Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A65239
|
An humble apologie for learning and learned men by Edward Waterhous, Esq.
|
Waterhouse, Edward, 1619-1670.
|
1653
(1653)
|
Wing W1048; ESTC R826
|
172,346
|
272
|
washed us and all believers in his blood and made us to him a chosen generation a Royal Priesthood a peculiar people zealous of good works We desire to give his Spouse our Mother the Church all Duty and support we pray her Priests lips may preserve knowledge their lives be holy harmlesse and unspotted their Doctrine pure and unallayed by Error their labour constant and successeful to the gathering together of Gods Elect their maintenance liberal and their influence on men strong and vigorous for the Gospels sake We pity and disapprove a Minister who is not a burning and shining light we suspect him who comes before he be sent and utters what he hath not in Commission who cryes Peace when God proclaims war and affixeth a pretended Revelation to a real Fascination We cry up Learning not as if God could not act by absolute Soveraignty but because he is pleased to bid us seek after wisedom and commands his Ministers to be throughly furnished to instruct reprove correct and to shew themselves workmen that need not be ashamed which we believe and know none ordinarily can do without the help of Arts and skill in Tongues We honour the Calling of the Ministry and persons of the Ministers because we know it is the will of God that his servants should Reverence that Ordinance to support which the perpetual concurrence of God is promised to the end of the world and though the vessels that bring this treasure be earthen yet we professe them estimable for their Office sake what ever they abstracted from their function otherwise be and we pray that the Maintenance of the Ministry be continued accounting it no puisne mistake to alienate or secularize that which hath been consecrated and designed by the Charities of pious Christians to Churches and Church-mens uses and confirmed to them by the Laws and Customes of the Nation remembring that of Solomon It is a snare to the man who devoureth that which is holy Prov. 20. 25. We pray for all our Parents both Politick and Natural that God would give them life and love that God would order them so to moderate the golden Rains of Government that they may be to us an occasion and Example of living in all godlinesse and honesty and that we may yeild them obedience according to the will of God and the station they and our selves are in We love Religion and the power of godlinesse not as a cloak of malice ambition disorder but as an armour of God whereby we may worst Satan and glorifie God in the example of a holy and blamelesse life to men-ward We are in Charity with all men save those who deny Charity to Christ and his Church whose implacability to pity or pray for were to offend God and disown Christ because to encourage his adversaries but yet our zeal carries us not forth to terminate this guilt of impenitent adversation to Christ on any person whose heart because we know not we dare not judge and therefore we desire to decline all Pragmatick censure or rash Pharisaicalnesse to muster up personal Errors to the disgrace of any Profession which we cannot comply with praying rather for circumspection and holy warinesse that we give no offence to the Church of God then insight into the failings of others or oportunity to divulge them and resolving by the grace of God to forgive and forget wrongs done us out of choice and conscience and not out of necessity and for forms sake We believe the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Sacred Scriptures and abhor all such dispute about them which proceeds from vain curiosity or doubt of their verity and divine inspiration discussing things only to our edification not to any indifferency much lesse diminution of their authority or the Churches fidelity We earnestly and with all humble importunity deprecate grieving the holy spirit of God by quenching his motions or by lying against the Truth or fostering any known sin incompatible with his abode in the soul nay we earnestly begge that he would ever lead us into and keep us in all Truth that he would perswade us to be holy meek gentle wise and such every way as becomes the Members of Christ who is in all points compleat being to his Church Wisedom Righteousnesse Sanctification and Redemption We sadly groan under the prophanation of Christian Sabbaths the Separation and Sanctifying of which we believe to be Sacred and to be observed strictly without labour or unlawful pleasure though not to a Jewish severity the Sabbath being made for man and workes of Nature Necessity and Piety being lawfull nay fit to be done thereon and we never did nor never shall repine at any Law which punishes sin and promotes virtue but blesse God for all means by which we may see God honoured from our selves and others We lament the Overliness of Preaching and the cheap value put upon those Ordinances people with the coy Israelites nauseating the Manna that once they prayed for and rejoyced in many Ministers imbasing themselves and their Message by trite and impertinent discourses without method or any measure of studied sharpnesse shunning so much what the Apostle says he avoyded the enticing words of mans wisedom 1 Cor. 4. 4. that they speak not the words of sobernesse but rave and range about the wildernesse of Common places and delight in forms of impertinent words as if to know nothing but a trace and tone of tedious Hyperbolizing and to crucifie ingenious pains between the two Thieves of idlenesse and wordly businesse were to shew ones self an able Minister of the new Testament We wonder at the disuse of Sacraments specially that of the body and blood of our Lord which in some places hath not been given or received this many years contrary to the Canons of the Church and Acts of Parliament which require them to be given and received thrice at least every year which being the Sacrament of Confirmation sealeth up the Soul of the worthy Receiver in the comfort and assurance of Gods love in Christ and the pardon of sins by his Merit for his sake and we bemoan the Non-residencie of Ministers so much heretofore condemned as contrary to Law unlesse in cases extraordinary their partiality in doing their duty some Preaching but not administring the Sacraments either of Baptism or the Lords Supper others giving one Sacrament but not both not burying not marrying not visiting the sick nay not owning their sheep further then to take of them their fleece others not preaching at all because they cannot preach where and what they would and manymost eminent worthies not daring to preach lest they should become a Rock of offence to those men who have mens persons in admiration and had rather hear no Preacher then not one of their judgement and party so miserable is the Church straitned that she may well cry out Lam. 1. 12. Behold and see
falshoods in friendship which ingenuity abominates Nihil veritas erubescit nisi solummodo abscondi as Tertullian once said I am for Government just and moderate Tyranny and Anarchy I equally hate because I believe them equally abusive I am for grave Cato's wise Solon's divine Seneca's quaint Tullie's for men of blood fortune courage and learning men fearing God distributing justice that it may run forth like a mighty stream and hating covetousnesse for men thus qualified will be most considerate of merits most temperate in punishments most vigilant for Peace most consultive in War most faithful of their words lesse prone to revenge lesse addicted to bribery lesse neglective of duty lesse carelesse of trust then others who being of unpolish't education are more rough and unmalleable more confident and lesse intelligent in a word no men either love or fear I as friend or enemy much lesse do I desire them as Magistrates who are not devout to God just to men and sober towards themselves who have not wisedome and grace to manage Power as God doth with justice not partiality mercie not inexorablenesse being bounteous to all that walk within Rule and Compasse And to these Powers where ever in this Nation acting do I in all humility direct this my Apologie hoping by the good hand of God not to be by them and the sober party of my Countrymen accounted worthy onely of Mical's scoffe as one of the vain fellows who shamelesly uncovereth himself 1 Sam. 6. 20. but as one who knows himself too well to be proud of any thing but his good meaning and who begs nothing in this transfiguration of things but that Christ and his Servants may have comfort and stability amongst us that those who Rule would fence the Vine Learning against beasts of Prey and Foxes of spoil who would rejoyce to see what yet remains of beauty and order devenustated and exposed to shame and dishonour Qui veram gloriam expetunt aliis ocium quaerere debent non sibi was the Orators I know there are many Shimeis and Doegs multitudes filling every corner with their Demetrian clamours magnifying the Dianas of Revelation and crying down Learning and Learned men as he and his Rabble in Acts the 19. did S. Paul enraging powers against them as perswaders and turners away of the people from obedience but the folly of these men is made manifest to all men experience tells us that all is not gold that glisters nor is a noble opposite less to be honoured then a base friend Let me speak for the Learned better Clyents the world has not yet now God wot they sue in Formâ—… pauperum silver and gold they have little but Virtues and Understanding against which all their enemies shall not prevail they have by the gift of God and their industry and to maintain them they will be resolute The Orator said true habet mens nostra naturâ sublime quiddam erectum impatiens superioris and hard it is to make the stiff knee of a Philosopher bow to the deceitful goddesse of pomp and outward splendor if he have done well he looks to be accepted if ill he will be convinced of it by Reason and not yeild himself faulty till he be made appear so and if he suffer by the will of God and the pleasure of men he will do as Pupaces did who being condemned to be beaten with stripes because his prisoner Andronicus was escaped cryed out to the people that flocked about him This is not my reproach but my comfort that I suffer for what every one ought to keep his integritie He that hath a generous mind and would live famous for goodnesse dare not be so base as to call good evil or evil good though so to do he were offered all the Kingdoms of the world and the glory of them Pardon therefore O Powers some Learned men their dissents others for those mens sakes whom ye think know Learned to whom ye do respect as to persons well-deserving considering that those who have provoked you most have not been more bold on you then you and all mankind have been on God whom we provoke all the day long And if when we were enemies without Composition or Act of Oblivion he made the time of our pollution the time of his love if when we were enemies he gave his Son to dye for us made him our peace who brake down the wall of separation made us all one by the blood of his Crosse so that now there is neither Iew nor Gentile but all alike to God who walk as the Redeemed of the Lord and serve him uprightly since these things I say are why should we of this Nation be worse one to another and more unready to forgive then God is who if we confesse our sinnes is faithfull to forgive our sins the Text hath another argument in it If God so loved us we ought also to love one another Remember O Powers I beseech you in the bowels of Christ what the holy Apostle exhorts his Ephesians to Be followers of God as dear children and walk in love even as Christ hath loved us and given himself for us a more noble president ye cannot have then he who is the wisedom of the Father nor a more Christian work you cannot engage in then Charity to your brethren then restoring them that are fallen by the Spirit of meeknesse consider that while ye are in the flesh ye are subject to like infirmities as others and if God restrain you 't is that you should prize him more and pity those many whom he suffers to miscarry He that unto sinners sends line upon line and precept upon precept he that waits that he may be gracious he that glories in the attribute of long sufferance towards man will not commend proceedings of Rigour from man to man O let it rather be your emulation to passe by many injuries then lose the Oportunity of one forgivenesse Let the offending world have cause to apply that to your gentlenesse which S. Bernard does to our Lord Jesus Quid tibi debuit facere quod non fecit he hath given sight to the blind liberty to the bound reduced the erroneus and reconciled the guilty Yea let no man be more bold to provoke then you benigne to bear after the holy example of him who suffered contradiction of sinners Considerati judicis est ignoscendi potius quaerere causas quam puniendi occasiones think not I beseech you that herein I am too lavish of your respect or would expose you to the dishonours of rude and revengeful tongues God forbid I should have any such thought nay in the presence of Christ I have not my heart abhors so loose and degenerous a motion I love to use humility and prudent moderation in addresses to Governours and since God commands to send the Lamb an emblem of mildnesse to