Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	call_v	holy_a	word_n	10,239	5	3.9491	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A66947	The dead-man's testament: or, A letter written, to all the saints of God in Scotland fellow-heirs of the blessing with those in England: for a view of the present work of God against the mystery of iniquity and for unity and love amonst themselves, in this day of the Lord's mercifull dispensation, and of the judgement of the whore. By Thomas Wood, sometimes inhabitant of Leith, lately departed this present life. And supplied by one of his own countrey-men, a lover of the true spirituall Beautie of Zion. Published by authoritie.	Wood, Thomas, of Leith.	1651 (1651)	Wing W3413; ESTC R221198	10,313	19

Saint to t●e Members of their Church-Communion or Body as it pleased the Lord Jesus to separate out of the worldly Multitude and call into a Church Communion by the power of his own Word and Spirit neither with that alone spirituall and divine power of him who is our Noble Ruler left us in his Testament wherewith to govern his own Spouse in spirituall and holy beauty as separate from the World but that the Church might have some appearance of glory in the eyes of the Multitude and that their persons might be holden in admiration by all men because of advantage these Office-bearers thought fit to have all the whole Nation to be Members of their Church And because it was impossible for them as the Lord's Ministers to rule those by the power of the Word who had never found the power of the Word or to govern the ignorant Multitude as Members of the Church by the spiritual or Church-power of Christ whom he himself had never brought into be Members by his spirituall power therefore they were necessitate otherwise the Church could not stand in a Nationall Constitution to joyn to their Ecclesiasticall or Church-power the Temporall power of the Civill Magistrate for governing the Church and compelling all the multitude of Fornicators Whoremongers Drunkards Blasphemers Brawlers Scolders and Calumniators Fighters excepted as not belonging to Church-censures to appear before their Sessions and Synods for giving satisfaction although not to GOD who approveth no compelled service yet to the Church or Ministery by extorted verball acknowledgment of sin making their repentance upon the Pillar severall Sabbaths before the Congregation which few or none would perform till they were compelled thereto And so making a confused mixture of both Powers Spirituall and Temporall imploying the Civil Power in the government of the Church and the Ministeriall or Church-power in the government of the State what they could not do by the Word they performed by the Sword for confining all to their iudgment and for ordering all the whole unreformed Multitude in one Church communion and Body casting the holy things of the House of GOD prophanely and confusedly unto all And so beloved whereas GOD hath proclaimed a perpetuall enmity between the Seed of the Woman and the Seed of the Serpent these men would make agreement betwixt them But what communion hath Light with Darknes the beleever with the unbeleever or the Temple of GOD with Idols 2. Cor. 6. And these things being considered dearly beloved it may appear to all you who are spiritually minded that this Nationall Church-government and power whereby it was acted over all People hath not been the purely Spirituall and Divine Power of our Lord Jesus which he himself upon whose shoulders is the Government hath left us in his Testament or New Covenant whereby to rule his own Church but hath rather been worldly o● nationall or like that detestable counterfeit mixed Power of that many-headed Beast or Man of sin who by taking to himself the power of both Swords Spirituall and Temporall hath by that false power under pretence of Religion and the Work of GOD subjected all Nations to his obedience tyrannized over consciences persecuted the Saints compelled all to his judgement and to receive his Mark and so ordered all as one communion or body under the name of the Catholick Church and under that colour hath deceived the whole Inhabitants of the World ruling ambitiously over Peoples and multitudes and Nations and Tongues Rev. 17. Which power and government with all his false doctrine and worship The Lord Jesus who cometh to be glorified in his Saints and to be admired in all you that believe is now to consume by the Spirit of his mouth and by the brightnesse of his comming 2 Thess 2. And as there hath been a detestable confusion and adulterous like mixture of the civil and Ecclesiasticall power in the government of this Church which hath maintained a confused mixture in her Members so hath there been the like confusion also in her Doctrine for by the doctrine that hath been publickly maintained that this Church so constitute of all people and so governed by a mixed Power hath been a Church most gloriously reformed and worthy to be a Patern to all others and that there ought to be in her no separation but all to be continued in one Communion And although the meetings of all people upon civile occasions were lawfull and expedient yet by this Doctrine the meetings of you the Lords People upon occasion of mutuall conference mutuall edification and comfort were taught to be unlawfull and unexpedient and that the civile power might suffer none to enjoy their liberty in the Nation but such as were compelled to the judgement of the Church Whereupon severall of the Saints out of Conscience refusing in some things to conform have been exposed to sufferings and in the more substantial Point the Preaching of Christ Jesus and free Justification by Faith in him hath been much obscured and darkened by the doctrine of works free Grace and the everlasting love of God without and before all good Works hath been so sparingly and darkly taught that almost it could not be perceived but the doctrine of the Law and Works of Reformation so largely and frequently holden forth that almost nothing els could be heard or known In which confused mixture of the Law Gospel Faith and Works in the point of Justification and acceptance with God the mistery of iniquity hath wrought very deeply and obscurely without being perceived as it did in the time of the Appostles for the comforts of the Word have been applyed to all the multitude upon their performance of dueties and the threatnings of the Word likewise unto all the multitude Beleevers and unbeleevers upon their failings in these performances So that neither the miserable condition of the wicked hath been clearly holden forth for casting them down neither the glorious condition of you the Saints of God for building you up in the Faith and increasing your strength and comfort For whereas the whole prophane multitude should have been plainly informed of the Law and curse in the full extent thereof that they evidenced themselves to be yet lying in bondage in the estate of wrath and condemnation under the power of the devill and sin and therefore could not be esteemed members of the reformed Church of Christ nor of the number of Gods people but by the contrary the whole prophane multitude who evidenced themselves to be open blasphemers of God and mockers of you his people and of all sincerity and Godlinesse hath been taught and denominat by this doctrine to be Covenanted people of God faithfull Brethren faithfull Sisters members of the true reformed Church of Christ and of the Communion of Saints to whom the Seals of the Covenant arightly appertained And as the condition of the wicked hath not been holden forth but a crying Peace Peace to whom there was no peace so

neither hath your condition who are the people of God but as the Promises have been applyed to the prophane multitude as one body with you so the threatnings have been applyed to you as one body with them for whereas the blessing of the Gospel abundance of Grace and everlasting Righteousness and free unchangeable Love should have been plainly holden forth and applyed to you his precious People only upon your embracing of Christ and the free Promise by Faith without and before all good Works Ye being freely justified by Grace without the Works of the Law Rom. 3. But by the contrary the Law and wrath have been applyed to you with the prophane body of the land and ye have been taught as one body with them that because of your breach of Covenant and failings in Reformation and dueties your God was not yet pacified with you but was yet provoked to anger and entring in controversy with you for your sins as with the rest of the land as if the Constancy of Gods Favour and Love which he hath sworn and promised to you depended upon your performances or Works of Reformation And as by this preaching of promises upon performances the wicked have been hardened in their course of formality in hearing the Word Singing of Psalmes receiving the Sacraments and such like being thereby esteemed holy both by themselves and the Ministery and to be members of the Church so likewise by this preaching of threatnings upon your failings and infirmities even ye the Lords people whom the Son hath made free indeed have been keeped in much weaknesse and bondage and in a legall temper under continuall fears and terrours of Gods displeasure and anger to the great weakning of your Faith and diminishing of your Spirituall Strength and comfort Of Good Works it is granted must be taught but not as proceeding from fear of wrath and displeasure for not performing thereof but as proceeding from the Strength of God in us thr●ugh the assurance of his constant Love For this love of our God increaseth our joy and this joy of our Lord in us is our strength against sin Neh. 8. And as there hath been a confusion in the members and the government and the doctrine so hath there been in the worship of this Church for this it is evident that a worldly carnal and corrupted people can perform nothing whatsoever they pretend but a worldly carnall and corrupted worship They cannot worship in Spirit and Truth For the naturall man receiveth not the things of the Spirit 1 Cor. 2. And therefore if it be granted that many of the people maintained to be members of this Nationall Church and Performers of worship in singing of Psalmes receiving the Sacraments were but a worldly and carnall people not acquaint with the life of God nor with the Ministery of Faith then it followeth that much of the worship performed by this nationall Church was but a carnall corrupted and sinfull worship detestable in the eyes of the Almighty for whatsoever is without Faith is sinfull and abominable And therefore the Lord hath been highly provoked by the carnall and faithlesse worship performed by the multitude in our Solemn Assemblies For the sacrifices of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord. But beloved that which much hath served to fill up the cup of the Lords wrath against this nationall Church hath been in taking the Covenant for the Ministery not trusting the Power of God in the hearts of his Saints for defending his Truth thought good as going down to Egypt for help to combine all the whole Nation together as one body one Church in that solemn band wherein all the ignorant multitude who knew not what they were doing were taught by the great and solemn Oath of God to protest Firstly that they had long and duely examined their Consciences in matters of true and false Religion Secondly that they were now fully perswaded by the word and Spirit in the Truth of Religion Thirdly that under all the pains contained in the Law and danger both of soul and body in the day of Gods fearfull judgement they should defend the Truth of Religion And was it not evident Beloved that the multitude of this land invited by the Ministery to enter into that solemn Covenant had never examined their Consciences in matters of true and false Religion Neither were they ever perswaded by the Word and Spirit of God in the Truth of Religion and therefore could never defend that which they knew not for the naturall man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God So that in binding themselves by such a solemn Oath under such horrible pains to defend that which they never knew they bound themselvesover to the curse of the Law wherein the Ministery was cheefly instrumentall The leaders of this people have caused them to erre and they that are led of them are destroyed And therefore the bloud of the ignorant multitude so engadged by their leaders and thrust forth by them as sheep to the slaughter for defending that whereof they had no knowledge lyeth heavily upon the heads of the Ministery And lastly Concerning the Assemblies of this Church Ye know beloved how corrupt mixed and confused they were and that in these respects Firstly in respect of their frequency It is much to be admited upon what accompt Church-Assemblies were so frequent in this Nation We can finde no president for it in Scripture No more is read but of the Assembly at Jerusalem Acts 15. and of Pauls calling the Elders of the Church of Ephesus together Acts 20. v. 17. It cannot be denied but the Church now and then may call Assemblies upon some grave and weighty occurren● or other whether it be v. g. for discussing and composing matters of controversie as did the Councell at Jerusalem or for some seasonable extraordinary and necessary word of exhortation and admonition Upon which accompt the Elders of Ephesus did meet But I would fain know upon what accompt be their weekly Presbyteries half-yearly Synods yearly Generall Assemblies and continuall Church-Commissions in this Land Is it imaginable there can be fit matter for such frequent meetings No verily What Cases of Conscience in finding out the poynt of justification and matter of controversie in discovering the Mystery of Iniquity have provoked such meetings What grave and extraordinary word of admonition hath flowed from them so often as they have been called Or shall we think the Lord's people whom we judge the the onely fit object and subject of Church meetings so ignorant so backward and so unruly that they stand in need of such frequent Assemblies We dare not think so unless we should impung their willingnes in the day of the Lords power Psal 110. Their cheerfulness in obedience by the love of Christ which constraineth them and the terrour of GOD whereby they perswade men 2 Cor. 5. and the eminency of their knowledge being all taught of GOD Isaiah 54. whereby none of them