Selected quad for the lemma: authority_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
authority_n	bishop_n	church_n	jurisdiction_n	5,357	5	9.3309	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A79057	His Majesties reason vvhy he cannot in conscience consent to abolish the Episcopall government. Delivered by him in writing to the Divines that attend the Honorable Commissioners of Parliament at the Treaty at Newport in the Isle of Wight, Octob. 2. 1648. With the answer of the said Divines delivered to His Majestie in writing. October. 3. 1648.	England and Wales. Sovereign (1625-1649 : Charles I); Marshall, Stephen, 1594?-1655.; Vines, Richard, 1600?-1656.; Seaman, Lazarus, d. 1675.; Caryl, Joseph, 1602-1673.; Westminster Assembly (1643-1652)	1661 (1661)	Wing C2739; Thomason E1081_7; ESTC R207932	7,097	16

there were in one City more then one as in Philippi and Ephesus And we humbly offer to your Majesty as observable That though one Order might be superior to another Order yet in the same Order of Officers there was not any one superiour to others of the same Order No Apostle was above an Apostle No Evangelist above an Evangelist No Presbyter above a Presbyter No Deacon above a Deacon And so we conclude this part That since Church-Officers are instituted and set in the Church by God or Christ Jesus and that Ordination by or in which the Office is conveyed is of no other Officers but of Presbyters and Deacons Therefore there are no other Orders of ordinary and standing Officers in the Churches of Christ As for the ages immediately succeeding the Apostles we answer First our Faith reaches no farther than the holy Scriptures No humane testimony can beget any more than a humane faith Secondly we answer That it is agreed upon by learned men as well such as contend for Episcopacy as others that the times immediately succeeding the Apostles are very dark in respect of the History of the Church Thirdly That the most unquestionable Record of those times gives clear testimony to our assertion viz. The Epistle of Clements to the Corinthians who reciting the Orders of Church Officers expresly limits them to two Bishops and Deacons and them whom in one place he cals Bishops he always afterwards nameth Presbyters The Epistles of Ignatius pretend to the next antiquity but are by some suspected as wholly spurious and proved by Vedelius to be so mixed that it is hard if not impossible to know what part of them are genuine Besides Bishop Usher in his late observations on them chap. 18. pag. 138. confesses that of the twelve of his Epistles six are counterfeit the other six mixt and none of them in every respect to be accounted sincere and genuine Fourthly We grant That not long after the Apostles times Bishops in some superiority to Presbyters are by the writers of those times reported to be in the Church But they were set up not as a Divine Institution but as an Ecclesiastical as afterwards both Arch-Bishops and Patriarchs were which is clear by Doctor Reynolds his Epistle to Sir Francis Knowles wherein he shews out of Bishop Jewel That Ambrose Chrysostome Jerome Augustine and many more holy Fathers together with the Apostle Paul agree that by the Word of God there is no difference between a Bishop and a Presbyter And that Medina in the Councel of Trent affirms not onely the same Fathers but also another Jerome Theodoret Primasius Sedulius and Theophylact to be of the same judgement And that with them agree Oecumenius Anselme Arch-Bishop of Canterbury and another Anselme Gregory and Gratian and after them many others That it was inrolled in the Canon Law for sound and Catholick Doctrine and publickly taught by learned men And addes that all who have laboured in the Reformation of the Church for these 500. years have taught that all Pastors be they intituled Bishops or Priests have equal authority power by Gods word The same way goes Lumbard Master of the Sentences and Father of the Schoolmen who speaking of Presbyters and Deacons saith The Primitive Church had those Orders onely and that we have the Apostles precept for them alone With him agree many of the most eminent in that kind and generally all the Canonists To these we may adde Sextus Senensis who testifies for himself and many others And Cassander who was called by one of the Germame Emperours as one of singular ability and integrity to inform him and resolve his conscience in questions of that nature who said It is agreed among all that in the Apostles times there was no difference between a Bishop and a Presbyter For a conclusion we adde that the Doctrine which we have herein propounded to your Majesty concerning the Identity of the Order of Bishops and Presbyters is no other then the Doctrine published by King Henery the 8. 1543. for all his subjects to receive seen and allowed by the Lords both spiritual and temporal with the nether House of Parl. Of these two Orders only so saith the Book that is to say Priests and Deacons Scripture maketh expresse mention and how they were conferred of the Apostles by Prayer and Imposition of hands By all which it seems evident that the Order of Episcopacy as distinct from Presbytery is but an Ecclesiasticall Institution and therefore not unalterable Lastly we answer That Episcopall Government which at first obtained in the Church did really and substantially differ from the Episcopall Government which the Honorable Houses of Parliament desire the abolition of The Bishop of those times was one presiding joyning with the Presbytery of his Church ruling with them and not without them Either created and made by the Presbyters choosing out one amongst themselves as in Rome and Alexandria or chosen by the Church and confirmed by three or more of his neighbours of like dignity within the same precinct lesser towns and villages had and might have Bishops in them as well as populous and eminent Cities untill the Councel of Sardis decreed that villages and small Cities should have no Bishops least the name and authority of a Bishop might thereby come into contempt But of one claiming as his due and right to himself alone as a superior order or degree all power about ordination of Presbyters and Deacons and all jurisdiction either to exercise himself or delegate to whom he will of the Laity or Clergy as they distinguish according to the Judgement and Practise of those in our times we read not till in the latter and corrupter ages of the Church By all which it appears that the present Hierarchy the abolition whereof is desired by the Honorable Houses may accordingly be abolished and yet possibly the Bishops of those Primitive times be They are so farre differing one from another In answer to that part of your Majesties Paper wherein you require whether our Saviour and his Apostles did so leave the Church at liberty as they might totally alter or change the Church-Government at their pleasure We humbly conceive that there are substantials belonging to Church Government such as are appointed by Christ and his Apostles which are not in the Churches liberty to alter at pleasure But as for Arch-bishops c. we hope it will appear unto your Majesties conscience that they are none of the Church-Governours appointed by our Saviour and his Apostles And we beseech your Majesty to look rather to the Original of them then Succession Octob. 3. 1648. Imprimatur JA. CRANFORD FINIS