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A07822 Salomon or A treatise declaring the state of the kingdome of Israel, as it was in the daies of Salomon Whereunto is annexed another treatise, of the Church: or more particularly, of the right constitution of a Church. Morton, Thomas, of Berwick. 1596 (1596) STC 18197.7; ESTC S112936 159,289 238

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the Church should be at the call and commaundement of the secular power whereby they might be eyther wholly dispossessed of their places or continually troubled interrupted in ordering the affaires of the Church and the matters of God and finally iniuriously and contumeliously handled which thing the holines of their places and persons wil in no wise suffer For the answere of this doubt it is plaine in the word of God that all ecclesiasticall persons whatsoeuer yea the chiefe priestes in them the high priest himself the prince and head of the priestes who was the type of Christ the Oracle of God and on whom the whole glory and maiesty of the priesthood was bestowed was no lesse subiect to the iurisdiction of the kinge then he which had the basest place and calling in the common-wealth The trueth heereof appeareth by the lamentable tragedie of Abimelech 1. Sam. 2. who being summoned by Saule to appeare came with all the priestes that were with him and being come acknowledged Saul● to be his Lord Verse 12. and did not appeale frō his vniust sentence of death to any other power The same end befel his son Abiather who for that he tooke part with Adonia was by Salomon put out of his office and condemned to die 1. King 2.26 And likewise Zachariah the son of Ieh●ida 2. Chro. 24.21 Now although two of these kinges did impiously and tyrannically abuse their authority yet it doth appeare that they had authority ouer them yea not onely these examples but the course of the whole scripture and equitie it selfe doth shew that it ought to be so We knowe that euen Christ himselfe more holy in person and office then all the priestes men or angels in the world did throughout the whole course of his life submit himselfe to the ciuill power and at the end of it did suffer himselfe to be violently apprehended contu●eliously entreated yea vniustly cōdemned by the deputy of a heathen Emperour Likewise the Apostle Paule did appeale and subiect himselfe to the authority of Caesar. Neyther is there any cause or reason why it should be otherwise For howsoeuer the Romish prelates haue not only drawen out their neckes from the subiection of princes but also haue inuaded their thrones and subdued them vnder their feete and the whole cleargie say to the ciuill power come not near nor yet once touch me because I am holier then thou and think themselues too good to be iudged by any but by their owne ordinarie yet the trueth is that all persons as well ciuill as ecclesiasticall are and ought to be by the word of God equally subiect to the ciuill power For shall Christ himselfe and in him God himselfe stand before the iudgement seat of princes and shall sinfull men nay shall wretched wormes thinke them too prophane to be competent iudges in their causes no no the seruant is not aboue the master nor the creature aboue the creator and therefore we say with the Apostle that al soules that is euery man that hath a soule that none shoulde thinke himselfe exempted ought to be subiect to the higher powers Rom. 13.1 The ground of the contrary errour is an arrogant opinion which presumptuous men bearing function in the Church haue of their own holin●sse in respect of others whereas in the Church of God men who haue ciuil callings are no lesse holy then they who haue ecclesiastica● yea somtimes much more holy they who haue ecclesiastical holy callings being otherwise wicked prophane for it is truly said althoug● impiously applied by the rebellious company of Corah Numb 16.3 That not only Moses Aaron but euen the whole multitude of the common people much more the Lords annoynted is holy In the next place we are to search whether that as al persons so likewise al causes belonged to the authority of the King of Israell First of ciuill then of ecclesiasticall causes in the first kinde it is not needful that we should insist forsomuch as all men euen they who are most sparing and wary in giuing power to these kinges doe acknowledge that all ciuill causes did properly belong to their iurisdiction And so it was indeede For the king had authoritie to appointe all the publike officers of his kingdome who should be his counsellers at home or his Captaines abroad who shoulde be the iudges of the people and who of the chiefe senate in Ierusalem and good reason it was that he shoulde haue this power in these causes For seeing that his office was especially to iudge the causes of the people and to fight their battailes for the which purpose the people desired a king it could not be denied vnto him to appointe those to be his deputies whom he thought most able to discharge these dueties Yea further it belonged to him to call all publike assemblies and to order them to make peace with whom he would and to goe to battaile against whome ●e when 〈◊〉 thought good The trueth of this pointe doth 〈◊〉 plainely appeare throughout the whole storie that we need not insist in it Sect. X. NOwe we are to enquire what was the authoritie of the kinge in the matters of the Church to wit in ordering the state of religion and of the seruice of God Whereof there is greate question made whilest some doe wholly exclude him out of the Church not permitting him to intermeddle with any affaires belonging vnto it others suffer him to deale in these causes yet not to beare any great sway or to ouerrule in them and the third sort giueth vnto him the greatest part of that ecclesiasticall authoritie which belongeth to man The which distinction is necessarely to be considered for God hath not giuen to any man such ful and absolute authoritie in the Church as in the common-wealth for he hath made Christ the soueraign Lord and King of the Church to rule it by his owne lawes and worde Yet one parte of ecclesiasticall iurisdiction belongeth to men who are to establish the diuine lawes of the worship of God and to make ecclesiastical constitutions for that purpose But who hath authoritie to doe this there is all the controuersie In the first opinion or rather grosse and palpable errour are the Bishops of Rome with their adherentes who that they might through the Church enter into the common-wealth inuade the riches preferments and pleasures of kinges and vsurpe their states and crownes haue thrust out of the Church this king of Israell least that by his example other magistrates shoulde challenge to themselues ●uthoritie in causes ecclesiasticall In the second opinion are men otherwise syncere in iudgement who in a good meaning affection to the Church thinke it not safe or conuenient to permitte her wholly to the ciuill power and in a reuerent opinion of her iudge it vnmeete that ciuill rulers should order diuine matters and so make the Church say vnto the magistrate touch me not for I am more holy then thou
is called the visible Church by relation had to the catholik Church the which by reason of the dispersed members of it is inuisible as hath bene declared whenas euery particular Church yea euen priuate Churches and so consequently the visible Church consisting thereof doth make a publick profession of the fayth This visible Church doth continually existe in the world forsomuch as GOD hath appointed that his name shoulde continually as longe as the worlde endureth be called vpon and worshipped in one place or other as the story of the Ch. doth witnes We confesse that it hath often lurcked in secret places and often been so ouer-shadowed with errours superstition and idolatrie that it could hardly be discerned and so hath been euen as the sunne is in the eclipse yet neuer wholly taken away for whenas there was but one particular Ch. in the world yea this particular church was not publick but priuate within one mans family and secret lurking in a corner so that they who liued at that time or in the ages following could not define where the Church was at such a time yet that Church made the visible Church For their profession was visible and open among themselues and also to others although it were not seen at that instant for a thing which is not actually seen may be visible Secondly this is to be noted that in the first ages of the world before the time of the Gospell the visible Ch. did often consist of one only particular church there being no moe in the world but since the publishing of the gospel it hath hitherto shall alwaies consist of many Lastly as touching the place of this visible Ch. although it be not tyed to any certaine place yet it hath alwaies bene cheifly in some one parte of the world So we knowe that first it was wholly in the east partes in the countries of Mesopotania Syria Iurie and others adioyning vnto these Afterwards in the first time of the gospell it was cheifly in Asia And in these last ages we see that it hath been almost wholly in Europe and whether God will change the dwelling place of it again or no euen transporte it to the fourth parte of the world lately found out or to any other place it is knowne to himselfe onely Diuers ●ther points should be added for the full declaration of ●he nature and state of the visible Church But many of them a●● common with the catholick Church and therefore are handled in the first Chapter where they may be considered The rest we cut off for breuities sake because this treatise is already growen beyond our purpose and expectation So then to conclude if to this visible Church we do adde the dispersed members of the catholick Church we haue the catholick Church And so the end of this treatise is brought to the beginning FINIS Why the people desired an alteration of the state The occasion of this alteration Magistracie Gods ordinance The church hath neuer beene without magistracie How God erecteth magistracie among infidels Why God appointed magistracie In what respect the magistrate beareth the image of God The kingdome of Israel a type of Christes kingdome How God was the king of Israel The iudicial law in part abrogated by the erecting of this kingdome God put from his kingdome What authoritie the people had before the time of the Kinges No authoritie in Israel but in the hands of the king The king to his subiects as a father to his children The prophets neuer reproue the people for not resisting the idolatrous kings Vnlawfull to vse violeēe against the ki●g in the maintenance of religion The people could not resume their liberty giuen into the handes of the kings It belonged not to the people but to God to nominate the king Saul remained the lawfull king of Israell after that Dauid was annointed and appointed to the kingdome The rebellion of Ieroboam of the tenne tribes vnlawfull Hazaels rebellion foretold by God but not permitted God would not take the kingdome from Dauids posterity The kingdome so annexed to the house of Dauid that it could not be taken from it God neuer approued any conspiracy made against any of the kings With what weapons this people might fight against their kinges Why absolute monarchies were more in vse in the first ages of the world The gouernment of the kings compared with the former Ecclesiasticall persons subiect to the authoritie and iurisdiction of the king God deferred the building of the Temple till that the kingdome were erected The Church with the common welth make but one bodie Resisting of wicked kings weakeneth the authority of good kings Ecclesiastical constitutions made by the authority of the kinges The kings exempted from the Iudiciall lawes Great power bringeth with it great maiesty The diuine original of this kingdome made it maiesticall The annointing of these kinges signified the holinesse of their persons and functions Long continuance of hereditarie succession made this kingdome strong and maiesticall What made the gouernment of the Iudges to be contemned The statelinesse of this kingdome in the daies of Salomon The maiesty of this kingdome increase and decrease as did the sinceritie of religion The kinge might lawfully exact of the people not only for necessarie vses but for pompe pleasure An absolute Monarchie is a chargeable and costly gouernment The people had this gouernment in great reuerence and estimation This kingdome standeth yet in Christ. The people account the kinges better then ten thousand of themselues This gouernment doth more resemble the authority of God then any other kind doth Why God was offended with the people asking a king God did alwaies like this gouernment and purpose to establish it God the author of kingdomes and the setter vp of kinges The kinge held his kingdome as from God and was subiect to his will and worde This example of Samuel teaching the people the state of the kingdome is to be followed by the ministers of Gods word Nothing better beseeming Christians then due subiection to magistates A compendious abstract of the state of the kingdome of Israel Care to be had of posterity Alteration of gouernment in any common wealth troublesome and dangerous The worde Catholicke not vsed in the scripture The catholicke Church was twise contained in one familie The profession of the true religion maketh one a member of the catholicke Church Infantes are members of the catholike Church Hypocritical professours are members of the catholicke Church Excommunication doth not separate from the catholicke but only frō the visible Church Heretikes as Arians and papistes are to be counted members of the catholicke Church The papist holdeth the foundation of Christian religion Whole Churches haue held grieuous errours The state of the Church before the comming of Christ. Faith and fundamentall errours together The same errour more pernitious at one time thē at another Greater hope of the saluation of an ignorant then of a learned
ought to haue vse and shew in all his dealings with the Church and especially in giuing lawes for the ordering of it For although in other matters his will may in some sort stand for a law yet in this case he ought not to be so peremptorie or wilfull but that he doe willingly suffer himselfe to be ruled by the worde of God to doe that which is most agreeable vnto it And forasmuch as in indifferent things wherof these lawes are to be made it is not alwaies easie to see what is most right and meete to be done and for that ciuill rulers haue not the extraordinarie assistance and the spirit of God to direct them in these actions therefore it is needfull that they consult with others take their aduise in making lawes for the Church and so much the rather as an ouersight in gouerning the Church is more hurtfull then it is in ciuill mattes If it be here asked who ought to be admitted to this waightie consultation and what is the whole order of this action we referr●●he answere hereof to the next chapter CHAP. X. Of the coniunction of particular Churches Sect. 1. Of the voluntarie coniunction of particular Churches vnder the gouernment of councels THVS much of a particuiar Church seuerally considered and being distinguished from all others by the proprietie of humane ecclesiasticall lawes or more plainely by a distinct gouernment euen as we see one citie countrie or kingdome to be separated from another by the owne limits whether hils riuers seas or any other thus the Church which was planted at Corinth by the Apostle was free from all other Churches being not bound to their lawes and orders Yet often it commeth to passe that they are ioyned together and that euen in this bonde of humane gouernment by the which they are vsually seuered one from another Of this coniunction we are briefly to entreate the which we find to be of two sortes the one voluntarie the other necessarie voluntarie coniunction is that whereby particular Churches which otherwise are free from all humane authoritie and iurisdiction doe submit themselues to a common-guernment for their common good as we see that free cities enter into a league and a common-gouernment that so they may be the better ordered The subiect of this authoritie are councels prouinciall naturall and generall which are assemblies of certaine men sente from particular Churches with authoritie to iudge and determine of the waightie causes of those Churches In these councels we are to consider first their originall and authority and secondly of whom they doe consist For the first although the gouernment which God hath appointed for the ordering of Churches in particular be in it selfe sufficient for that purpose yet there is many waies great vse of this common-gouernment of counsels For there is not so greate force and authoritie for the repressing of the stubborne and disobedient for the resoluing of doubtes the deciding of waightie controuersies the confirming of the trueth of doctrine the resuting of pernitious heresies the making of ecclesiasticall constitutions of rites and ceremonies and finally for the ordering of great waightie matters in the ministerie of any one Church as there is in a greate number whose godlinesse wisedome and learning are famously knowen to all men Yea there is among many excellent men greate varietie of knowledge wisedome and all spirituall graces the which being ioyned together are more auailable for the edifying of the Church then if they were onely seuerally vsed in particular Churches For these causes was this common gouernment of councels instituted in the Church at the first and hath continued in all the ages of it The first example of a councell in the time of the gospell is Act. 15.6 where all the Apostles and the whole Church which was at Ierusalem come tog●ther for the deciding of a great controuersie moued about the keeping of the cer●moniall lawe But this counsell although in force and authoritie it was occumenical or generall in that the constitutions made then by the Apostles did belong to all the Churches in the worlde yet in act and in deede it was a particular assemblie of that one Church which was at Ierusalem consisting of the Apostles Elders and of the whole people as appeareth Vers. 22. so that this example serueth not for our purpose neyther proueth the diuine institution of prouincial councels Yea as it seemeth we haue not any example or precept of this coniunction of particular Churches mentioned in the actes writinges of the Apostles or elsewhere in the holy scripture Whe●eof some haue gathered that these councels are vnlawfull and their authoritie vsurped being not of God but from man and that there is no other gou●rnment appointed for the Church but that which may be had within the compasse of euerie particular Church For answere whereof we knowe that of lawfull things some are necessarie being commaunded by God so that the omitting of them is sinne in his sight but other things are so lawfull as that they may la●fully be left vndone being not commanded but permitted to vs to doe when we shal thinke them conuenient Of this latter kinde are these common councels and this voluntary coniunction of diuerse Churches vnder one gouernment For we haue no flat commaundement in the word as touching it neither can any Church be compelled to ioyne in this manner yet one Church may lawfully vse the helpe of an other for their mutuall good If it be here obiected that it is not in the power of man to appointe any other forme of Church-gouernment then God himselfe hath prescribed in his worde we answere that these common councels do not take away the gouernment of particular churches but rather do establishe it yea make it more effectuall and forcible and supplieth the wantes the which by reason of the infirmitie and wants of men are often found in it The reason why these councels are not mentioned in the scripture is for that in the daies of the Apostles the Churches could not ioyne themselues together in this manner not only because they were not fully setled within themselues but cheifely because they were fewe in number and so farre distante one from another that they could not with any conuenience communicate ordinarely together Yea the Apostles were to them in steed of the most generall councels for they referred all their doubts controuersies and matters of importaunce to their determination wherein the rested as in the word of God Whereby it appeareth that although these councels haue not their originall and authority immediatly and directly from God as the ministerie of a particular Church hath yet that they haue bene instituted and vsed by the Church for iust and necessarie caus●s according to the worde and will of God Likewise the authority of these councelles is the full authoritie of those Churches from the which the seuerall commissioners or delegates were sent And therefore it ought to be