Selected quad for the lemma: woman_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
woman_n	father_n	spirit_n	worship_v	1,899	5	9.9937	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A44196	The judgment of the late Lord Chief Justice Sir Matthew Hale, of the nature of true religion, the causes of its corruption, and the churches calamity by mens additions and violences with the desired cure : in three discourses / written by himself at several times ... ; humbly dedicated to the honourable judges and learned lawyers ... by the faithful publisher, Richard Baxter ; to which is annexed the judgment of Sir Francis Bacon ... and somewhat of Dr. Isaack Barrows on the same subject.	Hale, Matthew, Sir, 1609-1676.; Bacon, Francis, 1561-1626.; Barrow, Isaac, 1630-1677.; Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691.	1684 (1684)	Wing H247; ESTC R11139	41,043	77

decent and inoffensive Forms in the External Worship of God appointed by the Civil Magistrate by the advice of those that are deservedly eminent in the Church for their Piety Learning and Prudence And there seems to be very good Reason for it 1. Because if every man should be left to himself there would Confusion ensue because no man knew anothers Mind or Rule of his external Deportment 2. All men have not that equal Prudence to Judge what were fit to be used the Magistrate is like to make choice of those persons that are fittest to advise and their Recommendations would be of greatest authority with others 3. It is most certain that Man being composed of Soul and Body cannot so regularly and well fix himself to his Duty without some justifiable help to his Devotion such are vocal Prayers Kneeling and other Gestures proper for the Matter of Worship which he intends And this may be one Reason why the Lord though he strictly forbad all Idolatry and Superstition and Heathenish Practice to the Jews yet did appoint Sacrifices Priests a glorious Tabernacle and the Ark which was not only a diversion from the Egyptian Idolatry which they had seen but also a help to their natural infirmity for the excitation of their Devotion And although our Lord Jesus came to abrogate even that Indulgence and foretold that those that worshipped the Father should worship him in Spirit and in Truth under the Gospel yet it is certain that the immediate Apostles of Christ did set certain orderly Observances in the Church for decencies sake and it was justly allowable As concerning the order of the exercise of their Supernatural Gifts Concerning Womens speaking in the Church concerning mens being covered in the Church and Women vailed concerning the manner and order of receiving the Sacrament and the like But as there be Reasons for it so there be Cautions to be used in it 1. That they be not too numerous for their Multitude will rather oppress than secure Religion 2. That in their Natures they be not Superstitious but keep as much distance from it as well may be otherwise they will be in Religion as the dead Fly in the Apothecaries Oyntment 3. That they be clean and decent not too full of Pomp or Ostentation Ceremonies should be used as we use a Glass rather to preserve the Oyl than to adorn it Too much Pomp causeth Jealousies even in good men of a degeneration either to Jewish Ceremonies or Popish Vanities 4. That though such are not to be rejected because they are Ancient so if they become Vnseasonable they are not to be held meerly because they are Ancient It is with Ceremonies as with some other things that are fit to be changed when they become unuseful or offensive as the Love-Feasts Extreme Vnction and some other things possibly practised and fit enough in the Primitive times Many Ceremonies were at first invented and practised to win over unconverted Heathens to incourage weak Christians especially the Jews who were not easily to be drawn from their Legal Ceremonies But when People become a Knowing People that see beyond those Ceremonies and understand when and why and how they came in then it were Prudence to dispense with or change them 5. That they be not urged with too much rigour or severity upon such as conscientiously refuse them Charity to a weak Brother in things indifferent in their own Nature is then to be exercised when my Brother is offended therewith or never And if it be said it is his duty to submit to the Church and not the Church to him I do think that answer will not serve in this case for surely though a Child owes a Duty to a Father yet his neglect thereof especially if it be upon a conscientious account will not excuse the neglect of a Fathers Duty to his Child The Apostle professed he would abstain from things lawful rather than offend his weak Brother 6. And especially that we be careful to remember that Religion is another thing from these Ceremonies These are of use i. e. for Ornament They are the Dressings and the Trimmings of Religion at the best but the Fear of God is of a higher extraction It is a pitiful thing to see men run upon this mistake especially in these latter times one placing all his Religion in holding the Pope to be Christs Vicar another placing Religion in this to hold no Papist can be saved One holding all Religion to consist in holding Episcopacy to be jure divino another by holding Presbytery to be jure divino another in crying up Congregational Government another in Anabaptise one in placing all Religion in the strict observation of all Ceremonies another in a strict refusal of all One holding a great part of Religion in putting off the Hat and bowing at the Name of Jesus another judging a man an Idolater for it and a third placing his Religion in putting off his Hat to none and so like a company of Boys that blow Bubbles out of a Wall-nut-shell every one runs after his bubble and calls it Religion and every one measures the Religion or irreligion of another by their agreeing or dissenting with them in these or the like matters and at best while we scramble and wrangle about the pieces of the Shell the Kernel is either lost or gotten by some that doth not prize any of their Contests Believe it Religion is quite another thing from all these Matters He that fears the Lord of Heaven and Earth walks humbly before him thankfully lays hold of the Message of Redemption by Christ Jesus strives to express his thankfulness by the Sincerity of his Obedienue is sorry with all his soul when he comes short of his Duty walks watchfully in the denial of himself and holds no confederacy with any Lust or known Sin if he falls in the least measure is restless till he hath made his Peace by true Repentance is true in his Promise just in his Actions Charitable to the Poor sincere in his Devotions that will not deliberately dishonour God though with the greatest security of impunity that hath his hope in Heaven and his Conversation in Heaven that dare not do an Unjust Act though never so much to his advantage and all this because he sees him that is invisible and fears him because he loves him fears him as well for his Goodness as his Greatness such a man whether he be an Episcopal or a Presbyterian or an Independant or an Anabaptist whether he wears a Surplice or wears none whether he hears Organs or hears none whether he Kneels at the Communion or for Conscience sake stands or sits he hath the Life of Religion in him and that life acts in him and will conform his soul to the Image of his Saviour and walk along with him to Eternity notwithstanding his Practise or Non-practise of these Indifferents On the other side if a man fears not the Eternal God dares commit any