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
A95897	The schismatick sifted. Or, The picture of Independents, freshly and fairly washt-over again. Wherein, the sectaries of these times (I mean, the principall seducers to that dangerous and subtile schisme of Independency) are with their own proper pensils, and self-mixed colours, most lively set forth to be a generation of notorious dissemblers and sly deceivers. Collected (for the most part) from undeniable testimonies under their own hands, in print; for the more fair and full satisfaction, and undeceiving of moderate and much misled Christians; especially by the outward appearance of their piety of life, and a pretence of their preaching sound-doctrine. / By John Vicars.	Vicars, John, 1579 or 80-1652.	1646 (1646)	Wing V326; Thomason E341_8; ESTC R200902	40,154	51

I born and for this cause came I into the world that I should bear witnesse with the rest of Gods faithfull ones to the truth and fully and faithfully to speake and declare the Truth with all holinesse godly zeal courage and impartiality against whomsoever in this case neither regarding the favours or frowns of any but onely ayming at the glory of my God which I say was the main end of my creation But to conclude and shut up all I have now to say it is most probable that our Independents and the rest of their Schismaticall fraternity for as I have formerly toucht I make account all the rest of the Sectaries are for certain Independents Object 3 will again now at last Object and say unto me That all this while I have but pleased my selfe in beating the ayre and shooting at rovers being wide of the marke and much mistaken in all that I have taxed and accused them with all for none of them are at all perswaded or convinced in their consciences that any of those which Master Edwards or I call Errours or Schismes are Schismes or sins but as Answer 3 was touched before New-Lights and New-revealed Truths Whereunto I Answer with sorrow of soule for their sakes I easily indeed believe they will say so and I cannot much marvell at it Since as those Demetrians said By this craft they have got much gain And since I see this is their obstinate and inflexible resolution thus still to say and hold and that they are before hand resolved for private interests and self-aymes sake that no clearest demonstrative reasons or argumentations no though from apparent Scripture or Scripture-consequences shall beat them off or disswade them from these Satans strong stratagems of New-Light New-Revelations Keeping Reserves and Liberty of Conscience I therefore will say no more unto them but with the Spirit of the Lord said to obstinate and incorrigible Ones Hee that is unjust let him be unjust still and he that is filthy let him bee filthy still and he that is righteous ô let him be righteous still and hee that is holy let him be holy still Onely I herein may comfortably say to mine own heart Liberavi animam meam Yet as the Religious bonds of piety and charity binde me from my soule I shall unfainedly pray as the Lord knows I daily doe that God would in the riches of his grace in Christ Jesus open their eyes and speake to their hearts shew them the evill of their ways and the great danger of their destructive errours to the ruine of the whole Kingdom yea of the three whole Kingdoms if they doe not timely retract and repent of those great and gangrene evils and blasphemous errours which have enflamed almost the whole Kingdom by their New-lights as so many firebrands to set on fire three whole Kingdoms I say if the Lord in mercie by the wisdome piety and impartiallity of our Parliament quench not the flame in time and graciously reconcile us not together by godly peace unity and unanimity of spirit which the Lord in much mercie grant unto us for his sake who is the Prince of Peace Truth and Love and of all godly order even the Lord Christ the Righteous to whom be all honour praise dominion with holy and hearty universall obedience for ever AMEN The opinion and advice as it is deemed of Monsieur de MOULIN Professor of Divinity in the Vniversity of SEDAN in FRANCE Concerning the opinion of those who are named Independents in ENGLAND Wherein the Inconcinnity and unreasonablenesse if not apparent impiety of Independents in the mayn point of Classicall-Discipline is most evidently discovered by this eminently Reverend and Learned Divine to the shame and silence of our obstinate Independents SIR A Certain friend of mine an honest religious man hath given me notice that certain persons doe finde fault with the Order and Discipline established in our Church In which the Consistory are subject to the Colloquies and the Colloquies to the Provinciall Synod and the Provinciall to the Nationall Synod And their desire is to have every particular Consistory or Congregation of one and the same absolute authority independent from any Superiour authority or Assembly whatsoever Upon which my said friend earnestly desired to have my opinion or judgement on the matter which being of such a nature and importance I could not any way decline or deny his request which I have here set down and is as followeth I say that those which propound this opinion ought in no manner or wise to be hearkened unto For if in case this their opinion were followed there could nothing else ensue but the certain ruine of the Church and an extreme confusion for the severall reasons heer following First It happeneth often times that two Ministers of one Parish or Congregation fall our and are at variance and thereupon they separate and divide the Congregation into two factions in such an occasion of necessity there must needs be the helpe of a Superiour Authority Secondly The Church or Congregation hath but one Minister and he leads an ungodly life to the scandall of the Church and the Consistory of that Congregation censureth him all being of one accord or if it happen that the said Consistory be divided and of two opinions there can be surely in such a case no remedy but by a superiour Power and Authority of Colloquies or Synods who have power to depose and appoint such Ministers or such a Minister if there be but one as they shall think fit and they or he desiring to be deposeth Who shall depose him the Elders onely of the Consistory or the whole Congregation or Assembly Shall they give sentence against them or him Thirdly If any one of the Congregation bee unjustly suspended from the holy Communion or absolutely excommunicated unto whom shall he direct himselfe to be re-admitted to the Congregation or to whom shall be direct his complaint if so be the Consistory who have unjustly suspended or excommunicated him have an absolute authority to themselves without dependencie upon any other If any new Heresies happen to be raised in any Church and that some Ministers and Congregations become infected therewith what remedy is there to avoid this great evill but by a Synod who may examine and depose the obstinate Minister or partie who infecteth the Church Had not the Synod of Dort remedied this evill the Arminianisme was spreading it selfe over that whole Countrey and had unavoidably prevailed For in case that every Consistory or Parish had been absolute of themselves and Independent they might have refused the resolution of the said Synod alleadging that they were not subject to Synods but had an absolute authority within themselves It is the chiefe and peculiar work of Synods which they always first take in hand to heare the complaint of particular Churches and to judge of appeals If these be taken away from the Synods they need no more to meet

herein writ of these unhappie Independents viz. Their most unreasonable and irreligious slandering of the Assembly all along in that Remonstrance not having delivered the Truth from their heart in any part thereof but altogether spoken deceitfully or falsly in every of their assertions or aspersions rather laid upon thē And now say good reader Are these dealings of these prime Independent-Remonstrants the practises of precious Saints are these fit actions think you for the Heads of a Godly-Party so bigly boasted of and most mightily blazed abroad in the world by the trump of flying I had almost said lying fame Certainly then am I extremely mistaken in my poor ●udgement and knowledge in Piety and Probity Concerning which their most injurious molesting of the peace of Gods Church and their unbridled endeavours to obtrude wayes and rules of governing Gods Church after their own conceited opinions not having any ground out of Gods Word for the same I shall here desire to minde them of a most pertinent passage very fit for this our present purpose related by my reverend friend M. Burton in his Sermon entituled For God and the King Where hee writes thus Were it a Law in England as once it was among the Loctians that whosoever would propound a new Law should come with a halter about his neck that if it pleased not the Senate the Hangman being ready should doe his office on him This passage Master Burton then applyed and I confesse most fitly to the Prelates of his time for their illegall innovations and this passage I verily believe I may as properly apply to our Schismaticall Independents and the rest and best of their fraternity of Sectaries who so strive and struggle to introduce by their new lights forsooth such new Laws or ways of a Church-Government which so justly may and doe displease our honourable Senate and molest the whole Kingdom because they cannot prove or justifie them from Gods Word If therefore that Law were on foot and in force among us at this time and that these our Sectaries should be made to come with halters about their necks on that condition what a case these our Independents together with their waspish-brethren the Anabaptists and the rest of their rabble of Sectaries would be in let all wise men judge Again see yet farther I pray thee good Reader more of their palpable and apparent halting and Double-dealing still manifested under their own hands against themselves For heretofore Mr. John Goodwin in his Innocencies Triumph his Theomachia pag. 48 49 50. and diverse others of his late Pamphlets Mr. Burton also my old entirely beloved friend for whom my soule mournes in secret to see him so falne off from his former faithfull principles in his vindication pag. 49 50 51. and pag. 68 69 c. Christ upon his Throne Master Lilburn also in his frothie and most scurrilous Letter to ever to be honoured M. Prinne The Jesuiticall Author or Authors of The Arraignment of Mr. Persecution together with very many others too tedious to recite and to whose own abusive words in their own writings in high derogation of the Parliaments honour and authority in Ecclesiasticall affairs for brevittes sake I refer the Reader All these Independents and Sectaries I say and many others of them did heretofore in those times of their then writings and Rebus sic stantibus when their fears were exceeding strong that the Parliament would certainly establish the Presbyterian-Government and their hopes extreme weake and flat of having their Independent Church-way set up or so much as a Toleration tolerated to them O then I say how was the power of Parliaments in Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction or matters of Religion cryed down abased and abused by M. Goodwin and the rest Alas for the Parliament to take upon it the ordering of Church Government or Church discipline O this was a most high and intollerable presumption in them this was a most bold intrenching upon Christs royall prerogative with many such like terrible taxations and heavy imputations of wrongfull usurping an Antichristian Legislative power and authority over the consciences forsooth of Christs free born Holy-ones But now adays of late the case is altered since the election of New-Members of Parliament in the House of Commons whereby they begin to dream and I trust in God they doe but dream that their hopes are now upon the wing and raised up to a high-flown pitch of conceit that the Presbyterian-Government shall either quite down and not be established at all or else so clog'd and clipt with Commissioners and such like supposed yokes curbs and restrictions as shall like Pharao's Chariots in the Red-Sea take off the wheels and make it drive on so heavily that Independents Anabaptists and the rest shall have fit and fair oportunities mightily to advance and hurrie on their own designes their crafty ayms and ends and in time bring them to perfection and for the present enjoy a full allowance of that cursed cause of the ruine of all sound Religion and sincere holinesse Libertie of conscience for all damnable Sects and Schismes whatsoever O now therefore I say how is the power of Parliament in matters of Religion and setling of Church Government cryed-up and magnified yea and wholy and onely as it were appropriated to them as the main master builders of Gods House his Church And as for the Assembly of Divines they have nothing to doe therein but so far onely as the Parliament pleases to use or refuse them Witnesse first The Peace-maker lately printed and published which now so struggles to uphold a peaceable-union between the Parliament and the City of London especially wherein he does well if that were all But why Ipray is this designe so fairely prest and put on O because we in the City may assure our selves sayes this Peace-maker if through our dis-unions the Parliament should miscarry in the main cause in hand not all our most professed friends in the World can preserve us from perishing Marke these words well good Reader The main Cause in hand and consider the times now and certainly the Peace-maker must needs mean Religion and Church-Government not the businesse of War to be the main Cause in hand and then take speciall notice also of his so zealously maintaining of the Parliamentarie-Covenant but with this proviso that it be in his sense and with his glosse set upon it which I should wonder how this Author dares thus to doe but that I now see they dare to doe any thing since as he well knows what a most deadly danger the Author of The Protestation Protested was in in former dayes for putting his sense as the Parliaments sense upon that Parliamentarie-Protestation Besides how does this Peace-maker agree with that crafty Caution-contriver Mr. I. G. in his twelve Cautions against the Hot-pressers of Reformation as hee flashingly termes the pious Presbyterians who cannot endure

for they have nothing to doe For to no purpose should they pronounce their judgements if they might govern according to their own mindes as if every parish were made a particular Soveraignty which would be an Order which was never practised nor used in any place since the Apostles There are many small Parishes in the Countrey where the Consistory is composed of one Minister of none of the greatest capacity and of foure or five countrey-men or clowns who are Elders of that Church And shall to such a Church be given such an absolute Independent authority And if their Minister happen to die will you believe those clowns sitting to judge of the capacity of a new Minister to give him the imposition of hands or to order in this case what ever may be needfull If upon occasion of wars or distractions in the Kingdom it be necessary to keepe a day of fasting and humiliation through all the Churches in the Kingdom who shall ordain this fast or who shall appoint the day of celebration thereof If it be necessary to remonstrate to the Kings Majestie the complaint of all the Churches in generall who shall depute the partie that shall present the Petition of the Churches of the whole Kingdom If upon any occasion it be found needfull to alter any thing in the Discipline of the Church in generall and to make any new necessary Orders in the same to be observed generally can this be done by particular Consistories being Independent and who are not subject to any generall Ordinance In brief It ought to be believed that the Dependencie of particular Churches to superiour powers is that which maintains the union of the Church and this being taken away there would remain no more correspondencie but a wilfull and wofull confusion would soon appear No man ought to be judge in his own cause But if there happen a contention between two Churches as it happeneth too often neither of these two Churches can be judge in their own cause and of necessity there must be reliefe by a superiour authority else all will be naught between them I will not believe though I confesse there is cause of jealousie that those that desire this Independencie have any intelligence with the enemie and that thereby they seeke under pretence of Reformation to bring us into a confusion or at least to expose us to the laughter of our enemies though I say I fear this by many Symptomes thereof I rather will in charity believe they err through want of experience and knowledge of what is profitable for the Church of God The end of every good Christian and Common-wealths man is to glorifie God in maintaining his true Religion to serve the King in the preservation of his royall person and dignity and to procure the Common good in maintaining justice and liberty of the Subject and Kingdom All these though three branches arise and spring from one root and have the same essense and being But it is impossible that any man should truly affect the King or Common-wealth that is slight and negligent in Religion nor can any man fully discharge his duty to God that is not carefull of King and Common-wealth See then ô Independents by this foresaid solid judgement how feeble and false yea how dangerous and destructive your Independent Church-way is The Lord open your eyes to see it and give you hearts affected with much sorrow for your obstinacie in it and in his good time graciously convert you from it to embrace Peace and Truth with your Presbyterian Brethren thus prayes Yours J. V. FINIS Ill weeds grow apace Want of weeding of Gods Garden the Church Plain-English 1 Pretended Piety and holinesse of life one great cause of the growth of Independencie 2 Pretence of Preaching Sound Doctrine another Cause of Independents growth among us Schismaticks are like Salamanders 1 Pretence of Preaching sound Doctrine a cause of Independents growth Sound-Doctrine overthrown by our Independents A pregnant S●●●le The Word Sacraments are the Vineyard or Garden of the Lord Godly Government or Scripturall Church-Discipline is the Wall or Fence about it Fals-doctrines preached and broached by Independents and other Sectaries Object Answ Toleration Liberty of Conscience the only Inlets for all other abominable Opinions Iudges 15. 3 4. Independents and all other Sectaries compared most fitly to Sampsons Foxes 2 Pretended Piety a second Cause of Independents growth among us The seeming Holinesse of Hereticks of the Primitive Church The outward seeming Holy Lives of the Scribes and Pharisees in our Saviours time 2 Cor. 11. 13 14. Mark this ô all yee honest and plain hearted Christians that are apt to be deceived and seduced Holinesse of Life is a false Touchstone to try Sound men by 1 Cor. 11. 1. Soundnesse in Doctrine is a true Touchstone to try a sound man by Gal. 1. 7 8. Soundnesse in doctrine though accompanied with humane infirmities is a safer way to try men than seeming-exact walking accompanied with errours in doctrine The main promised point now proved The certain Characters of a truly Godly-man Psal. 15. 24 4. Matth. 7. 12. Revel. 22. 15. A pretty passage concerning M. Peters Independents a Generation of notorious Dissemblers sly Deceivers Isaiah 62. 1. Cretensis p. 5. M. Iohn Goodwins Retrimentitious-Party of Sectaries The five famous Apologists The Apologeticall Narration intended by the Independents for their credit proved far otherwise The Apologists are Gods poore Exiles and How Antapol p. 190 191. Apol. Nar. p. 22. Apol. Nar. p. 5. 6. See heere the most strange unblushing false dealing of the Independents with Presbyterians contrary to their own words and protestations Another notable and undenyable false dealing of the Independents with the Presbyterians Antapolo p. 213 See heere also how most unblushingly the Independents deal falsly with the Presbyterians A notable passage of fallacy in the Independents acted by Mr. Phil●p Nye one of their grand Politicians A remarkable discovery of the Independents notorious subtilty Double-dealing Mr. Nye palpably coozens Mr. Calamy of the Writing or Instrument that tyed the Independents to be honest Antapol p. 243 The most shamelesse slanderous Remonstrance against the Assembly of Divines owned and subscribed by seven of the most eminent Independents The Independents Double-dealing about their Apolog. Narration The strange most urgent earnest importunity of the Presbyterians to procure a Modell of the Independents Church-Government Answer to the Remonstrance Mr. Tho Goodwin at last chosen by the Independents to frame their new-Modell of their Church-way Parturiunt Montes nascitur ridiculus Mus. A most shamelesse and slanderous Remonstrance against the Assembly exhibited to the Assembly instead of their New-Modell by seven of the most eminent Independents The perfect practice of Deceives An Answer of the Assembly of Divines to the Remonstrance of the Independents In Mr. Burton in his Sermon For God and the King p. 109. A fair tale told by the Sectaries for themselves Still more notorious double dealing under the Independents own hands Mr. Iohn Goodwin Mr. Burton Christ upon his Throne Mr. Iohn Lilburn Arraignment of Mr. Persesecution The notorious Double-dealing of Independents touching the power of Parliaments in Church-Government and matters of Religion The Peace-maker pag. 3. c. The Protestation protested Mr. I. G. in his 12. serious Cautions c. Luke 18. 11 12. The Last Warning to London Our holy Covenant made an ensnaring dangerous Dilemma to our consciences by the Independents subtilties The Peace-maker Ierem. 9. 4. An Independent jugling trick play'd by Doctor Homes with his Parishioners Ier. 9. 4. Mr. Iohn Bachilers approbation of a company of most pernicicious schismaticall Pamphlets yet pretends all to be pious sound and good M. Saltmarsh his singular testimony of M. Edwards his Preaching and conference Toichoructa or Independents razing their own foundation A remarkable piece of Independents impiety Mat. 18. 16. A prettie Independent evasion of all hitherto urged against independents New-Lights Vindication p. 58. Donec ad Triarios redieritres Independents emptie New-lights and Popish equivocation compared together Ioel 2. 18. Acts 2. 16 17. The extreme impiety folly and absurdity of the audacious Sectaries both man and wom●n of our times under a pretence of New-Light from the Prophesie of Ioel. 1 Cor. 14. 34 1 Tim. 2 11 12 1 Pet. 2. 15. Iam. 13 14 15. Here is an old Light and a true light indred The Independent Saints infirmities must not bee medled with Cretensis p. 4. Not only the Retrimentitious-party but the gravest Grandees of the Independent-party Sins of Infirmity briefly described Ragining sins briefly described No errour into be accounted a small sin The Independents tax the Presbyterians with piety for writing against their errours openly Galat. 2. 11. Ibid. 2. 9. Titus 1. 13. Iohn 18 37. Acts 19. 25. Revel. 22. 11.