Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	holy_a	life_n	time_n	2,197	5	3.3218	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A78174	Censura cleri, or A plea against scandalous ministers, not fit to be restored to the churches livings in point of prudence, piety, and fame. By a true lover of the Church of England in doctrine, ceremony and discipline.	Barnard, John, d. 1683.	1660 (1660)	Wing B852; Thomason E1035_2; ESTC R209059	14,798	23

was deprived ab officio beneficio and fined a good sum of money besides was he admonished before he was put out of all no because his crime was of that scandalous nature that the Archbishop called him a Son of Belial he had no such act of favour as admonition Eli thought that might expiate his Sons wickedness when he reproved them for misbehaving themselves so scandalously in the Priests office but God accepted not of this purgation of their sin but brought a judgement upon the old mans house for ever 1 Sam. 2.32 So the incestuous man by St. Pauls letter of excommunication was put away immediately 1 Cor. 5.13 The rule is excellent in this case Si quidem mediocre est peccatum monere suspendere paenitentia ei dare tempus ut in meliorem ordinem sacrum mox revertatur ad semetipsum Justin Tit. 17. N. 134. if it be a mean offence then to admonish and suspend him for it and give him time for repentance untill following a better course he returns to himself again What are mean offences shall we say common drinking swearing whoring or such like God forbid he that makes no conscience to defile his soul with these sins Peccata conscientiam vastantia which lay waste the conscience it is not fit he should have the government of other mens souls and consciences committed to him and though he may shew some outward signs of repentance and reformation afterward for which let him receive due encouragement by his attendance on some inferiour office as the Priests did of old and have some competent maintenance for his labour yet it is not fit he should be intrusted with the same charge he had before no more then he who hath falsly and corruptly behaved himself in a place of the Common-wealth should be continued in it nor upon his outward shew of more honest carriage to minister in any other then an inferiour office Then let us consider seriously who fear and tremble at the judgement of God who hath afflicted us many years for our sin first beginning at his own house then going to the house of our King and visiting all our families with plagues as he did Aegypt if we harden our hearts against the sense of his former judgements because we live under the fruition of present mercies if we know not how to improve these stupendious providences that he hath wrought with his own arm and by the hand also of our professed enemies who have long trodden upon our necks but now they bow their sheaf to us we must expect if we return to our old profaness riots wantonness and liberty in our carriage that sin will drive our Jordan back from us in all its pleasant streams if we soar too high with waxen wings we shall melt before the Sun our only care is to be examples of great strictness watchfulness and circumspection of our lives labour that above all orders of men the Clergy which is the peculiar tribe beloved of God be in nothing blamed but that such who are a scandall to their calling be punished according to the discipline of former times and that we follow those rules of strictness which the holy Scripture the laws of our Church and the Canons of Antient times hath enjoyned St. Paul sets forth the qualities of being blameless which might be a sufficient word comprehending all 1 Tim. 3.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not signifie faultless for there are no such in the world but a man that is not tainted with any common blemish of scandal so he is not to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is given to wine not only to be free from drunkenness but from frequent drinking vino assidens ad perpotandum Calv. in loc saith Guhard a Tavern Stake sitting close to his cups tipling is forbidden non ebrietatem sed quamvis intemperiem in vino ingurgitando saith Calvin not only drunkenness but intemperate guttling of wine the Apostle knowing what follows the disorder of immoderate drinking commands in the next place that he should be no striker cognata vitia sunt vinolentia violentia as one saith these two are cosen germans drinking and fighting when wine fumes into the head the quarrell begins above all other these are most unbeseeming the profession of a Minister yet the Church of England takes notice of other crimes that are adjudged scandalous by her The book of reformation of Ecclesiasticall Laws that was begun to be compiled in Henry the eighths reign and after carried on to a perfection in Edward 6. by whom it was confirmed with the approbation of such Bishops as were godly Martyrs of the Church after we find written therein concerning our Clergy Non sint compotore non Aleatores non aucupes non venatores non Sycophantae non otiosi aut supini sed sacrarum literarum studiis praedicationi orationi incumbant They must not be good fellows dicers hawkers hunters nor Sycophants idle neligent persons but apply themselves to the study of holy Scrptures and to meditation and prayer so we may see how strict our first reformers from Popery were so far from indulging gross scandals as not to suffer the lawfull recreations of hunting and hawking among Clergy men who should be examples to refrain from such idle pleasures as others might enjoy And to shew how agreeable was the constitution of our Church to the strictness of primitive times unto which it was excellently framed by the Prelates thereof we find those times enforcing great severity of behaviour in the Clergy above all other which was the occasion I suppose of those strict laws of our Church An. Dom. 364. Laodic concil can 54. Non licere clericis ludicris spectaculis interesse It is not lawull for Clergy men to be present at stages-playes Non Christanorum comessalibus interesse nor present at common feasts of Christians Can. 53. In Christianorum non saltetur nuptiis Can. 5. he must not dance at weddings Nic. concil can 18. Clericus usurarius deponatur An usurer who is a Clergy man must be deposed from his office Quadragesimam non jejunans deponatur Lib. Conc. can 20. this is to be understood in case he had his health or otherwise he might break Lent Conc. Antioch can 1. Being convicted of scandal no appeal should be made to the Emperour by the Council of Antioch Since that we are now rebuilding our spiritual temple after so long a captivity of twenty years that it hath been laid waste by Gods judgement on us and made an abomination of desolation for our profaness liberty scandal transgression both of humane and divine laws which very sins were the occasion of the destruction of the Jews Temple and City as Josephus tells us let us with all our diligence now the stones are to be gathered up not build our new City and Temple with any other materials then are precious stones that is just holy righteous and truly religious men of sanctified lives that we may have the same divine policy of Presbyterians only differing in the better end proposed that what they do out of faction and gaining a greater party to themselves as Dr. Taylor saith we may out of conscience shew that Episcopal men are of strict severe course of life and as zealous to keep off scandal from our Church and sacred Ordinances as they are and never let us think that God will bless our Church to continue it in peace unity and glory unless we vigorously put in execution its former laws of discipline and the Clergy be exemplary in piety above all others that they live like the primitive Christians whose lives excelled the strictest laws of the Empire So theirs must excell the laws of their order and in the mean time keep out scandalous men from blemishing their society if otherwise we build our Temple the building will be but in vain when we think to re-edifie it by the ministery of the same hands which have pulled it down FINIS