Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	eternal_a	life_n	work_n	4,896	5	5.7141	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A87825	A modest plea for private mens preaching. Or An answer to a booke intituled, Private men no pulpit men; composed by Master Giles Workman. Wherein the thing in controversie is briefly debated; the examination of private mens preaching examined; also certain accusations wip'd away and removed. / By John Knowles a preacher of the gospel, formerly in and neer Glocester, now belonging to the life-guard of his Excellency Sir Thomas Fairfax.	Knowles, John, fl. 1646-1668.	1648 (1648)	Wing K730; Thomason E434_8; ESTC R206223	32,543	41

A modest PLEA FOR PRIVATE MENS PREACHING OR AN ANSWER TO A BOOKE intituled Private men no pulpit men composed by Master GILES WORKMAN Wherein The thing in controversie is briefly debated The examination of private mens preaching examined also certain accusations wip'd away and removed By JOHN KNOWLES A Preacher of the Gospel formerly in and neer Glocester now belonging to the Life-Guard of his Excellency Sir THOMAS FAIRFAX LONDON Printed in the Yeare 1648. The Preface to the Reader CHRISTIAN READER THere are two evils too common amongst Professors one is the taking up of much for truth which is indeed not so whence they accept darknesse for light and imbrace nubem pro Junone a cloud for Juno The other is the imbracing of many truthes which they see not with their owne eyes to be so whereby their faith proves fruthlesse whil'st this popish doctrine to believe as the Church the Clergie believes is a practicall tenent amongst them Wherefore I cannot but see a breaking forth of mercies towards us by the breaking out of controversies amongst us that being a way to remove us from our false apprehensions and to settle us on true upon good foundations Therefore expect Reader sound reformation from our grosse apprehensions and a sweet union from our great divisions I cannot but acquaint thee courteous Reader with two lessons which God some-while since hath taught me The first is To bring all things to the touch-stone and under examination wherefore those things which men call received truths I have called into question and am resolved neither to believe nor practice any thing till I enjoy a satisfactory reason why I should so either believe or practice By which course I have beene gratiously led out of many imbraced errours and I hope gratiously led into many yet unresolved scruples for satisfastion wherein I wait on the God of discoveries Secondly I have learned to receive truth by parcel-meale in that God is wont by degrees not by whole sale to impart it As for the following discourse it was occasioned from a desire in me to vindicate both the truth my selfe from a false accusation and it was long-since prepared for and sent up towards the Presse but providence by sicknesse hindering the Messenger it returned back again to me where it hath ever since remained in the prison of silence and should bave been for ever hindered from walking abroad had not importunity obtained it liberty to behold the Sun and looke the world in the face That it's entertainment will be diverse I am not doubtfull How I may be censured I am not carefull If God may have glory and his Church good I have my desire I shall not farther trouble thee in way of Preface but only to intreat thee seriously to consider of the insuing discourse What in it thou findest to be good that 's Gods Give him the glory What falls thou meet'st with some may be mine impute them to me some may be the Printers do him that favour when thou find'st them to amend them by which thou may'st oblige him unto thy service who is willing to be commanded by thee John Knowles A Modest PLEA for private Mens PREACHING The First Part. Wherein the thing in controversie is briefly stated and clearly explained whereunto also positive arguments are annexed and certain Interogatories answered WHen controversies are rightly stated they are in away to be ended Acts 19. He that strives about things not wisely stated beats the Ayer and sights with his shadow and so brings forth opas mane a fruitlesse labour Too many of our zealous contenders are too like Demetrius his followers making out-cries and uproares without reason and with not a little ignorance Wherefore that I may not shoot my darts as at randome and that there may for the building be laid a good foundation I shall in the first place yeild a briefe proposall of mine Assertion thus That men gifted for Preaching though out of Office may lawfully in any company preach the Gospel Words may admit of diverse constructions and some are apt to mistake plainest expressions Wherefore I shall to the Assertion add a cleare explaination of it that my meaning in it being cleare discervered and mistakes about it wholly removed the Christian Reader may be put in a posture rightly to judge of the thing which is nunce sub judice now in controversie amongst us For the effecting whereof three questions shall be proposed and answered which may plainly informe the Reader of my minde in the fore-going conclusion As the three errowes which Jonathan shot gave notice to David of Sauls intention Questi 1 What is it to preach the Gospel Answer Before a direct answer be return'd to this quaere I shall take liberty in a word to shew what the Word of the Gospel is which will open a way to the Reader whereby he may the more easily enter into the knowledge of the thing demanded The Gospel is a divine new-Testament doctrine making a glorious discovery to man of the Almighties will concerning man Now to Preach the Gospel is nothing else but to publish make known or declare the truths and mysteries contained in it That this is true may be as clearly perceived as the Sun at noon-day by the two following particulars First By considering the proper significations of the principall words which are commonly used to expresse the worke of Gospel-preaching These three following I have specially observ'd whose significations will give light to the truth of the fore-going difinition The first is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which from the Septuagint and Greek Originall is translated in the Latine as Uer●ion proclamare praedicare and signifies as much as aper●e seu publice dicere vel docere to divulge report publish or noyse abroad And so 't is ended Marke 5.20 Chap 7.36 The Gospel is a divine doctrine or Proclamation from Heaven containing in it house-top-discoveries which concerne all and are to be published to and apprehended by all The second is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Latine euangelizare which is often translated to preach the Gospel and doth properly signifie lata annunciare to shew or bring glad tidings and so 't is turned in Luke 1.19 chap. 2.10 He that preacheth the Gospel brings heart-rejoycing tidings to the creature for the Gospel discovers a sufficient remedy for mans misery and holds out the way to everlasting glory The third which speakes the same language with the former is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to Prophesie signifying properly to fore-tell or say any thing Mat. 15.7 some time to reveal a secret Matth. 26.68 sometime to teach 1 Cor. 13.9 Revel 11.3 This word fitly sets out the worke of Gospel-preaching for the World to come is the sub●ect or matter of the Gospel Vnto the Angels saith the Apostle God ha●h not put into subjection the world to come whereof of we speake Heb. 2.5 that is God hath not made eternall life or everlasting death to be the matter of the Law or that doctrine which was ordain'd by Angels of which world to come we that are Ministers of the Gospel speake All doe Prophesie who preach the Gospel for they fore-tell what shall be the everlasting estate and condition of every man that they shall enjoy life that believe that they shall meet with death who have not faith to lay hold on eternall life Secondly By comparing Scriptures where divers words and such that condescend to the weakest capacity are used to expresse the same worke of

God bee suffer'd Spirare ubi vult to breath where it will Or must his breathings be contemned if they are found in Babes and Suckling Surely if the Doctors in the Temple had been of that judgement Christ Jesus whil'st a Child had not been suffer'd to dispute amongst them Saul thought David unfit and unable for meeting with and conquering of that great Goliah because Puer erat he was but a Child Thou art saith he not able to fight with this Philistin for thou art but a youth and he a man of warre from his youth Or is it because I am not of the Cleargie Truly Sir though I am not of the Lord Bishops yet I am of the Lord Jesus his Cleargie to wit his heritage But why doe I act so much folly as to wipe away disgracefull speeches of this nature Esteeme of me how you will By the Grace of God I am what I am Secondly I a little marvaile at your liberality and freenesse in granting that Tongues are not necessary Ad esse sed ad bene esse to the being but to the well being of a Pastor or Preacher Sir by this affirmation you have neither answered mine expectation nor gratified the Minister in supporting his Reasons whereof one hath received a deaths wound from it For his third Reason is this Private men saith he may not Preach because they are not fit for the worke so ●●●ugh Lay-persons have a good measure of the knowledge of Divinity yet they are not presently fit to Preach the Word for a Preacher there is required the knowledge of the Arts and Tongues of which lay men are most commonly ignorant Thus have you befriended your friend though paradventure unwittingly and fairely vindicated his third Reason For hereby you although mine Antagonist have holpen me against him who you call mine adversary and have joyned hands with me to pull downe his building For Te ipso judice his third Reason will proove uselesse to harme the opinion of those who hold it lawfull for men out of Office to Preach the Gospel Thirdly another object of mine admiration is your great partiality in that you deny that liberty to others which you so frequently make use of and that in a lavishing manner Your wholl Booke is little else than an heap of inconsequentiall consequences Notwithstanding in p. 23. the weapon of consequences must not by me and some others be handled if you might have the ordering of us But why must we not enjoy this liberty with you Seeing as you say arguing by consequences is good and to be allowed What must we have no liberty to use that which may harme you But you would informe us what the reason why you deny us consequenciall reasoning is because it is denyed say you to us by many amongst us in point of Paedobaptisme and some higher matters Sir by your favour I cannot believe that any amongst us either have or will deny in Paedobaptisme c. consequentiall Arguments because consequentiall though they cannot allow and that peradventure on ground sufficient your consequentiall Arguments because they at least conceive that they are inconsequentiall But if there be any who with their wits keep so little company as to deny arguing from consequences may it by consequence be gath'red in reason that I am of the same opinion And If I am not guilty as indeed I am not of the same transgression what equity is there that I should suffer with them the punishment of it As for other things you have in the page forementioned I rather smile at than answer to them Fourthly But the greatest object of my wonder and that which mainly mov'd me to put pen to Paper is your fained charity and uncharitable curtesie You tel your Reader in the end of your Epistle that you have as if you were made up of Charrity left out of your Booke the slander whereof I was as you suppose guilty being of more private concernment Sir 't is true the accusation hath not enter'd within the Treatise 't was your pleasure to leave it at the portall that the very passers by might behold me guilty For in the Epistle by Capital and bloudy Letters you give notice to your Read●r that I was guilty of laying a fowle aspertion and unchristian slander upon a Minister neare in relation to you Your owne words are these shewing one end of your writing and for the Vindication of a painfull Minister neare in relation to me from a fowle aspersion and unchristian slander laid upon him in that writing Sir if I heer Apologize for my selfe I hope I shall not be blam'd for it sith there is no man so carelesse but hath some care of his credit and nothing more lawfull than for a man when his good name is unjustly taken from him to endeavour by just meanes to regaine it to him The wise man tells us That a good name is more desirable than ample riches and better than the best ointment The expression in my writing on which the accusation laies it's foundation is this What shall we then say to our English Priests who at a Prelates pro●ibition will cease to be Preachers and turn Physitians Sir by your owne confession this is the only speech whence you gather that I am guilty of a fowle aspersion and unchristian slander Where you have learn'd this art of Deduction to draw that out of mine interrogation which was not in it I could informe you But that the Reader and you if you please may understand how unjustly you have drawne such an accusation from that expression I shall ●●●ate the occasion of it by setting downe the Ministers first Reason and part of mine answer to it wherein the expression so offensive and sinfull in your conceit is contained The Ministers First Reason against private mens preaching is word for word this The reason saith he is the saying of the Apostle Paul 2 Cor. 7.20 Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called Now when a lay man doth take upon him the preaching of the Word he doth not abide in the same calling wherein he was called he doth not keepe himselfe within the compasse of his owne calling but he doth passe the bounds and limits of it And doth not the same Apostle will the Thessalonians 1 Thes 4.11 To studdy to be quiet and to doe their owne businesse to worke with their owne hands as he commanded them Now when a Lay-person doth undertake the preaching of the Word he doth not doe his owne businesse his proper worke but doth meddle with a businesse that concernes him not Thus far the Ministers Reason mine answers followes The Answer That we may the better give an answer to this reason wee will draw it up into two Sillogismes The First whereof is this Every one ought to continue in that calling wherein he was called 1 Cor. 7 2● But a Lay-person that takes upon him the Preaching of the Word doth not continue in