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	power_n	3,521	5	5.1714	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A62285	A serious inquiry into the means of an happy union, or, What reformation is necessary to prevent popery and to avert God's judgments from the nation written upon the occasion of the fast, and humbly offered to the consideration of the Parliament by William Saywell.	Saywell, William, 1643-1701.	1681 (1681)	Wing S805; ESTC R25119	28,144	52

Judgments upon our Nation CHAP. IV. NOW for Schism Papists Presbyterians aend Independents Schismaticks Numb 16. that is a sin of that magnitude and heinous nature that God did open the earth and swallow up men alive for it and sent a miraculous Fire to consume the first Beginners of Schismatical Worship And of the Samaritans that worshipped God in Schism our Lord says Ye know not what ye worship John 4.22 Now this Schism was in opposing the lawful Officers which God had appointed to minister about holy things and venturing upon the Sacred Function without any orderly warrant to do it And 't is as plain a case that Christ has appinted Officers and Governours in his Church and committed all the World to their Government in their respective Capacities in things relating to his Worship John 20. As my Father sent me that is to appoint Officers and with Authority to rule and govern my Church all over the World so send I you not Peter onely to do the like Again Matth. 28. Go make disciples in all nations and lo I am with you to the end of the world Further Mark 16.15 Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned So all the World were bound by the command of our Saviour to receive the Apostles and such as they sent to preach the Gospel for they could not speak to all men personally and be ruled by them according to the Gospel or else they were to be damned These Apostles gave in charge also to the Bishops and Pastors to rule and govern the Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 20.28 Over which the Holy Ghost had made them Bishops They are to exhort and rebuke with all authority let no man despise them Titus 2.15 They are to receive Accusations and examine Witnesses 1 Tim. 5.19 and therefore must have a Summoner to cite the Offender and a Register to write down the Informations and Depositions They are to rebuke before all that others may fear 1 Tim. 5.20 The People are commanded likewise to obey them that have the rule over them and to submit themselves for they watch for their souls as they that must give account Heb. 13.17 They are to know them that labour among them and are over them in the Lord and admonish them and to esteem them very highly in love for their works sake not for their Birth or Parts or natural Accomplishments but as Ministers of Christ for their works sake 1 Thess 5.12 13. They are in case of offence given to receive them with fear and trembling 2 Cor. 7.15 And lest any should despise this Authority which our Lord has given he has said Matth. 18.18 Verily I say unto you whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven And John 20.23 Whose soever sins ye remit they are remitted unto them and whose soever sins ye retain they are retained Here is abundantly enough to demonstrate that Christ has appointed Governours in his Church and commanded all men to obey them And therefore to despise their Office to contemn their Authority and withdraw from their Communion and to invade their Charges is a crying sin that will bring Gods Judgment upon a Nation But the Question is still Who are the Governours that must be thus obeyed and who are to send and appoint them Now 't is plain that this Authority is from Christ and where he gave it he gave the Holy Ghost also with it John 20. Receive the Holy Ghost And 't is plain the Apostles having received the Holy Ghost did convey it to other Pastors who were ordained by them Acts 20. Govern the Church over which the Holy Ghost hath made you Bishops And When Anamas told a Lie to S. Peter he says Acts 5. Why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie against the Holy Ghost So that those that derive Authority in an orderly way by Succession from those who have power given them to give the Holy Ghost for the work of a Bishop Luther tom 2. ep fol. 41. Tu ex mea parte explores an vocationem suam possint probare Neque enim Deus unquam aliquem misit nisi vel per hominem vocatum vel per signa declaratum ne ipsum quidem filium those are such Governours to whom we must yield obedience and in opposing of them we shall oppose Christ If any pretend to this Authority and cannot shew they had it from them who were enabled to bestow the Holy Ghost they must shew miracles to prove it For 't is not Knowledge alone or the Choice of the People or the Appointment of the Magistrate that can give the Holy Ghost that must come from Christ or some of those that received that power by Succession from him And this is the Opinion of all Protestant Churches in their Confessions when it may be had and has been the constant Tradition of the whole Church and all the Catholick Writers in all Ages The Augustane Confession Art 14. Concerning the Ecclesiastical Order we teach that none ought publickly to teach or administer the Sacraments unless he be rightly called as Paul does give in charge to Titus that he should appoint Elders in every City The French Confession Art 21. We believe that the true Church of Christ ought to be governed by that Polity or Discipline which our Lord Jesus Christ established that there should be in it Pastors Presbyters or Elders and Deacons Art 31. We believe it is not lawful for any one to invade the government of the Church by his own Authority We believe that this rule ought to be followed that all Pastors Elders and Deacons ought to have a testimony of their calling Matth. 28.10 16. Mark 16.15 John 15.16 Acts 1.21 Rom. 10.15 Tit. 1.5 Gal. 1.15 1 Tim. 3.7 8. Art 32. We believe that those that are chosen Governours of any Church should take care amongst themselves how the whole body may be most conveniently governed yet so as they do not depart in any thing from the Institution of our Lord Jesus Christ But this does not hinder but that there may be a peculiar Institution in all places as shall seem most convenient Acts 14.23 15. 25.28 1 Cor. 14.40 1 Pet. 5. The Dutch Confession Art 31. We believe that Ministers Elders and Deacons ought to be called to their Functions and promoted by the lawful election of the Church with serious prayer to God for that purpose and in that order and manner which is prescribed in the Word of God The Bohemian Confession Art 19. They teach that the Ministers of the Church to whom the Administration of the Word and Sacraments is committed ought to be rightly instituted according to the Prescription given by our Lord and his Apostles Wherefore prayer being made by the Elders

Governours that charge men with Schism for denying Obedience and separating themselves from their Communion Christ therefore having appointed Governours in his Church must also have left some peaceable way for ordaining and settling of every man in his Place and Office so as to prevent Schisms and Confusions And to that end the Apostle tells us 1 Cor. 14.32 The spirit of the Prophets much more them of the Bishops c. are subject to the Prophets and our Lord has further said If any man refuse to hear the Church Matth. 18. let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican According to these Rules of the Scripture the Christian Church in all Ages did require that Bishops and Pastors should be ordained by Provincial Synods of lawful Bishops or else according to such Canons and Orders as were constituted in Provincial and Universal Councils of Bishops And this was the constant standing Law of the Church for fifteen hundred years together and in quiet times it was constantly observed either by open consent or tacit approbation But upon the Reformation the Ancient and Apostolical Order of Episcopacy was not observed in some places but mere Presbyters did take upon them to ordain other Presbyters yet desiring the restitution of the ancient Order of Bishops if it might be and still maintaining that the ordaining Presbyters and settling of all Affairs of the Church ought to be done by the mutual consent and appointment of the Ecclesiastical Governours in their several Charges and Assemblies as is largly to be seen by the Harmony of Confessions and in several Canons that have been made by Reformed Churches about this matter In pursuance of this Order of Christ and the Canons and Practice of the whole Church ancient and modern Protestant Greek and Roman our Bishops and Clergy here in England are legally and rightly ordained and settled in their several Charges and therefore to disobey them and separate from their Communion or to presume publickly to exercise the Ministerial Office against their command is Schismatical and contrary to the Order of Christ and the whole Church of God And all Popish Priests or Presbyterian Ministers or whosoever they are that hold any Meetings and Congregations besides the lawful Ministers and without their allowance are formal Schismaticks and so are all their Disciples and Communicants So that if there be any such thing as Government in the Church and any such sin as Schism as I have shewed there are the allowing men publickly to affront Gods Ministers by Schismatical Congregations and to live in open contempt of their Authority must needs bring great guilt and heavy Judgments upon the Nation But against this it will be urged by the Papists that our Bishops are no lawful Bishops and our Clergy no lawful Ministers of Christ because they are not confirmed and authorized by the Pope To which I answer Papists guilty of Schism When they shall shew any Law or Tradition of the Universal Church to make it necessary for the Pope to confirm our Bishops then I will allow the Objection to be of moment but 't is so far from that that the Laws of the whole Church and of many ancient Popes Conc. Nic. can 4. Conc. Ant. can 9. Vid. Dist 64. do forbid the Pope to meddle with Ordinations in other Provinces and expresly say that all Ordinations of Bishops ought to be by the Metropolitans and Bishops of each respective Province amongst themselves And so long as there is a peaceable agreement amongst all our Bishops and Clergy concerning this matter that is a sufficient reason to free us and charge all Popish Priests here in England and all their Adherents with the guilt of Schism and to make it appear that they do act contrary to the Law and Tradidition of the whole Church of Christ The Presbyterians and Independents also Presbyterians and Independents guilty of Schism that had formerly Episcopal Ordination or else Imposition of Hands from Presbyters which they esteem sufficient Holy Orders are guilty of Schism if they keep Conventicles or withdraw themselves and others from the Obedience and Communion of the respective Bishops and Ministers of this Nation For the Bishops and Clergy being rightly constituted and peaceably settled in their several Charges according to the order of Christ by undoubted Succession from the Apostles and according to the Canons and Tradition of the whole Church and even after that manner by order of Provincial Synods which all Reformed Churches do practise and allow they have Authority from the Holy Ghost and do rule the Church over which the Holy Ghost has made them overseers and all in their Charges must obey them that have the rule over them and submit themselves unto them Heb. 13.17 Unless therefore they can prove that the whole Church in all Ages was fundamentally mistaken in this matter and that our Bishops and Ministers are no legal Pastors of Christs Flock they in disobeying them do disobey Christ and the whole Church and are to be accounted as Heathens and Publicans Matth. 18. And then if our Land should publickly permit or not go about to take away such publick Offences we may expect that God should pour down his indignation upon us as he did upon the Heathen when we countenance those that make themselves as Heathens amongst us Matth. 18.17 CHAP. V. Objections of Dissenters answered ALL that they can say in this matter is Object That the Bishops and Clergy of England are lawful Church-governours over those that choose and receive them but over none else and they having never chosen them for their Teachers and Governours they are not so to them and therefore they are no Schismaticks in withdrawing from their Communion and choosing other Governours for themselves It is true Answ People have no right to choose their Ministers 't is required that a Clergyman should be of good behaviour and have a good report of them which are without 1 Tim. 3.2 7. And consequently all Christians have a right to except against ill manners but I never find that Christ or his Apostles in their practice or that any Word of God does allow that the People should have any thing to do in choosing their Bishops and Ministers much less had a Negative to reject whom they please Indeed the Churches in former Ages have been moved with the nomination and earnest instance of Kings and Princes and by the recommendation and petition of the People to ordain such men Bishops and Priests as they did desire if they found them worthy but 't is by no Example or Tradition from Christ or his Apostles and they found so many inconveniences by it that the Universal Church did forbid it Concil Laod. can 13. reckoned among the Canons of the Universal Church It ought not to be permitted to the people to have the election of those that are to be appointed to the sacred Ministry And therefore where Ministers