Selected quad for the lemma: church_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
church_n	heathen_a	let_v	publican_n	2,742	5	10.9981	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A01020	Deuout contemplations expressed in two and fortie sermons vpon all ye quadragesimall Gospells written in Spanish by Fr. Ch. de Fonseca Englished by. I. M. of Magdalen Colledge in Oxford; Discursos para todos los Evangelios de la Quaresma. English	Fonseca, Cristóbal de, 1550?-1621.; Cecil, Thomas, fl. 1630, engraver.; Mabbe, James, 1572-1642?	1629 (1629)	STC 11126; ESTC S121333	902,514	708

the weakest arme is able to mooue it but beeing brought to the shore hath need of greater strength so sin whilest it floateth on the waters of this life seemeth light vnto vs but being brought to the brinke of death it is verie weightie and it will require a great deale of leisure consideration and grace to land it well and handsomely and to rid our hands of it Of this good sudden death depriueth vs And although it is apparent in Scripture That God doth sometimes permit the Iust to die a sudden death as Origen Saint Gregorie and Athanasius Bishop of Nice affirmeth as in Iobs children on whom the house fell when they were making merrie and in those who died with the fall of the Tower of Siloah who according to our Sauiours testimonie were no such notorious sinners yet commonly this is sent by God as a punishment for their sinnes Mors peccarorum pessima i. esse debet An euill death was made for an euil man And Theodoret expounding what Dauid meant by this word Pessima saith That in the proprietie of the Greeke tongue it is a kind of death like vnto that of Zenacheribs Souldiers who died suddenly And Iob treating of him that tyranniseth ouer the world saith Auferetur Spirit●● oris sui Cajetan renders it Recedet in Spiritu oris sui He shal die before he be sicke without any paine in the middest of his mirth when he is sound and lustie Their life being a continuall pleasure at their death they scarce feele any paine because it is in puncto in an instant Sophonias requireth of them That they will thinke on that day before it come wherein God will scatter them like the dust Esay threatning his People because they had put their trust in the succors of Aegypt saith This iniquitie shall be vnto you as a breach that salleth or a swelling in an high wall whose breaking commeth suddenly in a moment and the breaking thereof shall be like the breaking of a Potters pot and in the breaking thereof there shall not bee found a sheard to take fire out of the hearth or to take water out of the pit And the word Requisita mentioned by the Prophet intimateth a strong wall that is vndermined rusheth downe on the sudden How much their securitie is the more so much the more is their danger because it takes the soldiers vnawares But if this so strong a wal should chance to fall vpon a Pitche● of earth it is a cleere case that it would dash it into so many fitters seuerall little pieces that there would not a sheard therof be left for to take vp so much as an handfull of water or to fetch a little fire from our next Neighbours house This effect doth sudden death worke it is a desperat destruction to a sinner And therefore Christ though without sin seeks to shun it that he might teach thee that art a Sinner to auoyd it Secondly our Sauior sought to shun this violent death because his death was reserued for the Crosse as well because it was a kind of long and lingering death as also for diuers other conueniencies which wee haue deliuered elsewhere Passing through the midst of them he went his way Our Sauiour Christ might haue strooke them with blindnesse if he would as the Angell did those of Sodome or haue throwne them downe headlong from the Cliffe but because they complained That he wrought no miracles among them as he had in other places he was willing now at his departure from them to shew them one of his greatest miracles by taking their strength from them hindring the force of their armes and leauing them much astonished and dismayed Though now and then God doth deferre his punishments for that the sinnes of the Wicked are not yet come to their full growth yet we see that he spared not his Angels nor those whom he afterwards drowned in the Floud nor those of Sodome nor of others lesse sinnefull than they nor his owne children of Israell of all that huge number being more in number than the sands of the sea not suffering aboue two to enter into the land of Promise how is it possible that hee should endure the petulancie of this peremptorie people these grumbling Nazarites who in such a rude and vnciuill fashion in such an imperious and commanding voice should presume to say vnto him taking the matter in such deepe dudgeon Fac hic in Patria tua But as when the Romane Cohorts came to take our Sauiour Christ they fell backward on the ground at his Ego sum I am hee which was a fearefull Miracle for no cannon vpon earth nor any thunderbolt from Heauen could haue wrought so powerfull an effect so now passing through the midst of them with a graue and setled pace leauing them troubled angrie amased hee prooued thereby vnto them That he was the Lord and giuer both of life and death c. THE TWENTIETH SERMON VPON THE TVESDAY AFTER THE THIRD SONDAY IN LENT MAT. 18. Si peccauerit in te frater tuus If thy brother shall trespasse against thee c. OVr Sauior Christ instructing him that had offended his brother what he ought to doe giues him this admonition Go vnto thy brother and reconcile thy selfe vnto him and if thou hast offended him aske him forgiuenesse Notifying to the partie offended that he should pardon him that offended if he did intreat it at his hands but if he shall not craue pardon he instructeth Peter in him all the Faithfull What the offended and wronged person ought to doe If thy brother trespasse against thee goe and tell him his fault betweene thee and him c. and if he heare thee thou hast woon a brother but if he will not vouchsafe to heare thee proceed to a second admonition before two or three witnesses and if he will not heare them tell it vnto the Church and if he shall shew himselfe so obstinate that he will not obey the Church let him be vnto thee as a heathen man and a Publican So that our Sauiour Christs desire is That the partie wronged should pardon the partie wronging and reprooue him for it for if it bee ill not to pardon it is as ill not to reprooue For to intreat of a matter so darke and intricate that the Vnderstanidng were to take it's birth from the ordinarie execution of the Law there were not any thing lesse to be vnderstood for there is not any Law lesse practised nor any Decree in Court lesse obserued I desire that God would doe mee that fauour that he did Salomon God giue me a tongue to speake according to my mind the pen of a readie Writer cleerenesse of the case which I am to deliuer true distinction grace knowledge or as Bonauenture stiles it resolutionem in declarando and to iudge worthily of the things that are giuen me For so many are the difficulties the questions and the

hearken vnto thee when thou hast him alone tell him therof the second time before one or two This condition taken in the first sence de iniuria propria touching an iniurie done to myne own person is verie facile easie for hauing first taken him aside and priuatly acquainted him with the wrong he hath done me if this faire proceeding will not preuaile with him I may then lawfully tell him his own before one or two witnesses that they may see as Euthymius saith that I complie with my dutie and with that which God hath commanded me to doe In the second sence touching the sinning against our Neighbour and against God this seemeth to some somewhat too hard a course for the sinne beeing secret the partie reprehended before two witnesses may replie and say vnto me That I lie that there is no such matter that I defame him and call his name in question and complaining of me to the Iustice he may prooue the defamation vpon mee but I not prooue the delict vpon him Saint Hierome saith That these two witnesses ought likewise to bee his reproouers and to put to their helping hand to raise him that is fallen who cannot be Correctors of him the sinne not appearing in regard it is secret Saint Augustine likewise saith That he that correcteth a man must take one or two witnesses vnto him that the correction may be the more effectuall and the more substantiall For By the mouth of two or three euery word is confirmed so saith the Law Id est in testimonio vel sermone by the testimonie or speech vsing the figure Metonimia when the cause is put for the effect For this inconuenience sake some say That before I correct my brother the second time I should make one or two witnesses acquainted with his fault that they may ioyne with me in the correcting of him and to the end that the correction may be the grauer and the more effectuall And to him that shall replie How can I reueale that sinne which in it selfe is secret They answer That it is a lesse ill that two or three should know of it and that by them he should rather suffer losse in his fame than in his soule Against these two witnesses we haue the authoritie of Saint Augustine who willeth That if any religious person shall commit any notorious sinne or other scandalous action to his calling thou shalt first teprooue him for it in secret and if then he shall not amend his fault to reueale the same to his Bishop or Superiour And he sets it downe as a ruled Case That it were rather crueltie than charitie not to open the wound of the Soule And his reason is Ne deterius putrescat in corde Lest it grow worse and worse ranckling and festring in the heart as it is in the hiding of a wound in the bodie from the eye of the Surgeon Nor let them thinke that you doe this out of malice or ill will for you offend more in suffering your brother to perish by your silence than by reuealing his fault for his good T●is opinion of Saint Augustine made Thomas to confesse That after the first admonition I may reueale to the Prelat the delict of my brother as to a father for in verie deed your Prelates haue in this kind farre greater authoritie So that s●ch or such a sinne being to be reuealed supposing two preceding witnesses may be reuealed to the Prelat as to a Iudge but no witnesses preceding only by admonition as to a father Against this Truth there is a great argument grounded out of the said Saint Augustine In his rebus c. In those things wherein the sacred Scripture sets downe no certaintie the custome of Gods people or the d●crees of our Auncestors are to bee held for Law And the custome and vse of our Ancestors is That these delicts should be reuealed to the Superiors one while by denunciation another while by accusation without any preceding admonition so is it ordered in their Edicts without exception of any kind of faul●s whatsoeuer I answer Your Edicts are so farre forth to bee vnderstood and approoued as that they shall not any way thwart or infringe the Law of the Gospell in that which appertaineth to admonitions witnesses that therfore your superiors haue not put these things in their Edicts for that they are to be presupposed And if he wil not vouchsafe to heare thee tell it vnto the Church or make it known to his Prelat for so doth Saint Chrysostome and Saint Hierome expound it Nor doth our Sauiour Christ here treat of the secular Iudge nor secular Lawes but those that are Ecclesiasticall And therefore he saith Dic Ecclesiae Tell it to the Church for the power of Excommunication did belong vnto the Synagogues as appeareth by Saint Marke and Saint Iohn For the casting of the blind man out of the Synagogue was the same as Excommunication is now amongst the Christians But first of all two witnesses are required to the end that shame may worke the Delinquent to amendment of his fault but if this medicine shal not cure this his maladie then sharper corrasiues are to be applied to this Sore Vt qui non potuit pudore saluetur opprobrijs That him whom shame could not recal reproch should so saith Saint Hierome If he heare not the Church let him be vnto thee as a Heathen and a Publican Such Soueraigne authoritie hath the Church by the presence of Christ and such is it's firmenesse that it being as an immoouable Piller of Truth The gates of Hell shall not preuaile against it And of such continuance Christs fauour towards it that he seales this assurance with an E●ce c. Behold I am with you till the end of the world And such the especiall prouidence of the blessed Spirit towards it that hee that shall despise it his case is to bee accounted desperate These two Truths the Church by long and many experiences hath made good vnto vs. The one That hee that honours and respects the Church receiueth very great and singular fauours from Heauen He that shall glorifie me and in mee my Spouse and Ministers of my Word I will glorifie him And of these the Histories are full both Diuine and Humane Of Dauid of Iosias of Alexander Magnus Theodosius and Charlemaigne who triumphed ouer powerfull enemies for that they had respected the authoritie and dignitie of the Church preferring stil the same before the honour of their owne Crowns The other That they who haue despised and contemned it haue euer beene held base and vile They that contemne me and in mee my Spouse and my Ministers shall bee esteemed base and ignoble As amongst the Hebrewes it was to bee seene in a Saul an Ozias a Manasses Among the Romans in a Pompeius Magnus who prophaned the sacred Temple of Hierusalem yet durst not come to touch it's Treasure so Cicero affirmeth c. Thomas hath

obserued That God euer shewed himselfe more mercifull in reuenging his owne wrongs than those that were done to the Ministers of his Church The People of Israell worshipped a Calfe and proceeded so farre in wronging the Maiestie of God that they sticked not to say This is that God which with a mightie hand out-stretched arme freed vs from the Captiuitie of Aegypt God punished this their iniquitie with the death of some of the principall offendors Dathan and Abiram rebelled against Moses and the earth swallowed them vp aliue Sit tibi tanquam Ethnicus Publicanus If he shall not be obedient to the Church but shall despise the sentence of his Superiours Let him be vnto thee as a Heathen man and a Publican In Leuiticus God commanded That they should not offer vnto him any Sacrifice of honey but he required the first fruits thereof hee will at first haue honey that is mild admonitions gentle persuasions and friendly aduice but if these wil not serue the turne he vnsheaths his sword and cuts thee off from the Church pronouncing this sentence against thee Let him be to thee as a Heathen and a Publican Hee doth heere poynt out two sorts of People which Gods people did shun and auoyd The one Him that was a stranger to his Law The other Him that was a publique offendor therein both which he wisheth vs to flie from From the one That they may doe vs no hurt For a little leauen will soure the whole lumpe From the other That being thereby ashamed of their sinnes they may repent and amend Wherein he seemeth to moderate the rigour of the Old Testament for in Deutronomie he commandeth That he that will not heare the High-Priest that man shall die the death and that sonne that shall not be obedient to his father shall be stoned to death But God now shewing himselfe more mild and gentle is contented that we should onely shunne the companie of such as are disobedient being no better than canker'd and rotten Members which may chance to infect and putrifie those other sound parts of the bodie And albeit the excommunicating of those that conuerse with them which course the Church now taketh may seeme somwhat of the seuerest for that it comprehendeth not onely the nocent but the innocent as well the not offending as the offending yet said the Samaritan woman The Iewes doe not vse to keepe companie with Samaritanes And they accused our Sauiour Christ for that hee did eat with Publicans and Sinners and because he did but talke with a Samaritan they called him by way of scorne a Samaritan These latter conditions of denunciating my brother to the Church and of vsing him like an Hereticke or a Moore haue seemed to the World to be somewhat too hard teaching and baptizeth the Denunciator by the name of Delator or priuie Accuser or an Informer or Promoter And euen in those Communities and Commonwealths which haue renounced the Lawes of the world it hath been held a point of honour and of noblenesse not to enter or stand forth by accusing or denunciating in causis alienis For he that shall doe so is accounted but a base minded fellow and one that hath no worth or goodnesse in him and he had need haue an extraordinarie assistance of Gods spirit that shall take this taske vpon him when Zeale and Honour cannot agree vpon the point one swaying this way and another that which distraction is made the more the more great and powerfull the persons be that ought to be thus corrected First I answer That one and the selfe same thing may be said to bee soure and sweet after a diuers respect Saint Mathew saith That the way to Hell is broad and large The Damned they say it is a hard way Ambulanimus vias difficiles c. To correct and to be corrected shall be easie to the Spirit but hard to the Flesh. And put case it be soure yet the ajudas de Costa those good supplies which the Iust shall enioy in this present life and the hope of reward in the future wil make it sweet Secondly I answer That Feare and Cowardise propose sometimes difficulties where there are none and he that is afraid that he sh●l not draw water from his brothers brest and eyes How shall he hope to draw water out of a rocke or a stone There is a great deale of controuersie and much adoo touching that sin of Moses for which God denied him entrance into the holy Land S. Paul saith That it was incredulitie The opinion of the Hebrewes is That this his sinne was his not speaking to the Rocke God spake vnto these two brothers and said Loquimini ad Petram which Moses strooke once or twice with his Rod c. Now if two words would haue beene sufficient for to draw water out of a rocke Is it much that Man should draw it out of the heart though it were made of stone and conuey it as by a Conduit to the eyes Salomon saith That many do excuse themselues of fulfilling Gods commandements alledging their want of strength and abilitie That it stands not with their health to fast on halfe holydayes nor to eat Fish in Lent or on Frydayes Vires non suppetunt Hereunto I make a twofold answer The one Deus est Inspector cordis It is God that tryeth the heart and reynes he knowes whither thou haue streng●h or no thou canst not cozen him with a false Dye thou maist cozen thy Physition with a lye but thou canst not cozen God The other Ipse intelligit God knowes well enough That thou canst not doe any good thing without his helpe for hee must assist thee with his grace in this life and with glorie in the life to come And will reward euerie man according to his workes Leo the Pope saith That hee that thinkes with himselfe that it is a hard thing to be corrected must haue recourse to Gods mercie to intreat his fauour that he will free him from this his euill custome and so to humble him that correction may seeme sweet vnto him Lastly Albeit at first the partie reprooued will shew himselfe harsh soure vnto thee yet vpon better consideration hee will con thee thankes and like better of thy plaine dealing with him than if thou hadst soothed vp his sinnes He that reprooues a man shall afterward find more grace than hee that deceiues him with a flattring tongue To S. Austen the corrections admonitions of his mother were vnsauorie but afterwards he confessed That he was much more beholding to her for hauing reduced him to the right way than for bringing him forth into the world Who is it that maketh me glad saith Saint Paul but he that is made hea●ie by me The Scripture is full of rewards and of threatnings both in the fauour and disfauour of the Corrector and the Corrected Of him that correcteth Crysostome saith If thou shouldest giue innumerable