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A49256 Short and plaine animadversions on some passages in Mr. Dels sermon first preached before the Honourable House of Commons on Novemb. 25. 1646. But since printed without their order Setting forth the many dangerous and destructive assertions therein both to church and state, the covenant, and the reformation so much desired. Together, with an answer to an unlicensed pamphlet annext to the sermon, entituled, A reply to Master Loves contradictions. By Christopher Love minister of Anne Aldersgate, London. The second edition. Imprimatur Ja. Cranford. Decemb. 17. 1646. Love, Christopher, 1618-1651. 1647 (1647) Wing L3175; ESTC R220429 46,782 54

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must they be more free from sin then they are 4 If more spirituall then Angels then men whiles they live here should have a greater degree of grace then Angels have Considering then that the faithfull here on earth are to bee subject to humane Laws which Angels are not seeing they have bodies which Angels have not and have sinne in their natures and imperfection in their graces which the Angels of heaven have not I cannot see reason why Mr. Dell should say That the faithfull and elect were more spirituall then Angels His third Reason by ●orcible Reformation humane Institution is set up I shall bee as briefe in my answer as hee is in this Reason If humane Institution should bee set up by the Civill Magistrate which is not intended by any as a part of Gods worship this would bee unjustifiable but if humane Institutions bee set up circa sacra onely as a prop to Gods worship by their Civill sanction to give protection for the free and publique exercise of the worship of God Against this there can be nothing justly objected His fourth Reason It brings men into blind obedience If Ecclesiasticall Reformation brings men into blinde obedience this is but an accidentall effect the fault lies not in the Reformation but in the ignorance of a mans owne minde or perversnesse of will that will not know or learne His fifth Reason It makes men Hypocrites and not Saints yea saith afterwards pag. 24. lin. 13. This Reformation makes no Saints but all Hypocrites If Church-Reformation confirmed by the Secular Power makes Hypocrites this is but an accidentall effect as the former was the fault is not in the Reformation but in the unsoundnesse of mens hearts This would reflect on the sincere powerfull preaching of the Word as well as the Reformation for by living under it many are moulded into a forme of godlinesse who yet are hypocrites shall the word be therefore blamed Iosiah in that glorious Reformation in Iudah caused all Iudah to stand to the Covenant 2 Chron. ●4 32. yet many of those that did so were but meere hypocrites as they are charged by Ieremiah c. 3.6 10. shal therefore the Covenant he then prest upon the people be ill thought of because many did shew themselves hypocrites after their taking of it His sixth Reason Hee saith it causeth disturbances and tumults in the world In laying downe my answer to this sixth cause I shall suggest these foure particulars 1. That this effect is but accidentall as the two former were disturbance and tumults doe not arise from any thing in Ecclesiasticall Reformation but from the turbulency and violence of mens spirits who plead for a lawlesse liberty and are loath to be restrained by the golden reines of Discipline 2. That disturbances and tumults following a Reformation is no grounded Argument that that Reformation is evill for then this would condemne Jesus Christ himselfe for when hee came from the bosome of his Father to reforme his Church 't is said That hee came not to send peace in the world but a sword for I am come to set a man at variance against his father and the daughter against her mother c. Mat. 10.34 35. Now because these offences and differences doe arise because of Christ dare any lay the blame on him as if hee were the cause thereof 3. Where Presbyteriall Government is in use protected and confirmed by the Civill Magistrate there is most peace union and brotherly love and least divisions and disturbances should I confirme this by quoting any Author of a Presbyterian judgement some would not therefore beleeve it wherefore that holy man of God Mr. Burroughs though hee bee dead yet hee speaketh in a Speech of his at Guildhall on Friday October 6. 1643. hee hath these words That Scotland is certainly a Nation that God doth love a Nation that God doth honour it is a Nation that is united the most firmely under Heaven wee may truly call it a Phiadelthia had wee the like union among us O what great things had wee done before this time So it should seeme in Mr. Burroughs opinion Presbyterian Government was no cause of Disturbance● and Tumults but a bond to union yea Mr. Burroughs was not alone of this minde but the other fou●e Apologists Mr. Goodwin Mr. Nye Mr. Bridge Mr. Simpson acknowledge that Presbyterian Government hath been accompanied with more peace then other formes of Government see the Apologeticall Narration p. 4. Is not Mr. Dels charge then unjust that Ecclesiasticall Reformation which Presbyterians desire to settle doth breed disturbances and tumults in the world 4. Where Errors and Heresies spread are connived at or tolerated for want of Ecclesiasticall Reformation there are likely to be● most disturbances and divisions This generation can give a sighing testimony hereto Spanhemius in a small Tract or Narration of the rise and progresse of the Anabaptists in Germany declares that they occasioned many commotions and the effusion of much blood in those parts of the world what the Division of the times may doe among us who knows These particulars considered Mr. Dell and others of his minde had more ground to lay these brats of Disturbances and Tumults at their owne doores that cry downe an Ecclesiasticall Reformation and cry up a Toleration then father it upon them who desire unity truth and order His seventh Reason Christ useth no such outward force it was foretold of him That he should not strivel nor cry nor lift up his voyce in the streets to call in outward and Secular aide and power 'T is true Christ used not outward power and who saith hee should doe not as I have said before all Presbyterians hold that the Word not the Sword must propagate the Faith but what then did not Christ call for outward aide from the Rulers of the world to preserve the Faith are wee not enjoyned by Christ to pray for Kings that they might protect us in the profession of godlinesse are not Kings nursing Fathers appointed by Christ to take care of his Churches safety Doth not Mr. Dell say as much that the Magistrate should protect us in godlinesse It is worth your notice that hee doth not onely corruptly expound but impudently adde to the Scripture Hee tells you That it was foretold that Christ should neither strive nor cry nor lift-up his voice in the streets to call in for outward and Secular aide and power Hee quotes not the place where this Prophecy is least the Reader should readily turne to it and so discerne his perverting of the sense and adding to the words this phrase To call in for outward and Secular aide which is not in the Text yet hee would make the world beleeve as if it was prophesied of Christ hee should neither strive nor cry nor lift up his voice in the streets to call in for Secular aide that holy Prophecy which hee doth so grosly abuse is
wherefore it made me thinke when hee used those words that something either erroneous as indeed it was or controversall would fall from him else there had beene no need of such a Preamble as that was I will now addresse my selfe to view over those causes or reasons he gives why he will by no meanes grant the Spirituall Church of Christ to be reformed by worldly and Secular power which if hee meanes in this sense that Secular powers cannot Reforme the heart hee might well spare his paines in alleadging reasons all the Congregation was fully satisfied in that without further reasons but certainly something else these causes hee laies downe were intended for to plead for some such thing as this that because the Magistrate cannot reforme the heart therefore hee must not put to his hand to represse the divulging of Hereticall opinions nor punish those persons that doe I cannot discerne at what marke hee should aime at but this I now come to consider of the Causes or Reasons as he layes them downe His first Reason Forcible Reformation is unbeseeming the Gospel for the Gospel is a Gospel of peace not of force and fury Civill Ecclesiasticall Reformation reformes by breathing out threatnings punishments prisons fire and death To strengthen this he quotes many Authors in page 21. Observe 1. If by forcible Reformation he meanes that a Christian Magistrate should not force by fire and sword an heathen people to embrace the faith I shall not contend with him but if he meanes that Magistrates must not among people professing the faith put forth their power to suppresse Heresies and punish the divulgers thereof this is not unbeseeming the Gospel but most consonant unto it For did not Paul in the want of a Christian Magistrate in an extraordinary way doe the Magistrates worke inflict a bodily punishment on Elymas the Sorcerer struck him blinde onely because hee would have seduced Paulus Sergius from the faith Acts 13.8 9 10 11. Now what Paul did extraordinarily the Christian Magistrate may doe ordinarily as an ordinary act of his charge There are a cloud of witnesses that affirme this that it is the Magistrates duty to suppesse errors and punish the spreaders thereof Zanchy saith That almost all Divines in his time were of this minde that Hereticks were to bee punisht with the sword So is Beza likewise who saith Docemus Christianis Magistratibus praecipue dandam operam ut purus ac sincerus Dei cultus vigeat ejusque perturbatores ut res postvlat authoritate sua legitime juadicatos capitali quoque paena si necessitas et sceleris magnitudo postulent coerceant potius quam ecclesia detrimentum capiat The Christian Magistrate saith Beza should use his endeavour that the pure sincere worship of God might flourish and that he should restraine and punish and that with a capitall punishment if need so require all the disturbers thereof rather then the Church should receive any dammage Of the same minde is Bullinger conc. 18. fol. 89. and Aretius in Historia valentini gentilis Danaeus in Ethic. Christi lib. 2. c. 13. fol. 199. So Iunius in defensione 2. de Trinitate adversus Samosatenianos edita Heidelb Ann. 1591. p. 40. now lest it might invalidate what these Orthodox Divines assert as being of a Presbyterian judgement I shall here insert what some of the Independent way doe hold touching the Magistrates power in suppressing Heresies and punishing the promoters thereof Mr. Iohn Goodwin in a booke intituled M. S. to A. S. pag. 50. saith that if the Magistrate avoid this danger that hee smite not the truth of God instead of Heresie and the Worship of God instead of superstition he professeth that for his part when the civill Magistrate shall bee far enough out of this danger of fighting against God in opposing truth instead of Heresie hee hath nothing to say against his fighting with superstion Heresie Schisme as well as corruptions in manners Hee grants what the Presbyterian desire so doth Mr. Burton likewise in his vindication of the Independent Churches pag. 70. you must distinguish betwixt mens consciences and their practice the conscience simply considered is for God but for mans practises if they bee against any of Gods commands of the first or second Table that appertaines to the civill Magistrate to punish who is for this cause called custos utriusque tabulae the keeper of both Tables I shall only instance in one more the glory of their way I mean that man of God Mr. Burroughs who quotes that text in Deut. 13.6 That the Magistrate must not tolerate but may inflict death for Idolatry yea as hee saith lest any should put off this saying this is in the Old Testament he therefore to take this off doth urge Zach. 13.3 He that takes upon him to prophecy to speake lyes in the name of the Lord his father and mother that begat him shall say unto him thou shalt not live and they shall thrust him through when he prophe●●eth And this Text he affirmes to be a prophecy of the times of the Gospel not as if the paren●s should presently run a knife into him but that they should bee the meanes that such an erroneous Idolatrous Prophet or Teacher should bee brought before the Civill Magistrate to receive condigne punishment even to the taking away his life 2. Observe that the many quotations in pag. 21. prove onely that an Heathen people must not bee forc't by fire and sword to embrace the Faith but contradicts not this that a Christian people should not by the Christian Magistrate bee punisht for or restrain'd from the professing of blasphemous opinions or damnable Heresies 3. Observe 't is an unjust charge on Ecclesiasticall Reformation as if that did breath out threatenings punishments prisons death The Church by all its censures can inflict no corporall punishment 't is the sword in the Magistrates hand only must do that thus much in answer to the first cause His second reason he layes downe is That forcible Reformation is unsuitable to Christs Kingdome which if it bee meant in the sense mentioned in my Animadversions on the foregoing Reason 't is no wayes unsuitable to Christs Kingdome but is assented to by Presbyterians and Independents also as consonant to the word Now under this second cause hee hath this groundlesse assertion viz. You may as well goe about to bring the Angels of Heaven under an outward and secular power as the faithfull who being borne of the Spirit are more spirituall then they Serm. p. 22. l. 21. If Mr. Dells assertion should be beleeved that the faithfull are more spirituall then Angels then foure absurdities would follow 1 Civill Lawes must have no more to doe with the faithfull then it hath with Angels who are above the reach of humane laws 2 If more spirituall then Angels then must they have no bodies as Angels have not 3 If more spirituall then Angels then