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	rome_n	successor_n	2,241	5	9.1979	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A59803	The case of the allegiance due to soveraign powers further consider'd, and defended with a more particular respect to the doctrine of non-resistance and passive-obedience : together with a seasonable perswasive to our New Dissenters / by Will. Sherlock ...	Sherlock, William, 1641?-1707.	1691 (1691)	Wing S3277; ESTC R13361	22,670	34

not countenance their Rebellion against Caesar though it were to make himself a King It is sufficiently known That Christ submitted to the most unjust Sentence to the most ignominious and painful death rather than resist the Higher Powers though he could so easily have called for Legions of Angels to his rescue but he went as a lamb to the slaughter and as the sheep before the shearer is dumb so he opened not his mouth when he was reviled he reviled not again when he suffered he threatned not but committed himself to him who judgeth righteously He rebuked Peter when he drew his Sword in his defence and tells Pilate the reason why he was so easily apprehended and used at their pleasure without any resistance and opposition though he had been formerly attended with such crowds of his Disciples because he was no Temporal Prince and therefore did not require his Disciples to fight for him as other Temporal Princes used to do Iesus answered my Kingdom is not of this World if my Kingdom were of this world then would my servants fight that I should not be delivered to the Jews but now is my Kingdom not from hence Joh. 18.36 Which plainly shews That our Saviour's subjection was not matter of force and constraint because he wanted power to resist but it was matter of choice that which was most agreeable to the nature of his Kingdom which was not to be propagated by carnal Weapons but by Suffering and Death And when our Saviour has set us such an Example as this it is wonderful to me that any who call themselves his Disciples can think it lawful to rebel against their Prince and defend themselves from the most unjust Violence by a more unjust Resistance But there are few men who are contented to follow Christ to the Cross they do not like that part of his Example and are willing to perswade themselves that they are not bound to imitate it And there are two things which I find urged by some men to this purpose which must be briefly considered 1. That it is no wonder that Christ suffered patiently and quietly without resisting the most unjust Violence because he came into the World to die and to make his Soul an Offering for Sin And how could so innocent a person die but by the Hands of Vnjust and Tyrannical Powers And it was inconsistent with his Design of dying for Sin to resist and oppose This is the account our Saviour himself gives of his patient suffering When St. Peter drew his Sword in his defence he tells him Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father and he sha●l pres●ntly give me more than twelve Legions of Angels But how then sh●ll the Scriptures be fulfilled that thus it must be Mat. 26.43 54. And the Cup which my Father has given me shall I not drink it John 18.11 Having thus concluded what the Doctrin and Example of o●r Saviour was about subjection to the higher Powers let us now consider the Doctrin and Example of h●s Apostle St. Paul not as if the Authority and Example of our Saviour were not sufficient of it self to make a Law but stood in need of the Confirmation and additional Authority of his own Apostles but we might justly suspect our selves mistaken in the Meaning of our Saviour's words or in the Intention and Design of his Sufferings had none of his Apostles who were immediately instructed by him●elf and acquainted with the most secret Mysteries of this Kingdom ever preacht any such Doctrine as this of Subjection to Princes And therefore to give you the more abundant assurance of this I shall plainly shew you That the Apostles taught the same Doctrin and imitated the Example of their Master St. Paul has as fully declared himself in this matter as it is possible any Man can do by words Rom. 13.1 2. Let every Soul be subject unto the higher powers for there is no power but of God the powers that be are ordained of God Whosoever therefore resisteth the Power resisteth the Ordinance of God and they that resist shall receive to themselves Damnation This is a very express Testimony against Resistance and therefore I shall consider it at large for there have been various Arts used to pervert every word of it and to make this Text speak quite contrary to the Design and Intention of the Apostle in it and therefore I shall divide the words into three ge●eral parts 1. The Doctrine the Apostle instructs them in Le● every soul be subject to the higher powers 2. The reason why he proves and forces this Doctrin For there is no power but of God the powers that be are ordained of God Whoso●v●r therefore resisteth the Power resisteth the Ordinance of God 3. The Punishment of such Resistance And they that resist shall receive to themselves Damnation 1. I shall begin with the Doctrin That every Soul must be subject to the higher powers And here are three things to be explained 1. Who are contained under this general expression of every soul. 2. Who are meant by the higher Powers 3. What is meant by being subject 1. Who are contained under this general expression of ●v●ry soul which by an ordinary Hebraism signifies every man for M●n is a compounded Creature of Body and Soul and either part of him is very often in Scripture put for the whole Some●imes Flesh and sometimes Soul signifies the Man and when eve●y soul is opposed to the higher powers it must sig●ifie all Men of what Rank or Condition soever they be who are not invested with this higher Power Popes and Bishops and Bishops and Priests as well spiritual as secular persons the whole Body of the people as well as every single Individual for when every Soul is commanded to be subject without any exception or limitation this must reach them in all capacities and conditions The design of the Apostle as you shall hear more presently was to forbid all Resistance of Soveraign Princes and had he known of any men who might lawfully r●sist he ought not to have exprest it in such general terms as to forbid all without exception Had St. Paul known the Prerogative of St. Peter and his Successors the Bishops of Rome would he have written to the C●ristians of Rome to be subje●t to their Emperors without making any provision for the greater Authority of their Bishops The reason he assigns why every soul must be subject to the higher Powers is Becaus● all powers are of God so that whosoever is bound to be subject to God must be subject to their Prince who is in God's stead And this I think will reach the Pope of Rome as well as any private Christian unless he will pretend to have more Authority on Earth than God himself has for the Prince has God's Authority and therefore cannot be resisted but by a greater Authority than God's And by the same reason if the whole Body of the people be subject to God