Selected quad for the lemma: virtue_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
virtue_n	aaron_n	ability_n	mercy_n	35	3	8.5715	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A66367	Truth vindicated, against sacriledge, atheism, and prophaneness and likewise against the common invaders of the rights of Kings, and demonstrating the vanity of man in general. By Gryffith Williams now Lord Bishop of Ossory.	Williams, Gryffith, 1589?-1672.	1666 (1666)	Wing W2674; ESTC R222610	619,498	452

that these men came lawfully to their government 2. For their ability and fidelity to discharge their places 2. Their qualifications for their places the malice of their adversaries could not charge them with any omission they do not say they have governed amisse but they would fain govern with them And to make this more apparent 1. The Spirit of God testifieth of Moses 1. Of the abilities of Moses that He was faithful in all Gods house and in that respect called the man of God the servant of God whose whole care was for his Master and for the sweetnesse of his disposition he is said to be a very meek man above all the men that were upon the earth for his love to his people Tertullian makes him the figure of Christ Tertul. de fug● in persecut Cùm adhuc Christo n●n revelato in se figurato ait Si perdis hunc populum me pariter cum eo disperde for his zeal of Gods honour he was most fervent and therefore severe in punishing the worshippers of the golden Calfe and for his just● e and uprightnesse he wronged no man for his intellectuals he was exceeding wise and learned in all the learning of the Aegyptians 2. Of the abilities of Aaron 2. For Aaron how sit he was to be a Priest will appear if you consider those two vertues that are the most requisite for the Priest-hood as Moses sheweth when he prayeth Let thy Vrim and thy Thummim be upon the man of thy mercy that is omitting all other interpretations 1. His ability to teach 1. Ability to teach Malach. ● Tim. 3.2 2. Sanctity of life For 1. The Priests lips must preserve knowledge he must be apt to teach si Sacerdos est sciat legem Dei si ignorat legem ipse se arguit non esse sacerdotem Domini Hieron in Haggai 2. Aug. de doctr Christ l 4. c. 16. But God himself saith that he knew Aaron was an eloquent man and could speak well and he promised unto Moses that He would be with his mouth to teach him what he should say and therefore I know not who can say any thing against him herein when God saith he can do it so well and ingageth himself that he will help him 3. His uprightnesse of life 2. For the integrity of his life I need not go further then my Text when as the Prophet calleth him The Saint of the Lord that is not onely Sanctificatum ad Sacerdotium but also a holy just and godly man in respect of the innnocency of his life And so you have seen the persons described against whom these Rebels have rebelled They were the prime Governours of Gods people and such Governours as the like for all kind of goodnesse and excellencies could not be found on earth Therefore these Rebels ought to have obeyed them though for nothing else but because they were their Governours for the Apostle tells us plainly that Necesse est subjici we must needs be subject not onely for wrath but also for conscience sake wherein you see a double necessity of obeying A double necessity of obedience Our obedience consisteth in two things 1. In doing nothing against our Governours 1. In Thought Eccles 10 20. 2. In Word Exod. 22.28 3. In Deed. Rom. 13.2 1. Extern●● Propter iram for fear of wrath 2. Internal Propter conscientiam for conscience sake therefore we must needs obey And our obedience consisteth chiefly in these two things 1. To do nothing against them 2. To do all that we can for them For 1. We are forbidden to think an ill thought of them with our hearts Speak not evill of the King saith Solomon no not in thy thought for a bird of the ayr shall carry the voyce and that which hath wings shall tell the matter 2. We are charged not to revile them with our tongues for Thou shalt not revile the Gods nor curse the Ruler of the people 3. We are restrained from resisting them with our hands for Whosoever resisteth the power resisteth the Ordinance of God and they that resist receive unto themselves damnation And therefore the Lord saith unto all Nolite tangere Christos meos where he doth not say Non occides or ne perdas the worst that can be but ne tangas Many kinds of touches the least that may be touch not tactu noxio with any hurtful touch And many times we are touched secretly we know not bow nor when nor by whom but cursed be he that smiteth his neighbour secretly and all the people shall say Amen and therefore much more cursed be he that smiteth his Prince his Priest his Governour And sometimes we are touched with violent hands when with hostile force and open arms our power and authority are withstood but Most frequently we are touched with virulent tongues as they say in Jeremy Jerem. 18.18 Venite percutiamus eum linguâ and this touch though it breaks no bones yet doth it wound and kill the very heart But the Lord saith in general Touch not at all therefore no kind is limited no way permitted to touch them 2. As we are forbidden to do any thing against them 2. In doing all that we can do for our Governours 1. To honour them so we are commanded to do all we can for them for Saint Peter saith Fear God and honour the King therefore he cannot be said to fear God that doth not honour his King And Solomon saith Fear God my son and the King therefore he cannot be the son of Wisdom the son of Solomon that doth not fear the King that is fear to wrong him fear to offend him fear to anger him Rom. 1● Vide J sh 1.16 Wherein we ought to obey and disobey And when the Magistrates command us any thing Saint Paul bids us to obey them but if they command any thing against God then indeed their authority comes too short Quia melius est obedire Deo quam hominibus Yet in these things wherein we may not obey we must not resist but as Julian's Souldiers would not sacrifice at his command Sed timendo potestatem contemnebant potestatem in fearing the power of God regarded not the power of man yet when he led them against his enemies Subditi erant propter Dominum aeternum etiam domino temporali Aug. in Psal 124. so should we truly distinguish of the things they do command and take heed we be not blind Judges herein and too partial to satisfie our own passionate affections And besides we are to impart our goods to supply their necessities 2. To impart our goods to them and for the supportance of their dignities for our Saviour bids us Give unto Caesar what belongeth unto Caesar and Saint Paul expresseth the same to be Tribute that is Imposts Subsidies Gifts or the like call it by what name you will we are commanded by God to the uttermost

brought all them that followed him and his wayes to the like perdition And so Nimrod Esau and Ismael falling away from God and Jeroboam setting up his golden gods and many other Kings and Princes neglecting their duties apostatizing from God and misleading their people brought them in like manner to their utter ruine And as many times the people are brought to their ruine by the evil example Scilicet in vulgus manant exemplaregentum utque ducum lituos sic mores castra sequuntur Claud. 1. Stilic and wicked Government of their Prime-Leaders when as the Poet saith Regis ad exemplum totus componitur orbis And the Souldiers would imitate Alexander in his stoopings and in his vices as well and sooner than in his vertues So many times and oftner too they are brought to the same pass the same pathes of perdition through the lewd examples and neglect of the subordinate Magistrates of the Common-wealth and the Governours and Ministers of the Church of God As when the Princes Esay 1.23 Zephant 3.3 or Nobility are rebellious and companions of Thieves or as Zephany saith like Lions and the Judges are evening-Wolves that judge not the fatherless neither doth the cause of the widdow come unto them And when the Prophets are leight and treacherous persons and the Priests have polluted the Sanctuary and have done violence to the Law either by corrupting it Prov. 29.18 with their false glosses or locking it up in prison and not publishing the same unto the people for where there is no vision the people perish saith the Wise-man And so by their false teaching or no teaching they thrust forward the poor people into perdition And therefore Kings and Princes to whom God in the first place hath committed the Soveraignty and Charge both of Church and Common-wealth Exod. 18.21 ought not only to chuse such Judges and Magistrates as Jethro described unto Moses Able men fearing God men of truth and hating covetousness But when the Cathedrals and Parochial-Churches are built and beautified for God's Worship and for the people of God to meet in them to serve God What manner of Judges and Bishops Kings ought to chuse as they ought to be they should also take care and see that such Bishops and Priests as S. Paul describeth in 1 Tim. 3.2 c. be setled in those Churches to worship God and to bring the people to do their duties that they may attain to eternal life Lest that which S. Hierom complained of in his time should be true in our time That the Altars shined with Gold and pretious Stones Bernard ad Abbat Cluniacen Sed ministrorum nulla erat electio There was no good choice made of good Ministers whereby it was said That they had golden Chalices but woodden Priests as S. Bernard saith it was not much better in his dayes there was not such care taken for good Ministers as they should do For as in Nature we see every thing for its Creation requires a Divine hand and a Miraculous power to produce it but the same being once produced God's hand is not so conspicuous but he leaves it to the soyl as it were to stand and grow by the innate vertue planted in it So it seems to fare with Religion it self which is such a superstructure above Nature that although it be planted by God as both the Jewish and Christian Religion were with signs and wonders and a strong miraculous hand yet men must now conserve it by those ordinary means that God appointed the Church of Christ being like the Garden of God in Eden which the Lord made and then set it to our Parents to keep it and to dress it And though this Religion which at first is thus powerfully planted by God and is the principal Pillar that upholdeth States and makes all Kingdoms happy yet after the inward vertue of the Doctrine of Christ the Bishops and Priests are the main props and the ordinary means that God hath appointed to uphold his Religion and to continue his Service in his Church because Religion can neither plant it self nor sustain it self alone and what support soever it hath from the Prince or the Laws of any Nation yet the Bish●ps and Priests are as it were the soul of that power in the execution thereof when as all the substance circumstance and ceremonies have their life from them and our consent and belief in their holy Calling is that which doth and should keep us from the singularity of our own misguided imaginations And therefore that Prince that is truly religious Kings ought to have a special care to chuse good Bishops and hath a special care of God's Service must likewise with King David and as good King Charles ever had have a special care to see that godly and learned Bishops and Priests be appointed in God's Church to instruct his people And you know what S. Paul saith That a Bishop must be blameless the husband of one wife vigilant sober of good behaviour given to hospitality apt to teach not given to wine no striker not greedy of filthy lucre but patient not a brawler not covetous one that ruleth well his own house having his children in subjection with all gravity not a novice or a young new Divine lest being lifted up with pride as young men commonly are he fall into the condemnation of the Devil Moreover 1 Tim 2.1.2.2 4 5 6 7. he must have a good report of them that are without lest be fall into reproach and the snare of the Devil All which large description of those parts and vertues that every Bishop and faithful Minister of God's Church ought to have may for order and method sake be reduced into these two Heads Levit. 8.8 which are the Vrim and the Thummim that Moses put upon the Breast-plate of Aaron and for which he did so earnestly pray that God would grant them unto all the Tribe of Levi saying Let thine Vrim and thy Thummim be with thy holy one or with the man of thy mercy And they signifie The two special vertues that ought to be in every Bishop and Priest 1. The uprightness of his life and conversation 2. The sincerity of his doctrine teaching of his people For so Moses sheweth that Levi did as every Bishop and Priest should do 1. Carry himself most dutifully and obedient in his life and all his actions Vertue 1 towards God as when God proved him at Massa and strove with him at the waters of Meriba he said unto his father and to his mother I have not seen him neither did he acknowledge his brethren nor knew his own children Verse 9. but he observed Gods word and kept his Covenant and preferred the keeping of God's Laws and walking dutifully according to his will before father or mother wife or children which every Christian and especially every Christian Bishop and true Levite ought to do 2. To te●ch Jacob the