Selected quad for the lemma: christian_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
christian_n	church_n	time_n	true_a	4,909	5	4.9532	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A02456	A learned sermon handling the question of ceremonies, controuerted in our church: by Roger Hacket Doctor in Diuinitie	Hacket, Roger, 1559-1621.	1605 (1605)	STC 12588; ESTC S119068	22,518	70

such linnen garment to be vsed of the minister in the time of diuine seruice in the Church Yea vnto the vse of this S. Bernard aduiseth saying Ad altaris officium nemo accedat in vesti communi sed quisquis accessurus albis induatur Let no man come to minister the sacrament in a common garment but whosoeuer is to come let him be cloathed in white Yea not onely the ministers were arraied in white but ex catechumenis competentes such which came to be baptized in those great weekes of Easter whitsontide were also cloathed in white linnen garments In so much that Gregorie the great sent certaine summes of money to Boniface the first conuerter of the Saxons to the faith to be imployed for such of the poore which desired to be baptized but yet lacked money to buy those garments Yet did not the Fathers enforce this garment as absolutely necessarie to be worne in the Church but commended it rather as fit by seruing to decencie and order the which may appeare out of Augustine speaking of these garments Oftentimes there may lie hidde a pure soule vnder a blacke habite neither doeth it matter much if any hath not a white garment The reason of this Celestinus the first of that name bishop of Rome giueth in an Epistle that he writeth to certaine bishops of Fraunce when vnder their charge some cloathed in cloakes serued in the church leauing that garment which in former times was vsed We are to be distinguished from the people and other by our doctrine not by our vestiment by our conuersation not by our habite by the puritie of our mindes not by the ornaments of the bodies And therefore shortly after inferreth wee are not to induce the simple mindes of the faithfull vnto these for they are rather to be taught then to be illuded Since thē this garment hath beene in this manner commanded and vsed by the godly fathers in the first Church why may it not in the same sort be commanded to vs and vsed of vs If here thou shalt infer because it hath beene superstitiously abused many putting that holinesse in the garment that without it they thinke no seruice or sacrament can bee rightly administred That is their errour that are so miscarried whose misinformed consciences are to be instructed in the truth Yet I pray thee ingeniously speake must nothing be vsed that hath beene superstitiously abused then must we haue no Church no word no sacraments no praiers for they haue all beene most fowly abused When Augustine was consulted whether the temples of the Pagan Idols might be turned to the Churches of the liuing God he asketh whether of Pagan men there are not made beleeuing Christians therby inferring that as the worshippers of idols may become true worshippers of God the temples of idols churches for God so things superstitiously abused may be freed from their superstition and retained in their vse But other reformed Churches haue not thought meete that in the time of diuine seruice they should be vsed Be it so Yet thou hearest that our Church is of another minde to weare or not weare is a thing indifferent we giue no lawes to them neither may their fact prescribe in matters of this nature a lawe to vs. They doe that which in their seeming best fitted the politie of their Church and our gouernours that which best fitteth ours When Monache the mother of Augustine came to Millan shee was troubled in conscience because that at Rome on the saturdaie they fasted at Millan they did not fast whose troubled conscience Ambrose soone eased shewing vnto her in things of that nature that when shee was at Rome shee should doe as they did at Rome and when in other places as they did in those places Vnto what Church soeuer ye shall come obserue the custome of that place if ye will not haue other to be offensiue vnto you or you become an offence vnto them Marke the reason of his aduise in the end he concludeth doe not resist the bishop herein but without all scruple or dispute followe that the which thou seest him do Which aduice of Ambrose Gregorie the great in the like approoueth for being consulted by Austin the conuerter of our English nation whether he might not bring into the Church of England certaine rites then in vse in the church of Fraunce which yet were not vsed in the Church of Rome receiued for answer It pleaseth me that whether in the church of Rome or in the French church or in any other Church thou hast found any thing that may more please almightie God thou wouldest carefully choose it and that which thou hast gathered out of many Churches thou wouldest aboue all other establish in the Church of England which is but newely conuerted to the faith for not the things for the places but the places for the good things that come from them are to be loued Much rather would Gregory haue approoued those rites which had beene before in England receiued although they neither had bin nor were in vse in the Churches of Geneua and Scotland The which also Hierom confirmeth in his epistle he writeth to Licinius saying This I thinke briefly to admonish thee of that those rites of the Church especially which are not hurtsome to faith are so to be kept as they haue beene deliuered from their Elders and that the customes of some are not to be subuerted and ouerthrowne for the contrarie vsage and maner of other But aboue thē all notably Augustin cleareth this questiō in a discourse he maketh of the vse of ceremonies for hauing shewed that some were generally receiued such which were either by the Apostles appointed or concluded on in general coūcels at lēgth he saith there are other also which doe varie according to the diuers vse of sundrie places and countries as that some doe fast on saterday others doe not and of which after he thus concludeth all this kinds hath free obseruations may be vsed or may not be vsed neither is there any other ride or caution to be giuen to a graue and wise Christian then that he so doe as he seeth the Church to doe vnto which soeuer he shall happen to come For when that which is inioyned is not against faith nor against good manners it is to be reputed indifferent and to be kept for the peace of them amongst whome we liue Since then it cannot be denied but that the surplesse is commanded for the most part vsed in the church of England that Ambrose Austin Gregorie Hierome sometime reputed the foure pillars of the westerne Church aduiseth you for the peace of the church in which you liue least you become an offence vnto other and other vnto you notwithstanding the contrarie vsages of other Churches to conforme your selues and to vse the same And vnto them all which aske the reason why some Churches vse this garment others doe

not prepare your hearts vnto the God of your fathers you will not take nor giue notice of them Wherefore as Christ to the angels of the seauen Churches so he speaketh vnto you I haue somewhat to say against you in that you foster the wicked in their sinnes nay in that ye make the sinnes of other your sinns and by your winking at and cloaking of them plucke the curses of God vpon your heads and vpon his Church for as Ieremie speaketh Cursed is he that doth the worke of the Lord negligently this is Gods worke and the cause of his Church you haue in hand shew your diligence in the search of sinnes that God may turne his curses from you and you may see Hierusalem liue in peace Neither let the offendour take to wrath that for his crying sinnes he is presented but rather let him humble his soule bewaile his faults and thanke God that this occasion is giuen him to amend Thus let them that present seeke the peace of Hierusaem by presenting the offendour and let the presented seeke the peace of Hierusalem by repenting their sinnes and let the god of peace be at peace with our Church because shee wincketh not at the faults of her children but reprooueth and punisheth them in them to the example of other and for the amendment of their wicked liues Thus much to you of the people the tribes of Israel pray and seeke for the peace of Hierusalem Nowe are we to speake vnto the gouernours of the people facti estis sedes domini iudicatis as Austin speaketh ye sittel on the seates of the all-iudging God and haue authority to command from the throne of Dauid the scepter of the king because they that iudge doe aske as Austin there noteth they that are iudged are asked Interrogate inquire after those things which make for the peace of Hierusalem For as Prosper after him writeth ad ipsas sedes propheticus sermo dirigitur vobis ait qui iudicaturi estis per quos fiet consciētiarum interrogatio discernite à superbis humiles ab implacidis separate pacatos that is to the very seats of iniustice the propheticall speech is directed vnto you be saith which are to iudge by whome is to made the examination of consciences discerne ye the humble from the proud and put a difference between the troublesome and the quiet It is not enough for you with the priests to pray or people to desire but you must by diligent inquirie seeke and seeking finde and finding further the peace of our Hierusalem which is of God The vnquiet of our Church makes vs to pray and the people to desire that the God of peace would dispose your hearts to seeke for the things that make for our peace as Athanasius Non pugnamus Caesar sed rogamus O ye rulers we doe not fight the weapons of Christians are prayers and teares Yet as Abraham to God so I to the Gouernours of our Church Behold I haue beganne to speake vnto my Lords and yet am but dust ashes yet not with my words but with the words of Hierom Seeke after those things which make for the peace of this citie and followe it that by the loue of peace ye may attaine the fruit of euerlasting blisse Remember you must giue an account of your doings to the Lord. Wherefore let vs make bould to remember you of your duties and vpon what disturbers of our peace you are principally to looke First vpon the whole and halfe recusants and other fauourers of the Romish superstition which if they come are drawne to our Churches which backbite our persons depraue our preachings and speake in corners against the profession of the trueth let them not boast themselues of your fauours for of them many vnto this day haue showen that they seeke not the peace of this Church and kingdome in which they liue Secondly looke to the open and notorious offendours which are either publikely infamed or detected in your courts whose euil ensamples imbolden other to sinne and are an offence vnto the godly with whome they liue and a note of rebuke and shame vnto our church when they escape vnpunished for by their crying sinnes they disturbe the peace of our Hierusalem in prouoking the Lord to be angrie with this land Lastly looke to the proudly wilful forwardly disobediēt which speake euill of authoritie and contentiously broch and maintaine their follies contrarie to the wholsome lawes and orders of our Church these are seedes-men of Schisme fathers of cōtention whose troublesome and euer varying humours cannot brooke the quiet of our Church Thus seeke yee the peace of our Hierusalem O ye our Gouernours and then doe yee which thus seeke the priests that pray the people that desire her peace hearken to the words that follow They shall prosper that loue her This is the soule and life of the exhortation and a forcible motiue to mooue all estates to seeke Hierusalems peace they shall prosper that loue her Heare ye my fellow brethren and yee the people of God the tribes of Israel and yee the fathers and Gouernours of our Church and looke into the bosome of your hearts if ye loue our Hierusalem which is our Church yee will seeke for her peace nay if ye loue her ye shal prosper and all things shall goe well with you but if yee doe not loue her nor yet in truth for all your faire shewes doe seeke for her peace you shall not prosper And if for a while God suffer you to flourish yet the sunne of your prosperitie shall soone set and all your glorie shall be as the flower in the field which is soone withered and gone Heare O ye sinners which with your crying sinnes trouble the peace of our Hierusalem and cause the Lord to be angrie with his people what the Lord spake to Achan by the mouth of I●●●●…h for whose sinne Israel turned his backe before his enemies when he willed the people to stone him and his euen to the death In as much as thou hast troubled Israel the Lord shall trouble thee his day They that loue not Hierusalem nor seeke her peace they shall not prosper Heare O ye Seminaries and Iesuites and you Romish fauourites which with your seditious practises and vnholy deuotions haue hindred the successe of the worde interrupted the peace of our Church and haue furthered if not fathered many the rents and diuisions that haue sprung vp amongst vs that they that hindred the building of the Temple in the daies of Zerubabel discouraged the people of Iudah and procured of the Kings Counsaile to worke the King to forbid the work heard after to their rebuke the decree of Darius that the Temple should bee builded and that whosoeuer should after seeke to alter this sentence the timber should bee pulled from off his house and should be set vp and he to be hanged thereon They that loue not Ierusalem