Selected quad for the lemma: virtue_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
virtue_n	faith_n	love_n	temperance_n	1,648	5	11.0080	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A62154	An expedient for peace, or some Christian and reasonable proposals, once more renewed and offered again to Friends of Reading conducing to an amicable composure of differences among them: with a healing epistle to them from Friends of Bristol, on both sides, tenderly advising them to meet all together again in their ancient publick meeting house. As also a seasonable expostulation and a persuasive to a reconciliation, with some remarkable testimonies added to promote the same and several objections against it answered, which may tend to a general service.	Sandilands, Robert.	1692 (1692)	Wing S658; ESTC R222483	58,787	79

Comprehensive There are not only two or three but a whole complex or system of evil works always attends Strife Envy c. wherever the same is given place to amongst any sort of People and we find that some were ready even to glory in their bitter Envyings and strife which they had in their Hearts one against another James 3.14 15. and not only so but to lie against the Truth And in their Zeal and Wisdom concluded the same to be consistent therewith But this Wisdom saith he descended not from above but is Earthly Sensual and Develish and who is a wise Man endured with knowledg among you How shall such a one be known by this let him shew out of a good Conversation his works with Meekness of Wisdom even from that which is from above and that is first pure then peaceable gentle and easy to be entreated full of Mercy and good Fruits and observe and without partiality and without Hypocrisie Here we may all see who is truly the wise Man and both the Earthly and the Heavenly Wisdom with the proper effects each produceth and if we judg the Cause by the effects it s easily seen which of the two is predominant XXI And in the next Chapter of the same Epistle he begins with a Querie from whence comes Wars and Fightings amongst you what even them whom he calls Brethren come they not hence This is his Answer even of your Lusts that War in your Members Is it not from Ambition Covetousness a greedy desire after preheminence who shall be greatest and highest and carry the biggest sway and is not that one of the chief causes of most of all Quarrels Brolls Contentions and Animosities Therefore it s said in the 5 11 12 Verses Do ye think that the Scripture saith in vain the spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy speak not evil one of another Brethren he that speaketh evil of his Brother and judgeth his Brother speaketh evil of the Law and judgeth the Law and there is one Lawgiver who is able to save and destroy Who art thou that judgest another or as Paul has it in Rom. 14.4 another Man's Servant to his own Master he standeth or falleth yea he shall be holden up however harshly or uncharitably he may be censured and judged for God is able to make him stand let us not therefore judge one another any more XXII We are as much cautioned and prohibited not to walk in strife and envying as in Rioting and Drunkenness c. the former being as well counted the Works of Darkenness as the latter in Rom. 13.13 And the Apostle we also find reckons amongst the rest of the Works of the Flesh Envyings Hatred Variance Wrath and Strife and though these be different names yet may be all summed up in one great Evil expressed by the word Enmity or Prejudice and these four are so linked together that one of them cannot be without the rest as where Envying is there is Hatred c. there is no other particular Work of the Flesh so expressed with so many words to aggravate the same as this of Envy or Strife and when we are exhorted to follow Peace with all Men at the same time in the next verse it 's added looking diligently lest any Root of bitterness springing up trouble you It s observable how much or mostly indeed the Apostle places the Fruit of the Spirit in these Heavenly and Excellent Virtues which are most directly opposite to the aforementioned Works of the Flesh as Love Joy Peace Long suffering Gentleness Goodness Meekness Temperance these are all he mentions except Faith as the Fruit of the Spirit and though they also be expressed by divers Characters yet as they proceed from one Spirit so they all tend to one and the same thing and which the word Charity may comprehend them all XXIII We find that very early even Christ's own Disciples began to strive together by the way and it was about Who should be greatest too as in Luke 9.46 And it was from their Carnal reasoning that this Ambition proceeded upon which Jesus took a Child and set him by him by which they might learn how Innocent and Humble and Little they ought to be And in Mat. 20.23 It s said they were moved viz. ten of the Disciples against their Brethren But Jesus called them unto him and said ye know that the Princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them and they that are great exercise authority upon them but it shall not be so among you and O that it had never been so upon no account amongst any who have professed to be his Disciples c. But whosoever will be great amongst you let him be your Minister and whosoever will be chief among you let him be your Servant even as the Son of Man came not to be Minisered unto but to Minister and to give his Life a Ransom for many XXIV And all such who are found guilty of the pride of Life of Envy Hatred c. and are of a bitter sower Spirit and do not repent of it will as undoubtedly be excluded and shut out of the Kingdom of God as those who live and dye in other gross extravagancies Job 5.2 for Wrath killeth the foolish Man and Envy slayeth the silly one and as Christ told them plainly in his time who its like conceited themselves to be great Saints as with respect to those upon whom the Tower of Siloe fell Luke 13.4 Think ye saith he that they were sinners above all the Men that dwell in Jerusalem I tell ye nay but except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish And this same he told others over again in the foregoing verse let us all therefore beware of Envying or as the Apostle James saith Grudge not one against another Brethren lest ye be condemned behold the Judg standeth before the Door XXV And let us neither be of such a hot uncharitable temper to call for Fire Luke 9.54 or to command it if we could as Elias did to come down no not though from Heaven it self to prejudice or hurt any which far better Men than we are or are now in being were not allowed to do yea though they had power to work Miracles yet no liberty granted them to dedestroy or consume any by them No not even those who would not receive Christ himself and for their but very desiring such a thing in their warm Zeal we see he rebuked them and with a pretty smart kind of reprehension said to them ye know not what manner of Spirit ye are of for the Son of Man is not come to destroy Mens Lives but to save them Now though its true this is as good and as strong an Argument as can be used against Persecution yet it is not improper altogether here to be alledged also against a Furious Fierce Passionate Violent and indiscreet Zeal Unchristian and Unwarrantable Imposition of Matters of Faith which

An Expedient for Peace Or some Christian and Reasonable PROPOSALS Once more Renewed and Offered again to Friends of READING Conducing to an Amicable Composure of Differences among them WITH A healing Epistle to them from Friends of BRISTOL on both sides tenderly advising them to meet all together again in their Ancient Publick Meeting House AS ALSO A seasonable Expostulation and a persuasive to a Reconciliation with some remarkable Testimonies added to promote the same and several Objections against it Answered which may Tend to a General Service Mat. 5.9 Blessed are the Peace-makers Luke 6.38 Forgive and ye shal be forgiven Philip. 4.5 Let your moderation be known to all Men. Thess 5.13 Be at peace amongst your selves Rom. 14.13 Let us not therefore judg one another any more Ecclesiasticus 27.21 As for a Wound it may be bound up and after Reviling there may be Reconciliation Charity said one of the Ancients is the whole perfection of a good Man Reading Sixth Month 1692. London Printed in the Year 1693. An Introduction by way of Preface to the Ensuing Papers FOR the use of all the truly Moderate and Impartial Friends or professors of the Truth these following Papers are chiefly designed and it is hoped that by such they will be both seriously perused and gladly received being in the same Vniversal Love and good will towards all in which they were first Written are they now published for a more general good even for the stirring up the Minds of all to be found in that which is more or indeed the most excellent way and that is Fervent Charity which the Apostle Peter exhorted the Primitive believers above before or over all things to have amongst themselves Pet. 4.8 for saith he Charity shall cover the multitude of Sins I. It was also by the Apostle Paul preferred as being that in it self which is both most valuable and most permanent before and above all knowledge Prophecies Tongues and other spiritual Gifts for these shall vanish away but that never faileth And saith he though I speak with the Tongue of Men and Angels 1 Cor. 13.18 c. and have not Charity I am become as sounding brass or a tinkling Cimbal And though I bestow all my Goods to feed the Poor and give my Body to be burned and have not that one necessary thing Charity it profiteth me nothing for it suffereth long is kind it envieth not vaunteth not it self is not puffed up nor easily provoked and concluding that Chapter Now saith he abideth Faith Hope and Charity but the greatest of these is Charity so that indeed as one well observed that maketh a Man absolute and perfect in all other Virtues for where it is there is also Patience Meekness Kindness Gentleness Constancy Humility Faith Hope Perseverance c. For it Beareth Believeth Hopeth and Endureth all things II. Now all those who are endued with this Divine never failing Virtue and Live in it can easily forgive one another and are far from being irreconcileable or like those the Apostle spoke of that were unmerciful Rom. 1.31 implacable and without Natural Affection such are very heard-hearted and revengeful and who do let the Sun go down on their wrath And truly if this Charity were but as Predominant amongst all sorts of Religious Societies as possibly a forward and furious Zeal is too prevalent O how comfortably and sweetly might they all live one with another and enjoy the benefit of each other both upon a spiritual and temporal account III. But alas there is such a Peevish Churlish Narrow Morose Sullen Strait and sower Spirit has got such a place into too many that unless People be just of this or the other Opinion or Profession they will not only be ready to look upon them as no Christians or at least not so good as themselves but also not worthy to be Conversed with in a Neighbourly and Civil Manner no otherwise than either meer Natural Relation or some private self-end necessarily leads thereunto IV. And O what sad tearing and ruinating Work What lamentable Mischief and Havock What Confusions and distracted doings hath this uncharitable and unchristian-like Temper produced in this and other Nations as in some places more than in others many tender-hearted People have seen to their great sorrow All which might have been prevented had all kept to that Meek Peaceable Patient Condescending and Forgiving Frame of Spirit in which there would have been a Tender Charitable-bearing with and watching over one another for Good and not for Evil and not with an evil Eye seeking advantage against each other or improving it to the very utmost too And there would also have been a provoking one another not to Wrath Neb. 10.24 Anger Revenge c. But to Love and good Works and a laying aside all Malice all Guile and all Hypocrisies and Evil-speakings and nothing done through Strife or Vain-glory but in lowliness of mind each would have esteemed better of 1 Pet. 2.1 1 Tim. 5.21 and preferred others before themselves and doing nothing by Partiality as is express'd in another place And before it be as it should and ought to be all must come to this even to bear and to forbear forgive and forget all injuries offences and provocations in which as the Ancient Philosophers summed up the substance of all their Morality so there is no true Christianity without it let any profess or pretend to what they please V. And truly very observable it is That of all the Commands in the New Testament there is not one so frequently repeated so earnestly recommended and so pathetically exhorted to by our Lord Jesus and his Apostles as that one is viz. Love one another which is at least fourteen or fifteen times in the very same words expressed and indeed next to that intire loving of God with all our hearts c. it is the chief and most principal part of Religion for our Great Master himself Determined it that it was by loving and not by Hating Striving Envying Quarrelling Abusing Insulting over Reflecting upon or Smiting one another by which even by Love we were and all are to be known to all Men to be really his Disciples and so it is indeed as obvious to all on the other hand that who ever they be that are in Pride in Enmity Hatred Prejudice Envy Revenge c. one against another they are not his follower Concerning which much more might be enlarged but I Omit it at present designing brevity VI. Only this further Reader pray beware of being Tinctur'd with that Evil Implacable and Vncharitable Spirit whatever may be the provocations given thee c. which neither can forgive nor desires to be forgiven Also have a care of being influenced by that old sour Pharisaical Leaven of Prejudice or Malice which too many simple good natur'd honest harmless well-meaning Persons have been insensibly and unawares by Conversing with others of a strait uncharitable temper drawn into the