Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	mary_n	queen_n	time_n	2,470	5	3.3788	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A60942	Interest deposed, and truth restored, or, A word in season, delivered in two sermons the first at St. Maryes in Oxford, on the 24th of July, 1659, being the time of the assizes : as also of the fears and groans of the nation in the threatned, and expected ruin of the lawes, ministry, and universityes : the other preached lately before the honourable Societie of Lincolns-Inn / by Robert South ...	South, Robert, 1634-1716.; South, Robert, 1634-1716. Ecclesiasticall policy the best policy.	1660 (1660)	Wing S4733; ESTC R4025	42,795	62

that will not be convinced what a help this is to the Magistracy would find how considerable it is if they should chance to clash this would certainly eat out the other For the Magistrate cannot urge obedience upon such potent grounds as the Minister if so disposed can urge disobedience As for instance if my Governour should command me to doe a thing or I must dye or forfeit my Estate and the Minister steps in and tells me that I offend God and ruine my soul if I obey that command it 's easie to see a greater force in this perswasion from the advantage of its ground And if Divines once begin to curse Meros we shall see that Levi can use the Sword as well as Simeon and although Ministers doe not handle yet they can employ it This shews the imprudence as well as the danger of the Civil Magistrates exasperating those that can fire mens consciences against him and arme his Enemies with Religion For I have read heretofore of some that having conceived an irreconcileable hatred of the Civil M●gistrate prevailed with men so farre that they went to resist him even out of conscience and a full perswasion and dread upon their spirits that not to doe it were to desert God and consequently to incurre damnation Now when mens rage is both heightned and sanctified by Conscience the War will be fierce for what is done out of Conscience is done with the utmost Activity And then Campanella's Speech to the King of Spain will bee found true Religio semper vicit praesertim Armata Which sentence deserves seriously to be considered by all Governours and timely to be understood lest it comes to be Felt. 2. If the safety of Government is founded upon the truth of Religion then this shews the danger of any thing that may make even the true Religion suspected to be false To be false and to be thought false is all one in respect of men who act not according to Truth but Apprehension As on the contrary a false Religion while apprehended true has the force and efficacy of truth Now there is nothing more apt to induce men to a suspition of any Religion than frequent innovation and change For since the object of Religion God the subject of it the soul of man and the businesse of it Truth is alwayes one and the same Variety and Novelty is a just presumption of Falsity It argues sickness and distemper in the minde as well as in the body when a man is continually turning and tossing from one side to the other The wise Romans ever dreaded the least Innovation in Religion Hence we find the advice of Mecanas to Augustus Caesar in Dion Cassius in the 52 Book where hee counsels him to detest and persecute all Innovators of divine Worship not onely as contemners of the Gods but as the most pernicious disturbers of the State For when men venture to make changes in things sacred it argues great boldness with God and this naturally imports little belief of him which if the people once perceive they will take their Creed also not from the Magistrates Law but his example Hence in England where Religion has been still Purifying and hereupon almost alwaies in the Fire and Furnace Atheists and Irreligious persons have took no small advantage from our changes For in King Edward the sixts time the Divine Worship was twice altered in two new Liturgies In the first of Queen Mary the Protestant Religion was persecuted with Fire and Faggot by Law and publick counsel of the same persons who had so lately established it Upon the coming in of Queen Elizabeth Religion was changed again and within a few daies the publick Council of the Nation made it death for a Priest to convert any man to that Religion which before with so much eagerness of Zeal had been restored So that it is observed by an Author that in the space of twelve years there were four changes about Religion made in England that by the publick Councill and Authority of the Realm which were more than were made by any Christian state throughout the world in fifteen hundred years before Hence it is that the Enemies of God take occasion to blaspheme and call our Religion Statisme and now adding to the former those many changes that have hapned since J am afraid we shall never be able to claw off that name Nor though we may satisfie our own consciences in what we professe to repell and cleare off the objections of the rational world about us which not being interested in our Changes as we are will not judge of them as we judge but debate them by impartiall Reason by the Nature of the thing the generall Practise of the Church against which New Lights suddain Impulses of the Spirit Extraordinary Calls will be but weak arguments to prove any thing but the madnesse of those that use them and that the Church must needs wither being blasted with Inspiration We see therefore how fatall and ridiculous Innovations in the Church are And indeed when Changes are so frequent it is not properly Religion but Fashion This J think we may build upon as a sure ground that where there is continuall Change there is Uncertainty and Uncertainty in Religion is a sufficient reason if not to deny yet to doubt of its Truth Thus much for the first Doctrine J proceed now to the second viz. That the next and most effectuall way to destroy Religion is to Embase the Teachers and Dispencers of it In the handling of this J shall shew 1. How the Dispensers of Religion the Ministers of the Word are embased or rendred vile 2. How the Embasing or Vilifying them is a means to destroy Religion 1. For the first of these the Ministers and Dispencers of the Word are rendred base or vile two waies 1. By devesting them of all Temporall Priviledges and Advantages as inconsistent with their Calling It is strange since the Priests Office heretofore was alwaies Splendid and almost Regall that it is now looked upon as a piece of Religion to make it low and sordid So that the use of the word Minister is brought down to the signification of it a Servant for now to serve and to minister servile and ministeriall are termes equivalent But in the Old Testament the same word signifies a Priest and a Prince or cheif Ruler hence though wee translanslate it Priest of On 41 Gen. 45. and Priest of Midian 3 Exod. 1. and as it is with the People so with the Priest 24 Isa. 2. Iunius and Tremellius render all these places not by Sacerdos Priest but by Praeses that is a Prince or at least a chief Counsellour or Minister of State And it is strange that the Name should be the same when the Nature of the thing is so exceeding different The like also may be observed in other Languages that the most Illustrious Titles are derived from things Sacred and belonging to the Worship of