Selected quad for the lemma: christian_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
christian_n	body_n	church_n	mystical_a	1,148	5	10.4023	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A15667	The consideration and iudgement, of the diuines of the Electorall Principality of Saxony, in the Vniuersitie of Wittenberge: they being required by the Vniuersitie of Iena vpon the question: whether a state of the empire ought not well to consider, whether he be bound to ayde and assist the Roman Emperour or no, in these warres of Bohemia? Faithfully translated out of the High Dutch tongue, according to the printed copy.	Universität Wittenberg.	1620 (1620)	STC 25933; ESTC S121077	8,478	20

extremest and mortallest enemies of the Gospell against such Protestant Christians as are mentioned in the propounded Question to the destroying and rooting out of it and them Yet so that the word Neighbour bee not taken most generally but in particular for them who most earnestly take part with vs and hold the vnity of the Spirit by the bond of Peace in the onely true Faith as the same commeth neerest vnto the Propheticall and Apostolike Writings contayned in the vnaltered Augsburg Confession and in the Booke of Christian Concord that haue with vs one God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ and one Lord Christ Iesus one Baptisme one whole vnmangled Lords Supper in the true Body and the true Bloud of Iesus Christ who in that respect are one Body with vs and wee altogether the Members of one Body of which the Apostles rich and spirituall Exhortation is well knowne and according to the same euery vnderstanding man vseth to take heed vnto himselfe that wittingly hee doe not with his owne hands any hurt vnto his owne Members How much more then should all good and religious true Christians well foresee and duly consider Christ his mysticall Body which is the right faith full true Church that they persecute and hurt it not at all no not in any few and small Members thereof According as also the very style both of the holy Lords Praver Our Father of the holy Creed of the Apostles in the words The Communion of Saints doth euen daily put vs in minde of and that wee Christians should both striue and pray one with another And who can tell for whethers Prayers sake our Lord hath many times hitherunto bin moued to stay and keepe backe many fierce incursions and cruell inuasions of the Turke and other furious inuading people Whereunto also in some sort the words of the Apostle agree 1. Cor. 12.21 c. to 27. and as it further followeth saying The eye cannot say vnto the hand I haue no need of thee nor againe the head to the feet I haue no need of you Nay much more these members of the body which seeme to be more feeble are necessary And those members of the body which we thinke to bee lesse honourable vpon those wee bestow more aboundant honour and our vncomely parts haue more aboundant comelinesse For our comely parts haue no need But God hath tempered the body together hauing giuen more abundant honour to that part which lacked That there should be no schisme or diuision in the body but that the members should haue the same care one for another And whether one member suffer all the members suffer or one member be honoured all the members reioyce with it And that Christians in such an accident for loue sake towards their fellow Christians should also not be discouraged for any inconuenience yea or any perill whatsoeuer that may thence arise vnto themselues to stand as one man for their brethren against their enemies Christ would expresly haue vs to learne it by that saying of his beloued Disciple 1. Iohn 3.16 Hereby perceiue we the loue of God because hee layd downe his life for vs and we ought to lay downe our lines for the brethren 〈◊〉 Iohn 3.17 But who hath this Worlds goods and seeth his brother hath need and shutteth vp his bowels of compassion from him how dwelleth the loue of God in him Whence doubtlesse came the meaning of the old Prouerbe Si non pauisti occidisti si non defendisti obruisti If thou hast not fed thou hast killed if thou hast not defended thou hast ouerthrowne and destroyed The great and high God could indeed of himselfe without others helpe speake and send downe hither the Word from Heauen for the deliuerance and safetie of the afflicted and distressed Christians against their Enemies furie But hee will hereby try and proue the rest of other Christians whether they will more obey his Commandement or the commands of men And Christ will amongst other things say thus also at the Day of Iudgement vnto his true Seruants that did partake with his childrens afflictions I was persecuted and by force of Armes fought against for the Faiths sake and yee had then a fellow-feeling and suffered with me We will not at this time say any thing whether there must not needs by such ayding and assisting offence arise amongst others both friends and enemies when they shall see those of the same profession of Faith one to striue and make warre against the other that euen for matters of Faith whence it may also easily come to passe that some weake Christians shall hereby bee moued and occasioned though of weaknesse to forsake the olde Lutheran Faith and so making relapse fall againe vnto Popery And it is not concealed but manifest how that in regard of giuing of offence in the World the Sonne of God hath cryed out his heauy Woe and which is the more offensiue and worse if that hereby the enemies shall be so much the more by vs strengthened and hardened in their errours Now as concerning what was the iudgement in this point of that our great Prophet D. Martin Luther It is recorded that Master Luther in the yeare 1529. vpon the Question moued vnto him whether a man might defend himselfe against the Emperours Maiestie in case hee should by force indenour to ouer-runne any man for the Gospell sake answered generally That no man that will be a true Christian shall rise vp or oppose himselfe against the Magistrate whether hee doth iustly or vniustly seeing that Sinnes depriue not the Magistrate of his Office and Calling and seeing also that the Subiects of all Lords and Princes within the Empire are also the Emperours Subiects yea and more then they be their Princes Wherefore men ought to let their people and Countryes stand open to the Emperour and be faithfull vnto him euen to the hazarding of body and life and not to hold or take part with the greedy Cormorants who vnder pretence of defending the Gospell will for their owne aduantage set and band themselues against the Magistrate This his saying is to bee found in his 6. Tom. in Dutch printed at Iena sub Anno 1533. but doth indeed belong vnto the yeare 1530. But yet after this in his 5. Tom. in that his excellent Book whose Title is A warning to his beloued Countreymen of Germany he sets downe three strong reasons and also proceedes so in amplyfying of them that it may well make a mans haire that reades it stare and stand vpright at the horrible lothsomnesse or vglinesse of Popery and therewithall concludes That if the Emperour suffer himselfe to bee induced to make warres for the Popes behoofe and benefit then should not any man obey him And seeing that Treatise is very excellent forcible and necessary but is withall ouerlong to bee here transcribed and inserted We doe therefore earnestly intreate and desire all well-minded and honest hearts that in regard of the dangerous times whereinto we are fallen they would wholly reade it through out and often ouer And amongst other things hee there sheweth that by such a proceeding men shall draw downe vpon themselues all the abominations that are done and committed in and vnder the Papacie and shall as much as in them lyeth ouer-throw and destroy all the excellent good that is now restored and againe erected by the holy Gospell The like is also to bee read in his 7. Tom. Title of Resistance for the space of ten leaues together where hee distinguisheth betweene the Emperour as Emperour and betweene the Emperour as being set on and stirred vp by the Pope to make warre And euen so concludes in respect of ayde and assistance to bee giuen or not as wee haue aboue concluded Now if men shall lay all this which hath beene here prooued and alleaged although it be but very short on the golden ballance of their Conscience then will the matter it selfe teach them that they are to follow the Apostles Rule as it is to be read in the 2. Cor. 6.14 Bee yee not vnequally yoked together Wherefore according to the same we conclude That as the Case now standeth a Lutherane Prince is iustly occasioned well to consider that in case his Imperial Maiesty be incited and stirred vp by the haters of Peace and Quietnesse to make warre against Gods pure Religion then he is not bound to ayde and assist him therein But hee is much rather bound to mediate for those that be oppressed by interceding and by admonishing and by beseeching yea and in a word to vse all the possible good meanes that humane Reason can deuise and thinke vpon for the procuring of their assured ease liberty peace and quietnesse And this is that which wee thought our selues bound in dutie humbly to answere vnto our gracious Lord Duke Iohn Ernestus as vnto a right worthy Lord and true Lutherane Prince vpon his gracious desire and command And we do beseech the most high God that he will bee pleased for Christ Iesus his sake so to enlighten his Imperiall Maiestie by his holy Spirit that hee may with all his heart and soule for the saluation of his owne soule truly more loue God then himselfe And that hee may hold and esteeme them for godly and honest Christians who doe and will also more loue God then the Emperour And likewise that hee would after the examples of Cyrus Darius Artaxerxes carefully enquire and seeke out whether that wee Lutheranes haue the right or the wrong on our sides And if he shall find that we haue the right that then hee will so much the more and the rather for the aduancement of Gods Honour and the Saluation of his owne soule publish such godly Mandates and Edicts for the further propagating of Gods holy Truth as did the foresaid three Kings with-draw all Warre and cause sincere Peace to bee spread and established whereby also he may at the last Day appeare before God as one that had so much furthered and procured Righteousnesse as the Sunne doth lighten the Firmament Which our good God grant and vouchsafe graciously to worke and effect in him to the onely Praise Honor and Glory of his Diuine Name Amen Giuen at Wittenberge on the day of S. Pauls Conuersion being the 25. of Ianuary in the yeare of Christ 1620. L. S. Decanus Senior and other the Doctors of the Facultie of Diuinitie in the Vniuersitie of Wittenberg FINIS