Selected quad for the lemma: world_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
world_n	grace_n	live_v	ungodliness_n	2,081	5	11.6651	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A49413	Christian liberty not to be abused, or, Antient and primitive truth correcting some modern, or new abuses, of that which is so much pleaded for, and so little understood, viz. Christian liberty in a sermon preached in the church of Bridport within the county of Dorset, on Sunday the forenoon, being November 3. 1672 ... / by Rich. Luce ...	Luce, Richard, Presbyter of the Church of England.	1673 (1673)	Wing L3423A; ESTC R5778	16,643	38

begin at the House of God i. e. wherein the more Orthodox and purer Christians and Professors of the Holy Catholick Faith were to suffer all manner of Evils both from the Jews and Gnosticks for the sake of the Gospel of Christ Justin Martyr in Quest Respons ad Orthodoxos For as Justin Martyr notes It was usual for the Hereticks of those times to Condemn those that would not say and think as they did And therefore St. Paul in his Valedictory Sermon to the Elders of the Church of Ephesus calls them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 grievous Wolves Act. 20. who by their Heretical Doctrines and Seditious practises did make spoyle of the Flock of Christ For whiles they pretended nothing more than Liberty they did the more entangle themselves and their followers in the bondage of Corruption 2 Pet. 2.18 19. And hence four Principal Errours in those Gnosticks offer themselves to Correction so well as Observation First Their Magical Enchantments Secondly Their allowance of all manner of Sensualities and fleshly Lusts and mixtures even to the Community or rather desilement of the Marriage-Bed Thirdly Their Exempting themselves from the Yoke of all Authority both Civil and Sacred Fourthly and lastly They held Circumcision to avoid Persecution for the Cross of Christ By all which they prostituted the Holy Christian Religion both in its Doctrinals and Devotionals Morals and Evangelicals to shame and contempt under pretence of Liberty And to hold you no longer from the design of our Apostle in my Text St. Peter here wipes off the Reproach which these Impostors endeavoured to cast upon the Name of Christ under pretence of Liberty purchased by him when he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As free and not using or not having the Liberty for a Cloak of Malitiousness but as the Servants of God Wherein you may hear our Apostle speaking unto us to this effect namely Let none of you whom Christ hath purchased by his most precious blood to enjoy so many high and eminent priviledges as to be an Holy Nation a Royal Priest-hood a peculiar people c. Think that hereby you are exempted from your duties whether with reference towards God in the duties of the first Table or towards men required in the duties of the second Table of the Ten Commandments to the performance of all which we are firmly bound by Divine injunction In especial manner assure your selves that the Doctrine of Christianity teacheth nothing more effectually then that you ought to submit your selves unto every Ordinance of man for the Lords sake whether it be to the King as Supream or unto Governours as sent by him for the punishment of Evil doers and for the praise of them that do well for so is the Will of God c. If you plead your Freedome know that your Freedome in and by Christ Jesus our Lord doth not consist in believing and living as you list your selves nor in any exemption from Obedience unto lawful Authority No! For our Lord himself though Heir in Right to the Crown and Scepter of Judah by temporal discent from the loynes of David so well as Prince of the Kings of the Earth by his Eternal Power and God-head yet rather than he would give occasion of offence whiles he was living or leave a suspicious Example of any ill-meaning in his Doctrine or practice after his departure from this world as to Personal or Corporeal presence Himself I say would rather work a Miracle and pay Tribute unto Caesar for himself and Peter Math. 17.25 c. to the end of that Chapter To shew that his Disciples after him under no pretence whatsoever should plead immunity in that or the like Case much less may any Christian under any pretence of Liberty vail or cover over Treasonable Imaginations or Practises against their Superiours but as Holy Church hath taught us devoutly to Pray so let us be careful to practise i. e. We must faithfully serve honour and humbly obey the King and all that are put in Authority under him in and for the Lord according to his blessed Word and Ordinance As duly considering that the King is Gods Vice-gerent and that all other Magistrates who are Commissionated by and under him do bear derivatively and subordinately an Impress of the Divine Image and Superscription As free and not having the Liberty for a Cloak of Malitiousness but as the Servants of God Many Observations offer themselves to our Consideration out of this Portion of Holy Writ but I shall confine my self to shew you briefly First What Christian Liberty is and wherein it doth consist Secondly How it ought not to be abused as a Cloak or Covering of any lewd Principles or wicked Practises And for the better help of your memories I shall reduce both into one Doctrine or Proposition Doct. That it is altogether inconsistent with and contrariant unto the Holy Christian Religion for the Professors thereof under pretence of Liberty to Cloak and colour over Malice and Wickedness Or more briefly Christian Liberty must not be Abused to any wicked practises especially against lawful Authority This position flowes naturally from the Text which is inserted by way of Anticipation to prevent an obvious Objection Object If we are Christs Freemen i. e. Purchased and Redeemed by his most precious Blood and free Denizons of Heaven c. What obedience or subjection do we owe to any person or power upon Earth c The Apostle Answers this by shewing Solut. from the Rule of correlatives what our Christian Liberty is and wherein it doth consist For Our Christian Liberty is this Quaenam sit libertas Christiana namely that we being delivered from the hands of our Enemies i. e. from Sin Hell and Satan we should serve God truly in Righteousness and Holiness all the days of our lives Luk. 1.74 75. So that if any one would be informed what 's our Liberty my answer would be It is a Freedom to serve God to observe and do what he hath commanded us This is the sum and scope of the Gospel of Christ to teach us to walk worthy of the Vocation wherewith we are called Eph. 4.1 so Tit. 2.11 12. The Grace of God which bringeth Salvation hath appeared unto all men teaching us that denying Ungodliness and worldly Lusts we should live Soberly Righteously and Godly in this present World and this in especial manner is one way whereby we vindicate the honour of our high and holy Calling and shew forth the praises of him that hath called us out of darkness into his marvellous light namely by submitting our selves unto every Ordinance of man for the Lords sake whether it be to the King as Supream or unto Governours as sent by him c. As free and not having Liberty for a Cloak of Malitiousness c. Freemen we are indeed But we must rememmember that the Liberty of the Lords Freemen in this life is spiritual and inward not bodily and outward until

as in the solar beams displayes it self and spreads its rayes from the Seat and Throne of Majesty both in that so many Hundred Thousands are subjected to the power of o●e and in that the whole administration of a numerous People is in one hand and that the good estate of all dependeth on one alone under God So the inferiour Magistrates or rather those whom the Soveraign Power of the Prince hath put in Authority under him according to the Laws and Statutes Customes and Constitutions of his Realms Those I say by virtue of their Commissions and Charters receive a kind of an Impress of the Princess Majesty and Authority which as loyal Subjects and faithful Administrators of Law and Justice they are to improve for the glory of God the preservation of the publick peace according to the Laws of God and the known Laws of the Realm And who then is that Son of Belial that durst set himself in opposition to so solemn and sacred a sanction or what company of men durst violate so Divine a constitution Surely God will take this one day as an high affront done to himself and if any will be so impudent as to despise their Superiours whether in Church or State they may exspect to hear that in 1 Sam. 8.7 applyed against themselves They have not rejected Thee i. e. the lawful Superiour But they have rejected me that I should not raign over them God takes the dishonour which is done to those whom he hath placed in Authority over us as done to himself and this Refractory disobedients shall know one day both to their great grief and extreamest horrour unless God of his infinite mercy grant them repentance unto the humble and hearty acknowledgment and amendment of their most lew'd and wicked Errour Object But what need all this adoe Ad quid perditio haec To what end is all this wast we are Freemen we have a liberty c. to serve God according to our Conscience and what hath any man to say against it Solut. Ay! and have you a Liberty indeed A Liberty I say Well said But for what I pray you What! to say and do what you list I hope not so But if any of you durst think so or take it so I pray God you may see your mistake in time before it be too late You have a Liberty you say to serve God according to your Conscience I pray God when He shall call us all to a strict accompt and reckoning that that same thing which some call Conscience do not appear to be meer Humour and Obstinacy For they can shew us no grounds in all the World why their Enthusiasmes should be called the service of God And now I am come so far as to meet some who are hugely taken up with their New-erected Meetings neither may I baulk them though I must tell you I quarrel not with his Sacred Majesties Indulgence yet I cannot chuse but pitty their ignorance who so manifestly abuse it For let me demand of any Person breathing who dislikes the publick communion of the Church of England that refuse to joyn with us in prayers and praises in the service of God appointed in this Church in the hearing of the Word of God read and preached and in the participation of the blessed Sacraments I pray you upon what terms do you hold Communion one with another in your New erected Congregations or Societies if you do not openly and solemnly declare in the same societies and solemn Meetings of yours That you do renounce the Devil and all his Works the Pomps and Vanities of the wicked World all the sinful lusts of the flesh all the carnal desires of the same so as not to follow nor be lead by them do you profess openly and solemnly your belief of all the Articles of the holy Christian Faith And do your Speakers read unto you the Moral Law Do they call you to the obedience of Gods holy will and commandements And do they press you earnestly to walk in the same all the dayes of your lives do they press you and call upon you to confess dayly and hourly your sins unto Almighty God with an humble lowly penitent and obedient heart to the end that you may obtain forgiveness of the same by his infinite goodness and mercy do they teach you to pray and sue earnestly and heartily for the pardon of the many breaches and violations of Gods Law whereof you stand guilty before him and in the Courts of your own Conscienes do they teach you to pray unto God in and through the merrits and mediation of our Lord Jesus Christ for his special grace that He will incline your hearts to keep his Laws better for the time to come For mine own part I do declare my self freely to all the World how indifferent soever I am contented to be accounted in other matters which are but meerly circumstantial and arbitrable by common Authority yet without prejudice to any Person or Party I do solemnly declare it in the presence of God and in the face of this Christian Congregation That I cannot see good grounds for my self or any other Person professing Christianity to hold Communion with any Society whatsoever where the People are not put in continual remembrance of the Vow and Covenant which they have made with God in their Baptism where they have neither Creed nor Lords Prayer nor Ten Commandements nor the Doctrine of the Sacraments expounded much less the same Sacraments I mean of Baptism and the Lords Supper administred accordding to the order and form the judgment and practice of the Primitive Church For how can I or any man or woman seriously and in good earnest professing Christianity venture our Salvation in such a Communion where the faith once delivered unto the Saints is not openly confessed with the mouth so well as they pretend to believe it in their hearts especially seing the great Apostle speaks it so plainly That with the Heart Man believeth unto righteousness and with the mouth confession of faith is made unto Salvation Rom. 10.10 I abhor such foolish Whimses to say no better and such horrid and dangerous Enthusiasmes to call them no worse which prefer every odd and idle fancy of any particular man or Minister whatsoever to the received Doctrine and Practice of the Universal or holy Catholick Church And so much the more for that the Apostle Saint Peter tells us plainly that no Prophesy of Scripture is of any private interpretation or resolution 2 Pet. 1.20 And surely if it be an absurd imposition of the Council or rather Conventio●… of Trent to change the Rule of the Christian Faith Sess 4. by Equiparating unwritten Traditions Decreto 1. with the very written word of God can we judge it less absurd in our Novellists at home who will have so many Creeds as Heads though never so contradictory each to other Beloved saith Saint Jude when I gave all diligencē to