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
A46730	True religion makes the best loyalty discovered and recommended in a sermon, prepar'd for that Assembly which intended to meet at St. Michael's Cornhil, April 21, 1682, and afterwards preach'd at the New Church in Westminster, May 29, being the happy day of His Majesty's birth and return, and now published, at the earnest request of the gentlemen of that vestry / by Thomas Jekyll ...	Jekyll, Thomas, 1646-1698.	1682 (1682)	Wing J539; ESTC R3602	17,947	38

and convinced that God seeth and knoweth what he doth and will certainly call him to an account for it and therefore the first thing that wicked Men do is to banish this Principle from their Minds for as long as there are any impressions of it there the remembrance of their own Actions must needs be very uneasy to them and therefore hence it is that the Scriptures both of the Old and New Testament lay every where so much stress upon 〈◊〉 and not only make it the Motive to but the Sum and Substance also of all true Religion and this it doth not only in general Terms when it speaks of God's immediate Worship and Service but when it descends to the particular Duties which we owe unto our Neighbour also they are often expressed by the same Phrase Thus for the Duty of Magistrates and great Men. Saith David in his dying words 2 Sam. 23.3 He that ruleth over Men must be just ruling in the Fear of God that is as becomes one who is not only in the presence but in the place of God 2 Chron. 19.7 with whom there is no Iniquity nor respect of Persons nor taking of Bribes And so for any others that are in any other inferiour degree of Power Levit. 25.17 42 43. Ye shall not oppress one another saith Moses but thou shalt fear thy God Nay if thy Brother be sold unto thee for a Bondman thou shalt not rule over him with Rigour but shall fear thy God i.e. shalt use him with that merciful regard which God requires and is well-pleased with And thus the Duty of Subjects towards their Magistrates is expressed in words to the same effect when we are required not only to be subject for Wrath but also for Conscience-sake Rom. 13.5 and what is that but in the Fear of God and therefore whoever resists the Power Vers 2. resists the Ordinance of God and what is that but to cast off the Fear of God! And thus also our Duty towards one another in all Affairs and Businesses whatsoever is expressed Psal 34.11 13 14. Come ye Children saith David hearken unto me and I will teach you the Fear of the Lord and what is that keep thy Foot from Evil and thy Lips from speaking Guile Depart from Evil and do good seek Peace and pursue it Thus saith the wise Man The Fear of the Lord is to hate Evil. Prov. 8.13 So that by the Fear of the Lord we are here to understand the sincere and hearty Profession and Practice of True Religion the doing the Duties of our particular Places with an honest Mind and as we will answer it to God And this I have been the longer upon because it helps us both to understand and practise the following Duty of Fearing the King which comes now to be exaamined and explained 2. What is meant by fearing the King And here we may easily understand the meaning of this Duty by comparing it with the former for according to the particular Nature and Extent of it it hath the same signification with that for as the one teacheth us what is True Religion so the other teacheth us what is True Loyalty for as the one consists in a rational sincere and dutiful Affection and Zeal for God and his Interest so doth the other for the King and his they only differ in Degree as the one is subordinate and must give place unto the other tho' to none besides for as we are to be obedient for Conscience-sake in the Fear of God so we are to be so according to the Will of God for if any thing is required that is contrary thereunto Acts 5.29 we all know that God is to be obeyed rather than Man Nor doth this at all derogate from the Duty of the Text but rather confirm and maintain it for if Kings are to be feared and honoured as they are God's Vicegerents then whatever doth dishonour God reflects also upon them and therefore those that are truly zealous to preserve the one do best secure and uphold the other nor doth this in the least eclipse their Power and Dominion but leaves them to the full exercise of it since it never alloweth us to rebel against it but rather to yield to it and to suffer by it which when we chearfully and willingly do we shew we are more tender of the King's Honour and Safety than we are of our own which is certainly the truest Principle of Loyalty and the best demonstration of the honesty of our Intentions in the practice of this Duty for tho' the Government may by this means be sometimes crossed of its Will yet it 's never in danger as to its safety 3. What is meant by being given to change The word in the Original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and signifies Changers and so it 's rendred in the Margent and it is sometimes taken in a good fence and sometimes in a bad 1. It is sometimes taken in a good sense for those necessary Changes and Alterations that are made in things that are amiss which it is every Man's Duty in the place wherein he is set by all honest and just Ways and Means to endeavour but this cannot be Solomon's meaning here Therefore 2. It is taken sometimes and here more especially in a bad fence for those that rather endeavour to disturb those things that are well and therefore it is properly translated by being given to change that is Persons of unsetled Minds govern'd by no Principles either of Religion or Honesty whose Profit or Lust is the only thing they are guided by and which no Government can have any certain security against fickle and unconstant Men that always turn with the Times meer Weathercocks both in Religion and Government and therefore true neither to God nor the King whose Religion is only Reason of State and whose Loyalty is either Interest or Humour and to speak according to the present Distemper of our Times Protestants to day Papists to morrow any thing the next and yet all this while nothing at all And therefore well doth the wise Man caution us against such as these as the most dangerous Company we can keep for they that have no honest regard to the Interest of True Religion can have none to their King and Country he that every day makes bold with Almighty God and sets him at defiance in the manifest breach of his Laws for the sake of his Pleasure or of his Profit can never give his Prince any tolerable security that he will not serve him so upon the like occasion and this is the reason why Princes are many times so unfortunate in the choice of their Ministers because it is an hard matter to find a great Politician to be as good a Man one who always makes the Laws of God and his Country the constant measure of his Actions let what will happen to him which if they did but truly fear God