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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	find_v	great_a	time_n	2,975	5	3.1999	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A42830	Seasonable reflections and discourses in order to the conviction & cure of the scoffing, & infidelity of a degenerate age by Jos. Glanvill ...	Glanvill, Joseph, 1636-1680.	1676 (1676)	Wing G830; ESTC R23378	24,921	115

faults but 't would be too great a diversion from our present business to discourse what I have to say of that now I may take another occasion to talk with you fully about it I shall only note at present that they suffer for others faults as much or more than for their own Many of the old Romish Priesthood got great possessions by abusing the credulity of the people at their death and the contrary humor prevails so much now that scarce any thing is given by Will to Clergy or Church uses even the little that is left is thought too much and every one almost is nimming and catching from them what he can The Fanatical and Seditious Clergy Preacht us into Rebellion and many are so set against the whole Order by it that they cannot endure any of that gown though most opposite to those principles and ways Now the case being thus as to their faculty and persons it cannot be expected that their labours should be very taking and since there is such an unhappy conjunction of so many other circumstances to indispose the people to the present Preaching it is no wonder our Preachers have not that influence and lead not the populace as some others have done C. But the non-conforming Preachers do it still though the Novelty you spoke of be over which is a sign it was not that which occasioned their so great prevalency and success A. Novelty was one of the concurring circumstances mentioned that is gone indeed but the others are revived and new added the fears of Popery the opposition to establishments the discontent the glory of being thought more godly the phancy of persecution and such like are as formerly and there are over and above the great excess of Atheism and Prophaness that the scandals they have brought on Religion have occasioned and their pity towards their Teachers whom they look on as opprest by being displaced These make them stick close and to hear their Preachers with more affection and zeal of attention which affords them advantages for fame and applause But for all this though when they declaim against Idolatry Superstition Will-worship Formality the people sigh and take on and seem to be much moved yet let them but Preach heartily and home against malice censoriousness bitter zeal lying slandering schism disobedience to lawful Governours spiritual pride waywardness fondness towards uncertain opinions and such like sins of the parties they will then find very cold entertainment of their doctrine and move no passions by it but rage and animosity against themselves and the consequents withdrawings from their meetings and bitter revilings of their persons So that indeed their Teachers how powerful soever esteem'd have not power to move them to any thing contrary to their humor and the corrupt interest of their party and therefore I never heard but of one man among them who durst venture to tell them plainly and honestly their own sins and him though otherwise the most considerable person that goes with them they worry and persecute with their bitterest reproaches and invectives D. For my part I think the way for our Ministers to bring the people back again to our Church would be to out-preach those Teachers which you so much condemn A. But who shall be judge what sort of Ministers out-preach the other The people so disposed and prepossest as I have shewn ours generally are will always judg on the side of the men that flatter them and cant in their phrases and stand in opposition to the Government so that though our Ministers spake all like Angels and all theirs brayed like Asses those people would give the power and spirituality on their side I suppose you know the Apologue the Nightingale and Cuckoo sung the Asse was judge The appeal was made and the sentence was That he could not deny but the Nightingale did well but for a plain Song he was for the Cuckoo D. They will confess indeed that there is not so much Eloquence and fine language in their Sermons but they are commended and followed for their Plainness A. Plainness is one of the best characters any Sermon or other Discourse can have and he is the Speaker that hath the art to be plain But one of the greatest faults I find with those mens Sermons is that they are not so They generally state their doctrines confusedly in words metaphorical and ambiguous and direct to practice mystically and obscurely in phrases and odd schemes of speech not understood and scarce intelligible as hath been sufficiently shewn in divers late Books These the people having been used to by them in the late times though they understand no meaning in them yet they take them to be plain at least to be so to spiritual understandings which they presume their own are Another part of their Plainness consists in homely similitudes and rude and blunt allusions accommodated to the humor of the vulgar who love such familiar Preaching as they call it which is indeed a debasing of Religion and exposing what they deliver to the scorn of those of a better relish Whereas our Ministers represent their doctrines and instructions in clearness of thought and simplicity of speech without nonsensical mysteries and words without meaning This I am sure is so in those that I hear and I hope most other regular Ministers endeavour the same D. And yet I have heard people complain that they cannot understand those Ministers A. Some would say they have been so much used to nonsence that sence is a hard thing to them Plainest things may seem difficult to those that are not accustomed to hear them Our Ministers find it necessary sometimes to shew the reasonableness of the principles and duties of the Christian religion for the assistance of those of more advanced understandings against the pretences and assaults of Atheists and Infidels and 't is impossible so to express all the matters that concern those great subjects as that every vulgar head that hath not been used to thinking and deep reasoning should presently take them No these though never so plainly discourst will require manly exercised minds or they will not be receiv'd or comprehended and Ministers must divide the word to every one his portion and not always speak to one sort If there be any thing in this complaint here I am sure is the ground which the Preachers cannot help except they could create understandings for their hearers Otherwise they indeavour profess and practise Plainness and in those subjects too as far as the nature of the thing will bear Their ornament and all they pretend as language is Plainness and the great fault they accuse the others of is want of it you may see in their books against them that they chiefly reprove and expose those men for their affectation of mysterious nonsence and words without knowledge that is for their not being intelligible and plain D. Plain Preaching doubtless is best and that it may be is the