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	peter_n	successor_n	2,942	5	9.2143	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A66971	The Roman doctrine of repentance and of indulgences vindicated from Dr. Stillingfleet's misrepresentations.	R. H., 1609-1678.	1672 (1672)	Wing W3455; ESTC R25193	63,809	122

these still accepted by God through his Sons Satisfactions § 76 To go on with the Eleventh Qu. 11. Here we repeat the same again How comes this Holy Man to do such large Penances with regard to Gods Justice and Wrath if the sanctification of Christ were of so infinite a nature And if he practice mortifications and penances is he not sufficiently rewarded for them If he be how come these to help the other his Friend which he is abundantly recompensed for himself Here I ask also How come our prayers to procure from God some benefit to others when for the Charity of them we our selves likewise are rewarded by him a thing not doubted of The same pious work or suffering may obtain a manifold recompence and that as to several persons by way of Impetration from Gods bounty and mercy which enlargeth its self without bounds See Bellarm De Indulg l. 1. c. 2. §. 2. Propositio how far it pleaseth But it is granted that when we speak of a strick compensation or satisfaction made to Gods Justice thus no work or suffering of ours that is equivalently satisfactory only for anothers debt suppose of temporal punishments can be also of our own for none can so pay to Gods Justice two debts with that sum which is due for one of them only § 77 In the Twelfth We ask If the satisfaction of Christ doth only obtain Grace for this Holy man to do penance himself Q. 12. for averting the temporal punishment of his own sin But who saith thus how can the application or acception of this Holy Mans penances free another from the temporal punishment of his sin without his doing any penance Or have his penances being joyned with Christs satisfactions greater power with God for this other person than the satisfactions of Christ have for himself Whatever the Authors meaning is in this Question which perhaps I do not rightly comprehend Christs satisfactions alone are affirmed both for Common Penitents and Saints all sufficient and not only do obtain grace for Saints to satisfie themselves for a temporal punishment but also when applyed by an Indulgence do procure a remission of such temporal punishment to them without their own Penances or Satisfactions § 78 We continue in the Thirteenth the same demand Qu. 13. Why the satisfaction of Christ may not serve But who are they that say it may not See before § 47. without this Holy Mans penances to remit only the other persons temporal punishment for his sin when the satisfaction of Christ was sufficient alone to remit both eternal and temporal to that person in the Sacrament of Baptisme Or was the force of it spent then that it needs a fresh supply afterwards from this Holy Mans penances But if then it could be applyed to a higher end without any other help why not where it is to have far less efficacy We have now passed through all his Questions concerning the Churches Treasure many of them as they seem to me very irreverent and impertinent of which as I said he may accept of that Answer in his application of them to Indulgences which he gives us in ours to the Sacrament The last Question yet remains § 79 Viz How came this treasure of the Church i. e. the superfluities Qu. 15. as he calls them of Christs satisfactions for the temporal punishment of sin which are applyed in Indulgences into the Popes keeping and who gave him the Keys of them when every Priest is trusted in the Sacrament of Penance with the treasure of Christs necessary satisfaction for the remitting of the eternal punishment R. After I have first told him for the language is used by him here that I know no Roman Divine that stiles Christs satisfactions for the remitting of Sin and the eternal punishment necessary and of the temporal superfluous I Answer That in the doubt what persons have the lawful power of conced●ng Indulgences it is sufficient that Protestants then be satisfied when they are first agreed to admitt them Mean while what needs our Author trouble himself or us with such a question The Pope surely hath as much power of and right to keep the Keys as any Of those Indulgences then which he concedes none needs dispute the validity But not to leave this unspoken to I say 1st That as not the Concession of Indulgences so neither the Exercise of the power of Absolution this also being an Act of Jurisdiction and Judicature i.e. neither the application of Christs Merits and Satisfactions for the eternal nor for the temporal punishment of Sin doth belong to the Inferiour Clergy but dependently from the Bishops and Governours of the Church which Commission they receive also with a reservation of several Cases wherein they may not absolve Next for Church-Governours Not only the Pope but other Bishops de facto have conceded Indulgences in ancient times and do still But whether the conceding of them doth belong to all Bishops Jure Divino or only to the suprem Governour the Pope is disputed among the Schoolmen The Council of Trent though there they were much disputed hath determined nothing about the Limits of such Episcopal Jurisdictions but left them to the former current Ecclesiastical Customs and Practices Several limitations and restraints of them have been made by the supreme Bishop of the Church the Successor of St. Peter to whom in the first place our Lord committed the Keys Tibi dabo Claves not only with a Precedency to but Power and Authority over the rest and have been made to very good ends that things might be done with better order and discussion and with less confusion and relaxation of Discipline as it is also particularly in this granting of Indulgences And so long as the Bishops acquiesce therein such questions as this seem rather moved to the disturbance of the Churches peace than any edification in the Christian Faith And so I leave it The Roman School-Divines to this and several other of his questions have not been silent nor wanted his Predecessors the wit to ask them before him If he looks so much into their Books as he pretends why takes he no notice of their Answers Is it not because he finds so much Reason in them as he is loth to divulge to his party unless he could do it with greater satisfaction § 80 This to his questions But now after all these Invectives against the Roman Indulgengences i. e. against the remitting of some Penances and this not gratis but for some other Pious Works done in liue thereof perhaps so many times Visiting a Church and therein for some time offering up his Devotions Fasting on certain days giving so much Alms and the like and for a Cause that in advancing some publick or private good bears some proportion to that which is remitted or also far exceeds it as warring against Infidels oppressing the Church Conversion of Hereticks building of Churches Hospitals c. And again

For the remission of which Penances the Person is required first to examine the quality of his sins and to excite a Contrition sutable thereto to repair to the Sacrament of Penance Confession and Absolution and also to perform such penances as may be thought salutary and medicinal to the conquering his lusts and preventing the like miscarriages for the time to come and all this to be done by him to render himself capable of the benefit of an Indulgence I say after all this inveighing against such a practice of the Roman Church wherein as usually in all other Points contested she only stands upon her guard and defence of Customs descending to her from Ancient Times and the Accusers and Invaders are the other Party with what greater severity do the Protestant Ministers treat a Person that after the losing his Baptismal Grace labours under mortal sin What Penances what better thing than those Roman pious Works which they deride do they impose They indeed as Catholicks also exhort such a person to repentance of his sin and amendment of his life and tell him as Catholicks also do that these are necessary but then the surest way to acquiring a true repentance and the chiefest means of working in him a reformation of life i. e. solitude penance mortifications abstinences c. they press not to him and of the necessity also of the Churches Keys for remission of such Mortal sin committed after Baptism they do not inform him They tell him that he needs fear no further reckonings for his sin as to any punishment or sufferings for it if once repented of that sin all its punishments are wiped off at once for saith our Author * p. 519. Quest 2. how can that fault be said to be remitted which is yet punished and therefore that our doing any penance for avoiding such punishment is needless The Indulgences in the Catholick Church only somtimes used for remitting such penances yet this not without commutation are cried out of ‖ Rom. Idol p. 526. as excusing them from doing the best parts of their Religion Yet among Protestants such penances are remitted always in their being never at all imposed and yet their piety and Religion thrives well enough without them and they are neither required as the best nor any part of it They cry out of the lightening somtimes of mens burdens in the Church of Rome by Indulgences but themselves will not touch those lighter burdens mentioned before that are laid on them for gaining these Indulgences with one of their fingers Nothing is done right in the Church of Rome whilst among them nothing is done at all and therefore in the other is nothing done right § 81 To Conclude these discourses let all pious Christians in general beware of such a destructive and Negative Way of Religion as to so great a part of the Churches Practicals Which thus endeavours to pull down all that stands before it but it self builds nothing and under pretence of reforming Religion and Devotions only defaceth them and so leaves the ruines thereof to be trampled upon by Atheists Here are speaking of the most part and those that stand at a farther distance from the Roman Church no Mental prayer no Purgation or Mortification in order thereto no Abstraction of life no Contemplation no state of perfection no Aspirations no Active or Passive Vnions talked of No Evangelical Councils but those so called help precepts to some particular persons of which none finds himself to be one no recommending of solitude of single life of quitting the possession and cares of Riches Vt soliciti sint quae sunt Domini quo modo placeant Deo 1 Cor. 7.32 and ut facultatem praebeat sine impedimento Dominum obsecrandi No Sacerdotal Confession and so no Casuists to satisfie scruples so no liability of such to be misconstrued in stating such points as the Roman Casuists are most shamefully by Protestants citing their words and defalking Circumstances which continually alter the state of the Question No Penances or Satisfactions to appease Gods wrath for their sins those of Christ being sufficient and so no need of Indulgences No Sacrifice of the Altar No Corporal presence of our Lords Body there and so no solemn Ceremonies attending it No Adoration there and so no questioning of them for Idolatry No Sacrament of Penance for deliverance from Mortal sin and so no Grace expected from the Opus operatum of it When people are sick no care of confessing them or of not letting them depart hence without their Viaticum Jam. 5.15 and without Extreme Vnction in the name of the Lord. No recommending themselves to the Prayers of Saints to help them with their Intercessions to God No Purgatory or present Middle State of any faithful Souls however departed hence with imperfect reformation of life but all Christians sent immediatly to Hell that do not go immediatly to Heaven and to the Beatifical Vision of God and so no Prayers no Oblations no All-Souls-days no Anniversaries for benefiting of such Souls No saving so as by fire No sufferings to be endured hereafter if the most extreme be once escaped and what ever soul departing hence is not worthy of the lowest Misery 1 Cor. 3.15 instantly ascends into the highest Bliss And there too no Degrees of Glory but in Christ all equal But then if it be considered how few of those who seem to dye penitent are well prepared by reason of their repentance and imperfect reformation of manners to enter immediatly to the fruition of Gods presence and possession of eternal joyes and how much many Protestants disparage a death-bed Repentance whilst thus they send no Souls to Purgatory they send the more to Hell In extremes they are the one way or the other whilst the Church guided by Scripture expounded by Tradition goes in a middle way rather inclined to mercy than rigour Again No Vowes no macerations of the Body no Vigils no Observing Fasts hardly any Festivals much less their Octaves But every one left to pray to repent after his own way fast when he pleaseth do good works out of gratitude to him who hath done and suffered for him all that God requires to believe firmly and without wavering the remission of all his sins how hainous soever and so to magnifie the more Gods Mercy and Christs Merits to read the Scriptures without asking the Eunuck's Question Quomodo possum intelligere nisi quis ostenderit mihi c. and not to doubt but that God will illuminate him in the understanding of them as much as is necessary when as he stops his ears to the instructions of those Missioners sent by our Lord to teach him in them No such numerous Catalogue of the Articles of their Faith or Determinations of former obliging Councils nor yoke of Assent or Belief imposed but boasting of their indulging to all men liberty of opinon in those things where the former Church they say hath used Tyranny No sure Tradition save only that of the Scriptures for this alone serves their turn no Church-Infallibility and I had almost said no church-Church-Authority A fine contrived way of Religion for invading others and no need of defending it self For on Affirmes lies the Proofe All these Church-Practices before Luthers appearance are thrown off by many for I cannot say it of all Those among them I hope will consider whom these things concern Nor have they any reverence to their gray hairs or their great antiquity But for their defence against this not to be denied they bring in Antichrist to farther them bring him not into the world only in such early days but into the Church and in the Church place him also in the chiefest Chair therof in the latter end of the Fourth Age or beginning of the Fifth for many of these Customs rejected by them are then found in the Church and there he hath sate ever since and given laws to Christianity if we will believe them for a thousand years till the Reformation appeared notwithstanding our Lords Promise to the Church of Portae inferi non pravalebunt And since this his coming all these things are found Superstition Wil-worship Mandata Hominum with these Reformers and upon the same account many other Sects Sub-reformers of the Reformed are hard at work to pull down the remainder of Church Government Ceremonies Discipline which these first Demolishers have yet left standing And having thus dismissed and rid their hands of all these former Church-Customs they have now the leisure to make sport with them too and call them to an account And for fitting the Churches Tenants and Practices the better for their drollery they mis-relate and mis-represent them so far as that they can manifest them unreasonable and ridiculous and the extravagancy of any Casuist or Schoolman is applyed and imputed to the Church whilst the Protestant Reader though otherwise never so prudent and knowing yet unstudied and unexperienced in these things believes their relation as a truth and the Learned amongst Catholicks are astonished to see the Churches Doctrine so disguised and falsified Tuautem exaltare Domine in virtute tuâ and as there want not many to invade thy Truth so raise up alwaies those that may defend it with the strength not which they have of themselves that is none but which they receive from Thee who usest to confound the Wise of this world with things weak and despised that no flesh may glory in thy sight And as for the Enemies of thy Church and Truth whoever they be Imple facies eorum ignominiâ Domine ut quaerant nomen tuum