Selected quad for the lemma: church_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
church_n	hear_v	heathen_a	publican_n	4,379	5	11.4435	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A04622	A sermon preached at Henly at the visitation on the 27. of Aprill, 1626 Vpon those words of the 9. Psalme, vers. 16.	Barnes, Robert, 1576 or 7-1639.	1626 (1626)	STC 1474; ESTC S114149	18,363	40

wherein old Iacobs head is sent with sorrow to the graue wherein Rabell weepes for her children and will not be comforted because they are not a time wherein either we must fight and so run on a suddaine death or flie and so leade a tedious life I haue taken away my peace from the people Ier. 16.3 This our land hath often tasted of this misery being some times ouer-runne with forreine enemies beside that great distraction betweene the two houses of Yorke and Lancaster In the compasse of which diuision Comines the French historian in that large digression touching the English warres Lib. 3. Cap. 4. tells vs that seauen or eight battells were fought wherein died of the bloud royall threescore or fourescore Princes himselfe beheld a Duke of Exeter fallen into such misery as that the ran after the Duke of Burgundies coach barefoote barelegged begging his bread for Gods sake I heard of a kind of a restraint within these few yeares yet scarcely know not the meaning that preachers should not amaze the people with fearefull presages of dangerous times to ensue but O my soule both secretly and openly pray thou that God in regard of the former sinnes may be pleased to auert this judgment In the third place the pestilence issues forth on a black horse killing with sicknesse and death whose terrible blow among other places wee in this towne and the borderers on either hand haue the last yeare felt wherein one cries O my brother come not nigh me for I am infected another barr'd in by command shut vp by sicknesse nay worse pend in by sorrow cryes out of a window O my father O my brother either now breathing their last or by this time dead O bellum Dei contra homines O the arrow of God that flies silently swiftly deadly pernicissimè volat saies Musculus exitialiter ferit It spares none neither the aged can be priviledged though Pliny lib. 7. c. 50. auoucheth Senes minimè sentire pestilentiam that old men are neuer tainted with the plague neither the coldest regions can stop the course of it Possevinus de rebus Muscouit fol. 11. tells vs at what time he was embassadour for the Pope in Muscovia the plague which had scarce ever beene heard of before in that country ob intensissima frigora by reason of the extreame cold yet it then killed many thousands hence is this arrow called also exterminium a rooting out The house may shield men and cattle from the haile flight may saue from the sword soiourning in another country preserue from famine but in this contagion at home our houses stifle vs abroad the ayre infects vs. The Prophet in the fourth place comes in with the violence of evill beasts Indeed it is Gods goodnesse that those sauage creatures flie into the wildernesse from our company whereas hee could send them into our peopled townes and though in themselues they are not so fruitfull he permitting the milde to increase multiply yet can he make them to grow into heards and flocks You knowe how the Lord sent Lions to teare the children of Bethel that mocked the Prophet 2. Kings and what fiery Serpents fell among the murmuring Israelites and how grievously in the booke of Exodus the Egyptians with Pharaoh were oppressed with Lice Frogges Caterpillers Plead no immunity from these two last iudgements If we avoid not and repent of the forenamed sinnes we shall all likewise perish The Prophet hath here ended his number but I haue not mine One iudgement more is worthie our more serious meditation and present occasion which God knowes is too much sleighted among men as if it meerely came from man It is an Ecclesiasticall iudgement the fearefull sentence of Excommunication All the rest especially destroy the body but this the soule There are that draw this censure even from Adam whom the Lord cast out of Eden and set an Angell at the entrie of the garden who by shaking the blade of a glistering sword feared him from reentring not suffering him to tast of that tree which was a Sacrament of life The like doe the Hebrew interpreters obserue concerning Cain whom the Lord cast out and banished from the face of God For what else is his face but the place appointed for his worship where he was wont to appeare to the fathers where Adam and his sonnes met together in sacrifice to him Come vnto the times vnder the law how was this judgement tipified by the vncleanes keeping from the tabernacle not entring the temple not partaking of the sacrifices nor eating the passeouer Numb 19.13.20 and 9.13 Looke but into the new Testament what meane the vse of the keyes to open and shut and the words of binding and loosing Moreouer by example Abraham is commanded to cast out the bond woman with her sonne out of his family which was the Church Gen. 21.10 Himinaeus and Alexander concerning the faith made shipwrack and are deliuered to Sathan that they may learne not to blaspheme 1. Tim. 1.19.20 the Apostle commands the Corinthians to purge out the old leauen that is as is after expounded in plainer words put away from yourseleues that wicked person 1. Cor. 5.7.13 alluding to the passeouer which the Israelites were not to kill till their houses were rid of leauened bread Ob. But this punishment and authority seemes needlesse for the ciuill magistrate is charged to punish such as liue dissolutely he beares not the sword in vaine It belongs to him to take away the life and limme according to the nature and quality of the offence what place is there then for ecclesiasticall censures Sol. I answere indeed there was a time when the ecclesiasticall authority tooke vp in a manner all and lay hard not onely on ordinary civill courts but on Davids house and the throne of kings But God euer from the dayes of Lucifer gaue pride a fall and pride of all sinnes least be seemes the Church the time is now come that civill courts are as much too strong as in the beginning of this parliament a reuerend Bishop preached and if they goe a little farther I see not to what end our visitations should be kept But to the purpose both courts may well stand together the one hinders not the other Christ hath setled this as a perpetuall order in the church Mat. 18.17 If he shall neglect to heare thee tell it the Church if he neglect to heare the Church let him be to thee as an heathen and a publican Where our Saviour alluding to the custome of the Iewish church he shewes also that the Christian church cannot want this spirituall iurisdiction We are not to thinke as some fondly imagine that Christ pointed out the civill magistrate when he saith tell the Church nor that those words if he heare not the church let him be to thee as a heathen or publican intimate thus much except he heare the magistrate of the same faith and religion with thee thou

maist goe to law with him as if he were a heathen or publican and haue him before a Roman magistrate that is prophane For Christ speakes not onely to the Iewes that then liued but giues a remedy to be vsed at all times The promise that followes whatsoeuer yee shall binde on earth belongs not to one time one place one people nor to the civill magistrate nor wrongs civill but to the conscience and had beene impertinently added if Christ had spoken of seeking civill remedy against civill wrongs as may appeare by these reasons First the words concurring in the text touching binding and loosing and else-where of opening and shutting remitting and reteining sinnes were neuer understood but of spirituall power Secondly the authority here spoken of was such as the disciples present should sometimes in person exercise but these exercised no civill power Thirdly Christs words are imperatiue Tell it the Church not permissiue you may tell And Christ commandeth no man to persecute his brother civilly offending him before the civill magistrate he commands to forgiue him and to be ready to take another iniury rather then in law to pursue him Mat. 4. Fourthly the ground of this action is not ciuill for then it should more fitly haue beene named 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an iniury but here it hath the expresse name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sinne Likewise he teacheth a little before of offences spirituall and the cure of them then he sheweth our duty of seeking and recouering euery brother going astray by comparison of seeking and recouering of a lost sheepe So that we may conclude that to take the word Church for a company of civill magistrates or a bench of Iustices hath no approbation of any author But why doe I dispute so long I rather com●●o mourne and lament our peoples obstinacie and improvidence in sleighting this punishment Do yee know in what state you are while yee remaine excommunicated I will tell you Excommunication is a sentence of the Church whereby a member thereof convicted or to be convicted of some greivous crime as yet continuing vnrepentant is driven out of the church and out off from the communion and fellowshippe of the faithfull that thereby he might be driven to repentance O what a heape of mischeifes rise here vp together I'ts bellua multorum capitum Doth this judgement passe on thee art thou excommunicated first thou endeavourest as much as in thee lieth to blot thee out of Gods booke and to depriue thy selfe of Gods protection Secondly know that the sentence pronounced by Gods faithfull minister is ratified in heauen Christ is the author of it The Corinthians being charged to put out from amongst them him that had offended they must do it in the name that is by the command of Christ 1. Cor. 5.4 Thirdly thou art barred from the word and sacraments and prayers of the Church The word doth the noe good the sacrament hurts neither can we blesse thee in the name of god Was not Nebuckudnezars case most fearfull when he was turned to feede on grasse like an Oxe but the excommunicates state is worse he wants the food of eternall life Fourthly thou art to be accounted as an heathen now betwene the Iewes and heathens there was no commerce concerning gods worship Fiftly thou being excommunicated out of one Church canst not be admitted into any other Churches are sisters whom one receiues all receiue whom one reiects all rerect Were thou sure saith St. Austine Epist 74. that thou leauing one service thou shouldest betakē into no other thou wouldest be carefull how thou diddst forgoe it or offend Lastly adde hereunto the decrees of princes and counsells thou canst haue no benefit of the lawes others may sue thee but thou canst not sue others others may make their last will and testament but but thou maiest not set thy house thus in order others may challenge christian buriall but thou must be buried like an asse as thou wast out of the church through thy obstinate life so shalt thou not be brought neere it vpon thy death As I would craue of you right worshipfull to be sparing in these emissions making vp an extremum fulmen against impenitents so I cannot but iustifie your tendernesse herein vpon mine owne late experience you rather aiming at a substantiall reformation in the delinquents then any exactions Howsoever the common conceit runnes riot as if all were for pay I haue found the contrary from your vnderagents Let that still remaine as a tax in the Romish courts which are more for payments then repentance saying to their offenders discharge the court and be gone and not repent reforme and be readmitted into the Church I remember i'ts noted of Irenaus he earnestly reproued Victor Bishop of Rome for excommunicating many churches in Asia not for heresy and apostacy but for that they would not consent with the Church of Rome in the celebration of Easter I beseech you let not your excommunications passe for small occurrences tending still to reformation and execution which is my third circumstance To execute God is knowne to execute A commendation that brings with it Gods glory a lands blessing and each particular peccants wellfare The Lord ex●cuteth iudgemēt to all th●se that are oppressed with wrong Psal 103.6 The Lord hath executed his iudgement vpon Angels cities the old world the great Monarchies and mighty kingdomes haue ●asted of his iudgements who as they spoyled others so haue they beene spoyled themselues As we may see in the subuersion of the Monarchies spoken of by Daniell the Assirians Persians Grecians and lastly Romans His executions haue lighted on wicked kings Pharaoh Saul Ieroboam Ahab Zedechiah Herod vpon wicked priests as those of Baal and Elyes sonnes vpon wicked persons Iudas Achitophel Absalon Corah Dath●n and Abiram in a word on wicked people that put the Sonne of God to death Pilat that corrupt judge who for f vour of the Iewes and feare of Caesar condemned our innocent Saviour was shortly after put out of his office and retur●ing to his house in a ma●e content made away himselfe Caiaphas was dep●sed and Ionathan tooke his roome Herod that despised Christ was condemned by Caligula to perpetuall banishment where he died miserably and the other H●rod who killed Iames and imprisoned Peter was eaten vp with wormes As for the Iewes who cried his blo●d be vpon vs and our children they had their wish n●● any of th●se pl●gues Ezekiel formerly mentioned but overtooke them especially want and famine Through famine as you largely heard from this place the last weeke they were driuen to eate the leather of their shooes girdles bucklers targets the dung of their stables and in fine their owne children Wofull was this execution as also that by warre when the streetes of Ierusalem ran with bloud when they were still taken and crucified on crosses and gibbets set vp before the walls that they which were within might see them and giue over