Selected quad for the lemma: world_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
world_n	holy_a	mercy_n	miserable_a	4,748	5	11.1845	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A58941	Sacramentorum encomium: or The praise of the sacraments in a letter written in the year 1654 to the preacher then at Barham in the county of Kent, with-holding the holy sacraments from a great number of godly souls, unless they would subject themselves against laws and good conscience to a rigid Presbyterian government. Wherein the said government is plainly and undeniably proved to be (of all other) the most injurious to the magistrate, most oppressive to the subject, &c. Published by a member of the parish of Barham, for the satisfaction of all wel-affected subjects, and good Christians.	Member of the parish of Barnham.	1661 (1661)	Wing S223B; ESTC R219820	25,942	69

people whom they expect should do just as they would have them be it right or wrong will not presently go out of the old and instantly come into a new Church way and that even before they are shewn what it is or where it lies or the contrivers of it themselves have thorowly agreed what it shall be a way which when by themselves as they may think perfected will in all likelyhood be as little liked of and followed by the most godly most wise and most learned men of this Nation as it hath been practised by them since the time of our blessed Saviors coming into the world till the first year of Liberty for every one to take upon him what Religion he pleaseth broach what Heresie he fancieth and be of what Sect he conceiveth most to his own advantage And is it any other then an unsatisfactory reason in those Austere Doctors which will not administer the holy Sacrament of Baptism to those children whose Parents though visibly in the Covenant of God and visible members of Christs Church though they acknowledg themselves to believe in him and by vertue of his merits to obtain everlasting life and though they desire to partake of his Ordinances yet because they will not in every thing dance after their pipe will not have a hand with them in renting in pieces the seamless Coat of their Saviour will not apprehend all their errors to be truths will not suffer themselves to be rid upon by these unmercifull horsmen under pretence of Church discipline will not break the bond of unity amongst themselves but maintain a sociable familiarity and sometimes as they have too too much cause speak against Pharisaical practises yet because they will not confess all that these teachers say to be true all that they practise to be good all that they would have done to be of absolute necessity to be done shall therefore be denied the benefit of the Holy Sacraments though accused by no other then themselves to be ignorant scandalous and scoffers at Religion and hereupon be rejected as Children of wrath plain Aliens altogether without hope utterly without God in this present world Miserable were the condition of man if it were by a perpetual Law established that these partial and hard-hearted Rulers should be his Accusers and Judges For should not God through his unspeakeable goodness shew mercy unto thousands of poor Children whose remote forefathers loved him They must forever go without it for these men and all because their immediate parents were such as would not every way square themselves according to their wild fancies and unrectified judgments But suppose those immediate parents were wicked indeed as they many times only pretend them to be so Hath not God told them plain enough by the Prophet Ezekiel Ez. 18.20 That the child shall not suffer for the iniquity of the Father is it not evident that the Children of wicked Parents amongst the Jews were circumcised and if so why may not Children proceeding from the like Parents of the Christians be baptized sith it is not to be doubted his hand is not shortned and he hath given as large priviledges to us under the Gospel as he gave to them under the Law otherwise we should be loosers by the coming of Christ which Credat Judaeus Apella non nos though the circumcised Jew will believe we will be far from giving credit to any such monstruous improbability Nisi forte arbitramur Christum in suo adventu Patris gra●…am imminuisse aut decurtasse quod ex●crabi●… blasphemia non va●… C●l Inst lib. 4. c. 16. sect 4. We read that Saint John the Baptist sprang for joy in his Mothers womb at the salutation of the Virgin Luke 1.41 but are to seek for the cause of so great joy had his birth been so disadvantagious to him and others in that condition the coming of Christ witness the testimony of an Angel from heaven and the Holy Ghost bearing witness of the truth of that Testimony was joyous to all Lu. 2.20 all sexes all conditions all ages advantagious to all even to Infants Our most blessed Saviour brought grace along with him Grace and Truth saith John Joh. 1.17 came by with Jesus Christ Grace in the superlative degree reaching spreading farther under the new then the old Testament The grace of God which bringeth salvation hath appeared saith the Apostle Tit. 2.11 to all men i.e. to all sorts of ages conditions of men The grace of God in an ordinary dispensation was first appropriated to the Jews they were then his favourites to whom his grace in Christ was manifested but now that grace hath appeared to all men the grace of the Gospel is more ample and every wayes greater Grace then that before or under the Law God having provided some better things for us saith the Apostle Heb. 11.40 more greater and better privileges for us under the Gospel then for them under the Law and by consequence for the Children of the Christians then for the Children of the Jews which could not be if our Children had not right to the Covenant as well as theirs Had these Teachers who are thus scrupulous in administring this holy Ordinance perused and minded holy and learned Perkins his works as much as they use to read and and study the noval and schismatical Pamphlets of the time they might have been taught by him that The Children of Parents that are professed members of the Church though cut off for a time upon some offence committed have right to Baptism because it is not in the power of man to cut them off from Christ though excommunicated which being so why may not the Children descending from Parents though in their persons wicked not excommunicated have right to the sacred Ordinance of Baptism sith those of the very excommunicated in the Judgment of so profound a Master as Perkins have right thereunto But behold the opinion by the practice of a greater then Perkins even of John the Baptist himself who baptized all that came unto him for his Baptism Mat. 3.5 amongst others even those very Pharisees and Sadduces whom at the same time he called a generation of vipers Mat. 3.7 and the latter of whom denyed the resurrection it self And as they are no other then unsatisfactory reasons which are given for not administring the holy Sacrament of Baptism what are they better which are rendred for their not admitting those that are Religious and knowing Christians to the supper of the Lord because peradventure there may be some in a Parish who may be Scandalous or ignorant or others who will refuse to make answer to some needless questions may be demanded by such as rake it to be a part of their function to make a deeper search into consciences then any Law of God or reason of man inforceth and upon this denyal they shall be put off to another time from the mystery of

Sacramentorum Encomium OR THE PRAISE OF THE SACRAMENTS IN A LETTER written in the Year 1654 to the Preacher then at Barham in the County of Kent with-holding the Holy SACRAMENTS from a great number of godly souls unless they would subject themselves against Laws and good Conscience to a Rigid PRESBYTERIAN GOVERNMENT Wherein the said Government is plainly and undeniably proved to be of all other the most Injurious to the Magistrate most oppressive to the Subject c. Published by a Member of the Parish of Barham for the satisfaction of all Wel-affected Subjects and good Christians The Prophet is the snare of a Fowler in all his ways Hosea 9.8 London Printed in the Year 1661. SIR THe eye of the world hath now twice made his progress through all his 365 degrees and you having received of the Parishioners of Barham since you came hither well nigh so many pounds as there are degrees for his orb to move in during all which we a considerable number of the same Parish having with no ordinary pat●ence as we and others too conceive expected that you should administer the holy and saving Ordinances of our most blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ amongst us but to our wonderment and greif finding so great we will not yet say wilful neglect in you therein do now not out of any humour of opposition or cavelling with you qualities which become not the servants of our Lord and Master who is the Prince of peace but out of a sincere and hearty affection to the glory of Almighty God and the welfare of our souls in all hum●lity and meekness of Spirit earnestly desire implore you from the very bottom of our hearts as you are a Minister of Jesus Christ if as truly sent amongst us as never chosen by us or liked of us that you will not defraud us of that which we conceive belongs to us our Children is no less then the holy Sacraments ordained by the Lord Jesus himself till the time of his second c●…ing In this manifestation of our thoughts and desires you cannot expect from us plain Countrey-men any Rhetorical florishes any depth of humane learning any wisdome such as is that of the world these faculties as they are above the sphaere of our capacities so are they far beneath the level of our desires for we seriously confess we covet not the excellency of enticing words or of the wisdome of the men or Princes of the world but that which we daily and hourly beg for is that we may receive the Spirit of God thereby to know Christ crucified and seasonably to apply his merits to our souls by participation of him in his holy Sacraments We know that the world knew not God in the wisdome of God that natural man perceiveth not nor indeed can he perceive the things of the Spirit of God We also know that not many wise men not many mighty not many noble no not many Princes of the world hath God chosen to be his favourites but that he hath made choise of the foolish things of the world to confound the wise and the weak things of the world to confound the mighty and the vile things of the world and things which are despised and things which are not to bring to nought things that are amongst which foolish and weak things we ranck our selves neither having attained to nor indeed much affected the wisdome of the world or excellency of words God he knows our meaning is honest and very plain and we shall sincerely propose our very hearts and thoughts to you We truly confess we speak 〈◊〉 to your honor we have not observed any of those vices of drunkenness or prodigallity in you which too too much abound in some men we do as cordially wish that spiritual pride secret malice and immoderate covetousness affections which many times are too too predominant in the Saints themselves may not take up any lodging in the chambers of your as we hope sanctified heart yet we must really tell you we cannot but wounder with what face with what reason with what conscience you could impose or suffer your self to be imposed upon a people which it should seem you esteem to be no better then Infidels or dogs for upon what other ground we are to seek why you should refuse to give that which is holy unto us we have not as yet denyed to give you temporal things the fruits of the labour of our hands the sweat of our browes the issue of our brains why should you withold from us those which are spiritual why should you keep back from us those tokens which our Lord and Master hath left for us we beseech you tell us do you think it your whole duty to get up into the Pulpit and there only preach unto us and by vertue thereof to extort tythes from us in sober sadness is there nothing else in your opinion required of a Minister of Jesus Christ are there no signs and seals of the Covenant of grace to be delivered by you to us is it therefore you refuse to do it because you may think there be some amongst us that have been railors drunkards wantons fornicators adulterers or covetous persons why though not guilty we can say it is to be feared such were some of you and if you be now washed sanctified and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of God who knoweth but by the same spirit we may be in the like manner washed sanctified and justified and if so or desire to be so pardon us if we importune the seals of Grace which may conduce to our future glory But if you think us like Turks Jews and Heathen unworthy of them tel us so if not why have you witheld them from us all this while if you will not give them us but necessitate us to seek for them elsewhere we then desire you to set down your reasons under your hand in the mean while we demand of you with what conscience or honor you can refuse to restore back to the poorer sort amongst us out of that great income you receive those moneyes they have been forced to expend upon other Ministers for doing that which we conceive of right belonged ●o you to do we say great income because it is great in it self greater in respect of the very little content you give us for when we stedfastly look upon you and behold you like Janus to have two faces with the one looking earnestly toward our Tithes without any regard to the Sacraments with the other toward Womens weuld we cannot apprehend you to be other then some strange Minister we will not say Monster rushed in amongst us and indeed such an one as neither we nor our Fore-fathers ever saw in Barham before None of your Predecessors some of whom without all peradventure were pious and learned men Hooker ever like unto your self denyed the Sacraments unto

again for how can those bodies fed and nourished with the body and blood of the Lord of life but be raised up with him again at that day unto life it being given by Him for their eternal salvation It was neither Saint nor Angel but the Son of God himself who ordained this holy Mystery and is the chiefest memorial left by Him of our Redemption our Redemption which was the chiefest benefit that ever man needed from God or that God ever bestowed up on man and there fore every Christian should account this holy supper the chiefest and most joyful feast in this world and come unto it with praise and thanksgiving the sinner laying aside his sins must come to this feast the envious man his enmitie and come he that hath variety of secular imployments must lay aside his secular imployments and and come and converse with God He that is well grounded in grace must come because he is excellently disposed to so holy a feast but he that is but in the infancy of his piety had need to come that so he may grow in grace the strong must come least they become weak and the weak that they may become strong the sick must come to be cured the healthful to be preserved they that have leasure must come because they have no excuse they that have no leasure must come hither that by so excellent Religion they may sanctifie their business The penitent sinners must come that they may be justified and they that are justified that they may be justified still they that have fears and great reverence to these mysteries and think no preparation to be sufficient must receive that they may learn to receive the more worthily and they that have a less degree of reverence must come often to have it hightned Here are remedies for all sick and sorrowful sinners the very letter of the word of Christ giveth plain security that these mysteries do as nails fasten us unto his very Cross that by him we draw out as touching efficacy force and vertue even the blood of his gored side in the wounds of out Redeemer we there dip our tongues we are dyed red both within and without our hunger is satisfied and our thirst for ever quenched they are things wonderful which he feeleth great which he seeth and unheard of which he uttereth whose souls is possest of this Paschal Lamb and made joyful in the strength of this new wine this Bread hath in it more then the substance which our eyes behold this Cup hallowed with solemn benediction availeth to the endless life and welfare both of soul and body in that it serveth as well for a medicine to heal our infirmities and purge our sins as for a sacrifice of thanksgiving which touching it sanctifieth it enlightneth with belief it truly conformeth us unto the Image of Jesus Christ who by vertue of his divine benediction with hands and eyes lifted up to heaven first blessed and consecrated those chosen elements of bread wine made them for ever instruments of life for the endless good of all generations O how inexpressibly comfortable are the benefits devolved upon us hereby O how infinite are the joyes such as eye hath not seen nor eare heard nor can enter into the heart of man prepared for the worthy receivers to such belongs life life indeed life everlasting with those is the Tabernacle of God and God himself shall be their God and He will wipe away all tears from their eyes no more death no more sorrow no more crying no more pain shall trouble them He that is Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end will be their God and they shall be his Sons they shall inhabit the great City the holy Jerusalem enlightned with the glory of God and walled with a great and high wall founded upon twelve foundations garnished with all manner of precious stones and the names of the Lambs twelve Apostles the gates belonging to this City being no less in number then twelve and every one of them made of Pearl Rev. 21.21 and the pavement of it of pure Gold a City having no need of Sun or Moon to shine in it having the glory of God to light it and the law to be the light of it to this City all the Kings of the Earth shall bring honor and glory and all those who religiously hunger and thurst after the body and blood of this Lamb and worthily partake of it shall walk in the light of it And shall any hunger and thirst after this soul-saving heavenly banquet Shall some be set apart on purpose by an Almighty gracious and liberal inviter freely to deliver it unto them And are all these mentioned benefits and priviledges yea Heaven it self promised to them that hunger and thirst and partake of it and yet shall there be any who will not only wilfully neglect but also peremptorily deny to minister at this holy feast and thereby suffer the hunger and thirst of poor souls to remain unsatisfyed Shall any in like manner whom our most mercifull Saviour Jesus Christ hath commanded to Suffer little children to come unto him for to such belongs the Kingdom of Heaven be so wickedly hard-hearted so maliciously bent so without all natural compassion as to shut the door against those poor little infants deny them a little water Sacramentally to wash away their sins with keep back from them the sign and seal of Gods promise and as much as in them lieth put them out of the Covenant of Grace and thrust them into the wofull pit of everlasting Perdition Certainly if we had not seen such creatures with our eyes wee should hardly have believed our ears at any mens mentioning of them such there are amongst us and our children after us will declare the mighty work of division they have wrought in our days which they first prepared under colour of Religion to accomplish their own crooked ends thereby And these people do separate themselves from others desiring to be thought more holy then they These the Apostles long since foretold should come to deceive in the latter times they have thrust out pious and learned men out of their seats and exalted Dunces and themselves in the room of them they have caused Schismes and Heresies amongst the people which happen by reason of our sins through the just judgment of our God wherewith from on high he hath visited us by permitting those false lights to shine in these times of darkness to lead our feet out of the way of peace and deny us the Holy Sacraments which were ordeined for the remission of our sins such strange lights there are now and what makes them such Semblably it is to be feared ignorant obstinacy and self-seeking ends for who can imagine it to be other then ignorant obstinacy in these crabbed Doctors who alledge no other then unsatisfactory reasons for their omission of holy and necessary duties as because forsooth the