Selected quad for the lemma: authority_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
authority_n	apostle_n	bishop_n	church_n	8,364	5	4.6820	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A61429	Important questions of state, law, justice and prudence both civil and religious, upon the late revolutions and present state of these nations / by Socrates Christianus.	Stephens, Edward, d. 1706.	1689 (1689)	Wing S5427; ESTC R228417	11,035	16

and deceitful in matters of Policy hath not just cause to suspect that it may be so also in matters of Religion and thereupon now at his Leisure to retire into some convenient place of Freedom and there to take a farther and impartial Examination whether it be not so indeed This may possibly be done effectually by well weighing but of two Considerations of great Importance and yet of no great Intricacy the one concerning the Head of their Church the other concerning the Body of their Religion and the nature and Tendency of it compared with the nature and Tendency of the Genuine Christian Religion First Whether all that special Authority and Power which the Bishops of Rome have so long claimed and exercised as peculiar to themselves and derived from Christ by St. Peter be not a gross Imposture As it needs must be if either no special Authority was ever either given or promised by Christ to St. Peter or exercised or claimed by him more than what was given by Christ to all his Apostles John 20.19 23. Mark 16.15 or exercised by them or no special Authority was ever conveyed by St. Peter to the Church or Bishops of Rome more than to any other Church or Bishop which he Founded and Instituted And besides their defect of Proof which lyeth upon them to make out in the one from the Scripture and in the other from good Authority there are two things of great weight against them First That the ancient Bishops of Rome claimed no special Authority peculiar to themselves but by other and inferiour Title and what was much less than they now claim Secondly That there was very gross Imposture and Forgery used for the introducing and promoting of this pretended Authority And if this Pillar of their Church fall the other their pretended Infallibility must by consequence fall with it And of this Subject may be Read Dr. Barrow of the Supremacy with Dr. Cave of the ancient Government of the Church Secondly Whether all that which is properly called Popery be not such another Corruption of the genuine Christian Religion by humane inventions influenced by the subtilty of Satan as was that of the Law of Moses by the Scribes and Pharisees at the time of the coming of our Saviour and directly tending to oppose enervate and affront the same This may easily be perceived by comparing the essential parts of the Christian Religion with the opposite Corruptions of Popery and the Tendency of each As 1. The Example of the Heads Christ and his Apostles with that of the Pope and his Cardinals 2. The Doctrine 3. The Worship 4. The Discipline 5. The Means of Propagation c. And to this purpose may be read Dr. Moor's Mystery of Iniquity and a little Tract call'd the Mystery of Iniquity Unvailed Written by Mr. Allen but Printed without his Name 2. Whether if upon such farther Examination it should please God to open his Eyes and give him a clear sight of his Errors and of the Evils he hath committed as well as those he hath brought upon himself it will not be his Duty and his Wisdom immediately thereupon to apply himself to do the part of a true Penitent indeed to humble himself give Glory to God by Confessing and Lamenting his Sins acknowledging the Justice of his Judgments and accepting his Punishment be content with a retired penitent Life and thereby as a part of Restitution endeavour the Peace of these Nations which he hath so much disturbed not giving any farther disturbance himself or encouraging any discontented erson but abandoning all Colour and pretence for any such Matter This would certainly prove his direct way to Happiness hereafter and possibly to greater Happiness even here than he could ever have enjoyed amidst the Distractions of the Government of three Kingdoms And all real Happiness I heartily wish him both here and hereafter 3. Whether it may not be fit notwithstanding he may not be further trusted with the Government of these Nations upon the Consideration of Humanity to treat him with Pity Civility and Respect and a Competent Annual Allowance yet such as may not by good Husbandry become in time a means of New Disturbance and upon Condition that he do peaceably retire to some remote parts as Italy or the like and continue there or at that distance without further trouble to these Nations or himself FINIS