Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	jesus_n	lord_n	sin_n	17,540	5	4.4979	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A44852	The Puritan convert, not to prelatick Protestantism and yet to prelatick Protestantism, nor to popery and yet to popery, but absolutely and without reserve to apostolical Christianity ..., or, A discourse by way of a letter shewing that prelatick Protestants, if they will be true to their practises and principles, have all reason to turn papists in all things as to what papists indeed hold, but in nothing as to what papists are vulgarly believed to hold ... / by W. H.	W. H.; Hubert, William.	1676 (1676)	Wing H3246A; ESTC R41017	28,965	38

seen with their Eyes taught and established by the first Planters of Christianity No I know no such thing Though this would have been a strange favour to the World would the Almighty Creator have wrought such a Miracle in favour of Ignorant Man But what then Did Jesus Christ after the manner of Moses write a Book of all Christian Rites and Observances or did he not at least command some one of his Twelve Apostles or all of them together to write some such Book so full so compleat so plain as none that would not willingly mistake could possibly mis-understand it Certainly he could not but foresee what disputes would arise about observances of Days and Sacraments amongst Christians in future Ages Why did he not tell us plainly by some Authentick Writing or other His pleasure was that all the Mosaical Rites and Observances of Days should be abolished and instead of them he would have no Exterior Rites and Days at all or else if he would have any why did he not take care that some Book or other should be written wherein every one that could read might see how many Rites called Sacraments he would have to be used amongst Christians and how and to whom and by whom he would have them to be administred Whether he would have certain days observed by Christians in memory of his Birth Death Resurrection and Ascension or no any set days of Fasting any distinction of Garments in Priests from the People or no But himself to write never a Book to this purpose nor any of his Apostles to write any thing but his Holy Life and Death four times over and some little of the Life of some one or two of his Apostles and a few occasional Letters of two or three of his Followers to particular Christians whom they had fully instructed by word of mouth what can we conclude from all this But that surely Jesus Christ has left us some other means than those written Books we have fully to instruct us in the whole Counsel of God in Order to our Eternal Salvation Indeed I find an Ancient Prophesie that in the latter days God Almighty would write his Laws in his Peoples Hearts Was this to intimate to us that whosoever would find fully and clearly the Laws of Jesus Christ in the latter days he must not so much consult written Books as the Hearts of Christians And truly there is no other way without a miraculous Revelation by the Ministry of Angels or some such means for us who live now to know what was taught or practiced sixteen hundred years before we were born but only by Books written in that time or near that time or else without Books by the oral Tradition of Fathers to their Children But what Certitude can there be in this Could we speak with every Father and Son that has lived since the Apostles days and should they tell us unanimously that they had been taught to believe and practice thus and thus For Example to Baptize Children or not to Baptize them to abstain from Flesh on Fridays or not to abstain in memory of our Lords bitter Death and Passion and to humble our selves for our sins and such like no body could doubt of the truth of such a Testimony more than he does mistrust his own Eyes or other Senses But all the intervening Fathers and Sons 'twixt us and the first Age wherein our Lord Jesus lived except only our Fathers and Grandfathers being gone to another World my Grandfather can tell me certainly what his Father taught him concerning Fasting on Friday Baptizing of Infants Reverencing such a Book as of Divine Authority written by a Holy Man talled Mathew sixteen hundred years ago but what assurance can he give me that all his Progenitors have practic'd and believ'd after the same manner ever since the Apostles days Why what assurance could a Jew that lived in our Blessed Savioms time have given to a Pagan or to one of his own Children that the Books of the Law of Moses were written by a Holy Man called Moses who familiarly conversed with God so many hundred years ago He could only have discoursed to him after this manner Thus I was told by my Father and thus all our Neighbouts were told by their Fathers and 't is impossible in any Age since our Great Moses all our Ancestors should agree together to tell their Posterity so great a lye to their own and their Posterities Eternal damnation One Man may tell an impudent notorious lye but a whole Countrey cannot conspire in a lye which they know to be a lye or could they some neighbour Nation would tell the Cheat to Posterity In like manner must the Apostolical Christian answer when he is demanded an account why he reveres such and such Books as Apostolical writings or observes such and such Rites as Apostolical Ordinations And this is the belief and practice of an Apostolical Christian in general VVhatsoever this present Age or any other Age since the Apostles time in several Nations and Countries unanimously attest that they have received from their Forefathers from the Apostles and he cannot positively show that it was of a later date begun for Example in or near such a time by such and such he submits to it as Apostolical and this though it cannot positively be proved that for Example such a Book or Practice was received in every Age since the Apostles days by positive Testimonies out of Authentick writings of every particular Age. And thus much satisfaction and no more could Jacob have given to his Children why he kept the Sabbath day commanded by Almighty God to our first Parent Adam above two thousand years before He had neither Scripture nor other Record of writing for any such Institution the use of writing being unknown to the world till afterwards when God Almighty wrote the Ten Commandments in Two Tables of Stone He could only tell them thus he and his Neighbours had been immemorially taught to believe And their objecting how could they tell but some body out of a supersttious opinion of more Sanctity in every seventh day than in every sixth or eighth might have introduced the will-worship of such an Observation such an Objection I say as this would not have excused them before God from such an Obligation which the whole present Generation told them they had observed immemorially from Adam And indeed though it were granted that according to the Holy Scriptures we Christians are obliged to keep every first day of the week Holy yet it cannot be proved out of Scripture or any other Book or by any other Argument but the immemorial tradition and practice of several Christian Countries that the day we now observe is the true first day of the week from that first first-day on which our Blessed Savour rose from Death to Life And yet that there should be Christians who should make no distinction betwixt Friday and the other days of the week

peradventure there can be no Real Presence of Christs Body The same remaining the same without any change must needs be the same But if there be any change made in Accidents its evident there 's none our Senses and all Popish Doctors confessing as much If therefore there be any change it must be in the substances of Bread and Wine and if so what can such a Change be more properly called than Transubstantiation or the change of the substances of Bread and Wine into the substance of our Blessed Saviours Body and Blood the accidents of figure tast and colour remaining unaltered The Prelatick Protestant wonders that the Puritan when he is going out of this World should find difficulty to make a particular Confession of his sins if any grievous matter lye upon his Conscience and humbly desire the Prelatick Priests Absolution saying over him after his special Confession By the Authority of Jesus Christ committed to me I Absolve thee from thy sins in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost The Puritan replies if Jesus Christ has Instituted any such Ordinance he sees not why every one should not frequent it every year or as often as he finds himself conscious of any heynous crime with the Papist But Jesus Christ having Instituted no such Right or Sacrament he wonders any dare be so bold to press it upon any Christian living or dying and indeed least of all dying when sure if ever we ought to have a care not to seek to please Almighty God by unprescribed Will-worship or Inventions of our own Moreover the Prelatick Protestant wonders at the Puritans Niceness that he can by no means be perswaded to Bow at the Sacred Name of Jesus when Nature teaches us a Relative Reverence to any thing that has a Relative Respect to a Person whom we Honour Every one without scruple standing bare in the Presence-Chamber nor does any one pass the Kings Chair of State without a Reverend Bow whether His Majesty be there or no. And the simple Puritan deems it as gross Idolatry to worship Sounds as Colours Names as Pictures and stranges that any one who does so superstitiously cringe and bow at the Name of Jesus should smile at a Papist for respectfully putting off his Hat when he passes by the Picture of the same Jesus The sound of the Name of Jesus being vanish'd and gone before the superstitious Worshipper can make his Mimical Congy whereas the Picture a far more lively Representation of the same Great Lord is permanent and remains to receive its Devout Reverers Relative Respect The Conformist wonders what there is in a decent White Surplice that should boggle the skewish Puritan And the Puritan admires how any one can think a Surplice should become a publick Minister of the Divine Worship and yet throw away as Babilonish Rags the Popish Girdle Stole and Casuble which add Splendor and Decency to the same unwritten superstitious Garb unless it be because they are more chargable The Conformist wonders at the Puritans scrupulosity that he cannot say Amen to that Prayer in the Burial of the Dead That we with this our Brother and all other departed in the true Faith of thy Holy Name may have our perfect Consummation and Bliss both in Body and Soul c. We must pray for the Dead says the Rector of St. Martins in Oxford in his Sermon called the Schismatical Puritan Thy Kingdom come O Lord raise the dead Prisoners in the Grave And herein we pray for their Souls and Bodies God be with them to comfort their Souls deprived of their Bodies And to the Puritan this seems plain Popery In fine the Prelatick Protestant wonders at the Puritans pride that he will not submit his Judgment in matters of Faith to the determination of a Council of all the Reverend Bishops of the Land His Majesty as supreme Head and Governor presiding And the Puritan is amazed that if we may pin our Faith upon another mans sleeve safely believe as a particular Church in England believes how it can be unsafe to submit ones judgment to the determination of a General Council of all the Learned Bishops of the Christian world his Holiness the Pope as supreme Pastor presiding believe as the Universal Church of Christ believes 'T is fitting says the Conformist that for order sake in Christs Church there should be in every Nation some supreme Governors to whose Directions in matters of Divine Worship all should submit else we shall have as many Christian Religions and ways of Worship as there are Parishes nay as there are private Families or particular Persons The Puritan replies if we must conclude our Lord Jesus governs his Church as our reason tells us it's fitting he should for Union Decency and Order govern it and not according to the infallible written Rule of the New Testament If the Case be this It seems to him as rational that he should for the same Reasons of conserving Union Decency and Order in his Church appoint one supreme Pastor over all Christians dispersed in all the Nations of the World whom all should obey in the vacancy of General Councils for fear forsooth otherwise there should be as many ways of Christian Worship as there are several Christian Kingdoms of Common-wealths I speak not this to revile the established Religion of the Nation but to excite the Professors of it to observe devoutly what they Christianly profess as to Holy-days Lent Fridays and other Fasting-days Confession of sins to a Priest and other Holy and Profitable Rites when Piously and Reverently performed and by which they are distinguished from Non-conformists And by this time I hope My Dearest Relations you understand what I mean by a Prelatick Protestant But what do I understand by Popery and a Papist Why what should I understand by a Papist but what the generality of people understand by a Papist Those things we call Stones which every body commonly speaking calls Stones and so I understand by Popery and a Papist what every body commonly speaking calls a Papist and Popery By a Papist then I understand one that worships Stocks and Stones Medals and Pictures of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary and other Saints as Gods and consequently prays to them and puts his whole confidence in them as the ancient Heathens did in their dumb Idols of Jupiter Mars and Venus c. I say one that worships Pictures of Jesus Christ as Gods Not barely one that has such Pictures and for pious purposes also for that Prelatick Protestants have as well as they Protestants have Pictures of Jesus Christ and his Holy Mother not only in their private Houses and publick Churches but even their very Common-Prayer Books are full of them in the last Impression to excite in the Beholders mind a lively apprehension of our Blessed Saviours life and death Nor can I think they that are so ceremonious in devoutly Bowing when they hear the Holy Name

of their Saviour Jesus can forbear in some devout fit especially those of the tenderer Sex from kissing the Picture of their same dearest Lord. But here 's the difference betwixt them and the Doltish Papist That the Papist Bows at the Name of Jesus and kisses his Picture with a design to give Divine Honour to the very Name and Picture but our Prelatick Protestant does the same thing intending only to give them civil respect as he would give to the Name or Picture of his King Furthermore a Papist is one that believes the Pope can give him leave to commit any sin for Money or if any one were so bold to commit the sin before he got leave to commit it 't is but giving so much Money and the same Holy Indulgent Father can so perfectly pardon your sin as you shall not be in the least danger of any punishment for it Temporal or Eternal in Purgatary or in Hell And all this though you have no purpose at all to forsake your sin And this his Holy Father can do by a plenitude of Power which he has of disposing and applying to whom he pleases penitent or not penitent the superabundant merits of Jesus Christ our Blessed Saviour and his Millions of Saints of all whose merits the Pope is supreme Lord to dispose of them to the living or dead as he by his un-erring Spirit thinks fitting I say to the living or dead for this Papist believes that the Pope can free what Souls out of Purgatory he pleases paying their debts for which they are there in prison out of the stock of the supererrogatory works of Saints Always provided that in lieu or rather purchase of so great a favour some of the deceased parties friends give a large alms to his Holiness Moreover the Papist Honours the Virgin Mary much more than he does her Divine Son or God the Father and therefore for one Prayer he makes to God he says ten to the Holy Virgin But alas what are his Prayers A company of Latin words he neither understands nor cares to understand which if he do but patter over in such a number though his mind and heart be wholly taken up with worldly thoughts and desires he thinks he has done such a meritorious work as God almighty is obliged for the great Honour he has done him to give him Eternal Happiness If he do but believe as his Churchmen believe though he be wholly ignorant of their Belief his Soul is safe enough Besides he makes not only Gods of Holy Men departed but even of sinful Men whilst they live Hence he makes less scruple of breaking Gods Laws than he does of violating any Ordinance of the Pope or any Law of his Church He must by no means touch the least bit of Flesh on a Fasting-day against his Churche's Law upon pain of damnation but if he commit Fornication 't is but a Venial sin and sprinkling himself with a little Holy Water he 's as pure from all spot as a new Baptiz'd Infant And as for obedience to Magistrates if they be not of his Religion he ows them no Allegiance And it he have by Oath obliged himself he has a Holy Father can dispense with him for that or any other Oath for a piece of Money If his Prince persecute him for his Religion let him but have so much desperate courage to Sacrifice his own life to Stab or Poison his said Persecutor he shall at Rome be Canoniz'd for a Saint Nor can private persons expect any fidelity from him when he is thus traiterously rebellious against his Liege Lord and Soverain Therefore whatsoever promise he has made to an Heritick he may lawfully break it and cheat and cozen him without any scruple Nay need make no more difficulty of killing an Heritick than of a common Highway Man As for Fasting and Mortification if he but abstain from Flesh though he drink all day long the best Wines he can get fill himself at noon with all variety of Fish and stuff himself again at night with all sorts of Sweet-meats he has like a good Christian piously and sorrowfully commemorated the bitter death and passion of his dear Redeemer he has done a work of a strange force to satisfie for his sins to suppress his corrupt inclinations to elevate his mind to Heaven to cast out the Devil to obtain the Holy Ghost for himself or others As for Virginal Purity if he do but make a Vow of Chastity and keep himself from Marriage though he be as familiar with Nunns as Lay People are with their lawful Wives he is one of the Virgins in the Mystical Book of St. John who follow the Lamb whithersoever he goes As to Pardons Indulgences 't is wonderful what he believes For a round Sum of Money paid to his Holy Father the Pope he can purchase a Pardon for himself and his Heirs for ever for whatsoever sins he or they may possibly commit Sins that are to be committed by himself twenty years hence or by his Posterity a hundred years hence he has a Pardon for them already in his Pocket under the Broad Seal of Christs Vicar upon Earth which our Lord Jesus neither can nor will deny but has engaged his infallible word to ratifie and confirm and all this though the Persons who have obtained this Pardon or Indulgence should chance to dye without the least Remorse or Repentance for their sins And by this the World is taught to understand what a Blessing it is to have a great Estate for that Rich Men who have but Mony to purchase one of those Pardons can never fail of Heaven whereas the Poor and those of slender Fortunes for want of them must be hurried away into Eternal Misery without Bail or Mainprize Moreover by vertue of these Pardons they have leave to commit all manner of villanies without sin or at least without any danger of receiving any prejudice by sin These Papists they 'l tell you indeed their Church is a Holy Church and has all means imaginable to suppress vice and encourage to sanctity They have a Hell to set before audacious sinners to terrifie them from committing mortal and grievous offences and they have a Purgatory with which they threaten lesser offenders But in very deed both their Hell and their Purgatory are so easily avoided by any one that has a little Money that he must be one that startles at his own shaddow that can at all be terrified by either For had you committed all kinds of sins imaginable if you have but the Impudence to tell your Ghostly Father all those villanies in his Ear though you be so far from resolving to amend as you secretly purpose when you have clear'd the old to begin a new score provided you do but profess to your said Confessor that you are sorry and say you will amend he by three or four words in Latin Ego te Absolvo c. By the Authority of Jesus