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	time_n	2,197	5	3.8984	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A90361	The English Episcopacy and liturgy asserted by the great refomers abroad, and the most glorious and royal martyr the late King his opinion and suffrage for them. Published by a private gentleman for the publique good.	Peirce, Edmund, Sir, d. 1667.	1660 (1660)	Wing P1062; Thomason E1032_10; ESTC R208951	27,962	48

Christ they contented themselves with the ordinary titles of Bishops and Presbyters untill use the great arbitrator of words and master of language finding reason to distinguish by a peculiar name those persons whose power and office were indeed distinct from and above all other in the Church as succeeding the Apostles in the ordinary and constant power of governing the Churches the honour of whose name they moderately yet commendably declined all Christian Churches submitting to that special authority appropriated also the name of Bishop without any suspition or reproach of arrogancy to those who were by Apostolical propagation rightly descended and invested into that highest and largest power of governing even the most pure and Primitive Churches which without all doubt had many such holy Bishops after the pattern of Timothy and Titus whose special power is not more cleerly set down in those Epistles the chief grounds and limits of all Episcopal claim as from divine right than are the Characters of those perilous times and those men that make them such who not enduring sound Doctrine and clear testimonies of all Churches practice are most perverse Disputers and proud Usurpers against true Episcopacy Who if they be not Traytors and Boasters yet they seem to be very covetous heady high-minded inordinate and fierce lovers of themselves having much of the form little of the power of godlinesse Who by popular heaps of weak light and unlearned Teachers seek to over-lay and smoother the pregnancy and authority of that power of Episcopal Government which beyond all equivocation and vulgar fallacy of names is most convincingly set forth both by Scripture and all after Histories of the Church This I write rather like a Divine than a Prince that posterity may see if ever these papers be publick that I had fair grounds both from Scripture-Canons and Ecclesiastical examples whereon my judgment was stated for Episcopal Government Nor was it any policy of State or obstinacy of Will or partiality of Affection either to the Men or their Function which fixed Me who cannot in point of worldly respects be so considerable to Me as to recompence the injuries and losses I and My dearest relations with My Kingdoms have sustained and hazarded chiefly at first upon this quarrell And not only in Religion of which Scripture is the est rule and the Churches Universal practice the best commentary but also in right reason and the true nature of Government it cannot be thought that an orderly Subordination among Prebyters or Ministers should be any more against Christianity than it is in all secular and Civil Governments where parity breeds Confusion and Faction I can no more believe that such order is intonsistent with true Religion than good features are with beauty or numbers with harmony Nor is it likely that God who appointed several orders and a Prelacy in the Government of his Church among the Jewish Priests should abhor or forbid them among Christian Ministers who have as much of the principles of schism and division as other men for preventing and suppressing of which the Apostolical wisdom which was divine after that Christians were multiplyed so many Congregations and Presbyters with them appointed this way of Government which might best preserve order and union with Authority So that I conceive it was not the favor of Princes or ambition of Presbyters but the wisdom and piety of the Apostles that first setled Bishops in the Church which Authority they constantly used and enjoyed in those times which were purest for Religion though sharpest for Persecution Nor that I am against the managing of this Presidency and Authority in one man by the joynt Counsel and consent of many Presbyters I have offered to restore that as a fit means to avoid those Errors Corruptions and Partialities which were incident to any one man Also to avoid Tyranny which becomes no Christians least of all Church-men besides it will be a means to take away that burthen and odium of affairs which may lye too heavy on one mans Shoulders as indeed I think it formerly did on the Bishops here Nor can I see what can be more agreeable both to Reason and Religion than such a frame of Government which is Paternal not Magisterial and wherein not only the necessity of avoiding Faction and Confusion Emulations and Contempts which are prone to arise among equals in power and function but also the differences of some Ministers gifts and aptitudes for government above others doth invite to imploy them in referernce to those abilities wherein they are eminent Neither is this judgement of mine touching Episcopacy any preoccupation of opinion which will not admit any oppositions against it It is well known I have endeavoured to satisfie My self in what the chief patrons for other ways can say against this or for theirs And I find they have as far less of Scripture grounds and of reason so for examples and practice of the Church or testimonies of Histories they are wholly destitute wherein the whole stream runs so for Episcopacy that there is not the least rivulet for any others As for those obtruded examples of some late reformed Churches for many retain Bishops still whom necessity of times and affairs rather excuseth than commendeth for their inconformity to all Antiquity I could never see any reason why Churches orderly reformed and governed by Bishops should be forced to conform to those few rather than to the Catholike example of all Antient Churches which needed no Reformation And to those Churches at this day who governed by Bishops in all the Christian world are many more than Presbyterians or Independents can pretend to be All whom the Churches in my three Kingdoms lately governed by Bishops would equalize I think if not exceed Nor is it any point of wisdom or charity where Christians differ as many do in some points there to widen the differences and at once to give all the Christian world except a handfull of some Protestants so great a scandal in point of Church-Government Whom though you may convince of their errours in some point of Doctrine yet you shall never perswade them that to compleat their Reformation they must necessarily desert and wholly cast off that Government which they and all before them have ever owned as Catholick Primitive and Apostolical So far as never Schismaticks nor Hereticks except those Arrians have strayed from Unity and Conformity of the Church in that point ever having Bishops above Presbyters Besides the late general approbation and submission to this Government of Bishops by the Clergy as well as the Laity of these Kingdoms is a great confirmation of My Judgment and their inconstancy is a great prejudice against their Novelty I cannot in charity so far doubt of their learning or integrity as if they understood not what heretofore they did or that they did conform contrary to their Consciences So that their facility and levity is never to be excused who before ever the point of

Church-Government had any free and impartial debate contrary to their former oathes and practice against their obedience to the Laws in force and against My consent have not only quite cryed down the Government by Bishops but have approved and incouraged the violent and most illegal stripping all the Bishops and many other Church-men of all their due Authority and Revenues even to the selling away and utter alienation of those Church-lands from any Ecclesiastical uses So great a power hath the stream of times and the prevalency of parties over some mens judgments of whose so sudden and so total change little reason can be given besides the Scots Army comming into England But the folly of these men will at l●st punish it self and the Desertors of Episcopacy will appear the greatest enemies to and betrayers of their own interest For Presbytery is never so considerable or effectual as when it is joyned to and crowned with Episcopacy All Ministers will find as great a difference in point of thriving between the favour of the People and of Princes as plants do between being watered by hand or by the sweet and liberal dews of Heaven The tenuity and contempt of Clergy-men will soon let them see what a poor carcase they are when parted from the influence of that head to whose supremacy they have been sworn A little moderation might have prevented great mischiefs I am firm to Primitive Episcopacy not to have it extirpated if I can hinder it Discretion without Passion might easily reform whatever the rust of Times or indulgence of Laws or corruption of Manners have brought upon it It being a grosse vulgar errour to impute to or revenge upon the function the faults of times or persons which seditious and popular principle and practice all wise men abhor For those secular additaments and ornaments of Authority Civil honour and Estate which my Predecessors and Christian Princes in all Countries have annexed to Bishops and Church-men I look upon them but as just rewards of their learning and piety wh● are fit to be in any degree of Church-Government also enablements to works of Charity and Hospitality meet strengthenings of their Authority in point of respect and observance which in peaceful times is hardly payed to any Governours by the measure of their Vertues so much as by that of their Estates Poverty and Meanesse exposing them and their Authority to the contempt of licentious minds and manners which persecuting times much restrained I would have such men Bishops as are most worthy of those incouragements and best able to use them if at any time My Judgement of men failed My good intention made my error venial And some Bishops I am sure I had whose learning gravity and piety no men of any worth or forehead can deny But of all men I would have Church-men especially the Governors to be redeemed from that vulgar neglect which besides an innate principle of vitious opposition which is in all men against those that seem to reprove or restrain them will necessarily follow both the Presbyterian parity which makes all Ministers equal and the Independent inferiority which sets their Pastors below the People This for my judgement touching Episcopacy wherein God knows I do not gratify any design or passion with the least parverting of truth And now I appeal to God above and all the Christian world whether it be just for Subjects or pious for Christians by violence and infinite indignities with servile restraints to seek to force Me their King and Soveraign as some men have indeavoured to do against all these grounds of my Judgement to consent to their weak and divided novelties The greatest Pretender of them desires not more than I do That the Church should be governed as Christ hath appointed in true Reason and in Scripture of which I could never see any probable shew for any other ways who either content themseves with the examples of some Churches in their infancy and solitude when one Presbyter might serve one Congregation in a City or Country or else they deny these most evident Truths that the Apostles were Bishops over those Presbyters they ordained as well as over the Churches they planted and that Government being necessary for the Churches well-being when multiplyed and sociated must also necessarily descend from the Apostles to others after the example of that power and superiority they had above others which could not end with their persons since the use and ends of such Government still continue It is most sure that the purest Primitive and best Churches flourished under Episcopacy and may so still if ignorance superstition avarice revenge and other disorderly and disloyal passions had not so blown up some mens minds against it that what they want of Reasons or Primitive Paterns they supply with violence and oppression wherein some mens zeal for Bishops Lands Houses and Revenues hath set them on work to eat up Episcopacy which however other men esteem to Me is no lesse Sin than Sacrilege or a Robbery of God the giver of all we have of that portion which devout minds have thankfully given again to him in giving it to his Church and Prophets through whose hands be graciously accepts even a cup of cold water as a libation offered to himself Furthermore as to My particular engagement above other men by an Oath agreeable to My Judgement I am solemnly obliged to preserve that Government and the Rights of the Church Were I convinced of the unlawfulnesse of the Function as Antichristian which some men boldly but weakly calumnia●e I could soon with Judgement break that Oath which erroniously was taken by Me. But being dayly by the best disquisition of truth more confirmed in the Reason and Religion of that to which I am sworn How can any man that wisheth not My Damnation perswade Me at once to so notorious and combined Sins of Sacrilege and Perjury besides the many personal Injustices I must do to many worthy men who are as legally invested in their estates as any who seek to deprive them and they have by no Law been convicted of those crimes which might forfeit their Estates and Livelyhoods I have often wondred how men pretending to tenderness of Conscience Reformation can at once tell Me that my Coronation-Oath binds Me to consent to whatsoever they shall propound to Me which they urge with such violence though contrary to all that Rational and Religious freedom which every man ought to preserve and of which they seem so tender in their own Votes Yet at the same time these men will needs perswade Me That I must and ought to dispense with and roundly break that part of my Oath which binds me agreeable to the best light of Reason and Religion I have to maintain the Government and legal Rights of the Church 'T is strange My lot should be valid in that part which both My self and all men in their own case esteem injurious unreasonable as being against