Selected quad for the lemma: death_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A50760
|
A general discourse of simony by Ja. Metford.
|
Metford, James.
|
1682
(1682)
|
Wing M1938; ESTC R1780
|
70,265
|
175
|
sin Insomuch that every School boy can tell us Vendit Alexander cruces altaria Christum Vendere jure potest emerat illi prius But why do we travel beyond sea to find what too frequently occurs at home Many seeming Protestants having made this piece of Popery their own and reduc'd it into daily practise yet have less to say for it than those abroad Our Laws suppose the Patron a Defender 't is strange they should find him a Defrauder I wish they find not the Old saying true Proditores sunt sui Perditores for commonly such Traytors end in tortures if not of body yet of mind the Worm of sacrilege gnawing on their Liver 4. From the abhorrency good men in all ages have had of it Dr. Taylor thinks Duct Dub. l. 2. c. 3. r. 3. n. 4. there needed no law against Simony for all men had light enough to detest it without a Law and holds it sufficiently condemn'd by St. Pauls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though not the same crime with Simon Magus because 't is like it But if it be true that Magus attempted to purchase a part in the Apostles Ministry as we have prov'd before and St. Peters answer imports I see not how the learned Doctor will clear it from being the same crime and so justly wears his name and reproach The Canon calls it Crimen Capitale Qui studet 1. q. 1. and the chapter Sicut 6. affirms nullum atrocius peccatum no viler sin can be committed That zealous man Isidor Pelusiota writing to Leontius calls the Simonists 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lib. 1. op 315. as the true murderers of Christ and indeed they break open the door upon him with their Golden Wedges and force him to accept their service and violently ravish his Spouse the Church Or at least force her to marry them or none deposing their Saviour beneath the golden calf and selling him to any Caiaphas for Money How brisk and keen the Fathers are upon this crime In Matth. 12. may be seen in Hierom and St. Augustine in his 37th Sermon to the Brethren in the desart in Isidore Pelusiota and Greg. L. 5. ep 276. the Great every where but especially in his 4th Book and 50 Ep. to Virgil Bishop of Arles So is Tharasius Patriarch of Constantinople in his Synodical Epistle to Pope Adrian and Gelasius zeal may be seen in his Decretal Epistle Dec. 2◠2 q. 1. c. quos constiterit where he determines dantem pariter accipientemque damnatio Simonis quam sacra lectio testatur involvit Neither giver nor taker can be saved but are both involved in the same condemnation with Simon Magus And Echbert says they that strive to enter by Money a deo maledicuntur and if they prevail 't is donum irascentis Dei they have it not by the grace but indignation of God ut tanto damnabiliores fiant that they may be more the children of Hell than ever And when the Simoniacks answer that they neither buy nor sell spiritual but temporal things as Tythes Glebes c. he replies Nam quisquis horum alterum vendit c. Eikbert advi Catharos serm 10. in Bibl. patrum He that sells one thing without which the other can't be had sells both and he that buys buys both as he that sells a Mill sells also the water with it though it be a daily renewing blessing of God And thus he affirms Pope Paschasius determined the matter In a word to make it the more odious they appropriated a certain word to it call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 filthy lucre conc chal can 2. tit 1. c. 24. And the fathers in Conc. Chalc. pronounces an anathema on such as are guilty which so affrighted that great Patriarch Photius's Conscience that in his Scholia on the Nomocanons he falls to his Prayers saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 adding if God should be pleased to mark their transgressions who may abide it yea so bitter was the whole body of Christians against it that whereas the Canons had disabled many ranks of men from witnessing against the Clergy as Jews Hereticks L. si quenq 31. d. ult Infamous Stage Players c. Yet here as in treason all mankind were allowed accusers Hear Ivo Carnot Praeterea secundum consuetudinem c. Furthermore according to the custom of the Roman Church Ep. 27. ad Eudonem they act otherwise against Simoniacks and the heresy of the Neophites than against other crimes for whereas in other accusations the honesty of the Accusers and Witnesses is considered to convict these even infamous persons are admitted and 't is probable the reason was that none but infamous persons would be privy to such infamous actions Having viewed the greatness o◠the crime let us consider 2. It s miserable attendencies 1. In unhappy events Baronius tells us our 〈◊〉 of Desideratus Annal. ad an 1047. that Pope Leo the 9th having suspended a Bishop of France from his Office a Presbyter with a good sum to the Chancellor procured his Absolution which Leo understanding said to the Presbyter Th◠Money perish with thee at which he fell out of his wits and could never do business more So Malmsbury and Math. Westm tell us that Hen. 2d Emperor was three days fearfully haunted by the Devil for being guilty of this scandalous sin and Pete◠Damiani tells us of a Priest Ep. 15. c. 2. that could never say the Doxology after his Simony but seemed choakt at those words and to the holy Ghost Gehazi's leprosy is not unknown to any that have read the Scripture for taking money for the gift of healing Jason a bold Simonist purchased the Priesthood of Antiochus Epiphanes at the price of 360 talents and a Pension of 80 talents 2 Maccab. 4 8. but Menelaus outbid him by 300 talents and got the high Priests office from him but both came to fearful ends for Jason was accused before Aretas King of Arabia fled from place to place 2 Maccab. 5.8 pursued of all men hated as a forsaker of the Law and had in abomination by his Country having none to mourn for him nor any solemn Funerals nor Grave with his Fathers And Menelaus was judged a wicked Wretch the cause of all mischief and was put to death by Antiochus at Baraea pounded up with Ashes in a Tower rather than a Mortar of fifty Cubits high not having so much as burial and that justly saith the Author because he had committed many sins about the Altar 2 Mac. 13.5.8 whose fire and ashes were holy therefore he received his death in ashes If a man escape publick vengeance yet so many Curses cannot but lie fretting and burning him at heart so as to deprive him of his sacrilegious pleasures As to the Seller his horrid end is scarcely unknown to any man 2. The Buyer and Seller both come to a very bad Market for both lose Eman. Saaphor in