Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	church_n	prayer_n	public_a	3,025	5	6.8559	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A15765	A summons for sleepers Wherein most grieuous and notorious offenders are cited to bring forth true frutes of repentance, before the day of the Lord now at hand. Hereunto is annexed, a patterne for pastors, deciphering briefly the dueties pertaining to that function, by Leonard Wright.	Wright, Leonard, b. 1555 or 6.	1589 (1589)	STC 26034.3; ESTC S121115	49,627	64

full coldly and craftily God wot and forasmuch as all is done vnder y e title of preaching what soeuer they say al is taken in good part and greatly commended without controlment or danger of punishment These are not those dumbe dogs which the Prophet speaketh of but those barking curs and proud stubborne and disobedient murmurers false accusers authors of sects and despisers of authoritie which the Apostle speaketh of Those foolish Prophets false dissembling lyers that are wise in their owne conceites follow their owne spirits and speake where they see nothing which Esay and Ezechiel speaketh of and those Pharasaicall hipocrites which say vnto those that come nigh them touch me not for I am holier then thou These are no vnpreaching Ministers but rather vnministring preachers for so they may haue as great lordship and superioritie ouer their parishes as the Prince hath ouer the realme the Bishop ouer his diocesse or the Pope in time past ouer the Church to teach what doctrine they fancie establish what lawes they like obserue what orders they list without controlment they are contended at Christs commaundement to go forth and preach But if hee will haue any sacraments ministred hee must go himselfe for all them for it goeth against their consciences These are no lasie loiterers but diligent féeders such as Iohn Leaden Dauid George and Knipper Doling in Germanie apt and readie to sow Schismes in the Church factions in the common wealth and set the countrie together by the eares They are not idle but sure were better be idle then so busily occupied in applying their wittes by art and learning to worke dissention and mischiefe in the harts of the people They féede in deede but their foode is such as can hardly be receyued without danger Whose hipocriticall puritie churlish stearne countenance disdaining to giue men their titles of honour priuie conuenticles and condemning our Christian order in baptizing of Infants doe manifestly shew them no other but the very sect of Anabaptists And if that graue reuerend and learned father D. Whitegift now Archbishop of Canterburie had not stept in in time to withstand their subtile and péeuish deuises we had ere this daie felt as great hurly burly in the Church of England as was of late yeres by their predecessors in the Citie of Munster These are not hirelings in stead of shepheards nor wolues in stead of hirelings but rather deuils in stead of wolues For if peacemakers be the children of God sure these disturbers of peace must néeds be the children of the deuill they sléepe in sinne and it is high time to awake them Yet by reason of their hypocrisie and straightnes of life such as be of contentious natures do follow them and commende their doings We néed not now flée to the Poet Homer for his ayde in prescription of the Syrens seeing this our vnhappie age is so furnished with Marmaids whose delicat tunes pretensed holines swéet venimous inticements doe so rauish tickle y e itching eares of a sort of giddy headed people as they do thinke themselues rapt vp into the third heauen Whereby they haue hatched such a viperous brotherhoode of sycophant whelps both dog whelps bitch whelpes halfe saints halfe deuils w e busie dissentious heads proud disdainful stomacks wilfull wits factious harts brasen faces golden mouths and smooth glosing tongs as this land before this time was neuer troubled withall Some snatching curs that bite before they barke some barking shalts that would bite if they durst some fawning spaniels much like the flattering butcher who gently claweth the Oxe when he intends to knock him in y e head They take great pleasure and delight in comming to sermons not as scholers to learne but rather as Iudges to controll being growen so diuerse in manners variable in conditions y t it is easier for a cooke to please an hundred mouthes with one dish of meate than a preacher to order one sermon to content a dozen heads some wold haue matters of faith handled some inuectiues against Papistrie some vices rebuked some sharp hotly some gentle coldly all men other mens faults but no man his owne faults And as they disagrée in matter so do they in forme some like anciēt doctors some new writers some call that mans doctrine Some would haue it polished with logicke rethorike some cal that perswasible words of mans wisdom some would haue study in sermons ●ome onely a sodaine motion of the spirite some would haue long Sermons and some care not how short some so dainty and coy that they can brooke no Sermons Thus what by the infectious crew of Papisticall heretikes on the one side and this pestiferous sect of Anabaptisticall Schismatikes on the other side the Church of God is greatly troubled and disquieted good order the pale of our parke or common wealth broken downe And the deere of Christ so dearly bought in danger to be deuoured of a sort of wolues in lambes skins and deuils in mens vizards halfe Papists halfe Anabaptists who though in some pointes they séeme to differ in opinions yet in defaming her Maiesties gouernment denying her supremacie in matters Ecclesiasticall condemning the booke of Common praier and the publike reading of the holy Scriptures with diuerse other pointes they ioyntly agrée together as brethren and vnder a glosing shew of obedience like vnnaturall children who at the commaundement of an adulterous stepfather are willing and ready to thrust their swords into their mothers belly liue gaping for a daie to vtter their malice At whose hands there is no other friendship or true hearts to be looked for But as Nahas king of the Amorites would haue made with the king of Iabes by pulling out their right eies So nothing can reforme content or satisfie these except yéelding vp the authoritie of Ecclesiasticall gouernment into their hands And therefore certaine they are possessed with some greate maister deuil they sléepe in sinne and it is high time to wake them Forasmuch as héeretofore their opinions haue béene opened their fancies detected their heresies confuted and theyr argumentes confounded And yet neither reason can leade them authoritie moue them nor truth it selfe inforce them to yéeld to confesse their errors and amend their manners it is high time to tie them shorter for infecting of others such trées as lopping and watering cannot make fruitfull must be cut downe When gentle medicines will not helpe the Phisition must vse bitter potions when the grieued place cannot bee broken with plaisters the Chirurgion must lanch it So when lenitie cannot reclaime them seueritie must correct them so shall wée haue more religion and lesse contention Though our sauiour Christ commanded to pardon our enemies yet not his enemies as to be angrie with sinne is not anger but zeale so to smite for offending God is not to smite but to correct to amendement the liues of lewde men are a sweete

wicked impes Amongst eight persons in the arke with Noah was one naughtie packe Amongst the twelue chosen Apostles with Christ himself was one Iudas and therefore as if in Sodom there had béene found but tenne good men the whole citie had béene saued for their sakes so though some of their fellow ministers lacke grace to liue as they ought yet would charitie rather beare with some badde because of the good then openly to deface discredite their brethren because of some bad The spirit of wisdome is louing gentle The Apostle S. Paul would not haue those that are endued with greater giftes to disdaine their brethren hauing lesser neither an elder rebuked rigorously nor accusation receiued against him vnder 2 or 3 witnesses But forasmuch as we are all fellow seruants none of vs without his imperfections hee would haue one to suffer and beare the weakenesse of another one to helpe and comfort another that nothing be done through strife or vaineglory but in méekenes of mind euery one to estéeme another better than himselfe and whereas we haue diuersitie of gifts and difference of administrations as euery one hath receiued the gift so one to minister to another euery one to meddle with his owne businesse knowing that euery one shall beare his owne burthen and receyue his rewarde according to his owne labour hée that stands to take héed least he fall as for his brother whether he stand or fal that perteineth to his owne master who bestoweth not his gifts alike vnto all men neither will he require ten talents where he gaue but one to whom much is giuen of him shall much be required Some are indued with wisdom knowledge iudgement to discerne truth from falshood home with vtterance memorie and boldnesse to instruct with stongue some with godly deuotion christian charitie and honest disposition to teach by example of life and conuersation hée that carryeth bricke and morter may be a mason though not so expert as the maister of the building hée that diggeth ground may be a good gardener though not so cunning as he that draweth the knot hee that cutteth the timber may bée a good Carpenter though not equall to him that contriueth the house Euen so the meaner sort of ministers béeing honest men working in the Lordes vineyard in some measure whether it be by writing reading or speaking without booke may be good Preachers though not so fitte for the Pulpet as those which are indued with greater gifts and no doubt their diligence in doing their best shall be accepted with the poore widowes oblation Though the Fletcher want strength to draw the bow yet is hée a speciall meane to further shooting though the Smith want skill to holde the plough yet is he a necessarie instrument to helpe forwarde the worke though the whetstone can not cut of it selfe yet is it néedfull to make sharpe the Sithe so though some want the gift of memorie and boldnesse to instruct by preaching with tongue yet may hée bee a profitable member in the Church by teaching with penne Our God is louing and gentle and taketh in good part the good will euen of the poorest and simplest of his children pardoneth their imperfections accepteth their obedience and rewardeth them as liberally as the greater A good Preacher also must be carefull to kéepe in credit the authoritie of his office not to vary in doctrine from his fellowe labourers neither to minister any matter amongst the ignorant people that may bréede contention or discord Finally he must be a man of honest life and conuersation for none can effectually teach the waie to die well except himselfe bée such a one as liueth well The Priestes of the olde Lawe were chosen without blemishe to signifie theyr liues without blame The Apostle woulde haue them well tried to bée honest men and of good reporte before they be admitted into that reuerend function He that will profite in teaching must labor with both hands or els as fast as the one doth gather the other doth scatter as the one doth build vp the other doth pull downe hée must haue both Vrim and Thumim knowledge and vertue persuasion in words and example in déeds to thunder in doctrine and shine in life and manners True Christian religiō consisteth not onely in bare preaching dumbe hearing but rather in deuout praying vertuous liuing charitable working It is naturally grafted in man to speak holily praise good sayings and desire rather to know much that liue well Knowledge no doubt is a goodly gift and a great blessing of God yet knowledge without vertue or learning without good liuing are nothing els but as trées without fruit At the last day we shal not be demanded how much we haue knowen but how well we haue liued What auayleth it a man to be able to define what faith and repentance is not féelyng Gods holy spirite working faith and repentance in his heart or to tell a faire smooth tale in words yet stammer in his déeds or to haue al the Scriptures witty sayings of Philosophers at your fingers ends yet want grace to liue accordingly or how is he able to gouern others that hath no power to gouerne himselfe Vnto the vngodly said God Why doest thou preach my laws or takest my Testament in thy mouth whereas thou hatest to be reformed he that imploieth his tongue vnto vertue his déeds vnto vice 〈…〉 carrieth treacle in one hand to resist death and poyson in the other to take away life A wicked liuer though his tongue be neuer so plausible yet the infamy of his life decayeth all his doctrine and other gifts whatsoeuer for if one praise that he saith a number will blame that he doth A teacher without vertue is compared to a painted fire without heate or a faire vizor put on a deformed face or the ship wrights that made Noahes Arke to saue others yet perished in the floud themselues or an Idiot standing by the sea side and séeing straungers passe by in daunger of the tide crying vnto them away away the tide cometh who looking back and séeing the foole stand still begin to say one to another surely this fellow doth but ieast for if it were so dangerous as he saith he would certainly make more hast away himselfe S. Ierom saith Maius est voluntatem Domini facere quàm nôsse A vertuous liver though he say litle yet is he a good preacher a good piller of Gods Church and a right Lay mans booke whose honest life is a seale to confirme his doctrine Gods building is compared to a stone wall the Magistrates ministers vnto squared stones framed on each side and the people vnto litle ones filling vp in the midst and if any of the squared stones chaunce to slip down a number of the litle ones will follow euen so if the Magistrate or teacher