Selected quad for the lemma: church_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
church_n	angel_n	bishop_n	ephesus_n	3,413	5	11.4256	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A64644	Episcopal and Presbyterial government conjoyned proposed as an expedient for the compremising of the differences, and preventing of those troubles about the matter of Church-Government / written in the late times by ... Ja. Usher ...	Ussher, James, 1581-1656.	1679 (1679)	Wing U175; ESTC R11050	8,086	14

bloodiest and sharpest War was to be endured rather than the least error in Doctrine and Discipline And another Wishing that all the Prelates in the Kingdom and himself were together in a bottomless Boat at Sea for he would be content to loose his life so the Bishops might loose theirs Will not all these seem strong and tearing winds rending the rocks of all Order and good Government in which God was not Rather than the small and still voice which walked in the Garden in the cool of the day when God came to enquire calmly after Adams sin Or will they not seem rather so many Predictions which we have seen fulfilled sadly upon that place and those persons whoyet were as ignorant of the Prophetick import of their own expressions as Caiphas was of Christs offering himself for the world when he counselled the Jews That it was expedient that one man should die for the People And yet knew not the import of Christ dying for the People When men pass sentence upon themselves God often sees it executed The Israelites no sooner wish they had died in the Land of Egypt or in the Wilderness But the Answer is returned As I live saith the Lord as you have spoken in mine Ears so will I do to you And the Heathen Poet could teach us the same lesson Evertere domos totas optantibus ipsis Dii faciles I do not like raking Fire out of Embers by searching for the faults of men who Perished in their own Flames and are objects of our Pitty more than Passion Otherwise no Nation under Heaven could afford examples equal to that of Scotland for the proof of rigid Presbyterian Discipline Of which how much is settled after more then 100 years are run out since the Nobles Gentry and People have been vehemently sollicited to kill and slay each other or any body else rather than be without it the present state of Affairs there may bear us witness Would it be a good course of judging of Episcopal Government to rake into the Records and Histories of 1600. Years for the errors of all Bishops whòm worldly Interest or Passion or other human frailties have carried beyond the gravity austerity humility and Apostolical Piety of their Primitive institution And will this serve to level imparity the principle of all Order and Government and secure the modern Presbytery from the like irregularities or excesses Certainly those accusations and calumnies which Politicians say secure other States subvert the foundations of the Churches peace which are laid in Charity the Characteristick note of a Christian. By this ye know if ye be my Disciples says Christ If ye love one another And in ancient times the common saying was Ecce quam diligunt Christiani That execrable delight and joy which any one takes to accuse or to find faults in others he hath from the Devil Who is the great accuser of the Brethren It is evident to what a miserable extremity the divisions about Church-Government had brought a great Nation From disputing and fighting for this and that Form we at last knew no Form at all Every one doing what seemed good in his own eyes God having justly taken away from Both what was so intemperately desired and contended for on either side Both Episcopacy and Presbytery that strive for it Do it surely for this common end That the people being taught to know God aright might glorifie him in their Lives and Conversations The People I say who are more easily disposed to Innovations and Disobedience many times by the artifice and insinuations of a few than can be reclaimed again by the Authority Eloquence and Wisdom of many They are therefore a commiserable body and being commonly the Masters of error the weakest part of whom being their mind and meer servants to the Ambition of others How much doth it most truly import the Sacred Function to be wholly employ'd in saving the Souls of these men from perishing in a Famine of Spiritual food and nourishment But while both strive for the Rule and Form of doing this without imputation of Ambition or Usurpation Is it not pitty to think the matter should ever come to that pass that one half of the Nation must be first destroyed And instead of settling Christs Discipline that no body at this rate should be left to become Christs Disciples whom Error or the Sword had not devoured That both may Rule and yet not strive is proposed here by our Pious and Learned Prelate By which Charity and Brotherly Love may be restored almost wholly extingushed out of the hearts of men and the grain of evil Seed sown in place thereof destroy'd which hath brought forth ungodliness to this very time In the mean time it is a work worth propounding and worthy of the Office and industry of all men in whom is the true fear of God the principle of honour as well as wisdom who are followers of either Party That they soften the minds of the tenacious and refractory and sweeten the Spirits of the sowre and morose That they may say one to another as Abraham did to Lot Let there be no strife I pray thee between me and thee and between my Herdmen and thy Herdmen for we be Brethren And let every Pious Humble and peaceable Overseer and Bishop Presbyter and Ruler of Christs Flock and Watchman over the pretious Souls of men so labour at the Throne of Grace for this weatherbeaten Ship of Gods Church hardly escaping yet the waves of confusion and disorder that she may at last hear an Angell from God speaking to her as once to St. Paul Fear not beloved Thou must be brought before Caesar and God hath given thee all those that Sail with thee Episcopal and Presbyterial Government conjoyned BY Order of the Church of England all Presbyters are charged to Minister the Doctrine and Sacraments and the Discipline of Christ as the Lord hath commanded and as this Realm hath received the same and that they might the better understand what the Lord hath commanded therein the Exhortation of St. Paul to the Elders of the Church of Ephesus is appointed to be read unto them at the time of their Ordination Take heed uunto your selves and to all the flock among whom the Holy Ghost hath made you Overseers to Rule the Congregation of God which he hath purchased with his Blood Of the many Elders who in common thus ruled the Church of Ephesus there was one President Whom our Saviour in his Epistle to that Church in a peculiar manner stileth the Angel of the Church of Ephesus and Ignatius in another Epistle written about twelve years after unto the same Church calleth the Bishop thereof betwixt which Bishop and the Presbytery of that Church what an harmonious consent there was in the ordering of the Church-Goverment the same Ignatius doth fully there declare by Presbytery with St. Paul understanding