Selected quad for the lemma: nature_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
nature_n	conclude_v	diligence_n	great_a	20	3	2.0850	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A80766	Hæreseo-machia: or, The mischiefe which heresies doe, and the means to prevent it. Delivered in a sermon in Pauls, before the Right Honourable, the Lord Maior, and the aldermen of the famous citie of London, February the first, M. DC. XLV. And now printed, for the satisfaction of the hearers, and others. / By James Cranford, pastour of Christopher Le Stocks, London.	Cranford, James, d. 1657.	1646 (1646)	Wing C6823; Thomason E329_1; ESTC R200684	45,138	61

the stream hee is a souldier that stands to his arms when some throw them down and run away some throw them down and call for quarter ready to take pay under the enemy When men of name for parts knowledge piety sufferings shall desert the truth he stands fast that doth not stagger If Peter dissemble Barnabas is carried away with his dissimulation Look to your selves take heed lest you fall God suffers these things for your triall Hee suffers the evill of heresies that by reason of them his truth may be more cleered his people more confirmed hypocrites discovered and shed out of the Church and a purer body left behinde But thus much of the reason And let what hath been spoken suffice to be said of the Doctrinall part That heresies or errours in opinion are of a spreading and destroying nature wherein I have shewed 1. That they eat as a Gangrene speedily incurably mortally 2. What they eat they eat up faith peace piety 3. How it comes to passe they thus eat from hereticks their subtilty and industry from the people their simplicity and curiosity from God his justice both to revenge the want of love to the truth and manifest those that are approved Now a word or two for application Use 1 If heresies will eat as doth a gangrene then here is matter of mourning over the sad and diseased condition of our Churches that have in them many gangrenes because many heresies and all things are bending to a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Chirurgians call it the heighth of mortification This is matter of lamentation as Ezekiel speaks and shall be for a lamentation Jobs case over which his friends for seven dayes wept was not so bad as ours his sores were boyles ours gangrenes his would endure scraping ours will not endure touching his body was affected our souls How is the faithfull City become an harlot How is our wine mixt with water our silver become drosse Is it nothing to you O all ye that passe by Was any sorrow like unto ours But sorrow is an helplesse passion It 's for a childe to sit still and cry If heresies will eat as doth a gangrene then here is matter of anger against Physicians of no value that would have them if not tolerated connived at if not so yet not proceeded against with any vigour as if like a slight green wound they would cure of themselves or if not cured they were not dangerous men of the temper 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Haeres of the Samsaeans in Epiphanius who were neither Christians nor Jewes nor Gentiles but desirous to hold faire correspondence with all religions they were of no religion they were yet to choose of what religion they would be But If heresies will eat as doth a gangrene I beseech you all that are yet sound take heed of them a gangrene is easier prevented then cured and so are heresies Let me prevail perswading to diligence of indeavour to stay the further spreading of this destroying maladie Think you hear the voice of the Church like the cry of the man in the pit Amice vide ut me extrahas if you love me endeavour to heal mee of my sores endeavour to help me out of my errours I shall apply this to three sorts of persons whom I see before mee the People the Minister the Magistrate and in all be very short and so conclude First To the People Dearly beloved brethren for you the net is spread it is for your precious souls that deceivers hunt it is for your sakes that I have pitched upon these meditations I beseech you take notice of what a spreading what a destroying nature heresies are and keep your soules with all diligence lest by any man by any means you be deceived You are fallen into dangerous times into times of great temptation errours like a floud come up over all their channels goe over all their banks overflow goe over and reach even unto the neck and cover the land as the waters the sea And let me tell you what-ever some men say they are dangerous errours many of them razing the foundation and drowning men in destruction and perdition the least of them such as if not deadly in themselves and in their own nature may prove deadly in their consequences and sad effects as preparing the heart to entertaine those that are in their owne nature deadly I beseech you therefore as you love the Lord Jesus Christ as you tender the everlasting salvation of your soules watch be carefull that no man deceive you And that you may not be deceived I commend passing by many others these three rules First Adhere unto your own ministry and wait upon them whom God in his providence hath set over your soules The end why God hath given to his Church Pastors and Teachers is set down by the Apostle to be that we may be no longer children in knowledge tossed to and Ephes 4. 14. fro with every wind of doctrine God will blesse and be effectuall by his owne ordinance by it he will lead in wisdome and in understanding May wee not goe abroad to hear This is besides my purpose But why should you goe abroad to buy when you have food at home God hath been gracious to this City I may speak it without arrogance it was hardly ever better provided for the losse of the country hath been your gain Why should you withdraw your selves The mothers milk is most naturall for the infant the sheep that wanders from the flock is in most danger of the wolfe change of diet is not wholesome for the body is it for the soule Another man may have better gifts then thy Pastour can he have more love to and care of thy soul then hee that must give an account for it Children that often change their Masters seldome prove good scholars nor they solid and understanding Christians that change their Ministers But I will not insist on this I am not against hearing abroad occasionally but for the preventing of misleading desire to perswade the use of the publick Ministery and of your own Ministers whom God hath given you to be your guides And let mee tell you of one great miscarriage and not the least cause of so much defection it is this The people are so strange from their Ministers from private conference communicating their feares their doubts their temptations asking advice and counsell of them at whose mouthes they should enquire the law they bury all in their own bosomes to their great disturbance or ask of others who seduce them by mis-information To passe from this if any of you be mislead yee have the means to prevent it your bloud will be upon your own heads If a virgin betrothed to an husband was ravished Deut. 22. 23. in the city not only hee that ravished her but she her self should die she cried not out that she might have been holpen if she was ravished in the field