Selected quad for the lemma: authority_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
authority_n	believe_v	faith_n	reveal_v	2,834	5	9.4772	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A52593	A declaration of the faith and order owned and practised in the Congregational Churches in England; agreed upon and consented unto by their elders and messengers. Licensed and entred according to order.	Congregational Churches in England.; Owen, John, 1616-1683.; Nye, Philip, 1596?-1672.	1688 (1688)	Wing N1490; ESTC R222326	27,512	123

whole body of Sin is destroyed and the several Lusts thereof are more and more weakned and mortified and they more and more quickned and strengthned in all Saving Graces to the practice of all true Holiness without which no Man shall see the Lord. II. This Sanctification is throughout in the whole man yet imperfect in this life there abideth still some remnants of corruption in every part whence ariseth a continual and irreconcileable war the flesh lusting against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh III. In which war although the remaining corruption for a time may much prevail yet through the continual supply of strength from the Sanctifying Spirit of Christ the Regenerate part doth overcome and so the Saints grow in Grace perfecting Holiness in the fear of God. CHAP. XIV Of Saving Faith. THE Grace of Faith whereby the Elect are inabled to believe to the Saving of their Souls is the Work of the Spirit of Christ in their Hearts and is ordinarily wrought by the Ministry of the Word by which also and by the Administration of the Seals Prayer and other means it is increased and strengthned II. By this Faith a Christian believeth to be true whatsoever is revealed in the Word for the Authority of God himself speaking therein and acteth differently upon that which each particular Passage thereof containeth yielding Obedience to the Commands trembling at the Threatnings and embracing the Promises of God for this Life and that which is to come But the principal Acts of Saving Faith are accepting receiving and resting upon Christ alone for Justification Sanctification and eternal Life by virtue of the Covenant of Grace III. This Faith although it be different in degrees and may be weak or strong yet it is in the least degree of it different in the kind or nature of it as is all other Saving Grace from the Faith and common Grace of temporary Believers and therefore though it may be many times assailed and weakened yet it gets the Victory growing up in many to the attainment of a full Assurance through Christ who is both the author and finisher of our Faith. CHAP. XV. Of Repentance unto Life and Salvation SUch of the Elect as are Converted at riper Years having sometime lived in the state of Nature and therein served divers Lusts and Pleasures God in their Effectual Calling giveth them Repentance unto Life II. Whereas there is none that doth good and sinneth not and the best of Men may through the power and deceitfulness of their Corruptions dwelling in them with the prevalency of Temptation fall into great Sins and Provocations God hath in the Covenant of Grace mercifully provided that Believers so sinning and falling be renewed through Repentance unto Salvation III. This Saving Repentance is an Evangelical Grace whereby a Person being by the Holy Ghost made sensible of the manifold evils of his Sin doth by Faith in Christ humble himself for it with godly Sorrow Detestation of it and self-abhorrency praying for Pardon and strength of Grace with a purpose and endeavour by supplies of the Spirit to walk before God unto all well-pleasing in all things IV. As Repentance is to be continued through the whole course of our Lives upon the account of the body of Death and the motions thereof so it is every Mans Duty to repent of his particular known Sins particularly V. Such is the Provision which God hath made through Christ in the Covenant of Grace for the Preservation of Believers unto Salvation that although there is no sin so small but it deserves Damnation yet there is no sin so great that it shall bring Damnation on them who truly Repent which makes the constant Preaching of Repentance necessary CHAP. XVI Of Good Works GOod Works are only such as God hath commanded in his Holy Word and not such as without the warrant thereof are devised by Men out of blind Zeal or upon any pretence of good Intentions II. These Good Works done in Obedience to Gods Commandments are the Fruits and Evidences of a true and lively Faith and by them Believers manifest their Thankfulness strengthen their Assurance edifie their Brethren adorn the Profession of the Gospel stop the mouths of the Adversaries and glorifie God whose workmanship they are Created in Christ Jesus thereunto that having their Fruit unto Holiness they may have the End eternal Life III. Their Ability to do Good Works is not at all of themselves but wholly from the Spirit of Christ And that they may be enabled thereunto besides the Graces they have already received there is required an actual Influence of the same Holy Spirit to work in them to will and to do of his good Pleasure yet are they not hereupon to grow negligent as if they were not bound to perform any Duty unless upon a special Motion of the Spirit but they ought to be diligent in stirring up the Grace of God that is in them IV. They who in their Obedience attain to the greatest height which is possible in this Life are so far from being able to supererogate and to do more than God requires as that they fall short of much which in Duty they are bound to do V. We cannot by our best Works merit pardon of Sin or eternal Life at the hand of God by reason of the great disproportion that is between them and the Glory to come and the infinite distance that is between us and God whom by them we can neither profit nor satisfie for the debt of our former Sins but when we have done all we can we have done but our Duty and are unprofitable Servants and because as they are good they proceed from his Spirit and as they are wrought by us they are defiled and mixed with so much Weakness and Imperfection that they cannot endure the severity of Gods Judgment VI. Yet notwithstanding the Persons of Believers being accepted through Christ their good Works also are accepted in him not as though they were in this Life wholly unblameable and unreproveable in Gods sight but that he looking upon them in his Son is pleased to accept and reward that which is sincere although accompanied with many Weaknesses and Imperfections VII Works done by unregenerate Men although for the matter of them they may be things which God commands and of good Use both to themselves and to others yet because they proceed not from a Heart purified by Faith nor are done in a right manner according to the Word nor to a right end the glory of God they are therefore sinful and cannot please God nor make a Man meet to receive Grace from God and yet their neglect of them is more sinful and displeasing unto God. CHAP. XVII Of the Perseverance of the Saints THey whom God hath accepted in his beloved Son effectually called and sanctified by his Spirit can neither totally nor finally fall away from the state of Grace but shall certainly persevere therein to the end and be eternally

the Lord when Men after a due preparing of their Hearts and ordering their common Affairs before hand do not only observe an holy Rest all the Day from their own Works Words and Thoughts about their worldly Imployments and Recreations but also are taken up the whole time in the publick and private Exercises of his Worship and in the Duties of Necessity and Mercy CHAP. XXIII Of Lawful Oaths and Vows A Lawful Oath is part of Religious Worship wherein the Person swearing in Truth Righteousness and Judgment solemnly calleth God to witness what he asserteth or promiseth and to judge him according to the truth or falshood of what he sweareth II. The Name of God only is that by which Men ought to swear and therein it is to be used with all holy Fear and Reverence Therefore to swear vainly or rashly by that glorious or dreadful Name or to swear at all by any other thing is sinful and to be abhorred yet as in matters of weight and moment an Oath is warranted by the Word of God under the New Testament as well as under the Old so a lawful Oath being imposed by lawful Authority in such matters ought to be taken III. Whosoever taketh an Oath warranted by the Word of God ought duly to consider the weightiness of so solemn an Act and therein to avouch nothing but what he is fully perswaded is the Truth neither may any Man bind himself by Oath to any thing but what is good and just and what he believeth so to be and what he is able and resolved to perform Yet it is a Sin to refuse an Oath touching any thing that is good and just being lawfully imposed by Authority IV. An Oath is to be taken in the plain and common Sense of the Words without Equivocation or mental Reservation It cannot oblige to sin but in any thing not sinful being taken it binds to Performance although to a Man 's own hurt nor is it to be violated although made to Hereticks or Infidels V. A Vow which is not to be made to any Creature but God alone is of the like Nature with a promissory Oath and ought to be made with the like religious Care and to be performed with the like Faithfulness VI. Popish Monastical Vows of perpetual single Life professed Poverty and regular Obedience are so far from being degrees of higher Perfection that they are superstitious and sinful Snares in which no Christian may intangle himself CHAP. XXIV Of the Civil Magistrate GOD the supreme Lord and King of all the World hath ordained Civil Magistrates to be under him over the People for his own glory and the publick good and to this end hath armed them with the Power of the Sword for the defence and incouragement of them that do good and for the punishment of evil doers II. It is lawful for Christians to accept and execute the Office of a Magistrate when called thereunto in the management whereof as they ought specially to maintain Justice and Peace according to the wholsome Laws of each Common-wealth so for that end they may lawfully now under the New Testament wage War upon just and necessary occasion III. Although the Magistrate is bound to incourage promote and protect the Professor and Profession of the Gospel and to manage and order Civil Administrations in a due Subserviency to the Interest of Christ in the World and to that end to take care that Men of corrupt Minds and Conversations do not licentiously publish and divulge Blasphemy and Errors in their own Nature subverting the Faith and inevitably destroying the Souls of them that receive them Yet in such differences about the Doctrines of the Gospel or ways of the Worship of God as may befall Men exercising a good Conscience manifesting it in their Conversation and holding the Foundation not disturbing others in their ways or Worship that differ from them there is no warrant for the Magistrate under the Gospel to abridge them of their Liberty IV. It is the Duty of People to pray for Magistrates to honour their Persons to pay them Tribute and other Dues to obey their lawful Commands and to be subject to their Authority for Conscience sake Infidelity or difference in Religion doth not make void the Magistrates just and legal Authority nor free the People from their Obedience to him from which Ecclesiastical Persons are not exempted much less hath the Pope any Power or Jurisdiction over them in their Dominions or over any of their People and least of all to deprive them of their Dominions or Lives if he shall judge them to be Hereticks or upon any other Pretence whatsoever CHAP. XXV Of Marriage MArriage is to be between one Man and one Woman neither is it lawful for any Man to have more than one Wife nor for any Woman to have more than one Husband at the same time II. Marriage was ordained for the mutual help of Husband and Wife for the increase of Mankind with a legitimate Issue and of the Church with an holy Seed and for preventing of Uncleanness III. It is lawful for all sorts of People to marry who are able with Judgment to give their Consent Yet it is the Duty of Christians to marry in the Lord and therefore such as profess the true Reformed Religion should not marry with Infidels Papists or other Idolaters neither should such as are godly be unequally yoaked by marrying with such as are wicked in their Life or maintain damnable Heresie IV. Marriage ought not to be within the degrees of Consanguinity or Affinity forbidden in the Word nor can such Incestuous Marriages ever be made lawful by any Law of Man or consent of Parties so as those Persons may live together as Man and Wife CHAP. XXVI Of the Church THE Catholick or Universal Church which is Invisible consists of the whole number of the Elect that have been are or shall be gathered into one under Christ the Head thereof and is the Spouse the Body the Fulness of him that filleth all in all II. The whole Body of Men throughout the World professing the Faith of the Gospel and Obedience unto God by Christ according unto it not destroying their own Profession by any Errors everting the Foundation or unholiness of Conversation are and may be called the visible Catholick Church of Christ although as such it is not intrusted with the Administration of any Ordinances or have any Offices to rule or govern in or over the whole Body III. The purest Churches under Heaven are subject both to Mixture and Error and some have so degenerated as to become no Churches of Christ but Synagogues of Satan Nevertheless Christ always hath had and ever shall have a visible Kingdom in this World to the end thereof of such as Believe in him and make Profession of his Name IV. There is no other Head of the Church but the Lord Jesus Christ nor can the Pope of Rome in any sense be Head thereof but it