Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	apostle_n	church_n	scripture_n	4,023	5	5.8096	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A57226	Providence and precept, or, The case of doing evil that good may come of it stated and resolved according to Scripture, reason, and the (primitive) practice of the Church of England : with a more particular respect to a late case of allegiance &c. and its vindication in a letter to the author.	Richardson, Mr.	1691 (1691)	Wing R1377; ESTC R24095	23,343	36

not how any Body in the last Reign as well as in this that have wilfully or by chance in keeping ill Company fallen into such a miserable state can get free of it unless by a true and hearty Repentance And Restitution where it can be done is as you use to tell us the only Evidence of its being Sincere And without it I cannot be persuaded but that such must remain in that lamentable state let them be never so prosperous and successful unless you think Success can alter the very Nature of Things which is something difficult to suppose though your Case c. seems to imply it which Case had it came out in a time of such a Thorow Settlement as where there were no Competitors or any to make a Claim I dare appeal to all Mankind Whether it would not have been burnt by the Common Hangman as a Libel against all Established and in your own Words Thorow Setled Governments in the World And whatsoever your private Advantage may be I am sure the Church nor the present State are no great Gainers by it For I am of the Opinion your Case of Allegiance will no more preserve either from the Attempts of wicked and rebellious Wretches in this Reign than your Case of Resistance did in the last And therefore you may spare your pains unless it be to oblige your Bookseller for you know this is a wicked and rebellious Nation which are more apt to follow Example than Precept And therefore you did well in leaping like the Belweather over the Hedge which was I suppose in hopes the rest of the Sheep would follow by the noise only And truly if they do not I can attribute it to nothing more than their being better taught heretofore by your self and others in those Times when People generally thought them both orthodox and honest And if what was said to St. Paul of Learning might be truly said of Honesty I am persuaded most of our Learned Clergy are pretty well in their Wits For if Possession gives a Right they ought for that Reason not to Abdicate their Livings let what will happen for fear People should think they were mad in not acting according to their own Principles But as the World goes we may observe People act not as if Godliness is great Gain but as if great Gain is Godliness And if so we may easily then guess who are the Babes of Grace and the Providential Favorites of Heaven For since as you say there are Providential Kings as well as Kings by Divine and Humane Intail and by your Notions they have Right or no Right but as they shall be by Providence in the Possession then it consequently follows that when ever it happens that a Dispute is between a Legal which I take to be the same as a Divine Right and a Providential or an Accidental one for by your Rule there can be no difference God is then by his Providence if I may so say fighting not only against his Divine Intail but his own Eternal Rule which distinguisheth what is Right and Wrong And also the Doctrine of our Lord and the Apostles viz. the least evil in the World ought not to be done to procure the greatest good For St. Paul positively says Rom. 3.8 They that do evil that good may come of it their damnation is just Which is a dreadful Consideration for all those that act by such pernicious Principles and therefore the Apostle does justly stile such Enemies to the Cross of Christ Phil. 3.8 And indeed so they are and to all Religion and Civil Government that promotes such Providential Notions which seems to run counter to the positive Commands of the Almighty And your self and others of your Coat has often told us We are not to follow Providence contrary to Precept And St. Paul himself which I presume was as great and as knowing as any of you bids us be followers of him 1 Cor. 11.1 no other ways than he was of Jesus Christ Which I think is a good Argument for others dissenting from you when you dissent from your self and the Truths which formerly you have taught But blessed be God though you have Recanted and as it were taken leave of them yet they are nevertheless Truths for that and we know where to find them and it is no small comfort to an honest Christian that no such Republican Principles are to be found in the Doctrines of our blessed Saviour and his Apostles nor in the Canons of our Church notwithstanding the present Opinion and Practices of many of our Churchmen And therefore 't is highly rational what St. Paul adviseth Rom. 16.17 18. Now I beseech you Brethren mark them which cause Divisions and Offences contrary to the Doctrine which ye have learned and avoid them For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ but their own belly and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple Which we find too true but 't is to be feared they will deceive themselves too at the last and then how significant and to the purpose will it be to ask the Apostle's Question What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed Rom. 2.21 But to draw as you use to say towards a Conclusion I will end where you began viz. with one Observation on the Title of your Book in the following Words c. The Case of Allegiance to Sovereign Powers stated and resolved according to Scripture and Reason and the Principles of the Church of England c. Now as for Scripture I think I have and from your own former Sentiments of it demonstrated that your Case will not stand that Test But then secondly for it 's being agreeable to Reason I shall as being no Pretender to it leave that to those who think themselves the only Criticks and Masters of it But for the third and last it being according to the Principles of the Church of England is so astonishing that I know not well what to answer save only that if it be 't is a Secret that has lay'n a long time concealed as if Providence had not only reserved it for these times but also designed you the happy Instrument of discovering so convenient a Mufftich Providential Doctrine so absolutely necessary in a Christian Church And now I dare appeal to all the proper Judges of Scripture and Reason and the Principles of the Church of England not excepting your self though you set up for one of the chief whether your Case c. have answer'd save only in the price of the Copy your own Expectations which were I presume to convince all Protestants of the Reasonableness of your Providential Hypothesis which you indeed take for granted and drive Jehu-like as if you had receiv'd Heaven's Commission to banish all the contrary Opinions out of the World For you argue with all the Assurance as if it was as plain as a Pike-staff