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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
word_n	ground_n	seed_n	sow_v	3,097	5	9.7817	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A93931	A second champion, or, Companion to truth: Wherein is shewed these particulars, or tenets. 1 Of miracles. 2 The reasons wherefore so few imbrace the gospell. 3 Of the first covenant, and the second covenant. 4 Of the father and the son. 5 Of Heaven. 6 Of Hell. 7 Of Glory. 8 Of faith. 9 Of the resurrection, and the eternall judgement. 10 Of visible worship. 11 A postscript. By Richard Stookes preacher of the Gospell	Stooks, Richard, fl. 1651-1652.	1650 (1650)	Wing S5740cA; ESTC R231910	98,234	235

death and shall not the word judge you at the last day for every idle word and is not this the word of Christ John 12. 48. Consider therefore all you that forget God will not his word find you one day and accuse you at the bar of justice for all your contempt and then what answer will you make will you say his word was false or true will you condemn your judge that shall judge you the Lord give to consider that you may prevent the judgements of this Judge CHAP. 2. The Reasons wherefore so few believe and imbrace the Gospel IN the next place I shall endeavour to shew you the Reason wherefore so few believe the ●ospel for Christ saith many are called and few are chosen Mat. 22. 14. And so there is no fault in Christ if he call them and they come not the fault is theirs and not his Christ tells us also That 〈◊〉 is the gate and narrow is the way that leads to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 few there are that find it Mat. 7. ●4 And 〈◊〉 sure Christ doth not hinder them from finding the way for if he did he would not condemn them for not finding it but sure he 〈◊〉 intend to give them life because he pro●●●● it to them or else he did dissemble with 〈◊〉 which I believe he did not Also the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 as like 〈◊〉 a King that made ●●●●riage for his 〈◊〉 Mat. 22. 2 3 4. Now this King is God who did intend to marry his Sonne to all that imbrace his grace and first he invited the Jewes as Christ himself saith I was not sent but to the lost sheepe of the House of Israel Mat. 10. 6. But the proud Scribes and Pharisees rejected the grace and mercy offered them and respected the pleasures of this world above the riches of Christ and he came unto his own but his own received him not John 1. 11. And therefore the Children of the Kingdom were cast out Mat. 8. 12. And therefore Paul saith it was necessary that the Gospel should be first preached to the Jewes but seeing you reject the Gospel loe we turn to the Gentiles Acts 13. 46. And thus you see they were called but they refused to come and therefore the fault was theirs and not his for Christ saith A sower went forth to sow and some seed fell upon good ground and some fell upon bad ground and some ground brought forth fruit and some brought forth none Now the sower is Christ and the seed is the word of grace and the ground is the World Now it doth appear that the fault was not in the sower for he sowed good seed as you may see Mat. 13. 34. And the same seed was sowen upon the bad ground as upon the good but you may say how came the ground to be bad I reply by the Devil and themselves for God made the ground good as you may see Gen. 2. and so saith the wise Solomon Eccles 7. 29. God made man good but they found out many inventions so that you may see the fault was in the ground and not in the sower nor the seed so that the fault is not in Christ because so few receive the Gospel but in the Creature who is condemned for rejecting the Gospel And now I shall come to Reasons to shew you wherefore so few imbrace the Gospel 1. Because the promises of the Gospel are spiritual and promises of another life and therefore so few receive it for if the Gospel promised to make men rich men and great men in the World then all would be Gospel-Professors because they would be rich and great men in the World and to be honoured of men and to injoy all the glory of the flesh for to have the prayse of men and to have the World on their side but because the Gospel holds forth no such thing but contrariwise those that imbrace the Gospel loose the savour and esteeme of the World and are hated of all men as contemptible men of another World as not worthy 〈◊〉 upon the face of the Earth and therefore there are so few that imbrace the Gospel the wayes of the Gospel being despised and contemptible in the eyes of the World Mat. 10. 22. And this is the Reason wherefore so few imbrace the Gospel of Christ as you may see John 15. 19. 2. Reason Is because the Gospel holds forth a self-denying Creature that a man must deny himself in the honours riches and pleasures of this life and love Christ above all for he that loves Father or Mother Wife and Children or Brother and Sister or any thing in the world more then Christ is not worthy of him and he that doth not denie himself and take up his Crosse and follow Christ cannot be his Disciple Mat. 10. 34. Luke 14. 26. For he that seekes to save his life in the riches honours of this life he shall loose the riches honours in Christ and he that is ashamed to professe the truth of Christ before men Christ will deny him the comforts of the Gospel before his Father which is in Heaven and therefore it is that so few do believe and obey the Gospel even because they love the honours riches and pleasures of this life more then they do Christ Nay rather then they will lose the honour of this world they will 〈◊〉 Christ like Judas for a peece of money 〈◊〉 deny their Master with Peter and forsake Christ with Demas to imbrace this present world so hard a thing is self-deniall to be brought off our own bottoms to imbrace the Gospell that I may say with the Prophet Esay 53. Lord who hath believed our report so many seek themselves and so few the things of Christ that rather then they will deny themselves they deny the Lord that bought them 2 Pet. 2. 1 3 Reason Wherefore so few imbrace the Gospell is because men love the praise of men more then the praise of God for thus it was in the dayes of Christ there were many of the Rulers believed on him but they did not confesse his name and Gospell openly because of the Priests of those times who were enemies to Christ and his truth and for fear of the Priests of those times they ●urst not imbrace the Gospell lest they should lose their favour and be shut out of the synagogue John 12. 42 they will deny Christ for the Text saith That those chiefe Rulers loved the praise of men more then the praise of God ver 43. And thus it is now in our dayes there are many of the chiefe Rulers believe and are perswaded of the truth of Christ but they will not confesse him and 〈◊〉 truth openly because they will not displease the Priests and least they should out themselves out of the fleshly Church of England and that covetous fleshly Ministry and because they love the praise of men more then the praise of God the god of this world having blinded the eyes of the

acting good he tels thee there is no sin yet he knows he is the father of lies he tels thee that the Scripture is but a low and carnall way but he knows thou art a liar he tels thee that the Scriptures cannot save thee but he knows the Scriptures can damne thee he tels thee that the Scriptures cannot bring life but he knows the Scriptures can bring death he tels thee that the Scriptures are carnall but he knows that thou art carnall he tels thee that the Scriptures are not the minde of God but he knows thou art a liar And thus the Devill deludeth and man acteth his delusions how apt is the Devill to deceive and how apt is man to be deceived how cunning is the Devill to delude and how foolish is the creature to be deluded how wise is the Devill to keep thee from heaven and how foolish art thou to lose it his intent is to damne thee and thy intent is to damne thy self And this is the grand design of the Devil too he makes thee beleeve thou art high when he knows thou art but low he makes thee beleeve thou art in light when he knows thou art in darknesse how oft hath the Devill deceived thee and how oft hast thou been deceived the Devill bids thee to deny the word and thou art ready to forsweare it the Devil bids thee to mocke the Scripture and thou art ready to trample it under thy feet and what is this but a Bird worse then himself he hatches the Egge and the man begets the Serpent he sows the seed and man reaps it But some may think I speak a mystery if so then know I speak to a people in the mystery of darknesse whose thoughts are high but their words are low whose words are high but their actions are but low who talk of love but their deeds are hatred they will not beleeve a visible worship in Scripture and therefore we must prove it to our comfort and their shame But we must not prove it by Scripture for if we doe they will not beleeve it Now you may see the Serpent stir in the Egge and therefore we must prove it by reason the Lord said to Saul Thy sinne is as the sinne of witchcraft to reject the word which if so then there are many such like witches And because thou hast rejected my word I have also rejected thee which if so how many such like witches will God reject There was such under the Law that said It was in vaine to serve God and thou art following thy fore-fathers steps thou wilt not be behinde them thou wilt rather runne before them so ready art thou to obey thy disobedient master the Devill he fell from his first place and so wilt thou for thou art a servant to that god that thou obeyest but thou shewest that thou art not for God but for Belial thou wilt not manifest a visible obedience but thou wilt manifest a visible disobedience thou wilt not worship God but thou wilt worship Belial thou wilt not worship God visibly but thou wilt worship Beliall visibly and now I shall give thee some Reasons for a visible worship but it may be thou wilt say it is not reason then I shall say thou art no man 1. The principles of Nature wil tell thee that there is a visible worship for before there was any prescript worship set forth yet there was an inward principle that told them there was a visible worship and thereby they did worship God visibly and did manifest to all the world that they stood for a visible worship and did offer Sacrifices and the like to manifest a visible worship to their God and did worship God in the principles of Nature as faithfully as if they had had a visible prescript whereby they were justified before God and wilt thou derogate from Nature then it seemes thou hast a principle worse then Nature for Nature is for a visible worship when they had no visible worship set forth yet Nature taught them there was one but thou hast a worse principle then Nature that teacheth thee there is none 2. Thy Conscience will tell thee there is a visible worship and wil testifie against thee one day for thy visible disobedience and wil accuse thee at the Barre of Justice what wilt thou say then wilt thou say there was no visible worship wil not conscience tell thee of thy wickednesse and lay before thee what an agent of Hel thou hast bin oft thou hast belied thy conscience and stifled the motions thereof and how oft thou hast pleaded against thy conscience and that thou hast made the Word of the Lord contemptible and hast villyfied it before all the people how thou hast slighted the Commands of the Lord and hast set thy selfe to worke wickednesse and hast sold thy selfe to plead for disobedience that thou hast stood for Baal and not for God in that thou hast acted the Devils part to make the wayes of God contemptible now how wil thy traiterous heart excuse thee for all these things wilt thou plead against Conscience then at the bar of Justice no Traitor thy Conscience wil then be thy Judge and set thy sins in order before thee and then thou shalt be paid according to thy deserts and thy punishment shal be as great as thy sinne when thou shalt fall into the wrath of the Almighty 3. If thou art not for a visible obedience then thou art for a visible disobedience and then his servant thou art to whom thou obeyest but thou art not for visible obedience but for disobedience and by that I shal know who is thy Father even the Devil who is the father of Lyes and of disobedience for he kept not his first place nor abode in the truth and thou followest the steps of thy father the Devil for thou art his owne childe we may know thee by following thy fathers steps that thou commest out of his bosome for he hath begat thee to be a sonne of his Lyes for how dost thou set up a visible disobedience to all the world thou art busie about thy Fathers worke God tels men they should obey and teacheth the Creature visible obedience and thou sayest he should not obey and teachest the Creature visible disobedience and is not this a setting up thy selfe against God the Lord strives to make men good and thou strivest to make men wicked wouldest thou make all the world disobedient that thou mightest rejoyce at their disobedience as the Devil rejoyceth at thee thou art for disobedience thou shewest whose sonne thou art and there I leave thee 4. Thy striving so against a visible worship doth make it appeare that there is one by thy striving against it for if there were not a visible worship what dost thou strive against if there were none thou hadst no need to strive for nothing for thy strife were at an end but sure thou art aware there is a visible worship

attend the Apostles in their Ministry who were to set forth such a way to the world that was never before heard of neither can there be a more glorious way set forth or more glorious Ministers then Christ and his Apostles were to set forth a way to the World to walke in in future ages and therefore the Father even the God of Heaven and Earth did so honour the way of the Gospel with his Sonne and such glorious Miracles that were never acted before since the World stood whereby he did manifest his probation of their way And thus I have shewed you some reasons wherefore Miracles were on foot even to confirme the truth that Christ and his Apostles did set forth Now I shall also shew you reasons and grounds wherefore I conceive that Miracles are ceased which are these First We have received a sure word of prophecy to the which we do wel if we take heed 2 Pet. 1. 19. For a standing Word as the Gospel is is a more surer ground of Faith then all the Miracles in the world that our faith should not be built upon men but upon the Word of God which endureth for ever 1 Pet. 1. 25. For to ground our Faith upon miracles is but a rotteu foundation because when miracles cease our Faith must cease and so we stand at a great losse being built on so uncertaine a ground but it is not so with the people of God who are built upon the Rock and foundation of Christ and his Apostles their way being undeniable and by the which way we must be judged at the last day Secondly Another Reason is this Miracles were to accompany Apostolicall men in those Apostolicall times to set forth an Apostolicall way to the World which they were to stand to being so gloriously confirm'd with miracles by Christ and his Apostles as any way could be confirmed so that now to look for miracles is vaine except you look for a better way and better work-men then the former were which to do is to race the foundation of Christ and his Apostles Thirdly Because it cannot appear that after those Apostolicall times that miracles were on foot or that any after those times did work miracles neither Timothy nor Titus in their ordinary ministery nor any of the Ministers in the seaven Churches of Asia but were to looke unto the forme of sound Doctrine which they had received from the Apostles as you may see 2 Tim. 1. 13. which was the foundation of Christian Doctrine and practise whereon the people of God are to build in every age For other foundation can no man lay then Christ hath laid 1 Cor. 3. 11. And so it doth appear that after the Apostles times there was no looking for miracles for they knew the Gospell was as gloriously confirmed with Miracles as was possible to be Fourthly If we looke for miracles now what do we else but question the Doctrine of the Gospel and fly in the face of Christ and his Apostles to condemn them of insufficiency as not being able to set forth such a way for all men to walk in which is sufficient to save them if they believe in it and also of force to condemn if they do reject it But this is clear where the Apostle saith that Christ shall come in flaming fire to render vengeance against them that obey not the Gospel 2 Thes 1 8. Fiftly If we must have Miracles now to believe then why not Miracles also to confirm our belief and miracles also to keep us in the Faith which if so then we may cast off the Scriptures and build our Faith upon Miracles then if miracles cease we cease to believe and so if there be no Miracle there is no Faith if no belief then no salvation Sixthly If we must build our Faith upon Miracles and nothing be true to us in the Scripture till it be confirmed by a Miracle then how will you discern between a false ●●racle and a true seeing that a pretender may do the like and so ●ou may take a false miracle for a true o● a true miracle for a false and so by the subtilty of the Devill you may be ●●● in strong delusions to deny all S●●pture to your utter damnation Seventhly Whether doth not this Tenent question the State of all our fore-fathers from the Apostles to this present time that their faith was in vaine and their salvation uncertain seeing they wanted miracles to confirme it to them and so were in a sad condition and the like I may say of you that stand so much for miracles what if you die before you enjoy a miracle to confirme the truth unto you and so build upon the sand is not your condition sad that your salvation should depend upon a miracle and so be damned 8. Whether doth not this Tenent set up the Pope and his Adherents who may say by this reasoning that he is in the right way and others in the wrong because they have miracles to confirm their way and thereby prove their Church to be true the Pope working a miracle every year whereby he doth perswade them that his way is right and all the wayes of others false because they have not miracles to confirm their way and therefore the Pope by this may plead that he is right and others wrong and so we shall justifie the generation of the wicked to confirm them in their wickednesse and condemne the people of God because they have no miracle 9. I may say to such as Christ saith to the Scribes and Pharisees under the Law They have Moses and the Prophets if they would not believe them neither would they believe if one should rise from the dead to work miracles and so I say we have Christ and his Apostles and he that will not believe the truth set forth by them confirmed before by miracles neither will he believe if one should rise from the dead and do all the miracles in the world 10. It doth appear that miracles are ceased because the Scriptures do declare that such as should work miracles in the last dayes should be false Prophets shewing signes and wonders and that Satan should come with all lying signes and wonders to draw men from the truth that they might believe a lye that all those might be damned who obey not the truth but obey unrighteousnesse 2 Thes 2. 9. 10. And this I believe is the Divels grand designe in these dayes to make men believe that the Scripture is not true without miracles to confirme it that thereby he may deceive the world and set up his own false miracles in stead of the true and this may be the reason why he puts it into the hearts of men in these dayes that miracles and dreams are above the word that thereby he might have them where he would and so deceive them with a false miracle as he doth the greatest part of the world at this day as the Turks who are