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	power_n	synod_n	3,603	5	9.6685	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A78018	Conformitie's deformity. In a dialogue between conformity, and conscience. Wherein the main head of all the controversies in these times, concerning church-government, is asserted and maintained; as without which, all reformation is headlesse, and all reconciliation hopelesse. Dedicated by Henry Burton, to the honour of Jesus Christ, as the first-fruits of his late recovery from death to life; as a testimony of his humble and thankfull acknowledgement of so great a mercy: and published for the service of all those, that love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity ...	Burton, Henry, 1578-1648.	1646 (1646)	Wing B6160; Thomason E358_20; ESTC R201164	26,532	40

instance we need not go beyond the seas or over our English bounds to fetch it What if the generality of the Ministers and people in England be found to be wrapped in such a destructive Heresie I call it destructive using the * Apostles word where he saith That there shall be false teachers among Gods people who shall cunningly bring in destr●ying Heresies And what are these Even denying the Lord that bought them bringing upon themselves * swift destruction And many shall follow their destructive wayes or their destructions by whom the way of truth shall be * evill spoken of or blas●hemed A Prophesie by the way which if well weighed and rightly applyed may be found to be in a great measure fulfilled in these our times For here is first a destructive or as our common Translation damnable Heresie Secondly this Heresie * is in deaying the Lord Jesus Christ Thirdly here is a many followers Fourthly among this many there be some at least who have their mouthes open in Pulpits Streets Tables and their Quils in Presses in Pamphlets blaspheming speaking all manner of evill against the way of truth even that way of truth which holdeth forth confesseth professeth maintaineth against all the worlds reproaches Jesus Christ in that very particular wherein he is at this day so mightily decried and denied by false Teachers and their followers Nor can any Age as touching this one particular be paralleld with this of ours for Pens and Tongues of blasphemy lashing out and running over all the bounds and banks not only of Christianity but even of common modesty and humanity as men bereaft of their wits and all this against the assertors and maintainers of the Kingly Office of Jesus Christ And lastly a destructive Heresie in that not only it destroyes soules but is in a precipice to destroy Kingdoms to such a height of rage it is now grown Conf. But Mr. Conscience what means all this What In that your generality do you charge as all Synod Sion City Countrey as lying under the guilt of such an Heresie What All denying the Lord Jesus Christ Consc Mr. Conformity cannot a man speak of a generality but he must needs name particulars And you know that generals have their exceptions And when a generality is mentioned let all particulars look to it But what if there be a generality and that of Protestants so called in the land which will be found to overthrow Christs Kingly Office Conf. What if say you what if the sky fall Nay I dare say yea and swear too that not any one of this generality you mean doth or dare deny Christs Kingly office and prerogative I have often heard them in publick to give Christ the title of King and to speak of his kingdom and they every where confesse and professe him to be King of his Church So as such a charge would argue as much malice as untruth Consc And I have heard them say as much as you say But is saying sufficient Yea I have heard them say That all Church-members must be Saints that all Churches be equal none have jurisdiction over other that Gods Word is the only rule of Reformation and many such principles about Churches they confesse in words So Christ to be King But if this be all it may prove little better then the Jews putting a purple robe upon Christ with a crown of thorns on his head and a reed for a scepter in his hand with Hail King of the Jewes but for all this crucified him so that you confesse Christ to be King and crucifie his true subjects Again you know the Pharisees said many things well but they did them not And doth not the Scripture speak of such as * professe they know God but in works deny him Whence we observe a twofold deniall of God one in words another in deeds Now I do not say that the generality doth in words deny Christs Kingly office but this I affirm that in works they deny him Conf. Sir how do you prove that or how doth that Scripture reach to those you speak of Consc A question opportunely put And therefore if you turn to the 14 15 verses immediately foregoing you may observe what manner of persons those were whom the Apostle there speaks of and upon what occasion For that Chapter being to set forth the office of a Bishop or Pastor of a particular Church or Congregation and how he should be qualified and gifted and the Church governed the Apostle willeth Titus to warn the Christians Not to give heed to Iewish fables and commandements of men that turn from the truth Where he ranks the commandements of men in Church-matters manners and government with Iewish fables as which do turn men away from the truth and so from Christ as he also sheweth at large Col. 2 8. 20. 22. and throughout the whole Chapter So as to set up the Commandements of men in formes of worship or of Church-government being Christs spirituall kingdom is to separate men from Christ Col. 2. 19. and to make them unbelieving Tit. 1. 14. and impure in minde and conscience V. 15. yea abominable and disobedient and unto every good work reprobate Vers 16. All which I commend to your more sad and serious consideration Master Conformity Conf. I confesse this is a terrible Scripture to those that lye under the condemnation of it But I hope those whom you mean are no such men for first you confesse they deny not in words Christs Kingly office and for any deniall in works you have not yet proved nor I hope can Consc I have nothing to do with your hope But whereas you would make it my confession that they deny not in words Christs Kingly office neither doe I absolutely confesse so much For though I confesse I have heard them upon occasion being put to it in words to confesse Christ to be King of his Church yet I have heard them again say and have read it in their books and they maintain it tooth and nail that Christ hath left the forms of worship and Church government unto men to be so framed as is most suitable to the conditions of the people or the laws of each State binding all the subjects thereof and that under severe penalties to an universall conformity or uniformity Conf. Why sir hath not Christ left that power and liberty to those that are in authority as Synods to frame and compose forms of worship and Church-government such as they judge fittest having an eye to the Scripture and the civill Magistrate to confirm the same by law Consc The Pope indeed arrogating to himself all power in Heaven and Earth over Churches and Kingdoms makes his claim from Scripture As * Thou art Peter c. Therefore his successor the Pope is the Rock whereon the Church is built So here are two swords therefore the Pope hath power of both the swords So

Gods glory suffers the least diminution And therefore Conformity now that you are about the setting forth of your Confession of Faith let not this one Article be missing That you do believe confesse and professe before all the world that JESVS CHRIST is the sole King and Law-giver to every particular visible Church of his and over every particular mans conscience So as no Power on earth may usurp authority upon what pretence soever to make and impose what laws they please to bind the Conscience or to regulate the Churches of God but ought to leave both Conscience and Churches to the only rule and law of Christ the Scripture to which alone every mans conscience must be consined all Divine worship in all things conformed and all Church-Government reduced And for a close of all I pray thee Conformity advise all thy Colleagues that they would abstain from stirring up sedition in Pulpits and great Tables against the Parliament perswading to hold the Parliament to it till you obtain your desires to retain the Scots in England till their Government be here setled which would unsettle and overthrow our fundamental lawes and liberties which you go about in thus seeking to force the Parliament but learn to be wise honest loyal good Christians true Patriots true-bred English-men lest it prove bitternesse in the latter end For God is avenger of all such And so farewell Conformity FINIS THE CONTENTS of this DIALOGVE HOW Christs kingdome is the troubler of States p. 2. How a worldly kingdome comes to be set up for Christs spirituall kingdome ibid. The Heathen Emperour a shame to Christians ib. How Conformity is a troubler of Israel ib. The opin●on we have of men no good ground for conscience to build upon p. 3. Small difference between a Papist and Protestant at large ib. How a Synod of learned Protestants may erre in some fundamentals of faith ib. Many in England under a grand heresie and what it is p. 5 Faith denied no lesse in practice then in words p. 7. The evils of practicall deniall of the truth p. 8. Conformity can finde no better proofs for it in Scripture then the Pope for his Papality p. 9. Conformity answered concerning the model wherewith Conscience is so much cast in the teeth ibid. Great difference between the pattern in the Old Testament and the model in the New ib. Conformity put to prove many particulars of his Church by Scripture p. 10. Conformitie's objection concerning some Kings of Judah answered ib. Conscience free from mens yoaks p. 11. Conformity how the mysterie of iniquity its beginning growth full stature p. 12. Conformity the sluice or inlet of all superstition and slavery ibid. Sundry fearfull examples of Gods judgements upon Conformity p. 13. Conformity a necessary introducer of Popery when a State hath a popish Prince and Parliament as England hath had and may have again for ought we know p. 14. Conformity in worship to mens Precept brings a wonderfull spirituall judgement of blindnesse and deprivation of wisdome and understanding p. 15. All sorts put to try and examine themselves in sundry weighty particulars whether that prophesie Esay 29. 13 14. fall not heavie upon them wherein Conscience severs the innocent from the guilty p. 16. How Conformity is hypocrisie and a removing of the heart far from God ib. The many bad fruits of Conformity 17. How Conformity seeks to overtop the supream power p. 19. How the Scotish Church-government so much cryed up by the English Clergie is incompatible with the fundamentall laws and liberties of our English Nation p. 20. How Church orders or disorders as Heresie or Schisme may be or not be for all the Civil power p. 23. How Conscience clears it self from any withdrawing of due obedience to the Magistrate ib. What limits God hath set to the Magistrate ib. How prone mans nature is to idolize men in setting up a State-Religion and how slothfull to search the Scripture the only rule of faith and the evill consequence hereof p. 25. The counsel that Conscience gives Conformity at their parting and what he must of necessity do to make peace and hold communion with Conscience p. 26 FINIS Job 32. 22 Honos onus 1 Sam. 6. 9. Mat. 23. 2 Sam. 6. Rev. 17. Rev. 18. Luke 23. 2 5. Euseb. Eccl. Hist. John 7. 26. 48. 1 Cor. 3. 11. * 1 Joh. 4. 3. * Thess. 2. 4. * John 2. 22. * John 8. 32. * 1 Cor. 15. * 2 Pet. 2. 1 2. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Haereses vastantes * {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} * {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} * {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} As those infamous books of Tho. Edwards and Iohn Bastwick too welknown to all Notus nimis omnib Horat. * Tit. 1. 16 Tit. 1. 14 15. * Mat. 16. 18. * Luke 22 38. John 16. 13. * Exo. 25. 30. Heb. 8. 5. * 1 Chro. 28. 12 19. Chap. 43. 10. * 2 Cor. 2. 24. * 1 Pet. 5. 3. * 1 Cor. 7 23. Mat. 23. Rom. 14. 4 2 Thess. 2 4. * 3 John Gen. 8. 9. Dan. 3. * 1 Kings 19. 18. * 1 Kings 12. 28. * Hos. 5. 11. * John 11. 48. Esa. 26. 11 * Mat. 26. 61. Luke 23. 2 2. 3. 4. Regnum Angliae Regnū Dei Polydor. Virgil Chron. * Quos perdere vult Deus hos prius dementat * 2 Tim. 3. 5. In Ordine ad Spiritual ● * And if the Reeder desire surthet satisfaction were it needfull to the wise let him read the late book entituled The Troian horse of the Presbyterial government unbowelled Iudg. 19. 15. * Joh. 19. 7 Luke 19. 14. Rom. 12. Esa. 9. 7. * Actum est de R●lig●one ubi vel m●●imum de rahitur de D●● gloria Calvin