Selected quad for the lemma: knowledge_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
knowledge_n	commit_v	sin_n	sin_v	2,906	5	9.7075	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A47777	The parasynagogue paragorized, or, A parenetical confutation of the epidemical error which asserteth, separation from parochial church-communion : demonstrating their practice, who on the Lords day neglect the publick exercises of divine worship in their parochial congregations, and frequent (cæteris paribus) other churches, to be anti-scriptural / by John Lesly ...	Lesly, John, d. 1657.	1655 (1655)	Wing L1171; ESTC R11754	60,778	214

lewdnesse of Life he was degraded and deprived of all Ecclesiastical Liberties priviledges and endowments This is not only witnessed by Socrates in the Synodical Epistle of the first councel at Nice but also recorded by Eusebius Sozomen and Theodoret. Neither may they be forborne or tolerated in their Office upon their Repentance For as Repentance will never cure their Insufficiency So it must be a very notable Repentance that must at all much lesse suddainly readmit a scandalous person into the Ministery In the Primitive Church after such hainous sinning they would admit him to the Ministery no more were he never so penitent though they did admit him ad Laicam Communionem with the people Conc. Car. Anno 258. et conc Ro. 3.487 As for their maintenance it is forfeited by all law Divine and humane seeing it was given them only as unto Pastors for the worke of Christ and service of the Church only Quamdiu ●e bene gesserint therefore so farre as they are able saith a Pious Judicious Mr. Baxter concord p. 107. and learned late Writer they should make the Church restitution of the profits and emolumets which for so many yeares they have so unjustly received it being before God but plain robbery and one of the most hateful kinds of robbery that can be imagined to starve and destroy mens souls and thus to takes hire for it Moreover seeing the sincere keeping Covenant with God in Christ is a chief part of our Christian Religion and a matter of absolute necessity to our salvation It is as hard trusting the guidance of that man againe who hath once betrayed us and the Church unto sinne and superstition as it is to trust a Commander who once turned traitor and would deliver up his Army to the power of the Enemie Nature teacheth to forsake such Commanders in obedience to their Supreme Soveraigne and for safety of our selves Eng. Ann. en Eccl. 19.22 Lastly An ignorant or scandalous Pastor is so farre from being a gracious Mediator between God and his people as he should be that he is like to draw rather wrath upon himself then procure favour for them Yea the Poet telleth us that they endanger their flocks Homer Odys l. 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Evil shepherds infect their flocks They who sinne in Gods House or Sanctuary Isa 65.3 are said to provoke the Lord to his face and to do evil before his eyes as if a Servant should doe things directly crosse to his Masters mind and command to his face Now as when the fear or knowledg of man is removed for a man freely to indulge himself a liberty of sinning is a high provocation and to make a practice of it would argue a desperate case So when their sinne cometh to be publick it is the more grievous being committed by them who should have beene exemplary for Piety and Religion do suffer in their sinne for want of sincerity If so notable a Prophet as Moses escaped not punishment for the Psalmist saith Psal 106.32 It went evil with him for the Israelites sake though others provoked him to sinne how much shall they be subject to Gods judgment who by Ignorance or Scandal cause Gods children to sin § 3. But howsoever an Ignorant or Scandalous Pastor ought to be cashiered yet it is not in the peoples power to reject or relinquish one that is already their Teacher and separate from Church-communion with him except when he is utterly intolerable and all orderly meanes for his ejection do faile It cannot be proved from Scripture that any people may reject or depose their Ministers much lesse a lesser part of a Church may do it when the greater dissenteth No nor a greater because it tendeth to confusion Mr. Baine telleth you that Pastor and people are as individually joyned together as husband and wife That as no cause can separate husband and wife but Adultery so nothing beside insufficiency through ignorance or scandalous living can separate Pastor and people For as he is sacred in his first instalment so in the performance of his office he was honourable in the times of the Heathen Tertullian tells us Tert. de Cor. Mil. c. 10. that heathen Priests were crowned A symbole that they could not be degraded nor cashiered And the first Crown which the Romans used was their Spicea Corona given as a Religious Ensign in honour of their Priests Honosque is non nisi vitâ sinitur Plinius Nat. Hist lib. 18. c. 2. exules etiam captosque comitatur saith Pliny nought but death could terminate this honour which was their companion both in exile and captivity Concil Laodic cap. 13 Anno. 320 Sure I am that it was decreed in an ancient Councel That the people must not be permitted to elect and therefore not to reject their Pastor If your Minister then be unable to teach you do not admit him at first But if he be able to teach you and guide you be ruled by him even in things that to you are doubtful except he teach you any singular points and then take the advice of other Ministers in trying it Expect not that he should humour you and please your fancies and say and do as you would have him It is contrary not only to all examples in any age of the Church but to the office of Pastors and Duties of the people in Scripture to guide their Pastors and not to be guided by them but to joyn with other Congregations on the Lords day either in the forenoon or afternoon as much as with their determined Parish or Congregation Yet Nazianzen teacheth us Naz. Ep. 26 That he that thus despiseth his Pastor is a vain man and by reason of his presumption a new Dathan or Abiram And we complain to the Lord in the words of the same holy Father that it all our sufferings this thing is the most ridiculous Naz. Ep. 31 and yet most to be pityed that we are the same men that are injured and accused For some men object one thing against us others another according as their either mind or manners or mischievous passions so suggest and the most favourable men to us do neglect or contemn us and after we have spent our strength and spirits for their good they cast us aside as vile and dishonest vessels Thus Nazianzen with whom we againe doe complaine Naz. Or. 32 Iren. Praes l. 1. n. 18. that the world seeketh not Pastors but Orators And Irenaeus before him sheweth us that it is the duty of a faithfull Pastor to study the Truth and not Eloquence I remember that Sozomen writeth that Aetius the Eunomian Atheist his Eloquence was to matchlesse Soz. l. 4. c. 22. Eus l. 7. c. 31 that it made his errour impregnable And Eusebius reporteth that Meletius the Heretick for his eloquence was called Mel Atticum The hony of Greece This I write not for any evil eye I bear to them