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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	age_n	church_n	zion_n	15	3	8.9203	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A79826	The abuse of Gods grace: discovered in the kinds, causes, punishments, symptoms, cures, differences, cautions, and other practical improvements thereof. Proposed as a seasonable check to the wanton libertinisme of the present age. By Nicholas Claget, minister of the Gospel at Edmundsbury in Suffolk, M.A. of Magdalen Hall, Oxon.	Clagett, Nicholas, 1610?-1662.; Wilkinson, Henry, 1616-1690.	1659 (1659)	Wing C4368; Thomason E978_2; ESTC R207811	268,515	321

Tim. 5. 11 preferred a life of carnal pleasures a 1 Tim. 5. 6. before spiritual delights In the primitive Feasts of Love licentious Christians fea●ed their lusts b 2 Pet. 2. 13. as well as bellyes Fed without feare c Iude ep v. 12. had the character of their wantonnesse set out by the Apostles Peter and Jude The deeds of the Nicolaitans were abominable d Rev. 2. 15. Execrabiles fuerunt Nicolaitae qui profanato Matrimonio stupra et Adulteria permiserunt Gal. lasius Annot. in Irenaeum Their error was accursed who condemned Marriage and gave license to Adulteries and Fornications pure instituted Ordinances as none can doubt but they were such under Old and New Testament times could not keep out impure hearts and lives If the presence power and Doctrine of the Patriarchs Prophets ●vageli●●s Apostles could not prevent daring insolencies against the light of Gods truth and holy profession it is no wonder if in after ages from this impure spring Abuse of Grace noisome streams of loose principles and practises are flown Church History records how C●osticks Valentinians Arrians Marcionites Manichees and others have depraved the Truth of God how under these and other Enemies of the Gospel black egiments of Libertines have abused the Colours of Christ and sided with the Prince of darknesse by wronging the Grace of ●od Nor hath the church of Rome under the Papacy cause to wipe her mouth and hug het selfe in her Paramount chastity whose title is Mystery Babilon the Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth e Rev. 17. 5. Shee is a wanton Bawd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Her pompous Religion in her splendid garrish Attire her golden cup of Fornication f Rev. 17. 4. Romanum illud prostibulū spurcitiem suam legite nomine Ecclesias sanctitatis Gallasius Lais Philosophum pro Leone Decere Libidine coepit mores suos d● Lupanat ad scholam stransulit diserens volup esse summum bonum Lact de Justitia l. 5. c. 2. speaks her a Wanton of Wantons all the eye pleasing Pageantry of her unwritten Traditions are but the wanton products of her carnall wisdome pretencing to but never proving scripture allowance As the Mystical Fornication of her Idolatry is undeniable so in a wanton indulgence is shee a Fornicating Bawd in the Letter besides the tolleration of stewes in Rome one of her children Joannes a Casa hath exceeded the impure Hereticks of former times defending yea extolling corporall uncleannesse and yet Romish impurity must all be courted under the name of the Church and Holinesse This Romish impudent Strumpet is like Aristippus a filthy Philosopher who freely Luxuriating with Lais an impure Strumpet became a Pandor of a Philosoper and thinking it not enough to live wickedly he began to be a teacher of Lusts translated his Brothel-house Life to the schoole and taught the pleasure of the body to be the cheifest good Thus neither professed Philosophy nor christianity hath been an expedient to curb the insolencies of vile carnal affections Professed Heathens and Christians have been false to their lights and convictions yea have wantonly either put them out or turned their backs upon them and yet even in those times wherein loosenesse hath abounded against nature and grace the Lord hath stirred up witnesses to beare a severe Testimony against both kinds of Abuses Among the Degenerate seed of Adam loose Pagans there were many that abused their Gods whereof some were whole some halfe Atheists Some whole Wicked men contemners of Religion Denyed the Being of a God as Diagoras Melius who was therefore called an Atheist and Theodorus Cyrenaicus Ob id ' 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dictus Aristides 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 iustus Phocion bonus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plutarch and Eumerius Siculus Others halfe Atheists acknowledged a Deity yet denyed Providence That God had any care of humane affaires that he governed the World yea denyed also the immortality of the Soule and a life in the other world Lucian was such a semi-Atheist making sport with Jupiter for being too cool and indulgent in his government to condemne lewd unmorral Heathens there were I may say a stricter sort of Pagans externally pure from the grosse crimes of the times though guilty of innumerable blameable impurities of the Heart unwasht by faith Such were Aristides surnamed the Just Phocion the Good profitable Patriot Cymon Incredibly beneficial and Liberal to the poore Epaminondas modest grave true Socrates patient meek Xenocrates continent frugal Lucretia chast Also Christianos pudore quodam suffundere possunt Rivius Hoc majeres nostri questi Junt hoc nos querimur c. eversos esse mores regnare nequitium in deterius res humanas labi Sence de benefil 1. c. 10. the Camilli Curij Fabij Fabritij Catoes Scipioes were eminent externall Moralists whose examples may shame profane Christians Seneca thus complained of debauched Pagans This said he our Ancestors complained of this is our complaint this wil be a complaints good manners are overthrowne wickednesse reignes men grow worse and worse but because even among Christians there are that Pene supra modum as one saith are excessive admirers of Pagans virtue yea some wanton wits among us are more taken with Heathen then protestant writers so thin in using these so large in quoting those it will be needful to shew the sad and dreadfull desiciencies of the most shining Pagan morality it was ignorant ill principled and ill ended Ignorant of the true God and the true way of his Worship Sine cultu veri dei etiam quod virtus videtur peccatum est Autor de Vocat Gentium and without the worship of the true God ehat which seems to be virtue is sin They were ignorant of the main viz. the knowledge of Jesus Christ the deceits of the heart the mischief of original corruption the fall of Adam So their Morality was ill principled the product of self-sufficiency They went not out of themselves to be virtuous made their own Reason and Wills the sole Basis on which they built their most stately virtuous Edifice Hence their proud titles of fore-Election and self-power too high a stile for lapsed sinners They were not poor but proud in spirit and arrogated too much to their own strength Lastly It was ill ended Heathens vertue centred in vain Glory not Gods Glory What a proud abominable speech was that of C. Cotta in Cicero No man ever thanked God for his virtue Virtutem nemo unquam acceptam Deo retulit propter virtutem enim jure laudamur in virtute recte gloriamur quod non contingerit se donum a De● non à nobis haberemus Numquis quod bonus vir esset gratias Diis egit at quod Inanes virtutā for we are praised for virtue and rightly glory in virtue which would not be if God gave it us and we had it not from our selves and a little

after saith he Was ever man thankful to the Gods that he was a good man He may be indeed that he was Rich Honored Healthy It seems they called Jupiter Optimum Maximum the greatest and best not because he makes just temperate wise but safe honored and wealthy No wonder then if Augustine called the virtues of the Heathens Glittering sins Rivius The vain shadows of virtues and Lactantius The Images of virtues All which speaks morality yea the whole Body of virtuous Paganism without God and Christ but as a Body without an head Dives quod Honoratus quod Incolumis Cicero Splendida peccata Aug. Vmbrae Rivius Imagines virtutum Lactan. Further as the better sort of Heathens were witnesses against the scandalous and profane whose yet moral Eminencies were too low and weak ladders to climb up to their Blessed Making Summum Bonum and its adjunct Perpetuity So in the evil times of Licentious Christians God hath been wont to enter in warnings and protests by his servants against them In this time saith Luther There is no discipline at all no Justice Hoc tempore nulla amplius disciplina nulla Justitia c. Luth. in Gen. Multi bodie doctrina evan g●lii abutūtur interim sibi ipsis blandiuntur c. Dicunt de Duce Georgio potuit in ultimo vitae articulo converti Antinomi contemnunt benedictionem suam Ecclesiam c. no modesty among men We cry we urge we are instant in season and out of season but the Magistrate winks at sin So many now adays saith he abuse the Doctrine of the Gospel and in the mean time flatter themselves though I live in my sins and am wicked I will repent at length 'T is said of Duke George He could be converted in the last Article of life So the Antinomists say They can be converted in their own time and so contemn their blessing The Church Baptism the Keys Remission Repentance Eternal life and receive the grace of God in vain Melancton though a man of a very milde Spirit thus hotly Execrandi sūt Antinomi qui nolunt docere legem in Ecclesia fingunt omnes suos impetus esse motus spiritus sancti Haec deliramementa horrendi furores Diabolici Melanct. de bonis Oper. rebuked lawless Liberoines The Antinomians are to be accursed said he who will not teach the Law in the Church and fain all their Impulses to be the motions of the Spirit and will not be governed by the Law These dotages are horrible Diabolical Furies such as were of old of many Sects Zuinglius sighed out these words If we were called Satanists Si Satanici pro Christian is diceremur Nobile illud vere pretiosum Christi nomen tantâ cum infamia conspunnus perinde ac si instar Mercurii Vsurae Furti c. Deus ac Patronus sit Zuing de Intemerata virgine pag. 349. for Christians there were no need of other maners O calamity never enough to be deplored O inestimable misery We do with such infamy disgrace the noble and truly precious name of Christ as if like a Mercury he were the God and Patron of Usury Theft Rapine and Robbery Brentius thus rebuked the loose Gospellers of his Age There Quid confidas his quibus cares Brentius in c. 3. Matth. Quast Justificatis fide quidvis liceret Hemingius Opusc Ineo is so great a corruption of maners such fludious injustice that we give no occasion to our enemies to believe we trust in good works for how should you trust in what you have not Hemingius a Dane Divine observing the abuse of Justification thus writes 'T is an error of Ancient and Modern Libertines when they hear men are freely justified by anothers righteousnesse they teach carnal security as if the justified by faith many live as they list Musculus thus declaimed against visible licentiousness 'T is clearer then the Meridian light Unbridled men count nothing sin that Meridianâ luce clarius apud homines effiaenatos pro peccato nihil reputatur c. Vah quanta infamia pudendâ turpitudine notamur Musculus Dom. 1. Advent suits with their lusts The Devil doth not let loose the reins more on the necks of the Heathens Turks and Infidels than of Gospellers with what infamy and shameful turpitude are we branded our reproach is our enemies triumph Nicolaus Gallasias taxed the Anabaptists of his time that Sublimia spectare alieni esse à mundo spiritu regi videntur Nic. Gall. Annot. in Irenaeum pag. 358. they were like the Valentian Sect Various Arrogant Curious subtle in their error resembling them in despising others fained Holiness fair Speeches soaring aloft to high things seeming to be estranged from the World and governed by the Spirit Jacobus Andraeas faulted the debauched Germans The Word was preached among them with no Reformation Their life and Horrenda Epicurea bestialis vita c. Atque hoc universum genus ab illis Evangelicum dicitur Institutum Jaco Andraeas con 4. ad c. 21. Luk. conversation was Horrid Epicureal Bestial Christ was not so much blasphemed among Turks they were wanton in their most costly and foolish apparel and all this loose carriage was vailed under a Gospel cover Joannes Rivius a Saxon Divine in his Epistle to the Duke of Saxony thus complains As of old in the infancy of the Christian Church Christ sent his Apostles into the world to preach the Vt in primordio quondam exorientis Ecclesis c. Joannes Rivius Athenodorensis opera Theol. pag. 254. Gospel The Devil stirred up his Apostles under pretence of Christ and his Gospel who used Scripture testimony to corrupt the Purity of Doctrine So when Christ hath stirred up in this age pious Writers to restore the Doctrine of the Gospel The Devil hath stirred up Anabaptists and other Sectaries to defile the purity of restored truth under pretence of promoting the Gospel removing errors and restoring Orthodox Religion Thus the Prince of darkness is transformed into an Angel of light Joannes Spangeburgius thus blamed licentious Libertines that would be kept in no bonds after they saw they were set at liberty Postquam à vinculis Papatus se liberatos esse vident volunt esse liberi ab Evangelio praeceptis Dei. Joan. Spangeb in Narrar henes Dei from the chains of Popery they would be free and discharged from the Gospel and the commands of God Calvin called the Libertines of his time Evil spirits cloathed Omnium mortalium sceleratissimos Adversus Libertinos Calvinus with humane appearance of all mortals the most wicked In his Opuscula he hath written a sad and severe Tractate against Libertines Salvians words were sad What is the Assembly of Christians but a sink of sin Why do we flatter our selves with the Christian Quid est aliud caetus Christianorum quam sentina vitiorum Salv. de Gub. 91. Ideo plus sub religion is titulo Deum ludimus quia

holy but a part of the Devils Kingdom is slily admitted standers by seeing divided Sects and different Opinions in Religion yea each party entitling its Tenent and Practice to the Scripture the Truth the Spirit the Glory of God conclude in this dust they cannot see their way to Heaven In this season Satan the Arch Heretick Divider Deceaver and Libertine plies his Market to perswade to dissolute life some he tempts to be of any Religion some none to be stark Atheists and debauched prophane ones and many in the true Religion to be cold and formal much heat and strength being spent upon the out-side that should have been bestowed upon the in-side the vitals of Christianity In the Pro and Con Disputes about out-works the inward Guards have been neglected Sound Christians holy walking is not so lively and wicked Libertines sit down contented and resolved to allow and follow the pretended felicities of their unmortified Lusts Satan through Church contentions tempts to believe that Religion is a bottomless Pit not to be sounded a meer fancy And while men of piety and learning cannot agree there is in some a pleasing agreement about Whoredom Drunkenness railing at all Ministers contempt of Ordinances yea the bloody subtile Jesuit and his blinded Popish Votaries stand behinde the Curtain and cry Hereticks Schismaticks Libertines Among Protestants no Ministery no Ordinances no Church no Salvation Happy had it been in our sinning days if Unity Truth and Peace had prevented this great temptation Put though the healing of our deplorable diseased Zion be rather to be wished then to be hoped for yet two sorts of abusers of Gods grace discontented Protestants and seducing Papists that warm their hands by our fires will not finde the least real Sanctuary for their injurious reflexions upon the Gospel of grace in past and present Divisions and Contentions I shall apply my self to both the parties that it is to be feared are glad to see the offensive dishonors to the grace of God yea are much injurious to it themselves 1. To discontented exceptious Protestants O you Sons and Daughters of Belial Ignorant Prophane Irreligious Have you reason about differences of Religion to grow secure wantons to Sleep Drink Game Swear away your time prophane the Sabbath keep the worship of God out of your Families and the fear of God our of your hearts to live a bruitish sensual voluptuous life to resent the thoughts of Heaven and Hell as idle Fables to live as if there should be no resurrection of the Body and Judgement to come to mis-spend your precious hours in carnal visits no way relating to Gods glory and your everlasting salvation to neglect provisions for Eternity to be as great strangers to the beneficial practical thoughts of Religion as if you were born and brought up among Heathens Did the Corinthians make this use of their Divisions and Erronious Opinions to justifie and support a Godless Graceless conversation Can you prove that every different Opinion in Religion is a different Religion May not you finde in unhappily divided Christians among us an Harmony of Religion in the vitals essentials thereof referring to the life of Christ and the power of godliness May not dissenting ones tune in a thousand places of sacred Scripture which teach soundness in the Faith necessary renewing grace and godly life Will not common acknowledged Principles of Believing Repenting Obeying Persevering arraign and condemn your loosness If you Object Some Sects are Heretical and Blasphemous deny Christ the Scripture the Resurrection Let these Apostates that hold not the head Col. 2. 19. Jesus Christ un-christian'd and become Heathens themselves answer if they can for themselves These Renegado's sad Revolters from Christs colours to the Devils Camp have a worse Judgement on them then Prisons and flaming Stakes They have denyed the Lord whom they professedly owned to be their Redeemer and in the Judgement of the Apostle Peter have brought upon themselves swift destruction These do not onely bring themselves into the Order of Heathens but are worse then they for they have cut themselves off from the way of salvation there is not another Christ to be their Mediator and there remains no more sacrifice for sin Do you that declaim against the errors of the time know any such Carnal mirth becomes not such a notice you should go into your Chambers and bitterly mourn over their Apostacy They are the black marks of Spiritual Judgement are fittest Objects for Christian compassion I beseech you after you are somewhat off the hears of pursuing in an Hellish Chase your ungodly Lusts after your fiery tongues scorching the precious name of sound Christians with the hot charge of Hypocrites Hereticks Persons unfit to live in the common Air In cool blood and serious earnest consider whether Contentions and Divisions about Truth in Religion will be a Cloak broad enough to cover your excess of Riot contempt of the Laws Requiries and Gospel-duties your Heathenish and worse then Heathenish practical Atheism whereby you live in your Families without Prayer to God Hath natural Religion taught Pagans Devotion to their apprehended Deities The Mariners in the tempest called upon their gods Jonah 1. 5. yea probably at other times also Can your Chambring and wantonness your Oathes and Scoffs at the shining presidents of practical Piety your desperate security in sin without the least remorse of conscience and least hearkning to the motions of the Spirit now and then shaking you by the conscience if it be not cauterized and dead your Graceless devouring the Creatures without serious thoughts of your deep Engagement to your abused Benefactor The blessed God your dreadful carelesness of your own souls not much mattering whether they be saved or damned your casting off the thoughts of Gods strict recording of your thoughts words and actions in the Book of his Remembrance your dissolute ill good-fellowship your treasuring up of wrath against the day of wrath your slight thoughts of the last Judgement Will this and other sad Bills of Indictment be answered and crossed out by Christians dis-agreements in controversal Points If you shall be so blinde and bold as to conclude in your Death-bed and in the accounting Day different Judgements about Religion will Apologize for your Libertinism Will not the Judge of all the world convince and condemn you out of the Ten Commandments the rules of the Gospel the Wisdom and Piety of standing Saints in evil tempting times whose soundness in the Faith Lamps burning Loyns girt Garments kept clean upright Conversation have been an Antidote against publick Infection Will not God finde plentiful matter of your damnation from your own sins Yea further which is a sad Quaere should not you who sport in sin and scoff at holiness and holy Ones live without God and Christ in the World rather make another construction of Errors Janglings and intemperate heats about Religion What if God suffer these scandals and stumbling-blocks to ruine us for our