Selected quad for the lemma: justice_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
justice_n	find_v	peace_n	say_a	2,656	5	6.7213	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A95311	The temples foundation laid: or, a way for setlement of religion. Humbly presented unto the Parliament. By M.T.	M. T.	1653 (1653)	Wing T31; Thomason E724_13; ESTC R207271	5,747	18

foretold by our Saviour in the Evangelists to follow immediately after that Generation was past away And Scripture seemes to hold forth clearly the Church to be invisible if the Covenant of God be that formale esse of a Church which gives the being then as the Covenant is spiritual so is the House for the Covenant of Circumcision was visible if that such did shew forth the death and resurrection of Christ they were legall and being shadowes must passe away the Substance being come For sayes the Apostle The Law hath the shadow of good things to come by which we know what was legall and ceremonious which Lawes and Ceremonies the Apostle writing of them as they were under divine institution termes them beggerly and weak and if we did truly know and weigh the new Covenant and the enjoyment thereof we should be so farre from contesting about meats and drinks and dayes and washings that if there were divine institution upon them yet to be valued no further than as to fulfill all righteousnesse and not to be lookt upon as serving to purifie the Conscience whereas the New Creature is All. And if it appear then that the Covenant is altogether spirituall doubtlesse the House is spirituall one Holy Catholique Church as the first and all Councels worthy the name conclude And doubtlesse the Councels of England making those new Distinctions of the Church of England and Parish Churches used the word as Heathens did or as some of our late Councels to be so jure humano by which they were in a fair way to settle the Nation but the violence of some spirits if not self interests that they might give law to them that made them by a Law would be jure divino till divine Justice vindicated his own honour And if the Lords going through the red Sea in destroying those enemies be worthy our observation and if so much can be said as before to shew the invisibility of Church and Ministry for quatenus a Saint he is invisible from a hypocrite I say then if that Ministry of Saints under bondage hath been so beneficial to the Nation and the onely meanes of good to the ends before proposed let true Zeal propagate it to freedome Zeal then truly considered to propagate the Gospel to freedome admits of a Quaere Whether it should be Coercive or not Coercive To which if I should positively answer I know my doom the judgements of men standing on each side like Scilla and Charibdis And because I intend to shew the unnecessariness of a Coercive power I might well passe it by But if I put in a word it may not be altogether unnecessary I shall say then that if the Magistrate may Coerce any civill assembling why not this why not a metting to read a Chapter c. under the same stamp of jure humano and if upon any other account as jure divino to order any thing in Gods worship my opinion is he sits in the Temple of God as God and if he Coerce God will grind him to pouder But I shall proceed to shew the unnecessariness of a Coercive power the Independent and Anabaptist and all Church-fellowships of the same nature need it not The lost sheep onely stand in need and what 's their cry When will the State settle Religion we live like Heathen and indeed their case is sad And if the State would but appoint them a way for acquainting them with the Scriptures and order a Discipline for ruling their lives and conversations I am confident the fore named fellowships would not outshine them and thereby the Divisions in the Land upon the account of one more holy than his fellow taken away and onely a holy emulation remain as who should be most holy in truth It will be necessary then to proceed particularly in the appointment of a way for the acquainting of the lost sheep of the Nation with the Scriptures The persons necessary to be imployed in such a work are worthy our consideration First If they be members of Congregations it will break the Congregations Secondly Such as are likely to extend the appointments of Authority to a yoke and heavily impose it will overthrow the intended work Thirdly If the lost sheep be prejudiced against such persons the ends proposed will not be effected Fourthly Conveniency of time and place suites not with Church-Members Fifthly The emulation to holinesse is taken away betwixt them Sixthly The enlargednesse of spirit to each others good appeares not in them Seventhly It may be much feared that the precious opportunities in such meetings will be devoured in vain janglings and questions about Church-form neglecting the substance Eighthly If the lost sheep shall not partake of the Sacraments c. with those sent unto them it will cause breach of love c. Ninthly In settlement of Religion Peace and agreement is chiefly to be sought which cannot be betwixt persons so different Tenthly If persons of enlarged spirits as Mr. Sterry Mr. William Sedgwick Mr. Dell Mr. Bacon Mr. Sprigg c. be appointed a Committee into severall Counties for putting in force the Order intended as to time place persons and the work to be done quam facile est The time most sutable will be the first day of the week The place would be most convenient sutable to the persons The persons intended are one two or more Parishes as those Commissioners shall see fit wherein will be be found some 4 6 or 8. fit for Moderators to preserve the meeting from confusion being wise holy in life knowing in the Scriptures that whatsoever is done may be for edification The Work intended wherein the Nation would rejoyce is the reading of the accustomed Psalmes and Chapters in the Old and New Testament and I should argue if my child loved History as the Chronicles so he read in the Bible I should like it and not doubt to be able to shew him something very profitable and if he should inquire and search after the meaning I should rejoyce in it and think my self happy and why not the meanest in the Nation have the same priviledge though it were good civill policy to disown such children as live disorderly And commending the word of exhortation and instruction to the Moderators I shall intending brevity all along forbear a more exact form in the Method conceiving such persons named more fit There remaines in Order to a more excellent shining of the Nation a Discipline which was never practised but in the non-conformable Churches which causes their shining but drawn forth into Questions of Church Ministery and Sacraments by the Church of England And the severity of that Discipline for such questionable things from their own mouthes runs so in their Disciples mouthes that it would make a man tremble especially if they are in authority that it strikes like lightning And under this Discipline most commonly a Heritique judgeth a Saint a Heretique And therefore all judging for matter of Opinion I forbear conceiving as the Apostle That if such a one comes in he will be judged of all and that Truth seeks no sword for its Protector The Copy of the Order to the Commissioners and the Act of Parliament intended hereunto necessary also set down The Magistrate as Parents to Children and Masters to Servants ought to exhort and correct evill doers and therefore sends Letters and gives his authority to some Deputies Moses himself not being able to bear the burden himself TO A. B. and C. D. We desire and require you to go through such a County appointing Parishes as you think fit to meet the first day of the week at the most convenient place or places at accustomed houres and to appoint such whose lives in your Iudgement do render them to be Saints to read the Psalmes and Chapters in the Old and New Testament as was accustomed to be read and that according to their best abilities they do first of all inquire into a right understanding and meaning of the words read And to avoid confusion there shall be with your consent four Moderators or more who may afterward give forth such instructions and exhortations as are pertinent to the said Scriptures And we require you further to inquire into the lives and conversations of People sharply reproving such as live disorderly in a continued scandalous way of sinning against God And that you leave order in writing for the Moderators of one hundred to choose four from amongst them to go into the next hundred every six moneths Viz. June 24. and December 25. and inquiring for and sharply reproving such as live in a continued scandalous way of sinning against God And if after such reproofe they amend not to give notice of their names and crimes to the next Iustice Authoritate Parliamenti And whereas it is a shame that Christians should come to be judged by Heathens Be it Enacted by Authority of this present Parliament that no man within this Common-wealth that is not adjudged a Saint shall be of any Iury. And that the Iustices of the Peace doe appoint a Iury of the Neighbourhood to fine any person being found guilty by them upon the Oath of two sufficient Witnesses of his liveing in a continued scandalous way of sinning against God And it shall be lawfull for the said Iustices to mitigate the said fiue Which shall be to the onely use of the poor of the Parish where the Offender liveth The fine not exceeding the fiftieth part of any mans visible Estate or the half of his yearly Revenue And onely in default thereof a Corporall punishment FINIS