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
A06985	A catholike and ecclesiasticall exposition of the holy Gospell after S. Mathewe, gathered out of all the singuler and approued deuines (whiche the Lorde hath geuen to his Churche) by Augustine Marlorate. And translated out of Latine into Englishe by Thomas Tymme, mynister. Sene and allowed according to the order appointed; Novi Testamenti catholica expositio ecclesiastica. English. Selections	Marlorat, Augustin, 1506-1562.; Tymme, Thomas, d. 1620.	1570 (1570)	STC 17404; ESTC S114262	1,206,890	792

saye amonge the members of one ecclesiastical body and professors of one Christian religion For S Paule saith what haue I to do to iudge of thē that are forreiners Therefore if any whiche is called a brother be a whoremonger eyther a couetouse person or a worshiper of Images or a slaunderer or suche like with such see that ye eate not And thus far as concernynge the fyrste degree of brotherlye admonition 16 If he heare the not then take yet with thee one or twoo that in the mouthe of two or three witnesses euery matter may be established And if he heare thee not Bu. The second degree is a more seuere and sharpe admonition before twoo or three witnesses C. by the whiche he that behaued hym selfe so stoutely before one man may be admonished Bu. For if thou canst nothinge preuayle with a wycked man by frendely familiar and priuate admonytion take vnto thee certaine graue men and such as thou knowest the partie that is gyltie to be afraide of by reason of authoritie in the presence of whom vrge him whome thou wouldeste haue reformed with vehemencie Obiection But some do obiecte here that witnesses are called in vaine if that we haue to do with a selfe wild and obstinate person because he wyll be so farre from acknowledgynge his falte in their presence that he wyll more impudentely stande in the same and denie his falt Those that thus obiecte maye easely be answered if that we distinguish and make a difference betwene the kindes of denyinge and continuinge obstinate Hee whiche precisely denyeth his facte and affirmeth that hee is vniustely burthened must be omitted because in vayne he shoulde be vrged to the confession of his falte before witnesses But because many men do seeke to auoyde that peruersely whiche wickedly they haue committed or elles impudently do excuse the same vntyll they be vrged and pressed by greate authoritie and proofe this way is very well obserued And that the wordes of Christe oughte thus to be vnderstode it is euident by the woorde of reprouing whiche was mentioned in the verse goinge before To reproue or rebuke is by demonstration to conuince and ouercome But how sholdest thou conuince him of his falte which obstinately denieth the whole matter For he whiche withoute shame denyeth his falte dothe take away all occasion to be admonished any more Nowe let vs see to what ende Christ wolde haue witnesses Surely to this ende that the admonition might be more seriouse and of greatter waighte That in the mouthe of tvvo or three vvitnesses E. He vseth this woorde mouthe for the woorde or testimony as if he should say that the whole accusation shold be firme and ratifyed by the testimony of twoo or three that if it shoulde happen any man to be so impudente that afterwarde hee wolde denye that he had offended that in such case he might be conuinced by those wytnesses But when as any man shall deny in the presence of two or thre wytnesses that he hath offended and refuseth to acknowledge his falte then we muste commit the matter vnto God for we can procede no farther notwithstandyng in the meane tyme he shall haue those that were present witnesses of his obstinacy This place is taken out of the law namely out of the ninetene chap. of Deutronomy the whiche place our sauiour Christ tourneth somewhat into an other sence yet no absurditie therby aryseth Moyses forbiddeth to pronoūce or iudge vpō any secrete or vnknown matter And he saith that this is the lawefull way of tryinge that by the testimony of twoo or thre the case shoulde stande and be stablished Christ speakinge of the same lawe sayth that the cause is sufficient when two or three witnesses do aryse to condemne the contumacy of the man Neyther shall he haue any iust cause to complayne for the publishinge of his falte whiche hath refused to heare twoo or three 17 If he heare not theim tell it vnto the congregation If he heare not the cōgregation let him be vnto thee as an Heathen and as a Publican If he heare not them Bu. The thirde degree is the sharpe and seuere reprehension before the Churche or congregation For if the offender be not tractable but peruerse obstinate impenitent so shamelesse that hée despyseth all admonitiō and exhortacion goeth forwarde in his filthy conuersation and defyleth himselfe and others to thē must the matter be wholely referred to the Congregation that before the same hée maye be reproued more sharpely thē hée was before and be made also ashamed openlye Tell it vnto the Congregation C. It maye be demaunded what hée meaneth by the name of Congregation For Paule commaundeth that the Corinthian which was gilty of most filthy and abhominable incest shoulde not be excomunicated not of any certaine number but of the whole Congregation and therefore it maye séeme probable that Iudgemēt was here committed to the whole multitude But because at that time ther was no Church which had geuen her name vnto Christe nor no such order appointed and because the Lord himselfe speaketh according to the maner of the time there is no doubt but that hée applyeth it to the order of the olde Churche euen as in certayne other places hée frameth his speache according to the knowen custome When hée commaunded to leaue the offringe at the Altar vntill wée were reconciled to our offended brother there is no doubt but that by the present and legall forme of the worship of God hée would teache that wée cānot pray aright nor offer any thing vnto God so longe as wée are at dissention with our brethren Hée had respecte therefore after this maner to the discipline which was nowe vsed of the Iewes because it had bene very absurde to commit Iudgemēt vnto the Church which was not But seing the Auctority and power of excommunication belonged to the Elders amonge the Iewes the which Elders did represent the person of the whole Church Christ very aptlye and to the purpose saith that they which offende must be brought vnto the Church if disdainfully they cōtemned secreete admonition and scoffed at the same Wée do knowe that when the Iewes were retourned from the exile and banishemente of Babilon a counsell being chosē which they called Sinhedrim a lawe and reformation of manners and Doctrine was appointed This rule and gouernement was lawfull and acceptable vnto God and it was a brydell to restraine and kéepe in good order all such as were peruerse and vnrulye Obiection If any mā obiecte and saye that in Christes time all thinges were corrupted and out of order that nothinge lesse ought to be compted the Iudgement and lawe of the Church thā such cruell gouernement We may easelye aunswere that althoughe there were then a corrupte and peruerse waye yet notwithstanding that Christ doth iustlye commende the order which before tyme was appointed of the fathers But whē as within short time after hée

had erected the Church and had taken away the corruption hee restored the pure vse of excōmunication Notwithstanding there is no doubte but that the order of discipline which floryshed vnder the kyngdome of Christe succeded and came in the place stéede of the olde And trulye seinge the prophane Gentiles obserued and kepte the shadowed right and custome of excomunicatinge it is euidente that it was put into the myndes of men by God from the beginning that if any were polluted and vncleane they might be stayed from holy thinges It had bene a shame therefore and great reproche vnto the people of God to haue beene experte and altogether ignorante of that discipline of the which there was a remnant left among the Gētyles But Christe putteth that vnto vs which was obserued vnder the lawe because the matter standeth wyth vs as it did with the fathers And yet for all that it was not the purpose of Christ to sende his disciples to the Sinagoge which willingly suffered it selfe to be defyled wyth filthy spots and excomunicated the true and simple worshippers of God A. of the which matter wée haue an euidente example in the man that was blinde from his natiuity But hée admonished them that an order ought to be obserued in his Churche which order before time was appointed very Godly vnder the law C. If any man obstinatelye reiecte the first admonitions or continuing in hys vyce declareth himselfe to contemne the same when that he is admonished the seconde time againe before witnesses hee must be brought before the Iudgemente of the Churche that is before the Elders of the Congregation according to the cōmaundement of Christ where hée must be more sharpely reprehended as by publique Actoritye that if hée reuerence the Church hee may submit himselfe obey But if hee heare not the Church A. As if hée had sayd But and if hee be as yet so incurable that hee will not be corrected neyther by secrete and brotherly admonition neither by the conscience consent and agreement of two or three neither by the shame of the publishinge and disclosinge the faulte neither by the auctority of the Elders then leaue him to his sinne let him be cut of from the company of men and let him be of no better estimation then if he were a heathen or a Publican C. That which is spoken here of heathē men and Publicans confirmeth the former interpretacion where wée spake of those kinde of men For because heathen men and Publicanes were greatly hated and detested amonge the Iewes hée compareth vncleane and incurable persōnes to such Notwithstanding that heathen men and Publicanes were so abhominable in the sight of the Iewes Christ willeth them not to forsake them selues and to dispayre for of such his Church was gathered Neither is this place for their purpose which thincke that the faythfull oughte to abhorre the Publicane But Christ to the end he might the more easely be vnderstande of the rude and simple borrowed the maner of speache of the Countrey where hée was So that hys meaninge is that wee ought to haue nothinge to do with the contemners of the Congregatiō vntill such time as they repente C. Notwithstanding wee must not cast from them all hope of saluation but must commit them vnto the Lorde vntill such time as there appeareth some signe of repentaunce As concerninge heathen men and Publicans reade the fiue and sixe Chapters going before 18. Verely I say vnto you whatsoeuer ye binde on earth shal be bounde in heauen And what soeuer ye lose on earth shal be losed in Heauen Verely I say vnto you Bu. This sentēce pertayneth to the explication and confirmation of that which went before For because hee had said If he heare not the Church let him be vnto the as a heathen or a Publicane and because this mighte be the secrete aunswere or priuy thought of the brother which was the cōtemner If they despise mée I will despise them and if they condemne mée I will condemne them also because of these things I saye hee confirmeth here the Iudgement of the Church and vnder the testimony of an othe hee saith that before the Lord also they are eyther condemned or absolued which the Churche by deuyne Iudgement eyther absolueth or condemneth Therefore a iust excommunication ought to be feared but an vndeserued excommunication is of no force VVhatsoeuer yee binde on earth C. This place is nothinge at all like vnto the which is written in the sixtene Chapter goinge before but is otherwise to be vnderstode Yet wee make them not so contrary but that there is some affinity betwene thē Chiefly therefore they agree in this that they are both generall sentēces and that they haue alwayes one maner of power of binding and lowsinge namely by the worde of God both one cōmaundement and one promise And in this they differ that the former place in the sixtene Chap. of Mathew is peculiarly and specially to be vnderstoode of the Preachinge which the mynisters of the worde vse and this place pertayneth to the discipline of excommunication which is graunted vnto the Churche Christ there wente about to declare the auctority of Doctrine but here hee appointeth discipline which is an Appendix or thinge annexed to the same There hee sayd that the preachinge of the Gospell should not be in vaine but that it should be to some the sauor of lyfe vnto life and to other some the sauor of death vnto death here hee affirmeth that although the wicked to deride the Iudgement of the Church yet notwithstāding that it shall not be in vayne So that wée must remember this distinction that in the sixtene of Mathewe hee speaketh of the word preached simplely and here he speaketh of publique iudgement and discipline The Churche bindeth whomsoeuer it excommunicateth not that it casteth into perpetual ruine and desperation but because it condēneth his life and manners which is euell and doth admonishe him of his damnation at hande vnlesse he repente Agayne the Churche lowseth whomsoeuer it receyueth into the fellowshippe of the same because it maketh him partaker of the vnitie which is in Christ Iesus C. Therfore whosoeuer forsakinge his synne acknowlegeth his falte and craueth pardone at the hādes of the Churche the same is absolued and lowsed not onely of men but also of god On the contrarye parte whatsoeuer he be that maketh a scorne and iest of the admonitions of the Churche if he be condemned by the same he maye be sure and certayne that he is also condemned in heauen Neyther shall he haue nowe any more to do with men but the lorde him selfe shal be the reuenger If any mā do obiecte say that God by this meanes shall be as it were an vnder iudge which subscribeth to the opinion and iudgemēt of mortall men we may easely answere and say that Christ doth not geue authoritie to his Church to the ende he might diminishe the

and incourage the disciples to constancie namely that although their faith was obscure and base yet notwithstandinge they were chosen of the Lord as the fyrste fruites that at the lengthe of that contemptible and base beginning a newe Church might spring and aryse which church shold be a conquerer euen against hel gates as we shal here an on I vvyll buyld my congregation M. The latten translation hathe Ecclesiam meam my Churche whiche is a Gréeke worde and signifieth a congregation or conuocatiō of people The which word the threscore ten interpretours vsed so often as in the olde testamente they red this woorde Cahal or Edah which two wordes signifie a congregation flocke or multitude As in the .xxii. Psalme In the myddeste of the congregation wyl I prayse thee And in the fyftene chapter of the boke of nombers there is mention made of this woorde congregation thre tymes at the leaste And in Deutronomye it is sayde Into the congregation of the lorde c. Moreouer in Exodus the foure and thirtie chapter we haue this woord congregation and in the seuenth Psalme The whiche woorde the threscore and ten interpretours sometime cal by the name of Synagogge and somtime by the name of Churche But in this place Christ calleth euery congregation flocke corporation and societie of faythefull men hys churche whom God hath chosen to euerlastinge life in the same saithe hope and loue of the spirite in what place of the world soeuer they be This Church was at all tymes as in the tyme of Adam Noe Abraham Isaac Iacob Moyses Dauid and in the tyme of al the Prophetes although it were but small There was a Churche of the Iewes and of the Gentiles and there is a Churche or congregation as yet at this day of the faythfull which beleue the same saluation and remission of synnes by Christ althoughe hee was made man and suffered There hath bene alwaies but one Churche the headde whereof is Christ as the Apostel Paule teachethe in his epistell to the Ephesians Oftentimes the Church is taken for the Seniors of the Church as in this place If he beare not them tell the Church if he heare not the Churche let let him be vnto thee as an Ethnike or a Publicane M. Let them therefore see which at this day boast and glorye in the title of the Churche beinge in dede ennemies of the Church what head they haue and of whose congregation they are mēbers The woulfe loueth the shepefoldes but not as a shepe not as the pastor but as a wulfe We must also note this that Christe saide not to Peter I will builde thy Churche but my Churche that we may know the church to belōg to Christ and not to Peter For Peter is not lorde of the Churche but Christ Christ saithe that his shepe are euery where And the Apostels call those that are Christiās the flocke of the lord not their owne flocke they acknowledge them selues to be mynisters and not lordes Herupon the Apostell exhorted the byshops to raigne ouer their flocke not as lordes but as geuers of good insaumple to their flocke The church therfore belongeth to Christ not vnto any one man It is geuen to him of the father of whom as a sonne he hath receiued al thinges with ful power And then beyonde the right of the fyrste begotten be redemed his Church or inheritance with a greate price euen with his own preciouse bloud And in an other place it is saide Ye are boughte with a great price be not therefore the seruantes of men Also in an other place Christ dyed for all men that they whiche lyue might not liue vnto thē selues but vnto hym which died for them And again No man liueth to him selfe and no man dyeth vnto him self for whether we liue or die we are the lordes for Christe dyed rose againe that he might be lorde bothe of the quicke and the deade They greatly erre therefore whiche seke for rule in the flocke and congregation of the lorde and also whiche refusynge to submytte them selues to the power and domynion of Chryst laye their heades vnder the feete of men And the gates of hell shall not prevaile against it Z. The gates of Citties for the moste parte are very stronge and haue percullices to set before them C. Therfore by the name of Gates all kynd of force and munition is noted Z. and by hel Gates all Satanicall and deuelishe power is to be vnderstode These promises are great and moste firme whiche do pacifie and comforte the consciences of the faythful when they consider them selues to be so setteled and graunted that they knowe for a suertie howe they are able to resist all the power of Sathan Accordynge to the saying of saincte Paule There is no condemnatiō to those that are in Christe Iesu And If God be with vs who can be agaynst vs who spared not his owne sonne but gaue hym for vs howe then should he not with hym geue vs all thinges Who shall saye any thynge to the charge of Goddes electe c. C. Althoughe the pronoune it may be referred eyther to the rocke to fayth or to the Churche yet notwithstandynge the latter sence doth better agree namely that the firme state of the Church shal stande immoueable and inuincible against all the power of Sathan and that because the treweth of God shall for euer indure Also to this sentence agreeth the saying of Iohn This is the victory whiche ouercommeth the worlde euen oure faythe M. Christians therefore holde them faste by the trewe rocke beinge so firmely buylded vpon the same that nothinge can ouerthrowe them For this is a most sure and certaine promise that they which are vnited in Christ and acknowledge hym to be theyr mediatoure shall euen to the worldes ende be defended frō all harme For that which is spoken of the body of the Church pertaineth to euery particuler member of the same in that they be one in Christ A. According to the saying of our sauiour Christ I knowe my shepe they followe me I geue vnto them eternall lyfe and they shal neuer perishe neyther shal any mā plucke them out of my hande Notwithstandyng we are here taught that so lōg as the churche is vpon the earthe it shall neuer be quiete but styll subiecte to reproche and ignominie For in that the Church is sayd to haue the preemynence ouer Sathan it is euident that Sathan shall stil seke to destroy it But let vs by this comfortable voyce of Christe glorye and tryumphe ouer him voyde of all feare and care seynge that Christ is our captayne and conquerer 19 And I wyll geue vnto thee the keies of the kyngedome of heauen and what so euer thou byndest in earthe shall be bounde in heauen and what so euer thou lousest in earthe shal be loused in heauen And I vvyll geue vnto thee