Selected quad for the lemma: nation_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
nation_n	peculiar_a	people_n	priesthood_n	1,265	5	9.7438	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A23767	A sermon preached in St. Peter's Westminster on Sunday, Jan. 6, 1660 at the consecration of the Right Reverend Fathers in God, Gilbert, Lord Bishop of Bristoll, Edward, Lord Bishop of Norwich, Nicholas, Lord Bishop of Hereford, William, Lord Bishop of Glocester by Richard Allestry ...	Allestree, Richard, 1619-1681.	1660 (1660)	Wing A1163; ESTC R8500	24,735	46

on you from thence 2. The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Work and labour of the work the one is the Text's and the other Saint Paul's word require a whole man and therefore a man separate and if Saint Paul one of our separated persons here who had the fulness of the Spirit and the fulness of Learning too that was brought up in the Schools and brought up in Paradise taught by the Doctors and taught by the mouth of the Lord in the third heaven snatcht from the feet of Gamaliel to the presence of God to have a beatifical Vision of the Gospel if after all this he cry out who is sufficient for these things sure they are not sufficient who in those little intervals which their trades and necessities afford them fall into fits and frensies of Religion have a sharp Paroxysme of irregular convuls'd Divinity as if they were its 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 possest with their Theology till their weariness and not knowing what to say doe exorcise them But not to speak onely to the wild fancies of this Age the Scripture says of the men of these callings they are taken from among Men and ordain'd for Men in things pertaining to God And such discriminations are evinc'd by all the expressions of a Church in Scripture 'T is call'd the body of Christ Now the parts of a body as where they are so separate that they divide from one another they do not make a body but are an Execution so where they are not separate in a diversitie of organs for several faculties and operations it may be a dead Element as similar bodies are but cannot be that body which Saint Paul describes 1 Cor. 12. which is not one member but many vers 14. And if they were all one member where were the body vers 19. and indeed all that Chapter is inspired for this Argument In Christ's Church 't is as impossible that every one can be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Overseer as that every part in the body can be an Eye and the whole frame of man may be nothing else but a Tongue as well as every Christian may be a Preacher And if it might where indeed were the Hearing as Saint Paul does ask The Church is also call'd a building and Gods house Now it is true that every Christian is by Saint Peter call'd a lively stone and all of them built up a Spiritual house an holy Priesthood 1 Pet. 2. 5. and they all are a Royal Priesthood an holy Nation a peculiar separate people ver 9. Yet all this is no more of priviledge then is affirmed in the very same words of the Jewish Nation Exod. 19. 6. where yet God had his separated Levites Priests and High-Priests too But sure 't is manifest enough that in this building as in others stones have their separate places and distinct every one cannot bear up the Corner or be a pillar and foundation-stone much less can every one place it self in the Ephod assume to be of the Urim and the Thummim stones and there break out in Oracles and give responses and every rubbish stone set it self in the Mitre and shine in the head ornaments as if it were of the precious stones of Sion In fine to speak now out of Metaphor not onely the transactions of the Text which is a precedent for men to commission such and such but also all Scripture rules direct a Choice and where there is Election there is also dereliction and both evince a separation And if all the Nations in the World have had their distinct officers for Religion and as it were to signalize the separateness of their function in many nations they did live apart from Men The Priests had their adyta as well as the Deities dark solitary Groves were made choice of not so much for the God as for his Officer's retirement so that every appearance of him also was a Vision and the Priest was reveal'd as well as the Oracle and all this at the first to make a kind of sacred Pomp for the solemnity of awfulnes though afterwards it often prov'd but opportunity for foul performances And if to this uniform practice of the World Gods attestation be set who order'd it in his own government nor that as a Levitical or Jewish administration but it was practis'd amongst his own from the beginning and when dominions were but greater families there were still distinct persons for the imployments of Religion that was the office and the priviledge of the first-born Esau was call'd profane for selling that birthright of his And the word in the Text here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 separate is the same which God does word the sanctifying the first-born for him with Exod. 13. 2. 'T were easie to deduce all this out of all ancient Jewish Records And when the practice ever sinee hath been the same in Christs Religion after all this sure nothing else but absolute defection of the Notions of Mankinde and blotting out all the impressions of Universal Nature and Universal Religion or else an absolute Command from Heaven could alter this Establishment from which command we are so far that 't is the Holy Ghost himself that said expressly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 separate Now this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this Separateness in Function does infer upon us a separateness in Life and Conversation and they who are thus set apart from the world must keep themselves unspotted from the World To separate and Consecrate are but two words for the same thing Separate three Cities is the Command in Deut. 19. 2. they sanctified three josh. 20. 7. Our Offices assume them both and all are holy Orders Now separate and pure are both so primitive and so essential notions of holy that truly I cannot determine which of them is original and which secondary Our Consecration does challenge both and as we will be separate in our calling so we must be separate in our lives not conforming our selves to the World for I have chosen you out of the World saith Christ. A torrent licence of an Age must not carry us along an Universal Custome of the World must be no precedent and can be no excuse for us to doe what is irregular We are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 separate and that the world does such things is no more a plea for us to doe so then that because the World is Common ground therefore the Church is so too fit to be put to all the uses of the field or of worse places Were it a reasonable Argument because I see that the whole Countrey 's till'd why should not I break up the holy places and plow the Temple Why so we are enclos'd for God and separated for the uses of Religion and to preserve our selves pure for them Our Saviour says that the Community of Christians is a City upon an Hill and then