Selected quad for the lemma: church_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
church_n	earth_n	heaven_n	militant_a	4,766	5	11.7120	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A00761	The priest's duty & dignity. Preached at the trienniall visitation in Ampthill 1635. August 18. by Jasper Fisher Presbyter, and Rector of Willden in Bedford-shire. And published by command	Fisher, Jasper, b. 1591.	1636 (1636)	STC 10887; ESTC S118693	15,018	59

profane vulgar if a shoo leak or a wall crack or an Ague shake know what trade to resort unto but let the conscience shake with doubt before the fact and quake for feare after the fact let the soule be mortally sick for want of evacuatiō let a sinful leprosie require daily direction and our Saviour to maintain Sacerdotall authority bid them Go shew your selvs to the Priests Luk. 17. 14. Yet they will venter their lives their eternall lives and die in their sinnes and we may burn all the Casuists as having no use of that soveraigne Divinity Dearely beloved wee are falne into happy times when nothing doth trouble the conscience of men or men make conscience of nothing which is most to be feared Thus having vilified the power of Priesthood and Christs Episcopall Crosier as his regal Scepter in the laws Divine Ecclesiasticall in the Sacraments and Sacramentals as Confirmation Confession Penance Orders Extreme Visitation and particular Absolution We then fondly wonder at the profanenesse of the times and marvell that preaching does no more good as if the Flock could be fed cured and governed only by the Shepheards Whistle The hearer can easily contemne the power of the Pulpit and divert what is thrown at that distance For if we teach with authority it is proud and stately if reprehend sharply it is spleen and malice if instruct meekly it is not powerfull if admonish lovingly why not others If they like the man indeed they give him leave to say what hee list and take leave to doe what they list but if they like not the man what they understand they despise what they understand not they censure And with the Donatists in Saint Austine quod volumus sanctum est It is not holy doctrine till they approve it The two Duties thus severally considered are againe naturally concorporated and so affoord us many points and questions incident to the Times and pertinent to my Text. As whether the Priest or Clergy may erre in doctrine how this may be avoided Whether Prelates according to the Law may make Orders binding the Conscience Whether Clergie-men may not meddle in Civill Iustice if the Law heere containes the Judiciall part as well as the Ceremoniall Whether reading of the Law bee not preaching and whether preaching 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be not a publicke declaring of Gods will by persons authorized in due time and place either verbatim or paraphrastically or at the most by way of explication and application directly Not but that other discourses of Scripture may serve for the stall or the deske on some extraordinary Assemblies What is that eternall Law without knowledge of which none can be saved Whether the Law of Moses is abolished or established or partly altered and how farre by Christ Whether Christ hath not delegated as much spirituall authority to the Evangelicall as Moses did to the Aaronicall Priesthood Then by deduction whether the English Church by her Constitutions hath not sufficiently provided for the salvation of every Parish and consequently of every person in the Parish That so the envy of preeminence in Priest and Parishioner The curiosity and partiality of hearing the Word The fancie of wanting the meanes of Grace The disturbance of setled Christians The giddinesse of unsetled Sectaries The discouraging conceit of an impossibility in common people ofever fully knowing the truth and their duties may be taken away and obedient livers onely counted religious professours But I dare not looke upon these Controversies I onely observe there must bee in GODS Church an order of Priest and people of Clergy and Laitie of teaching and hearing for the perpetuating of Religion for the congregating of the Saints and finishing the Kingdome of Grace but this point also I dare not prosecute for the time would faile mee though a doctrine most excellent both in the story and the uses So I passe from the two Duties to his perswasive Reason wrapt up in a short description of the Priest For hee is the Messenger of the LORD of Hosts I but Hee is the Angell rather sayes the Hebrew and so say the ancient Greek and Latine R. Salomon Junius Luther and the Spanish and hee alludes to his own name Malachy as Saint Hierome thinkes At least he is the Ambassadour as some modern Translations But our English runs low and flat For though the word Malâc may largely signifie all yet to speake fitly a private man sends Messengers a Prince Ambassadours the Messias Apostles and the Lord of Heaven Angels Gods Nuntioes are Angels either celestiall as Gabriel Luk. 1. 26. Or terrestriall and then either extraordinary Prophets as Iohn Baptist Mal. 3. 1. Or usually and ordinary as the Priest here Neither is this testimony denied him in either Testament An Angell came up from Gilgal Judg. 2. 1. that is Phineas the Priest say the Iews say not before the Angell Eccles. 5. 6. that is the judging High Priest say Expositors A woman must be covered in the Church 1. Cor. 11. 10. Because of the Angels that is the teaching Ministers say Beza and Drusius And the Angels of the seven Churches Revel 1. 20. are Bishops say we or Pastors and Superintendents say they who cannot pronounce that Shibbóleth Dionysius de coelesti Hierarchia cap. 12. will give a Reason of this promiscuous naming An Angell being the lowest order of the Nine in the Church triumphant and a Priest being the highest order of the seven in the Church militant They symbolize in nature and have their names counterchanged To shew the unity of one totall Church in Heaven and Earth under Christ He is called a ministring spirit this a spirituall Minister Hee a celestiall Priest this a terrestriall Angell By a like Metathesis as John Baptist is called Malachi Chap. 3. 17. To shew the harmonious transition and connexion of both Testaments They are those Angels upon Iacobs Ladder ascending by prayer descending by doctrine And as in old time so still the glory of the Lord appeares from between the Cherubims in the likenesse of winged Angels Or if they be Ambassadours and Messengers they are sent from heaven by the LORD of Hosts about a peace betweene God the Father and sinfull Mankind and then concerning a Marriage betweene his Sonne Christ and the Church of Saints Now then we are Ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray yes in Christs stead beye reconciled to God 2. Cor. 5. 20. For we are jealous over you with godly jealousie For wee have espoused you to one Husband that we may present you a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle as a chast Virgin to Christ 2. Cor. 11. 2. Ephes. 5. 27. But I come to the use of this Description for it reflects upon the duty of both parties First it teaches the Priest humble Modestie in undertaking this message To imitate rather Moses I am slow of speech or Ieremy I am a child I cannot speake Then