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	law_n	power_n	3,809	5	5.0020	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A86198	The vnlavvfulnes and danger of limited prelacie, or Perpetuall precidencie in the Church, briefly discovered.	Henderson, Alexander, 1583?-1646.	1641 (1641)	Wing H1444; Thomason E206_5; ESTC R212599	12,364	23

are called (e) 1. Pet. 5.1 Elders But this is not reciprocall for the ordinary and inferiour are never called by the names of the extraordinary and superiour the Deacon is not called an Elder nor the Pastor by the name of the Apostle or Evangelist It is true that Barnabas is called an Apostle (f) Acts 14.4 and 14. because he was an Apostle of Christ as Paul was Titus and others (g) 2 Co. 8 13. and Epaphroditus (h) Phil. 8.23 are onely called Apostles or Messengers of the Church Whence it must follow that the Office of a Bishop is not an Office superiour to the Office of a Pastor since the name Bishop is common to the Pastor and that the Office of a Bishop and the Office of a Pastor are not different but one and the same office Since the names are altogether common in all the places of the New Testament (i) Acts 20.28 Phil 1.1 1 Tim. 3.2 1 Pet. 5.1 And the Syriacke Interpreter hath translated the one by the other (k) Tit. 1.7 What reason can there be while the Officers are distinguished by their names and the names of Bishop and Pastor are common but that the Office of the Bishop and Elder is one and the same Office the one name signifying sapientiae maturitatem and the other Industriam curae Pastoralis saith Beda No Bishop of Bishops or of Pastors in Scripture We finde that in the Ministery of the New Testament there is a comely beautifull and Divine Order one kinde of Ministers both ordinary and extraordinary being placed in degree and dignity before another as the Apostles before all other Ministers the Pastor before the Elder and Deacon But we doe not finde in Ministers of the same kind that one hath majority of power over others or priority of degree and dignity before others except upon the morall respect of age zeale gifts c. No Apostle is in degree above other Apostles no Evangelist above other Evangelists nor Elder above other Elders no Deacon above other Deacons upon what ground then from Scripture can wee beleeve or conceive that one Pastor is in degree superiour to other Pastors or that in all other sorts of Ministers ordinary and extraordinary there 's all be a parity in their owne kind and onely in the Office of Pastors an inequality The whole power and all the parts of the Ministrie which commonly are expressed Every Pastor hath power of ordination and Jurisdiction by the power of Order and Jurisdiction are in Scripture made common to the Pastor and the Bishop for the Pastor hath power to Preach the Word and minister the Sacraments As one of the Presbyterie hee hath power to lay on hands and ordaine Ministers (l) 1 Tim. 4.14 and hath not onely the Keyes of the inward and private Court of Conscience but hath also committed unto him and his fellow Presbyters the Keyes of the outward and publique Court of Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction and censure and both wayes to bind and loose in when the Apostles first planted the Christian Churches and when they were to depart and were neare unto death they recommended the care of these duties in all the Chruches unto the particular Pastors or Bishops (m) Act. 15.6 Act. 16.4 Act. 20 28 ●9 1 Cor. 5. 1 Cor 14.32 40. 1 Th● 5.12 Tit. 1.9 1. Tim. 5.12 Heb. 13.17 And therefore the Pastor and Bishop are in Scripture one and the same in power and degree neither hath the Bishop any degree or power order or Jurisdiction but that which hee arrogateth to himselfe for the honour of his Priesthood and for setting up his Monarchicall power against the word of God nor ought any such power bee given him A point which is strongly proved by our Divines against Papists and Prelates Ecclesiasticall power was not committed by Christ to any one but to many Power ecclesiasticall not given to one but to many It is not said tell the Bishop or any one of the Church but tell the Church (n) Mat. 18.17 nor was it exercised and acted by any one of the Apostles alone for Paul not a lone but with a Presbyterie laid hands upon (o) 1 Tim. 4.14 Timothy and the Apostles not alone but joyning with the Elders (p) Act. 15. did determine controversies and discerne censures the same also was the practice of the Apostolicke Churches at Corinth Thessalonica and in Asia In all which the Discipline of the Church was exercised by many and not by any one And therefore to exalt a Bishop to any part of his power or any degree of Eminence above his Brethren for exercising this power is against the Institution of Christ and contrary to the practice and patterne of the Apostles and Apostolicke Churches All majority forbidden the Officers All majority and preheminence in this kinde is expresly forbidden by Christ the Kings of the Nationas c. (q) Luke 22 25. according to this the Apostle Peter disclaimeth not pride in majority but majority it selfe (r) 1 Pet. 5.1 Non est dictum sola humilitate sed veritate saith Bernard Non 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prohibet Christus non modum rei sed rem ipsam say others Other wayes that which Tacitus writeth of Otho might have beene applied to them Omnia servilit●r pro dominatione and the temptation of the Disciples was not tyranny but superiority Christ speaketh to them sometimes of Thrones of glory in the Church Triumphant never of any throne of Dignity in the Church Militant If any such throne whether of Ecclesiasticall authority or perpetuall presidence had beene lawfull would hee not at sometimes have taught them what it was and with what cautions and Limitations they were to possesse it as that you shall have precedency of degree Precepts in the Gospell to be interpreted according to the rules of the Precepts of the law but not of power of dignity but not of authority These and the like argments Militant not onely against the exorbitancy of Prelates but against the Prelacy of the Ministers of Iesus Christs and if wee will as indeed must understand the commandements of Christ in the Gospell (ſs) Mat. 5.19 〈◊〉 27 33 43. according to the rules agreed upon in the interpretation of the precepts of the Law we must confesse that not onely the Tyranny the Pride the Pompe the Priority and power of Lord Bishops but all the parts all the degrees meanes causes Incentives occasions provocations beginnings and appearances of these evils are forbidden and that we are commanded to stop the way with thornes (t) Hos 2.6 least they returne to their former lovers and to hide all their earerings that they be not found againe (u) Gen. 35.4 Rule of reformation from the prime times If the reformation of Episcopacy be intended we must not take our rule and patterne from ancient and Primitive times but