Selected quad for the lemma: heaven_n
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A00761
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The priest's duty & dignity. Preached at the trienniall visitation in Ampthill 1635. August 18. by Jasper Fisher Presbyter, and Rector of Willden in Bedford-shire. And published by command
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Fisher, Jasper, b. 1591.
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1636
(1636)
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STC 10887; ESTC S118693
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15,018
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59
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profane vulgar if a shoo leak or a wall crack or an Ague shake know what trade to resort unto but let the conscience shake with doubt before the fact and quake for feare after the fact let the soule be mortally sick for want of evacuatiō let a sinful leprosie require daily direction and our Saviour to maintain Sacerdotall authority bid them Go shew your selvs to the Priests Luk. 17. 14. Yet they will venter their lives their eternall lives and die in their sinnes and we may burn all the Casuists as having no use of that soveraigne Divinity Dearely beloved wee are falne into happy times when nothing doth trouble the conscience of men or men make conscience of nothing which is most to be feared Thus having vilified the power of Priesthood and Christs Episcopall Crosier as his regal Scepter in the laws Divine Ecclesiasticall in the Sacraments and Sacramentals as Confirmation Confession Penance Orders Extreme Visitation and particular Absolution We then fondly wonder at the profanenesse of the times and marvell that preaching does no more good as if the Flock could be fed cured and governed only by the Shepheards Whistle The hearer can easily contemne the power of the Pulpit and divert what is thrown at that distance For if we teach with authority it is proud and stately if reprehend sharply it is spleen and malice if instruct meekly it is not powerfull if admonish lovingly why not others If they like the man indeed they give him leave to say what hee list and take leave to doe what they list but if they like not the man what they understand they despise what they understand not they censure And with the Donatists in Saint Austine quod volumus sanctum est It is not holy doctrine till they approve it The two Duties thus severally considered are againe naturally concorporated and so affoord us many points and questions incident to the Times and pertinent to my Text. As whether the Priest or Clergy may erre in doctrine how this may be avoided Whether Prelates according to the Law may make Orders binding the Conscience Whether Clergie-men may not meddle in Civill Iustice if the Law heere containes the Judiciall part as well as the Ceremoniall Whether reading of the Law bee not preaching and whether preaching 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be not a publicke declaring of Gods will by persons authorized in due time and place either verbatim or paraphrastically or at the most by way of explication and application directly Not but that other discourses of Scripture may serve for the stall or the deske on some extraordinary Assemblies What is that eternall Law without knowledge of which none can be saved Whether the Law of Moses is abolished or established or partly altered and how farre by Christ Whether Christ hath not delegated as much spirituall authority to the Evangelicall as Moses did to the Aaronicall Priesthood Then by deduction whether the English Church by her Constitutions hath not sufficiently provided for the salvation of every Parish and consequently of every person in the Parish That so the envy of preeminence in Priest and Parishioner The curiosity and partiality of hearing the Word The fancie of wanting the meanes of Grace The disturbance of setled Christians The giddinesse of unsetled Sectaries The discouraging conceit of an impossibility in common people ofever fully knowing the truth and their duties may be taken away and obedient livers onely counted religious professours But I dare not looke upon these Controversies I onely observe there must bee in GODS Church an order of Priest and people of Clergy and Laitie of teaching and hearing for the perpetuating of Religion for the congregating of the Saints and finishing the Kingdome of Grace but this point also I dare not prosecute for the time would faile mee though a doctrine most excellent both in the story and the uses So I passe from the two Duties to his perswasive Reason wrapt up in a short description of the Priest For hee is the Messenger of the LORD of Hosts I but Hee is the Angell rather sayes the Hebrew and so say the ancient Greek and Latine R. Salomon Junius Luther and the Spanish and hee alludes to his own name Malachy as Saint Hierome thinkes At least he is the Ambassadour as some modern Translations But our English runs low and flat For though the word Malâc may largely signifie all yet to speake fitly a private man sends Messengers a Prince Ambassadours the Messias Apostles and the Lord of Heaven Angels Gods Nuntioes are Angels either celestiall as Gabriel Luk. 1. 26. Or terrestriall and then either extraordinary Prophets as Iohn Baptist Mal. 3. 1. Or usually and ordinary as the Priest here Neither is this testimony denied him in either Testament An Angell came up from Gilgal Judg. 2. 1. that is Phineas the Priest say the Iews say not before the Angell Eccles. 5. 6. that is the judging High Priest say Expositors A woman must be covered in the Church 1. Cor. 11. 10. Because of the Angels that is the teaching Ministers say Beza and Drusius And the Angels of the seven Churches Revel 1. 20. are Bishops say we or Pastors and Superintendents say they who cannot pronounce that Shibbóleth Dionysius de coelesti Hierarchia cap. 12. will give a Reason of this promiscuous naming An Angell being the lowest order of the Nine in the Church triumphant and a Priest being the highest order of the seven in the Church militant They symbolize in nature and have their names counterchanged To shew the unity of one totall Church in Heaven and Earth under Christ He is called a ministring spirit this a spirituall Minister Hee a celestiall Priest this a terrestriall Angell By a like Metathesis as John Baptist is called Malachi Chap. 3. 17. To shew the harmonious transition and connexion of both Testaments They are those Angels upon Iacobs Ladder ascending by prayer descending by doctrine And as in old time so still the glory of the Lord appeares from between the Cherubims in the likenesse of winged Angels Or if they be Ambassadours and Messengers they are sent from heaven by the LORD of Hosts about a peace betweene God the Father and sinfull Mankind and then concerning a Marriage betweene his Sonne Christ and the Church of Saints Now then we are Ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray yes in Christs stead beye reconciled to God 2. Cor. 5. 20. For we are jealous over you with godly jealousie For wee have espoused you to one Husband that we may present you a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle as a chast Virgin to Christ 2. Cor. 11. 2. Ephes. 5. 27. But I come to the use of this Description for it reflects upon the duty of both parties First it teaches the Priest humble Modestie in undertaking this message To imitate rather Moses I am slow of speech or Ieremy I am a child I cannot speake Then
forward Ahimaaz Let me run I pray To such hastie Novices Iohn Pecham sometime Archbishop of Canterbury applyes that of David 2. Sam. 10. 5. Manete in Jericho donec crescat barba vestra And others most fitly that of our Saviour Luke 24. 49. Sedete in Ierusalem quoadusque induamini virtute ex alto For what purity what gravity what science what prudence what composed and prepared elocution may be justly expected of an Angell And how shall they preach except they be sent Rom. 10. sent first by God secretly exciting them then by the Church lawfully ordaining them then by their conscience plainly assuring them Secondly it teaches him carefull fidelity in reporting this message The Aegyptians did signifie a holy Scribe by the Hieroglyphicke of a Sive and wee know Him whose Fan is in his hand to be the great Sheepheard and Bishop of soules both are separating instruments and denote that spirituall discretion which is the soule of all judgement That hee neither trust to his owne wit or invention too boldly nor rely upon his memory or nimble tongue too sodainly nor vent himselfe too hastily lest hee speake his own rude words and not the Lords message Here the word at my mouth and then give them warning from me Is the tenour of Gods Commission Ezech. 3. 17. That hee neither augment nor diminish nor corrupt nor confound nor misplace the substantiall parts of divine Revelation But can truly say with the Prophets Heare yee the Word of the Lord with S. Paul I received of the Lord what I delivered unto you For the Angels are thought to speak no more on earth then what they heard in Heaven and the same is well expressed by Homer when he makes the Angels dispatched from his Gods to receive and to declare the same things by the same lines Nor is this a needlesse Tautologie but a most observant veracitie Thirdly it teaches him bold magnanimity in discharging this message I know not how to imbreathe better courage into a Priest then by representing unto him the solemnity of his Ordination When the Bishop laid his hands upon thy Head Remember thou art set apart and separated from all common and profane businesses When thou heardest Receive the Holy Ghost remember thou art elevated above this wicked world and indued with a heavenly power When thou heardest Whose sinnes thou dost forgive they are forgiven O then remember Thou retain not thy own sins who art to loose the sins of others When thou tookest the Bible with authoritie to preach the Word and to minister the holy Sacraments remember thy Commission was sealed in the Court of Heaven and thou dispatched a messenger from the Lord of Hosts Be not then flattered or terrified to please the sinfull multitude and to abuse thy Masters trust Keepe thy Angelicall state retaine the habit and language of thy heavenly Citie conforme not thy selfe to their base vices and vicious customes Mitte ostia Caesar Mitte sed in magnâ legatum quaere popinâ If they hate thee for this Non-conformity and strangenesse know they hated God and Christ first If yee were of the World the World would love his owne as our Saviour pronounces upon his own experience But now yee are not of this World but yee descend like Angels and heavenly Legates into this lower World and returning home yee must expect a reward of your Master sending not of those forreine and mundane Nations to whom yee are sent For yee are the messengers of the Lord of Hosts Lastly this description looks also back upon the people as our Saviour did upon Peter And teaches them First spirituall obedience Obey them that have the rule over you and submit your selves Heb. 13. If soveraigne Magistrates be Gods I have said yee are gods I am sure consecrated Priests may be counted Angels And there is a majesticall and more then humane splendor in both Offices and a dutifull submission due to the dictates of both persons Saint Pauls proviso had a better ground then some may at the first imagine to reject an Angell from Heaven preaching against his Gospel Galat. 1. For if they will not beleeve one Angel why should they beleeve another If not a Paul why a Gabriel Hast thou then any matter of faith to be resolved any case of conscience to be cleered any temptation to be disabled any suite in heaven to be ended any petition to Christ to be preferred any soule-businesse Why Levies curse is become the peoples blessing Divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel Genes 49. God hath his Visores and Legier-ambassadours in every Parish Repaire to thy lawfull Pastor what he bindes and looses with the golden Zone of Christ what hee shuts and opens with the key of David shall be ratified in Heaven Secondly it teaches them respectfull reverence Let the Presbyters that rule well be counted worthy of double honour 1. Tim. 5. 17. The Lord could as easily have sent you true Angels but hee was pleased in mercy to teach men by men Yet that his Ministers shold not lose any due respect the Angels themselves are joyn'd in commission and attend upon our divine Liturgie When Christ the Angell of the Covenant began to preach the Angels came and plaid the Deacons Math. 4. Send men to Ioppa and call for Simon says an Angell to Cornelius Acts 10. As preferring Saint Peter before himselfe in this businesse of conversion And the Angell confesses that hee was but a fellow-servant with the Ministers of the Gospel Revelat. 22. And indeed the word Evangelist supposes him to be a good Angell Let then the majesty of his Master excuse the defects of his person let the Law and Message which hee brings beare out the blemishes of his nature And let both perswade thee to give him a loving and heartie welcome If Abraham and Lot had knowne them to be Angels in the shape of men they wold if possible have given lower obeysance and higher titles Gen. 18. 19. Achilles was not so proud and furious but he would with curtesie salute these Messengers in the very style of our Prophet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nor were the Galatians so rude barbarous though so taxed by Saint Ierome but they received the Apostle Saint Paul as an Angell of God Nay even as Christ Iesus himselfe Galat 4. 14. Thirdly It teaches them liberall beneficence Beside their appointed portions by the Lawes of God and Man If wee did truly love the sender how kindly would wee entertertain his servants How Michah rejoyces when hee had got a Levite into his house Iudg. 17. How the old man of Gibeah bestirres himself to lodge and feast a Levite Iudg. 19. Take heed to thy self that thou forsake not the Levite as long as thou livest Deut. 12. 19. Much more take heed that thou Feare the Lord and honour the Priest Ecclus 7. 31. But O how beautifull upon the mountains are the feet of Evangelicall Messengers cryes the true Church If their feet be so beautifull how glorious are their bodies drest up in Sacerdotall ornaments Let then prophane Edomites and Sacrilegious Hypocrites scoffe at their name person office and attire Let them send Gods Messengers upon their base errands place them below their Serving-men esteeme them below their Parasites nay deride and abuse persecute destroy them for their message But let them know if the injury of Legates hath been so deeply and bloudily revenged as the law of Nations and the Records of History do fully testifie If foolish Hanun lost his Crown and the Ammonites their lives for misusing Davids servants 2. Sam. 10. If the King in the Parable sent forth his Armies destroyed them who slue his Ministers inviting to the Mariage of his Sonne Matth. 22. Then heare a tumultuous noyse of the Kingdomes of Nations gathered together The Lord of Hosts mustereth the host of the battaile Esa. 13. And will revenge the great indignities done to many of his Messengers Especially when they bring you good tydings of great joy a Gospell of peace a covenant of grace a promise of everlasting salvation In one word let the Priest be as an Angell of God in knowing good and evill Let the people piously seeke the Law of him as an Angell sent from God So shall both Priest and people become 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like the Angels in purity of holinesse in perfection of happinesse in patheticall singing that Trisagium Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Sabaoth Heaven and Earth are full of the majesty of thy Glory to whom the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost bee all power and prayse Amen I submit all to the judgement of my Ecclesiasticall Superiours Aut aberrantem dirige Aut dirigentem sequere The end 4 Doct. Vse 1 2 3. 4 Ob. Sol. 2. 2. 3 Use. 3. 1. 2. 3. 1. 2. 3.