Selected quad for the lemma: christian_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
christian_n	christian_a	church_n	society_n	2,901	5	9.2764	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A23601	The swearer's doom; or, A discourse setting forth the great sinfulness and danger of rash and vain swearing. By John Rost M.A. rector of Offwell and Gittisham in Devon	Rost, John, d. 1713.	1695 (1695)	Wing R1987A; ESTC R203434	36,689	74

intention of his heart yet his Wisdom saw fit to punish the rashness and Indiscretion of his vow for it brought him into a very great streight as is apparent from v. 38. For he rent his cloths and said Alas my Daughter thou hast brought me very Low and thou art one of them that trouble me for I have opened my mouth to the Lord and I cannot go back I say God probably punish'd the rashness and Inconsiderateness of that we might might be a warning to others that we might not be rash with our Mouths nor hasty with our Lips to utter any thing before the Lord As Solomon Adviseth Eccles 5.2 for as he says Pro. 20.25 It is a snare to a man after vows to make inquiry i. e. for a man rashly and inconsiderately to swear he will do such or such a thing and afterward to consider whether it be lawful or unlawful Convenient or Inconvenient to do as he hath sworn or to swear he will not do such a thing and afterward to consider whether it be not expedient to do it We have a famous example of this in Herod Mat. 14.6 where its ' said That the Daughter of Herodias Dancing before him on his birth day and pleasing him he promised with an Oath that he would give her whatsoever she should ask who being before Instructed of her mother desired him to give her the head of John the Baptist in a Charger which request of hers when the King heard it 's said v. 9. that he was sorry he repented him of his rash and unadvised Oath nevertheless for his Oath 's sake and them that sat with him at meat he commanded it to be given her St. Mark who relates this story most largely tells us Chap. 6.26 that he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exceeding sorry he was mightily troubled that she should ask such a thing as he never thought of and which had he foreseen he would certainly have excepted out of his large and extravagant promise Of this his sorrow several motives have been Assigned Some suppose that Herod having cast John into prison would have been glad enough to hear of his death might be willing enough to put him to death at another time but he was very loath to do it then because it was his Birth day and a great Festival and it was the custom of the Romans never to shed Blood at such a time In which they bestowed Favours and Largesses and used to release Criminals who were not guilty of Capital offences Yea and some that were But the great reason mentioned by the Evangelists why he did not put John to death as well as imprison him was because he feared the multitude because they accounted him as a Prophet He was afraid of some Popular Tumult or Insurrection Mat. 14.5 Nevertheless for his Oath 's sake and of them that sat at Meat with him he caused it to be done Whether Herod made any conscience of an Oath or not we know not 't is certain he made no conscience of the greatest sins in other cases he lived in Adultery with his Brother Philips Wife whom he procured to be banished as some write that he might the more freely enjoy her And doubtless had it not been for fear of the multitude he would no more have scrupled the Murthering John the Baptist then his Father did to Murther the holy Innocents But many who indeed and in truth make little or no conscience of violating an Oath Yet will keep it when they have by it bound themselves to any evil thing only to maintain their honour and Reputation And this was plainly Herod's case he had promised to give the Daughter of Herodias whatever she should ask even to the Half of his Kingdom And this promise he had solemnly confirmed by Oath in presence of his Lords high Captains and Chief Estates of Galilee And therefore that he might not seem guilty of any Levity Temerity or Inconstancy by being worse then his word he was resolved that he would do as he had sworn what ever became of it They must be very foolish and ignorant who think that an Oath doth oblige them to do any wicked thing and yet 't is a common thing for some who make light of violating their Oaths when it obliges them to do good to think them selves bound in honour to keep them when they have Sworn to do that which is evil which is a great Error But these Instances sufficiently show into what streight perplexities and troubles men bring themselves by vain rash and inconsiderate Swearing Thus Saul would needs put Jonathan to death in pursuance of his rash Oath had not the people hindred him from it 1 Sam. 14.44 Again Consider how great a scandal and reproach such as are customary Swearers do bring upon the Christian Religion in general and upon that Church or Society of Christians whereof they profess and declare themselves Members in particular which consideration it self ought to work upon all that own themselves Christians and doth always sway very much wi●h sober and serious men If common Swearing were only a foolish and vain custom that some have gotten yet if it gives offence we ought to avoid it how much more when there is nothing more offensive and odious to good men St. Paul exhorts us Phil. 1.27 that our conversation should be such as becometh the Gospel of Christ that thereby we may invite and win others to that Religion which we our selves profess by rendring it lovely and amiable in the eyes of all men and chap. 4.8 that we should not only mind and practise those things that are honest just and pure but such as are lovely and of good report We ought to deny our selves and abridge our selves of our liberty by avoiding even such things as are lawful when they may scandalize and offend such as are weak how much more ought we to avoid such things as are apparently wicked as all Christians acknowledge vain Swearing to be when by it we may encourage wicked men and grieve and discourage such as are sober pious and religious You know that the Scripture makes this one of the greatest aggravations of sin viz. the fatal consequences and dangerous effects that it hath upon others by encouraging them in wickedness or discouraging them from Piety and such effects hath vain Swearing usually for says St. Paul 1 Cor. 15.33 Be not deceived evil communications corrupt good manners and Eph. 4.29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth but that which is good to the use of edifying that it may administer grace to the hearers But what grace or edification can there be in that which is too bad in its self but worse in its consequences for as it grieves and displeaseth all pious and sober men so it hardens and emboldens the wicked and profane which is a great aggravation of it The sins of Ely's Sons were very great and heinous in themselves but that which made