Selected quad for the lemma: enemy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
enemy_n	arm_n	great_a	part_n	1,049	5	3.8413	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A47306	Of Christian prudence, or, Religious wisdom not degenerating into irreligious craftiness in trying times	Kettlewell, John, 1653-1695.	1691 (1691)	Wing K378; ESTC R28756	189,905	358

Arms be Prudent be Vigilant and always expect the Enemy but go not to create thy self Enemies for that is not the Part of a Souldier but of one that is Seditious But if the Trumpet of Religion calls go out forthwith and set lightly even by Life it self and with Great Promptitude Descend to the Conflict c. These things I say out of a desire to have you keep the Laws of Christ who commands us to pray that we be not led into Temptation and commands us too to take up our Cross and follow him for these two are not contrary one to another but very well agree together On this Point I shall further add when with the Freedom of Confessors we speak for Persecuted Truths or Laws with others that another allowance of Christian Prudence is not to profess this promiscuously to all Persons nor after we have sufficiently Declared our selves by importunities of unprofitable Discourse still to incite an unpersuadable and virulent Disputer's Rage against us Some men are not impressible by Reason or by any Rules of Sober Virtue and Goodness but possess'd by Profaneness or utterly over-run with Madness and Rage of Faction They are ready to afford I say not only a Deaf Ear but a Scurrilous and Prophane Tongue a Treacherous Snare or a Spiteful Hand to any offers or arguments on Persecuted Duties that shall be made to them Now to lay such Truths or Laws of God before these men is not to promote but to prostitute them And therefore here the Rule of our Lord takes Place not to cast Pearls before Swine i. e. the Precious Truths of God before those Stupid Sinners that have no Sense of them but instead of Reverently taking of them up will rudely bespatter and trample them under Foot Nor to throw holy things before Dogs i. e. before those who instead of worthily entertaining will spitefully snarl and bark against them and be ready to Tear and Rent those that hand them to them Mat. 7.6 And thus the Holy Confessors though ready to give an Answer as St. Peter required to any one that asked a Reason of the hope that was in them yet did not hold themselves obliged to give this account to one that asked only that he might Scoff or Blaspheme or Treacherously Betray or Trepan but to such as asked Soberly or with a Desire of Learning Giving either no Answer to others as Christ would not to Herod who only for his Curiosity and Pastime question'd with him Luke 23.8 9. Nor to the High Priest who when they had not matter enough from his Accusers urged him to speak to what they had said against him not for Information they being resolv'd as Christ told them not to believe him nor to let him go but that he might lay hold of something more sufficient to condemn him from himself Mat. 26.60 62 63. Or else Giving like Answer as Pothinus of Lyons did to the President 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if thou art worthy thou shalt know when he scoffingly and abusively asked who is the God of the Christians 2. Secondly When on Gods Call we have done our Duty and are thereby brought into Dangers it allows us to save our Persons whilst we innocently may by Concealment or Escape and Flight in Persecutions When they Persecute you in one City flee to another Flight and Concealment in extream Perils being what Christ himself allows Mat. 10 23. This has been the way in all times as Petrus Alexandrinus that Blessed Martyr Discourses in his Canonical Epistle taken afterwards into the Code of the Vniversal Church and as St. Athanasius after him has Demonstrated more fully viz. for Good Men in Cruel Persecutions by Flight or Concealment to save themselves till some necessary Discharge of Duty or Course of Providence Deliver'd them up for Suffering into their Persecutors Hands Thus as Athanasius observes Jacob Fled from Esau. And Moses on Slaying the Egyptian into the Land of Midian from Pharaoh And David from Saul when he sent to slay him Thus also Elijah absconded and hid himself for Fear of Ahab and fled for his Life from Jezabel And 〈◊〉 Sons of the Prophets in Jezabel's Persecution were hid and fed by Fifties in a Cave by Good Obadiah And thus the Disciples likewise assembled in Private or held Night-Meetings and shut the Doors for fear of the Jews And Paul at Damascus was let down by the wall in a Basket by Night to escape those that watched the Gaetes Day and Night to kill him Yea our Blessed Lord himself who granted this Liberty to his Disciples when Persecuted in one City of fleeing 〈◊〉 another upon occasion made use thereof When the Jews at Jerusalem sought to take him 〈◊〉 escaped out of their hands and went away again beyond Jordan and there abode that being a more quiet and secure Place Joh. 10.39 40. And 〈◊〉 another time when he was not safe in Judea 〈◊〉 walked in Galilee and would not walk in Jury b●cause the Jews sought to kill him Joh. 7.1 And again when on the raising of Lazarus the Jews took counsel together to put him to Death he walked no more openly among them but went thence into a Countrey near to the Wilderness and there continued with his Disciples Joh. 11.53 54. The Reason of his Flying as Athanasius notes was because his hour was not yet come And this is given as the Reason why when they sought to take him they could not do it and no man laid hands on him because his hour was not yet come Joh. 7.30 Till then he took the Liberty which he has allowed us and prudently absconded when sought after to his hurt and made his escape as we are wont to Do. But that hour being once come as he declared it was Joh. 17.1 instead of absconding any more he went out to them saying whom seek ye and telling them I am he Joh. 18.4 5. He neither suffer'd himself as Athanasius observes to be taken before his time nor endeavour'd to hide himself from them when once his time was come For each man as that Father says there is a prefix'd time As there is for Spring and Autumn Summer and Winter so there is a stated and appointed time for Life and Death And to this the Scriptures refer when they speak of taking men away in the midst of their Days Ps. 102.24 of Dying before their time Ec●l 7.17 And of coming to the Grave in a full Age as a shock of Corn comes in in its Season Job 5.26 Now what time was appointed for him saith he our Saviour Christ knew and accordingly though he withdrew at all times before at that time he offer'd himself to the Officers sent to take him But as for our time as he adds we know not what time God has appointed us till it appears by the Order of Events and the Course of Providence Behold I am Old