Selected quad for the lemma: law_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
law_n	day_n	holy_a	keep_v	7,331	5	6.2245	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A26859	Richard Baxters answer to Dr. Edward Stillingfleet's charge of separation containing, I. some queries necessary for the understanding of his accusation, II. a reply to his letter which denyeth a solution, III. an answer to his printed sermon : humbly tendred, I. to himself, II. to the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor and the court of aldermen, III. to the readers of his accusation, the forum where we are accused.; Answer to Dr. Edward Stillingfleet's charge of separation. 1680	Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691.	1680 (1680)	Wing B1183; ESTC R10441	92,845	104

above all and Worship him according to his Word and Honour his Name and keep holy his day whoever forbid it And that we must Love our Neighbour as our selves and help to save him as we may 7. I believe that I must love my self and seek the saving of my Soul though the Law forbad me in matter of right I have told you what Bishop Bancroft saith of the old Nonconformists forming Churches and Discipline The Canon against Conventicles thence occasioned confuteth you I have heard old Nonconformists preach constantly publickly and privately against Law I was familiar with many of them I never knew one of the mind you mention Most of them did preach themselves that ever I heard of If Mr. Rathband had denied this it had been no Proof Mr. Ash that is one of them there and Mr. Slator both Preached at Bremicham long Mr. Pateman at Moseley c. Multitudes I could name And yet a man that knew them not is certain that all the Nonconformists of former times had contrary Doctrine I was in 1638. and 1639. accounted one of them though I used the Liturgie which most of them did not I knew them better than you did I have named many in my first Plea whose Practice proveth your great Error in that History where you say you are certain § 16. To your fourth Question An Obligation may be called the same 1. Quoad terminum 2. Quoad gradum 3. Quoad modum obligandi 4. Quoad realitatem 1. The Apostles had an obligation to assert Christs Resurrection as eye-witnesses and to record his Doctrine and Laws infallibly in Scripture and to many things proper to them which we have not But we are obliged to the work of our proper Office 2. The Apostles had greater obligations then we by more immediate Call and special gift of the Spirit and special Commission and Command when ours are lower but firmly binding us 3. The Apostles were obliged by Christs immediate mission and Commission and we but by his ordinary instituted means But we are as truly bound to our Duty as they to theirs 2. And our Duty is to preach the Gospel to those without and those within according to our Power and opportunity and to do the rest of our Office when we can And though we are called to this without supernatural Inspiration Vision or Miracle being called we are as truly obliged as Parents Husbands Princes are to their Duties It is not lawful to look back when we have put our hands to Christs Plow nor perfidiously to break our Ordination Vow nor to be negligent or treacherous Non-residents Pluralists or slothful nor to obey men more than God though we were not called immediately or by Miracle 3. If the Magistrate appoint 20000 or 1000 or one half a Parish to be excluded for want of Room and Teachers it 's ill supposed that the Gospel is truly and sufficiently preached to them to whom it is not preached at all And that it is Preached to others proveth it not unnecessary to them 4. He that only readeth the Gospel truly preacheth it But Souls have need of more Pastoral help than bare true preaching 5 Ignorant wicked men in England can no more be saved than Heathens and have need of convincing skilful serious Preaching as well as they Your wondring at our allegation of the Apostle's words and great confidence in so sad a Cause sets me almost above wondring at any thing that you say Timothy was not called immediately by Christ who had that dreadful Charge to preach in season and out of season The Universal Church long judged otherwise of this case than you do And not only Bishop Bilson but I think almost all Christian Writers Protestants and Papists herein follow the ancient Church against you The Nonconformists and others easily grant what I said before That no one Apostle might be silenced by man but deserving Ministers that do more hurt than good by their Ministry may be silenced by Christian Magistrates But not the Churches Edification oppugned and 2000 faithful men silenced for not sinning on pretence of a power to judge or execute § 17. My Question implieth 1. That every man is most concerned for his own Soul and hath a prior obligation to secure it which the King cannot dispense with 2. And That every man hath nearer helps to know what is good or hurtful to his Soul in doubtful Cases than the King that never saw him hath 3. And every man is like to love himself more than the King loveth him 4. And That the King can no more bind him to hurt or famish or endanger his Soul than his Health in Diet. But the King must give men all the helps that he can and set up and maintain sufficient publick Teachers and drive the ignorant and profane to hear and learn and promote Order and Concord and hinder Unpeaceableness and Disorder by just means But I have so fully declared the Magistrate's Work in my Book of Concord that I will not repeat it on this slight occasion Separations must be prevented by right means I had no Separatists in a great Congregation for fourteen years though many Sects strongly and often tempted them no not one Separate Meeting all that time and this without force What harm will it do me or them if my Hearers go from me as you say to Dr. O? Our whole Country where I lived almost kept Concord and kept out Separation without the Magistrates constraint Experience is not easily confuted Why then do you tell me of what I have written against Separation when you may see that I contradict none of this and when that writing with my other Endeavours served without the Rulers Sword I had three Justic● always at hand that would have done for me what they could at any time I never desired one act of force from them I allowed Quakers and Anabaptists publick Disputes half a day together They never won one Man or Woman by it Mr. Tombes his great Parts and Interest with his Flock and Kindred could get but about twenty four or less than thirty Anabaptists at Bewdeley Almost all the rest of the Country was free save a few inconsiderable Quakers at Worcester and a small Village or two The like was then done without force in many other Counties § 18. I told you how necessary the resolving of the Questions which I sent you was to my Conviction And I will not provoke you by giving that Name to your denyal of an Answer to them which I think impartial Readers will give it I. Will other men believe that he doth well to deny me the definition of that National Church which he writeth of or to tell me whether he speak of a Lay or a Clergie Government who writes his wonder that I should say I know not what they mean by the National Church How can I know whom to obey or when I separate from the Form of Government if I know not what it

go to seek him in another Parish where he dwells when ever we need a Pastor's Councel were he at Leisure and willing he could not have time to speak to one of an Hundred that might at once wait to speak with him So that we have none of this necessary Pastoral Help when we greatly need it Yea not the Sixth or Tenth Part of the Parish can come to Hear him in the Church And when We that most desire it get in it troubleth us to think that we thereby keep out those that least desire it but most need it who knowing the Difficulty of getting Room do stay at Home and never seek it So that Five Parts of Six of our Neighbours use not to go to any Church at all no more than Infidels And if in pity we perswade them to go to any Nonconformist's Meeting they say the Clergy will Damn them as Schismaticks The Question now is Whether Ten Thousand or Twenty Thousand in a Parish are bound to live without all Private Pastoral Help and Councel yea and to forbear all Publick Worshipping of God and Hearing of his Word And if they seek Relief of Nonconforming Ministers Publickly and Privately Whether it be Sinful Separation If Men can spare the Ministry Why are they Maintained If they are needful for the Safety of Mens Souls Must so many Thousands hazard their Souls for want of needful Help lest they be called Separatists If the Dean of St. Pauls be called the Parson of the Parish and Preach to others that can Hear him Will that serve the Needs of all the rest XX. In Moscovie where a Christian Prince and the Laws forbid all Preaching and Publick Worship save the Reading of Homilies and Liturgies Is it Separation and Sinful Schism to Disobey this and otherwise to Preach and Worship God XXI Is it Schism in France and such other Countries for the Protestants to Meet to Preach and Worship God against the Wills of the King and Bishops It 's true that great Sin is necessarily thus avoided by them which are not Imposed upon us But if it prove that any Sin is made necessary to Communion the Degree will not much vary the Case as to the Point of Separation XXII In divers Countries the Prince is of one Religion or Mode of Religion and the Bishops of another The Question is Who are the Schismaticks the People that in their Assemblies and Mode of Worship do ●ollow the Prince or they that follow the Bishops Some great Writers for Conformity tell me That if the King Command one Liturgy Translation Version Ceremony c. and the Bishop another I must obey the Bishop before the King Others say I must Obey the King before the Bishop of which before Bishop Goodman of Glocester a Papist complaineth of the King that would not consent that Clergy-Men should be Chancellours And I speak with no Bishop that disowneth not Lay-Chancellours Use of the Keys The Helvetian Magistrates are Erastians against the Clergies Power of Excommunication Many of the Pastors are of the Contrary Judgment The Duke of Brandenburgh is a Calvinist His Bishops and Clergy are Lutherans Which Party are the Schismatick XXIII Were all those Separating Schismaticks who from the Apostles Dayes did Meet Preach and Worship God against the Will and Laws of Princes sometimes of Heathen Princes and sometimes of Christians Constantine Valens Theodosius the Second Anastasius Zeno Justinian c. If so most Christian Bishops have been such Separatists I have in my First Plea and my Church-History given Instances enough XXIV Is it Schism or Sinful Separation to Disobey a Command about Religion which no Man hath true Authority to Give Authority is the Objectum Formale of Obedience and where there is no Authority there is no Disobedience in a formal Sense or privative Most Politicks say That Princes have no Authority against the Common Good All Power of Princes and Pastors is of God and is for Edification and not for Destruction God giveth no Power against Himself or his Laws nor the Souls of Men. If the King should Command me to Marry a Wife whom I know to be intolerably unmeet for me or to Feed my self and Family with Food which I find to be against our Health or to use a Physician whose Ignorance or Negligence or Untrustiness would endanger my Life I am not bound to Obey him both because it is a Matter that is without the Verge of his Governing Authority and because it is against the End of Government Regal Power destroyeth not Family-Power nor Personal Interest and Self-Government No Man hath Power to Destroy or Endanger the Souls of Men nor forbid them seeking their own Edification and Salvation I Repeat Bishop Bilson's Words p. 236. of Subjection Princes have no Right to Call or Confirm Preachers but to Receive such as be Sent of God and give them Liberty for their Preaching and Security for their Persons And if Princes Refuse so to do God's Labourers must go forward with that which is Commanded them from Heaven Not by Disturbing Princes from their Thrones nor Invading their Realms as your Father doth and defendeth he may do but by mildly Submitting themselves to the Powers on Earth and meekly Suffering for the Defence of the Truth what they shall Inflict Pag. 399. The Election of Bishops in those Dayes belonged to the People and not to the Prince And though by plain Force he placed Lucius there yet might the People lawfully Reject him as no Bishop and cleave to Peter their Right Pastor On this I further ask XXV If the Nonconforming People can prove That notwithstanding the times of Civil Usurpation and Bishops Removal their Pastors had a Lawful Call and title to their Office over them and they were truly obliged to them as in that just Relation Whether the Magistrates or Bishops Acts have made those Relations and Obligations Null That the Temples and Tythes are in the Magistrates Power we doubt not But more than Bishop Bilson even many Councils deny it of the Office and Pastoral Relation Yea the Universal Church was of the same mind And if so how prove you e. g. that the Relation of the Ejected London Ministers and their Flocks was Dissolved and that the Succeeders were true Pastors to the Non-consenting Flocks XXVI That there are Alas Multitudes of Young Raw Injudicious besides Scandalous Priests no Man can deny that knoweth England and hath any Modesty If then honest People that are not willing to be Damned shall say We best know what is suitable to our Needs and what Teachers profit us and what not And we find that some are so Ignorant that they are unmeet as Plowmen to resolve the most concerning Cases of Conscience and their Conversation savoureth not of any serious belief of Christianity and the World to come and they do but Read a few dry words like School-Boyes saying a Weak Oration without Life or Seriousness and we can but little profit by them How prove you

Worship to all save a few thousands Is Authority vain unless all the rest turn like to Atheists No good Christian should obey the Popes Interdicts of whole Kingdoms though he had as much Authority as the King A power to damn souls is a frightful word 2. Either the supposition that it is unjust is true or false If false it will not justifie their Preaching If true either his Preaching is necessary or unnecessary If it be necessary we must obey God and disobey man as Grosthead saith by an obedient disobedience If it be unnecessary though the Magistrate sin I must forbear there and go to some place where I may preach without doing more hurt than good So that Controversie●ieth ●ieth but in this Whether the Preaching of the 2000 silenced Ministers was unnecessary and tended to do more hurt than good And this is all that Mr. Rathband or any sober Nonconformist meant And this is plain truth though the best of your Hearers and Readers or your self contradict it § 15. And whereas you say This I am certain is contrary to the Doctrine of all the Nonconformists of former times your Assertion is so rash and false in matters of notorious Fact that it weakneth my reverence of your Judgment change his dwelling And in London Lodgers may change frequently If I know those called Puritans better than you I must profess that I believe of the two it is more the Preacher and his Preaching which maketh the difference with them than the Liturgie For my part I seldom hear any but very good well studied Sermons in the Parish Churches in London where I have been But most of them are more sitted to well bred Schollars or judicious hearers than to such as need more Practical Subjects and a more plain familiar easie mode And it is not your Reasoning that will bring all Appetites to the same Food nor make the same Books serve every form I have always found that such conformable Preachers as were Mr. Bolton Mr. Fenner Mr. Whately Bishop Vsher c. Were flockt after by those called Puritans as much as the Non-conformists But when they find all together 1. That the worship and the preaching is more suitable to their good 2. And that their Souls have need of much other Pastoral help than publick 3. And doubt of the calling of obtruded men no wonder if they prefer the other § 10. But you lay the stress on the Prohibition of the Law which the greatness or smallness of the Parish doth not make more or less Lawful Ans God hath commanded all Christians ordinarily to Learn and Worship him under the Conduct of his Institution all Christians grant this No man hath Power to forbid this All Law that forbiddeth it is of no Obligation In a Parish where 10000 20000 40000 cannot come within the Church to hear if they have no other place to go to they must forbear all publick Learning and Worship So that the English of your Words is that if the Law forbid the most of the People all Publick Learning and worship of God it is there as unlawful for any to Congregate against that Law as where there is no such need But 1. I again tell you Councils Doctors and the Universal Church thought otherwise and abhor'd this Doctrine 2. Why will you not give us one word of proof but your naked Authority to prove such Authority in the Magistrate and to satifie us what Rulers have it and how far it reacheth Hath the King enabled Justices to depose him or cast down his Honour or Prerogative Hath God given Magistrates Authority to damn as many Souls as they will by keeping them from the means of knowledge Faith and Holiness and to forbid his Subjects to Worship God Did Robert Grosthead of Lincoln take this to be the greatest Sin save Antichrists and do you take it for an Act Authoriz'd Is it unlawful to preach when forbidden or worship God when forbidden at Japon Indostan China Turkie France c. or only in England and where § 11. Yet do you conclude I wonder a person of your sagacity should think to satisfie your self or others by such slight evasions as these which scarce any of my Auditors or Readers how mean so ever their Capacities were but could discern the weakness of them Answ 1. O pity then the frailty of human understanding I get nothing by it if I err but my great labour and the hazard of my Salvation by Sin It must needs be then against my will and is none of my size to be endured How few Congregations are so happy as yours if all your Auditors are so much wiser but 1. Be the thousands of your Parish as wise that hear you not 2. How come some that I thought the wisest that I know of your Auditors to say as I say and lament your Case Reader you see here that it must be somewhat better than the confidence of Teachers that must guide and secure the peoples Faith This Reverend Man you see is most confident of the strength of his Reasons and the slightness of mine And I am so far past doubt on the other side as that I think he overthroweth all Religion and seteth up Man in open Rebellion against God He may as well wonder that I take any thing to be of Divine command If all Publick Worship is sinful when forbidden all Private may be so too Daniel may go to the Lyons The Martyrs Fathers Councils the Universal Church are all foolisher than the meanest of his Auditors It 's strange that he can be sure Gods Word is true and yet be so sure that Mens Laws are above it and may suspend it when yet Mens Laws have no more strength than Gods Laws give them 1. I believe that the spirit of God hath said Forsake not the assembling of your selves together know them that labour among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you and esteem them very highly in Love for their work sake 1 Thess 5. 12. 13. That have spoken to you the word of God that watch for your Souls Heb. 13. 17 24. How shall they hear without a Preacher c. Rom. 10. 2. I believe that where the Gospel is hid it is hid to them that are lost And without knowledge the Heart is not good and without Faith there is no Salvation and that it is Life Eternal to know God in Christ 3. Therefore they that forbid Men to hear and worship God Publickly forbid what God commandeth and what is ordinarily needful to Salvation 4. I believe that God is Almighty the highest Universal King and we are all his Subjects and the Scripture is his Law 5. I believe that there is no Power but from him and that he hath given none against him or his Laws nor above him and that Man is not God and that we must obey God rather than Man when they Contradict 6. I believe that we must Love Fear and Serve God