Selected quad for the lemma: friend_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
friend_n	army_n	enemy_n	great_a	1,068	5	2.8750	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A75082	The account audited, or the date of the resurrection of the witnesses, pretended to be demonstrated by M. Cary a minister. Examined by a Friend to the Truth and Ministry.	Friend to the truth and ministry.	1649 (1649)	Wing A169; Thomason E550_21; ESTC R205652	12,283	16

in Ezek. 37. whence the phrases are taken might cause a fear though of a different kind to fall upon all the spectators both friends and enemies and though it may be granted that a singular fear might fall upon their enemies in respect of their great guilt in slaying of them and the unexpected check to their insulting over them when they were slaine yet this fear might well be without an army by some speciall presence of God shining forth in the Witnesses As after that Herod had beheaded John the Baptist and Christs fame was spread though Christ had no army with him Herod was perplexed and why did he fear was it not because it was said by some that John the Baptist was risen from the dead by some that Elias by some that one of the old Prophets as you may read Luke c. 9. v. 7 8 9. My second reason is taken from the description of the Witnesses in Revel 11. v. 4. under the phrase of Candlesticks and Olive-trees the exposition of both which might be taken from Zach. 4. where we shall finde expressions rather excluding then implying the aid of an Army that Zach. 4. doth explain the later expression is acknowledged by M. Cary pag. 69. and pag. 70. in these words These two Witnesses are the two Olive-trees in that they are said to be the two Olive-trees it implyes it hath reference to some passages of Scripture wherein there is a former mention of them Now the place where they are mentioned is Ezek 4. so that Zechariah doth prophesie of these two Winesses under the expression of two Olive-trees Now in that place Zach. 4.4 we finde that the Prophet doth ask the Angel what these be and then the Angel makes this answer this is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel saying not by might nor by power but by my spirit saith the Lord of hosts Who art thou O great mountain before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plaine and he shall bring forth the head stone thereof with shoutings crying grace grace unto it In this text thus cited by M. Cary observe how expresly the aid of armies is excluded by a double barre ver 6. in these words not by might nor by power where by the way it is observable that the marginall note in our Bibles insteed of might reads army 8. Exception The Author pag. 99. for the reason why the fifth day of April 1645. should be the day of the Witnesses Resurrection layes down this that the Parliaments army being new modelled began then to march against the enemy to which I have four things to say 1. That the Author leaves us in a great mist to finde out so glorious a day as the Resurrection of the Witnesses for she tels us only in general of the new modeld armies beginning to march against the enemies but whether the new model were then compleated or but begun she tels us not nor yet whether the maine body of the army began then to march or some small parts of it nor whether that part of the army which then began to march if indeed any did then march were at that time new modeld or not nor whence they marcht that day nor whether they marcht that day nor upon what service nor under what speciall Leader nor any the like circumstances by which the truth of what she affirmes might be tried 2. Suppose it could appear by credible testimony that some part of the army did march on April the fifth 1645. and that that party did march against an enemy and that that party was new modeld before its march and that they were the first forces that did march being new modeld though all this should be supposed to be true yet this would be but a poor matter to make a day of Resurrection and I appeale to any indifferent persons whose judgements are for a martiall Resurrection whether many and many passages might not be observed both in this army since the new modelling of it and in the Parliaments army before the new modelling and in other armies in former ages which might with better colour lay claime to the dignity of ushering in the Witnesses Resurrection 3. I have with much inquisitivenesse endeavoured to finde out what particular passage might cause the 5 of April to be fingled out as the day of the Witnesses Resurrection rather then any other day in April or any other day in the whole yeere and I can finde none besides M. Cary that makes any mention of any passage in the army as on that day I have by me three severall Lists of passages of the army in that yeere and none of them doth mention the fifth of April or so much as intimate any action march or motion on that day I have perused many other printed Lists and I finde not that day at all taken notice of in any of them but other dayes in that moneth I finde mentioned with remarkable passages on them And here I shall leave it to the Reader to judge how likely it is that the Resurrection of the Witnesses which should fill the spectators with fear could passe undiscerned by those who have made it their work to observe the footsteps of Providence in the army if indeed it were an army providence and at that time when the observations of so many were at work about the new model 4. Master Sprigge a man unlikely to deprive the army of any deserved honour and likely to know more of the passages of the army then M. Cary in his large book called Englands Recovery being the History of the motions actions and successes of the army under the immediate conduct of his Excellency then Sir Thomas Fairfax in that Treatise makes no mention that I could finde of that fifth of April nor intimates any thing sutable to what M. Cary relates in order thereto but rather the contrary so far as I can judge from these ensuing passages which I shall give you in his owne words Sir Thomas Fairfax having with much modesty accepted this command immediatly applies himself to the discharge of it it was the first of April ere his Commission was granted and the third of April he went from London to Windsor to see and personally to assist in the framing of a new army His Excellency continued at Windsor from the third to the last of April in that worke the difficulty whereof might well account for this time if it had been a longer space considering that besides the fitting of the trains for the field and the attendance of the 〈◊〉 from London which with the old that continued were to make up the ●●…signed number an entire new form was to be introduced into the whole army the forces that remained of the whole army being not only to be recruited bu●… to be reduced into new companies and regiments as if they had been new ra●sed pag. 9. and afterwards pag. 15. the first of May his Excellency began hi● march with the whole army in this first march of the new model c. Now Reader weigh impartially what thou hast read and so I leav● it to thine own judgment to determine whether the pretended demonstration of M. Cary be more then a partiall fansie and whether her single opinion be not maintained with more then single mistakes if thou art one who wilt own the truth in these times Farewell and pray for the faith and patience of the Saints FINIS Imprimatur April 11. 1649. JO. DOWNAME