Selected quad for the lemma: land_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
land_n	common_a	lord_n	tenant_n	1,699	5	9.7297	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A66932	A little stone, pretended to be out of the mountain, tried, and found to be a counterfeit, or, An examination & refutation of Mr. Lockyers lecture, preached at Edinburgh, anno 1651, concerning the mater of the visible church and afterwards printed with an appendix for popular government of single congregations : together with an examination, in two appendices, of what is said on these same purposes in a letter of some in Aberdene, who lately have departed from the communion and government of this church / by James Wood ...	Wood, James, 1608-1664.	1654 (1654)	Wing W3399; ESTC R206983	330,782	402

A LITLE STONE Pretended to be out of the MOUNTAIN Tried and found to be a Counterfeit OR AN EXAMINATION REFVTATION OF Mr. LOCKYERS LECTURE Preached at Edinburgh ANNO 1651. Concerning the MATER of the VISIBLE CHURCH And afterwards Printed with an APPENDIX for Popular Government of single CONGREGATIONS Together with an EXAMINATION in two APPENDICES Of what is said on these same purposes in a LETTER of some in Aberdene who lately have departed from the Communion and Government of this CHURCH By JAMES WOOD Professor of Theol. in S. Andrews EDINBVRGH Printed by ANDRO ANDERSON for George Suintoun and Robert Broun and are to be sold at their Shops 1654. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE JOHN EARLE of CASSILS LORD KENNEDY My Lord WHat the wise observing King uttered long agoe that of making of Books there is no end was never more verified in any then it is in the present age wherein scribunt docti indoctique every smatterer and every fancie-full head must have the Presse travel to bring forth their froathy conceptions And Presses by many are made use of as engines to discharge revylings reproaches and blasphemies against the God of Heaven his blessed Truths wayes and Ordinances For my self I can say in truth it hath not hitherto been my ambition to increase wearinesse of the flesh by much Reading And that now I come this way to the worlds view 't is not of mine own meer choise but because a necessity was laid upon me The Author with whom I have to do in this ensueing debate having not only opened his mouth to Preach in the most eminent-place in this Land but also adventured to Write and Print against the Orthodox Doctrine touching the constitution and Government of the Visible Church of Christ revileing in speciall the Church in this Land yet through its side also stricking at all the Orthodox Churches in Europe as no Church but a dead carcasse having neither matter nor form of a true Church a nest of unclean birds idolatrous c. And thereupon charging with a great deal of confidence and big words all truely Godly to come out of it and to separate from it It was by some Reverend and Godly men thought expedient that altho there appear little or nothing in what is said by him which may brangle the mind of any judicious Reader Yet because it is a thing usuall to adversaries of the Truth if what they say be it never so weak get not an Answer to brag of it as unanswerable And unsettled minds that have not their senses exercised to discern good and evill are ready to be taken with any thing busked up with gay words and so to be carried about like weather-Cocks with every wind of Doctrine as many sad examples of this time prove an Answer should be returned to him lest truth should so much as seem to suffer prejudice any way And this taske they were pleased to lay upon me Who albeit I do and cannot but ingenuously acknowledge my self one of the least and weakest Servants of Christ and that many others there are in this Church who might far more worthily acquit themselves in this service Yet durst not withstand the motion having so clear a Calling and considering withall how I stand oblidged in my station to maintain the true Religion in Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government by the mercy of God established amongst us in common with the rest of the Lords people in the Land by Solemn Vow and Covenant and more particularly by the Lords bringing me who had been in my younger years educated as to many things in a contrary way to the acknowledgment of ●he truth in a very gracious manner with a strong hand and in much long-suffering patience whereby he waited to be gracious that he might be exalted in shewing mercy on me Haply it will be matter of talking to some that this of mine has been so long in coming forth after Mr. Lockier published his But it is not unknown to many who have been witnesses to my diligence that my Answer was in readinesse within a few Moneths after his Peece came to my hands and the task was laid upon me And had come abroad if several difficulties had not interveened Now when it is to be published I desire humbly to present it to your Lordship first and under your Honourable name to the view of the world I must spare to expresse all the great causes oblidging me so to do Because to expresse them would not only be haply inexpedient But also would be I know unsavoury to your self whom I have alwayes found desirous to aprove your self in reality of wel doing but never liking well to hear of other mens euges Only this much I cannot forbear and must begge your Lordships leave to say The personall obligations which you have laid upon me by a continued tract of undeserved respects ever since the first time I was known to your Lordship would require a worthier testimony of acknowledgment then is this mean present or any thing else my small store of abilities can afford But to speak truth it is not so much any personall concernment that hath engaged my heart to your Lordship as that which hath endeared you to all who know the truth and you That grace which God hath vouchsafed upon you to walk in tendernesse and closenesse with himself in your privat course and with constant zeal to improve your publick station wherein ye have stood for promoving the interest of Religion and righteousnesse and the good of Gods people without byasse or wavering in any revolution of times wherewith many turning upon the axletree of their own self-interests have whirled about the sweet fruit whereof I doubt not but you find in these glowmie dayes and trust shall abide with you to the end through the mercy of the Lord whose gifts and graces are without repentance I will not adventure upon such severe self-denyednesse to speak more of what I have had the happinesse to be acquainted with in your Lordship I hope this testimony of my sense of the obligation I ly under to honour your Lordship shal finde favourable acceptance at your hands I will not presume for indeed it were presumption to commend my work in it I pretend to nothing therein but that through the Grace of God I have ingenuously and in simplicity tho in much weaknesse spoken for truth But the matter it self is precious and of great weight consisting of two great interests of Christ Jesus his Visible Church which is his Visible Kingdom on earth The one touching the qualifications of the persons that are to be acknowledged members of his Visible Church and so in effect comes to be a Question de sinibus of the marches of his Visible Kingdom The other touching the matter and way of the externall Visible Government thereof As to the former my Author has so straitned the bounds of Christs Visible Church that by his sentence none are to be

〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 raised by the false Teachers branding them with the black mark of liers subverters of souls and troublers of the Church This was a degree of censure and a virtuall admonition tending to further censure But actually to have proceeded further to Excommunication at first was not seasonable prudent nor needfull 4. If people and private Brethren were in that Synod as we deny not but they might be their interest in the determinations and consultations of the Synode was not by way of authoritative and definitive vote But at most consultative and by way of private consent and approbation as we cleared before against Mr. Lockier 5. That recommendation of obedience to the acts of that Synode from the goodnesse and benefite thereof expressed in the close of the Synodicall letter doth not argue their constitutions not to have been made and enjoined by an authoritative power obleiging under hazard of censure The most authoritative acts of any juridicall Court being sent in a respective way may be so recommended in such a way Neither that that in the constitutions of that Synode there is not an expresse and formall threatning of those that disobey with censure doth import by any necessity of consequence that the power they exercised was not authoritative and such as might proceed to censure Juridicall courts do not alwayes adde to their constitutions expresse and formall comminations of punishment Here especially it was not necessarie it being a clear case in it self that those Hareticks and Schismaticks who could by no other means be reduced were not to be suffered but censured and cast forth section 10 Now is this which we have been considering the pith and strength of the grounds whereupon these Authors have not only adventured themselves to desert and separate from this Church But also have darred to advise the Brethren to whom they directed their Epistle to appear with them upon the head of the businesse that is to put to their hands as chief actours to throw down to the ground that beautifull order of Government in this Church by the Officers of Jesus Christ appointed to rule his Church on earth in Congregationall and Classicall Presbyteries Synodes Provinciall and Nationall ordered in a sweet and excellent subordination among themselves which was after the first Reformation upon much deliberation for many years settled in the Church as warranted and grounded upon the Word of God was afterward when opposed born down and oppressed sealed by many precious servants of Jesus Christ with bitter and grievous sufferings of Imprisonment Banishment and even sentences unto death which the only hand of God restrained from being put in execution and was again by the good hand of God upon his people in this land after long oppression under Prelacie raised up has been attested by forraine Divines and Churches as the true Government of Jesus Christ in his Visible Church has been alwayes the hammer to break wickednesse and prophanitie and the hedge to keep out Errours Haeresies and Schismes made this Church against all evil doers and enemies of truth terrible as an Armie with Banners which at this day is the eye sore of all the Sects and Hereticks of the times the butt of Satans malice to throw down and raze this to the ground which some of the same Reverend men to whom they wrote have through the grace of God to their praise in all the Churches Vindicated against all enemies thereof upon one hand and other and stand engaged by solemne vows and the dreadfull Oath of God to maintain and defend to their lives end to set up I wot not what and I think the Authors themselves wots not what and if they do not this to threaten them with the streaching out of GODS hand and to lay upon them the horrid imputation of being snares to GODS people O Lord how terrible are thy judgements in these times as upon outward things so upon the Spirits of men while men are thus caried about with every winde of Doctrine What need have these that professe the Truth to take heed that they have received it in love lest they be given up to believe lies section 11 The Authors adde only That there might be somewhat said from antiquity that the Government of the Church was partly Aristocraticall partly Democraticall in much of the first three hundred years and that the people had no small influence in maters of Discipline but that they forbear as desiring to leane on a surer foundation Answ What they have produced of this surer foundation i. e. the Holy Sc●ipture to leane themselves upon in their departure from the Church of God in this land wee have seen and how little ground it affords to sustain them we have seen too I wish from my heart they had brought somewhat also though it had been but a little of that which they alledge may be said from antiquitie of these ages for their tenent of Church Government For in truth we professe our selves to be such as reverence very much under the Holy Scriptures which wee leane to only as the foundation of our faith in all maters of Religion the testimonie of the Orthodox Churches in these ages Mr. Lockier as we saw before undertook somewhat of this before magno hiatu under the name of common consent but what he produced to instruct it may blush before all men that has any wit and are not stark fools And I am perswaded what these Authors would have produced had they assayed it should have proven as little to their purpose section 12 There are two main points whereof the Independent Government consists 1. That the power of Ecclesiastick jurisdiction is in and formally to be exercised by the communitie of Professours if not wholly and by themselves yet jointly with the Elders and Officers they as well as the Elders concurring authoritatively in all acts of Government and jurisdiction 2. That there is not any larger Judicatories or Assemblies Ecclesiastick than of a single Congregation whether Classicall Presbyterie or Synod juridicall But that the Judicatorie of every single Congregation is the supreme Ecclesiastick juridicall court upon earth Independent upon and without subordination to any larger or Superiour Ecclesiastick Judicatorie They grant indeed some sort of Synods but denude them of all authoritative and juridicall power over particular Churches leaving them only power of advice and counsell or at most a dogmaticall power to determine cases and questions in Religion but without power authoritatively to enjoine their determinations upon particular Churches so as to obleige them to be censurable in case of disobedience or to inflict any censure at all upon offenders section 13 Now 1. suppose which yet cannot be granted that somewhat might be brought from antiquitie to shew that there was in the Government of the Church then a mixture of Aristocracie and Democracie and that the people had some influence in the exercise of Government Yet none dare be so impudent as