Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	authority_n	church_n	scripture_n	4,231	5	6.1426	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A01917	Eirenokoinonia. The peace of the communion of the Church of England. Or, The conformitie of the ceremonies of the communion of the Church of England with the ensamples and doctrine of the holy Scriptures, and primitiue Church, established by the Apostles of Christ, and the holy martyrs, and bishops, their successors. By Io: Gordon, Doctor of Diuinitie, and Deane of Salisbury.	Gordon, John, 1544-1619.	1612 (1612)	STC 12056; ESTC S117965	29,676	44

ΈΙΡΗΝΟΙΝΩνΊΑ THE PEACE OF THE COMMVNION OF THE CHVRCH OF ENGLAND OR THE CONFORMITIE of the Ceremonies of the Communion of the Church of England with the Ensamples and Doctrine of the holy Scriptures and Pri mitiue Church established by the Apo stles of Christ and the holy Martyrs and Bishops their Successors By Io GORDON Doctor of Diuinitie and Deane of Salisbury LONDON Printed by T. S. for Nathaniell Butter and are to be solde at the signe of the Pide-Bull neere S. Austins Gate 1612. AD ANGLIAM ANGLIA ter foelix donis ditata supernis Clara viris claris vbere faetasoli Foelix pacis amans dum Rex tua Sceptra gubernat Dum te verafides relligioqueregunt Gentibus externis sociata es foedere pacis Legum scita sonant armafurorque silent His verè es foelix eris at foelicior alma Sinatos poteris iungere pace tuos Rebus at humanis nil omni exparte beatum Nam Proli est discors mens animusquetuae Accipe pacis opus pacata percipe mente Pax hinc visceribus conciliandatuis Parua quidem meritis pro magnis donarependo Haec tibi quae rebus portus aura meis Angligenas iungunt coelum stirps lingua solumque His animosiungant lex pia pacis amor O quam foelices sua verè si bonanôrint Authoremque boni mente micante colant In te Rex Lex Grex feriant rata foeder a pacis Anglia sic foelix cum Grege Regetuo IO GORDONVS The Theses confirmed in this Booke by the authoritie of the holy Scriptures and the Primitiue Church established by the holy Apostles The first THESE THe white Garment was in vse in the Idolatrous Religion of the Egyptians during the time that the ●●●aelites were bondmen in Egypt and did worship the Egyptians Idols but God giuing the Law to Moses conuerted that Idolatrous vse of the said white Garment to his Seruice and in the first establishment of Christs Church in Ierusalem the Priests which were by the Apostles conuerted to the Faith did vse the white Garment in the seruice of Christian Religion the vse whereof did continue from the Primitiue Church to our dayes and therefore the reuerend Bishops and Martyrs of Christ who did reforme the Church of England did lawfully retaine the vse of the white Garment in the Church Seruice notwithstanding the abuse thereof in the Popish Idolatrie The second THESE THe Iewes and the Gentiles in the time of the Natiuitie of Christ were accustomed to lie about a Table set low as well in their ordinarie meales and Suppers as in their solemne feasts and Christ finding this custome in vse in the feasts of the Easter Lambe hee retained it in the Institution and celebration of the holy Communion notwithstanding that it was before his Natiuitie vsed in the solemne Feasts in the Temples of Idols Therefore seeing Christ did neyther stand sit nor kneele in this holy Action but followed the custome receiued there is no necessitie in any of these gestares but they are indifferent so that euery man should follow the receiued Custome in the Church where hee doth liue and dwell And that although this gesture of kneeling was and is yet abused in the Popish Idolatry it was lawfully retained by the godly Reformers of the Church of England The third THESE THE Apostles and Christs Church founded by them did vse to celebrate a publike feast in their Assemblies which was called Agape or the Feast of Charitie because in it the poore were relieued by the rich after which their custome was to celebrate the Lords Supper all lying on Carpets Cushens or the like as Christ did which custome continued in many places many hundred yeeres but the Catholike Church did change this custome both of lying and eating after Supper which change is allowed of by those who in our time haue brought in the gesture of sitting at table in receiuing the Communion And therefore there is no reason but they should as well allow of the change of lying into kneeling The fourth THESE ACcording to the Analogie of the Scriptures kneeling is the most conuenient gesture that is to be vsed in our Inuocations or Prayers before and in the receiuing of the holy Communion in the which Prayers the gesture of kneeling was vsed in the old Masse which was agreeable to our Communion and was not an Idolatrous Institution And therefore the Reformers of the Church of England haue done well to restore the kneeling to the originall vse againe The first THESE THe white Garment was in vse in the Idolatrous Religion of the Egyptians during the time that the Israelites were bond-men in Egypt and did worship the Egyptians Idols but God giuing the Law to Moses conuerted that Idolatrous vse of the said white Garment to his Seruice and in the first establishment of Christs Church in Ierusalem the Priests which were by the Apostles conuerted to the Faith did vse the white Garment in the seruice of Christian Religion the vse whereof did continue from the Primatiue Church to our dayes and therefore the reuerend Bishops and Martyrs of Christ who did reforme the Church of England did lawfully retaine the vse of the white Garment in the Church Seruice notwithstanding the abuse thereof in the Popish Idolatrie The illustration and confirmation of the first part of the first THESIS ACcording to the Greeke Historians the Idoll of Isis was the most ancient that the Egyptians worshipped of the which Herodot saith that all the Egiptians did worship it vnder the forme of a Cow and that they did worship aboue all beasts the Cow Diodorus Siculus in his History of Antiquitie and many other Greeke Writers testifie that Isis was the first inuenter of the sowing and reaping of Cornes The said Diodorus related that in a Colome or Pillar dedicated to this Idoll was written these words I am Isis the Queene of Egipt taught by Mercurius none shall dissolue the lawes which I haue made I am the first inuenter of cornes And Plutarch in his Booke of Isis and Osiris relates that there was an Inscription in the floore of the Temple of Isis in these words I am all that euer was that is and shall be and no mortall man hath euer detected my Garment Wee obserue by the way that the name of Isis in Hebrew is Iesch Iesch est est which signifies alwayes existant not subiect to the course of time which is the essentiall name of GOD mentioned in the third Chapter of Exodus verse 14. Eieh asher eieh I am that I am Thou shalt say vnto the children of Israel I am sent mee vnto you The which name doth come from the Verbe substantiue Haiah signifying it was and in the future time eieh which signifies I shall be as S. Iohn in his Reuelation Chap. 1. ver 4. doth interpret the selfe-same name of God saying from him that was and is and is to come so that it seemeth that the

posteritie of Mizram sonne to Cham sonne of Noah which did first inhabite Egypt did retaine the true name of God which they learned of Noah but afterward it was conuerted to a fabulous Idoll which they did call Is Is whereof the Greekes made corruptly Isis Alwayes it is certaine by the Scriptures that the Egyptians did worship Idols in the time of Moses whose Priests were the Wise-men Sorcerers and Charmers that did imitate the miracle of the conuersion of Moses Rodde into a Serpent These Priests did weare linnen Garments and therefore were called linigeri as wee read in Herodot and in the Poets yet notwithstanding God commanded his Priests to weare the white garment although it was abused before the Law in the Egyptian Idolatry Theodoretus writing to the Gentiles in the defence of Christian religion to induce them to become Christians saith that the Israelites did remaine a long time in Egypt where they were infected with the euill manners of the Egyptians were taught by them to offer Sacrifices to the Diabolicke Idols and were accustomed to dauncing and to Instruments of Musicke c. God did deliuer them and gaue them a Law by the which he commanded them to offer to him who is the true God in Sacrifice all those things which they did wickedly worship before to wit in Egypt of earthly Beasts the Goats the Bullockes and Sheepe of flying Beasts the Turtle and the Doue c. God did not institute Sacrifices as hauing neede of killed Beasts or that hee hath any pleasure in the sauour of burnt flesh but hee did so of his wisedome in consideration of the peoples weaknesse euen so did he suffer Musicall Instruments to wit in the time of the Sacrifice not that hee would please his eares with the consent of the singing of them but that he might by little and little draw away the delusions of the Idols Thus farre be the words of Theodoretus Seeing that God ordained the Ceremonies with the which the Israelites were accustomed when they did worship the Idols of Egypt to be vsed in his owne worship it followes that these customes and Ceremonies as also the materiall things that were abused to Idolatry the Surplice Musicke and Musicall Instrument may lawfully be conuerted to some vse in the true worship of God according to these examples of the Ceremoniall Law In the time of the Captiuitie of Babilon Belshazzar did make a great feast and commanded to bring him the golden and siluer vessels which his Father Nabuchadnezzer had brought from the Temple of Ierusalem and the King and his Princes his wiues his Concubines dranke in them and praised the Gods of gold and siluer and notwithstanding that these were prophaned to the Seruice of Idols yet when Cyrus did send the people of Iudah to build vp againe the Temple and the Citie of Ierusalem he restored to them the vessels of the house of the Lord. The Priests of the second Temple did vse them in the seruice of the true God although they were as is said abused in the Idolatrous Feasts to the Seruice of the false Gods of Babilon Euen so the externall Ceremonies as well of cloathing as others which are vsed in the Church of England were first instituted to be vsed in the Seruice of the true Religion but afterward was violently employed by the Popes after they became temporall Tyrants to the Seruice of the new Idoll of the Masse and now againe the Masse being abolished are restored vnto their true and ancient vse in the worship of God By these examples then of the olde Testament it is manifest that it is lawfull to conuert the clothing vesture and Ceremonies abused by the Popish Idolatrie to be vsed in the true worship of God A great number of the Priests were conuerted Acts 6. 7. all which did continue in obseruing of the Law c. Acts 17. 20. So that the Priests being made Christians did wear the linnen Ephod Iosippus who was neare to the Apostles writes of Iames the Iust the Lords Brother that it was permitted to him only to enter into the Sanctuary because he did not weare a woollen but a linnen garment The formes and Ceremonies of the Christian Church were not established in the time of the Acts of the Apostles but afterward and S. Iohn the Euangelist did ouerliue all the Apostles and S. Paul many yeeres for S. Paul and S. Peter were put to death by Nero which was An. 70. But S. Iohn did liue to the time of Traiane the Emperour who did beginne Anno. Dom. 100. and then writ his Euangell 30. yeeres after the death of the Apostles during the which time hee being the alone Apostle that did liue long and being Bishop of Ephesus hee established the forme and Ceremonies of Christian Religion hee did weare as a Priest or Bishop the white Garment of this we haue an euident testimonie written by Policratis Bishop of Ephesus and one of S. Iohns Successors who did write in an Epistle sent to Uictor Bishop of Rome that Iohn who did lie on Christs breast was a Priest and did weare a garment called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is a white loose and long garment The 8. Booke of the Constitutions of the Apostles attributed vnto Clemens Bishop of Rome disciple to S. Peter containeth the formes and Ceremonies of the Churches Seruice and amongst other circumstances it is said that the Bishop ministring the holy Communion is clothed with a white garment which is called splendida ves●is This Booke is named in the last of the Cannons Ecclosiastike called Apostolike which no doubt are very ancient and is approued by Athanasius and many others of the learned Fathers and is the Booke in which the true ministration of the Sacraments is prescribed with the true worship of God and affords vs most euident testimonie against the Popes falsely pretended succession from Peter against the monstrous Transubstantiation and the inuocation of all creatures inferiour to the holy Trinitie whether they be men or Angels And therefore wee shall doe well to follow the authoritie of this most ancient Booke in all controuersies betwixt vs and our Aduersaries the Papists and much more in the matter of the white garment and other Ceremoniall matters These testimonies are sufficient to perswade vs that the Apostles did con●●nue in the ●stablishment of the Christian Religion the vse of the white Garment in the Church Seruice notwithstanding that they knew well that it was before their time abused to the seruice and worship of Idols and false Gods of the Gentiles and her then people Clemens Alexandrinus a very learned Presbiter and Pantenus Disciple who was S. Marke the Euangelists Disciple and did liue but 50. yeeres after S. Iohn is a sufficient witnesse to testifie vnto vs that the vse of the white garment did continue in the true Church of GOD after the death of all the Apostles The words of Clemens