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	timothy_n	4,167	5	10.7647	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A14108	A plaine discouerie of ten English lepers, verie noisome and hurtfull to the Church and common wealth setting before our eies the iniquitie of these latter dayes, and inducing vs to a due consideration of our selues. Published by Thomas Timme minister.	Tymme, Thomas, d. 1620.	1592 (1592)	STC 24418; ESTC S118801	68,904	98

must be led and gouerned by lenitie and faire meanes not drawne by violence If saith Iacob I ouerdriue the cattell they will all die Nimri was a sore driuer so was Rehoboam but he lost tenne parts of his flocke therefore As the people are like sheepe in simplicitie so are they like the Chamelion in inconstancie They grudge that Aaron should be high Priest Exod. 17. Num. 20. though the Lorde make his rod to bud for a manifest token that he is rightly called to that dignitie And within a while after he being dead they mourne thirtie dayes for him One while they say to Moses and Aaron that whatsoeuer they commaunde they will do but within a while after they are readie to stone them One while they repent of their wickednes in prouoking the Lord another while they choose new captaines to carrie them backe againe into Aegypt Whereby we see that great care policie and discretion is necessarily required to be both in the Ciuill and Ecclesiasticall magistrate for the ruling and gouerning of the multitude As in the old Testament so also in the newe our Sauiour Christ himselfe and by the wisedome of his spirite in his Apostles and their successors after his ascension into heauen made a difference of persons and established an order for Ciuill and also for Ecclesiasticall gouernment Concerning ciuill magistracie more shall be saide hereafter vpon other occasion As touching Order which Christ hath appointed among his Ministers and Priests we know that first he chose twelue which afterward were called Apostles After these he called seuentie mo disciples which were not so famous as the first twelue Beside these he ordained some to be Euangelists and some Doctors c. Afterward the Apostles elected certaine worthie men for the gouernment of the Church as Timothie to be Bishop of Ephesus and Titus to be Archbishop of that noble Iland Creta In regard of which difference Saint Paul saith that some are worthie of double honor therefore there were some which had but single honor Againe the same Apostle sayth God hath not sent me to baptise but to preach whereby it appeareth that some were to baptize the which the Apostle accounteth not so great an honour as preaching This spirituall order and regement in all degrees as in Apostles Euangelists Bishops Doctors and Ministers was instituted as is alreadie shewed by Christ and shall be protected and propagated by the holy Ghost vnto the ende of the worlde To these the Apostle speaketh thus Take heede to your selues Act 20. and to the whole flocke wherein the holy Ghost hath placed you to rule the Church of God which he hath purchased with his owne bloud Also of these Bishops and Ecclesiasticall gouernours the authour of the Epistle to the Hebrues speaketh thus Obey your Prelats Heb. 13. be subiect to them for they watch as being to giue an account of your soules And that ancient father Irenaeus sayth Opertet ordinationem sequi traditionis quam tradiderunt patris ijs quibus committebant ecclesias c. Irenae lib 3. Chap. 4. We must follow the order of traditions which the fathers did leaue vnto them vnto whom they did leaue the cure of Christes people vnto the which ordinances the verie heathen comming vnto Christs flocke did obey Notwithstanding these things some rashe heades being Conchae before they be Canales that is to say Spoutes before they haue filled their Cesterne and pretending a reformation in Religion haue sought to ouerthrow all good order of Church-gouernment bearing ignorant men in hand that they haue sufficient warrantize out of Gods worde But as in the primatiue time of the Church no heresie was so bad but that it would relie vpon one Scripture or other as Arrius who abused the 28. verse of the 14. Chapter of Saint Iohns Gospel for defence of his heresie Montanus the 16. verse of the same Chapter for his heresie Manicheus the seuenth verse of the second Chapter to the Philippians for his heresie The late Bishop of Rome the 18. verse of the 16. Chapter of Saint Matthew for their error The Familists the 21 verse of the 17. Chapter of Saint Luke Euen so the sedicious and Schismatiques of this our age haue chosen for their purpose the 25. verse of the 22. Chapter of Saint Luke Matt. 4. the which they vse as the Deuill vsed Scripture who spake Gods worde but not out of Gods mouth And as the olde prophet in like case at Bethel spake Gods worde but not out of Gods mouth therefore it helpeth them nothing at all 3. King 13. And yet for all that so great is their enuie at other mens prosperitie that so as they may bring downe the temple with this twine thread they care not though it fall vppon their owne heades as it did vpon Samson Whose enuie groweth hereof because by no means they can abide to be commanded to obserue order As they do herein greatly offend seeking through malice to ouerthrow and confound all good order Vnitie so also by their bitter contention hereabout they breake the Vnitie which ought to bee among brethren then the which vnitie nothing ought to bee more deare to the Church and common wealth Wherevpon Saint Luke in the Acts of the Apostles commending the societie of Christians sayth They were all of one mind and of one heart Also the Apostle Saint Paul perswadeth vs in many places to obserue order and vnitie especially in his Epistle to the Corinthians saying I beseech you brethren by the name of our Lorde Iesus Christ 1. Cor. 1. that ye all speake one-thing and that there be no Schismes or dissentions among you but be ye knit together in one minde and in one iudgement Whereby hee requireth among the faithfull a consent in thought worde and deed so neere as might be As touching the consent in action and deede he speaketh more plainely in the Epistle to the Philippians Phil. 2. where he sayeth Be ye like minded hauing the same loue being of one accorde and of one iudgement that nothing be done through contention or of vaineglorie By which exhortation of the Apostle wee may plainelie gather that there are foure causes of sedition at this day in the Church and common wealth The first a readinesse to contende for euerie trifle the second vaine-glorie the thirde a desire of preferment the fourth the diuersitie of faith Whosoeuer shall contende mooued by anie of these hee will shewe himselfe quickely a Schismatique a false prophet and a badde Pastor But it is no woonder to heare of false prophets seeing there bee false Gods no maruaile if there bee false Apostles seeing there hath start vp false Christes A man may boldlie say the Diuell gaue orders when those men came into the number of Prophets These men came not in deede but as Ieremie saith currebant they ranne before they were sent And albeit they runne yet when they come to the sheepe-folde they play as

schoole and to reproue the ancients of errour and ignorance But such is our time now wherein men are rather talkers then doers of Gods worde and hauing tickeling tongues and wits itching eares and delighting in curious and contentious disputes they are not content to be taught plain simple faith but seeke euery day after new teachers and new things And this commeth through their leuity and inconstancie At the first when Manna is strange they like it wonderfully but soone after Nauseat anima nostra they loath it They vse a months diligence or at the most they haue but six months liking They wil soone find one cauill or other to mislike and will take exceptions against the best Isay is too long and Obudia too short Peter keepeth company with them of the circumcision Christ with publicans and sinners Thus they like none nor wil long be content with any To this inconstancie they ioyne also such presumption as that with Peter they woulde bee makers of tabernacles wherein they haue no skill being not therunto called Euery Cobler and base artificer will be busie with Church-gouernment not fearing this threatning Num. 1. The stranger that commeth nere the tabernacle shal be slaine Exod. 19. 1. Sam. 6. And againe Whosoeuer toucheth the mount shall surely die See what vengeance befell the men of Bethshames because they presumed to looke into the Arke of the Lord. Beware of presumption and follow the counsaile of the wise man saying Search not out the things rashly that are too hard for thee Peters pardō for being in hand with the building of the Tabernacles was He wist not what he said And his fault is the lesse in that he leaueth it to be determined by Christ but these rude and barbarous sort will not with any reason be answered of whome this sentence of Saint Hierom is verified Facilius eos vinci posse quam persuaderi They may more easily be ouercome then perswaded Cum disputare nesciant litigare tamen non desinunt Although they know not to dispute yet they leaue not of to wrangle They are like vnto Samsons Foxes knit all together in the tailes that is to say vnited in euill but in the head that is in vertue and godlines disceuerered and diuided As Samson by his foxes destroied the corne of his enimies so the diuell by his foxes doth wonderfully hinder the Lords haruest God open their eies if it bee his will that at the last they may see their wickednesse that liuing in vnitie they may yeelde obedience to their superiours and reuerently behaue themselues towards the Lords Ministers a matter of great importance Then would they say to the Lords Iehoshua Al that thou hast commanded vs we wil do and whither thou sendest vs we will go Iosh 1. A Romane souldier hauing gottē his enemy down ready to thrust him through the retreat then sounding spared him and came speedily to his fellowes Being asked why he did let the enemie escape he answered I had rather obey then conquer an enemie O that al were of this mind to yeeld obedience to magistrates especially to Christian magistrates such as God hath at this day set ouer vs. If there be any thing out of frame in the church that offendeth you withdrawe not your obedience but suffer There was neuer any church here in earth so pure wherin some blemish could not be foūd neither hath there bene any religion or seruice of god so perfect as the same hath bin free from al imperfections That pasouer which was the best of al other which hath this cōmendation 2. Reg. 23.22 There was not the like since the daies of Samuel had 4. notable imperfections in it 2. Chro. 35. Let vs know that in religion there is both a centre a space Although it be best to be in the centre yet if we be not out of the space we be well Out of the space is too bad like as it is to be out of the But. What madnes is it then in those men who because they cannot be in the prick wil not be in the but neither This was at one time Peters extremity Lord saith he thou shal s neuer wash my feet and incontinent he desireth Christ to wash both feet head hands al. We must learn to keepe a mean Iohn 13. and somtime to tollerate imperfections Abram in the matter of spoiles permitted that to Eschol and to Mamre which hee would not do himselfe So Iob tollerated the feasting of his sonnes So did Paul in the matter of receiuing stipend permit that to others which himself would not do Let vs therfore say with a graue father Si quid secus sit If things be not as they shoulde bee Corrigi cupis I desire that they may be amended if not amended I desire they may be taken away if they be not taken away tollero gemo I suffer and sigh Contention in this case helpeth not but rather hurteth and offendeth both God and good men And therefore Paul giueth this caueat Galat. 5. If ye bite and deuoure one another take heede ye be not deuoured one of another Vpon the which Saint Chrisostome sayth that contention is like vnto a moath which neuer leaueth a peece of cloth vntill he hath consumed it Not without cause therefore the Apostle wisheth that they might be cut off which trouble the Church Therefore my brethren be warned in time though the magistrate vseth not such seueritie as this fault of yours deserueth yet knowe that God will not leaue you vnpunished who the more he suffereth the greater will the vengeance be when he striketh The second Leper is the Church-robber SAcriledge is a purloining and incroching either by violence or by subtletie to priuate vse holie things which are dedicated vnto God or which are due vnto him either in respect of a vow or of a separation This definition of Sacriledge plainly sheweth that temporall goods and lands may be separated from lay fee so termed to the maintenance of Bishops preachers and ministers of Gods holy word and sacraments that these may both be able to liue with necessarie maintenance according to their seuerall orders and degrees and also may haue sufficient to keepe hospitalitie and to relieue the poore according to Gods will to whome in respect hereof such goods are here said to be dedicated and to be due as his portion And further it may appeare that all they which shall couerously vsurpe such lands goods or tithes so separated and imploy them to their owne priuate vses and spend them prodigally and vainly vpon their pleasures shall rob God of his right and so be guiltie of that damnable sinne of Sacriledge It is therefore a matter more daungerous then worldlings make account of to meddle with separated and consecrated things which belong to him and his Priests For this was the cause that Vzziah was stricken with leprosie 2. Chro. 26. If God hath allowed required and