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	church_n	successor_n	2,614	5	9.1249	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A02043	Lectures of I.B. vpon the xii. Articles of our Christian faith briefely set forth for the comfort of the godly, and the better instruction of the simple and ignorant. Also hereunto is annexed a briefe and cleare confession of the Christian faith, conteining an hundreth articles, according to the order of the Creede of the Apostles. Written by that learned [and] godly martyr I.H. sometime Bishop of Glocester in his life time.; Briefve et claire confession de la foy chrestienne. English.	Baker, John, minister.; Hooper, John, d. 1555.; Garnier, Jean, d. 1574. Briefve et claire confession de la foy chrestienne. English.	1581 (1581)	STC 1219; ESTC S110441	203,151	484

head and one house but one Lorde and master to rule it what wickednesse is it to say that the Pope of Rome is an vniuersall head ouer the Church Is not this to take away Christes roome and dignitie or rather is it not to make the Church a monster to haue two heades in one body But they say that the Byshope of Rome is the visible heade in Christes steade but this they can not shewe by Scripture neither doeth the Church require any such heade for Christ is present with it as he hath promised Mat. 28. I am with you alwayes euen vnto the ende of the worlde If the Pope be a visible heade why is he not seene of al men why doeth he not gouerne all men in the Church and giue nourishment vnto them as the heade ought to doe This he doth not wherefore he is no visible heade as he doth pretende And surely to be the general head ouer al is too great a matter enterprise for any mortal man to take vpō him I am sure the Pope will graunt him selfe to be a member of this Catholike Church If hee then bee a member howe can hee be an head except the same thing shal be both an heade and member which is very absurde monstruous If he say that as he is a member Christ is his head only and not another why shall not Christ bee as well a head for all These thinges wee see are very childish and fonde But yet they apply and say that Christ sayde to Peter Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke will I builde my Church First note hee sayth not vpon thee Peter will I builde but vpon this rocke meaning the fayth of Peters confession which confessed him to be Christ therefore by the rocke hee meant himselfe For when Peter had sayd Thou art Christ the sonne of God Christ sayd to him Vpon this rocke will I builde my Church and in that place hee giueth no more to Peter in the keys which is the binding and losing of sinners then he giueth to thē al els where as in Ioh. 20. when he said Receiue the holy Ghost whosoeuers sinnes ye remit they are remitted whosoeuers sinnes ye reteyne they are reteyned Here all haue as much as Peter and if they will beleeue the fathers which they brag of much they do neuer referre this vnto Peter alone but to the rest of the apostles to al faithful ministers of Iesus Christ As Origē in his 1. homi vpō Mat. so doth Cyprian Ambrose Ierome Augustine And what hath the pope to do with these woordes which followeth not Peter neyther in life nor doctrine A strange thing it is to see how they builde their kingdome vpon Peter and whatsoeuer is saide of him they take it to them selues But before they can prooue any thing in deede they must prooue these three poyntes vnto vs if they wil haue the Pope to be the supreme head of the whole Church which they shall be neuer able to doe by the scriptures as long as they liue First they must prooue that Peter was chiefe and head of all the Apostles Secondly that he was at Rome and sate there as Bishop generall Thirdly that hee left all the title and preeminence of this seate to his successours whatsoeuer If they prooue the two first poyntes as they can not yet they make nothing against vs although we shoulde graunt it them vnles they proue the third which they shall neuer be able to do that Peter hath left all his authoritie to his successours after him for euer Forasmuch then as the Pope neither is nor cā be any ecclesiasticall head to this Church but Christe Iesus alone which is alwayes presēt with it euer walketh in the midst of the seuē golden cādlesticks so that he needeth no vicar general or vniuersal B. let vs dearly beloued as we loue the Lorde Iesus our head and tender the saluation of our owne soules flee farre from the Pope and all his adherents traditions decrees and pardons lest hee make marchandise also of our soules as he doth of a great many both in Rome Spaine and els where This being set downe as a most certaine and sure principle that Christ is the head of this church it would be seene what authoritie this church hath and what rule or power is graunted vnto it If the Papistes will graunt as they can not deny but that this church is the wife chaste and obedient spouse to her Lorde and husband Iesus Christ If I say they will admit this this controuersie betweene them and vs of the authoritie of the Churche whether it be greater then the scriptures and worde of Christ shall not bee hard to discusse but soone ended For what authoritie iurisdiction a wise man wil graunt to his wife vnder him that libertie is to bee graunted to the church vnder Christ If it be reason and iust that a wife shoulde not controll or be superior and aboue her husbandes worde and commaundement hauing a wise and discrete husbande to gouerne and commaunde her then is it no reason or right whatsoeuer the papists say that the authoritie of the church which is the wife should be greater and of more force then the woorde and will of the husbande Christ seeing that S. Paul saith Eph. 5. 24. that the church is in subiection to Christ and from thence draweth an argument of the obedience and subiection of wiues to their husbands which surely can not be so in euery thing as Paul there willeth except the Church bee in subiection and vnder the authoritie of the will and commandement of the husbande in all things If they will not permit but thinke it vnreasonable vnles they goe against scripture that the wiues authoritie should bee either equall or superiour to the husband why then doe they suffer and teache that the decrees and constitutions of the churche to make articles lawes sacramēts and other rites and ceremonies are aboue the authoritie of the written worde and so consequently aboue Christ him selfe which can not be separated from his worde and will which hee will haue vs to receiue as him selfe For speaking of his Apostles and other ministers that brought his worde to the people he saith He that receiueth you receiueth me and hee that despiseth you despiseth me And therefore when the aduersaries saye that the authoritie of the Church is greater then the woorde and scriptures of God what doe they saye els but that man is aboue God the wife aboue the husband The one is blasphemy and the other absurde Wee see then by these thinges that the authoritie of the church is to obey Christ in all things and to doe such workes and busines as he hath commanded in his worde except it bee in indifferent matters not repugning vnto the worde nor hindering godlines and being voyde of superstition and without clogge of conscience The Church is compared and likened to an house 1. Timoth.