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	peter_n	3,355	5	7.7184	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A59764	The excellence of the order of the Church of England, under Episcopal government set forth in a sermon at the visitation at Blandford, Anno 1640 / by William Sherley ...	Sherley, William.	1662 (1662)	Wing S3240; ESTC R21422	23,064	42

raised a Question Aug. de Civit. Dei l. 9. c. 15. whether or no in case Adam had not faln there should have been a Sub and a Supra any Subordinations at all in the Societies of Men and seems likewise to incline to the Negative for that the very first time we meet in Scripture with the word Servant which too according to the forecited Fathers observation is in the 9th of Gen. and the 25th it being there spoken by way of a Curse he from thence collects that Nomen istud Culpa Meruit non Natura Sin alone and not Nature gave a Being unto that Condition Yet for certain ever since the Fall as matters have stood without an orderly Series of Men wherein as in a Predicament some may be Summa Genera above others Species Infimae beneath and a third between both Genera subalterna there can be no subsisting for any one Society whatsoever This being so necessary for all Common-wealths as that without this so many Men being but as so much confused Rubbish or like a multitude of Stones lying in an heap together come to be without any benefit at all each of other whereas being once disposed of to such divers uses and several places as they by their education have been fitted for they then may make not an handsome onely but a good serviceable piece of Building And if it be thus in the State then doubtless must it be more then so in the Church She having ever been esteemed an Hierarchy whose Members ought in that manner to be ranked and sorted into higher and lower Classes as that hereupon upon at the 6th of the Canticles and the 4th she is likened to an Army with Banners nay however an Army having once displayed her Banners and going on upon a March be a great Desciple and Servant unto Order yet is it conceived by St. Chrysostome Chrysost 10 Hom. in 1 Ep. ad Thess 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the Church in Her Discipline is and ought to be more precise and regular then the Field Military is in its For hence Beloved came it here to pass that my Apostle Saint Paul having planted now a Church in Corinth suffers not those Elders whom he had there ordained to be their own Bishops or reciprocally and by turn as it were to be Governors each to other but knowing that in the Church especially nothing could be more unequal then such an equality He therefore holds in his own hands the reigns of Government he himself reserves unto himself Episcopal Jurisdiction which too he did not onely exercise for that year and half alone mentioned in the 18 h of the Acts and the 11th that he lived amongst them all which time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the word used there by the Holy Ghost in the Orignal is most observable he sate there and governed as a Bishop in his Cathedral but being once removed and absent he grew even in this respect the bolder towards them whilst in this very Epistle at the 4th Chapter and the 21 Verse he threatens them a whipping with his Apostolical Rod at the 5th Chapter and the 5th Verse he sends out a thundring Excommunication against the Incestuous Person at the 11th Chapter and the 2d Verse he constitutes Canons and Ordinances whereas at the sixteenth Chapter and the first Verse he enacts a special Edict for the observation of them Nay finally that it might appear that he was not wanting in any one particular that might declare him to be their Bishop he acquaints them here in the Text that for the Ordering of all such matters as in that Church of theirs were yet out of Order he himself would come and visit them and who is there but will acknowledge that without all contradiction the less ever hath thus been visited by the greater So that if we lay all together and adde to this his visiting here those other Episcopal Acts of his but now spoken off which he did otherwhere and then however that illiterate ignorant Scotchman for before so Learned an Assembly as this Scoti 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Paraclesis contra Pan. Tileni Paraenesin to whom now I speak the Author otherwise then so is not worth a naming hath in a jeer as silly altogether as himself been pleased to snear it out that Profecto Paulus fuit Pessimus Dominus Episcopus Verily Paul was but an ill Lord Bishop yet will it hereby appear that Saint Paul for however the Man for fear of Idolatry dur'st not bestow the Saint on the Apostle yet Religion hath taught us better manners then not to do it that I say even Saint Paul himself did in his Authority Lord it as much as any of those our Reverend Prelates whom he out of the depth of his ignorance can by no means fancy Neither ought it to be conceived as a Marvel that my Apostle so early now at the first erects this kinde of Church-Government amongst the Clergy here at Corinth since as if this were in a manner natural and essential to her the Church seldom or never hath anciently been observed to have stood without it Thus in the old Testament we finde that amongst the Jews there were not onely Priests and Levites but an High-Priest also who was even then so lively an Emblem of Episcopacy as that hereupon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Summus Sacerdos have since familiarly been used in the Writings of the Ancients no otherwise then as Synonoma's with the word Bishop Whereas in the New it is to be read that our blessed Savior whom Ignatius is not afraid to call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ignat. Ep. ad Magnes Tertull. l. 4. cōtra Mar. c. 35. and after him too Tertullian Authenticum Dei Patris Pontificem all other Bishops being as it should seem but Copies onely taken from him like one of that Order licenceth the Twelve together with the Seventy to Preach the Gospel until at last immediately before his ascension lifting up his hands and blessing the Apostles Luke 24.51 Aug. 97. quaest de Novo Test Per istam manuum impositionem as St. Austin seems to believe Apostolos ordinavit Episcopos By that laying of his hands upon the Apostles he ordained them to be Bishops Sure I am that Antiquity thought it no prejudice at all to the Apostles to have this Opinion of them and therefore Theodoret. l. 4. c. 18. Basil Cyprian Ep. 65. Hierom ad Marcellum as the Greek Fathers were wont to call Episcopal Government 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So likewise who knows not but that it is as usual with the Latine to stile the Apostles themselves in plain terms Bishops as having no meaner authority for this then that of St. Peters own example who in Acts 1.20 speaking of Judas his Apostleship calls it there by no other name then by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his Bishoprick But though Episcopacy lived in these Renowned Worthies yet may

we not imagine that it died likewise with their Persons whil'st they like those that ran in the Olympian Games delivered that Light into the Hands of Posterity which such as went before had put in their's Hence St. Paul ordained Timothy Bishop of Ephesus and as there is good record to be shewn for it Titus of Crete both which even by St. Pauls Commission exercised that measure of Jurisdiction in each of those their Diocesses as that it may be made to appear that the Reverend Prelates of the Church do at this day own no farther a degree of Authority then that which Saint Paul in those his Epistles afforded them Neither went this Fire out in later Ages which at the first was so well kindled insomuch that as Irenaeus speaks it of himself Irenaeus l. 3. contra Val. c. 3. Habemus annumer are cos qui ab Apostolis instituti sunt Episcopi successores corum usque ad nos That he was able for his own particular to give a Catalogue of those Bishops that from the Apostles times had sate before him in the See of Lyons Epishan 66 Haeres Enseh l. 5. c. 6 11. l. 6. c 9. l. 7. c. 31. l. 8. c. 1. So likewise Epiphanius and Eusebius taking in hand this Performance have deduced from the Apostles until the Councel of Nice a Succession of Prelacy in all the most famous Churches in the World that then were extant Whil'st Modern Chronologists having brought down the Line near unto this present Century have hereby given unto the Pens of succeeding times the occasion of going on with that Story which God out of his mercy unto his Church will I doubt not but continue unto the Worlds end And shall this Sacred Order thus now be questioned which having in all Ages hitherto so fair Evidences to shew for its Title hath ever yet been thought to be out of question Shall the Rochet it self be yet at last disclaimed for a Rag of Popery and for this very Reason be thrown off by those very Arms themselves that once did wear it How unhappy may we deem our selves that so unworthy an Act as this hath been reserved for the disgrace of these days of Ours Whil'st it may be said of those that have committed this infamous kinde of Church Murther upon themselves Isidor l. 1. Ep. 118. what Isidor once spake of a certain dissolute Church-Man one Zozimus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that These two alone have herein done enough to draw a scandal upon all the whole Clergy of the Christian World But it is impossible to speak so loud as to reach their ears whom this concerns and therefore I turn from them and address my self unto you my Brethren to whom I cannot but signifie and that too in some such manner as St. Paul once bespake his Philippians telling them as he at least says himself of a matter weeping that when I look into Ancienter Times and read in Pelusiot that the People Isidor l. 1. Ep. 490. as often as they met in the Streets with the Sacred Robe were wont ever in all humble manner for to cry out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it sounds well I am sure in Greek but knowing not how it would take with some of our Mother wits in English I therefore spare the Translation when I observe that they reverenced the Ephod Isidor l. 1. Ep. 136. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the same Author as one that did bear the Image and Place of Christ and afterwards cast mine eyes upon this our Age wherein many think they have Religion enough if they can but hate a Bishop and abhor a Ceremony how can I then but even from thence collect that these our days are the very dregs of time and that the World running now as it doth stark naught is come to its Lees But however such shallow heads as these esteem of our Reverend Prelates no otherwise then as of a gay useless Pageant serving meerly for Pomp and Glory yet deeper Judgements know how to demonstrate plainly that the Church her self is not able to stand without these Pillars I for mine own particular should be very jealous of the validity of mine Orders had I not known my self to have received them from the hands of some one Reverend Paul or other Whatsoever those Transmarine Sons of the Presbyterial Board may think of themselves yet were they to be tryed at the Bar of Antiquity they would scarce be found to be of the Tribe of Levy St. Hierom who being but a private Priest at Bethlehem and discontented therefore with the meanness of his own Condition grew hereupon amongst all the Fathers the onely Man that spake hardly at least if not evil of Dignities doth nevertheless in that Epistle of his unto Evagrius where he pleads most for the honor of Priests appropriate the Power of Ordination wholly and altogether to a Bishop onely Quid facit Hierom Ep ad Evag. saith he exceptâ ordinatione Episcopus quod non facit Presbiter as conceiving this to be an act utterly beyond the Sphere of a Priests performance Whereas in after-ages a Bishop being on a time for to Ordain and being enforced by reason of a pain which he himself had in his Eyes to suffer his Chaplain to read the Words of Consecration Binius tom 4. p. 559. the second Hispaline Councel that was held then at Sivil thought it requisite to sit on those Persons who had been thus Ordained who finding a Nullity in their Orders by reason the Words of Consecration were not uttered by the Bishop himself in the fifth Canon of that Councel adjudg'd them for no Clergy men But whither am I now gone or whither have I been carried being called abroad by my Text and these Times together Whil'st the Person Visiting having had by this his allotted Minutes if not more then comes to his share to speak for himself It will concern us now to hasten him to his Visitation which too being at hand in my next Particular comes now in the second place and that too in the Word Come immediately to be treated of Si Judicas cognosce Knowledge ought ever to be the Usher the Needle as it were Seneca Trag. that is to make way for the Threed of Justice Whil'st he that shall adventure upon the executing of the later of these without sufficient Instructions first in the former may well be likened to those Preposterous Governors which Munster makes relation of Munster Cosmogra cap. de Hungar. who in an Hysteron-Proteron Custom that they had as Barbarous altogether as themselves were wont upon a suspition to condemn the Party whom they conceived to be a Malefactor and then afterwards to try the Carcass And therefore that my Apostle being now as an Ecclesiastical Judge to sit upon the state of the Church of Corinth might the better have sufficient informations of those things that he was there to Order he intends