Selected quad for the lemma: love_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
love_n	bear_v	great_a	see_v	3,033	5	3.0877	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A13299	A Christian reprofe against contention Wherin is declared and manifested a just defence of the Church against such slanderes and reproches which Sabine Staresmore hath layd vpon vs in his two bookes, the first being 16 questions, called a louing tender. The second is his preface and postscript befor and behind Mr. Answorths last sermon, and making a pretence by that to sett it out as a loue token, hee breetheth out his malice against vs: and lastly her is an answer to a letter written by Mr. Robinson, and sent to vs with the consent of his Church, which now Mr. Staresmore hath published to the world. To these things an answer is giuen by A.T.	A. T., fl. 1631.; Thatcher, Anthony, attributed name.	1631 (1631)	STC 23605; ESTC S103240	40,101	48

A CHRISTIAN REPROFE AGAINST CONTENTION Wherin is declared and manifested a just defence of the Church against such slanderes and reproches which Sabine Staresmore hath layd vpon vs in his two bookes the first being 16. Questions called A louing tender The second is his Preface and Postscript befor and behind Mr. Answorths last Sermon and making a pretence by that to sett it out as a loue token hee breatheth out his malice against vs and lastly her is an Answer to a Letter written by Mr. Robinson and sent to vs with the consent of his Church which now Mr. Staresmore hath published to the world To these things an Answer is giuen by A. T. 〈◊〉 us the foxes the little foxes which destroy the vines for our vines haue smale grapes Songes 2. 15. How long halt yee betweene two opinions if the Lord bee God follow him but if Baals bee hee then go after him 1. Kings 18. 21. He that is first in his owne cause is just then commeth his neighbor and maketh inquirie of him Prou. 18. 17. Imprinted in the yeare M. DC XXXI To the Christian Reader CHristian Reader I giue thee to vnderstand Wee haue not been forward to publish to the world these our co●…trouersies and this thou maist take knowledge of because the first of these our opposites books hath been in print so many yeares being printed in the yeare 1623 being 16. Questions of their owne forming in the which wee haue great wronge done vnto vs yet haue wee patiently borne both that and also that which they have printed the last yeare against vs vntell such time wee heard by many witnesses that our long silence hath turned to the hinderance of the trueth and also our owne discredit for diners haue been perswaded through our long silence that wee are most in fault or else wee would haue answered before this time therfore for the trueth sake our owne defence we though it need full to sett o●… this Christian Reprofe vnto these our opposites in the which thou maist see the great injury they doe vnto the trueth and also vnto vs by their vnjust imputations and slanderes which they haue layd vpon vs and althought for our selues wee could haue born these injuries in silence yet for the trueth sake and that none that haue a loue vnto the trueth should be hindered or stomble thereat therefore needfull it is that they should bee informed of the trueth of things as they are in these our troubles which by this short Answer thou mayst take knowledge of And although it consisteth of cōtrouersy which it not so profitable as some more heauenly meditations are yet not withstanding the Lord doth suffer such things to arise for the approuing of such as are faithfull 1. Cor. 11. 18. 19 that the people of God should not ly vpon the b●…d of security Songes the 5. 5. but keepe their Christian watch knowing that Satan seeketh too surprise vs by many meanes wayes 1. Peter 5. 8. Act. 20. 31. for when he can not retaine vs in the broad wayes of the world then will he send out the s●…oods of his persecutions to see if hee can swallow vs vp in it Reu. 12. 15. but when hee is restrained frō his purpose by the Lord then will hee seek to ouerthrow vs by his ministers whom hee seduceth euen in the Church of God so turne thē into shape as if they were the ministers of righteousnesse 2. Cor. 15. Act. 20. 29. 30. And of these things gentle Reader haue wee had our portion diuers of vs hauing been persecuted by inprisonment and many till death did insue others banneshed some loosing their right inheiritāce and must leaue it and be exsiled yet these troubles are not so dangerous nor yet so greuious vnto a sincere conscience as seducers which a●…se in the true Church and many that haue gone through persecutions yet haue been ouertaken by seducers drawne away frō the true way of God yet this is no new thing as thou mayst see by those Scripturs before alledged and as it was with the Churches of God of old so is it at this present time with vs for wee hauing gone through many persecutions so haue wee had our part of trialls by decliners seducers and these our opposites hath greatly troubled vs with their errour some they hath corrupted their with others they haue so incumbered their mindes that they dayly trouble vs with Contention and to bring their porposes about they came most Lords dayes diuers years troubled vs with great desturbance many haue been the prouocations which they haue vsed towards vs to prouoke vs so that wee may truely say that as Paule had fought with beast at Ephesus so haue wee at Amsterdam fought with men of a beast-like conditiō 1. Cor. 15. 32. although I could say mor in these things yet for the present I spare to see if the Lord will worke vpō their hearts by this Christian Reprofe which if it take not effect but that they goe on to striue against the trueth the Lord can giue a fit opportunity that their deedes may be fully layd open cōcerning these things in question And now Christian Reader take thou heed that thou stomble not at these things to forsake the trueth for these things ought not to bee strange vnto thee seeing the Apostells of Christ hath fortolde of these things Act. 20. 29. 30. 2. Pet. 2. 1. 2. 3. yea themselues were troubled with such trialles whilles they were with the Churches Actes 15. 2. Gal. 2. 4. 5. and som preaching Christ through enuie strife supposing to adde more affliction too the Apostells bandes Phil. 1. 16. And hath not the Apostell told vs that in these last dayes shall come perillous times and that all sortes of sinnes shall abound 2. Tim. 3. 1. 2. 3. which should teach vs to bee more watchfull and to judge wisly of things and not too bee offended at the trueth or any part thereof for it is the trueth that maketh vs free Iohn 8. 31. 32. yet when the Lord of glory was vpon the earth which taught the trueth more excellent then euer did any yet his owne Disciples went backe walked no more with him stombling at his heauenly doctrine seeing it is thus that our corrupt nature is so soone caried a syde how should wee desier of God to haue the spirit of discerning of sincerity to walke in the trueth wheras wee haue been euill spoken of too be cōtentious and of fierry spirits with many such like reproches But what is the cause that wee are thus reproched is it not because wee withstand errour and sinne and suerly although wee are weake men yet hearin wee follow the examples of the Prophetes of God Was not Moyses the meekest man vpon the earth yet was hee stored vp many times to great anger because of the sinnes of the people and who is more redy to carpe

for the matter of his casting out I haue before shewed and for the manner of his casting out hovv can hee tearme it a cast out at the windowes seeing it vvas done by the free consent of the Church yea and those vvhom hee now saith witnesse for them did not only consente but some of them hastened the elder to cast them forth and then their owne alliance had not to speake for them therfore if his cause had bin good against the Church as it is not yet might hee not so to haue written for is not the going in or the casting out at the window opposit to the going in or casting out at the dor as wee may see in Iohn 10. 1. and is their any planner manner of proceding then by the free consent of the Church either to receiue in or to cast out and was not the incestious person so cast out 1. Cor. 5. 4. yea and so was Mr. S. cast out by this Church and therfore cast out at the dore and not at the window And wheras he saith that vvee haue been bold to vent our worst wee could imagine against him vpon all occasion how is this true that hee saith when a●… wee let him alone so many yeares although hee hath don vs great injury and that in printe as before I haue showed and much more I could shew if I were of his disposition But what shall a man git by such things but rather deshonner the Lord and the trueth and therfore I let many of his clamours alone vnanswered because I judge it not wisdome to contend in such vaine contention being greeued that I am occasioned to doe so much as I haue done by him further hee saith ●…nd for your presumptuous determining my Eternall estat the Lord for giue you Answer Hee vvould make the reader beleeue that wee judge him a cast away and that no repentance shall be giuen to him of God but hovv euilly doth hee deale in this thing it appeareth thus Mr. S. after hee vvas cast out yet came hee ordinarily euery Lords day a great whille and troubled vs very much with heauy contention wher vpon as I to my best remembrance hard a brother say that it was doubtfull to him whether hee did not sinne against the Holy Ghost in that his doings novv if the brother had spoken neuer so absolut yet vvas hee but one man why doth Mr. S. speake as if it were the generall but this is his manner vvill I do desir that the Lord vvill giue him grace to shovv the contrary by repentance but what an idle thing is this that hee will print such a thing as this this vvas but a speech spoken by one man and hee showing his judgment vpon Mr. S. euill cariages then present and also before what may a vvise man thinke of this man how hee straineth other things for his porpose seeing in this hee dealeth so euilly for to sett downe one mans speech in such tearmes as hee that readeth may thinke it vvas the generall and novv I haue answered his Preface wherin I haue lett alone diuers of his clamours and admonissions for these reasons follovvings first his clamours and admonissions do return vpon himselfe his grounds being taken avvay and so hee being answered in the main differances 2. I am vnvvilling to follovv a man of his disposition in such idle contention in clamours and reproches and in laying open of the infirmities of men to the vvorld for I haue learned of Dauid not to tell of such things in Gath nor to publish it in the streets of Ashekelon lest the daughters of the Philistians rejoyce I could haue rewarded him the like but I spare such things and I am greeued that by him I was prouoked to speake that little I haue done but I could not vvell auoid it let the indifferant Reader judge 3. If I should go one vvith him in such vnprofitable strife vvho vvould respect to reade it but to cry the trueth out in the maine things indifferant may bee profitable to them that haue a loue vnto the trueth and novv to ansvver to Mr. S. Postscript to the brethren absent in the vvhich hee should haue had more care to sett dovvne the trueth of things as they are seeing hee meant to send abroad his vnprofitable writings Brethren it may hapely seem strang to you that the people hear complained of should be so irregular in their proceedings and so singular as to reject the helpe of all but since they had their reasons I thought it requisite to giue them their due herein the reason why they proceded not by the rulle Matth. 18. vvas because in this cause they had nothing to doe with it but vvith Iosua 22. and 1. Thess. 5. 22. Ansvver I say contrary to him that wee refuse not the helpe of any as their is just occasion and therefore wee haue do still professe that if any Church or Christian can show vs vvherin wee sinne in any thing vvee are redy to heare them but for this poinct see the Answer to his Preface vvher hee chargeth vs for rejecting of our 3●… Article but let the Reader obserue hovv hee doeth skoffe vvith his ovvne abusing of vs first obserue that hee vvould take away strange conceites out of the mindes of the absent brethren by the giuen to vs our due in the shovving to them our reasons which reasons hee mindes to bee very vnsufficient for the bussines in hand Answer and so do I minde also as hee settes them downe therefore I vvill obserue his doings first where hee saith the reason vvhy vvee proceded not by the rull Matth. 18. vvas because in this cause they had nothing to do vvith it Answer but is this all that wee haue sayd haue wee not showed wherin wee had to do also vvith Matth. 18. in this bussines for that rull hath three degrees the first the second the third their is no sin handled in the Church which is not comprehended in this rull and this wee hold which is contrary to that that hee hath sett downe wheras hee saith but with Iosua 22. and 1. Thess. 5. 22. hear wee are greatly abused also for although Iosua 22. is effectuall for the bussines in hand as after I shall show yet that in the Thesalo is not of waighte for that hee settes it downe neither vvas it to that end brought those Scriptures was aledged to him in the publique when hee refused to debat the matter the one prouing that Christians ought to abstaine from all apparences of euill but seeing he had run into it this Scripture being compared vvith Iosua 22. they proue that Christians ought to cleare themselues in such like causes as that vvas and as their example reproueth them that vvould not follovv it so likewise is the example of the Church of Israell an example and rull for all Churches to keepe the watch of the Lord that his publique ordinances should not bee broken also Wee