Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	bishop_n	canon_n	church_n	1,560	5	4.2701	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A66440	The pattern of ecclesiastical ordination, or, Apostolick separation being a discourse upon Acts the 13. 4,5 ... / by Edward Wakeman ...	Wakeman, Edward.	1664 (1664)	Wing W275; ESTC R5294	23,139	44

Hands it being impossible for him to grant amiss when none ask but such to whom he ought not to deny To begin with the First of these That none presume to enter upon this great Employment except they find themselves fit in some measure for the discharge of it fit for Abilities of Knowlege in the Mysteries of God and fit too for Piety of Life Fit first for Abilities of Knowledge None ought to thrust themselves as in a matter of course after some years spent in a Gown upon this service of God with any of their Learning in their too easily procured Testimonials These will not sufficiently qualify For thus while they cry out against Tamar they themselves prove Judah nothing differing from those whom they think meanly of but in that These profess Ignorance They themselves only being guilty of it These are not fit Messengers for the Holy Ghost For he doth not expect the Deaf and the Dumb the Blind and the Lame should offer themselves to go upon his Embassy He calls for Witnesses Hay-Fellow-Witnesses for both the Apostles and the Holy Ghost too are Witnesses of these things Acts 5.32 and we must not present him such who are indeed too ready to be sworn but know nothing of the cause in trial How will these invite Christs Guests to his Supper in the Parable St. Luke 14.16 that know not themselves where it is kept Whose Hearers excuse will be Not I have bought a Farm or Oxen I have married a Wife But you tell me not where the Feast is I am unacquainted with the way And do ye not think those so bidden will tast as much of the Supper as these Bidders S. Paul counts it nothing less than a swerving from the Faith that 's somewhat of kin to Apostacy to desire to be teachers of the Law understanding neither what they say nor whereof they affirm 1 Tim. 1.6 7. Such indeed may escape our Saviours Woe to the Lawyers for taking away the Key of knowledge for that they never had it Hence it comes to pass that when men are forc'd into the Pulpit by the Peoples Out-cries or through Ignorance or Indigency they Preach neither Christ nor themselves but their Parish knowing no difference between the Doctrine of the Church and the Opinions of the Vulgar which in a little time shall make such Preachers vile enough amongst them too And miserable men that must be frighted into their Duty to avoid the contempt of their Hearers Shall any man make so little account of destroying Gods People when he is sent amongst them to build them up of polluting that Fountain of Living Waters which he ought to give clear passage to Nay dare any man fasten so many errors and absurdities upon the Holy Ghost himself whose Message he undertakes to deliver What is this lesse than presumptuous sin for which under the Law there was no Sacrifice which whosoever is guilty of let him know that he grieves that Spirit whose Gift he begs at his Ordination and it will cost him some Groans too if ever he mean it shall be turned to a Blessing Secondly It is required that they be fit for Piety of Life And this condition hath so great Affinity with the Former that we may justly fear to be depriv'd of both if we be guilty of the want of either Thus Balaam being so far possessed of the Love of the world and his profer'd Preferment with King Balak that he was in hopes God would change his purpose and suffer him to go and curse Israel had at last an answer fitting his humour but such a one as prov'd a crime to hearken to Methinks a man that knows himself enamoured with the Delights or that is resolved upon the Trade of Sin should be as much afraid of having any thing to do with the Holy Ghost as the Gadarenes were of having Christ among them which a Learned Commentator attributes to their guilty Consciences not their loss of the Swine For how can such presume to have more Joy in Gods presence than Abimelech and Laban had in his appearing to them which was neither to give nor promise them any Blessing but only to rebuke them The Canon Law forbids the Church to receive Tithes from the Profits of sin Not that the Thief the Usurer or the Harlot have any Privilege or Exemption granted them but in as much as God cannot accept such Oblations and therefore neither must the Parson And dare we offer our sins themselves for the Imployment of the Holy Ghost as though he could be content with Servants that scorn to wear any but the Devils Livery Such who if we were to offer as the Priests under the Law were the same sacrifice for our own Sins and for the Sins of the Congregation might be quit with God for the Number with reverence be it spoken as being able to vie sins with the whole Congregation Far more excuse it would be for them to stay behind and Bury their Dead and free Leave they might have than thus to follow Christ to follow Christ into the Holy of Holies while they are not fit so much as to come within the Camp for Uncleanness I dare not speak this out of any Presumption of my own either Abilities or Uprightness But do acknowledge my self to have as much need of Hezekiahs Prayer 2 Chron. 30.18 as any of my Brethren The good Lord pardon every one that prepareth his heart to seek the Lord though he be not prepared or cleansed according to the Purification of the Sanctuary And may the Lord hearken to these words and so Sanctify all those by the Baptism of the Holy Ghost that are or shall hereafter be Ordained to the Ministerial Function that they may never Forget whose service they undertake and their Canonical Obedience to the Fathers of the Church which comes next to be look'd into as being deduced From the Grant of their Commission from the Church which is that they forget not to Honour and Obey all such under whose Protection and Government in the Church they are Did men but seriously consider that Voluntary solemn Oath which they take at their Ordination to observe the Canons and Articles of the Church and this in the presence of God and the Bishop upon the pain of Destruction we should not then have any cause to complain of Neutrality Prevarication and Indifferency in the Execution of their Office They would not then Grumble and Spurn at the Churches Injunctions and cheat the souls of such as are committed to their charge into ruine But thanks be to God that this may be cured by the care and Vigilance of our good Bishops and therefore the less may suffice to be spoken to it Pardon O Pardon me my most Honourable and always to be Revered Fathers if the Text by my poor Pen re-minds you that you are to use all possible care concerning the Persons to whom you dispense the sacred Gift of the Holy Ghost I know you neither confide in Testimonials alone nor Parts without Good Report of them that are without You are to Command and Rule We to obey And therefore I return to such as are or are to be Commission'd You read in the Division of the Text that Preaching was St. Pauls and St. Barnabas's charge and consequently ours in a Synechdoche only and not the whole performance that lies upon us There is likewise necessary a right and due frequent administration of the Eucharist and of Baptism as oft as need requires a Reconciling of Neighbours that are at variance and a catechistical Instruction of all such as are of younger years this is our duty too But although Preaching be not the sum total of our duty that lies upon us yet we must take heed of seeking advantage from hence we must not leave it quite out There are sometimes necessary diversions from it I speak of those who have a charge of souls committed to them occasions of the same importance for the good of the Church with Preaching but it will not be safe for any to snatch up these for a pretence to Idleness and think he can answer God as easily as Man As if God had layed aside that Attribute which Moses leaves not out even while he implores his Mercy Num. 14.18 By no means cleering the guilty He that would teach the people that he ought to have liberty sometimes to forbear should do it by his Doctrine not by his Practice as our Saviour dealt with the Pharisees first vindicating the Lawfulness of doing even servile works on the Sabbath and yet for the present forbearing himself to do them as Grotius observes For he heals the man without so much as a Touch only saying to him Stretch forth thine hands Mat. 12.13 If all the Lords People were Prophets there would yet be need of frequent Preaching so much adoe we have to Learn to Practise what we know never so cleerly But then if we look upon the Late times whose too much and dangerous Preaching has been far worse than the Neglect of Preaching how will it concern every one now that God hath restored our lately miserable Church to Peace and Order to set our selves to weeding apace to root up every plant our Heavenly Father hath not planted and to be at least nothing less sedulous in seasoning the Lump with the Leaven of the Kingdom of Heaven than our Adversaries have been and are in scattering the Leaven of the Pharisees so shall we deliver our own souls and not cut off those committed to our charge Num. 4.17 from among their Brethren so shall we give proof of those Gifts of the Holy Ghost which we receive at our Ordination and having discharg'd our Consciences here in sowing the good seed committed to us we shall hereafter reap Life everlasting Which God of the Riches of his Mercy grant all the Clergy and People of this Land for the Merits and Satisfaction of his Son Jesus Christ to whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be rendred as is most due all Honour Power and Glory for ever and ever Amen FINIS