Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	new_a	old_a	testament_n	3,965	5	8.0680	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A37042	The dying man's testament to the Church of Scotland, or, A treatise concerning scandal divided into four parts ... : in each of which there are not a few choice and useful questions, very shortly and satisfyingly discussed and cleared / by ... Mr. James Durham ... who being dead (by this) yet speaketh ; and published by John Carstares ... ; to which is prefixed an excellent preface of famous Mr. Blair ... ; together with a table of the contents of the several chapters of each part.	Durham, James, 1622-1658.; Blair, Robert, 1593-1666.	1659 (1659)	Wing D2810; ESTC R3845	315,038	466

controversies and confuting of such errours that the truth may be the more clear 5. They may and ought to endeavour according to their place the composure and allayment of all the lesser and more petty differences and heart-burnings that may be found amongst these that are in the main one for truth for often as was said a vehement spirit of errour and delusion is trysted with heart-burnings divisions and offences in the Church and amongst the Officers thereof there were petty contests in Corinth biting and devouring one of another in Galatia trysted with the harmony that was amongst the followers of the seducers and at the Councell of Nice there was not only difference with Arians and other grosse hereticks but also there were petty differences and contests amongst the Bishops and Confessors who stood for truth and these differences are most advantagious to the spreading of errour and the removing thereof is a great bulwark against the same It is marked of Constantine at that Councell of Nice that amongst other means which he used to suppresse the Arian heresie he did most carefully endeavour the removing and burning of such differences and divisions and by serious Oration pressed the oblivion of all such that they might the more unitedly and with the lesse diversion be in capacity to oppose the common enemy For certainly when Ministers are armed one against another upon some lesse concerning and more unprofitable debates as alas too much of them is in the Christian reformed-Church at this time there cannot but be the lesse strength zeal and vigilancy against professed enemies in the most substantiall things 6. They may and ought to interpose their Authority for inhibiting the receiving and hearing or conversing with known and manifest seducers for this is but to discharge and thereby to preserve the people from runing to their own hazard even as men ought to be commanded to keep at distance with a place or person suspected to be infectious because of the Pestilence neither could such a restraint be accounted any diminution of their just liberty yea this were but a putting to of their sanction to the clear direction which the Lord layeth upon His people and therefore there could be no hazard to miscarry in it especially where the application to such and such persons might be as clearly discernable from the Word as the duty is 7. They might and ought to give their countenance unto and joyn their Authority with such ecclesiastick statutes overtures or means as Church-judicatories or Officers might be about to make use of for this end in their places and this can be no more prejudice to liberty to countenance with their authority the Ornance of Discipline than to confirm by their Authority the Ordinance of preaching the Gospel 8. They may and ought to preserve the Ordinances from being interrupted and the administrators thereof from being reproached and might justly censure these things when committed 9. In recovering a people in a reeling and staggering time a Magistrate may engage them to formerly received truth and interpose his authority for this end as is recorded of Iosiah 2 Chron. 34. 31 32 33. Also 10. He may and ought to remove all false worships and endure no corrupt preaching or writing or meetings for that end or administrating of corrupted Sacraments or any Ordinance other than what is allowed for Iosiah did cause the people stand to the Covenant that was made and having removed all Idolatrous worship he made Israel to serve the Lord that is he made them abandon corrupt worship and waiton pure Ordinances as keeping of the Sabbaths offering of sacrifices c. and that according to the manner prescribed by the Lord. Neither was it a wronging of their liberty to do so Because 1. it was the preservation of their liberty to keep them from the abominable bondage of these evils 2. It was their duty to abstain from these and to follow the Ordinances purely and the Magistrate may well put people to that 3. It is one thing by force to keep folks from dishonouring God in a corrupt Religion as Iosiah did another to force them to a Religion the one belongeth to the ordering of the outward man the other to the inward 4. He might order them to keep the Ordinances and in going about them to keep the rule because that is but a constraining of them to the means whereby Religion worketh and a making them as it were to give God a hearing leaving their yeelding and consenting to him when they have heard him to their own wills which cannot be forced yet it is reason that when God cometh by His Ordinances to treat with a people that a Magistrate should so far respect His glory and their good as to interpose His Authority to make them hear 5. Also there is a difference between the constraining of a circumcised or baptized people to worship God in the purity of Ordinances as they have been engaged thereto which was Iosia's practice and the constraining of a people to engage and be baptized which were not formerly engaged because actuall members of a Church have not even that liberty as others have to abandon Ordinances and this putteth them to no new engagement in Religion but presseth them to continue under former engagements and accordingly to perform Hence we see that both in the Old and New Testament Church-members have been put to many things and restrained from many things which had not been pertinent in the case of others See 2 Chron. 15. 13. In the fourth place there are many things also in their power in reference to these that are seducers or deluders or actually deluded which might be and ought to be improven for the Churches good not to speak now of any thing that may infer civil or capitall punishment upon men for their opinions or any way look like the enforcing of Religion upon consciences As 1. Magistrates might and ought to put Ministers and Church-officers and others to their duty in case they be negligent in trying discoverring convincing c. such as by their corrupt doctrine may hazard others 2. They may and ought to discountenance such in their own persons and by their authority inhibit them to vent any such thing yea under certifications yet this cannot be called a forcing of their conscience to any Religion but is only the restraining of them from hurting of the consciences of others 3. When such certifications are contraveened he may and ought to censure the contraveeners and so he may by his authority put them in an incapacity of having accesse to infect others yet this is not the censuring of a mans opinion for he might possesse his opinion without censure but it is the censuring of his disobedience and the prejudice done by him to others Nor is it the restraining of him from personall liberty because of it but because he doth not nor will not use his personall liberty without prejudice to the whole body which is

were considered as a thing coming from God and evidencing Him to be angry and to threaten and without this there is little ground to expect profiting by any other direction 2. People would be seriously affected with the falling or hazard of the falling of any they hear of as being touched with zeal for God and sympathie with them and for this cause would humble themselves before God to deprecate that stroak and plague as they would do sword famine or pestilence 3. People would try in what tearms themselves are with God and if things inwardly be in good case if there be any guiltinesse procuring or disposing for the same plague such as little love to the truth little study of the knowledge of the truth little zeal against errour or simpathy with infected Churches that are at a distance laughing it may be at such things without any other use making thereof little prayer for others or exhorting or admonishing of them which is a mean for preventing of unstedfastnesse little indeavour according to mens places to have others instructed or to have faithfull able and godly Ministers for that end but it may be on the contrary much spiritual pride self-conceitednesse tenaciousnesse and addictednesse to our own wills and opinions prejudice at able and faithful Teachers and readinesse to hear every thing and every person These and such like may be tried and when found ought to be mourned for as causes of humiliation to them for their accession to such a plague 4. They would endeavour the strengthening and confirming of themselves in the knowledge of necessary Truths and would exercise themselves in the practice of uncontroverted Godlinesse and by all means would eschew jangling debates in unnecessary things knowing that that is a piece of the enemies subtility once to engage if it were but in the meanest thing for thereby he doth not only divert from more necessary things and weareth away livelinesse but doth dispose for greater things as was formerly marked in his method of dealing For as in corrupt practices men are not at first brought to an height of prophanity but by degrees So is it in corrupt doctrines and therefore there is warinesse called-for here in debating or questioning the meanest Truth if any Truth be mean 5. If any thing be really doubted of means would be used in a sober prudent way for attaining information either by providing and reading of some fit Book wherein often reasons are more deliberate and full and may be more deliberately studied and digested than in a transient discourse but in this special respect would be had to a right choice and for that cause the judgments of such as are sound and able to discern would be followed in this or where God giveth occasion it may be done in sober and christian conference with others of ability and integrity especially with Ministers who ought neither to decline nor rashly misconstruct the same but affectionatly and tenderly to welcom any such sober persons lest they be provoked to consult with others who may prove Physicians of no value In this people would not expresse their doubts in all companies at random nor to or before such as may possibly more easily take up the doubt and with more difficulty be brought off when therefore such a doubt is to be moved the party and the time would be deliberatly chosen that men may be serious therein and no doubt would be moved for debate but either such as the mover can himself loose or in such company where he may expect to have it loosed 6. People would endeavour exceedingly to have good esteem of their Ministers and Guides and to be diligent and reverent observers of all Ordinances especially at such a time for Ministers are Guides Heb. 13. 17. And Ordinances are appointed to keep people from being staggered Eph. 4. 11 12 13 14. and it is to such that the Bride is directed to wit to keep near the shepherds tents for being preserved from wandering Song 1. 9. And the more that the devil driveth to bear-in prejudice at Ministers and blast the Ordinances in their repute the more are people to wrestle against that and in some respect to be more blind and deaf to what may be seen and heard concerning Ministers faults not so much for the Ministers respect as their own good Therefore the Apostle giveth this reason for his pressing of obedience and submission to Ministers Heb. 13. 17. because the want of that was not only prejudicial to the Minister but unprofitable to themselves 7. People would have an eye upon the way that faithfull and eminently godly men have gone to Heaven by before them This is to follow the foot-steps of the flock Song 1. 9. and the faith and patience of those that inherit the promises Heb. 6. 12. and readily we will find such to be most sober and serious and farthest at a distance from novelty curiosity or absurd opinions And it 's no little part of the boldnesse and impudency that often accompanieth new delusions that they generally condemn the generation of Gods People as if no way were to Heaven but by their vain inventions this will be no little stick to a tender mind at once to condemn the Religion and practice of such a cloud of witnesses 8. They would be carefull when they hear others questioning things or expressing their p●…judice at Ministers Ordinances or established Truths to endeavour the present stopping of the same and not to foster any thing of that kind by moving new doubts suspicions or giving new grounds of jealousie against Ministers or others but rather would gravely and wisely endeavour the removing of the same 9. They would then be much and serious in the exercise of christian fellowship observing or considering one another provoking one another and as the word is Heb. 10. 24. and 3. 12 13. taking heed lest there be amongst them an evil heart of unbelief and lest any of them be hardened but exhort saith he one another daily as the remedy of that There is no time wherein christian fellowship is more called-for and wherein it may be more profitable than at such a time if it be rightly ordered and managed I say rightly ordered and managed for often the pretext of christian fellowship is abused to the hatching and propagating of the most absurd opinions when people turn light and frothy taking up their time with vain janglings and diverting from the main scope to wit edification These things are indeed to be shunned but christian fellowship is not to be disclaimed but wisely to be ordered in respect of the persons with whom and occasions upon which it is used and in respect of the matter and duties insisted on which is to be the confirming of themselves in some truth faithfull freedom in admonishing one another of what is wrong serious endeavour to keep repentance humility self-denial and the like graces fresh These and such like things are good and profitable to