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	triumphant_a	4,427	5	11.4398	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A73284	Profano-mastix. Or, a briefe and necessarie direction concerning the respects which wee owe to God, and his house even in outward worship, and reverent using of holy places. Shewing chiefly when, and how, wee ought to enter; how to behave our selves being entred, how to depart; as also, how to esteeme of Gods house at every other time. Written out of a true and sincere intent to reduce the disordered and factious, to a better order then either their neglect, stubbornnesse, or scrupulositie can purchase for them. / By Iohn Swan curate of Duxford S. Peters.	Swan, John, d. 1671.	1639 (1639)	STC 23513; ESTC S106202	33,675	74

the Consecration thereof might bee but in one wherein stood the sacred Altar or holy Table which was answerable to that Mercie-seate in the division of the Temple upon which it was a custome to lay the booke of the holy Gospels in stead of the two Tables of the Law and wee have there the holy Eucharist although the Pot of Manna be not now And well might they imirate such a platforme For as the Christian Religion is come in place of the Iewish so are our Churches come in place of theirs Their Tabernacle was a patterne of their Temple and their Temple a type of our Churches even as all their service was a type of our Christ as a learned Doctor hath delivered Saint Iohn is witnesse to it for though the Revelation be very misticall yet seeing the visions of things appertaining to the Christians doe so frequently allude to the fashions of the Iewes it is easie to bee gathered that hee insinuates how wee are surrogated into their roomes for whom the Temple was built and so are to cast the forme of our Churches after that fashion yea and setting aside their Types and Figures which were fulfilled in Christ to serve God in our Holy places and upon our Holy dayes as they did in and upon theirs I may therefore conclude that still there ought to be a place of Majestie which by the Ancients was called either Sacrarium or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The last of which two words properly signifying a Christian Altar sheweth that the appellation of the place was derived from thence that is the Altar sometimes gave the name to the whole place of Majestie yea and sometimes as some affirme to the whole Chancell it selfe though that only within the Raile were properly the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Sacrarium And as for the Antients Ignatius is an early one among them Hee lived in the dayes of Saint Iohn and writing no Prophesie might speake that plainly which Saint Iohn as 't was delivered to him expressed mystically Or if you will that I open the matter more fully then take it thus viz. that because Saint Iohn alludeth to the customes of the Iewes and delivers his Prophesie to the Christians and speakes as if his Visions were represented to him in the Heavens it is as if it should be said Gods Church is in it selfe but one though the parts bee two Militant and Triumphant And therefore as the Church of the Iewes was ordered according to the manner of these Visions So ought the Church of the Christians in all and every of the Congregations appertaining to her And as it ought so it was in those her dayes of greatest puritie striving thereby to keepe as neere a resemblance of the one part of Gods Church with the other as shee possibly could whether in the Heavens or on the Earth And in this the * At the 35. page of his booke authour of the Holy Table though perhaps beyond the intention gives us his voice For speaking of the Kings Majesties Royall Chappell which is ordered according to the manner of those forenamed Visions hee hath these words I hope saith hee I shall over live and die in an awfull and reverend opinion of that Sacred Oratorie the vivest resemblance I know upon the earth of that Harmonie of the Cherubins wee looke for in the Heavens Thus he And it was truly spoke Wherefore it is the more to bee admired that hee should east any scornes or slights upon it afterwards and not rather bee delighted to see all other of Gods houses ordered according to so good a patterne for what better Harmonie can there bee then that the Church on Earth conforme her selfe to the Church in Heaven And that thus shee hath done in the dayes of old both before and after Christ shall bee declared As for example First of all in the Heavens S. Iohn witnesseth that hee saw a Throne and one that sate upon it So in the Temple as formerly in the Tabernacle was a Mercie seate the sacred Monument of Gods presence there And in the first Christian Churches a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Sacrarium inclosed with a Raile for the Holy Table the signe likewise of his Residence Secondly in the Heavens the Presbyters or 24 Elders had the preheminence of comming neerest to the Throne So in the Tabernacle and Temple as formerly at Mount Sinai the people might not enter into the Courts of the Priests Nor in the Primitive times was it lawfull for any Lay-man to come within the bounds of the Altar Nulli omnium qui sit in Laicorum numero liceat intra sacrum Altare ingredi saith the 96 Canon of the sixt Councell of Constantinople The passages likewise betweene Saint Ambrose and the Emperour Theodosius mentioned by Theodoret in his fifth booke and seventeenth Chapter besides other testimonies make it manifest And last of all In the Heavens hee saw the Elders and foure living creatures fall downe and worship before the Throne Revelat. 19.4 So in the Tabernacle and Temple holy men used to worship toward the Mercie seate as they had done before towards the Cloud Yea and so also in the first Christian Churches they used to worship towards the Altar or Holy Table For the Greeke Liturgies tell us of a threefold prostration that was made before it Nay sooner yet for Reverence done at it may be found by the learned even in the dayes of that Antient already mentioned I meane Ignatius Ignat. ad Tarsens Act. 11.26 who was made Bishop of Antioch where the Disciples were first called Christians not above seven and thirtie yeares after Christs Passion hee was one of Saint Iohns scholars Tertul. de Paenit c. 9. and died a godly Martyr Tertullian who was flourishing about 163 yeares after the said Passion doth likewise testifie that the Penitents used to fall on their knees before it But did they therefore worship it It were a shamefull accusation to say they did A man when hee sayes Grace before his Table or kneeles before his Bed or other place when hee makes his private prayers may as well bee said to worship either his Table or Bed as these men bee said to worship the Altar Or thus Daniel may as well bee accused for turning his face towards Ierusalem David for looking towards the Temple of Gods Holinesse the People for directing their aspect towards the Cloud Nay the very Saints and Angels for falling downe before the Throne as they accused who prostrate or bow before the Altar For as Daniel being in captivitie although hee turned his face towards Ierusalem when hee prayed prayed not to it nor David made the Temple of Gods Holinesse the object of his adoration nor the people in the Wildernesse judged the Cloud to bee adored nor the Saints and Angels in Heaven worshipped the Throne although they fell downe before it So in bowing or falling downe before Gods Altar it is not the Altar Soerat lib. 1.

as holy as the Table for this is the highest advancement that a Christian hath and although the Lord bee present in all his holy Ordinances yet here more specially insomuch that the Holy Table or Altar must upon necessitie bee evermore taken as the great signe of his presence as carrying with it the highest relation thereunto Shall we come into these houses saith one and neere those places as wee come into a common Inne or Ale-house is there no respect no regard to be shewed in the one above the other I thinke reason and discretion will teach us the contrarie For as another also speakes it is just that that place have a preheminence above the rest from which vertue and efficacie is derived to the rest for all benefits and mercies to bee dispensed to us come from the death of Christ which as is most certaine is represented there This place therefore may bee well esteemed as a Mercie Seate where God according to his being in such holy places may bee said to sit graciously reconciling a sinner to himselfe by the bloud of his Sonne For though in Baptisme there bee some externall resemblance of Christ crucified yet here more fully and therefore specially commanded to bee done in memorie of his Passion Yea here I say the speciall place of Majestie and that so as it may be well esteemed as a Mercie seate For in briefe that I may recapitulate the summe of all First as even that thing or place which is dedicated to the highest office in our worship or to the most sacred Mysterie of our religion must needs be the Most holy although not by any internall inherent qualitie infused transforming the nature of it but by an externall adherent qualitie in relation to the businesse about which it is used or for which it is set apart So also secondly In what part or place wee have the most lively demonstration of his Presence there must be the very highest degree thereof and so the highest Court of or for his Holinesse wherein the resemblance or Monument of his Residence standeth not as an Image but as a signe or testimonie even as the Arke was the signe of his presence in the Temple For now the greatest signe of Gods residence in his holy place is the Altar or Holy Table call it which you will even as the Arke was heretofore the signe of his presence in the Temple Toward this part therefore I say a more awfull reverence is required then towards or in any other part beside For in a word to shut up this although it were griefe enough to the ancient Christians to see any part of their Churches violated or prophaned by the Pagans yet that they should violate this Holy Place was a great Cordolium indeed and did augment their sorrow to the very full Whereupon Saint Chrysostome complaines after this manner writing to Innocent the first Bishop of Rome Neither was here saith he an end of those things for the Souldiers entred even into the very Sanctuarie Some whereof wee know were not so much as initiated in Divine Mysteries and there they saw those things which were within Yea and the most holy bloud of Christ was spilt upon the garments of the foresaid Souldiers as it falleth out in such a tumult And thus much for Reverence in entring THE next concernes our Deportment being entred all the time the Service is in doing Now this must bee such as becommeth those who either speake unto God or have God speaking unto them For as in hearing God commeth neere unto us so in Prayer we come neere unto him And if so as so it is then surely bold and lazie postures are unsufferable and irreverent gestures more then unseemely Some may not sit when others stand or scorne to bend when others kneele 1 Cor. 11. ● Saint Paul who would have all things to bee done decently and in order forbids the covering of the head and would that hee who made the whole man should bee worshipped of the whole For as wee must shew our faith by our workes in like manner our inward humiliation devotion and honour to our God must bee sure to appeare in our * 1 Cor. 6.20 outward gestures and comely postures at his holy service God expects that we serve in both soule and body For as the second without the first is a dead oblation so the first without the second is but a maimed offering Which agrees to that of Saint Paul in another place With the heart man beleeveth Rom. 10.101 and with the tongue hee confesseth Or more plainly to that of David Oh come Psal 95.6 let us worship and fall downe and kneele before the Lordour Maker Or if you will to that of Saint Paul yet once againe saying Rom. 12.1 I beseech you brethren by the mercies of God that yee give up your bodyes as well as your soules a living sacrifice The second Precept speakes as much For if wee may not bow unto an Image because God is a jealous God then without question we must in such parts of his service as require it bow and fall downe when wee worship Him Did not the Divell therefore thinke it a great point of honour to have our Saviour shew his worship and reverence towards him by falling down in worshiping of him He did not say It sufficeth if thou wilt but inwardly adore me Math. 4.9 But All these will I give thee if thou wilt fall downe and worship mee And in heaven Revel 4.10 as Saint Iohn saw it represented to him is not God worshipped by the bowings or fallings downe of those that bee there Verely as I have already shewed Heaven is alwayes like it selfe The Church Militant is a kind of heaven upon earth and therefore the Congregations in it must imitate the Assemblies which are Triumphant Here wee must take no knowledge of either Father or Mother Master or Dame or other of our Betters so as wee leave Gods service and rise from our knees to honour them For they that doe thus seeme to say to God Almightie Stay a while I shall bee for thee againe anonne My Master and Mistris are not yet in their seates I am now standing up unto them and will by and by kneele downe againe unto thee But whoever they bee who have used to doe thus must if they doe as they ought doe so no more For if they doe they preferre the Creature before the Creatour and reverence their Master above their Maker For 't is a Rule that when the dutie which wee owe to God and the dutie which wee owe to Man stand in competition both together we must then leave all Father and Mother Master and Mistris to waite upon God Have yee not houses to eate and to drinkein Despise yee the Church of God saith the Apostle although in another case So may I say in this There bee other times and other places to shew your dutie and respect

crucis for the death of the Crosse For whereas the chiefe Priests Scribes and Elders at the time of his death * Math. 27.37.40 mocked him in allusion to his name saying Hee saved others himselfe he cannot save and whereas the Iewes and wicked Miscreants have alwayes ever since derided the Christians with their crucified Iesus it pleased the Lord in his wisdome to exalt his Name so much the more by how much it was debased and vilified by wicked men And this hee would should be expressed by some externall gesture thereby to shew the inward obeysance and subjection which is due to Christ Against which whilst some object that it cannot be meant of any actuall bowing of the knee because Angels Soules departed Divels and damned soules have no knees to bow they doe but deceive themselves For the Apostle speaking unto men speakes after the manner of men giving us to understand that as wee are to shew our reverence and subjection by bowing of the knee so they by some such gesture as is truly correspondent to this of ours Wee know that in * 1 Cor. 13.1 another place hee gives the Angels tongues And therefore may as well in this place give them knees They have the one as well as the other And so in their kind doe what is here commanded us They their way wee ours for there be many passages in the * Rev. 4.10.2.5.8 c. 14.7.11 See also Heb. 1.6 Revelation which may cleare this doubt And albeit some of these of whom the Text speaketh be of a different quality from the saints and Angels and are therefore obstinately bent against Christ Iesus and will not for the present do their Reverence nor be willing to shew any outward token of subjection or obedience yet seeing Christ must reigne till he have put all his enemies under his feet 1 Cor. 15.25 the time shall be sure to come when the strongest opposites shall bee brought unto it and whether they will or no be made to stoope and to do open reverence to that blessed name which hath bin so often scorned and derided by the Devils and wicked And therefore let every one that liveth bee afraid even how he leanes to perversnesse lest he come at last to be accounted guiltie of a desperate evill For when we have done the best wee can it is no whit more then Christ hath merited For worthy is the Lambe that was slaine to receive power riches wisdome strength honour glorie and blessing Revelat. 5.12 Besides were it so that this were not spoken properly in respect of us who have knees it may as well bee granted that neither is it required of us that wee should confesse for the one is mentioned in the text of Saint Paul as well as the other So that if wee take away the proprietie of speech from the one wee take it also from the other and then wee are as little bound to confesse as to bow which were a tenet directly opposite to a knowne truth For as with the heart Man beleeveth so with the tongue he confesseth as the Scripture elsewhere speaketh viz. Rom. 10.9 10. Nor againe is there cause to feare that although wee bow at the name of Iesus and not at the name of God that wee doe thereby advance the Sonne above the Father For first this honour of Christ begins with the Father hee was the cause of it by Him was his Sonne exalted both in his person and his name which hee would should bee acknowledged and therefore saith the text every knee shall bow and every tongue confesse And secondly as it began with him so it ends with Him also for saith the text againe It is unto the glorie of God the Father And no marvell for it redounds much to His glorie that wee should thus honour his Sonne It is no will-worship taken upon our owne heads but such as even the Father himselfe both desireth should bee done and is not only well pleased that it be done but also glorified in regard that it is done From whence it appeareth that this bowing to the Sonne is in effect a bowing to the Father also at whose command and unto whose glorie we doe it And although it be in it selfe a dutie of the text yet hath the Church also interposed her authoritie for the more strict and decent observation of it Canon 18. Injunct 52. In which neither doth our present Canon nor that Injunction of Queene Elizabeth cause more to bee done then what had formerly beene observed in the Church of God in those ancient times which had beene before For when they speake of reverence done at the name of Iesus these words are also mentioned viz. as it hath beene accustomed Nor was it a late custome among the Papists for even in the dayes of Saint Hierom. the Christian Church was carefull to observe it His words bee these Hier. in Isa 45.23 Moris enim Ecclesiastics est Christo genuflectere quod Iudaei mentis superbiam demonstrantes omnino non faciunt For it is saith hee the custome of the Church to bow the knee to Christ which the Iewes shewing the perversnesse of their mindes altogether refuse to doe Thus it was then but how long before I cannot tell Only this I observe from hence that the ancient Church understood that text where this dutie is taught in the same sense that we understand it now And therefore how they can bee acquitted from enemies of the Orthodox veritie who feare not to stand against it no man I suppose is able to declare And sooner by farre may they bring forth an argument of spight then an evidence of the spirit who speake against it The people must use the Answers of the Liturgie The next dutie that I shall mention is that being in Gods house and at his service care must bee had to use all the Answers of the holy Liturgie and that cheerefully and aloude not whispering or betweene the teeth nor as some doe silently and not at all For tell me I beseech you where is the eagernesse of your Prayers and Prayses if in a publike Assemblie yee bee as mute as fishes Revel 14.2 I heard a voice from heaven saith Saint Iohn as the sound of many waters and as the sound of a great Thunder and I heard the voyce of Harpers harping with their harpes Like unto which should bee the voyce of the Church on earth in all her severall Congregations when shee uttereth her Prayers and Prayses to the God of heaven For first wee are to come joyntly to the place of publike meeting like the concourse of many waters whose voyce stands to signifie the voyce of a numerous and full multitude being met together Secondly to bee earnest in our devotions like the sound of a great Thunder And then thirdly shall this loude voyce of ours bee musicall like unto those heavenly Harpers harping with their harpes It may be Multa vox ex

thousand Protestants at that time more then there were Yet had he come into our ordinary parish Churches hee would have surely said There is much wanting in that reverent behaviour which is required of devout worshippers and more Protestants might bee in England if all places were alike ordered Give mee leave therefore to insist upon five things concerning our assemblies or worshipping of God in his house and one more to be regarded at all times else aswell when there is no Assemblie as when there is The five be these First that at the time of publick worship wee be not Late commers Secondly that we be not Ill Enterers Thirdly that our deportment at the time of our being there be reverent Fourthly that our departure be not till all be ended And then last of all that it be such as becommeth those who are going to their owne houses from the house of God I shall take them in order The first concernes our late comming which is an ill disease and a sore evill for they that bee backward in their service to God are a great way behind in the way to heaven and to preferre their owne fancies before godly orders is to decline the steps of pious leaders And of this they are guiltie who be dull in their approach to the house of God Psal 87.2 For as the Lord loveth the gates of Sion more then all the dwellings of Iacob so the Children of God delight to bee there as knowing that then they are come before him in a more speciall manner then when they were at home in their owne houses Yea and as they doe desire the heaven that is above So also to be one with those in the heaven beneath For that the Congregations of the Church militant is a kind of heaven upon earth is more then manifest and S. Iohn I doe beleeve hath an eye thereunto in that sacred booke of the Revelation Thus it was with David Psal 42.2 My soule saith he is athirst for God yea even for the living God Oh when shall I come and appeare before the presence of God And in another Psalme I was glad when they said unto me Let us goe into the house of the Lord. Psal 122.1 And in the Prophet Esay it is foretold as a token of the flourishing estate of Christs Church that many people shall say Esay 2.3 O come Let us goe up to the mountaine of the Lord to the house of the God of Iacob And in the Proverbs there is a blessing promised to them who seeke wisdome early Pro. 8.17 ●●● as also to those who watch daily at her gates and waite at the Posts of her doores And in the Acts the good Christians were altogether with one accord in one place Acts 2.1 ●● Acts 4 2● The neglect whereof is no signe of true zeale but a motive rather to stirre up the coactive power of Governours to compell them to come in when they are called that Gods house may be filled It was so in the Parable and must be so also in every particular Congregation I find it therefore ordered in the antient Church of Christ that they which came not in the beginning should be subject to censure as well as those who were absent or as they who departed away before all was ended To which purpose the authoritie of Cassian and forty seventh Canon of the Councell of Agatha is fitly alledged But besides that sloth which a slight regard of Gods house begets in many as well Sectaries as other carelesse Christians what doe I also heare Nothing more then that our prayers are common And what of that They are but as they ought The Church of God would never order that they should bee other Chrysost Hom. 18. in 2 Cor. cap. 8. Our prayers saith Chrysostome are common for all say the same prayer The reason whereof is given by certaine Councels Ne forte aliquid contra fidem vel per ignorantiam vel per minus studium sit compositum Lest perchance something might bee done through ignorance or earelesnesse which might be contrary to the faith as is expressed in the twelfth Canon of the Milevitan Councell in the yeare of our Lord 402. At which Councell S. Austin was present For among others that subscribed there was Aurelius Bishop of Carthage and Augustine Bishop of Hippo. Five yeares before which the third Councell of Carthage was * Viz. in the ●eare 397. celebrated there also was Augustine and in the 23 Canon thereof it was decreed that not any prayers should bee used in the Congregations but such as had beene formerly approved See Math. 6.7.8.9 Math. 23.14 Neither is all this but agreeable to our Saviours meaning who because hee delighted not in vaine bablings taught his Disciples to make use both of a short and set forme And also how unfitting it ever was to give way to private fancies in a publike assemblie S. Paul declareth For when yee come together how is it saith hee that every one hath a Psalme 1 Cor. 14.26 hath a doctrine hath a tongue hath a revelation Let all things bee done to edifying Long before which times it was the counsell of Solomon Eccles 5.2 Let thy words bee few for God regardeth not our prayers according to their length but according to their strength and pithinesse And indeed to have short formes and often ejaculations shewes the eagernesse of the spirit and is to be truly instant in prayer to aske to seeke to knock Dare any therefore be so bold as to vilifie the short and pithy prayers of the Church and thereupon perswade the simple that they have just cause to bee rardie commers Dare they affirme that they are but shreds and pieces and not worthy the name of prayers and that in the Letanie is a kind of conjuring Prophane wretches as they are to bee thus disordered They might easily perceive if they were not blind that the Church goes piously to worke according to the rule of Gods holy word and may be no more blamed no not for her Lord have mercy on us Christ have mercy on us Lord have mercy on us and the like short eager requests no more I say then our Saviour blamed the good woman of Canaan devout Bartimeus or told us that the humble Publican displeased God when hee said no more but See Math. 15.22.15 Mark 10.48 Luke 18.13 God be mercifull to me a sinner An admonition yet I hope may come in time Let these people therefore take heed that God wipe not out their names out of the Booke of life for scorning that Booke which containes the services of the living God in which I know nothing contrary to his holy Word Nay rather this I know that it well agreeth to the holy Scriptures and in the substance forme and order thereof to the formes of the ancient Church containing things not only of excellent use but of absolute necessitie For that