Selected quad for the lemma: authority_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
authority_n	church_n	great_a	matter_n	3,615	5	5.4148	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A41191	A sober enquiry into the nature, measure and principle of moral virtue, its distinction from gospel-holiness with reflections upon what occurs disserviceable to truth and religion in this matter : in three late books, viz. Ecclesiastical policy, Defence and continuation, and Reproof to The rehearsal transpos'd / by R.F.	Ferguson, Robert, d. 1714.	1673 (1673)	Wing F760; ESTC R15565	149,850	362

or services The other is the consideration of the Divine Goodness But the consideration of his Justice being as ponderous to the contrary this is as inept to beget an assurance of our acceptance with God as the former Conscience through being guilty being also suspicious will hinder us in our expecting any thing from the Divine Goodness by continually objecting his justice to us But supposing we were sufficiently furnished with Notices of the Divine placability and that he will accept a Homage from us yet it still remains to be proved that precluding a supernatural Revelation we have any rational ground of belief that he will approve our manner of approach to him by Sacrifices I know no perfection in the Divine Being to which they are Naturally suited It is true I find a Late Author insinuating that the Religion of Sacrifices flows from the Nature and the Attributes of God requiring no other discovery than the Light and no other determination than the choice of natural Reason def and continuat p. 427 428. But I would fain know what property in the Divine Nature the Religion of Sacrifices flows from God is not capable of being fed or refreshed by the scent and smoke of them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lib. 2. Sect. 24. Indeed Porphyry tells us that a great many thought so but I am sure it was a most foolish thought And besides what-ever flows from the Divine Nature and the Attributes of God the obligation to it is indissoluble nor can we be superceded the performance of it And by consequence the Worshipping of God by Sacrifices should both have obliged mankind in the state of innocencie and doth still indispensably oblige us Nor can the Christian Institution vacate any Duty that flows from the Nature of God Indeed the mysterious and gracious Counsels of Gods will in reference to our recovery from Wrath by the Sacrifice of his Son which he designed the bringing into light and the giving the world instruction about by this Medium render our being found in this Method of address to God while the end proposed in it continued very rational and justifiable but abstracting from that the mind of man can not entertain a more silly and ludicrous thought than that we should thereby honour God in a due and suitable way That we should adore and magnifie the Goodness and bounty of God in all the benefits we partake of and that we should use them soberly and discreetly improving them into motives of cheerfulness humility and advantages of service both in communicating to the wants of others and being the more alacrous in obedience our selves hath the authorisation of Reason for it and becomes that habitude we stand in to God as Rational Creatures But to reckon that the presenting God with slaughtered Animals is the most natural Symptome of Homage that Rational Creatures can express their thankfulness to him by Naturalis Ratio si recta esset sciret De●● t●libus non indigere neque ea à nobis requirere R●vet in cap. 4. Gen. Exercit. 22. Def. contin p. 431 I account it a sentiment only fit for them who never duly meditated what God is And in my conceit the missing of such an invention would have been so far from being flat stupidity that it would have argued a mind pregnant with generous thoughts of God The Second thing produced in proof that Sacrifices took their beginning from Humane Agreement is because there appears not any shadow of command for them when they were first practised and to say that the expression of worship by Sacrifices was commanded though ● is no where Recorded is to take the liberty of saying any thing without proof or evidence Eccl. Polit. p. 101. v. def contin p. 428. To this I reply that 't is not needful that every command relating to institutions be expresly and in terminis recorded 't is enough that it be colligible from the Scripture I know no Logick that will allow the sequel That because the command of a thing is not registred in so many words that therefore the thing it self is not of Divine Original The Reverend Person who reviewed and animadverted on the Ecclesiastical Polity told him that there was an Institution for the offering and burning Incense only with sacred fire taken from the Altar and that the Priests were consumed with fire from before the Lord for the neglect of it Yet there is no express command in the whole Scripture where that Institution is in terminis Recorded p. 272. This our late Author takes no Notice of in his Def. Contin but passeth it in deep silence as he doth all the most material things in the said Reply I shall only subjoyn one instance more to the same purpose The Observation of the Christian or First day-Sabbath will be allowed I suppose to have a Warrant in the Revelation of the Word yet there is not in the whole Gospel a Command in express Terms for the keeping of it There is indeed a precept in the Decalogue for the observance of one day in Seven as a Holy Sabbath to the Lord and there is an express determination founded on Gods Resting from his Works for the keeping the last day of the Hebdomadal Revolution during the Old Testament Oeconomy as a day of Sacred Rest. There are also various Arguments taken from the Creation of all things in and by Christ his Finishing and Resting from all the Works of the New Creation in and by his Resurrection his declaring that a Day of Rest accommodated to his own ceasing from his Works remains now for Believers Together with the Apostolical observation of the First Day of the week as a Sabbath to the Lord God's blessing his People in their attendance on him from time to time on that Day John Baptising it with the Name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lord's Day c. All which do evince the change of the Day from the Seventh unto the First to be of Heavenly Original and founded in Divine Authority Yet there is not a Command 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the whole Sacred Code and Register for it In a matter of so great antiquity as Sacrifices when the Lord instructed his Church by Dreams Visions mental Impressions audible voice c. To affirm that there was no Divine Command for the Religion of Sacrifices because the Command is not expresly delivered is a very unwary and bold assertion It is enough for us if we can demonstrate that they acted not herein without a Divine Warrant though we cannot assign the manner in which it was prescribed and this we hope to make good to the satisfaction of all sober inquirers but to satisfie Scepticks and prejudic'd persons who have no mind to be convinced is more than any man can undertake The third Opinion then concerning the Original of Sacrifices is theirs who deduce them from the Institution of God himself And as this is the common sentiment

but disserve their own designs by writing huffingly nor will any one that is wise judge the worse of a Cause by finding it reviled and slandered Clown Yelper Despicable-Scribler Buffoon Coloss of Brass Mr. Insolence Impudent Fop Whelp Monky Crop Smutty Lubber Dastard Craven Mushrome Coward Judas Crocodile Hunger-starv'd Whelp of a Country Vicar not to mention a thousand more Epithets of this complexion which occur in a late Book do ill become the extraction and civility of a Gentleman the Education of a Scholar the Morality of a Philosopher the Religion of a Christian and the Profession of a Divine to give to any especially to a Person who for his Birth Breeding Natural and acquired Accomplishments Honourable Employes in his Country and Untainted Conversation Rivals at least the bestower of them Men of all Perswasions are scandalized at this way of writing Nor will any credit accrue to the Cause and Party in whose favour we meet with nothing but Insolence Malice and Calumny I do not interest my self in the Transproser's Quarrel h● is able himself if he think it needful to give the ●●prover due correction for his Folly and Impudence But suppose that abating the unhandsome terms which I am confident when his head is cooler the very Author cannot but condemn something might be pleaded for his keenness against A. M. being a sacrifice to Revenge rather than Truth for medling with his Comfortable Importance yet I cannot imagine upon what Motives he hopes to justifie his treating J. O. with so much Pride Petulancy Wrath Rancour Revenge Scurrility Reviling and Railing as I think is not to be match'd again especially being a Person not onely second to none for Learning and Modesty but who for what appears had given him no offence unless it were that by a sober Reply to his First Book he had furnished him with an occasion of rectifying some things wherein he was not onely mistaken but had grosly prevaricated and therefore instead of defaming and maligning his Monitor he ought to have thank'd him nor is there a greater injustice in the World than to make that a Quarrel which is really an Obligation It is a new way of securing our selves from Opponents to over-look the Cause and spend our Indignation upon the Person of our Adversary and to fetch our Defence from the Dung-Cart and Oyster-Boats instead of the St●a and Academy It had been enough to allow him neither Wit nor Sincerity to grant him neither Ability nor Patience to write Sense or Reason to remand him to the Ferula to make his Mittimus for Bedlam and in gratitude for old kindnesses to undertake the providing him a dark Lodging and clean Straw to reproach him with a hundred abusive tales and defaming stories but over and above all this to render him at least suspected if not odious to Rulers he must not only have an address fathered on him to which he was both an utter Stranger and his known avowed Principle's always repugnant but in pursuance of that Calumny he must be represented as an Enemy to the present Government and bound in Conscience to abhor and oppose Monarchy c. See Repr to the Rehears p. 422 423. So that unless Magistrates will be wanting to their own security here is an Object presented them not only to employ their Rods but Axes upon Haec mi Pater●e dicere aequum fuit Is it lawful to calumniate when judged conducive to interest or may we indulge our selves in detraction and slander in hopes of promoting our design by it For I cannot conceive but that the Author of this accusation fully understood him to be innocent whom he impeached and if it would have served his end could better then I have laid the Saddle upon the right Horse I know there needs none to vindicate that worthy Person but himself or rather he needs not do it carrying a justification in this matter in the hearts of all that know him who understanding themselves bound to defend the Reputation of their Neighbor from Slander will not be wanting as opportunity serves of acquitting themselves therein In the mean time he may satisfie himself in having Plato's Reserve who being told of some who had defamed him 'T is no matter said he I will live so that none shall believe them But as if Mens Pride and Malice knew no bounds and single Sacrifices were too little to satisfie their Insolence and Revenge a whole Kingdome must be made a Victim to their Wrath Rage and Ambition As if it were not enough to slander particular Persons the Honour Learning Language and Religion of a whol Nation must be arraign'd It is come to pass sayes a late Author that the Scots from their antipathy to Bishops are become the most Barbarous People of all Europe so as that they will not have any Traffick with any other Countries for fear of corrupting their Language Gentility though that is little better than wild Irish they little better than Jack-Gentlemen And though they have some dark and general Notions of Christianity still remaining among them yet are they since their Picque against Bishops fallen into such Rudeness and Ignorance that they have scarce any knowledge at all of the particular Articles of their Faith and Precepts of their Religion Repr to the Rehears pag. 502. It would seem by this Gentleman that Faith Virtue c. are to be measured by respect to the Mitre and Crosier-Staff and that subjection to Prelacy is the only standard of Learning Righteousness Gentility and Good-Breeding And that it is not the belief of the Bible and Obedience to the Gospel that doth constitute us Christians but submission to the Bishops Cannons Only I wonder how other Nations have escaped the same misfortune or are all the Foreign Protestant Churches involved in the same Unhappiness It were easie to be tart and severe upon this occasion but I shall leave it to the Wisdome of Authority in vindication of the Honour of Religion a Nobility famous for whatsoever is truly Great and Honorable and a Ministry no less Learned than Pious to chasten this Excess of Insolence OF Moral Uertue Grace CHAP. I. The Occasion of this Discourse Terms here occurring unfolded What meant by Vertue What by Moral and Morality The import of Grace so far as it hath any concern in the ensuing Debate The Question stated Sect. 1. AMong other Methods and Arts pursued and improved to the disservice of the Souls of men and the subversion of the Truth as it is in Jesus there are two which though opposite to one another are yet equally of a malignant influence upon Religion The First is mens deluding themselves with an Imaginary Romantick pretence of Grace and Faith and consequently that their conditions with ●eference to their everlasting interests are secure while in the mean time their hearts and minds are strangers to and void of all those Dispositions Qualities Habits c. by which we are assisted to