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city_n find_v great_a king_n 4,554 4 3.4720 3 false
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ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A23697 The causes of the decay of Christian piety, or, An impartial survey of the ruines of Christian religion, undermin'd by unchristian practice written by the author of The whole duty of man. Allestree, Richard, 1619-1681. 1667 (1667) Wing A1097; ESTC R225979 242,500 456

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this_o impetuous_a zeal_n and_o as_o impetuous_a lust_n in_o the_o same_o breast_n can_v never_o be_v do_v not_o man_n depend_v so_o confident_o on_o the_o one_o as_o to_o think_v it_o will_v commute_v and_o satisfy_v for_o the_o other_o but_o alas_o how_o groundless_a a_o presumption_n this_o be_v the_o whole_a tenor_n of_o the_o gospel_n do_v abundant_o witness_v in_o all_o that_o grand_a charter_n where_o be_v there_o the_o least_o clause_n import_v such_o a_o immunity_n i_o be_o sure_a there_o be_v multitude_n that_o assert_v the_o contrary_n indeed_o the_o whole_a frame_n of_o the_o evangelical_n covenant_n be_v total_o against_o it_o that_o require_v a_o entire_a uniform_a sanctity_n and_o allow_v no_o other_o privilege_n to_o the_o sin_n of_o the_o most_o know_a professor_n but_o a_o pre-eminence_n in_o punishment_n the_o be_v beat_v with_o many_o stripe_n and_o when_o it_o be_v consider_v that_o the_o end_n of_o all_o religion_n be_v but_o the_o draw_v we_o to_o a_o conformity_n with_o god_n the_o impress_v on_o we_o some_o character_n of_o his_o eternal_a goodness_n and_o holiness_n it_o will_v be_v as_o absurd_a as_o impious_a to_o believe_v that_o our_o zeal_n to_o any_o religion_n can_v absolve_v we_o from_o that_o purity_n which_o be_v the_o end_n and_o design_n of_o all_o and_o while_o this_o be_v the_o way_n man_n take_v to_o approve_v their_o piety_n it_o be_v no_o marvel_n to_o find_v so_o many_o christian_n and_o so_o little_a christianity_n in_o the_o world_n for_o that_o be_v not_o to_o be_v estimate_v by_o the_o number_n of_o its_o professor_n but_o by_o their_o obedience_n to_o its_o rule_n and_o he_o that_o give_v up_o his_o name_n to_o it_o and_o not_o his_o heart_n will_v receive_v as_o little_a advantage_n by_o it_o as_o he_o bring_v honour_n to_o it_o and_o how_o little_a that_o be_v in_o respect_n of_o its_o internal_a efficacy_n be_v i_o presume_v competent_o evidence_v but_o that_o we_o may_v more_o thorough_o discern_v how_o universal_o destructive_a our_o wrangling_n be_v to_o it_o in_o all_o its_o concern_v let_v we_o a_o little_a examine_v whether_o they_o do_v not_o endammage_n it_o even_o in_o respect_n of_o outward_a profession_n also_o this_o may_v seem_v a_o strange_a quaere_fw-la to_o those_o who_o think_v their_o despute_n about_o religion_n be_v to_o denominate_v they_o the_o great_a confessor_n of_o the_o age_n yet_o certain_o there_o be_v but_o too_o much_o ground_n not_o only_o for_o the_o enquiry_n but_o to_o resolve_v it_o in_o the_o affirmative_a and_o if_o it_o prove_v so_o it_o will_v infer_v but_o sad_o to_o those_o who_o have_v lay_v the_o whole_a stress_n of_o their_o hope_n upon_o their_o zeal_n to_o advance_v their_o faith_n will_v be_v find_v to_o have_v pull_v down_o more_o than_o they_o have_v build_v up_o now_o christianity_n may_v in_o respect_n of_o profession_n decay_v two_o way_n either_o in_o its_o hope_n or_o in_o its_o possession_n the_o one_o in_o relation_n to_o alien_n the_o other_o to_o disciple_n the_o first_o by_o hinder_v the_o access_n of_o new_a convert_v the_o second_o by_o stagger_v or_o alienate_v the_o old_a and_o both_o these_o way_n she_o visible_o appear_v to_o suffer_v by_o our_o division_n and_o first_o if_o we_o consult_v but_o our_o experience_n if_o we_o trust_v but_o our_o own_o observation_n we_o can_v but_o confess_v that_o the_o gospel_n have_v long_o be_v at_o a_o great_a stand_n that_o that_o sun_n which_o at_o its_o first_o arise_v be_v like_o david_n ps._n 19_o surround_v the_o world_n in_o a_o vigorous_a efficacious_a motion_n be_v since_o become_v like_o ioshua_n josh._n 10._o 12._o arrest_v in_o its_o course_n nay_o like_o hezekiah_n go_v backward_o is._n 38._o 8._o mahumetism_n if_o not_o paganism_n have_v long_o take_v up_o its_o seat_n in_o divers_a of_o the_o most_o flourish_a apostolic_a plantation_n a_o sad_a change_n that_o from_o the_o daily_a and_o numerous_a accession_n of_o the_o first_o time_n it_o shall_v now_o become_v a_o kind_n of_o prodigy_n a_o piece_n of_o news_n scarce_o hear_v in_o a_o age_n that_o one_o single_a proselyte_n be_v gain_v to_o the_o church_n yet_o that_o thus_o it_o be_v be_v too_o obvious_a to_o be_v deny_v and_o true_o it_o be_v not_o much_o less_o apparent_a that_o our_o dissension_n have_v in_o a_o great_a degree_n contribute_v to_o it_o for_o first_o as_o to_o the_o extirpation_n of_o the_o eastern_a church_n he_o that_o shall_v examine_v the_o record_n of_o those_o time_n will_v have_v cause_n to_o say_v their_o jangle_n and_o division_n be_v not_o only_o in_o a_o moral_a or_o divine_a but_o even_o in_o a_o proper_a natural_a sense_n the_o instrument_n of_o it_o the_o turk_n only_o come_v in_o at_o those_o breach_n which_o themselves_o have_v make_v nor_o have_v their_o candlestick_n probable_o be_v remove_v have_v they_o not_o first_o abuse_v its_o light_n to_o the_o set_v themselves_o in_o combustion_n that_o the_o same_o cause_n have_v not_o yet_o have_v the_o same_o effect_n among_o we_o be_v owe_v not_o to_o its_o unaptness_n to_o produce_v it_o but_o to_o the_o admirable_a patience_n and_o mercy_n of_o god_n who_o yet_o withhold_v that_o fatal_a judgement_n which_o we_o do_v our_o part_n to_o pull_v upon_o ourselves_o our_o mutual_a violence_n against_o one_o another_o herein_o unhappy_o combine_v and_o make_v one_o unite_v force_n against_o we_o all_o but_o though_o the_o divine_a goodness_n have_v hitherto_o so_o countermine_v our_o treachery_n to_o ourselves_o as_o not_o to_o suffer_v we_o to_o enjoy_v that_o state_n of_o darkness_n we_o have_v so_o court_v yet_o certain_o our_o contention_n be_v extreme_o accessary_a to_o the_o continue_v it_o upon_o other_o our_o many_o new_a and_o wander_a light_n however_o they_o fail_v of_o have_v that_o property_n of_o the_o pillar_n of_o fire_n ex._n 14._o of_o illuminate_v and_o conduct_v the_o israelite_n yet_o too_o much_o answer_v its_o other_o in_o become_v cloud_n and_o darkness_n to_o the_o egyptian_n there_o be_v scarce_o any_o thing_n more_o apt_a to_o intercept_v the_o beam_n of_o the_o sun_n of_o righteousness_n from_o the_o heathen_a world_n every_o of_o those_o little_a enclosure_n our_o faction_n have_v make_v in_o the_o church_n become_v a_o great_a partition_n wall_n to_o keep_v other_o out_o of_o it_o this_o may_v be_v make_v evident_a in_o several_a respect_n as_o first_o in_o relation_n to_o those_o many_o moral_a obliquity_n in_o which_o our_o eager_a dispute_n do_v as_o have_v already_o be_v show_v betray_v we_o which_o can_v but_o give_v so_o much_o scandal_n to_o any_o consider_a man_n that_o we_o can_v scarce_o hope_v any_o can_v turn_v to_o we_o as_o to_o a_o better_a religion_n but_o will_v rather_o think_v it_o the_o way_n to_o relinquish_v all_o to_o obliterate_v those_o native_a impression_n of_o piety_n and_o honesty_n they_o bring_v with_o they_o into_o the_o world_n so_o that_o if_o we_o expect_v any_o proselyte_n it_o must_v be_v only_o such_o as_o will_v live_v worse_o than_o mere_a nature_n allow_v they_o but_o this_o though_o as_o important_a a_o consideration_n as_o can_v well_o be_v i_o shall_v not_o here_o insist_v on_o have_v in_o the_o second_o section_n give_v some_o instance_n how_o apt_a our_o morality_n be_v to_o defame_v our_o divinity_n and_o confirm_v man_n in_o opposition_n to_o it_o but_o though_o this_o be_v a_o great_a yet_o it_o be_v not_o the_o only_a mean_n by_o which_o our_o dissension_n hinder_v the_o progress_n of_o the_o gospel_n for_o they_o do_v not_o only_o make_v infidel_n less_o inclinable_a to_o receive_v it_o but_o we_o to_o propagate_v it_o those_o do_v so_o busy_a and_o engross_v we_o that_o there_o be_v neither_o leisure_n nor_o heart_n leave_v for_o this_o our_o active_a spirit_n be_v so_o engage_v at_o home_n in_o assert_v their_o