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	doctrine_n	worship_n	3,910	5	7.2192	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91739	Divine efficacy without humane power. Opened in a sermon preached at St. Margarets Church in Westminster before the Right Honourable the House of Commons, June 28. 1660. Being the day of solemne thanksgiving for the happy return of the Kings Majesty. / By Edward Reynolds D.D. and chaplain in ordinary to his Majesty.	Reynolds, Edward, 1599-1676.	1660 (1660)	Wing R1246; Thomason E988_27; ESTC R203408	21,066	55

DIVINE EFFICACY WITHOUT HUMANE POWER Opened in a SERMON Preached at St. Margarets Church in Westminster before the Right Honourable the House of COMMONS June 28. 1660. Being the day of solemne Thanksgiving for the happy Return of the Kings Majesty By EDWARD REYNOLDS D. D. And Chaplain in ordinary to his Majesty LONDON Printed by Tho. Ratcliffe for George Thomason at the Rose and Crown in St. Paul's Church-yard 1660. Friday 29th June 1660. Ordered THat the thanks of this House be given to Dr. Reynolds for his great paines in preaching and carrying on the work of publick Thansgiving before the House at Saint Margarets Church Westminster yesterday and he is desired to Print his Sermon then preached and is to enjoy like Priviledges in Printing as hath been allowed to others in like Cases And Mr. Pryn is desired to acquaint him herewith and to give him the thanks of this House accordingly W. Jessop Cl. of the Commons House of Parliament TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE COMMONS OF ENGLAND IN PARLIAMENT Assembled Right Honourable IT may justly seem strange unto you That when Joy is one of the swiftest affections of the soule and of all other most impatient of suppression This Sermon preached before you on one the greatest solemnities of Joy that this Nation hath seen should have yielded such slow and lingring obedience unto your commands and like Cushi should come last with the tyings of a Restored King for which I have no other Apology to make but this That the joy of one Service did retard the hast of another For having together with some other of my Reverend Brethren received a command from his Sacred Majesty whose heart is zealously set upon healing the breaches and divisions which are in the Church of God amongst us to draw up some materials towards so happy a work and finding That in papers of such a nature brought under the view of different judgments wherein every clause yea many times single words and particular expressions prove the subject of long debates it is impossible to make such dispatch as otherwise the urgency of the design doth passionately call for the necessary and constant attendance upon that service did put for a time a suspension upon the obedience which I was ready much sooner to have yielded unto your Commands for publishing this Sermon It is now at last by Gods assistance come forth and sheweth how easily the Spirit and providence of God can erect his Temple and provide for the Interests of his Truth and Worship though the instruments of it be utterly destitute of humane power It is indeed an happy thing when they who have power will exert it for God and lay it out upon the service of his House But though they should want hands or hearts to build the Church God hath ever a residue of Spirit to advance his own work by and knows how to infatuate all Counsels and to dissipate all enterprizes and machinations which are framed against it Our eyes have seen how easie it is with God to dissolve and demolish the most cunningly erected structure which either policy could contrive or power support and that with a still voice and in a silent way without so much as drawing a Sword or striking a blow to effect it How he can do things which we looked not for by rebuking seas and levelling mountaines and melting Armes and scattering the beasts of the reeds and making a plain and sudden way through insuperable difficulties to bring home our DREAD SOVERAIGN to his Throne and Native Dominions again And he who hath wrought wonders for us in these our Civil concernments can do the like for his Church the Interests whereof are of all things on the Earth dearest unto him and the welfare and happinesse whereof all the Earthquakes and Concussions which have beene amongst us do call aloud unto you to looke after aad to be tender of When the Lord shakes heaven and Earth Churches and States it is to make way for him who is the Desire of all Nations If Christ and the Glory of his holy Ordinances and spiritual worship be not more exalted If the sonnes of Levi be not purified that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousnesse if the House of God be not purged of corruptions if pompe and splendor and terrene interests be the things most passionately prosecuted and the vitals and essentials of Religion the great things of the Law purity of Doctrine spiritualnesse of Worship power of Godliness but in the second place regarded If we be zealous for mint and cummin and philacteries and precepts of men and have not a proportionable fervour of zeale for the Magnalia Dei Certainly God will yet reckon with us and call us to an account for all the blood which hath been shed for all the Treasure which hath been exhausted for all the Judgements and mercies for all the providences and wonders which have been expended upon us I speak not this to accuse but onely to awaken not to charge but onely to beseech you to consider whether the Lord do not expect That after such vicissitudes of wonders as we have seen especially having inclined the heart of our GRACIOUS SOVERAIGN unto moderate healing and Reforming Resolutions you should together with him take up the same purposes to make the Church of Christ amongst us more holy and happy then ever it was before For certainly never any Parliament had greater advantages to promote Religion than you have I shall conclude this Dedication and addresse unto you with the words of Azariah the Prophet unto Asa The Lord is with you while you be with him and if you seek him he will be found of you but if ye forsake him he will forsake you The Lord shine upon all your Counsels From my Study July 24. 1660. Your Honours most humbly and devoted in all duty and obedience EDW. REYNOLDS DIVINE EFFICACY WITHOUT HVMANE POWER Opened in a Sermon Preached at St. Margarets Church in Westminster before the Right Honourable the House of COMMONS June 28. 1660. ZACH. 4. 6. Then he answered and spake unto me saying This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel saying Not by might nor by power but by my Spirit saith the Lord of Hosts IN the former part of the Chapter we have a Vision of a golden Candlestick with a Bowle and seven Lamps and Pipes and two Olive Trees on either side of the Bowle out of which the Candlestick was supplied with Oyle The Prophet being prepared by an humble sense and confession of his own ignorance to receive fuller instruction concerning it is by the Angel in these words acquainted with the minde of God therein Teaching us by the way not to despond or be discouraged by the difficulty of the Scriptures from the studying of them but to be humbled under the sense of our own blindness and

great persons whose dignities do as well call for our veneration as their consciences for our fidelity we must be so true to their souls as that we be not rude and uncivil to their persons Meek and humble preaching in this case especially is like a fall of snow unto which Homer compares the eloquence of Ulysses which soaks and sinks more kindly then a hasty shower And the Lord doth hereby greatly commend the power of his Word and the secret impresse and Character of his divine Majesty stamp'd upon it when from the mouth of mean Instruments he giveth it an Efficacy on the hearts of the greatest men and causeth Princes themselves with meekness to receive his counsel from the lips of poor and inconsiderable persons who have no other authority then the evidence of the Spirit of God and the Ministry wherein they stand related unto him to bear them up and encourage them in his service Thus great ships are turned about with a vere small helme and as some say stopped in their course with a very little Remora We have this Treasure in earthen Vessels that the power might be of God who did not choose the earthquake or the strong winde but the still small voice to manifest his presence by 1 Reg. 19. 11 12. We have seen the encouragement in building Gods House the meanes of it a Divine Word the Vehicula of that word Christ the great Angel of the Covenant delivers it to the Prophet and the Prophet as his messenger to Zerubbabel So then Zerubbabel is the subject animated by this word and the work whereunto he is animated is the Building of the Temple 1. Then Princes and Magistrates are to build the House of God and to take care of the Interests of Religion and to see that his truth and worship be advanced in their territories And although we have no examples hereof in the New Testament when the Empire and the Church were divided from one another yet in the state of the Jews where they were conjoyned together we have examples in most of the good Kings David Solomon Asa Jehoshaphat Hezekiah Josiah how careful they were to purge Gods house of pollution to abolish false worship to pull down high places to send Priests and Levites to teach the people to establish true Religion to cause the people to enter into Covenant with God to build his House and order the courses and services thereof And in like manner the Christian Princes Constantine Thoedosius Valentinian and many others called Synods and made Laws to condemne and suppresse Heretical Doctrines and comforted and encouraged the Orthodox Bishops and Pastors of the Church 1. They are fathers of the people and therefore must take care of the souls of those to whom they have so neer a Relation 2. They are Gods Ministers for our Good Rom. 13. 4. Therefore certainly they must not be careless of our chief good 3. We are to pray for them that under them we may lead quiet and peaceable lives in all godlinesse and honesty 1 Tim. 2. 2. therefore certainly there lies a care upon them as well of the godliness as of the peace of their people 4. He is to have the book of the Law before him continually Deut. 17. 18 19. not only that he may keep it himself but that he may be careful to make others keep it 5. He is to be a nursing Father to the Church Isa. 49. 23. Gods people are promised that they shall suck the breasts of Kings Isa. 60. 16. Therefore certainly it belongs to their care to see that the people be provided with the sincere milk of the Word Where Religion and the meanes thereof are wanting to set it up where it is to preserve it where it is corrupted to reforme and to restore it It is one thing saith Saint Austin for a Prince to serve God in his private capacity as a man this he doth by living faithfully another thing to serve him in his publick capacity as a Prince this he doth by a vigorous sanction of Laws requiring righteous things and forbidding the contrary There is a twofold building of the Church The one doctrinal and perswasive by the Ministry of Pastors and preaching of the Word The other legal and coercive by the sanction and constitution and command of Princes for so they are said to build up the Churches walls Isa 60. 10. for the safety of the State being greatly concerned in the welfare and peace of the Church the care of this must needs belong unto them whose office and duty it is to preserve the other since without this the other cannot be preserved And therefore Aristotle an Heathen Philosopher reckoneth divine worship as a principall thing without which a City or Civil Politie cannot be And thus we finde Constantine by his Laws prohibiting Heathen sacrifices and idolatry And when Julian restored them and Valens allowed the liberty of them Jovinian and Theodosius did root them out and remove them again We finde the same Constantine setling Christian Religion in his Empire by his royal authority judging in the causes of Athanasius and Caecilianus The Emperour Gratian granting a commission to eject Arians Aurelian casting out Paulus Samosatenus out of the Church Justinian making special Laws in matters of Religion I conclude this with that memorable saying of Saint Austin In hoc Reges Deo serviunt in quantum Reges si in suo Regno bona jubeant mala prohibeant non solum quae pertinent ad Humanam societatem verum etiam quae ad divinam Religionem That Princes then serve God as Princes when they command good things and forbid evil things not onely appertaing unto humane society but also unto divine Religion The Church of God amongst us hath in our late miserable and licentious confusions suffered great dilapidations in the holy truths and in the unity and peace thereof I shall not pollute the solemnity of this days joy with giving you in which is hardly possible a Catalogue of them Unto you Right Honourable and the other orders of the Kingdome it belongeth to be the repairers of our breaches and the restorers of paths to dwell in Do this as it ought to be done and certainly there will be nothing more conducent to the setling of our tranquility to the establishing of Government to the re-uniting of the shattered and divided hearts of the people and to the edification of the Church which it infinitely more concerneth all wise and good men to look after then any single domestical or separated interest Nor are you without direction in the Text for this weighty imployment For 2. Zerubbabel must not be without the Word of the Lord In the building of Gods House Magistrates must waite upon the mouth of God for direction and counsel It is no lesse then eight times observed in one chapter Exod. 40. that in the setting up of the Tabernacle and

do it Isa. 46. 11. The Lord hath ordered all duty to have some difficulty in it And the same word which is the Rule of the duty is also the comfort against the difficulty We have therein the comfort of his Authority requiring it of us It is the work which he hath given us to do we have not rushed upon it presumptuously our selves We have the comfort of his promises quickning us unto it for every word of command hath a word of promise with it 2 Cor. 7. 1. Heb. 10. 36. We have the comfort of his grace working together with the Word facilitating the duties required and proportioning the soul to the service giving an heart to do the word Ezek. 11. 19 20. And therefore by faith and hope we may improve every word unto comfort and courage in duty Faith giving a kinde of Being unto the things promised Heb. 11. 1. and hope waiting with joy for the accomplishment of them do powerfully work the heart above difficulties unto cheerful obedience Faith quencheth temptation overcometh the world purifieth the heart worketh by love removeth fear the discourager and obstructer of duty 1 Iohn 4. 18. Hope causeth us to purifie our selves 1 Iohn 3. 3. To serve the Lord instantly day and night Acts 26. 7. To deny ungodlinesse and worldly lusts Tit. 2. 11 12 13. To wait on the Lord and to keep his Way Psal. 37. 34. To renew our strength to run and not be weary to walk and not faint Isa. 40. 31. When the soul of a man is in such straights and perplexities that all the world is not able to comfort him one sentence out of the word wisely managed by the hand of faith is able to bear up the heart and to make it victorious above all the powers of darkness Wit wealth power policy youth strength security sensuality worldly imployments will peradventure serve a while to fence against fear and discouragement but these are but like a bush in a storme which shelters a while and after annoys with its own dropping Nothing will minister durable and final comfort against all doubts and fears but a word from God seasonably brought unto the conscience this alone can hold up the heart against the roarings of Satan and all the powers of darkness You may haply have before you many knotty and difficult debates and be at a stand which way to steere your judgement and to dispose your suffrage men may like Carneades dispute plausibly probably on either side and the substantial merits of a question may lie hidden under the Oratory which hath pro con been spent upon upon it In such cases attend not only to what you have heard spoken but with David make the word of God your Counsellers Psal. 119. 24. Let not frowns dismay you let not interests biass you let not paralogismes dazle you but seriously weigh what is most consonant to the Will of God what is most likely to promote the great Ends which that calls for the Glory of God the Salvation of men the Cause of Religion the Simplicity of the Gospel the Spirituality of worship the peace unity and integrity of the Church the healing and setting in joynt the dislocated and divided affections of men the impartial setling of judgement and righteousnesse in the Land And when you hear a word behinde you saying this is the way then walk in it turn not to the right hand or to the left Isa. 30. 21. We have seen how the Lord encourageth his servants in difficulties and by what means he doth it by the Word of his own mouth now this word is brought by the Prophet to Zerubbabel and by the Angel 1. By Christ unto the Prophet The Angel in the former Chapter spake immediately to Iosua here mediately by the Prophet Zachariah unto Zerubbabel 1. The first Revealer of the counsel of God unto the Church is the Angel of the Covenant It was his Spirit which spake in the Prophet 1 Pet. 1. 11. He by his Spirit preached in the dayes of Noah to the spirits which are now in prison 1 Pet. 3. 19 20. for so Andradius a learned Pontifician as well as Beza and other Protestants have expounded that place No man hath seen the Father but by the revelation of the Sonne Joh. 1. 18. Mat. 11. 27. He was the Angel that spake unto Moses Act. 7. 30. 38. and unto Isaiah John 12. 40 41. He instructed his Apostles in things pertaining to the Kingdom of God Acts 1. 3. They must deliver nothing to the Church but what they had first received from him 1 Cor. 11. 23. Greatly do the profane the Ministry of the Word and betray the Trust which Christ hath put upon them as his Ambassadours who preach the vision of their own heart and not out of the mouth of the Lord and a woful curse they incurre by so high a presumption Deut. 18. 20. The lesse there is of Christ in a Sermon and of the evidence and demonstration of the Spirit how full soever it may otherwise be of Exotick learning of heaped allegations of strains of wit or luxuriancies of fancy and language it hath so much the lesse of the power of God to the salvation of the souls of men For we are not to preach our selves but Christ Jesus the Lord 2 Cor. 4. 5. And as they are the best Ministers who so preach so they are the best hearers who savour and relish nothing so well in a Sermon as the gracious and powerful manifestations of Christ to the conscience and evidences of the commission which the preacher hath received from him 2. When the Prophet brings no other then the Word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel It is his duty to heare it Princes and Magistrates men of highest place and authority must receive Gods counsel from the mouth of his Messengers and be contented to be directed comforted encouraged by their Ministry David though himself a Prophet was not without his Seers Gad Heman Asaph Jeduthan Nathan to admonish reprove comfort him as his condition required So we finde Shemaiah a Prophet sent to reprove Rehoboam Oded and Azariab to encourge Asa Jehu and Jahaziel to threaten and comfort Jehoshaphat We read of the writing of Eliah to Jehoram of the threatning of Zachariah to Joash of the Prophet Isaiah counselling and rebuking Ahaz comforting and encouraging Hezezekiah Jeremy and Ezekiel denouncing judgements against Zedekiah Hosea and Amos against Jeroboam Jonah sent to the King of Nineveh and John Baptist to Herod And though great difference is to be used in the manner of our application to great and to ordinary persons yet the same fidelity is due unto all Cum eadem omnibus debeatur Charitas non eadem omnibus adhibenda medicina as Saint Austin speaks If a Minister must shew all meeknesse to all men much more must he deliver his message with all Reverence and humility with all awe and tenderness with all honour and prudence unto those