Selected quad for the lemma: city_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
city_n	aaron_n	levite_n	several_a	31	3	7.1056	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A11498	D. Sarauia. 1. Of the diuerse degrees of the ministers of the gospell. 2. Of the honor vvhich is due vnto the priestes and prelates of the church. 3. Of sacrilege, and the punishment thereof. The particular contents of the afore saide Treatises to be seene in the next pages; De diversis ministrorum evangelii gradibus. English	Saravia, Adrien, 1530-1612.	1591 (1591)	STC 21749; ESTC S107871	200,148	283

but one high Peiest in the old Testament with whome so long as he liued no other might bee surcharged vnlesse haplie hee had defiled himselfe with anie notorious crime or by chaunce had fallen into some vncleane disease which might make him eyther vnapt or vnable to perform his sacred dutie The which although it contained in it a secrete mysterie of the which the Church at this day retaineth no present memorie yet the policie of this mysterie which by no meanes is to be diuorsed from it ought not to be controlled of any that professe Christianitie If anie man heere suppose that by this reason the tyrannie of the Bishop of Rome may bee maintained to him I say that he taketh the matter amisse For there is great ods betweene a pastoral prefecture ouer one region and an emperiall prerogatiue ouer the whole world So ample and augustious is that his supreme empire and superlatiue degree in the Church as that it dilateth it selfe ouer all Christian churches wheresoeuer throughout the whole world but was the whole world at anie time demised to anie one Apostle Peter had the sea Apostolike ouer the circumcision and Paule ouer the vncircumcised but yet so as they excluded not their compeers and copartners in the same power with them For Iames also was the Apostle of the Iewes which liued at Hierusalem and in all Iudea but Peter ouer those which were dispersed among the Gentiles onely So likewise Paule limited his sea Apostolike among the Greeks of Asia and Europe leauing in the meane while other prouinces for other Apostles If in like manner the Bishop of Rome had contented and conteined himself within the precincts of his owne territorie how should any man haue accused him of any impious or vsurped tyrannie Againe for as much as it appeareth that the Apostolike traditiō so much as concerneth the regiment of the church and the outward policie thereof was taken of our Sauiour and afterwards also of the Apostles from out of the old Testament so far forth as the condition of time and place the state of the people and persons might permit can there bee any errour in this if the Fathers their successors seeme in like manner to borrowe from the same foundation certaine politike constitutions for the edifiyng of the Church Vpon this occasion Hierome thus writeth to Euagrius And in that we knowe that the Apostolike traditions were taken out of the old Testament that which Aaron and his sons and the Leuites were in the Temple the same are the Bishops Elders and Deacons in the Church I conclude therefore that ouer euery seuerall prouince or precinct which make as it were one Cittie they verie well and worthily placed seuerall Bishops and likewise ouer euery whole cuntry or regiō either Patriarchs or Archbishops or Primates or Metrapolitanes call them as you please moreouer that this was done of the antique Coūcels Fathers to singular purpose well consorting with Gods holy ordinance With the which that I may at the last determine this controuersie of those things which I haue already declared and concluded as well of the offices of the Gospell which were ordeined of the Lord and left vnto the Church by his Apostles as also of the vniforme consent of the Councels and continuall practise of the Church in all ages it shal be easie for all men to know That that gouernment is not of man or from man in the which the Elders ar subiect to their elder Bishops the Bishops to their higher Patriarchs Metropolitanes but contrarywise that the same is diuine and ordeined of God and that as well in the old as the new Testament Of the names of Patriarchs Archbishops Metropolitans Chap. XXV HAuing laid downe my reasons and proofes by the which I am taught to dissent from them vnto whom in other things I yeeld not a litle I take it now time to answere the cursing and cursed slanders of some who casting aside the modestie of ciuill Christians and neglecting the mediocritie of all learned writers do teare like mad dogs and torment the most reuerend names and religious functions of Bishops Archbishops Patriarches Metropolitans as pampred and proud titles antichristian prophane But wil you heare the reasons of vnreasonable men They alledge that the Apostle Paul in recounting the degrees of the Ministers of the Gospell in his Epistle to the Ephesians the 4. chap. maketh no mention of Patriarches Archbishops To the which before I goe any further I make them this answere That those offices are there comprised and contained in the names of Apostles Euangelists and in the 12. to the Rom. verse 8. in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ruler or he that ruleth and in the first to the Corinthians the 12. chap. and 28. verse in the worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gouernors by all which tearmes and titles the sacred order of superior Pastors are vnderstoode But that the aforesaid offices of Apostles Euangelists are perpetuall wee haue already proued and it may also sufficiently appeare by the sequele of that enumeration of those offices namely when he setteth down to what end our Sauiour gaue to the Church some Apostles and other Euangelists Was it not for the work of the Ministery for the edification of the body of Christ So that so long as the Church is to be edified so long those offices are to be continued in the Church which are there conteined If the Church could haue beene edified without them they should neuer haue ben ordeined in the Church But againe that part of them are thought to be temporal part particular that thought is ouerthrown by the onely end of that for the which they were ordeined which end is to be sought for continually of all the faithful euen vntill the comming of the Lord. For are they not still to edifie by these offices to grow together into one mystical body of Christ Now albeit the office of bishops archbishops primates patriarchs doth not extend it selfe so far as did the office of the twelue Apostles neither are they inriched with the like treasure or measure of the holy Ghost yet are wee to consider that this difference is in the qualitie not in the quidditie of the same function in the measure not in the matter of their commission And therfore whom at this day we call Bishops Archbishops Paul the Apostle called Apostles for that as we haue said they are ioyned in the same combinatiō made partakers of that cōmission And for this cause the calling of Archbishops Patriarchs hath beene alwaies called and is yet to be accounted Apostolike in all places Yet for as much as these names and titles doe seeme in some mens eyes to be puffed vp with the tumors of pride and ambition let vs take a further view of those principall obiects and friuolous obiections by the which they are cast into this no lesse straunge then strong

high Priests But what reuerend regard the Romans themselues had of Religion Valerius Maximus hath left recorded in these words But such saith he was the care our fathers had not only for the present account but also for the future increase of religion that euen then when the Cittie was most florishing fortunate they deliuered ten sonnes princes of the Senate to the ten seueral prouinces and people of Hetruria onely to this end that they might learne the sacred discipline of their Religion But what the authority of diuines was at Rome we may best heare by a diuine Tullie in his second de legibus writeth thus The greatest and the worthiest thing in the Common-wealth is the priueledge and preheminence of Diuines ioyned with the greatest authoritie Neither doe I conceaue thus because I my selfe am a Diuine but because it becommeth vs all so to conceaue For indeed what greater thing is there if we speake according to the equitie and right of the thing then with authoritie either to dismisse the companies and the councels of chiefe Empires and the greatest Potentats when they are proposed or to restraine them when they are concluded or what thing can there be more solemne then to cease from the affaires wee haue already in hand if one Diuine alone doe but say the contrarie VVhat thing can there be more magnificent then of his intire power to appoint that the Consuls should depose themselues from their Magistracie Or what thing more religious then to giue leaue or not to giue leaue to deale with the people or not to deale And what is it to repeale lawes not lawfully made that nothing can be allowed to be done by the Magistrat in peace or in war without their authoritie Thus farre goeth Cicero whose authority I could confirme with many examples if need were But what should I speake of the Flamines and Arch-flamines and other the Priestes and Arch-priestes of the Romaines It suffiseth they thought the Imperiall maiestie it selfe to bee adorned with the honour of Hie-priest But that all the societies of Priests were in especiall honour among the Romains it might verie wel be knowen if it were but by this that all the companies of Priests had their places in publik triumphs and solemne spectacles the chiefe Priests and the chiefe Curates There set saith Arnobius fifteene men crowned with lawrel wreathes Iupiters Arch-priests with their myters there set the Diuines interpretors of the mind and will of God as doe also the chast Virgins nurses and nourishers of the neuer dying fire Of these thinges hee that desireth greater variety may seeke them in the Romaine history these things suffice me But nowe I will trauell ouer the Alpes and will set before your consideration what religion was of olde amongst the French and Britones and what honour for religion And first it is sufficiently knowen that the Druidists were Priests of the chiefe nations on this side the Alpes of whome wee read in Caesar his Commentaries that they were had in great esteeme for so hee writeth In all Fraunce there are two sortes of those which aboue the rest are of especiall honour and account The one are the Druidists the other are the men at armes They are conuersant in diuine seruice they attend vppon sacrifices priuate and publike they are the expounders of Religion Vnto them great flocks of youth recourse for their learning and these haue especiall honour among them For they doe determine of all controuersies in a manner both priuate and publique and if there bee any crime committed any murther attempted if any controuersie about inheritance or the bounds of lands they also set downe their decree and appoint the penaltie If any person either priuate or publique will not stand to their censure they lay the censure of the church vppon him they excommune him the Church this is the greatest punishment among them But who so are thus excommuned they are forth-with accounted among the number of the gracelesse and vngodly they are forsaken of all men al men flie their companie and their conference least by cōtagion they might take any infection nor are they to haue any law if they desire it nor is there any honor to be giuen them though they deserue it But ouer all these Druidists there is one as chiefe principal which hath the chiefe authority among them c. More-ouer these Druidists vse not to be present in warre neither doe they pay any tribute with other men but haue an exemption from warres and an immunity from all other incumbraunces Thus witnesseth Caesar himselfe By the which wee may see howe all nations euē of that light of nature which yet glimpseth in the brests of men and by the which they haue esteemed either GOD or Gods to be adored haue likewise iudged according vnto the same that the ancients of religion are worthy to be consacred with all condigne honor and due obseruance CHAP. III. What the honour of the Priest-hoode was among the people of God THat this the iudgement of all nations did not proceed of any error of mans mind but of a certaine feeling of the law of God writen in their heartes the most sacred histories the lawes which God himselfe hath made doe proue sufficiently for doe they not al enthronize the Priest-hood among the most principal honours Among the people of God the Hie-priest had alwaies the second place next vnto the King Among the more ancient and antique fathers when as yet there was no lawe written wheresoeuer true religion did flowrishe the first-borne had alwaies this prerogatiue of honour in their families aboue the rest of their brethren Hee was graced with the Priest-hood But if at any time the Lorde of his absolute authoritie did translate the right of the first-borne vnto the younger brother with all hee inuested him also into the same dignity of the Priest-hood so came Iacob to bee priested And this custome continued with the people of God euen vnto the age of Moses vnder whome by the expresse commaundement of God the Priest-hoode was translated from the first-borne in generall vnto the tribe of Leuie But now howe carefull God himselfe was of this That his Priest should be honoured the processe of Moses his historie can sufficiently testifie neither is it needfull for me to delate al things at large it sufficeth to haue noted the chief groūds Only this is not to be omitted besides that our God wold haue him represent our hie and thrise honored Priest Christ Iesu that the rights which of dutie belong vnto God himselfe God as an especial fauor he hath giuen to his Priests when as he demised vnto them the vse of those things which were offered and brought as presents vnto him and which it was not lawfull for any man to touch and turne vnto his own vse that was not the Lords Hie-priest Againe his pleasure was that the right of the tythes and tenthes and other honours of especiall