Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	false_a	true_a	worship_n	4,780	5	7.8086	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A34789	Life & death offered to the choice of the sons and daughters of Adam, or, A doctrinal essay towards the discovery of the broad way that leadeth to destruction, and also the narrow path that leadeth unto life being the substance of several sermons preach'd on Matth. 7, 13, 14 : in the entrance of which discourse you have something spoken occasionally touching judging of others, and also touching the giving of holy things to dogs, and casting pearls before swine.	Carter, R., 17th cent.	1662 (1662)	Wing C663; ESTC R5924	50,195	64

may have more love and more maintenance If this wil do he is pleased but if he finds the Minister resolved still to wait upon the providence of God amongst them then he deals with the Parishioners and counselleth them in this wise Neighbours you know how that for many years we lived in love and peace together as became us good neighbourhood fellowship was maintained amongst us and how that we went comfortably to the House of God together and at the appointed seasons had the Communion and that our former Ministers and we did live in love and charity one with another but now since this Minister came amongst us it is nothing so he doth seem by his preaching to design the breaking of that former peace and union that was amongst us For 1. He doth in his preaching press us to look after the truth of our conversion and regeneration and after true saving faith as if we were not converted and had not true faith in God And further he usually hath in his application a word for Saints and a word for Sinners as if there were two parties amongst whereas neighbours I hope though we be great sinners yet we have all a strong faith in Christ and do love God as God forbid we should do otherwise and rhat we are all true Christians let him say what he will But 2dly we do already experience the sad effects of his Ministry amongst us in that some of our neighbors begin to cry out of the greatness of their sin and to question the salvation of their souls c. And besides in our Families there we are distracted some of our Servants and Children they can mind nothing but reading and praying and talking of the word they hear c. So that the word is made good amongst us for here 's the Father against the Son and the Servant against his Master and the Husband against his Wife and so on Matt. 10. 34 35 36. And further he doth refuse to give us the Communion except we will give an account of our hope of salvation and amend our lives Now these things neighbours they are a trouble to me and I suppose may be the like to many of you to think that we who have been all along accounted good Neighbours good Church-men should now in our elder years come to be catechised and have our saith in God questioned My advice therefore is that this Gangreen may spread no further that you would join as one man with me for the putting this Minister out and getting an honest man that wil have charity for us all and perform Church-duties as others have done heretofore and as I am a Christian I shall be sure to improve my Interest for the effecting it But hear one word before I forget it keep this Conference private don'● let the Minister know that we had this meeting or that I have thus advised you for I am resolved that I may the better accomplish the thing intended to carry it as fair to the Minister as I may but do you be sure to be true to the promise and as I am a sinner to God I 'le be true to mine I say that such a man as this is by such means as these shall be able to do more towards the extinguishing of a glorious light the removing of a faithful Minister the ruine of his family then a hundred prophane drunken idle fellows could have done and indeed the prophane can do little except headed abetted and encouraged by some such persons as these Take heed therefore left under the garb of Civility thou retainest Enmity to Christ and his People and Wayes But then 4thly Dost thou boast not onely of thy Civility but also of this That thou art a Worshipper of God then examine whether thou art not a Will-worshipper is not thy fear of God taught by the precepts of men Art thou not carryed on in thy Worship more by the will of man then by the wil of God Art thou not more willing to take Humane then Divine Conduct in matters of Worship The Word of God is the perfect Rule of Worship Now what higher argument hast thou for the greatest part of thy Worship then the Command and Example of man Thou art resolved to be of the Religion of thy Countrey be it what it will and so it may well be judged that if thou hadst been born in India or among the Turks thou wouldst have been of thy Countreys Religion right or wrong Undoubtedly one Act of Parliament supposing all the Inhabitants Note of this Land were Papists against the Papists should make more Protestants in profession then a thousand Sermons would do Consider in matters of Worship art thou more zealous for thine own prayer then for the wayes of Christ More zealous for thee keeping of a holy-day then for the keeping of the Lord's Day More zealous of praying in thy Pew then in thy Closet More zealous for prayers over the dead then for good sound and powerful preaching Nay have not some of you been more troubled about the thoughts of your Burial then you have about eternal provision for your precious souls Thus the proud Pharisees were more zealous for the traditions of the Elders then they were for the Commands of God They had an ancient Tradition among them for the Washing of hands before meat And the Disciples of Christ notwithstanding this was a very innocent Ceremony yet observing what weight the Jews laid upon it and how they did impose it denyed conformity and were defended by Christ in it But oh how greatly were the Jews offended at their non-conformity They themselves could suffer the Law of God to be broken had no zeal for God or his Commands but for their own Traditions Commands they had great zeal these must not be omitted by any means And this is the very spirit of the man of Sin and of all those that do adhere unto him for in the Romish Church you shall have them make more conscience of a nod or a cringe or a cross c. then of swearing or whoring or Sabbath-breaking or any such notorious wickedness nay it 's more easie to obtain pardon for any of these then for non-conformity to any of their Ecclesiastical Laws Search therefore whether thy Worship be not Will-Worship whether thou art not superstitious in thy Worshiping doing what thou doest either without a command or else without respect to the command of God as thy chief and onely Rule in the matters of his Worship Objection Object I am not able to discern between true and false Worship and therefore I must trust to the judgments of such as I judge wiser then my self Answ 1. The wisest of men are subject to error and amongst Not to relye barely upon the judgments of men in matters Religion the best and ablest there are great differences in matters of Worship What sort of men then canst thou trust Unto what party

way It 's true God speaks not peace to a wicked man but the Devil he doth Luke 11. 21. When a strong man armed keepeth his Palace his Goods are in peace The soul of an unregenerate man is the Devil's habitation and it 's the great design of the Devil to guard the soul and to preserve its sinful peace and to prevent whatever might disturb it And herein doth a wicked man join with the Devil being very loath to have his peace broken Hence it is that wicked men do so hate and abhor a soul-searching-Minister a burning and a shining light the reason is because such a Ministry hath a tendency to break this hellish peace It 's therefore the Devils business to furnish those of his Subjects which must needs have some kind of preaching with such a Ministry as shall neither by preaching nor living disturb their peace Those then that do employ themselves to thrust out Labourers and to put in Loyterers to thrust out such who endeavour to search to the quick and bring in such as will daub with untempered morter do the Devil the best service of any men in the world But note that before ever the soul comes to enjoy true peace of Conscience this sinful peace must be destroyed Christ comes not in the Gospel to maintain but to destroy this peace Reas 4 4thly Man is a sociable creature and loves company and in this broad way the Devil can furnish them with all sorts of associates suitable to his disposition As 1. Art thou a plain Countrey-man that loves to talk of thy Ploughing and sowing c. but dost not fancy to discourse of Religion thou thinkest that Discourse is fit onely for Ministers or learned Gentlemen and not for such plain men as thy self The Devil can furnish thee with very suitable company for he hath thousands in his Kingdom that do regard Religion as little as thou dost Or 2dly Art thou a ranting damning fellow that is resolved for a merry life though a short one to satifie thy lust to the full and that never a Phanatique in the world shall alter thy mind or stop thee in this Carear That let what will come of it thou art resolved to have thy Whores Cups Oaths c. The Devil hath company for thee also I am apt to think that at this day the Devil hath more of this sort in his Kingdom then pleaseth him they being grown now to that pass that they cannot be satisfied to have their fill of wickedness but they must abuse such as will not run with them into the same excess Now the Devil hath such in his Kingdom that though they do not hate such things upon Gods account for then they would hate all sin yet their very Coustitutions and Educations leads them to abhor them And these persons being a●used and affronted Psal 31. 20 by the debauched party in the Devils Kingdom may haply be convinced and put upon it to look after a Pavillion wherein they may be kept from the strife of Tongues * For something that may down-weigh that reproach and malignity that this hellish party doth cast upon them 3dly Art thou for civil company The Devil hath of these also in his Kingdom persons that are well bred and that do scorn to abuse any doth abhor a prophane dissolute Carriage 4thly Art thou one that though thou lovest not to be over-precise to be tied up to hard meat yet having some notions of immortality canst not be content without some kind of Worsh●p thou art therefore for a good honest merry Religion that Religion that hath been of late years is too melancholly for thee it makes thee no Musick and thou art for a Minister that is a good fellow that won't preach too often and when he doth not be too earnest but will now and then break a jest in the Pulpit and when he hath done preaching wil not press you so much to private devotion but that you may after Sermon upon Sunday as you call it fetch a walk in the fields and play a game or two at nine-pins or at bowls c. In this broad way there are many of thy spirit in this also And this let me tell thee That it shall not be the Devils fault nor the fault of his servants if thou art not fitted with a Religion that shall suit thee a Religion that shall 1. be easie to understand 2dly To perform 3dly That shall indulge thy lusts sufficiently But 5thly Art thou past all the former and art not onely for some Worship but a pure Worship Will no company please thee but Virgins such as have not defiled themselves with polluted Worship Give but heed to the Devil and he●le help thee to dissemble and by dissimulation to get in among Gods people it may be into Church-fellowship when thou art there carrying thy self closely a thousand to one but in a little time the Devil will help thee to the society of some in that Church that have as vain a spirit as thy self and so you may walk together concealing the matter not onely in the love but practise of abominable wickedness under a great profession Now there being such accommodation for company in the Devils Kingdom is a fourth Reason why so many walk in it But Reas 5 Lastly The last Reason is Because that those which are walking in this path know not whither they are going Should you tell such persons that they are going the way to Hell they 'l not believe you they 'l tell you you that they hope to be saved as well as the best and that they never in all their lives did question the mercy of God It 's true every man hath his failings and so have they but God is abundant in mercy and Christ he came to dye for sinners and they wonder why any person should question the mercy of God and the pardon of their sins they bless God they never did question it since they were born Now as God is the Father of a Christians hope 1 Pet. 1. 3 begotten us again to a lively hope and it hath all its nourishment from Heaven so a wicked man's hope it 's begotten by the Devil and nourished by the breast of Hell and so long as the Devil can preserve this hope of happiness notwithstanding a sinful life the soul is secure but when once this wretched hope is destroyed then the Devils Kingdom in the soul begins to shake For the Kingdom of Christ his Rule and Dominion in the soul is built upon the ruines of this accursed Hope Alas were but a wicked man sensible of his Estate he could not rest satisfied one hour but they are infatuated under the power of an Aegyptian darkness only differing from the darkness of Aegypt * Exod. 10 21 in this that they fell it not are not sensible of it And hence it is that the Devil's Kingdom is so full Thus much for the first particular proposed namely That