Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	common_a	lord_n	prayer_n	2,904	5	6.1819	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A39377	An Abstract of some letters to an eminent learned person concerning the excellency of the Book of common-prayer, &c.		1679 (1679)	Wing E7; ESTC R23206	15,276	30

AN ABSTRACT OF SOME LETTERS TO AN Eminent Learned PERSON Concerning the EXCELLENCY Of the BOOK of common-COMMON-PRAYER c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 8.1 LONDON Printed for William Crook at the Green Dragon without Temple-Bar 1679. SIR I Humbly entreat you to tell me whether you do not Judge it Sinful to stay at home on the Lords Day rather then go to Church only to hear the Common Prayer Preaching doubtless is in no wise to be Neglected but this I must say that I cannot apprehend that that person has any Actings of that Faith which worketh by Love without which All the Knowledge we gain by Hearing Sermons does not Edify but only Puff up the Mind who when he comes to the Place of God's publick Worship knowing that he may not expect a Sermon there is not Confident that he shall be as much Edified by the Prayers Chapters c. as he should be by never so good a Sermon But however by reason of the Rarity of the Habit of True Christian Faith even in that part of the World which we call Christendome and the frequency of the long Interruptions of its Actings where it is Various fresh Expressions of Saving Truths which are apt to Excite the Minds of the Vnsanctifyed by the Phantasie to give heed to the Sense they import are very Necessary But This is most evident that People are exceeding apt to take the Sensible Workings of their Soul stir'd up by the Novelty of Expressions in Sermons the Emphatical Pronunciation of the Preacher c. for Fervency of SPIRIT which Sensible Motions I presume you will grant are of no value otherwise than as they are Subservient to Rational Abhorrence of all Sin of all Inordinate Affection to Finite Objects or to a Rational or Spiritual Inclination to the ONE INFINITE GOOD through JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD the Effectual Notices of which INFINITE GOOD how is it possible but we should be continually stir'd up unto in the Hearing of the Common Prayer if we would Apprehend the Free Offers of the Spirit of Truth which the Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ makes unto us in an Vnlimited Abundance in the Use of all such Means of Grace as He calls us unto Here I could Run out with much Fervor of Indignation against the Despisers of these Means of Grace Strong Guards from those Accursed Errors Socinianism c. which whilst I liv'd in Oxford seem'd to me to be coming in like a Mighty Torrent upon this Distracted Kingdom whilst the Frequent Professions of Belief of the TRINITY Gloria patri and the Three Creeds were cast out of Our Churches If it be say'd what Reformation have we now c. I Reply that one Reason of his Kingdom 's Miscarriages I might say Abominations is that some of those that are syncerely Learned Pious have not such an Esteem of our Liturgie as they Ought to have And hundreds of those that are thought by the Vulgar to be so do themselves Despise it or Countenance others in so doing You give me not any punctual Answer to my Question whether you do not Judge it Sinful to stay at home though to read Good Books c. on the Lords Day rather than come to Church when nothing is to be heard there but the Common Prayer You say you are more against spending the Lords Day in Idleness or in any thing which is worse than in Hearing that alone I thank God I was never so Mad as to make a question of This I have nothing to say to it but that I dislike these words worse than the Common Prayer which seem to insinuate that It is not Good I am not guilty of slighting Preaching as 't is taken in contradistinction to Reading c. as you seem to Conceit I Affirm that to Suit or Proportion our Expectations of Grace in the Use of All Means whereunto we are Called to the Apprehensions of INFINITE Bounty c. is a Property of Saving Faith But say you GOD who appointeth several Means doth usually work according to them and when he withdraweth them it is a Judgment which it were not if he had promis'd as much Grace without them as with them I grant that God who appointeth several Means doth usually work according to them But I utterly Deny that when he withdraweth any Particular Means of Grace it is a Judgment to Him who is in the Act of syncere Love to the Blessed Jesus for such a one is at All Times and in All Places Under the Gracious Influences of the INFINITY of Light and Love directing him how by Submission to the Divine Will withdrawing any Particular Means of Grace and by the Renewing his Resolutions to make a Right Use of all such Means as God shall at any time call him unto c. He may Receive of the Fullness of Christ in as great Measures as he could have done in the Use of the Means withdrawn from him The LORD give us both Understanding in all Things Now I have found the way by your Letter to discover your Thoughts concerning the Common Prayer in your Printed Papers I shall not trouble you with any more Post-Letters on that Subject but shall stick to the Defence of this Great Truth that the withdrawing of any particular Means of Grace is not a Judgment to him that is in the Act of Divine Love Against which you Argue thus That which tendeth to hinder his continuance in that Act of Love is a Judgment but such is the withdrawing of some Means of Grace I Answer the withdrawing c. is so far from being Directly and in its own Nature that which tendeth to hinder c. that as It is in its own Nature viz. the work of the Infinitely Good GOD It is the Means of Grace and he takes it for Such that is in the Act of Divine Love as I endeavour'd to shew you in my last We question not say you Gods bounty but his Will shew us a Promise that when a man is deprived of the Preaching of the Gospel the Communion of the Church the Company of all good men and cast amongst impious deceivers and haereticks he shall have his love continued and encreas'd as much as if he had better Means I Answer This Promise of Our Saviour Whatsoever ye shall Aske the Father in my Name he will give it you John 16.27 would Ingage the Heart of any one in the Act of Divine Love if God should put him into such a Condition as you express to expect from GOD through Our LORD JESUS as much Grace or Improvement of his Divine Temper under that Dispensation of Providence as he knows he could have grounds to Expect in the Use of those Means of Grace which the Only Wise GOD has thought fit to Withdraw from him But I am ready to say with you If God should take away the Bible and Preaching from the Land I would take it for a Judgment though the Common