Selected quad for the lemma: heaven_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heaven_n	bind_v	church_n	key_n	4,545	5	10.1263	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A68595	A briefe and piththie summe of the Christian faith made in forme of a confession, vvith a confutation of all such superstitious errours, as are contrary therevnto. Made by Theodore de Beza. Translated out of Frenche by R.F.; Confessio Christianae fidei. English	Bèze, Théodore de, 1519-1605.; Fills, Robert, fl. 1562.	1565 (1565)	STC 2007; ESTC S101755	149,544	418

degrées Concerning publike offences S. Paul wylleth that they should be reproued publikely for to redresse the slaunder and also practysed it him selfe in reprouing S. Peter If the most easiest meanes can profite it sufficeth if not they must procéede frō degrée to degrée vntyl they come to the last remedy w t such discretion that principally the honour of God may be kept that all maye be done to the edification of the body of the Churche As for offences which concerne the ecclesiasticall order there be aūcient canons ordayned from degrée to degrée yet neuertheles the rygour ought to bee moderated and out of them to chose those which bee most connenient for to edifie 41 vvhat excommunication is what the right vse thereof is THe ecclesiasticall corrections hath to degrées the firste is admonition Sometime easye and sometime sharpe according as the offēce of the case requyreth The second and last degrée is that we call excommunication wherin must be noted the poynt folowing First what is excommunication We cal excōmunication a sentence wherby the ecclesiasticall Seniors after lawfull knowledge of the cause dooth declare in the name and authoritie of God and his holy word that such or such one or many be iustlye excluded and seperated from y e company or communion of the Saynts that is to say y e Church of God by consequent delyuered to sathan for asmuch as without the Church there is no saluation yet not to continue for euer but so long as they continue vnreformed and vntil that they haue satisfied for the slander or offence geuen Secondly it must be vnderstande that such a power is not groūded vpon man for man hath no manner of power ouer the soule but by the authoritye of God who vseth them in the Churche as organes and instrumentes by whome hee speaketh therefore it is not to be doubted but such sentences be ratified and confyrmed in heauen For as muche as Iesus Christ hath so sayde and promised to all his church in the person of hys xii Apostles vnder the name of keies of the kingdome of heauen and to bynde and vnbinde as also S. Paule practised the lyke with the Churche of Corinthe and others Yet neuertheles the Churche ought after lawful satisfactiō to receyue him again which hath bene cast out that is to saye if afterward be shall satisfy to the Church make amends for the publyke offence according to the ordinaunce of the Church sufficient proofes had of true amendment as farre foorth as man may iudge And there is no doubte but such absolutary sentence is ratifyed and confirmed in heauen Thirdly it is to be noted diligently that such authoritie neuer pertayneth to one man alone except God worketh at any tyme extraordinarilye but to the whole ecclesiasticall senate Fourthly this is not geuen to al those whiche call them selues of the Churche but to the true ecclesiastical senate lawfullye and cannonicallye elected as wee haue sayde for to gouerne the affayres of the Church The fift poynt is y ● the very true ecclesiasticall senate cannot nor may not vse it at their wyls as we see al men be subiect to many infirmities But this power is lymitted appointed by the worde of God And for this cause Iesus Christ and his Apostles despised the excommunications of the Scrybes Pharisees And according to y e same Irene a most auncient Bishop of Lyons reproued verye sharplye the temerious excommunication which Victor Bishoppe of Rome made about the yeere of God a hundred nynetie and eight which declareth very well what was the primatiue or first be gynninge of the Byshoppes of Rome where as then they walked in vpryght conscience And there were other Bysshops y ● vnderstoode their office and one of the causes that the prouincial and nationall counsels were ordained and holden for was to heare and decide the causes of those whiche complayned of theyr pastors Also it appeareth sufficiently thorowout the whole ecclesiasticall hystorye howe the Byshoppes in these cases ought to helpe one another to edyfye without ambition Beside this the Metropolitans ought to be content thēseues with their lymites and ought to doo nothyng without the deuise of theyr brethrē in their Iurisdiction But ambition hath so wrought that of longe tyme the Bishops of the principall townes and aboue all hée of Rome hath drawn all to themselues witnesseth the falsehood of Boniface whiche was discouered and reuealed at the Counsell of Carthage where as was S. Augustine where it was ordayned that those of the Clergie of Affrica which appealed ouer the sea to Rome should be deposed from theyr office For the sixt poynt it is to bee noted to what end excommunication was ordayned of God First that the church of God shoulde he as pure as might be possyble and that there myght be no occasion to think that it should be a refuge or den of the wicked Secondly for feare that the infected shoulde not defyle those whiche were whole Thirdly if it were possible y ● the synner might bée brought home to the flocke againe It followeth then that this punishment must be applyed and vsed for to edifie as may be expedient and that there be good héede taken least they confounde the sinner by too much heauynes and sorowr when he geueth a sgyne of repentaunce but ther to mitigate the punishment when néede shall require ▪ 42 Of the ciuill and Christiā magistrate and to what ende his office tendeth IT resteth nowe to speake of Magistrates which bee in their estate the pryncipall members of the Churche ordained of God yea namely aboue al others in their estate To these appertayneth the doing execution of ciuyll and temporall affayres so as their subiectes maye lyue in peace By reason whereof the taxes and subsidies are due vnto them and to them appertayneth to vse the swoord which God hath geuen thē for the preseruation aswell of the countreyes which be committed to them as also for the defence and mayntenaunce of good lawes and punishment of the euyll and wicked doers Secondlye the duetye and offyce of the magistrates is not to regarde simplye the peace and concorde of subiectes but principallye for thys ende that the peace and concorde maye tende to the honour and glorie of God that all men maye lyue not onelye in a certayne ciuyll honestye but also with pyetie and true worshyppe of God ▪ as wytnesseth Saynte Paule For thys cause especiallye it appertayneth to the Magistrate that the Lawes whiche hée vseth and executeth maye bée conformable to the wyll of God and pryncipallye to geue order that the relygyon bee perfecte and holye and that all the Churche bee ordered accordynge to the woorde of God forbyddyng and punyshynge as the case requyreth All those which trouble the Churche or concerning the discipline thereof Also Dauid discribed the estate of a faithfull Prince

buylding not beyng restrayned to any certayne Church or place as they haue dreamed of Saint Peter who by this meanes they haue made bishop in stéede of Apostle But being sent to preach thorowe out y ● worlde according as the spirit of the Lord conducted lead them as the historie of the Actes of the Apostles declared And not as these falle legendes full not onely of folyes and lyes but also of blasphemies wherwith Sathan hath stuffed and fylled the church the Euangelystes were as coadiutors of the Apostles whome they followed as we sée of Sylas of Timothe and of S. Luke and others which ordinarelye accompanyed Saint Paule and were sent foorth and appointed by him as the necessity of the churches dyd requyre The Prophetes were restrained more to certaine places who had syngular giftes for to expound the secreetes of the scriptures and sometymes they had the gyfte to vnderstande and reueale thinges to come for to approue and confyrme by those myracles the doctrine of the Apostles in these first beginnings of the Church Then remaineth nowe to declare of the pastors and doctours whose office is necessarie and perpetuall in the Church of God in such measure as it pleaseth God We shall speake of those here particularly 15 Of the offyce of pastours and doctours THe charge and offyce of those in generall and namelie of pastors is to be diligent take he de to their doctrine vnder the which also we comprehend the sacraments to praier vnder the which also we vnderstand the blessing of mariages of the faithfull accordyng to the auncient custome of the Church although often tymes the deacons haue supplied that office of the administration of the sacramentes and also that which concerneth mariages al the which things Iesus Christe dyd vnderstande by byndinge and lowsynge shutting and opening and by the keyes of the kingdome of heauen which is a matter verye euyll vnderstoode as yet much worse practised For asmuch then as Heauen is proposed and set open to vs as a perpetuall dwellyng place and there is none other waye to go nor other gate to enter in then Iesus Christe And for so muche as the onelye meanes to haue Iesus Christe is fayth the which is created and preserued in vs by the holy Ghost thorow the preaching of the Gospell and the Sacramentes as it hath bene sayde heretofore Behold then wherfore it is sayd that the pastours or doctours to whome this worde and administration of sacramentes is committed haue the keye of the kingdome of heauen Because that by theyr preachings the worlde may be brought to eternall life hauing in their mouthes the word of reconciliation and trueth Moreouer because that our sinnes hold vs bound And the preaching of the Gospell annexed with the Sacramentes declareth to vs the delyuerance from sinne from death and from the deuyll For this cause it is sayde that the Ministers haue power to loose and to bynde with the authoritye of God But here must be noted the poynts that foloweth 26 The difference betweene Pastors and Doctours THe fyrst dyfference betwéene Pastours and doctours consysteth in this that the doctours ought to expounde the scriptures symplie truly ▪ for to haue the true vnderstanding and sence and also to examine the Cathacuminie that is to saye those which be yet learning the principles of Christian religion As Origen dyd in the Church of Alexandria But the pastors office extendeth yet further which is to minister true doctrine by preaching for the necessitye of the Church to teach to reproue to comfort and exhort accordyng as is requisite publikely and particularly making common prayers and also watchinge daye and nyght ouer theyr flocke whiche they be charged with to feede publykely● and particularlye with the worde of lyfe 27 The pastours and doctours bee but instrumentes by the which God conducteth the ministerie of his worde THe second is that neither of them dyrectly doo eyther bynde or lose nor open nor shut the kingdome of heauen for it appertaineth to god only which hath made our harts to chaūge them and to drawe them it is hée onelye that geueth remission of sinnes ▪ to saue and dampne bodye and soule But for as muche as hée is serued with men to declare his worde and mynister his Sacramentes who be as troonckes or conduites thorow whom he destilleth and powreth his grace into the hartes of his electe so it appeareth that this is the cause that so excellent tyttles and testymonies haue bene attrybuted to the faithfull ministers of the Gospell Christe him selfe sayth He that despiseth you despiseth me hauing respect to him that worketh in them and by them As for the ministers being considered a parte by them selues it must come to this which Saint Paule sayde he that planteth he that watereth is nothing but God which geueth the encrease ther must also be a respect that the Ministers of God ve not despised and on the contrary not to extol them into Gods place nor set them in his steede as men do often times Yea euen those which be nothynge lesse then the Ministers of God how shall we do then Let vs follow S. Paule who in speaking of Pastors and doctors saide let euery one so estéeme of vs as the ministers of Iesus Christ and distributers of the secretes of God 28 The marckes and tokens of false doctours and pastours THe thyrde poynte lyeth in thys which S. Paule ioyneth in y ● same text the whiche is required also on the Ministers parte that euerie of them be found faithfull Now we accoumpt not them for faithfull and so by consequent worthye of the honour due to the ministers nor yet to be accepted as ministers which haue not receyued y e office and charge of the Lord that is to say those which haue bene thruste in without consent as is appoynted by the Church And namely when the Lord geueth this grace in the worlde that there is a Churche erected excepte God doth stur vp some one or two extraordinaryly as he hath alwayes done when it séemeth good to him For howe shall they preache sayth Saynt Paule if they bée not sente And to saye trueth what earthly Prince is there that woulde allowe those thinges within his Realme which bee done without his commaundement Wherefore we doo exhort all faithfull to take dillygent heede and beware of those whiche contempne the ordynarie meanes of a lawfull and godly election which importeth a true and free examination of manners learning and doctrine without ambition or wicked meanes whensoeuer it shal please God to erect his order in any place of the world For when this order by gods iust iudgemēt cānot be kept it wilbe folly to hope for any reformation confirmed by them who be the very enemies of the Church Also all extraordinarie vocations ought to be suspected and