Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	church_n	england_n	reform_a	4,212	5	9.5265	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A31841	A sermon preached before the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor, and the Court of Aldermen, at Guild-Hall Chappel upon the 30th of September, 1683 by Benjamin Calamy ...	Calamy, Benjamin, 1642-1686.	1683 (1683)	Wing C218; ESTC R5722	14,818	35

Concession as this that we may do evil for a good End 1. This will appear from the nature of moral good and evil It is an old Maxim you may have often heard of Bonum oritur ex causa integra malum ex quolibet defectu To denominate an action morally good there must be an Universal Concurrence of all Conditions requisite thereunto It must be good as to the Object or Matter the End for which it is done must be laudable and worthy it must be done after a right manner in due Circumstances or else the Action cannot be said to be good But now it is not necessary that it should fail in every one of these respects to make it evil but a defect in any one of them certainly vitiates the action denominates it morally evil tho' in all other respects it be according to the Rule If the Object be lawful the manner of the performance regular and it be fitly circumstantiated yet if it be done for a base low wicked End this undoubtedly quite mars and spoils the action and renders it sinful and for the same reason let the Intention be never so good and honest the End we propound to our selves never so great and excellent yet if we fail in the Object if the thing we do is forbid by Gods Law the Action notwithstanding the specious pretence of the glorious End to which it is directed is a vicious Action and we are accountable to God for it as such This a great Bishop of our Church illustrates thus Any one short Clause saith he or Proviso not Legal is sufficient to abate the whole Writ or Instrument tho' in every other part absolute and without exception A good Intention therefore can no more warrant an Action that is in it self unlawful than the goodness of the Matter can justifie what is done on a wicked Design Nay further such is the contrariety between the nature of good and evil that what is really evil cannot be chosen as a fit means to produce any thing that is good any more than darkness can beget light or than false Premises can rightly infer a true Conclusion or than to use our Saviours Phrase an evil Tree can bring forth good Fruit. God indeed as I have already hinted by his Omnipotent Wisdom doth produce good out of evil by the same word of Power by which he brought something out of nothing by which he can make things act contrary to their own Natures and proper Efficacy But to do that which is really evil in order to the obtaining of some real good is as if a Man should put his Hands into the flame to cool it or it is just like the policy of those Men who would destroy the present Government to preserve our Rights and Properties and would pull down the Reformed Church of England for the defence of the Protestant Religion 2. I argue further that to do evil that good may come is a great affront to and distrust of the Divine Providence and Government of the World So saith Job cap. 13.7 Will ye speak wickedly for God and talk deceitfully for him Doth he stand in need of our sins to help him out at a dead lift to bring his designs to pass Hath not he taken sufficient care of and made sufficient provision for us unless we now and then stretch our Consciences in a case of extremity Cannot he uphold his Church or preserve his Religion without our venturing on a special occasion to strain a Point and transgress our Duty for the sake of them Was he overseen in the making of his Laws not considering at first those inconveniences that might sometimes happen As if what he had Commanded us might prove inconsistent with his own Glory or the Interest and Safety of Religion unless we in great prudence dispensed with his Laws in such Cases Now this is not only a bold infringement of the Divine Authority but also an unworthy Reflection upon the Wisdom of Gods Laws and Government This is evidently seen in those of the Church of Rome who fondly imagining that our Saviour and his Apostles had not wrought Miracles enough for Confirmation of their Doctrine have coined abundance of other Miracles which they obtrude upon their easy Disciples as true by them to supply what was wanting in our Saviours So lest Hell and everlasting Damnation should not be sufficient to scare Men from their sins they have added that gainful Invention of their Purgatory Which pious frauds as they sometimes call them are most highly dishonourable to our Saviour and his Religion intimating as if his Gospel had been very short and imperfect unless some Men had interposed their own Wit and Knavery to patch it up or compleat it Thus the Laws of our Christianity plainly oblige us not to resist Lawful Authority But alas This may possibly prove very dangerous Doctrine What if the King turns Papist or Tyrant What then shall become of our Religion and Property if in no case we may resist if we have no other remedy but Prayers and Tears if we are bound patiently and meekly to suffer those evils that may unjustly and contrary to Law be inflicted upon us by that Authority we are subject unto And so to prevent this inconvenience Men choose to correct the Rule of their Religion to distinguish away Gods Law rather than to trust God with their Lives and Fortunes and Religion in the resolved doing of their Duty Let us but suppose God to have done Wisely and acted Considerately in all that he hath Commanded or Forbidden us and it must then necessarily follow that we must never go against his Will tho' it may seem to tend to never so great or good an End Since he who had a perfect Knowledge and Comprehension of all Events that either can or shall happen in the World hath prescribed us such Laws by which we are always to govern our selves for any one to think to please him or to promote his Glory and Service by acting contrary to these is surely the greatest presumption a Creature can be Guilty of and a foul imputation and disparagement cast upon the Wisdom of God When People are for taking the Church and Gospel out of Gods Hands into their own particular regard and will not think their Religion safe whilst they defend it only by such means as God allows of unless they have some Tricks and Policies of their own this certainly argues a base distrust of the Divine Care and Providence 3. Add to this the Examples that are in Scripture of Gods Condemning and Punishing what hath been done against his Command tho' with a good intention and for a great and worthy end I shall mention but two Instances one out of the Old Testament the other out of the New In the Old Testament not to insist on that memorable one of Vzzah who dyed for saving the tottering Ark from falling you find King Saul 1 Sam. 15. receiving Commandement from God

subversion of the Ancient Monarchy the taking away the Kings life and banishing his Children setting up themselves and subjecting the whole Nation to the power of the Sword had this design been but smelt and suspected at first it had in all probability been crushed and defeated as soon as discovered and believed At first therefore nothing was talked of but Religion pure Ordinances liberty of Conscience Freedom from Popish Innovations and Antichristian Ceremonies true Gospel worship a preaching Ministry and when by such pretences and Artifices many were engaged to their side then by degrees they began to appear in their own proper colours And have we not been lately in great danger of being cheated and undone the second time by the same Arts and Fears and Jealousies and pretences of Reformation and Religion and almost by the same men too And may we not at last hope that this repeated Experience will open mens eyes that they may see what tools they have been made by designing heads how they have been cajoled and imposed upon by fair pretences and some perhaps honest men so I would in charity believe in the simplicity of their hearts made use of to serve the most horrid and treasonable Designes which they never thought of or little suspected were driving on 3. And especially Let us all now be exhorted to take great care that our Zeal for Religion never transport us beyond the bounds of our Duty Religion is certainly the greatest interest and concernment of Mankind Dearer it ought to be to us than our lives for infinitely more than our lives are worth depend upon it And of all the several Religions that are professed in the World I am in my Conscience perswaded that which is taught here and maintained in our Church of England as by Law established is most Divine most Christian most Apostolical and Primitive most Pure and Rational and for the continuance of this Inestimable Blessing of God amongst us and to our Posterity after us of which we have been for so long time thro' Gods Infinite Patience to us possessed for this we ought surely to be very Zealous No lover of God or his own Soul or his Country can be indifferent or careless about such a Matter And as for my own part I do profess to have so am I sure all true Orthodox Sons of the Church of England must have as ill thoughts and as great a detestation of the Popish as of any other Sect whatever that calls it self Christian The Church of Rome is undoubtedly the most corrupt and degenerate part of the Visible Church of Christ now upon Earth and I thank God it is my Resolution and it is the Resolution of all true and hearty Members of our Church and I pray God give us all Grace to stand to it if ever we be put upon the tryal I say it is our Resolution to part with all that this World calls Dear even Life it self rather than ever own their Novel Articles for true or submit to their Usurpations or Communicate in their Idolatrous Worship But yet for all this neither for the Preservation of this our most Holy and Excellent Religion professed here in England nor for the keeping out Popery it self and then I have named the worst thing that I can will I ever by the Grace of God go beyond the Duty of my Calling and that Station Divine Providence hath placed me in nor will I ever lift up my Finger nor open my Mouth against the Lords Anointed whatever his Religion may be whether he hath any or none whether he be a Nero or a Constantine whether he Rules by Law or against it We must not wish him Evil no not so much as in our secret thoughts whatever hard things we suffer from him we must on no account disturb or oppose his Government or resist his Authority and if we have not opportunity of flying from such a Persecution as I now suppose because I would put the worst Case that can happen or cannot by prudence decline it I know no other remedy the Gospel allows us but Meek and Patient Suffering for our Religion after the Example of our Blessed Lord and Master This is the plain Loyal Doctrine of the Church of England which her Ministers have always Preached and Defended both against Papists and Fanaticks of all sorts and for which such an Out-cry and Clamour of late Years hath been raised against the Clergy And whenever we Teach you otherwise give me leave in Gods Name to charge you all to forsake us and despise us at as high a rate as our greatest Enemies now can do Nay if an Angel from Heaven preach any other Doctrine let him be accursed Zeal for the best and the greatest things in the World will not excuse private mens taking upon themselves to reform publick abuses either against or without the consent of the Supreme Magistrate nor will it hallow any action for which we have not sufficient Warrant and Authority from Gods word Ye remember the Answer which our Saviour gave to his Disciples when they called for Fire from Heaven to consume that Village of the Samaritans that would not receive their Master Ye know not what manner of Spirit you are of They were much mistaken when they thought they might do as Elias had done that was no waies agreeable to that Meek and Lowly Spirit which our Saviours Doctrine was to beget in men or to that taking up his Cross which our Lord called his Disciples unto or to that Patience and Resolution in suffering by which Christianity was to be propagated and glorified in the World For Conclusion of all would we engage Gods Favour and Protection that he should continue to us those singular Mercies we yet enjoy let us then at all times adhere close to our Duty as well when it is against our temporal Interest as when it is for it Let us inviolably in all things observe the Commands of our Religion not only propound good ends but be as careful to chuse Lawful means and then God w●● in some measure think himself as it were obliged 〈◊〉 shew Mercy and Favour to us If ever any thing provokes God Almighty t● bring those Calamities upon us which we seem 〈◊〉 much to fear it is our using indirect unlawful mean● to prevent their falling upon us And is it not thu● with us at this day For could our Common Enemy I mean the Papists have ever invented a mor● successful Plot for the bringing in of Popery could they have hoped for a better opportunity or greater advantages for the recommending and introducing their Religion than what the abominable Wickedness and Treasons of those who would be accounted the greatest Zealots against it have now given them By doing of such horrid Evils under pretence that good may come have they not given the greatest Blow and Wound to the Reformed Religion and done their best to bring that misery upon us which they would be thought to have designed to have kept off The Lord still in his infinite Mercy continue to preserve our most Gracious Soveraign and the Church and these Kingdoms from all either secret Conspiracies or open Assaults of Wicked Men of what Sect or Denomination soever who think it Lawful to do evil that good may come whose damnation is just FINIS