Selected quad for the lemma: love_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A42126
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Loyalty essential to Christianity being a sermon preached the thirtieth of June, 1685 upon the occasion of the news of the damnable rebellion in the west and in the course of the constant lecture in the parish church of Dedham in Essex / by Thomas Grey.
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Grey, Thomas.
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1685
(1685)
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Wing G1971; ESTC R23956
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18,382
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32
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were more Acts of Violence Rapine Cruelty Injustice and Irreligion committed in this our Nation during the few years of the prevailing of that Fatal and Execrable Rebellion over us than can be found in all our Histories to have been done by all the Male-Administrations of Government though surveyed with never so much prejudiced Judgments How many among us both in their Persons and Estates do bear those scars that are at once the loud Proclaimers of the Loyalty and Glory of them that wear them and also of the Tyranny and Rage of them that gave them If then it be evident as I think 't is from all has been offered on this particular that Obedience Loyalty and Submission to Governors is the undeniable Interest of Mankind it follows strongly that 't is effectually provided for and secured by the Doctrines of Jesus For the Son of God when he founded his Church by the delivering his Religion to the World that all men and particularly Princes and Governors might not want any sort of motives that might be proper to recommend it to their Love and Protection of it took effectual care by establishing the Duties of men one to another and of all men to their Rulers upon the same forcible Obligations and Penalties that he did those to God himself to secure so persuasive an Argument as that of the Interest of all Societies and Relations of men on the behalf of the Doctrine he was then to establish Fifthly I will go on to prove the truth of my Proposition from one of the Grand Designs and Intendments of Christian Religion in the World to which resisting of Governors is utterly contrary Now one of the great purposes of the Gospel was the establishing of Peace and Charity among men See how it was Prophesied before of the days of the Messiah Isa 11. 6 7 8 9 The Wolf shall dwell with the Lamb and the Leopard shall lye down with the Kid And the Lyon shall eat straw like the Oxe And the Reason is given Ver. 9 For the Earth shall be full of the knowledg of the Lord as the Waters cover the Seas The Author of our Religion is called The Prince of Peace was born in a time of Vniversal Peace and at his Birth the Heavenly Anthem sung by Angels was Peace on Earth Good Will towards or among men When he was going out of the World his Blessing was Peace I leave with you my Peace I give unto you Joh. 14. 27. And while he conversed with his Disciples he makes Charity to become the very Character of a Christian Joh. 13. 35 Hereby shall all men know that you are my Disciples if you have love one to another The whole Institution that he left I mean the Gospel is called the Gospel of Peace He that sent him to reveal it is the God of Peace the Message and Commands it carries do correspond Live peaceably with all men Follow Peace without which no man shall see God is the one half of that which is of so absolute necessity to happiness that it can never be attained without it But how effectually and summarily all this is defeated by resisting of Governors is so plain that it needs no Proof And moreover which was hinted before 't is utterly inconsistent with that temper of mind that Christianity requires in all that pretend to espouse it even Meekness Charity Gentleness and the like All which it requires so strictly and absolutely so universally and without the least colour of exception that 't is impossible for him to be a Hypocrite I mean to be able to pretend to the least shadow of Piety that acts contray to such a temper for he is a notorious opposer of the Religion of Christ in its greatest Fundamentals and in despight of all other Varnishes and Pretences whatever this alone pulls of the Vizard and presents him to the World as a stranger to the efficacy of Christian Principles if he be a Contentious and Vncharitable man Gal. 5. 22 23 The fruit of the spirit i. e. what it certainly works in that mind where it inhabits is Love Peace Long-suffering Gentleness Goodness Meekness c. so many several names being given to the same Essential Virtue of Charity does easily teach us how it delighted the holy kind and charitable Spirit of Jesus to impress such Characters upon all that should own and believe its Revelations And again Col. 3. 12 13 Put on therefore as the Elect of God i. e. as become those that are dear to and highly valued of God bowels of Mercies Kindness Humbleness of mind Meekness Long-suffering these are those parts of our Religion that are so closely recommended to us and that render us highly beloved and esteemed of God because they do constitute in us a God-like temper of mind and make us the Children of our Father which is in Heaven and because the Practise of them renders our Religion truly Glorious and Lovely in the World Now Rebellion and Disobedience to Governors must needs be wholly inconsistent with this temper of mind that is before described forasmuch as it arises from Rancour Discontent Malice Ambition Cruelty Impatience Pride Peevishness and the like evil habits of mind which how well they agree with what the Evangelick Institutes do require and promote in us let all men that know them judg Sixthly Another thing that inevitably concludes for what I have been so earnestly exhorting you to and is a result of what I last named is the consideration of that due submission to and acquiescing in the disposals of Divine Providence concerning us and all we have which we are bound to both by Natural and Revealed Religion I shall not suspect that you do so little understand your Religion as to go about to prove that contentment or a patient abiding the Will of Heaven concerning us is our Duty And a very little of Discourse will shew you how contrary resisting of supream Powers is to all that For Put the case that we be under all the Ills Hardships and Calamities that can be supposed nay and more and greater than can be supposed from our Governors is it not still the Great Ruler of the World that has appointed us this state and if we Contrive and Endeavour to free our selves from it by force of Arms what is it but violent and desperate resisting the Ordinance of God concerning our selves 'T is Rebellion against the Great Monarch of the Vniverse and declining that service he enjoyns us What is it but a wicked Resolve to break the Mighty Course of his Counsels or at best but a fruitless Attempt to free our selves by our own force from that condition of life which not so much his Vice-gerent as he himself has disposed to us 'T is telling the World and God Almighty to his face we will not be as he would have us 'T is a Gyant-like War and no less than an endeavour to fling his Providence out of the Earth which is