Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	archbishop_n	bishop_n	john_n	13,096	5	6.2353	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A47051	Modesty and faithfulness in opposition to envy and rashness	Jones, James, fl. 1683-1684.	1683 (1683)	Wing J957; ESTC R228697	22,022	14

hatred and rage in them against the poor Dissenters who are already under Sufferings in this City and many parts of England and hereby he hath plainly discovered that he is for the same thing that he saith the Adversaries have been long labouring about see Page 2. viz. to divide the Protestants and to put the Protestant Clergy upon Persecuting the Dissenters and it is hereby evident rather then there shall be any empty space in Persecution what is wanting by the Old Adversaries he will set his helping hand to supply by doing farther mischief in stirring up the Clergy against the poor Dissenters and so much more divide those that should be in greater Unity because they are agreed in the highest things of Christianity and all in the same danger of the Old Enemy of Protestants viz. Rome and thus the Pamphleteer is guilty of those Evils mentioned in Prov. 6.16 These six things the Lord hateth yea seven are an Abomination to him Vers 17. A proud look a lying tongue and hands that shed innocent blood Vers 18. An Heart that deviseth Wicked immaginations feet that he swift running to Mischief a false Witness that speaketh lyes and him that soweth discord among Brethren Fourthly Consider whether the Pamphleteer hath any just cause to Write and Print thus of the Dissenters in general and therefore I will take a brief Notice of his particulars First Concerning Arch-bishops and Bishops though the Dissenters cannot account them to be such Bishops as were in the primitive Church because they cannot find any mention of Arch-bishops or Lord bishops in the new Testament yet for as much as it pleaseth the King and is agreeable to the Constitution of the Government the Dissenters are very well contented to live under such Government in all peaceable manner and give that Reverence and Respect to them as becometh Christianity and Humanity and then I think the Bishops have no cause to complain of the Dissenters as being any abusers of them and for my own part I am apt to think that if the Kingdom had not them there might be worse in their Room Secondly Concerning the English Clergy and their Maintenance it is well known that the Dissenters in City and Countrey have a venerable esteem of such as are known to be men of good Learning good Natural Parts good Preachers and especially men of Spiritual Goodness viz. Men of Godly Conversations as for their Maintenance both in City and Country it is Chearfully paid not as an Act of force but as their Right by Law as other things are the Right of other men by the same Law and it is but a few Dissenters that must be excepted in this matter compared with the whole body of Dissenters throughout the Kingdom and they are deemed by their friends to be more scrupulous then they need or ought to be and besides it is well known that those Parish Ministers who are obliging to their Parishoners do not onely Receive their Due by Law from the Dissenters but do also partake of their love Fourthly As concerning the Schooles of Learning in both Universities it is well known that Learning was highly incouraged and Sobriety was well maintained in those times wherein such as are now Dissenters were concerned both as Heads and Schollars in those Noble Schools and the Dissenters do now rejoice in the maintaining of Learning in both Universities and in other good Schools of the Kingdom and yet Dissenters have good cause to believe that though humane Learning is a very good thing and although men may arrive to high degrees in it yet they may be very ignorant of Divine Misteries which is indeed the Teachings of the Spirit of God it was not for want of Humane Learning that Nicodemus a Ruler and Master in Israel did not understand the new and Spiritual birth when he said How can a man be born when he is Old Can he enter the second time into his Mothers Womb and be born again John 3.4 Neither was it for want of humane Learning that the Greeks did count the Preaching of Salvation by a Crucified Christ Foolishness 1 Cor. 1.23 Nor is it not for want of Humane Learning that the Jesuites and other great Schollars brought up in the Popish Schools do not turn Protestants and it is basely done of the Pamphleteer to reflect upon Mr. Samuel How who hath been in his Grave a great number of years who though he was but a mean man in the world he deserved great honour as a man of good natural parts and an able Preacher of Gods Word a gracious Soul and a man of holy life and Conversation 5thly Concerning the Laws for maintainance of the poor in the several Parishes of England of which the Pamphleteer saith the Dissenters would faln have them down also this seems as if he would stir up a Spirit of Rage in the Poor against the Dissenters to fall about their Ears as being the worst of the Poor's enemies but blessed be God it is well known throughout this Kingdom that the Dissenters do most Cheerfully pay the Parish Taxes for the supply of the Poor and rejoice that there is such a provision made for them besides being Charitable to them other ways Thus have I briefly replyed unto this part of the mans forgery in Charging the poor Dissenters in general with things of which they are not guilty But hearken Brethren here i● a very large empty space and seeing Nature abhors a vacuity consider what provision the Pamphleteer has made to fill up again in the room of those things before Rehearsed First you shall in the room of the two Arch-bishops viz. Canterbury and York have a Tinker and a Taylor men of great confidence and long standing 2dly For the four great Bishopricks of London Winchester Eli and Durham you shall have a Water man a Shoomaker a Coffee-man and a Hat-dresser and for the other Bishops and the Glergy about the City and Suburbs of London you shall have men of an inferiour rank And then the poor desperate Wretch contrives how this may be made known to France Germany and the Low Countries and all these things he chargeth upon the Dissenters page 13. as their contrivance to make such an alteration in the Government And now I will most humbly and modestly reply and therein solemnly appeal to all the Church-men of England of what degree soever who have any considerable knowledge of and acquaintance with the Dissentrs and their Principles that the aforesaid Charge is most notoriously and abominably false for as much as it is well known throughout the Kingdom that such persons as are before mentioned are not at all desirous of such things it being quite contrary to their known and professed Principles to have such Ecclesiastical Dignities conferred upon them and yet they are such friends to the present Government as it is Established by Law that they can freely when ever His Majesty shall have occasion venture their lives to defend his

Unto which I Reply humbly and modestly thus 1. What had this Envious Wretch a mind to expose the Dissenters to the rage and fury of those that neither fear the Laws of God nor the good Laws of the Realm that are for the restraining and punishing of men for gross wickedness now this horrible abusing of the most high God as he calleth it is charged upon all those Dissenters that hold the Doctrine of Gods particular Election of some of mankind to eternal salvation 2dly What kindness hath this Pamphleteer shewed to or what service hath he done for the Church of England by his former desperate discourse for as much as it is well known that the Doctrine of particular Election is the Principle and Doctrine of the Church of England and has been highly maintained by the most famous Ministers against those of a contrary mind viz. such as are called Arminians and though some of the Ministers of the Church of England and some of the Dissenters do oppose the aforesaid Doctrine yet as they are men of good humanity they have more manners and as they are men of Christianity they have more grace then to use such blasphemous expressions and to draw such diabolical Conclusions concerning the Professors of such Election and the Electing Gracious God But no marvel that he whose Principle is that men may fall from true and saving grace should himself fall from seeming grace 3dly And now I will humbly offer my opinion and faith concerning Election First I do believe that God from all Eternity or before the World begun hath Elected some of the Children of men unto Eternal Salvation and in due time hath and doth and will bless them with saving Conversion in order thereunto Eph. 1.4 According as he hath Chosen us in him before the Foundation of the World that we should be holy and without blame before him in love 2 Thes 2.13 But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you Brethren because God hath from the beginning Chosen you to Salvation through Sanstification of the Spirit and belief of the Truth 2dly I believe that God in his gracious Decree of this Election hath fixed upon every one of the particular persons that should afterward be eternaly saved Psalm 139. vers 16. Thine eyes did see my Substance yet being unperfect and in thy Book all my Members were written which in continuance were fashioned when as yet there was none of them which Scripture must be understood of the Members of Davids natural Body or of Christ's Mystical Body if of Davids natural Body then we may surely say God hath not a less regard to and care of Christs mystical Body but doth certainly know all the Members thereof and hath them down in his Book whilst as yet they are not visible in the world 2 Tim. 2.19 Nevertheless the Foundation of God standeth sure having this Seal the Lord knoweth them that are his Now God doth not only know them that are his when Converted but before Conversion Consider those words John 10.14 I am the good Shepherd and know my Sheep and am known of mine Verse 16. Other Sheep I have which are not of this Fold them also I must bring and they shall hear my voice and there shall be one Fold and one Sheepherd Verse 26. But ye believe not because ye are not of my Sheep as I said unto you Verse 27. My Sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me Conversion and Salvation of perticular persons were both in God together as the act of his infinite mercy and rich grace before the world began Consider that Word well 2 Tim. 1.9 Who hath saved us and called us with an Holy Calling not according to our Works but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ before the World began And consider also that Word in Rom. 11.5 Even so at this present time also there is a remnant according to the Election of Grace and vers 7. The Election hath obtained it and the rest were blinded Fourthly I believe that as saving Grace here and Eternal Glory hereafter unto all them that are saved is Gods undeserved mercy Even so also those that are suffered to go on in their Sins here and shall be damned for their Sins hereafter is unto them but Gods deserved Justice Fifthly I believe that God hath not laid any Necessity upon men to be Wicked for God doth not force any man to sin but man being created upright abode not in that State but sought out many Inventions as in Eccl. 7.29 The whole Lump of Mankind is involved in a sinful state and so is become unable of himself to do any thing that may save himself for the very Saints of God are not saved by works of Righteousness which they have wrought see Tit. 3.5 Not by Works of Righteousness which we have wrought but according to his Mercy he hath saved us by the Washing of Regeneration and Renewing of the Holy Ghost Sixthly I do however believe that though not any man can make himself so good as to be saved by it yet most men may be abundantly better then they are by improving the Light of Nature and those Natural parts they have wherein some excel others together with an improvement of the common Mercies and Blessings of God and more especially by attending upon the meanes of grace and may hereby escape those black and bloody Crimes that the Pamphleteer doth most basely innumerate and may also be in a hopeful way of Conversation and so of Salvation like the poor man that lay at the pool of Bethesda John 5.3.5 Who though he was not able of himself to go in the Pool he lay in the way of a cure but if men will follow Wickedness with greediness they are in the ready way of Damnation without any ground of hope for Salvation Seventhly I believe that Salvation of Sinners is founded altogether upon Christ and laid up only and alone in Christ viz. In his person as God and Man in his perfect Righteousness in his painful Sufferings in the garden and upon the cross in his Resurrection from the dead in his Ascension into Heaven and in his Intercession in Heaven and shall be most fully compleated at the Resurrection of the dead and the second coming of Christ when the vile bodies of Saints shall be like the glorious body of Jesus Christ and so shall ever be with the Lord. Eighthly I believe that if God of his own free grace and rich mercy had not made the Eternal salvation of some particular persons infallibly certain by decreeing their saving conversion before time and blessing of them with it in time it would have been hazardous whether any sinners should have been saved for as much as a very great multitude of mankind yea and many that have seemed to be in a ●air way for Salvation and have mist of it by the same Reasons every particular