Selected quad for the lemma: ground_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
ground_n	apostle_n	church_n	word_n	1,664	5	4.2322	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A08319	A treatise, maintaining that temporall blessings are to bee sought and asked with submission to the will of God Wherein is confuted the presumptious way of absolute praying for temporals, in the particulars, broached, and defended by Mr. Rice Boye, in a late pamphlet, intituled The importunate beggar. As also a discovery of the late dangerous errours of Mr. Iohn Traske, and most of his strange assertions. Both necessary to be knowne of all for the avoiding of the like errours, and continuing in the truth. By Edw: Norice.	Norris, Edward, 1584-1659.	1636 (1636)	STC 18646; ESTC S103140	33,983	192

are called See Christian Synagogue lib. 2. cap. 5. nor yet is it in our power to imitate his actions but in matters of morall obedience Vide Amesium in 1. Petri. cap. 2. ver 21. as in Patience Humility Meeknesse Love Submission to the will of his Father his example and patterne is proposed and recorded for our imitation and practise and of this nature is the point in question Which I therefore propose not indefinitely as to say that That which our Saviour Christ did in generall without limitation is to be done of us But what hee did in this matter of Praier being a Morall duty and so likewise the Apostles Which to say is a doctrine fit to bee spewed out of the Church as the Temporarie doth in his answer how beastly and blasphemous is it And for the ground of his speech that we are to live by rules and precepts and not by examples that being a Pillar of the Church of Rome it is even as vaine Exemphim Christi est praxis theologiae ibid. For are wee not commanded to follow the examples of Christ in those things as before hath been shewed Which generall commaund comprehends all particulars of that nature that they need not bee mentioned as the Temporarie foolishly requireth neither is this any Pillar especially a chiefe Pillar of the Church of Rome as hee speaketh to imitate our Saviour Christ and the holy Apostles in Morall duties and matters of obedience for then they would have better Pillars to support them than we know they have any It is well spoken for them but simply for himselfe who condemneth all the Churches of Christ as no Churches for not imitating those first patternes of the Apostles and their examples in those times as hee elsewhere alleageth Therefore herein I teach no Will-worship nor Idolatrous action nor any thing tending that way but what is warranted by Scripture and backt with reason Keck de locis commu pag. 281. See Perkins in Math. 6. pag. 328. Exempla enim nihil sunt aliud quàm generalis doctrinae regularum universalium specialia symbola Our Saviour himselfe confuteth the Pharisees and defendeth his Disciples partly by examples Mathew 12.3 St. Paul proveth and confirmeth the greatest Article of our faith by an example Rom. 4.22 23. The holy Scriptures oftentimes recommend unto us the examples of the Patriarcks the Prophets the Martyrs as patternes for our imitation to follow them Heb. 11. c. Therefore how rude is this man to reject the examples of Christ himselfe and the Apostles with such foule language as hee doth But hee hath somewhat to say against the Proofes 1. That Prayer of our Saviour he saith was extracted from him the horriblenesse of the punishment for mans sinne retaining for a time the whole humane mind untill his Divinitie raised him up againe after which hee spake after another manner as Matthew witnesseth alledging the testimony of a namelesse authour that it was Nequaquam justa precatio Christ knowing full well that hee must die c. Whereunto I answer that is certaine that our Lord did never any finfull action neither was hee subject with Moses to speake unadvisedly with his lips through distemper Psal 106.33 Nor was his Humanitie ever tainted or overcome with any sinfull perturbations Vide Melancthon De Passione Christs per Pezelium pag. 282. or impotent Passions as either to desire or to utter things unlawfull or evill that none might imitate therefore howsoever his agonie was very great Christi trepidationes non fuerunt similes nostris ibidem and the Humanity did that which was proper unto it seeke the diverting of an evill if it might be yet withall at the same instant hee doth advisedly and holily submit himselfe to his Fathers will therein without any reluctancie at all being one entire action How suspitiously and dangerously then doth the Temporarie handle this Praier as if it were some unadvised speech and fall of the Humanitie out of which the Divinitie recovered him againe For the defence wherof he would make one Evangelist to contradict another and citeth a namelesse Author saying that it was Nequaquam justa precatio a speech that had need be warily understood and all this to explode this example Or rather to be abhorred from imitiation and so to establish his errour But for the clearing of all this I thinke it fit to produce the judgement of a godly learned Author on the place speaking thus It is the collection of most Writers Attamen ut liberetur petit unde colligimus c. Yet hee desireth to bee freed Whence wee gather that it is lawfull for us to deprecate those evils that are approaching For if it be naturall to grieve for them then are not they to be condemned that desire to be freed from them But herein the moderation or correction that Christ doth use is diligently to bee marked when hee addeth Yet not my will but thine be done In which saying hee asketh that which hee teacheth us to aske Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven This therefore may be a rule to us of all our Praiers concerning things of this life wherein it is not certaine to us what the Lord would have to be done And such are too bold and confident as will undertake to prescribe unto him on whose sole pleasure we depend and all ours This being the reason why the Praiers of manie are not heard because they are bold not so properly to pray as with a kind of authority to command and to prescribe unto God what they will have to bee done for them Gaulther in Luke 22.42 Which one testimonie might be sufficient to end the Controversie were the Adversarie reasonable but hee hath more to say 2. That of Rom. 1.10 doth shew the desire St. Paul had to come to them but hee had no promise of God that hee should come to them and therefore it 's no marvell that hee puts in an If as any one must doe when hee asketh what God hath not promised c. To which I answer 1. That herein I cannot but marvell at the daring spirit of this man that in the former Proofe doth little better than taxe the LORD JESVS himselfe of some fall and fault in his conditionall Praier And here hee accuseth the holy Apostle for praying and that very often for such a thing as for which hee had no promise that hee should be heard Without ceasing alwaies ver 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is no marvell saith hee though hee doubteth seeing hee had no promise c. For whatsoever is not of Faith is Sin and where there is no promise at all there can be no faith Therefore those frequent praiers of St. Paul were offred up without faith and were sinfull Praiers by his opinion who elswhere affirmeth Page 15. that faith and doubting are so contrary that côdem instanti they cannot stand together

in such or such a businesse designe or purpose withall charging their consciences with as certaine a beliefe of obtaining those particulars as of remission of sinnes the grace of God and salvation it selfe and thereupon condemning and judging such for unbeleevers in that behalfe as obtaine not by prayer all or any of those particulars so conceived to be good expedient or necessary for them Against which errour because there is need I intend to lay before you some Arguments and grounds out of the Word of God as well to rectifie the Judgements of those that erre as to comfort such as are unworthily dejected but not to maintaine or side in a quarrell much lesse to reproach any mans person which is far from me Argument 1. Thus then I reason Those promises that have implied Conditions in them cannot absolutely bee relyed upon or expected for our faith is grounded on the promises But the promises of outward things although necessary are such Therefore they are not absolutely to be relyed upon or expected This appeares in two Cases 1. Of Chastisement when the Lord will visit any of his people for their sinnes for then doth hee strip them of their outward comforts in part and sometimes wholly unto death The former appeares in all the corrections of the faithfull the latter in that example of the Jewes Lament 4.4 where the parents children both dyed through extreame famine Yet are they not charged to want faith for this so much as but humiliation repentance and who wil beare any correction at all at the hand of God if by his Faith hee may presently remoove it from him And how can that bee a signe of unbeliefe that doth most accompany beleevers and is a speciall testimony of Gods love Revel 3.9 2. Of Probation and Triall when God will prove and try the patience and obedience of his servants For in that case they that have beene endued with most faith and grace have been brought to the greatest exigents and wants as in Hebr. 11.37 they were destitute afflicted and tormented c. 2. Corin. 11.27 Paul was pinched with hunger and thirst with cold and nakednesse and Luke 16. Lazarus was in extreame povertie and dyed yet these were full of faith and of the spirit of God To which that of Iob may bee added Now who would endure these trialls and distresses if by faith and prayer hee may remove them Or with what Warrant can they absolutely pray against them seeing they have no promise that they shall be spared or how can Patience have her perfect worke without them or Faith her crowne and reward promised on that Condition Therefore the promises of outward things have Conditions implyed to the people of God and are not absolutely intended Explication When I say that the promises of temporall things have implyed conditions in them I doe not deny that there are any conditions expressed concerning those things for it is plaine that there are Levit. 26. the whole Chapter being full of the Conditionalls If. So Deuter. 28.1 15. and Isai 1.19 If yee consent and obey yee shall eate of the good of the land c. But that such promises as run generally and seeme to be absolute without limitation or reservation of which there are many 1. Timoth. 4.8 have yet in regard of the particular persons and benefits certaine conditions implyed and reservations to the will and pleasure of God in regard of correction or triall whereunto all his people are to submit and subject their wills and desires which is their obedience wherein by a secret act of recumbencie they rest upon the goodnesse of God See Mr. Goodwins Returne of Prayers pag. 51. c and his gracious promises providence that all shall bee for the best howsoever they have not every particular benefit they desire and thinke expedient for them or theirs And this is that which I meane by conditions implyed Whereas then the Temporarie insulteth in his great victorie gotten our of the word Implyed as arguing that in no place conditions are expressed it is very vaine the proposition being directed unto Gods administration in particular to his severall servants according to his will which in that regard is secret to himselfe and not revealed but by experience for who knowes which of his servants even of the most faithfull the Lord may trie with the want of outward things as the Martyrs Iob Lazarus c. notwithstanding the promises of temporall blessings in the generall which shewes that God hath not confined himselfe to one onely way in dealing with his people concerning those things but reserved cases to himselfe as of correction or tryall which to seeke to crosse by an absolute and peremptory kind of praying for outward things what is it else but a tempting of God a beating off as farre as in us lyes of his most usuall and profitable dealing with his servants and so an unsavoury sacrifice unto him In that respect therfore they have conditions implyed as I say Otherwise I need not as hee thinkes runne to the word Implyed for shelter seeing there are conditions plainly expressed Levitic 26. as before And heerein I wish the Reader to observe the foolish reasoning of the Temporarie who to disproove conditions implyed granteth conditions expressed yet intending the contrary For these are his wordes You know and must needs confesse that the Lord made absolutely to his people Israel precious promises Levit. 26. Deut. 28. In which promises there is no promises there is no condition implyed It is true indeed those promises were made upon condition of obedience c. but the condition lies on their part Gods part is absolute c. pag. 32.33 I suppose these words need no other confutation than themselves The promises were absolute on Gods part the condition lyeth on their parts If thou obey as if the Lord had made a covenant with himselfe and not with men and as if there bee conditions put in the promises to bee performed the same were not conditionall upon the performance to bee made good or not Else there are no conditionall promises at all but all must bee absolute absolutely performed and doubtles whatsoever the Lord hath absolutely promised shall bee absolutely performed His long Discourse then of the sinnes and punishments of the Israelites For in that they lost tēporals thorough their disobediēce it shewes the promise to be conditionall is but against himselfe which I note the rather because of his insolent and reproachful tauntings in that place against me and my preaching as if it were Poperie and what not To my Instances hee pretendeth First that I have mistaken their opinion in speaking onely of Faith whereas they include repentance also and love Whereunto I answere that in their scandalous practise in the Countrey the whole burthen was put upon Faith and beleeving generally Such was the generall complaint ●o mee But this man steps in to refine the matter and joynes

and that the word If arising from thence doth stand betweene God and us as a cloud This is his arrogant censure of the Apostles prayers 2. I would demaund of him or any that hold with him whether Saint Paul had not as much ground of assurance and as certaine a promise for his comming to the Romanes as the Temporarie or any other have of any particular Temporall benefit they aske at the hands of God for the promises run onely in generall It is not said of anie particular person that hee shall have this or that particular Favour Benefit or Request but in generall onely and all this St. Paul had For as a Believer hee had the promises of those Temporall benefits that were necessarie for him as an Apostle hee had a speciall promise from Christ of assistance in Preaching the Cospel to the Gentiles of which the Romanes were part Act. 26.17 As an earnest Petitioner for this particular favour being more necessarie than any Temporall matter hee had as much and far more promise of audience than any Temporary believer hath of any Temporall benefit that he conceives to be good for him And yet had hee no promise for what hee asked What promise then hath the Temporary for all his Temporals whereof hee is so confident But what if the Apostle had a promise from God and a particular assurance of his comming to the Romanes for it is certaine that hee had a promise of comming to Rome Act. 23.11 and before that hee was assured of it Act. 19.21 And when hee wrote the Epistle hee was confident in it Rom. 15.24 Where then is the truth of the Temporarie in saying that hee prayed for that for which hee had no promise Which practise elsewhere hee calleth babling in two places Page 20. 57. Doth it not rather appeare herehence that in all our undertakings wee are to have dependance upon God and to wait upon his will resigning our selves to his good pleasure and therefore in our prayers either expresly or implicitly to desire as the Apostle doth by the will of God to doe this or that worke to have this or that benefit from him to make our journeys prosperous c. as the word importeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As we say A good journey and not as the Temporary proudly teacheth Give me this and give me that for I know it is good for mee which kind of language wise Parents would not allow in their children Doubtlesse it argues not a little arrogancy in this man to quarrell so with the words of the Apostle desiring by the will of god to have a prosperous journey to the Romanes May hee not as well alter the third Petition and say not Thy will be done but Our wils bee done in our prayers for it tends unto it apace But he goes on further yet 3 That of Saint Iames Ye ought to say If the Lord will is intended onely against those vaine boasters who would peremptorily say We will goe to such a Citie c. seeing no man knowes that hee shall live a day but to reserre it to prayer for temporall necessaries is a grosse abuse seeing Saint Iames speakes of Saying and wee of Praying For answer whereunto I say that Saint Iames speakes not onely of saying neither is it the saying or not saying of those words simply So Calvin on the place that hee intendeth but the reproofe of the arrogant confidence and groundlesse securitie of such as if their lives and actions had been in their owne power and all at their owne disposing would without any acknowledgment of God or dependance upon his providence considently undertake all their actions neither in heart conceiving nor in words expressing any submission at all to the will of God or dependance on his providence Against both which evills doth the Apostle inveigh teaching men as wel in their hearts to acknowledge as by their tongues to confesse their relying wholly upon God and dependance upon on his will in all their designes purposes which thing hath such relation to Prayer as that the one cannot stand in truth without the other neither are they ever severed in practise for hee that doth truely acknowledge the soveraigntie of God in all things and his absolute power over him and his actions will also by earnest prayer seeke his grace and favour to dispose of him in mercy for the best considering his owne unworthinesse of any good My times are in thy hand Psal 31.15 And seeing the counsell and purpose of God is unknowne to us concerning our lives our estates and the event of all our doings such a one will with submission to the will of God offer up his requests concerning outward things as if it may stand with his pleasure to grant him this or that benefit or favour if it may tend to his glorie if it may further our everlasting good c. and so speake before men Of which practise what better patterne can wee have than that of Saint Paul who not onely offered his prayers in such cases and that more than of a secular nature with such a submissive If the Lord permit if God will c. if but used it often in his speeches and writings as appeares by Act. 18.21 1 Cor. 4.19 1 Cor. 16.7 Rom. 1.10 Phil. 2.19 24. and yet had a more speciall and particular promise in those cases than any man now can ordinarily have neither hath he ever till now that I have heard beene taxed for unbeliefe therein or praying without a promise much lesse babling proh scelus And heerein I wish the Temporary would take notice of his notable ignorance and rashnesse together who in grounding his opinion for absolute prayer hath reference onely to the revealed will of God excluding his secret counsell and purpose altogether For although it be true that the written Word of God doth containe in it a perfect discovery of good and evill to regulate our obedience and that therein is plainly declared what things are lawfull or unlawfull for the generall matter of them to bee asked at his hands yet for the determination of the particulars to whom how and in what manner those things shall bee done it is not revealed but reserved unto his secret counsell and purpose to bee ordered and disposed according to those glorious ends that hee hath ordained and appoynted Dan. 4.35 Psal 33.11 And this is that will So Tareus on the place which Saint Paul intendeth in the forenamed places and that St. Iames heere meaneth when hee requires that wee say If the Lord will For St Paul doubted not of the revealed will of God for the lawfulnesse of his desire to goe to Rome and Corinth but for the time the comfort of his journey and the good successe which were secrets therein he desires favour Neither doth Saint Iames question the lawfulnesse of travelling to Cities and Townes in mens lawfull trades for commerce and gaine as