Selected quad for the lemma: authority_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
authority_n	affirm_v	church_n	scripture_n	3,734	5	6.5982	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A96606	Peace, and no peace: or, a pleasant dialogue betweene Phil-eirenus, a protestant, a lover of peace. And Philo Polemus, a separatist, an incendiary of War, sutable [sic] to the times. By Richard Williams, Master in Arts of the famous University of Cambridge, and preacher in London at Saint Martins Vintrey.	Williams, Richard, b. 1606 or 7.	1643 (1643)	Wing W2754; Thomason E84_18; ESTC R8487	7,273	8

last gaspe of the Letany Give peace in our time O Lord with which I well hoped the Letany would have expired but contrary to expectation it is revived Phil-eiren I see what straine you are of now Philo-polemus you appeare in the right colours you are of your father the Devill that blood-thirsty fiend an hereticall Schismaticke a Jesuited Anabaptist a chip of that old block-head Browne your ghostly Father whose fashion is faction Mr Will. ●rowne an Essex Gentleman the Author of this Sect from whom ever since they were called Browaists whose Religion is Rebellion whose Patrimony is Parricide your Sanctuaries are turned into places of Butchery your Academies into Aceldama's setting your pious resolutions upon impious and bloody designes Away with such bloody incendiaries and fomenters of war these fire brands of hell My soule sit not thou in their Councell Peace be in our time O Lord Peace the sweetest monosyllable in the world the breath of our nostrills the joy and Crowne of our lives the sweet solacing haven of all perturbations Philo-pol The day is yours I am forced to yeeld you have the better of it my Phil-eirenus I see it is as possible somtimes to prevaile by strength of argument as by the assistance of the Spirit for this tricke alone I shall have the better opinion of humane learning while I breath the first thing I undertake shall be to make my selfe capable of Reason and Common sense But there is one scruple more that crosses my mind which is The abominable idolatry of the Crosse in Baptisme still afflicting us which is nothing else as I conceive but a Rellick of Romish Superstition the Mark of the Beast the signe and character of the Purple Whore Phil-eiren It is confessed brother Philo-polemus that this Ceremony in signing the children with the signe of the Crosse fetches its originall from the Church of Rome for in the reigne of Constantine the Great who had the renowne to be called the first Christian Emperour the Generall Councell concluded that in defiance of Pagans Turkes and Infidels the Children of Christians and believing Parents should bee signed with the signe of the Crosse which Crosse was their Banner that put courage and magnanimity into their hearts when they marched against their enemies hence it came to passe that in processe of time this laudable custome was translated from the Romans to the Britans when children are baptised to signe them with the signe of the Crosse which though opposed by the schismaticall faction is still continued amongst the orthodoxe Divines not savouring of any Romish superstition but only as an outward signe of their inward Profession Aug. l. 3. de Baptif which made an holy Father cry out in extasie and admiration of this laudable Ceremony Non occulte loquor sed fronte gero I speak not privately or secretly as though I were ashamed of my selfe or my Profession but I have something to shew for it I carry it in my forehead as the banner of my Lord and Master where with I will fight manfully against the Flesh the World and the Devill I confesse the Crosse in Baptisme makes nothing to the essentiality of the Sacrament indifferent in it selfe but being imposed by authority of the Church I cannot tell how I should excuse the necessary use thereof Now because such is the frontles impudence of the Anabaptistical party that they dare affirm there is no pregnant proof in Scripture of this commendable Ceremony to their eternall shame let them look upon that place in the Revelations Hurt not the earth nor the sea nor the trees untill we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads Rev. 7.3 which though it be principally meant of the spirituall and mysticall viz. an inseparable union and knitting of our hearts to Christ by faith yet the allusion is made according to the most learned Expositors to the sealing of infants in holy baptisme with the signe of the Crosse Now to those that have in their infancy bin signed with the signe of the Crosse and humbly acknowledge it to be a Badge of Christianity it is the seale of the ever-living God but to those that have been signed there with and terme it the idolatrous Crosse to such it is the mark of the Beast which I rather beleeve because it proceeds from bestiall and sensuall ignorance Therefore deare Brother be not ashamed of that Crosse which is the renown of Christians but if thou gloriest in any thing let it bee in the Crosse of Christ lesus Philo-Pol Well Brother Phil eirenus thou hast almost perswaded me to be a Christian Phil-eire I would not only you My Brother but all the Separatists likewise that ignorantly oppose the Doctrine and discipline of the Church of England were not almost but altogether converted as thou art from their Anabaptisticall and Atheisticall Tenets But me thinks I reade some other doubt in thy forehead as yet unresolved tell me what it is Philo-Pol Truly you have convinced me of such manifest absurdities and alpable contradictions already that what I supposed to be the greatest is now the least and scarse worth any scruple at all but that I may be fully resolved of a Quaere's before It is this Why is the Lords Prayer so frequently used among us since every one cannot say Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them the trespasse against us Phil-eire To this I answer because it is an expresse command of our Saviour When ye pray pray thus from which no man can be priviledged or exempted so that he which comes into the Sanctuary with a malicious intent against his neighbour is not fit to pray at all but if any Prayer let him use the Prayer of Prayers that lively patterne of all Coelestiall Contemplations Philo-Pol Is it not lawfull to use any other forme of Prayer besides the Lords Prayer Phil-eir Yes you may according to your severall occurrences and necessities so the sense be not dislonant from it that avoiding prolixity and long Pharisaicall Prayers you come as near the concisenesse of our Lords Prayer as you can in breathing out your soule as the custome was in the Primitive times in short Ejaculations to Heaven Philo-Pol No better time then now Since none of these things which I have mentioned can be any Obstruction to Peace and Prayer is the onely meanes to obtaine it since we are so sweetly reconciled each to other let us pray for the peace of Ierusalem Philo-Polemus and Phil-ei●enus conclude in Prayer OH thou that are the God of Peace and makest wars to cease in all the world First we beseech ther send downe into our hearts that Peace which passeth all Vnderstanding and then sweet Iesu worke an happy union between our Gracious King and His Loyall Parliament that under him we may live a quiet and peaceable life here and this life ended we may be entertained into that soule-ravishing peace and eternall security in the highest Heavens Amen Ianuary 2. 1643. I Have perused this DIALOGVE entituled Peace and no Peaece and find nothing therein contrary to faith or good manners and thinke it fitting to be printed and published Iohn Sidenham FINIS