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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
church_n	apostle_n	authority_n	great_a	4,510	5	2.9837	3	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A33927	A brief discovery of the corruption of the ministrie of the Church of England, or, Three clear and evident grounds from which it will apear that they are no ministers of Christ published for the information of all by Thomas Colyer.	Collier, Thomas, fl. 1691.	1647 (1647)	Wing C5271; ESTC R35631	15,769	32

a shepherd to them this year sell his Interest in them the next go whither they will he cares not if he can get advantage a very hireling that doe not only fly from his flock when danger comes but sels his interest in them for gain come what wil come of them he cares not although it 's confest it 's better where they are not then where they are for there is some hopes of undeluding poor souls Thus it evidently appears that the artificial tradesman and the Masters of Arts the Priests run parrallel together as much spiritualnesse in the one as in the other I mean in relation to their calling although it s confest that the first is lawfull the second altogether earthly sensuall and devilish only take notice of a word by the way wherein it will appear that the Art and trade of making and selling of Sermons far exceeds all other arts and trades besides and that in these following particulars 1. In their Gentility they are masters before ever they open their shops or set up their trades 2. In their sale they usually have the highest markets they often sell their Sermons when cheapest for an Angel when one might buy as good in a book-sellers shop and it may be a better for three pence so that their ware comes usually to a good market especially of late except some poor ones or Cavaliers they it s like would be content with a reasonable market sometimes but its like ere long that this trade of Sermon-selling will be very dead and low so low that they will stand weeping and crying alas alas for no man buies their wares any more and how will their honour house-keeping and hospitality go forwards then 3. They have one great advantage more they doe not only meet with the dearest markets but they can sell one Sermon diverse times they can sell a Sermon and yet keep him to make and sell twenty paire of sermons and yet have never the lesse Let any handicrafts man come forth and doe the like if they could they might well inrich themselves but was ever such a thing as this heard of What sell a thing and keep a thing and sell it again Yea and again too perhaps Should I know a shoomaker sell shooes and yet keep them and sell them again I would brand him for an arch cozoner or the like of any other calling 4. Advantage They can sell that which is not money nor ware as the proverb is so it be something it passes a tradesman must sell that which is good or else he shall be counted dishonest and the buyer hath so much liberty as to try it to look into the goodnesse of it if he like it he buyes it if not he leaves it but these Merchants have gotten an Ordinance to compell men to receive what they bring them be it good or bad Oh horrid wickednesse What must we have it whether we will or no You Merchants of London stir up your selves get you such an Ordinance if you can it must needs inrich you What sell all manner of stinking wares by a Law And none durst question it 5. They are Monopolizers too they have gotten their Pattentees to Monopolize all to themselves none must sell nay none may give when they sell a wonderfull way to inrich themselves Was there ever such a thing as this heard of What to Monopolize the gift of Preaching Quere Is not this against the liberty of the Subject Answ. Yea questionlesse Quere Have not the Parliament declared against it Answ. Yea. Quere Was it not one end of the Parliaments war to free the Subject from it Answ. Yea it was so pretended and I suppose it was really intended Quere Are not Monopolizes and Monopolizers much more dangerous and dishonourable in spirituall things then in temporall Answ. Yea For first Herein the free operation of the spirit is as much as lyeth in man prevented by it Secondly Poor ignorant English men are much aabused by it who know not their liberty Thirdly the spirituall Merchants of the man of sin the kingdome of Anti-christ are inriched by it Quere Did the Parliament thinke they had made a Patentee and the Priests Monopolizers when they gave them that Ordinance that none should preach but themselves Answ. I suppose they did not if they had they could not have walked in a way so directly against their own principles their own Declarations and the Subjects liberty Quere May we not expect that the Parliament will call in this Patentee again Answ. Yea questionlesse when they see the evil of it and it is the subjects liberty to expect it it is that for which they have adventured their lives suffered the losse of their estates and therefore it cannot but be a great bondage and burthen unto the subjects to see and feel the heavy yoak and bondage of Monopolizers yet remaining However God will take their Patentee from them for the Saints must speak those things they have seen and heard notwithstanding their engrossing all into their own hands Thus have I briefly and plainly discovered the carelesnes and corruption of the Priests of England notwithstanding their fair pretences not scandalizing their persons but discovering their evil conditions to that end that Englishmen might not be enslaved especially in their spirits unto such a generation who alone seek themselves Three Quaeries Answered QUaere 1. Was not the Jewish Priests and Levites typicall And did not they type forth the Ministry of the Gospel Answ. It s true they were typical but they typed forth Christ the great high-Priest of Saints Hebr. 9. Not the Priests of these times 2. They were a type of all the Saints in Christ for Christ and the Saints are one and all the Saints are the Lords portion an holy Priest-hood unto the Lord 1 Pet. 2. no Priest-hood by office but all the Saints are Priests Quere 2. Is it not necessary seeing the gifts of the Spirit are lost that there should be a getting of those gifts again by humane industry as Tongues Arts c. Answ. 1. It is all one as if a man should be so simple as having lost a pearl should instead thereof buy a clod of dirt a good satisfaction for such a losse the gift of the Spirit being lost get a little of the wisdome of man which is but as dung and drosse in comparison of it the wisdome of the flesh is death Rom. 1. 6. 2. It s the Anointings of Anti-christ the Spirit being lost Antichrist sets up the wisdome of the flesh in room of it for in all things Antichrist seeks to imitate Christ as well in the flesh as in the spirit 3. The Saints are made pertakers of the same Spirit the Apostles were for if the spirit of Christ be not in you yee are none of his Christ is in you else you are reprobates if so then no need of all this Humanity 4. This Spirit of God manifest in the Saints will discover and destroy this Humane spirit of Anti-christ by things that are not in the worlds eyes wil he bring to nought things that are Quere 3. If Ministers of the Gospel may not lawfully indent for maintenance for their Preaching seeing the labourer is worthy of his hire and he that provides not for his own is worse then an Infidel Answ. 1. If Christ and his Apostles or either of them did so then they may else not Gal. 6. 2. If it stands with the fidelity of a servant to his master else not freely ye have received freely give 3. Christ hath undertaken to care for those that trust him Luke 10. Matth. 6. Sixteen Queries of concernment Propounded with a desire of an Answer from those who can or please 1. IF ever the Lord made use of any as Ministers of his minde unto the people that were bread idle at Schools and Universities all the daies of their lives without a calling as the Priests of England but rather the contrary as Moses a shepherd Elisha a Plough-man David a shepherd Amos a Herds-man Christ himself a Carpenter Paul a Tent-maker Peter a fisherman c. 2. If ever Christ and his Apostles did get a Patentee viz. an Ordinance from man to Monopolize the gift of Preaching to themselves 3. If ever Universities and Schools of humane learning were in Scripture called the fountains or well-heads of Divinity 4. Whether ever Christ and his Apostles did Indent with their hearers what to have for preaching before they preached unto them 5. Whether ever Christ and his Apostles built their Churches by humane Authority 6. Whether Christ and his Apostles did at any time gather the prophane carnal men of the world into the Church excluding the Saints who out of tendernesse and light follow him 7. Whether ever Christ and his Apostles deterred any from Preaching the Gospel by the powers of the earth 8. Whether ever Christ and his Apostles made use of these two great bug-bears so common in use with the Priests of England to prevent the Saints from preaching the Gospel and the world from hearing them viz. 1. The approbation and ordination of the men of the earth 2. Humane learning the language of the Beast without which men are in their account altogether unmeet to medle in the things of God 9. Whether ever Christ and his Apostles first baptized and then twenty or fourty yeares after taught them faith 10. Whether ever Christ and his Apostles deluded the World viz. the ignorant and prophane with the name of Christians when there was no such thing appeared 11. If ever Christ or his Apostles had a hundred or two hundred pounds per annum for Preaching 12. If ever Christ and his Apostles appropriated Tythes to themselves for preaching 13. If ever Christ and his Apostles did remove from one Parsonage to another 14. If ever Christ and his Apostles did confirm the truth they delivered by the power of the Magistracy Authors Fathers c. 15. Whether the Spirit teaching be not sufficient in the things of God 16. Whether it be not the work of Christ and that which is to be expected in these later daies to overturn overturn overturn all these things acted by men contrary to his own minde FINIS

For first Lions get their prey by violence so doe they witnesse their holy Ordinance for Tythes witnesse their taking by violence from those to whom they might better give witnesse their greedy desire to devour with open mouth the Lambs of Jesus Christ would the Parliament once grant their unsatiable desire Witnesse their Petition to the Parliament to have them burnt with the letter B. to have them prosecuted as felons for their lives this was the good will of the Priests to the poore Lambs of Jesus Christ but when their Lion the Lord Jesus shall roar out of ZION all the Beasts of the Forrest shall tremble which will be ere long Thus are they like to be a Generation that must suffer want at least in their Souls in the time of drought when the Towers fall Isaiah 65. 11 12 13. Yea to wit The Saints shall eat but they shall be hungry yea shall drinke but they shall be thirsty c. 5. The Priests were the greatest enemies to Jesus Christ in those times they it were who hired Judas to betray him who cryed out crucifie him crucifie him a way with such a fellow from the earth they it was who gave large monies to the Souldiers to belie him and to say his Disciples stole him away by night c. This hath been and is the practise of the Priests in our dayes under the notion of Hereticks and Seducers to destroy the Saints And why Because the Saints discovering truth will destroy their errour and falshood we desire not the Magistrate to destroy them but liberty to professe and practise truth before which they are not able to stand no more then a morning dew before the Sun 6. The Priests under the Law they loved the uppermost rooms at feasts and the chief places in Synagogues and greetings in the markets and to be called of men Rabbi Mat. 23. 6 7. Quaere Were the Scribes and Pharises Priests Answ. Yea See Nehem. 8. 9. Ezra the Priest the Scribe c. And this is the expectation of the Priests now there need no Scripture to prove it they love the uppermost rooms at Feasts and usually have it and the Chief Seats in the Synagogues that was in their places of meeting now not for want of ignorance commonly called Churches who have the Chief Holy high place where none may come but themselves with their consent with reverence be it spoken and greetings in the markets the cap and knee is much expected and to be called of men Rabbi that is Master although there be no master in a Towne besides yet this Priest must be a master this is one of Solomons evils that he had seen under the Sun Servants on Horse back and Masters walking on foot as servants on the ground they are the peoples Servants they expect their wages from them Oh horrid pride Was ever such a thing as this heard of What Servants become their Masters Master Servants on horse-back riding ruling and their Masters on foot made slaves unto them 7. They built the Tombes of the Prophets and garnished their Sepulchers Matth. 23. 29. but they persecuted Christ and his Apostles so doe our Priestly Scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites pretend to have high thoughts of Christ and his Apostles but are as ready to persecute and kil the disciples followers of Christ as ever the Priests of old they build their Tombes and garnish them they spend all their time and study to finde out the minde of Christ and his Disciples in their writings and yet come infinitely short of it Christ a Carpenter Paul a Tent-maker Peter a Fisher-man all of them poore tradesmen yet these men of Arts and parts spend all their time and make use of their Authors to understand what they write but if God raise up any Fisher-man Carpenter Cobler or the like in him and by him to reveal his truth O away with such a fellow from the earth he is a Mechanick fellow one of no breeding he knoweth not the Originall c. I warrant you if Christ and his Apostles were on the earth againe they should finde as hard measure from them as ever from the Priests of old What doe these but justifie the proceedings of all persecutors that have gone before them and so bring upon themselves all the righteous blood-shed even from the blood of Abel untill this time 8. And finally the end of all was that they might hold up their Religion and in that their honour and profits they knew if they should let Christ alone he would destroy their religion and so lay them open unto contempt This is likewise the ground of our Priests opposing and persecuting the Saints to uphold their Nationall Church Religion Worships c. And therein their Honour viz. the Cap and Knee of the Vulgar their profits Tythes their great DIANA This they can doe but by the exaltation of their humanity Arts and parts gotten by their industry at the Universities and this is their greatest Goddesse DIANA by which they uphold all and hope to keep in their credit with the ignorant still but this Diana learning in the things of God will fall and break its neck ere long as Dagon before the Ark it begins to tremble already it dares not look truth in the face without the power of Parliament to assist c. Second Parrallel BETWEEN Them and Simon the Sorcerer Acts 8. SImon Magus his sin is looked upon by those who know not what it was as very horrid and wicked and it 's true Peter said that he declared himself by it to be in the gall of bitternesse and bond of iniquity the Priests give a very high and learned interpretation of it that is to buy a Parsonage and this they call Simony who so buyes a Personage as Simon Magus But I believe if we come to examine what was Simons sinne we shall finde more Sir Simons then many are aware of Simons sinne it was First to buy the gifts of the holy Spirit 2. As it is generally understood to that end he might sell them again and its likely to be true for it would have gotten him much credit as well as profit he should have made a good exchange for the losse of the spirit and power of divination and sorcery to have gotten the Spirit of God by which he thought quickly to inrich himself So then here was Simons sin he would have bought the gifts of the Spirit to that end he might have sold them that so he might inrich himself by it See then how the Priests of our time run parrallel with him I argue it thus Those who buy their gifts of purpose to sell them are guilty of Simon the Sorcerers sinne But the Priests of England buy their gifts of purpose to sell them and get gain Ergo the Priests of England are guilty of Simon the Sorcerers sin That this was Simons sin is cleared that who so doth the like are guilty of Simons sin is unquestionable that