Selected quad for the lemma: church_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
church_n	member_n	particular_a	schism_n	2,767	5	10.0659	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A47283	Ichabod: or, Five groans of the church: Prudently foreseeing, and passionately bewailing her second fall: Threatened by these five dangerous, though undiscerned, miscarriages that caused her first: Viz. [bracket] 1. Undue ordination, 2. Loose prophaness, 3. Unconscionable symony, 4. Careless non-residence, 5. Encroaching pluralities. Humbly presented to her supreme head and governour, the kings most excellent majesty, and his great council, the Parliament of England.; Ichabod.	Ken, Thomas, 1637-1711.	1663 (1663)	Wing K264A; ESTC R22531	49,473	66

the Nurse of Gods Church We must open this grief before you and God knoweth whether it may be redressed it is let grown so long it is gone so far but if it may be redressed there is no other but your Highness that can redress it The Definition of Symonie SYmonie is an intentive desire or purpose to buy or sell a spiritual Living or any Corporal thing annexed to the Church Grat. dist 1. p. 2. 91 Zanch. de inter cultu Concil compl Sect. 43. dec cont Nic. can 8. 96. CHAP. IV. The Church of Englands Complaint against Encroaching Pluralities IS your portion oh my Sons in this life or is it in another Is the satisfaction your immortal souls look for in the emptie vain low and perishing contents of this world or in the full high and everlasting enjoyments of the other world If in this life you have hope only you are of all men the most miserable the most contemptible and most deceitfull if in another why so many Imperial Laws so many Ecclesiastical Canons so many Decrees of Councils so many severe Reproofs from Fathers and Casuists so many Complaints and Reproaches so many Laws and Injunctions so many Attempts and Endeavours in Parliament these sixtie years against vour Monopolie of Livings and Pluralities of Benefices Why do you heap upon your selves this envie Why do you provoke these Reproaches I provided for you liberallie I checked those that opposed your maintenance seasonablie I encouraged your Industrie and Merit carefullie beyond any reformed Church in the world I restored you to your Rights handsomelie I secured your Rights legallie will not this satisfie you will not this content you 1. It 's but latelie that you were thought uncapable of one Living and now three four five cannot suffice you It 's not long since you wanted necessaries and do you now heap up superfluities Lately you could not provide for your Families Wants and doe you now provide for their Excess and Pride Have you forgot how latelie you grasped all and you lost all Alas Alas 2. And will you eat bread out of your Brethrens mouths and will you starve your fellow-servants Are you Ministers so are they Are you Orthodox so are they Are you Loyal so are they Have you been constant so have they Are you serviceable to the Church they more in labours more abundant On how manie excellent men who out-lived the late miseries Articles Committees Sequestrations Protestations Covenants Engagements lingring out their lives laden and almost oppress●d worn out and quite tired with the burthen of years cares feares labours necessities and afflictions are now fain to die in obscuritie want and contempt as if the Sons of the Church of England wanted onlie this to make up the measure of their sufferings That they should be undone when the Church is restored How many hundreds sober and able men are laid aside and contemned by some as Orthodox and despised by others as poor whom the people would relieve but that they are faithful to me whom I would relieve but that I am swallowed up by you When you look big with your abundance and superfluitie and glorie in your preferments how manie hundred able and sober men are ashamed of their Order and Function are wrapped up in poverty and discontent and lost in poor emploiments whose faithful labours I want whose sober conversations might honour me whose diligence and care might restore me whose reason and learning might uphold me whose powerful preaching might establish me whose self-denial and devotedness to publick good might save me Alas Sirs let none of you think of himself more highly then be ought to think but to think soberly according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith for as you have many members in one brdy and all members have not the same office so I being made of many am one bodie in Christ and everie one in me is a member one of another You my Sons having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given you whether Prophesie c. why●hal not they that prophesie be encouraged according to the proportion of Faith or Ministrie why should not all be encouraged that wait on the Ministrie or they that teach on teaching or they that exhort on exhortation The bodie is not one member but manie now hath God set the members in the bodie as it pleaseth him and if they were all one member where were the bodie the eie connot say to the head I have no need of thee nor againe the head to the feet I have no need of you Nay much more those members of the bodie which seem to be more feeble are necessary and those less honourable upon these we ought to bestow more abundant honour And our uncomelie parts have a more abundant comeliness for our comelie parts have no need but God hath tempered the bodie together having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked that there should be no schism in the body but that the members should have the some care one for another Now ye my Sons are the bodie of Christ and members in particular and God hath set some in the Church first Apostls secondarily Prophets thirdly Teachers Are all Apostier are all Prophets are all Teachers are all provided for Oh cover earnestly the best Gifts not the best Livings And yet I could shew you a more excellent way Why is that Preferment engrossed by one which might maintain Twentie Why are those Revennes lost upon the folly vanitie and superfluitie of one familie which might provide for the honest occasions of five Oh Justice the equal Distributer of Affairs whither art thou sled Oh Equity whither art thou retired 3. If you consider not the sin do you consider the consequences of these miscarriages the envie that you alreadie sink under the occasion given unto them that seek occasion which hath alreadie disgraced you the great discontent that alreadic endangereth you Have not you enemies to your Order Calling and Judgement and must you incense your friends Must you provoke that God that hath hieherto upheld your Order and Function by abusing the maintenance he allows for his service and servants to your own advantage Must you displease his sacred Majestie by appropriating to a few ill beloved persons for whose sake his Majestie is thought the worse of that encouragement which might be equallie bestowed up on well deserving and well beloved who might in each Parish reach his subjects their dutie faithfullie perswade them to obedience succef-fullie and settle them in the Doctrine of Government are rding to the great Principles of Christian ● most happilie Must you provoke your Brechren of the Clergie to discontent by taking up all the encouragements of their Studies all their emploiments and hopes How manie hopefull oung man in Citie and Countrie are torced either to want or which is worse to live upon your small Pensions and scant allowance and what is natural for Parts and

Constitution for many happy years or if you will believe all men in England who have by oaths and Subscriptions by Vows and Protestations resolved to maintain the Protestant Religion as it was established in the Church of England who despair any where to find the way of truth and peace of holiness and happiness but in the use of those holy means and in the exercise of those divine graces which accompany salvation within me pro●essed and enjoyed I know nothing excellent in any Church for outward policy inward tranquillity and eternal felicity nothing that was pious or peaceable moral or vertuous ritual or spiritual orderly or comely or any way conducing to truth and holiness to grace or vertue to the souls edification and comfort which was not by me entertained with competent Maintenance noble Encouragements ingenious Honours peac●able Serenity and munificent plenty In which I flourished so many years by Gods gooduesse and mans indulgence Alas whatever I have done in the settlements of the Rites Circumstances and Decencies of Religion I have observed that modesty wisdom and humility that became a Church of Christ in discreetly and ingeniously comp●ying with sober primitive and venerable An●iq●ity in the Church as far as it observed the Rules of Gods Word and went not beyond the liberty allowed it in point of Order and Decency O you are too knowing to be ignorant and too ingenious to be insensible of your duty to God and your respect to me who was hereto●ore so much loved by my Children applauded by my Friends reverenced by my Neighbours feared and envyed by mine Enemies for those spiritual Gifts Ministerial Devotional and Practical which were evidently seen in me those heavely influences which people received from me those gr●cious examples and frequent good works set ●orth by me the blessed experiences men enjoyed within me the charitable simplicities exercised by my members the numerous Assemblies the frequent Devotions the reverent Attentions the unanimous Communions the well-grounded hopes and unspeakable comforts which thousands enjoyed both living and dying in obedience to and communion with me which to impartial men were most impregnant evidences and valid demonstrations of true Religion and a true Church setled by the joynt consent and publick piety of a Christian Nation He was a wise holy and reverend Son of my bosome who said That in the greatest maturity of his Iudgment and integrity of his Conscience when most redeemed from juvenile Fervours popular Fallacies vulgar Partialities and secular Flatteries be declared to the present Age and Posterity that since be was capable to move in so serious a search and weighty a disquisition as that of Religion is as his greatest design was through Gods grace to find out and persevere in such a profession of Christian Religion as hath most of truth and order of power and peace of holiness and solemnity of divine verity and Catholi●k antiquity of true charity and holy constancy So he could not apart from all prejudices and prepossessions find in any other Church or Church-way ancient or modern either more of the good he desired or less of the evil he would avoid then he had a long time disc●rned and upon a stricter scrutiny more and more in the frame and ●or● in the Constitution and Dispensation of the Church of England No where saith he diviner Mysteries no where sounder Doctrinals bolier Morals warmer Devotionals apter Rituals or comlier Ceremonials All which together by a meet and happy concurrence of piety and prudence brought forth such Spirituals and Graces both in their Habits Exercises and Comforts as are the Quintessence and Life the Soul and Seal of true Religion those more immediate and special Influences of Gods holy Spirit upon the Soul those joynt Operations of the blessed Trinity for the Iustification Sanctification and Salvation of a Sinner 1. Can you blame my Government that ancient and Catholick Government of godly Bishops which is so agreeable to Right Reason so suitable to the Principles of due Order and Policy among men so consonant to Scripture-wisdome both in Rules and Patterns so conforme to the Catholick and Primitive way of all Christian Churches throughout all Ages and in all places of the world Would you have me against all charity modesty humility or equity to fall away from the Apostolical way of all Famous Churches and religious Christians to cast off the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nec concili●s in titutum sed semper retentum non nist authoritate Apo●tolica institutum the Apostolici seminis traduces Episcopos that universam sucessionem Episcoporum those successiones ab initis decurrentium Episcoporum that ordinem Episcoporum qui in Iohannem stat Authorem that toto orbe de●retum Shall I not enquire of the former Age and prepare my self to the search of my Fathers for I am but of yesterday and nothing Shall not they teach me and tell me and utter words out of their hearts Shall not I stand in the way and ask for the old way which is the good way and walk therein Would you have me give offence to the whole Christian world which either is or wo●ld be governmed by Bishops as the most Apostolick Primitive and Universal Way Would you have me disown the right succession of the power Ministerial conferred by Episcopal hands unto this day Shall the Jewish Church have the Heads of their Tribes as Bishops and Rulers over their Brethren the Priests and Levites and the Christian Church in imitation of them as in other particulars so in this have their Ap stles Evangelists their Pastors and Teachers without reproach and may no●● O it is certai● e●that what is once well done in a regular publick way is ever after done as to the permanency of that vertue that is alwayes in a great and good example ple shall I lay aside Primitive right Episcopacy which hath s●ch grounds from Scripture both as to the divine wisdom so ordering his ●hurch among the Jews as also by the examPrecept and Direction evident from 〈◊〉 Lord Jesus Christ and the holy Ap●stles in the New Testament who preferred worthy pe●sons for their Piety Zeal and holy Gravity to exercise a christian authority over Ministers and people for their souls good which might consist with charity and humility for the pres●rvation of the Churches peace and purity in the best and primitive times ● such grave persons as for their Age were Fathers for their innocency Saints for industry Labourers for constancy Confessors for zeal Martyrs for charity Brethren for their light Angels and venerable for all Excellencies And I own no other Bishops but such in whom are remarkable the vertues of the most ancient and imitable Bishops the industry of St Austin the Courage of St. Ambrose t●e Devotion of St. Greg●ry the Learning of Nazianzen the Eloq●ence of St. Chryso●tome the Mildness of St. Cyprian the Love of St. Ignatius the Constancy of St. Polycarp the

severe and through Repentance servent and devout Prayers godly and un●eigned Sorrow spiritual and unspeakable Comfo●●● well grounded and firm Hope heavenlie and holie Conversation a meek obedience and submission in the general frame of Christian mens carriage Though I have men famous for greatness of Learning soundness of Judgement gravity of M●n●ers and Sanctity of Lives ye● among my ten thousand Ministers it 's likely some may doe amiss If when there were but three men in the world one was a Murtherer if among Noah's sons one of the three was disobedient if among Iacob's children of two one was prophane if of twelve Apostles one was a Divel another dissembled and a third denyed his Master if among the Asian Angels there is none but was to be reproved if among the few Primitive Preachers there was a Demas that loved the present world a Diotrephes that loved the pre-eminence among my so many thousand Clergy it 's not likely but that some may fall short of the severe exactnesse required in all Ministers who ought to be patterns in good works Oh my Clergy are not Angels but men subject to the like in●rmicies with other men If they should say they have no sin they would decer●e themselves and the truth would not be in them but if they confess their sins he is faithful and just to forgive them their sins and to cleanse them from all unrighteousness Be Perfection the glory of other church-Church-members the glory of mine is Sincerity Without all peradventure the most holy and all-seeing God who walketh in the midst of the Golden Candlesticks whose pure eyes are most intent upon the Ministers of the Church hath found iniquity in his servants the Bishops and other Ministers both as to their persons and professions all things being open and naked to him with whom we have to do 1. He observes how many consecrated and set apart to the service of God and his Church in the name place power and authority of Jesus Christ and approaching his gracious presence with Aaron in ●he holy of holies in the glorious ●anifestations of God in Christ to his Church by publick Ordinances and spiritual Influences have not so sanctified the Name of the Lord God their God in their Hearts and Lives in their Doctrines and Duties 2. The great Searcher of hearts knoweth how rashly many of his Ministers undertake how carelesly they manage that great and terrible work under which Angels may swoon and great Apostles cry Who is sufficient for these things how vulgarl● they converse how lazily they live how loosely they behave themselves how ambitiously they designe how cove●ously they reach how enviously they repine how unexemplarily they walk unworthy of the favour and indulgence shewed them to the amazement of their High-calling the dishonor of their Profession to the forfeiture of their Dignity and Plenty the endangering of their Peace and Safety 3. He that is about our paths and about our dwellings hath observed how unprep●●edly negligently and irreverently rently how partially popularly and passionately how formally and vainly without any power of godliness Life of Religion some performe the work of God the great work of Eternal concernment to our own and other mens souls 4. He whose eyes see whose eye-lids try the children of men hath looked down from heaven and observed the iniquity of some mens holy things their dead and unreasonable instead of a living and acceptable serviee he hath taken notice of that supine negligence which hath sunk some mens Ministrations below the just majesty solidity and gravity of Gospel-dispensations others by an affected height and depth for want of plain instruction and charitable condescending amuse the poor people who know not what they say nor whereof they do affirm 5. He that will reprove and set mens sins in order before them hath taken notice of some mens remiss compliance and others exact rigours according to their private tempers judgements and passions whereby they swerved too much from that just charity discretion legality and constancy which my Canons intented and my constitution health and peace required especially in the peevish touchinesse of these times when so many subtle and envious ones lie in wait to destroy me Yet my Church-mens exorbitancies are not my constitutions their failings are not my frame their infirmities are not my nature their fall is no more mine who disallows it then the Angels fall may be the Heavens that forbid it their weaknesses are humane my authority is divine that charity which thinketh no evil will not lay upon me those enormities which I forbid by a Law which I restraine by Discipline which I mourn for in mine Humiliation and discountenance in those great patterns that shew a most excellent way These sinnes O the Christian world are transgressions of my Law affronts to my Authority the baffles of my Canons and Injunctions O that my Apologie were written yea printed in a book for the satisfaction of the world that the good that I would do that I cannot do and the evil that I would not doe that I do I find a law of my members against the law of my mind So that it 's no more I but the sins and the finners that dwell in me 4. It 's you it 's you whom I have nourished and brought up as children whom I have encouraged as Ministers whom I have promoted as Governours it 's you that have brought this reproach and danger upon me When I had with heroick patience endured the oppression of adversa●ies by a Christian prudence defeated the attemps of Schismaticks by an exemplary humility and piety turned the hearts of enemies and by a miracle of Restauration silenced the mouths of all men you my Sons opened the mouth of scandal strengthned the cry of reproach raised the clamours of the envious Oh if an enemy had done this I could with the same Christian courage I have suffered these twenty years have born it but it 's you of my own bosome family and profession O you my Clergy whom I expected more glori●us more steemed more reverenced before all the world after your constant sufferings who coming out of this fiery furnace might shine brighter then ever you did with the love of Christ and of me his Church both as to the care of those private charges and publik inspections committed to you in excellent order and by due authority and I expected that neither pride nor envy pomp nor popularity neither covetousnesse nor ambition should distract the thoughts divide the hearts exasperate the humours or provoke the reproach of an incensed people against my Order and Government and the good of all sorts of Christians Whosoever of you notwithstanding the miracles both of your sufferings and reliefe at such a time as this when the mouth of Hell is open against me shall open any other mouth to joyne in the cry against the Church give life or tongue to any scandalous sin and set that to its clamans