Selected quad for the lemma: church_n
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A79229
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A calme consolatory view of the sad tempestuous affaires in England.
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1647
(1647)
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Wing C307; Thomason E384_13; ESTC R201452
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40,675
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56
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his Vicisti Galilaee leaves out himselfe and sets up a God Lucian 1 Tom Timon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which old repentant Eli upon Gods sentence against him hath indenizon'd into a Scripture-expression Sam. 3.18 It is the Lord let him doe what seemeth him good and if we may apply another orthodox sense to the same words the practise both of the ancient Fathers and of the Moderne most learned devout Writers It is our Saviours almost literally It is I be not afraid From what I have hitherto said Mat. 14.27 as the severest eye cannot discerne a quarrell against my King to whom there is not only an obligation laid upon my words but my very thoughts are also tyed up Eccles. 10 20. so I hope no moderate indifferent man will arraign any piece of my language against his great Court I know I am bound there also for Thou shalt not revile the Gods i.e. as some read the Judges Exod. 22 28. I would faine perswade my selfe that at least that one ingredient of an intire Christian spreads it selfe throughout my spirituall composition to love the whole world I meane the persons for I was never baptized into that hatred and would bee loath which in another kinde of contraries is the divells tallest stratagem to stir up and inflame a contentfull pride out of humility it selfe to make my love of one though of him who is the very breath of our nostrills and whose safety is worth ten thousand of us protect Lament 4.20 2 Sam 18.3 and patronage my contempt of some others In the next place give me leave to speake a few words in the behalfe of my languishing mother the Church and you shall have them as from a true sonne of the Church in the spirit of meeknesse In which there are three points of moment which struggle for the Truth Power of Ordination Jurisdiction and Discipline The two former I conceive to be essentially in the Bishops as succeeding the Apostles for the latter I humbly conceive the forme already establisht by full act of Parliament to be the purest in Christendome All these I shall now much wrong as being removed from the advantage of bookes which led me away a willing captive to them my unconstrained opinions having not tasted the edge of any sword but that of the Spirit which hath subdued my very minde yet I shall venture upon the strength of that reason quae nec decipitur nec decipit unquam at least to wooe a Toleration of them I have some Scripture by me for the former though I wish I could readily recall those other texts also which have so irrefragably convinced my assent In the 6 of Acts and the 2. The twelve called the multitude of disciples unto them and said v. 3. Seeke ye out among you men of honest report full of the Holy Ghost and wisedome whom we may appoint over this businesse which Dr. Gerhard applyes to the Ordination of Deacons and if to the appointing of them the care of the Apostles did descend much more to the appointing of Priests or Presbyters being a superiour Order it is the kinde of argument à fortiori with which our Saviour himselfe does incourage his Apostles against the feare of Persecution and death it selfe The very haires of your heads are all numbered Feare yee not therefore Mat 27.30 not them that can kill the body nor did the Apostles only do this but the injunction lay upon their successours the Bishops upon Timothy the first Bishop of the Church of the Ephesians Lay hands suddenly on no man upon Titus the first Bishop of the Church of the Cretians 1 Ep. 5 c. 22. v. For this cause left I thee in Crete that thou shouldest ordaine Elders in every City The case is thus farre plaine that it hath been so 1 Ch. 5 v. it is plainer yet that it may be so by the Concession of the greatest Divine-Antagonists who having received their orders from such hands performe their Ministeriall function without any new qualification Now since their power is confest lawfull on all hands and necessary on some the designe certainly of inlarging the Kingdome of Christ and setting up his throne in the hearts of men might goe on more cheerfully whilst that way of receiving it is indulged to those thousands who can no otherwayes receive it It is as true as Scripture Except we eat the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his bloud St John 6.35 we have no life in us That flesh and blood are imparted in the Eucharist that Eucharist by the Ministers of the Word that those whom the Bishops ordain can administer the Sacrament is granted by All that those who are otherwayes ordained cannot say also that they are not ordained is beleeved by many by very much the greater part of Christendome and what then shall become of those many soules who hunger and thirst to be thus made righteous who passionately cry out Lord evermore give us this bread v. 34. when they beleeve the Hand that reaches it out might to as good purpose hold forth a stone and when they call for this blood to drinke they shall only finde that the Well is deep and there is nothing to draw Certainly this is not such a common dyet John 4 6. 1 King 17.6 that with the Prophet Elijah wee should be beholden to the Ravens to bring us bread and flesh in the morning that bread which is flesh also I meane such of whom wee suspect they have nothing else of the Priest about them but the black they weare I cannot before I proceed but humbly desire the Reader to be as impartiall as my selfe and not to conceive any thing here to be dispatcht by an Incendiary but from a conscience which groans under these very pressures and poures it selfe out to heaven for a reliefe I would not like her who dreamt herselfe with childe of a Firebrand adde the least sparke to the combustion already made but only beg a plaister for the sores and scorchings which rankle and fester our soule in the best part of it our minde when thou hast beleeved my sincere purpose I may goe on to tell thee that if we looke upon all Christendome and all antiquity the universality of time and place will be out loud Advocates if I should tell a heathen who like King Agrippa was almost perswaded to be a Christian how much the Church of Rome agrees with us it should be no disadvantage to the Generall Cause and it should have moment too amongst our selves wherein we are at one unlesse with the Invocation of Sâ—â— we would also renounce the calling upon God because the Papists say Our Father especially which had its full operation upon that learned compacted friend of Truth and enemy of Romish errour that our acknowledgement must render unto God the things that are Gods Sir Edwin Sands in spec Eur. p. 77. considering that all
as the fabled Cocke and do thou take care that all his kickes and bruises do but illustrate and brighten thy patience he will still hang downe his head and only feed on Mucke as uncapeable to value so rich a Jewell very like that Pearle in the Gospel which thy meek selling of all thou hast selling it in another Scripture Phrase for nought to him who resolves to have it will be a great faire helpe to purchase James mentions none of the Prophets but the Author to the Hebrewes tells you They had triall of cruell mockings and scourgings yea of bonds and imprisonments they were stoned they were sawne in sunder Chro. 11.2.36.37 were tempted were slain with the sword destitute afflicted tormented he only tells you of a Job and of the end of the Lord that he is pitifull and of tender mercy let us amasse all the afflictions which oppresse every of us and if we look steadily we shal find them all in one Job Juncta fluunt his oxen sheep and camels taken away his very children slaine nay and what was the greatest plague Satan could inflict he is robbed of the publique worship of his God also boyles and the potsheard are his imployment and company he sits downe in teares and corruption and ashes he that hath the greatest griefes hang upon him let him strictly view this glasse and compare his with Jobs how will his owne misfortunes slide into advancements and his flowing soule melt into a compassionatenesse unsensible of any selfe-disaster and only tenderly afflicted because Iob was so much afflicted If we looke nearer home I can tell you of a Prophet whose Christian courage out-faces and strikes backe danger who hath attested to all the world how far he is from shrinking under the calamities which doe not confront but uphold him J.M.D.D. that he shall count it as great a happinesse as God can bestow him whilst he stayes here on earth to call him to the stake and let him fall a sacrifice with the blessed Compilers of our Liturgy to the long since Reformed Religion a peece of so masculine primitive Christianity worthy to be written in letters of Gold or which is a stile more agreeable to the Aetas Ferrea in which we live Pliny uses the same word for a writing instrument Non minus agit stilus cum delet quam cum scribit unlesse the Poets elegancy confute the life and our owne sad sense more genuinely translate it then any May Non est vivere vita to be graven with Iobs iron pen in a Rock for ever which profession of his and how much does it become his profession not to dawbe not feare but meet the wolfe joyned with the example of those many patient sufferers in these dayes whose meeknesse and acquiescence in the glorious ruines which involve them is so remarkable as if it would almost invert the Apostles sense and make chastening for the present also not to seem grievous but joyous Heb. 12.11 yeelding the peaceable fruit of righteousnesse unto them which are exercised thereby even whilst they are exercised and that by war who count the honest losse of their lively hoods a new preferment Tantusque malo fuit usus in isto should set a non ultra to the deluge of Common teares and wipe them away from off all our faces at their first eruptions while they are yet trickling downe when the Apostles had sent chosen men with Barnabas and Paul to suppresse a Sect v. 5. they gave this testimony to fit their reception that they were men who hazarded their lives for the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ Act. 15.26 if simply obedience be better then sacrifice how much more acceptably will they fall to God who performe both whose very obedience shall make them a sacrifice In these last and perilous dayes That precept of trying the spirits whether they are of God does equally concerne us as the care of our owne soules I cannot therefore but remember you of the Characteristicall marks whereby you may know who is a true messenger of God 2 Cor. 12.12 Truly the signes of an Apostle were wrought amongst you in all patience v. 10. I take pleasure in infirmities in reproaches in necessities in persecution in distresses for Christs sake for when I am weake then am I strong V. V. I become a foole in glorying yee have COMPELLED me which signes the late Annotations upon the Bible call Demonstrations a signo evident arguments that he was indeed an Apostle of Jesus Christ the reverend Diodate calls them the certaine and unreproveable arguments of St. Pauls full Office of Apostle and that the sufferings which he indured and overcame by faith and constancy were a signe of the Apostles LOYALTY and of the presence and assistance of Gods spirit faire Testimonies these if none envy their application to the distressed Fathers and Sons of the Church I confesse it true that I meet with divers in the London-Martyrology dead with greife and should my selfe only greive for those passing by the many others whom I reade Outed Sequestred Plundered Imprisoned Dead but that I must in all charity presume they did not greive for the weight which sunke them downe downe to the very grave but for the hands that layd it on Writing after the faire though bloody coppy of the crucified Jesus who though he forbad not the Daughters of Jerusalem to weepe yet he directed which way the tyde of their streame should run Luke 33.28 Weepe not for me but weepe for your selves and children whose guilt which I suffer for do's murther me I doubt not but when Saul persecuted the Church of God and thereby God himselfe Saul Saul why persecutest thou me beleeved that his duty and I shall not cease to pray for those who now doe errare sed bono Animo that God would open their eyes and use some Ananias Instrument whom himselfe shall please that there may fall from them Acts 9.18 as it had beene scales and his grace which knowes no bounds bee sufficient for them also that wee may vnite against the common enemy of truth and no longer increase the forraine misse-call'd Catholique strength by intestine divisions which render so many severall men so many distinct Churches like Angels amongst whom each indiduum is a species and in the meane while so long as wee are bruised under Gods hands till both the Mountaines smoke and the Vallies tremble let us humbly kisse that hand and looke upon it even whilst it strikes as a badge of his favour to us for it has sometimes beene a curse Ezek. 16.42 like that of finall dereliction that God would make his fury towards thee to rest and his jealousie to depart from thee that he would be quiet that he would be no more angry O Lord God thou do'st punish us worst of all when thon lettest us alone thy anger is then greatest when thou wilt not vouchsafe to be angry O Lord let