Selected quad for the lemma: water_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
water_n	bread_n	lord_n	wine_n	3,679	5	7.3104	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A80158	Responsoria ad erratica pastoris, sive, vindiciæ vindiciarum. Id est, the Shepherds wandrings discovered, in a revindication of the great ordinance of god: Gospel-preachers, and preaching. By way of reply and answer to a late booke, called, The peoples priviledges, and duty guarded against the pulpit and preachers encroachment. And their sober justification and defence of their free and open exposition of scriptures. Published by William Sheppard, Esq. Wherein Mr Sheppards pretended guard, consisting of ten propositions and ten arguments, is examined, and found to wear nothing by wooden swords. And all his replyes to Mr Tho. Halls arguments, and Mr Collinges arguments in his Vindiciæ ministerii, brought against not ordained persons ordinary preaching, are found but cavils and too light. And the truth still maintained, ... in that, preaching and expounding scripture publiquely, are proper acts to gospel officers; not common to all. Wherein also the great question, how far the spirit of God ... dothïnable them to understand scripture is opened, ... / By John Collings, M.A. and preacher of the Gospel in Norwich.	Collinges, John, 1623-1690.	1652 (1652)	Wing C5331; Thomason E672_1; ESTC R207127	122,201	185

toleration he should get a protection for his friends he hath already By the first the divel would secure his servants from the Sword of the Magistrates by the second from sword of argument the two edged sword of the word by this libertas prophetandi he would make more unlearned men wresting the Scriptures to their owne destruction and the destruction of them that heare him If he could but procure these two things he should have the Magistracy in a snare for neglect of their duty in reference to the truth and glory and ordinance of Christ he would have the Ministry under his feet those great troublers of his Kingdome yea and the third part of the starres of Heaven would be drawne downe being by this meanes seduced into errour or carried up above ordinances and he would harden the hearts of others against the meanes of Grace My soule trembles to thinke what the issue of Either or both these will be The Purity and truth of Ordinances would be lost and the power of Godlinesse lost too I say the first will be lost the Ordinance of Ordination gone have we been so zealous against a trifling ceremony Christians because it hath not been commanded and shall it be now so light a thing to us to make the commands of the Gospell yea so many as are for ordination of no effect Have we strained at a Gnat shall we swallow these Camels have we been so zealous against an Apocryphall Bishop or Arch-bishop and shal we so tamely admit those things which are far more Apocryphall shall any dare to say that a private Persons sprinkling water upon the face and naming the holy Trinity is that Ordinance of Baptisme or the breaking a bit of Bread and powring out a little Wine using the words of administration by the same hand the great Ordinance of the Lords Supper and is their prophecying as they call it any more the great Ordinance of Preaching no sure thus shall Ordinances be all one after another laid aside And for the power of godlinesse deare Christians looke into other places where there hath beene an universall toleration and see how much of it thou findest there In short Christians you can remember the time when the Ministers of the Lord Jesus Christ Preach'd the Gospell powerfully and plainely and Christians heard it reverently and humbly and were wont in their families to repeat and examine Sermons to search the Scriptures for the truth of those things which the Ministers said were not the Christians of those times noble Bereans did not the power of Godlinesse thrive under this order were there not more soules converted by farre then now were not those Christians more humble sincere cordiall united sound Christians then those of our times had we not more Christians when we had fewer Preachers and since this unbridled liberty hath beene taken have not Christians beene more loose and wanton more crotchicall and scepticks rather then Christians O that the Lord would please to teach his people sobriety to distinguish between the budding rods and those that he doth not make to blossome I confesse Christians I was the unfittest of ten thousand to undertake this great controversie not onely in respect of my few dayes and little abilities of learning and Judgement but in regard of my much work it is now but fourteene dayes since this Authors Booke came to my sight or hands and I have had the taske of seven Sermons to study and Preach in the time so that thou canst not expect I should have approved my self very exact in my answer which was dispatched in ten dayes my Preface having taken up the other foure But I could not hold my peace not for my owne sake for I durst have trusted the weakest judgements to have judged betwixt Mr. Sheppard and me whether he had sufficiently answered my arguments but for the Lords sake and for his glory sake and for his truths sake and Saints sake and for his glorious Ordinances sake that they might not be trampled under foot I say for these causes I have undertaken this Gentleman And now I beseech you deare and pretious friends in this day of reproach to witnesse to the ordinance of the Lord Jesus This Gentleman hath so farre appeared for the Lord as to plead with people to maintaine the great Ordinance of the Ministry The Lord make him in that to prevaile with them Severall things the Devill hath devised in these sinfull times to prejudice the Spirits of Christians against the Ministers of the Gospell that are the messengers of the Lord to their soules Non amo te Sabidi nec possum dicere quare Hoc tantum possum d●cere non amo te yea against those of whom they cannot say they have either complied with the superstitions of former times or that their conversation is not as becomes the Gospell of the Lord Jesus they can onely say this against them that they care not for them But I say some things there are that the Devill hath put into some professors mouths to defend their revilings of them and shamefull contempt cast upon them 1. First They are disaffected to the State I could not but observe this great subtilty of Satan when Church differences through much waiting and many disputes were almost brought together to finde out this new way to divide But my deare friends is this enough thinke you to justifie not hearing the Ministers of the Gospel or laying them aside Blessed be God that unhappy cause of division is almost now taken away But was there nothing that in poynt of conscience might stumble the Ministers of God in reference to our great change or were all Saints that were most complying I speake not for my selfe I confesse I was from the first more satisfied in poynt of Engaging then many of my Reverend fathers but I could not but from the first thinke and still doe thinke hundreds of them that durst not were more conscientious then my selfe and had the feare of God more upon them then my sinfull soule hath and were I either in Parliament or Army I trust I should the more love and honour that man for ever whom I should observe holy and conscientious in all his wayes for opposing me and venturing any frownes to doe it where he observed me doing any thing that he in conscience should thinke I did amisse in though I were fully satisfied I did not But I hope that businesse is determined by the great God O that no grudges for differences relating to it might yet remaine but that there might be in all that feare the Lord an heart of Oblivion as well as an Act of Oblivion is past in it 2. A Second great objection against the Ministers is they are Presbyterians and the Devill hath so far prevailed with many as to make it in their hearts Anathema esse Presbyterum It hath beene the lot of the Saints heretofore to be stigmatized with Apocryphall names