Selected quad for the lemma: law_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
law_n	faith_n	justification_n	work_n	32,098	5	6.7418	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A37336	A Declaration by severall Congregationall societies in and about the city of London in way of vindication of themselves touching 1. liberty, 2. magistracy, 3. propriety, 4. polygamie : wherein their judgement concerning the particulars mentioned are tendred to consideration to prevent mis-understanding.		1647 (1647)	Wing D562A; ESTC R26679	9,691	16

their owne proper Spheare or if they shall attempt to doe otherwise miscarriage and disappointment in the undertaking is the best that can rationally be expected Besides if God hath made those instruments and meanes which are spirituall able and sufficient to cure those distempers in men which are of a spirituall nature and offensive onely against a spirituall power and state why should wee thinke that he should institute any other kind of meanes such as is the secular power for the same end for when once God hath found one kind of meanes fit for his hand to accomplish his end by he is not wont to constitute another for the same purpose Upon which Principle of truh the Apostle builds a great assertion accompanied with an asseveration for saith he if there had been a Law given which could have given life verily Righteousnesse should have been by the Law f Gal. 3.21 If the Law had been given by God for that end that men might be justified by it he would then never have instituted another way and meanes such as is that which is by faith for the same purpose And therefore we conceive that we may with the same raeson and truth assert that if God hath instituted and made a spirituall power and spirituall Engines and Instruments effectuall for all spirituall purposes the affirmative whereof is before proved then he hath not superadded another power and meanes and that of an inseriour nature such as is that which is but secular for the same end How ever God being at liberty doth in his providence sometimes make use of other meanes such as are afflictions c. together with his spiritual institutions for the production of spirituall effects yet confident we are that he hath confined men to instituted rules onely for the promotion of spirituall things appertaining to spirituall and instituted worship But as the Apostles when they preached the Doctrine of justification by faith alone excluding the workes of the Law as having no part nor fellowship in that matter were cryed out upon as destroyers of the Law though in other respects and such as were proper to the Law they were the great assertors of it even so while we doe but goe about by way of debate and argument to keepe and preserve the Civill power within its due and proper bounds distinct and unconfounded with that power which is quite of another nature we are exclaimed against by some who have the boldnesse to affirme or the weaknesse to beleeve as if wee were enemies to all Magistracy and Government and as if wee intended to throw downe those hedges that are set about mens estates and to lay both the one and the other common Though the truth is wee have been and resolve to be as faithfull assertors and zealous maintainers to our power both of Magistracy and just Government and of the Liberty of mens persons and propriety of their estates to speake without vanitie as any other men whosoever Magistra●● necessary And therefore wee declare in the first place That man beingfallen from that uprightnesse and perfection in which at first he was created and being now so farre from being commanded by principles of love goodnesse meeknesse mercy sobriety and equity as that hee is filled with lustfull inclinations and dispositions to Fornication Adultery drunkennesse extortion fraud reviling theft murder witchcraft perjurie and to defile himselfe with man-kind together with many other lamentable distempers unto the truth wherof both the word of God and daily experience will abundantly witnesse Wee cannot but apprehend an absolute necessity both of Governours and Government to bridle and restraine men from falling ●oule one upon another and from doing things destructive not onely to the honour and rights but even to the safety and beings of others Eor whilst those noysome 1 Tim. 1. 9 10. lusts doe rage and raigne in men what other thing can be Imagined sufficient to guard the persons the honour and estates of men from suffering violence but the sword of the Magistrate And therefore looke what necessitie there is for men to enjoy themselves in safety and honour the same necessity there is of Lawes and Governours And as Magistracy and government in generall is the Ordinance of God which he in love to the world hath appointed for the good of men Rom. 13. 1 2. 4. 2. And as we doe not disapprove any forme of Civill government which hath a direct tendancie and subordination to its proper end so we doe freely acknowledge that a Kingly government bounded by just and wholsome Lawes is both allowed by God Pet. 2. 3 14. and a good accommodation unto men 3. And however it be a thing very desirable to have such to bee Sam. 23. 3. governours as feare the Lord in as much as together with their morall principles they are under the solemne engagement of Christianity to execute Judgement and Justice and faithfully to discharge their trust and will be more readie to protect godly men who generally are the hatred of world and to propagate the Gospell in their territories then other men will be ye● whatever the Magistrate is in point of Religion he is to be reverenced and obeyed in all those commands of his which doe not intrench upon or rise up in opposition to the commands of God or fall crosse to the common interest of men the maintenace whereof is his and in his charge And in as much as variety of actions and unanimity in endeavours are necessary in the management of publique affaires And since every man is not a like qualified for the same action nor hath that discretion and propension of his owne accord to fall into that place which is most proper for him and since also there is so much darknesse remaining in the mindes of men as to make them subject to call evill good and good evill and so much pride in their hearts as to make their owne wills a Law not unto themselves onely but unto others also it cannot but be very prejudiciall to humane society and the promotion of the good of Commonwealths Cities Armies or families to admit of a parity or all to be equall in power Because there being in this case a Liberty for every man to follow the dictates of his own understanding and to act as he pleaseth in reference to the Publique what can be expected but disorders confusions jealousies factions yea Civill warres themselves For as mens apprehesinons of the common interest but especially their opinions of the conduciblenesse of means thereunto are almost infinitely various and contradictious to each other so is it naturall for them to indulge their owne opinions and violently to pursue even unto blood their own meanes which seeme only to themselves to be such and that in opposition to those means which in the eye of wiser men and in themselves are such indeed And therfore we cannot but conclude that the ranging of men into severall