Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	church_n	discipline_n	doctrine_n	4,176	5	6.2312	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A62464	A funeral sermon upon the much lamented death of Col. Edward Cook who died in London upon January the 29th. and was buried in the chapple at Highnam near Gloucester, on February the 2d. 1683/4. By Edmond Thorne Master of Arts, and Fellow of Oriel College in Oxford.	Thorne, Edmund.	1684 (1684)	Wing T1057AA; ESTC R222218	33,919	39

it were sure to conclude in utter Extirpation of the Royal Seed and in a Fatal Catastrophe of Blood striving to protect themselves from the Vengeance due for their past offences by committing more And though he fail'd of that Happy success in his Negotiation which himself and good Men would have joyfully embrac'd yet he procured for his own part this immortal Honor That he was at least in good will a true Patron of his languishing affl cted Country a real hearty Servant both to Caesar and his God As Christ the King of Glory will impute the good usage of his Disciples as it were immediately confered upon himself so that a Cup of cold Water on that account shall not loose its Reward So Christs Vicegerent in observance of his Masters Will first granted this penitent a full pardon of all Misdemeanours whatsoever against his Government or his Royal person then graciously returned into his Bosom a showre of thanks for his many kind services towards his Friends that were in distress viz. The Duke of Richmond the Earl of Lindsey and others The Commission which he took up rashly to serve the Parliament being hurried thereunto partly by the importunities of some Familiars partly by want of Judgment and too much heat of Passion which are the general infirmities of Youth upon better advice he laid fairly down withstanding resolutely Cromwels importunate offers of another thus he quite left the Field when he perceived it was nothing else but an Akeldama or Field of true Christian Blood Howbeit he still maintained his interest with the Kings Enemies purposely to serve his Friends in which very Charitable Service he spent most of those Evil days getting some of the Royallists out of Prisons and entering himself into Bonds to keep others out of Chains and Fetters When his Eldest Brothers whole Estate had been seized by the Parliament which yet could find in him no fault at all worthy of such unrighteous dealings unless it were his Loyalty Justice and Equity Pitty and Commiseration for a divided Kingdom and a persecuted Church ready both to be devoured of bloody Vipers in their own Breasts though 't was in his power to have dealt with his beloved Brother as Jacob did with Esau depriving him of his Birthright either by Violence or Fraud Yet he voluntarily chose the better part more becoming a good Christian or a loving Brother of one blood and of the same Houshold of Faith For he proved a brother most faithful in a time of need and was highly concern'd in the Restitution Nor is that all His imcomparable skill in Civil Affairs joyn'd with great integrity and uprightness of Heart loving the Truth and hating Covetousness were Abilities enough to recommend him to many great Persons of Quality The Right Honourable Earl of Abingdons Mother for one which appointed him in their last Wills a Trustee for their Estates and a Guardian to their Children As to the Noble forementioned Earl he discharged himself with so much Honesty that he would accept of nothing more than his labour for his pains Travelling many times for the improvement of that Estate with expences upon his own And God be thanked he saw the good end of all his Journeys and the reward he most of all expected in a just encrease of Wealth and Riches of Honour and Authority of Wisdom and all Heroick Vertues that have made his Lordship more noble or willing shall I say to promote the publick peace and wellfare of his Country Our present most gracious King received a fair specimen of his Allegiance to the Crown from the pains he took at home and abroad for his Majesties Person and his Kingdoms Restauration Ireland And certainly the King had no little confidence in his dextrous Wisdom and sincerity requisite for State-affairs when he gave him a Commission for the settling of a Kingdom and that extreamly divided as well in Religious as in Secular concerns and yet he managed that ambiguous and important Office with so much prudence and equity that he came off with Honour for himself and gave general satisfaction to those persons whose interest were there involved Our prospect hath been hitherto like that of Moses before the Israelites wrapt up under the dark shades and glimmering twilight of a Vail It is now time that we draw the Curtain off and change our Scene though the Stage be still the same we have only observed all this while how this man of Renown hath acted his part in several changes on this unconstant Hypocritical World and that first in respect of himself and then with relation towards his Neighbours of all Ranks and Qualities We come now to survey the more Heavenly part of his Life to the very point of his Decease Thus from the second Table of the Law promulged by Moses and confirmed since by Christ himself we go backwards in order to the first from his Conversation with Men as to Civil matters We pass on to the great business of Religion with a special Reference to God The whole sum and substance of Religion as is contained in the received Articles and Constitutions of our Church is made up of three general parts namely Doctrine Discipline and Government The First is the Formal object of our Christian Faith or Judgment the rest gives us Rules for practice in the external Administrations of our Church The Doctrine is for the most part unchangeable and so far necessary to Salvation that whosoever pertinaciously maintains any thing evidently repugnant or contrary thereunto stands therefore guilty of a damnable Heresie Concerning the Discipline and Government of our Church It cannot be well remembred without grief and anguish of heart what combustoins have been rais'd what havock hath been made upon that account by a certain gang of schismatical factious high-minded men whose Religson tended plainly to Rebellion whose godliness in truth was no more but interest and gain whose faith so much cried up was only fanatick humour and conceit and whose holy discipline allowed of Murder sacriledg and rapine for meritorious and very godly deeds These were the pious men who brought in the Covenant and the Directory from the North like the wild Boar and subtile Fox to devour the Church that Vine of Christ's own planting both Root and Branch Their innovations both in Church and State no better then Extirpation it self were brought on by the power of the Sword and impos'd in such unreasonable Terms as will force all good Christians to renounce their Consciences their King and even their God or else to loose their Fortunes their Liberties and their Lives In this heideous and amazing juncture of Affairs our conscientious good Man as I have heard from his own mouth boldly refused the Covenant in plain Field at the head of Sr. William Wallers Army Thus like little David our valiant Champion defied great Goliah of Gath in the face of the Philistines with undaunted courage and resolution for the God of