Selected quad for the lemma: sense_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
sense_n	believe_v	church_n	faith_n	5,993	5	6.0238	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A61518	A peace-offering an earnest and passionate intreaty, for peace, unity, & obedience ...	Stileman, John, d. 1685.	1662 (1662)	Wing S5554; ESTC R12102	300,783	364

Answ 1 I answer 1. Those things which are really innovations and imposed and not required by Law surely we are not bound to obey nor do I know any that affirms we should sin if we submit not to them nor will it be charged upon those that deny them but upon such as impose them if the peace of the Church be violated Yet let it be considered also Sect. 38 Answ 2 2. Though such and such particular Rites may not be specially ordained by a positive Law for them yet if there be a general Law impowring the Bishops to order appoint and require what shall be for the peace of the Church and order in it what shall be for the conveniencies solemnity and decency of Administration and of all this leave them to be the judges what they now do so require they cannot be said to require without or against Law And if these particulars which they require be not manifestly against the Word of God I cannot see how we can be excused from sin if we disobey considering that establishment which by Law they have among us Sect. 39 Answ 3 3. But may we do nothing but what we are bound to do yea are we not bound for peace sake to do all that we lawfully may do Suppose our Governours should lay the peace of the Church upon such slight matters as are of no consideration in comparison with it and this be indeed their imprudence and possibly their sin Yet when this is done if we submit not supposing the things to be lawful in themselves I see not but that the violation of the Churches peace will be laid upon us as well as upon them nor will their imprudence excuse our sin There may perhaps be some kind of sin in them requiring but I am sure when the things required are not materially evil there can be no sin in us in obeying Let us not therefore so much consider what they must or may require but what we may and should do when it is required and we shall have peace Sect. 40 Except Partic. 5 5. The next great Exception is The Bishops claim to be Spiritual Lords contrary to the Royal Prerogative of Jesus Christ the only Lord and King of the Church The same which Johnson the Separatist made against our Churches See Unreason of Separat p. 47 48. and expressly contrary to that rule of the (b) 1 Pet. 5.2 3. Apostle where they if those Elders be supposed to be Bishops are only to oversee the Flock and not as Lords over Gods heritage but as ensamples to the Flock Yea contrary to the Royal dignity of the King and temporal Magistrate both in civil and ecclesiastical causes For they have their voices and authority in Parliament for enacting Laws for the Common-wealth They are Rulers of Provinces and Diocesses in ecclesiastical causes in civil State and dignity some of them above all all of them above some of the Nobles Justices and other Magistrates of the Land They and their Courts handle and determine civil causes and affairs that appertain to the Magistracy they inflict civil mulcts and penalties give Licences in several cases all the Priests and Deacons are exempt from the Magistrates Jurisdiction in divers things and answerable only or chiefly to the Prelates and their Officers Sect. 41 For Answer Here is a great charge indeed but it signifies nothing as to the business before us viz. our submission for Peace sake For Answ 1 1. Should they claim to be what they are not for there is a vast difference between to be and to claim to be may we yet not lawfully obey them in things honest though we own not their claim I judge we may The claim may be unjust in them and yet the things which they require of us may be fit to be done by us Sect. 42 Answ 2 2. Though they should claim more than belongs to them yet this makes not a nullity of that authority which is their due What they may justly require as Bishops and Governours of the Church they may require had they not those Titles of Spiritual Lords and then the addition of that Title destroyes not their power of Bishops Sect. 43 Answ 3 3. But They neither are nor claim to be such Spiritual Lords as the Objection implyeth as even the (c) Bradsh unreas of Separ p. 65. learned Non-conformists have acknowledged and which their Canons and practice shew For those things which are antecedently necessary by the Law of God they do command and press not as their own but as the Laws of Christ. And for things which are of another nature the practice whereof is made necessary pro Hic Nunc by their constitutions they prescribe them not so as to bind the conscience of any to the acknowledgement and approbation thereof as necessary things but only to obey them in practice and for external order and as things indifferent in themselves which we are no longer obliged to than they are commanded And therefore they cannot be said to arrogate such an Office of Spiritual Lords as the Apostle condemns nor in that sense wherein Christ alone is Lord of his Church They never attempting to introduce a new worship of God or enjoyning subscription to new Articles of Faith But requiring only the same Articles to be believed which Christ hath revealed and ordering only the external mode and circumstances of worship the substance of which is only from Christ as to decency order and edification of which they as the Governours of the Church here must be in a very great measure acknowledged the Judges and which are by Christ left free to the Church to order according to the condition of Time and Place and other Circumstances Sect. 44 Answ 4 4. And as they encroach not upon the Prerogative Royal of Jesus Christ so neither do they infringe the Authority of the King and Civil Magistrate And to evidence this I need say no more than that which the forecited (d) Unreas of Separ p. 47. Mr. Bradshaw though no friend to the Bishop hath said in answer to this very objection 1. That the Prelates claim their voyces in Parliament not as Divine Ordinances appertaining to their Prelateships but as an honour annexed to the same by the Civil Magistrate 2. Their Authority in causes ecclesiastical over Provinvinces c. is either such as the Magistrate himself may execute and administer in his own person if he please or such as is not for Him as a Magistrate to execute The first sort The Bishops administer only by vertue of the Magistrates own Commission and therein they impair not either his dignity or supremacy much less in the other part of their authority which belongeth not to the Magistrate himself to execute especially when they use not this neither without his consent licence and approbation 3. That all are above some some above all the Nobles Justices c. is a free and voluntary honour

Sacrifices are a broken spirit a broken and contrite heart thou wilt not despise Thus are Prayers and Supplications a Sacrifice such did Christ (a) Heb. 5.7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 offer up with strong cries and tears in the dayes of his flesh Praise and Thanksgiving is another Sacrifice yea a Sacrifice (b) Psal 69 30 31. that doth please the Lord better than an Oxe or Bullock that hath horns and hoofs And so the Apostle accounteth it when he exhorts to it in this phrase (c) Heb. 13.15 alluding to that of Ho● 14.2 Let us offer the Sacrifice of praises to God that is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his Name Again Love is a Sacrifice which is intimated by the Apostles Argument pressing us (d) Eph. 5.2 to love one another by the Sacrifice of Christ whereby he evidenced his love to us Acts of charity and mercy a free communication and bounty to matters of charity and piety are Sacrifices also and placamina too they are an (e) Phil. 4.18 odour of a sweet smell a Sacrifice well-pleasing to God And upon this account urged so earnestly (f) Heb. 13.16 to do good and to communicate forget not for with such Sacrifices God is well-pleased In a word our bodies our own selves must be a Sacrifice (g) Rom. 15.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a living Sacrifice are we in rendring to God our reasonable service And as through the Apostles Ministration there was h an acceptable offering up or Sacrifice of the Gentiles So still through the blessing of God on our Ministries there is a Sacrifice of the same nature now though possibly short of those perfections offered up to God The Gentiles did the Apostles then and the Ministers of the Gospel do still bring us an offering when through their Ministry they are consecrated an holy people to God according to that Prophecy (i) Isa 66.91 20. They i. e. those that shall be sent abroad to the Nations Tarshish Pul and Lud The Gentiles and the Isles afar off fulfilled in the Apostles and Evangelists sent abroad from the Jewes to the Gentiles shall bring all your Brethren even those Gentiles by faith made the children of Abraham and so Brethren to the Jewes out of all Nations a gift or * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an oblation to the Lord. Thus are we in a sound sense Priests even in the Evangelical Ministry to offer men viz. by the power of the Word subduing them to the Gospel and bringing them (k) Rom. 1.5 16.26 to the obedience of faith The Sacrifices of the Levitical Priesthood were slain Beasts but the Sacrifices of the Evangelical Ministry is a (l) Heb. 4.12 ripping up of the hearts a mortifying and destroying the brutish lusts and beastly affections of men (m) Eph. 6.17 by the Sword of the Spirit the Word of God Such Sacrifices as these God will accept and these he doth expect from men in return of his mercies viz. That we praise him that we be humble penitent and obedient before him that we mortifie our unruly lusts our pride passions envy ambition c. That we worship God with sincerity and humble devotion that we love one another with a pure heart and unstained charity that we follow peace with all earnest affections These are the Sacrifices with which God is well-pleased These are they which now are most proper to be offered for Sect. 9 Whence come those inundations of misery upon us (n) Jam. 4.1 Those wars and fightings which swept away our peace and happiness as with a flood Came they not hence even from our lusts that war in our members Pride Envy Covetousness and Ambition these were the Engines which the Devil used to fill us with hatred and malice emulations and wrath discontent and murmuring strife and sedition and by these he overthrew the best foundations of our peace and unhinged the whole frame of our Government both in Church and State We cannot forget how ambitious and self-seeking men made no difficulty to sacrifice even Religion it self to their Rebellion and the peace of the most flourishing Church and State to their own lusts And now can we do less than sacrifice those lusts again to peace We will do nothing and are unworthy of those glorious mercies which the Lord hath through so many wonders brought home to us if we yet are unwilling to mortifie our own inordinate affections and unruly passions yea if we cannot be content in a great measure to sacrifice our own private judgments and perswasions to the peace of the Church We have been divided long enough sides and parties have appeared high to the devouring one of another (o) Mat 10.20 21. Brother hath betrayed the brother to death and the father the child children have risen up against their Parents It is now high time that we study how to be at unity Sect. 10 The Greek Historian (p) Thucyd. l. 1● telleth us of Lacedemonia That before Lycu●gus his time it was (q) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for a long while abounding in factions and shaken with seditions Another gives this reason of it viz. because (r) Plut. in vit Ly●●g Eurytion one of their Kings being vainly ambitious of popular applauses (s) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 did too much loosen and relax the Rains of Government and the power of a Monarch Hence the people grew fierce and insolent to despise their Kings and the City was still full of commotions and seditions And the Sacred History informs us of the abounding of sin and commotions in Israel from another ground We find (t) Judg. 17.8 13. Idolatry in the house of Micah and a young man of Judah consecrated a Priest to his Idol (u) Jude 18.2 The children of Dan by force seeking themselves an inheritance because none gave them a legal possession (x) Jude 19.2 A Concubine continuing in whoredoms and not punished A sad War between (y) Jude 20. Israel and Benjamin almost fatal to the house of Benjamin And all these troubles recorded in such a time (z) Jude 17.6.18.1.19 1.21.25 when there was no King in Israel but every one did that which seemed right in his own eyes Sect. 11 But was this also the ground of our miseries Had we no King or did He encourage popular insolencies Nothing less nay we had a King in Israel and one also who was to His Power zealous to maintain the Church in her Splendor the People in Peace and who rather than let loose those golden Rains of Government whereby He might rule and preserve them He was content to be sacrificed a Martyr for both But we were factious and seditious covetous and ambitious and unwilling to be kept in order we were resolved that we would do every one what pleased our own fancies and then raised up fears and jealousies and concluded We would have no King among us that