Selected quad for the lemma: ground_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
ground_n	knowledge_n	zeal_n	zealous_a	18	3	9.0491	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B10261	An exhortation to his dearely beloued countrimen, all the natiues of the countie of Lancaster, inhabiting in and about the Citie of London; tending to perswade and stirre them vp to a yearely contribution, for the erecting of lectures, and maintaining of some godly and painfull preachers in such places of that country as have most neede, by reason of ignorance and superstition there abounding: / composed by George Walker pastor of St. Iohn the Euangelists ...	Walker, George, B.D., d. 1651.	1641 (1641)	Wing W357A; ESTC R186166	17,398	26

this Kingdome and the whole Christian world who being borne in our barren soyle and in their child-bood muzled vp in superstition so soone as God brought them to the light of the Gospell in the vniuersities the nurseries of learning and true religion they became famous and renowned professors of diuinity and most stout and strong maintainers of the truth against Papists and all other Heretiques I cannot passe by in silence but for example will name and mention with honour and reuerence that mirrour of learning and religion Doctor Whitakers our sometimes worthy professor in Cambridge whose name is still dreadfull to our aduersaries and his writings of greatest esteeme euen in forraigne Countries at this day and his memorie euer blessed Yea wee find by daily experience that in those parishes and places of our nature Country which haue heretofore beene most grieuously ouer-runne with ignorance and superstition while they wanted the meanes of knowledge the ministery of the word and where the word at the first preaching thereof hath beene strongly opposed now by meanes of a constant ministerie and powerfull preaching continued among them the people doe become generally so zealous for the truth so feruent in their zeale so forward in their profession so strict in their liues in the worship of God so opposit to all shadows of superstition that some thinke they haue more need of the bridle then else spurre like the Israelites in the wildernesse who offered so frankly abundantly to the building of Gods tabernacle that there was found much more then enough for the seruice of the work Moses gaue commandment and caused them by publike proclamation to be restrained from bringing any more Exod. 36. I my selfe doe know and can name for instance if neede require diuers parishes which within my memorie were deepely plunged in superstition and euen drowned in ignorance insomuch that the name of a preacher was as much scorned of many as the name of a babler and of some as much hated as the name of an heretique but now of late yeares I haue seene with mine eyes such a wonderfull alteration wrought by Gods grace and blesing accompanying the labours of some holy and godly preachers sent among them that they are ready and willing to run many miles to heare sermons when they haue them not at home and lay aside all care of worldly profit leauing their labour and worke on weeke dayes to frequent publike meetings for prophecy and expounding of Gods word and hardly can a preacher trauell through their townes and lodge there on any day in the week but they will by importunitie obteine a publicke sermon from him and in great troupes suddainly and vpon short warning assembled they will gladly and chearfully heare him with all reuerence and attention And therefore as St. Paul from his owne example the examples of a small remnant of beleeuing Iewes who by so many miracles much powerfull preaching of Christ himselfe and his extraordinarie Apostles and Prophets were called and drawne to beleue did conclude that God had not reiected and cast away the whole nation as reprobates past hope So may we much more strongly conclude from the example of our selues who are many and from the example of those worthy professors and pillars of the Church whom God hath raised vp out of our Country by ordinarie meanes and most of all from the great multitudes of godly Christians who by hundreds and thousands are daily called and turned by ordinarie preaching from the darkenesse of ignorance to the light of true knowledge and from blind zeale and loue of poperie and superstition to the feruent loue of the truth and zealous profession of the holy Gospell of Christ I say from these many examples we may as vpon stronger grounds of reason conclude that God hath not cast away our people nor rejected our natiue Country neither in so many places keepes his word from them as from a reprobate people neuer to be conuerted but rather doth suffer them to liue so long in ignorance and miserable blindnesse partly for a greater judgement on ouer-ruling Church-robbers that he may bring on them and their houses and families the blood of many soules which perish through their sacrilege and couetousnesse and partly to prouoke and stirre vp to pitty and charity vs whom he hath first conuerted and to minister vnto vs matter of true Christian charity and to giue vs occasion to exercise that piety which we professe that our faith by liuely fruites of good workes may be made to appeare more glorious to the eyes of the world and may shine in the midst of the Church and among all the people of God Lastly Deare brethren and Country-men for our full perswasion and steadfast assurance that our natiue Country notwithstanding the ignorance and blindnesse ouershadowing it and the blind superstition possessing the people generally in diuers parts thereof is a place which God hath chosen to put his name there and our brethren the inhabitants thereof are a people chosen of God and holy according to the election of grace let vs call to remembrance and daily set before our eyes what holy and excellent first fruites it hath brought forth vnto God I meane holy professors and martyrs in the first times of the pure light of the Gospell beginning to shine forth in this land Among all godly martyrs wichin the dayes of King Edward the sixth were great builders of Gods Church by their sound doctrine painfull labours and holy liues and in the bloody reigne of Queen Mary sealed the Gospell with their blood who more renowned in the historie of martyrs then Mr. Iohn Bradford a Lancashire man whose godly writings and meditations able to make a stonie heart to bleede remaine to the profit and comfort of Gods Church in all succeeding ages whose constant profession of the true faith vnto death in the midst of the fire was admired of his enemies shall euer bee remembred while God hath an elect and faithfull people in this land and whose memorie shall be blessed for euer Among the godly faithfull and learned men whom this land brought forth in those first times and which shined forth as lights out of darkenesse who after many cruell persecutions and banishment which they endured for the Gospell in Queene Maries dayes did suruiue her bloody reigne and in the dayes of Queene Elizabeth of euer blessed memorie flourished in this Church and were notable instruments of God in the restoring and establishing of religion who more admired for piety prudence learning and charitie then that most reuerend father in Gods Church Edwin Sandes borne in Fournfells in Lancashire who at the time of the decease of Edward the sixth being Doctor of diuinitie and vice Chancellour of the vniuersitie of Cambridge did so wisely and prudently behaue himselfe in the midst of those troubles and that great confusion especially in his publike sermon which he was commanded by the Duke of