Selected quad for the lemma: state_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
state_n	bishop_n	church_n	presbyter_n	1,153	5	10.3687	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A31454	A preparation for martyrdom a discourse about the cause, the temper, the assistances and rewards of a martyr of Jesus Christ : in a dialogue betwixt a minister, and a gentlemanhis [sic] parishioner.	Cawdrey, Zachary, 1616-1684.	1681 (1681)	Wing C1648; ESTC R8822	35,036	47

ingagement he never devoted himself unto Sixthly A Martyr must have right apprehensions of the Wisdom Goodness Justice and mercy of God in suffering the rod of the wicked to light upon the Lot of the Righteous there being some Chaff to be winnowed away some miscarriages even amongst the Professors of the Truth that stand in need of reforming And therefore judgment begins at the House of God 1 Pet. 4. 17. He that would be a couragious sufferer must be throughly perswaded that God doth all things wisely and graciously that therefore there is some scandalous sin or some divisions which is to be pruged out Thus when the Sheep are apt to run into low and miry places or to straggle at a distance from one another or to push and smite one another the Shepherd sends in the Dog and rectifies all presently So when Christians stray into ways of sensuality or causelesly separate from one another or persecute and vex one another for little differences it is both Justice and Mercy in God to let in a common Enemy upon them to teach them to live better and love one another and when this purifying is accomplished by Gods refining fire the Martyr is confident that God will give their cause the Righteous cause of Truth to have dominion in the morning He therefore who questions either the wisdom or Justice or goodness of God in permitting persecution or that can think that God remits of his care of the Church so as to let the gates of Hell prevail against it will not be a couragious Martyr Thus the excellent Bishop Jewel said in Queen Mary's days It is but a storm it may wet our Coats through but it will wash them also and will soon be over King Edward the sixth's Reformation of the Doctrine and Worship of the Church of England is just matter of praise and Thanks giving to God even to this day But still the Primitive Church Discipline under the management of the Diocesan Bishops with their Assistant Colledges of Presbyters in the presence of the Christian People the Brethren to remove scandals out of the Church was not restored as our Church complains in the preface to the Commination So that God did not mistake the state of his Church in sending Queen Mary's persecutions to refine the Spirit of the English Protestants And that the same may stand yet in need of further winnowing by Gods fan will hardly be denied by any pious and considerate Person though still I hope God will not let us fall into the hands of the Men of his indignation but stir up the Spirit of our Governours to take effectual course for the Reformation of our Lives and Manners Seventhly A Martyr must be one enabled to prefer the glory of God and the cause of his Truth before all Concernment for Friends and Relations Many a Man can more easily die to himself than to his dear Wife and Children and Friends Our Saviour therefore protests Matth. 10. 37. He that loveth Father and Mother more then me is not worthy of me Nay he asserts Luke 14. 26. that if he do not hate Father and Mother c. he cannot be his Disciple Not that Religion makes us unnatural but as the Sun puts out the shining of the Stars by its overpowering light so the fervent love of God in 〈◊〉 Christian prevails so intirely over natural affections that the same seem in comparison to be quite extinguished Thus that resolute Christian of old expressed himself If my Father said he who begot me and my Mother who bare me lay prosrate on the threshold of the Prison to beseeeh me to deny Christ rather than leave them in their old Age to an unkind and churlish World I would tread on the Loins that begot 〈◊〉 and the Womb that bare me and go out unto Christ bearing his reproach Heb. 13. 13. The Devil and wicked Men know that natural affection is a tender part and they will pinch us there and if our hearts be not fortified with the Breast-plate of Faith and Love they will prevail against us But when we can trust God with our Friends and love God above them then we are fitted to be Christs Souldiers An Heroick example of this we have in the Mother and seven Brothers suffering under Antiochus 2 Mac 7. 29. What a couragious expression is that of the Mother to her youngest Son Fear not the Tormentors but being worthy of thy Brethren take thy death that I may receive thee again in mercy with thy Brethren Eighthly A Martyr must be one who hath not himself been a Persecutor of any of the servants of God or if he have so been he must be a serious Penitent and profess his Repentance for it before the Church and the World Now a M●●● may be a Persecutor of the Saints out of ignorance and mistaken zeal thinking therein to do God good service reckoning the Religion of the Persecuted to be Heresy and thus did St. Paul and this I Charitably believe do some ignorant and zealous Papists But then observe such Persecutor are very regular in other regards and can profess as St. Paul did Acts 23. 1. I have lived in all good Conscience before God until this day And such Persecutors have found mercy and been converted and owned their Repentance for that furio● zeal so contrary to the Spirit of Christ who came to save not to destroy Mens lives yea some of them have been honoured by God to be called to suffer for the Truth which once they persecuted But all Persecutors are not acted by that principle some directly out of a spirit of prophaness have persecuted goo● Men And such Persecutors are all Vitious Dehauched Drunken Dammee's who seldom pretend to any thing of ze●● for God for he is not in all their thoughts nor in the mouths further than their Oaths and Curses come to but zeal for the Law of the Land or the Constitutions of the Church forsooth when really they regard no Law of th● Land or Constitution of the Church but only pretend th● same in order to the Vailing the bitterness and Malignity 〈◊〉 their spirits against all serious Piety Others there are who persecute goodmen out of a worldly and covetous humour that they may gain by Informations Plunder c. Now I dare not limit the Essicacy of the grace of God but I have not to my rememberance either heard or read of any such Persecutors of a prophane or Worldly Temper who have been converted and honoured with the Crown of Martyrdome But as I said before if ever you have persecuted good Men though out of a mistaken zeal for God be sure you repent and own your Repentance or expect not an assistance in your own day of Tryal The story is remarkable about the Controversy in King Edward the sixths days about Bishops and Priests garments Holy Bishop Hooper and Holy Mr. Rogers scrupled conformity therein the secret Popish Bishops inflame the Contest