Selected quad for the lemma: authority_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
authority_n	admit_v	church_n	scripture_n	2,766	5	6.5715	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A27412	A disswasive from error much increased a perswasive to order much decayed / by Joseph Bentham.	Bentham, Joseph, 1594?-1671.	1669 (1669)	Wing B1909; ESTC R25276	73,061	94

preaching against the true Christ preaching against the Scribes and Pharisees and they affirming him to be a deceiver And I dare maintain that what they preach contrary to what we preach in publick if they do to be contrary to sound doctrine Object You say you do nothing but what is good you set open the great doors and little doors not caring who sees who heareth you Answ 1. Admit that what is preached is good yet it is not well done good things should be well done according to rule and order 2. The Tree is known by the fruits and by your such Meetings we see the publick Ordinances slighted neglected contemned 3. I cannot accuse what is delivered in your Meetings but if it is contrary to what we preach in publick it is not good doctrine And let me tell you that John of Leyden infused his dangerous opinions in private Meetings and how our Mr. Thrask in publick preached sound truths but in his private Meetings he did indoctrinate his followers with his pernicious principles Object They who preach to us in private Meetings are pious men the other are profane vicious scandalous Answ 1. If this be true that some of us are such we are sorry for it yea such we will not justifie and when was it otherwise nor is all done by the other justifiable 2. There are more sins than swearing and drunkenness who can forget the swarms of sins in our late Tragedies and who were actors of many of them in it 3. For the present Are not despising of Authority disobedience Cobler of Gloc. to wholsom Laws sins from which are these men free 4. Blessed be God although we all are proclaimed to be profane and naught yet there are very many as free from idleness drunkenness swearing and such like vices and as painful pious charitable and inoffensive as the strictest in your commanded company 5. But to be plain with you All professions whilst kept under it is their interest to be orderly but when these men of late had their liberty we are able to prove the profane excesses of some of them even to publick scandal by Epicurism intemperance and uncleanness to say no more For my part I cannot think but that the respect such who are in Authority bear to themselves their care to have their Laws and Religion upholden their obedient Clergy not vilified and people kept from Atheism and rebellion will awaken them in time strictly and by severity to do that which their clemency will not do You cry out much against Popery yet your doings endeavour to bring it in and set it up it is a Jesuitical plot to sow division amongst us to make our Religion odious and that they may fish in troubled waters From a good Author I will tell you a story which is this Before our troubles one Meridith an ancient Dr. Nicols and learned Jesuit told one reconciled to the Church of Rome that in England they had been long and industrious about the work of conversion but it went on slowly and so would do until they took a wiser course Two things there were that must be done before they should bring their business to a full effect they must first find a way to remove the Bishops and Ministers in whose rooms they must bring it so about that all should have liberty to preach Then secondly they must get down the Common-prayer-Book and suffer every man to use what prayer he list And we cannot but remember how far they effected this in our sad troubles Besides if you expect such priviledge why may not they expect the same They being Christians they being subjects they and some of you being Recusants why not they their Mass as well as you your Meetings Object Why Those you hear in your Meetings have rare gifts they are pious and precious men Answ I envy no mans gifts but bless God for other mens parts and piety 2. Comparisons are odious otherwise we could say as St. Paul of the false Apostles in his time Are they thus and so so are we 3. The forbidden fruit without doubt was excellent yet it had been good for our first Parents to have contented themselves with their allowed Trees and fruits Many mens Wives and Diet come short of other mens yet it is fit their own should content them 4. Blessed be God your allowance is large you may hear every week three Sermons in an approved way and none of them to be contemned And as for Popish Priests do you not think the● will say for their Priests and Jesuits the same that you do for your Preachers you say yours are rarely gifted men great Scholars pious painful and what you will more They will not conform to the Book of Common-prayer nor observe the Orders appointed by the Church of England they will not assent and consent They can and will say the same of theirs If you say yours will take no Livings they can say the same and add not Wives neither If you say that yours live by providence going about to do good they can say theirs have no setled abiding but are sometimes here and there to promote and spread the Catholick cause and are maintained by the peoples bounty We acknowledge that we and Papists are Christians agreeing in many things for we and they acknowledge unity in Trinity but we with them acknowledge no Queen of heaven to pray unto We and they acknowledge the Scriptures to be the Word of God but we with them make not the Apocrypha Canonical We with them make the Word of God the ground of faith but we with them make not unwritten traditions of equal authority We and they agree in admitting doctrinal traditions agreeing with Scripture or thence deduced yea ritual for order and decency left to the disposition of the Church although but of positive and humane right they not being childish nor accounted parts of God's Worship nor with opinion of merit nor burdensom for multitude But we with them believe not traditions obtruded as Articles of Religion grounds of faith and parts of God's Worship they not being deduced from Scripture by inference nor expresly commanded such we reject We and they receive and believe the three Creeds but we with them receive not the Creed of Trent We and they believe the true God is to be worshipped in Spirit and truth we with them believe not that he is to be worshipped by Images We and they believe that we are to pray with fervency and sincerity but we with them pray not in an unknown tongue We and they pray to God but we with them do not pray to Saints and Angels We and they acknowledge Christ to be our Mediator of redemption and intercession but we with them do not at all rely upon the intercession and merits of Saints and Angels We and they do honour Saints departed but we with them do not worship them We and they do urge to good works we as necessary

threatning it proceeds to acting so that you are punished then you will do wisely to consider whether the cause of suffering-will make it persecution He who is persecuted takes up Christs Cross and follows him he suffers not as an evil doer It is sa●d to pull upon 1 Pet. 4. 15 our selves self-created Crosses It is sa●d to bear the Cross and not follow Christ If our Cross is Christs we then suffer for the same cause to bear witness to the truth In the same manner patiently charitably thankfully and for the same end as Christ to take away sin so we to further mortification and be stir'd to repentance How loudly do the Papists cry out of persecution when they are punished and do you think justly How do the Quakers glory much of their persecution for Christ yea and the Donatists and Priscilianists of old have defended their Heresies to death which they counted Martyrdom and Persecution yea the most of men molested for their opinions do the like all thinking they suffer for Christ for righteousness sake and so conclude they are persecuted It is good when we suffer to see for what it is that we suffer and so should it be as you fear or fancy for your Meetings Then consider seriously and conscionably whether in so doing you do well or ill or not well Authority languisheth where it is not feared But if you do well fear no persecution Scripture assuring us that Rulers are not a terror to good works that is works the effect for the cause but to evil works To understand Rom. 13. 3 4. what are good or evil works we are to know that works are so Theologically taken so a good work is that which is done of faith and of a sincere mind for the glory of God it is ill when not done so The Magistrate cannot judge of these because they are inward but of good or Mr. Parre evil civilly so which are according to or contrary to the Law divine humane positive municipal of Kingdoms Cities and Corporations whereby the necessary discipilne of every State is established Of these he judgeth Wilt thou not be afraid do good namely obey and resist not He doth not mean the profession of Christianity for that was then hated but such good which was so in the judgment of the Heathen a civil honest conversation agreeable to the Laws of the State wherein they lived Then he is the Minister of God for such mens good But if thou do evil ver 4. namely moral or civil evil contrary to the Decalogue or positive Law of the place where thou livest fear for he beareth not the sword in vain since we must be subject and their Laws obeyed not only for wrath 1. Of God who is angry with such who resist Authority 2. But also of the Magistrate whom we provoke by disobedience justly to punish but also for conscience sake namely conscience of our brother it being an offence to a peaceable and loyal subject to see any to take liberty to break the Laws of the Magistrates as of our selves lest we wound our own consciences every soul being bound in conscience to obey his lawful Magistrates every part of Gods Law binds conscience And to obey Magistrates is part of Gods Law As we are to render to all theirs so to Caesar his due to Caesar the things which are Caesars Well what saith the Magistrate what saith the Law Mat 22. 21 Do they allow of your Meetings Give me leave to tell you how St. Augustine commends a Law Imperial made against the Donatists and Schismaticks in his time which was That they who separated from the Church and had private Conventicles should be punished with pecuniary mulcts their Leaders with banishment the place wherein they met to be forfeited to the Emperor they should have no power to bestow their own Goods by will nor enjoy any Legacy bequeathed to them Object But you perhaps will say If there is any Law against such Meetings it is not good Answ 1. Will not Papists Quakers and who not object the same of Laws made against them 2. Is it tollerable that a Statute made upon long deliberation by so many wise men and such in Authority should be disclaimed for the private opinions of some novel Divines and unletter'd persons 3. We should be modest and not think our selves wiser than we are Rom. 12. 3. 4. A good subject examines not what is best but what is commanded and submits to it it being lawful 5. If in making Laws every mans fancy was to be regarded there would be no end nor order 6. If men doubt of the lawfulness of things commanded let them go for resolution to such who are peaceable and Prov. 24. 21. not consult in matters of obedience with such who refuse to obey 7. In matters doubtful follow the safe Rule hold that which is certain leave that which is uncertain leave reasoning and obey the Magistrate that is certain It is our duty 8. Hear reverend Dr. Sibs who saith The Laws under which we live are particular determinations of the Law of God therefore ought to be a Rule unto us so far as they reach although Sib's souls conflict Edition first fol. 364. pag. 2. I note the Edition because later Editions have corrupted the Author so that what he speaks in general they restrain to some things of the second Table it be too narrow a Rule to be good only so far as mans Law guides unto yet love being the joynt reason and consent of many men for publique good hath an useful guidance of actions that fall under the same where it ☞ dasheth not against God's Law what is agreeable to Law is agreeable to conscience Object If any of you say as some do Authority will not save souls Answ Give me leave to tell them That the Religious commands of Authority such as of David Jehosaphat Josiah Hezekiah for the keeping of the Passeover and order in the service of God such as of our Kings and Governours for the observation of the Lord's day for the hearing and preaching of the Word with other such did and doth save souls and far more than your Meetings yea so much as a thing well and legally done furthers it more than a thing done illegally and disobediently Besides if all which is taught in your private Meetings is good and warrantable yet it is so far from converting that it perverts many souls causing them to judge amiss of wholsom Laws and good Government causing them to slight the Ministers of the Gospel whom they are to hear and obey making rents and divisions in the Church hardning Papists profane people in their unwarrantable ways and making many well-minded people at a stand not knowing what to do And as it is certain that the commands of such who are in Authority over us concerning matters of Religion tend to the conversion and edification of men so it is without all