Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	death_n	jesus_n	life_n	17,697	5	4.4530	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A96611	Christenings make not Christians, or A briefe discourse concerning that name heathen, commonly given to the Indians. As also concerning that great point of their conversion. Published according to order.	Williams, Roger, 1604?-1683.	1645 (1645)	Wing W2761; Thomason E1189_8; ESTC R208283	8,195	23

Nations now called Protestants were at first part of that whole Earth or main ANTICHRISTIAN Continent that wondered after worshipped the Beast c. This must then with holy feare and trembling because it concernes the KINGDOME of GOD and salvation be attended to Whether such a departure from the Beast and coming out from ANTICHRISTIAN abominations from his markes in a false conversion and a false constitution or framing of NATIONALL CHVRCHES in false MINISTERIES and ministrations of BAPTISME Supper of the Lord Admonitions Excommunications as amounts to a true perfect Iland cut off from that Earth which wonderd after and worshipped the Beast or whether not being so cut off they remaine not Peninsulâ or necks of land contiguous and joyned still unco his Christendome If now the bodies of Protestant Nations remaine in an unre-Pentant unregenerate naturall estate and so consequently farre from hearing the admonitions of the Lord Jesus Math. 18. I say they must sadly consider and know least their profession of the name of Jesus prove at last but an aggravation of condemnation that Christ Jesus hath said they are but as Heathens and Publcanes vers 17. How might I therefore humbly beseech my counry men to consider what deepe cause they have to search their conversions from that Beast and his Pisture And whether having no more of Christ then the name beside the invented wayes of worship derived from or drawn after Romes pattern their hearts and conversations will not evince them unconverted and unchristian Christians and not yet knowing what in is to come by true Regeneration within to the true spirituall Jew from without amongst the Nations ●hat is Heathens or Gentiles How deeply and eternally this concerns each soule to search intol yea and much more deeply such is professe to be Guides Leaders and Builders of the HOVSE of GOD. First as they look to Formes and Frame of Buildings or Churches Secondly as they attend to Meanes and Instruments c. Thirdly as they would lay sure Foundations and lasting Groundsells Fourthly as they account the cost and charge such buildings will amount unto Fifthly so they may not forget the true spirituall matter and mateaials of which a true House Citty Kingdome or Nation of of God now in the new Testament are to be composed or gathered Now Secondly for the hopes of CONVERSION and turning the People of America unto God There is no respect of Persons with him for we are all the worke of his hands from the rising of the Sunne to the going downe thereof his name shall be great among the nations from the East and from the West c. If we respect their fins they are far short of European sinners They neither abuse such corporall mercies for they have them not nor sin they against the Gospell light which shines not amongst them as the men of Europe do And yet if they were greater sinners then they are or greater sinners then the Europeans they are not the further from the great Ocean of mercy in that respect Lastly they are intelligent many very ingenuous plaine-hearted inquisitive and as I said before prepared with many convictions c. Now secondly for the Catholicks conversion although I believe I may safely hope that God hath his in Rome in Spaine yet if Antichrist be their false head as most true it is the body faith baptisme hope opposite to the true Ephes 4. are all false also yea consequently their preachings conversions salvations leaving secret things to God must all be of the same false nature like wise If the reports yea some of their owne Historians be true what monstrous and most inhumane conversions have they made baptizing thousinds yea ten thousands of the poore Natives sometimes by wiles and subtle devices sometimes by force compelling them to submit to that which they understood not neither before nor after such their monstrous Christning of them Thirdly for our New-england parts I can speake it uprightly and confidently I know it to have been easie for my selfe long ere this to have brought many thousands of these Natives yea the whole country to a far greater Antichristian conversion then ever was yet heard of in America I have reported something in the Chapter of their Religion how readily I could have brought the whole Country to have observed one day in seven I adde to have received a Baptisme or washing though it were in Rivers as the first Christians and the Lord Iesus himselfe did to have come to a stated Church meeting maintained priests and formes of prayer and a whole forme of Antichristian worship in life and death Let none wonder at this for plansible perswations in the mouths of those whom naturall men esteem and love for the power of prevailing forces and armies hath done this in all the Nations as men speake of Christendome Yea what lamentable experience have we of the Turnings and Turnings of the body of this Land in point of Religion in few yeares When England was all Popish under Henry the seventh how easie is conversion wrought to halfe Papist halfe-Protestant under Henry the eighth From halfe-Protestanisme halfe-Popery under Henry the eight to absolute Protestanisme under Edward the sixth from absoluer Protestation under Edward the sixt to absalute popery under Quegne Mary and from absolute Popery under Queene Mary just like the Weather-cocke with the breath of every Prince to absolute Protestanisme under Queene Elizabeth c. For all this yet some may aske why hath there been such a price in my hand not improved why have I not brought them to such a conversion as I speake of I answer woe be to me if I call light darknesse or darknesse light sweet bitter or bitter sweer woe be to me if I call that conversion unto God which is indeed subversion of the soules of Millions in Christendome from one false worship to another and the prophanation of the holy name of God his holy Son and blessed Ordinances America as Europe and all nations lyes dead i● sin and trespasses It is not a suite of crimson Satten will make a dead man live take off and change his crimson into white he is dead still off with that and shift him into cloth of gold end from that to cloth of diamonds he is but a dead man still For it is not a forme nor the change of one forme into another a finer and a siner and yet more fine that makes a man a convert I meane such a convert as is acceptable to God in Jesus Christ according to the visible Rule of his last will and Testament I speake not of Hypocrites which may but glister and be no solid gold as Simon Magus Judas c. But of a true externall conversion I say then woe be to me if intending to catch men as the Lord Jesus said to Peter I should pretend conversion and the bringing of men as misticall fish into a Church-estate that is a converted estate and so build them up with

Ordinances as a converted Christian People and yet afterward still pretend to catch them by an after conversion I question not but that it hath pleased God in his infinit pitty and patience to suffer this among us yea and to codvert thousands whom all men yea and the persons in their personall estates converted have esteemed themselves good converts before But I question whether this hath been so frequent in these late yeares when the times of ignorance which God pleaseth to passe by are over and now a greater light concerning the Church Ministery and conversion is arisen I question whether if such rare talents which God hath betrusted many of his precious Worthies with were laid out as they shall be in the Lords most holy season according to the first pattern I say I question whether or no where there hath been one in his personall estate converted there have not been and I hope in the Lords time shall be thousands truly converted from Antichristian Idols both in person and worship to serve the living and true God And lastly it is out of question to me that I may not pretend a false conversion and false state of worship to the true Lord Iesus If any noble Berean shall make inquiry what is that true conversion I intend I answer first negatively First it is not a conversion of a People from one false worship to another as Nebuchadnezzer compeld all Nations under his Monarchy Secondly it is not to a mixture of the manner or worship of the true God the God of Israel with false gods their worships as the People were converted by the King of Assyria 2 Kin. 17. in which worship for many Generations did these Samaritans continue having a forme of many wholsome truths amongst them concerning God and the Messtah Ioh. 4. Thirdly it is not from the true to a false as IEREBOAM turned the ten Tribes to then ruine and dispersion unto this day 1. Kin. 12. Fourthly it must not be a conversion to some externall submission to Gods Ordinances upon earthly respects as IACOBS sons converted the Sichemites Gen. 34. Fiftly it must not be it is not possible it should be in truth a conversion of People to the worship of the Lord Iesus by force of Armes and swords of steele So indeed did Nebuchadnezzer deale with all the world Dan. 3. so doth his Antitype and successor the Beast deal with all the earth Rev. 13. c. But so did never the Lord Iesus bring any unto his most pure worship for he abhorres as all men yea the very Indians doe an unwilling Spouse and to enter into a forced bed The will in worship if true is like a free Vote nec cogit nec cognitur IVSVS CHRIST compells by the mighty perswasions of his M●ssengers to come in but other wise with earthly weapons he never did compell nor can be compelled The not discerning of this truth hath let out the bloud of thousands in civill combustions in all ages and made the whore drunke the Earth drunk with the bloud of the Sam●s and witnesses of Iesus And it is yet like to be the destruction and diss●lution of that which is called the Christian world unlesse the God of peace and p●●y lo●ke downe upon it and satisfy the soules o● men that he hath not so required I should be far yet from unsecuring the peace of a City of a Land which I confesse ought to be maintained by civill weapons which I have so much cause to be earnest with God for Nor would I leave a gap open to any mutinous hand or tongue nor wish a weapon left in the hand of any known to be mutinous and peace-breakers I know lastly the consciences of many are otherwise perswaded both from Israels state of old and other Allegations yet I shall be humbly bold to say I am able to present such considerations to the eyes of all who love the P●●ce of truth and Peace that shall discover the weak●ness● of all such allega●ions and answer all objections that have been or can be made in this point So much negatively Secondly affirmatively I answer ingenera●● A true Conversion w●●●●r of Americans or Europeans must be such as those Conversions were of the first patt●rn either of the Iewes or the Heathens That Role is the golden Mece-wand in the hand of the Angell or M●ssenger rev 11.1 beside which all other are leaden and crooked In particular First it must b● by the free proclaiming or preaching of R●penance forgiveness of sins Luk. 24. by such M●ssengers ●s can prove their lawfull sending and Commission from the Lord Iesus to make Disciples o●● of all nations and so to b●ptize or w●sh them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into the name or profession of the oly Trinity Mat 28.19 Rom. 10.14 15. Secondly such a conversion so farre as mans Iudgement can reach which is fallible as was the judgement of the first Messengers as in Sim●● Magus c. as is a turning of the whole man from the power of Sathan unto God act 26. Such a change as if an old man become a new Babe Ioh. 3. vea as amounts to Gods new creation in the soule Ephes 2.10 Thirdly Visibly it is a turning from Idols not only of conversation but of worship whether P●g●● Turkish Jewish or ANTICHRISTIAN to the Living and true God in the waies of his holy worship appointed by his Son 1. Thes 1.9 I know Objections use to be made against this but the g●d●n Rule if well attended to will discover all crooked swervings and aberrations If any now say unto me Why then if this b● C●nversion and you have such a Key of Language and such a dore of opportunity in the knowledge of the Couotry and the inhabitants why proceed you not to produce in America some patternes of such conversions as you speake of I answer first it must be a great deale of practise and mighty paines and hardship undergone by my selfe or any that would proceed to such a further degree of the Language as to be able in propriety of speech to open matters of salvation to them In matters of Earth men will helpe to spell out each other but in matters of Heaven to which the soule is naturally so averse how far are the Eares of men hedged up from listening to an improper Language Secondly my desires and endeavours are constant by the helpe of God to attaine a propriety of Language Thirdly I confesse to the honour of my worthy Countrymen in the Bay of Massachuset and elsewhere that I received not long since expressions of their holy desires and proffers of assistance in the worke by the hand of my worthy friend Colonell Humphreys during 〈◊〉 abode there Yet fourthly I answer if a man were as affectionate and zealous as David to build an house for God and as wise and holy to advise and incourage as Nathan attempt this worke with u● a Word a Warrant and Comimission for matter and manner from GOD himselfe they must afterwards heare a voice though accepting good desires yet reproving want of Commission Did I ever speak a word saith the Lord c. 2. Sam. 7.7 The truth is having not been without through the mercy of God abundant and constant thoughts about a true Commission for such an Embassie and Ministery I must ingenuously confesse the restlesse unsatisfiednesse of my soule in divers main partionlars As first ☞ whether since the Law must go forth from Zion and the word of the Lord from Ierusalem I say whether Gods great businesse between Christ Iesus the holy Son of God and Antichrist the man of sin and Sonne of perdition must not be first over and Zion and Ierusalem be re-built and re-established before the Law and word of life be sent forth to the rest of the Nations of the World who have not heard of Christ The Prophets are deep concerning this Secondly since there can be no preaching according to the last Will and Testament of Christ Iesus without a true sending Rom. 14.15 ☞ Where the power and authority of sending and giving that Commission Math. 28. c. I say where that power now lyes It is here unseasonable to number up all that lay claime to this Power with their grounds for their pretences either those of the Romish sort or those of the Reforming or Re-building sort and the mighty controversies which are this day in all parts about it in due place haply I may present such sad Queries to consideration that may occasion some to cry with DANIEL concer IERVSALEMS desolation Dan. 9. Vnder the whole Heaven hath not been done as hath been done to IERVSALEM and with IEREMY in the same respect Lam. 2.12 Have you no respect all you that passe by behold and see if there were ever sorrow like to my sorrow wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce wrath That may make us ashamed for all that wee have done Ezek. 43. and loath our selves for that in whorish worships wee have broken him with our whorish hearts Ezek. 9. To fall dead at the feet of IESVS Rev. 1. as IOHN did and to weepe much as hee Rev. 5. that so the LAMB may please to open unto us that WONDERFVLL BOOK and the seven SEALED MYSTERIES thereof Your unworthy Country-man ROGER WILLIAMS FINIS