Selected quad for the lemma: heaven_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heaven_n	earth_n	remit_v	retain_v	1,874	5	9.7234	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A64635	Certain discourses, viz. of Babylon (Rev. 18. 4.) being the present See of Rome (with a sermon of Bishop Bedels upon the same words) of laying on of hands (Heb. 6. 2.) to be an ordained ministry, of the old form of words in ordination, of a set form of prayer : each being the judgment of the late Arch-bishop of Armagh, and Primate of Ireland / published and enlarged by Nicholas Bernard ... : unto which is added a character of Bishop Bedel, and an answer to Mr. Pierces fifth letter concerning the late Primate.	Ussher, James, 1581-1656.; Bedell, William, 1571-1642.; Bernard, Nicholas, d. 1661.	1659 (1659)	Wing U161; ESTC R10033	109,687	392

them to the Lords Table again as is evident by their frequent expressions that way which the Primate doth declare 3. In the administration of the Sacraments which being a part of the Ministerie of reconciliation and the Seales of the Promises must necessarily also have reference to remission of sins and so the ancient Fathers of whom the Primate alleadgeth diverse do hold that as these words whose sins ye remit are remitted unto them c. are a part of our Commission so 't is exercised by the Ministers of Christ in the Sacraments of Baptisme and the Communion yet so that the Ministery only is to be accounted mans and the power Gods it being saith Saint Augustine One thing to baptize by way of Ministerie another by way of power which the Lord hath retained to himself as to the Authority of remission of sins in it according to that of Iohn Baptists distinction between the externall and internall Baptisme he baptized with the Baptisme of water to the remission of sins but attributes that of baptizing with the Holy Ghost to Christ onely 4. In the word of God preached there is exercised this part of our function in loosing men from their sins being a speciall part of this Ministery of reconciliation committed to us as the Embassadours of Christ here upon the earth for that end sinners are said to be holden with the cords of their own sins Prov. 5. 12. The Apostles saith Saint Ierome according to their Commission given them by their Master Whosoever you shall loose on earth shall be loosened in heaven which beares the same sense with remitting and retaining of sins here Did loose those cords by the word of God and Testimonies of Scripture and exhortations unto vertues Saint Ambrose saith the same that sins are remitted by the word of God c. And so calls the Levite that interpreted the Law a Minister of remission As the Iewish Scribes by taking away this key of knowledge are said to shut up the Kingdom of heaven so a Scribe fitted for the Kingdome of God in the Ministery is a meanes by it to open the door of heaven to them by being an instrument to open mens eyes and to turn them from darknesse to light from the power of Satan to God that they may receive forgivenesse of sius c. And by applying the word unto the consciences of their hearers the Ministers of Christ did discharge that part of their function which concerns forgivenesse of sins not only declaratively but operatively in as much as God is pleased to use their preaching of the Gospel as a meanes of conferring his spirit upon the sons of men and of working of faith and repentance whereby remission of sins is obtained thus Iohn is said to have preached the Baptisme of repentance and to have given knowledge of salvation to the people for the remission of sins and Saint Iames cap. 5. 20. saith he that converts a sinner from the errour of his way shall save a soule from death and hide a multitude of sins This hiding or covering is meant forgivenesse as 't is accordingly set forth elsewhere Rom. 4. 7. blessed is the man whose sins are forgiven and whose iniquities are covered c. Now is there not as much offence in saying Ministers do save mens soules or save men from their sins the propriety of our Saviour as to say they forgive them their sins the turning men from their iniquities is Gods act alone according to the frequent prayer in the Prophets unto him first yet in regard the word of reconciliation is committed to them as the ordinary meanes of it by a usuall Trope of the Act of the agent given to the instrument it is attributed unto them of which might be given many instances Timothy 1 Ep. 1. 4. is said to save them that hear him though there is but one Saviour because he preached the word of salvation by which they were saved Acts 12. 14. the word of God preached by the Apostles is called by our Saviour their word Iohn 17. 20. and that which is properly the work of God is called their worke 1 Thes. 5. The Corinthians who believed by Saint Pauls Ministery are said to be his Epistle i. e. the Epistle of Christ ministred by him as ye have it expounded in the next verse following And so why may not forgivenesse of sins be said to be the work of the Ministers i. e. the work of Christ ministred by them being so far honoured as to be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Coworkers together with him According unto which is the judgement of Dr. Ward that Reverend and learned Professor of Divinity in Cambridge in that determination of his in Comitiis an 1637. mense Octob. Potestas clavium extenditur ad remissionem culpae where are many of the like observations which I found inclosed in a letter unto the Primate for his approbation where I find somewhat more then is in that which is printed viz. 80. Sic argumentatur Alensis part 4. q. 21. membr 1. Paris potestatis est interius baptizare à culpa mortali absolvere Sed Deus non debuit potestatem baptizandi interius communicare ne spes poneretur in homine ergo pari ratione non potestatem absolvendi ab actuali peccato fundamentum hujus rationis habetur apud Cyprianum de lapsis And the like may be said of the binding part of their office called here retaining of sins Do we not read how the Ministers are sometimes brought in like those seven Angels in the book of the Revelation which poure out the Vialls of Gods wrath upon the earth Saint Paul saith 2 Cor. 10. 6. he had vengeance in readinesse against all disobedience yet vengeance is mine I will repay saith the Lord what other sense can it be but this he is said to be the inflicter because he was in Christs name the denouncer even as Ieremiah cap. 1. 10. is said to be set over the Nations and Kingdomes to pluck up and to pull down to destroy and to root out because God had put these words in his mouth and was ordained by him as a Prophet to pronounce destruction to them accordingly or as Ezekiel cap. 43. 3. is said to have destroyed the City by being said to pronounce destruction to it The Primate observes that we often meet with these speeches concerning the Leprosie which was a Type of the pollution of sin the Priest shall cleanse him the Priest shall pollute him Lev. 13. according to the Hebrew and the Greek version and out of Saint Ierom that 't is said verse 44. the Priest with pollution shall pollute him not that he is the Author of his pollution but that he declares him to be polluted and uncleane whereupon the Master of the sentences and others do observe that in remitting and retaining of sins the Priests of the Gospel have the like power and office which the Priests of

on seven hills the Conclusion is That she is the great Citie which raigneth over the Kings of the Earth In this Chapter Saint Iohn proceeds in the same ter and tells how he saw first a mighty Angel descending from Heaven and proclaiming the fall of this Babylon Verse 2. 3. and towards the end of the Chapter to confirm the matter wih a sign another mighty Angel takes up a Milstone and throwes it into the Sea with this word with like violence Babylon shall be thrown and no more be found In the middest between the Voyces of these two Angels is inserted a long Speech uttered also by a Voyce from Heaven begining at this fourth Verse which I have now read and extending to the twenty ninth partly admonishing Gods People to come out of this Babylon in time partly describing her pride and security going before her destruction partly bringing in as it were the Funeral Song that is sung for her by her followers and Lovers partly exhorting Heaven with those that dwell therein to rejoyce at her ruine This is the Order now for the meaning of the words that shall appeare best by resolving three Questions 1. Whos 's this Voyce is 2. To whom it speaks And 3. What We need not be long to seek Who it is that speaks For both those that speak before and after are expresly called Angels and he that now speaks lacks that Addition and the interest that he challengeth in those that are spoken to calling them My People sheweth plainly to use the words of our blessed Authour in his speech to Peter at the Sea of Tiberias It is the Lord. And albeit those relations between the Lord and his People are often mentioned in Scripture without any restraint to any one person in the blessed Trinity yet because he that here speaks telleth of the Lord Gods judgeing the great Citie Verse the 8. As of another and third person Strong is the Lord God that judgeth her And again Verse 20. Speaking to the Prophets and Apostles saith God hath avenged you on her It is evident that he who hear speakes is the Mediatour Our Lord Jesus Christ who carries his people not in his minde onely but in the Explication of his name Matthew 1. 21. He shall save his People from their sinnes Whereto it fitly agrees that this Voyce is uttered From Heaven where our Lord Jesus is at the right hand of God We see the speaker now who are spoken unto Christs People There is no doubt but in some Sense all the World are Christs People His Inberitance his Possession And so much is often expres●y expressed But yet the Scripture in many places intimateth that this phrase restraineth from the World to some particular and choice people namely Israel The Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a speciall people unto himselfe above all People that are upon the face of the Earth So Chapter 10. The Lords portion is his People Jacob the lot of his Inheritance Ye shall be my peculiar Treasure above all People though all the Earth be mine Hence it is that these two My people and Israel are used indifferently in the same Sentence as Psalm 57 Heare O my people O Israel and so in many other places yet even amongst these there is some time a difference put for all that are of Israel are not counted Gods People to some of them it is said Hear the Word of the Lord ye Rulers of Sodome give ear ye People of Gomorah And for an upbraiding of their continual rebellions against the Lord the Prophet Hosea is bidden to name one of his sons Lo-mmi ye are not my people and when to all other their Rebellions they rejected yea crucified the Lord of Glory the Lord also rejected them and as he threatned by his Prophet called his servants by another name Christians Even these also are in a different manner socalled sometimes all that are within the Covenant of Grace and the Sacraments thereof are called Christs People sometimes those that he hath foreknown and that are within the grace of the Covenant God hath not cast away his People whom he foreknew according to that I will put my Law into their inward parts and write it in their hearts I will be their God and they shall be my People And these are those here most properly spoken unto as appears because the Motives here used the fear of partaking in sinne and punishment most properly work upon these besides these being oppressed holden in Captivity by the mystical Babylon here spoken of are in the 6. Verse Exhorted to cry her quittance in the same words almost which the ancient Church of Israel useth concerning the old Babel O Daughter of Babylon which art to be destroyed happy shall he be that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us The third and last Point to be cleared remains what the people of God are commanded to doe goe out of her saith our Lord Iesus Christ That is doubtlesse out of Babylon before proclaimed to be fallen that is after the Prophetical phrase certainly to fall Babel is fallen is fallen whence this form is borrowed That Babel was a City in Chaldea standing by the River Euphrates where by the occasion of the presumptious Tower the Languages of Mankinde were confounded Genesis 11. 10. The first seate of Nymrods Tyranny Chapter 10. 10. Nebuchadnezer the King thereof carried thither Captive Iehoiakim and with him Daniel and his companions together with the vessels of the House of God about some twelve years after Zedekiah also was carried away Captive to the same place Ierusalem burnt the Temple desolated and the whole people in a manner carried out of their own land to the same place of Babel where they continued seventy years unto the overthrow of the Babylonian Monarchy by Cyrus The Prophets Isay and Jeremiah foretel the ruine of this Babel and delivering of Gods People from her Tyranny whom they exhort upon her fall to returne into their own land Hence is this forme taken and this whole Chapter is compiled of little else but the phrases of the Prophets touching Babel and Tyrus as the diligent reader by comparing the concording places may easily perceive This Exhortation to leave Babylon is Depart ye Depart ye goe out from thence remove out of the middest of Babylon and goe forth out of the land of the Chaldeans flee out of the middest of Babylon and deliver every man his Soul be not cut off in her iniquitie for sake her and let us goe every one into his own Countrey Vers. 45. My people goe ye out of the middest of her and deliver ye every man his Soul from the fierce anger of the Lord which as you see are almost the very words of this Text so that which followes here in the seaventh Verse I sit as a Queen and am no VVidow and shall see no

for his pleasure sake And because they would not submit to her Obedience I think it will very evidently appeare that they are imcomparably more then all those that suffered Martyrdome for the Christian Religion under Heathen Romes persecution To omit those whom as an Imperious Harlot she hath caused to be killed for calling her name in question Thus you see the Description of Babylon doth no lesse agree to the present then the old Heathen Rome the great City her command over the Kings of the Earth Her inchanting Cup Her wantonness and delicacy Her arrogancy and pride Lastly that bloudy and bloud thirsty Cruelty against the worshippers of Christ exercised by her and which I desire you to observe by her alone for in no other part of the Christian world you shall find it To conclude then since neither Heathen Rome onely as she was heathen as Bellarmine would have it can be Babylon nor partly Heathen and partly Antichristan as revolted from the Pope with a gap of a thousand years between as Viegas divineth And the Character that the Holy Ghost sets upon Babylon doth no lesse but rather more agree to the present Pontifical Rome then to the old Imperial It is the falsely termed Christian indeed the Antichristian Rome which is the Babylon out of which Gods People are called And how they are to go out of her it rests to be considered Bellarmine cites Saint Augustine to prove that it is Corde non Corpore not in place but affection But the Temple of Gods people departing from Babel would seemto imply both And the rather because this great City is spiritually called Sodo● and Egypt now such was the departure of Lott out of Sodome and Israel out of Egypt It is true that by Cyrus his Edict Gods people were permitted to return into their own Countrey to the place where the Lords worship was then fixed Now there is no such place specially appointed as our Lord Iesus Christ shews in his speech with the woman of S●maria But certainly if any of Gods people cannot by separation in judgement and affection so live as not to be partakers of the sins of Babylon they are to go out bodily also and in no wise to touch any unclean thing Gods people are warned to do even by the consideration of the Holy vessels of the Lord which they carried with them out of Babylon The reason which confirms this charge of going out of Babylon is drawn from the danger of participation in her sins and in her Plagues that is blowes stripes punishments which are not onely those mentioned in the 8 Verse Death Mourning Famine Fire but as in the 14. Chapter where the same Proclamation is made of her fall which is here the drinking of the hot and unalaid wine of Gods vengeance and to be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the Holy Angels and the Lamb and the smoak of their torments shall ascend for ever and ever We have thus descussed the meaning of this Scripture which being all laid together is this Saint Iohn hears our Lord Iesus Christ admonishing from Heaven his faithful people to come out of the obedience of Romish Popish Babylon least partaking with her in her sins they receive also of her stripes and punishments both Temporall and Eternal Here concerning the person of the speaker mentioned in this first place and that circumstance that he speaks from Heaven I will for the present say no more but desire onely that it may renew the religious attention of all that each would say with himselfe I will hearken what the Lord God will say for he will speak Peace unto his People and to his Saints that they turn not to folly That every one would remember the words of the Apostle see that ye despise not him that speaketh for if you escaped not when ye refused him that speaketh one Earth much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him that speaketh from Heaven But these points shall be more profitably pressed when we shall have considered the speech it self Wherein observe first he call ●is people to come out of Babylon a plain Argument that there are many not onely good Moral and Civil honest men there but good C●ristians not redeemed onely but in the possession of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ which may be confirmed by these reasons First there is amongst these that are under the tyranny of the Romish Babylon the Sacrament of entrance into the Covenant of Grace Baptisme by which those that are partakers thereof are made Members of Christ ●he children of God and heirs of Eternal lif● of these that have but this Seal of Gods Covenant viz. infants are no small and contemptible part of Gods People though as yet they cannot hear this Voyce of Christ calling out of Babylon besides this there is publication of the tenure of the Covenant of Grace to such as are of years though not so openly and purely as it might and ought yet so as the grounds of the Catechisme are preached sin is shewed Christs redemption or the story of it is known Faith in him is called for and this Faith is by the Grace of God wrought in some For the Word of God and his Calling is not fruitless but like the rain returneth not in vain and where true Faith is Men are translated from death to life he that believeth in the Son hath everlasting life Some men perhaps may object the Faith which they describe and call by this name of Catholick Faith Is none other but such as the Divels may have I answer Religion is not Logick He that cannot give a true definition of the soul is not for that without a soul so he that defines not Faith truely yet may have true Faith learned Divines are not all of accord touching the definition of it But if as by the whole stream of the Scripture it should seem to be a trust and cleaving unto God this Faith many there have the Love of our Lord Iesus Christ is wrought in many there now he that loveth Christ is loved of him and of the Father also and because the proof of true love to Christ is the keeping of his sayings their are good works and according to the measure of knowledge great conscience of obedience Yea will some man say But that which marreth all is the Opinion of merit and satisfaction Indeed that is the School Doctrine but the Conscience enlightned to know it self will easily act that part of the Publican who smote his breast and said God be merciful to me a sinner I remember a good advice of one of that side let others saith he that have commi●ted few si●nes and done ma●y good workes satisfie for their sins But whatsoever thou d●st refer it to the Honour of God so as whatsoever good come from thee thou resolve to doe it to please God accounting thy works too

Phygellus Hermogenes and Diotrephas but as in neither of them doth there appear any sanctified grace of the spirit so we do not read it caused any suspension of the vertue of their ministerial acts to the receivers or that the Apostles gave order for any reiteration of them personal faults not voyding Acts of Office and so why should the like be a prejudice to it in these succeeding Ages Receiving supposeth a gift but 't is as the giving of a summe to a Steward by his Lord not to his own private use but for the dispensing of it to the family And to say no more there are some learned Interpreters do apply that passage 1 Iohn Chap. 2. 20. to an ordained Ministery yee need not that any man teach you but as the same anointing teacheth you all things and is truth Beza 's words upon the place are these the same anointing he could not with a more cleare Testimony have adorned the Pastors and Teachers from whom they were instructed and daily as yet are then to say they were taught by the holy Ghost had bin formerly c. Piscators words are these The anointing teacheth i. e. the Ministry of the word or the Holy Ghost efficacious by the preaching of the Gospel wherefore the Ministery ought to be in a great esteem with us Ye see they do not understand by this Vnction or anointing signifying the Holy Ghost an immediate teaching or inspiration as by some Enthusiasme but immediately through the Ministery ordained for that end by a Metonymy as they say of the Adjunct the oyntment for the hand which applyes it or delivers it to you and the teaching you all things is meant of all things necessary to salvation the credenda and agenda which by the Ministery had bin so f●lly taught them that they needed not to be taught by Saint Iohn again here If any shall object as it hath been nnto me that of Saint Augustine lib. 15. de Trinit cap. 27. Quomodo ergo Deus non est qui dat Spiritum Sanctum imò quantus Deus est qui dat Deum neque enim aliquis discipulorum ejus dedit Spiritum Sanctum orabant quippe ut veniret in eos quibus manus imponebant non ipsi eum dabant quem morem in suis praepositis etiam nune servet Ecclesia c. i. e. How should not he be God who gives the Holy Ghost nay how great a God who gives God for neither any of his disciples gave the holy Ghost they prayed indeed that it might come upon those on whom they imposed hands they did not give it themseles which custom the Church now observes c. 1. In the words before these he speaks of a double giving of the Holy Ghost by our Saviour the one on earth after his resurrection the other from heaven after his Ascension upon the day of Pentecost now in relation to the latter in those extraordinary gifts of the spirit the words objected have their principal application which doth not concern that we have in hand which is only of the former being meant of successive ministerial authority for the ordinarie dispensing of the office Secondly whereas he saith the Church hath observed that custome in imposition of hands to pray for the persons reciving of it hath bin formerly acknowledged to be one sense of that clause viz. by way of impetration Take the gift of the spirit pro dono infuso so we use the words per modum impetrationis take it pro officio so we use it per modum collationis ministerially conferring the power of executing the office of a Minister there is no contradiction but that in the same act there may meet a collation of the office with authority to execute and an impetration for the persons receiving an assistance of the spirit in the executing of it which in the old in junction immediately followed in a prayer for the person ordained accordingly so that the custome and intention of our Church is no other then what was in Saint Augustines time not presuming to give the Holy Ghost in the latter sense only praying it might be given of God to him but only in the former So much for opening of the first clause in ordination Receive the Holy Ghost which rightly understood is not such a rock of offence as some have taken it to be in the disuse of it The second clause is whose sins thou forgivest they are forgiven whose sins thou doest retain they are retained At which as much if not more offence hath been taken then at the former as if it savoured of Popery which ● shall give you the Primates sense of also That it may be retained in ordination and attributed safely to the office of the Ministery without the least savour that way which no man that knew him and what Popery is but will acquit him of the least grain of it Thus far it will be granted by all sober persons 1. The Ministers may be said to remit sins by way of preparative to it in being the instruments by preaching the word of reconciliation to dispose men towards it in bringing them to repentance whereby they are capable of it 2. By way of Confirmation in exhibiting the seales of remission in the Sacraments according as one well glosseth upon these words 'T is Gods act onely to forgive sins but the Apostles are said to do it not simply but because they apply the means appointed of God for that end viz. the word and Sacraments What is there more in forgivenesse of sins then in reconciliation of God and man now ye find this given to the Ministery 2 Cor. 5. 18 19. God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them and hath committed unto us the word or ministery of reconciliation Gods act onely authoritate propria by his own supreme authority the Ministers act potestate vicaria as a substitute in Christs stead and the word doth include the Sacraments also as in our usual speech the Letters Pattents doth the Seale affixed to them as the Ministery doth the whole ministerial office 3. Declaratively in testifying this grace of God and declaring Gods good pleasure accordingly upon repentance unto the person like that of Nathan to David or Saint Peter to his Auditory Acts 3. as Ferus saith man doth not properly forgive sin but doth declare and certifie that it is remitted of God so that absolution received from man is as much to say behold my son I certifie thee that thy sins are forgiven thee I declare unto thee that God is at peace with thee which I relate the rather out of him both for his being a writer of the Church of Rome and that this passage is purged out of his book by them as erroneous as may be seen by comparing the Edition of Mentz with the Edition at Antwerp 1559 and 1570 Which agrees with that in the Articles of