Selected quad for the lemma: city_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
city_n	call_v	great_a	name_n	10,676	5	4.9120	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A40652	The best name on earth together with severall other sermons / lately preached at St. Brides and in other places by T. Fuller.	Fuller, Thomas, 1608-1661.	1659 (1659)	Wing F2413; ESTC R28667	34,017	156

The BEST NAME ON EARTH Together with severall other Sermons lately preached at St. Brides and in other places By T. Fuller Batchelour in Divinitie London Printed for the use and benefit of William Byron Gent. 1659. ANTIOCHIA Behold this ancient Citty from whence cam● As from y e sacred Font the Christians name Heauen grante ●● our once famous London may What Antioch gaue in time not take away Io Qu Iohn Stafford Excu 1657 The BEST NAME ON EARTH Together with severall other Sermons lately preached at St. Brides and in other places By T. Fuller Batchelour in Divinitie London Printed for the use and benefit of William Byron Gent. 1659. Collegium Emmanuelis Cantabrigiae The Best name on Earth Acts 11.26 And the Disciples were called Christians first in Antioch 1. WE meet with four names in Scripture whereby the servants of God converted to embrace the Gospel were called before the time that my text was written These took their denominations from the four Cardinall graces so necessary to mans salvation 1. From their Holinesse Called Saints 2. From their Faith Called Believers 3. From their Love Called The Brethren 4. From their Knowledge Called The Disciples From their Holinesse called Saints Acts 9.13 I have heard by many of this man how much evil he hath done to thy Saints at Ierusalem Acts 9.32 He came down also to the Saints which dwelt at Lydda From their Faith called Believers Acts 5.14 And believers were the more added to the Lord multitudes both of men and women From their Love called the Brethren Acts 9.30 Which when the brethren knew they brought him down to Cesarea and sent him forth to Tarsus Acts 11.1 And the Apostles and brethren that were in Iudea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God From their Knowledge called the disciples The number of the disciples was multiplied Acts 6.2 Called the multitude of the disciples unto them And in my text And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch 2. Observe in the words 1. Who were called The Disciples all they and onely they 2. What they were called Christians 3. Where they were called at Antioch 4. And lastly when they were called First neither sooner nor later but just now when the Church so increased with the preaching of Saul and Barnabas We will chiefly insist on the second and third parts and therein for the more conveniency invert the Order and begin first with the place called Antioch 3. First then Negatively not at Ierusalem and that for two reasons First because Ierusalem had lately lost its credit with the great God of Heaven it was become Bankrupt in its reputation for her ingratitude to God and cruelty to his servants Matthew 23.37 O Ierusalem Ierusalem Thou that killest the prophets and stonest them which are sent unto thee how often would I have gathered thy children together even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings and ye would not Behold your house is left unto you desolate Yea it was utterly unfit that the name of Christians should begin or be born in that place where Christ was so cruelly put to death 4. Secondly because Ierusalem was of a covetous envious and ingrossing nature ready to monopolize and inclose all honour to it self So that had the name of Christians first begun within the walls of Ierusalem the Jews would have been ready alone to lay claim thereunto excluding the Gentiles to have any participation therein As Christ therefore suffered without the walls of Ierusalem thereby proclaiming himself a publick good not appropriated to that private nation and for the same causes the name of Christians began not at Ierusalem but at Antioch 5. Secondly Negatively The name began not at Rome O how would the tide of Tybur have swollen beyond bounds and banks had the name of Christ first begun from that Citie How would the papists boast though not without some cause yet beyond all measure that Rome in a manner was the godmother of true Religion gave her the name of Christianity If a father cannot in his writings vail his bonnet in a civil respect to the citie of Rome and give it a regardfull salutation because it was the imperiall citie of the world if an ancient Ecclesiasticall Historian cannot give it a Rhetoricall complement in respect it was so famous a Church and most ancient Patriarchall Seat having precedency before though not superiority above all other Churches I say if in such cases their expressions are hailed and tugged by popish parasites to signifie contrary to the mind of the speakers the primacy and infallibility of the Romish Church how would they ere now have hollowed it into the eares of deaf men imperiously upbraided the Church of England if the name of Christians had its rise from Rome and originall in the walls thereof But God hath marred their mark and payred their pride and blasted their boasting Christians were first so called not at Rome but at Antioch 6. Here let us enquire orderly into two things 1. What was Antioch 2. What is Antioch What was it I confesse there be many cities in Asia of that name no fewer then seven and twenty which I could easily demonstrate were it not my work to preach heaven unto you and not to read a Geography Lecture 7. The reason why there were so many Antioches is this because there were two Antiochusses successively both puissant princes and eminent Emperours of Asia who founding repairing and enlargeing severall cities called them all after their own name Besides they had many friends and favourites who to ingratiate themselves with these princes called the cities of their own erection after the names of Antiochus 8. But the Antiochia mentioned in the text is certainly known to be Antiochia in Coelosyria so called because lying in a hollow vale interposed between the mountains of Libanus and Antilibanus It was commonly called Antioch the great and was a Metropolis for trade in those Eastern parts 9. Come we now to consider what is Antioch It is a pittifull inconsiderable village famous onely for what it hath been the Churches therein are buried in their own Church-yards It falleth so much under the notice of a Geographer that it falleth not under it generally omitted in most Mapps except some charitable ones which are pleased in pitie to take cognizance thereof Yea which is worst of all a sound Christian and orthodox in his judgement is hardly to be found in that citie where Christianity first began It is at this day infected with Mahumetisme and such few sorry Christians as remain therein are infected in the Fundamentalls of Religion for they follow the Greek Church and deny the procession of the holy spirit from the sonne the second person in the Trinity Use 10. To teach humility to all places of greatnesse not to confide in their own populousnesse but to walk in humility before God seeing Antioch the great that voluminous citie is now epitomized

to nothing yea we may generally observe that all cities that wear the sirname of Great are beheld by God with a jealous eye partly because greatnesse is a flower of the Crown of heaven partly because great cities presume on their populousnesse to be great sinners hoping in vain that their greatnesse will procure them an Act of Indemnity and God be moved to let them alone rather then to punish so many enough to make the sword of his Justice turn edge before it can cut through them 11. The premises I say have moved the great God of heaven to hold a strict eye and heavy hand over all cities sirnamed Great whilest lesser places Zoars escape best in general judgements Nineveh the great Jonah 3.3 Hamath the great Rabbah the great Babylon the great Revel 18.2 No the infinite Nahum 3.9 And Antioch by humane writers called Antiochia magna are all reduced to ruines 12. Give me leave to say to this citie of London as Darius did to Daniel in a holy complement O Darius live for ever that is understand it a finite ever might he in life health and prosperity continue to the utmost possibility of nature So say I O London last for ever may it flourish as long as any place hath a subsistence in this sublunary world however let it not be high minded but fear seeing Antioch a place as plentifull as puissant as populous is now dwingled away to an inconsiderable village 13. Come we now to the name of Christians This will bear a double debate first whether it was imposed by the enemies of the Church in scorn and derision or whether the Church it self did assume it as an act of their own election and approbation 14. I conceive the first utterly improbable for had the persecutours of the Church the depravers of goodnesse and good men given a name unto them they would have invented and imposed one more defamatory of greater shame and disgrace as to call them Hereticks Nazarites Crucifictians and the like and not so noble a name as Christians By the way we may observe that the word Christian is used twice in the Bible or if you will but once and an half Once 1 Pet. 4.16 Yet if any man suffer as a Christian let him not be ashamed but let him glorifie God on this behalf The half time Acts 26.28 when Agrippa said Thou hast perswaded me almost to be a Christian. In both which places we find the word taken in an honourable acception nothing of shame being imported therein which perswades us to believe the name was never fastened on Gods servants by their professed enemies A second enquiry succeeds viz. 15. Whether this name was by divine injunction immediately bestowed upon them or whether the Church meeting together by a prudentiall Act with a joint consent assumed it upon themselves I confesse at the first reading I conceived the text in the Original favoured the former where I read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sometimes containeth divine inspiration therein and is so used Matth. 2.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And being warned of God in a dream This I say inclined me to believe the name of Christians to be revealed from God and by him immediately imposed on the disciples 16. But on second thoughts I find the word sometimes to import no more then a plain denomination And so it is used Rom. 7.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 she shall be called an adulteresse which moveth me to believe that without any such immediate revelation from heaven in an extraordinary manner in the manifestation of Gods will the Apostles there present by the assistance of Gods spirit within them and the generall consent of the Church about them assumed that name upon themselves 17. Possibly because many believed some of the Circumcision and some of the Uncircumcision and because Gentiles was a name odious to the Iews and Iews offensive to the Gentiles therefore the word Christians was pitcht upon as common to both to bury the former names under it for though Iew and Gentile did ever remain as words of civil distinction they were henceforward abolished as terms of hatefull disparity Quest. 18. But why were they not called Fatherians from God the Father or holy Ghostians from the holy Ghost why onely Christians from Christ the second person in the Trinity here if any return that they are too harsh and ill sounding too troublesome and tedious to be pronounced the answer is in no degree satisfactory to the question For first were our tongues as long accustomed to the pronunciation of these words as they have been used to the word Christian a very lisping utterance would easily be able to expresse them Secondly we in England within these last fifteen yeares have acquainted our tongues with as hard terms with as numerous syllables some of Latine others of Greek extraction Presbyterians Antinomians Independents Representatives c. and yet these go down glib with us in our common discourse Answ. 19. The true answer is this we are called Christians from that person in the Trinity that hath merited most in the redemption of mankind 20. And here farre be it from me to make odious comparisons betwixt the persons in the Trinity and their deserts towards us which have most indeared us unto them That person who hath done least for us hath done more for us then we can requite then we can deserve then we can expresse then we can conceive however may dust and ashes in all humility confesse this most necessary and comfortable truth that Christ the second person in the Trinity is the best friend we have in the Court of Heaven and hath both done and suffered most in the effecting our salvation 21. Thence is that expression of David Psalme 110.1 The Lord said unto my Lord sit thou at my right hand untill I make thy enemies thy footstool The Lord that is God the Father said to my Lord that is to God the Sonne to Iesus Christ indeed one can take but little comfort in the Lord if not for my Lords intercession The Lord considered in his greatnesse and justice is our enraged enemy affording us cause of fear and sadnesse till beheld as reconciled in our Lord unto us 22. Now it will plainly appear that Christ hath performed most for mankind in order to our Salvation For first in operibus ad extra in all outward actions Christ the second person in Trinity hath an equall share with the other two Thus Christ as well as the other two persons in Trinity created the World and all therein John 1.1 2 3. In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God The same was in the beginning with God All things were made by him and without him was not any thing made that was made 23. Secondly we are justified by Christ as well as by God the Father Gal. 2.17 But if while we seek to be justified