Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	great_a	know_v	time_n	2,765	4	3.2223	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A50609	Vindiciæ fœderis, or, A vindication of the interest that the children of believers as such have in the covenant of grace with their parents under the Gospel-dispensation being the substance of two sermons, with additions preached to a congregation in Wapping : also some seasonable reflections upon various unsound and cruel passages taken forth of two furious books of Mr. H. Collins printed against infant-baptism / by Fran. Mence.	Mence, Francis, 1639?-1696?	1694 (1694)	Wing M1703; ESTC R27509	104,587	170

Vindiciae Foederis OR A Vindication of the INTEREST that the Children of Believers as such have in the Covenant of Grace with their Parents under the GOSPEL-DISPENSATION BEING The Substance of Two Sermons with Addition Preached to a Congregation in Wapping ALSO Some seasonable Reflections upon various unsound and Cruel Passages Taken forth of two Furious Books of Mr. H. Collins Printed against Infants-Baptism By FRAN. MENCE some time of Pembroke Colledge in Oxford now an unworthy Pastor of a Church of Christ in Wapping near London Magna est veritas praevalebit LONDON Printed for the Author and are to be Sold by John Lawrence at the Angel in the Poultrey by Mrs. Mary Gurnel in Wapping-street near Bell Alley and Mr. William Wingod in King-street in Wapping 1694. The Epistle Dedicatory To a Church of Christ in Wapping near London Grace Mercy and Peace be Multiplied I Could not dearly beloved but judge it my Duty to Dedicate these Sermons unto you partly because you are my peculiar Care and Charge in the Lord unto whom I do ow my Labour and Pains and also by reason of that joint Request you were pleased to Attack me withall viz. that they might be made Publick giving me good assurance that they might be of great use for the good of Christians in this place I have here though it be against my own inclination answered your desire Let this undertaking be attended with your serious and solemn Prayer that your hopes of good may be accomplished What I have wrote in my Epistle to the Readers many of you can testifie you well know what a long time of Silence I have had how desirous I was to live in peace that alwaies being esteemed a Jewel of great price with me hoping that the dust that hath been raised to the darkening of the Air among us might have fallen without any attempt of mine to suppress it but the violent effort of the Pulpit and the furious Reports of the Press have something awakened me from that ease and quiet I should have been glad longer to have solaced my self withall But alas it was time to be something alarmed when the flames were inkindled about us and our little Field in danger of being consumed here is one that hath put this place even into a Conflagration I shall I doubt not fall under the lash of many censuring Tongues for this small endeavour to vindicate this one exploded though precious Truth of Christ You have had experience of my spirit and deportment and cannot from the strictest observations you have made of me but say that so far as may be I have been willing to live in peace with all men and what care I have taken to preserve peace in the midst of and round about you It would be matter of much comfort to me may this little Essay be instrumental to reduce this place into somewhat a more sedate and calm temper My Practice ever since the Lord was plased to call me amongst you hath been to give perpetual demonstrations that I live and can walk with all that are sound in the Faith and of an unblameable Conversation I found you fixed upon that Noble Evangelical Foundation which I have endeavoured to build upon Your laudable Principle is that Union with Christ is the great ground of our Communion one with another let us magnifie God for what we have found of his Gracious Presence and Blessing since we came together and stand in that relation as we do one to the other I do with much importunity request your Prayers that I may daily have a remembrance from you at the Throne of rich Grace Watch against all designs of men that lye in wait to deceive and to disturb our peace Study much the Covenant of Grace blessed be the Lord that he hath not only ingrafted you but also your Seed into it You that have Children plead the Promises of the Covenant with God for them Take heed of such Principles that do inevitably exclude your dear Babes out of the Kingdom of God and render their Salvation provided they expire in their infancy not only improbable but in any ordinary way impossible Beg the Lord to put a stop and to give a Check to that lying malicious spirit that like a spiteful Ghost walks in this poor disturbed spot I doubt not but what I have here transmitted from the Press will be attended with the same opprobrious Censure it met withal from the Pulpit many ignorant and rash hot-headed Professors did severely judge me and my Sermons that never heard them and so I do expect many will that shall never read them pour out their profound invectives against them I must expect no better quarter than honest Mr. Giles Shute who by many was cast and condemned that never read his Books neither were able to pass a right Judgment upon them I do heartily wish that a greater number of my Anabaptist Neighbours would labour more after the life and power of Religion and Study to know their own hearts better then I promise my self they would not be so prompt and ready to undervalue and condemn others as they be I cannot but admire to see what a change is upon their spirits words and actions in our late times of restraint they could be glad many of them to partake of my poor pains and sometime since but I do not so much wonder at them as at their Teacher who ever since the last breaking forth of our Liberty hath so much inveighed against all that are not of his opinion and hath laid so much stress and weight upon his Notion about Baptism that hath distilled such bitterness into the spirit of many that they be turned very sowre and morose to those that cannot imbibe their Sentiments I bless the Lord that I can say I have not been the Incendiary among us I lay still Six or Seven years till all was from Pulpit and Press by Mr. Collins put into Flames about us It is next to a wonder to me that any should be so impudent as to accuse me to be the Author of all the trouble that doth annoy us notwithstanding my long silence and that little opposition that yet I have made against a turbulent spirit that he might discover the uttermost of his bitterness I must have him several times to pronounce in his Pulpit before all his Congregation an open Challenge against me I do expect that so soon as these Sermons shall have an access to his hands that we shall hear sufficiently of his tumultuous spirit I have made a few remarks as you may see upon his bold and undigested Doctrine rashly and ignorantly thrust forth into the World giving you but a few Gleanings to that Harvest I may if occasion be offered present you withall I make no question but my challenger will quickly fill our Ears with his Answers be it so the Lord I hope will enable us to make our reply I desire that he would