Secondly it may carry this sense: that is truly sacred, when the object is God, and his honour aimed at immediately, as when we kneel to God in prayer, we do not kneel to the scripture, or man praying but God directly: or when the next object is a holy thing, but so attended as by that, or in the use of that, we tender up honour to God and attain that end. As the minister preacheth the word to the people, and they hear it preached, but by both and in the virtue of both, ⟨p. 58⟩according to Gods appointment, the heart is carried in holy affections, and apprehensions to him, and so both hold out Gods honour: So Sacraments given and received, excommunication dispensed, they hold out the spiritual government of God and his honour unto us, & bring our hearts under his hand to give that honour which is due to his power, sovereignty, and holiness, appearing therein unto us: This only makes a thing properly sacred, but if things of any nature, only so far attend a religious, either person, thing, or performance, as that they help not in carrying out the act to God, and so tendering honour to him, but stand only in a distance, and subordination as things of necessity, or in some conveniency presupposed to go before a religious work, in a common way to that, as to other things, in the like proportion, and have the self same work in that sacred as in civill affairs, this is not sacred at all: So place and time, a font, will do as much to any civill action, as to a sacred: So that only religion applieth, and takes to it self, that civill circumstance, that it might put forth his own act, as upon a stage, makes such things do as much for him, as for any politic and natural work, Religion serve its turn upon these occasions. In a word the ground lies here: The latter art, ever useth the work of the former, 1sometimes for necessity, sometimes for conveniency, and adjoining himself to it, doth of it self, do its own work: So that the thing, is either a subject unto which the act of religion or policy is applied, or else, that fitness which such things have in subordination, to have other things to be annexed to them, is that common ⟨p. 59⟩end, which such things hold out indifferently, by the •ame rule, to civill and sacred actions, and ergo are common to them both, but are neither properly: Instance thus: A magistrate of the common wealth; A General in the field;
Secondly it may cary this sense: that is truely sacred, when the object is God, and his honour aymed at immediatly, as when we kneele to God in prayer, we do not kneele to the scripture, or man praying but God directly: or when the next object is a holy thing, but so attended as by that, or in the use of that, we tender up honor to God and attaine that end. As the minister preacheth the word to the people, and they heare it preached, but by both and in the virtue of both, ⟨p. 58⟩according to Gods appointment, the heart is caried in holy affections, and apprehensions to him, and so both hould out Gods honor: So Sacraments given and receaved, excommunicatiō dispensed, they hould out the spirituall government of God and his honor unto us, & bring our hearts under his hand to give that honour which is due to his power, soveraignty, and holines, appearing therin unto us: This only makes a thing properly sacred, but if things of any nature, only so farr attend a religious, either person, thing, or performance, as that they help not in carying out the act to God, and so tendering honor to him, but stand only in a distance, and subordination as things of necessity, or in some conveniency presupposed to goe before a religious work, in a common way to that, as to other things, in the like proportion, and have the self same work in that sacred as in civill affaires, this is not sacred at all: So place and tyme, a font, will do as much to any civill action, as to a sacred: So that only religion applyeth, and takes to it self, that civill circumstance, that it might put forth his owne act, as upon a stage, makes such things do as much for him, as for any politike and naturall work, Religion serve its turne upon these occasions. In a word the ground lyes here: The latter art, ever useth the work of the former, 1sometymes for necessity, sometymes for conveniency, and adjoining himself to it, doth of it self, do its owne work: So that the thing, is either a subject unto which the act of religion or policy is applyed, or else, that fitnes which such things have in subordination, to have other things to be annexed to them, is that common ⟨p. 59⟩end, which such things hould out indifferently, by the •ame rule, to civill and sacred actions, and ergo are common to them both, but are neither properly: Instance •hus: A magistrate of the common wealth; A Generall in the feild;
- 1A•s posteriot […] titu• ope•• How a th•ng may ••rve a sacred action, or be used ecclesiastically, & yet not be sacred.A•s posteriot 〈…〉 titu• ope•• How a th•ng may ••rve a sacred action, or be used ecclesiastically, & yet not be sacred.
