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	successor_n	2,793	5	9.1237	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A44805	The rock of ages exalted above Rome's imagined rock on which her church is builded she proved not to be the onely Church of Christ, her corrupt doctrines reproved not to be apostolick, but contrary to the true Church of Christ in the apostles dayes : also divers arguments answered which may convince the papists that they are not the true church wherein a book is also answered called A catechism against all sectaries, newly published by C.M. in the year 1661 / by Francis Howgil.	Howgill, Francis, 1618-1669.	1662 (1662)	Wing H3178; ESTC R30346	44,740	118

was no talk of Visible Heads or much of Universal Bishop for then Rome had no more priority then the rest for the Churches at Constantinople at Jerusalem at Caesaria at Cyprus and Alexandria for the first three hundred years they had as much power in their several Churches as Rome had and often the Elders or Bishops of the aforesaid Churches did reprove sharply the Bishop of Rome But at last about five hundred years or upward Phocas to aspire to the Empire of Rome he murthered his own Master Mauritius and his Children to attain unto the Empire So at that time Boniface the third was Bishop of Rome and Phocas somewhat fearing and willing to have Boniface his favour condescendeth to all his Petitions and grants him to be Universal head-Head-Bishop over all Christian Churches and there was the first rise of Rome's visible Head for this frivolous reason of being Peter's Successor could never have raised him to that height but then the Emperors Power and Authority became to be the more forcible plea for before that time the Bishops of Rome were chosen by the Emperors consent but after he had got power Emperors could not be chosen but by the Popes consent and then came the Bishop of Rome to be a visible Head and be called Universal Bishop Christ's Vicar a Lord Spiritual over all the Churches and in process of time Lord temporal over all the Empire And thus your Church of Rome became magnificent and great and to sit as a Queen upon the Waters Nations Kindreds and Tongues as you acknowledge your Church of Rome hath spread over and here is a Héad and a Body which are joyn'd together in union Christ is the Head of the true Body which is his Church and his Wife and Antichrist he is the visible Head of his visible Church and Wife Mysterie Babylon The next piece of Merchandize which the Author brings forth to view is Purgatory and prayer to be made for the dead and also prayer unto the Saints and the Authors proof is 1 Cor. 3. 15. where the Apostle speaks Every mans work shall be tryed and that work which will not abide the fire must be burnt and this the Author calls the fire of another World and prayers for the dead he proves out of the 12. of Maccabees and prayer to the Saints He sayes it 's lawful to pray in this world unto good people and Paul while he lived did pray for others and also did beg their prayers And the Angel in the first of Zachary prayed for Israel and there can be no harm in praying to them that can pray for us Ans. Them that dwell in the shadow of death are like to speak out of thick darkness and they that have made a Covenant with death are loath to have it broken and they that have a mind to continue in sin while they live have a mind to put the evil day afar off and Judgement afar off and evil-doers will never have it time to give account for their evil deeds and so puts it off till they are dead and to another world and let the Devil have preheminence in their hearts while they live and reckon their sins venial and light faults this is contrary to the Doctrine of the true Church of Christ and contrary to the Apostles Doctrine who said The wages of sin is death and there is no sinne goes unpunished nor unjudged and Sion is redeemed through judgement and by the Spirit of burning and Purgatory is a fiction a falshood and a lye there is no cleansing from sin in another World Solomon saith As the Tree falleth whether to the North or to the South so shall the tree lye and the Word of God who hath received it in their hearts which is as a fire that purifies and the Blood of Christ is that which cleanseth from all sin there 's not any cleansing from any sin but by it there is no cleansing in another world but Purgatory hath been invented and prayer for the dead that thereby the Pope might be enriched and sell the invented Prayers and Ave Maries and so cheat people of their money and there 's no sacrifice to be offer'd for the dead who dye in their sins nor no remission after this life And as sor praying to the Saints the Scripture makes no mention of though Paul did pray for others and beg the prayers of others yet he prayed not for them when they were dead neither did beg the prayer of the dead but prayed for them who were believers in the true Church and desired the prayers of them that were living Members and were alive and lived in the world and were redeemed out of it and the Angel prayed not for the people of Israel when they were dead and that which thou calls Jeremy's prayer in the Maccabees was never spoken by the Spirit of the Lord nor the offering was not made in the will of God and the Prophet saith Though Abraham know us not and Israel be ignorant of us yet thou O Lord art our Father And the Lord said unto David Seek my face and call upon me in the day of trouble and I will hear and answer Not upon Mary Peter and Paul Dominick and Anthony Again it 's contrary to the practice of the Saints in the primitive times and contrary to the Doctrine of Christ who said unto his Disciples Whatsoever you ask in my Name the Father shall give it you He doth not speak of any other Name neither is any Prayer or Supplication accepted of the Father but in the Name of Christ alone So these Doctrines are false and Doctrines of Devils never commanded nor practised by any of the Saints in the primitive times but onely have been invented and practised by the Apostates who have erred from the faith and Practice which was once deliver'd unto the Saints which the Church of Rome hath made shipwrack of in many things which I have made appear and I shall proceed to more particulars to manifest it lest any should be beguiled with such deceitful Babylonish Merchandize which the Nations are too much corrupted with already The next false Doctrine which the Author lays down is That Christ is really and personally in the Mass and in the Eucharist And his proof is Luke 22. 19. 1 Cor. 11. 25 26. For saith he God who is Almighty is able to change Bread into his Body and Wine into his blood in the Mass as he did change the Water into Wine and make the World of nothing Hence also by the way you may learn that we are no Idolaters adoring the Eucharist because it 's no more Bread but whole Christ our God and Redeemer who placeth himself there by Miracle after the Priest hath uttered the sacred words of Consecration yet the external accident of Bread and Wine remain as our eyes represent to us but faith tells us the true Body of Christ is hidden under it and the substance and

Crafts-man upon a wall or a board or parchment or paper this is Idolatry for Christ promised to his Disciples and to the true Church That he would send his Spirit to lead them into all truth which is an invisible thing and to bring to remembrance what ever Christ had spoken and whatsoever was necessary as to Salvation whether the Saints life and holy practices which they lived in or whatsoever else as conduced to their peace and justification with God and what Images did God make use of to shew his Miracles by This is but an old fable formed by the Apostate Christians whose minds are turned after shadows and vain shews and is erred from the invisible life and worships the works of mens hands 2. Though Moses did put off his shoo 's according to the command of the Lord where God appeared in power and glory to him What is this to your purpose as to create and form places and Consecrate them as holy and then command reverence and honor unto them this is but to worship the work of your own hands and though David say in the 99 Psal. 5 vers Exalt the Lord God and worship at his footstool for he is holy What of all this doth God call Reliques or Images his Footstool And if the Author do judge that it was spoken of Zion and Jerusalem outward where Aaron and the rest of the priests worshipped yet doth not Christ say It 's not at Jerusalem c. But they that worship God worship him in spirit and truth What doth not the church of Rome profess Christianity and Apostolick Doctrine and wil now turn Jews or imitaters of them What is Rome Jerusalem or Zion And must Pictures invented and dead pieces of bones and wood be recommended unto the Nations as holy things This is contrary to the Apostolick church and with the life of God is judged and the life of the Saints whom you honour in words and make pictures of and worships the works of your own hands and crucifies the life where ever it appears that they lived in and teacheth a contrary doctrine 3. Confession may be made in words of the true God and talk may be of his wonderous works and yet people Idolaters the church of the Jews who acknowledge the true God and had seen and heard of his wonderous works they eat and drank and rose up to play and these were Idolaters such is the church of Rome who take peoples minds up with garments and Vestments with Altars and Candles with Crucifixes Agnus Dei with Images formed by Painters with a piece of Bread called a Holy Host and Eucharist an unbloody Sacrifice who neglects the life and him that is the Head of the Body and his Witnesse in their hearts and consciences and leads them to worship and honour visible and carnal things and to busie their mindes in the exercise of outward things which profiteth little or nothing at all and so are Idolaters worshipping the works of your own hands which Christ and the Apostolick church bore testimony against for that which the creatures mind goes out after besides or without that which may be known of God in the heart is made an Idol of and the true God is not minded and them that honor Gods Friends and Saints walks in their footsteps live their life and honor their sayings but your Church is contrary who would kill and have killed about these invented Fopperies which is contrary to the Apostles Doctrine God accepts not prayers by number nor tale nor for multitude of words which are without understanding and without the Spirit this Christ counted as evil and reprehended the Pharisees and said It was like the vain repetitions of the Heathen who thought to be heard for their much babling and the Salutation which the Angel gave to Mary is no prayer And that which is called the Apostles Creed is no prayer and them that are unconverted unto God may prattle and prate over the words in the unbelief and never have any acceptance of God And though the Prophet did pray seven times a day it was according to the motion of God's Spirit in his own heart which shewed him his state and necessity and what is this to imitators when they pray not with the same Spirit neither in the same words And what if Mary lived threescore and three years who gave commandment that Hail Mary should be said threescore and three times over The rest of the Saints are like to have but small shares of worship and honor if she go with all this in a day And what five wounds is that which the Church of Rome dreams of that five Pater 〈◊〉 must be said for the honor of With Deceit and Ignorance you wound him every day and your Pater nosters doth not honor him at all pattred oft over with your polluted lips who are given to speak lyes and your tongues to speak mischief which Christ accepteth not What are you all new creatures that say Our Father which art in Heaven Are you born again Are your Natures changed Sin you not Do you hallow his Name who do not love that which shews your evil deeds Would you see his Kingdom come which stands in righteousness Where will you appear Or how will you stand when he appears in his Power and Glory to take vengeance on all them that wis● not that he should rule in their hearts who is the true Light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world Would you see his wil done on earth as it is in Heaven when you walk contrary to his Doctrine which the Apostolick Church walked in and sets up a numberless number of Traditions and Inventions of men instead thereof which the Lord accepteth not and you pray not with understanding 5. As for your Beads which are neither Jewish nor Christian but meer Heathenish as to reck on the number or tale of that which you call your prayers by and though Kings Popes Cardinals and Bishops do the same this is but a small proof as for Authority Kings have drunk of the Whores Cup and Popes and Cardinals have usurped power that Christ never gave as to exercise Lordship and be Law-givers unto others for the Lord is the Saints Law-giver and the Saints Life and Judge and he will not give his glory to another for Kings have ' drunk of the VVhores cup of Fornication and Popes have usurped Authority and Cardinals have exercised Lordship over mens consciences yea and over great Kingnomes and States too And if they pray by Beads as others do set forms by number tale they are as much Ideots as the rest are who know not the Spirit to pray by And so this is no authority to prove your practice Apostolical and holy as for variety of prayers and worships it delighteth the carnal mind indeed but they that worship God in spirit and truth they pray by the spirit and in it as David and Christ prayed