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	king_n	parliament_n	2,763	4	6.1596	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A53659	A further vindication of the dissenters from the Rector of Bury's unjust accusations wherein his charge of their being corupters of the word of God is demonstrated to be false and malicious ... / by James Owen.	Owen, James, 1654-1706.; Gipps, Thomas, d. 1709.	1699 (1699)	Wing O707; ESTC R24051	87,100	71

Lord the work of the Hands of the Crafts-Man and putteth it in a secret Place In the Liturgy the words to worship it are added to the Text which denounceth a Curse upon such as make an Image for any Religious Ends as suppose to beget in us good reflections to be a help to our Devotions c. but the Addition restraineth the Curse to the Act or Intention of Adoration Now there is a Controversy of greater Consequence than that of ye and we depends upon this Addition viz. whether it be lawful to use Images as suppose a Crucifix c. for Religious Ends provided we don 't worship them The Papists say it 's not only lawful but in some Cases necessary that they are Laymen's Books and great helps to Devotion The Protestants affirm according to the Scripture they ought not to be made at all for the Ends of Religion much less set up either in the Congregation or in a secret Place Deut. 27. 15. Isa 44. 10. Habb 2. 18 19. This Addition in the Liturgy seems to favour the Popish Doctrine that we may use Images in our Devotions provided we don 't worship them I am the more Confirm'd in this by the Images of Christ and his Apostles which I find Printed in several of our Common-Prayers and I doubt not but they are intended as helps to Devotion and I wish they were not designed as an Introduction to Image Worship in the late Reigns when projects of that kind were conniv'd at However this be the making of such Images is against the Scriptures especially the 2d Commandment as is prov'd at large in the Book of Homilies It 's shew'd there 1st That no Image of Christ can be made but a LYING IMAGE because he is God and Man Nor can any true Image of his Body be made because it is unknown now of what Form and Countenance he was and there be in Greece and at Rome and in other Places divers Images of Christ and none of them like to other and yet every of them affirmeth that theirs is the True which cannot possibly be Therefore as soon as an Image of Christ is made by and by is a LYE made of him which by God's Word is forbidden 2ly If an Image of Christ cou'd truly be made yet it is unlawful that it should be made yea or that the Image of any Saint shou'd be made especially to be set up in Temples Ireneus reproves the Hereticks call'd Gnosticks for carrying about the Image of Christ In the same Homily is proved the unlawfullness of such Images from Lev. 26. Exod 20. and Deut. 27. and they quote this last Text aright without the Addition in the Common-Prayer * Serm. against Peril of Idolatry Part 3d. One may justly wonder that such a publick Use of Images shou'd be allow'd in our Churches and no Body that I hear of reprove or condemn it tho' all our Episcopal Ministers have subscribed to the Book of Homilies as containing a Godly and wholsome Doctrine The having of Images in our Books of publick Devotions is as unjustifiable as the setting 'em up in our publick Churches nay the former is in this respect Worse than the latter because in the latter Case one Image serves a whole Congregation but in the former there are as many Images as there are Worshippers with Pictur'd Common-Paryer-Books in their Hands Christians shou'd avoid all Occasions and Appearances of Idolatry but the Rectors Zeal runs another Way I will not tempt him to execute the fiery Sentence he passed on the Bible upon his Common-Prayer but I will recommend to his Reading the learned and pious Homilies against Idolatry which mention with Approbation Epiphanius's renting a painted Cloth wherein was a Picture of Christ or of some Saint affirming it to be against our Religion that any such Image shou'd be had in the Temple or Church If this Act of Epiphanius does not raise an Emulation in him to purge his Church of Images he ought at least to declare against the Corruption of Scripture to which he is accessary by giving his Assent and Consent to all and every Thing contain'd in the Liturgy Thus I have gratified his Request and given him such an Instance as he desires and yet I will not say this is a Corruption of which all the Episcopal Party is Guilty because I believe few of 'em have taken notice of it For a farther Confirmation of his Charge against the Dissenters he saith out of Arch-Bishop Laud's Speech that the Puritans expung'd part of the XX. Articles of the Church of England concerning the Power of the Church to decree Rites and Ceremonies 'T is yet Sub-Judice whether that Clause was added by some of the Bishops Friends or expung'd by some of their Adversaries whether it were the one or t'other it does not concern the Controversy in Hand Tho' it may seem more probable they were added by some Ceremonious Gentleman for the Puritans alledged that the Clause was not to be found in the Latine or English Articles of King Edward VI. or Queen Elizabeth ratified by Parliament The Arch-Bishop can't say that this Clause was in the Articles of King Edward VI. but comes off with this sly Answer That the Articles made in the time of King Edward VI. were not now in Force and therefore not Material whether that Clause be in or out * Heyl. Life of Laud. p. 339. I thought Articles of Religion were not like Acts of Parliament to be repealed at pleasure However one may conclude from Arch-Bishop Laud's Words that the Clause about Ceremonies was not in the Original Articles of the Reformed Church of England in King Edward VI. time If it had been in he would have taken notice of it as he does of all the Editions that had it in Queen Elizabeth's time If it was to be found in the Records of Convocation Anno 1562. as the Arch-Bishop saith it is a sign the Church of England was grown more Ceremonious than it had been in King Edward VI. time Be this Matter as it will it concerns not us tho' the Rector according to his wonted Justice reproaches us with it Remark on Remarks p. 51. 63. † Mr. Baxter 's Life p. 639. Arch-Bishop Vsher Arch-Bishop Williams Bishop Morton Bishop Holdsworth c. in a Committee at Westminster 1641. mention this Article among the Innovations in Doctrine in the Church of England He has a pleasant Digression on these Words of mine no Dissenters have urg'd this Corrupt reading in favour of a Popular Covernment in any of their Writings against Bishops and Ceremonies Remark p. 14. which he thus reports No Dissenters have urg'd this Corrupt reading against Bishops and Ceremonies And then adds who ever thought that ye had any thing to do with the Ceremonies p. 52. I spoke of the Corrupt reading as applied to a popular Government which is evident by my Words I Note this as an Instance of his Unfairness and pass by his

the Hebrew Copies it follows that they have not Corrupted them 1st They cou'd not Corrupt all the Hebrew Copies if they had been never so desirous for there was a pure Copy in every Synagog in the World besides those in the Hands of Christians Now is it possible that so many Copies in distant Countries and Places shou'd be all Corrupted and not one left to detect the Fraud It is very absur'd to fancy a general Conspiracy between the Jewish Doctors to falsify all their Bibles and that in such Texts where they had no Interest to serve and in the mean Time to leave the great Prophecies concerning Jesus Christ untouch'd Had such a piece of Villany been attempted I doubt not but the World had rung of it long ago That watchful Providence which hath preserv'd the Holy Scriptures from the destructive Rage of Persecutors and the corrupting Attempts of cunning Hereticks † Niceph. Eccl. hist IV. 21. wou'd doubtless have raised up some Instruments to assert the Purity of the Divine Law nay rather than so hellish a Combination shou'd take Effect I question not but among the very Actors themselves some wou'd have been influenced by the sovereign Director of humane Intellects to detect and oppose so Vile a Practice To phancy such an universal Corruption of the Hebrew Copies is to dream that the World is govern'd without a Providence and that the chiefest Objects of it's peculiar Care the Scripture and the Church are left in the Power of restless and malicious Adversaries Justin Martyr takes notice of the providential Care of Heaven in preserving the Holy Bible in the Jewish Synagogues for the Use of the Christian Church It must be assigned to the Divine Providence saith he that our Religion is at this Day preserved among the Jews to whom because we wou'd not give Occasion to reproach us by Producing the Scriptures out of our Church we chuse rather to produce 'em out of the Synagogue of the Jews c. | Servari autem etiam nunc apud Judaeos nostram Religionem Dei erga nos est providentiae Serm. ad Gent. Austin thinks it very Incredible That the Jewish Nation scatter'd far and wide through the World cou'd conspire together to write a Lye and while they envy the Benefit of the Scripture unto others shou'd deprive themselves of the Truth God forbid that any sensible Man shou'd believe the most perverse and malicious Jews to be ever able to Effect so much in so many Copies and those dispersed far and wide § Absit ut prudens aliquis vel Judaeus cujuslibet perversitatis atque malitiae tantum potuisse credat in codicibus tam multis tam longè lateque dispersis Aug. de Civ Dei XV. 13. Jerom laughs at the Silliness of those who think the Hebrew Copies falsified Austin calls the Jews Capsarios nostros qui studentibus nobis Codices portant * Aug. in Psam 40. al. 41. They are Library-keepers and Book-carriers to the Students in Christianity 2dly As they cou'd not so we have reason to believe they wou'd not impose upon us for they were Religious even to Superstition in preserving the Scripture intire as the Rector hath noted What our Saviour saith that one jot or one tittle shou'd in no wise pass from the Law till all be fullfilled has been made good The Jews themselves were of the same Mind Their own Expositions as Dr. Lightfoot observes will attest to this Truth as to both those Words that our Saviour hath viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it 's little to be doubted that our Saviour means the letter Jod concerning which the Jerusal Talmud hath this Passage Sanh fo 20. col 3. The Book of Mishneh Torah Deuteronomy came prostrate to complain that Solomon sought to root Iod out of it viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he shall not multiply Wifes The holy blessed God saith to it Solomon and a thousand such as he shall fail but a Word of the Law shall not fail About 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies one of those little apiculi that distinguish between Hebrew Letters they have several Passages Tanchum Fol. 1. He that makes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 destroys the World See several Instances of this used in the learned Author Li. vol. 1. p. 374. 375. The Jews used the greatest Care and Caution imaginable in Transcribing the Law They examin'd all Copies with a most Religious diligence If there were but two or three Faults in every Leaf one may mend and read them in Private say the Masters but if there were more Faults such a Bible was not allow'd for private Use Li. ibid. In every Synagogue they had a true Copy and it was their Care every where to have their Bible as purely Authentick as possible as may be seen by the curious Rules that are given to that purpose in Massech Sopherim c. Thus far Dr. Lightf in whom you may see much more to the same purpose The modern Jews retain the Zeal of their Ancestors for the Purity of the Divine Law Rom. 10. 2. Act. 21. 20. They have the most Religious regard to their Bible they never put it in an unclean Place nor touch it with defiled Hands and if it happens to touch the Ground they keep a publick Fast to obviate the Judgment which such an Accident portends If a Copy had but one Corruption it was not admitted into the Synagog but to be buried in an Earthen Vessel and never to be used but in extreme Necessity a poor Man might teach his Children to read in it but must not bring it into the Synagog nor apply it to any other Use To this unparallelled Vigilancy and Care is owing the perfect Harmony and surprizing Consent of the Manuscript Copies of the Hebrew Bible throughout the World at this Day No one Copy written by a Jew can be produced as learned Hebricians have affirm'd that has the least disagreement with their other Copies except it be in some Masoretick Notes and in the Keri's and Kethibs It were well if the Christians in their Editions of the Bible did imitate the great Diligence of the Jews whose exemplary Zeal and curious Circumspection in revising and correcting their Bibles inexcusably condemns the general remisness of Christian Printers Maimon in Polan ubi supra CHAP. V. Containing an Answer to the Rector's Objections against the Purity of the Hebrew Text. HAVING vindicated my Arguments for the Purity of the Hebrew Copies I shall now consider what the Rector can say against it I. His first Exception to the Purity of the Hebrew is taken out of Just Martyn who charg'd the Jews with Corrupting the Scriptures To this I answer'd with Corrupting the Greek but not the Hebrew For this the Rector very scornfully demands my Reason p. 24. My reason is because Just Mart. expresly mentions their Corrupting the Lxx and