Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	blind_a	zeal_n	zealous_a	62	3	9.6735	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B10261	An exhortation to his dearely beloued countrimen, all the natiues of the countie of Lancaster, inhabiting in and about the Citie of London; tending to perswade and stirre them vp to a yearely contribution, for the erecting of lectures, and maintaining of some godly and painfull preachers in such places of that country as have most neede, by reason of ignorance and superstition there abounding: / composed by George Walker pastor of St. Iohn the Euangelists ...	Walker, George, B.D., d. 1651.	1641 (1641)	Wing W357A; ESTC R186166	17,398	26

and to conforme our selues to our head Christ so let the great danger of our natiue Country and Country-men in which they lye and the slauish superstition and blindnes by which their soules as well as their bodies are held in captiuitie vnder the Pope and the Deuill stirre vs vp to vse this and all other meanes which God hath reuealed in his word and experience of all ages hath discourered to be helpfull remedies against all such maladies Secondly If we examine the cause of this head-strong blind zeale which ouer-spreades our Country and take true notice of the meanes which maintaine this Popish superstition and ignorance in our people they will appeare to bee such as may justly more incourage vs in this worke then any way dishearten or discourage vs from it It is true that some places Cities and Countries for some notorious pollution are hated and cursed of God and set apart to bee spectales of his wrathfull vengeance and examples of dreadful I desolation as the plaine Countrie and Citries of Sodom and Gomorrha And some people are reprobates whom God in his secret counsell hath rejected and therefore either doth with-hold from them all meanes of saluation esteeming them like swine before whom he will not cast the precious pearles of his word and saraments at all as we haue plaine examples Act. 16. where the Spirit sorbad the Apostles and would not suffer them to goe to preach in some Countries and to some people or else doth send his Gospell and the ministers of his word and sacraments vnto them not for their good to conuert them but as a curse for their greater condemnation to harden them as his word and miracles by Moses were sent to Pharaoh Exod. 7.3 and to be vnto them as the Gospell preached is to perishing reprobates euen the sauour of death vnto death 2 Cor. 2.16 Now when and where ignorance superstition and blind z●ale proceede from these causes and grounds they are desperate and incurable and whatsoeuer cost or labour is there bestowed proues vaine is like water spilt on the ground But sometimes ignorance blind zeale superstition and idolatrie are found to ouer-spread some Countries and strongly to possesse some people through want of means and good instruction because God suffers his word and Gospell to be with-held from them for a time either through the malice and negligence of their rulers and ouerseers vpon whom hee hath a purpose to execute his just wrath to the full by bringing vpon them the blood of many poore soules which through their default doe perish or else for to trie proue and exercise the charity of their brethren and neighbours who are called and conuerted already before them and haue receiued grace to bee Gods people whom the Lord hath a purpose to prouoke to pittie and charitie by setting before them such examples of miserable blindnesse which haue great neede of their helpe and commiseration In these cases the greatest ignorance most blind superstition and most head-strong zeale standing for errors and a false religion are not desperate but haue great hope of cure by the word of God and such meanes applied to them yea such head-strong zealous and superstitious people when the true and cleare light of the Gospell once shines vnto them by meanes of an able and powerfull ministery are by experience found to become no lesse but rather more zealous for the truth and for God and godlinesse then before they haue beene for falshood and errors And that this is the very case and condition of our natiue Country and of our blind zealous and superstitious brethren and neighbours inhabiting it appeares plainly by two strong and infallible arguments First that their ignorance and blind zeale proceede from want of ordinary meanes to wit the preaching of the word and good instruction experience plainely proues and no man can with any colour of reason denie For although our Country of Lancashire is one of the largest shires in this Kingdome yet it hath for the publike worship of God onely thirty six Parish Churches within the large circuite of it as our histories shew and some Parishes forty miles in compasse to my knowledge wheras some other shires not much larger then one dinision or hundred of Lancashire are knowne and recorded to haue two or three hundred Parish Churches in them and those farre better furnished with meanes for maintenance of an able ministery then ours are for example the hundred of Fournesse where I was borne which for spatious compasse of ground is not much lesse then Bedfordshire or Rutlandshire it hath onely eight Parish Churches and seuen of those eight are impropriate and the liuings in the hands of Lay men and in some of those Parishes which be forty miles in compasse there is no more ordinary and set maintenance allowed for the ministery of the word and sacraments but ten pounds or twenty nobles yearly And therefore though the people were naturally the most tractable vnder the Sunne no man could in reason looke for any thing but abundance of ignorance ruling among them till it please God to stirre vp the publicke state or the spirits of some godly priuate Christians to prouide some maintenance for the constant ministery of the word to be set vp and continued among them yea considering what large spacious walkes and how many couerts and lurking places there are in those thicke mists and shades of ignorance and darknesse for Iesuites and seminary Priests those sonnes and ministers of darknesse who commonly find best intertainment for their flattery and painted hypocrisie among such people as being naturally disposed to deuotion and religion are notwithstanding held captiue in ignorance for want of meanes and also finde most libertie and best roome to bestirre thmselues and greatest freedome from discouerie in those Parishes where there are no learned Preachers nor vigilant Pastors let reason judge how vnlikely and almost impossible it is for that people to be free from blind head-strong zeale and that Popish superstition and Idolatrie should not generally possesse them Secondly as Saint Paul argues for the nation of the naturall Israelites Rom. 11.1 and proues that they were not vtterly cast away of God because hee himselfe and diuers others of them were gathered vnto Christ by the Gospell and an elect remnant was found among them in the dayes of Christ and his Apostles when generally they persecuted the truth and seemed to be most opposite and stiffenecked So we may much more and vpon stronger grounds of reason argue for our blind superstitious Countri-men that they are not a reprobate people whom God hath cast away and giuen ouer to desperate blindnesse and obstinacy neuer to be conuerted because not onely we our selues being many haue by Gods grace extended plentifully vnto vs receiued the word and doe beleeue in Christ and professe true Christianity but also many noble worthies haue sprung vp and flourished in the Church of God and shined as lights through

this Kingdome and the whole Christian world who being borne in our barren soyle and in their child-bood muzled vp in superstition so soone as God brought them to the light of the Gospell in the vniuersities the nurseries of learning and true religion they became famous and renowned professors of diuinity and most stout and strong maintainers of the truth against Papists and all other Heretiques I cannot passe by in silence but for example will name and mention with honour and reuerence that mirrour of learning and religion Doctor Whitakers our sometimes worthy professor in Cambridge whose name is still dreadfull to our aduersaries and his writings of greatest esteeme euen in forraigne Countries at this day and his memorie euer blessed Yea wee find by daily experience that in those parishes and places of our nature Country which haue heretofore beene most grieuously ouer-runne with ignorance and superstition while they wanted the meanes of knowledge the ministery of the word and where the word at the first preaching thereof hath beene strongly opposed now by meanes of a constant ministerie and powerfull preaching continued among them the people doe become generally so zealous for the truth so feruent in their zeale so forward in their profession so strict in their liues in the worship of God so opposit to all shadows of superstition that some thinke they haue more need of the bridle then else spurre like the Israelites in the wildernesse who offered so frankly abundantly to the building of Gods tabernacle that there was found much more then enough for the seruice of the work Moses gaue commandment and caused them by publike proclamation to be restrained from bringing any more Exod. 36. I my selfe doe know and can name for instance if neede require diuers parishes which within my memorie were deepely plunged in superstition and euen drowned in ignorance insomuch that the name of a preacher was as much scorned of many as the name of a babler and of some as much hated as the name of an heretique but now of late yeares I haue seene with mine eyes such a wonderfull alteration wrought by Gods grace and blesing accompanying the labours of some holy and godly preachers sent among them that they are ready and willing to run many miles to heare sermons when they haue them not at home and lay aside all care of worldly profit leauing their labour and worke on weeke dayes to frequent publike meetings for prophecy and expounding of Gods word and hardly can a preacher trauell through their townes and lodge there on any day in the week but they will by importunitie obteine a publicke sermon from him and in great troupes suddainly and vpon short warning assembled they will gladly and chearfully heare him with all reuerence and attention And therefore as St. Paul from his owne example the examples of a small remnant of beleeuing Iewes who by so many miracles much powerfull preaching of Christ himselfe and his extraordinarie Apostles and Prophets were called and drawne to beleue did conclude that God had not reiected and cast away the whole nation as reprobates past hope So may we much more strongly conclude from the example of our selues who are many and from the example of those worthy professors and pillars of the Church whom God hath raised vp out of our Country by ordinarie meanes and most of all from the great multitudes of godly Christians who by hundreds and thousands are daily called and turned by ordinarie preaching from the darkenesse of ignorance to the light of true knowledge and from blind zeale and loue of poperie and superstition to the feruent loue of the truth and zealous profession of the holy Gospell of Christ I say from these many examples we may as vpon stronger grounds of reason conclude that God hath not cast away our people nor rejected our natiue Country neither in so many places keepes his word from them as from a reprobate people neuer to be conuerted but rather doth suffer them to liue so long in ignorance and miserable blindnesse partly for a greater judgement on ouer-ruling Church-robbers that he may bring on them and their houses and families the blood of many soules which perish through their sacrilege and couetousnesse and partly to prouoke and stirre vp to pitty and charity vs whom he hath first conuerted and to minister vnto vs matter of true Christian charity and to giue vs occasion to exercise that piety which we professe that our faith by liuely fruites of good workes may be made to appeare more glorious to the eyes of the world and may shine in the midst of the Church and among all the people of God Lastly Deare brethren and Country-men for our full perswasion and steadfast assurance that our natiue Country notwithstanding the ignorance and blindnesse ouershadowing it and the blind superstition possessing the people generally in diuers parts thereof is a place which God hath chosen to put his name there and our brethren the inhabitants thereof are a people chosen of God and holy according to the election of grace let vs call to remembrance and daily set before our eyes what holy and excellent first fruites it hath brought forth vnto God I meane holy professors and martyrs in the first times of the pure light of the Gospell beginning to shine forth in this land Among all godly martyrs wichin the dayes of King Edward the sixth were great builders of Gods Church by their sound doctrine painfull labours and holy liues and in the bloody reigne of Queen Mary sealed the Gospell with their blood who more renowned in the historie of martyrs then Mr. Iohn Bradford a Lancashire man whose godly writings and meditations able to make a stonie heart to bleede remaine to the profit and comfort of Gods Church in all succeeding ages whose constant profession of the true faith vnto death in the midst of the fire was admired of his enemies shall euer bee remembred while God hath an elect and faithfull people in this land and whose memorie shall be blessed for euer Among the godly faithfull and learned men whom this land brought forth in those first times and which shined forth as lights out of darkenesse who after many cruell persecutions and banishment which they endured for the Gospell in Queene Maries dayes did suruiue her bloody reigne and in the dayes of Queene Elizabeth of euer blessed memorie flourished in this Church and were notable instruments of God in the restoring and establishing of religion who more admired for piety prudence learning and charitie then that most reuerend father in Gods Church Edwin Sandes borne in Fournfells in Lancashire who at the time of the decease of Edward the sixth being Doctor of diuinitie and vice Chancellour of the vniuersitie of Cambridge did so wisely and prudently behaue himselfe in the midst of those troubles and that great confusion especially in his publike sermon which he was commanded by the Duke of

aboue added vnto them Matth. 6.33 And in another place hee promiseth to such as renounce and forsake the things of this world for his sake and for loue to the Gospell that they shall receiue be sides life euerlasting in the world to come an hundr●th-fold more euen of these earthly blessings h●re in this life Mark 10.30 To which purpose we haue a most cleare restimonie of the holy Apostle Saint Paut a Tim. 4.8 where he saith that godlinesse is profitable vnto all things hauing promise of the life that now is as well as of that which is to come Vpon these sure and infallible grounds both of holy Scripture and common experience I dare be bold to assure you my deare Countri-men that if you heartily and vnseinedly desire to see your natiue Country and kindred flourish in all worldly wealth and earthly prosperitie you cannot for the obteining of your desire in all the world find a more ready way then this worke of piety which I here commend vnto you which as it tends first to plant the Gospell and true religion so it will draw on all other blessings by meanes of them Besides these motiues which arise from the consideration of the worke it selfe our natiue Countrie also and the nature and disposition of the people for whose vse and benefit this worke is intended doe moreouer afford and offer vnto vs many strong incouragements For wee are not to deale with a stubborne bruitish ill natured people like the wild Irish who naturally abhorre all ciuility and are so deuo●ed to their owne old fashions that things which in themselues are most reasonable decent and orderly they doe vtterly detest if they appeare to swerue from the corrupt and abominable customes of their Country and the traditions of their fathers The people of our natiue Country are generally of another constitution and of a contrarie but farre better naturall disposition although they are most constant in their resolutions while they conceiue and imagine them to be iust good and godly and doe follow that course of religion and life which they haue embraced for the best with strong affection and zeale yet naturally they are so ingenious and so reasonable and tractable that when good reason is shewed to them for the contrary they are ready as to conceiue and vnderstand it so to yeeld vnto it generally and for the most part onely some desperate reprobates and refractarie rebells excepted whom God for their wilfull reiecting of the truth hath giuen ouer to bee blinded and bewitched by the delusion and inchantments of Popish Priests and Iesuites and to be possessed by their diabolicall spirit And if we may giue credit to the learned historiographers who haue narrowly searched and taken a diligent survey of all the shires of this Kingdome and obserued and noted in their publike records and writings the manners of the people as the inhabitants of our Country of Lancashire are in bodily feature and outward forme generally more beautifull and comely then in many other Countries so in respect of the inward disposition of their mindes they are euery way answerable that it is a people of good vnderstanding quicke of apprehension well tempered in their wills and affections and ready to be ruled by reason So that if any shall object against this our good motion and oppose as a barre or obstacle against it the blind zeale and head-strong affection wherewith a great part of our natiue Country and many of our people in diuers parts thereof are carried away from the truth and true religion after Popish superstition and Idolatrie and shall from thence conclude that in all likeli-hood and probabilitie our contribution of money and the labours of our preachers shal be spent in vaine and for no profit on a refractarie and obstinate people who like deafe adders will stop their eares and refuse to heare the voyce of the charmers charme they neuer so wisely as they haue done heretofore euer since the first reuiuing of the Gospell and reformation of religion in this Kingdome I will answere that this which is objected as a barre or impediment is indeed none all to such as rightly vnderstand and consider it but on the contrary offers to our consideration speciall incouragements and motiues to further vs in this worke For first true Christianity teacheth vs to shew mercy and charity to our brethren in miserie and bondage and the greater we perceiue that their danger and miserie is wherein they remaine the more to be● moued inwardly with pitty and compassion towards them and rather then we will in dure the ●ight of their continuall extremities to make a desperate attempt for their deliuerance and to aduenture vpon a great hazard euen when there is little or no hope of their recouerie in outward appearance We haue many examples of Gods faithfull Saints recorded in the Scripture● to this purpose The penitent Israelites captiued in Babylon so often and so long as they remembred Zious desolation and the deplored estate of their natiue Country could joy in nothing but spent their time in weeping and in studying the good and prosperity of Ierusalem Psal 137. Queene Hester when her people the Iewes were in extreme danger by reason of a Commission or warrant sealed for the generall massacre and destruction of them all did run in a desperate hazard euen of her owne life and resolued for their deliuerance to attempt the recalling of the Kings vnchangeable decree saying If I perish I perish Hest 4.16 And godly Nehemiah when he had receiued intelligence of the great affliction and reproach of his brethren in Indea after their returne from captiuity and of the City and place of his fathers sepulchre lying wast and consumed with fire was so sad and heauy that he could not rest nor looke cheerfully on the King his Lord vntill by earnest prayer to God and petition to the King he had preuailed and gotten leaue to goe with a large commission for the repairing of Ierusalem Nehem. 1 and 2. Saint Paul the more stiffe-necked that he found the Iewes and the more zealous with blind zeale not according to knowledge the more he pittied them being his Country-men and the more he laboured by all meanes to win them and sought to saue some of them though it were with the losse of his owne life as appeares Act. 24.17 Rom. 9.1 2. And he who is the example of all examples and the patterne whom all Christians are bound to follow our Lord Sauiour Christ when wee all were in a desperate and wofull condition by meanes of our sinfull corruption and many sinnes rebelliously committed against God from which the whole world was not able to redeeme vs did not cast vs off but vndertooke a worke for vs and did vndergoe a burden vnder which all the Angells of God and all creatures would faint faile and sinke downe if it were laid vpon them And therfore as we desire to walke in the wayes of Gods Sainte