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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heaven_n	church_n	key_n	peter_n	5,807	5	7.9067	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A39279	A defence of the Thirty nine articles of the Church of England written in Latin by J. Ellis ... now done into English ; to which are added the Lambeth Articles ; together with the judgment of Bishop Andrews, Dr. Overall, and other eminent and learned men upon them.; Articulorum XXXIX Ecclesiae Anglicanae defensio. English	Ellis, John, 1599?-1665.; Andrewes, Lancelot, 1555-1626.; Overall, John, 1560-1619.; Church of England. Thirty-nine Articles.	1700 (1700)	Wing E587; ESTC R1641	74,086	146

was then in the Hands of the Bishops and Priests because at that time the Church had no other Watchmen and Conducters of Souls but the Word of God does not exclude other Supporters of the Gospel such as pious Princes are whom the Church has sometimes accounted Guides to promote Piety Obj. 3. We find that the Apostles governed the Church Acts 20. 28. Passed Sentence concerning Religious Controversies Acts 15. 6. and inflicted j●st Punishments upon Offenders Acts 5. 3. And therefore the Government of the Church in this Kingdom of England does of Right belong to the Ministers and not to the King's Majesty Answ. The Apostles were Ministers extraordinary And that ancient State of the Church wherein there were no Christian Princes must not be made use of for a constant and standing Rule Obj. 4. To Christ was given all Power both in Heaven and Earth Mat. 28. 18. By which is signified 〈◊〉 Spiritual and an E●rthly Kingdom But C●ist gave the Keys of both to Peter Mat. 16. 19. Now Peter has given his Authority to the Bishop of Rome And therefore to this Bishop as in others so also in this Kingdom of England d●s this 〈◊〉 belong Answ. Some understand the 〈◊〉 Place of a Spiritual Power As if Christ had said As in Heaven I am the King of Angels and blessed Spirits so by Faith I reign in the Hearts of Men. Others interpret this exalted Power to be given to Christ the Mediator over all Creatures which could not be communicated to mere Man But now in neither of these Senses did Christ give an absolute Power to Peter he only gave him a Share in the Ecclesiastical Ministry and in the same Sense the Keys were given to the rest of the Apostles Mat. 18. 18. Besides could you suppose that Peter had such a Power given him above the rest of the Apostles it could not yet be proved that the Pope as being his Successor is possessed of the same Authority Obj. 5 King John made this Country tributary to the Pope Answ. King John unwillingly and out of Fear made England tributary to the Pope and because it was to the Prejudice of the Kingdom and his Successors Henry his Son with the chief Estates of the Realm protested against this Donation nay and threatned that they would defend themselves by Arms against the Temporal Jurisdiction of the Pope as appears by our English Annals Obj. 6. Against the latter part of this Article 't is objected that Theft is a grievous Crime and yet the hanging of Thieves is against the Law of God which thinks it sufficient to punish it with a Four or a Five-fold Restitution Ex. 22. 1 2. Answ. Some answer to this that That Law of not inflicting a Capital Punishment upon Thieves was parely Political and did belong only to the Jews Neither was it ever repeated or confirmed under the New Testament And then they say that when Faults were multiplied the Punishment was to be more severe and prove from P●v 6. 31. That the Punishment of Theft was heightned to a Seven-fold Restitution and then t●ey all●dge 2 Sam. 12. 5. that of a Thief that was condemned to Death by King David They say besides that the Law of Moses does not at all hinder but that Thieves may suffer Death especially supposing that Capital Punishments for such Cr●mes be 〈◊〉 by a publick Law and a general Consent of All For Laws of this sort in things not contrary to Piety do approach very near the Nature of Divine Laws Rom. 13. 1 2. And again supposing that the Thieves are not weak and sickly Men unsit for working or not taken care of by the Overseers of the Poor for there is a regard to be had to such as are compelled by extreme Want to steal Besides too supposing Thefts cannot be corrected by gentler and l●ghter Punishments Or lastly supposing that which is taken away by stealth be a considerable Injury and Loss to the Owner Obj. 7. Capital Punishment of ●einous Offences seems to be contrary to the Law of Charity so peculiar to the Gospel for the New Testament as 't is a gracious 〈◊〉 does not admit of Revenge or Punishments too severe Answ. Under the Old Testament heinous Offences were punished with Death notwithstanding the Law of Charity which was as much in force then as it is now But Grace in the New Testament as to the Matter of Salvation is opposed to a slavish Fear and rigorous Observance of the Law of Moses but nor to any Capital Punishments inflicted by the 〈◊〉 upon Offenders Obj. 8. To the last part of the Article 't is objected That 't is the express Command of God that Man's Blood be not shed Gen. 9. 6. But Wars cannot be waged without shedding of Blood Answ. It is a private and not a publick Slaughter that is there forbidden Obj. 9. It is the Command of Christ that we resist not Evil but whosoever shall smite thee on thy Right Cheek turn to him the other also Mat. 5. 39. Answ. Christ here teaches us the utmost Patience that we should not repell Injuries in any violent manner but rather to bear them patiently than to strive with self-will'd Men or study any private Revenge especially when the Love of our Neighbour the Conversion of Insidels or the Glory of God require this Submission from us This Duty seems chiesly to belong to Christians in the time of a publick Persecution such as was almost continual in the Primitive Church Yet we are not hereby forbid to avoid an Injury by such Rules of Defence as are unblameable Neither are Magistrates forbidden to execute publick Revenge otherwise the Malice of wicked Men would be sharpened and the Common-wealth would never be in quietness Obj. 〈◊〉 It is said Mat. 26. 52. All they that take the Sword shall perith with the Sword Answ. Our Saviour here speak● of him that shall take up the Sword by a 〈◊〉 Authority and not of a Magistrate 〈◊〉 God's Minister that bearet● not t● 〈◊〉 in ●ain Rom 13. 1 2. Obj. 〈◊〉 The Arm●●ians are not Carnal but Spiritual saith St. Paul 2 Cor. 10. 4. Answ. The Means which the Apostles were wont to make use of in planting and promoting the Gospel is there spoken of Such they were not says he as Men of Carnal Minds are wont to use to gain Authority to their Doctrine such as Humane Skill Flattery and outward Force But they were the inward Truth and Efficacy of the Doctrine it self Now it cannot be gathered from all this that it is not lawful to wage War upon just Reasons ART XXXVIII Of Christian Mens Goods which are not common THE Riches and Goods of Christians are not common as touching the Right Title and Possession of the same as certain Anabaptists do falsly boast Notwithstanding every Man ought of such things as he possesseth liberally to give Alms to the Poor according to his Ability Obj. 1. The more common any Good is the better it is and therefore

Word give any Countenance to this For he that is secure does not only banish all Doubtfulness but even Care too For Security is directly opposed to Care But we are commanded by the Holy Ghost to make use of all our Care and Watchfulness And the Apostle Heb. 6. 11. desires That every one should shew the same Diligence even unto the end 4. But the thing it self viz. Security seems to be repugnant to the Condition of a Christian Life which is a Warfare nay and to human Life too which is a Tryal upon Earth so that neither of these will admit of Security but rather call for our utmost Care and Diligence both to pray that we be not led into Temptation and also to look to our selves that we be not tempted And St. Paul gives this Advice even to those that are Spiritual Gal. 6. 1. 5. Those Words so often made use of by Christ and his Apostles Watch consider take heed try your selves prove your selves ought to shake off and not to create Security For what can these Words signifie but a Command not to be secure We have several other Expressions besides to this Purpose Work out your own Salvation with Fear and trembling saith 2 Phil. 14 St. Paul Pass the time of your sojourning here in Fear saith Peter 1 Pet. 1. 17. And again St. John Hold that fast which thou hast that no Man take thy Crown All Rev. 3. 1● which Places gives us to understand that Fear must accompany our Faith least Certainty degenerate into Security St. Peter when he commands us to give all diligence to make our Election sure ●means without doubt that we should onstrive for this Certainty that every one should be so solicitous and careful about his own Concerns as that he may at length arrive thereto As much as to say that an Endeavour after Certainty is all we are capable of in this Life and a great Virtue in them who have it But 7. The degree of Certainty which we have in this Life must not stand in competition with what we shall have in a future State some difference there must be allowed and there can be nothing further or greater than Security From whence it is that to enjoy a Security is peculiar to those who are already dead and can sing that Triumph of the Apostle Death is swallowed up in Victory But we that still sojourn here upon ●arth and are content with moral Certainty must forego that highest deg●e of Security and leave that to the Church triumphant in Heaven which alone is secure 8. It has always proved fatal to such as have s●ncied themselves to be so certain as to run into Security As David for instance I shall never be moved Psal. 30. 6. And Peter when he said Tho' Ail shall be offended yet will not I. It has succeeded much better with those who have been so certain as yet to be careful as with Job I know says he that my Rede●mer liveth c. Chap. 19. 25. And if I should comfort my self yet I am afraid of all my Sorrows Job 9. 28. And so St. Paul I am perswaded that neither Death c. Rom. 8. 38. and yet I ●eep under my body saith he ●ast when I have preached to others I my self should be a Cast-away 1 Cor. 9. 27. 9. Altho' what is alledged concerning Carnal and Spiritual Security be of no great weight since by equal reason it m●y be spoken of Presumption or Pride namely improperly by a Figure yet tho' we may soften the matter thus it is easie to be seen daily what the Humour of our Age and People requires to be taught about this thing and whether it would be expedient as Mens Manners and the Times are by such sort of Notions as these to chill the alreadyfrozen Zeal and lazy Endeavours of Men to do any Good And as if a certainty of Salvation was so small a Matter to fill their Heads with a lazy Security Since as Gregory rightly observes Security is the Mother of Carelesness and since Despair proceeds not only from too great Fearfulness as in Cain but very often likewise as in Saul it takes its rise from too great a degree of Hope 10. Lastly I do not think that we ought to recede from the common and usual way of speaking in the Church whose Thoughts are much the same with those of Leo afore-cited That we neither can nor ought to be secure of 〈◊〉 St. Austin says Consil. 10. ch 32. That no body ought to be secure in this Life which is a state of Temptation inasmuch as he that can rise from worse to better may also ●ll from better to worse Again De bono P● ch 8. God has wisely determined to mix some that shall not persev●e amongst the certain number of the Saints that those who have no pr●tensions to Security in this Life may not be secure So likewise Chap. 22. Because no body can be secure of et●nal Life which God that cannot Lye has promised before the World began to the Sons of his Promise until the consummation of this ●fe which is a Temptation upon Earth but makes us even to the end of 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 in him to whom we daily prav that he would not l●d us into Temptation Again Ep. 12. ad P● Whence it may seem wonderful that you who as to 〈◊〉 World are noble rich and the Mother of so great a Family and consequently not d●solate tho' a Widow should yet have such an earn● and unwearied Zeal for Prayer But that you prudently understand that in this World and this Life no Soul can be secure And a little after For altho' every one knows himself and no Man knows another yet no one is so well acquainted with himself as that he can be secure of his future Behaviour St. C●sostom upon those words of the Aposile If ●y any means I may apprel●nd I have said that I have believed Christ and the power of his 〈◊〉 that I was made a Partaker of his Sufferings and conformable to his Death nevertheless after all I am not yet secure And a little after Hom. 7. in Ep. ad Phil If therefore he that has suffered so great things that has endured Persecutions and Mortification was not yet secure what shall we say St. Ambrose upon Psal. 37. says We are to understand it so That altho' any one be innocent yet he cannot be secure inasmuch as he has daily Combats with the most powerful Enemies Thus also St. Hilary upon Psal. 137. No good Man poss●s a Day without fear Nor does that Faith which is always anxiously careful of it self venture to rely upon a lazy Security for he knows that every Day has its Snares laid ready for him Gregory likewise in Epist. 186. ad Gregoriam says You have made an unprofitable Request because you ought not to become secure concerning Sins but at the last Day of your Life when you shall not be able to lament