Selected quad for the lemma: law_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
law_n	king_n	power_n	subject_n	18,588	5	7.0694	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A96361	Pantheologia or the summe of practical divinity practiz'd in the wilderness, and delivered by our Saviour in his Sermon on the Mount. Being observations upon the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh chapters of St Matthew. To which is prefixed a prolegomena or preface by way of dialogue, wherein the perfection and perspicuity of the Scripture is vindicated from the calumnies of Anabaptists and Papists. By Tho. White B.L. minister of Gods word at Anne Aldersgate, London.	White, Thomas, minister of St. Anne's, Aldersgate.	1653 (1653)	Wing W1806; Thomason E1466_1; ESTC R208673	167,277	207

cast thee into prison yet thou art bound to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to bear him no ill will but to pray for him as you have it in this Chapter 7. The adversary as I suppose here meant is one that sues thee for debt for there are but two things for which we sue injuries debts if thou hast injured thy brother the former advice is proper If thou remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee go thy wayes and be reconciled unto him if he sues thee for debt Make an agreement with him is more proper then Be reconciled for oft times one may sue thee who is not at all fallen out with thee Again that here is meant one that sues thee for debt appears by this that it is said Thou shalt not come out thence before thou hast paid the uttermost farthing 8. Some will not have this saying to be meant at all literally but That we having by our sins made God our adversary we ought quickly while we live before death come to agree with him lest c. the rest of the allusion is easily made up they say that it is not convenient that Christ would descend so low as to give directions against the remporal damages which come by Law-suits Yet I conceive that it may be meant literally 1. Because else the words can have no coherence with the former or if that were made by invention of wit and learning what but may be made to cohere to any thing yet surely their reason doth not hold for Christ speaks of lower things then of the mischiefs that come by going to Law for where he speaks of upper rooms he tels them and bid● them take the lowest room not that Christ intended to teach man how to be honoured by men which he in other places blames but to shew them how absurd they are and how contrary waies they take for the accomplishing of the ends they aim at for if the world be honoured they should do quite contrary to what they did so here he shews that the vain hopes of prevailing in the suit should not make us go on in our suit but agree c. lest that is he may prevail so as to deliver thee to the Judge the Judge may c. 9. Do not say he will and doth demand too much 1. Consider thou maist lose the cause be the cause never so just for bribes and other things may carry the cause against justice 2. The charges of the suit will haply be more then the terms he proposeth for agreement 3. The vexations and troubles of the suit are very considerable 4. The time thou spendest is very precious thou maist spend it far better 5. The sins of uncharitablenesse of thee towards him and of him towards thee are of the greatest moment which haply thou dost least consider 10. I shall not exclude the other interpretation which is made more likely to be the meaning of the words because our Saviour saith Verily I say unto thee thou shalt not come out c. for our Saviour doth not so earnestly affirm any thing which doth not concern things greater then earthly things are and indeed that which doth make me incline to that interpretation not onely as one but as the onely interpretation is that whatsoever our Saviour so earnestly affirms is universally and in every particular true whereas it is not in every particular true that every one who hath not agreed with their adversary but hath been cast into prison hath been made to pay the uttermost farthing and it holds true of every one that is cast into hell therefore now of the words in that sense 11. We are wished to agree with him for there is no question but he will agree with us for he wisheth us to agree with him and we do not use to wish any to agree with us if we are unwilling to agree with him 12. No sinner doth agree with God not in his opinions for he cals evil good and good evil truth falshood and falshood truth nor in his actions for he doth that which is contrary to his law which is his will and surely that which agrees not with that straight rule must needs be crooked 13. Thou seest thou art to expect from God a legal proceeding he is thine adversary not thine enemy If you shall say that it is all one to have an arbitrary government as for him that governs to make the laws whereby he governs I answer 1. That it is not for if there are laws to rule us and he that rules will observe them then one knows what to do to avoid punishment whereas if the Government were purely arbitrary then no man knows what he is to do or suffer if there are no laws that set it down If you shall say that all Gods Laws as all his Works are made for the advancement of his own glory and prerogative I answer That God creating all things so making all his Laws so that his great Name that is his Attributes may be known and magnified as all his works are created so that his goodnesse to the creature is more apparent then any other of his Attributes and as Gods wisdome in the works of the creation is wholly imployed his power in creating every part of every creature so that it may be most for the profit of the creatures and every creature so that it may best serve for the use of the whole creation so he hath made his Laws so that they may be for the greatest behoof of man for God seeks the glory of his goodnesse and would have his goodnesse magnified as much if not more then his power or wisdome therefore he doth not magnifie his power onely but to those that first have despised his goodnesse If a King did account the liberty welfare and prosperity of his Subjects his greatest honour if this King were wiser then all his Subjects an arbitrary Government were absolutely best for the people and that none should make Laws but the King thus it is with God Quickly whiles thou art in the way 1. We must not delay for these reasons 1. Because if thou dost not do it now thou maist never do for it must be done whiles thou art in the way and thou dost not know how soon thou maist be at thy journeys end how soon thy life may come to an end 2. Because it so much concerns thee if thou dost not agree thou shalt be delivered to the Judge and the Judge will deliver thee c. 2. Observe that thy life is very short or very uncertain to be long for else it should not be said quickly while thou art in the way if we were sure to be a long time in the way 3. It seems that there is no agreement but while we are in the way for the reason implied is that if we do not quickly we may be past our being travailers and if so then no agreement will be accepted and so

other faithfull Ministers any longer then while the Word last or that Timothy need preach no more after once Paul had been with him and indeed in common sense if I bid a man stay in a place untill I come I do not then bid him go away but rather stay longer that I may speak with him or do something else when I come So Saint Peter bidding the dispersed Hebrews attend to the Word till the Day dawn doth not bid them then cast away the Word or leave it off but however he would have them attend to it till that time and then afterward they will of themselves attend it without his exhortation nay 't is observable that in that very place he preferres the Word before the sight if the transfiguratioin of Christ so that the Word hath the precedence ev'n of Revelation hnd Visions But because that this point will be shortly so exactly cleared I will omit further pursuing of it Papists You speak concerning the reading of Scriptures as if that were the way to keep people from errour Whereas indeed that hath been the cause of all the errors of these times that every one hath been suffred to reade and expound the Scripture People should stand to the determination and traditions of the Church Authour 1. That every one ought to reade the Scripture and not only Clergy-men as you call them but all others is so evident that there is no way for you to keep men from beleeving this truth but by keeping of them from reading the Scripture Deut. 6.7 and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thy house and when thou walkest by the way and when thou liest down and when thou risest up and thou shalt binde them for a sign upon thine hand and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes 'T is evident that the King is commanded to have as much of the Scripture by him as then was written and he shall reade therein all the daies of his life that he may learn the fear of the Lord his God to keep all the words of this Law and these Statutes to do them and Ps 1.3 Joh. 5.39 1 Thes 5.27 Eph. 3.3 4. Neh. 8.2 3 4 5. Act. 15.21 Rev. 1.2 2 Ki. 23.3 Deu. 31.11 Rom. 1.7 Act. 8.28 But if you would not have us to reade the Scriptures how would you have us know the Truths of God Papists The Priests lips are to preserve knowledge and they should seek the Law at his mouth Authour The words are The Priests lips should preserve knowledge it shews their duty what they should do but 't is apparent in the next verse that they did not do so Ye have departed out of the way ye have caused many to stumble and how frequently doth the Apostle say Judge what I say Try all things 2 Tim. 2.7 1 Thes 5.21 We having spoken just before that we should not despise Prophecy he subjoyns That we should not idolize Prophecy neither by taking every thing upon trust that is preached Papists But it shows a great deal of arrogance and pride for poor common ignorant people to question the doctrine of the learned and pious Ministers especially when 't is not only the judgement of one but of more Ministers especially of such as have been approved it is fit for them to judge of the exposition of Scriptures Authour It is very convenient and necessary they should so do and certainly such shall have praise of God for 't is plain the Scripture praiseth the Bereans for doing so Act. 17.11 Paul an Apostle and Sylas an Evangelist preached among them But they took not their Doctrine upon trust but preached the Scriptures to see whether those things were so and though they found that to be true which they preached according to the Word of God this day yet they examined their preaching this day also and so toties quoties and these Bereans clearly are commended for thus doing nor doth this argue any unwillingness in us to receive what is preached nor dislike of the doctrine for the Bereans did receive it with all readinesse of minde though they like the doctrines never so well as t is plain they did for they heard it with all readinesse of minde yet they durst not receive it before they had examined whether 't was according to the word of God or no and suppose our Trachers should misguide us 't is evident that not only they but we should perish with them Matth. 15.14 Papists But I must return again to that which is so apparent that it cannot be denied but that in these times wherein every one hath been suffered to reade and expound the Scriptures as they please errours heresies and blasphemies have more abounded then ever they did Authour I grant that for every one to be suffered to divulge and preach the Expositions must needs be a certain means of propagating and multiplying errors But the fault is not in their reading and knowing but it proceeds from their ignorance of the Scriptures for our Saviour plainly sets down that to be the reason of our erring and the taking things upon the credit of our Teachers only our Saviour sets down to be the reason of so many errors among the Jews How many times doth our Saviour say in Mat. 5. You have heard that 't was said whereas indeed there was no such thing spoken in the Word of God Papists But how is it possible that simple ignorant people should understand wherein there are such depths that the learnedest man in the world cannot fully understand Authour Can any one imagine that the Scripture was writ only for learned men and great Scholars many things there are hard to be understood there is no question of it but those things that are necessary to salvation are plain Certainly the Scripture it self saith so Pro. 1.4 that 't was written for that purpose to give the young and ignorant understanding and the Scripture commands to buy the Truth and the ignorant man hath a price in his hand the fault is not in his head but heart and he that hath any understanding wisedom is easie to him Prov. 17.16 even very children might learn it Deut. 6.7 and the Apostle saith If the Gospel be hid 't is hid to them that perish whether they be learned or unlearned And if for that reason men should not reade the Scriptures because they savingly understand them not and abuse the Scriptures to the maintaining of heresies then the reading of Scripture should be also prohibited to learned men for the poor receive the Gospel or are Gospelliz'd as the word signifies and God doth reveal the Mysteries of salvation to those that are simple and hides them to the wise Mat. 11.25 and the greatest hereticks that ever were were not simple but learned men 3. If those that are simple and unlearned must not reade the Scripture this as if those that were sick should not use Physick