Selected quad for the lemma: church_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
church_n	apostle_n	bishop_n	evangelist_n	4,208	5	10.0866	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A87092	Divinity in mortality, or The Gospels excellency and the preachers frailty, represented in a sermon preached at the funerals of Mr Richard Goddard late minister of the parish of St Gregories by Pauls; who died on Thursday the 12th of May 1653. and was buried on Moonday [sic] the 16th day of the same moneth. By Nath. Hardy Master of Arts, and preacher to the parish of St Dyonis Back-Church.	Hardy, Nathaniel, 1618-1670.	1653 (1653)	Wing H718; Thomason E708_1; ESTC R202533	26,963	35

me then thousands of gold and silver and again My hands will I lift up to thy Commandments which I have loved and I will meditate on thy Statutes and again I have hid thy word in my heart that I might not sin against thee and once more I have rejoyced in the way of thy testimonies as much as in all riches 2. Since the Gospel is not only comparatively a Treasure but superlatively this Treasure let our estimation and affection towards it have a This upon it beyond that we have or any can have to other Treasures Indeed beloved though this Treasure so far exceed all others yet well were it if our love to it did equalize that to others the truth is though it is far beyond yet the most mens valuation of it is far short What a shame is it that by us who call our selves Christians earth should be preferred before Heaven the world before Christ gold before the Gospel Oh let us blow up the fire whet the edge quicken the dulness of our spirituall affection that if possible it may not only parallel but outvie our earthly desires and with that wise Merchant in the Gospel we may sell all we have to buy this Pearl And so much be spoken of the first part the Character here given to the Gospel I now pass on to those by which The Preachers of the Gospel are represented and therein the Word of description Vessels The word both in Hebrew and Greek is many times taken in a large acception for Instrumentum an utensill in an house or any thing that is used as the instrument of accomplishing any work and so the Hebrew word is rendred where we reade of the instruments of cruelty and the instruments of death and in this sense it is true of the Ministers they are instruments in the hand of Christ for the great work of gathering his Church but most properly it signifieth receptaculum an instrument of containing any thing and in this sense it may be here fitly construed nor do there want fit resemblances in which the messengers of Christ are like to Vessels More particularly in these four respects 1. Vessels are not naturall but artificial instruments Nature affords the materials but Art and Industry produce the Form by which it hath the Capacity of a Vessel It is no less true of Ministers Nemo nascitur Christianus no man is born a Christian much less a Minister Indeed ex quovis ligno non fit Mercurius there must be natural parts in them that undertake this Function but those are not sufficient And therefore in the first Plantation of the Church God did by immediate Inspiration and the Collation of extraordinary gifts enable men for the discharge of this Office and afterwards in the growth and progresse of the Church That Inspiration ceasing so as no more to be expected there was and still ought to be a training up of youth in the Tongues Arts and Sciences and after that a great deal of Industry joyned with ardent Prayer in the study of the Scriptures and Theologicall verities by them that take upon them this sacred Calling The truth is whatever account the men of this age make of a Ministers work yet it is so weighty and divine an imployment that no small time and pains must be spent in preparation for it And if St Paul whom Christ cals a chosen vessel and accordingly in a singular measure not only above other Ministers but Apostles fitted for this service cried out {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Who is sufficient for these things How justly reprovable is their rashnesse who whilst they can lay no just claim to an immediate inspiration suddenly and unpreparedly enter upon this high imployment Indeed such as these there have been in former times who are called by Leo Momentanei Sacerdotes and Gregory Nazianzen stileth {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} such as in a day a moment turned Priests Modò idiota mox Clericus now Laicks and anon Clerks But what swarms of such extemporary and illiterate Preachers abound in this age who to use that elegant Fathers expression Owe more sacrifices for their own then the peoples ignorances and as those Romans of old called Cincinnati were advanced A stivâ aratro ad dictatores from the plough to be Dictators so these skip from the shopboard to the Pulpit It was a sad but just complaint and too sutable to our times that Gregory Nazianzen took up in his daies No man is accounted a Physitian that hath not first studied the natures of diseases nor a Painter that hath not been exercised in drawing of lineaments and laying on of colours but Preachers are found easily such as have never bestowed time or taken pains in preparing themselves for that service Oh how shall the very Heathen rise up at the last day and condemn the men of this generation Plutarch tels us that the Virgins which were to attend Diana's Temple were for many years brought up as it were in a School and called {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} such as should administer sacred Rites and then being sufficiently instructed they were called {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} admitted to their divine mysteries and afterwards they became {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Instructers of others Surely if the light of nature taught them to use so much care in educating those who were to perform the worship of a false Goddess how shamefull is the blindness of those Christians who think some naturall abilities of memory and elocution sufficient to qualifie a Priest of the true and most high God 2. Vessels are not all of equal capacity some are lesse others greater severall trades have vessels of divers sizes So is it among Ministers both in respect of Offices and Gifts In the beginning of Christianity there were some Apostles some Prophers some Evangelists and soon after there were some Bishops some Priests some Deacons and this variety of Orders hath ever conduced much to the unity harmony and beauty of the Church This diversity is no lesse apparent in regard of gifts all have not alike abilities nor are equally fitted for this sacred Employment there is indeed a {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} competency of gifts which every one attaineth to whom God calleth to this Work but though all have some yet not the same gifts as St Paul puts the question intending thereby a negation Are all Apostles are all Prophets So may I say in this All are not Chrysostome's and Chrysologuse's for golden mouthed Oratory all are not Epiphaniuse's and Augustine's for Confutation of Heresies all are not like Hierome for skill in languages and Athanasius for profound knowledge God who is a most free Agent dispenseth endowments variously according to the pleasure of his own Will Some with Elisha have a double portion of Eliah's spirit yea with