Selected quad for the lemma: law_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
law_n	civil_a	government_n	power_n	4,282	5	4.9624	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A61083	A nevv quære at this time seasonably to be considered as we tender the advancement of trvth & peace : viz. whether it be fit, according to the principles of true religion, and state, to settle any church-government over the kingdome hastily, or not : and with the power commonly desired, in the hands of the ministers / by Iohn Saltmarsh ...	Saltmarsh, John, d. 1647.	1646 (1646)	Wing S492; ESTC R2317	3,535	8

A New Quaere At this time seasonably to be considered as we tender the advancement of TRVTH PEACE Viz. Whether it be fit according to the Principles of true Religion and State to settle any Church-Government over the Kingdome hastily or not and with the Power commonly desired in the hands of the Ministers By IOHN SALTMARSH Preacher of the Word at Brasteed in Kent 2 Cor. 10. 8. Our authority which the Lord hath given for Instruction and not for destruction LONDON Printed for Giles Calvert at the Signe of the Black Spread-Eagle at the West-End of S. PAULS 1646. A Quaere Whether it be fit according to the Principles of true Religion and State to settle any Church-Government over the Kingdom hastily or not and with the Power commonly desired in the hands of the Ministers 1. THe Rules laid down in the Word for practicall Obedience are these in part Let every one be fully perswaded in his own mind Rom. 14. 5. ver. 23. and whatsoever is not of faith is sin Now the setling of any Government upon a people who are yet generally untaught in the nature and grounds of it is to put upon the people the practice of that wherein it is impossible they can be fully perswaded in their minds and so either on a necessity of sin or misery 2 There is great danger of bringing people under a Popish implicite Obedience by forcing on a practice of that which they scarce know or know but in part And this is against the Nationall Covenant to side with any Principles of Popery And we know it by experience that the people have been ever devoted to any thing the State sets up all the disputes or conscience of the common people usually ending in this Whether it be established by Law or no and going usually no higher nor further then a Statute or Act of State for their Religion 3. Christ Iesus himselfe could as easily have setled his gospel-Gospell-Government by miracle as any can now by a Civill power if there had been such a primary or moral necessity of establishing it so soon upon a people scarce enlightned for any part of it But we see the contrary first in himselfe he taught long and Iohn before him and so the Disciples and the g 〈…〉 for Government were not given till he ascended and the Modell for Government not brought forth but by degrees and as people fell in and were capable of the Yoake and would mould more easily to the Commandements of Christs and whether then or no is yet a Question which some who have sit out the debates too though not with me who am fully assured of a power of order which the Apostle rejoyced to behold though a power with as little dominion in Government as tradition in Worship 4. We never read in the new Testament of a Gospell-government setled upon any that were not brought first under Gospell-obedience by the power of the Word and Spirit which thousands of Congregations in this Kingdom are not For as in materiall Buildings Stone and Timber are not to be clapt together without h●w●●g and squaring so nor in the spirituall And whereas in the Temple there should neither be Axe nor Hammer heard because things were fitted before hand and so laid together I question how this could be in our Congregations now I beleeve there would be now more of the Axe and the Hammer heard then of the building seen 5. We have found by experience that the speedy setling of Government upon the Nation hath made Reformation take little root save in the out ward man or formall Obedience and the reason was Because they received not Reformation first in the power of the Word but of the State which went not so deep into their Consciences but they could part with it at any time upon a Law Oh then Why do not daies speake and multitude of yeares teach knowledge 6. It is against the nature of Christs description of himselfe and against that sutablenesse which he presses for amongst all such as should submit to his Commandements He shall not strive nor cry neither shall any man heare his voyce in the streets Matth. 11. 19. My yoke is easie and my burden light Matth. 11. 29. His Commandements are not grievous 1 Joh. 5. 3. Neither do men put new wine into old bottles All which cannot be fulfilled in the Parochiall Congregations 7. The more time for trying the spirits and proving all things there is lesse danger to that State of errings in things received and authorized and of involving it selfe into the designes of Ecclesiasticall power then which nothing hath sooner broken the Civill power as may be seen in Popish Kingdoms and our late Prelaticall There can be no great danger in the not sudden incorporating the two powers Since Moses is not alive to bring down the just Paterne of the Tabernacle there may a new Star arise which was not seen at first which if we shut up our selves too soone while the smoake is the Temple cannot appeare 8. We have not yet any experiment of our new Clergie who are many of them branches of the old stock and so may weild the Government too much of the Episcopall Faction as the Samaritans did with the Iewish Government because they were not naturall Iews It is not safe trusting a power too far into those hands Our Brethren of Scotland have been more used to the way of Presbytery and may better trust one another upon mutuall experience then we can yet 9. We experience in part some remainders of Prelacy working in many which shewes a constitution not so cleare nor pure as the Disciples of Christ should have then whether it be safe committing the power too suddenly For though I question not but some may be like the ten yet there are others like the two Brethren who strove which should be greatest till the Lord ended the difference It shall not be so amongst you We find the hottest Controversie is now moved about Church-government and there hath been most written and spoken this way and in most violence Now when the contention for power is so much and the Controversie streames most in Government we may soon discerne dispositions Well is it good parting with the stakes yet while there is such quarrelling for them when one party cannot but take it for an injury if wholly given to the other It is to be feared there is too much of man because the bias runs most in these times towards this one truth of government many other are wholly set by which might well be lookt upon with it which if there were not a Principle in man more fitted for a truth of this kind then any other would not be But every truth hath its age and season This only for caution 10. There is no Religion established by State but there is some proportion in the two Powers and some compliancy betwixt the Civill and Ecclesiasticall so as the establishing the one will draw with it some motions in the other And we all see how hazardous it is to disinteresse any in the Civill part even in Kingdomes that are more firme as France where the Protestants are partly allowed their Religion in pay for their Civill engagements and so in other States And sure I am that State is most free where the conscience is least straitned where the Tares and the Wheat grow together till the harvest 11. Our parties or dissenting Brethren being now together and clasped by interest against the common enemy this foundation of common unity is such as may draw in both affections and judgements if not too suddenly determined into Hereticks and Schismaticks It is possible while a Controversie is long suspended and time given for conclusion of things Opinions may be sooner at peace A fire let alone may dye out under that wood which stirred in would kindle it The Contentions of Brethren are like the strong bars of a Castle and a Brother that is offended is harder to be won then a strong City Prov. 18. 19. OBIECTIONS I. BVt the Temple was builded with all speed in Nehemiahs time and therefore c. And Haggai cals to the building Is it time Hag. 1. 4. Answ Yea but the matteriall Patterne was more clearly left and known then the Gospell-patternes The other were more in the letter and these more in the Spirit Now there must be a proving all things else there may be more hast then good speed and the Temple may be built by a false Paterne as well as a true and then better no Building then no right Cedar to build with And there were Prophets then who knew the periods of times and could Prophesie as Haggai and Zechariah but none so exactly now and these knew both the fashion and the time for Building Yet who ought not to hasten the Temple if the Timber be ready and if the Apostles and Prophets be there for a foundation and Iesus Christ for chiefe Corner-ston Ephes. 2. Object II. But Vice Heresies and Schisms will grow too fast Answ So they might have done from Iohns first Sermon to Pauls Epistles and the sending of the Spirit but yet you see there was no Government till after setled upon the people of God And if Heresies stir up their Patrons against the State the Magistrate beares not the Sword in vaine And if morall transgressions let the Magistrate be set on in every place to quicken the Statutes and Preachers every where sent forth to publish the Gospell And what if the Prince of Persia withstand for a while Truth is otherwise armed from heaven Though Satan be in the wildernesse with Christ yet Christ shall conquer It is the Papists and the Prelates Jealousies to keep up their supposed truths by suspecting every thing that appeares for an enemy The Gospell dares walk abroad with boldnesse and simplicity when Traditions of men like melancholy people feare every thing they meet will kill them For the Angell that comes down from heaven hath great power and the earth is lightned with his glory Rev 18. 1. FINIS See in M. Colemans Sermon