Selected quad for the lemma: authority_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
authority_n	act_n	king_n	power_n	5,492	5	5.0298	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A59760	The Sheriffs case whether, and how they may lawfully qualifie themselves for their holding the office, according to the Act for Corporations.		1681 (1681)	Wing S3234; ESTC R28863	8,800	4

another who is his Superiour and much more if through him it must be done if that Other Reclaims the thing as soon as he hears of it the Authority of God by the equity of this Law given by Moses does as we suppose dissolve the Obligation though else it could not be dissolved by the Authority of a Superiour only rescinded So may we apprehend the very same Reason to be here in regard to this League or Covenant For the Subject being quo ad hoc not sui juris but under the power of the Prince and much more under the most supreme and absolute Authority of Parliament and the late King declaring still against this Oath at the very time and a Parliament since the return of this King as soon as it could be done having passed an Act on purpose for disannulling the same there appears no difference between the Cases but that the obligation of this League as well as of those Vows must give place to such an Authority over-ruling it And more especially we must add because the Alteration of Government the sole matter in concern does belong to the cognizance of the Higher Powers we mean a Parliament and is not the business of any private person unless in order to procuring their Consent and Establishment If this reasoning now shall satisfie these Sheriffs and yet be unsatisfactory to another person let us but warn such a man that he does nothing after their Example unless he be satisfied with our Reasons and we care not If our Argument satisfie any man and he follows their pattern we edifie him if they do not and he follows his own judgment we do him no hurt It is a man 's own Conscience is the Discerner to him of his Duty and he is not to regard another Mans any farther than to avoid Active Scandal We do not mean it as if every man therefore should lean onely to his own understanding but rather take advice and that which is the most serious and proper he can get For our parts we have no more to offer or say but that we were particularly beholding for this which is said to a Book intituled * This Book here cited was Printed 1680. and is sold by Tho. Symmonds at the Princes Arms in Ludgate-street A Peaceable Resolution of Conscience touching our present Impositions In which Book the Readers that please will find the Rule by which we are to walk under such Injunctions of our Superiours as these to be such or so set out as that according to the persuasion of a man's mind about the same both he that Conforms to them and he that Cannot may see reason to retain a fair Opinion of one another and to hope that neither of them depart from a good Conscience in what they do This is the Moderation we desire our selves and these Sheriffs to follow In our Loyalty to our Sovereign In our Love to our Country and In our Religion to God The Reasons for Printing this Paper are these 1. To take the Oath and subscribe the Declaration in the literal strict Construction appears in our judgment unlawful and consequently unless by some means or other the sense be made publick in which a man does take them and that sense also be justified or at least be justifiable he must forbear 2. The Declaration is against the Consciences of the Nonconformists in general insomuch as some men who took the Oath cannot subscribe the Declaration and for any Conscientious men therefore to do it now and not declare their Reasons of Satisfaction were to sin against the Brethren if they own them or to disclaim them 3. By doing this a man shall give occasion to others to follow his example and if he present them not his Grounds or Reasons Those that follow shall do it without the same Reasons and through his knowledge shall such perish But when ye sin so against the Brethren and wound their weak Consciences ye sin against Christ 4. The Episcopal Party are generally apt to think the Nonconformists to be Hypocrites and Knaves and say These men refuse these Injunctions out of humor or for their profit but they will swallow them as well as we for Honour or for Advantage If any considerate Men therefore shall Swear and Declare and not give us some rational Account of what they do or some others for them they must not only wrong themselves but the whole generation of such Men and cause the Name of God in regard to them to be blasphemed 5. It pleased Providence to call two Persons to the Office the last year whereof one of them at least if not both were the better inabled to speak modestly if not quite to hold the same upon the satisfaction which is couched in this Paper and if it be of great Concern at this time that such Men do hold Sheriffs who are willing to deny their own Advantage not seek it for the sake of the Publick It is yet of greater concern that by the publishing our grounds for their satisfaction Many in distress about the Oxford Act may be relieved and a way opened for Many of the like substantial Citizens of known Piety Loyalty and Ability to be brought into Corporations throughout the Nation to the great service of the King and Kingdom To conclude We have here laid down the Rule concerning Humane Impositions and applied it to this Oath and Subscription If any man is persuaded in his Conscience that the meaning of the Lawgiver was no more than thus he may submit to them both and make no stand but if he believes their meaning was otherwise or doubts that it was more than thus he cannot Swear or Subscribe but with Limitations and he must declare those Limitations or Forbear But if he shall Swear or Subscribe supposing him one that doubts with a Declaration in the words before written That he does it in the meaning which is here expressed supposing it true and with these Explanatory Limitations to the meaning if in any thing indeed it be otherwise and so give or throw in this Paper to the Persons before whom he is to do it we are persuaded of the * In Mr. Baxter's Funeral Sermon upon that late holy Citizen Mr. Ashhurst we take notice of this passage Some may think that he wanted a Publick Spirit because he avoided being a Magistrate and payed his Fine rather than take an Aldermans Place but it was only to keep the Peace of his Conscience Yet I never heard him speak uncharitably of those Worthy Men who do what he refused supposing that they in words or writing declared as openly as they sware and took the Declaration that they took it but in such or such a lawful sense though he could not do so hims●lf Lawfulness in point of Conscience Whether they receive the Paper and admit of your sense or not it is no matter for they have no power in it and the thing will be alike known And thus have we lent our hands to get the concern over these blocks and yet so as to deliver also our souls For as this Sheet was printed the last year there is one of us having been since something dissatisfied does hereby recall it But as it comes out now with this last Paragraph added to it which then was wanting we do Nemine contradicente he and all acquiesce in it LONDON Printed by Thomas Snowden 1681