Selected quad for the lemma: church_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
church_n	bishop_n	deacon_n	presbyter_n	11,992	5	10.2917	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A88914	Logoi eukairoi, essayes and observations theologicall & morall. Wherein many of the humours and diseases of the age are discovered, and characteriz'd: divers cautions and directions præscribed for the avoidance of their infection, and the promotion of their cure. Together with some meditations & prayers adjoyn'd, serving to the same purpose. / By a student in theologie.	Master, William, 1627-1684.	1654 (1654)	Wing M1060A; Thomason E1496_1; ESTC R208626	31,102	128

{non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} who is sufficient for these things will not suffer me to think every one such The wisdome of primitive times appointed under offices in the Church as of Readers Deacons c beneath a Bishop or Presbyter and in these men of lesser abilityes were retained or fitted for higher 'T were to be wished that since men now adayes pleade so much for parity in Church-Officers they could effect something towards it at least viz. a sufficiency inall those mens gifts whose imploymēts dignities they thus equall I shall speak but one word more to any such over forward Ahima●z that hee would first goe and learne thorowly what that Scripture meaneth James the third and first My Brethren be not many teachers The destrustive Prosperity of Fooles 'T is easy to observe what a luster successe affords to mens persons and actions 'To omit the knowne verse in Du Bartas almost growne a Proverbe the comparisons made between Iul. Caesar and Cataline and many of their paralells who all owe their different reputations to their different successe Is it not a strange thing that foure or five opposite partyes should succeed each other on the stage and each of them be accounted Saints whilst up and neither longer Iuvenall observed in his time That though Riches had not the honour of a Temple in Rome as Victory had yet it had the devotion of mens hearts T is to be feared neither of these Idolatries is yet quite banished Christendome How many opinions are there in the world confuted only by this argument Alexanders way of vntying Gordian knots is too well knowne in this age and too much practised Experience tells us what deepe rootes an errour may take by prevalence and continuance and how little the strongest assaults of an unsuccesfull trueth can shake it there needing no other confutation of improsperous arguments but either scorne or silence I conceive amongst divers others that worthy defence of our Saviours Prayer by Mr D' Espagne is thus answered I shall not conjecture of what ill consequence this errour is when publicke but certainly there is nothing more dangerous to any particular Soule that lyeth under it When a man shall with much scrupling venture upon a course or action and in judgment condemne himselfe for what he allowes in practice and yet a little after finding no harme for the present to follow yea contrariwise fancying much good shall conclude his former scrupulosity needlesse and vote his conscience to be reformed by his successe what a ready way is this to prepare a mans throat to swallow Camels at length who at first strained at the smallest imaginary Gnat This is it that turns grace into presumption wantonnesse and makes the very blessings and mercies of God become the bane of soules God bring them out of this path leading downe to the chambers of death who walke securely in it The All-most Christian THere are some Christians that may with Tiberius in Suetonius well beare the title of the horses called Callipedes qui multum cursitant parum progrediuntur They are like sticks straws in a whirlepoole nigh a strait passage they are ever and anon making towards it but never shoot the gulph 'T is a sad thing when a man shall be every day purposing promising to leave such and such grosse sins and every day commit them when he shall be alwaies sinning and alwaies confessing and so on in a round making even his confession a chiefe sin A thing more to be pittyed it is that some shall attaine unto good perfection in externall behaviour and morall honesty induce others yea and themselves too to believe they are Saints of good proficience and as I may say knock at the very gate of heaven and yet not enter in What can be the cause of this but that men will have some little Zoar's spared they can be content to let religion seize on the out-works and suburbs of their soules but they must reserve to themselves a Cittadell in their hearts Many men seeme to beare the strongest burthens of Christianity yea with the young Pharisee to have kept all the Commandements from their youth and yet they have some secret sins lodging in their bosomes which if they be told they must necessarily part with they would be much grieved skin for skin and all that they have yea life it selfe will they part with rather than those This disease is then most deadly when it turns the free grace of God and the sanctifying power of the spirit into it's nutriment which is done when a man shall be convinced of a grosse sin and the least allowed is such and shall pray God by his omnipotent power to deliver him from it and here set up his rest not cooperating with Gods grace nor in his heart hating the sin or desiring it's mortification but confuting his frequent praiers by continuall practise This I perswade my selfe is one of the depthes of Satan but because it requires an experienced Divine to fathome it and also border's upon the nicest of the Arminian controversies which I here purposely shun I shall speake no further on this Argument Concerning a tender Conscience THere are some men which pretend great tendernesse of Conscience and cry out extreamly not to be pricked and yet seem to expresse very little of that temper It is a hard matter to believe he has a tender conscience that will hazard and attempt the overthrow of a Church or State proceed to tumults and sedition involve himselfe in the guilt of the foulest crimes yea and swallow any Camells rather than some few Gnats which perhaps too his owne fancy or phrensy hath created I supposed tendernesse of conscience had consisted in a fearfull avoidance of every sin even to a circumstance or an appearance and so consequently in some proportionable detestation of sins according as their foulnesse and odiousnesse increaseth I thought a propriety thereof had been patiently to suffer any evill rather than commit any and to be content to be rather infringed of some part of due liberty than use indirect means to obtaine or enhaunse it The world has been excellently inform'd long since that it is no part of a strict conscience to lift a burthen from it's owne shoulder and lay it with more weight upon anothers I would there were none that practised it But alas What riddles and paradoxes do wee meet of this nature Wee have been told what an impartiall informer witnesse and judge conscience is and yet there are practices but too many in the worlde that make the truth seem contrary How easy doth it appeare in some men to charme this clamorous faculty and confine it's jurisdiction to what circuit they please even with an Hitherto shall thou goe and no furthar But what a wonder is it that men should cry Peace Peace to themselves in this ensnaring estate that they should think themselves religious all the while