Selected quad for the lemma: church_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
church_n	form_n	prayer_n	set_a	6,981	5	11.4340	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A23829	A letter to a friend concerning the behaviour of Christians under the various revolutions of state-governments	Allix, Pierre, 1641-1717.	1693 (1693)	Wing A1225; ESTC R14319	18,890	34

an Emanation of the Authority of God himself I comprize here in a few words the force of St. Paul's reasoning St. Paul commands Christians to pray for the Soveraign Powers of the State where they live he orders them to pay the Tributes that are necessary to maintain their Domination and to exercise their Authority He grounds both these duties upon the obligation that lies upon us to wish all possible good to those who are the Conservators of the Society in which we live and to contribute to the Safety and Security the Church enjoys under their Protection so that he supposeth that these two duties with regard to the Sovereign Powers are inseparable If you cannot in good Conscience pray for the Sovereign Powers which the Body of the State owns for such then neither can you in good Conscience pay them any tribute and on the contrary if you can in good conscience pay them tribute which is design'd to maintain their Domination you may with as good a Conscience pray for their prosperity But this I suppose is enough Sir as to the first Article of the Question you have proposed to me I have by the by touch'd upon the second which I am now willing to examin more carefully because I perceive that Examples often have as great an influence upon the Spirits of men as the strongest and most decisive Arguments To be assured how the Primitive Christians behav'd themselves who could not but be acquainted with the Practice of the Apostles and their Successors we need only to take notice of the Terms of their Liturgies which the learned Dr. Hammond hath quoted in his Annotations on the Second Chapter of the first Epistle to Timothy ' Of these four sorts of prayer 't is affirm'd by St Chrysostome that they were in his time all used in the Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the daily Service 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and this is sufficiently known to all the Priests or those that officiate Morning and Evening And so it appears by the Laturgies The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 referring to the larger or lesser Collecta that in the Litany for deliverance from all the Evils there named and the other after in which the Phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we humbly beseech thee O Father is used which is for the averting of Evils The second to the Prayers for Mercy and other Wants The third to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wherein the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let us pray for the whole state of Christ's Church for Kings c. is inserted And the fourth to the Solemn Thanksgiving for all men and to the Hymns sung to the praise of God and it may be observed that the direction here of praying for Kings c. is agreeable to that of the Hebrews R. Chaninath in Pirche Aboth C. 3. S. 2. Pray for the Peace of the Kingdom for unless there be fear men will devour one another alive And so when Petronius came to set up Caligula's Image in the Temple they that would die rather than that should be done being asked then whether they would wage War with the Emperor answered no but on the other side twice a day they offered Sacrifice for the safety of the Emperor see Josephus and Jer. 29.7 Accordingly was the Christians practise as long as the Emperors continued Heathen praying in their Liturgies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for Kings after when they were Christian 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We pray thee for our most pions Kings Defenders of God or of the Faith of Christ as it is in St. Chrysostom's Liturgy and that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for their Power Victory Continuance Peace Health Safety The very things which they prayed for them when they were yet Gentiles saith Tertullian in Apoll. sine monitore precamur pro omnibus Imperatoribus vitam illis prolixam Imperium Securum domum tutam exercitus fortes Senatum fidelem populum probum orbem quietum we pray for a long life to our Emperors a secure Empire a safe House valiant Armies a faithful Senate a good People a quiet World This was after done for Arrian and heretical Kings as Constantius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Cyrillus Cat. 10. We beseech God for the common Peace of the Churches for the quiet of the World for our Kings their Souldiers and Auxiliaries Thus far the learned Doctor Accordingly I desire you to take notice First That this was a set Form in which nothing might be changed except only the name of him that was raised to the Throne 2dly That it doth not appear by any Record of the Church that the reading of these Prayers was ever suspended in any case whatsoever 3dly That there never arose any controversie in the Church about what Emperor they were to pray for the Church always acknowledging him to be Emperor who had that title in those places where it was settled 4thly That there never happened any Schism on this account during all the manifold Revolutions of the Empire 5thly That there never was a Canon of Council made to regulate the Penance that was to be imposed upon those that had prayed for an Usurper against a lawful Prince 6thly That it doth not appear that ever any Heathen Emperor persecuted the Christians of one Country for having prayed for him who had usurped the Empire in the places where they lived 7thly We do not find that ever any Christian in his Commentaries upon the Scripture hath taken notice that it was the Belief of the Church that they ought to make a distinction between an Usurper of the Empire and a lawful Emperor before they made Prayers for him Would you have some examples to evidence to you the Truth of these Observations Cassius in Syria revolted against Marcus Antoninus the Philosopher at the Sollicitation of Faustina the Emperor's own Wife and upon the News that was spread abroad that Marck Antonine was dead he usurped the Absolute Power that had been conferr'd upon him by the Army which was in Pannonia But this news of the Emperor's death being found to be a mistake he notwithstanding carried on his pretensions and made himself to be owned Emperor by the Provinces of Cilicia Syria Judea and Egypt Do you believe Sir that the Christians of those Provinces did continue to pray publickly for Mark Antonine and that they refused to pray for Cassius in their Publick Service if they had done so they must have exposed themselves to the Persecution of Cassius or if they did pray publickly for Cassius they must thereby have separated themselves from the Communion of those Christians who lived under the Empire of Mark Antonine But where do we read that Cassw persecuted them for not owning his Authority or that ever they were excommunicated by the other Christians for having prayed for Cassius who was an Usurper Do not imagin Sir that Tertullian doth oppose what I here assert when he saith in