Selected quad for the lemma: authority_n
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A37274
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Sermons preached upon severall occasions by Lancelot Dawes ...; Sermons. Selections
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Dawes, Lancelot, 1580-1653.
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1653
(1653)
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Wing D450; ESTC R16688
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281,488
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345
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erre but as he is Pope his judgment is infallible If he be sitting in his Chaire in the Consistory if hee back the whole Church then he is like Apollo in tripode he can speak nothing but Gospel Marry if he be walking or riding or sitting at Table he will talk as madly as any of his Cardinals Now because I know not what the Popes were doing how their behaviour was when they did thus and thus determine whether they were sitting in their Chaires as Plato was wont when he did dictate or walking with the Peripateticks or which is most likely lying with the Epicures the Popes authority is not sufficient of it selfe to prove this or that to be the doctrine of the Romish Church Whither must I now goe to their Councils confirmed by the Pope Indeed these be the Church representative or branch of the unwritten word which is to be received with no lesse reverence and authority then the books of the Old and New Testament Well then I will go no higher then the Councell of Trent it was called by a Pope continued by a Pope confirmed by a Pope and shall I take this for an undoubted truth that whatsoever is there decreed is universally received amongst Papists Oh but the very Councell it selfe though it hath been sundry times attempted yet could it not be received into the Kingdome of France nor is as I suppose to this day Yea and in Italie and Spaine too both private Doctors yea and Popes too have crossed the determinations of that Conventicle I will instance in one particular the Councel of Trent commands that the old and vulgar edition shall be received for authenticall and that no man under any pretence whatsoever shall once dare or presume to reject it And yet Bellarmine a great Champion of that Synagogue holds that in foure cases it is lawfull to appeale from it to the Original Languages and Azorius Vega Sixtus Sinansis Canus Lindanus and divers others since that Councell do aver that in that edition there are many grosse errours and ridiculous Soloecismes not only by the negligence of Writers and Printers which the Lovanianists and Colonianists have noted in the Margent but by the negligence and ignorance of the Interpreter himselfe yea and Popes themselves contrary to the Precept and Decree of that Synod have revised and corrected the same For about 43. years after the first publication of this Decree Sixtus 5. did review and correct the whole Bible and publishing it in the last yeare of his Popedome did command that that of his should for evermore stand in force upon paine of the great Curse and yet within three years after this comes Clement 8. with a new Edition in many hundred of places different from that of Sixtus the diversities whereof being gathered together by a painful Antiquary into a Book which he intituleth Bellum Papale doe make a pretty volume and this latter must I trow upon no lesse penalty be received for authenticall These be they that boast of unity and make Consent a mark of the Church But let us grant that unto the Papists which they are never able to make good that Rome is at Peace with her selfe will it hence presently follow that that Church is this little Flock Theeves and Robbers are at peace amongst themselves and true men may goe to Law one with another The Scribes and Pharisees yea Herod and Pilate agreed in crucifying Christ The the Kings of the earth stood up and the Rulers took counsell together against the Lord and against his Christ Psal 2. 2. They have cast their heads together with one consent and are confederate against thee O God the Tabernacles of the Edomites and Ismaelites the Moabites and Hagarens Geball and Ammon and Amaleck the Philistims with them that dwell at Tyre Ashur is also joyned unto them Psalm 83. The Nobles and Princes and Dukes and Judges and all agreed in the dedication of the Image which Nebuchadnezzar bad set up they must either be at peace with God or their braggs are winde There is no true peace amongst men when they warr with God there is no truth in unity when there is no unity in truth Now how they agree with the Spirit of God speaking unto us in the holy Scriptures he that will heare them 〈◊〉 speak shall quickly discerne God forbids that any Image be made to any religious use or being made to be worshipped the Church of Rome commands both God commands that the Sacrament shall be ministred in both kinds the Church of Rome commands that the greatest part of Christians have it but under one kinde God teacheth us that howsoever before men we are justified by works yet before him we are justified by Faith without the works of the Law the Church of Rome teacheth that we are not justified before God by faith without the works of the Law God tells us that we must pray with the understanding the Church of Rome maintaineth praying in a strange tongue God saith that Marriage is honourable amongst all men the Church of Rome denies it God calls the prohibition of marriage a Doctrine of Devills the Church of Rome makes the prohibition of marriage equall to Canonicall Scripture God hath taken away all legall distinction of meats and tells us that every creature of God is good c. they the Church of Rome puts more religion in abstinence from meats then in the observation of Gods precepts Briefly whereas the summ of the whole Bible is comprehended in the Decalogue and Creed and both these included in the Lords prayer there is not a Commandement in the Decalogue scarce an Article in the Creed or petition in the Lords prayer against which if not directly yet indirectly and by consequence they doe not offend they ascribe an inward religious worship to Saints against the first Commandement they adore Images against the second they maintaine swearing by the creatures invocation of Saints they dispence with Oaths against the third with greater strictnesse they observe their owne holidayes and fasting dayes then the Lords day against the fourth they extoll the Pope above all Emperours and secular Princes they admit Children into religious Orders without consent of Parents against the fifth they teach and practise rebellions murthers and massacres of such as be opposite unto them in matters of Religion against the sixth they prohibite marriage and allow the Stews against the seventh they hold that in extreame necessity it is lawfull to take another mans goods against the eighth they maintaine equivocation and mentall reservation against the ninth they hold that concupiscence unto wich the will doth not yeeld consent is not properly a sin and so overthrow the tenth that concupiscence unto which the will yeelds her consent being forbidden in the former precepts Not to trouble you further the summ of all is this Such is the unity of the Romish Church as neither old Papists agree with new nor old
is naught in respect of that which followeth For whereas God challengeth this as a prerogative unto himself to bestow kingdomes on whomsoever he wil and placeth the Princes of the earth in authority next unto himselfe this they have perforce taken from God and bestowed it upon him that sitteth in the temple of God and advanceth himself above all that are called Gods It is he to whom if ye will believe him and his parasites all power is committed both in heaven and in earth He is that King of Kings and Lord of Lords by whom Princes rule and on whom the right of Kings dependeth all nations must fall down before him and all kingdomes must do him homage The greatest Monarch of the earth must prostrat himselfe before him and kisse his holy feet The Emperour if he be present when he taketh horse must hold the bridle when he lighteth he must hold the right stirrup when he walketh he must bear up his train when he washeth he must hold the bason when he would be born he must be one of the four that must carry him upon their shoulders in a golden chair 7. And as he takes upon him to give kingdomes to whomsoever he will like the Devil who told our Saviour Christ that all the kingdomes of the world were his and he gave them to whomsoever he would whereupon saith an ancient father mentitur diabolus quia cujus jussu homines creantur hujus jussu reges constituuntur the devil is a liar for by whose authority men were created by his are kings appointed as he takes upon him I say to give kingdomes at his pleasure so will he take them away when he listeth So farre is he from that obedience and reverence which every soul should give to the higher power Who knoweth not that Leo Isaurus for putting in execution a decree of a Councill held at Constantinople in his time touching the taking away of Images was first excommunicated and then deprived of all his revenues in Italy That Pope Zacharie deposed Childerick the French king that he might gratifie Carolus Mertellus and his son Pipin That the proud Venetian pedler Paul the second by a publike edict deprived of crown and kingdome George the king of Bohemia because he was an Hâ—ssite and stirred up Mathias the king of Hungary his son in law to warre against him What shall I tell you of the indignities offered in our own land against Henry the second and John king of England or of the buls of Pius Quintus sent against Queen Elizabeth of never dying memory whereby he hath excommunicated her absolved her subjects from their oaths of allegiance stirred up rebellions in these middle parts of Britain and taken upon him to bestow the regal diademe upon strangers God be thanked he that dwels in heaven and of right challengeth the authority of disposing the kingdomes of this world to himselfe laughed all their devises to scorn So that his Canons though they made a terrible noise yet no bullet was felt And his Buls which sometimes had such a terrible aspect that a whole provincial Synod durst scarse venture to bait them proved such cowardly dastards that every single adversary hath been ready to tugge them Much resembling the counterfeit shews of Semiramis when she warred against the king of India which a farre off seemed to be Elephants and Dromedaries but when they were throughly tried proved nothing but Oxen hides stuffed with straw Even so Lord God Almighty true and righteous are thy judgements That I may cut off this first branch of my Text my third and last inference shall concerne you R. H. whom the Lord hath placed at the seate of judgement Have Magistrates their authothority from God this concerns you in your places as well as the greatest potentate of the earth And therefore as on the one side it should be incouragement unto you to hold on in all godly courses ye have begun so on the other side it should worke in you an humble and thankfull acknowledgment of so rare a benefit Say not then within your selves that it was not your owne deserts the excellency of your wits the ripenesse of your judgements of so rare a benefit Say not then within your selves that it was your own deserts the excellency of your wits the ripeness of your judgements the deepnesse of your knowledge in the lawes the integrity of your persons that did advance you unto those roomes If these were meanes of your preferment yet have yee nothing whereof ye can justly boast because ye have all from him For Dei dona sunt quaecunque bona sunt Use then your places as received from him acknowledge God to be authour of your advancement and say with Mary in her Song he that is mighty hath done great things for us and holy is his name And so much of the first proposition The second followeth Magistrates are Gods Deputies 8 God as he is jealous of his honour so is he of his name too He will not give it unto any other but only so far as hath he some resemblance with him I find onely three in Gods booke to say nothing of that eternall essence to which it principally agreeth which have this name given them The first is Satan who by reason of his great and almost unlimited power which he hath for a time here on earth by ruling raigning in the hearts of the children of disobedience is called a God The God of this world 2 Cor. 2. 4. The second are the blessed Angels those yeomen of the guard in the Court of Heaven which wait about the throne of God These by reason of their supereminent offices are called Gods Thou hast made him a little inferiour to the Gods Psalm 8. 5. which the Apostle following the Septuagint transâ—â—teth Angels Heb. 2. 7 The third is the Magistrate who both in this Psalm and sundry other places of Scripture is called a God His master shall bring him to the Gods Exod. 21. 6. Thou shalt not rayle upon the Gods Exod. 22. 28. that is the Judges implying thus much that as they have a commandment and authority from God so they have in some sense the authority of God and do supply his room Therefore said Moses unto the Judges which he appointed in every city ye shall not fear the face of man for the judgement is Gods And Jehosaphat to those Judges which which he had set in the strong cities of Judah take heed what you do for ye execute not the judgement of man but of the Lord. 9. Now then if Magistrates be Gods deputies what reverence it behoveth each private person to exhibit unto them I appeal to the conscience of every particular There be many at this day who howsoever in common civility they will seem to give an outward reverence unto the Magistrate yet in heart they scorn and contemn sundry of them as perchance