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	ordain_v	titus_n	2,698	5	10.8309	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A16943	The house of God The sure foundation, the stones, the vvorkmen and order of the building. The incomparable strength of that house, and the vaine assaults and batteries of Satan and all his power. In a sermon preached at Pauls Crosse, December 24, 1626. / By Matthevv Brookes.	Brookes, Matthew, fl. 1626-1657.	1627 (1627)	STC 3836; ESTC S119308	25,408	48

Midas-like ouer-value the things of this world but bestow our chiefest care how to attaine the sauing faith let vs not studie how to bee grounded in wealth but how to bee founded vpon Christ the Rocke Let vs not emulate Semiramis in those Babels that we build but rather deuise how we our selues may be builded in this spirituall House of which Peter by sauing faith was made a stone and euery one that doth partake with Peter in the same faith is likewise a stone though not of so large a size or so curiously carued yet such a stone as shall remaine in the building for eternitie Psal 125.1 like to Mount Sion that cannot be remoued Now come we to his Function the Office of his Apostleship whereby he is made a strong Foundation stone vpon whom other stones in the building are fitly placed Ephe. 4.21 For Christ gaue some Apostles and some Prophets and some Euangelists and some Pastors and Teachers 12. for the perfecting of the Saints for the worke of the Ministery and for the edifying of the Body of Christ Therefore the Apostles the Prophets the Euangelists the Pastors and Teachers of the Church are necessary stones for the building that it may be raised But the greatest of all these are the Apostles who because Apostles are therefore Prophets Euangelists and Teachers Mar. 10.2 Osiand Harmon Euang. lib. 2. cap. 1. Acts 1.26 Acts 9.15 Yet no other can attaine the dignity of the Apostleship but the eleuen first chosen by our Sauiour Christ in the second yeere of his Ministery Matthias who succeeded in the place of Iudas the Traitor and Paul that chosen and elect vessell the Apostle of the Gentiles last called In respect of the Church these are great Foundation stones for they obtained commission to teach all Nations and to baptize them in the Name of the Father of the Son Mat. 28.19 and of the Holy Ghost Rom. 10.18 Which Commission of theirs they faithfully executed for their sound went into all the earth and their words vnto the ends of the world I need not tell you with what gifts and graces they were enriched for the performance of so great a businesse surely they so preuailed that by their Ministery Acts 2.47 the Lord added to the Church daily such as should be saued These great stones vpon diuers respects are said to lye in the Foundation of the building for the supportation of other stones lesse in graces and lesse in office First because they were called to that office not by the Ministery of man but immediately by God as Paul saith that he is an Apostle Gal 1.1 not of men neither by man Secondly because they first of all had commission to preach Christ crucified vnto the Gentlies and to ioyne both Iewes and Gentiles into one people Isa 11.10 that so the roote of Iesse might stand for an Ensigne of the people and the Gentiles might seeke vnto it Thirdly because other great Officers of the Church as Bishops Elders and Deacons were ordained by their Ministery Acts 6.6 and consecrated the hands of their Apostleship but they themselues were not so ordained or ordered but were chosen immediately by God and receiued their commission frō Christ his mouth Lastly they ordained none to succeed them in the fulnesse of their office charge that is to say to go into all Nations to preach the Gospell vnto euery creature Mar. 16.15 which was their immediate commission Apostolicall but they ordained proper Pastors vnto particular Churches to whose care they recommended the Flocke of Christ in those places where they themselues had preached and preuailed reseruing vnto themselues Apostolick dignity euen to ouersee the Bishops and Elders of the Church And hence it is that St. Paul duiseth Timothy Titus how to behaue themselues in their function and that St. Peter taketh vpon him to instruct the Elders of the Church and that Saint Iohn counselleth reprooueth and commendeth the Angels or Bishops of the seuen Churches of Asia These things being branches of the Apostolicke authoritie it was no small matter that our Sauiour performed vnto Peter vpon his confession saying Thou art Peter Note here what excellent Ministers God hath raised vp in his Church for the sauing of the soules of his Elect By these the excellency of Christian Religion is much commended they are Apostles Prophets Euangelists Pastours and Teachers If the Indian Schooles grew in estimation because of the Gymnosophists and the Persian wisedome by the Soothsayers and the Egyptian learning by the Sorcerers how much more shall our Religion bee aduanced by the worthinesse of the Ministers and their high calling in Christ Iesus This should also teach men to haue a reuerend regard vnto the Ministers of the Word for they are not onely stones in the building if they be faithfull but necessary workemen for the edifying of Gods Church and in respect of their Office closely laid vpon the Apostles for the building of Christ his Body and therefore Let a man so account of vs 1 Cor. 4.1 as of the Ministers of Christ and Stewards of the Mysteries of God Hitherto we haue spoken of Peters personall benefit now come we vnto that thing whereunto it hath relation and that is the Church vnto which it hath reference as a stone to the building Vpon this Rocke will I build my Church Secondly of the Church and therein first that it is a Church and more then that the Church of Christ my Church The Elect and chosen of God saith the Text are a Church and more then that my Church the Church of Christ The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is deriued from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth to call out or summon so that when you talke of the Church it is as if you should say a company of men called out or summoned The Athenians were wont to call the Company of Citizens called out or summoned by the voyce of the Crier to heare the sentence of the Senate Ecclesiam And by the Etymologie of this word the condition of Gods elect chosen is fitly expressed for they are called out of the generality of men by the Word of God to know God and to worship and serue him and this their Calling because they obey it wee call an effectuall Vocation These so effectually called are in the Scriptures set forth to bee a peculiar people 1 Pet. 2.8 Ephes 2.19 Clem. Alexand. Strom. lib. 7. Ambros in Ephe. cap. 3. Bernar. in Cant. Str. 78. the houshold of God whom Clemens Alexandrinus calleth the company of the Elect. Ambrose a people whom God hath vouchsafed to adopt vnto himselfe Bernard the company of the elected which company was predestinated before the world began To speake expresly of this Church it is gathered out of all Sexes Orders Nations and Times and it is therefore called the Catholicke or Vniuersall Church Secondly whereas some of the members of this

and all his power shall neuer either by policie or force be ruined Isa 49.16 for Christ is the Rocke and Head of his Church and hath the walls of it euer in his sight This which is true of the Church in generall is as true of euery particular member for all the true members thereof are elected to life eternall and builded vpon Christ the Rocke And therfore the Church Ambr. in Luc. 2. lib. 3. as Ambrose saith may rightly be defined to be Mater vinentium quam aedificauit Deus in ipso summo angulari lapide Christo the mother of those whom GOD hath preordained to life eternall which he hath built vpon Christ the chiefe corner stone they may therefore be assaulted but neuer vanquished and if you will know how heare a few examples Moses was fiercely assaulted by the gates of Hell euen the wealth and honours of Egypt I will not say what a strong temptation it is When the Deuill goeth about to winne vs by prosperitie he doth then creepe in at our mouthes that hee may possesse our heart like the Fish called Langa who flattereth the Whale and creepeth in at his belly that he may eate his heart He who had experience of this temptation did fore-warne and fore-arme the people of Israel Deut. 8.12 saying Lest when thou hast eaten and art full and hast built goodly houses and dwelt therein 13. And when thy heards and thy flocks multiply and thy siluer and thy gold is multiplied 14. and all that thou hast is multiplyed Then thine heart be lifted vp and thou forget the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the land of Egypt c. For man in prosperity is like vnto the Mule who hauing suckt his fill of his Dams milke casteth vp his heeles and kicketh vnkindly But the gates of Hell could not preuaile against him Heb. 11.24 He refused to be called the sonne of ●●●rao●s Daughter choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God then to enioy the pleasures of sinne for a season 25. Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches then the treasures in Egypt 26. for hee had respect vnto the recompence of the reward Iob was strongly assaulted by the gates of Hell he was bereaued of all his substance his children were slaine with the fall of their eldest brothers house and his owne body was smitten with sore biles Iob. 1 2. from the sole of his foote vnto the Crowne of his head Deare vnto a man are his goods and seruants dearer are his children the fruit of his owne body but most deare vnto a man is his own flesh Oh how great was this temptation neuerthelesse it preuailed not for he had set vp his resolution Though he slay me yet will I trust in him Iob. 13.15 Shadrach Meshach and Abednego were strongly besieged by the gates of Hell for they must either sall downe worship the golden Image that Nebuchadnezzar the King had set vp or the same ho●●e be cast into the middest of a burning fiery fornace What will not a man giue for his life Many men haue beene constant in Religion they haue lost their goods their places their honours yet when their liues haue come in question they haue fallen away like rotten corne out of the Reapers hand And no maruell if those who were not built vpon the Rocke did fall away ●●●eing that euen the Apostles themselues in time of persecution when they thought their liues would come in question Mat. 26.56 and our Sauiour was apprehended forsooke him and fled But the gates of Hell could not preuaile against them Dan. 3.17 Our God whom we serue is able to deliuer vs out of the fiery furnace and hee will deliuer vs out of thy hand O King Behold the good estate of euery true member of the Church of Christ It is neither the prosperity of the wicked world nor all the worldly miseries and calamities which may be thought vpon no nor death it selfe that shal be able to cast them from the Rocke I doe not say that all true beleeuers are equall in graces to these that I haue named for neither doth God suffer them all to be tempted in equall measure but I affirme all of them to haue the same grace to the same purpose the sauing of their soules And hence it is that a regenerate mans estate is perpetuall he shall neither finally nor totally fall from this Rocke The Diuell that old deceiuer hath his wayes and means to attempt his ruine somtimes by fraud somtimes by violence now this way and then that way but to no successe for the house of God is builded vpon Christ the Rock euery Peter of this building is so strongly placed that the gates of Hell shall not preuaile against him Thus farre you see that the Text is an allegory the continuation of diuers Metaphors which doe adorne and beautifie the place but extend no further then a Metaphoricall construction Here are diuers things compared the Church of God to a materiall temple the elected members to choice stones the gathering of the people of GOD by the Gospell preached with the inward assistance of the Holy Ghost to building or raising of stones the Redeemer Christ Iesus both God and man to a great Rocke whereupon you may suppose such a Temple to be builded the enemies of the Church to the gates and munitions of Hell their assaults against the Church and her members to assaults and batteries against an inuincible fort strongly builded vpon a Rocke and for the incomparable strength thereof bidding defiance to all her foes the lost labour of those that attempt any thing against this strong founded Castle to vaine and friuolous batteries All this is either expressed or necessarily included Now for as much as Peter truely beleeued he was therefore as it were a stone of this strong building and because he was chosen to the Apostleship he was therefore as it were a foundation stone lying close vpon the Rocke for the supportation of other stones to be laid vpon him For by his Ministery many should be conuerted to the faith both Iewes and Gentiles and bee also edified in the same faith by his doctrine to the which doctrine euen the Bishops and Elders of the Church should referre themselues and thereby confirme the truth confute errours and conforme themselues to the Catholike doctrine and manners Vpon the first reason that hee was a member of the Catholike Church the gates of Hell could not preuaile against him they might assault him they might cause him to recoile for Satan winnowed him and preuailed so farre that he denyed Christ but they could not auaile to throw him vtterly from the Rocke to his damnation or to separate him wholly and for euer from the grace of God which is to life eternall Now what Christ said to Peter he saith to euery true beleeuer he is Peter he is a stone of