Selected quad for the lemma: word_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
word_n	father_n	ghost_n	trinity_n	3,600	5	9.6701	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A40652	The best name on earth together with severall other sermons / lately preached at St. Brides and in other places by T. Fuller.	Fuller, Thomas, 1608-1661.	1659 (1659)	Wing F2413; ESTC R28667	34,017	156

to nothing yea we may generally observe that all cities that wear the sirname of Great are beheld by God with a jealous eye partly because greatnesse is a flower of the Crown of heaven partly because great cities presume on their populousnesse to be great sinners hoping in vain that their greatnesse will procure them an Act of Indemnity and God be moved to let them alone rather then to punish so many enough to make the sword of his Justice turn edge before it can cut through them 11. The premises I say have moved the great God of heaven to hold a strict eye and heavy hand over all cities sirnamed Great whilest lesser places Zoars escape best in general judgements Nineveh the great Jonah 3.3 Hamath the great Rabbah the great Babylon the great Revel 18.2 No the infinite Nahum 3.9 And Antioch by humane writers called Antiochia magna are all reduced to ruines 12. Give me leave to say to this citie of London as Darius did to Daniel in a holy complement O Darius live for ever that is understand it a finite ever might he in life health and prosperity continue to the utmost possibility of nature So say I O London last for ever may it flourish as long as any place hath a subsistence in this sublunary world however let it not be high minded but fear seeing Antioch a place as plentifull as puissant as populous is now dwingled away to an inconsiderable village 13. Come we now to the name of Christians This will bear a double debate first whether it was imposed by the enemies of the Church in scorn and derision or whether the Church it self did assume it as an act of their own election and approbation 14. I conceive the first utterly improbable for had the persecutours of the Church the depravers of goodnesse and good men given a name unto them they would have invented and imposed one more defamatory of greater shame and disgrace as to call them Hereticks Nazarites Crucifictians and the like and not so noble a name as Christians By the way we may observe that the word Christian is used twice in the Bible or if you will but once and an half Once 1 Pet. 4.16 Yet if any man suffer as a Christian let him not be ashamed but let him glorifie God on this behalf The half time Acts 26.28 when Agrippa said Thou hast perswaded me almost to be a Christian. In both which places we find the word taken in an honourable acception nothing of shame being imported therein which perswades us to believe the name was never fastened on Gods servants by their professed enemies A second enquiry succeeds viz. 15. Whether this name was by divine injunction immediately bestowed upon them or whether the Church meeting together by a prudentiall Act with a joint consent assumed it upon themselves I confesse at the first reading I conceived the text in the Original favoured the former where I read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sometimes containeth divine inspiration therein and is so used Matth. 2.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And being warned of God in a dream This I say inclined me to believe the name of Christians to be revealed from God and by him immediately imposed on the disciples 16. But on second thoughts I find the word sometimes to import no more then a plain denomination And so it is used Rom. 7.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 she shall be called an adulteresse which moveth me to believe that without any such immediate revelation from heaven in an extraordinary manner in the manifestation of Gods will the Apostles there present by the assistance of Gods spirit within them and the generall consent of the Church about them assumed that name upon themselves 17. Possibly because many believed some of the Circumcision and some of the Uncircumcision and because Gentiles was a name odious to the Iews and Iews offensive to the Gentiles therefore the word Christians was pitcht upon as common to both to bury the former names under it for though Iew and Gentile did ever remain as words of civil distinction they were henceforward abolished as terms of hatefull disparity Quest. 18. But why were they not called Fatherians from God the Father or holy Ghostians from the holy Ghost why onely Christians from Christ the second person in the Trinity here if any return that they are too harsh and ill sounding too troublesome and tedious to be pronounced the answer is in no degree satisfactory to the question For first were our tongues as long accustomed to the pronunciation of these words as they have been used to the word Christian a very lisping utterance would easily be able to expresse them Secondly we in England within these last fifteen yeares have acquainted our tongues with as hard terms with as numerous syllables some of Latine others of Greek extraction Presbyterians Antinomians Independents Representatives c. and yet these go down glib with us in our common discourse Answ. 19. The true answer is this we are called Christians from that person in the Trinity that hath merited most in the redemption of mankind 20. And here farre be it from me to make odious comparisons betwixt the persons in the Trinity and their deserts towards us which have most indeared us unto them That person who hath done least for us hath done more for us then we can requite then we can deserve then we can expresse then we can conceive however may dust and ashes in all humility confesse this most necessary and comfortable truth that Christ the second person in the Trinity is the best friend we have in the Court of Heaven and hath both done and suffered most in the effecting our salvation 21. Thence is that expression of David Psalme 110.1 The Lord said unto my Lord sit thou at my right hand untill I make thy enemies thy footstool The Lord that is God the Father said to my Lord that is to God the Sonne to Iesus Christ indeed one can take but little comfort in the Lord if not for my Lords intercession The Lord considered in his greatnesse and justice is our enraged enemy affording us cause of fear and sadnesse till beheld as reconciled in our Lord unto us 22. Now it will plainly appear that Christ hath performed most for mankind in order to our Salvation For first in operibus ad extra in all outward actions Christ the second person in Trinity hath an equall share with the other two Thus Christ as well as the other two persons in Trinity created the World and all therein John 1.1 2 3. In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God The same was in the beginning with God All things were made by him and without him was not any thing made that was made 23. Secondly we are justified by Christ as well as by God the Father Gal. 2.17 But if while we seek to be justified

Ahimaaz his feet 2 Sam. 18.28 who being sent out of Cushi came to David before him yet can I not but dispraise the shallownesse of Ahimaaz his judgement who running before he had received perfect instructions from Joab came to the end of his journey scarce with the middle of his message Is it so then that we must consult with others then most lawfull laudable necessary is the vocation of them who are of learned councel for should your silly clients be entrusted w th the managing of their own suits they would cut the throat of their most rightfull causes even with the same sword with which you are able to defend them But may you be pleased patiently to heare the best spirituall advice which I freely bestow upon you who would be glad to pay your fees and give you deserved thanks for your councell if mine occasions so required it When such a cause shall be brought to your hands as your own consciences shall proclaim to be bad let Baal plead for himself let iniquity be her own advocate offer you not once to defend them and when the case shall be good loose it not in the labyrinths of delayes and Meanders of demurrs but bring it the narrowest cut the nearest course from the first motion to the finall verdict I must confesse there may be much corruption in a festred sore but I dare boldly say there is more corruption in the dishonest Chirurgion that may quickly cure it but will not for his private ends indeed they that hold leases by lives could be content that each life in their lease should be a Methuselah sith then your gain dependeth on the long depending of suits some perchance may think it more beneficiall for you needlesly to protract them But know by the speedy ending of them your gain shall be the more by being the lesse what is wanting in bulk shall be supplied in blessing no diseased tympany shall swell your estate but all your substance shall be solid wholesome flesh all the shekels in your coffers shall be shekels of the sanctuary such as you may enjoy with content whilest you live and leave to your wife and thrifty heirs when you die To you therefore it belongeth to consult this differs from the former consult is with others consider is in our selves for after wee have heard what others can say we must not so pinne our practise on their opinions but we must also use our own best consideration especially if it be in a case of conscience wherein our own good is particularly interested And this consideration is to go before our finall sentence Before we passe our utmost verdict we are first seriously to premise a due deliberation in our selves as formerly we have had 1 consultation with others Let us go down and see Gen. 1.18.21 whether the sinnes of Sodom be according to the cry which is come up unto mee Our adversaries of the Romish Church are too too faulty herein in giving sentence before they have well weighed the cause In the dayes of Queen Mary when our land was dark with ignorance and light onely with those bonfires which burnt the martyrs a woman in Jersey at the stake being delivered of a male child the standers by took the infant and threw it into the fire matchlesse cruelty children when newly born are to be baptized with water not to be cast into the fire or did they take it to be like the viper Acts 28. which no sooner crawled out of the heat of the flame but S. Paul presently cast it in again alas as yet it was no viper no poison in the teeth no venome in the tongue whereby it may do hurt Or did they think that it would take it by kind because his mother as they termed it was an heretick no sinne is so throughly entailed from parent to child but grace and good breeding may break it off Had they well pondered those things before hand perchance they might have prevailed for a reprive if not for a pardon for this child The Hebrews contrary to all other nations read their letters backward so the papists in their practise read backward and invert the order of my text and instead of consult give sentence and consider they first give sentence and then consult and perchance consider and I would to God all that hated popery hated also this popish practise for in some sort hereof guilty are they who seeing one wallowing in sinnes rashly reason from the present to the future and condemn such a one for a reprobate or castaway Let us not flatter black and say its white nor defame white and say it is black let us tell Judah of their sinnes and Israel of their transgressions for our callings warn us let us tell a drunkard that he is a drunkard an adulterer that he is an adulterer and that his estate is desperate and damnable if he live and dye impenitent in that condition But as for their finall estate it belongeth not to us to give sentence of them it is not for us to know these things which the father hath put in his own power but if our censuring faculty be so sharp on Gods blessing let us turn the edge thereof inward let us first read a criticall lecture on all our own bad thoughts words and actions and then shall we have lesse leasure and delight to rome and range abroad Now the word consider in my text warrants mee to addresse my speech to you who are of the jury for after consult is past after you have heard a case debated and argued by learned councel then is your duty to consider your way is so hedged on either side you cannot go out of it except you will wilfully for you are onely conscionably to find things according as you hear them alledged and proved and this done your office is discharged but beware of one thing the being overswaied by one appearing and potent man amongst you Barach said to Deborah Judge 4.8 if thou wilt go up with me I will go up but if thou wilt not go up with me then will I not go up So too often the the rest of the jury to one principall man amongst them please you S r to be for the plaintiff wee are for the plaintiff if you be for the defendant wee are for the defendant cast the prisoner wee cast him accquit you him and wee accquit him in a word wee 'l be the wax print you upon us what impression you please Beloved these things ought not to be so that the prisoner should be cast at the verdict of twelve men and eleven of these twelve have their judgements cast by the verdict of one Look therefore to your selves except others will answer to God for your perjury for to you it belongeth to consider I come now to the third step of the throne of justice give sentence where wee may observe after due consultation and consideration are past wee ought