Selected quad for the lemma: authority_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
authority_n	answer_n	church_n	scripture_n	2,228	5	6.2350	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A63673	Chrisis teleiōtikē, A discourse of confirmation for the use of the clergy and instruction of the people of Ireland / by Jeremy, Lord Bishop of Down ; and dedicated to His Grace James, Duke ... and General Governor of His Majesties kingdom of Ireland.	Taylor, Jeremy, 1613-1667.	1663 (1663)	Wing T293; ESTC R11419	62,959	104

of God viz. He then is to be confirmed S. Dionys commonly called the Areopagite in his excellent book of Ecclesiastical Hierarchy speaks most fully of the Holy rite of Confirmation or Chrism Having describ'd at large the office and manner of baptizing the Catechumens the trine immersion the vesting them in white Garments adds Then they bring them again to the Bishop and he consignes him who had been so baptiz'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the most Divinely operating Unction and then gives him the most Holy Eucharist And afterwards he sayes But even to him who is consecrated in the most holy mystery of regeneration 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the perfective Unction of Chrism gives to him the advent of the Holy Spirit And this rite of Confirmation then called Chrism from the spiritual Unction then effected and consign'd also and signified by the Ceremony of anointing externally which was then the ceremony of the Church he calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the holy consummation of our baptismal regeneration meaning that without this there is something wanting to the baptized persons And this appears fully in that famous censure of Novatus by Cornelius Bishop of Rome reported by Eusebius Novatus had been baptized in his bed being very sick and like to dye but when he recover'd he did not receive those other things which by the rule of the Church he ought to have receiv'd neque Domini sigillo ab Episcopo consignatus est he was not consign'd with the Lords signature by the hands of the Bishop he was not confirmed Quo non impetrato quomodo spiritum sanctum obtinuisse putandus est Which having not obtain'd how can he be suppos'd to have receiv'd the Holy Spirit The same also is something more fully related by Nicephorus but wholly to the same purpose Melchiades in his Epistle to the Bishops of Spain argues excellently about the necessity and usefulness of the Holy Rite of Confirmation What does the mystery of Confirmation profit me after the mystery of Baptism Certainly we did not receive all in our Baptism if after that lavatory we want something of another kind Let your charity attend As the Military order requires that when the General enters a Souldier into his list he does not only mark him but furnishes him with armes for the Battle So in him that is baptiz'd this blessing is his Ammunition You have given Christ a Souldier give him also Weapons And what will it profit him if a Father gives a great Estate to his Son if he does not take care to provide a Tutor for him Therefore the Holy Spirit is the Guardian of our regeneration in Christ he is the Comforter and he is the Defender I have already alleaged the plain Testimonies of Optatus and S. Cyril in the first Section I adde to them the words of S. Gregory Nazianzen speaking of Confirmation or the Christian signature Hoc viventi tibi maximum est tutamentum Ovis enim quae sigillo insignita est non facilè patet insidiis quae verò signata non est facilè à furibus capitur This signature is your greatest guard while you live For a sheep when it is mark'd with the Masters sign is not so soon stollen by Thieves but easily if she be not The same manner of speaking is also us'd by S. Basil who was himself together with Eubulus confirm'd by Bishop Maximinus Quomodo curam geret tanquam ad se pertinentis Angelus Quomodo eripiat ex hostibus si non agnoverit signaculum How shall the Angel know what sheep belong unto his charge How shall he snatch them from the Enemy if he does not see their mark and signature Theodoret also and Theophylact speak the like words and so far as I can perceive these and the like sayings are most made use of by the Schoolmen to be their warranty for an indelible Character imprinted in Confirmation I do not interest my self in the question but only recite the Doctrine of these Fathers in behalf of the practice and usefulness of Confirmation I shall not need to transcribe hither those clear testimonies which are cited from the Epistles of S. Clement Vrban the first Fabianus and Cornelius the summe of them is in those plainest words of Vrban the First Omnes fideles per manus impositionem Episcopórum Spiritum Sanctum post baptismum accipere debent All faithfull People ought to receive the Holy spirit by imposition of the Bishops hands after Baptism Much more to the same purpose is to be read collected by Gratian de consecrat dist 4. Presbyt de consecrat dist 5. Omnes fideles ibid. Spiritus Sanctus S. Hierom brings in a Luciferian asking why he that is baptiz'd in the Church does not receive the Holy Ghost but by imposition of the Bishops hands The answer is hanc observationem ex Scripturae authoritate ad Sacordotii honorem descendere This observation for the honour of the Priesthood did descend from the authority of the Scriptures adding withal it was for the prevention of Schismes and that the safety of the Church did depend upon it Exigis ubi scriptum est If you ask where it is written it is answered in Actibus Apostolorum It is written in the Acts of the Apostles But if there were no authority of Scripture for it totius orbis in hanc partem consensus instar praecepti obtineret the consent of the whole Christian World in this article ought to prevail as a commandment But here is a twofold Chord Scripture and Universal Tradition or rather Scripture expounded by an Universal traditive interpretation The same observation is made from Scripture by S. Chrysostom The words are very like those now recited from S. Hierom's Dialogue and therefore need not be repeated S. Ambrose calls Confirmation Spiritale signaculum quod post fontem superest ut perfectio fiat A spiritual seal remaining after Baptism that perfection be had Oecumenius calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 perfection Lavacro peccata purgantur Chrismate Spiritus sanctus superfunditur Vtraque verò ista manu ore Antistitis impetramus said Pacianus Bishop of Barcinona In Baptism our sins are cleans'd in Confirmation the holy Spirit is pour'd upon us and both these we obtain by the hands and mouth of the Bishop and again vestrae plebi unde spiritus quam non consignat unctus Sacerdos The same with that of Cornelius in the case of Novatus before cited I shall add no more least I overset the article and make it suspicious by too laborious a defence only after these numerous testimonies of the Fathers I think it may be useful to represent that this Holy rite of Confirmation hath been decreed by many Councils The Council of Eliberis celebrated in the time of P. Sylvester the first decreed that whosoever is baptiz'd in his sickness if he recover ad Episcopum eum

licet sed quod ab Episcopo fuerit consecratum Non tamen frontem ex eodem oleo signare quod solis debetur Episcopis cum tradunt Spiritum Paracletum Now this the Bishops did not only to satisfie the desire of the baptized but by this ceremony to excite the votum confirmationis that they who could not actually be confirmed might at least have it in voto in desire and in Ecclesiastical representation This as some think was first introduc'd by Pope Sylvester and this is the consignation which the Priests of Egypt us'd in the absence of the Bishop and this became afterward the practice in other Churches But this was no part of the Holy Rite of Confirmation but a ceremony annexed to it ordinarily from thence transmitted to baptism first by imitation afterwards by way of supply and in defect of the opportunities of Confirmation Episcopal And therefore we find in the first Arausican Council in the time of Leo the first and Theodosius junior it was decreed That in baptism every one should receive Chrism de eo autem qui in baptismate quâ cunque necessitate faciente Chrismatus non fuerit in confirmatione sacerdos commonebitur If the baptized by any intervening accident or necessity was not anointed the Bishop should be advertiz'd of it in Confirmation meaning that then it must be done For the Chrisme was but a ceremony annexed no part of either rite essential to it but yet thy thought it necessary by reason of some opinions then prevailing in the Church But here the rites themselves are clearly distinguish'd and this of Confirmation was never permitted to mere Presbyters Innocentius III a great Canonist and of great authority gives a full evidence in this particular Per frontis Chrismationem manus impositio designatur quia per eam Spiritus Sanctus per augmentum datur robur Vnde cum caeteras unctiones simplex sacerdos vel Presbyter valeat exhibere hanc non nisi summus Sacerdos vel Presbyter valeat exhibere id est Episcopus conferre By anointing of the forehead the imposition of hands is design'd because by that the Holy Ghost is given for increase and strength therefore when a single Priest may give the other Unctions yet this cannot be done but by the chief Priest that is the Bishop And therefore to the Question what shall be done if a Bishop may not be had The same Innocentius answers It is safer and without danger wholly to omit it than to have it rashly and without authority ministred by any other cum umbra quaedam ostendatur in opere veritas autem non subeat in effectu for it is a meer shadow without truth or real effect when any one else does it but the person whom God hath appointed to this ministration and no approved man of the Church did ever say the contrary till Richard Primate of Ardmagh commenced a new Opinion from whence Thomas of Walden sayes that Wicl●f borrowed his Doctrine to trouble the Church in this particular What the Doctrine of the ancient Church was in the purest times I have already I hope sufficiently declared what it was afterwards when the Ceremony of Chrisme was as much remarked as the Rite to which it ministred we finde fully declared by Rabanus Maurus Signatur Baptizatus cum Chrismate per sacerdotem in capitis summitate per Pontificem verò in fronte ut priori Vnctione significetur spiritus sancti super ipsum descensio ad habitationem Deo consecrandam in secundâ quoque ut ejus spiritus sancti septiformis gratia cum omni plenitudine sanctitatis scientiae virtutis venire in hominem declaretur Tunc enim ipse spiritus sanctus post mundata benedicta corpora atque animas liberè à patre descendit ut unà cum suâ visitatione sanctificaret illustraret nunc in hominem ad hoc venit ut signaculum fidei quod in fronte suscepit faciat cum donis coelestibus repletum suâ gratiâ confortatum intrepidè audacter coram Regibus Potestatibus hujus saeculi portare ac nomen Christi liberâ voce praedicare In Baptism the baptized was anointed on the top of the head in Confirmation on the fore-head by that was signified that the Holy Ghost was preparing a habitation for himself by this was declared the descent of the Holy Spirit with his seven-fold gifts with all fulness of knowledge and spiritual understanding These things were signified by the appendant Ceremony but the Rites were ever distinguished and did not onely signifie and declare but effect these Graces by the ministry of Prayer and Imposition of Hands The ceremony the Church instituted and us'd as she pleas'd and gave in what circumstances they would choose and new propositions entred and customes chang'd and deputations were made and the Bishops in whom by Christ was plac'd the fulness of Ecclesiastical power concredited to the Priests and Deacons so much as their occasions and necessities permitted and because in those ages and places where the external ceremony was regarded it may be more than the inward mystery or the Rite of Divine appointment they were apt to believe that the Chrism or exteriour Unction delegated to the Priests Ministery after the Episcopal consecration of it might supply the want of Episcopal confirmation it came to pass that new opinions were entertain'd and the Regulars the Fryers and the Jesuits who were alwayes too little friends to the Episcopal power from which they would fain have been wholly exempted publickly taught in England especially that chrisme ministred by them with leave from the Pope did doe all that which ordinarily was to be done in Episcopal confirmation For as Tertullian complain'd in his time Quibus fuit propositum aliter docendi eos necessitas coëgit aliter disponendi instrumenta Doctrinae They who had purposes of teaching new Doctrines were constrain'd otherwise to dispose of the Instruments and Rituals appertaining to their Doctrines These men to serve ends destroyed the article and overthrew the Ancient Discipline and Unity of the Primitive Church But they were justly censur'd by the Theological faculty at Paris and the censure well defended by Hallier one of the Doctors of the Sorbon whether I refer the Reader that is curious in little things But for the main It was ever call'd Confirmatio Episcopalis impositio manuum Episcoporum which our English word well expresses and perfectly retains the use we know it by the common name of Bishopping of Children I shall no farther insist upon it onely I shall observe that there is a vain distinction brought into the Schools and Glosses of the Canon Law of a Minister ordinary and extraordinary all allowing that the Bishop is appointed the ordinary Minister of Confirmation but they would fain innovate and pretend that in some cases others may be Ministers extraordinary This device is of infinite danger to the destruction of the whole Sacred order of