Selected quad for the lemma: church_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
church_n	bind_v	heaven_n	key_n	4,060	5	10.1685	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A20769	Certaine treatises of the late reverend and learned divine, Mr Iohn Downe, rector of the church of Instow in Devonshire, Bachelour of Divinity, and sometimes fellow of Emanuell Colledge in Cambridge. Published at the instance of his friends; Selections	Downe, John, 1570?-1631.; Hakewill, George, 1578-1649.	1633 (1633)	STC 7152; ESTC S122294	394,392	677

of Christ and his religion shall never faile The heavens shall sooner loose their influence and the starres their light then the Ministry of the Church be without its strength and vertue Neither the open violence of tyrants nor the secret vnderminings of Antichrist nor hell it selfe shall ever be able to let or hinder it And thus much of the Efficacy and Operatiue power of the Ministry The authority and jurisdiction annexed therevnto is exceeding great and ample I stand astonished at the consideration thereof for among the sonnes of men there is none comparable to it Among the sonnes of men say I Nay among the Angells of God saith Chrysostome For neither to them nor to Kings or Princes but only to the Ministers of the Gospell are the keyes of the kingdome of heaven giuen These only haue power to open the kingdome of heauen to all that beleeue and to shut the gates against those that continue in incredulity These haue authority to binde and loose to remit and retaine sinnes to enter men by baptisme into the visible Church to admit them or withold them from the holy communion to cut off notorious sinners from the body of the Church by excommunication to deliuer them over to Satan and if they proue incorrigible by anathema maranatha to separate them from the Church vntill the Lord come Adde herevnto that whatsoever they doe here on earth by vertue of the keyes the same is eftsoones ratified by God in heauen according to that of our Saviour whose sins soeuer yee remit they are remitted and whose sinnes soeuer yee retaine they are retained and againe whatsoeuer yee shall binde on earth shall be bound in heauen and whatsoeuer yee shall loose in earth shall be loosed in heauen Now as the Iurisdiction of the Ministrie is wondrous great so is the extent thereof exceeding large For it stretcheth it selfe without exception of condition or degree vnto all men If I should say Angels also perhaps I should not say much amisse Else what meaneth that of the Apostle vnto Principalities and Powers in heauenly places is made knowne by the Church the manifold wisdome of God For seeing the Church maketh nothing knowne but by the Ministrie and the Angels come to the knowledge of the manifold wisdome of God by the Church it seemeth that they also are in some things informed by the Ministrie And thus at length to summe vp all that hath beene said you haue clearely demonstrated not only that the Science we professe is of all other the most transcendent and operation of our Ministrie the most effectuall but also that the authority and jurisdiction therevnto annexed is of all other the greatest and largest Out of all which I hope I may be bold to inferre the conclusion principally intended that our calling is therefore of all other the most worthy And is it so indeed that the Ministry is of all callings the most noble and honourable Then belike they that are advanced therevnto are accordingly to be esteemed Without question they are Reason telleth vs it ought to be so God commandeth that it be so The more strange it seemes that whereas all other sorts of men are regarded answerably vnto their places Ministers only are vilipended and least set by For that so it hath ever beene the monuments of former ages sufficiently testifie Noah was mocked of the old world Lot of the Sodomites Aaron of Korah Dathan and Abiron David of Michol Micaiah of Ahab and his false Prophets Elizeus of the children and Iehus captaines and generally all the Messengers and Prophets of the Lord by the Iewes In the new Testament Christ himselfe was set at naught the Apostles when they were filled with the extraordinary gifts of the holy Ghost were flouted at as full of new wine St. Paul when he discoursed most profoundlie before the Athenians of the mysteries of Christian religion was counted of them but a vaine Babler and vniversallie all the Apostles every where were no better reckoned of then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the offals off scourings of the world doe not we Ministers now a dayes drinke of the same cup or are we not baptized with the same baptisme wherewith Christ and his Apostles were yes verily Contempt pursues vs also and perhaps the more the more inferior we are vnto them Giue me leaue to shew it in particular if for no other cause yet to confound the hypocrisie of these times wherein men loue not to be but to seeme to be and to take religion on them rather then into them howbeit briefly for what pleasure can either you take in hearing or I in discoursing of so sad a theme The Honour due vnto the Ministrie is double Internal External Internal in the Minde in the Affection In the Minde honourable estimation in the Affection Loue. External in Word in Gesture in Deed. In Word honourable mention in Gesture reverent behaviour in deed liberal and bountifull maintenance All these Honours doe we iustlie claime as due vnto vs yet are they all most shamefully denied vs. For as touching the first it is as cleare as the sun at noone-day by what hath beene already said that the Calling of the Ministry is in it selfe aboue all other the most honourable Expresse testimonie of Scripture vnanswerable arguments deduced from it haue sufficiently manifested the same Now wee know that reason would that every thing be valued according to the worth thereof and very simple doe wee count him that sets no better price vpon silver then lead vpon gold then copper vpon emerauds and diamonds then pibble stones Which being so it followeth that the Ministry of the Gospell being indeed so pretious a jewell as in the iudgement of all accordingly to be esteemed and very foolish or froward must hee needs be that disesteemeth or vndervalueth so invaluable a treasure And yet how many are there in these daies who despise this sacred function and set it at nought some happily through ignorance not knowing the worth thereof but others out of profanenesse preferring a messe of pottage before a birth-right An evident signe and token whereof this may bee among others that those of the better ranke either for wealth or gentility count themselues too good for the Ministry and hold it a foule disparagement to bestow their children that way No that is an employment fit for poore mens children only Or if at any time they vouchsafe to designe their sonnes therevnto they are but of the yonger sort ard such as they finde altogether vnapt for any other calling for otherwise the law or marchandise or some trade of more advantage swaies them and carries them cleane away Nay even those that are of good parentage and equall vnto others if once they enter into the Ministry they hold them abased thereby and the very name of a Priest shall bee cast into their teeth as a

taught in all schooles By what way or meanes is the knowledge of Gods will declared in his word to bee attained By diligent reading and meditating of Gods word or by attentiue hearing the same read and purely expounded by others The booke of Homilies affirmeth that the reading of Scripture breedeth knowledge turneth illuminateth comforteth incourageth and againe expressely The ordinary way to attaine the knowledge of God and our selues is with diligence to heare and read the holy Scripture Finally if the iudgement of the chiefe governours of our Church and the publike authorizing of bookes for the maintenance hereof be a sufficient argument I dare bee bold to say that this is the very doctrine of the Church of England Sure I am that the reverend father of this Diocesse who best should know it gaue expresse commandement that it should publikely in this pulpit bee acknowledged that reading is an ordinary meanes to beget Faith and not Preaching only as they tearme it Thus our latter Divines I haue but one thing more to say in this point and it is this that howsoever these men may differ from Papists in other opinions yet I see not how they can cleare themselues from Popery in this For to omit all consequences which necessarily follow vpon it thus in plaine termes say the Iesuits of Rhemes Faith cometh ordinarily of preaching and hearing and not of reading and writing And Bellarmine Scripture was not given to this end to be a rule of Faith but to be a certaine profitable commonitory to preserue and nourish that doctrine which is receaued by preaching And Stapleton Reading is not via ordinaria the ordinary way to Faith and againe Scripture binds not a man to beleeue neither is Faith to be had by it but only as it is preached by the Church Lastly Charron Faith is by the word Preached and pronounced by voice not written or read Againe Thou beleeuest because thou readest thou art no Christian for the Christian beleeueth afore reading and without And againe Faith got by Reading is acquisite humane studied not Christian and he that hath it is no Christian his Faith must haue another name Iump almost with that ere while quoted out of Hieron ordinarily knowledge so gotten is but vaine iangling and swimmeth in the braine but renewes not the heart Thus Papists against whom our men mainely oppose themselues herein And thus haue I at length resolued the three Questions in the beginning propounded and as I trust maintained the truth of God and that as becommeth the truth with the spirit of meeknesse and sobriety Withall as I suppose I haue made a sufficient Apologie both for my selfe and other my reverend brethren who in the general vnderstanding of the ordinary auditory of this place haue beene publikely censured as Seducing Spirits for holding that which I haue now maintained Reason would that he who seemed to lay this scandall vpon vs should haue made publike amends and either haue interpreted himselfe if he were mis-vnderstood or acknowledged his rashnesse if he did so censure But seeing it will not be and so much charity cannot be found in the heart yea over and aboue seeing I haue since that time beene braued to my face and as I am credibly informed often insulted vpon behinde my back as if I durst not publikely shew my face in these points though otherwise I could haue beene content to hold my peace for the peace of the Church yet now I could doe no other then I haue done and pardon me I beseech you for herevnto haue I beene forced and constrained Sooner perhaps would I haue discharged my selfe of this burthen if sooner I could haue met with so fit an auditory For who can better testifie of what I say or are fitter to be iudges and vmpires in such a businesse then you my reverend and beloved bretheren of the Cleargie To you therefore and to your graue censure doe I referre both my selfe whatsoever I haue said duly remembring that of the Apostle Paul the spirit of the Prophets is subiect to the Prophets And now giue mee leaue to addresse my speech vnto you my beloued bretheren of the Laitie specially you that are the ordinarie auditory of this place Let mee intreat you all not again to mistake me as if by what I haue said I went about any way to derogate from Sermons I say mistake me not againe for once already haue I beene either ignorantly or wilfully misconstrued Preaching some while since in this place on Luc. 20.34.35 and enquiring as my Text occasioned me who they were that should be accounted worthy to obtaine the next world and the resurrection from the dead I affirmed first in generall that it was not semblance only or shew of religion that could make a man worthie and then in particular that a man might be a frequent auditor of Sermons might goe two three foure more miles to heare them all the while might looke the Preacher starke in the face afterward returne with ioy call to minde talke conferre and repeat the same and yet for all this still be counted vnworthy And fearing least I should bee mis-vnderstood I then intreated you not to mistake me as if I misliked Sermons or the going to them Nay I exhorted you to goe provided you went not with contempt of Divine Service at home nor departing from your owne Minister how meane a Preacher soever none I thinke being so meane but is able to teach you more then you knowe provided also that you passe not through the Church-yards of as reverend and learned men as these parts afford any to go a mile further to heare a novice and when you are returned that your repetitions bee not vaineglorious with such a rumble and after the manner of a riot but modest and severally in your owne houses and lastly that the fruit of your often hearing be not a demure looke onely and a prating tongue but true humility charity which best conformeth vs vnto IESVS CHRIST These things I then said and for ought I yet see said not amisse yet am I censured as an enimie to Sermons as one that greeues the hearts of Gods Saints and lash the faults of Hypocrites on the backes of Gods children Wherefore you see I haue reason now to be warie of my selfe and to prevent the like danger that I bee not the second time mistaken as if I spake in derogation of Sermons Sermons I acknowledge to be the blessed ordinance of God as learned Hooker saith they are the keyes to the kingdome of heauen wings to the soule spurres to our good affections food to them that are sound and healthy and vnto diseased mindes physicke Whatsoever any can truely say in honour of them withall our hearts we subscribe vnto it If comparison be made betweene Reading and Sermons wee readily yeeld the precedencie to Sermons For although it be the same word which is read