and so indeed it is Deut. 32. 7. Remember the dayes of old and the yeares of many generations aske thy father and he will tell thee thine elders and they wil instruct thee Wee are but of yesterday and are ignorant therefore must wee search of our fathers Iob 8. 8. If a man were to stand upon the waies to take his choice hee could choose none better than the old way wherein walking he should find rest unto his soule Ier. 6. 16. For whereas through the ages of the world there have beene different formes of his Service appointed by God himselfe the one at mans Creation a second at the Institution of the Church of the Iewes when the Ceremoniall Law was ordained a third at the founding of the Church of the Christians when the Doctrine of the Gospell was set forth they in these severall times did right who kept themselves to the old forme of worshipping Before the Law they served God aright who tooke patterne from Abel Seth Noah the first fathers of that Church Vnder the Law they served God aright who imitated Moses Aaron and Iosuah the first fathers of that dispensation Since the Law they serve God aright who follow the steps of the blessed Apostles and purer times of the dispensation of the Gospell So that howsoever wee make not Antiquity the rule of our faith yet is it a good note of true Religion to agree with the first Fathers of the Primitive time for certainly that of Tertullian is most sound Quod antiquissimum illud verissimum that is the most true that is most ancient And the ground of this assertion is demonstrative for the Truth is first layd before Heresie commeth in good it is subjectum mali the subject whereto evill cleaveth and must therefore needs be before it Satan was first an Angell of Light before a Prince of Darkenesse Adam was made upright and then became crooked and corrupted through sinne The Law of Moses first was truly taught before it was depraved with the wicked glasses of the Scribes and Pharisies and the Doctrine of the Gospell was at the beginning taught in the truth thereof howsoever presently the mystery of iniquity beganne to worke and it was infected with Arrianisme Nestorianisme and this Antiquity of the truth in regard of Heresie is taught by our Saviour Matth. 13. 24. where he sheweth that the Husbandman first soweth good

man lye still and thinke another day will come and then it will be time enough for him to rise but as Christ rose early in the morning so let him rise in the prime morning of his youth if he find the grave now open and his soule to be in him let him take heed lest the grave shut her mouth againe upon him lest his soule being taken againe out of that drowsie mansion he have no more such oportunity to rise Againe let not the old man lye still and not arise because hee feareth hee hath laid too long and there is no hope for him to recover life for sweet and comfortable is that saying of Saint Austine V● radius oculi nostri c. As our eye doth not sooner see things that are near it thē the things that are further off but with a like swiftnesse doth behold them both so the vertue of Christs rising commeth not first to them who are new dead in sinne and scarcely to those that are of long continuance in it sed ei tam facile est ut quaeque recentia diuturno tempori dilapsa cadavera suscitare it can as easily raise those which have longest as those which have had smallest time therein Let us then all both old and young rouse up our selves for the Master is up and shall it not shame the servants to be behinde Christ is risen and draweth us also with the cords of love oh let us runne after him in the sweet savour of his oyntments and ascend after him in our hearts to heaven whither hee hath already ascended which is the third thing propounded in the Text the fruit of our rising with Christ Seeke the things that are above Where two things offer themselves to be considered the Object things above the Act seeke which Act is proportioned to the Object and is divers according to the diversity of it Now things above may bee taken two wayes 1. For Christ the truth opposed to Iewish ceremonies and this interpretation is made good by comparing this verse with the latter part of the second chapter where the Apostle reasoneth in this manner They which wrongly conceive o● Christ live still to the Ordinances of the world and burthen themselves with traditions touch not tast not handle not but such as beleeving a right in his resurrection are freed from these beggerly rudiments looke after things o● ●n higher nature Christ himselfe who is the body and substance of all those shadowes and is now to be apprehended ●n himselfe without the inter●osition of those former observances and then seeking is taken for right understanding and conceiving of the state of Religion as if the Apostle had said You that are Christians must know that the Ceremoniall Law is abolished which good in distinction of meats ●ayes apparell things though at first appointed by God yet ●ut for a season and therefore ●ave perished in their use and ●ow are become commandements and doctrines of men You must know that the true worshippers must worship the father in spirit and in truth ●omming to him by Christ who above in heaven at his right hand beleeving in his death ●nd resurrection letting goe the sacrifices of the Law a● Mosaicall injunctions which though they had a shew of wisdome in them yet were ordained to endure but till the tru● came We see how the Apostle opposeth Christ to the earthly ceremonies and diss●●deth Christians who were 〈◊〉 lay hold on him from any further dealing with them and that for two reasons 1. Because he was come whom the prefigured and therefore the● were to cease in him 2. F●● that hee was now againe ascended into heaven and therefore looked for the heart and the affections not bodily observances Now these earthly ceremonies are not such onely were legall belonging to Moses Law but even those which draw the heart from heaven unto the earth placing Religion in outward shewes and wi●● worship such as the Christian within the Papacy hath beene miserably pestered with Saint Austine in his time complained Epist 119. c. 19. of these servile burthens which though they could not be proved to bee directly against the faith yet made the Church of the Christians in worse case than the Church of the Iewes the one being in bondage to a ●egall yoke the other to mens presumptions such as are the ●et number of Paternosters Creeds and Ave-maries to be ●aily said over the adoring of Christ in the Rood Windows c. their Pilgrimages Whip●ing themselves and a world more such as these which make indeed a great shew of Devotion in the eyes of men and ●old the beguiled senses in admiration yet are not of any value but for the satisfying of the flesh mans carnall desires who for the sinne of his soule would give any thing rather than his soule or doe any thing rather than the workes of the soule Well are we who have shaked off this bondage and are free to come to Christ as himselfe hath appointed with hearty repentance earnest faith willing affections so to seeke the things that are above 2. By things above may be meant heavenly things the happinesse which aboundeth in heaven and which we are by God ordained unto and then seeking signifieth two things 1. A desire of this happinesse 2. The using of the meanes to attaine this happinesse 1. They which are risen desire things above not with a lazy wish oh that some would give mee to drinke of the waters of life but with ardor and fervency such as was in David Psal 42. 1. Like as the Hart panteth after the water brookes so longeth my soule after thee O God my soule is athirst for God yea even for the living God oh when shall I come and appeare in the presence of God 2. They use the meanes of attaining it no way so straight that they will not walke in if it lead to heaven no labour so hard which they will not endure if it end in happinesse fire water swords stones they will passe through them all to this wealthy place Thus doe the Saints Ascensiones disponere in corde thinke of nothing but ascending upward they digge not downe to hell to fetch from thence wicked plots and devices they spend not themselves upon the earth to get riches honours and preferments but sursum corda all their delight is above these transitory things their soules are heaven-walking spirits ravished with the joy they know to be there and therefore attend ever to partake of it Christ who is their head ascending hath invited them that are his members as Saint Austine speaketh to a region of Angels to the friendship of the Father and the holy Ghost to an everlasting supper to communion with him to himselfe this maketh them to confesse with the Patriarkes Heb. 11. 13. that they are strangers pilgrims upon the earth looking still towards heaven as if they sought a Countrey hic generatio quaerentium quae sunt supra thus

in the Gospell wee should therefore say the same to every sinner we might soone breake the bruised reed soone quench the smoking flax and curse where God hath not cursed 4. Examples must be of the same kinde in regard of the time for every thing hath his season and what profiteth now may hurt anon There was a manner of Gods Worship instituted in old time which must not now be used and the reason is Tempora mutantur times are not now the same they were then Saint Augustine in one of his Epistles sheweth this by a very pregnant example There was saith he in my time one Vindicianus a Physician of great note who applyed to his Patients griefe what hee thought fitting for him and it cured him some yeares after this Patient falling sicke of his old malady would needs bee his owne Physician and give the same physicke to himselfe adhibitum vertit in peius he tooke it and was the worse for it hereupon hee runnes to Vindicianus and tels him the matter he answered This was fallen to him because hee bade him not doe it The man thought he was some Conjurer who could worke better by his words than by his art till hee told him at length in earnest Ego illi aetati hoc nunquam eram iussurus I would never have bidden you take that medicine at those yeares You see by this the great force of time a necessary circumstance to be observed in all examples 5. Examples must be of the same kinde in regard of the end of the action or else herein also they will faile grossely The Prophet David did well and moveth by the Spirit of God when as hee so often curseth his enemies and useth direfull imprecations against them because hee was ravished with a vehement desire of the glory of God and sought that therein without any desire of private revenge yet Saint Paul biddeth us blesse our enemies Blesse and curse not because wee are not so extraordinary filled with true zeale but curse our enemies out of anger passion and thirsting to have vengeance taken on them Thus you see the five Circumstances which must be observed in our imitation which may suffice to shew what I intended by them how uncertaine a thing it is for any man to guide his course meerely by example where be the thing never so good that is followed there are notwithstanding so many wayes to goe amisse from it Pittifull therefore was the estate of this woman and of her fellow Citizens who had no better than this Lesbian rule to square their worship by looking at their fathers who had passed so many yeares agoe since when the state of Religion had beene changed and Mount Gerazim now become prophane which was unto Jacob holy ground but well was it with the Iewes who worshipped what they knew being informed out of the Law of God that Ierusalem was the place where men ought to worship it was indeed the best hold they could have and therefore Andronicus pleading their cause though hee alleaged the succession of Priests and the many gifts conferred by the Asian Kings yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Josephus made the Law of God the rocke and ground where upon he built the rest hee beganne his proofe with it Let us beloved though looke into our Fathers Worship yet not so dote upon it as we had rather erre with them than doe rightly according as the grace of God the Word of salvation shining forth instructeth us Be it that they did many things excellently yet they were men and in many things did amisse wee have God be thanked as the Iewes had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Scriptures of God a more sure rule than example howsoever therefore wee doe not contemne examples and the practise of former times but approve it in the kind as I said before yet let us alwayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 make the Law of God the maine pillar whereon we rest and never goe crosse to it though sometime we goe crosse to that our Fathers practised it is the best counsell we can take which is given unto us by the Prophet Esay 8. 20. Say not a confederacy to them to whom this people say a confederacy from the living to the dead to the Law and to the Testimony if they speak not according to this word it is because there is no light in them Wee vilifie the glorious Gospell of Christ when as wee dare preferre before the instructions thereof either quid dicit Ecclesia or quid fecerunt patres The Traditions of the Church or the doings of our Fathers That just censure may bee laid upon us in that ease which our Saviour giveth of this woman and the Samaritans Adoratis quod nescitis You worship you know not what FINIS