Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	open_v	seal_n	seal_v	1,844	5	9.6479	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A43631	The naked truth. The second part in several inquiries concerning the canons and ecclesiastical jurisdiction, canonical obedience, convocations, procurations, synodals and visitations : also of the Church of England and church-wardens and the oath of church-wardens and of sacriledge.	Hickeringill, Edmund, 1631-1708.	1681 (1681)	Wing H1822; ESTC R43249	69,524	40

Christian World Object But shall men be left at Liberty then to believe what they list Answ Yes they shall in spight of all men living You may make men tell Lies and rehearse the Articles of their Belief but you are ne'er the wiser for none but God the searcher of hearts knows whether they believe what they rehearse Nay the heart of man is so deceitful that few men know their own hearts or what they do believe with the heart nay you have many times a close Atheist excommunicating and cursing Christians that do not believe according to his Canons though in his sleeve he laugh at all Creeds and all Canons Object Shall men then have Liberty of Conscience Answ Yes they shall as to matters of Faith in spight of all the world but as for Works that are contrary to the Laws of the Land which ought not withstanding to be tender of imposing unnecessary Creeds and Burdens that are not contained in express Scripture beyond dispute and not lay traps on purpose to ensnare and make men forfeit their Livings and Livelihoods to men of greater Latitude The Magistrate must either justifie his Laws and vindicate them or repeal them or his Authority will soon come to a period God and Nature seem to delight in Variety and in making Men and Women all in the world of different Features Ayres Dimensions Complexions c. And how do we know that Almighty God is so much displeased with Variety of Opinions also as some men imagine Though we have different Physiognomies and different Eye-sights yet we all continue to be men And though we have different Judgements Minds and Opinions some more clear some more purblind yet we may all continue Christians But suppose other men do not cannot for their lives see so well as we or so well as the Synod or the Magistrate yet must we therefore pull out or put out their eyes deliver them to the Devil first and then to the Gaol and after all to the pit of Hell And for expedition sake thither with the more speed until the writ De Haeretico comburendo was Cancell'd Fire and Faggot These have been the Methods this the Piety of bloody Synods and bloody Bonners and distinguishing themselves all the better from all mankind by the name of Clergy Clergy The word Clergy indeed is a Scripture expression but never but once found in Holy Writ and then it signifies Lay-men 1 Pet. 5.3 the Flock not the Sheepherd that feeds the Flock The Presbyter Peter advising his Fellow Presbyters or Priests 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 neque ut domminantes Cleris Not Lording it over God's Lot over the flock there called Clergymen that is Laymen Nay this I 'll say for these Clergymen some of them shall knock a word out of joynt and do as feat things as any Layman of them all Notable was the first Canon that ever was made by a General Council the first at Nice namely ' Si quis à Medicis propter languorem defectus est c. If any man be guelt by the Chirurgeons because of the Disease you wot of or Eunuch'd by the Barbarians we are content he shall remain a Clergyman But if being wholesome and found he make himself an Eunuch as did the great Origen he although he be a Clergyman ought to be made a Layman again And if such a man be a Layman he shall never be Ordain'd a Clergyman As also we Ordain the same therefore against those that are so audacious as to gueld themselves But if the Barbarians or their Masters gheld them such if they be of good Conversation are by this Canon admitted to become Clergymen These Holy Fathers in this General Council were three long years a sitting before they brought forth those Canons Theodoret. l. 1. c. 7. and all the while plentifully maintain'd by the unparallel'd Munificence of the Emperour Constantine But one unlucky Accident had like to have spoiled all at last if their Wisdomes had not salv'd it up 't was this Two of those same Bishops 318. says Theodoret 270. almost says Eustathius Bishop of Antioch who made one 270 just faith Athanasius who was also there present it happen'd I say that two of them called Chrysanthus and Musonius departed this Life Priusquam Acta Synodi perficerentur c. faith Nicephorus This put the Reverend Fathers to a notable plunge faith Nicephorus For it seems it was not yet agreed whether the Infallible Holy Ghost sway'd every Individual or but some or but the Major-part or only whilst in Cathedris or went also home with them to their Lodgings whether he was totus in toto or in qualibet parte totius But to make all sure what do they but away no doubt upon serious deliberation and consultation among themselves they go to the Church-yard or Sepulchres and standing by the Graves of the two deceased Bishops with the said Nicene Canons in their hands as if they had been alive and had had Ears to hear they made their address to them in these words and with this following Common prayer and Harangue Holy Fathers said they ye that with us have fought true enough the good fight and have finisht your course and kept the Faith if therefore ye that are enlightned with the Beams of the Trinity and see things more cleverly all Interpositions being done away we say if ye approve of what we have done 't is fit telling those glorified Saints their duty that you do also with us subscribe this little Book of Canons And having made this Speech they left the Book upon the Tomb sealed up and watcht all night but the next day returning to the Sepulchre they found the Seals untoucht and opening the Book they found their Hands with which they were very well acquainted newly subscribed among the rest viz. in these very words We Chrysanthus and Musonius who sate with all the Fathers in the first Holy Occumenical Council of Nice though Translated from the Body have yet subscribed this Libel with our own hands And it was kindly and civilly done of them I 'le assure you to leave their Heavenly Stations and visit the Tombs at the request of Mortals praying to Saints nay and to have learnt to write neither better nor worse but the very same old Characters their Writing masters had taught them for so Nicephorus adds in the story Subscriptiones illorum reliquis incertas cognovère recentes adhuc in hac verba conceptas The old Fathers knew their hands again when they saw them very well the Ink was scarce dry upon the Book And a further Miracle it was that the Ink being scarce dry did not blot the Book being clos'd up and Seal'd And the greatest wonder was that one Town could hold so many Bishops three years together without venting their Malice and Spleen against one another more remarkably than when at their first Meeting every one like fierce Tygers snarling biting assaulting and flying in the face of