Selected quad for the lemma: city_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
city_n	admit_v	church_n	zion_n	43	3	9.5999	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A03590	Of the lavves of ecclesiasticall politie eight bookes. By Richard Hooker.; Ecclesiastical polity. Books 1-4	Hooker, Richard, 1553 or 4-1600.; Spenser, John, 1559-1614.	1604 (1604)	STC 13713; ESTC S120914	286,221	214

number gaue essence and being to the workes of nature A thing in reason impossible which notwithstanding through their misfashioned preconceipt appeared vnto them no lesse certaine then if nature had written it in the very foreheads of all the creatures of God When they of the family of loue haue it once in their heads that Christ doth not signifie any one person but a qualitie whereof many are partakers that to be raised is nothing else but to be regenerated or indued with the said quality and that when separation of them which haue it from them which haue it not is here made this is iudgement how plainely do they imagine that the Scripture euery where speaketh in the fauour of that sect And assuredly the very cause which maketh the simple and ignorant to thinke they euen see how the word of God runneth currantly on your side is that their minds are forestalled and their conceits peruerted before hand by being taught that an Elder doth signifie a lay man admitted onely to the office of rule or gouernement in the Church a Doctor one which may only teach and neither preach nor administer the Sacraments a Deacon one which hath charge of the almes boxe and of nothing else that the Scepter the rod the throne kingdome of Christ are a forme of regiment onely by Pastors Elders Doctors and Deacons that by mysticall resemblance mount Sion and Jerusalem are the Churches which admit Samaria and Babylon the Churches which oppugne the said forme of regimēt And in like sort they are taught to apply al things spoken of repairing the wals and decayed parts of the city temple of God by Esdras Nehemias the rest as if purposely the holy Ghost had therein ment to foresignifie what the authors of admonitions to the Parliament of supplications to the Councell of petitions to her Maiesty and of such other like writs should either do or suffer in behalfe of this their cause From hence they proceed to an higher point which is the perswading of men credulous ouer capable of such pleasing errors that it is the speciall illumination of the holy Ghost whereby they discerne those things in the word which others reading yet discerne them not Dearly beloued saith S. Iohn Giue not credit vnto euery Spirit There are but two wayes whereby the spirit leadeth men into 〈◊〉 truth the one extraordinarie the other common the one belonging but vnto some few the other extending it selfe vnto all that are of God the one that which we call by a speciall diuine excellency Reuelation the other Reason If the Spirit by such reuelation haue discouered vnto thē the secrets of that discipline out of Scripture they must professe themselues to be all euen men women and children Prophets Or if reason be the hand which the Spirit hath led them by for as much as perswasions grounded vpon reason are either weaker or stronger according to the force of those reasons whereupon the same are grounded they must euery of them from the greatest to the least be able for euery seuerall article to shewe some special reason as strong as their perswasion therin is earnest Otherwise how can it be but that some other sinewes there are from which that ouerplus of strength in perswasion doth arise Most sure it is that when mens affections do frame their opinions they are in defence of error more earnest a great deale then for the most part sound belieuers in the maintenance of truth apprehended according to the nature of that euidence which Scripture yeeldeth which being in some things plaine as in the principles of Christian doctrine in some things as in these matters of discipline more darke and doubtfull frameth correspondently that inward assent which Gods most gracious Spirit worketh by it as by his effectuall instrument It is not therefore the feruent earnestnes of their perswasion but the soundnes of those reasons whereupon the same is built which must declare their opinions in these things to haue bene wrought by the holy Ghost and not by the fraud of that euill Spirit which is euen in his illusions strong After that the phancie of the common sort hath once throughly apprehended the Spirit to be author of their perswasion concerning discipline then is instilled into their hearts that the same Spirit leading men into this opinion doth thereby seale them to be Gods children and that as the state of the times now standeth the most speciall token to know them that are Gods owne from others is an earnest affection that way This hath bred high termes of separation betweene such and the rest of the world whereby the one sort are named The●rethren ●rethren The godly and so forth the other worldlings timeseruers pleasers of men not of God with such like From hence they are easily drawne on to thinke it exceeding necessarie for feare of quenching that good Spirit to vse all meanes whereby the same may be both strengthned in themselues and made manifest vnto others This maketh them diligent hearers of such as are knowne that way to incline this maketh them eager to take and to seeke all occasions of secret conference with such this maketh them glad to vse such as Counsellors and directors in all their dealings which are of waight as contracts testaments and the like this maketh them through an vnweariable desire of receiuing instruction from the maisters of that companie to cast off the care of those verie affaires which do most concerne their estate and to thinke that then they are like vnto Marie commendable for making choyce of the better part Finally this is it which maketh them willing to charge yea oftentimes euen to ouercharge themselues for such mens sustenance and reliefe least their zeale to the cause should any way be vnwitnessed For what is it which poore beguiled soules will not do through so powerfull incitements In which respect it is also noted that most labour hath bene bestowed to win and retaine towards this cause them whose iudgements are commonly weakest by reason of their sex And although not women loden with sinnes as the Apostle S. Paul speaketh but as we verily esteeme of them for the most part women propense and inclinable to holines be otherwise edified in good things rather then caried away as captiues into any kind of sinne and euill by such as enter into their houses with purpose to plant there a zeale and a loue towards this kind of discipline yet some occasion is hereby ministred for men to thinke that if the cause which is thus furthered did gaine by the soundnes of proofe wherupon it doth build it selfe it would not most busily endeuor to preuaile where least hability of iudgement is and therefore that this so eminent industry in making proselytes more of that sex then of the other groweth for that they are deemed apter to serue as instruments and helps in the cause Apter they are through the eagernes of their affection