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	holy_a	word_n	6,788	5	4.3458	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A02610	A sermon preached in the cittie of Glasco in Scotland, on the tenth day of Iune, 1610 At the holding of a generall assembly there. By Christopher Hampton, Doctor in Diuinitie, and chaplaine to the Kings most Excellent Maiestie.	Hampton, Christopher, 1552-1625.	1611 (1611)	STC 12739; ESTC S103775	17,702	37

and water but of hearing the word of God And was it not then time to leaue them Let them refuse their Synagogues forsake their broken Cysternes that will hold no water returne to that true auncient faith that was renowned through the world and we will giue them the right hands of fellowship With ioy will wee ioyne together with them and goe into the house of the Lord. If they will not I call heauen and earth to record against them this day that they are fallen from the Gospell from truth from word from Sacraments from Religion from the house of God from God himselfe And all these our Churches studie with great endeuour to maintaine in their perfect integrity O pray pray forget not to pray for that most excellent instrument of GOD that hath established these things amongst vs by holy Lawes and good authoritie Peace be within his walls and plentiousnesse within his Pallaces Yea the God of peace and plenty blesse him for these blessings that hee hath brought vpon vs a thousand and ten thousand fold both here and in the world to come And beloued cease not to crie out vnto God to fill our hearts with praise and our mouthes with thankes-giuing for these inestimable mercies When Gods benefits are receiued with thankfulnes and due account then hee doth multiply them exceedingly Seeing then that all the enemies wee haue cannot shew one point of doctrine maintained contrarie to the wholesome forme set downe in the word and proportion of faith seeing they cannot iustly reproue our administration of the Sacraments Let not these graces of God towards our Churches be extenuated by scornefull reproofes or slaunderous Pamphlets least there follow questions whether they be the houses of God or no least they be forsaken by fanaticall and giddie spirits as if they were the Synagogues of Sathan These be the fruits that vnaduised whisperings wil bring forth and this vse the enemie of mankinde hath made of them They haue serued him as a pedagogie an A B C or introduction of Schisme of frenzie of Anabaptisticall confusion Two errors I haue obserued that are the grounds and occasions of these enormities The first is an immoderate desire of Christian libertie The second an importunate challenge of equalitie in gouernement of the Church As to the former many are deceiued therein and deceiue others whilest they set Christian libertie vpon Tenter-hookes and stretch it further then the nature thereof will beare seeking not onely a liberty of minde and conscience in things indifferent but a freedome also in their actions Christian libertie hath place in minde and conscience alone It contenteth it selfe if there be no burthen of merit of iustification of holinesse or pleasing God vrged vpon the conscience that is the seate of Iesus Christ and if that be left free vnto him Christian libertie is safe and sound It respecteth nothing but that which is betweene God and thee And is not this a goodly libertie when we know that such and such things doe neither iustifie nor condemne vs afore God If this content you not vnlesse you may haue freedome also in your actions to doe what you will you haue left Christian libertie which reacheth not to our actions and respecteth not that which is betweene thee and thy neighbour and thou act come to a licentious immunitie This difference being obserued may appease manie controuersies about indifferent things Wherein if brethren will hold but that moderation which true Diuinitie teacheth and retaine this freedome our Christian libertie in their consciences which is not infringed and conforme their actions that they doe not ouerthwart good order to the disturbance of the Church and offence of the Magistrate How ioyfully might we all goe vp into the house of the Lord and sing in the tune of Angels Ecce quam bonum quam iucundum habitare fratres in vnum For as much therefore as God hath warranted the Magistrates authoritie in these cases and required our obeience let vs no more thinke how to finde out pretences Studia abeunt in mores But if there be any consolation in Christ any comfort of loue any fellowship of the spirit any compassion and mercie fulfill this ioy that ye be like minded hauing the same loue being of one accord and iudgement that nothing be done through contention or vaine glory but that in meekenesse of minde euery one esteeme other better then himselfe That we may all with one way and one heart goe vp into the house of the Lord. As for equalitie which is the other errour when one aduised Lycurgus to establish it amongst the Lacedemonians that so the least and meanest might beare like sway with the greatest The wise man answered that he which called for it should begin it first at home in his owne house And if all men be carefull to exclude paritie out of their priuate families if men experienced in policie and gouernement will not admit it into the common-wealth because that cannot be preserued with equalitie but by authoritie and rule Why are not men as sensible of the house of God as of their owne houses or why should equalitie that is found intollerable in all other societies be obtruded onely to the Church Because distinctions and inequalitie of Pastors cannot be proued by Scripture That is not so There were diuers Pastors vnder the Law but they were not equall For there was one high Priest as it were a transcendent aboue them all But his eminencie was to expresse the soueraignetie of Iesus Christ Then there were Captaines of euery family of the Leuites and that proues an inequalitie Last of all there were two ioyned with the high Priest which are called rulers of the house of God 1 Chro. 24.5 In the new Testament there was distinction and inequalitie betweene the Apostles themselues or else Paul would neuer haue called Peter and Iames and Iohn chiefe and pillars of the Apostles There was distinction and inequalitie betweene the twelue Apostles and the seauentie Disciples We reade of manie Pastors at Ephesus Act. 20. And in the Reuelation Iohn writeth to the Angel of the Church of Ephesus which euicteth necessarily that there was one greater then the rest Par in parem non habet imperium But Paul gaue Timothie authoritie ouer Pastors Therefore hee ordayned and intended an inequalitie and no paritie amongst the Pastors of the Church The reasons of those that call for equalitie in the Ministers are not made to build vp and they are too weake to pull downe Abraham saith grauely vnto Lot Let there be no contention betweene mee and thee for wee are brethren that is one reason Againe the Cananite and the Pherizite are yet in the Land another motiue In which case who knowes not that the aduersaries of our doctrine will sooner be ouercome with vnited then distracted forces and so we that fight the Lords battailes cannot disioyne our selues without preuarication and bootie Away then with all singularitie and admiring of our owne opinions Know yee not that it is the seminarie of inward contention the Spirit of the Prophets must be subiect to the Prophets Let vs haue but one heart and one way that wee may fill the Lords house with garlands of victories that wee may beate our aduersaries from humane merits and bring them to the diuine mercies from free-will and the possibilities of Nature to the grace of God from traditions to the written Word from elauation adoration circumgestation transubstantiation of the Sacrament to the commemoration of Christs death and a sweet fruition thereof by faith From their Hierarchie and visible Monarchie to the headship of our Lord Iesus Christ From superstition to the true vvorship of GOD. O how glorious are these holy triumphs how instantly doe they call vpon vs to combine our selues together that the conuersion and offering vp of the Papists may be acceptable and sanctified I will not dismisse you of the Laitie without some short exhortation to peace The very name of peace is a sweet word but the work is sweeter I cannot alwayes speake of it But that which I cannot alwayes speake of that you may keepe alwayes As for example He that praiseth God with his tongue cannot doe it euer but he that praiseth God with his life and conuersation may euer doe it Euen so doe I commend the words and works of peace vnto you Or if you thinke me vnworthie to commend such a diuine blessing looke if it be not the word of our great and worthiest King He commandeth it vnto vs from the Author of peace Beati pacifici Not pacidici but pacifici Blessed are not the praisers but the practisers of peace Let the mountaines bring peace and the little hils righteousnesse vnto thy people O thou Prince of peace And so the God of peace that brought againe from the dead our Lord Iesus the great Shepheard of the sheepe through the bloud of the euerlasting Testament make you perfect in all good works workking in you that which is pleasant in his sight through Iesus Christ to whom be praise for euer and euer Amen FJNJS 1 Part. 2 Part. Be●●●rd in Can● ser 65 Epist ad protect Angl. 87. pag. 69. Tertul. de praescript De vnitat ecclesiae cap. 3 In 1. cap. Esa Contra Praxeam Chrisost in Epist ad Rom. hom 23.