Selected quad for the lemma: city_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
city_n	able_a	jerusalem_n	zion_n	45	3	9.0324	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A14721	Theologicall questions, dogmaticall observations, and evangelicall essays, vpon the Gospel of Jesus Christ, according to St. Matthew Wherein, about two thousand six hundred and fifty necessary, and profitable questions are discussed; and five hundred and eighty speciall points of doctrine noted; and five hundred and fifty errours confuted, or objections answered: together with divers arguments, whereby divers truths, and true tenents are confirmed. By Richard VVard, sometimes student in the famous vniversities of Cambridge in England: St. Andrews in Scotland: and Master of Arts of both the kingdoms; and now a preacher in the famous city of London.	Ward, Richard, 1601 or 2-1684.	1640 (1640)	STC 25024; ESTC S118017	1,792,298	907

must needs bee visible Touching the visibilitie of the Church I lay downe this proposition There shall be alwayes a Church truly visible so long as this mortall world shall last Here that I may be the better understood let me adde these explanations to wit First the most visible Church shall not alwayes bee truest for the weeds of errour and chaffe of hypocrisie and superstition shall sometimes over-grow the come of true religion d Aug. brev coll col 3. as Arianisme did the truth in Hilary his dayes e Hyl. cont Auxen teste M. Cano Yea this is confessed Major pars vincit aliquando meliorem the greater part oftentimes overcomes the better Bellarm. de Concil 3.9 Secondly errours over-growing the truth peradventure the Church shall at some time bee visible onely ad intra not ad extra that is knowne among themselves though not observed of the world I say peradventure because many of our worthy Divines hold that it shall be visible alwayes not onely in some scattered persons but in an orderly Ministery and use of the Sacraments f D. Field de Eccles 1.10 Thirdly this Church shall not alwayes be resplendent and glorious in the worlds eye as the Papists sometime perswade the ignorant but after Saint Augustines comparison like the Moone ever being but sometimes in the wane scarce seene shining at all Obscurari potest multitudine scandalorum saith Bellarmine g Bell. de eccles milit 3.16 in answer to Hylary out of Saint Augustine epistol 48. Fourthly this visible Church hath no warrant of not erring in the usuall sense to wit in part this being the greatest imposture that the Papists gull the world withall as shall be shewed in another place Sect. 5 § 5. A City set upon a hill Here wee have two things to consider of first what this Citie is Secondly what this Mountaine is Quest 1 First what this City is which is set upon a Mountaine Answ 1 First some say the Apostles are this Citie but this cannot be except onely by a Metonymie as we take mundus pro mundanis the world for worldlings And therefore our Saviour doth not say Yee are the City set on an hill Secondly others say the Church is this City Answ 2 because it is as a City deare and consecrated unto God yea elsewhere called the City of God Psal 46.4 the joy of the whole earth the Citie of the great King Psal 48 2. and of righteousnesse Esa 1.26 yea it is termed Mount Sion the City of the living God the heavenly Ierusalem the Church of the first borne h Heb. 12.22 How deare and pretious this Citie is in Gods sight may appeare by these things observed by some in the metaphore I. The City is the Church thus David Glorious things are spoken of thee oh Citie of God i Psa 87.3 II. The Mountaine whereupon the City stands is Christ according to that of the Prophet David The stone became a great Mountaine and filled the whole earth k Da. 2.35 III. The Citizens of this Citie are the Saints thus saith Saint Paul Yee are fellow-citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God l Eph. 2.19 IV. The Towers of this City were the Prophets who were most eminent in the Church V. The Gates of this Citie were the Apostles by whose Ministery men were brought into the Church VI. The Walls of this City are the Ministers of the Word and the Apostles successours who are as rampers to defend the Church against the assaults of sin superstition and errour m Chrys inperf op s Thirdly the true City is not in this life for Answ 3 here we have no continuing City but we seeke one to come Hebr. 13.14 to wit that new Jerusalem which is above Revel 21.2 10. Quest 2 If the City expected and longed for by the faithfull be not in this life then how is the Church called a City both in this verse and in other places as was shewed before Answ The Militant Church of Christ may be called a City partly Analogicè because it something resembles the heavenly Hierusalem and triumphant Church partly Synechdochicè because it is a part of that Citie which is above What is to be expected or may be looked for Quest. 3 in this Citie Foure things to wit first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Order Answ God the King of this City not being the author of confusion but of peace 1 Cor. 14.33 and therefore all things are to be done decently and in order vers 40. avoiding contention because it becomes not the Church of Christ n 1 Cor. 11.16 And therefore those who will not be subject to the godly decent and lawfull injunctions and orders of the Church are no true members thereof or at least are to be esteemed as stubborne children whether they be 1. Fanatici the Anabaptists who understand all truths as they list themselves measuring all Doctrines by their owne revelations Or 2. Furiosi the Brownists who will tolerate no rites or customes at all although all who know any thing agree that in all Churches there have beene some Or 3. Pertinaces those that are headstrong perverse obstinate and rebellious whose will is a Law and will make any thing lawfull that they please not subjecting themselves to any government or command though never so lawfull Of all these we may say with the Apostle If any seeme to be thus contentious we have no such custome wee nor the Church of God o 1 Cor. 11.16 Secondly the second thing to be expected in this City is Unitie there is but one governement one King one head and one body and therefore we expect unitie in this City reade Ephes 4.5.16 and Rom. 12.5 and 1 Corinth 10.17 it being necessary that the Citizens should be of one minde and of one judgement having but one rule to walke by and one way which all must walke in who hope to be saved p Phil. 3.16 There is one light whereby we are enlightned one truth whereby we are directed one law of obedience unto all one faith in Christ unto salvation one profession of faith and obedience and whatsoever differs from this is an error We may differ in outward and adiaphorall things and yet be of the same religion and body of Christ as we may see Protestant Churches that although they vary in circumstances yet they hold one and the same substance and fundamentall truths entire Thirdly as we may expect in this City unitie betweene the subjects and Soveraigne the body and the head so wee may also betweene the fellow-members of this body because I. they are concives fellow-Citizens q Ephes 2.19 II. They are brethen Psal 133.1 III. because they are members of one mysticall body Romanes 12.5 and 1 Corinth 10.17 Ephes 4.16 and 5.27 Fourthly in this City there is splendour villages are more vile but Cities are more splendidious and sumptuous this splendour and glory which is in that

his power How abundantly able hee is to reward all those who serve him and to punish all those who offend him Fifthly remember in how great need we stand of his mercy and how miserable we are without it § 7. Neither by Ierusalem for that is the city Sect. 7 of the great King Why doth not our Saviour say Sweare not by Quest 1 Ierusalem because that is my title or my Fathers citie but the city of the great King First the Iewes did not acknowledge Christ and therefore hee urgeth that which they acknowledge Answ 1 Answ 2 Secondly because Christ had rejected the Citie Iohn 4. and the people Rom. 11. Answ 3 Thirdly he saith this that he might give the glory to God his Father and not take it to himselfe Answ 4 Fourthly because the Iewes respected Herod and Pilate and the Romans more then Christ and therefore he shewes that all their power authoritie and dignitie is nothing in comparison of this prerogative to bee the citie of the great King because all other things are uncertaine onely this is solide Answ 5 Fifthly to teach us that all Christians should and ought to labour to bee the citie of the great King and a kingly Priesthood 1 Pet. 2.9 Quest 2 Why should Christians thus labour to bee a holy citie unto God Answ 1 First because we are of God 1 Iohn 5.19 and therefore we must serve and obey our King Answ 2 Secondly because those which are without and strangers from God are of the synagogue of Sathan Revel 2.9 and therefore are not to be imitated Answ 3 Thirdly hereafter we shall be separate from others in glory and therefore here wee must in grace Wherefore let us alwaies remember this citie that is heaven and comforme our selves thereunto making that the scope of our life and care and of all our endeavours yea hence let us labour 1. for spirituall knowledge that it heaven we may know as we are knowne 1 Cor. 13 12. 2. For purity because no uncleane thing shall come into heaven Revel 21. the last verse and 22.25 3. For good affections because evill lusts warre against the soule and would debarre us from heaven 4. That we may be made spirituall because flesh and blood shall not inherite the Kingdome of God 1 Cor. 15.50 5. Let us labour to be zealous for Gods glory because we are created unto his service and wee shall receive the inheritance of sonnes if by our service we glorifie him Vers 36 VERS 36. Neither shalt thou sweare by thy head because thou canst not make one haire white or blacke Sect. 1 § 1. Neither shalt thou sweare by thy head Quest 1 Why may wee not sweare by our owne head Answ Because God hath given it unto us and therfore we must not idolize it by swearing thereby Quest 2 Why doth Christ forbid us to sweare by our head Answ Because it is a very childish thing to sweare by creatures as bread light hand head and the like as appeares by these reasons First because as our Lord else-where expoundeth himselfe He that weareth by the Temple sweareth by him that dwelleth therein So hee that sweareth by creatures sweareth by God who created them and yet by no meanes hee will sweare by the sacred name of the Lord as if a child abhorring any bitter thing or poyson should notwithstanding take the same under a little sugar Secondly because he calleth upon dumbe things that cannot heare hee bringeth them to patronize his cause who can neither hurt nor helpe like infants that prate unto babies made of clouts or like Baals Priests unto whom he was not able to give answer though they called upon him from morning till noone tide § 2. Because thou canst not make one haire Sect. 2 white or blacke Why doth our Saviour name here onely the haire of the head Quest To teach us that the least things must be directed unto the service of God Answ or that we must not take any liberty at all for swearing Christ could have observed greater things in the head then this namely I. That it is the seate of the minde judgement and men ory II. That it is the receptacle of the five senses the other parts having onely the sense of Touching III. That it is the place of Speech whereby we are distinguished from bruit beasts IV. That the office of the head is to nourish the whole body it being the conveiance both of meate and drink unto the stomacke But Christ passeth by all these onely naming the haire the excrements of the head that he might shew unto us that no freedome or liberty is to be given to swearing at all § 3. White or blacke Sect. 3 What shall we thinke of those who by powdring of their haire Quest. and painting of their faces can make themselves white though naturally blacke First in generall Pet. Mart. 342. saith fucus Ans 1 which signifies painting signifies also a Droane because none but idle droanes who doe not belong unto the Beehive of Gods Church neither employ themselves in any lawfull or commendable course of life use it Cyprian saith it was invented and devised by the devill And Hierome de veland virg saith Non sunt membra qua Deus fecit sed sathan inficit The painted face is a member not of Gods making but of the Devills marring He who desires to see the opinion of Tertullian Cyprian Ambrose Chrysostom Hierom and Augustine herein and what they thought of powdring and crisping of the haire and painting of the face let him reade Peter Martyr 2.11 § 75. c. Secondly more particularly I expresse what Ans 2 we thinke of this practise in these particulars I. Thou teachest thy face to lie and to speak and to shew what it is not And therefore if lying fraud and dissimulation be evill no better is painting II. Thou corrects Gods handy work as though thou couldest make thy selfe more perfect then God hath made thee this is pride in thee and a tempting of God to perswade thy selfe that thou canst make thy selfe better then God hath made thee III. It is the usuall practise of harlots and therefore those who would not be thought to bee such should not use this scandalous and offensive practise IV. Women must not be more carefull to please men than God and therefore they avoid this painting V. The end certainely is either first pride or secondly a temptation unto lust And therefore the thing cannot be good Vers 37 VERS 37. But let your communication be yea yea nay nay for whatsoever is more than these commeth of evill Sect. 1 § 1. But let your communication be yea c. The scope of our blessed Lord in these words is to forbid all common swearing or all swearing in our common discourse and therefore I will adde something to what hath beene said before vers 34. Quest 1 Why doth our Saviour forbid swearing in our ordinary talke as an ungodly and wicked thing Answ 1 First

same houre what yee shall answer verse 19. and that in being thus handled you are no worse dealt withall than your Master was verse 24. Fourthly the next degree is yet more sad and this is banishment and persecution from Citie to Citie when they persecute you in this Citie flee ye into another where the evill is persecution and the remedy flight verse 23. Fiftly the last but not the least kind of evils is a bloody death for Christ Brother shall deliver up brother to death and the father the child verse 21. But the remedy is this that they need not feare those who can but only kill the body verse 28. i Pareus s VERS 23. Verse 23 But when they persecute you in this Citie flee yee into another for verely I say unto you yee shall not have gone over the Cities of Israel till the Sonne of man be come § 1. When they persecute you flee Sect. 1 Our Saviour here doth expresly teach us Observ That there is no other remedy against persecution but only flight How doth this appeare Quest 1 First by these examples Iacob fleeth Gen. 27. Answ 1 and Moses Exodus 2.15 Act. 7.29 and Elias 1 King 17. and David often and the woman the Church Revel 12.6.14 Secondly it will appeare by distinguishing Answ 2 the right of power given from the use of that power For I. Princes and great ones have right and power given from God Rom. 13.1 But II. The use of this power comes from the corruption of their owne hearts And yet because they have their power from God they are therefore to be obeyed either with an active or passive obedience and not to be resisted or rebelled against Quest 2 Who are faulty here Answ 1 First they are too blame who neglect the meanes for although wee must lay downe our lives for Christ when and where there is no evasion or way to escape yet when wee may flee we ought and leave the successe and event unto God committing our selves wholly unto him Answ 2 Secondly they are faulty who rebell to free themselves from persecution for our Master did not teach us this who could have prayed for twelve legions of Angels and have had them but hee would not hee permitted not Peter to wound with the sword but checked his too hot and forward spirit And hence the Primitive Church would rather suffer themselves to be led as sheepe unto the slaughter then take up weapons against their Princes and Governors although they were but Heathens k Lege Apol Iustin Tertul. Bellarmine and the Papists obey Donec vires habeant untill they be able to make their parties good but no longer Indeed some thinke that it is lawfull to withstand if God give lawfull power to repell an unlawfull force the King of Navarre withstood King Henry of France when he raised persecution But I confesse I dare not subscribe or assent unto it both because Christ our Lord who might by a lawfull troop of Angels have overcome all his wicked adversaries would not doe it but said his kingdome was not of this world and also because Tertullian tels us that the Christians in the Primitive times were able to have driven the Emperour out of his Dominions and to have pulled him from his Throne and sufficiently to have defended themselves and their religion from the power of the Tyger but they would not And therefore as an unwarrantable thing we and all Christians must carefully avoid it Answ 3 Thirdly they are here to blame that in the times of persecution flee not but faint yea faile and fall from their profession basely and cowardly denying Christ and the faith Thus did the Samaritanes and thus the Priscillianists thinke they may lawfully doe But our faith and Profession is not to be forsaken our Christ is not to bee denied nor the truth to be betrayed for any perill or paine whatsoever yea wee must be so farre from denying of Christ that wee must not so much as blush or so much as feare to professe him if wee desire ever to come where he is l Rev 22.15 A beautifull face is unfitly masked it should rather be seene now the face of Religion is faire beautifull and amiable and therefore it were a shame to hide that head and face under a bushell which should rather like a Citie set upon an hill bee held forth to the view of all m Mat. 5.16 Christ hath nothing in him whereof we need be ashamed for he is the best of all neither is there any cause why wee should feare to professe him for he is the greatest of all and of all others most able to protect and defend us There are some commended by the Spirit and Christ because they loved not their lives unto death and yet wee desire to be so commended wee must so labour to deserve that commendation Reade Act. 20.24 21.13 Fourthly they are faulty here who although in the times of persecution they doe not fal from Answ 4 their profession unto superstition yet they dare not openly confesse Christ and the truth these must consider why they hide and conceale Christ and dare not openly professe him I. Hast thou any thing in the secret closet of thy heart which thou darest not reveale that is art thou afraid to reveale any truth or trust or fundamentall point of religion Is not religion like the Church Tota pulchra all glorious and beautifull Then why shouldest thou be ashamed to professe thy faith A good face need not blush to be seene neither any be ashamed to shew forth the face of religion to any II. Dost thou feare danger or death why remember that we must not esteeme our lives in regard of Christ wee must not to save our bodies dishonour our head but labour to glorifie him in life and death and if he require it by our death as well as our life III. Art thou not assured of protection Then remember if thou have Christ thou shalt have all things yea if Christ bee with thee thou needest not feare though all the world be against thee Rom. 8.31.32 God hath decreed the end and determined what shall come to passe and therefore in all perils of this nature wee should say with the three children We know that our God whom wee serve is able to deliver us but if hee will not wee will suffer for him Dan. 3.18 Fiftly they are extremely to blame who thinke and stiffely maintaine that it is not lawfull to flee in the times of persecution when our Saviour expresly here saith If they persecute you in one Citie then flee to another Is it lawfull then to flee in the times of persecution Quest 3 First some hold that it is not lawfull for any Answ 1 at all to flee Tert. ad Fabium because our Saviour expresly bids us not to feare those who kill the body Matth. 10.28 Secondly some thinke that it is lawful to flee Answ 2 yea