Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	according_a	spirit_n	worship_n	1,636	5	7.5745	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A49510	The matching of the magistrates authority and the Christians true liberty in matters if religion wherein is clearly stated, how farre the magistrate may impose or restrain in matters of faith and worship, and how far forth the Christian may challenge freedome and exemption : in a sermon preached at the Assizes at Dorchester, Jul. 17. 1651. / by William Lyford ...	Lyford, William, 1598-1653.	1654 (1654)	Wing L3549; ESTC R32907	15,979	27

THE MATCHING OF THE Magistrates Authority AND THE CHRISTIANS TRUE LIBERTY IN Matters of RELIGION VVherein is clearly stated How farre the Magistrate may impose or restrain in matters of FAITH and VVORSHIP And how far forth the Christian may challenge Freedome and Exemption In a Sermon preached at the Assizes at DORCHESTER Jul. 17. 1651. By WILLIAM LYFORD B.D. and late Minister of Sherborn in Dors LONDON Printed for R. ROYSTON and are to be sold by Tho Miller Booke-seller in Sherborne 1654. TO THE HONOVRABLE Sir GERARD NAPPER Knight and Baronet Most Honoured SIR THe World doth much call for this little worke of my Fathers who is now with God And the Communion of Saints being so great a part of our most holy Faith I dare not keep it back from any Christian mans enjoyment Yet it being a piece which was formed in your service while you were Sheriffe of Dorset-shire I refuse to send it forth but with your cognizance and under your Patronage It is just that having beene borne as it were in your house it should not become the propertie of others without a speciall reserve of its chiefe homage unto your selfe When it was preached to you from the Pulpit it found your great acceptance I hope it shall finde as great now it salutes you from the Presse And if it shall be still as welcome to your eye as it was then unto your eare it will much encourage me to inherite as well my Fathers affections to you as his name and to let you see that though he be dead yet there is still alive Most honour'd SIR Your faithfull and humble Servant WILL LYFORD From my Study in Mag. Coll. Oxon. Octob. 22. 1653. DAN 3.14 to 18. Is it true ô SHADRACH c. THese two things The Truths of Christ and Peace among Brethren ought to be precious to every Son of the Church 'T was a blessed time when the multitude of Believers were of one heart and one Soule Acts when they held Communion in Doctrine and Fellowship in breaking of Bread and Prayers they heard together they received together they prayed together and according to this primitive Patterne all good Christians should endeavour to walk and those Churches are happy which hold that blessed knot of Truth and Love Contrary whereunto are those two reigning evils among us at this day viz. Wantonnesse of Spirit and Pride of Spirit Through the wantonnesse of mens spirits craving an absolute liberty in matters of God the sacred Truths of God are corrupted and vilified And through the Pride of mens spirits on the other hand imposing matters of Opinion and Worship under temporall penalties the Quiet of mens Consciences and Unity among Brethren is exceedingly disturbed and unsetled There is much evill in both extreams either that all things should be tolerated or Nothing that Nothing should be restrained or that All things should be imposed and rigidly enforced under temporall inflictions the one leads to Heresie and Atheisme the other to Perescution Now to shape a course out of Gods Word 1. How the sacred Truths of God and the precious Souls of Men those great truths committed to our charge And 2. How the just Liberty of Conscience for I meddle not without my line with due reverence to Authority may be preserved pure and blamelesse is the scope of my ensuing discourse unto which ends I shall endeavour to drive with all clearnesse Christian Moderation and Sobriety from the words now read in your eares Whether Nebuchadnezzar did erect this huge Statue of such a vast cost for it was of God and bignesse 60. cubits high out of ambition and vaine-glory as a Monument of his Greatnesse and Magnificence or out of Blinde Zeale to his God Bell to whom it was dedicated or out of Policy to bring all his Dominions and People to an Uniformity in Religion and Worship the better to prevent Dissentions and Divisions in bis Kingdome which might be occasioned by the exercise of the Jewes Religion now scattered amongst them Whether all or any of these things might move him I determine not But most likely it is that there was something of Designe in it for the Princes of Babylon seeing their Greatnesse and Glory eclipsed by Strangers and Captives moved with Envy and Indignation advised the King to such a specious Action of Devotion whereby they might intrap and work the ruine of those Jewish Commanders for ver 12. they informe against Shadrach Meshach and Abednego that these men have not regarded thee ô King they serve not thy Gods nor worship the Golden Image which thou hast set up Upon this information Nebuchadnezzar sends for them and bespeaks them in the words of my Text Is it true O Shadrach Meshach and Abednego do not ye serve my Gods nor worship the Image which I have set up q. d. I should least of all men expected this from you you who are at my mercy you that have been so highly advanced by me He used them civilly as the Phrase is yet cruelly he did not presently condemne them till he had heard their defence and in his speech he did seeke to win them as unwilling to believe it to be true which was informed Is it true O Shadrach that you do not serve my Gods ver 14. perhaps it was an over-sight or some needlesse scruple in you or a mis-information to me I shall be willing to passe it by if now at last you will conforme Take time to consider of it But if you persist I cannot help you you must be cast into the fiery Fornace for so is the Law ver 15. Then followes their Answer ver 16 17. We are not carefull to answer thee in this matter as if they should say your Majesty is not mis-informed we did not worship your Gods and the truth is we cannot we are sufficiently advised and resolved in this matter we crave no farther time for consultation And whereas you threaten us with Death for our refusall this is no satisfaction to our Conscience nor discharge of our Duty we are not moved with thy threatnings we are ready to sacrifice our lives to the will and command of our God rather than our Conscience or Religion to thy will It is a poor Religion and a poor God that is not worth the dying for And if our God see cause by this meanes to call for our lives we are contented to pay a debt of Nature in a debt of Duty and yet we know that he can deliver us from thy Fornace if it seeme good unto him but if not we cannot gratifie thee in this matter Wee will not serve thy Gods we rather yeild our bodies and Gods will be done In which Conference note two remarkable Acts 1. One of the King enjoyning an Act of Worship upon men of a different judgement and those poore Captives under the sharpest penaltie 2. The other of the poor vanquished Captives their refusall chusing rather to suffer than to sin against God

foure Conclusions 1. For propagation of Religion and truth of Jesus Christ 1. Propagation It is his duty to take care that the Gospell be preached to all the people committed to his charge and governance thus Jehosaphat sent Princes and Priests to teach in all the Cities of Judah 2 Chron. 17.8.9 It is a most fond device to make a distinction between the Kings of Judah and Christian Princes for what the one did by virtue of their Office the same the other ought to doe by virtue of the same Office if there be no particular exception or limitation God enjoynes our obedience to Christian Magistrates as well as unto them Rom. 13.1 Let every soule be subject c. And the Scripture enjoyning the duty of the subject doth establish the authority of the Christian Magistrate for they are Relatives Protection 2 2. For protection and supportation It is the Magistrates duty to protect Gods Truth worship and service in the exercise thereof against all violence and affronts And for this purpose he is to take care for the maintenance and countenance of Ministers who are to give attendance to that worke thus Hezekiah spake comfortably unto all the Levits that taught the good knowledge of God 2 Chron. 30.22 He did also appoint the people to Minister sustenance unto them 2 Chron. 31.4 He appointed his own portion Moreover he commanded the people to give the portion of the Priests that they might be encouraged in the Law of the Lord and they brought in abundance the first fruits of Corne Wine and Oile and of all increase of the Field and the tithe of all things brought they in abundantly Vers 5. The like we read of good Nehemiah Neh. 13.10 11 12. See the place Restraint 3 3. For Reformation and Restraint of things which be destructive to what he is bound to maintaine and propagate And here the Magistrates duty is to restraine foure evils 1. The Practise of Idolatry of this there can be little doubt Jehosaphat Hezekiah and Josiah were great Reformers Josiah put down the Idolatrous Priests whom the Kings of Judah had set up to burne incense c. the like did Hezekiah 2 Chro. 31.1 yet Note by the way that though those Priests which had served in the high places were degraded from doing the office of Priests at Gods Altar any more yet they did eate the Bread of their God among their Brethren 2 Kin. 23.9 And this was according to the Law Levit. 21. Ver. 21 22. No man that hath a blemish and this was typicall of the Seed of Aaron shall come nigh to offer the offerings of the Lord yet hee shall eate the Bread of his God Vers 22. It was not said unto them goe dig goe beg c. This I particularly observe because though some of our Ministers might deserve to be put from their Office as unsavory Salt yet they must not be made vagabonds on the earth nor their Wises and Children beggars The Reformers under the N. Testament should follow the rule example of those reformers in the O. Testament and this is required of them Eze. 44.11 13 14. At the purging of the new Churches Ministery there figured under Ezekiels Temple those that had defiled themselves with false worship were to be degraded from the dignity and office of a Priest to doe the most servile and meanest offices about the Temple yet they should have whereon to live and subsist This I speake and presse the rather because as there is a desire in some here present that the worke of Reformation should proceede and be carried on in a way of righteousnesse and mercy so there may be a fulfilling of the same to roll away our that I say not your reproach A second thing to be restrained is the actuall preaching and spreading of hereticall and poisonous Doctrines I lay this restraint not upon the holding of any opinion though contrary to the publikly owned and established Doctrine because opinions as opinions being acts of the minde are not discernible and therefore not punishable by humane Authority yet when such dangerous opinions shall be published to the seducing and infecting of his people then Christ will not have Jezebel the pretended inspired Prophetesse nor any other of like condition suffered to seduce his servants Rev. 2.14 It is cleere such might be restrained and in case such false Teachers disregard the censures of the Church then the Magistrate is in this to serve Christ and I thinke he may take those words of Paul for his warrant Gal. 5.12 Note 1. Hee speakes there of false Apostles who had poisoned that Church with some Jewish Doctrines 2. He calls them troublers of the Church 3. That such troublers ought to be cut off else Paul would never have wisht it I doe not understand it of a cutting off of their Lives or Estates but a restraint of their practice that they might no longer trouble the Church with their pernicious Doctrines And the restraint upon them must be so effectuall that they may be as if they were dead for as long as they persist in their troublesome teaching they are not cut off 4. And when the Church has gon as far as it can Roll 2.3 and prevailes nothing then Pauls wish calls for the Magistrates helpe to restraine them as evill workers in an high degree and troublers of the Churches peace which the Magistrate is bound to preserve But that place Zach. 13.2 3 5. comes more home to our purpose I will saith the Lord cause the Prophets and the uncleane spirit to passe out of the Land And it shall come to passe that when any shall yet prophecy then his Father and Mother that begat him shall say unto him thou shalt not live for thou speakest lies in the Name of the Lord c. This is a plaine prophecy of the times of the Gospell wherein note 2 Pet. 2.1 Rev. 2.14 1. That by the Spirit of God there is foreshewed a singular evill that should happen in the Christian Churches viz. men shall beare themselves for Prophets which are none for they shall weare the Prophets garment to deceive 2. Those Prophets are Teachers of fals-hood 3. This evill is to be purged away and these men brought to shame by the Christian Magistrate Verse 3. at the instance and complaint of their dearest friends his Father and Mother shall thrust him through when he prophecieth not with their own hands but according to the Law Deut. 13.9 They shall bring him to the Magistrate to be punished 4. And this shall be the fruit of the Magistrate dealing with them viz. they shall be ashamed of their visions and their prophecyings Ver. 4.5 and shall confesse I am no Prophet c. And there is a reason as Mr. Burroughs thinks why their best friends should withstand them in this their way 1. Because it is abhorring to nature to suffer that God whom wee honour to be blasphemed 2. And to see our