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saint_n church_n militant_a triumphant_a 2,791 5 11.4510 5 true
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ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A45541 The apostolical liturgy revived a sermon preached at the assizes held at Chelmsford in the county of Essex, March 18, 1660 / by Nath. Hardy. Hardy, Nathaniel, 1618-1670. 1661 (1661) Wing H708; ESTC R27167 22,011 41

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those who die in the Lord and sleep in Jesus 1. That they being themselves at rest desire the same bliss for us who are here militant hath been alwayes received as a truth That of St Cyprian is very apposite to this purpose Magnus illic nos charorum numerus expectat copiosa turba desiderat jam de suá immortalitate secura adhuc de nostrâ salute solicita The great number and multitude of our dear friends in Heaven expect us being already secure of their own immortality and solicitous for our salvation and surely what they are so desirous of they pray for Indeed they do not pray for us in particular because they cannot come to a knowledge of our severall wants if they could no doubt they would and if we had any way of imparting our condition to them we might as well desire their prayers as we do here the prayers of each other But that they do know that there are still Saints upon the earth since otherwise the world would be at an end and their bodies raised and that whilest there are such on earth their condition will be militant encountring with temptations and persecutions and that knowing they cannot but have a sympathy with and charity towards the militant Saints and that charity puts them upon prayers to God for them are such strong probabilities that cannot be weighed down by any thing that can be said to the contrary yea it seemeth strange to me why any except those Hereticks who affirm the soul to sleep with the body should not imagine that the souls of good men are imployed as in praising God for themselves and the rest of the triumphant so in praying for that part of the Church which is militant and if so why may not we desire of God that by the imitation of the Saints departed we may be worthy to receive the benefit of those prayers which they as a part of the Catholick Church offer to God in our behalf according to that passage in the late form for the thirtieth of January so much and yet so causlesly decried as Popish by the enemies of our Church 2. That there ought to be giving of thanks for them who depart hence in the Lord in that they are delivered from the miseries of this sinfull life enjoy so glorious a victory over sin and Satan and have left such vertuous examples to us that survive is a doctrine which cannot justly be gainsayed We are bound to bless God for the temporall much more for the eternall welfare of others We ought to be followers of and therefore to be thankfull for the good patterns which the dead have as well as the living do set before us We profess to believe a Communion of Saints that communion is not only of the Saints in Heaven with each other and so of the Saints on earth but between the Saints in Heaven and earth the operation whereof is on their part prayers and supplications for us and on our part a reverentiall respect to pious imitation of and thanksgiving for them 3. Lastly As to prayers for the dead I assert 1. This doctrine That there is a third sort of persons who are neither in heavenly bliss nor hell torments but in the pains of Purgatory out of which they are delivered by our prayers is a novel figment of the Church of Rome and hath no footsteps either in Scripture or antiquity 2. That it is a very ancient practice of the Church to pray for the souls of the blessed is not to be denied nor yet do I see how it can be in all respects justified 3. That inasmuch as the Saints departed are not yet compleatly happy nor shall be till the end of the world we may do that for them which I doubt not but they do for themselves pray to God to send them a joyfull resurrection and an happy consummation of their bliss both in body and soul. And this is a truth so evident that I see not how any can with colour of reason oppose it 2. But though this all men according to the forementioned conclusion may be thus far enlarged yet I conceive that here St Paul intends only the living for all whom we ought without all controversie to make intercession The just extent whereof will best appear by the distinction of all men into friends and foes good and bad For all men that is for enemies as well as friends 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is St. Chrysostomes counsell upon this Text Let us learn to pray as Christians and how is that but as he afterwards teacheth to pray for our enemies Hear how St. Stephen prayed not only not against but for his persecutors Lord lay not this sin to their charge Nay hear how Christ himself prayed for his crucifiers Father forgive them and as it was his practice so it is his precept Bless them that curse you and pray for them that despitefully use you The truth is as that same Father excellently He that blesseth his enemy blesseth himself he that curseth him curseth himself and he that prayeth for him prayeth more for himself than him 2. For all men that is for unbelievers as well as believers So much is intimated in that he bids them pray for Kings which at that time were Infidels Supplicat ubique Ecclesia non solum pro sanctis in Christojam regenitis sed pro omnibus infidelibus inimicis crucis Christi idolorum cultoribus c. The Church saith Prosper every where prayeth not only for the faithfull and regenerate but for Infidels and Idolaters for the enemies of the cross of Christ and the worst of sinners De quocunque pessimè in hac vita constituto non utique desperatur saith St Austin Nec pro illo imprudenter or atur de quo non desperatur We are not altogether to despair of any though never so vile and for him we may pray of whom we are not to despair Indeed St Paul elsewhere seemeth to limit the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 praying with all manner of prayer for all Saints Our blessed Saviour saith I pray not for the world there are some sort of petitions peculiar to the Saints which Christ maketh not for the world and there are petitions which we may and ought to make not only for all Saints but all men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so runs the Ecclesiasticall Constitution Let the Deacon pray for the whole Church and for the whole world As we must do good especially to so we must pray chiefly for the houshold of faith but we must do good to and pray for all even they who are without the pale of the Church must be within the reach of our prayers Publica est nobis communis oratio saith St Cyprian quando oramus non pro uno sed pro toto populo oramus We have publick common prayers and when we