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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	israel_n	king_n	write_v	2,457	5	6.4199	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A68091	A preparation to the most holie ministerie wherein is set downe the true meanes to be well prepared to the same, by an exact description, and consideration, of the necessitie, excellencie, difficultie, and great profit therof; with the maruellous effects of the same: also a liuely exhortation to all youth, to giue themselues to the studie therof: and a confutation of the obiections which may be brought in any sort to touch the same: verie profitable and necessarie in these our times, ... Diuided into two bookes. Written in French by Peter Gerard, and translated into English by N.B.	Gerard, Pierre.	1598 (1598)	STC 11754; ESTC S108635	151,047	320

before their eies those excellent titles with which they are adorned in the holy scripture by the testimonies whereof it is very conueniēt first to proue the same and afterward to dilate vppon them in the maner of an exhortation CHAP. IIII. The proofe by places of scripture of twentie two titles which are giuen to the Ministers of the word of God IN the first place they are called the Ministers of God 1 Tit. 1 and of Iesus Christ Paul a Minister of God and an Apostle of Iesus Christ 1 Cor. 1 Eph 1. Ehp. 4. according to the faith of Gods elect Secondly they are called the Seruants of God and of Iesus Christ They are called Gen. 20 Apostles Prophets Euangelistes Pastors and Doctors but because first we make mention of those titles which be lesse significant 1 Sam 9 we set downe that thirdly they are called Prophets Abraham was a Prophet The fourth title is that they are called Seers as we may read When Israel went to enquire an answer of God they went to the house of the Seer And there Samuel is called a Seer In the same book of Samuel it is said That the Acts of King Dauid both first and last are written in the bookes of Samuel the Seer and in the volum of Gad the Seer In the 1. Chr. 21. the 2. Chr. 9 1 Chro. 21 2 Chro. 9 In the visions of Iddo the Seer And in the same booke the 12. Chapter Iddo the Seer In the 29. mention is made of Iohn the sonne of Hanani the Seer who reproued Iehoshaphat in that hee went with Achab. The fift title that they are called Apostles The 6. Euangelists The 7. Doctors The 8. Pastors The 9. they are called Planters The 10. VVaterers of the word of God As S. Paul saith Paul may plant and Apollos may water but God giues the encrease The 11. they are called fellowe workers or Gods laborers The 12. the Disposer of the Mysteries of God Lette a man so thinke of vs as of the Ministers of Christ and disposers of the secrets of God The 13. Messengers or Ambassadours Now then are we Ambassadours for Christ as though god did beseech you throgh vs we pray you in Christes stead that you be recōciled to god The 14. they be called Labourers in the Haruest as in Math. Whereas Christ seeing a great company following him he said vnto his disciples Surelie the Haruest is great but the laborers are but fewe praye ye therefore the Lord of the haruest to send forth laborers into his haruest The 15. Fathers When the King of Israel had in his power the army of the King of Syria hee asked of Elisha the Prophet as touching them saying My Father shall I smite them shall I smite them Againe I write not these things to shame you but as my beloued children I admonish you For though you haue ten thousand instructors in Christ yet haue you not many Fathers for in Christ Iesus I haue begotten you through the Gospell The 16. Elders as in the 20. of the Acts where wee may read that when S. Paul sent for the Elders whom he exhorted in their dutie 1 Tim. 6 And also The Elders that rule well are worthy of double honour 1 Pet. 5 In Peter The Elders which are amōg you I beseech which also am an Elder a witnesse of the sufferings of Christ 1 Tim. 3 T● 1 The 17. Bishop If any desire the office of Bishop he desireth a woorthy worke The 18. Math. 5 Math. 6 The salt of the earth so Christ calleth his Disciples The 19. The Light of the world The 20. A sweet Sauour VVe are vnto God the sweete sauour of Christ in thē that are saued in them that perish to the one we are the sauour of death vnto death to the other the sauour of life vnto life The 21. They are called Angells The Pastors of the 7. Churches are called Angelles in the Reuelation of S. Iohn The 22. and the last they are called Gods Exod. For it is said when Moses refused to go into Egypt for the deliuerāce of the people God ioined Aaron vnto him said vnto him That he should be his spokesman he shall be as thy mouth thou shalt be to him as God Againe Behold I haue made thee Pharaoh his God That is I haue giuen thee power against Pharaoh thou shalt be as a God to a weake man Speaking in this maner vnto him to haue all feare of the Tyrant to be quite taken away CHAP. V. How euerie one that affecteth the ministrie should make profit of each title which the scripture giueth to Pastors NOw seeing that wee haue made proofe of the titles lette euerie one diligentlie consider what they ought to learne which desire this calling First of all in that they are called the Ministers of God they must learne two things First that they be of honest conuersation Secondly that they be endued with a competent measure of knowledge As concerning their maners what they must be and what God requireth at their hands lette them sette before them that most excellent place of scripture written in Leuitieus where the behauiour of the Leuits are described Leuit. 21. VVhat the title of a minister teacheth them desires the same VVhosoeuer of thy seede in their generations hath anie blemishes shall not prease to offer the bread of his God For whosoeuer hath any blemish shall not come neare as a man blind or lame or that hath a flat nose or that hath any misshapen member or a man that hath a broken foote or a broken hand or is crooke backed or bleare eyed or hath a blemish in his eye or be scuruie or scabbed or hath his stones broken For this place is a true table to beholde what Ministers ought to be but wee alledge not this place to this end that the imperfections of the body whereof there mention is made maye keepe backe at this time those from comming to the ministrie which desire the same as it hindered the Leuits from beeing priests for the reason for which God would h●ue his Priest without blemish was because he rep●esented the person of Christ who should be the immaculate lambe in that reconciliation which should be made by him betwixt God and vs but nowe seeing that Christ Iesus hath made an end of the ceremonies of the lawes here mentioned wee which are vnder the Gospel are no more bounde to the outward obseruation yet notwithstāding the substance of the same is to be applied to all those that are placed in the calling of the ministrie that as in those times the lame broken and disfigured were kept backe from the Priesthood so at this day vnderstanding by the faults of the bodie the spirituall blemishes of the soule Those that bee fooles ignorant wicked vngodly should not bee admitted to this charge for ignorance wickednes and vngodlinesse and many other vices copartners

disorders of men in many countreyes there is nothing of such force as the preaching of the word of God IN the first place this may be verified because the worde of God in the scripture is verie fitly compared to a burning fire as in Ieremy where God saith to his Prophet that Hee will put his words into his mouth like a fire Iere. 5.74.29.29 Isay 49.2 And in the 29. of the same Prophecie it is cōpared to a fire and to an hammer Is not my word euen like a fire saith the lord and like an hammer that breakes the stone And in Isay to a sword and to a shaft where it is said that God hath made his mouth like vnto a sharp sword and a chosen shaft c. Eph. 6 17. Apoc. 15 15. Math. 1 12. Also to a fanne where Iohn sayth that Hee holdeth his fanne in his hand and will make cleane his floore and gather his wheate into his Garner but will burne vp the chaffe with vnquenchable fire And vnto salt and such like things By all those similitudes and other very well knowne wee are plainely instructed and it is liuely represented vnto vs the vertue and efficacie of this word of God that seeing that God hath giuen such power to it to be able to encounter with the transgressions and sinnes of men The word of God being compared to a sword to a fan to salt they that preach the same purely may correct many vices it may very well be concluded that those which do preach his word so it be purely and from a zealous affection and hearkened vnto attentiuely in all humanitie and reuerence they may by the grace of God root vp out of the world an infinite number of sinnes For seeing that it is so that the fire of his owne nature doth purifie gold siluer and cleanseth other mettals bringeth them to powder and fineth them seperateth the drosse consumeth straw chaffe and other drie things when they are cast into it and as a sharpe swoorde dooth cut and pearce or like a fanne when the corne is threshed to make cleane the floore to cast and driue away the chaffe filme dust and taile of the corne and to make it cleane and pure also the salt of his naturall propertie doth consume the superfluous humors which is in meate and do preserue the same frō corruption Verily it cannot otherwise bee but that the true Pastors which are messengers of the holie worde of God which truely is the word of fire by the preaching therof but they must needs burn and disperse an infinit number of disorders and corruptions vnto the which the most part are addicted and also by that to cut off many sins prophane maners and abhominable behauior of a companie of naughtipacks which take no delight but in doing euill and by the same which is a sword that woundeth euen to the marrow to the diuision of the soule they pearce through and search the very inward thoughts of their souls to awake them earnestly frō their sound sleep of vices and afterward by liuely often exhortations reprehensions denoūcings of the iudgements of God with fearful threatnings which are as heauy strokes of an hammer vpō their obstinacie and hardnes they may make thē haue a feeling of their sinnes to detest all their pleasure therin Also by the same of this word they discouer much filthines of the rauening cormorāts that is to say a great nūber of Infidels Atheists Apostates hipocrits which are oftētimes hidden in the church of God as cockle amongst the corne which they cast out of the same and purge it to conclude seeing that the same word is salt keeping meates in their accustomed goodnesse that they do not corrupt It must needes be that they which carry this salt hither and thither do giue a sauour vnto them which haue it not to them which haue it in a small measure to conserue them to them which haue it sufficiently to cause them to hold the same to aduise thē that this sauor doth not diminish nor perish that is to cause by this word that those which are secure in their sins may feele them acknowledge thē those which haue a feeling of the grace of God that they increase more and more in the one and in the other they that are growne to greatest perfection may haue care to keepe the knowledge which they haue in detesting all their life long their wicked conuersation and studying with all their heart affection for integritie The second reason and innocencie Secondly we affirm that somwhat to correct the disorders of our age as it were ouerflowing the whole world the most fit soueraigne receit is to procure a sufficient number of good preachers because God in his worde doth giue them in charge to preach freely not onely to Artizans and labourers but also to kings and great Lordes so that they keepe themselues within the compasse of their dutie Wee reade in Deutronomy Deut 17 19. that The King should receiue the law from the Priests and reade it that he may feare God and that his heart be not lifted vp aboue his brethren And to this effect Iehoash the King of Iuda was taught by Iehoiada the priest not only whē he was little but also whē he was a great king 2. King 12. he reprehended him when hee sawe it needfull as also the Prophets exhorted and reprooued kings verie freely without feare of theyr Maiestie or authoritie as it is manifest by many very notable examples which we will recite in theyr places This poynt also is worthy the consideration which maketh much for our purpose that Prophets Priests were had in great reuerence amongst kings that they gouerned the people for the most part by their counsaile as we read plainly in the book of Numbers of Iosua the Great how he ruled his people by the aduise of Eleazar the priest if this were practised at this day Num. 1● 22 it is very probable that such disorder and confusion in Kingdomes should not bee seene The third reason as now ordinarily may be perceiued Thirdly when in auncient time God would haue any reformatiō to be made of errors abuses and abhominations of all kind of sin He hath deuised no better meanes to root vp from the midst of the people those sinnes and inormities which then reigned and bare sway but by vsing the ministery of this word We haue notable examples especially in the reigne of Iosias in whose time the pure seruice of God was established in Iuda and Israel by meanes of the reading of the law and by the preaching of this worde of God For wee reade that Shaphan the Kinges Chauncellour 2. King 22. hauing found the Booke of the lawe which was almost lost in the tymes of the wicked Kinges Manasses and others who did degenerate to all idolatries and impietie and that the good King Iosias beeng