Selected quad for the lemma: death_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A13317
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De templis, a treatise of temples wherein is discovered the ancient manner of building, consecrating, and adorning of churches.
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R. T.
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1638
(1638)
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STC 23625; ESTC S101632
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37,477
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250
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carried any further Heretiques Pagans Jewes publique robbers and such as committed their offence within the Temple were not suffered to enjoy these priviledges Nor were the Laytie onely prohibited but Clergy men also by an ancient Councell were forbidden to pollute the holy Temple by taking their Servants or Schollers from the Church to which they flew to escape punishment Quod si fecerit saies the Councell à loco cui honorem non dederit segregetur let him bee suspended and cast out from that place which he so lightly esteemed and indeed by this and the like outrages of passionate men the Majesty of the Sacred Temple is not alittle violated this is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 21. 28. as the Scripture speakes to he have your selfe in the Church no otherwise than in a common and profane house Other priviledges which Almighty God hath honoured his Church withall far exceed these he has pleased to grant to penitent sinners that come thither confessing and bewailing their sins forgivenesse of them though they come as black as Ravens they shall returne as white as Doves He hath placed in it his holy Angels to be its guard and at the ministration of the holy Communion no man doubteth of their especiall attendance Nay it hath pleased God to honour his Temple with miracles Gregory Nazienzen tels of one wrought upon his owne Orat. 2. in laudē Sororis sister who was a woman saies hee so holy as blessed soules departed shee came into the Church and leaning her head against the Altar her eyes being full of teares uttered these words with a sweet confidence in her God I will never depart one foot from this place unlesse I be healed from my disease and shee was immediatly healed thus he But we must not therefore expect the like miracles to be wrought in ours Divina In Epist ad cler Hipp. voluntas sicut hominibus ita etiam locis pro suo libitu distribuit sanctitates gratias saies Saint Angustin God works miracles when and where hee pleases He hath blessed our Temples with what is greater than a miracle t is a harder thing to have the diseases of the soule than of the body healed Repentance is the greatest cure that can bee wrought It is a far greater miracle for a sinner to be converted than for water to bee turned into wine CHAP. XXIV Of the right use of Temples and how they are abused THose men surely make right good use of the Church who make it the object of their bounty and munificence in building repairing beautifying or adding any ornament unto it And the like doe they who often frequent it confessing and bewailing their sins receive the holy Sacraments heare the Word of God or doe any other Christian and religious duty in it The ancient Christians when they came to any place were wont first of all to visit the Churches into which they entred with all reverent and decent behaviour humbly saluting the God of the Temple by some devout prayer The holy Fathers held their Councels and Synods in the Temples So we read that the Generall Nicen Councell was held in the chief Temple at Nice c. Euseb de vit Const lib. 3. In them also Kings and Emperours receive their Crowns as it were acknowledging their honour to bee immediatly received from God But there is nothing so cleane that we have not polluted nothing so holy that our bold wickednes hath not violated The sacred majesty of the Temple hath experience of this truth which is abused and profaned even by those men who by sacred office are bound to reprove the abuses offered by others Such are they who serve themselves and not the Altar who seek riches honours ease and pleasure in it and not the glory of God and the salvation of the soules committed to their charge And those who whilst they seeme to adorne Churches doe vilely deface them with painting Lions Unicorns c. in such uncivill and unseemely sort that chast and modest eyes dare scarcely looke on them Mehaps the Homily that speakes against outragious decking of Churches meanes this And those also abuse the Temple who suffer it to bee foule and unclean the sacred vessels to be base and vile who seldome come thither as if it were only built for Swallows Sparrows to inhabit who doe not seriously confesse their sins and intend to lead a new life but come to the Church like men that enter into a bath but wash not returning fouler than they came being infected with the soile filth of others Those also are guilty of this sin who come thither to shew their rich sumptuous apparell and new fashions as it were presenting a show in the theater And those who behave not themselves in it with all lowly reverence as the holinesse and majesty of the place requires and the examples of blessed Saints teachs us S. Elizabeth who was a kings daughter is reported to have put off her Crown when she entred into the Temple saying it was not decent for her to weare a crown of gold in that place where her Saviour was presented to her with a crowne of thornes We read of divers whom God hath most severely punished for abusing his Temple S. Chrysostom Orat. in Gentil has this story of Julian and Felix who somtimes were Christians but for the favour of Julian the Emperour forsooke Christ These men by the command of the Emperour entred the Temple built by Constantine at Antioch Julian contumeliously polluted the Altar and with contempt sate down upon the sacred vessels Felix seeing the rich Ornaments of the Church look ye quoth he with what state Maries Son is served But Julians bowels shortly after rotted and his excrements came forth at his mouth and Felix miserably died streames of blood issuing out of his blasphemous mouth Many other lamentable stories might bee recited of others who have wronged and abused the sacred Temples or any way violated them by taking away their possessions So true is that of the Apostle 1 Cor. 9. Hee that destroyes the Temple him will God destroy CHAP. XXV Of the rewards which such receive who build and adorn Churches IF that man that for Gods sake gives but a cup of cold water shal receive a reward Lord what reward shall they receive whose pious munificence has erected or adorned a Temple Whilst they live here great honours shall seek and find them and sacred History shall for the ioy and delight of all future ages embalme them with the precious oyntment of a good name When the royall deeds of our deere Soveraignes blessed reigne shall be delivered to posterity his magnificent piety his care and religious diligence in building adorning sacred Temples must needs take up a great part in the story Who knowes whether this little Treatise plus uno maneat perenne saeclo may after a long and vile neglect be again brought to light and perpetuate the honorable acts and pious munificence of Sr Paul Pindar at whose sole costs and charges a great part of that ancient structure dedicated to the memory of S. Paul in London was repaired the Quire beautified with guildings and paintings and stately adorned with rich hangings The parish Church where he dwels and other private Churches greatly enriched by his bounty Nor shall the piety of Sr Jo Wolstenholm ever be forgotten who at the pious request of the yong Knight his son hath adorned Stanmore the place of his birth with a beautifull and comely Church erected from the very foundation at his great cost Little did that good Euseb 10. c. 4. Bishop Paulinus Bishop of Tyre by whose meanes and procurement the famous Temple at Tyre in Phenicia was built little I say did he think that the whole current of the Oration should be diverted to him when in the solemne assembly of many other Bishops the Preacher began thus O ye friends and Priests of the most high God which are beautified with holy robes and the heavenly crown of glory And thou the ornament of the new and holy Temple to whom God himselfe hath granted this great honour that thou shouldst on earth build his house well may we call thee another Beseleel chief builder of Gods Tabernacle a Salomon a new Zerobabel who hast added greater glory to the Temple than it had before c. We read of memorable victories obteined by such men as have beene builders of Temples Justinian the Emperor as is by some observed recovered all Asia formerly lost by the Romans shortly after hee had dedicated a Church to the memory of our blessed Lady It may seeme strange to some that we should put riches among the rewards which builders receive for it has ever beene a common opinion that building is the speediest way to waxe poore but it fareth other wise with such as build Temples themselves have confest that their riches have not decreased the more they dedicated to God the richer still they grew The pious Lady Helena mother to the Emperour Constantine built many Churches Yea even in her old age shee undertooke a religious journey to the holy Land for the same purpose and there erected two Temples to the honour of God the one at Bethlem the other upon the Mount of Olives certainly God rewarded her according to her works She lived alwaies in great happinesse and prosperity to the age of 80 years and then in the presence of her son who was the most potent Prince in the whole world amidst her grand-children sprung from Royall blood she expired her blessed soule in such a happy manner that it could not be esteemed a death but rather a changing of a fraile mutable life for eternall and celestiall glory Many more rewards doe they receive in this world as health of body a quiet and happy life adorned with chastity and all other virtues and lastly a most blessed death after which they doe receive eternall and unspeakable joyes THE END