Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A Word B Word C Word D Occurrence Frequency Band MI MI Band Prominent
religion_n king_n law_n subject_n 4,732 5 6.6515 4 false
View all documents for the selected quad

Text snippets containing the quad

ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A64611 The summe of Christian religion, delivered by Zacharias Ursinus first, by way of catechism, and then afterwards more enlarged by a sound and judicious exposition, and application of the same : wherein also are debated and resolved the questions of whatsoever points of moment have been, or are controversed in divinitie / first Englished by D. Henry Parry, and now again conferred with the best and last Latine edition of D. David Pareus, sometimes Professour of Divinity in Heidelberge ; whereunto is added a large and full alphabeticall table of such matters as are therein contained ; together with all the Scriptures that are occasionally handled, by way either of controversie, exposition, or reconciliation, neither of which was done before, but now is performed for the readers delight and benefit ; to this work of Ursinus are now at last annexed the Theologicall miscellanies of D. David Pareus in which the orthodoxall tenets are briefly and solidly confirmed, and the contrary errours of the Papists, Ubiquitaries, Antitrinitaries, Eutychians, Socinians, and Arminians fully refuted ; and now translated into English out of the originall Latine copie by A.R. Ursinus, Zacharias, 1534-1583.; Parry, Henry, 1561-1616.; Pareus, David, 1548-1622. Theologicall miscellanies.; A. R. 1645 (1645) Wing U142; ESTC R5982 1,344,322 1,128

There are 4 snippets containing the selected quad. | View lemmatised text

is administred by the Priests in Popery and to exterminate all other religions which they condemne but they will not permit the civill Magistrate to enquire into their religion and worship to wit whether it be true or false consonant to holy writ or not whether Priests and Clergie-men live godly or profanely whether Churches and Schooles be well provided for And lastly whether they can by right challenge to themselves ecclesiasticall jurisdiction and such like XVIII But this right of governing Churches and Schooles the holy Scripture in plaine termes attributes to the civill Magistrate for as he is bound with all diligence to procure that the civill good that is justice and equitie be lawfully administred according to the lawes of every province by men skilfull in the law and politicall prudence within the courts and places of Judicature even so his care should not be lesse but rather more that the divine law which is the good of souls that is true religion and piety be taught by Divines holy religious learned honest men in Schools and Churches to their subjects for their soules health according to the law and testimony as the Scripture commands Isa 8.20 Deut. 17.18 This was enjoyned by God to Moses Josuah This is confirmed by the example of many worthy Princes as David Solomon Jehosaphat Ezechia Josia and others who carefully promoted the worship of God reproved grievously wicked disordered Priests 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So Paul speaks to the Christian Romans He is the minister of God for thy good Where he understands every kind of good as well civill and earthly as ecclesiasticall spirituall otherwise the Magistracie were no more advantageous to a Christian then to a Pagan And surely it is to be lamented that the Heathens heretofore in this point were of a better mind who by unanimous consent committed to their Kings the care of religion and of the worship of their gods being perswaded thereto both by the law of nature and of nations for they held this to be the proper office of the civill Magistrate to governe their subjects civilly that is to season them with all kind of vertue especially with militarie fortitude and such like XIX The Anabaptists also and Enthusiasts doe admit and grant that the Magistrates office is not onely to be conversant in the Courts of Judicature to administer justice but to punish evill both in time of peace and war with the sword but they will not have Christians to do this or to have any power to doe it because Christ said to his disciples Mat. 5.38 Mat. 26.15 Resist not evill Neither did he give the sword to them but inhibited it to them in these words He that taketh the sword shall perish with the sword The same also say That the New Testament doth not exhort us to shed bloud but to love one another Such phantomes they have out of the Schooles of the Manichees that they may remove from the Common-wealth of Christians all Magistracie XX. To them we oppose the Apostles doctrine Rom. 13.1 4. All power is from God and he is the minister of God What hath God ordained any thing which either lawfully may not or cannot be performed Shall a Heathen serve God better then a Christian Away then with these weak simple men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and their fooleries Yet let them be tolerated so long as they trouble not the Church or deny not that obedience and honour which is due to the Magistrate of which matter in the Imperiall Constitutions there is a provident caveat made Of that saying Matth. 5.39 we have already said in the tenth Aphorisme In Matth. 26.52 Christ hath prohibited his disciples and other private men to meddle with the sword because it is not due to Apostles Bishops Ministers and other subjects but God hath taken the sword from Cesar to whom before he gave it but rather committed it to him for he said Give to Cesar what is Cesars And by the Apostle Hee is the minister of God nor doth he carry the sword in vaine It is also true that the New Testament perswades charitie not bloud-shedding in regard of ecclesiasticall and civill societie Sometimes notwithstanding he commands to draw the sword against domestick and forraigne enemies for preservation of the Common-wealth of the Church and of common tranquillitie and peace For God hath commanded expresly even in the New Testament such a revenge and therefore obedience is a part of divine worship Such a revenge also tends to the defence of the godly and therefore it is not contrarie but consentaneous to Charitie XXI But the same men reply That in the New Testament it cannot be proved neither by testimonies nor examples that Christians ought to make war Wee answer First the New Testament doth no waies take away the defence of subjects which sometimes cannot be procured by the Magistrate but by force of armes Secondly the Apostles have writ nothing concerning wars because they were not sent to set up a new forme of Common-wealth in the world but that in the ancient civill government of every place where they left to every one their owne priviledges and rights as it appeares by Paul Rom. 13. and else-where they should gather together a new Church to Christ Thirdly John Baptist Christs forerunner being asked by the souldiers what they should doe did not answer thus Leave off your warring Luke 3.14 but Doe violence to no man neither accuse any falsly and be content with your wages But these wages were paid to souldiers in the wars therefore John did not prohibite war 'T is false then that in the New Testament neither testimonies nor examples are found in which war is mentioned XXII Wee will not now dispute upon what causes or how lawfully war may be waged Let Christian Princes and Magistrates propose this to themselves and think that no lawfull war can be performed but for the recovering of peace and that this is the nature of war that it brings with it much mischiefe Neither can any war be so just but that there is much injustice mingled with it So that it is farre better to fling away Armes to avoid unnecessary warres and not to undertake a just warre untill first all meanes be tried to recover peace without it not onely because the Poet saith Sil. Ital. l. 11. sub fin Rom. 12.18 That peace is the best of all things that ever was bestowed upon man and that one peace is to be preferred to innumerable triumphs but much rather because the Word of God saith If it be possible as much as lyeth in you have peace with all men XXIII Secondly as for the Lawes to which the Christian Magistrate is tied in his government the Ancients said well that Laws were the soule of the Common-wealth and that the Magistrate is a living Law for as no State can subsist without Laws so Laws can have no force without the Magistrate
Old He is minister of God to thee for good Rom. 13.4 IX In that saying of Luke 22.25 Christ doth not debarre such kings from the Church but he onely forbids the Apostles and Ministers of the Church to meddle with riotousnesse preheminence and civill dominion But Paul Gal. 6.15 doth not speak of the externall habit of Christians of whom some were circumcised as the faithfull Jewes and some were uncircumcised as the Christians who had been Gentiles To which saying answereth that Galat. 3.28 There is neither Jew nor Greeke there is neither bond nor free there is neither male nor female Which words if they understand literally surely they must also be separated from Christ seeing they are either servants or free either males or females The sense then of the Apostle is this That the outward differences of men doe nothing hinder or promote eternall salvation and that onely the new creature in Christ Jesus is necessary to salvation X. Lastly by that saying of Mat. 5.39 Christ doth not take away punishments due to the wicked but only private revenge for otherwise no Christian neither father nor mother nor school-masters nor any minister of the Church could be suffered the dutie of all which is to resist evill and wicked men and to maintain discipline every one in his place without which an horrible ataxie and confusion would ensue too much libertie would be brought in and at length would follow the subversion both of humane societie and of the Church it selfe Surely Christ and his Apostles did very often resist evill Neither doe wee reade any where in the Scripture that they who were appointed for politicall functions did after their conversion to Christianitie desert their province or calling or that ever they were commanded to forsake it So that Ruler in the fourth of John ver 33. beleeved himselfe and all his house Sergius Paulus the Deputie Act. 13.12 beleeved So the Keeper of the prison Act. 16.33 was baptised he and all his houshold XI Concerning the divers formes of Common-wealths which of them is best let Politicians dispute In the Scripture we reade of Cesars Kings Princes Governours Presidents Pretors Consuls Captaines Dukes and in a word both of inferiour and superiour Magistrates Of whom is this generall saying of Paul the Apostle There is no power but of God Rom. 13.1 1 Pet. 2.13 14 17. The powers that be are ordained of God And of S. Peter Submit your selves to every ordinance of man for the Lords sake whether it be to the King as supreme or unto Governours as being sent by him Also Feare God Honour the King Where we may note that when the Magistrates office by Peter is called an humane ordinance this is not repugnant to Paul who calls it a divine ordinance For God only ordained the Magistrate but as for the forms of Common-weathls and their distinct degrees to wit that in them should be Emperours Kings Princes superiours inferiours this depends from humane ordination and politicall sanction yet all are alike governed by God therefore wee must be subject to humane ordinance for the Lords sake saith S. Peter XII Of the right of Magistrates thus saith Paul For this cause pay you tribute also for they are Gods ministers Rom. 13.6 7. attending continually upon this very thing Render therefore to all their dues tribute to whom tribute is due custome to whom custome feare to whom feare honour to whom honour Againe Give to Cesar what is Cesars Whence we gather that the right of Magistrates consisteth of three things First that hee may be knowne as the minister of God to whom therefore honour and reverence is due because hee is in stead of God for this cause as it said Magistrates are called gods Secondly that for the authoritie of so great a function they should be reverenced honoured and feared by their subjects no lesse then parents are by their children for Magistrates should be to subjects in stead of parents Thirdly that customes and tributes due to Magistrates should be paid them that out of them they may be able to sustaine the heavie burthen of their function preserve their lives and dignitie and exercise their bountie towards others Yet the Magistrate must be as far from riotousnesse as the subjects themselves as it is in Jer. 22.14 15. and every-where else in Scripture XIII God hath furnished the Magistrate with chiefe power that hee may command some and may governe others and use the sword also if need require against the disobedient and maintaine and defend his owne authoritie For so it is written Dan. 4.22 The most High ruleth in the kingdome of men and giveth it to whomsoever hee will Againe The princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them Mat. 20.25 and they that are great exercise authority upon them Againe Rom. 13.4 He beareth not the sword in vaine XIV God also for this cause laid upon the magistrate this carefull and troublesome burthen that he might urge promote and preserve among men the obedience due to Gods Law chiefly among Christians For first hee ought entirely to maintaine the honour and worship of God according to the prescript of the first Table and to propagate pietie with the true worship of God amongst his subjects according to Gods will and word For so God commanded Josuah Jos 1.8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth but thou shalt meditate therein day and night that thou mayest observe to doe according to all that is written therein So Paul Rom. 13.4 He is the minister of God to thee for good Now the chiefe happinesse of subjects consisteth in true religion and the true worship of God XV. Againe the office of the Magistrate is to maintaine right and justice and to preserve honestie peace and concord to love the good to afright and punish the wicked to maintaine and defend their subjects and territories even with the sword against domestick and forraigne enemies As it is written Jer. 22.3 Psal 82.3 Thus saith the Lord Execute ye judgement and righteousnesse and deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the oppressour and doe no wrong doe no violence to the stranger the fatherlesse nor the widow neither shed innocent bloud in this place Againe Magistrates are not a terrour to good workes but to the evill Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power doe that which is good but if thou doe that which is evill be afraid for he beareth not the sword in vaine for he is the minister of God a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doth evill XVI Both offices of the Magistrate are usually impugned by Pontificians Anabaptists and other fanaticall persons XVII In Popery the Pontificians confesse Bellarm l. 4. de Laicis c. 17 18. that the Magistrate ought not only to have a care of the civill government and to promote the publick peace but also by all meanes to defend Gods worship as it
and how manifold shall hereafter be shewed Here God speaketh emphatically as of a thing most strictly charged and injoyned Remember that thou keep holy that is with great care and religion keep holy the Sabbath day and else-where hee commanded him to be put to death which breaketh the Sabbath The causes why God doth so severely command the keeping of the Sabbath Three causes why the observing of the Sabbath was so severely commanded are 1. Because the breach and violating of the Sabbath is the breach and violating of the whole worship of God For the neglect of the Ministery doth easily corrupt the doctrine and worship of God 2. Because by so severe exacting of the ceremoniall or typicall Sabbath God would signifie the greatnesse and necessity of the thing signified by this type namely the spirituall Sabbath 3. Because God will have the externall Sabbath to serve for the beginning and perfecting of the spirituall Sabbath Keep holy To sanctifie and keep holy the Sabbath is not to spend the day in slothfull idlenesse What it is to keep holy the Sabbath but to eschew and avoid sin and to doe good works on the Sabbath Now God is otherwise said to sanctifie the Sabbath than are men God is said to sanctifie the Sabbath because he appointeth it for divine worship How God and how man are said to sanctifie the Sabbath Men are said to sanctifie the Sabbath when they referre it to that use unto which God hath appointed it Six dayes shalt thou labour Six dayes God allotted unto men to labour in the seventh hee selected to his worship not that hee would that on other dayes the worship of God and the meditation of divine things should be omitted but hee requireth these two things 1. That on the Sabbath day there be not onely a serving of God Two things required by God of us on the Sabbath as on other dayes but also a publike serving of him in the Church 2. That on that day all other labours should give place to the private and publike service of God which on other dayes every one doth exercise according to his vocation What workes are forbidden on the Sabbath Thou shalt doe no worke God forbiddeth that on the Sabbath day wee should worke not any worke whatsoever but onely servile workes or such as hinder the worship of God and exercise of the Ministery which declaration is expresly elsewhere set down Yee shall doe no servile worke Levit. 23.25 Therefore Christ defendeth his Disciples pulling the eares of corne on the Sabbath day to drive away hunger and himselfe healeth a man having a dry hand and saith that an Oxe or any Beast Mat. 12.3 Luke 14.4 5. falling into a pit on the Sabbath may be drawn out thence without any sin Macchabaeus fighteth on the Sabbath day that there might be some preserved which should keep the Sabbath And of the like actions there are two reasons given 2 Maccab. 15. 1 Mac. 2.40 41. If we doe all as our brethren have done and fight not against the heathen for our lives and for our lawes then shall they incontinently destroy us out of the earth Therefore they concluded at the same time saying Whosoever shall come to make battell with us on the Sabbath day wee will fight against him For the maintenance of their life and religion they say it is lawfull to fight even on the Sabbath day By the same reasons doth Christ defend his Disciples and himselfe citing a place of Hosea cap. 6. If yee knew what this is Mat. 12.7 Marke 2.27 I will have mercy and not sacrifice yee would not have condemned the innocent And The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath that is ceremoniall works must give place to the morall works so that rather the ceremonies must be omitted than such works of charity as our necessity or the necessity of our neighbour requireth And Have yee not read in the law how that on the Sabbath dayes Mat. 5.6 the Priests in the Temple break the Sabbath and are blamelesse but I say unto you Here is one greater than the Temple Also Yee on the Sabbath day circumcise a man If a man on the Sabbath day receive circumcision that the law of Moses should not be broken be ye not angry with me John 7.22 23. because I have made a man every whit whole on the Sabbath day By which words hee sheweth that such works as hinder not the use of the Sabbath but rather further and establish it such as are the works which appertain to the service of God or sacred ceremony or to charity and love towards our neighbour or to the saving of our owne or anothers life as that present necessity will not suffer them to be deferred untill another time doe not break or violate the Sabbath but are most of all required to the right and lawfull observation or keeping of the Sabbath Thou and thy Son and thy Daughter He will also have our children and family to cease from their labours for two causes Two causes why our children and family must cease from labour on the Sabbath 1. Principally that these also may be brought up by their Parents and Masters in the service of God and may be admitted unto the Ministery of the Church For God will have these also to be members of his Church 2. Because he will have especially on the Sabbath day love and bountifulnesse towards our neighbour to be shewed and seen in the Church Why Converts strangers must cease from labour on the Sabbath Why Infidels strangers must cease from labour on the Sabbath The stranger c. He willeth also strangers to intermit their labours and that if they were converted to true religion because they were of the houshold of the Church if they were Infidels he commandeth it them not in respect of themselves but in respect of the Israelites 1. Lest by their example they should give offence to the Church 2. Lest their liberty might be an occasion to the Jewes to accomplish by them those labours which it was not lawfull for them to work by themselves and so the law of God should be deluded Hereby is answer made unto three questions 1. Whether other Nations were also bond unto Mosaicall ceremonies if any of them lived among the Jewes 2. Whether they which are aliens from the Church may or ought to be forced to religion 3. Whether the Sacraments among which was also the Sabbath ought to be common unto Infidels with the Church Unto these questions we thus answer To the first and second as concerning binding and constraint the strangers which conversed among the Jewes Three questions concerning the Sabbath answered were not forced either to all ceremonies or to religion but to externall discipline which was necessary for the avoiding of breeding offences in the Church wherein they lived For a Magistrate ought to be a maintainer
of discipline and order according to both Tables of the Decalogue amongst his subjects and to forbid manifest idolatry and blasphemies and to take care as far forth as he may that strangers and sojourners minister or give no open scandall to his subjects Moreover as concerning the binding there was a peculiar consideration and respect of the Sabbath which was not then first by Moses prescribed to the Israelites but commanded by God from the beginning of the world unto all men and so did binde all men untill the coming of the Messias Although indeed this commandement and ordinance was so growne out of use among other Nations that they accounted it among the number of the chief reproaches wherewith they derided and scoffed at the Jewes terming them Sabbataries because they so religiously observed the Sabbath To the third question fore-alledged we answer that the Sabbath was no Sacrament unto Infidels though they also ceased from their labours as well as the faithfull because neither did the promises belong unto them that God would be their sanctifier neither were they therefore constrained to cease from their daily labours as for a testification or confession of this promise but only for avoiding of offence and for preventing of such occasion of breaking the Sabbath as might be given by them unto Gods people Thy cattell By this it is the better understood that the Sabbath was not a Sacrament instituted for Infidels in that their cattell also are commanded to rest whose rest had no respect or consideration either of Gods worship Two causes why the rest of our cattell on the Sabbath is commanded or of a Sacrament but was commanded onely in respect of men 1. That all occasion of labouring might be cut off by forbidding the labour or use of their beasts 2. That they also sparing brute beasts might learn how God will have regard to be had of mercy and favourablenesse towards men For in six dayes The reason which is annexed unto the commandements is drawn from Gods rest and appertaineth to the ceremoniall commandement concerning the seventh day as before hath been shewed Two causes why the seventh day is appointed the Sabbath And rested on the seventh day That is he ceased to create any new parts of the world as being now perfect and such as God would have it to be This seventh day he consecrated to divine service 1. That this rest of the seventh day might be a monument of the Creation then finished and absolved by God and of the continuing of his perpetuall preservation and governing of his worke ever since that day unto his owne glory and the safety of his chosen and that so it might be a pricke to stirre us up to the consideration and magnifying of these Gods workes and benefits towards mankinde for whose sake all things are made and preserved by God 2. That by the example of his owne rest as a most forcible and effectuall argument hee might exhort men to the imitation thereof in omitting on the seventh day their accustomed workes of the six dayes A two-sold imitation of Gods rest Two sorts of our workes And so the imitation of Gods rest is double Ceremoniall or signifying and Morall or spirituall or signified So also our workes from which wee are commanded to cease are of two sorts Labours in our vocation Some of them are indeed commanded by God but they are not to be done with the hinderance of Gods worship of which sort are the functions and labours of each mans vocation Sins Labour and sinne forbidden by the Sabbath in divers respects Some are forbidden of God as sins Both these are forbidden on the Sabbath but in a three-fold difference For 1. Labours are forbidden but in a respect only to wit as they hinder the Ministery of the Church or as they give offence to their neighbour but sins are simply forbidden 2. Labours are forbidden onely to be used on the Sabbath day sinnes are forbidden at all times 3. The ceasing from labour is a type of ceasing from sinnes which is the thing signified by that type OF THE SABBATH HAving expounded the words of the Commandement that the doctrine concerning the Sabbath and the sanctifying thereof may be better understood wee are further to consider of the Sabbath What and how manifold the Sabbath is 2. How the Sabbath belongeth unto us 3. The causes for which the Sabbath was instituted 4. How the Sabbath is sanctified or kept holy and how it is broken or profaned 1. What and how manifold the Sabbath is THe Sabbath is called in Hebrew Schabbat Schebbet and Schabbaton Three causes why the day appointed to Gods publike service is called the Sabbath day each of which signifieth a quietnesse or rest or ceasing from labours And God so called the day appointed in his publike service and worship 1. Because God rested on that day namely from making any new or moe kinds of creatures though not from the preserving of the same which he had made or from continuing the generations of the singulars of every kind 2. Because the Sabbath is an image of the spirituall rest from sinne which should be in the life to come 3. Because we also and our families and our cattell are to rest and cease from our workes on that day not from all workes but from houshold and civill workes and from others of the like kind that God may then shew and exercise in us his workes The Sabbath therefore is a time appointed for the ceasing from externall workes which are either morally or ceremonially forbidden that is from sinnes and labours in our vocation pertaining to the use of this life and a time consecrated to the execution and performance of such things as belong to Gods worship or service And this concerning the name of the Sabbath Furthermore the Sabbath is of two sorts Internall and Externall The internall What the Sabbath is What the internall or morall Sabbath is or morall or spirituall is the study of the knowledge of God and his works of avoiding sins and of worshipping God by confession and obedience To be short The spirituall Sabbath or spirituall rest is a ceasing from sins and an exercising of the works of God This Sabbath though it ought to be continuall and perpetuall with the godly yet it is begun only in them in this life and is called the Sabbath both because this is that true rest from labours and miseries and the consecration of us to Gods worship and also because it was in time past signified by the ceremoniall Sabbath And this spirituall Sabbath shall be perfectly and perpetually continued in the life to come wherein is a perpetuall worshipping and magnifying of God Two causes why ceasing from sin and study of the word is called a Sabbath Isa 6.13 What the externall or Ceremoniall Sabbath is all those labours being left and surceased wherein we are now busied and occupied And from month to month