Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	apostle_n	eternal_a	life_n	4,687	5	4.8521	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A87825	A modest plea for private mens preaching. Or An answer to a booke intituled, Private men no pulpit men; composed by Master Giles Workman. Wherein the thing in controversie is briefly debated; the examination of private mens preaching examined; also certain accusations wip'd away and removed. / By John Knowles a preacher of the gospel, formerly in and neer Glocester, now belonging to the life-guard of his Excellency Sir Thomas Fairfax.	Knowles, John, fl. 1646-1668.	1648 (1648)	Wing K730; Thomason E434_8; ESTC R206223	32,543	41

A modest PLEA FOR PRIVATE MENS PREACHING OR AN ANSWER TO A BOOKE intituled Private men no pulpit men composed by Master GILES WORKMAN Wherein The thing in controversie is briefly debated The examination of private mens preaching examined also certain accusations wip'd away and removed By JOHN KNOWLES A Preacher of the Gospel formerly in and neer Glocester now belonging to the Life-Guard of his Excellency Sir THOMAS FAIRFAX LONDON Printed in the Yeare 1648. The Preface to the Reader CHRISTIAN READER THere are two evils too common amongst Professors one is the taking up of much for truth which is indeed not so whence they accept darknesse for light and imbrace nubem pro Junone a cloud for Juno The other is the imbracing of many truthes which they see not with their owne eyes to be so whereby their faith proves fruthlesse whil'st this popish doctrine to believe as the Church the Clergie believes is a practicall tenent amongst them Wherefore I cannot but see a breaking forth of mercies towards us by the breaking out of controversies amongst us that being a way to remove us from our false apprehensions and to settle us on true upon good foundations Therefore expect Reader sound reformation from our grosse apprehensions and a sweet union from our great divisions I cannot but acquaint thee courteous Reader with two lessons which God some-while since hath taught me The first is To bring all things to the touch-stone and under examination wherefore those things which men call received truths I have called into question and am resolved neither to believe nor practice any thing till I enjoy a satisfactory reason why I should so either believe or practice By which course I have beene gratiously led out of many imbraced errours and I hope gratiously led into many yet unresolved scruples for satisfastion wherein I wait on the God of discoveries Secondly I have learned to receive truth by parcel-meale in that God is wont by degrees not by whole sale to impart it As for the following discourse it was occasioned from a desire in me to vindicate both the truth my selfe from a false accusation and it was long-since prepared for and sent up towards the Presse but providence by sicknesse hindering the Messenger it returned back again to me where it hath ever since remained in the prison of silence and should bave been for ever hindered from walking abroad had not importunity obtained it liberty to behold the Sun and looke the world in the face That it's entertainment will be diverse I am not doubtfull How I may be censured I am not carefull If God may have glory and his Church good I have my desire I shall not farther trouble thee in way of Preface but only to intreat thee seriously to consider of the insuing discourse What in it thou findest to be good that 's Gods Give him the glory What falls thou meet'st with some may be mine impute them to me some may be the Printers do him that favour when thou find'st them to amend them by which thou may'st oblige him unto thy service who is willing to be commanded by thee John Knowles A Modest PLEA for private Mens PREACHING The First Part. Wherein the thing in controversie is briefly stated and clearly explained whereunto also positive arguments are annexed and certain Interogatories answered WHen controversies are rightly stated they are in away to be ended Acts 19. He that strives about things not wisely stated beats the Ayer and sights with his shadow and so brings forth opas mane a fruitlesse labour Too many of our zealous contenders are too like Demetrius his followers making out-cries and uproares without reason and with not a little ignorance Wherefore that I may not shoot my darts as at randome and that there may for the building be laid a good foundation I shall in the first place yeild a briefe proposall of mine Assertion thus That men gifted for Preaching though out of Office may lawfully in any company preach the Gospel Words may admit of diverse constructions and some are apt to mistake plainest expressions Wherefore I shall to the Assertion add a cleare explaination of it that my meaning in it being cleare discervered and mistakes about it wholly removed the Christian Reader may be put in a posture rightly to judge of the thing which is nunce sub judice now in controversie amongst us For the effecting whereof three questions shall be proposed and answered which may plainly informe the Reader of my minde in the fore-going conclusion As the three errowes which Jonathan shot gave notice to David of Sauls intention Questi 1 What is it to preach the Gospel Answer Before a direct answer be return'd to this quaere I shall take liberty in a word to shew what the Word of the Gospel is which will open a way to the Reader whereby he may the more easily enter into the knowledge of the thing demanded The Gospel is a divine new-Testament doctrine making a glorious discovery to man of the Almighties will concerning man Now to Preach the Gospel is nothing else but to publish make known or declare the truths and mysteries contained in it That this is true may be as clearly perceived as the Sun at noon-day by the two following particulars First By considering the proper significations of the principall words which are commonly used to expresse the worke of Gospel-preaching These three following I have specially observ'd whose significations will give light to the truth of the fore-going difinition The first is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which from the Septuagint and Greek Originall is translated in the Latine as Uer●ion proclamare praedicare and signifies as much as aper●e seu publice dicere vel docere to divulge report publish or noyse abroad And so 't is ended Marke 5.20 Chap 7.36 The Gospel is a divine doctrine or Proclamation from Heaven containing in it house-top-discoveries which concerne all and are to be published to and apprehended by all The second is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Latine euangelizare which is often translated to preach the Gospel and doth properly signifie lata annunciare to shew or bring glad tidings and so 't is turned in Luke 1.19 chap. 2.10 He that preacheth the Gospel brings heart-rejoycing tidings to the creature for the Gospel discovers a sufficient remedy for mans misery and holds out the way to everlasting glory The third which speakes the same language with the former is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to Prophesie signifying properly to fore-tell or say any thing Mat. 15.7 some time to reveal a secret Matth. 26.68 sometime to teach 1 Cor. 13.9 Revel 11.3 This word fitly sets out the worke of Gospel-preaching for the World to come is the sub●ect or matter of the Gospel Vnto the Angels saith the Apostle God ha●h not put into subjection the world to come whereof of we speake Heb. 2.5 that is God hath not made eternall life or everlasting death to be the

matter of the Law or that doctrine which was ordain'd by Angels of which world to come we that are Ministers of the Gospel speake All doe Prophesie who preach the Gospel for they fore-tell what shall be the everlasting estate and condition of every man that they shall enjoy life that believe that they shall meet with death who have not faith to lay hold on eternall life Secondly By comparing Scriptures where divers words and such that condescend to the weakest capacity are used to expresse the same worke of Gospel-preaching Amongst twenty and ten take one or two which will be sufficient Compare the first verse of Acts 14. with the second of the same chapter where you shall find that to preach the Gospel is To speake or teach it to the People Ephes 3. ver 8. with the 9. will be alike usefull Thus being come to the period of the Answer to the first question I hasten to the second for throughout I intend to be brief Questi 2 Who are gifted for Gospel-preaching Answer Rom. 10. They are gifted for it who have necessary and sufficient abilities to discharge it For no man can preach except he be sent i. e. except he hath abilities to performe it Knowledge and utterance are as needfull for this worke as counsell and strength for the war And when God puts his words into men and gives words to them to make discoveries of Gospel mysteries he then sufficiently fits them to preach the Gospel He that hath knowledge and wants utterance cannot preach but he that hath both is put in a posture fit to preach preaching being nothing else but a promulgation or speaking of our apprehensions unto others Questi 3 Who are men out of Office Answer They who are neither extraordinary nor ordinary Church-Officers Apostles were extraordinary but Pastors and Teachers were ordinary Church-officers Therefore when we speake in this controversie of men out of office we mean such who are neither Pastors nor Teachers in visible Churches Having thus commented take a more large and plaine expression of mine assertion thus That men who know the Gospel and are able to declare it may qua tales as such being neither Pastors nor Teachers in visible Churches make known in any company the mysteries of the Gospel revealed to them Having thus done with the explication I shall advance next to the proofe of the Assertion mine Antagonist requiring the performance of it by his affirmantis est probare and method challenging this place as due unto it I shall bring forth testimonies of two sorts viz. divine and humane The first as infallible the second only as probable waies to prove it The divine testimonies which I shall alledge are reasons drawne from Scripture that just desider of all controversies and discoverer of all doctrins Before the proposall of the reasons let this one thing as needfull be premised That men gifted for preaching are no where in Scripture restrained in using their guifts either in respect of place or company Reason 1 Because they who enjoy gifts lie under a divine command to use them and not to suffer their gifts to rust by them or to lay them up in the Earth in a Napkin Divine commands are to the creature of a binding nature from the force whereof men cannot and Saints would not be free And as nature so the God of nature gives nothing in vaine Where he bestowes gifts there he requires the use of them The truth of this doctrine Christ teacheth us in the Parable Luke 19.23 where he tels us That a certain noble man when he went into a far Country East called his ten servants and delivered unto them tenne pounds and said Occupy till I come Peter is a teacher of the same doctrine 1 Pet. 4.10 11. where he saith As every man hath received a gift so minister one to another as ●ood Stewards of the manifold grace of God Ro. 14.19 1 Thes 5.10 Heb. 10.25 If any man speake let him speake as the oracles of God Paul also immitates Christ and joynes hands with Peter in requiring from Saints the same duty for he exhorts them to study after peace and things wherewith they may edify one another In another place To comfort and edify one another Else-wher To exhort one another Which duties may be performed by the use of gifts and so the use of gifts required Now to the Second Reason Reason 2 Because they who have gifts ought to increase them and not to content themselves with that statute their gifts whereof when they first received them Acquired gifts whether common or speciall are not compleate at first entrance but doe by degrees grow to perfection Now men that enjoy gifts ought by increasing them to presse to the marke i. the perfection of them They that received Talents and increased them were commended and as therein doing their duty Matth. 25. were called Good and faithfull servants But he who added not to his Talent was condemned and as a neglector of his duty term'd an evill and slothfull servant And will any who hath made Scripture reason and experience of his Counsell doubt whether the use of gifts be a direct way to increase them If any should the Parable above mentioned will resolve him reason also and experience wil contribute to his satisfaction Vsus perficit artem is a received maxime Now I hasten to the third Reason which joynes hands with the former in the same testimony Because Gods end in bestowing gifts cannot be answered without Reason 3 the use and exercise of them Every manifestation of the Spirit saith the Apostle is given for profit 1 Cor. 12.7 not only of him who doth enjoy it but of him also who is interested in it All the enjoyments of Saints as Saints are common amongst Saints for they all make up but one body in Christ Jesus and are members one of another in particular and so what every one enjoyes as a part of the body t is enjoyed for the good of the whole A Believer that hath received gifts 1 Pet. 4.10 that are usefull for the edification of his Brethren is but Gods Steward for them and cannot appeare faithfull a dispensation being commiteed unto him if he imparts not when need requires his gifts to those for whose good he enjoyes them Now he that hath knowledge and utterance can no more profit others by them without the use of them Matth. 5. than a Candle can give light to those in the house when t is under a Bushell As James once said in respect of outward things so may I say of inward gifts if thou dost not communicate What do they profit If the Saints want instruction exhortation or comfort and we have wherewith to supply them How may wee advantage them with out a communication of our abilities to them Thus the third Reason having spoken its mind hear what evidence the fourth brings with it Because the practice of men out of