Selected quad for the lemma: world_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
world_n	catholic_a	church_n	visible_a	2,933	5	9.1820	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A16943	The house of God The sure foundation, the stones, the vvorkmen and order of the building. The incomparable strength of that house, and the vaine assaults and batteries of Satan and all his power. In a sermon preached at Pauls Crosse, December 24, 1626. / By Matthevv Brookes.	Brookes, Matthew, fl. 1626-1657.	1627 (1627)	STC 3836; ESTC S119308	25,408	48

Catholicke Church are taken out of the vale of teares and conueighed into Abrahams bosome in respect of them the Church is triumphant and whereas some are left in this Forrest of Lebanon to wrestle with the Diuell the World and the Flesh in respect of them the Church is Militant Lastly in respect of the outward practice of Religion the Church is Visible and in respect of the faith of the beleeuers it is inuisible The condition therefore of the Church in generall and of euery member in particular is to be called out but they are not all called out at one age at one time or vpon one occasion That great Master of the Vineyard hired some of his labourers very early in the morning some at the third houre some at the sixt some at the ninth and some at the eleuenth houre Iohn the Baptist was sanctified from his mothers wombe Timothie was called in his youth Paul a young man and the Thiefe vpon the Crosse at the last gaspe Againe it is not one kinde of meanes that doth preuaile to win all those that are called to the faith or if you will haue it so not the same manner or method of preaching Augustine was insnared by the eloquence of Ambrose and the great disputer at the Nicene Councell Aug. Confess lib. 5. cap. 13. R●f Eccl●●st lib. 1. cap. 3. was caught by the words of a plaine man GOD hath sanctified the eloquent tongue of the learned man to preuaile on some and the humble speech of the vnlearned to preuaile on others for he that doth ordinarily call men by his Word is if it please him able to conuert thē without his Word Let no man cease to hope wel of his brother thogh for the present hee see noe uident tokens of his obedience God hath a time for him seriùs ociùs Sors exitura first or last it may fall to his lot the Lord of the Haruest may if it please him send him into the vineyard though at the eleuenth houre O terque quaterque beati thrice happy all those whom the Lord doth call effectually to his seruice Againe let vs not bee absent when God doth call for if we heare not how shall we obey Had the fiue wise Virgins beene out of the way when the Bridegroome did come how had they beene admitted into the wedding Chamber Mat. 25. Luc. 19. Had Zachaeus not stood in the way how had Christ called him from the tree Strange it is to see the practice of the world we account him sottish or rather mad who will absent himselfe when a worldly preferment may be gotten per ma●e per saxa per ignes we ride and runne when we may be heard for our profit yet when the King of Heauen calleth vs by his Word and Sacraments we sticke not to goe about our worldly businesses nay our pleasures and delights as Playes Tau●r●es and worse things then these two O mis●r● qu●●ta●●● in●ania ciues Shall we be so studious of these things and shall we not attend for our eternall profit Lastly let vs not bring itching eares into Gods House but humble and obedient hearts and because the Ministers of the Word doe summon vs on Gods behalfe let not our owne delights and pleasures let not the wicked worlds sinnes and vanities reteine our hearts in Sodome for Gods Family is Ecclesia a company called out This Church so selected Of the second exposition therein of the first proposition viz the Church is builded by Christ I will build my Church 1 Cor. 3.9 Exod. 36.1 so called out is builded or rather called out that it may be builded for it is Gods building When GOD would haue his Tabernacle in the wildernesse he sanctified Bezaleel and Aholiab for the worke and into many others he put wisdome and vnderstanding to know how to worke all manner of worke for the seruice of the Sanctuarie according to all that the Lord had commanded The sumptuous Temple of Hierusalem builded by Salomon 1 King 6.7 was of stone made ready before it was brought thither so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any toole of yron heard in the House while it was in building A further preparation for the building of the spirituall House was heereby fitly shaddowed viz. Christ who is to build his Church doth first prepare the stones secondly hee sanctifieth certaine wise workmen to lay them into the pile thirdly he directeth them how to build and lastly by this meanes the stones are placed Conceiue this to be the order of the building First the preparation of the stones is meerely Gods worke who himselfe sorteth and chooseth out such as he will lay into the Temple de diuinae gratiae largitate of the bounty of his diuine grace saith Augustine Aug. Euchirid cap. 98. Eph. 1.4 For he hath chosen vs in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in loue By this meanes we come to be stones for the worke per misericordiam gratuitam by the free mercie of God others being cast by per iudicium debitum by the righteous iudgement of God that so in this respect wee might attribute nothing to our selues or glory in any thing that we can doe but according to the Apostolicall counsell He that glorieth 1 Cor. 10.17 let him glory in the Lord. Secondly the Ministers of the Word doe worke vpon these choice stones to lay them into the pile and for this cause are called builders Saint Paul affirmeth himselfe to be a wise Master-builder And they are sanctified separated 1 Cor. 3.10 or put apart from men for this worke as the Apostle saith that he is separated vnto the Gospell of God Rom. 1.1 Like as in the building of that great Ephesian Temple one of the worlds seuen wonders erected by all Asia in 220. yeeres as Plinie reporteth Lib. 36. Cap. 14. the builders layed a sure foundation of Coles trodden and rammed hard together and fleeces of Wooll superimposed to keepe it from sinking and from earthquakes so the builders whom God doth call and sanctifie to that office doe in this spirituall House vse all good meanes to preserue their worke that nothing may bee able to demolish it Thirdly they haue receiued rule and direction for GOD who will haue his Church to be builded doth direct the workmen how to doe it and therfore they worke according as they haue receiued order from him Now God directeth the builders two manner of wayes ordinarily or extraordinarily Our ordinary direction is the written Word which teacheth the true and right faith according to which we must build Rom. 12.6 Let vs prophesie according to the proportion of faith It is therefore requisite that the Workmen be learned in the Scriptures to compare spirituall things with spirituall things to discerne which is the faith which is not the faith which thing is to be done by the Scriptures for Sacra scriptura

Midas-like ouer-value the things of this world but bestow our chiefest care how to attaine the sauing faith let vs not studie how to bee grounded in wealth but how to bee founded vpon Christ the Rocke Let vs not emulate Semiramis in those Babels that we build but rather deuise how we our selues may be builded in this spirituall House of which Peter by sauing faith was made a stone and euery one that doth partake with Peter in the same faith is likewise a stone though not of so large a size or so curiously carued yet such a stone as shall remaine in the building for eternitie Psal 125.1 like to Mount Sion that cannot be remoued Now come we to his Function the Office of his Apostleship whereby he is made a strong Foundation stone vpon whom other stones in the building are fitly placed Ephe. 4.21 For Christ gaue some Apostles and some Prophets and some Euangelists and some Pastors and Teachers 12. for the perfecting of the Saints for the worke of the Ministery and for the edifying of the Body of Christ Therefore the Apostles the Prophets the Euangelists the Pastors and Teachers of the Church are necessary stones for the building that it may be raised But the greatest of all these are the Apostles who because Apostles are therefore Prophets Euangelists and Teachers Mar. 10.2 Osiand Harmon Euang. lib. 2. cap. 1. Acts 1.26 Acts 9.15 Yet no other can attaine the dignity of the Apostleship but the eleuen first chosen by our Sauiour Christ in the second yeere of his Ministery Matthias who succeeded in the place of Iudas the Traitor and Paul that chosen and elect vessell the Apostle of the Gentiles last called In respect of the Church these are great Foundation stones for they obtained commission to teach all Nations and to baptize them in the Name of the Father of the Son Mat. 28.19 and of the Holy Ghost Rom. 10.18 Which Commission of theirs they faithfully executed for their sound went into all the earth and their words vnto the ends of the world I need not tell you with what gifts and graces they were enriched for the performance of so great a businesse surely they so preuailed that by their Ministery Acts 2.47 the Lord added to the Church daily such as should be saued These great stones vpon diuers respects are said to lye in the Foundation of the building for the supportation of other stones lesse in graces and lesse in office First because they were called to that office not by the Ministery of man but immediately by God as Paul saith that he is an Apostle Gal 1.1 not of men neither by man Secondly because they first of all had commission to preach Christ crucified vnto the Gentlies and to ioyne both Iewes and Gentiles into one people Isa 11.10 that so the roote of Iesse might stand for an Ensigne of the people and the Gentiles might seeke vnto it Thirdly because other great Officers of the Church as Bishops Elders and Deacons were ordained by their Ministery Acts 6.6 and consecrated the hands of their Apostleship but they themselues were not so ordained or ordered but were chosen immediately by God and receiued their commission frō Christ his mouth Lastly they ordained none to succeed them in the fulnesse of their office charge that is to say to go into all Nations to preach the Gospell vnto euery creature Mar. 16.15 which was their immediate commission Apostolicall but they ordained proper Pastors vnto particular Churches to whose care they recommended the Flocke of Christ in those places where they themselues had preached and preuailed reseruing vnto themselues Apostolick dignity euen to ouersee the Bishops and Elders of the Church And hence it is that St. Paul duiseth Timothy Titus how to behaue themselues in their function and that St. Peter taketh vpon him to instruct the Elders of the Church and that Saint Iohn counselleth reprooueth and commendeth the Angels or Bishops of the seuen Churches of Asia These things being branches of the Apostolicke authoritie it was no small matter that our Sauiour performed vnto Peter vpon his confession saying Thou art Peter Note here what excellent Ministers God hath raised vp in his Church for the sauing of the soules of his Elect By these the excellency of Christian Religion is much commended they are Apostles Prophets Euangelists Pastours and Teachers If the Indian Schooles grew in estimation because of the Gymnosophists and the Persian wisedome by the Soothsayers and the Egyptian learning by the Sorcerers how much more shall our Religion bee aduanced by the worthinesse of the Ministers and their high calling in Christ Iesus This should also teach men to haue a reuerend regard vnto the Ministers of the Word for they are not onely stones in the building if they be faithfull but necessary workemen for the edifying of Gods Church and in respect of their Office closely laid vpon the Apostles for the building of Christ his Body and therefore Let a man so account of vs 1 Cor. 4.1 as of the Ministers of Christ and Stewards of the Mysteries of God Hitherto we haue spoken of Peters personall benefit now come we vnto that thing whereunto it hath relation and that is the Church vnto which it hath reference as a stone to the building Vpon this Rocke will I build my Church Secondly of the Church and therein first that it is a Church and more then that the Church of Christ my Church The Elect and chosen of God saith the Text are a Church and more then that my Church the Church of Christ The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is deriued from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth to call out or summon so that when you talke of the Church it is as if you should say a company of men called out or summoned The Athenians were wont to call the Company of Citizens called out or summoned by the voyce of the Crier to heare the sentence of the Senate Ecclesiam And by the Etymologie of this word the condition of Gods elect chosen is fitly expressed for they are called out of the generality of men by the Word of God to know God and to worship and serue him and this their Calling because they obey it wee call an effectuall Vocation These so effectually called are in the Scriptures set forth to bee a peculiar people 1 Pet. 2.8 Ephes 2.19 Clem. Alexand. Strom. lib. 7. Ambros in Ephe. cap. 3. Bernar. in Cant. Str. 78. the houshold of God whom Clemens Alexandrinus calleth the company of the Elect. Ambrose a people whom God hath vouchsafed to adopt vnto himselfe Bernard the company of the elected which company was predestinated before the world began To speake expresly of this Church it is gathered out of all Sexes Orders Nations and Times and it is therefore called the Catholicke or Vniuersall Church Secondly whereas some of the members of this