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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
work_n	day_n	lord_n	week_n	6,148	5	10.2436	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A76080	Independency not Gods ordinance: or A treatise concerning church-government, occasioned by the distractions of these times. Wherein is evidently proved, that the Presbyterian government dependent is Gods ordinance, and not the Presbyterian government independent. To vvhich is annexed a postscript, discovering the uncharitable dealing of the independents towards their Christian brethren, and the fraud and jugglings of many of their pastors and ministers, to the misleading of the poor people, not only to their own detriment, but the hurt of church and state; with the danger of all novelties in religion. / By John Bastvvick, Dr in Physick.; Independency not Gods ordinance. Part 1	Bastwick, John, 1593-1654.	1645 (1645)	Wing B1063; Thomason E285_2; ESTC R200066	144,017	171

so that here we have one president that the whole Lords day was spent by all those Christians in the works of piety and charity Againe in the first of the Revelations Saint John saith that he was in the Spirit on the Lord's day that is the first day of the week called by Saint John the Lord's day and there the Angel preached unto him that day and commanded Saint John to take so much of his Sermon by writing as God in his wisdome thought fit to reveale unto his Church and he that shall diligently read what is there written will gather that the whole day was taken up by Saint John and spent in hearing and writing and meditating of what he had heard for without doubt Saint John made it his whole dayes work to be spiritually imployed and as the holy Communion is called the Lord's Supper and all the time of that action is holily to be imployed as being ordained by Christ himselfe to that end even so the Lords day being a day dedicated unto Christ and ordained by him for holy duties and for the hearing of the Word and for the administration of the Sacraments and prayer the whole day ought both privately and publikely to be taken up in the imployments and works of piety and charity as hearing reading meditating prayer repetition of Sermons in their Families catechizing and instructing their children and servants singing of Psalmes in visiting the sick and them that are in prison relieving the poore and necessitated c. These examples of the primitive Christians are for our imitation for so Saint Paul in the third of the Phillippians in the 17. verse saith Brethren be followers together of me and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an example for our conversation is in Heaven And in the 4. chap. ver 8. he saith Finally brethren whatsoever things are true what soever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report if there be any vertue if there be any praise think on these things Those things which ye have both learned and received and heard and seen in me doe and the God of peace shall be with you By the which testimonies to omit many more we are tyed to follow the examples of the Apostles and to imitate them in all that is holy and good and of good report now it is praise worthy and of good report to spend the whole Lords day in holy imployments and we have the Apostles examples and the primitive Christians for so doing and therefore we ought to spend the whole Lords day in the works of piety and charity and by this the sanctifying of the Christian Sabbath which is every seventh day is ratified the prophanation of the which in the reformed Churches and in many places through these three Kingdomes has been one of the causes of all those heavy judgements the whole christian world now groanes under and so much more would the Lord be provoked by the toleration of all Religions amongst us which would give just occasion of violating of all the Commandements of God and of disobedience both to God and man for it is most sure that the morall law is not altered in any thing for substance and that God that by it injoyned but one Religion to the Israelites and commanded them to keep that pure and undefiled and to punish all idolaters blasphemers and seducers hath injoyned the same to all Christians and hath not suffered or permitted them to tolerate all Religions or any sects or heresies which by the Apostle in the fifth of the Galatians are called the works of the devill and that they that doe them shall not enter into the Kingdome of God So that those that would bring in a toleration of all Religions have a desire to send men to the devill For the examples of Poland Transsilvania and Holland they are no presidents to other Nations their politick proceedings are no examples for other christian Countries and Nations to follow for christians are to live by the rule of God's Word and Christ's their Kings lawes and to follow the examples of his own people only in their wel-doing and not in their failings and therfore we are to follow the example of Abraham Joshua Elias the other Patriarchs Prophets and holy Apostles who never tolerated all Religions Yea we are commanded in Romans the 12. not to conforme our selves to this world but that we should be transformed by the renewing of our minds that we may prove what is the good and the acceptable and perfect will of God Now when by the Word of God that acceptable and perfect will of his we are taught that he was displeased with his people the Jewes for tolerating of all Religions amongst them and that he was highly offended with those christian Churches in Asia for tolerating the doctrines of Balaan and Jezabel we are sufficiently taught and instructed that Christians ought not to tolerate any other Religion but that which Christ the onely King and Law-giver of his Church hath taught us and that whosoever should take that authority upon them to tolerate all Religions would be found fighters against God and such as deservedly would bring downe his judgements upon the Land by it for if but conniving at evill and consenting to it be a thing displeasing unto God how would the tolerating of it by a law be abominable unto his sacred and divine Majesty for this were to establish iniquity by a law We are taught in the holy Scriptures that the consenting with a theefe makes a man as guilty before God as the acting of theevery and that they that assented unto Jezabel in killing the Prophets made themselves all as guilty as Jezabel her selfe and that the Heathen Romans Rom. 1. ver 32. who knowing the judgement of God that they which commit such things are worthy of death not onely doe the same but consent with them that doe them made themselves as equally guilty as the actors of them as Paul in his bill and information put up in the Court of Heaven against them sufficiently declareth the same did Elias in his bill of information against the people in his time accusing them all as equally guilty of the blood of the Prophets and destroying Religion as Jezabel and onely because they consented unto it They saith Elias have killed thy Prophets and have broken down thy Altars Which they all the people that assented unto her as well as the Officers and Executioners And so our Saviour in his time accuseth the people as well as Herod for slaying of Iohn the Baptist saying They have done to him what soever they pleased They which they all the Nobles that sate at table with Herod that did not disswade Herod from that bloody and tyrannicall act and all the people that liked well of it the sinne of this Nation who assented unto the bloody decrees and censures

of all the Courtiers and Officers under Herod therefore it is said that Herod and all Ierusalem with him was troubled So that Tyrants and their complyces never have any reall peace But in this sense also it cannot be understood that Ierusalem went out to Iohn and was baptized it must therefore by a Synecdoche be taken for all the common people promiscuously or for a mighty multitude of all sorts and of all ranks of people and of all professions as Publicans Souldiers and the ordinary Inhabitants and in this sense the word Jerusalem must be taken for a mighty multitude of men in Jerusalem that were made Christians for otherwise the Evangelist would have said many went out of Jerusalem also as well as out of other places but in saying that all Judea and all the Regions round about and Jerusalem went out this metaphoricall expression doth signifie That an infinite number of people in Jerusalem it self were made Christians and members of the Church and that it is so to be understood the places following will evidently evince it for in Matth. 11.12 our Saviour saith That from the dayes of Iohn the Baptist untill now the Kingdome of Heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by force then the which there could nothing be spoke more emphatically to set forth the growth and increase of Believers and the multitude of Christians as Luke also in ch 16. v. 16. expresseth saying That the Law and the Prophets were untill Iohn since that time the kingdome of God is preached and every man presseth in to it that is the generality of the people became believers and were baptized as it is yet more evident from Luke 7.29 30. by the very testimony of our Saviour who saith That all the people that heard him and the Publicans justified God being baptized with the baptisme of Iohn but the Pharisees and Lawyers rejected the counsell of God against themselves being not baptized of him So that by the witnesse of our Saviour Christ except the Pharisees and the Priests all the people or the generality of the people in Jerusalem were baptized and became Christians and imbraced the Gospell and this was accounted among the miracles that was wrought in those dayes and as a thing of speciall observation and as a matter of wonder as we may see in the message our Saviour Christ sent unto Iohn the Baptist by his Disciples when he bad them relate unto their Master what they had seen and heard in the 22 Verse tell him saith he That the blinde see the lame walke the Lepers are cleansed the deafe heare and the dead are raised and the poore receive the Gospel this I say was among the miracles that the generality of the poor imbraced the Gospel and were baptized and made Believers which must needs import a mighty multitude and a great increase or else it would not have been a thing of such wonder and have been sent unto Saint Iohn as a miraculous thing and a thing worthy to prove Christ himself to be the Messiah looked for for no meer man could have wrought such a work as to draw the hearts of the people to imbrace the Gospel but the Messiah himself For Paul may plant and Apollo may water 1 Cor. 3. but God only the Messiah must give the increase he must move the heart to imbrace the Gospel and to believe for faith is the gift of God Ephes 2. and therefore this was the wonder that the generality of the people did believe and were baptized and this was the sole work and operation of Christ and therefore proved him to be the Prophet they looked for And it stands with all reason that there were infinites of people in Jerusalem that believed and that Iohn was greatly magnified of the people and publickly followed because for a time Herod himselfe countenanced Iohn Mark 6.20 and feared him knowing that he was a just man and an holy and observed him and when he heard him he did many things and heard him gladly And although we read not that he was baptized by Iohn yet he highly honoured him till Iohn reproved him and told him it was not lawfull for him to have his Brothers Wife And in this interim of his seeming favour we may conceive that the Courtiers also and the great men would do as their Master did for if we observe the manner of all Courts to this day what the King does the Courtiers also do if the King laugh though there be perhaps a cause of mourning they will all laugh and if he frownes though there be a cause of cheerfulnesse and smiling they will all frown and if the King commends any man they will all admire him and if he hears any Minister gladly they will all hear him willingly and if he when he is reproved be angry and displeased and will cut off his head whom he had so honoured but the day before then all the Courtiers they will help him and further the work as we may see not only in the example of Iohn Baptist but in Haman as soon as the King fround upon him the Courtiers they covered his face and up they trussed him be it right or wrong it is all one to Courtiers But in that interim I say that Iohn Baptist was in favour with the King without doubt it annimated the people greatly to follow him and by hearing him many thousand Saints were converted and the multitudes of them were numerous as is manifest from Matth. 14.5 for it is said That when he would have put him to death he feared the multitude because they counted him as a Prophet Here are two observables the one That he that feared not God was afraid of his servants The second that it was a mighty multitude of Believers that were in Jerusalem for a few could not have awed the King and kept him in fear and therefore he was forced to defer the cutting off of his head till he had got to him all the strength of Galilee all his Lords and high Captains and his chief Estates and Commanders Mark 6.21 And when he thought himselfe strong enough then he exercised his tyranny Yee when Iohn was taken away yet the multitudes of the people continued stedfast in the faith as we may see in Luke 20. by the confession of the very enemies for when our Saviour asked them concerning the baptisme of John whether it was from Heaven or of Men And they reasoned among themselves saying if we shall say from Heaven he will say why then believed ye him not and if we say of Men all the people will stone us for they be perswaded that Iohn was a Prophet Here by the confession of the very enemies all the people or the generality of them were Believers and it must of necessity be a mighty multitude that kept all the Priests and all the Elders that had all the power in their hands in awe that they durst not so much as open their

them and suffered them to enjoy the liberty of their conscience I have heard many magnifie our Independent brethren for their great learning some affirming that they were schollers from their mothers womb and I for my part beleeve it for ignorance of God and of his holy Word came with all men from their mothers wombe and if such interpretations of Scripture and such illations from them as these be proceed not from the ignorance of God and of the Scripture never any did for what learned man that knowes what Christs office was in taking humane nature upon him when he became a Mediator and the high Priest of our redemption would argue as these men doe especially when Christ hath so often in holy Scripture professed of himself that he came then to save those that were lost and not to judge the world for he hath left that imployment till his next comming when I am most assured these men will have a great deale to answer for for so abusing the holy Scriptures to maintaine their owne baggatellies Besides Christ came to keep the law for us which he himselfe had given unto his people and took no way the office of a judge upon him but in scourging out the buyers sellers out of the Temple that I remember and saith that he came not to break the bruised reed or quench the smoking flax onely he had declared his lawes unto his people Malachy the 4. by his servant Moses and the execution of these lawes was put into the hands of the Elders of Israel whose place it was to punish all seducers and who should have performed that work of justice which our Saviour declaring doth not give liberty for the tolerating of all Religions which was against the revealed will of God and therefore they that will out of this place argue a toleration of all Religions may as vvell conclude that Christ tolerated adultery and injustice and all manner of vvickednesse because our Saviour Christ said unto those that brought the Woman to him that vvas found in the act of uncleannesse he that is without sinne amongst you let him cast the first stone and vvhen her accusers vvere gone said unto the woman Woman where are thy accusers goe thy way and sinne no more Ergo Christ gave a toleration for all Adulterers and when the young man in the 16. of Luke came to our Saviour and complaining of unjustice done unto him by his brother and desiring him to speak unto his brother that he would divide the inheritance with him to whom our Saviour answered man who made me a judge or a divider among you ergo Christ gave toleration of all injustice And because our Saviour Christ said in that Parable of the good seed that was sown and of the tares that sprung up that they should let them alone till the harvest an argument which they much depend on Ergo all wicked men are to be tolerated and no justice to be done upon them till Dooms-day they are to live without molestation and the Magistrate ought not to meddle with them because Christ said let the good corne and the tares grow together till the harvest who would not admire to heare any man thus to argue that there should be such either folly or wickednesse in the heart of man to abuse the holy Scriptures for their owne ends And who knowes not that it is concluded amongst all learned men that Simbolica Theologianon est argumentativa and that the Parable inferres no more but that it is not for any private man to take upon him the Magistrates office or rashly to intrude himselfe into the place of Rulers and Governours But truly all such consequences may as well be gathered from every one of the above specified Scriptures as they gather from our Saviours words to the Sadduces and from the Parable of Christ for the tolerating of all Religions and therefore all such argumentations as these are but poore props to uphold their Tenent For God-hath given us that are christians both the Law and the Gospell by which we ought to be guided in the serving of him and by the which all Christians are directed what course to take in the punishing of vice and for the suppressing of errors and offenders whether they be delinquents in doctrine or manners And although christians by the Gospell are freed from the ceremoniall law yet we are not freed from the substance of it for he that said to the Israelites be ye holy as I am holy saith also to all christians be ye holy as I am holy 1 Pet. 1 so that although the ceremony be abolished yet the substance remaineth stil in force and although the rigor of the judiciall law be taken away and christians are not tied to that manner of administration of justice yet the equity of that law doth still continue and righteous judgement is every where amongst all christians to be executed and satisfaction to be made to all such as have been unjustly damnified and although we are freed from the curse malediction and coaction of the morall law yet we are not freed from the obedience of it so that whatsoever was commanded in it to the Israelites or forbidden them the same is both commanded and forbidden to all christians to the ends of the world and whatsoever was death by the law of God and nature then for ought I know ought to be punished with death now amongst Christians as blasphemours wizards witches idolaters and all such as despise Moses law under the month of two or three witnesses if they be people within the pale of the Church and make profession of the Christian Religion for Christians have nothing to do with those that are without to judg them except they offend against the civill and municipal laws of the country and against the laws of nations nature when they live amongst them for Christ came not to change the morall law but to ratifie it in all things And although the Sabbath be changed in respect of the day yet for the holinesse of the first day of the week which is the Christians Sabbath and which is in place of it I am confident it ought most carefully to be observed and that the whole day ought in all sanctity and holinesse to be kept and besides the fourth Commandement for the sanctification of a seventh day we have the example of the primitive Christians and blessed Apostles who alwayes had their meetings on the first day of the week and spent the whole day in the duties of piety and charity for in the 20. of the Acts we read that on the first day of the week the Disciples came together to break bread that was for the hearing of the Word and for the administration of the Sacraments and for the exercising of all holy duties and that Paul preached there untill midnight and that when Euticus was fallen downe with sleep Paul restored him to life againe to all their comforts