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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
authority_n	church_n	great_a	matter_n	3,615	5	5.4148	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85881	The arraignment of pride, or, Pride set forth, with the causes, kinds, and several branches of it: the odiousness and greatness of the sin of pride: the prognosticks of it, together with the cure of it: as also a large description of the excellency and usefulness of the grace of humility: divided into chapters and sections. / By W. Gearing minister of the word at Lymington in Hantshire.	Gearing, William.	1660 (1660)	Wing G430; Thomason E1762_1; ESTC R209642	162,907	286

is the Lord c. Prov. 30.9 Let every one labour then to be rich in God in Wisdom in Faith in Godliness in good Works The godly poor God chuseth to enrich with Heavenly riches not a Senator for he would have said My Dignity is chosen August de verb. domini Serm. 59. if a rich man my Wealth is chosen if an Orator my Eloquence is chosen if a Philosopher my Wisdom is chosen saith Augustine This is durable riches and riches that can never be taken away To him that hath God nothing can be wanting unless he himself be wanting to God saith Cyprian Habenti Deum nil potest deesse nisi desit ipse Deo quia Dei sunt omnia Cyprian Orat. Domin because all things are Gods CHAP. 9. Of Pride of Honour SECT 1. Of Affectation of high Titles and a Name in the World HErein the pride of the Pharisees appeared who affected the name Rabbi i. e. Mat. 23 8. to be counted wise and understanding When Sarah cast out the bond-woman and her son Christo non vieta che non si renda il suo honore a i magistrati e a i maestri ma condauna l'ambitione Ital. Annot. Sir Rich. Barckley de Summo bono the posterity of Hagar were content at first with the name of Hagarens but afterwards in the pride of their hearts considering that Hagar was but a bond-woman they would not be called Hagarens from Hagar but Saracens from Sarah the free-woman and principal wife True vertue is contented with one title or with none at all for it self is a sufficient title Alexander the great being pufft up with pride for his great victories could not bare the greatness of his fortune with that vertue he woon them That vain Woman Cleopatra would be called Regina Reginarum But being more desirous of honour then able to receive it he commanded himself to be called the Son of Jupiter and to be honoured as a God and while he went about to encrease the glory of his acts he defaced them with such vain titles for he received more mocks of the wiser sort then adoration of his flatterers When he sent to the Cities of Greece to have his new title of Godhead to be confirmed by publique authority Sapor the Persian wrote to Constantius and called himself King of Kings and Brother to the Stars the Sun and the Moon c. the matter being in consultation one steps up and said Well seeing Alexander would needs have it so let us make him a God Great and detestable is the pride of the Pope of Rome who will be called the most holy Father yea Holiness it self What is this but to lift up himself above Christ Christ indeed is absolutely called the Holy One but the Pope calleth himself the Most Holy One and that absolutely Thus he proudly exalts himself above Christ which is proper to Antichrist The like may be noted from the title of Christs Priesthood Hebr. 4.14 15. where he is called an High-Priest and a Great High-Priest but the Pope arrogateth to himself an higher title Pontifex Maximus the greatest High-Priest wherein again he lifts up himself above Christ shewing that he is not his Vicar but the Successor of the Arch-Priest of the Pagans whom the Romans called Arch-flamens And Gregory sometime Bishop of Rome said Whosoever calleth himself Pareus in Apocal. Their glory is great that got the name of Great as Alexander the great Pompey the great Charls the great but they get more glory who obtain the name Optimus i. e. the best Trajan wrote his title upon a wall which Constantinus seeing called Herbam parietariam or desireth to be called the Universal Bishop is in this his ambition a fore-runner of Antichrist in that he proudly preferreth himself above the rest And the Pope afterwards becoming Bishop of the chief Seat and not contented with that title a while after he made himself greatest or chief Priest which Dignity till then was proper to the Roman Emperours for after Augustus all the Roman Princes who governed the Roman affairs under the name of Emperours as Onuphrius writeth either took on them the chief Pontificacy or else suffered themselves to be called Pontifices Maximi as Constantinus Constantius Valentinianus Valens and Gratianus who although they detested the function of chief Priesthood being addicted to the Christians nevertheless they despised not nor rejected the title thereof Gratian the Emperour being the first as Zosimus tells us who forbad by Proclamation that the Title of Pontifex Maximus should be given to him Now these Augustal Titles being rejected by the Emperours because of the impiety thereof the Pope assumed them to himself making himself the greatest Priest and soon after Oecumenical Catholick and Universal Bishop being stiled Prince of Priests and Head of Churches But what will it profit men to have swelling titles and to have their names known upon earth if their names are not registred and upon record in Heaven What can it benefit a man to be famous and talked on upon earth and be commended in City Court and Countrey and to have his name in many Books If this be not attended and accompanied with a sanctified heart it s but matter of pride and vanity To this Section let me adde that the affectation of vain-glory and getting themselves a name hath been found in men of a base condition and some will endanger their lives to get themselves a name not fearing to run into present death to win same to themselves after this life Such was the humility of Pertinax the Emperour that he forbad his name to be written in the Imperial possessions because they were not proper to the Emperour but to the Romans by some notorious fact not respecting the wickedness thereof Pausanias being ambitious of a name slew Philip King of Macedon the most famous man in his time I have read likewise of another that set the Temple of Diana on fire which for the sumptuousness of its building and curiosity of Workmanship was one of the wonders of the world And being askt why he did it he answered for no other end but to get him a name and that he might be talkt of when he was dead And Livy tells us of a Roman who was so desirous of glory and fame that he attempted to burn down the Treasure-house at Rome and being apprehended and put to torment and examined he confessed that he had no other end in it but that writers might make mention of him in their Chronicles SECT 2. Of affecting High Places THe Pharisees loved the uppermost seats in the Synagogues Luke 11.43 and greetings in the Marker-place Christ doth not say You sate in the upper-most seats and therefore denounceth a woe against them for of necessity some body must sit in the chiefest seats but this was their sin The poor Prodigal desireth to be made but as one of his fathers hired servants

Benedict the second viz. That they might chuse a Pope without the Emperour which before they could not 4. The fourth was the Amity between Zachary Bishop of Rome and Pipin Governour of France who ruled for Childerick and sent to Pope Zachary to be resolved in this doubt Whether it were fit for him to be King that had the Name and Dignity or he that bare the burthen He presently picked out the meaning and said He that bare the burthen then Pipin laboureth to depose his Master and doth so The occasion was this the Pope finding the Lombards grievously disturbing Italy Aistulphus or as some Aristulphus King of the Lombards besieged Rome three moneths sent for Pipin with an Army out of France by whose help he suppressed the Lombards and thrust the Greek Magistrates out of Ravenna and all Italy usurping the Principality of Ravenna by the gift of Pipin the Conquerour unto whom in recompence thereof a thing not heard of before he gave the Kingdom of France thrusting Childerick the lawful King into a Monastery or Covent Here is not Scala Jacobi or Coeli but Inferni for one must gratifie the other again 5. The fifth step was the decay of the Eastern Empire Anno 756. 6. The sixth step was the Translation of the Roman Empire from the Greeks to the French or Germans in the person of Magnifical Charls as Bellarmine calleth him for the Romans making insurrection against Pope Leo the third because of his detestable pride the said Charls the Son and Heir of Pepin coming with his Army into Italy again freed the Pope Hereupon the Pope not to be ungrateful out of the fulness of his power gave unto Charls the Title of the Roman Empire the which belonged to the Greeks and therefore was not his to dispose of crowning him Emperour of the West On the other hand Charls the new Emperour to gratifie the Pope forced the Citizens of Rome to swear fidelity to Leo and appointed him Lord of Rome the which Donation Lodowick Son of Charls afterwards confirmed and encreased 7. The seventh step was the Constitution of Electors of the future Emperours enacted by Pope Gregory and Otho the Emperour both Germans and Kinsmen 8. The eighth step reacheth to Heaven for thus they teach Christus be ato Petro aeternae vitae clavigero terreni simul coelestis imperii jura commisit Christ hath committed to blessed Peter the Keykeeper of Eternal Life the power both of earthly and heavenly Jurisdiction and Government Boniface the eighth made a Decree That ēvery humane Creature must submit himself to the Bishop of Rome under pain of eternal damnation Platina de vitis Pontific These be the words of Gratian concerning Pope Nicholas and the Gloss upon them saith Argumentum quod Papa habet utrumque gladium spiritualem temporalem An argument that the Pope hath both Swords both the Spiritual and Temporal and in the marginal notes Papa habens utrumque gladium imperium transtulit The Pope having both Swords translated the Empire That the properties of God are attributed to the Pope you may see by their writings Papa dicitur habere coeleste arbitrium ideo etiam naturam rerum immutat substantiam unius rei applicando alii de nihilo potest aliquid facere Thus the Popes Parasites flatter him Sicut non est Potestas nisi a Deo sic nec aliqua temporalis vel Ecclesiastica imperialis vel regalis nisi a Papa As there is no power but of God so say they there is not any Temporal or Ecclesiastical Greg. 7. sirnamed Hildebrand said That he had power to give and take away Kingdoms at his pleasure and it is more to make and marre Kings then to be a King as R. Nevill Earl of Warwick sometime said in the Civil War between Henry the sixth and Edward the fourth of England Imperial or Regal power but of the Pope In cujus femine scripsit Christus Rex Regum Dominus Dominantium on whose thigh Christ hath written King of Kings and Lord of Lords Gregory the ninth letteth this Doctrine fall from his own pen Ad firmamentum coeli hoc est universalis Ecclesiae fecit Deus duo magna luminaria i.e. duas instituit dignitates quae sunt Pontificalis authoritas regalis potestas ut quanta est inter solem lunam tanta inter Pontifices Reges differentia cognoscatur For the firmament of Heaven that is saith he of the Universal Church God made two great lights that is appointed two Dignities which are the Pontifical Authority and the Regal Power and as a great difference may be seen between the Sun and Moon so as great a difference may be known between Popes and Kings See what pride is in the Man of Sin Some Popes in pride have caused themselves to be worshipped who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God or worshipped That high places are apt to puff men up with pride Decius the Emperour evidently saw who when his Father would have invested him in the Empire as David did Solomon in his Kingdom in his life time refused the honour with this modest excuse I fear if I am made Emperour lest I forget that I am a Son Vereor nc si fiam imperator dediscam esse filius malo non esse imperator humilis filius quam imperator filius indevotus Valer. Maxim lib. 4. and I had rather not be an Emperour and be an humble Son then an Emperour and an undutiful Son He knew it seemed that Honores did ordinarily mutare mores that honour did change mens mannes and so surely theydo in nature corrupted and not by grace corrected or where grace prevails not or is not predominant above nature for where it is goodness will so oversway greatness as no Dignity shall cause men to neglect or forget their duty Now this is a great vanity for men to be proud of honours or high places especially if we consider the instability of honours great preferments Craesus King of Lydia spoiled by Cyrus King of Persia and bereft both of his Kingdom and life Cyrus himself afterwards served so by Thomyris and great mens favours as appears in Parmenio and Clitus in high favour with Alexander the great and Seneca with Nero and Bellisarius with Justinian the Emperour yea even in Dionysius himself Bajazet and many other great Princes And even in holy Writ 1 King 2.5 6. we see Joab a great favourite with David at the first is at last distasted by himself and quite cashiered by Solomon his Son and that by his approbation and appointment so likewise Haman rose not so fast Hest 7. but he sell faster They that be in the hight of honour to day Tolluntur in altum ut lapsu graviore cadant may be in the lowest degree of disgrace by to morrow for we know not what a day may bring forth Prov. 27.1

not the taking but the loving the first place Ye love the upper-most seats c. desiring it striving for it This was the disease of the Pharisees 3 John 9. Vain honour is the idol of fools Adams and it is hereditary to all proud persons and wheresoever it is it is a mark of pride It is said of Diotrephes that he loved the preheminence Christ reproved this kinde of pride by a Parable when eating bread in the house of one of the chief Pharisees Luke 14.7 Luke 14.7 8 9 10. he put forth a Parable to those which were bidden when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms saying to them When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding sit not down in the highest room lest a more honourable man then thou be bidden of him and he that bade thee and him come and say to thee Give this man place and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room But when thou art bidden go and sit down in the lowest room that when he that bade thee cometh he may say unto thee Friend go up higher then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee David had rather be a door-keeper in the House of God then to dwell in the tents of wickedness A door-keeper in limine insidere to sit in the threshold as the Hebrew signifies frequentare limen versari in ecclesia Tremel The Rabbins expound it to sit at the gate as the meanest Officer in Gods house 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rather then be in the tents of wicked men in pomp Septuag For whosoever exalteth himself shall be brought low and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted Here was was a fault among the ghuests and them that were invited and called to the feast and that was by putting themselves forwards too fast striving for the highest room and not simply taking it according to mens rank and place in the Church or Commonwealth for the contrary is rusticity and want of good education not civility or urbanity from which he disswadeth by two Arguments 1. Lest the judgement of the Master and maker of the feast jump not with the conceit of his ghuest and so he having authority to place and displace in his own house put him back that was over-forward The like advice gave King Solomon long before Psal 48.10 Prov. 25.6 7. saying Put not forth thy self in the presence of the King and stand not in the place of great men for better it is that it be said unto thee Come up higher then that thou shouldest be put lower in the presence of the Prince whom thine eyes have seen 2. From the evil issue and success that proud persons do meet with viz. to be disgraced For as Solomon tells us Prov. 16.8 Luke 18.14 That pride ever goes before a fall and He that exalteth himself shall be abased True honour consisteth not in the Titles Dignities and Preferments that we possess but rather in the good works that we do Augustine saith of Cato Quo minus petebat gloriam eò magis illum sequebatur Aug. de Civit. Dei lib. 5. cap. 12. and he is more honourable and praise-worthy that deserveth honour and hath it not then he that possesseth it and deserveth it not Canst thou reckon that to be any part of thy happiness which produceth an infinite number of evils It may be thou art in great Assemblies saluted with caps and knees and art reverenced at Feasts in the highest places at the table and yet thou considerest not that oftentimes many a wicked man is preferred before thee And what advantage is that to the state of thy body or minde whereof a man consisteth that cannot be counted the greatest good which often is not only turned into evil but also perverteth them that possess it and maketh them worse SECT 3. Of pride of men in High Places IT is commonly seen that high Places are apt to puff men up with pride Hamans preferments made him so proud as he thought none good enough to be his Peer Intolerable hath been the pride of many Popes in this kinde What pride did Pope Gregory the seventh shew Regni e falsi honori le gemme et l'oro cui solo it mondo vagillando crede l'alta fatiche il nostro hyman lavoro Che sia del tempo dolorose prede Nascon d'affannai et fuggonsi poche hore Solo il ben nostro oprar gia mati non muore Benevent de Rambaidis to make the Emperour Henry the fourth stand three days and three nights at his gate bare-footed and bare-legged with his wife and children in the deep of winter in frost and snow to intreat for absolution The like pride appeared in Pope Alexander the third that made Frederick the Emperour at Venice fall down before him to the ground and ask him forgiveness while he trod upon his neck and gave him a push or two And to shew the more arrogancy he used these words of Scripture for a pretence saying Super aspidem Basilicum ambulabis The like pride was in Pope Celestinus that put the Crown upon the head of the Emperour Henry the sixth not with his hand but with his foot and threw it down again from his head with his foot affirming that he had power to make Emperours and to depose them What great pride was in that Pope that cast Francis Dandalus Duke of Venice under his table to gnaw bones among the Dogs It is written also concerning Pope Boniface the eighth thus That Albertus Duke of Austria being by the Electours chosen King of the Romans desired of Boniface the blessing and confirmation To whom this proud Pope answered That he was unworthy of the Empire and having the Crown on his own head and a Sword girt about his loyns he said I am Caesar Julius the second the Predecessour of Leo a better Souldier then a Priest goeth with an Army as Wicelius witnesseth in the year 1513. against the King of Navarre and threw Peters Keys into the River Tiber saying If the Key of Peter cannot let the Sword of Paul prevail Of which Mantuan saith thus Ense potens gemino Mantuan cujus vestigia adorant Caesar aurato vestiti murice reges Great Caesar with victorious Kings Who golden Crowns do wear They do adore his foot steps who The double sword doth bear Now here we may observe the steps or ladders or gradations to the pride of the Papacy 1. The first was the departing of Constantine from Rome to Constantinople So saith Gratian but Vella and other Popish Writers tell us otherwise 2. The second was the fall of the Empire in the West Anno 471. in the time of Augustulus Of whom this Epigram was made Augustus Romanum imperium condidit Augustulus labefactavit Augustus founded the Roman Empire Augustulus destroyed it 3. The third was a Charter made by Constantine Emperour of the East to