Selected quad for the lemma: authority_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
authority_n	heir_n	power_n	successor_n	3,459	5	9.2559	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A42584	Gell's remaines, or, Several select scriptures of the New Testament opened and explained wherein Jesus Christ, as yesterday, to day, and the same for ever, is illustrated, in sundry pious and learned notes and observations thereupon, in two volumes / by the learned and judicious Dr. Robert Gell ; collected and set in order by R. Bacon.	Gell, Robert, 1595-1665.; Bacon, Robert, b. 1611 or 12.	1676 (1676)	Wing G472; ESTC R17300	2,657,678	1,606

that 's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Reason From the faithfulness of God who hath promised the greatest and precious promises that we should be partakers of the Divine Nature having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust 2 Pet. 1. 2. The bounty of Christ who gives the spirit of adoption unto his believers and thereby gives them power to become the sons of God 3. In regard of those who receive him they are only prepared and set in order unto faith in Christ and receive him and of him receive the end of their faith or reward 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the salvation of their souls 1 Pet. 1.8 9. Doubt But this gift of the Son seems not peculiar to those who have received Christ but common even to all the Sons of Adam for so it is said of Adam that he was the Son of God Luk. 3. ult I answer with St. Austin Credere gratia est obedientium posse credere natura est omnium To believe is the grace of those who obey to hope possibly to believe is the nature of all But we must distinguish these Three 1. Possibilitas Possibility which is a remote material power undisposed 2. Potentia Power which notes a disposition 3. Potestas est gratia superaddita naturali a grace added unto the natural power which it perfects 2. Why is it not said that the Lord Jesus makes those who receive him Sons of God but that he gives them power Surely the spirit of God imports thus much That the believers who receive Christ must not be wanting to themselves but that they should put to their own endeavour to become the sons of God to be led by his spirit Rom. 8.14 Be ye learned ye Judges of the earth Psal 2.15 therefore the peacemakers shall be called the sons of God Observ 1. Note hence what great love is this that the Father hath shewn unto us that we should be called the Sons of God 1 Joh. 2.1 if sons then heirs Rom. 8. 4. No man can make himself the Son of God the Son of God gives that power to become the Sons of God 5. Christ hath authority and power to bestow divine honours upon those who receive him and believe on his name so what is ascribed to the Father is given to the Son Ephes 4. He makes Kings and Priests unto God his Father Rev. 1. This discovers and reproves the grand Imposture of these last times Men receive and believe in their Mammon trust in their Riches receive and believe in Chemosh the God of riot and drunkenness yet will these men pretend and profess belief and receiving Christ above all other Christians yea they engross Christ to themselves yea that there are no purely Reformed Christians but themselves and since they have received Christ all the benefits which come by Christ are theirs they are the Sons of God This doubtless is Satans Master-piece who as he transforms himself into an Angel of Light and his Ministers into Ministers of Righteousness so he imposeth this arrant cheat upon the credulous people that he causeth his children to be reputed and taken for the children of God covetous sons of God proud sons of God envious sons of God such as profess catechetically that nor they nor any other can keep Gods Commandments by what power soever God hath given unto his Church but daily break them in thought word and deed Surely if these be Sons of God they are born of blood and of the will of man and of the will of the flesh they are born by equivocal Generation as Frogs and Mice and other Virmins Exhort Receive and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ to receive him is to receive the wisdom power righteousness and holiness of God the love and mercies of God these all these are Christ They who receive him receive power to become the Sons of God like unto him What love is this of the Father what love is this of the Son Every man assumes this honour to himself Were a man an Adopted Son to a Prince he would not regard things of inferiour nature his mind would be above them Why art thou being the Kings Son lean from day to day saith Jonathan to Amnon 2 Sam. 13. Because he was the Kings Son he must not be anxious and careful for the things of this life O ye Sons of God Cast all your care upon him for he careth for you NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS UPON JOHN I. 23. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ego vox clamantis in deserto Dirigite Syriac Complanate viam Domini sicut dixit Esaias Propheta He said I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness Make straight the way of the Lord as said the Prophet Isaias IF a Cryer or a Herald should present himself unto us with a Proclamation from the King Si fortè virum quem conspexêre silent arrectisque auribus astant what silence there would be what attention and listening unto the tenour and drift of the Proclamation A Cryer an Herald and as our Saviour saith a Prophet yea I say unto you more than a Prophet an Herald yea greater than an Herald the King of Heralds the Herald of the King of Kings he comes unto us and makes a Proclamation unto us in Name of the King of Kings Vox clamantis in deserto c. The parts are Two 1. The Herald or Cryer making Proclamation 2. The tenour and drift of his Proclamation The Lord for his mercie 's sake grant unto the speaker the door of utterance that he may open his mouth with boldness and make known the intent of this Proclamation for which he is an Ambassador that he may speak boldly thereof as he ought to speak And he grant unto the Hearers the door of entrance and hearing ears that they may hear it with reverence and attention and full purpose of obedience as they ought to hear The voice of the Cryer requires no less of us who after a negative description of himself made upon inquiry what he is vers 19. that he is not the Christ not Elias not that Prophet vers 20 21. In the Text he describes himself positively and affirmatively what he is I am faith he the voice of a Cryer in the wilderness But how a voice and of what a Cryer and how and why in the wilderness Aliud est verbum aliud est vox saith St. Anselm A word is one thing a voice another first the voice sounds then the word may be heard St. John therefore calls himself a Voice because he goes before the Word the essential Word of God and by his Ministry that Word is heard of men He was called a Voice because like a voice he sounded before Christ the Word He is well called a Voice because the Voice is inferiour the Word superiour St. John shews Christ as the Voice the Word the Voice is heard and with the hearing vanisheth but the Word remains as St. John spake of himself in comparison of

inference which our Lord makes from thence All things therefore whatsoever they bid you observe and do And therefore one of the Greek Fathers expounds sitting in the Chair of Moses to be the teaching of what is commanded in the Law of Moses 3. The Scribes sate in this Chair A Scribe was such an one among the Jews as was learned in the Letter of the Scripture Ecclus. 38.25 Such an one was Seraiah 2 Sam. 8.17 He was taken for a Prophet according to the Chaldee Paraphrast See Ezra 7.12 Thus what we read in Esay 3.2 the Judge and the Prophet the Chaldee Paraphrast hath the Judge and the Scribe Esay 9.15 The Prophet that teacheth lyes is in the Chaldee Paraph. the Scribe that teacheth lyes 1 Sam. 10.10 Is Saul among the Prophets in the Chaldee Paraphr it is among the Scribes So that as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Prophet signifieth oftentimes no more than a Teacher of the Word as it s used oft in the New Testament In the same sence we may understand a Scribe here a Teacher who because he was learned in the Law of Moses he was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Lawyer Josephus calls such an one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Expounder of the Laws And thus a Scribe who sate in Moses's Chair was a Teacher of Moses's Law 2. But what was a Pharisee A Pharisee hath his name say some from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to expound because they were Expositors of the Law but quo jure rather from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to separate as importing such an one as separates himself from others in regard of outward Sanctity So he is described by one of the Jews to be such an one as separates himself from outward pollution and all common and unclean Meats and from the people of the earth as the Pharisees thought and called all men but themselves Of their Sect and Opinion were some of the Priests and Levites Joh. 1.19 with 24. Reason Who put these Scribes and Pharisees into Moses's Chair Who bid them sit down in it Surely not God He appointed Moses Chair for the Priests to fit in and he installed them in it And he ordained that every seventh year the Priest should read the Law Deut. 31.10 11. And accordingly Jehosaphat sent Priests The Lord directs the People to the Priest to seek the sence and meaning of the Law Mal. 2.7 They shall seek the Law at the mouth of the Priest But in process of time the Scribes whose first Office was to be Keepers of the Scripture and to preserve it lest any Corruption in the writing or transcribing of it should creep in saith Gemel These undertook by little and little to interpret the Law the forenamed Author saith they explained the Law according to the Letter of it He seems to have been such an one whose office was to read the Law of Moses as Act. 13.15.15.2 who afterward undertook the expounding of it And as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Greek Church Lector in the Latin Church was such an one as had authority only to read the Scriptures in the Congregation especially the Gospel And this was all their business in the Church Or if we say as some do that these Priests and Levites were the successors unto those Num. 11. whom Moses appointed yet if they had not as 't is clear they had not the same Spirit with those they are no better than usurpers and intruders into Moses Chair and got power by the negligence of the Priests Whatever power the Scribes had to teach it 's certain the Pharisees had none but were a sort of people who assumed to themselves a power of teaching the people An hypocritical Sect who placed all their Religion in outward forms and outward obedience to the Law The first time we read of them is Matth. 3.7 where John calls them a Generation of Vipers Note hence that ancient and usual manner of Teaching the Teachers sate when they taught Some have thought that the Jews were wont to teach the Law standing which is only true of the reading of the Law which done he who taught sate down This is most notable in that best of Teachers the Lord Jesus our only Master Luk. 4.17 18 19 20. and he closed the book and sate down Matth. 5.1 and 13.1 2. and 24.3 and 26.55 The Auditors stood as Nehemiah 8.4 5. Whence Auditories were called sometimes Stationes The danger was then less for the peoples sleeping to which a sitting posture disposeth too many while the Teacher is to hear like a very lovely Song Ezek. 33.2 fit to lull them asleep Not that one posture or other is more or less pleasing unto God but the while the Service of God is compared to a Warfare standing is more agreeable Whence the Women are said militare militiam Domini and thence is that phrase Statio militaris Psal 134. Ye that stand in the house of the Lord Eph. 6.11 14. Repreh Those who take the Chair of Moses that they may take their ease in it and enjoy honours Moses sate in no such Chair Exod. 18.13 He wore out himself from morning till evening Numb 11.11 he complains Why hast thou laid the burden of all this people upon me It was to Moses a burden Esay 22.22 23. The key of David upon the shoulder of Eliakim was the Key of David so heavy that it must be born upon ones shoulder It is no doubt a great burden to govern the Souls of men And the Lord Jesus among his Names and Titles of Honour Esay 9.6 hath this The government shall be upon his shoulder When Saul was chosen King 1 Sam. 10. it was said of him that he was higher from the shoulders upward than all the people Thus are they who are set over the people to govern them there is no mention of his Hands the true Governours are described by their Shoulders such as are strong to bear the burdens of the weak He who desires the office of a Bishop desires a good work Our Lord directs this Precept to the multitude and to his Disciples 1. To the multitude who were not yet admitted into Christ's School but were to be exercised in the Law of the Father which is our Schoolmaster unto Christ 2. He directs his Precept unto his Disciples who though they were not under the Law or compulsion of it but under grace yet the righteousness of the Law was to be fulfilled in them Rom. 8.3 2. All things whatsoever they bid you observe and do All and whatsoever are two very large words And since they are here spoken with reference unto the Command of the Scribes and Pharisees and so infer answerable observation and obedience in those who are taught by them it 's necessary that they have their due limitation for otherwise since our Lord as elsewhere so especially in this Chapter condemns the Doctrine of the Scribes and Pharisees he might be thought here to justifie them These large