Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	aaron_n	belong_v	priest_n	56	3	6.7603	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A60954	Twelve sermons preached upon several occasions by Robert South ... ; six of them never before printed.; Sermons. Selections	South, Robert, 1634-1716.	1692 (1692)	Wing S4745; ESTC R13931	201,576	650

low and sordid So that the use of the word Minister is brought down to the literal signification of it a Servant for now to serve and to minister servile and ministerial are terms equivalent But in the Old Testament the same word signifies a Priest and a Prince or chief Ruler hence though we translate it Priest of On Gen. 41.45 and Priest of Midian Exod. 3.1 and as it is with the people so with the Priest Esa. 24.2 Iunius and Tremellius render all these places not by Sacerdos Priest but by Praeses that is a Prince or at least a Chief Councellour or Minister of State And it is strange that the Name should be the same when the Nature of the thing is so exceeding different The like also may be observed in other Languages that the most Illustrious Titles are derived from things Sacred and belonging to the Worship of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was the Title of the Christian Caesars correspondent to the Latine Augustus and it is derived from the same word that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cultus res sacra or sacrificium And it is usual in our Language to make Sacred an Epithete to Majesty there was a certain Royalty in things Sacred Hence the Apostle who I think was no Enemy to the simplicity of the Gospel speaks of a Royal Priesthood 1 Pet. 2.9 which shews at least that there is no contradiction or impiety in those terms In Old time before the placing this Office only in the Line of Aaron the Head of the Family and the First-born offered Sacrifice for the rest that is was their Priest And we know that such Rule and Dignity belonged at first to the Masters of Families that they had jus vitae necis jurisdiction and power of Life and Death in their own Family and from hence was derived the beginning of Kingly Government a King being only a Civil Head or Master of a Politick Family the whole People so that we see the same was the foundation of the Royal and Sacerdotal Dignity As for the Dignity of this Office among the Jews it is so pregnantly set forth in Holy Writ that it is Unquestionable Kings and Priests are still mentioned together Lamen 2.6 The Lord hath despised in the indignation of his Anger the King and the Priest Hosea 5.2 Hear O Priests and give ear O house of the King Deut. 17.12 And the man that doth presumptuously and will not hearken unto the Priest that standeth there to minister before the Lord thy God or unto the Iudge even that man shall die Hence Paul together with a blow received this Reprehension Act. 5.4 Revilest thou God's High-Priest And Paul in the next verse does not defend himself by pleading an extraordinary Motion of the Spirit or that he was sent to Reform the Church and might therefore lawfully vilifie the Priesthood and all Sacred Orders but in the 5th v. he makes an excuse and that from Ignorance the only thing that could take away the fault namely that he knew not that he was the High-Priest and subjoins a reason which further advances the Truth here defended For it is written thou shalt not speak evil of the Ruler of thy people To Holy Writ we might add the Testimony of Iosephus of next Authority to it in things concerning the Jews who in sundry places of his History sets forth the Dignity of the Priests and in his second Book against Appion the Grammarian has these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Priests were constituted Judges of all doubtfull causes Hence Iustin also in his 36th Book has this Semper apud Iudaeos mos fuit ut Eosdem Reges Sacerdotes haberent though this is false that they were always so yet it argues that they were so frequently and that the distance between them was not great To the Jews we may joyn the Egyptians the first Masters of Learning and Philosophy Synesius in his 57. Epist. having shewn the general practice of Antiquity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gives an instance in the Jews and Egyptians who for many Ages 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 had no other Kings but Priests Next we may take a view of the Practice of the Romans Numa Pompilius that civilized the fierce Romans is reported in the first Book of Livy sometimes to have performed the Priests office himself Tum Sacerdotibus creandis animum adjecit quanquàm ipse plurima sacra obibat but when he made Priests he gave them a dignity almost the same with himself And this honour continued together with the Valour and Prudence of that Nation For the Success of the Romans did not extirpate their Religion The College of the Priests being in many things exempted even from the Jurisdiction of the Senate afterwards the Supreme Power Hence Iuvenal in his 2. Sat. mentions the Priesthood of Mars as one of the most honourable places in Rome And Iul. Caesar who was chosen Priest in his private Condition thought it not below him to continue the same Office when he was Created absolute Governour of Rome under the name of Perpetual Dictator Add to these the practice of the Gauls mentioned by Caesar in his 6. Book de Bello Gallico where he says of the Druides who where their Priests that they did judge de omnibus ferè controversiis publicis privatisque See also Homer in the 1. Book of his Iliads representing Chryses Priest of Apollo with his Golden Scepter as well as his Golden Censer But why have I produced all these examples of the Heathens Is it to make these a ground of our imitation No but to shew that the giving honour to the Priesthood was a custom Universal amongst all civilized Nations And whatsoever is Universal is also Natural as not being founded upon compact or the particular humours of men but flowing from the Native Results of Reason And that which is Natural neither does nor can oppose Religion But you will say this concerns not us who have an express Rule and Word revealed Christ was himself poor and despised and withall has instituted such a Ministery To the first part of this plea I answer That Christ came to suffer yet the sufferings and miseries of Christ doe not oblige all Christians to undertake the like For the second That the Ministery of Christ was low and despised by his institution I utterly deny It was so indeed by the malice and persecution of the Heathen Princes but what does this argue or inferr for a low dejected Ministery in a flourishing State which professes to encourage Christianity But to dash this cavil read but the practice of Christian Emperours and Kings all along down from the time of Constantine in what respect what honour and splendour they treated the Ministers and then let our Adversaries produce their puny pitifull Arguments for the contrary against the general clear undoubted vogue and current of all Antiquity As for two or three little Countries about us the Learned and Impartial will not

the Body which united compose separated destroy it I am not of the papists Opinion who would make the Spiritual above the Civil State in power as well as dignity but rather subject it to the Civil yet thus much I dare affirm That the Civil which is superiour is upheld and kept in being by the Ecclesiastical and Inferiour as it is in a Building where the upper part is supported by the lower the Church resembling the foundation which indeed is the lowest part but the most considerable The Magistracy cannot so much protect the Ministery but the Ministers may doe more in serving the Magistrate A tast of which truth you may take from the Holy Warr to which how fast and eagerly did men go when the Priest perswaded them that whosoever dyed in that Expedition was a Martyr Those that will not be convinced what a help this is to the Magistracy would find how considerable it is if they should chance to clash this would certainly eat out the other For the Magistrate cannot urge obedience upon such potent grounds as the Minister if so disposed can urge disobedience As for instance if my Governor should command me to do a thing or I must die or forfeit my Estate and the Minister steps in and tells me that I offend God and ruin my soul if I obey that command it 's easie to see a greater force in this persuasion from the advantage of its ground And if Divines once begin to curse Meros we shall see that Levi can use the Sword as well as Simeon and although Ministers do not handle yet they can employ it This shews the imprudence as well as the danger of the Civil Magistrate's exasperating those that can fire mens consciences against him and arm his Enemies with Religion For I have read heretofore of some that having conceived an irreconcilable hatred of the Civil Magistrate prevailed with men so far that they went to resist him even out of conscience and a full persuasion and dread upon their spirits that not to do it were to desert God and consequently to incurr damnation Now when mens rage is both heightned and sanctified by Conscience the War will be fierce for what is done out of Conscience is done with the utmost Activity And then Campanella's Speech to the King of Spain will be found true Religio semper vicit praesertim Armata Which sentence deserves seriously to be considered by all Governours and timely to be understood lest it comes to be felt 2. If the safety of Government is founded upon the truth of Religion then this shews the danger of any thing that may make even the true Religion suspected to be false To be false and to be thought false is all one in respect of men who act not according to Truth but Apprehension As on the contrary a false Religion while apprehended true has the force and efficacy of truth Now there is nothing more apt to induce men to a suspicion of any Religion than frequent innovation and change For since the object of Religion God the subject of it the soul of man and the business of it Truth is always one and the same Variety and Novelty is a just presumption of Falsity It argues sickness and distemper in the mind as well as in the body when a man is continually turning and tossing from one side to the other The wise Romans ever dreaded the least Innovation in Religion Hence we find the advice of Mecoenas to Augustus Caesar in Dion Cassius in the 52 Book where he counsels him to detest and persecute all Innovators of Divine Worship not only as contemners of the Gods but as the most pernicious disturbers of the State For when men venture to make changes in things sacred it argues great boldness with God and this naturally imports little belief of him which if the people once perceive they will take their Creed also not from the Magistrates Laws but his example Hence in England where Religion has been still Purifying and hereupon almost always in the Fire and the Furnace Atheists and Irreligious persons have took no small advantage from our changes For in King Edward the sixth's time the Divine Worship was twice altered in two new Liturgies In the first of Queen Mary the Protestant Religion was persecuted with Fire and Faggot by Law and publick counsell of the same persons who had so lately established it Upon the coming in of Queen Elizabeth Religion was changed again and within a few daies the publick Council of the Nation made it death for a Priest to convert any man to that Religion which before with so much eagerness of Zeal had been restored So that it is observed by an Author that in the space of twelve years there were four changes about Religion made in England and that by the publick Council and Authority of the Realm which were more than were made by any Christian state throughout the world so soon one after another in the space of fifteen hundred years before Hence it is that the Enemies of God take occasion to blaspheme and call our Religion Statism and now adding to the former those many changes that have hapned since I am afraid we shall not so easily claw off that name Nor though we may satisfie our own consciences in what we profess be able to repell and clear off the objections of the rational world about us which not being interested in our changes as we are will not judge of them as we judge but debate them by impartial Reason by the Nature of the thing the general Practice of the Church against which New Lights suddain Impulses of the Spirit Extraordinary Calls will be but weak arguments to prove any thing but the madness of those that use them and that the Church must needs wither being blasted with such Inspirations We see therefore how fatal and ridiculous Innovations in the Church are And indeed when changes are so frequent it is not properly Religion but Fashion This I think we may build upon as a sure ground That where there is continual Change there is great shew of Uncertainty and Uncertainty in Religion is a shrewd motive if not to deny yet to doubt of its Truth Thus much for the first Doctrine I proceed now to the second viz. That the next and most effectual way to destroy Religion is to Embase the Teachers and Dispensers of it in the handling of this I shall shew 1. How the Dispensers of Religion the Ministers of the word are embased or rendred vile 2. How the Embasing or Vilifying them is a means to destroy Religion 1. For the first of these the Ministers and Dispensers of the Word are rendred base or vile two ways 1. By divesting them of all Temporal Privileges and Advantages as inconsistent with their Calling It is strange since the Priests Office heretofore was always Splendid and almost Regal that it is now looked upon as a piece of Religion to make it