Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	beseech_v	good_a	please_v	23,628	5	8.8360	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09277	Vindiciæ gratiæ. = A plea for grace More especially the grace of faith. Or, certain lectures as touching the nature and properties of grace and faith: wherein, amongst other matters of great use, the maine sinews of Arminius doctrine are cut asunder. Delivered by that late learned and godly man William Pemble, in Magdalen Hall in Oxford.	Pemble, William, 1592?-1623.; Capel, Richard, 1586-1656.	1627 (1627)	STC 19591; ESTC S114374	222,244	312

which being once conceived in the soule causeth it to swell till it burst asunder with unthankfulnesse to God for the bestowing with envie scorne and disdaine of men in the imparting of such gifts as may bee to them beneficiall 2. Surfetting upon humane and inferiour learning with contempt of divine studies Thinke you that Christian Academies are now growne so holy that this age breeds no Politians nor Lyps● who are so far from being children of the Prophets that they are despisers of prophecy True Humanists that rellish nothing but what is of man having the sacred Scriptures and mysteries of Divinity in basest contempt esteeming the simplicity of Faith to bee sillinesse and folly the plainnesse of holy stile to bee but meere dunsery the familiar delivery of wholesome precepts to be good honest and dry matter A bawdie Epigrame of some ranke Poet a drunken song of some Anacreon a flattering Ode of a Pindarus a smart invective of some fleering Satyrist the obscure phrase of some cloudy-pated Lycophron an acute morall discourse of a Seneca or a well composed storie of some Tacitus all these any of these deserve more study rellish better to those aguish tongues carry with them more life and quicknesse of sense more strength of invention more juice and bloud of sound knowledge and satisfaction than the holiest ditty that ever the sweete singer of Israell set the most exemplary story that Gods Spirit ever indited the most powerfull Sermon that Prophet or Apostle ever preached the deepest mysteries that not flesh and bloud but the holy Ghost hath revealed Strange contempt Is it possible that the creature should bee thus ignorant of his Creators voice thus presumptuous to censure him of rudenesse But t is so the tongues the pens the practises of not a few discover unto us this leprosie of Atheisticall contempt of Gods wisedome arising in their foreheads T is well God hath not left himselfe without witnesse that he can speake eloquently as well as plainly But were it otherwise yet were it well still and they would be found best Rhetoricians and Artists that can learne Gods art and not teach him I proceede to a third danger and that is 3. Profane study of sacred things to know onely not to doe to satisfie curiosity or give contentment to an all searching and comprehending wit who study Divinity as they would doe other arts looking for no further aide than Natures ability or as men doe trades and occupations meerely to make a living by it who reade the Scriptures as wee doe morall authors collecting what pleaseth their fancy to bee scattered as flowres of Rhetoricke here and there for the garnish of their discourse but no whit for sanctification of the heart In all these there lies a poisonous humour which banes the soule and you shall observe it that there are few in whom is found such invincible hardnesse of heart consciences so farre stupified and senselesse in sinne mindes so devoide of all true touch of piety as those who frequently conversing in holy things doe as often pollute them by unhallowed hearts There 's yet a fourth disease mortall to him that 's sicke of it and also spreading its contagion unto others that is 4. Hereticall or Schismaticall opinions bred and maintained by pride and selfe-love or some other unsanctified affection which men give way unto joyned with bitter opposing of the truth And heer 's a mischiefe able to trouble a whole world Councils Conferences Perswasions Arguments Edicts of banishment confiscation and death all the wisedome of the Word and power of the sword joyned together shall scarce bee able to put to death this monstrous birth of an hereticall braine so tenderly cherished by the master and his deare disciples Well then you see in how slippery places wee stand and how easily we are supplanted by that strong one against whom wee wrastle looke but a little into the story of times and you shall plainely reade your owne dangers in others misfortune Never had Christ so much to doe with any as with the learned Scribes and Pharisees who by malicious depravations captious interrogatories secret practise and open violence most desperately resisted his Ministery in so much that our Saviour professeth the poore ignorant Publicans should goe to heaven before them who had the key of knowledge and would neither enter themselves nor suffer others that would to come in The Athenians were the learnedst of the Grecians accounted then the only learned nation of the world yet you see how course entertainment they gave unto the Gospell in the Apostles times scornfully despising the foolishnesse thereof in comparison of their owne superfine wisedome and in after times wee know that those Grecian wits proved the most dangerous Heretickes T is true that the divell can make a Mercury a lying deceiver of any wood Iohn a Leyden Cn●pperdolling or our Henry Nicholls the father of the Familists with such other blockes are instruments fit enough for a common disturbance but yet for the generall in all the shop of Hell there is no anvile so well set whereon to forge no engine so apt whereby to execute any choice piece of mischiefe as that man who is learned and lewd The Heresies of all times approve it bred by men as vicious as learned even from Arius and upward downe unto Arminius The fire of persecution alwayes burnes hottest in the raigne of some Iulian and none so bitter cavillers against the Truth as a Libanius a Porphyrie an Appion a Cresconius But once for all and worst of all take the Iesuites of these last times who as they have almost ingrost all the learning and honour from the rest of the shaven Friers so exceede them all in villany and impiety Being men who of all others are found to bee the most impudent and shamelesse perverters of truth forgers of new and sublimated superstition corrupters of antiquity and not content to live in their owne element most dangerous intermedlers in all affaires of State most mischeivous contrivers of the destruction of Kingdomes Wherefore let me exhort you in the words of the Apostle Grow in grace in the knowledge and acknowledgement of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ. And let me beseech you that you would bee pleas'd so to order your courses that your learning may grace your religion your religion may blesse your learning this is but the halfe the lesser the worser halfe of Gods image and of a good man have both and bee for ever perfect Christians complete Scholars Which that you may be let me perswade you to two things 1. To a constant and serious study of the Scriptures But herein take heede that an holy and humble minde doe alwaies beare thee company Thinke when thou openest this booke thou seest in the title of every book in the contents of every chapter this inscription Holinesse to the Lord. Nay every line breathes holinesse brings the very breath of that ever blessed and most holy Ghost And

having first taught a Grammar Schoole did afterward succeed Clemens in the office of Catechist and such was eyther the necessity of those times or the excellent abilities of the man that at 18. yeares of age he took upon him that charge of publicke teaching 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Eusebius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Very yongue yeares and I know not whether he got so much honour by his learned teaching as for his constant suffering so many persecutions as were raised against him in that City Yet was he in account for both in so much that hee was not onely sent for to come into Arabia by the Governour of the country there to teach but also being driven from Alexandria by troubles there he repaired to Caesarea Stratonis there set up a Schoole and was judged worthy to expound the Scriptures and read Divinity in publicke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the same Eusebius witnesses Lib. 6. cap. 13. But I must not write a story of him or others who in those times bare this office in the Church nor yet of the Catachumeni and the severall constitutions decreed of in Councells and Provinciall Synods for their more convenient institution of the time of their admission to Baptisme and after that to the Communion of the manner of their being in the Congregation during the time of divine Service where they were to stand not mixed with the rest of the people but severally by themselves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when they were to depart the assembly viz. before the celebration of the Eucharist at which they were by no means to be present though at the Sermons Praiers of the Church for them they might be of divers cases touching their Baptisme their relapses recoveries their phrensies and possessions by the divell their martyrdome before Baptisme with such like queres and customes of which now antiquated by time wee neede not trouble ourselves to make any curious inquiry The Acts and Canons of the ancient Councills and Church Writers of those times make frequent mention of them out of whom to compile an exact Commentary upon this matter is a worke of longer time than I can spare and lesser commodity than will pay for the paines Yet one word of the manner of teaching that was used towards these Novices in the faith which what ever it was in private for the publike seemes not to have beene dialogue-wise by question and answer after the fashion of these times but in a continued speech with much plainnesse and familiar easinesse That tract of S. Austins de Symbolo ad Catechumenos and these Catachismes of Cyrill Bishop of Ierusalem which are preserved to our times shew us what course they followed in writing and preaching of Catachisme the one being a plaine exposition of the Creede the other nothing but Sermons upon the chiefe Articles of faith and points of manners which Cyrill preached extempore to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or newly baptized in his Church If now wee come downe to latter times when all the world was become Christian in outward profession we shall easily perceive that when they wanted Conuerts of the Gentiles whom they might instruct these ages began by degrees to neglect also the children of the Church So that for many ages whilst ambition and tyranny in Church-men wried their thoughts more to the advancement of their owne greatnesse than to the furtherance of religion godliness in the Church this sacred institution was even quite laid aside after that through ignorance barbarism superstition easily crept in soon corrupted whatsoever was sincere either in Gods worship or good maners And now was this disease growne so desperate that its thought incurable by those lazie and idle shepheards which wealth and superstition had bred vp and advanced to the oversight of Gods flockes I meane that Cloistred rabble of Monkes and Friers who sacrilegiously parting those that God hath ioyned together made a profession of Praier without preaching and thought by their devout oraisons to bring men to heaven how ignorant and wicked soever they were Yet these were the men whose lips must be thought to preserve knowledge whose brests must bee the oracles of Divinity and in their heads must lye inclosed the more secret and precious treasures of wisedome but they were indeed wells without water deceiving the hope of weary and thirsty soules empty clouds they were without raine that did not send forth one gracious showre to refresh the inheritance of the Lord. And now these dreamers in stead of curing the peoples ignorance which would have cost them some paines take a shorter course and fall to commend it as a speciall vertue and fruitfull mother of true devotion Which base impiety as it hath been detestable to Angels to men upon whom any the least beame of saving light ever shone so since the reformation hath the shame therof been sufficiently discovered and cast upon the face of that Romish Strumpet though her whores forehead cannot yet blush at it We see and now enjoy those holy ordinances of Preaching and Catechising within our Churches revived and observed with happy successe in the increase of all piety Our adversaries have seen it and sorrowed for it to behold the industry and care of the Churches in their provision for the due instruction of yonguer and weaker Christians And though they hope that their ignorance shall uphold their Church against our knowledge yet very shame hath driven them to doe somewhat for which purpose a Catechisme there was hatcht in the Councill of Trent and by it allowed wherein of a little milke of Gods Word and superfluity of ranke poison pressed out of the brests of the Babylonish Harlot such food was prepared as was thought sit for the nourishment of her infants But I must hasten what I have spoken touching this point shall be as for justification of our present exercise so for a commendation of the paines of those faithfull skilfull worke-men in the Lords building who have laboured by preaching and writing to lay a sure foundation of knowledge before they build up in the faith I could heartily wish that those among us whom either ease or pride have made carelesse in this office would bee pleased to looke abroad into such congregations where this course is held and to compare them with their owne and others where t is neglected they should soone perceive how faire and open a passage is made for preaching to follow after where diligent catechising hath gone before on the other side how hopelesse their endeavour is who labour to imprint in the heads of their people the knowledge of conclusions before they have learned the principles of Divinity If these men complaine and say I have spent my strength in vaine and my labour without profit preaching long and seeing little reformation I will not pitty them who are like unwise Nurses who when their children thrive not lay

be found the safest to travel in Mens writings are infinite their opinions changeable their resolutions doubtfull and if wee begin there wee are out of the way at the first entrance and t is hazzard but wee loose truth and our selves among so many turnings and windings of errors heresies opinions conjectures quarrelsome contradictions disputes and brawling controversies as we shall meete withall Who would be so troubled in his way to heaven thus wearied and vexed with endlesse and needlesse discourses which like the envious Amalekites set upon us in our sore travell towards Canaan assaulting the simplicity of our faith disquieting the peace of conscience by strange decisions of doubtfull cases darkning the cleer light of sacred Scripture which shines dimme through such painted glasse and in briefe mingling the sincer● milke of the Word with the noisome ingredients of carnall reason and corrupt affections Surely we doe not beleeve when we read that in the 12. of Eccl. v. 12. There is no end of making of bookes and much reading is a wearinesse to the flesh if we did we would hence learne to see a fault which an eager desire of learning not wel guided drawes upon us all that would be schollars A strange curiosity to prie into all books of the same kinde thinking wee never know the truth till wee know what all men have said of it And are we certaine then wee have it It were somewhat if t were in learning as t is in bearing of a burden where many weake men may beare that which one or few cannot But in the search of knowledge it fares as in descrying a thing a farre off where one quicke sight will see further than a thousand cleere eyes It is most usuall in comparing of humane authors for the Scriptures its certaine that they alone without other helpes are sufficient for our direction in all necessary truth and were our hearts inflamed with love of their excellent holinesse and our heads a little more acquainted with study and meditation therein wee should finde by experience that more light shineth in this sunne than in all the starres of the Church which doe but borrow their light from hence For mine owne part I have alwaies wondred at the discord between the doctrine and practice of many Divines who stiffely and truly maintaining against the Papists the all-sufficiency of Scriptures for heavenly instruction doe yet in their private studies condemne them of insufficiency bestowing to say the least three parts of their times and paines in the wearisome reading of those huge volumes of Fathers Schoole-men and other Writers for one part which they spend in the meditation of the Scriptures Wee love to seeke gold among drosse when wee may have it ready tried and purified to our hands yea pure as mettall tryed in a furnace and fined seven times as the Prophet speakes Psal. 12. 6. Blame not my resolution to follow Salomons admonition By these things my sonne bee admonished and to goe to the living not to the dead to the Law and Testimony the lively oracles of God ever speaking loud enough if wee have eares to heare what the Spirit saith and plaine enough if as our Apostle speakes wee had our wits exercised to discerne both good and evill You shall doe mee wrong to conceive any such meaning by my words as if I would dash out all writings of men with one stroke or condemne all Libraries to the fire an arrogant impiety it were so to thinke or speake of mens paines in writing and Gods providence in preserving their bookes No. I touch none but those who consult onely with flesh and bloud men like themselves out of whose discourses they frame to themselves an humane divinity making such to be pillars that should bee but helpers of their faith which how likely t is to faile in time of triall I wish them to forecast betime before they feele it too late Among you my Brethren I suppose there is none who had not rather have his soule saved than his fancy pleased and therefore will bee willing to beleeve where God affirmes to obey where he commands without mans authority to convince your reason or perswade your affections And if so I am eased of the most troublesome least profitable toile the curious search and allegations of Authors which if you do expect you overburden me if I should promise I should belie mine owne knowledge and as I suppose your opinion of my meannesse Furthermore for deeper speculations new-minted Divinity or elder Heresies buried in hell with their authors or strange opinions husht up in silence it will bee a wrong to imbroile the mindes of such an auditory and to shake them with the unseasonable blasts of doubtfull disputes before they have taken deeper roote in the faith You must pardon mee I speake to those whom this exercise most concernes that are the yonguer in age and knowledge And therefore I must beseech you beloved and much respected in the Lord who are the elder and stronger in the Lords stocke to give mee leave to drive on in Iacobs pace so as I weary not nor leave behinde the more tender Lambes I dare say wee may all at last come to Canaan and yet breake no company He that gives to them that want takes not away from them that have and you know that men may bee nourished with milk though infants cannot live with stronger meate Finis Prologi THE NATVRE AND properties of GRACE and FAITH THe summe of all Christian dueties is briefly comprised under these two heads Agenda and Credenda Doing and Beleeving Which the Apostle 2. Tim. 1. 13. makes the two maine parts of all wholesome doctrine Hold fast the form of sound words which thou hast heard of mee in Faith and Love which is in Christ Iesus The Epitome of Love is the morall Law briefly contained in ten more briefly in two precepts Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart and Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy selfe The sum of Faith more at large delivered in the Apostolicall writings is shortly drawne into that excellent compendium which wee now use and call the Apostles Creede containing the substance of Evangelicall doctrine Both these Faith and Love have one common adversary Satan by whom they have beene continually assaulted and whether more dangerously it is not easie to determine they seeme both to bee imbarked together in the same bottome and if Conscience suffer shipwrack Faith sinkes too and if Faith the most precious lading be throwne overboard I doubt how Charity will be able to make a saving voiage As Paul said of the Marriners attempting an escape in their dangerous passage so I of those Except they abide in the ship ve cannot be saved and you may observe it equally difficult to find an Hereticke vertuous or an Atheisticall vicious liver a true beleever Wherefore the divell cares not much where he begins his battery yet if I be not deceived

well using of Naturall light is such an excellent preparation for the receiving of the Gospell Which is not so for although God shewed that favour towards learning and civility of manners that in the propagation of the Gospell through the world hee respected those Nations that excelled therein before others as appeares by the plantation of the Church among the Gentiles yet come we to particulars and t is evident the Gospell found most resistance and neglect at their hands who seemed to have used their Naturall abilities best as the learned Philosophers the wise temperate just politicke men of the world who were so farre from being the fitter to receive the Gospell that they cut of pride and fleshly wisedome were its greatest enemies Num ut quisque saith Moulin virtutis civilis laudem affectat ingenium habet multâ eruditione subactum ita eimaximè sordet simplicitas Evangelij crucis Christi scandalo magis offenditur 2. Another That a man may use his Naturall abilities well i. e. to the right worshipping and obedience of God without the grace of regeneration without faith without all knowledge of the Gospell and the will of God revealed unto man which being a grosse supposition of an utter impossibility and such a one as by consequence overturnes all Christian Religion as hath beene shewed it is manifest that this obligation wherewith the Arminians have tied God to give Supernaturall grace to the Gentiles upon their good usage of Naturall helps is void of no validity God will easily be discharged of it without forfeiture of his Iustice where the condition on mans part is so impossible to be performed And hitherto of this first question touching sufficiency of grace given to them that are out of the Church I will make an end of all with a word or two of admonition for our practice We beloved are as the Apostle speaks 〈◊〉 sinners of the Gentiles but Iewes of that circumcision which ●o not made with hands Let us then now bethink our selves what grace we have received and others want Compare we advisedly our condition at this present with that of Turkes or other Pagans and let us magnifie his mercy that hath by Grace made so great a difference betweene us and them who by Nature were all alike Wee were strangers and forreiners as they now are but we are now fellow Cittizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God which they are not A glorious priviledge and if we have grace to judge aright of it deserving to have the first place in our esteeme above all prerogatives in the world T was but a poore contentment to a dying Philosopher when he thankt his Gods for being a Crecian not a Barbarian an Athenian among Grecians a philosophen among Athenians We my Brethren have to joy in greater dignities who are Christians not Insidells true Beleevers among a world of Heretickes and Schollars among the company of true Beleevers Let mee then tell you what you know already but few of us thinke of it as we should where greater grace and favour is hestowed there more Thankes are deserved more Service is required a stricter account will be taken of both And be now intrcated by the mercies of our Lord Iesus Christ to hearken to the Apostolicall exhortation Walke worthy of that Vocation wherewith wee are called Be we ashamed that the Morality of a Pagan should outstrip our Religion that the Conversation of a Papist should disgrace the Beliefe of a Protestant that the Piety and Modesty of the Vnlearned should condemne the Vncivility and Lewdnesse of a Schollar Be not ignorant of the dignity of your Calling but if in any thing here stand upon your credit and reputation Why should not the name of Christian of Protestant of Schollar be held forth as a shield of defence against all provocations to base and unworthy courses as well as meaner titles of Gentility Honours and Offices are readily alledged against viler imploiments not besitting persons of that quality If there be any so respectlesse of his owne and regardlesse of Gods honour as by ungodly and base practices to cause those holy and pretious names wherewith we are called to be ill spoken of and Gods Name therein to be blasphemed to such a one I say only this and I wish him to heed it that God will shame that Servant that disgraces his Master and will in his time vindicate his owne glory by pouring contempt and everlasting shame upon the head of such a Caitiffe wretch Wherefore let us pray that the Lord would make us truly jealous of his and our owne honour by demeaning our selves answerably to our Holy Calling in all things to please him and glorifie his name Amen Having thus shewed the state of a meere Heathen living out of the Church and the Vnsufficiency of all meanes whatsoever that are given him in that state to worke his Conversion and Salvation wee are in the second place to descend unto the discussing of our next Question touching the Condition of those that live within the pale of the visible Church enjoying the benefit of the Word and other ordinances of Salvation Whether or no Sufficient grace be given to all and singular Christians for their Conversion unto God This Question is something perplexed and intricate by reason of divers particular queres whereinto it resolves it selfe I will by Gods helpe proceed therein as distinctly and plainely as I can First beginning with a briefe explication of the Termes of the Question where it must be in short explained 1. What is meant by Sufficient 2. What by Grace 3. What by Christians 4. What by Conversion 1. For the terme Sufficient we are to knowe that Sufficiency as it is taken in Relation to the producing of some effect is nothing but such a degree of Power or Strength in any thing as that if it be applied unto the Execution it is able to performe that whereto it was intended As we use to say of any man Hee is a man sufficient for such an imployment because if hee be set about it he can by the good parts he hath actually discharge it Where you are to observe that it is a meere abuse of this word Sufficient to oppose it to Effectuall and so to distinguish betweene the Power and the Act as if any thing could be called Sufficient in Potentia which when it is purposely applied to the Act is utterly insufficient to produce it T is an error in Speech to say This Medicine considered in it selfe is sufficient to cure such a man for t is a vaine consideration to consider the Medicine in it selfe when wee should consider it in relation to the disease And if such a medicine being administred suffice not to cure the disease it is certaine that it was an unsufficient medicine Wherefore that distinction of the grace of Conversion into Sufficientem and Essicacem is at least a frivolous imagination distinguishing those things as