Selected quad for the lemma: heaven_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heaven_n	apostle_n	church_n	key_n	2,057	5	9.6217	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A30860	The late travels of S. Giacomo Baratti, an Italian gentleman, into the remote countries of the Abissins, or of Ethiopia interior wherein you shall find an exact account of the laws, government, religion, discipline, customs, &c. of the Christian people that do inhabit there with many observations which some may improve to the advantage and increase of Trade with them : together with a confirmation of this relation drawn from the writings of Damianus de Goes and Jo. Scaliger, who agree with the author in many particulars / translated by G.D.	Baratti, Giacomo.; G. D.; Góis, Damião de, 1502-1574.; Scaliger, Joseph Juste, 1540-1609.	1670 (1670)	Wing B677; ESTC R11736	63,785	282

〈…〉 y beginning he was the son of his Father without Mother no body can know the Mystery of his filiation unless it be the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit Now this Son was in the beginning the Word and this Word was the Word with God and the Word was God The spirit of the Father the holy Spirit the spirit of the Son is the ●ame divine Spirit the holy Spirit is without diminution or increase this Divine Spirit is called the Comforter a living God who proceeds from the Father and the Son he spake by the mouth of the Prophets he descended in a flame of fire upon the Apostles in Sion They published all over the world and preached the word of the Father and this word is the Son Besides the Father is not first because he is the Father nor the Son the last because he is Son so the Holy Ghost is neither the first nor the last They are three Persons and one God that sees all and is seen of no body he hath by his own counsel created all things afterwards the Son for our Salvation with the consent of the Father and of the divine Spirit descended from the highest Heavens ●● incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary who was adorned with a twofold Virginity with a spiritual and carnal He was born without an● corruption his Mother Mary remaining a Virgin after his Birth fo● by a great miracle she brought her Son Jesus Christ without effusion of bloud or pangs He was a just man without sin perfect God and perfect man having but one Person whe● he was a Child he grew up by degrees sucking the Milk of his Mother the Virgin Mary and when he came to be thirty years of age he was baptized in the River Jordan As other men he walked sweat hungred thirsted and was weary He suffered all things willingly and shewed many miracles By the power of his Divinity he restored sight to the blind he healed the lame cleansed the lepers raised the dead at last of his own accord he was taken prisoner whipt buffeted crucified he languished and dyed fo● our si●s by his death he did overcome death and the Devil by his sufferings he satisfied for our sins and bore our infirmities with the Baptism of his bloud which is that of his death he baptized the holy Patriarchs and Prophets he descended into Hell where were the Souls of Adam and of his Sons and of Christ himself which is of Adam This soul of Adam Christ did receive from the Holy Virgin Mary by the power and Authority of his Divinity and efficaciousness of his Cross he broke the strong gates of hell and of death he confined Satan to his chains and redeemed Adam and his Sons All this Christ did because he was filled with the Divinity and the Divinity itself was with his soul and with his most holy body which Divinity hath granted vertue to the Cross this Divinity he enjoys common with the Father as he ●● ways did At last he was buryed 〈…〉 the third day Jesus Christ the f 〈…〉 of the Resurrection our greatest delight the chief Priest Jesus Christ the great King of Israel rose ●● from the dead by his own strength and power And when all was accomplished that had been fore-told by the holy Prophets he ascended into Heaven with glory and is sate down at the right hand of the Father he shall come again with glory having before him a Cross and in his hand the Sword of Justice to judge both the quick and the dead of whose Kingdom there shall never be any end We believe one Catholick and Apostolick Church we believe one Baptism for the remission of sins we hope ●or the Resurrection of the dead and the life of the World to come Amen This is their Creed they often do repeat it in their Churches especially every new Moon with many gests which they have retained of their former Religions The Priest that officiates says it alone and three or four times the people do repeat these words This is our Faith Since they have had knowledge of the Roman Catholick Religion they have added something to their Creed by the consent of one of their general Assemblies for they were careful to hinder their people from receiving any other Opinions than those that they had formerly embraced for when they saw that our Priests and Jesuits were busie in drawing them to the faith of the Church of Rome they published a little addition to their Creed to inform every one of their judgments hinder them to receive any opinions which they do not approve of We believe that the Virgin Mary is a pure Virgin before and after the Birth of Christ as she is the Mother of God she ought to be loved and respected accordingly but we neither worship Her nor pray unto Her We believe that the Cross of Christ is a useful sign it was upon it that he suffered for our sins and purchased unto us Salvation with his own bloud His Cross is a scandal to the Jews and a folly to the Gentiles but to us Christians it is in much esteem and honour we believe that the Cross of Christ is sufficient to redeem us as S. Paul hath taught us but the outward sign and use of it we employ more for distinction than out of duty And that we may never think it a scorn to wear the badge of our Profession We believe that S. Peter was the first of the Apostles that the Stone that Christ mentions upon which his Church is built is his Law and Faith which Law is established upon the Prophets and Apostles unto them was granted the power of governing the Church of binding and loosing and to them was committed the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven But we do not acknowledge the Superiority that his Successors the Popes of Rome do derive from S. Peter nor do we believe that he ever had any priviledge which the others did not enjoy We believe that the holy Apostles Saints and Martyrs that are in glory did follow the foot-steps of our Saviour Christ and that they have received from him the pardon of their sins as we do We believe that we must honour them with the holy Angels but we do not approve of prayers made unto them nor of the sufficiency of their Merits to benefit us or the Church of Christ We believe that it is well done to confess our sins before the Ministers of the Church for by their prayers we may be assisted and comforted We receive all the books of the Old and New Testament as they were delivered unto us by S. Thomas without any addition or innovation We believe that our Clergy have liberty to Marry as the Apostles and Disciples of our Saviour were but that it is not lawful for a Priest to have two Wives or a Concubine We believe that we are bound to obey in Conscience cur Supream Lord ●iam Belul and under

the only Prince that governs in his dominions none dares but by force of Arms pretend any jurisdiction over his subjects but himself therefore he suffers nothing either in Church or State to be obeyed or imposed without his cognizance The Bishops and Clergy have a power to execute their office teach the people their duty and see to their several charges but they dare not innovate or command the least new thing although it be very necessary without the Emperors leave He commonly declares his pleasure by granting a writing unto which his Picture is annexed as a Seal with a great Cross in his left hand and a sword in his right This Proclamation is conveyed into those parts that it concerns where the people do in a most humble manner receive it When P. Clem. sollicited him to submit to the See of Rome he would never do it but commanded the Embassadour that had made that proposition to depart out of his dominions where he had created a great disturbance by divulging Doctrines that were not known in those parts before Thus the Emperour is sole Lord of both Spiritual and Temporal and will not give an account of his actions to any one upon earth He is respected according to his Authority or Power none dares oppose or contradict his commands but they all yield a blind obedience unto them professing their willingness to submit by kissing on their knees the writing that is brought unto them They make little conscience in the choice of their meats but because it hath been the custom of their fore-fathers to abstain from some sorts of flesh they do imagine that they had some reason to do it which they do not understand therefore they continue the same customs to this day they will not eat of any Beast prohibited by Moses to the Jews nor will they suffer any of them to be killed amongst them unless it be in hunting If any such creature be dead they bury him immediately they will neither eat of flesh torn in pieces nor that hath been hanged stifled or of which some other beast hath been suffered to feed they will not eat any bloud nor flesh where the bloud remains in these particulars they are Religious observers of the Law of Moses not out of conscience but they know not how to leave customs unto which they were bred up from the beginning They have no corporal penalties imposed upon them by their Confessors unless it be in the Covents and Religious Houses In the Country those that commit any sin do suffer for it the reproach of his Neighbour and separation from the Eucharist untill he professes his repentance which commonly is done at the door of the Churches when the people and the Priest go out the Penitent presents himself with ashes upon his Head and a sorrowful countenance confesseth his guilt promiseth an amendment and restitution of the damage if any be received by the Neighbour then the Priest absolves him by declaring that for the time to come he shall have liberty to come to the Lords body Those that are refractory and obstinate they punish by forbidding their Neighbours to converse with them Every one observes this so Religiously that they flee from an excommunicated person as from a Pestilencious body so that he is forc'd unless he will become an Anachoret and run from the conversation of the world to reconcile himself again to the Church by begging the pardon of his offence The power of Excommunication is in the Bishop of every Diocese who is informed by the Priests of every Region or Precinct of the misdemeanors of the people when he is rightly informed not only by the Priest but also by the congregation he dispatches an officer called a Shimcru to give leave to Excommunicate the offending person The Priest in a full assembly informs the people of his commission declares unto them the ill behaviour of the person his wicked life and the scandal that he had given to his Neighbours he makes a long discourse of the means employed to recal him of his obstinacy in despising the Fatherly admonitions that had been made to him and further shews the danger to let him continue in their Communion He concludes with an Excommunication and to render this action more dreadful he gives leave to the infernal spirits to seize upon such a person casting into the Air a fire-brand with some kind of execration ☞ But this kind * The Translator of severity is not often used the offences must be very grievous to oblige the Church to cast upon them her thunderbolts and when she doth it is done with that precaution and with that time that the offender hath leisure to repent and every one is fully satisfied that it neither proceeds from malice nor design When men by their open profaneness and horrid crimes do disgrace the Christian profession when they continue in this manner of life and declare their contempt of God and his power It is then only time to separate such from our Communion who have already separated themselves from Christ and declard their unworthiness to participate with us in the privileges of Christian Religion This was the practice of the Apostles and of the primitive Churches they did shut them out of Heaven who declared they had no desire to come thither and published to the rest the esteem that every one was to have of their persons Amongst them the power of Excommunication was sacred and holy it was only employed at the extremity when no other means neither reprehension nor shame could recal men from their abominable vices It was then esteemed accordingly men were as fearful to fall under it as to be cast into the flames of hell And then it was followed by such effects as did declare the dreadful power of it the evil spirits did take the excommunicated person into their possession and did begin to torment him in the same manner that he shall be in hell so that many times people being sensible of their woful condition did fall upon their knees and beg the pardon of the Church It was also the custom of old Christians never to come near an Excommunicated person all his acquaintance and friends did shun his company so that when he did see himself abandon'd by every one shame grief did work upon him and obliged him to an amendment of life In the time of the Christian Emperours this power of Excommunication began to be horribly abused and profan'd in civil Matters to satisfie hatred and vengeance some Bishops did Excommunicate others at the least displeasure they would send their adversaries to hell and suffer no correspondency to be further entertained between them on earth by this means they did proclaim a publick war one against another and made use of the sacred weapons of Excommunication to make good their quarrel as if God were bound to espouse their particular interests and sins with them against those for whom they had conceived

contradict what he had before established but only that he might refute the superstition of the Jews that did reprove the Apostles for eating with unwasht hands And the Apostles themselves whiles they lived with our Saviour Christ Jesus never made use of unclean beasts nor did ever taste of those things that we●● prohibited in the Law and no●● of them did offer to transgress i● this particular After our Saviou● Passion when the Apostles beg●● to preach the Gospel none 〈…〉 ever prove by the Sacred Record● that they did ever eat or kill 〈…〉 unclean beast It is true St. P 〈…〉 saith whatsoever comes in t●● shambles eat inquire not of it 〈…〉 conscience sake after that 〈…〉 saith if any unbeliever doth inv● you to a Feast and you have ● mind to go of whatsoever is p 〈…〉 before you eat inquiring after nothing because of conscience Again if any shall say this was sacrificed to an Idol do not eat of 〈…〉 because of him that told thee an● because of conscience c. Al● this St. Paul saith to please the● that were not sufficiently confirmed in the faith because between them and the Jews there were many disputes and contentions to the end that he might appease them he sided with and laboured to please the Christians that were not confirmed in the faith This he did not to break the Law but only by granting something of the ceremonies he might win them to the faith The same Apostle saith Let him that eateth not despise him that eateth ●or him that eateth not judge him that eateth for he that eateth eateth to the Lord and he that eateth not eateth not to the Lord. Therefore it is an unworthy act to reprove forrein Christians so fiercely and in a hostile manner as I have been for this and other matters that concern not true faith It were more wisely done to bear with such Christian men as the Greeks Armenians and Ethiopians are to treat them with kindness and charity and to suffer them to live and converse with other Christians for we are all baptized in the same baptisme and subscribe unanimously to the same belief There is no cause wherefore any shold so furiously dispute about ceremonies let every one observe his own without hatred and railing one against another for that the correspondency between Churches should not be interrupted if afar off they use customs in those Provinces proper to the place and genius of the people Besides we have in the Acts of the Apostles how Peter saw the Heavens opened and a certain vessel come down like a great sheet bending on the four corners to the earth in the which were all sorts of four-footed Beasts and Serpents of the earth with the Fowls of the Air unto him the voice did say Rise Peter and eat unto whom Peter answered Far be it from me Lord for I never did eat any common or unclean thing The voice answered him What God hath purified do not thou call it unclean which being often repeated the vessel was taken up into Heaven These things being done the spirit sent him to Caesarea to Cornelius a pious man and one that did fear God unto whom as Peter did preach The Holy Ghost fell upon all that heard the word of God and Peter did baptize c. This Vision is thus interpreted by us in Ethiopia the clean Beasts are the Children of Israel the unclean the Gentiles who are thus called because they are worshippers of Idols and act the unclean works of the Devil And whereas the voice said unto Peter Peter rise and kill we thus understand it Peter Baptize Eat that is preach and publish the faith and the Law of our Lord Jesus Christ to the people of Israel and to the Gentiles It is certain that it can never be found that Peter or any other of the Apostles did either kill or eat unclean Beasts after this Vision Now when the Scripture mentions food in several places it intends to signifie unto us Christ and his Doctrine we must not therefore understand it of any corporal or nourishing food All the learned do agree that this sheet that was shewn unto Peter did teach him high and sublime matters and not the inferiour things of the world that relate not to our salvation neither are we to gather from thence that we have liberty to eat of unclean things seeing that can never be gathered out of Scripture wherefore do the Apostles amongst the Decrees of their Council command us not to eat of creatures hang'd strangled ●orn in pieces or half eaten by other beasts or of bloud for God loves cleanness and sobriety and hates gluttonness and uncleanness God loves them also that abstain from flesh and much more them that feed upon bread and herbs and are content with water as St. John Baptist that lived a Hermite beyond Jordan he always fed upon herbs St. Paul the Hermite led a sparing life in the desart 80 years St. Anthony and St. Macarius and many of their followers never tasted any flesh Therefore my brethren you must not contemn nor revile us for St. James saith he that speaks evil of his brother or Judges his bother speaks evil of the Law and Judges of the Law and S. Paul advises to be content with our own traditions and not to dis-pute about the Law of Moses with Christians wherefore it is not handsome to quarrel with our brethren about the Law or the choice of Meats for meats do not render us more or less acceptable to God therefore let us seek after the heavenly food and set aside these frivolous disputations about meats These things that I have here written about traditions proceed not out of an itch of disputation nor out of contention but only that I might justifie my own people from the cruel accusations of many who having no respect for my Master the most Potent Emperour Precious Giam ●or for us his subjects do revile us and call us Jews and Mahumetans because we observe the Saturday as the Jews and fast till Evening as the Mahumetans they say these things should not be done by Christians they do also complain against us for the Marriage of our Clergy who have the same liberty as the other people and because we are re-baptized every year as if we did distrust the efficacy of the first baptism because we circumcise men and women which custom the Jews do not observe so punctually because we keep the Law of Moses in the choice of meats and because we judge more charitably of Christian children before baptism than they do and esteem them not as Pagans but as half Christians I have been forced to publish this that I might justifie my own people from their slanders that accuse us and that I might oblige the Doctors of the Church of Rome to be the more kind to us I know not by what Religious instinct they have been moved to forbid me to participate with them in the Body