Selected quad for the lemma: enemy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
enemy_n	field_n	good_a	sow_v	1,310	5	10.0524	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A10834	A iust and necessarie apologie of certain Christians, no lesse contumeliously then commonly called Brownists or Barrowists. By Mr. Iohn Robinson, pastor of the English Church at Leyden, first published in Latin in his and the churches name over which he was set, after translated into English by himself, and now republished for the speciall and common good of our own countrimen; Apologia justa et necessaria quorundum Christianorum, aeque contumeliose ac communiter, dictorum Brownistarum sive Barrowistarum. English	Robinson, John, 1575?-1625.	1625 (1625)	STC 21108; ESTC S102955	59,722	74

expounded by our adversaries themselvs do willingly condiscend that by it alone judgment be given in this matter Our Saviour Christ doth plainly teach that this feild was sown with good seed alone that after whilst men slept the enemie the divel came sowed ●ares amongst the wheat But on the contrarie in the sowing the English f●●ld whether we respect the nat●onall or parochiall churches together with the wheat the tares that exceeding the other infinitely were at first yet are sown that of purpose under most severe penalt●●s And hence is the first princ●pall pr●judice to our English harvest frō which I conceav all the rest to come For unto this Ch. thus clapped clouted together of all persons of all sorts spirits without difference no man equally prudently weighing things can denie but that the pompous imperious Hierarchicall government together with all its accessories doth right well accorde To the things objected from the parable of the mariage Luke 14. Mat. 22. I onely answer that those servants were the Prophets and Apostles the son Christ himself the compulsion to be made no otherwise then by the preaching of the word by which as Calvin hath it God doth importunately sollicit our slo●thfulnes not onely pricking us with exhortations but cōpelling us with threatnings to come unto him which word of God as it is by some wholly contemned so doth it extort from others onely an externall hypocritical obedience but by manie is receaved through the blessing of God with al holy devout affection Now unto these pa●ables of Christ manie are wont and that very busily to annex one of their own A heap say they of wheat although it have much chaf mixed with it the 〈◊〉 more in quantitie then the wheat is 〈◊〉 notwithstanding truly is rightly termed a heap of wheat according to the Phylo●ophers rule The den●mination to not of the greater but better part I answer first that this axiom is not simply true for if in the church or any other convention popular or in which things passe by voyces the greater part hap to exceed the better the denominat on of that passage or decree and so the whole processe of the matter is according to the greater though the worser part 2. The chaf in that wheat is either of the same wheat or of other brought from els where if of that same then it makes nothing to the present purpose since wicked men appe●●ein not to the persons of the godly no● are their chaf if of other from els where it may easily be added in that quantitie proportion as that neither it may deserv the name of an heap of wheat but of chaf nor he that sels it for wheat of an honest merchant but of a deceiptfull impostour 4. The things objected from the Apostolicall Churches are altogether personall accidentall from which that the churches gathered of men and by men governed should be exempted is ●aither to be desired then hoped for But for us the things which most afflict us in the Ch. of England presse us in the respect fore-mentioned to a secession from the same do concern the verie materiall formall constitution of the ministeriall church together with the essentiall administration of the Church-policie And how different these things are who seeth not Lastly it is objected that in the Ch. of England lively faith true pietie are both begotten and nourished in the hearts of many by the preaching of the gospell there God forbid that we should not acknowledg that withall that infinite thanks for the same are due to Gods great power goodnes both in respect of our selvs and others Who notwithstanding the great confusion both of persons and things there to be found vouchsafeth to his elect so plentifull grace covering under the vayl of his superaboundant goodnes mercy by their ●●ncere fayth in Christ Iesus their sins aberrations whether of ignorance or infirmitie What then must be done should we continue in sin that grace might abound or shall we against knowledg go on to walk inordinately because in our ignorance God hath vouchsafed us of his grace in that disordered state of things without the ministerial church of which we speak the preaching of the gospell both may useth to be had by it sayth to be ingenerated except christian churches be to be gathered of infidels unbeleevers Besides what Minos or Rha●amant will deny that even in the bosom of the Romish church some fa●thfull persons may be found how much more in that of England in which the main truths of the gospell the most greatest errours of poperie being banished are taught by so manie godly learned men with such zeal and earnestnes Now what of these things Is it therefore lawfull for a Christian eyther to content himself with himself without joyning to any christian congregation or to continue still in the bosom of the church of Rome as a member under the Pope th● head I therefore conclude out of M. Brightman whose words I had raither use then mine own speaking of the government ministerie of the Church of England The fruit to wit of the word preached doth no more exempt from blame our corruptions then a true child doth adulterie And here thou hast Christian Reader the whole order of our conversation in the work of Christian religion set down both as breifly and plainly as I could If in anie thing we●er advertise us brotherly with desire of our information not as our countrimens manner for the most part is with a minde of reproaching us or grat fying of others and whom thou findest in errour thou shalt not leave in obstinacie nor as having a minde prone to schism E●re we may alasse too easily but heretiques by the grace of God we will not be But if the things which we do seem ●ight in thine eyes as to us certainly they do I do earnestly by the Lord Iesus admonish and exhort thy godly minde that thou wilst neither withould thy due obedience frō his truth no● just succour from thy distressed brethren Neither do thou indure that either the smalnes of the number or meannes of the ●ondition of those that professe it should prejudice with thee the pro●ssion of the truth but have in minde that of Te●tullian Do we measure mens faith by their persons or their persons by their faith as also that of Austin Let matter weigh with matter and cause with cause and rea●●● with reason but especially that of the Apostle My brethren have 〈◊〉 the faith of our glorious Lord Iesus Christ in respect of persons But now it so come to passe which God forbid that the most being eyther forestalled by prejudice or by prosperitie made secure there be few found especially men of learning who will so far vouchsafe to stoop as to look upon so despised

at anie defiance with the persons of the Bishops much lesse with the kings civill authoritie whereof they are possessed whether in matters civill or ecclesiasticall Of their persons their own Lords shall judg to whom they stand or fall There have been of that ranke who in our Marian da●es have preferred the profession of the truth of the gospell before their lives I hope there are also of their successours who if pressed with the same necessitie which God forbid would give the same testimonie though at the same rate unto the same truth of God revealed unto them Now as concerning their civill authoritie albeit we do not beleev that the same is at all competent to the true ministers of the gospell especially in that eminencie externall glorie and pompe of this world in which they far exceed manie worldly princes and rayther seem to represent the tryumphant then the militant church yet for so much as they both obteyn the same by the gift of the king and exercise it in his name we do not unwillingly yeald honour and obedience unto it and to his majestie in it But whereas it seems unto manie plain and evident that we may adjoin our selvs to the Church of England without any subjection or relation unto the spirituall government and governers thereof that is altogether beyond our capacities neither can we comprehend it how it may be that he who subjects and joyns himself to anie publique and politique bodie or communitie whether spirituall or civil becomes not in so doing ipso facto subject to the publique government and governers thereof and undergoes not a relation and respect actually unto them They raither are with all seriousnes to consider how faythfully and sincerely they quit themselvs and their consciences before God and men who contending and proving in and by so manie words and arguments that the hierarchicall government is papall and Antichristian do neverthelesse submit themselvs thereunto both in the respect and relation politicall formerly mentioned and also in acts properly ecclesiasticall into which the ecclesiasticall government and spirituall policie of the church doth necessarily diffuse it self Now I do earnestly entreat thee whosoever thou art acquainted with Belgick or raither Christian libertie and either free from the mists of prejudice or if anie way prejudiced yet not chusing raither to serve a preconceaved opinion then to follow an apparent truth that thou wouldest truly ingenuously tell whether if the Magistrates here from which they are far should by publique edict under severe penaltie constreyn all and everie the native subjects of the countrie into the bosom of the church without anie difference made either in respect of fayth or manners according to the place of their habitation and should set over this church so collected and constituted an Hierarchicall Bishop provinciall or diocesan in whose hands alone with his Officials Chauncellours Commissaries Archdeacons and other Court-keepers canonicall authoritie should be placed to constitute and depose ministers excommunicate and absolve both ministers and people yea whole churches yea with the living the dead that they may obteyn Christian buriall whether now in this confused heap and under this spirituall Lordship thou wouldest endure to remain either Pastour or member I suppose not You brethren have not so learned Christ whom you acknowledg both for the author of your faith and instituter of your order ecclesiasticall Neyther yet we having learned otherwise by the grace of God Christ the king doth gather and form unto himself another kinde of kingdom amongst men and the same to be administred by other officers and according to other lawes And if no place upon the face of the ●ruth should be free for us poore creatures refusing upon meer conscience of God as thou God the judg and searcher of hearts knowest to commingle and prostitute our selvs in and unto this confusion and domination hierarchicall we have most assured hope that heaven it self is open for us by Christ who is the way and whom in this dutie also we do serve in which we shall at the length be fully free from this and all other incumbrances Our adversaries bear in hand not onely others but even us our selvs also that we do for certain trifleing matters as they speak circumstantiall corruptions sequester our selvs from the Church of England And as nurses use to lisp with children so they that they might discend to our capacities do oft and much instruct us that unworthie members must be born in the church especially of private persons that some corruptions at least in the discipline and externall rites are to be tolerated that there may be the temple of God though prophaned the holy cittie though without a wall the feild of the Lord though the enemie sowtares amongst the wheat also a heap of wheat though much chaffe commingled therewithall And that we dul-bayards as we are may at the length conceav those things they verie seriously inculcate whet upon us in these the like considerations as that the Israelitish church in its time was steyned with almost all enormities both for manners and fayth that ●nto the same all Israelites and Iewes whatsoever without difference were violently compelled by King Iosiah and others as also that in the parable all were compelled to come to the mariage good and bad that the house might be filled Lastly that in the Apostolick Churches themselvs there were not wanting some who practised and others who taught vile and evill things that in one place the discipline was neglected in another the verie doctrine of fayth corrupted and manie the like matters which it were to long to repeat Surely foolish were we if we knew not these things impudent if we denyed them to be true for the most part and lastly unequall if we acknowledged not that manie the same or like blemishes after a sort will and do creep into the Churches of our dayes which yet to disclaym as unlawfull for the same stood neither with wisdom nor charitie But the prudent Reader may plainly observe by the premises that they are other matters and of greater weight for the most part wherewith we and our consciences are pressed We do not judg it an evill intollerable though greatly to be bewayled that evill men should be suffered in the church but that all of most vile and desperate condition that such and so great a kingdom affoards should thereinto will they nill they be compelled nor that the discipline as they call it or ecclesiast call government instituted by Christ is neglected or violated but that another plain contrarie unto it is set up by law and fully and publiquely everie where exercised Neither lyes our exception against any personall or acc●dentarie profanation of the Temple but against the faultie frame of it in respect of the causes constitutive matter and form Neither strive we about the walles of the cittie but about the true and lawfull citizens the policie