Selected quad for the lemma: church_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
church_n	according_a	religion_n	word_n	3,061	5	3.7397	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A94755	A case of conscience, concerning flying in times of trouble. Resolved according to the Scriptures, and the examples of holy men. Applyed to the present times and occasions. Imprimatur. Edm. Calamy.	Torshell, Samuel, 1604-1650.	1643 (1643)	Wing T1934; Thomason E65_12; ESTC R23308	13,421	19

hazard that liberty lawes and religion run to leave our ground were to leave Popery Master of the Field Wee may not now suffer the thoughts of safety elsewhere to womanize our spirits but together with our earnest and humble prayers for our King that he may at length embrace the Counsells of our great Estate wee are in case of so sad a necessity to resolve to lay out all our strength towards the great businesse and rather burne our ships as some stories mention of some resolute Souldiers to keep off all thoughts of returne in the cowardly and faint-hearted that is forget all conveniences and opportunities of being elsewhere in a whole skinne Secondly Having thus farre spoken of the liberty of other people It remaines to be examined whether Ministers the Pastors of Congregations be at the same liberty I finde the Antients and others more difficult concerning them urging that place of Christ Job 10.12 13. Hee that is an hireling seeth the Woolfe comming and leaveth the sheepe and fleeth The hireling fleeth because he is an hireling and careth not for the sheepe And it is not without reason that they are straight towards them for Ministers are to have care not so much of their owne Bodies as of the Soules of others Their mouth is the dug on which they hang and feed and many build on their example Who shall looke to the flocke if the Shepheard be gone Who shall governe the Ship in a storme if the Pilot be not at the Sterne Who shall prevent the theife if there be no watchman The people doe at all times need their Pastors but most of all when the dangers are greatest There is use of a Pylot in the calme much more when the weather is stormie What will the Shepheard of the peoples soules answer to the great Shepheard These considerations wrought effectually and strongly upon many of the old Pastors of the Church many of whom sealed up their profession with their blood and preached their doctrines over againe in Martyrdome Peter was willingly crucified with his feete upward James and Paul dyed by the sword Ignatius derided all torments Polycarpus Justin Cyprian of old Cranmer Latimer Ridley Hooper Farrar Bradford Saunders Taylor Rogers of late and many others laid downe their lives for the brethren in the Testimony of Jesus 1 Joh. 3.16 Euseb hist l. 6. c 35. And contrarily it remaines as a blot upon the name of Novatus in the Ecclesiasticall history who being a Presbyter in a time of persecution left his flocke and disclaimed his office All this is true and true it is that such cannot be too abundantly cautelous yet some there are that have stretched these arguments too farre as if it were unlawfull in any case for a Minister who is fastned to any particular congregation to flye And they have made an observation how true I know not neither have I opportunity to examine or disprove it That in Queene Maries dayes among all those Schollers and Divines that fled there were none but fellowes of Colledges and Students in Divinity such as had undertaken no pastorall charge but that all the Bps. and setled pastors that were good continued upon their charge with resolution to welcome the assault when it should come Which whether it may be good I doubt or if it may be yet it will but onely discothat that was the received resolution then which might haply be too rigid in some cases for though a Minister be specially bound up if by his flight the glory of God the Church the cause of Religion the soules of the people shal receive any prejudice yet in some cases they may flye according to the warrantable examples of Elias the Prophet of our Lord Jesus Christ who often with-drew himselfe during the yeares of his publicke ministry and left a word of direction at least of allowance for those whom he sent to preach Matth. 10.23 The Disciples Act. 8.1 and Saint Paul Act. 9. made use of this lawfull liberty There are five doores if not more through which even the Minister of a Congregation may passe in his flight without being stayed by any such question from God Gen. 16.8 as was once put to Hagar by an Angel Whence camest thou and whither wilt thou goe First when there is a Dispersion of the whole flocke there is no doubt but the shepheard may also escape There seemes to have beene such a generall dispersion of the whole Church at Jerusalem upon that great persecution that was raised after Steven was stoned Act. 8.1 This is clearely the case of many Ministers of Ireland whose congregations have beene wholly scattered if not massacred And some places in this Kingdome have felt well neare a like violence Secondly when the persecution is particular and the Congregation not aimed at or not so directly concerned 1 King 19.3 It was the case of Elias and clearely of Saint Paul newly upon his conversion which much enraged his old companions friends and masters Act. 9.23 so that him they sought the Church at Damascus being safe Athan. Apol. 2. how else could Ananias and the brethren stay there Athanasius in his second which is his large Apologie makes it appeare by a full relation that he lay under a private particular and extreame hatred and therefore might safely and with a good conscience leave his charge to escape the traps and snares of the Arrian Bishops his enemies Vide etiam Buxtorf in Abrev. Hebr. p. 165 166. De R. Simeone because he was so thoroughly the truths friend This particular danger will warrant an escape when there is but a strong presumption of it though no actuall attempt When Christ knew that there was a consultation among the Pharisees how to destroy him he withdrew himselfe Matth. 12.15 At another time when he perceived that the envy was encreased against him because many came in to his Baptisme and so his name being growne up would and did endanger him he left Judaea and departed into Galile Joh. 4.3 Nay when he saw by their dealing with others what himselfe must looke for when he heard that John was beheaded Matth. 14.12.13 he departed by ship into a desart place The reverend Musculus wrote after these copies He was the Preacher at Anspurg in Germany where his zeale against Popery caused him to be so maliced that hee was faine to be guarded to his pulpit ordinarily When the booke of the Interim a mixture of Religions was sent by the Emperour Charles the fifth and received by the Citie Musculus who could not preach in better times without danger knew well enough there would then be no biding for him and therefore before further prosecution got away I the rather instance in this case so warranted by examples because it will come home and close to the case of many able and laborious ministers who from severall parts of the Kingdome have beene carried by their just and grounded feares

from their houses and Congregations whom many prophane scoffers who know how to deride but not compassionate their misery brand for cowards and runawayes and having forced them to flie after rayle at them for flying I thought fit to insert this by the way for the comfort and the clearing of those upon whom their suffrings by the Cavalierie in one kind or other hath put the name of plundred Ministers Under this head I adde that a minister may flie from a sudden popular attempt and fury Thus Christ did when those of the Synagogue of Nazareth would have throwne him downe headlong from the brow of an hill Luk. 4.30 In such a danger one may run even out of the pulpit Joh. 8.59 so Christ at another time when the people in stead of giving attention fell to throw stones at him he slipt out of the pulpit Act. 14.6 And it appeares by the story that Paul and Barnabas were in the actuall exercise of their ministry when they fled from Iconium to Lystra It was even out of the Synagogue And lastly let me note this also that such a particular persecution and danger will authorise and warrant even an uncomely escape and plead for such actions as otherwise and at other times would be unhandsome and unworthy of the dignitie of so weightie a calling Act. 9.23 Saint Pauls getting over the towne wall yea his Basket will be justified by this Musculus of whom I spake before when he slipt from Auspurg left his wife and eight children for a while without any notice whither he was gone But most notable is that passage of the learned Divine John Brentius He was in great danger because of the Interim The Emperour was so exasperated that he commanded hee should be brought to him alive or dead The Commissary comes to Hale in Saxonie where Brentius preacht calls the Senate and tooke an oath of them not to discover his designe But it happened by the good providence of God that one Alderman came in after the oath was taken undiscerned and hearing the plot had onely time to convey away a short note with these words Fuge fuge Brenti cito citius citissimè Flee flee Brentius in hast hast post-hast Brentius tooke the warning disguised himselfe like a Captaine with Buffe and a patch upon one eye and in that habit secured himselfe And is excused by the grave writer of his story which I also alleadge in defence of those Scarlet cloaks Buffe-coates gray rockets perukes of hayre and coloured montero's which have of late hid many grave and sober Ministers from the eyes of their adversaries I proceed to the third particular no Minister is bound up when it is not for the good of the Church that he should stay but haply much better for it that he escape Suppose that all the darts are aimed at one breast and an offer be made give up such an head and all the rest shall be quiet or it be knowne that if one be removed all the rest shall be secured In this case Divines have held that greater service may be done by absence and flight then by stay Cyprian professeth he went aside Cypr. Epist 15. for the benefit of the Church at Carthage And Peter Martyr satisfies his friends in Italy by this after he had left Lu●en and his dignity there Hee writes back to them That he could not have stayed with them but he had beene silenced and ill used and that no way to their good but he should have made them more obnoxious and looked upon with a narrower and more curious eye by their adversaries And lest they should object But why did you not stay till it came to extremity He tells them That he found it was the opportunity that God directed them unto That he was usefull where he now was but with them he could not be so He could not have enjoyed liberty to doe there what he would about their reformation but in striving to shew them truth he should have wronged them of their peace But now they might have peace and his helpe too that is by his letters and secret directions to them And finally he promised to returne to them againe if ever the doore should be opened and it were likely he might stay among them without hazarding of them Thus that reverend and godly man satisfied himselfe and them And by this another eminent person satisfied the world The person that I meane was that rare man John Camera the learned powerfull and famous Preacher of the Protestant Church at Burdeaux in France There was an ill spirited rotten man one Santangelus a Lawyer that dwelt there who would be taken for a Protestant but was closely a Papist or worse an Atheist he cunningly brought it about that the good man was forced to leave his charge and then Santangelus boasted that he was a Mercinary and fled when he saw the Woolfe come Cameron Stelliteut in Santang Camero was faine to publish an Apologie to the world to cleare himselfe of that staine and to shew how much the whole City was concerned in his removing And did sit so satisfyingly and so to purpose that all men tooke notice of the base frauds of that dissembling Lawyer and were convinced that out of conscience he did that good service to his City by getting away to draw aside after him the hatred conceived and intended against it 4. The fourth dore for a Ministers passage out is when hee is endangered and others are sufficiently lest to supply the care of the peoples soules The Church received not detriment by Pauls flight for it seemes An●n●●s was a teacher there and was safe to instruct them and haply others besides him and the Church flourished We have a pregnant instance to this purpose concerning V●ia● Jer. 26.20.21 who prophesied in the name of the Lord against the Citie and against the land according to all the words of Jeremiah and when Jehojakim the King with his mightie men and the Princes heard his words the King sought to put him to death but when Vria● heard it he searing fled and went into Egypt He preacht the same things that Jeremiah did but it seemes at that time the Court could better beare Jeremy then him and Jeremy being then for that season safe and in the exercise of his office Vriab provided for his present safetie Vers 22.23 though afterwards he was taken and made a Martyr 5. Lastly I will mention but one other head that it is lawfull for a Minister to flie when he hath the consent of his Church Paul besides other warrants had this Act. 9 2● Act. 17.13.14 The Disciples let him downe by the wall in a Basket And when the Jewes of Thessalonica came to intrap Paul at Berca immediatly the Brethren sent him away to goe as it were by Sea Cyp● Epist 6. Thus Cyprian went aside by the consent yea the entreatie of the people of Carthage and by the advise of Tertullus who was a presbyter of prime and great authoritie Musculus though hee departed from Auspurg in great distraction yet came and told the Consull or Major before he went and had as I gather a dismission But Philip Par●us makes it most evident concerning his reverend father D. David Par●us of Heidleberg in the Palatinate that in the late popish warres against that Country which is now made desolate when they knew a siege would bee laid to Heidleberg the Citizens were so tender of him that they advised yea intreated him to be gone This is that I have to say concerning the lawfull freedomes of the ministers of the word and concerning the whole case when it may be lawfull for any to flie and when not Let me shut up this discourse with a word of Application I hope wee have not need of this case and that God will so farre magnifie his grace towards us of this poore sinfull nation that we shall have no need of it and this is in all my prayers yet because we know not unto what condition we may be reserved let us get our consciences rightly setled in so necessary so considerable a point Wee walke most safely when we walke after counsell And if we thus walke and are obedient unto the Counsells of the Lord we may have comfort though we be forced to flie and may refresh our selves with that sweet place of the psalme Thou tellest or numbrest my wandrings Psal 56.8 put thou my teares into thy bottle are they not in thy booke But what comfort can there be if we runne away from a good cause as if wee were ashamed to owne or afraid to assist it and unwilling to suffer and be lost with it Christ tels us that his Disciples must if the cause so require it even hate their owne lives And that he that saves his life shall lose it And truely that man is not safe though hee saves his skin that is not mindfull and regardfull to save his inward peace Let us stay or flie as the counsell of God shall direct us else if wee bee found running from God wee may bee overtaken with Jonah in a tempest and fall into the Sea and bee swallowed of the Whale Oh how would it sinke a man when his conscience should answer him some sad questions in a strange land I have left my house and habitation have I not left God too Yes thou hast also left God by an unbeleeving hast I am deprived of my land and my goods and my state Have I not lost my peace too Yes Thou hast lost thy peace through thy wary providence to shift for thy selfe in the neglect of the publique which ought to bee dearer to thee then thy selfe Oh let us banish all thoughts of flying when God calls us to another service And if we assist him when he pleaseth to honour us in accepting our service he will either open a dore in the greatest need or hide us in the evill day or turne the worst of evils to our good FINIS