Selected quad for the lemma: friend_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
friend_n	worth_a	worthy_a	write_v	17	3	4.4968	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A29750	The history of the indulgence shewing its rise, conveyance, progress, and acceptance : together with a demonstration of the unlawfulness thereof and an answere to contrary objections : as also, a vindication of such as scruple to hear the indulged / by a Presbyterian.	Brown, John, 1610?-1679.	1678 (1678)	Wing B5029; ESTC R12562	180,971	159

Intrado of hinc illae lachrymae as if he had done more hurt by this Testimonie than his own and the lives of many were worth While worthie Mr B. is as we have seen in prison he falleth very sick and friends and Physicians fearing his disease should prove mortal he with much difficulty obtained the liberty mentioned until he was taken home to glory It is worthie of our noticeing That dureing the time both of this Imprisonment and Confinement as the Sufferings of Christ abounded in him so his Consolations also abounded by J. C. for all who conversed with him returned comforted by seeing and sharing of his Consolations and particularly when drawing nigh to his end how was his Soul made to rejoyce in reflecting on his being honoured and helped to give that Testimony And with what Horrour and Indignation would he express himself upon supposition he had done less than he did yea all his griefe and regrate was that he had not done more At length when the time of the liberty granted to abide in his Chamber was almost expired his glorious Master who would want him no longer nor suffer him to want the Confessors reward sent and rescued him from the rage of Persecutors and from the Reproaches of his deserting Brethren and took him home to his Masters Joy and the sound of well done good and faithful Servant filling his eares made him shut his eyes singing and give up the Ghost in assurance of being embraced and of having access to embrace From all this these things are observable 1. That God by the speaking significations he gave of his complacency in the Freedom and Fidelity of his Servant wrote a sufficient refutation of all that was said by some to disgrace both him and his Cause 2. That here is a new witness from Heaven against these Invasions 3. As also against the Indulgence and the taking of these Instructions Beside 4. The Encouragement given to all to abide faithful in avowing Christs Prerogatives and the Priviledges of his Church and Kingdom even though abandoned of all who should bear them Companie or go before them Ere we returne to take further notice of what past when the forementioned Indulged Ministers compeared before the Councel we shall for a close out of the Registers mention these following Acts. Edinbr 6. of Feb. 1673. A Nent a petition presented by Mr Robert Hunter now Minister at Burrowstouness that conforme to an Act of Councel the petitioner did serve the cure at the Kirk of Duning for the 1671. and 1672. years and after Martimass last did transport himself to the Kirk of Burrowstowness conforme to the Councels Order And therefore humbly supplicating that the Stipend of the said Paroch of Duning for the saids two years might be appointed to be payed to him The Lords of his Maj. privie Councel having heard and considered the said Petition do ordaine the said Stipend of the said Paroch for the said two years to be payed to the Supplicant and that Letters of Horning be direct for that effect In the Year 1676. there came forth an open Proclamation Dated March 1. THE Lords of his Maj. Privie Councel considering that by their Act of the 3. Septemb. 1672. they did Order and appoint diverse outted Ministers to repaire to the several Paroches therein specified and to remaine therein confined permitting and allowing them to preach and exercise the other parts of the Ministerial function in those Paroches and did require and enjoyn these Ministers or any other Ministers indulged by former Acts of Council to keep and observe the Instructions following as they would be answerable That they should not presume to Marry or Baptize any except such as belonged to the Paroch to which they were confined or to the neighbouring Paroches vacant or wanting Ministers for the time That all Ministers indulged in one and the same Diocess should celebrate the Communion upon one and the same Lords Day and that they should admit none to their Communions belonging to other Paroches without testificats from the Ministers thereof That they should preach only in these Kirks and not in the Church-yards nor in any place else under the paine to be repute and punished as keepers of Conventicles That they should remaine within and not depart forth of the Paroches to which they are confined without licence from the Bishop of the Diocess onely And whereas it is informed that the saids outted Ministers indulged as aforesaid at the least many of them have violated and contraveened the foresaids Orders and Instructions upon which termes they were permitted and indulged to preach and exercise the other functions of the Ministry whereby many disorders are occasioned The saids Lords do therefore of new againe require and command all these Indulged Ministers to keep and observe the foresaids Orders and Instructions in time coming and specially for keeping within the bounds of their Paroches and celebrating the Communion upon one and the same Lords day as they will be answerable at their perril And ordains these presents to be printed and Copies thereof sent to the several Ministers Nothing needeth be here observed beside the Parenthesis where it is said that the Observation of these Instructions was the termes upon which they were indulged and therefore when they accepted of the Indulgence on such termes they consented to them and professed and declared their willingness to accept of their Ministery and of the free Exercise thereof upon these Conditions So that whether they observed them punctually afterward or not the bargain was established and they became oblieged by their own deed in accepting of these favoures granted on these Conditions to observe the Instructions carefully and it was too late to say afterward that the Conditions were not lawful and therefore could not be observed for that should have been said at first and even upon that account alone had there been nothing else they should have plainely and peremptorily rejected the supposed favour Nor will it avail to say that they knew not that the punctual observing of these Instructions was made the Condition of the granted favour for though at first these Instructions when given were not expresly so called yet the manner of proposal was such as all who desired not willingly to run into a s●are might have been convinced that so and no otherwayes they were intended and upon the matter could carry no other import And if any were invinciblie ignorant hereof at their first accepting of the Indulgence yet now when such a Printed Proclamation came forth wherein this was in terminis expressed and the Printed Proclamation ordered to be sent unto each of them they could no longer pretend ignorance and therefore were called if they had been formerly really circumvented and cheated now openly to have declared their unwillingness to accept of the Indulgence on these termes and henceforth to have abandoned the same and followed their Brethren to the Mountaines But now when this was not done but they

no scruple especially when that one did not shew what his ponderous reasons were I humbly judge the Zeal of God would have determined them another way But there was good cause for this for saith he They judged it not safe but prejudicial to the cause and to unity to break bulk and Act in a divided way when all were ready to concurre in the matter though they differed in the forme and manner And how inconvenient was it saith he that differences about the manner should be seen in publick when they were one upon the matter But what prejudice had come to the cause if a Testimonie had been given-in to the Councel unto which all had assented though it had wanted the subscription of one who was necessarily absent when it was subscribed Yea though it had wanted the subscription of one who was unwilling to subscribe In so doing they did not break bulk but that one if ever he had been within the hold had made the breach by abandoning his Brethren Unity and Harmonie is good I grant but I know not why every man should have a negative voice in all such matters and why nothing should be done by a Company or Society if but one man dissent I know no Divine rule for this nor will Christian prudence teach it and I am sure it is one to an hundered if ever any thing be done of moment or hazard by a company on these termes And I much doubt if when one onely Person yea or two are refractory all the rest of that Society should think themselves exonered in Conscience to forbear a duty clearly called for The forme and manner here was I judge a material thing and who were not clear as to it could not be very clear as to the matter There was another reason of this forbearance Had they saith he 2. been free to subscribe Papers at that time yet they could not look on that Paper as it was hastily and crudely patched up as beseeming so many Ministers of the Gospel to give-in to the State as their mature and formed thoughts In thesi I grant it is good that no man should subscribe a Paper with which he is not satisfied and I think it is exception relevant enough against the subscribing of a Paper called or looking like a Testimony when it is not plaine nor full enough even though what is said be otherwise not reproachable But as to this Paper I think this reason of his very strange when he told us before that the generality was for subscribing of it as it was rude hasty and raw Whence came this change Second thoughts it seemeth have taken place But in soberness I cannot but think strange that so many able Ministers of the Gospel could not after so many dayes debate give their formed and mature thoughts of a Business in which every Minister of the Gospel and Servant of Christ was obliged to be ready alwayes to give upon less than a few houres warning yea at the first demand an account of his Faith especially in this Controversie wherein all were called to be most clear and they especially who could not but know that their silence as to bearing Testimonie to the Truth at their first receiving the Indulgence had given such offence for my part though I cannot judge of the Paper having never seen it and though I see not how all he saith of it can prove it raw and indigested considering the account he gave of it before Yet because of that one clause he tels me was in it and universally assented unto I am as glade it was not subscribed and given-in as he was and upon that account do judge it was unfit to to be a standing thing as he speaketh for friends and foes at home and abroad to descant upon Onely I wonder how this Consideration could prevail with them rather to commit the expressing of the matter unto their chosen Mouth seing words spoken are more liable to Mis-constructions and Mis-representations and other Mistakes than words set down in write and it was one to to an hundered if that one Brother their Mouth should so happily in a set discourse hit upon the very expressions that were onely accomodat to declare all their mindes or if that Brother could have expressed the matter in more lively masculine digested and significant Expressions why might he not have been at so much paines as to have set these down in write and then the Paper being no more raw and indigested might have been subscribed and given in But the plaine Truth is litera scripta manet And it was to be feared that a written Paper would have provoked the Councel more than a transient and volant Expression in a running discourse buried under an heap of words and so not fully understood could have done Finally I would tell him That an honest well meaning and plaine Testimonie though not set off with the paint of Words and Expressions having all their amiable cadencies and flowrs of Rhetorick would go far with honest well meaning Friends both at home and abroad and have been very acceptable yea and more convincing unto Enemies whether at home or abroad whose angrie descanting upon it would have been a further Confirmation of its honesty and validity There is yet a Third Reason given which is something long There being saith he such a clashing among Ministers and People some being for an utter refusal of any benfite of the late liberty and others being free to make use of it having given a Testimonie in their Station and that Paper relating only to these Instructions and not to the whole cause they could not but foresee that the giving-in of that Paper would have been looked upon as a Testimonie and therefore being so defective relating only to these Instructions and not speaking to other cases it would raise greater debates and heighten differences and this they were confirmed in when a Brother coming-in among them told them expresly their Testimonie as it was called was defective and would do more hurt than good except it were fuller yea certified we were upon good grounds that if that Paper had been given-in more tongues and pens would have been awaked and set on work against it than now are against the forbearing of it In which case albeit I could heartily have wished a full free general unanimous Testimonie were given-in yet I cannot see how their prudence can be blamed for forbearing that which would certainly have ministred fewel to the fire which is like if mercy prevent it no to consume this poor Church and may perhaps burn their fingers who are so eager to kindle and blow at it Not to insist nere on enquiring who were those who were free to make use of that which he calleth Liberty having given a Testimony And what was that Testimony and when and in what Station was it given by such as were free to make use of it Nor on showing how Improbable it was that