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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
word_n	feed_v	peter_n	sheep_n	4,057	5	9.4959	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A41006	Dr. Daniel Featley revived, or, The faithfull shepheard a sermon preached at the consecration of three bishops, the lords elect of Oxford, Bristoll, and Chester, in His Graces chappell at Lambeth, May, 9, 1619 / by ... Daniell Featley ... ; and now reprinted at the sole charge of George Vineing ...	Featley, Daniel, 1582-1645.	1661 (1661)	Wing F580; ESTC R5460	16,007	24

root downward in humility considering that they have nothing of their own but sin and what a foolish and impious sin of pride is it to be proud of sin He that presumes on his own strength saith holy Austine is conquered before he fight To repose trust in our selves saith Bernard is not of faith but perfidiousnesse neither breeds it true confidence but diffidence To be proud of knowledge is to be blind with light to be proud of vertue is to poyson himself with the Antidote and to be proud of authority is to make his rise his downfall and his ladder his ruine It is the darke soyle that giveth the Diamond its brightest luster it is the humble and low and obscure conceit of our own worth that giveth luster and grace to all our vertues and perfections if we have any Moses glory was the greater because his face shined and he knew not of it Thus have I numbred unto you the severall linkes of the Apostles golden chaine of instructions for Pastors now let us gather them together in a narrow roome 1 Be not such as need to be fed but are able and willing to feed 2 Feed not your selves but the flock 3 Feed not the flock or droves of Antichrist but the flock of God 4 Feed the flock of God not out of your charge or without you but the flock of God which is among you 5 Content not your selves with feeding them onely with the word and Sacrament but over-looke them also have an eye to their manners 6 Doe this not constrainedly but willingly 7 Not out of private respects but freely 8 Not proudly but humbly not to shew your authority over the flock but to set before them an ensample in your selves of humility meekness temperance patience and all other vertues Thus feed the flock of God that is among you thus rule those whom you feed thus carry your selves towards those whom you rule thus give good ensample in your carriage and when the chief Shepheard and Bishop of your souls Christ Jesus shall appear you shall receive instead of a Crosier a Scepter of a Miter a Crown of a Diocesse upon earth a Kingdom in heaven You see I have a large and plentifull field before me yet I purpose at this time to follow the example of the Apostles who as they passed through the corn field plucked only an ear or two and rubbed them in their hands To rub the first ear that you may see what grain it yeeldeth To feed saith Bellarmine signifieth to rule with princely authority to sway the scepter as a spiritual Prince over Christs flock and to this purpose he alledgeth that text in the Apocalyps 2. 27. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he shall feed or rule them with a rod of iron hard feeding for Christs sheep he had need to have an Estridge's stomack that can digest this interpretation here Feed not over-ruling ver 3. that is over-rule them not feeding this is as natural an interpretation of this Scripture as the glosse upon the word statuimus in the Canon law id est abrogamus or statuimus quod non we enact that is we abrogate we command that is we forbid we appoint this that is we appoint that this shall not be If this be a right interpretation of this place and the other parallel to it in Saint Iohn then St. Bernard was in the wrong for he infers the clean contrary from it and which is most considerable in a book of consideration dedicated to the Pope himself Peter could not give thee that which he had not what he had that he gave thee care over the Churches but did he not also give thee dominion heare what himself saith not as being Lords over Gods heritage but being made examples to the flock least any man should think that this was spoken onely in humility and not in truth it is the voice of the Lord in the Gospel Kings of the Nations beare rule over them but it shall not be so with you it is plain that Lord-like dominion is forbidden to the Apostles goe too therefore now and assume to thy self if thou dare either the office of an Apostle if thou be a Lord or Lord-like dominion if thou be an Apostle Howbeit I deny not that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here used sometimes signifieth to rule with Princely authority and Lord-like command both in Scriptures and prophane Writers as Homer stileth King Agamemnon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Shepheard of the people so God himself calleth Cyrus his Shepheard and which is very observable Cyrus as if he had taken notice of this name imposed by God upon him before his birth was wont usually to say That a good Prince was like a good Shepheard who can by no other means grow rich than by making his flock to thrive under him the prosperity of the subject is not onely the honour but the wealth also of the Prince All this maketh nothing for the Popes triple Crowne to which he layeth claime by vertue of Christs threefold pasce or feed Ioh. 21. 15 16 17. for neither doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 originally or properly nor usually signifie to reigne as a King especially when oves meae or grex domini my sheep or the flock of God is construed with it nor can it be so taken here or Ioh. 21. as the light of texts set together reflecting one upon the other will clear the point For that which Christ enjoyneth Peter Ioh. 21. that Peter here enjoyneth all Elders the words of the charge are the same Feed my sheep there Feed the flock of God here But Saint Peter enjoyneth not all Elders in these words to rule with soveraigne authority as Kings over the whole flock or as Lords over their own peculiar for this he expressely forbiddeth ver 3. therefore to usurpe authority over the whole Church or to domineere over any part thereof is not to feed according to Christs charge to Saint Peter or Saint Peters to all Elders What is it then if you have reference to the Etomology 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to feed as the word imports in the original is to reside upon our cure or abide with our flock where the spouse is commanded to seeke Christ go thy way forth to the footsteps of the flock And indeed where should the Sentinel be but upon his watch tower Where the Pilot but at the sterne where the intelligence but at his orbe where the Sun but within his ecliptick line where the candle but in the canble-stick where the diamond but in the ring where the shepherd but among his flock whom he is to feed for whom he is to provide of whom he is to take the over-sight to whom he ought to be an example which he cannot be if he never be in their sight But because this observation is grounded only upon the Etymology I will lay no

bear rule in the Church yet Church-men they are not for they may receive no maintenance from the Church They are the Elders that rule well and labour not in the word for such they will have intimated by St. Paul yet the honour which their own Interpreters there expound honourable maintenance is not due unto them Spare me Men Fathers and Brethren if I spare not them who go about to bereave us of our spiritual Fathers qui saeviunt in plagas vulnera ecclesiae who seek to ruine the ruines and spoile the very spoiles of Ecclesiastical dignity and distinction left among us To place such Bats as these rather mice than birds must Christs Apostles and their successors be displaced and all ranks of Ecclesiasticall order confounded is there any justice in this to break all Crosier staves and tread all Miters under foot and teare all Rochets in pieces Vnius obnoxam furias Ajacis Oilei for the usurpation and tyranny of one Bishop the Pope of Rome By this reason take away the Reverend order of the Apostles for Iudas sake take away the sacred order of Prophets for Balaams sake take away the soveraigne order of Princes for Iulians sake take away the glorious orbs of stars for the stars sake called wormwood in the Apocalyps nay take away the highest regiment of Angels for Lucifers sake the rest of his faction sometime in the highest order in heaven but now reserved in chaines of darknesse till the great day This may suffice to be spoken of and for your calling two words of the two dutie implyed in the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 feed and take the over-sight You are Pastors and Bishops make good your titles feed as Pastors take the over-sight of your Diocesse as Bishops The three orders in the Church Bishops Priests and Deacons resemble the three faculties of the soule the vegetative sensitive and reasonable For as the sensitive faculty includeth the vegetative aliquid amplius and somewhat more to wit sense and the reasonable implyeth the sensitive aliquid amplius and somewhat more to wit reason for a Priest implyeth a Deacon aliquid amplius and a Bishop implyeth a Priest aliquid amplius Yee are my Lords both Bishops and Priests and as you are invested into a double honour so you have a double charge as Bishops you are to rule well as Priests to labour in the word as Priests you are to preach as Bishops to ordain Priests and countenance Preachers as Priests you are to smite simony and sacriledge schisme and heresie impurity and impiety gladio oris with the sword of your mouth as Bishops ore gladii with the mouth that is the edge of the sword the sword of ecclesiastical censures which Christ hath put into your hand bear not this sword in vain be not pertakers of the sinnes of any of the Clergy or bribes of the laity use this your sword for not against the Church Non hos quaesitum munus in usus Hold not too strict a hand over your too much oppressed Clergy let it not be said of the clergy of your Diocesse as it was said of the Roman souldiers under Severus that they were more affraid of their Captain then of the enemy For as St. Paul speaketh to the Corinthians if I make you sad who shall comfort you so I may say to you if you dishearten poor Ministers who shal comfort them or stand for them the laity no they take two much of the nature of the stone from whence they have their name given them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if a faithful Minister of Jesus Christ if a diligent preacher that spends all his Oyle and Week his body and soul to give them light sue but for his dues especially if he mutter but a word against their great Diana their sacrilegious customes which oft deprive the Ministers of the Gospel of nine parts of the Tenth and leave them but decimam decimae the tenth of the tenth they will all fall upon him and unlesse your power and authority relieve him grind him to powder They use their godly Preachers whom the world cannot parallel as the Hawk in Hesiod dealt with the melodious Nightingale they plum them and devour them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 although they be the sweetest singers of Israel Many of them after they have spent their strength in preaching in season and out of season catechizing and lecturing on the Lords day and on the week dayes may truly say as Synesius sometimes complained that they carried nothing away from their parishes or cures but bonam conscientiam malam valetudinem a good conscience and an ill crazed body No more of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 taking the over-sight but a word of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 feed lest whilest I exhort you to feed I detain you from better feeding viz. upon the blessed Sacrament now set before you As in Churches and Noblemens Halls where there hang great Candlesticks with many branches the lights are first let down to be tinded and when they are fully lighted then they are drawn up by degrees to give light to the whole room so our Church first sendeth her sweet wax lights made and formed in private schools down to the Universities to be tinded and when they are fully enlightned with knowledge then draweth them up by degrees first to pastoral charges then to dignities Deanaries and Bishopricks not that then they should be put out but to the end that as they are set higher they should give more light You are Right Reverend the silver Trumpet of Zion whom God lifteth up on high that you may sound the louder and shriller as bells are hung higher in the steeple that they may be heard further Let it be never said of you as it was of Saul that when he came to the high places he made an end of prophecying The more God hath honoured you the more you ought to honour him the higher Christ hath preferred you the more you ought to love him and shew this your love by your treble diligence in feeding his sheep To which end these words Peter lovest thou me feed my sheep c. are by the order of our Church appointed to be read for the Gospell at your consecration I grant you feed many ways you feed when you appoint pastors to feed you feed when you instruct them how to feed you feed when you censure them for not feeding their flocks or not feeding them with wholesome food you feed in a Synode when you make good Canons you feed in your visitations when you encourage good Ministers and reform abuses in the Church lastly you feed at your tables when you keep good hospitality And after all these manners the Apostle and ancient Fathers fed yet they thought themselves in danger of a vae or curse if they fed not by preaching the Gospel in their

from the danger of the killing letter as the Poet in his witty Epigram playeth upon an ignorant Priest in time of Popery Tu bene cavisti ne te ulla occidere possit Litera nam nota est litera nulla tibi Thou hast taken good care that the killing letter shall not hurt thee for thou knowest never a letter in the book The measures of the Sanctuary contained twice as much as the common measures the shekel of the Sanctuary weighed down two other shekels to shew us that the gifts of a Pastor ought to carrie a double proportion to those of his flocke else he had need to be fed himself and is not qualified for this duty required in my text in the first place Feed 2 Of those that are able to feed some feed themselves not their flock like Varus taxed by Velleius Paterculus who came poor into a rich Province but went rich out of the poor Province making a very gainfull exchange by leaving them the poverty he brought with him and taking with him the wealth he found there Feed yee not your selves but the Flock 3 Of those that feed the Flock some feed not Gods Flock but Satans heard teaching in Conventicles of Hereticks or Schismaticks Waspes have their hives as well as Bees and Pirats have their Pilots as well as honest Merchants be not ye like them feed not the droves of Satan or Antichrist but the Flock of God 4 Of those that feed the Flock of God some feed not the Flock which is among them they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bishops in other mens Diocesses they thrust their sickle into anothers harvest and discharge without a charge they may rightly say with the Spouse in the Canticles They have made me or rather I have made my self a keeper of vineyards but mine own vineyard I have not kept If the frogs Seryphus could speak they would claim kindred of these men for as those frogs in the Island where they are bred are dumb and make no noise at all but carried to any other Country fall on singing or croaking and never give over so these are silent and quiet in their own cures but when they are out of them none can be quiet for them they who can scarce afford a Sermon in a moneth at their own home making nothing of lecturing every day in the week abroad 5 Of those that feed the flock of God which is among them that is preach painefully and powerfully some are not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Overlookers they that take the over-sight of their flock they have not an eye to their life and manners they never use the reine or rather curbe of ecclesiasticall discipline forgetting that in the Arke of God together with the Table of the Testimony and the Pot of Manna the Rod of Aaron that budded was laid up and that where David compareth God to a shepheard he maketh mention both of his rod and staffe 6 Of those that feed the flock of God that is amongst them and take the over-sight thereof that is both rule well and labour in the word some deserve not the double honour because they do it by constraint not wilingly like those Calves and Bullocks and Rams that were pulled and haled to the Altars of the heathen gods wherewith Pliny observeth that the Paynim deities were never pleased nor gave good successe to them which offred such sacrifice unto them Nature it self giveth a prerogative to that honey which drops out of the combe before that which is forced or squized out and to that oyle which sweats out of the Myrrhe trees issuing from thence of its own accord before that which runneth after pricking or incision The noblest pallate wine is made of that liquor of the grape which spinneth out upon the smallest touch without any violent pressure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 7 Of those that take the over-sight of the flock not by canstraint but willingly some do it not freely or of a ready mind but for filthy lucre The Eccho taught by Erasmus rings this in the ears of the Laity and they hear it briefe Quid venatur sacerdos 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And Platina giveth a touch thereof in the life of Pope Goodface the third the first question is after a man is chosen Pope what is the Bishoprick of Rome worth Filthy lucre carrieth such an ill savour with it the precious oyntment of Aaron cannot take away the smell thereof Covetousness is a spot in any coat but a stain in the linnen Ephod what so unfit what so incongruous nay what so opprobrious and scandalous as for those who in scripture are stiled Angels and should like Angels by continual meditations and divine contemplations behold the face of God in heaven to turne earth-wormes and lye and feed upon very muck How dare they deliver the holy Sacrament with those hands that have received bribes or are defiled with the price of Blood or are foul with telling their use-money Holinesse which of all other most befitteth our sacred calling in the Greeke implyeth a contradiction to earthlinesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we render holy is all one in that language as unearthly If a glasse be soyled with dust or besmeared with dirt it reflecteth no image at all in like manner if the minde be soyled with the dust of earthlinesse the image of God cannot appeare in it the fancie of such a man will represent no spirituall forme conceive no divine or heavenly imaginations If we seeke our own and not the things that are Jesus Christs the Goods not the good of our flock we lose the first letter of our name in the Prophet Ezekiel and of speculatores become peculatores and are not to be termed praedicatores but praedatores But I will not make this blot bigger by unskilfully going about to take it out 8 Of those that feed and take the over-sight of Gods flock that is among them not by constraint but willingly not for filthy lucre but of a ready mind some carry themselves like Lords over the flock not as ensamples to their flock they go in out before them in a lordly gate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in swelling pride not in exemplary humillty seeking rather to over-rule them with terror and violence then rule over them with the spirit of meekness These though they are put up in the highest forme yet have not learned the first lesson in the schoole of Christianity to be meeke and lowly in heart neither understand they that divine graces which are the plants of Paradise are like to the tree in the Poet that beare golden boughes Quae quantum vertice ad auras Aetheras tantum radice in Tartara tendit whose root was just somuch beneath the earth as the top was in height above it The higher Gods Saint grow upwards to perfection the deeper they take

more stresse upon it The proper and full signification of the word is pastorum agere to play the good shepherd or exercise the function of a Pastor which consisteth in three things especially 1 Docendo quid facere debeant 2 Orando ut facere possint 3 Increpando si non faciant 1 In teaching those of his flock what they ought to do 2 In praying that they may do it 3 In reproving if they do it not All which may be reduced to a threefold feeding 1 With the Word Ier. 3. 2 With the Sacraments Apoc. 2. Ioh. 6. 3 With the Rod Micah 7. 14. To feed with the Word and Sacrament is the common duty of all Pastors but to feed with the rod is reserved to Bishops they are Seraphims holding the spiritul sword of excommunication in their hands to guard the tree of life whose speciall office and eminent degree in the Church is implied in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the vulgar latine rendreth providentes but Saint Augustine more agreeable to the Etymology supervidentes super-visors or super-intendents Yet this is but a generall notation of the name every Bishop is a super-visour or over-seer but every super-visour is not a Bishop The Lacedaemonian Magistrates were called Epori which is an equivalent stile to Episcopi and Constantine the great spake as truly as piously to his Bishops Yee reverend Fathers are Bishops of them that are within the Church but I of them that are out of the Church where your pastoral staffe is too short I will piece it out and lengthen it with my scepter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the most proper and restrained signification is to exercise Episcopal Authority or perform the office of a Bishop which consisteth in two things 1 In ordaining 2 Ordering 1 Giving orders 2 Keeping order Saint Paul giveth Titus both in charge for this cause I left thee in Crete to ordain Elders in every Church there is the first to wit ordination and to set in order things that are wanting or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to correct things out of order there is the second viz. ordering or reformation Timothy likewise the first Consecrated Bishop of Ephesus is put in mind of these branches of his Episcopal function of the first Lay hands suddenly on no man of the second Against an Elder receive not an accusation but under two or three witnesses Them that sinne rebuke before all that others also may fear Be not partaker of any mans sinnes to wit by not censuring or punishing them These two offices to be most necessary in the Church every mans reason and common experience will inform us For how shall we have Ministers at all without Ordination and how shall we have good Ministers or people without visitation Now for Presbyters or Ministers who are equal in degree to exercise authority one over the other and lay hands upon themselves and so to become their own ghostly Fathers is to make order it self a confusion Therefore God in the law put a difference between the Priests and Levits and Christ in the Gospel between the Apostles and Disciples and the Apostles after Christs death between Bishops and Elders Which the primitive Church kept so religiously that to oppose it in practise was accounted no lesse them sacriledge in doctrine flat heresie The first that I find ever to have gone about to break down the partition wall between Bishops and Presbyters was Aerius a man like this name was light and aery easily carried away with the winde of ambition For as Apiphanius writeth standing for a Bishoprick and missing it he invented this heresie to comfort himself and because he could not raise up himself to the high rank of Bishops he sought to pull them down to his lower rank of Elders What difference saith he is there between a Bishop and Priest none at all their order and honour and dignity is one and the self-same But for this his sawcy malepartnesse he felt the smart of the Crosier staffe and for ranking Bishops among Presbyters or Elders he was himself ranked among hereticks God who made greater and lesser lights in the firmament and set Angels in ranks one above another hath erected an Hierarchy upon earth which as he hath ever yet so I hope he still will to the end of the world establish and support and propagate it as it hath wonderfully supported and propagated the Church The bounds thereof extended by the preaching and kept by the Government of Bishops the Hereticks and Schismaticks in all ages suppressed by Councels and Synods of Bishops the Rubricks of Ecclesiastical Kalendars coloured with the blood of so many martyred Bishops are sufficient evidence thereof And as the Church soon after her first plantation exceedingly prospered under the shade of Iames Bishop of Hierusalem Titus of Crete Timothy of Ephesus Mark of Alexandria Ignatius of Antioch Antipas of Pargamus Polycarpe of Smyrna and divers others ordained by the Apostles or their immediate successors and in succeeding ages received her best sap and nourishment from the Greek and Latine Fathers who for the most part were Bishops so Beza himself acknowledgeth it to have been the singular happinesse of the Church of England which he prayeth may be perpetual that this reverend and sacred order hath yeelded not only famous Martyrs but also most excellent Doctors and Pastors As the Poet blazing the vertues of the Emperour then reigning said Te volet invictus pro libertate Camillus Si Cato redd●tur Caesarianus erit Brutus and Camillus and Cato the greatest sticklers for the liberty of the Commonwealth if they were now alive would turn Royalists so we may truly affirm that the greatest enemies of Episcopal Jurisdiction could not but approve of such Bishops as now sit at the stern in our Church And what if all are not such must the whole order suffer for their sake Desine paucorum diffundere crimen in omnes lay not upon all the fault of some If one or other bud of Aarons rod the Bishoprick of Rome and the dependants thereon are turned into serpents shall the whole rod be cast out of the Arke and Ionah's gourd put in the place thereof I mean the new sprung up mushrome the Government of lay Elders Elders whereof no Elder age of the Church ever took notice and younger cannot tell yet how to Christen them because they are a kind of epicoens of both genders plant-animals partly Animals partly plants like a sort of Nuns at Bruxels partly regular partly secular in the morning wearing the cowles and habit of Recluses in the afternoon the feathers and other attire of Gallants For they are Clergy-laickes and Lay-clerkes of their clergy they are for they together with their Ministers ordain Ministers and inflict Ecclesiastical censures and yet laicks they are for they may not preach nor baptize Church-men they are for they