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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
city_n	call_v	great_a	river_n	9,026	5	7.1511	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09063	A Christian directorie guiding men to their saluation. Deuided into three bookes. The first vvherof apperteining to resolution, is only conteined in this volume, deuided into tvvo partes, and set forth novv againe vvith many corrections, and additions by th'authour him self, vvith reprofe of the corrupt and falsified edition of the same booke lately published by M. Edm. Buny. Ther is added also a methode for the vse of al; with two tables, and a preface to the reader, which is necessarie to be reade.; First booke of the Christian exercise.	Parsons, Robert, 1546-1610.	1585 (1585)	STC 19354.1; ESTC S114169	529,786	953

liberal pay for so litle paines king Dauid discoursing with him self on a certaine time how his owne palace being richly builded of Cedar timber the arke of his Lord and maken was lodged only vnder a poore tēt resolued with him self to erect a house and temple for the same Which onelie cogitation God tooke in so good parte as he sent Nathan the prophet vnto him presentlie to refuse the thing but yet to tel him that for so much as he had determined such a matter God wold build a house or rather a kingdome to him and his posteritie which should last for euer and from which he wold neuer take away his mercie what sinnes or offences so cue they committed Which liberal promisse we see now fulfilled in the Church of Christ descended originally from that noble family What should I labour to heape together moe examples to this effect Christ him self gyueth a general note hereof when he calleth the workemen and payeth to ech man his wages so duelie as also when he sayeth of him self behold I come quicklie and my revvard is vvith me By which places it is euident that God suffereth no labour in his seruice to be lost or vnpayed And albeit as hereafter in place conuenient more amply shal be shewed he payeth also and that abundantlie in this life present yet as by these two texts appeareth he deferreth his chiefe paye vnto his comming in the end of the day that is after this life in the resurrection of the iust as him self saieth in an other place OF THIS PAIMENT then reserued for gods seruants in the life to come we are now to consider what maner a thing it is and whether it be worth so much labour and trauail as the seruice of God requireth And first of al if we beleeue the holie scripture calling it a kingdome a heauenlie kingdome an eternal kingdome a most blessed kingdome we must nedes confesse it to be a maruailous great reward seing that in this world hardlie can there be found so bountiful a Monarch as wil bestowe a kingdome vpon his seruant in recompēse of his seruice and if he would and were able to performe the same yet would it be nether heauenly nor eternal nor blessed kingdome such as this is which God hath promised vnto his seruants Secondlie if we credit that which S. Paul saieth of this reward that nether eye hath seene nor eare beard nor hart of man conceyued how great a matter it is thē must we yet admit a greater opiniō thereof For that we haue sene many wounderful things in our dayes we haue heard more wounderful we may conceyue most wounderful and almost infinit How then shal we come to vnderstand the greatnesse and value of this reward surelie no tongue created either of man or Angel can expresse the same no imagination conceyue no vnderstanding comprehend it Christ him self hath said nemo scit nisi qui accipit No man knoweth it but he that enioyeth it And therfore he calleth it hidden manna in the same place Notwithstanding as it is reported of a learned Geometrician who finding the length of Hercules foote vpon the hil Olimpus drew out his whole bodie by the proportion of that one part so we by some things set doune in holy scripture and by some other circumstances agreing therunto may frame a coniecture of the matter though it be farre vnequal and inferiour to the thing it self I haue before declared how this reward in holy writ is called a heauenly euerlasting most blessed kingdome By which wordes is signified that al shal be kinges and most happie kinges that shal be found worthie of this reward To like effect is it called in other places a crovvn of glorie a throne of Maiest c a paradise or place of pleasure a life euerlasting S. Iohn the Euangelist being in his banishment by special priuilege made priuie to some knowlege and feeling thereof aswel for his owne comfort as for ours taketh in hād to describe it by comparison of a citie affirming that the whole bodie therof was of pure gold inuironed with a great and high wal of the pretiouse stone called Iaspis This wal had also twelue foundations made of twelue distinct pretious stones which he there nameth also twelue gates made of twelue riche stones called Margarits and euerie gate was an entire Margarit The stretes of the citie were paued with gold interlayed also with pearls and pretious stones The light of the citie was the clearenesse splēdour of Christ him self sitting in the middest thereof from whose seat proceded a riuer of water as cleare as cristal to refresh the citie and on both sides of the bankes there grew the tree of life geuing out continual and perpetual fruit There was no night in that citie nor any defiled thing entered thereinto but they which are within shal raigne sayeth he for euer and euer By this description of the mostriche and pretious things that this world hath S. Iohn wold geue vs to vnderstand the infinite finite value glorie Maiestie of this felicitie prepared for vs in heauen though as I haue noted before it being the princelie inheritance of our Saue our Christ the kingdome of his father the eternal habitation of the holie Trinitie prepared before al worldes to set out the glorie and to expresse the power of him that hath no end or measure ether in power or glorie we may verie wel thinke with S. Paul that nether tongue can declare it nor hart imagine it When God shal take vpon him to doe a thing for the vttermost declaration in a certain sorte of his power wisdome and eternal Maiestie imagine you what a thing it wil be It pleased him some time to make certaine creatures to serue him in his presence and to be witnesses of his glorie and thereupon with a word he created the Angels both for number and perfection of nature so strange and wonderful as the cogitation therof astonieth our vnderstanding For as for their number they were almost infinite passing the number of al the creatures of this inferiour world as diuers learned men and some ancient fathers are of opinion albeit Daniel according to the custome of holy writ doe put a certain number for an vncertaine when he sayeth of Angels a thousand thousands did minister vnto him that is vnto God and ten thousand times a hundreed thousand did stand about him to assist And for their perfection of nature it is such being as the scripture saieth celostial spirits and like burning fire as they farre surpasse al inferiour creatures in natural knowledge power beautie and al other excellēcies which i one Angel are more for perfectiō of nature not respectig grace then in al other creatures of the world put together What an infinit Maiestie thē doeth this argue in the Creator After this when many of these Angels were now fallen it pleased

them selues their successours to the worlds end this I say being once brought to passe and the litle stone that was cut out of a hill without handes being now made a huge mountaine that had spreed it self ouer the whole face of the earth according to Daniels prophetie thē thos holy and sage Apostles for preuenting of al new doctrines and false errours that might afterwardes arise as by reuelation from Iesus they vnderstood there should doe many most earnestly exhorted and with al possible vehemēcie called vpon the people to stand fast in the documents and traditions then receaued to holde firmly the faith and doctrine already deliuered as a Depositum and treasure committed to be safely kept vntil the last daie And aboue all other thinges they most diligently forewarned them to beware newfangled teachers whom they called Herctiques who should breake from the vnitie of this vniuersal bodie already made and knit together and should deuise new gloses exposition and interpretations of Scripture bring in new senses doctrines opinions diuisions to the renting of Gods Church and Citie now builded and to the perdition of infinite soules For discerning of which kinde of most pernicious people as S. Austen and other holie fathers doe note for more perfecte distinction betwene them and true Christians the said Apostles inuented the name Catholique and set doune in their cōmon Creede that clause or article I beleeue the Holie Catholike Church By whiche word Catholike that signifieth vniuersal they gaue to vnderstand to al posteritie that whatsoeuer doctrine or opinion should be raised afterward among Christians disagreeing from the general consent doctrine and tradition of the vniuersal Church was to be reputed as errour heresie and vtterly to be reiected And that the only Anckor staie and securitie of a Christian mans my nde in matters of beleefe for his saluation was to be a Catholike that is as all aunciēt fathers doe interprete the same one who layīg aside al particuler opinions and imaginations both of hym self and others doth subiect his iudgment to the determination of Christes vniuersal visible and knowen Church vpon earth embrasing whatsoeuer that beleeueth and abādoning whatsoeuer that reiecteth And this is that plaine direct sure and infallible waye among Christians whereof we spake out of Esaie and other prophetes and Saintes of God before wherin no man can erre though neuer so simple but only of wilful and obstinate malice which is declared in this maner followinge The Ghospel of Christ being once preached and receyued vniformely ouer al the world and Churches of Christianitie erected throughout all Countries Prouinces and Nations in the Apostles time as hath bene said it is to be considered that this vniuersal church bodie or kingdome so gathered foūded established was to continue visibly not for one or two ages but vnto the worlds ende For so it was foreshewed and promissed most perspicuouslie by Daniel when he foretelling the soure great Monarchies that after him should ensue adioineth thes euident wordes of the church and kingdome of Christ In the daies of thes kingdomes shal God raise vp a Celestial kingdome vvhich shal indure for euer vvithout subuersiō that kingdome shal not be deliuered ouer to any other people By which last wordes as also by diuers promisses of Christ hym self in the Ghospel we are acertained that the very same visible congregatiō Church bodie common weale gouernment and kingdome which was established by the Apostles in their time should endure and continue by succession of folowers vnto the worlds ende neither should it passe ouer or be deliuered to any other people that is no new teachers or later doctrines dissenting from the first should euer finallie preuaile against it Which prophetie to haue bene fulfilled frō that day vnto this is made euident and most apparant by the recordes of al ages wherin albeit diuers errours and heresies haue sprong vp and made great blustering and disturbance for a time yet haue they bene repressed and beate doune againe by the same Church and her visible pillars in the ende For examples sake in the first age there rose vp certaine seditious fellowes amōg the Iewes making some cōtention about their ceremonies as also did Simon Magus Nicolaus Cerinthus Ebion and Menander that were heretiques Against whō besides the Apostles stoode ī defence of that which was published before their Disciples S. Martialis S. Dionisius Areopagita Ignatius Policarpus others In the secōd age rose vp Basilides Cerdon Marcion Valentinus Tacianus Apelles Montanus and diuers others against whom stoode in the battaile Iustinus Martyr Dionisius bishop of Corinth Irenaeus Clemens Alexandrinus Tertulian and their equals And so douneward frō age to age vnto our daies whatsoeuer heresie or different opinion hath bene raised contrary to the general consent of this vniuersal bodie it hath bene checked and controlled by the watchmē pastours chief gouernours of this bodie and finally hath bene condemned and anathematized by their general assemblies consent and councelles gathered from time to time as occasions serued in al partes of the world Wherby it is most manifest that he who relieth vpon this general consent of Christes Church in earth and adhereth to nothing against the iudgmēt of the same cā not possibly erre in matters of beleefe but walketh in that sure secure and infallible path wherin Esaye sayeth that a very foole can not goe amisse Wherfore to conclude this first parte of our present speech cōcerning the trial of our faith and beleefe he that is a true Catholique and holdeth hym self within th' obedience of this general and vniuersal Church which hath descended by succession from Christ and his Apostles that is as olde Vincentius said eleuen hundred years agoe in his most excellent treatise against innouations of heretiques he that Ioueth the Churche and bodie of Iesus Christ so much as he preferreth nothinge in the world before the Catholique and vniuersal doctrine therof not any priuat mans authoritie loue wit or eloquence not reasons of nature or pretēce of scriptures against that which before hym was beleeued by all men he that followeth vniuersalitie antiquitie and consent in his beleefe and standeth firmelie to that faith which hath bene held from time to time in al places in al seasons by al or the most parte of Bishopes Priestes and Doctours in Christianitie he that cā say with S. Augustine that he trulie followeth that vniuersal Church which had her beginninge by the enteringe in of Natiōs got authoritie by miracles was increased by charitie and established by continuance which hath her succession of bishopes from the Chaire of Peter vntil our time that Church whiche is knowen in the worlde by the name of Catholique not onlie to her friendes but also among her enimies for that euen heretiques in common speech doe terme her so hauinge no other meanes to distinguishe them-selues and their followers from

persuadest me a litle to be a Christian. But because he deferred the matter this motion passed away againe Twise happie had PHARAO bene if he had resolued him self presently vpon that motion that he felt when he cried to Moyses I haue sinned and God is iust But by delay he became worse then euer he was before S. Luke reporteth how FELIX the gouernour of Ieurie for the Romanes conferred secretly oftentimes with Saint Paul that was his prisonner and heard of him the faith in Christ wherwith he was greatly moued especially at one time when Paul disputed of Gods iustice and of the day of iudgement whereat FELIX trembled But yet he deferred this resolution willing Paul to depart and to come againe an other time and so the matter by dilation came to no effect How many men doe perish daily some cut of by death some left by God and geuen ouer to a reprobate sense which might haue saued them selues if they had not deserred their conuersion from day to day but had made their resolution presently when they felte God to cal within their hartes Almightie God is ready and bountiful to knocke and cal but yet he bindeth him self to no time or space but commeth and goeth at his pleasure And they who take not their times when they are offered are excuseles before his iustice and doe not know whether euer it shal be offered to them againe or no for that this thing is ouelie in the wil and knowledge of God alone who taketh mercie where it pleaseth him best and is bound to none And when the prefixed time of calling is once past woe be vnto that partie For a thowsand worldes wil not purchase it againe Christ sheweth wonderfully the importāce of this matter when entering into Ierusalē vpon Palme-sonday amidest al the mirth glorie of his receiuing he could not chuse but weepe vpō that citie considering as most men thinke that this was the last day of mercie and vocation that euer should be vsed to the same And therfore he said with teares O Ierusalem if thou knevvest also thos thinges vvhich appertaine to thy peace euen in this thy day but novv thes thinges are hidden from thee As if he had said if thow knewest Ierusalem as wel as I doe what mercie is offered vnto thee euen this day which is the last day that euer such offer shal be made thou wouldest presentlie accept therof But now this secret iudgement of my father is hidden from thee and therfore thou makest litle account therof vntil thy destruction shal come suddenlie vpon thee as soone after it did By this now may be considered the great reason of the wise mans exhortation Forslovv not to turne to God nor doe thou deserre it from day to day for his vvrath vvil come vpon the on the suddain and in time of reuenge it vvil destroy thee It may be sene also vpon what great cause S. Paul exhorted the Hebrewes so vehemently Dum cognominatur hodie to accept of grace euē whiles that verie day endured and not to let passe the occasion offered Which euery man applying to him self should folow in obeing the motions of Gods spirit within him and accepting of Gods vocation without delay considering what a greeuous sinne it is to resist the Holy Ghost Euery man ought I say when he feeleth a good motiō in his hart to thincke with him self now God knocketh at my doore if I open presently he wil enter and dwel within me But if I deferre it vntil to morow I know not whether he wil knocke againe or no. Euery man ought to remember stil that saying of the prophet touching Gods spirit Hodie si vocem eins auaieritis nolite obdurare corda vestra if you chaunce to heare his voice calling you to day doe not harden your hartes but presently yelde vnto him Alas deare brother what hope of gaine hast thou by this perilous dilation which thou makest Thy account is increased therby as before I haue declared thy debt of satisfaction is made more greeuous thy enemie more strōg thy self more feeble thy difficulties of conuersion multiplied What hast thou then to with hold thee one day from resolutiō The gaining perhappes of a litle time in vanitie But I haue proued to thee before how this time is not gained but lost being spent without merit which is in deed the onely true gaine of time If it seeme pleasant to thee for the present yet remember what the prophet saieth Iuxta ast dies perditionis adcsse fistina a temporal The day of perdition is at hand and the times of destruction make haste to come on Which day being once come I maruaile what hope thou wilt conceiue Doest thou thinke perchance to crie Peccaui It shal be wel truely if thou canst doe it but yet thou knowest that Pharao did so and auailed nothing Doest thou intend to make a good testamēt and to be liberal in almes deeds at that time This no doubt is very commendable but yet thou must remember also that the virgins which filled their lampes only at the verie instant of their enterance to the mariage were shut out and vtterly reiected by Christ. Dost thou thinke to weepe mourne and to moue thy iudge with teares at that instant first this is not in thy hādes to doe at thy pleasure and yet thou must consider also that Esau found no place of penance though he sought it with teares as S. Paul wel noteth Doest thou meane to haue many good purposes to make great promises vowes in that distresse Cal to minde the case of Antiochus in his extremities what promises of good deedes what vowes of vertuous life made he to God vpō condition he might escape and yet preuailed he nothing therby Al this is spoken not to put them in despaire which are now in thos last calamities but to dissuade others from falling into the same assuring thee gentle reader that the prophet said not without a cause Seeke vnto God vvhile he may be sound cal vpon him vvhile he is neare at hand Now is the time acceptable now is the day of saluation saieth S. Paul Now is God to be found neare at hand to embrace al them that truelie turne vnto him and make firme resolution of vertuous life hereafter If we deferre this time we haue no warrant that he wil ether cal vs or receiue vs hereafter but rather many threates to the contrarie as hath bene shewed Wherfore I wil ende with this one sentence of S. Augustine that he is both a careles most graceles man which knowing al this wil venture notwithstanding the eternitie of his saluation and damnation vpon the doubtful euent of his final repentance OF THREE OTHER LETTES AND IMPEDIMENTES THAT HINDER men from resolution to vvit Slothfulnes careles negligence and hardnes of hart vtterly cōtemning al