Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	bishop_n	church_n	true_a	3,104	5	4.6853	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A07535	Concerning imposition of hands A sermon a the Lord Archbishop his visitation metropolitical, held, at Saint Marie Cray in Kent, by the Bishop of Rochester his Graces commissioner, the 7 of September last, preached by Richard Milborne Doctor of Diuinitie, and parson of Seuenoke in Kent.	Milbourne, Richard, d. 1624.	1607 (1607)	STC 17917; ESTC S100306	14,523	52

is expressed at large both for the circumstance of imposing his handes on the childrens heads with particuler respect of their future estate as also for the substance of his prayer conceiued for that purpose God before whome my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walke God which hath fed me all my life long vnto this day and the Angell which hath deliuered mee from all euill blesse these children Thus also did our blessed Sauiour blesse those little ones that were brought vnto him Mat. 19.13 with this request that he would put his hands on them and pray Thus did Peter and Iohn lay their hands vpon the Samaritanes lately baptised by Philip the Euangelist that they might receiue a greater measure of grace Act. 8.17 And thus Saint Paul confirmed those 12. Ephesians after baptisme Act. 19.6 And by this rite procured vnto them sensible gifts of the holy Ghost Now as the Apostles were warranted to the obseruation of this custome either by their masters practise or precept or by some speciall direction of Gods spirit whereof they were then fully possessed according to Christs promise Nam nullus homo elficere potest vt externū symbolum contimeat certam pro missionem gratiae Chemnicius So they likewise commended it vnto the Church as an holy ordinance of perpetuall continuance in which respect Imposition of handes is marshalled among the fundamentall points of Catechisme taught in the primitiue Church Heb. 6.2 So that as repentance from dead workes faith toward God the doctrine of baptismes of the generall resurrection and eternall iudgement are still to continue In like sort is the laying on of hands after baptisme as there it is placed And as the Apostles of Christ left it so it hath for many hundred yeares continued in the christian world as a sacred institution of great reputation magnified of the ancient Fathers Tertull. Cyprian Ambr. August as a singuler meanes to confirme increase and perfect spirituall graces begun in baptisme whereof one saith spiritus sactus Eusebius emissenus sermone de penticosse qui in fonte baptismi plenitudinem tribuit ad innocentiam in confirmatione augmentum praestat ad gratiam the holy Ghost which in the fountaine of Baptisme giueth that fulnes that sufficeth for innocencie afterwards in confirmation exhibiteth an augmentation of further grace necessarie for performing the duties of a Christian life and resisting of all sinfull temptations so that their common conceit of this sacramental complement is that as by baptisme the faithfull are receiued in familiam Dei Aquia in sum part 3 q 72 art 1 so by confirmation cooptantur in militiam Dei or as another speaketh in baptismo regeneramur ad vitam post baptismū confirmamur ad pugnam This was the ancient account of this religious rite neuer impeached for many ages vntill of late some Ouer licencious in censuring the iudgement of antiquitie besides sundry trifling cauils haue excepted against it in two maine respects First that it is a fruitles ceremonie because no such manifest spirituall effects of languages and prophecie are now attained by it as were in the dayes of the Apostles But to this imputation Saint Augustine answered long ago Lib. 3. cap. 16. de baptis cont Donat. Neque enim temporalibus sensibilibus miraculis attestantibus per manus impositionem medodatur spiritus sanctus sicut antea dabatur ad commendationem rudis fidei Ecclesiae primordia dilatanda sed inuisibiliter latenter cordibus diuina charitas inspiratur And least any should imagine this to be but an idle fancie of that Father it is verie plaine in scripture that God doth vsually grace the first institution of his ordinances with extraordinarie tokens of his fauour which afterwarde cease with out any disparagement to his ordinance as at the first erection of that Sanedrin or great Councell of state among the Iewes Num. 11.25 euerie one of the seuentie Elders prophecied for a season to testifie that their calling was from heauen the surceasing of which gift in them and their successors was no derogation to their vocation being once sufficiently ratified Leuit. 9.24 Moreouer at the first institution of the Leuiticall Priesthood and Sacrifices there came a fire out from the Lord and consumed vpon the Altar the burnt offering and the fat which was not vsuall afterward saue at the establishing of Gods worship when the Temple was dedicated 2. Chron. 7.1 and at the restoring of religion vpon that generall apostasie in Elias his time 1. King 8.38 Many sacrifices were well accepted of God albeit they were not in like sort consumed with fire from heauen as these were So then as it were strange diuinitie to affirme that the spirit of God doth not now discend vpon the waters of ordinarie baptisme because it is not seene in the bodily shape of a Doue where in it came downe vpon Christ Mat. 3. at his baptising or to hold that in the common ministerie of the worde preached the spirit is not giuen because it falleth not visibly vpon the hearers as it did at saint Peters first sermon to the Gentiles Act. 10.44 No lesse strange is it to conclude that there commeth now no increase of sauing grace by confirmation because imposition of hands is not now accompanied with such miraculous effects as gaue it countenance at the beginning Miracula cessarunt ne eorum consuetudine frigesceret genus humanum Aug de ver relig ca 25 quorum nouitate flagrauit The second exception taken against this sacred ordinance is in regard of the Minister thereof namely a bishop or chief Pastor of the church which breedeth a conceite say they that it is a more excellent mysterie of religion then the sacrament of Baptisme which may be had at euery inferiour Ministers hands To this it may be replied 1 That it is a spice of refurbished Donatisme to value sacraments or sacred ordinances by the worth of their Minister Secondly that it hath euer been a custome in the Church of God which in Saint Pauls time was an argument of some weight especially in cases of this condition that the chiefe Gouernours 1. Cor 11 16 and spirituall Fathers onely haue ordinarily exercised this duetie from the first institution of it For when Iacob laid his hands on Iosephs sonnes hee was the ancientest Patriarch among the people of God and while Christ liued children were presented to him alone not to any of his Disciples And after his ascension none but the Apostles confirmed those whom inferior teachers had baptized and when they had finished their course Act. 8. the charge of imposing hāds is committed as we see here to Timothie a Bishop and consequently to others of like preeminence And this custom seemeth to be grounded vpon two speciall reasons The first whereof is that whereas the wonderfull effects of the Patriarchs blessings vpon their children and posteritie hath bred an opinion in all the world that there

fareth with him as with olde bottels in which new wine is put this was the cause of those preparatiue sanctifications before the participatiō of holy things in the time of the law Exod. 19 10. Mat. 9.17 Ito ad populum sanctifica eus hodie cras saith God to Moses before the giuing of the law Iob 1 5 And Iob first sanctified his sonnes and then sacrificed for them Thirdly hastie laying on of hands is vnlawfull in regarde of all the speciall ends for which it was vsed Non licet For first if it were ad curandum there is a time necessarily required to consider whether the patient haue faith to be healed Act 14 9. as S. Paul did ere he cured the lame man at Lystra If ad reconciliandum the trial of true repētance was with all diligence to be made which cannot be discerned vpō a sudden least hee that was loosed in earth should remain bound in heauē The former ages haue beene verie cautelous and circumspect in this point and therefore they measured out the time of repentance according to the qualitie of mens offences for to some they enjoyned it for the space of three yeares to others for seuen yeares to others for ten yeares to other for thirteen years as appeareth by the 11. Canon of the 1. Nicene Councell intituled De his qui sponte lapsi sunt qualiter debeant poenitere If Ad confirmandum handes must not be laid on before children be therevnto prepared vntill they be seasoned with the rudiments of Religion and bee capable of exhortation not to receiue the grace of God in vaine nor turne it into wantonnesse but that they bee carefull to grow vp in true godlinesse according to the grounds thereof laid and learned in their tender yeares If ad Ordinandum what a long time is necessarie to examine the sufficiencie of men for that calling vnto which so few are sufficient 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Apostle 2. Cor. 2.16 who can suddainely tell what skill they haue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Tim. 2.15 to diuide the word of truth aright or to speake a seasonable word to the weary soule or who knoweth without long triall what grace they haue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gal. 2.14 to walke with a right foote according to the truth of the Gospell Nazianzene in his Apologie compares the course of a Cleargie mans life to a Tumblers walking vppon a corde whose safetie consisteth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in an exact euen carriage of his bodie for the least swaying to either side is no little hazard of his life So if a Cleargie man saith he swarue on either hand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A small slip of his either in faith or maners procureth no small danger both to himselfe and those ouer whom he is placed This was it that mooued the faithfull in the primitiue Church to such praier and fasting Act 13.3 before they laid hands on any for ordination and this was it that afterward caused those Ieiunia 4. temporum the quarter fasts of ember weeks to bee yeerely kept throughout all Christendome and a decree to bee made that no Ecclesiasticall orders should bee Canonicall which were not giuen on the Sabbath dayes next ensuing one of these set and solemne fasts as if the most deuout prayers of the whole Catholike Church were requisite to beg a competent blessing for this holy iunction Thus we haue the contents of the first prohibition restraining the rash imparting of good to others Now let vs see the second which seemeth to be of a larger extent in forbidding the presumptuous partaking of euill with others Neither be partaker of other mens sinnes Vitia serpunt ad vicinos contactu nocent saith Seneca sinnes are like plague sores which breath out an infectious steame to all by standers so then for the fuller opening of this point we must first cōsider by what passages vices creepe from one to another and infect Secondly quomodo nocent how they hurt or endanger others by their infection For the first as the Lawyers make two sortes of accessaries one before the fact or offence committed another after so the same diuision will stand well in Diuinitie for sinne is like the serpent Amphisbaena which hath one sting in the head and another in the taile and powreth our poison at both endes and that ore trisulco with a three forked sting for before the working of any wickednes others may bee partakers of it three wayes 1. iubendo 2. prou●c●ndo 3. consulendo Direct precept word or First by commaunding other mens sinnes become ours and that eyther by direct precept of word as the murther of the Lords priestes is imputed vnto king Saul 1. Sam. 22.21 because he bad Doeg the Edomite fall vpon them writte or of Writ as the killing of Vriah the Hittite is laid to king Dauids charge 2. Sam. 12. Tu occidisti Vriam gladio For that Ioab did set Vriah in the forlorn hope by Dauids direction Indirect authorizing Or else by indirect authorizing of others to worke wickednes He that puts a sword in a madde mans hand is guilty of the mischiefe committed by it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●unda vel balista Page This is the meaning of the wisemā Prou. 26.8 when he saith Applicat lapidem balistae qui praebet honorem stolido He putteth a pellet into a stone bow to be discharged at al aduenture that setteth afoole in place of authoritie the inconuenience whereof is fitly described in the first verse of the same Chapter As snow in summer and raine in haruest so is honour vnseemely for a foole for a bad Magistrate in the ciuill state or a wicked gouernour in the church blastern the blossome and blade the hope of future increase and eyther rotteth the ripe finit of Gods haruest or else neuer lets it come to ripenes through the vnseasonable moisture of his malignant misdeameanour Prouocaando by prouocation wee may draw other mens sins vpon our selues either by daring of them Daring as Iezabel vrged Achab to the oppression of Naboth 1. Kings 21.7 Tune nunc exerceres regnum super Israelem for which offence as the dogges licked Naboaths blood so they deuoured her flesh 2. Kings 9.36 In like sorte the common prouocations of others to needles oathes friuolous contentions excessiue drinking and swilling c. fall within the compasse of this fault Or by alluring intisements of profite as Prou. 1.14 Cast in thy lot among vs wee will all haue one purse Or of pleasure Prou. 7 ●8 Come let vs take our fill of loue vntill the morning Consulendo Other mens iniquities are made ours by euill counsell giuing So Balaam was guilty of the stūbling blocke which hee counselled Balaack to put before the children of Israel Numb 24.14 And therefore he stumbled vpon the Israelites sword in his going homeward Numb 31.8 Also they slew Balaam the sonne of Peor