Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	great_a	zeal_n	zealous_a	394	4	8.7632	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B08811	You perceive by His Majesties letters patents for rebuilding the Cathedral Church of St. Pauls how zealously His Majesty is concerned to have this so pious and charitable work effectually carried on ...	Compton, Henry, 1623-1713.	1678 (1678)	Wing C5674A; ESTC R174214	3,981	4

objected against the general extent of this Contribution That the Church of St. Pauls belonging only to the City and Diocess of London ought to be rebuilt solely at their charge without having recourse to so extraordinary a way of supply from others who are no ways concerned in it In answer to this Objection be pleased to consider 1. That the Inhabitants of London were not only exceeding great sufferers by the late dreadful Fire but have since been at a vast and incredible charge in rebuilding of their own houses and Parish-Churches their Hospitals Halls and Royal Exchange and in several other publick works to the great honour and advantage of the City and to the wonder and astonishment of the world that in so short a space so great a City should rise so beautiful and glorious out of such vast and dismal ruines 2. That the City of London and Counties adjoyning have done for several years and still do towards this work pay a particular Tax upon all the Coals brought into the Port of London Besides which it is not doubted but they will be very exemplary in their voluntary contributions thereto 3. That the City of London hath ever been found very charitable and bountiful upon all occasions towards the rebuilding of Churches and Towns in the Countrey and the repairing of the fortunes of particular persons that have been ruined by the like calamity of Fire For which cause they hope it will not be thought unreasonable in them for once to crave and expect the assistance of the Countrey upon so pressing and extraordinary an occasion when they are utterly unable alone to support the burden and to defray the mighty charge of so great a work 4. That the rebuilding of this Church is of very publick concernment and the whole Nation in some sort interested in it Our Kings have used upon extraordinary occasions to resort to it there to pay their solemn acknowledgements to Almighty God for publick blessings and deliverances granted to this Nation And the Preachers there have always been particularly appointed and chosen from both the Universities of this Realm and from all parts of the Kingdom And the glory of the work will also redound to the whole Nation to which it will not only be a singular ornament but likewise a standing monument of the publick affection and zeal of this Protestant Kingdom to piety and good works Which last consideration ought to have the greater force with us because at this time as much as ever the Protestant Religion stands upon its reputation and stands in need of it too And therefore every one ought with more than ordinary zeal to be concerned for the carrying on of this work not only for the honour of our Nation and the credit of our common Christianity but also of our Reformed Religion That there may be no pretence to upbraid us that error and superstition could make men more zealous of good works than the Doctrine of the true Religion and that our Adversaries of Rome may be convinced that our Piety is as generous and charitable as theirs but would not be so arrogant and presumptuous and that whilst we disclaim the merit yet we do most stedfastly believe the obligation and necessity of good works For the satisfaction of all Persons concerning the present state of the Building of the said Church the following Abstract of it is hereunto annexed St PAUL'S Church LONDON A Brief Account of the Receipts and Disbursements for the Rebuilding the said Church   l. s. d. l. s. d. l. s. d. Remained in Cash in the Chamber of London the first day of May 1674. when the Work was first begun upon the Coal Duty at 4d ½ per Chaldron 12038 05 03 12707 01 02 40525 10 3¼ Upon free Gifts Legacies c. 00668 15 11 Brought more into the Chamber aforesaid upon the said Duty of Coals from the said first day of May 1674. to the first of May 1678. 18144 04 01½ 27888 09 1¾ And upon free Gifts c. 09674 05 00¼ Out of which hath been paid and disbursed in the said Building from the first day of May 1674. to the first of May 1678. including the Carting away of 28000 Loads of Rubbish breaking up 11133 cubical yards of old Foundation Walls with Scaffolding and taking down old Walls amounting to 4000 l. and upwards 33000 00 00 36000 00 00 Besides there is due upon a reasonable conjecture for Scaffolding and other Materials Masons work not yet measured the several Accounts not being yet Audited 03000 00 00 Imprimatur Dat. xiv Jun. 1678. H. LONDON

YOU perceive by His Majesties Letters Patents for rebuilding the Cathedral Church of St. Pauls how zealously His Majesty is concerned to have this so pious and charitable work effectually carried on And to that end how earnestly both by His Royal Grant and Example He recommends it to all Cities Towns and Parishes throughout His Kingdom of England and Dominion of Wales In pursuance of this His Majesties pious intention and that it may have its desired effect it will be requisite not only to vindicate the piety of this design but also the necessity and reasonableness of so general a Contribution towards the accomplishing of it For besides the Objections against so good a work proceeding from disaffection to Religion in some and from a covetous and sordid disposition of mind in others there are likewise these Two great prejudices against it which have too far possessed the minds even of better disposed persons I. That the sumptuousness and magnificence of Churches is not at all sutable to the times of the Gospel nor according to the simplicity of the primitive Christian-worship II. That the Church of St. Pauls belonging only to the City and Diocess of London ought to be rebuilt solely at their charge without having recourse to so extraordinary a way of supply and contribution from others who are no way concerned in it First It is objected against the work it self That the sumptuousness and magnificence of Temples and so much splendor in the outward circumstances of Gods worship is Jewish and ceremonial and not so sutable to the spiritual nature and design of the Gospel and the worship thereby required which consists in the inward purity of our hearts and the devotion of our minds and spirits Nor so agreeable to the simplicity of the Primitive Christianity which in things of this nature contained it self within the bounds of necessity and convenience and therefore whatever is beyond these may justly be deemed superfluous and might much better be employed in Alms and works of Charity For the removal of this prejudice we may please to consider 1. That the publick worship of God is a moral duty founded in the light of nature and the common reason of mankind 2. That the publick worship of God though it doth suppose and require inward and spiritual devotion yet as publick is necessarily external and as such ought to express in the best manner we are able that inward honour and reverence which we pay to the Divine Majesty And therefore that the circumstances of it should not only be decent but very solemn and magnificent the light of nature seems plainly to require and the Gospel doth no where gainsay And that resolution of David that he he would not offer to the Lord his God of that which cost him nothing and the declaration which he afterwards made concerning the building of the Temple that the House which is to be built to the Lord must be exceeding magnifical was not a piece of ceremonial piety but grounded upon a moral and eternal reason of equal force in all ages and times namely that which Solomon his Son gave to King Hiram why he designed so magnificent a Temple that it might be in some measure sutable to the Greatness and Majesty of that God who was to be worshipped in it The House sayes he which I build is great for great is our God above all gods Christians indeed are not tyed to one place of worship as the Jews were but they are obliged to honour God as much as they and to declare their high regard and esteem of so glorious a Majesty by all outward fitting testimonies of respect and reverence 3. That the mean estate and circumstances of Gods publick worship in the beginnings of Christianity was not the effect of choice but of necessity and enforced upon Christians by their poverty and persecution by reason whereof their worship was not only without splendor and magnificence but without ordinary decency and the common conveniences of time and place being usually performed in the night in Chambers and Grotts and secret places not because they thought this best but because they could then do no better As they sufficiently testified so soon as they were free from persecution when every where with great zeal they raised stately structures for the publick worship of God and spared no cost to that purpose believing it to be highly for the honour of Christ and his Religion that men should declare their regard to Almighty God and the solemnity of his worship in this way And surely they who from the obscurity and meanness of the places of publick worship in the Primitive times would draw a pattern for Churches in succeeding ages may do well to consider whether they would be willing that the poverty of the first Christians should be made the measure and standard of mens estates in all ages because the force of the argument from bare primitive example is the very same in both cases God is pleased to accept of that in case of necessity which he will disdain where men have the ability and opportunity to serve him after a better manner While the People of Israel were in a persecuted and unsetled condition God was content that his Ark should be placed in a Tabernacle but when he had given them rest on every side then David from the natural reason and congruity of the thing concluded it fit to build a House of rest for the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord and that exceeding magnificent And God approved of his intention telling him that he did well that it was in his heart to build such an House to the name of the Lord. 4. To warn us for ever against grudging at any extraordinary expence for the honour of Religion as needless and superfluous and especially from cloaking our covetousness with a pretence of charity to the poor we may do well to consider how severely our Saviour reprehends his own Disciples for murmuring at that cost which the devout woman bestowed upon the Temple of his Body in pouring upon it an Oyntment of so great price To what purpose said they is this waste this Oyntment might have been sold for much and given to the poor But our Saviour sharply reproves this sordid disposition of theirs and what they called waste he calls a good work such as in its proper season is no less pleasing to God than charity to the poor And to testifie his high esteem and acceptance of it he took particular care to have it recorded in the History of his own Life that together with his Doctrine and Miracles the memorial of it might be celebrated in all ages to the end of the world hereby teaching us that we ought under the Gospel to honour God with our substance as well as to relieve the poor and that magnificent acts of Piety have their place no less in the Christian Religion than the most liberal deeds of Charity Secondly It is