Selected quad for the lemma: authority_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A39268
|
The right foundation of quietness, obedience, and concord discovered in two seasonable discourses ... / by Clem. Elis ...
|
Ellis, Clement, 1630-1700.
|
1684
(1684)
|
Wing E572; ESTC R19683
|
73,732
|
122
|
Confusions yet fresh in our Memories into which he had formerly brought us to keep alive our Jealousies on all hands of one another so that at this day mutual suspicions and ill opinions keep us at as great a distance in the days of Peace as Pikes and Musquets did in the time of War Still we are in Sides and Parties devising how to supplant and ruine each other The remembrance of former days unhappily fomenting and hightening our suspicions and jealousies to that degree that we seem rather the Laughing-stock then the terrour of our Enemies and Rome it self cannot chuse but laugh within it self to see us so industrious in doing her work for her and by our contentions and separations making an open way for that very evil which men pretend above all others to be afraid of And now seeing we have been at so much pains in assisting our professed Enemies to destroy us what can we imagine could have all this while preserved us against all those devilish devices that have been hatch'd both abroad and amongst our selves at home to undo us but that great and good God alone who overruleth all the devices of men who sitteth in the Heavens above all Powers who saith to the Sea Hitherto shall thou come but no further and here shall thy proud Waves be stayed Job 38. 11. The Lord reigneth let the earth be glad thereof let the Multitude of the Isles be glad thereof Psal. 97. 1. This Isle may be glad thereof He is great in Zion he is high above all People Psal. 99. 2. His right hand and his holy arm hath gotten him the Victory Psal. 98. 1. It is his right hand and not our Sword his wise Counsel not our Policy his wonderful goodness and least of any thing our righteousness that preserveth us in safety Except the Lord build the house all our Builders shall labour but in vain we shall quickly with our own hands pull it down upon our heads Except the Lord keep the City all our Watchmen shall wake in vain our own devices our own sins will be sure to fire all and we shall soon be like to Sodom and Gomorrha Therefore not unto us not unto us but unto the Lord alone let us ascribe the honour and the glory of our preservation and all the wonderful deliverances which he and he alone hath given unto our gracious King and this whole Kingdom in him It is only because his Counsel always stands unmoveable and cannot change that our own devices have not long e're this utterly ruined us or that the manifold devices of our Enemies have not prevailed against us 2. As we are instructed hence to attribute all our past Mercies and Deliverancies to the goodness of God who alone could disappoint the devices of men against us so are we hence also taught how both at present and for the time to come to behave our selves towards God let the times prove never so troublesome to us by reason of the restless devices of men We must always be sure to bear in mind and fix immoveably upon this one point that the Counsel of the Lord is altogether unchangeable one and the same for ever and shall undoubtedly stand for a Law to us and for a Barr against every thing that can be devised by men against us not agreeable unto it Conclude we certainly that the Lord he is God and will be so maugre all the devices of Fools that say in their heart there is no God That he will alway govern the World by his own Will and confound the wicked in their own devices That all things being ordered by him must needs be wisely ordered and therefore as no device of man is permitted by him but in wisdom so of his goodness he will either confound these devices in his own time or by them accomplish his own Wise Counsel to the destruction of his Enemies and the good of his Church and faithful Servants All things shall work together for good to them that love him Rom. 8. 28. Let therefore our Behaviour be alway such as becometh the faithful Subjects of the Great God and King of all the World and our business as we are such is pure obedience to the Laws of his Kingdom and not to help him to rule and order things by our Wisdom as tho he could stand in need of our devices or had thought good to make us of his Great Counsel Let us mind our Duty in attending to and executing cheerfully his Commands and not intermeddle with that which is properly his work any otherwise then he himself shall give to any of us Authority to Act under him Unto some he hath given his Commission to Act and Rule his People under him and for him By his Wisdom Kings Reign and Princes decree Iustice Prov. 8. 15. The Powers that be are of God He hath put a Sword into their hand and they bear not that Sword in vain Rom. 13. And they that will not stand in awe of it deserve to feel it He hath also set some in the Church 1 Cor. 12. 28. And hath made them Overseers over his Flock to feed it Act. 20. 28. And we are commanded to obey them that have the Rule over us and watch for our Souls Heb. 13. 17. These are God's Commission'd Officers put in Authority under him and over us and as they are to do their own duties in their several places towards God whose Servants they are and to whom they must give an account as well as we so can they not do their duty unto him but by governing us and using all such means as he hath ordered or allowed to keep us in due subjection both unto God and them and to see as much as is in them that we do our duties too Let no devices therefore of other men out of whatsoever School they come perswade or provoke us either to follow theirs or set up new devices of our own against this certain Will of God or to cast off the Yoke of Christ by our restless endeavours to free our selves from the Yoke of Men. We cannot be Christs Subjects if we will be our own Masters It is just that he assign to each Servant in his Family his proper work and call them to account as he shall please if we shall arrogate to our selves a right of Judging them whom he hath set to Judge us we place our selves in his Throne and usurp his Prerogative which is the highest Treason against the King of Kings and can we think that such shall go unpunished by him Let our condition be never so uneasie let our Grievances be never so many let our sufferings be never so great let us be sure to keep in mind what we are and whose we are and what is our Business to do We are not Gods nor Lawgivers to our selves but Men under his command that made us and redeemed us We are not our own but his that bought us with a price 1
some by entertaining Strangers have entertained Angels unawares if we be not afraid of Gods Company let us now open the doors of our hearts to receive it for God comes along with it He will dwell with him that is of a contrite and humble spirit Isai. 57. 15. Let us be no longer Self-condemned by commending in all men what we will not practise our selves Think but seriously what a World of Mischiefs we daily are haunted with for want of this Grace Heresies and Errors in the Faith Scnisms and Contentions of all sorts both in Church and State Had we more humble Publicans and fewer proud Pharisees our Prayers and our Persons would be more accepted of God But whilest so many of us stand bragging and boasting of being godly or Orthodox instead of confessing and deprecating our sins and errors whilest there is so much pride scorn and disdain every where and so little humility condescension meekness and obedience any where whilest some cry out we are the only true Sons of the Church and others we are the only dear Children of God whilest some are too proud to teach and others think themselves too good to be taught whilest some excommunicate themselves to gratifie their own proud humours and some as ready to excommunicate others tho they own their Authority for not also humouring their pride or espousing their private opinions whilest men are calling out to one another stand off for we are holier than you and many to their Governors Why stand you there You take too much upon you seeing all the Lord's people are holy Whilest men are continually calling for fire from Heaven upon one anothers heads it is too sadly visible that we have too little of the Gospel-Spirit amongst us And what is it we can hope to gain by this opposing and resisting one another but that God should be provoked to resistâ— us all for he resisteth the proud Iam. 4. 6. And it is more than our pride will leave us any incouragement to hope for if we be not made a Prey to those that will glory in our ruine Let us therefore all labour instead of censuring and gain-saying one another to close at least in this one grace of Humility in the commendation whereof we are all unanimous This will help to cover other mens failings from our eyes and not only discover our own failings to our selves but lay them open in penitent confession before God to be covered by the righteousness of Iesus Christ. Instead of all the numerous Arguments and Motives which might were it needful be here made use of to perswade us let it suffice to attend to that earnest exhortation given us by the Apostle Col. 3. 12. c. Put on therefore as the Elect of God holy and beloved bowels of mercies kindness humbleness of mind meekness long-suffering forbearing one another and forgiving one another if any man have a quarrel or a complaint against any Even as Christ forgave you so also do ye And above all things put on Charity which is the bond of perfectness and let the Peace of God rule in your hearts to the which ye are also called in one body and be ye thankful Would we now be the Children of God and beloved of him then instead of Strife we must put on bowels of mercies kindness long-suffering mutual forbearance and forgiveness And instead of Vain-glory we must put on humbleness of mind and meekness Would we be perfect We must put on Charity Would we answer our Vocation or Calling to Christianity We must be careful to keep in one body and let the Peace of God rule in our hearts Would we assure our selves of Gods blessing on us all as his Children Let us not always stand complaining of what 's wanting or what it may be our own peevishness only makes us think is wanting when it is not but shew our selves heartily thankful for what by his blessing we have And the God of Peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Iesus that great Shepherd of the Sheep through the blood of the everlasting Covenant make us perfect in every good work to do his Will working in us that which is well-pleasing in his sight through Iesus Christ to whom be Glory for ever and ever Amen Books Printed for and sold by Iohn Baker at the Three Pidgeons in St. Pauls Church-Yard DUport in Psalmos 4 to Cant. Gr. Lat. Idem in Psalmos 4 to Gr. Idem in Homericum 4 to Gr. Lat. Beveridge Gramatica Syriaca 8 o. Gore Nomenclator Geogr. 8 o. Alisbury de Decreto Dei 4 to Dionysius de situ Orbis 8 o Gr. Comenii Ianua cum fig. AEneis Lat. Confessio fidei 8 o. Doughtei Analecta sacra 8 o. pars secunda Ignoramus 12 o Latine Exaltation of Ale 8 o. Comenii vestibulum 8 o. Lat. Eng. Pasoris Lexicon 8 o. Gr. Lat. Elegantiae Poeticae 12 o. Quintiliani Orationes 8 o. Glanvil of the Sacrament 12 o. Burroughs Remedy against grief 12 o. Preces Scholae Pautinae 8 o. Glanvil's Essay's on several important Subjects in Philosophy and Religion 4 to Woodfords Paraphrase on the Psalms 8 o. Idem Paraphrase on the Canticles 8 o. A Sermon before the Artillery Company by Dr. Hicks 4 to A Sermon before the Artillery Company by Dr. Sprat 4 to A Sermon before the Artillery Company by Dr. Scot 4 to A Sermon before the Artillery Company by Dr. Pittis 4 to A Sermon before the Scholars of St. Pauls School by Dr. Meggot 4 o. Two Speeches spoken by Augustus 4 to A Puneral Sermon Preached on the Interment of the Lady Elizabeth Langham by Simon Ford 8 o. A Funeral Sermon at the Interment of the Lady Mary Hastings by Sam. Willis 4 to An account of Church Government for the first six hundred years by Sam. Parker D. D. Arch-Deacon of Canterbury 8 o. Religion and Loyalty or a demonstration of the Power of the Christian Church within it self c. by Sam. Parker D. D. Arch-Deacon of Canterbury 8 o. The Service Book in Folio in Welsh Pools Critici sacri in New Testament Folio 2 Vol. Separatim Caesar's Comentaries with Edmonds Notes Folio with Cuts Godwins and Bacons Annals Folio FINIS