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
A13880	A defence of the ecclesiastical discipline ordayned of God to be vsed in his Church Against a replie of Maister Bridges, to a briefe and plain declaration of it, which was printed An[no]. 1584. Which replie he termeth, A defence of the gouernement established in the Church of Englande, for ecclesiasticall matters.	Travers, Walter, 1547 or 8-1635.	1588 (1588)	STC 24183; ESTC S118502	153,730	244

to teach the Disciples to obserue all things that he had commaunded Which tenor and course of speache sheweth that he spake to them of the Discipline For besides the ministerie of the worde and of the Sacramentes what other thinges are there belonging to the kingdome of Christ but the Discipline This being then thus sufficientlie proued that the Discipline of the Church is a part at the least of those things which our Sauiour Christ in this place is saide to haue commaunded his Apostles to teache their Disciples to obserue I proceede further to shewe the perpetuitie of these foresaide publique charges of the Church which is the thing I haue in hande The Euangelist sayeth that our Sauiour added to his former charge and commaundement a most comfortable promise saying Beholde I am with you alwayes to the finishinge of the worlde Which wordes can not be vnderstood of the Apostles onely because they as it is saide of Dauid after they had serued their tyme they died Whereby it is of necessitie to be vnderstoode that our Sauiour promiseth to bee with them for their time after also with such as by their doctrine should be his Disciples to the ende of the worlde Nowe to bee with them is a promise of prospering and blessing to his Church the ministerie of such holy thinges as hee had commaunded them to teache the Disciples to obserue Which may appeare by the Euangelist Marke who declaring the performance of this promise to the Apostles sayeth That they went and preached the Lord working with them and confirming the worde by signes that followed The meaning therefore of the promise is that the Lord would blesse the Ministerie of the worde th'administration of the Sacramentes and the obseruation of the Discipline which hee had deliuered them to the good of his church in their handes for their time in such sort as the qualitie of their Apostolicall calling did require in extraordinarie giftes and assistance and after in the handes of such as should be apointed for the ordinarie seruice of his people according as their ordinarie functions should neede euen to the ende of the world Which can not be if the offices he appointed were but temporarie and not perpetuall Therefore I conclude that the ministerie of the worde by Pastours and Teachers the ouersight of the church by Elders th' attendance of the poore by Deacons being the necessarie and ordinarie functions and offices which our Sauiour hath instituted and ordained in his Church and hauing promise of blessing from the Lorde in their due administration to the ende of the worlde they are also perpetuall and to continue for euer which may bee further also confirmed in that our Sauior in the 18. of Matthewe declareth the effect of this promise to belong particularlie to the executiō of the Discipline For there our Sauiour appointing a proceeding for the remedie of offences sayeth And if he refuse to heare them tell it vnto the Church and if he refuse to heare the Church also let him be vnto thee as an heathen man and as a publicane Verilie I say vnto you Whatsoeuer ye binde on earth shal be bounde in heauen and whatsoeuer yee loose on earth shal be loosed in heauen Agayne Verilie I saye vnto you that if two of you shall agree in earth vppon anie thing whatsoeuer they shall desire it shal be giuen them of my Father which is in heauen For where two or three are gathered togither in my Name there am I in the middes of them Whereby as it is manifest that the execution Discipline is of the things which our Sauiour hath commaunded who saieth expreslie tell the Church so is it plaine to be within this promise of his presence assistance directlie promising that when they shall meete togither in his name that is by his authoritie for such purpose and call vpon him he wil be in the middest of them authorize their due proceedings binding and loosing in heauen that which vpon earth they shall so do according to his appointment Moreouer for further proofe of the perpetuitie of these foresaide publike functions in the Church it is playne that the Apostle writing to Timothy to teache him howe to behaue him selfe in the Church which is the house of the liuing God instructeth him of all these offices that is of the Ministers of the worde both Pastours Teachers and of the Elders and Deacons For the Ministers of the worde it is cleare in that he requireth in euery one to bee called to that ministerie an abilitie to teache which is as hee expoundeth it to Titus to deliuer sound that is holy true doctrine That both kindes of Ministers are heere to be vnderstood may appeare by this that the Apostles rules there are generall of all the Ministers of the worde as his indifinite speach in a generall matter declareth But Pastours and Teachers also are the ordinarie officers appointed for the ministerie of the worde to the Church as appeareth by the 12. to the Roman Therefore both Pastours Teachers are cōprehended there by the Apostle Further it will not bee denied but that this speach in the 1. to Tit. is of the same ministers which he speaketh of here but there he noteth both kindes as it may apeare by mention of exhortation the special propertie of the Pastor of conuictiō a peculiar part of th' office of the Teacher therfore in the place mentioned to Tim. both kindes of Ministers of the word Pastors Teachers are cōprehended That in the other name of Deacōs they are included whose special name this is in the church I think it is not doubted Now that elders are there also cōprehēded by that name thus I proue The Elders office is an ordinary office in the Church as appeareth in the 12. to the Rom in the 5. of this epist where it is playnlie noted that there are Elders which name particularly is neuer giuen to such as by their proper name are called Deacons for direction of the Church who deale not with the Ministerie of the word as if the Apostle had said but only with the ouersight of cōuersation If it be so then in an instruction whiche th'Apostle would giue to Timothy how to behaue him selfe in all matters of charge in the church they can not be pretermitted But they can not be here cōteined vnder the name of Bishops because teaching is required of them which belongeth not to the Elders as is declared in the 5. chap. following Therefore it must needes be they are to be vnderstood vnder the name of Deacons Moreouer in so generall an instruction for ordering the house of God it is to be confessed that in these two names of Bishops Deacons the Apostle cōprehendeth al the offices of the church as in the 1. to the Phil. ver 1. Paul and Timothy the seruants of Iesus Christ to all the Saints in Christ Jesus whiche are at Philippi with the Bishops Deacons

things that concerne religion that we may liue vnder them a peaceable and quiet life in all pietie and honestie For of such things haue they charge also especiallie Magistrates which are of good Religion For which cause the Kings were commaunded in the law of Moses to haue by them a copye of the lawe and charged to see the same obserued Deut. 17.18 not in one part onely which concerneth the dueties of the seconde table but also of the first All which things whyle Magistrates procure and further by their ciuill power and authoritie blessed are they in so holy and honourable seruice and blessed is the Church that receyueth so exceeding great helpe benefite and comfort by them A litle quarell here is in the next place against the wordes most blessed Wherevnto it is replyed that the Church can not be sayde to be most blessed till it be in heauen But he is to vnderstande that it is not spoken of the Church simply but in some respect Which also he graunteth a little after sayinge him selfe of the primitiue church that it seemed in most blessed estate in some respectes As therefore the Church may be sayde to be in most blessed estate when it is ordered in all thinges according to Gods cōmaundement whiche is the greatest blessing it may haue in this lyfe so the Declaration speaketh of the Churches which are blessed in that respect The state of the auncient Church of the Iewes was then in most blessed estate in such respecte when all things in it aunswered the paterne shewed to Moses in the mountayne and the primitiue Church when it was ordered according to the rules of our Sauiour Christ So are the Churches of this age sayde for the same respect to be in most blessed estate From this he returneth againe to his question so often mooued before what vse then there may be of the Christian Magistrate For which he is to be returned agayne in like maner to his former aunswere Which is that th' vse of them is exceeding great in euery sorte and would be yet a great deale more if their godly proceedings were not hindered by misinformations of such who for their place and the trust reposed in them ought both to knowe and declare the will of God to Christian Princes to the furthering of the reformatiō of such abuses the continuance whereof prouoketh the wrath of God against both the Prince the people Who mainteyning that all is well when in the gouernance of the Church so manie things are amisse and neede most speedy reformation abuse them selues and the Princes whom they ought faithefullie to serue as Azariah and Hananias the Prophetes did Asa King of Juda 2. Chro. 15. 1 Cap. 16 7. Ierem. 1. 2. Ieremie Josiah with sundrie other and so hasten vpō them their people the fierie flying vengeance that for such enormities may come so mightily and suddainly that there wil be no turning of it backe nor escaping from it Wherein God be mercifull and spare his sanctuarie that it be not made desolate for the Lordes sake but to returne to the seruice Dan. 9.17 whereby for my parte I may endeuour to procure so great a blessing in maintenance of the trueth of God in the cause of the further reformatiō needful in the discipline as it hath bin thorowe the goodnes of God made in the doctrine I proceed to answere his next poynt of reply to this argument This replie is an iniurious and a bitter discourse of the difference of the state of the Church in persecution and in peace which he affirmeth to be hir most blessed estate It is set out by opposition of Princes persecuting and protecting the Church as of Pharao and Moses Saul and Dauid Manasses and Ezechias the Turke Sophi and Cham and the Christian Princes in Englande Germanie Scotlande Denmarke c. The end wherof is to charge the Declaration with a grosse and foule absurditie as if it affirmed the Church in times past to haue bene in better state vnder Tyrants and persecutours then vnder godly and vertuous Princes and in this age vnder the heathen then vnder Christian Princes Wherevppon he cryeth out O blinde what should I call it malice no but selfe-willed opinion that to deface the good estate of the church of God wherein we are vnder such a right defendor of the faith defended and shielded from all our enimies in a farre more blessed estate then we deserue will make such an odious comparison as this is But as the olde saying is Itch and ease can no man please If a beame of a Bishoprike had not hindred his sight hee might haue seene more clearely both in many other places and in this that there is no such comparison made as he cauilleth about It is saide in the Declaration that the Church at this day standeth in most blessed estate where the ciuill Magistrates are not the greatest fauourers Whereat although he iestingly demaunde after his maner whether this be in Vtopia or where yet either he must be starke blinde or els hee must needes see that it is meant of the Countries neare vnto vs wherein the Churches are in some respect in most blessed estate Whiche blessednes if he scorne at for the persecution whiche they endure what will he answere to our Sauiour Christ saying Blessed shall ye be when men reuyle you Ma. 5.11.12 persecute you and say all maner of euill against you for my sake falslie Reioyce be glad for great is your reward in heauen For so persecuted they the Prophetes which were before you Further also in regard of the full reformation of the church both in the doctrine and discipline of our Sauiour Christ which the Lorde that is riche in mercie hath for their more aboundant cōfort giuen them to enioy in this their outward troublesome persecuted estate For these and such like respectes declared vpon occasion before in this treatise the Declaration calleth their estate most blessed In reproch whereof he exhorteth the Ministers zealous of the further reformation of our church to be gone into those coūtries if they iudge the estate of thē to be better then our owne I maruell not if the successours of Amazia would fayne haue the successours of Amos to depart both out of the Court Amos 7.12 and countrey too For then might they more freely abuse whome they would But the duetie of our calling wherevnto almightie God of his great mercie hath called vs whiche is to serue especiallie the church of our own nation people amongest whom we are borne and brought vp whose language is ours by nature with whom we are to haue all thinges common both blessings and punishmentes as the seruaunts of God in Iewrie had will not suffer vs to hearken to his rude motion least we should with Jonas fly from the presence of the Lorde Further as the terrour of God so the loue of our people nation our kinred and acquaintance