Selected quad for the lemma: saint_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
saint_n	call_v	church_n	dedicate_v	1,670	5	10.6327	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A20438	Euerard Digbie his dissuasiue From taking away the lyuings and goods of the Church. Wherein all men may plainely behold the great blessings which the Lord hath powred on all those who liberally haue bestowed on his holy temple: and the strange punishments that haue befallen them vvhich haue done the contrarie. Hereunto is annexed Celsus of Verona, his dissuasiue translated into English.	Digby, Everard, Sir, 1578-1606.; Maffei, Celso, ca. 1425-1508. Dissuasoria. English.	1590 (1590)	STC 6842; ESTC S105340	139,529	251

Christians to the Church which is the spirituall mother of all Christians as well rich as poore the mightie as the simple the king as the begger according vnto the saying of Saint Chrisostome writing on the Gospell of Saint Mathew Ecclesia primorum regum est mater The Church is the mother of the highest Princes Not many pages after giuing his iudgement concerning the goodes of the Church in this sorte those which builde tombes for the Martyrs of Christ and adorne his temples they do a good worke Thereby signifiyng that they which deface the temples of God and pull them downe they commit a great and greeuous sinne in the sight of the almightie Paulus Diaconus in the fourth booke de gestis longo Bardorum recordeth that Theodelinda that vertuous Queene built a faire Cathedrall Church dedicating it to the name of Saint Iohn Baptist adorning it with manye pretious iewells ornamentes and goodlie landes which the aforesaid Authour sayth oughte not to bee alienated According vnto the sentence of Iustinian in his booke Authent Columna secunda of constitutions intituled of not alienating or chaunging ecclesiasticall goods whatsoeuer All good Emperours in their lawes and constitutions had a special care of preseruing increasing and safekeeping the goods of the Church And sith Iustinians lawes were their direction he not onelie made General statutes for the preseruation thereof but also in his law he affirmeth that the holie vessels and garments of the temples ought not to be pawned except it bee for the redeeming of captiues out of the seruitude and tirannie of infidels nay in another place hee chargeth the Bishops that they take not to themselues the treasure of the Church which holesome lawes so mooued the harts of all Christian Emperours that they bestowed verie deuoutlie and bountifully on the church commaunding straightly that all mē should restore vnto the same whatsoeuer had bid taken therefrom by wicked tyrantes robbers of the Church and spoilers of the dead which Saint Chrisostome in his booke Defato counteth litle lesse than manslaughter Hereupon Theodoricus commaunded Duke Ibba that he should restore vnto the Church of Marb●na the possessions therof taken awaie detained from the Church by Alaricus And in an other epistle to Gelericus hee commaundeth him to restore a fielde which was alienated from the Church of Constance and to punish the possessor thereof in that hee presumed to take to his owne priuate vse the possessions of the Church This censure was giuen without exception of anie person according to that which Turonensis writeth in the fourth booke of his Historie certaine kinges saith hee haue presumed most irreligiouslie to take the goods of the church into their treasure as did Clotharius which made an edict that all the Churches of his realme should paie the third part of their fruits into his treasurie but beeing rebuked by that holie Bishop Iniuriosus he retracted his irreligious opinion and that wicked fact Let no man beare so irreligious a minde or so hard a hart within his breast to thinke otherwise than that it is a most grieuous sinne to take any thing from the holie Church sith first it is giuen to maintaine the holie worshippe of God there Secondlie to feed the poore and to bee bestowed on such like holie and vrgent necessitie according to the which our ancient Beda writeth in the first booke of his historie concerning this Iland Bonorum ecclesiasticorum saith hee of church goods the first part is due to the Bishop for the maintenance of hospitality the second to the inferiour clergie the third to the poore the fourth to the repairing of the church but to other or to those which haue sufficient of themselues the goods of the church are not to be imployed as that learned Prosper in his treatie De vita contemplatiua witnesseth in these wordes ecclesia nihil eis erogare debet c. The church ought not to bestow any thing on those which haue sufficient of their owne Otherwise though some of the Church giue it yet it is plaine sacriledge for them which take it as saint Ierom in his epistle to Damasus sheweth in these wordes qui autem parentum bonis c. Those which haue sufficient left them by their parents to maintaine them if they take anie of those goods which are giuen to maintaine the poore it is sacriledge Caluin writing on the seuenth of Amos calleth the diminishing of the immunities or commodities of the church sacriledge sounding the same with good Saint Barnard writing on the Canticles according to this tenor Proditores dei ecclesiae c. They which take from the temples they are betraiers of God and his church These learned fathers they expresse the true sentence of their mother the holye church pronouncing the true fauour of God and his louing countenance turned clerely vnto them which fauour nourish his holie church with his poore belonging to the same and the seuere wrath of the Lord God kindled against all those which spoile his louing spouse here on earth bereauing her of her beautiful children her costlie garmentes made of needle worke all glorious within concerning whom the Lord hath sayd hee which harmeth you he toucheth the apple of mine eie Bullinger on the fift of the first epistle of saint Paul to Tymothie concerning the reformation of Church goods writeth thus the goods of the Church are the gold of Tolossan which breedeth his distruction that possesseth it Therefore though the churches their goods landes were abused by Monkes and Friers yet there is no cause why Christian Princes should thinke that reformation good and religious which pulleth down the churches and turneth the church goods to the vse and possessions of laie men for they were not first giuen to this end kinges and princes and magistrates haue their reuenewes their tributes their fines their customes their publique treasures appointed for their vses but as for the goods of the church they were first giuen for the maintenance of students in humanitie and diuinitie for the maintaining of Bishops and hospitalitie for the relieuing of the poore widowes stangers and captiues and those which are in necessitie and a certaine portion was appointed for the repairing of Churches Let them restore such sufficiencie of goods to the Church as will fullie suffice for the maintaining of all the premisses before they take one halfe pennie from the Church or else let them surelie looke for the grieuous vengeance of God on them and their house That learned Peter Martir concerning the goods of the church vniustlie required by Magistrates writeth thus in eo quaesto difficilis est in qua dissoluenda c. In that case it is a doubtfull question in answering the which I had rather incline to that point that if the prince or magistrate should take awaie the goods of the church no man ought violentlie to resist them But if

earum etiam est abusus contra Things well vsed may bee abused and things abused may be well vsed The truth of this generall is euident by sundrie rules and histories of the holy scriptures We read in the booke of Numbers that Eleasar the sonne of Aaron tooke the sensors wherewith the rebellious Corath Dathan and Abiram had sinned so greeuously that the ground opened and swallowed them vp quicke into hell and put them into the arke of God Iosua reserued the golde siluer and brasse of Ierico he put it into the treasurie and consecrated it vnto the Lord. Nay that which is most plaine Gedeon did offer a bullocke vnto the Lord which his father had fatted for an offering to Baall Our sauiour Christ preached in the Iewish synagogues which by shedding the bloud of the prophets and by diuers other enormities was grosly abused Saint Iohn preached in the temple of Diana which had beene many yeares superstitiously abused The rest of the Apostles in most partes of the worlde preached in the temples of the Gentils which were built for their Idoll gods and manie ages most sinfully abused Saint Paule alledgeth the sentences of sundry Poets whose Gods were the starres of heauen worshipped of them for many yeares and by them most idolatrously abused Therefore the right vse of things is not to be taken away because they haue bene superstitiously abused What then is the rule of right Christian reformation and wherein dooth it consist Euen in taking away the abuse and not the vse Herevnto agreeth Saint Augustine who willeth vs to deale with the goodes and temples as we doe with the men whome wee conuert from sacrilegious wicked men to good Christians Saint Gregory as Beda noteth concerning the reforming of the idoll temples in this land then built and dedicated to the Pagan gods writeth thus Fama idolorum in gente Anglica c. Let not the idol churches in England be destroied but vtterly subuert destroy the idols in the same If this litle taste of these pleasant running brooks wil not quench the outragious heat of thine vntemperate stomacke then returne with me againe vnto the fountain it self which sith it is able to wash thee cleane both body soule come boldly therevnto if thou doubt of the true way leaue off thine owne erroneous humour and harken to the voice of that good olde man S. Augustine teaching thee the waye most truly in these words Omnis Christi actio est nostra instructio that which our sauiour Christ did in this case that ought to bee our example And what did he when the fulnes of time was come that the vaile should be remoued that the sacrifice of the Iewes should cease because the light the body the thing it selfe by that prefigured was now come and that it was impietie now any longer to bee circumcised the Lord of light did not destroy the temple pulling off the lead breaking downe the wals the glasse the timber thrusting out the Scribes Pharises taking their lands liuings into his own hands but he reformed the abuses thereof hee whipped the money changers cast out them which sold doues therin he taught the gospel in the temple on the sabaoth day expounded the scripture in their synagogues Afterwards that holy Apostle and martyr of Iesu Christ S. Iames called Iames the iust hee taught the Gospell therein and in those countries beeing Bishop there thirtie yeares Likewise also the rest of the holy Apostles they frequented the temple and the synagogues very oftē that for 10. or 12. yeres after the ascention of our Sauiour Christ. Peter and Iohn went vp into the temple to pray Paul was conuersant in the sinagogue at Athens allowing the inscription on the alter ignot● Deo The Apostles were dispersed into all quarters of the earth And yet wee neuer heare that they willed any Temple to be destroyed but with all pietie and humblenes of spirit they ingrafted the gentils into the true christian faith together cutting vp the branches of heresie and heathenish superstition Peter and Paul planted the faith of Christ in Rome they taught lōg in their temples But yet we read not where they willed to pul down the old temples or to take anie whit of maintenance away from the same The holy Apostle and Euangelist saint Iohn liuing sixtie odde yeares after the passion of our Sauiour Christ and being in his latter dayes in Ephesus we do not read that euer he once persuaded them to pul downe the great huge temple of Diana And yet that the Gospell was therein preached it is manifest by sundry histories as also in that it is recorded that this Apostle euen when he was so old that he could scarce goe being taken vpon mens shoulders least the throng of people should oppresse him and to the ende his voice might be heard the better as he passed from Ile to Ile hee held out his hand and said Fratres diligite inuicem diligite inuicem Hoc est preceptum Domini diligite inuicem Bretheren loue yee one an other Loue yee one an other this is the last commaundement of the Lord that yee should loue one another This brotherlie exhortation of the holy Apostle saint Iohn was pronounced by him in the selfe same temple in which the Idoll of Diana was worshipped Nether is this thing strange or any whit to be doubted sith it hath bene the manner of all Christians euen from the Apostles time to this daie to saue and not to destroy to conuert and not to subuert to reduce those temples to the seruice of the true God and not to subduce them into our owne purses If the matter were doubtfull I might easily alledge diuers testimonies out of the auncient fathers and latter writers for the same But in that I studie rather to edifie the well disposed than to satisfie the cauill of the froward I had rather vse that plaine way of example wherewith already I haue now begunne Requesting those which loue the true reuerent worship due to our Lord Sauiour Iesu Christ to vnderstand that as is said the glad tidings of the Gospell was preached by Christ in the Temples and sinagogues of by the Iewes his Apostles also their Disciples And not onely the Iewish synagogues but in the temples of the heathen at Corinth at Ephesus at Rome and also at Ierusalem which after it was woonne and inhabited by the Sarasins aboue sixtie yeares and the church thereof polluted with their Mahometicall idolatrie al that time Afterward it was conuerted to the vse of true Christian religion and so deteined for the space of foure score yeares and odde So that wee see most plainlie the truth of this conclusion which teacheth vs not to take away the vse of holie tēples for the abuse which hath bin committed in them Who seeth the poore waifaring man whose earnest desire

Councell hath foreseene the daunger and set downe the sentence of eternall trueth in these wordes Hee which shall not wiselie foresee this euident daunger of eternall damnarion to his owne soule and contrarie to this sentence take awaie the goods and possessions once giuen to the Church or vniustlye deteyne the same vnlesse hee make present restitution to the church so soone as he can let him be strucken with the curse which the wrathfull iudge of all the world shall inflict on all the soules of the wicked at the day of doome and let these goods bee a curse to him which gaue them from the Church which receaued them and which possessed them Neither let him finde anye protection for his crime before the tribunall seate of Iesu Christ because without all feare of God and regard of his holie worshippe against lawe and right hee hath taken awaie the goods of the Church giuen to maintaine the holie worship of the Lord and to feede the hungrie bodies and soules of the poore innocent people Generallie saith the same Councell whosoeuer shall presume to confiscate to spoyle or to take anie thing consecrated to holie vse or belonging to the Church vnlesse hee truelie repenting correct and amend his wicked facte so soone as hee can and that by restitution to the same Church let him bee subiect to the greeuous curse and censure of the Church Likewise those which enter on the goods of the Church and detaine them through the gifte the authoritie the commission of Kinges and Princes obtaining them by tirannicall force from the Church leauing them to theyr heyres and posteritie as though they were theyr owne inheritaunce vnlesse with speedie repentaunce they restore the Lords possession vnto his Church being first admonished by the holy Bishop let him be accursed for euer and accounted as an infidell according to that commandement of our sauiour Christ if he will not heare the Church let him be to thee as an heathen or as an infidell therefore saith the councell it is not lawfull for the Emperour or anie true christian to attempt anie thing contrarie to the commaundementes of God neither to doe anie thing repugnant to the rules of the holy Prophets the Apostles and Euangelists Those which bee my sheepe saith our Sauiour Christ they heare my voice and those which be naturall children of the Church their hart will melte when they heare the voice of their mother crying in the streetes Our heauenly father he hath begotten vs in the spirite and our spirituall mother shee nourisheth vs with the sweete milke of the word of life Shee vttereth her voyce often and cryeth alowde in many places of the world but neuer so manifestly as when shee sheweth her countenaunce openlie to all the world in open generall councell gathered together in the holie Ghost You haue heard her voyce whileare and the sound thereof hath gone into all landes saying touch not mine annointed neither anie thing once dedicated to my holie worship Sponsus sponsam amat the bridegroome doth loue his spouse intirely Hee sheweth her his brest and reuealeth to her the secrets of his hart his wil is apparant vnto her she hath reuealed it at sundry times vnto her children Which times though they were diuers yet veritatis simplex est oratio her voice was is alwaies the same as appeareth by the councell of Aurialens whose wordes though they differre from the former yet the sence and sentence is the same first forewarning her eldest children of this grieuous sinne and then the other in their order after this manner Let no Clarke or spirituall pastour alienate any goodes belonging to the Church and least it should seeme true which some obiect that those which giue to the Church may also take away the same councel doth meete with that obiection in the 19. chapter in these wordes It is not lawfull for him which giueth anie thing to the Church or for his heires once for to require it backe again In like maner the second councell ☜ of Spale Those Churches which by tumultes and warres haue beene disturbed shal altogether retaine the selfe same liberties which they had before with all the possessions whether they bee possessed by any other Church or any others whatsoeuer The first councell of Paris hath giuen this resolute iudgement concerning Bishops goodes and therein the goods of the Church because the goods and possessions of Bishops are knowne to be the goods and possessions of the Church If any man shall violently intrude himselfe into them or by violence peruert them let him bee stroken with the curse of the holie Canon that he which would not followe the motion of his owne conscience at the least maye bee reclaimed by the holie constitutions of the Church Which offence least it shold seeme a smal sinne in the eyes of worldlye men or that the gaine gotten thereby might seeme to counteruaile the losse no man is so simple which seeth not plainely that this is a pleasaunt sinnefull thought leading to a bitter end as appeareth by the sentence of the same councell following Let no man be so farre from the seeking of his owne soules health or so willing to seeke eternall death that he should once desire enter or possesse any goods landes or commodities belonging to the church Though the councell of Magnutium seeme in the beginning by gentle words to mittigate the haynousnesse of the fact yet indeede the meaning is the same and in conclusion of the same weight as appeareth by their style in this manner If anie man doe presume to retaine diminish or take anie goodes landes or profites belonging to anie Church Colledge or any holie place let him bee excommunicated as a spoyler of the Church not once allowed to come neere the Church doore These milde wordes least they should animate the wicked they drawe a more fearefull iudgement after them as appeareth afterward in the same councell concluding thus If anie man diminish any thing belonging to the Church as a cruell murtherer of the poore let him bee accursed for euer This was the voice of the mother and her children haue learned to pronounce the same Saint Ambrose as it is written before affirmeth it vnlawfull for temporall men to possesse ecclesiasticall goods Saint Augustine writing on the Psalmes saith that when the last dedication of the house of God shall come then shall that safetie also bee giuen vnto it which was spoken in the seuenteenth chapter of the second booke of the Kinges after this manner I will appoint my place of worship with my people Israell and they shall dwell alone seperated from others and the sonne of iniquitie shall not presume to destroy it The scripture calleth the spoilers of the church the sonnes of iniquitie bicause the sonne of heauen hath not beheld a more vngodlie fact then the iniurie of the sonne done to the mother of the infantes to the nurse of