Selected quad for the lemma: authority_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
authority_n	church_n	ecclesiastical_a	synod_n	2,123	5	9.4135	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A58941	Sacramentorum encomium: or The praise of the sacraments in a letter written in the year 1654 to the preacher then at Barham in the county of Kent, with-holding the holy sacraments from a great number of godly souls, unless they would subject themselves against laws and good conscience to a rigid Presbyterian government. Wherein the said government is plainly and undeniably proved to be (of all other) the most injurious to the magistrate, most oppressive to the subject, &c. Published by a member of the parish of Barham, for the satisfaction of all wel-affected subjects, and good Christians.	Member of the parish of Barnham.	1661 (1661)	Wing S223B; ESTC R219820	25,942	69

Synods to order Ecclesiasticall affaires and reform the Church within his Dominions 2. By robbing him of the last appeal of his Subjects 3. By exempting the Ministers from due punishment 4. By subjecting the supream Authority to their Censures even to the highest Censure of excommunication that very engine by which the Popes exalted themselves above Emperors 5. By robbing the Magistrate of his dispensative Power 6. By cheating him of his Civil Power in order to Religion 7. By challenging an exorbitant Power by Divine Right 8. And by making a very Monster of the Common-wealth 9. And little more then a Cypher of Parliaments All which are evidently demonstrated not by some extraordinary practises justified only by the pretence of invincible necessity a weak patrociny for general Doctrine nor by the single opinions of some capricious fellows but by the Scottish book of Discipline by the Acts of their general and provincial Assemblies by the concurrent votes and writings of their Commissioners as is exactly to be seen in the fair warning to take heed of this Discipline by Dr. Joh. Bromwel L. Bishop of London-Derry in Ireland And how it is oppressive to particular persons and full of rigor and like Dracos laws that were written in blood it will appear by inflicting Church censures upon slight grounds as for an uncomely gesture a vain word for suspition of Covetousness or Pride for superfluity of rayment either for cost or fashion for dancing at a wedding or of servants in the streets for wearing a mans hair al a mode They scarce allow a man a Latitude of discretion in any thing all men even their superiors must be their slaves or pupils If a man will not confess himself a Delinquent be sorry for giving the Presbyters any offence and conform himself in his hair apparel diet every thing to what these rough-hewen Cato's shall prescribe they will proceed against him to excommunication By this Discipline a man is punished twice for the same crime first by the Magistrate according to the Laws of God and the Land for the offence then by the Censures of the Church for the scandal To this agrees their Synod nothing forbids the same fault in the same man to be punished one way by the Political power another way by the Ecclesiastical T●…or 63. by that under the formality of a crime with corporal or pecuniary punishment by this under the formality of scandal with spiritual censures Thus their Liturgy in express terms All crimes which by the Law of God deserves death deserves also excommunication Yea though an offender abide an assise and be absolved by the same yet may the Church enjoyn him publick satisfaction Or if the Magistrate shall not think fit in his Judgment or cannot in ●onscience prosecute the party upon the Churches intimation the Church may admonish the Magistrate publickly And if no remedy be found excommunicate the offender first for his crime and then for his being suspected to have corrupted the Judg. By which we observe how these severe Disciplinarians bring all crimes whatsoever great and small within their Jurisdiction how that a Delinquents tryal for his life is no sufficient satisfaction to them and how that to satisfie their own humours they care not how they blemish publickly the reputation of the Magistrate upon frivolous conjectures And as they bring all crimes great and small so do they bring all degrees under their Jurisdiction The supreme Magistrate shall be bearded and mated by every ordinary Presbyter witness that insolent speech of Mr. Robert Bruce to King James Sir I see your resolution is to take Huntley in favour if you do I will oppose you shall choose whether you will lose Huntley or me for us both you cannot keep It is nothing with them for a pedant to put himself into the ballance with the Prince and most Potent Peer of the Realm And as for the common people they shall have an high Commission in every Parish and groan under the Arbitrary Decrees of ignorant unexperienced Governors who know no Law but their own wils who observe no order but what they list under these men Parents shall lose the free disposition of their own Children in marriage 1 Book disc 9. head if the child desire a husband or a wife and the Parents gain-stand their request and have no other cause then the common of men have to wit lack of goods or because the other party is not of birth high enough upon the childs desire the Minister is to travail with the Parents if he find no just cause to the contrary may admit them to the marriage For the work of God ought not to be hindred by the corrupt affections of worldly men This doctrine is very high but their practice yet much more high for the Presbyterians will compel the wronged Parent to give that child as great a portion as any of his other children All Masters and Mistresses of families of what age or condition soever must come once a year before the Presbyter with their houshold to be examined personally whether they be fit to receive the Sacrament in respect of their knowledg and otherwise and if they suffer their children or servants to continue in wilful ignorance though they cannot help it they must undergo the severity and extreme rigor of their excommunication 1 Book disc 9 head after which sentence no person his wife and family only excepted may have any kind of conversation with him that is excommunicated they may not eat with him nor drink with him nor buy with him nor sel to him they may not salute him nor speak to him except it be by licence of the Presbytery 1 Book disc 7. head His Children begotten born after that sentence and before his reconciliation to Christ may not be admitted to Baptism until they be of age to require it or the Mother or some special friend being a member of that Church present the child abhorring and damning the iniquity and obstinate contempt of the Father And all this being not enough they proceed to an outlawing of the party and a confiscation of his goods and putting him out of the Magistrates protection so as any man may kill him and be unpunished yea the party excommunicated is not so much as to attend or hear these fatal letters granted And that the people may the more patiently suffer all this harshness from them may the more quietly indure all their heavy oppressions and the more humbly submit themselves to all their rigid Ordinances they perswade them that they are bound in conscience to hear and obey their voice and reverence the Majesty of the Son of God speaking in them for having made their Consistories the Tabernacles of Christ they expect that their determinations shall pass for the sentences of Christ and thus these proud Vicars having mounted themselves aloft they sit upon the Temple of God and exalt themselves above all that the Scripture calleth