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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
body_n	church_n	member_n	part_n	14,886	5	5.3362	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A45541	The apostolical liturgy revived a sermon preached at the assizes held at Chelmsford in the county of Essex, March 18, 1660 / by Nath. Hardy.	Hardy, Nathaniel, 1618-1670.	1661 (1661)	Wing H708; ESTC R27167	22,011	41

pray we pray not for one but the whole people because all the people are one Thus as our prayers must be for their depth cordiall from the bottome of our hearts for their height celestiall chiefly for the things of a better life and for their length continuall to the end of our dayes so they must be for their breadth universall for all men But withall 2. Eminently for Kings and for all that are in authority where besides the explicite Doctrine there are severall truths implicitely couched which would not be passed by and for the better handling of these words I shall proceed by these steps 1. All that are in authority supposeth a distinction of Superiors and Inferiors That there should be some Regnis praediti invested with dominion and others Regnantibus subditi obliged to subjection is not saith St. Austin without divine providence nay saith St. Chrysostome it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a work of divine wisdome so to order it Look as the earth is made up of hills and valleys mountains and dales so among the Inhabitants of the earth God hath appointed that there should be some above and some below In the naturall body there are severall members and some of them in the upper some in the lower part so it is and ought to be both in the Civill and Ecclesiasticall body A Consideration which not only serveth to justifie Superiority against the Levelling Party in Church and State but also minds those who are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 placed on high to remember that being set upon an hill they are more obvious and ought to be the more exemplary to others and therefore that as they exceed them in greatness they would excell them in goodness and as they are above so they would go before them in the paths of vertue and piety 2. Kings and all that are in authority implyeth that not only authority in general but Monarchy in particular is agreeable to the will of God it is the voice of wisdom not only non sine me not without my permission but per me by me that is my ordination Kings raign and had not Monarchy been approved by God St. Paul would not have exhorted Christians to make prayers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for but against Kings Yea when I consider 1. What Pliny observeth that in omni rerum conditarum genere unum quiddam eminere cernimus in all sorts of Creatures one hath the preheminence among the Planets the Sun Trees the Oak Beasts the Lion Birds the Eagle and the like 2. What St. Ambrose saith of Kings that they are dei imaginem babentes such as in a peculiar manner represent God himself for which reason his name is imparted to them and 3. that one of the offices which Christ himself undertaketh is Regal yet further 4. when I take notice what a special providence there must be in it that such multitudes of persons as are in every Kingdom should willingly subject themselves to and stand in awe of one person And 5. add to this when I observe a kind of Monarchy among Bees and Cranes unreasonable Creatures and that among Heathens no Government so usual as Regal as if the light of nature directed them to it Yea lastly when I read that promise to Abraham that Kings should come out of his loyns to the Christian Church that Kings should be her nursing Fathers and that it is set down as a signal favour confer'd by God upon Israel that it did prosper into a Kingdom I shall not fear to assert that of all Authority Regal is that which is most consonant to the Divine Will 3. It is not all in Authority and Kings but Kings and all in Authority whereby is implyed the subordination of others in authority under Kings which will more plainly appear if you compare this of St. Paul with that of St. Peter To the King as supream or to Governours as them which are sent by him The King in his Kingdom is sole deo minor only inferior to him whose stile is King of Kings and Lord of Lords and as he deriveth his power immediately from God so all other Authority is derived from him It was Moses who chose able men out of all the people and made them heads over the people Rulers of thousands and hundreds and fifties and tens It was Jehoshaphat who set Judges in the Land through the fenced Cities City by City The Statues of Kings were of old placed by fountains to intimate that they are the fountains of honour the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imports that Kings are the basis and foundation of the people and all other Magistrates are pillars reared and supported by that foundation In our own Land those who serve in Parliament are elected and called by the Kings Writ Judges sit by the Kings Commission even Constables act in the Kings name all owning that authority which they have to be originally from the King in whom the Supream power doth undoubtedly reside 4. Lastly That which is expresly required is that intercessions be made for Kings and all that are in authority Mos hic egregius ut multa alia laudabila venit à Judaeis This as many other laudable practises cometh from the Jews saith the Learned Grotius whose custom was as you read in Ezra to pray for the life of the King It is here enjoyned by the Apostle to Christians and was accordingly practised Tertullian saith of those in his time Sine monitore quia de pectore oramus pro imperatoribus We need no Monitor our loyal hearts prompt us to pray for our Emperours There are two sorts of persons who of all men stand most in need of our prayers namely Magistrates and Ministers the King and the Bishop the Prince and the Priests no wonder if else-where St. Paul requireth praying for all Saints and for me and here for all men for Kings and all that are in authority Indeed on the one hand it is a great weight and burden which lyeth upon the shoulders of Kings and all that are in authority though earthly glory be but an empty shadow yet in this sense we may make use of St. Pauls phrase concerning that which is heavenly it is a weight of glory and quò sublimior gloria cò major cura the higher the glory the greater the weight which lyeth upon them great reason there is that the people should help them to bear it with their prayers it is but gratitude since they watch for us that we should pray for them and since they take upon them the care of our welfare we should put up our requests to God for theirs Besides on the other hand Kings and all in authority are exposed to manifold dangers in respect of themselves as well as cares in regard of us in perils they are by false friends fawning flatterers and in

those who die in the Lord and sleep in Jesus 1. That they being themselves at rest desire the same bliss for us who are here militant hath been alwayes received as a truth That of St Cyprian is very apposite to this purpose Magnus illic nos charorum numerus expectat copiosa turba desiderat jam de suá immortalitate secura adhuc de nostrâ salute solicita The great number and multitude of our dear friends in Heaven expect us being already secure of their own immortality and solicitous for our salvation and surely what they are so desirous of they pray for Indeed they do not pray for us in particular because they cannot come to a knowledge of our severall wants if they could no doubt they would and if we had any way of imparting our condition to them we might as well desire their prayers as we do here the prayers of each other But that they do know that there are still Saints upon the earth since otherwise the world would be at an end and their bodies raised and that whilest there are such on earth their condition will be militant encountring with temptations and persecutions and that knowing they cannot but have a sympathy with and charity towards the militant Saints and that charity puts them upon prayers to God for them are such strong probabilities that cannot be weighed down by any thing that can be said to the contrary yea it seemeth strange to me why any except those Hereticks who affirm the soul to sleep with the body should not imagine that the souls of good men are imployed as in praising God for themselves and the rest of the triumphant so in praying for that part of the Church which is militant and if so why may not we desire of God that by the imitation of the Saints departed we may be worthy to receive the benefit of those prayers which they as a part of the Catholick Church offer to God in our behalf according to that passage in the late form for the thirtieth of January so much and yet so causlesly decried as Popish by the enemies of our Church 2. That there ought to be giving of thanks for them who depart hence in the Lord in that they are delivered from the miseries of this sinfull life enjoy so glorious a victory over sin and Satan and have left such vertuous examples to us that survive is a doctrine which cannot justly be gainsayed We are bound to bless God for the temporall much more for the eternall welfare of others We ought to be followers of and therefore to be thankfull for the good patterns which the dead have as well as the living do set before us We profess to believe a Communion of Saints that communion is not only of the Saints in Heaven with each other and so of the Saints on earth but between the Saints in Heaven and earth the operation whereof is on their part prayers and supplications for us and on our part a reverentiall respect to pious imitation of and thanksgiving for them 3. Lastly As to prayers for the dead I assert 1. This doctrine That there is a third sort of persons who are neither in heavenly bliss nor hell torments but in the pains of Purgatory out of which they are delivered by our prayers is a novel figment of the Church of Rome and hath no footsteps either in Scripture or antiquity 2. That it is a very ancient practice of the Church to pray for the souls of the blessed is not to be denied nor yet do I see how it can be in all respects justified 3. That inasmuch as the Saints departed are not yet compleatly happy nor shall be till the end of the world we may do that for them which I doubt not but they do for themselves pray to God to send them a joyfull resurrection and an happy consummation of their bliss both in body and soul. And this is a truth so evident that I see not how any can with colour of reason oppose it 2. But though this all men according to the forementioned conclusion may be thus far enlarged yet I conceive that here St Paul intends only the living for all whom we ought without all controversie to make intercession The just extent whereof will best appear by the distinction of all men into friends and foes good and bad For all men that is for enemies as well as friends 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is St. Chrysostomes counsell upon this Text Let us learn to pray as Christians and how is that but as he afterwards teacheth to pray for our enemies Hear how St. Stephen prayed not only not against but for his persecutors Lord lay not this sin to their charge Nay hear how Christ himself prayed for his crucifiers Father forgive them and as it was his practice so it is his precept Bless them that curse you and pray for them that despitefully use you The truth is as that same Father excellently He that blesseth his enemy blesseth himself he that curseth him curseth himself and he that prayeth for him prayeth more for himself than him 2. For all men that is for unbelievers as well as believers So much is intimated in that he bids them pray for Kings which at that time were Infidels Supplicat ubique Ecclesia non solum pro sanctis in Christojam regenitis sed pro omnibus infidelibus inimicis crucis Christi idolorum cultoribus c. The Church saith Prosper every where prayeth not only for the faithfull and regenerate but for Infidels and Idolaters for the enemies of the cross of Christ and the worst of sinners De quocunque pessimè in hac vita constituto non utique desperatur saith St Austin Nec pro illo imprudenter or atur de quo non desperatur We are not altogether to despair of any though never so vile and for him we may pray of whom we are not to despair Indeed St Paul elsewhere seemeth to limit the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 praying with all manner of prayer for all Saints Our blessed Saviour saith I pray not for the world there are some sort of petitions peculiar to the Saints which Christ maketh not for the world and there are petitions which we may and ought to make not only for all Saints but all men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so runs the Ecclesiasticall Constitution Let the Deacon pray for the whole Church and for the whole world As we must do good especially to so we must pray chiefly for the houshold of faith but we must do good to and pray for all even they who are without the pale of the Church must be within the reach of our prayers Publica est nobis communis oratio saith St Cyprian quando oramus non pro uno sed pro toto populo oramus We have publick common prayers and when we