Selected quad for the lemma: authority_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
authority_n	ancient_a	father_n	scripture_n	2,104	5	5.3760	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B11947	A discours hapned. Betwene an hermite called Nicephorus & a yong louer called Tristan, who for that his Mistresse Petronilla entred into religion would faine become an hermite. All faithfullie dravven out of the historie of Petronilla, composed in French by the Right Reuerend Father in God Iohn Peter Camus Bishop of Belley. And translated into English by P.S.P.; Petronille. English	Camus, Jean-Pierre, 1584-1652.; P. S. P., fl. 1630.	1630 (1630)	STC 4551; ESTC S116152	62,696	183

I get ouer and aboue what is necessarie I giue it to the poore Loe how I passe ouer this life caring litle if I be in the state of perfection or no so that I correct my selfe of the imperfections which are vnworthie of my estate litle curious of those titles which the Cenobiticall friars do attribute to themselues to be the Coadiutours of the Bishops Specious titles vvhich the Regulars giue to themselues to be Apostolicall men to leade the Apostolicall life to be men sent by the sea Apostolike to supplie the defects of the ordinarie Pastours to be troupes of succour to be the props of the Church to be the pillars and firme colomnes of her which is herselfe the colome and fundation of truthe knowing that all these qualities are annexed to Priesthoode sith that Prelats ordering Priests do call them their cooperators fellow workers the supporters of their Pastorall Order and many other very honorable names The condition of a Monke is truely very venerable so is that of Conuentuall friars of Religious men let them call them as they will and as they please or in one word that of Regulars or of Friars albeit the Regular Clerkes do apprehend as much to be called this last name as they would to handle a burning cole without tongs But for my part I beleeue that all men of good vnderstanding will alwaies esteeme as much The condition of a Priest is to be estimed as much or more as any other state in the Church and more the condition of a Priest as any of those Notwithstanding to shun the obstinat contention which the Apostle doth so expresly forbid it is better leaue them in the arbitrable possession of the state of perfectiō seing that by their tongues as by the tongue of Hercules Gaulois the Destinies do spinne the reputation of men nothing being well done according the Castilian prouerb but that which proceedeth out of a Monke or friars head THE RESPECT and honour vvhich is due to the Order dignitie of Priesthood declared and proued by the authoritie both of holy Scripture and of the ancient Fathers of the Church YOV haue seene gentle Reader in the precedent Discours how the Regulars to extoll themselues are not content by their rigorous censures to giue a sentence of exclusion against Hermites and Secular Priests as they terme them from the state of perfection in which they place the meanest of themselues in vertue of their three vowes of pouertie obedience and chastitie but also proclaime them to be base and of no consideration And that you may iudge whether that be conformable to the holy Scripture to the Doctrine of the ancient Fathers of the primatiue Church I thought good to produce here a few authorities of the one of the other prouing the dignitie and authoritie of Priests God instructing the children of Israël how to decide all controuersies that should arise amongst them said Thou shalt come to the Priests of the Leuiticall stock and to the iudge that Deut. 17. shall be at that time and thou shalt aske of them vvho shall shew thee the truth The high Priests chiefe iudge of all controuersies of the iudgment And thou shalt do vvhatsoeuer they that are presidentes of the place vvhich our Lord shall choose shall say and teach thee according to his lavv and thou shalt follovv their sentence neither shalt thou decline to the right hand nor to the left hand But he that shall be proude refusing to obey the commandement of the Priest vvhich at that time ministreth to our Lord thy God the decree of the iudge that man shall die What could be said more to shew the dignitie and authoritie of Priests then whosoeuer would not obey them nor stand to their iudgment should die but that is not all The Prophet Malachias speaking of the couenant which God made with the tribe of Leui saith to the same purpose The lipps of the Priest Mala. 2 shall keepe knowledge and the law they shall require of his mouth because he is the Angell of God The Ecclesiasticus teaching à man how to carrie himself first tovvards God after towards the Priests saith Eccles 7. thus In all thy soule feare our Lord sāctifie his Priests And after Honour God withall thy soule honour the Priests Saint Peter vvho vvas a Priest himself speakes thus to Priests You are an elect generation a kingly Priesthood Pet. 2. a holy Nation a people of purchasse Was it not to Priests that our Sauiour himself said Whatsoeuer you Matt. 18. v. 18. shall binde vpon earth shall be bound also in heauen and vvhatsoeuer you shall loose vpon earth shall be loosed also in heauen Many other passages might be produced out of holy Scripture to proue the dignitie of Priests the respect which is due to them but these shall fuffice at this time so you consider them well for you see that to Priests God gaue power to iudge and decide all controuersies and that he gaue sentence of death vpon any that would not obey them You see moreouer that they are called the Angells of God that all men were commanded to honour and respect them that they are called an elect generation a holy nation and that their Priesthood is a Royall dignitie And which is more then all that you see how CHRIST gaue them the power to loose and bind vpon earth and that their act therin is ratified in heauen Now rests to shew what the ancient Fathers of the primitiue Church do say of Priesthood and in what esteeme Priests were in their time in which there was no speech neither of Benedictins which are the Anciētest in our Latin Church and began the yeere 529. nor of Dominicans nor Franciscans which began the yeere 1209. nor yet of Augustins nor Carmelites as they are approued by the Church no nor of Bernardins much lesse of the rest which now flourish in the Church vnder seuerall names but all was ruled and gouerned by Priests Sainct Ignatius Martyr and the third Bishop of Antiochia after S. Peter commaunding all lay persons to be subiect vnto and reuerence Epist ad Smyrn Priests and Diacons saieth thus Diaconos reuereamini vt ex Dei praecepto ministrantes Honour yea the Deacons as ministring by the precept of God Epist. ad Ephes And after Enitimini charissimi subiecti esse Episcopo Presbyteris Diaconis Qui enim his obedit obedit Christo. My dearest doe your best to be subiect to the Bishop and Priests and Deacons for he that obeyeth these obeyeth CHRIST Sainct Policarp disciple to saint Iohn the Apostle saieth Subiectiestote Epist ad Philip. Presbyteris Diaconis sicut Deo CHRISTO Be yea subiect vnto the Priests and Deacons as to God and CHRIST Sainct Clement disciple to saint Peter saith Presbyteris si assiduè in studio Const Apost l. 2. c. 8. docendi verbum Dei