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truth_n let_v see_v word_n 4,072 5 3.9829 3 true
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ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A93930 Concerning the remissness of the magistrate a sermon preached in the parish-church of Bovey-Tracy, last Easter day in the afternoon / by Francis Stooke, M.A., and vicar thereof. Stooke, Francis. 1698 (1698) Wing S5740bA; ESTC R42684 11,349 38

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notorious Offenders To do so is an argument they are too much in love with Sin themselves otherwise they would be more careful to punish it in others I wish I could lift up my Voice and speak loud enough to awaken every one of them and perswade them to be diligent and vigilant in their Office to chastise all publick Offenders and do Justice strictly upon those who dishonour GOD and are a scandal to Religion Stir up your selves and be zealous for your GOD as the Scripture speaks Let not the Drunkards the Blasphemers the profaners of the Lord's-day who despise his Worship and Service go unpunished Be just and impartial in all your Corrections spare neither Relative nor Dependent let your Indignation be extended against Sin in general and as often as you find it perpetrated be sure to punish it Discountenance Make-bates and sowers of Discord among Brethren reprove the Profane and Common-swearer and lay the Penalty as often as you find him to offend In a word let the severity of the Law be executed against all open Wickedness And this indeed would be the most effectual way to produce a Reformation throughout the whole Kingdom This would be the readiest way to make us an happy People For tho' there might still be a great many sins committed amongst us in secrecy and under covert yet they would not be National Sins nor be imputed to us as a publick Guilt but every Man should bear his own Iniquity Whereas without such a Reformation as this or an hearty and an honest Endeavour after it all our Pretences to Religion will serve only as so many marks of our Insincerity and of the mean Opinion we have of GOD as if he would be moved with such Services wherein we present Him only the form and surface and neglect the weightier concern of doing Justice shewing Mercy and walking humbly before Him There cannot be a greater dishonour done to His Divine Majesty than to be unconcerned at the great Scandal that is cast upon Religion by a bold and publick Profaneness and to suffer it to escape without check or punishment It will be to no purpose for Ministers to decry Vice in their Sermons nor to divert from it in their Lives if the Magistrate's Authority do not second their Endeavours for let them do the one never so powerfully and the other never so regularly yet it will be all in vain without the concurrence of the Magistrate's Sword to terrify and restrain them from Vice and over-awe and compel them to Obedience And this is no private conjecture or groundless surmise but the wisdom of the Nation has concluded this to be the most effectual means of suppressing that flood of Sin and Impiety that at this time overspreads the Kingdom and have rightly adjudged the cause of it to be want of Care and Diligence in the Magistrate of putting the Laws in execution As you would therefore answer the great Ends of your sublime Order omit no opportunity of doing all that is conduceable thereunto use your utmost Power to promote the Honour of GOD and the Interest of Religion And this cannot be better done than by discountenancing all lewd and vicious Persons and encouraging the Vertuous and Good And above all be most careful to avoid all the kinds nay and the very appearance of evil in your Lives and Actions Consider the Dignity of your Character the Scripture calls you Gods and sure to answer that Character your must not only refrain your selves from all Wickedness in general but also be eminent and exemplary in all holy Conversation and Godliness Let your Light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glory your Father which is in Heaven And let us constantly pray as our Church directs in that pertinent branch of her Litany That GOD would be pleas'd to bless and keep the Magistrates giving them Grace to execute Justice and to maintain Truth And to close up all let me exhort and beseech you in the words of St. Paul That every one that nameth the Name of CHRIST would depart from Iniquity As we expect the Blessing of Heaven upon us and wish the Happiness of these Kingdoms and that the great work of Reformation may go successfully on let us every one in our several Conditions Stations and Places set our selves seriously against Vice and Wickedness and labour to root it out For not only our Temporal but our Eternal Interest is depending on it Which GOD give us all Grace to do c. FINIS