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	ephesus_n	timothy_n	4,502	5	11.0289	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A02919	The faith of the church militant moste effectualie described in this exposition of the 84. Psalme, by that reuerend pastor, and publike professor of Gods word, in the famous vniuersitie of Hassine in Denmarke, Nicholas Hemmingius. A treatise written as to the instruction of the ignorant in the groundes of religion, so to the confutation of the Iewes, the Turkes, atheists, Papists, heretiks, and al other aduersaries of the trueth whatsoeuer. Translated out of Latine into English, &c. by Thomas Rogers.	Hemmingsen, Niels, 1513-1600.; Rogers, Thomas, d. 1616.	1581 (1581)	STC 13059; ESTC S118432	286,633	582

companie of al which beleue through the vniuersal world who although theie be far wide dispersed yet in most goodlie proportiō theie do cleaue together that theie maie make one house of God and one bodie knit and compacted together by the Spirite of Christ by mutual charitie by communicating of gifts and duties by vsing the sacraments by the confessing worshipping of one God Wherbie there is such à sweete concent in this bodie that each are touched both with the prosperitie and aduersitie of others Moreouer seeing this congregation is gouerned by the word of God there be two sorts of men in the same to wit teachers of y e word learners Whē these mutualie like parents childrē do reuerence loue each other then is y e Church at à good staie For so theie do both take heed of corrupting the word mutual good wil wil not alowe of schismes But among the ministers of the word there hath bin alwaie is great diuersitie according to the difference of gifts of calings For Christ ascending into heauen gaue some to be Apostles some Prophetes some Euangelistes and some Pastours and Teachers who although theie were of equal power as touching spiritual iurisdiction yet differed theie verie much in honour and degree of office Paule in honour and in order surpassed Timothie and Titus Timothie in degree and order excelled the other elders of the Church at Ephesus al which Paul in the Acts caleth Bishops or Ouerseers This preeminēce was verie behoueful for y e church For it is impossible y t anie thing should be wel done where al desire to be of equal honor degree The Churche that folowed the Apostles time the Gospel now being dispersed ouer à great parte of the world and Churches being established did appoint as best serued for the profit of the same an order of ministers ordained Patriarches whose office was to haue à care y t Bishops of euerie Dioces were chosen rightlie and ordeined that euerie Bishop did his dutie as he ought to do and y t each Bishops clergie and flock were obedient to their Dioceser in al thinges that were godlie Moreouer it ordained Chorbishops whom Iustine caleth Proestotaes which were Presidents Againe it ordained pastors teachers And this was the ordinance of the purer Church which the reformed Churches for y e greater part at this daie doe reuoke as far as it is requisite for them shaking of the yoke of the Popes who from y e time of the Emperour Phocas haue vsurped authoritie gouernement ouer the Church of God contrarie both to the commandement of Christ and examples of the Apostles which thing some of the holie Fathers with the Apostle Paule did testifie should be the proper note of Antichrist For since that time al Popes haue borne one the same person as theie who couered with one and the same visour vnder the name of Christ do endeuour vtterlie to abolish the Gospel of Christ. CHAP. 17. 1. What power the Church hath 2. The kindes thereof 3. Of the keies of heauen 4. And of the discipline of the Church THe power which we made the second part of the vpright state of the Church is an authoritie giuen to the Church by Christ wherebie it is ruled according both to the worde of God and to profitable and godlie constitutions of virtuous gouernours For this power is of those thinges which are appointed for the building of the whole bodie of the Church The which as it is of Christe so it must depend vpon the worde of Christe and according to his worde be exercised for the welfare and edification of the whole Church And therefore saith Paul Authoritie is giuen vs not for your destruction This power is of two sortes to wit either ordinarie or iuridical The ordained power is that which hath à certaine rule to worke by which the ministers of the Gospel in the vpright state of the Church doe folow and require neither consultation nor the iudgement of the ecclesiastical senate but doe gouerne the Church according to the rule prescribed By this power the Preachers doe receiue such into the Church as are conuerted vnto the Gospel and sweare obeiesance to the king Monarch Christ according to this commaundement Goe ye into al the worlde and preach the Gospel vnto euerie creature He that shal beleeue and be baptized shal be saued but he that wil not beleeue shal be condemned Hitherto also belongeth that of our Lorde vnto Peter I wil giue vnto thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauen and whatsoeuer thou shalt binde vppon earth shal be bounde in heauen and whatsoeuer thou shalt loase on earth shal be loased in heauen But what are these keies These keies of the kingdome of heauen without controuersie are that whereby the kingdome of heauen is either opened or shutt And that by the preaching of the Gospel the kingdome of heauen is both opened and shut al the godlie doe confesse which giue credite to the words of Christe who in the laste of Matthewe doeth saie Al power is giuen vnto me in heauen and in earth Goe therefore and teach al nations And in the 20. of Iohn As my father sent me so sende I you And when he had saide that hee breathed on them one said vnto thē Receaue the holie Ghost Whosoeuers sinnes yee remit they are remitted vnto them and whosoeuers sinnes ye retaine they are retained How do they open and shut By remitting and by retaining of sinnes Howe doe they remit and retaine sinnes By preaching repentance and remission of sinnes in the name of Christ. Therefore the ministers of the Gospel as much as in them is doe open the kingdome of heauen and remit sinnes in his name who sendeth them in message when they preach the Gospel Nowe if the auditors doe beleeue the Gospel the kingdome of heauen is opened vnto them and their sinnes be forgiuen not by the ministers but of the Lord himselfe in whose name the ministers doe pronounce remission of sinnes But if the auditors doe refuse to beleeue the ministers be saide to shut the kingdome of heauen and to retaine sinnes and that for the euents sake not willing lie for they would ful gladlie haue al their auditors to beleeue the Gospel and be saued This power of Christ committed to the ministers of the Gospel is verie aptlie signified by keies For as keies are deliuered to stewardes appointed in families that they maie serue the Lord open and shut not after their owne minde but according to the pleasure of their master So to the ministers of the gospel power is giuen to open and to shut the kingdome of heauen according to the commandement and precept of Christ the householder For they are stewardes not the goodmen of the house and seruantes not Lordes And therefore they are to gouerne al thinges

they be much to bee praised who liue so as they teach if so be also they teach rightlie as they liue For so saide Eusebius entering into the praise of Origen This is he who liueth according to his speaking and speaketh according to his liuing Correction is that whereby such as wander from the right waie are brought into the same This correction is vsed either by telling men of their faultes or by exhorting or by reprouing or by threatening or by punishing Al these at one time alwaies maie not be vsed but according as he is giuen who hath gone-astraie For if by telling the fault by exhortation he amende other remedies are not needeful But here prudent Censors of of behauiour must endeuor in al correction to shewe à fatherlie minde not crueltie For as the one encreaseth loue toward the correcters so the other engendereth hatred and contumacie As Ambrose doth saie He that cruelie is chastised and chidden receaueth neither chiding nor amendement But if neither telling exhorting chiding nor threatening wil bring à man from his error then sharper medicines must be tried that is it must be seene whether punishment wil reclaime him into the right waie who hath wandered according to the doctrine of the Gospel This punishment is twofold to wit either excommunication vppon wicked liuers or cursing vpon obstinate heretikes But first let vs speake of excommunication the which when it is to be showen it must be done both wiselie to edification and grauelie with much compassion the sentence of the superior officers being first pronounced against the obstinate guiltie person Notwithstanding singular heede must be taken heere that you doe not so plucke vp the tares that ye destroie the wheate withal Which thing maie be auoided if the endes of excommunication which are three be had in minde The first is that à wicked liuer to the great reproch of God his Gospel bee not suffered among Christians The seconde that the good also maie not be corrupted through the continual familiaritie of the wicked For à litle leauen leaueneth the whole lumpe The last is that he which hath fallen through shame of the worlde maie at length repent and be reconciled to the Church These three endes are al for the edifieng and vnitie of the Church And it is diligentlie to be considered when excommunication doeth edifie and when it doeth not For if it doeth destroie rather than edifie it must not be vsed at al. Which made Augustin speaking concerning the remedie of excommunication to saie Let this be done where there is no daunger of schisme tares be to be rooted out so that the wheate be not plucked-vp withal Moreouer of excommunication as also of receauing the brother that fel into the Church againe you maie reade both in my booke Of à Pastor and likewise in mine Enchiridion Curssinge is to be exercised onelie vppon heretikes that is vpon defacers of the gospel such as after sundrie admonitions doe obstinatelie maintaine their errors and wil not repent These forsomuch as they are Paul saith in themselues damned they be vtterlie to bee cut from the bodie of Christ that is from the Church that others by their contagion maie not be infected and so by litle and litle the kingdome of Christ be destroied And y t this punishment both maie and ought to be executed vpon heretikes first that testimonie of Paul twice repeated Gala. 1. doth confirme Though we or an Angel from heauen preach vnto you otherwise thē that which we haue preached vnto you let him be accursed As we saide before so saie I nowe againe If anie man preach vnto you otherwise then that ye haue receaued let him be accursed Secondlie that commaundement of Paul belongeth hitherto Reiect him that is an heretike after once or twice admonition knowing that he that is such is peruerted and sinneth being damned of his owne self Hitherto also maketh y t of Iohn in his second Epistle If ther come anie vnto you and bring not this doctrine receaue him not to house neither bid him God speede Hitherto in like sort tende the examples of the fathers who by this curssing punished both Arrius Sabellius Manes others And that this heauie punishment of al other maie rightlie be vsed special heede must bee had that it be not exercised rashlie through affectiōs the matter being not throughlie examined and knowen Which when it is not done the curssing doth not somuch bind them which wrong●ulie are strucken as it doth thē which vniustlie condemne For seeing y t God vnloaseth what man bindeth the rashnesse of man is not to be feared insomuch as Christ also did foretel howe the Pharisies shoulde exclude the preachers of the Gospel as the Pope which is verie Antichrist doeth For hee casteth not his thunderbolte of cursses against heretikes but against thē which syncerelie doe defende the writinges of the Prophetes and Apostles against them who teach the sinnes of men are clensed onelie by the bloode of Christ against them that wil not cal vpon sainctes against them which wil not embrace al the toies and trumperie of the Pope Finalie against them that worship not the Pope euen as God himselfe that is against them which preferre not the Popish traditions before the worde of God Wherefore the Popes curssings be no more to be feared then are the cursses of à filthie fleshlie louer who blameth such as he hath ben naught withal for leauing his wicked companie and ioining themselues to honest men in godlie marriage CHAP. 18. 1. Of the auctoritie of the Church 2. of traditions 3. of the interpretation of the scriptures 4. and of the outward notes of the vpright state of the Church With this power there is auctoritie ioined which I saide was the third part of the vpright state of y e Church Vnder this auctoritie they put tradition and interpretation of the scripture By tradition the Papistes vnderstand the lawes which the Popes Bishops and Prelates doe thrust-vpon the Church beside the worde of God yea and often contrarie also vnto the same And that they maie seeme to stablishe and to builde this their auctoritie vpon the worde of God they aleadge both the saieng of Paul and the example also of the Apostles The saieng of Paul is this Keepe the traditions which ye haue beene taught either by worde or by our Epistle The example of the Apostles they bring-out who commanded the Gentiles to absteine from thinges offered vnto idols and bloode and that that is strangled Hereof y e Papistes do gather two things One is howe they haue auctoritie to make what traditions they list another that the people oweth obedience vnto them But what answere is to be made maie appeare both by the exposition of the word Tradition and also by the difference of rites and ceremonies First therefore let vs shew how this word tradition is vsed

price giuen for our redemption And this doeth Iohn meane when hee nameth him the iust But fiue thinges heere must bee considered which wil open y e better this part of christ his priesthood touching the intercession The first is how Christ is to be caled vpō after two waies to wit As the giuer of al good thinges with the father and the holy Ghost For when we are bidden to praie vnto God Christ is verie god of equal maiestie power both with y e father the holy ghost hee is to be honored euen as God When it is said therfore Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God him onelie shalt thou feare that worship and feare is commanded which is of that God who is in essence but one and three in persons For seeing the essence of the diuinitie is but one in number and vndiuidible it must needes followe that the worship ascribed to God must apperteine to the persons which are of one the same essence Againe because the workes of the diuinitie vnto things without as Augustine saith are vndiuided it foloweth that the seruice of inuocation is vndiuided This worship of one God to wit the Father the Sonne and the holie Ghost dependeth vpon the patronage of à mediator without whome there is no waie open vnto God Besides Christe is to be praied-vnto as à Mediator and intercessor that for his sake we maie be heard and that hee maie intreate the Father for vs and that he maie carrie our grones and praiers vnto the eternal Father according to that saieng Thou art à Priest for euer after the order of Melchisedek Therefore it is wel saide O Sonne of God make thou intercession for vs with the eternal Father I doe begge in thie name that thou wouldest begge of the Father that it maie be giuen me Eusebius doth saie The great Bishop of the whole Church euen Iesus Christ the onelie begotten sonne of God taking all men with a cheereful countenance and lifted-vp handes à sweete smelling sauor and sacrifices without either bloud or bodie doth offer them to the celestial Father and the God of al creatures he first worshipping yeelding due honor to the Father after-ward praieng him to abide pleased and gratious alwaie to vs al. Furthermore whereas the saintes doe seueralie cal-vpon the persons of the trinitie somtime vpon the Father somtime vpon y e sonne and sometime vpon the holie Ghost as Melancton in his forme of praiers doth shewe theie parte not the vndiuidible vnitie of the diuine nature neither exclude theie one person while theie name another but theie doe both acknowledge the vnitie of the Godhead because theie knowe that God alone is to be called-vnto and confesse à distinction and equalitie of persons do worship the distinct proprieties of persons in the worke of our saluation Hereof the primitiue Church did direct their praier vnto the three persons of the Trinitie in this forme of wordes Lorde haue mercie vpon vs Christ haue mercie vpon vs Lord haue mercie vpon vs. A triple confession therefore of the Church is in this praier One is of the vnitie of the God-head against the Grecians and Barbarians who brought-in à multitude of Gods Another is of the distinction of persons and of their equalitie in one diuine essence against Arrius and others The thirde is of the distinction of the properties of the diuine persons in working the mysterie of our saluation For although it be rightlie said that the workes in his creatures are vndiuided yet are not y e properties of persons to be confoūded the Father saueth the sonne saueth the holie Ghost doth saue Behold the vndiuided workes of the Trinitie in sauing vs yet the father saueth by giuing his sonne the sonne saueth by obeieng the father by suffering and by intercession and the holie Ghost saueth by regenerating and sanctifieng So then the properties are diuers in the same worke of saluation Therfore the distinct inuocations of the Father of the sonne of the holie Ghost admonish vs of these hie matters And who so at this daie doe finde fault with these formes do hide poison in their minde and secretlie do either inuade the difference equalitie of persons or confound y e properties of persons in y e mysterie of our saluatiō Secōdlie in this place it wold be considred how Christ is y e mediator intercessor either in respect of his humanitie onlie or in respect of his diuinitie onlie or in respect of both together The master of the sentēces in our daies too one Stancar an Italian do saie y t Christ was à mediator in respect of his humanitie onelie Osiander on the other side saith he was a mediator in respect of his diuinitie But here necessarilie and afore all thinges this rule must not be forgotten That the names of Christ his office agree neither to the diuine nature onelie nor onelie to the humane but to the whole person which is God and man For y e Sonne of God did therfore take mans nature vpon himselfe that he might be the sauiour of man according to both natures Moreouer the epistle vnto the Hebrues ascribeth the priesthod to Christ according to both natures And although he suffered and died onelie in his humane nature and by the power of his diuinitie ouercame death yet the benefite of redemption à part whereof intercession is toucheth the whole person otherwise that diuine nature had neuer taken mans nature into à personal vnion But whereas it is obiected None is mediator for himselfe Againe None is intercessor with himselfe The answere is easie These thinges are true in one respect where the person is simple But here à difference must be put betwene the Godhead sending the Sonne which was sent The sonne in that he was sent is à priest Therfore both à mediator and an intercessor Therefore the person sent is the mediatrix with the Godhead sending Hereunto agree the testimonies of y e Fathers Chrysostome saith Neither could man alone be mediator because it was for the mediator to talke with God Cyril And Christ is the Mediator of God and man Because in that one God and man are conioyned Ambrose That he might be the mediator of God and man Christ Iesus was God and man because in God he was man and in man God that through both he might be à Mediator Thirdlie it is to be knowen that through the intercession of Christ we haue thē accesse vnto the Father when we abide in grace thorough faith For in vaine do they pretend the intercession of Christe and in vaine doe they vaunt of the talke with God who are destitute of faith For it is necessarie that they be members of Christ which wil cal vpon God aright Therefore saith Paul Beeing iustified by ●aith we haue peace towarde God through our Lorde Iesus Christ. By whom also we haue accesse through faith vnto this grace wherin