Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	church_n	pope_n	rome_n	5,434	5	6.6788	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A64633	The true form of church government first instituted by Christ, novv used and practised in all the reformed churches of Germanie, France, and Scotland: humbly presented to the high and honourable court of Parliament, at this time most happily assembled. Plainly proved by Scripture, rectifide reason, and the testimonie of the Church, some hundreds of yeares after the Apostles time, and the generall consent of the Churches rightly reformed in these latter times, contrary to the Romish, and our archiepiscopall government.	Udall, John, 1560?-1592.	1642 (1642)	Wing U16; ESTC R218880	62,509	79

Luke 2.8 Every Congregation is a flock in danger for the enemy goeth about like a roaring Lyon ●Pet. 5.8 and soweth tares whilest men sleepe Matth. 13.25 Therefore every congregation is to be watched night and day by the Minister thereof and consequently he may not be non-resident 4 If his duty to them requireth so much travaile as may continu●lly set him on work then may he not be non-resident But it is evident that it doth so to all them that either know by the word of God what study prayer doctrine exhortation c be required of him or maketh any conscience of giving account for the souls committed to their charge Therefore may not they be non-resident 5 If the Minister cannot apply himselfe fruitfully to the capacity of his people unlesse he have particular knowledge of their disposition and capacity th●● is it not lawfull for him to be non-resident for by continuall residence among them hee may know them and not else But the former is true as the small knowledge that the people get by generall teaching doth evidently declare Therefore it is not lawfull for him to be non-resident 6 If the Ministers of the Gospell be as narrowly tyed to their charges as the Priests under the law then may they not be non-resident For they were alwayes ready in the Temple to answer the doubts 1 Sam. 1.9 But it is cleare that they are because men are now as hardly trayned unto godlines and the enemie is as wrathfull as he was then Therefore they may not be non-resident 7 If the Minister must be an example to his people then must he be daily present with them that they may behold him But the former is true 1 Tim. 4 12. Therefore is the latter true also 8 He whom the sheep are to follow in and out ●nd must know by the voyce ought to be continually among them A good Minister of the word is such a one John 10.4 Therefore he must be resident among them 9 None can be alwayes ●eady to feed his flock that is absent from it Every Minister must be alwayes ready to feed his flock because it dependeth upon him 1 Pet. 5.2 Therefore every Minister is to be resident with his flock 10 He that must take heed to his flock watch over it and feed it must be resident continually with it Every Mini●ter must doe so Act. 20 28. Therefore c. 11 If Satan be the cause of non-residence then is it utterly unlawfull But Satan is the cause of it 1 Thes. 2.17.18 Therefore it is utterly u●lawfull 12 That which abridgeth the love of God to his people and comfort to the Minister that same is unlawfull But not to be resident doth both Therefore it is unlawfull 13 That which hindreth the loving familiarity that should be betwixt the Minister and his people that same is unlawfull But non-residence doth so for it maketh them strange one to another and argueth small love in him towards them Therefore it is unlawfull 14 To be absent from them that have interest in us and continuall need of us is unlawfull which wee can see to be true in our servants c But the congregation hath an interest in the Minister and continuall need of him Therefore it is unlawfull for him to be absent from them 15 If the Priests might not dwell farre from the Temple then may not Ministers be non-resident But the former is true as appeareth by this that they had houses builded close to the Temple 1 Chron. 28.13 Therefore the latter is true also seeing the residence of the one is as needfull as the other as appeareth in the sixt reason 16 Let no Clerk be placed in two charges for it is filthy merchandise and no man can serve two Masters and every one must tarry in that place whereunto he is called 17 Damasus compareth them that set over their charges to others to harlots that put out their children that they may give themselves to lust the sooner 18 It was ordained that none either Bishop or Elder should goe from Citie to Citie Therefore if a Mini●●er have the charge of a flock committed unto him to the end to feed it if God place men to the end to have them there imployed if flocks in danger have need of continuall watch if the Ministers duty to his flock requireth all that travaile that hee can performe if hee cannot be fruitfully profitable unto them without continuall residence if his residence be as strictly required as theirs under the Law if hee cannot be a patterne unto them without he be resident if they cannot follow him nor know him if he be absent if he cannot be alwayes ready to feed his flock unlesse he be there if he cannot take heed to them feed them and watch over them without his presence if Satan be the Author of non-residencie if his absence abridge Gods love to them and comfort from himselfe if absence be an hinderance to the loving familiarity that should be betwi●t him and them if they have interest in him and continuall need of him if hee may no more be absent then the Priests dwell from the Temple if the Councel of Nice did upon good grounds forbid it if absence be like to the practise of an harlot if it be not lawfull to goe from place to place then is non-residence unlawfull and the practise thereof contrary to the word of God The belly for which non-residencie is defended and practised hath no cares therefore it is that they heare not these evident sounds yet have they very little to say for it so grosse is the error thereof so much as hath any shew of reason is here set down and answered 1 Objection Two Parishes may be united why then may not one have charge of them both before when they be two Answer Because one shepheard may keepe one flock though it be great but he cannot keepe two being very little and going in divers pastures againe one man may have so many flocks as hee can lead in and out every Sabbath to the exercises of Religion which is very plaine that hee cannot doe to more then one congregation 2 Ob●ection Parishes were divided by men as especially by Denis the Monk Pope of Rome Answer That is untrue for the Apostles divided the Church into congregations and placed Elders over every one of them as the whole course o● the Acts and Epistles of the Apostles proveth and Whitgift confesseth page 250. Therefore these mists notwithstanding non-residencie must needs be unlawfull and certainly those that have any sparkle of conscience feare of God or love to their flocks will never defend it much lesse enter into the practise of it CHAP. IIII. IT belongeth to the Church to make choise of those Officers which Christ would have placed in the same T. C. 2 booke 1 part page 193. Ecclesiast Discip. fol. 40. and Whitgift confesseth it page 164. They deny this as their

for their understanding that desire direction in the truth first shew that it is a course that hath warrant in the Scripture● secondly that it is of very profitable use in the Church of God the first is thus proved 1 Whatsoever is enjoyned as a dutie to be done by every Christian if he leave it undone he is to be compelled by the governours of the Church to do it Luke 14.17.23 But if a mans brother have any thing against him and he make no conscience to leave his gift there and be first reconciled Mat. 5.24 he is to be compelled to do it Therefore separation from the Lords Supper is warra●ted by the Word 2 If that commandment of Christ Matth. 7 5. give not that which is holy unto dogs can neither be properly understood of them that were never of the Church nor them that be excommunicated then it is a warrant for such separation of the unworthy and consequently that separation is warranted in the word But the former is true as appeareth by this that the meanest of the Jews did know that holy things belonged to neither of them and so the commandment had been needlesse Therefore suspention is warranted by the Word 3 If there be sinners that are not to be excommunicated and yet it were offensive to give them the Lords Supper then is this course warranted by the Word for else should Christ have left his Church destitute of direction in common and usuall difficulties which is proved in the first chapter to be otherwise But such s●●ners there are as the notorious sinner repenting men mainly suspected of notorious transgressions c. Therefore suspention hath his warrant in the word 4 The course that God prescribed in the shadow for corporall purifyings must in the body in respect of the substance be observed in the spirituall clensing of every member of the Church But many were separated from the publike sacrifices for a season by reason of their corporall uncleannesse who yet were not worthy to be excommunicated Therefore must also some be kept from the Lords Supper for a season who yet appeare not so hainously to have sinned as to deserve excommunication 5. The Church cannot without great offence suffer one that hath fallen into some open sinne or that is vehemently s●spected to have hainously offended continue in the administration of any publike function But the Church cannot justly displace such a man at the first making shew of repentance or standing upon his purgation Therefore he must be separated for a time 6. That which was commanded under the Law to be done to the Priest that was uncleane in body or suspected to be a Leaper that same must much more under the Gospell be done unto the Minister or other Church-Officer that hath sinned or is suspected to have committed a great sinne But such a Priest was to be separated from offering of sacrifices for a certaine time Therefore much more must the like be done to a Church-officer in the like case Therefore if the Church be to compell a private man to doe his dutie if give not holy things to dogges be understood of them within the Church if there be sinners that cannot without offence be admitted to the Lords Supper and yet deserve not excommunication if for corporall uncleannesse under the Law they were to abstaine a certaine time and if the church cannot without great offence suffer him that hath committed an open sinne though he repent or that is vehemently suspected of a notorious sinne continue in the execution of his office untill the congregation be satisfied Lastly if the Priest that was uncleane or suspected of leprosie might not offer sacrifices then is it plaine that both the separation of some men from the Lords Supper and other from the execution of their publique function for a time is a thing warranted by the word of God The latter part which is that this kinde of suspention hath a profitable use in the Church of God is thus proved 1. That which keepeth the godly in more carefull obedience and keepeth in the hypocrites that they breake not out is very profitable for the Church of God But such is the use of the separation from the Lords Supper and from executing publike function in the Church Therefore it is profitable in the Church of God 2. That which removeth even the appearance of offence from the Church of God is very profitable for the same But such is the separation Therefore it is profitable for the Church of God 3. That which declareth unto the world that the Church of God is carefull to practice that which it professeth is very profitable But such is this separation for it sheweth that they cannot away with ungodly life no not among themselves Therefore it is profitable for the Church of God 4. That which giveth occasion to the church to be exercised in the actions of Religion with more sound comfort is profitable for the same But such is this separation for every one shall see thereby the unworthy for whose sakes God might be angry with them all Josh. 7.11 weeded from among them Therefore it is profitable for the Church of God 5. That which is a speciall meanes to procure the Lord in mercy to continue his Word unto his Church is profitable for the same such is this separation for it is a notable means to keep men in obedience to that which they professe Therefore it is profitable for the Church of God Therefore if separation of the knowne or suspected sinner from the Lords Supper and such a Church officer from the execution of his publike function doe keepe men in obedience that be godly and restraineth hypocrites from outrage if it remove the very appearance of evill if it let the world see that the Church laboureth to practice that which it doth professe if it make every member of the Church to be exercised in the actions of Religion with greater comfort lastly if it be a speciall mean to procure the Lord in mercy to continue his Word then must it needs follow that it is of very profitable use unto the Church of God CHAP. XIX WHen neither admonition nor suspention will serve to reclaim the offender but that it doth appeare that he abideth in impenitency and is incorrigible the Eldership after mature deliberation and commending of the party unto the prayers of the Church he yet remaining obstinate is to proceed to excommunication which containeth these propositions in question betwixt us and the Bb. 1. It may not be done but upon great and waightie occasion 2. It may not be done by any one man but by the Eldership the whole Church consenting thereunto The former is holden by us T. C. 1 Book pag. 183. Discip. Eccles. 130. and denied by them in their practice that send it out many times for not paying of six pence But our assertion is thus proved and their godlesse practice disproved 1. That