Linguistic DNA - Concept Modelling Demonstrator

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
authority_n	church_n	power_n	word_n	8,543	5	4.3980	4	true

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A11923	A godly and fruitfull sermon preached at Lieth in Scotland by a faithfull minister of Gods holy Gospell	Murray, John, 1575?-1632, attributed name. aut	1607 (1607)	STC 22236; ESTC S106434	19,379	64

of a blynde conceit that they are partakers of this liberty cast of the law holines righteousnes and all under covert following fulfilling the lusts and vanityes of a prophane heart as though it were a loosenes or licentiousnes and not a holy and a happy liberty Agayne libertie in thinges indifferent as in meat drincke apparell c is not a loosenes but a liberty limitted The Argument of the bellygods gluttoÌ„s vayne glorious is not good who reason thus Meat drincke apparell are things indifferent therefore I may eate and drincke when and how oft and how much soever I list albeit excessively I may weare what apparel I please albeit never so costly or glorious For so thou turnest this liberty to a meere loosnes To the which the Apostle Paul setteth generally the limitts of order comelines aedification and that mutuall charitie which should be in christian society Againe the libertie of preaching and professing the truth of Gods word is not a loosenes so that a man may preach or professe what he pleaseth taking to himselfe a liberty of conscience that so many wisheth but it is a limitted liberty We must preach the word keeping our selues precisely within the compasse therof yea we must preach the word as the word there is a limitation both in matter and manner Likwise your profession must be both in matter manner as the word prescribs Lastly the liberty of the government Discipline of Gods house is not a loosnes as though meÌ„ might set downe what forme ther of they pleased but a libertie which is bounded limitted both in respect of the substaÌ„tiall poynts therof which are fixed and immoveable and the circumstantiall poynts therof which are variable and changable For the first the limitts of the poynts fubstantiall is the word either expresse for the most parte or at least by necessary consequeÌ„ce the word I say particularly for every one of them as the office bearers in the Church their sorts degrees authority power offices calling thereto discharge thereof in preaching the word administring the sacraments exercising of Discipline as is evident out of the Epistles of Paul and the rest Therfore that is not a good argumeÌ„t this or that as the estate of Bishops humane or such other is not against the word there is nothing in the word against it therefore it is lawfull Suppose it were so that it were not against the word yet it will not follow if it be among the substantiall poynts as concerning any office bearer his office authority or such like which are perefctly expresly set downe in the word But rather by the contrary it will follow by a sure consequence It is not with the word the word is not with it therefore it is not lawfull Otherwise this libertie is turned to loosenes For the second the limitts of the poynts circumstantiall and ceremoniall is likewise by the word but generally bouuÌ„ding all and every one of theÌ„ in their use with the foresayd three limitts order comlines and aedification Where Ceremonies are placed in a Church having these three joyned with them in peace and wisdome let them be reteyned without superstition Where Ceremonies are placed in a Church breaking their bouÌ„ds bringing in with them for order confusion for decency uncomely and vngraue disguyzing for aedification offence of the weake in faith of whom there hath ben ever and wil be a number in the Church of Christ in all ages and confirming of others in their superstitions let them without contention in wisdome and authority be removed otherwise this liberty is turned into loosenes Therfore this is not a good argument all ceremonies are in theÌ„selues indifferent therefore they may be reteyned or removed placed or displaced according to our pleasure It followeth not because there is a difference betwixt the indifferency of the thing indifferent in it selfe and the indifferency of the use thereof the thing indifferent in it selfe and it owne nature being nether inclyning to good nor evil is and abideth alwayes indifferent the Christian liberty thereof being in the conscience as a benefite chiefly pertayning therto the authority of man yea of Angels is not able to alter or change the nature thereof by turning indifferency into necessitie for this is onely proper to God to change the quality of thinges by the power of his precept But the use of the thing indifferent is and abydes not alwayes and at al times indifferent in respect of the accidents that accompany the same sometimes offence uncomelines disorder following theron which taketh away the indifferency of the use bynding restrayning the exrernall work that it be not done albeit nothing touching the internall liberty of the conscience which is ever free Otherwise the abuse of the thing indifferent commeth in of necessity craving reformation thereof Somtimes againe the lawfull authority of men in a discrete coÌ„mandement or precept of Christian charity accompanieth the same injoyning the use of the thing indifferent so obliging and bynding the externall worke to be done although not the internall liberty and conscience and that not absolutely but in case of scandall otherwise the worke without sinne may be omitted If ye will say the law giver by his superiour power concerning the externall use of the thing indifferent will remoue the offence followinge therein It will not but rather aggravate it because thereby the externall worke appeareth to be bound to the offensiue use of the thing indifferent which before was free If ye will aske whether the superiour power may not by preceept injoyne the use of thinges indifferent I answer yea but with these conditions First that it be without the opinion of merit and necessary Divine worship Secondly that it be without the offence of the weake or any of Gods children whatsoever and the strenghthening the superstitious in their blynd errors Thirdly that it be not imposed with the clause of perpetuity as though it were a thing necessary but that it be left alterable according as the circumstance of time place person shall requyre Fourthly that it be not urged under the punishment of necessity For exaÌ„ple if a law or Injunction should impose the use of the surplice in time of divine service the ring in mariage c under the payne of deposition this is to make the use of a thing indifferent necessary for what other or greater shal be the punishment of fornication drunkenes c in the person of any spirituall office bearer So then of all this ye see what a gratious liberty it is wherwith Christ hath made us free and therefore how stedfastly we should stand in it not with a loose licentious heart but with affections fast setled by faith thereon that we be not entangled agayne with the yoke of bondage Thirdly the Apostle layeth out before our eyes the dolefull misery wherin they inwrappe themselues who for sake this liberty they entangle theÌ„selues with the fearefull yoke of bondage

full of water and our eyes a fountayne of teares that we might weep day and night bewayle this our misery never ceasing keeping silence till our God haue mercy upon us But yet to search out more particularly the blame of our wounded liberties Albeit we be all inwrapped in the guiltines thereof yet some are deaper in the guiltines then others Who are these Some of us not contented with our standing in the Ministery haue clombe up to higher places both in Church and Common wealth then God hath called us unto through covetousnes seeking the profitts of this present and perishing life through ambition affecting the preferments therof and imparity in power and authority aboue their brethren who to winne to them preferment haue troubled the peace of Ierusalem and hurt the liberties thereof Yf any will say it is parity among Pastors in power and authority that is the mother of confusion the breaker of vnity surely this is an unjust slaÌ„der of parity For first it is the ordinaÌ„ce of God who is the author both of order and peace 1 Cor. 14.33 There was none of the Apostles in authority aboue another none of the Evangelists in authority aboue another none of the Pastors in authority aboue another none of the Elders in authority aboue another For they who keep one raÌ„cke are in equall power This practise hath the place of an ordinaÌ„ce Yea examine that place well Math. 20.25.26.27 and out of Christs speach to his Disciples upon the occasion of the sute of the sonnes of Zebedeus by consequent ye shall draw out an ordinaÌ„ce Secondly if any such thing fall out where parity is the fault is not to be layd upon the parity of power but upon the imparity of spirits which cannot satisfie theÌ„selues with the place and power that God hath giveÌ„ them Thirdly all these imputations may be layd justly upon imparity which is the mother of pridâ— that never can keep unity and peace Only through pryde doth a man make contention sayth Salomon Prov. 13.10 And if any will call to mynde the times passed wheÌ„ ever there hath benâ— any trouble or stirre in our Church they shall finde that the authors and instrumeÌ„ts of it were ever some who through covetousnes ambition the two banes of the church haue sought to themselues a preheminence among their brethren whose deedes and Epitaphes may be a terror to those who tread in their footesteppes And to strengthen the truth of this we will borrow help from the Evangelist Iohn 3. Ioh. 9.10 It appeares that there was a great stirre in that Church whereunto he writeth but who was the causer of it One Diotrephes saith he And what of him He loved to haue the preheminence among them And what did he He pratled among them with malitious wordes There is his slaunder What more He received not the brethren but â—orbad them that would and did thrust theÌ„â—ut of the Church There is his injury And it may be also he drew into the Church against order such as might be proppes to his pryde Then if this one Diotrephes had been removed out of that Church all thinges had passed in peace and quietnes therein Now if we were charged upon life and death and in conscieÌ„ce before the Lord according to the weakenes of our wit to giue a rule for the peace quietnes of our Church this it is Eyther take away Demas and Diotrephes from office in the Church or take froÌ„ them their evill humors of covetousnes and ambition or take away their honors the objects of great benefices and Bishopprickes and then if any be found who shall trouble their heads to hatch out an argument for the defense of so offensiue a state and if then peace shall not be within the walles of Ierusalem and prosperity within the palaces thereof we shall be content to beare the blame and burden whatsoever Agayne if any will say that all this may be mended by this one meane to make choyce of the most wise graue godly and zealous of the Ministery promote theÌ„ to those places which make greene and unsetled witts quickly forget themselues and so all things shall go well and be well governed Surely we will not be so uncharitable as to thinke that such men albeit they were lying at their feete would stoop downe to take them up they being clogged with so many inconvenieÌ„ces Agayne as Paul saith Evill wordes corrupt good manners so we say that evill courses will corrupt good men For as long as a Minister keepeth himselfe within the compasse of his calling in humility and holines serving the Lord his God he hath the gratious fruitfull blessing of his God attending on him and his labours But how soone soever he breakes the bounds thereof seaking the world and the profits and preferments thereof the fruitfull blessing departeth and the fearefull curse comes in the place thereof to worke vpon him and then we shall see that of all men of the earth such a Minister will become the most vayne worldly proud and ambitious And thus of all this which hath been spoken we see that there is no preservatiue for us but to staÌ„d fast in that liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free that we be not entangled agayne with the yoke of bondage Now to conclude this exercise seeing we are mett here to doe the worke of the Lord let us first remember and consider from whence we are fallen from what degree of loue and liberty that we may repent and doe the first workes and amend least the Lord our God come against us shortly and remoue our Candlesticke out of his place Agayne If there be any consolation in Christ if any comforte of loue if any fellowship of spirit if any compassion and mercy let us be like minded having the same loue being of one accord and of one iudgment that nothing be done through contention or vayneglory but in meeknes of minde every one seeking not that which is his owne but that which is Christs c. Thirdly let our heartes and eyes be sett upon the recompence of the reward that incorruptible crowne of glorie which the chiefe sheapheard Iesus shal bring with him in his hand in his glorious appearance to crowne them who shall persevere and be found faithfull to the end and not upon the reward that is in the hand of man which is in it selfe corruptible and oftimes corruptes the mindes of men and drawes them out of the right way Lastly let us so speak here and so doe here and so behaue our selues here as if we were upon our last bed making our last will ready to giue account not to man only but to the Lord our God himselfe both of the employment of our life and the using and keeping of this liberty wherby our redeemer Iesus Christ hath made us free To whom with the Father and spirit of grace be honor prayse and glory for ever and ever Amen FINIS

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