Selected quad for the lemma: authority_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
authority_n	according_a	king_n	power_n	2,981	5	4.9052	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A89003	The difference about church government ended: by taking away the distinction of government into ecclesiasticall and civill: and proving the government of the civill magistrate onely sufficient in a Christian kingdom. / Written by one that by making peace, prefers to be called a blessed childe of God, before preeminence in this world. J.M. D. D. Published according to order.	Mayne, Jasper, 1604-1672.	1646 (1646)	Wing M1470; Thomason E339_8; ESTC R200855	12,314	20

THE DIFFERENCE ABOVT CHURCH GOVERNMENT ENDED By taking away the Distinction of Government into Ecclesiasticall and Civill and proving the Government of the Civill Magistrate onely sufficient in a Christian Kingdom Written by one that by making peace prefers to be called a blessed childe of God before preiminence in this world J. M. D. D. Published according to Order LONDON Printed by R. L. for William Leake and are to be sold at his shop at the signe of the Crowne in Fleet street between the two Temple gates 1646. To the High and Honourable Court of PARLIAMENT HAving penned my Meditations about Church Government I had some thoughts to commend them right Christian and Honourable Senate to your consideration and protection But being conscious to my self of my own weaknesse I was sometime in suspence as thinking it too high presumption for me so to do But for so much as that which I have here written is as I am perswaded the Truth of God and tends to the entituling of you to that power which of right belongs unto you as I doubt not but yee out of your own profound wisdome are inclinable to think and hold whereby if yee do not speedily set this power aworke Divisions and Errours and Contentions are likely to increase amongst us more and more and so for want of a timely provision made Iniquity and Heresie to abound more to the blemishing of our Church and Gods high dishonour I have made bold as a feeling member of Christs mysticall body to present it to your honourable view And if upon perusall yee shall think it to be the Truth I beseech you imbrace it and knowing what the power is which in a Christian Kingdome ought to beare sway both in Church and Common-wealth for the curbing and punishing of all evill doers delay not to set it up And eadem opera quell the division so dangerous which ariseth from the groundlesse distinction as I conceive betwixt Government Civill and Ecclesiasticall amongst us and let the sword of the Magistrate be regularly sharpned against those new upstart blasphemous Seducers upon whom it shall appeare that the sword of the spirit can do no good and in this so necessary a worke the God of Heaven direct and blesse your pious endevours that 〈◊〉 already he hath done great and mighty acts by you for the 〈◊〉 of the Church and Commonwealth so he may make you instruments of this good to his Church also And so 〈…〉 ving pardon for my presumption and that it may be 〈…〉 to a good desire I rest ready whether approved or reproved to submit to your censures J. M. The difference about Church-Government ended THe great controversie of these times being about the government of the Church whereby wee may come into as great danger of cruel discontion when the present shall by Gods blessing be ended and diverse Books being written pro and contra by Presbyterians and Independants here about whereby the difference is not likely to be composed but increased more and more Give me leave though the least and unworthiest of them all in briefe to declare what I conceive and I thinke can solidly prove to be the onely true and right way wherein we ought to goe And that God whom I have sought unto for light herein make my pure endeavours succesfull that this way being discovered we may all with one consent walke and persevere in the same and this is not the way by me first discovered but being stood for by some others before that which upo● serious study and consideration I am confirmed in more and more And it is that in a Christian Kingdom the destinction betwixt Ecclesiasticall and Secular power and rule in respect of the exteriour exercise by censuring and punishing offenders ceaseth all this power being in the same persons viz. the higher powers who are Gods Vicegerents upon earth to mannage all Rule and Government over all causes and persons under their Dominion whether Secular or Ecclesiasticall and that Ecclesiasticall persons ought not to have any share or part in this power but onely to dispense the mysteries of salvation the Word and Sacraments to put up the petitions of the congregation in publike or of any particulars as need shall require to ordaine new Presbyters and to joyne man and woman in marriage and in case of variance in opinion arising in the Church to have the chiefe stroke in determining the truth in a Councel and the determination by them so made all ought so far as conscience can possibly give leave to stand to of what estate or degree soever they be and to be subject and obedient to them or anyone of them in their ordinary administring of the Word the higher powers compelling their Subjects in all lawf●ll ways by penalties who will not otherwise to obey and receive their wholsome Doctrine in all things For proof of all this and first that all power in a Christian Kingdom is in the same persons the higher powers See Rom. 13. 1. Let every soule be subject to the higher powers and as Bernard hath it to Pope Engenius Si omnis anima etiam vestra here by higher Powers are meant the civill Magistracie as 1 Pet. 2. 13. is further explained where it is s●id Obey every humane Ordinance for the Lords sake whether the King as supreme or those that are set in authority under him Wherefore all power is primitively in the King where the Countrey is under a King and derivatively insuch as have commission from him and these are only Secular men not Ecclesiasticks according to that of the Apostle If yee have judgements in things pertaining to this life set up them that are least esteemed in the Church 1 Cor. 6. 4. That is some common Christians no● Ministers of the Gospel And wherein the Magistrates power is he sheweth saying He beareth not the Sword in vain but for the punishment of evill doers From hence I argue thus They onely ought to rule and govern by censures and punishments that have this power given them of God Arg. 1. but the civill Magistrates onely have this power given them of God ergo they onely ought to rule this way The Major here cannot be doubted of because all power is of God Nor the Minor because it is the expresse assertion of the Apostle Again Arg. 2. that Government only ought to be in a Christian Kingdom which is necessary for the welbeing thereof and any other is superfluous but the government of the Civill Magistrate here is only necessary Ergo none else ought to be Here the Minor only can be doubted for frustra fit per plura quod potest fieri per pauciora but the truth hereof will appeare if we consider that there is no sin or errour in any sort of men but the sword of the Civill Magistrate cuts it down so soon as he hath notice thereof Against murther adultery and perjury Magistrates even in Heathen Nations have bin

By the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rendred Church Sol. is not always understood the Congregation of Christians but sometime any assembly as Acts 19. 41. Here therefore may well be understood the judicatory that then was amongst the Jews before spoken of which yet continued and amongst them when any should afterwards be set up of what persons soever it consisted and not any whole congregation that were such a government as was never heard of in those times or the times preceding neither is it necessary that they should be Officers properly Ecclesiasticall but any of the more honourable amongst people who have also power in the Common-wealth may constitute this judicatory but for the power of binding and losing spoken of Verse 18. it belongs not to them but to Preachers for which he changeth the person saying What yee bind upon earth shall be bound in Heaven hereby giving them power pro tempore that the inordinate might be awed till that Magistrates being converted they might be otherwise curbed To cleere which the more take this for a paraphrase If thy brother sin against thee by doing thee any trespasse or traducing thee or detracting from thee or offering thee any violence and neyther by private telling him of it nor by mediation of friends hee will be brought to acknowledge his fault and ask thee forgivenesse tell the Judges of it who have authority to proceed against offenders that they may if it be possible by threatning him with punishment cause him to repent but if not so give him over for an heathen incorrigible and no true Christian and let the Ministers of the Church exclude him from the Sacrament or Communion of Christians consequently from life neyther let him contemne because they that exclude him are but two or three d●spicable Ministers of the Gospel who have none authority or power in this world For whatsoever yee thus proceeding binde shall be bound c. Yea if there be not two but only one in that Church for as it is here sayd Whatsoever yee bind in the plurall number so Matth. 16. It is sayd Whatsoever thou bindest And by vertue of this Commission Paul alone delivered Hymeneus and Alexander to Satan 1 Tim. 1. 20. If it be demanded shall he not be bound from comming to the Congregation also Ans By no means because even Heathens came into the Congregations as may be gathered Jam. 2. and if not how should they be converted wherefore 〈◊〉 excommunicating wholly our of the Church for any sin is lawfull 1 Cor. Object 5. Paul requires the Corinth Church to put the incestuous man from amongst them which argues authority to censure in the Church I deny not Sol. but in those times there being yet no Christian Magistracy it was necessary that there should be some authority in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who preached the word to sentence grosse offenders who would other wise have 〈…〉 to the greater blemishing of Christianity But this 〈◊〉 that it ought still 〈…〉 be in a Christian Kingdom 〈…〉 can be suffered although there be no Church Government to animadvert against him Having this proved that the Government in all things in a Christian Kingdom is and ought to be in the Civill Magistrate let us now consider the other part of my generall Proposition concerning the Ministers of the Gospell That to them it is committed to Preach and Baptize and administer the Supper of the Lord is plain from the last words of Christ Go teach all Nations baptizing them c. Matth. 28. and from the charge at the Institution of the Lords Supper Do this in remembrance of me And they only may do these things in any other it is pride and presumption highly displeasing to God to do thē as in Saul to sacrifice in Uzziak to burn Incense 2 That to them also it belongs to put up the Petitions of the Congregation of particular persons in distresse we may gather from Gods Ordinance that the Priests should offer Sacrifice for the Congregation and for any person having trespassed but now troubled for it of the Prophets praying also in the Congregation c. 1 Cor. 14. and for the sick Jam. 5. 16. Kings have sometimes prayed publikely also though they might not Sacrifice as Solomon at the Dedication of the Temple and Hezekiah when many kept the Passover who were not cl●nsed piety putting them on to it and no prohibition lying against it But these were rare and extraordinary acts and not be ordinarily drawn into imitation as neyther that of Phineas a Priest killing Cosby and Zimri and afterward going as a Captain against the Midianites For not Moses but Aaron must blesse or pray publikly for the Congregation Numb 6. 23. And when the plague was in the Host he not Moses must go up with his Censor by offering incense to stay it 3 For ordayning Elders or Bishops it is committed to Titus and Timothy not to others who were not Preachers or Elders themselves and Acts 14. 23. Paul and Barnabas ordained Elders in every Church 4 For joyning man and wise together because it ought not to be without prayer blessing and instructing and that in publike who is so fit to doe it as a Minister 5 For obedience and submission unto them though they have no power by censure in judiciary proceeding to compell yet considerig the command obey them that go before you in doctrine and life and are your Leaders and submit your selves to them as to them that watch for your sonis Heb. 13. 17. There is no good Christian of what estate or degree soever but for conscience towards him that commands this will readily do it For when Zedekiah and the Princes of Judah would not obey Jeremiah speaking to them in the name and word of the Lord what grievous things did they suffer by the Caldees 6 For the Ministers or Presbyters power in Councel to manage controversies in point of Religion to determine that which was done in the first famous Councel at Jerusalem Act. 15. speaks plainly therefore it hath been followed as a president in the purest times by all the Christian World and that not without good successe in many ages to the suppressing of monstrous errors and to the keeping up of the unity of faith Thus I have by Gods assistance made good my whole proposition which if it might in all parts be subscribed to Oh! what great good would ensue to us all thereby The great controversie touching Church Government so greatly troubling and disturbing the whole Kingdom would be sopi●ed the difference betwixt Presbyterians and Independants ended the many strange and mons●●ous errours lately sprung up extirpated clashing and enterfeeing betwixt two sorts of Governments removed wicked men and Hereticks who feare not the word nor regard Church censures terrified and peace throughout the whole Kingdom setled Now that I may yet more effectually move the mindes of all my brethren who shall read