Selected quad for the lemma: love_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
love_n	lord_n	love_v	see_v	10,569	5	3.7721	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A95679	Gainsayer convinced: or, An answer to a certain scandalous paper, subscribed and sent by certain seduced and seditious people to a minister in the countrey: in which the calling of the ministry of the Church of England, the nature of a visible church, the power of the magistrate under the gospel, the right of tithes, with many other points now in controversie, are briefly, fully and plainly cleared, to the satisfaction of those that are wavering; also much of the spirit and many of the errours of the Anabaptists of these daies (who call themselves saints) discovered and confuted. / By T.T. Preacher of the word at Kemble in Wiltshire.	Thache, Thomas, b. 1616 or 17.	1649 (1649)	Wing T827; Thomason E568_1; ESTC R206240	79,821	83

God in his word that putting away lying every man should speak truth with his neighbour Ephes 4. 25. Now I thinke I have made it appeare and shall make it appeare farther that this Paper which you have set your hands to hath not one page of it but what is stuft with lyes and falsehood I leave to the Lord and to the world to judge betwixt us of them And therefore here again you have walked contrary to the revealed will of God Againe 'T is the revealed will of God that you should not backbite with your tongue nor doe evill to your neighbour nor take up a reproach against your neighbour Psal 15. 3. Againe that all bitternesse anger wrath clamour and evill speaking be put away with all malice Ephes 4. 31. Now looke upon your Paper There you call us Praters Time-servers Weathercocks blinde Pharisees Ministers of Antichrist Popish persecutors of the Saints haters of godlinesse lovers of prophanesse false Apostles selfe seekers penny Masters Drunkards Swearers Lyars men that endeavour to keep others in ignorance Seducers men of no religion proud covetous blood thirsty men for-swearers vain teachers men of perfidious opinions that we preach destructive and damnable doctrines destroyers of truth and true religion perfidious men that will destroy soules for gain Ale-house hunters Hereticks Jews Monsters men that condemne the practice and precepts of Christ for heresie enemies to true grace Ministers of Antichrist nay Divels This is the language you afford us in your Paper and you have set your hands to it that we are such as these Now whether this be a walking according to the Word or contrary to the revealed will of God in his word let your own consciences be Judges or else let the Lord the righteous Judge judge betwixt you and us I thinke I need goe no farther in this particular I hope this may be sufficient to convince you if the Lord will set it on upon your consciences and if so then be thankfull and blesse God for it if there be any truth or ingenuity in you Paper In the next particular you tell me you are grieved in spirit to see and heare my light and frothy carriage in the mentioning of Scripture as to say that 's a nimble Place You say a carnall and w●cked heart will abuse the best thing even grace mercy and love you say a Stage Player could doe no more nor the Divell himselfe to abuse and mock at Scripture and you close thus for shame come not in publick to act such Diabolicall parts Ans I answer This whole accusation is from the Divell the Father of lyes too you are grieved you say to see and heare pray how many of you ten dare say you saw and heard me in that carriage or that expression which you have here set your hands to if I am not much mistaken not neare the one halfe of you and yet you have set your hands to it I hope you will not turn Knights of the post these be some steps towards it Me thinks you should not call men Divels meerly upon heare say if you had any Charitie in you you could not he or they that informed the rest of you of this may be ashamed to looke an honest man in the face as we say to come to Publicke ordinances under a pretence of worshipping and to bely the truth of God in this manner the Lord will finde out such one day But as you say a carnall and wicked heart will abuse the best things I am able to bring you twenty for one of your informers of this who will passe I beleeve both in the presence of God and account of men for as honest conscientious Christians as your informer whosoever he be of you that will be witnesses that there was no such word spoken and I call God that heard and recorded every word to witnesse of it You tell me that a Stage Player a Devill could have done no more I answer For what I did and speak then and there in publicke the Lord knows that as David said to Michal it was before the Lord and for the Lord and if this be to be vile and a carnall wicked man a Stage Player a Divell I shall desire that I may be more vile yet Paper You bid me not come in publick for shame to act such Diabolicall parts Ans When the Lord shall again call me I shall not be ashamed to come again in publick and to act that part which the Lord hath put me upon as for your expression Diabolicall the Lord forgive you I do and I value it not The Lord Jesus hath taught me that the disciple is not above his Master nor the servant above his Lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub how much more shall they call them of his houshold Fear them not therefore for there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed and hid that shall not be known Matth. 10. 24 25 26. In the next place you come to make your requests to me Paper First that I would define what heresie is Ans I define heresie thus Heresie is a voluntary chusing of an opinion against some Article of Faith without ground of Scripture and an obstinate maintaining of it against all lawfull determinations of the true Church for some sinister and particular respects Or if you will have it more briefly thus Heresie is an error in the foundation of Christian Religion taught and defended with obstinacy Thus Paul saith Tit. 3. 11. that an Heretick is perverted that is put besides the foundation and condemned of himself in his sin that is he erres obstinately This heresie is differenced from a simple error by its obstinate maintaining from a schisme for that schisme is in discipline heresie in doctrine from Heathenish superstition Jewish perversnesse stup●d Mahometisme and the like because heresie is a revolt from the faith contrary to the Word of God which such never had no profest The father of it is the devill the mother pride the nurse singularitie the attendant hypocrisie the promoters of it inticing perswasions and peremptory will-worship Apostacie is an eminency in it it being a falling away from the truth profest self-condemning the top of it The outrages of it will be blasphemy against God virulent persecution of his Church and children The end finall impenitencie and despair the dismall fore-runners of eternall damnation Having thus shewed you what Heresie is you may easily resolve your selves the 2d Quaere what an Heretick is And can likewise best satisfie your selves in the 3d. viz whether there be any such among you The Lord help you to search narrowly and to deal truly with your selves that if there be any amongst you you may see them and beware of them For your 4th desire to satisfie you in that I give you all this under my hand And for the 5th I leave it to the world to judge whether I have answered it or no. And whereas in your close you again desire a meeting in a sober and in a Christian way I have told you my mind before and here tell you again that the most safe and sure way to cleare up the truth to satisfie doubts to discover errors to establish Saints that are wavering wil be to deal by setting down under yours and my hand what we would speak face to face at such a meeting one thing we shall more probably avoid this way which would frustrate our endeavours in the other that is clamour passion and tumults Again from written words we shall not so soone start and fly as from words spoken which in such a way with such people have seldome proved any better then wind For my part I professe it in the presence of God that it is and by Gods grace shall be my endeavour that love may be increased that jealousies heart burning and evill surmisings may be removed And that we may live in love and peace as becomes Christians I trust the Lord Jesus who is the great Prophet of his Church and the teacher of Israel will alwayes direct me not onely to speak of but to endeavour after the peace of the Church by convincing and stopping the mouthes of gainsayers who are crept in to disturbe our Peace by perverting the truths of God once delivered to the Saints And my prayers in speciall are that that God whom I serve in my spirit who knoweth the heart and prayers of his servant would onely so be with me in these endeavours of mine as it is the truth which I endeavour to maintain Amen You subscribe your selves My loving friends so farre as I love the Lord Jesus For your love and friendship to me I know not how I have of late forfeited it There are but few signes of it at present to be seen But for love to the Lord Jesus I here set my heart tongue pen to that of Paul as the conclusion of his Epistle 1 Cor. 16. 22. If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ let him be Anathema Maranatha March 1648. Kemble Yours to serve you in the work of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus THO THACHE Postscript FRiends If hereupon you finde grace to see and heal your Errors we shall with all brotherly meeknesse love and humilitie be willing to receive you and shall blesse God on your behalf But if the sway of your mis informed and mis-resolved Conscience be heady and unresistable and your return hopelesse Even these poore endeavours of mine shall one day be a fearfull and materiall evidence against you before that awfull Judge who hath already said That judgements are prepared for scorners and stripes for the back of fools FINIS

among you Your loving acceptance of my former pains and labours in preaching amongst you assures me that this also will with the same love be accepted and received by you as 't is in love presented to you from me I shall speak no more to you at present but the rest I shall speak to God for you that he would sanctifie all means both preaching and printing for the converting of those that are unconverted amongst you for the preserving those that are yet sound for the recalling and restering those that are gone astray and are seduced to live in errour and for the performing of that good work which is begun in any of you that the God of all grace would make you perfect stablish strengthen and settle you and preserve you by his own Pet. 5. 10. power through faith unto salvation If your souls reap any benefit by any of my poor endeavours let the Lord alone receive all the glory and praise all that I shall desire of you is that which Paul so earnestly desired of the Romans I beseech you Brethren 〈◊〉 15. 30. for the Lord Jesus Christ his sake and for the love of the Spirit that ye strive together with me in your praiers to God for me And let me be known to you as one whose desires praiers and endeavouss have been are and by Gods grace shall be to the the utmost in my sphaear for the making up of the divisions that are amongst you and the building up of your souls in your most holy faith Ever resting The Churches and your servant though the weakest and unworthiest of all in the work of the Gospel Th. Th. To the Reader Friendly Reader SEeing divine Providence hath made it my lot and a calling hath induced me who am lesse then the least of all the servants of Christ to appear among others in the cloud of publike witnesses to the truth of Iesus Christ I desire for thy better satisfaction to give thee a word or two of the occasion of these sheets coming abroad Whosoever thou art thou canst not but know that we live in times wherein diversities of opinions are blown with all license by the spirit of errour over all the land to the great dishonour of God and the indangering of mens salvation And that there are many Simons abroad who though they are but sorcerers doyet give out of themselves that they are some great ones and many people give heed to them as to the great power of God though indeed as Paul said of his Galatians they are but bewitcht by them that they should not obey the truth By these men the way of truth is evill spoken of the Ministers of Christ brought into contempt and despight the Ordinances of God slieghted and cast off all the truths of the Gospet miserably invaded by them and the sons of thousands poisoned and perverted This is certainly an hour of darknesse wherein all sorts of devils are crept out of their dens and walk familiarly amongst us and hinc lachrimae O that we could weep tears of bloud and sigh to the breaking of our loins for this that we could smite with the hand and stamp with the foot and cry out Alas for this that there are no Orders nor Acts made no new Laws made nor old Laws execu●ed for the restraining punishing preventing of the spreading of the most cursed heresies errours and blasphemies that ever bell hatcht or heaven or ear●h heard of But that under a cursed pretence of conscience and liberty our poor Church and Kingdome should be a quiet habitation for all the devils in bell Surely these are dales wherein the saith of Gods people needs all props that either praier or preaching pulott or presse publike or private instructions or admonitions can afford them And nothing is more necessary in these times then a spirit of discerning whereby we may be enabled to know chaff from wheat gold from drosse a serpent from a Saint A●●ichrist from Christ And surely it errours were set out In their true clear and live●y shape that they might be seen as they are in themselves without any di●guise their bare and unmasked face would be very ugly and abominable to judicious and intelligent mindes Now in the ensuing pages thou shall finde First Satan appearing as an Angel of l●ght whilst he is in a great shew of zeal ralling against the truth And in the answer thou host his mask so far taken off that thou maist plainly perceive him to be the Prince of darknesse The Occasion both of that Paper and my answer was this Being cald to preach in the Lecture at ●ir●●●ester where with grief of soul I think of it and speak it Satan hath been suffered exceedingly to prevail of late with many to the sucking in of most grievous errours The Paper which thou wilt see here subscribed by no lesse then ten being a sad Testimony of this I being directed by Providence to preach upon the latter part of the 2 d verse of the 2 d chapter of the Revelation viz Thou hast tried them which say they are Apostles and are not and hast found them lyars The prosecution of the severall doctrines raised from the words some seemed to be offended at as 〈◊〉 I had preached untruths persecuted the Saints c. I hearing of this offence taken though none given when God brought me to preach among them again in my next turn I preacht upon the same text again and publikely desired the Congregation that if I had or should deliver any thing in which they were not fully satisfied that they would either speak there or come to me ere I went out of the town and I shou'd in all love and willingnesse endeavour to satisfie them not one of them ever come to me but continued still to revile and slander me and those truths that had been delivered I being enformed of this by their worthy Minister Mr Gregory could do no lesse but write to one of them who seem'd to be somewhat offended and made often complaints to their Minister about it which Letter I had here in the first place given you but that I had no copy of it and I know not how to gain it out of their hands again But I appeal to God and to their own conscien●es whether it was not written in expressions of sobernesse love and meeknesse and whether there were any passage in that which might justly give any offence to any of Gods people I desired him to whom I wrote in that Letter to set down under his hand seeing be refused to come in person to me what or wherein the offence was which they had taken or what it was that so much troubled them And I there engaged my self to endeavour a sati●faction and a clearing of all their doubts to the utmost of my power in a loving and brotherly way This M. Rudge for to him I wrote communicated this Letter to some others of that faction who as it

expression hint to you that true grace piety and holynesse and I are enemies how ridiculous is your malice and ignorance can it be say you that if you have true grace another that hath true grace and you should be enemies whereas true grace makes of the greatest enemies strongest friends can it be Poore men what an amazing mystery and wonder is here can it not be that two men both having true grace may yet be divided and at enmity what do you think of Paul and Barnabas do not you beleeve they had both true grace doe you not read of the sharpe contention between them and that but upon a light occasion See Acts 15. 35. But how can it be say you I answer do you not yet know that every man that hath true grace in him hath yet withall some corruption in every facultie as well as grace do you beleeve this from Paul or are you turn'd Chatharists if you do beleeve it as you must or else deny the Scripture then 't is easie to unfold this mystery you speak of thus Though true grace cannot be an enemy to grace yet two men that have both true grace may for some time be at variance and enemies to each other through the corruption that is in them how do you think now may not a man that hath true grace be said to embrace true grace pietie and holinesse though it come from the bosome of an enemie and yet not be an enemie to grace do you think that if men of understanding should come to see your simplicitie they would not hisse at it For my part I heartily pitie you Paper In the next place you ask me what I mean by true grace And how shall you know it but by the signes thereof in obedience to the revealed will of God in his Word And if so you beseech me to convince you wherein those amongst you I point at do walk contrary in word or action and you are perswaded of them that they will be thankfull to me and blesse God if not I must needs be convinc'd that I walk contrary to my profession and so you cannot but expect acknowledgement and satisfaction from me If there be any truth or ingenuity in me Ans I answer 't is truth True grace in the soul is best seen and known by the effects thereof seen in a mans obedience to the revealed will of God in his Word The tree is known by its fruits and a fountain by the water it sends forth so grace is best seen to be in the heart by us who can judge onely according to the outward appearance by the fruits of it in a gracious life Now would you be convinc'd wherein any amongst you do walk contrary to the revealed wil of God in his Word 't is the easiest thing of a thousand to do that and you cannot but be convinc'd of it if you be not like Solomons fool which though he be brayd in a morter yet he will retain his folly I will instance in a few particulars 'T is the revealed will of God that there be no divisions among you 1 Cor. 1. 10. that you should mark those that cause divisions and avoid them as men that feed their own bellies and serve not the Lord Jesus Christ Rom. 16. 18. You walk contrary to this for you do not avoid but receive uphold follow and countenance such fellows of whom 't will be made good that in what place soever they have come they have made and caused such unhappy breaches and divisions as have been made and are now amongst you Let the hand be layed upon the heart and see if conscience doth not bear witnesse to you of this thing have there not been formerly an happy union a sweet concord a sweet conspiring together in the love of the same truth in the communion of the ordinances of Christ and in private duties which truth and ordinances though now condemned by you as abominable yet I here again proffer to make good to you to be no other then the truths and ordinances of Jesus Christ and your own consciences will make good to you that your own souls have received comfort by them and you know that God hath enabled some of you ●o suffer for them Now as Paul said Gal. 3. 2 3 4. Who hath bewitcht you have ye suffered so many things in vain if it be yet in vain Are there not now envyings strife divisions and contentions amongst you 1 Cor. 3. beg Do you not now speak evill of that way of truth you have formerly walked in and found comfort in is it not so Now who hath caused this separation envying strife division contention c. is he marked by you and do you endeavour to avoid him If you do not you must needs be convinc'd in this that you walk contrary to the revealed will of God Again I need go no farther then your Paper to convince you of your walking contrary to the revealed will of God in his Word you have sent it to me under your hands and therefore I must look upon it as your words your act and deed Let me instance in a particular or two Is it not the revealed will of God that you should know them which labour among you and are over you in the Lord and to admonish you and to esteeme them very highly in love for their works sake and to be at peace among your selves 1 Thess 5. 12 13. Is it not Gods will that they that labour among you should be counted by you worthy of double honour 1 Tim. 5. 17. Heb. 13. 7 8. Now let me aske you hath not God in mercy set those over your selves that labour in word and doctrine hath not God given a seale and a testimony to their ministry by begetting some of you againe by the word preached by them and nourishing others amongst you by the word of their ministry and have they not been highly esteemed amongst you for their works sake have they not been sought to by you to come among you again have you not received them as a blessing now let Conscience answer Doe you not now walke contrary to these commands of God in his Word and contrary to your former practice Are they not looked upon as enemies because they tell you the truth instead of esteeming them very highly in love are not both their persons and doctrine nay their very calling and ministery which I say againe I challenge you to prove if you can to be any other then the Ministry of Jesus Christ are not these I say despised scorned reproacht by you and branded even with the highest brand of being Antichistian Let me aske you my brethren are not these things so The Lord knowes that 's our comfort and you shall know too one day if you doe not now Now is not this a walking contrary to the revealed will of God are these the fruits of grace thinke you Againe 't is the revealed will of