Selected quad for the lemma: heaven_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heaven_n	church_n	earth_n	militant_a	5,036	5	12.4963	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B13539	A sermon preached on the 8. day of May 1615. in the parish Church of S. Stephen in Walbrooke London. At an anniuersarie solemnitie and assemblie of the Companie of Grocers of London. In commemoration of their ancient and first beginning to be a companie. By R.F. Doctor in Diuinitie	Fenton, Roger, 1565-1616.	1615 (1615)	STC 10802; ESTC S115027	7,443	56

the forme the nature of an Oath together with the reasons why wee sweare only by the name of God as the greater Greater in name and credit that his Credit might supplie the defects in ours Greater in the knowledge of secrets that he might testifie the simple intentions of our hearts Greater in power and iudgement that he might take vengeance of such wretches as dare abuse his sacred maiestie Therefore men verily sweare by him that is greater 2 From this diuine forme is deriued so excellent an end of an Oath that it makes an end of strife A fonte pietatis fluit rimus charitatis And fit it is that so worthy a streame should flowe from such a fountaine For a greater testimonie of sincere truth nor a cleerer euidence of the most secret intentions cannot be giuen then is an Oath Wherefore after that this witnes hath once spoken after that this obligation is once subscribed by laying the hand vpon the booke and sealed by kissing of the same it were a great indignitie offred to that diuine Maiestie once to call in question or to moue contention about that which a lawfull Oath hath before determined An indignitie I say seeing the God of truth hath vouchsafed himselfe to interpose as a witnesse of sinceritie and a reuenger of periurie Let an oath therefore bee an end of all strife amongst vs I pray God it may and God forbid but it should Wherefore Right-worshipfull and beloued seeing my finger is now vpon the sore giue me leaue to touch it a little to the quicke If any aske what I haue to doe to intermedle Let this be mine Apologie First my profession bindeth mee to be a peacemaker amongst you being of the Companie assembled within my cure As in generall I began the last yeare Next I must euer acknowledge this Companie my worthy Patrons And my selfe also by further fauours to bee an vnworthy member of the same And thereby also doe I stand obliged for the resoluing of your consciences in this point of scruple and for the faster knitting of you vp in the band of peace Vnderstand therefore that there be two kinde of Oathes the one is assertorie and the other promisorie The Oath of asseueration by which the truth of any thing past or present is auerred must needs be kept by such as haue any conscience at all The reason is because the breach thereof falleth directly whollie and all at once vpon the Conscience and therby becommeth most sensible 2 But an oath of promise being once past is in time forgotten as if the binding power thereof did by little and little weare away which though it bee not so in truth but only in the error of our obliuious nature yet is this the most charitable reason that can be rendred of the too too much neglect of Oathes in this Cittie Yet is this the Oath which is to bee intended in this businesse and which is mentioned in this Scripture for in the 13. Verse before my text it is said When God made the promise vnto Abraham hauing no greater to sweare by he sware by himselfe This is that Oath which you haue solemnly taken wherein you haue pawned the sacred Maiestie of God that you will faithfully keepe your promise by laying hand vpon the booke and kissing the same Wherein if at any time hereafter you shall faile you haue forfeited that interest which you haue in that Maiestie by the bond of those words So help you God Now the Question is no more but this A Cittizen hath vndertaken a double Oath 1 As Freeman of the Cittie he sweareth To be obeisant and obedient to the Maior and the Ministers of this Cittie To maintaine the franchises and Customes thereof This Cittie to keepe harmelesse in that him lieth Yo bee contributorie to all manner of charges c bearing part as a freeman ought 2 As a member of this fellowship he hath likewise sworne Truly to obay all manner of rules impositions and ordinances that be made or hereafter shall be made and lawfully ordained for the ordering of the said fellowship Whether this man thus obliged may indeauour or consent not to disorder but to dismember this fellowship by the separation of himselfe and others from the same Whether hee may labour to bee freed from those charges to which he hath sworne to be contributory Whether by this president of Innouation to incourage other Companies vpon the like pretence to attempt the same be to obay the gouernours to maintaine and keep this Cittie harmelesse to his power I will not sit Iudge or determine vpon any mans conscience but only lay open the Question in such manner as euery man in his conscience may be his owne Iudge There be two points without compasse of this question 1 That those who haue not taken this Oath may vpon iust cause seeke and that authoritie in the Eye to a more publike good may command a seperation we call it not into question For this is their act and not thine and therefore concerneth not this point 2 It is not denied but a Company may be imagined so apparantly pestilent to the common wealth so tyrannicall and burdensome to the sworn members of the same as they may lawfully desire and endeauour a redresse and for want of that a seperation for they are sworne onely to that which is lawfull But this is farre from our point I finde it not obiected What then might be the motiue The Reformation of Abuses Beloued this word Reformation is a good word but it hath guilt many a rotten peece of wood For what Faction or Schisme euer entered into Church what rebellion or insurrection euer began in Common-wealth which masked not vnder a pretence of Reformation Abuses there are euer wil be though a new Companie should drop from the clouds And a reformation of abuses is euermore to be desired But first Is there no meanes of reformation already established equiualent to that which is desired If not May no meanes bee thought vpon by ioint sute to be obtained without such innouation and separation If not Is all this cleere or is it questionable and doubtfull and as yet vndetermined If it be but questionable then make this a Quaere Whether such a scruple arising in thy minde or suggested by others may dispence with any brāch of a solemne Oath which is cleere and without question Lay thine Oath then in one Scoale with all the waights that therunto belongeth as hath beene deliuered and let thy conscience bee an indifferent Iudge whether a scruple remaining as yet questionable may ouer-ballance the same Let mee propound two places of Scripture vnto you the one as a precept the other by way of example both concerning the validitie of a promissarie Oath 1 In the 15. Psalme the question is Who shall dwell in Gods Tabernacle or rest vpon his holy hill That is Who shall be a liuely member of the Church militant on earth or enter into eternall rest in heauen One