Linguistic DNA - Concept Modelling Demonstrator

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	father_n	pray_v	prayer_n	6,987	5	6.6304	4	false

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A26998	The Protestant religion truely stated and justified by the late Reverend Mr. Richard Baxter ; prepared for the press some time before his death ; whereunto is added, by way of preface, some account of the learned author, by Mr. Danel Williams and Mr. Matthew Sylvester.	Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691.; Williams, Daniel, 1643?-1716.; Sylvester, Matthew, 1636 or 7-1708.	1692 (1692)	Wing B1359; ESTC R1422	79,512	227

God would have bid us do it if he would have us do it so we know that he is all sufficient to tell them what and when to doe for us and to pray to him is the way to secure their Service 9. And we know that there is one Mediator between God and Man whose Intercession is sufficient 10. And we know that Christians praying to Angels and separated Souls greatly hardeneth the Heathen World that pray to separated Souls and Daemons that are their Sub-deities 11. And when these men say not we must pray to Angels but we may do it what horrid Murderers are they that will Burn Kill and Damn men for not doing all that they think they may do without any must or Divine Obligation Why take they it not at best as part of their Works of Supererrogation 12. The Deceiver prophaning the Scripture 1. Puts Jacobs Benediction desiring the Angels guard on his Son to be a prayer to Angels Yea when the Fathers say that Angel was Christ himself 2. And Jacobs words to the Angel that appeared to him to be a reason for our praying to unseen Spirits If they appear to us we shall the better know what and when to speak to them The Nine and Twentieth accused Point That the Angels cannot help us Ans This is too gross stating of Controversies for a Collier or a Cobler tho' not for a Doctor of Infallible Church 1. We say that not only an Angel but a Man an Ass as Balaams a blast of Wind Flies Frogs Lice as in Egypt can help us when God sendeth them to help us 2. We believe that Angels are specially Empowred and willing for it So that they are Gods Eminent Ministring Spirits for the good of his Elect. 3. But we believe that they can do nothing for us but what God empowreth and Commissioneth them to do He that Curseth those that trust in man and make Flesh their Arm instead of trusting God will so Curse them that so trust in Angels But yet we may and must trust man and Angels according to their several measures of Gods authorizing and enabling them The great Mercies of Protection and assistance that God giveth us by Angels is the matter of much of our daily thanks to God And I am daily thankful to Angels themselves and I think I love them better than any Friends on Earth because they are better and love God better And I am the willinger to Die because I shall go to the World of Love where as God and Christ is Love so Angels love God and we for his sake better than I love my self while our Papists that pray to Angels devour the blood of Saints The Thirtieth accused Point That no Saint Deceased hath after appeared to any on Earth Ans A meer false Calumny What Protestant Confessions have any such Article How know we what hath been done of that kind in all the World to this day Read but Dr. More and Mr. Glanvils Books of Apparitions and Mr. Ambrose and Mr. Lawrences Books of our Communion with Angels Read Zanchius Luther Melaucton Manlius Lavalu c. and you may see that this is no Protestant assertion We know that Christ appeared to Saul and that many Bodies of Saints arose at Christs Death and appeared to many And what the Witch of Endor showed as Samuel we know not We only say 1. That it is much liker that Apparitions are oftest made by Devils or bad Spirits that dwell in the lower Regions than that blessed Spirits come from Heaven 2. But yet seeing Angels thence appear we cannot say that Holy Souls never do 3. But that God will not have it to be any ordinary or trusty means for Men's Salvation For we cannot know when it is a Holy Soul and when a Devil And they that will not believe Moses and the Prophets and Christ neither will they believe tho' one rose from the Dead It 's no Article of our Faith that they ever did appear or not And if these men think otherwise why must this Opinion more than Ten thousand such be obtruded as necessary on all others The One and Thirtieth accused Point That the Saints Deceased know not what passeth here on Earth Ans Confusion and Calumny There is knowledge Immediate by Intention and Mediate by Notification from others And there is knowledge perfect and in part 1. We take not on us to know the extent of the knowledge of separated Souls And these proud Infallible men know no more than we but so much less in that they know not their own Ignorance Yet neither Lilly nor any Astrologer nor Conjurer that ever I heard of that pretendeth the greatest acquaintance with Spirits did ever pretend to make their Opinions of them necessary to Salvation nor to kill all Dissenters as Hereticks but the Vice-Christ and his Church we cannot know all that they pretend to know And why must we needs know whether ever such Souls appeared If they did we will try what they are by the word of God which is our Rule And why must we know how much they know We know that they are not Omniscient nor Omnipresent And how much they know by present Intention not one of these Pretenders know That they know more than we and know much by the notices of Angels or one another and specially of the General State of Christs Kingdom on Earth we make no doubt And what Christ himself maketh known to them we know not O! what sort of men are these that forbid us to Read the Word of God and yet obtrude on us on dismal Penalties so many things more than all the Bible doth contain The Two and Thirtieth accused Point That the Saints pray not for us Ans Equivocal and false 1. All Saints on Earth pray for us It is part of the Communion of Saints 2. We say of the Prayer of departed Souls the same that we said before of the Prayer of Angels Their General Requests for the Church and against Enemies proveth not to us what extent their knowledge of particulars hath nor what particulars they ask nor that every Christian can say that they pray for him and that in his particular cases The Three and Thirtieth accused Point That we ought not to beseech God to grant our prayers in favour of the Saints or their Merits Nor do we receive any benefit thereby Ans This is before answered to the 17th Accusation I told you that we hold that God blesseth Children for their Holy Parents sakes their Relation making the welfare of the one to be the others And God blessed others for Josephs sake and sometimes preserveth whole Countries for the sake of the Godly there And on what account and how far I will not again repeat And the Union and Communion of Saints in Heaven and Earth are so near that I dare not say that God doth any good to any one faithful Soul that is not in some respect for the sake of all the rest as the

separating from the far greater part of the Christian World because they refuse Subjection to this usurping Vice-Christ and judging all to Fire and Ruine that renounce not all humane Senses and worship not Bread pretended to be deifyed by daily numerous Miracles of the basest Priests and deposing Kings that will not be such Executioners and justifying their Subjects in Perjury and Rebellion We will not differ with you for the Name whether you will call those that are such Antichrists or Diabolists Whether such a State be the Babylon or far worse as sinning against more Light and by more horrid abuse of the Name of Christ against himself The Fourteenth accused Point That no man nor any but God can forgive or retain Sins Ans False as undistinguished We hold 1. That to forgive Sin being the forgiving of the Punishment of Sin and the obligation thereto 1. Parents may on just cause forgive Corrective punishment to their Children and Masters to their Servants 2. Magistrates may on just cause forgive Corporal punishment to Subjects 3. Equals may forgive Injuries to Friends and Enemies 4. Pastors may on just cause forgive the Church penalties of Excommunication which they had power to inflict And all the Flock must forgive and receive the penitent accordingly 5. When a Sinner by Faith and Repentance truly performeth the Condition of Gods pardon expressed in Scripture the Ministers of Christ are by Office authorized to declare and pronounce him pardoned by God and by the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lords Supper to Invest him in a pardoned State by delivering him a Sealed pardon But only Suppositively If his Faith and Repentance be sincere else he hath not Gods pardon of the Divine Punishment This is all true and plain and enough But we detest their Doctrine that say 1. That men can pardon the Spiritual and Eternal Punishment any otherwise than consequently declaring and delivering Gods pardon which shall hold good if the Priest refuse to declare or deliver it 2. Or that Popes or Priests pardon Purgatory pains and Masses and Money and the Redundance of Saints Merits and pleasing the Pope conduce thereto But if you will Speak so absurdly as to say that if the King send a pardon to a Traytor or Murderer the Messenger pardoned him we leave you to your phrases None of the Texts or Fathers cited speak for any more than what we hold The Pastors are to declare men pardoned that God pardoneth And while they so judge according to Gods Word it is pardoned in Heaven But not if they pardon the wicked and impenitent The Fifteenth accused Point That we ought not to confess our Sins to any man but to God only Ans This is a mere impudent Lie 1. We ought to confess our Sin to the Magistrate at his Judicature when we are justly accused of it 2. And to those that we have injured when it is needful to repair the wrong or to procure their forgiveness 3. And to those that we have tempted into Sin or encouraged in it when it is needful to their Repentance 4. And to some faithful bosome Friend when it is needful that such know our Faults that they may watch over us or advise us or pray for our pardon and deliverance 5. And when in Sickness danger of Death or other Affliction we get the Pastors of the Church to pray for us we should confess our Sin to them that they may know on what cause they speak to God for our forgiveness 6. And in any case of Guilt Trouble Fear or Difficulty in which we need the Pastors Counsel for our safety ease and peace of Conscience our selves and other Friends being insufficient hereto we should confess our Sins to the Pastors whose advice we seek As a Patient must truly open his Case to his Physician and a Clyent to his Councellor if he will not be deceived by deceiving them Is all this no Confession But Protestants believe not 1. That we must go to a Physician for every Flea-biting or Scratch or Cut-Finger or to a Lawyer to give him an account of all our Actions Money ot Lands nor to Priests in cases that our selves or ordinary Friends can safely and satisfactorily resolve 2. Nor that our Confessor must needs be a Papist Priest or one chosen by the Pope or our Enemies and not by our selves 3. Nor that we must open all our Secrets to him or make any Confession which will do more hurt than good nor over far to trust the Fidelity of a Knave nor a suspected or untryed person 4. And we have reason to suspect them that are importunate to know our Secrets 5. And when Confession is required as in order to obtain a false forged pardon and to set up the Domination of Usurpers over men's Consciences and over the World it 's then unlawful If Protestants would force Papists to confess all their secret Sins to them would not this same Deceiver say it were unlawful The Sixteenth accused Point That Pardons and Indulgences were not in the Apostles time Ans Another meer Lie as undistinguished Such Pardons as I before owned were in the Apostles times But the Popish feigned pardons were not The Seventeenth accused Point That the actions and passions of the Saints do serve for nothing to the Church Ans Most impudent calumny and falsehood 1. We hold that the Prayers of all the Saints on Earth are of great importance for the Churches welfare 2. And that their Doctrine Counsel and Reproof is so too they being the Lights of the World and the Salt of the Earth 3. And that their Example is of greaâ— benefit to the Church and World whiâ—â— their Light so shineth before men that theâ— may see their good works and glorifie theâ—â— Father which is in Heaven 4. And their Charitable Works of themselves sure are beneficial to the Church And so is their Defence of the Truth 5. And their Sufferings Glorifie Gods Power and his promises of reward and they encourage others to Victorious Constancy Do all these serve for nothing to the Church 6. Yea we are so far from holding what he feigneth that it is not the least cause of our hatred of Popery that it liveth by the Defamations Slander Persecution and cruel Murder of Saints 7. Yea as Abels Blood cryed against Cain so the Blood of Martyrs and dead Saints cryeth for Vengeance against the Persecutors of the Church 8. And seeing Christ saith that the Children of the Resurrection are like or equal to the Angels we have reason to believe that even now they are perfected Spirits Heb. 12.24 And knowing that Angels are very serviceable and beneficial to the Church on Earth we know not how far the Spirits of the just are so too But we have a sufficient Mediator and Advocate with the Father whose Sacrifice Merits and Advocation are perfect and need no supplement And the Spirits of the just do praise him as saved by his Merits and never boast that they

Number of Sanctified and therefore not of the Predestinate if they so continue what can more harden them in their Impenitence than to tell them that they must all believe that they shall be saved How many hundred Protestant Books and thousand Sermons tell the World that it is the Preachers earnest drift to save Wicked men from such Presumption which makes men call them terrible Preachers Every man is bound to believe Gods promise to be true and that he himself shall be saved if he be a true penitent sanctified Christian and so continue and that else he shall be Damned and not to distrust God as unwilling to continue the Grace he hath given him The Six and Twentieth accused Point That every man hath not an Angel Guardian or Keeper Ans 1. We hold that every true Christian even the least hath his Angel who beholdeth the Face of his Father in Heaven And that Angels are Gods Ministring Spirits for the good of his Elect and that they guard us and pitch their Tents about us and bear us up in their Hands and keep us in and from Danger and rejoyce at the Conversion of a Sinner and that we live in invisible Communion with them and shall be like them 2. But whether every Christian have one Angel to himself alone that guardeth no other or one Angel guard Hundreds or Thousands Or whether some as Lower Officers are set over a few and others as General Officers are over whole Kingdoms we leave to the determination of the Infallible Pope who is bolder with Gods Secrets than we dare be 3. But till now I thought they had not been so presumptuous as to assert that every man hath a Guardian Angel Where is there one word of God for this Is every man an Heir of Salvation or one of Christs little ones or under his promise Had Cain and Judas such Angels and all the Sodomites Christ made it an argument of Terrour to Persecutors that they offend such as had such Angels with God And dare you paint them as Devils and Burn them or Murder them by the Dragons Dragoons if you believe that every man hath such a Guardian Angel Surely Saints tho' called Hereticks have such The Seven and Twentieth accused Point That the Holy Angels pray not for us nor know our Thoughts and desires on Earth Ans A false accusation We say not that they pray not for us nor that they know not our desires nor any of our Thoughts We say that Angels are no such Strangers to Saints and sincere Godliness as not to know that all Godly men desire the Hallowing of Gods Name the coming of his Kingdom and the doing of his Will on Earth as it is done in Heaven They that know what Grace is and what our Prayers are know much of our desires And we do not think that Angels know less of our Thoughts than Devils who we feel to our Trouble are not altogether unacquainted with them And those Angels that rejoyce at a Sinners Conversion are not unacquainted with it And as to their Praying we know not how it is that Angels express their desires to God but we all agree that they desire our welfare and therefore may be said to pray for it if all notified Desire be Prayer We suppose that they know and Love us far better than we know and Love each other But we read that the Heretical Gnosticks or their like did deceive men by Voluntary Humility and worshipping of Angels intruding into those things which they had not seen vainly puft up by a fleshly mind Col. 2.18 19. Therefore we dare not pretend to Papal Infallibility nor boldly to conjecture how far it is that our Thoughts are known to Angels nor how much they are ignorant of them nor when or how oft or how far or in what manner they pray for us How far particularly and how far only generally c. Had this knowledge been needful to us God would have revealed it Much less do we know what Angel of what departed Soul of a Saint hath the care or charge of our Sheep and of our Cattel and who of our Pigs and Geese and who of our Fruits and Corn abundance of these things we leave to the Infallible Church As we do their acquaintance in Purgatory while our acquaintance and Conversation in Heaven can reach no higher than the prospect which we have in and by the Glass of Scripture Revelation The Eight and Twentieth accused Point That we may not pray to them Ans 1. We may desire Living Saints to pray for us and this may be called Praying to them So a Child prayeth to his Father or Master But we pray not to dead Saints nor Angels 1. Because we have an hundred Commands to pray to God and not one to pray to them and where there is no Law there is no Transgression or Sin Therefore while we are sure it is no Sin to forbear it and know not but it is Sin to do it we go the safe way If they say it is against the Popes Law or his Clergy's we say with Paul it is a small thing to us to be judged of man who can but kill our Bodies we have one that judgeth us even the Lord. Let the Pope Damn us if he can 2. As the first Commandment forbiddeth us to have any God but one so the second forbiddeth us to worship so as the Heathens did their Idols because it is Bodily interpretative Idolatry and Scandal But the Heathens used to pray to their under Deities whom they judged to be much like that which the Papists judge of Angels and praying to Invisible Spirits is to imitate them as scandalously as praying toward Images No wonder therefore that you so usually leave out the second Commandment 3. Gods Word is the Rule of all acceptable Religious Worship tho' but a General Rule in many Modes and Circumstances and therefore we fear swerving from it 4. Angels themselves never demanded it nor Christ bespake it for them yea they twice forbad it John See thou do it not 5. Angels being more holy than we are more for the Glory of God and the hatred of Creature arrogance and Idolatry and as God calleth himself specially Jealous against bodily Worship like the Idolaters in the second Commandment so Angels are more jealous against it than we are 6. As Angels said See thou do it not so contrarily Satan tempted Christ with the offer of the Kingdoms and glory of the World to fall down and worship him Therefore we had rather hearken to the Angels than to Devils And fear they that do otherwise worship Devils for Angels because only Devils have sought such Worship And the Devil oft turneth himself as into an Angel of Light to deceive as his Ministers do into Ministers of Righteousness 7. We know not when Angels hear us and when they do not And therefore know not when and how to pray to them 8. As we are sure that

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