Selected quad for the lemma: friend_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
friend_n	commissioner_n	esq_n	sir_n	988	5	9.9168	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A57687	Paedobaptismus vindicatus, or, Infant-baptism stated in an essay to evidence its lawfulness from the testimony of the Holy Scripture, especially St. Matthew, XXVIII, 19 : the grand, if not sole place, so much insisted on by the antipaedobaptists, to prove their mistaken principle : handled in a different method form other tracts on the subject, as appears in the contents : with an account of a conference publickly held with an antipaedobaptist of no small fame / by J.R., A.M., a Presbyter of te Church of England.	Rothwell, John, d. 1661.	1693 (1693)	Wing R2005; ESTC R6073	107,326	230

PAEDOBAPTISMUS VINDICATUS OR INFANT-BAPTISM STATED In an Essay to evidence its Lawfulness from the Testimony of Holy Scripture Especially St. Matthew XXVIII 19. The Grand if not Sole Place so much insisted on by the Antipaedobaptists to prove their mistaken Principle Handled in a different Method from other Tracts on the Subject as appears in the Contents With an Account of a Conference publickly held with an Antipaedobaptist of no small Fame By J. R. A. M. A Presbyter of the Church of England Prov. IX 9. Former part Give Instruction to a wise Man and he will be yet wiser 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 LONDON Printed for John Dunton at the Raven in the Poultrey MDCXCIII Imprimatur Geo. Royse R. Rmo in Christo Patri ac Dom. Dom. Johanni Archiep. Cantuar. à Sacris Domesticis Octob. 8. 1692. To the Truly Worshipful my very highly Honoured Friend WILLIAM STRONG ESQ one of Their Majesties Commissioners for the EXCIZE SIR I was willing to take this Opportunity of an Address that I might make my grateful Acknowledgments for the obliging Favours I have received from you While you were in a private Capacity you were assistant to your Friends and Relatives and have not forgot them since you were in a public Concern wherein you have been so serviceable to the Kingdom that if I have not been mis-informed you have been esteemed and honoured by several Princes and in a particular manner by our gracious King and Queen And possibly few Persons have served the Public so long with so little Advantage to their own private Interest as you have done which demonstrates the Greatness of your Spirit and a generous Contempt of the World I have had the Happiness of an intimate Conversation with you and been oft with Satisfaction entertain'd by you with Excellent Discourses That I can without a flattering Complement say I have thought you a great Master of Reason And when you have been in an hurry of Affairs and under the fatigue of business upon others Account more than your own you have appeared so calm and serene that there hath no Wrinkle been seen in your Brow nor Passion in your Breast to ruffle and discompose you You have not had the least Emotion of Mind but have been as sedate and tranquill like the pure Aether as those that have had no Concern of their own or others upon them And this last Character makes you as Great a Master of Empire as the most victorious Conqueror if we may believe one of the most excellent Poets Latiùs regnes avidum domando Spiritum Horat. Carm. Lib. 2. Ode 2. quam si Libyam remotis Gadibus jungas uterque Poenus Serviat Uni Which the wisest of Monarchs properly translates when he saith Prov. xvi 32. He that is slow to Anger is better than the Mighty and he that ruleth his Spirit than he that taketh a City But besides the Obligation of Gratitude I have another Reason why I presume on this Dedication because you have a piercing Judgment and can well judge of a rational Consequence from Holy Scripture or a true Deduction from Reason and seeing I have from these two Topicks undertaken a Defence of one of the main Doctrines of the Church of England whose Principles I have heard you heartily espouse and rationally maintain I submit it to your Censure which tho' it may deserve yet I dread not because your natural Goodness will I doubt not mix so much Candour therewith that it will instruct rather than affright and I had much rather have a Censure with a Reason than an Approbation without it because the one may make a Man wise when the other may be a Temptation to Pride But I will not trouble you long because the Minutes of Public Persons are not to be disturbed Nor shall I need because I am not so well able as others to whom I reserv that Province to give a true Character of your Worth Nor am I willing if I were able because I have known you long endued with such a stock of the Vertues of Humility and Modesty you had rather do well than hear of it and are much better pleased in the Reflections of your Mind than with the Eulogies of the best Men. And I am very confident you never did a Service for the Public or a Kindness for a Friend but it was as great a Satisfaction to your self as it was to them who received the Benefit and reap'd the Advantage Great Spirits that are endued with strength of Reason and have obtained a Conquest over unruly Passions are Persons fit for the Menage of Public Employments And that you have a large proportion of these Qualifications is not only my Judgment which possibly may not be valuable but the Observation of those that have known how faithfully you have transacted a Trust for the Publick And therefore by giving this Account I cannot in the least be suspected guilty of Flattery Men that are qualified for public Service may be said in a true sense to answer the Ends promote the Conduct and carry on the Designs of a wise Providence in his Administration of and Government over the World And such Persons who by their Prudence with the Man after Gods own heart serve their Generation Acts xiii 22 36. shall inhabit more Glorious Mansions in the Regions of Bliss above shall receive greater Compensations in the Apartments of Glory I will conclude with the same Option the Poet puts up for his great Mecaenas Caesar Augustus Serus in Coelum redeas Horat. Carm. Lib. 1. Ode 2. diuque Laetus intersis Populo Which St. Paul may English when he saith Phil. 1.23.24 Though he had a desire to depart and to be with Christ yet nevertheless to abide in the Flesh i. e. to continue longer in the World was more needful for the Public And he that shall reflect upon your indefatigable Pains for the Service of others may without Ostentation believe that what St. Paul said as a Minister of the Church you may say as a Minister of the State That you will gladly spend 2 Cor. xii 15. and be spent for the Publick SIR That after many years expended in the Publick Service for the Good of the Kingdom you may leave behind you the Honourable Name of a Patriot of your Country And that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. III. 14. the Prize the Crown of Glory that hangs at the end of your Race may be more Luminous and Bright have a greater Refulgency and Splendor is and shall be the sincere Prayer of Greatly Honoured Sir Your most Humble Servant And ever Obliged Relativ J. R. A PREFACE To all dis-interested and unprejudiced Persons especially those among the Antipaedobaptists that love Truth above Interest or Humour and are desirous upon rational Convictions to embrace it and lead their Lives according thereunto Candid Readers I Beseech you out of Love to your Souls cast not aside this Tract after