Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	bishop_n	great_a	year_n	2,667	5	4.4520	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A50249	A disputation concerning church-members and their children in answer to XXI questions wherein the state of such children when adult, together with their duty towards the church, and the churches duty towards them is discussed by an assembly of divines meeting at Boston in New England, June 4th, 1657 / now published by a lover of truth.	Mather, Richard, 1596-1669.	1659 (1659)	Wing M1271A; ESTC R3585	21,931	42

A DISPUTATION CONCERNING Church-Members AND THEIR CHILDREN IN ANSWER TO XXI QUESTIONS Wherein the State of such Children when Adult Together with their Duty towards the Church And the Churches Duty towards them is DISCUSSED BY AN ASSEMBLY of DIVINES meeting at BOSTON in NEW ENGLAND Iune 4th 1657. Now Published by a Lover of Truth London Printed by I. Hayes for Samuel Thomson at the Bishops Head in Pauls Church-yard 1659. To the READER IT is justly accounted one of the glories of the English Nation that God hath honoured them with special light in some momentous Truths above what he hath other Protestant Churches round about them The morality of the Christian Sabbath deep and spiritual insight into those secret transactions between the Lord and the soules of his elect at their first conversion also in their after walking in communion with God are usually observed as instances hereof And of the same kind though perhaps in a lower rank are those Truths about the instituted Worship of God which have been now for some years a considerable part of those disquisitions which do also at this day exercise the most searching thoughts and ablest pens that are amongst us And truly the dealing of God in his Providence towards the people of this Land in bringing out the light and glory of these Truths hath been observable and different from the way that he hath walked in to other Churches For whereas they rose up from Antichristian apostasie in Doctrine and Discipline both at once together with his abominations in Faith rejecting also his inventions in Church Order insomuch as neither the Head the Pope nor his Body in the principal Members of it the Arch-Bishops and Bishops with the rest of that Hierarchical frame have at all been to be found exercising the usurpations of the man of sin in most of the Reformed Protestant Churches since the first day of their rejecting Popery In England it was far otherwise the head of Antichrist being indeed here cut off by Henry the eighth who justled him from his usurped supremacy within his Territories but yet as is observed of him he left his body the Hierarchy continuing which for many years not only stood but exercised in a great measure the authority of the Dragon and made an image of the Beast and caused as many as would not worship it to be killed And in this the Lord had doubtlesse a design more fully to lay open the loathsomnesse of the abominations of the mystery of iniquity in this part of it which by his infinite wisdom he effectually carried on all along and hath in a good part accomplished in these daies wherein we live For even from the first Reformation here begun the Lord shone in upon the understandings of some of his precious servants with such an evidence of light in these things as overpowred their Consciences and constrained them to bear a publick testimony against the remainders of Antichrist in the Land Insomuch as from that time till the day of the downfal of all the Hierarchical brood God never suffered himself to be without his witnesses in this cause of his whom he raised up and whose right hand he held to plead and preach and pray and weep and beleeve and print and contend and resist and suffer for the institutions of Christ not only to silencing and reproach but to banishment and blood it self some of them And verily the number of the Martyrs of Iesus Christ who have had his testimony and kept the Word of the patience of the Saints in this Land since the first Reformation will be found not to be few and their sufferings neither few nor light whenever that dying wish of judicious and blessed Ames shall be accomplished as it deserves viz. that a Martyrologie in this cause of Church-Discipline under the Bishops should be compiled and published to the world And hence it is come to passe that amongst the English Divines and Christians there is as was said more light in these points and in sundry of their Church Assemblies and administrations more purity then is so ordinarily to be met withal in others Amongst all that have suffered for and searched into these Truths they of New-England justly deserve and will have a name and a glory as long as the earth shall have any remembrance of an English Nation not only for their sufferings here under the iniquity of those bloody Fathers of the Church as they loved to be stiled the Bishops though they bore as great if not a greater share therein than most of their brethren that staied behind them But more especially will after ages honour them for that great and high adventure of theirs in transporting themselves their wives and little ones upon the rude waves of the vast Ocean into a remote desolate and howling wildernesse and there encountring by Faith and patience with a world of temptations and streights and pressing wants and difficulties and this upon no other inducements but that they might meet with him whom their souls loved in the midst of his Golden Candlesticks and see him as they have there seen-him in his Sanctuary An undertaking hardly to be parallell'd unlesse perhaps by that of their Father Abraham from Ur of the Caldees or that of his seed from the Land of Egypt And these are the men Christian Reader who are the Authors of this disputation now put into thy hands which deserves esteem and acceptance somwhat the rather on this account because it comes from such as it doth and is about such a Subject even from men holy and learned and is about that which they have searched into as seriously impartially and unprejudicedly as any men are ever like to do in this world Besides that being themselves Officers to Instituted Churches of Saints and this work of theirs being nextly and especially for the service of the Churches they did therein lie under as direct and full an influence of the Spirit of Christ and were on all accounts as compleatly wrapt within the promise for their guidance as men can on this side Heaven Yea 't is about those Truths which they have and at this day do suffer for and therefore they are as likely as most others to be the instruments in the hand of Christ by whom he will communicate further light in these points God is never behind hand with men and as some special exercise of any particular Grace strengthens and encreaseth it and establisheth the heart in it and with it so the obedience and faithfulnesse of his servants to any truth of Christ especially if in an eminent degree and manner engageth God to make known more of his counsel and will in that truth to such persons and as under such an engagement the Lord looks upon himself It is true indeed the Civil Magistrates of that Jurisdiction of the English in New-England that lies upon the River Connectiquot sent these Questions to the Magistrates of the Massachusets and they mutually