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
A14278	Ionah's contestation about his gourd In a sermon deliuered at Pauls Crosse. Septemb. 19. 1624. By R.V. preacher of Gods Word.	Vase, Robert.	1625 (1625)	STC 24594; ESTC S119027	48,155	72

indignation or anger hath it wrought Yea what revenge What anger will you say Why be angry saith Saint Basil against your sinnes the divell lies vanities your selues What revenge Be revenged vpon your sinnes the divell lies vanities your selues Oh when will the edge of our anger of our revenge bee turned this wayes This is a noble anger to be angry with what God is angry a worthy revenge when vertue doeth chastise vice Behold saith the Apostle hee speakes it with an Ecce the same that ye sorrowed as ye ought what anger what revenge c. This is a victory most acceptable vnto God and shall be crowned of him with a crowne of glory There is a time also wherein wee may be angry with our brethren but with greater caution ought this to bee tempered For we are but seldome angry with our selues but often with our brethren but a very little angry with our selues very much with our brethren making that to be but a mote in our owne eyes which is a beame in our brothers The Apostle hath a very apt and wholesome admonition to this purpose in the first verse of his fourth Chapter to the Galatians each word containing a secret argument to innocent anger Brethren if a man be overtaken with a fault yee which are spirituall restore such an one in the spirit of meekenesse considering thy selfe least thou also bee tempted More specially in our anger to others obserue wee these two the manner the measure for the manner walke according to the old rule well knowne little practised hate the offence love the person How can this bee I answere how is the father angry with his childe Even so that though hee chastise the fault he loveth the childe so be angry with thy brother that yet thou be in charitie with him This is an hard lesson may some say both to hate and love at the same time but in other matters of lesse waight thou knowest wisely enough how to distinguish For if thou have a garment that is bespotted thou knowest how to take out the spot from thy garment not to reiect the garment for the spot even so take out the moth that is in thy brothers eye but preserue and doe not destroy the eye because of the mote in the eye So for the measure of our anger I shall not neede in many words to prescribe It was prohibited to the Iewes in correction to their brethren that they should not exceede the number of fortie stripes wee being for the most part in cases of priuate revenge culpable of that which was obiected against the Israelites by the Prophet Obed in their dealing against their brethren of Iudah vnder the raigne of Ahaz viz. that they persecuted them with a rage that reached vp vnto heaven Our Saviour in the 5. of Saint Mathew doth mention three degrees besides actuall murder which is to bee punished with death by mans law of vnlawfull anger The first in thought he that is angry with his brother the second in gesture or signe hee that saieth to his brother Racha which word signifies anger and in the speech of our Saviour doth forbid all signification of our anger to our brethren either in looke or countenance or by any other signe or gesture The third sort of vnlawfull anger there mentioned is expressed by word or tongue hee that saith thou foole or gives any other reproachfull prouoking termes or speeches to his brother The whole text runnes thus Whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the Counsell but whosoeuer shall say Thou foole shall be in danger of hell fire Then beware of offending in the first kinde being angry in thy secret thought against thy brethren take heede more especially it be not manifested by some outward signe take heede most of all these it breake not out into intemperate language If thou feare not the Iudgement feare an assembly or counsell if you feare not the counsell stand in awe and tremble at hell fire But heere now a very necessary question doth arise If anger be so strictly forbidden as we see what course or remedie is then left vnto vs in all iust provocations of wrath and concerning the manifold iniuries which are daily offered to our persons how are we to behave our selues A question truly well worthy to bee discussed and the same very apt and pertinent to the Treatise of Anger Wherefore I answere that we ought at all times abstaine from anger even to our very thoughts saving in the manner as is before spoken to be angry with the sinne not with the person Howbeit we are not debarred the vse of lawfull courses in the remedying of wrongs and preventing further dammages when we are iustly thereunto provoked and cannot otherwise maintaine peace But wilt thou know wherein tread not the path of revenge and goe not in the way which thy intemperate anger would leade thee But follow the counsell of thy blessed Saviour whose words in this cause are so plaine I wonder any man should mistake whose aduise is so wholesome I wonder all men doe not more regard it Matth. 18.15 These be his words If thy brother shall trespasse against thee goe and tell him of his fault betweene thee and him alone if hee shall heare thee thou hast gained thy brother but if he will not heare thee then take with thee one or two more that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established and if hee shall neglect them tell it vnto the Church but if he neglect the Church let him bee vnto thee as an Heathen man or Publican Where you see all meanes by Christians lawfull to bee vsed to be expressed by our Saviour the first priuate the second more open the third most publike all friendly but if all will not serue he is no longer to be esteemed as a friend with whom we are to deale The two first are well knowne but how little vsed therefore the right vse of the last is vnknowne or most abused By which last the Church I doe vnderstand such as are deputed in the stead of Christ for well ordering causes called by some the Church representiue For our Saviour here speakes from the manner of the Iewes Common-wealth who had Elders in every Citie the first beginning whereof was from Iethro whose office was to heare and iudge of controversies and end suits in law Answerable whereto in our Common-wealth comparable I thinke I may boldly say to that of theirs and inferiour at this day to no other for matters of Policie and Church-government if as truly executed for Ecclesiasticall matters are the spiritualitie and such as study the Civill lawes in matters temporall the Magistrate and they who studie the Common lawes for the maintenance of outward peace and tranquillitie in this our Church and Common-wealth Let this be the Church then in this sence Tell the Church not a Presbyterie compacted of I know not who as

the Reformists of our time would the Governours in this our Church and Kingdome appointed for the outward preservation of peace and tranquillitie And this is the way the order every man ought to vse in particular to worke his peace and agreement with his aduersary Not first to runne to the Church to tell the Church as the vsuall manner now adaies is falling at first to suits in law open contentious branglings and ianglings in Courts Ecclesiasticall and Temporall whereof their is no end God iustly punishing contentions minds because they love not peace with dissentions all the daies of their lifes But this is the course we ought to vse if we meane to be directed by Christ his aduise and counsell First goe to thy brother and admonish him of his fault betweene thy selfe and him alone in friendly manner What hurt can come vnto thee by doing so for if thou gaine him to a better minde then blessed shalt thou be of the Lord and he will also blesse God for thee this is to love thine enemie according to the perfect rule of charitie If he regard not this then take with thee one or two more according to the rule in the second place prescribed thou hast cast him before God so before men also if hereby he proove not bettered thou thy selfe thus bridling thine anger hast freed thy owne soule from the danger of Iudgement and Counsell and hast brought him within the compasse of both that God in due time may revenge as a Iudge men may witnesse his iustice against thy aduersary But lastly continuing still obstinate to bee thine enemie without a cause thou mayest then complaine to the Church of him Dic Ecclesiae Tell the Church of him bring him to the Bench or to the Barre before the Iudge whether Spirituall or Temporall that he may bee openly convicted in Law and then if still hee remaine refractory let him be to thee as an Heathen or Publican as a man excommunicate Thus it ought to be my brethren this is the right order of proceeding Peace be vpon them and vpon the Israel of God peace shall be vpon them and vpon the Israel of God who walke according to this rule But what shall I say the case being farre otherwise I will take vp my complaint with the Prophet Isaiah Iudgement is farre from vs neither doth iustice overtake vs wee waight for light but behold obscuritie for brightnesse but we walke in darkenesse We roare all like Beares and mourne like Doues Citie and Countrey cry out for Iustice Iustice Citie nor Countrey doe take the right course proceeding in that order our Saviour hath left vs therefore are many overthrowne in a rightfull cause Hence springs that generall clamour against Lawyers which howsoever God will not overpasse and a fearefull woe there is belonging to the vniust nourishers of debate to thee also doe I say whose office it is to determine controversies if thou hold them longer in suspence if thou pervertest the cause in iudgement howsoever God may vse thee as an instrument to vexe the contentious and troublesome spirits of some yet this thy rapine and covetousnesse shall in the end sinke thee lower into hell Yet I am perswaded many should have more happy successe in their suits if they did not begin in so rough manner at the first But as I haue shewed or if it succeede well enough with them for the present yet it shall increase their iudgement with God to a greater measure afterward The men of this age if they sustaine the least wrong breath out nothing but law law whereas they ought to remember that the right vse of the law is never separated from charitie and to fall to open pleadings before priuate admonitions in Gods sight is a plaine breach of the sixt commandement whereby such an one doth shew his hatred to his brother Let vs vse all courses before we fall to Law-courses for this is the last meane which Christ hath left for the quieting and ordering of his Church to goe lastly all other waies first tryed to such whom God hath set in publike office in his Church which order because many doe pervert being carryed away rather with a spirit of malice and rancour then of vnitie and loue God doth suffer to winde themselves into many and in inextricable Laberinths of trouble And thus much for anger in generall occasioned from the text rather then intended and how to order and preserve the same within convenient bounds 4. Particular The question in speciall doth concerne Ionah's anger and the cause thereof according to these words Ionah Doest thou well to be angry for the Gourd And here first the manner of correction in this forme of speech which the Lord vseth deserveth to be noted For a man would rather have looked for burning coales to have proceeded from his lippes here is no more but thus Doest thou well to be angry Bowe the heavens O Lord and come downe saith David Touch the mountaines and they shall smoake cast forth hightnings and scatter them shoote out arrowes and destroy them Let Peter be Iudge and he will call for fire from heaven to consume an whole Citie much rather vpon one sinfull man that dareth to contest with the Lord of glory What shall the pot contend with the Potter or the thing formed say to the Former Why hast thou made me thus Note the great clemencie of the Lord to Ionah herein but not without application to our selues For doth he not in as milde and louing manner deale with vs sending his Prophets rising early and sending them in his name to deale with vs by exhortations invitations promises of loue and protestations to receive vs if we will convert and turne vnto him We beseech you by the tender mercies of God saith Sa it Paul We intreate you as his Embassadours to be reconciled vnto God when we are fallen out with him as Ionah heere Heare what God himselfe saith by his servant Moses so oft as we decline his precepts Doe ye thus requite the Lord O foolish people and vnwise is not hee thy Father that hath bought thee hath he not made thee and established thee O Ephraim what shall I doe vnto thee O Iudah what shall I doe vnto thee my bowels are turned within me my repentings are kindled within mee wash thee from thy sinnes O England cleanse thy selfe from thy pollutions O London when will it be Is not our God a consuming fire are not the sinners in Sion afraid of him who shall dwell with everlasting burnings When the offer of mercy will not serue he speakes in the person of revenge and fury for what are we but bryers and thornes to that consuming flame and who would saith he set the bryers and thornes against mee in the day of battell I would goe thorow them I would burne them together Behold I am pressed vnder you saith he by another Prophet as a cart is pressed that is full of