Selected quad for the lemma: authority_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
authority_n	pastor_n	spiritual_a	temporal_a	2,293	5	9.3439	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A30930	A sermon preached at St. Mary Le Bow, on Whitsunday, May xxxi, 1691 at the consecration of the Most Reverend Father in God, John, Lord Archbishop of Canterbury, and primate of all England / by Ra. Barker ...	Barker, Ralph, 1648-1708.	1691 (1691)	Wing B777A; ESTC R17105	11,838	31

to shine into all the dark corners of our Souls that Christ's Sheep may hear his voice and not anothers that they may know him and follow him Should not Christ's Sheep know the mind of Christ and be instructed in the Words of the Lord Jesus Christ as Titus and the first Christians were taught that sound Doctrin that Edifying which is in Faith that Depositum which he committed to his Chuch And can we better express our love to our Lord or his Sheep than by giving them the Food which he hath appointed for them that sanctifying Word which is able to make them perfect and save their Souls And shall any be such Stewards of God's Grace as to hoard up this in a Napkin as too luscious and over-light Nourishment for Sheep Give them some latter Traditions some Pictures or Legends which may keep them Humble and Ignorant Better be lean than wander better starved than lost the Hireling may think so because he is to have the Fleece of such as die alone but the good Shepherd whose own the Sheep are knows very well that Sheep are more apt to wander through want of Food than through Plenty and he knows better how to prevent surfeiting than by starving can easilier teach Humility than see so many perish for want of Knowledge can there be a greater Error than to part with our Scriptures for fear of Error and because some wrest them must others not see them Because the Lambs suck must the Sheep do so too Good God that such Nonsense should pass for Reasoning that Christ's Sheep should have such Shepherds But secondly to feed doth include an Holy Zeal and concern for them to preserve and secure them as much as may be both from Sin and Error to watch for their Souls as they that must give an Account of them to the great Shepherd not suffering them to fall into the Hands of such and such there are who if they get them into their Hands will as St. Peter fore warns us make Merchandize of them through Covetousness and fained Words 2 Pet. 2. 3. such False Prophets such Damnable Heresies did he foresee were coming into the World And therefore he explains Feeding the Flock which is among you by taking the over-sight thereof being acquainted with the State and Condition of their Flocks their Dangers and Temptations their Capacities and Circumstances that so their Preachings and Instructions their Care and Inspection may reach them and come home to them may be suited to their several conditions and present wants The good Shepherd is as much concerned to fold his Sheep safely as to provide them with Plenty to preserve them Sound as Fat to take care of the Sick and Weak to recover the Lost and Wandering For which purposes he hath his Tarr and his Crook the Spirit of Meekness and a Rod of Power Power to Rebuke to Censure to Exclude for their own good and for the good of the rest St. Peter knew how to treat a dissembling Ananias Thus Feeding doth comprehend all that Spiritual Power and Authority which Christ left with his Church and which would not miss of its designed Effects if kept within its due Bounds and Measures and such as our Apostle hath taken care to fence it in with a due Respect to the Civil Rights and Interests of Kings and the Governors which are Commissioned by them such as is consistent with Modesty and Humility that Pitty and Compassion that unfeigned love of the Brethren which is due to our Fellow Christians as they are Christ's Sheep God's Lot and Heritage All which Expressions so far as I can gather from St. Peter's use of them are a safe and good state of the Case betwixt the Civil and Ecclesiastical Power which hath puzelled and endangered so many Undertakers in it some of which have felt the Weight of that Power which they themselves have unwarrantably advanced and understood at last what exercising the Authority of Kings and Lording it over their Brethren did signifie both in Christ and in St. Peter when they so earnestly forbad them If Pastor do signifie sometimes Spiritual sometimes Temporal Rulers it is altogether as unwarrantable and unsafe from thence to mix the Temporal with the Spiritual as to mix the Spiritual with the Temporal for Kings and Rulers may as justly hence make themselves Priests as Priests make themselves Rulers and Kings If 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signified among the Grecians the Prince and chief Rulers may every Bishop claim as great Power and Authority as ever they exercised Then may every Christian make himself a King or Priest or what he will as he may pick up some Word or Expression used among the Poets or better Authors for the purpose he would have it But to return Feeding doth imply in the third place and according to our Saviour's use of it being exemplary and going before the Flock according to the Custom of those Countries and is expressed in our Apostle by being Examples to the Flock in all things shewing themselves Patterns of good Works in Faith in Conversation for a good Life is the surest Ground the best Disposition for the Understanding of our Duty gives the greatest Courage and Assurance in the Performance of it adds the greatest advantage and furtherance in the Success thereof I say it is First the surest Ground and best Qualification for the Understanding the business we go about They were the Holy Men of God saith our Apostle who in all Ages were moved by the Holy Ghost they that do his Will shall know of his Doctrin For is not our Religion a Practical Knowledge a Doctrin of Godliness the Work of Righteousness And shall we separate the Knowledge from the Practice the Doctrin from the Godliness That is would we walk in the ways of God without stirring one step All practical Things are gained by Practice and I am sure in nothing more than in Religion as it doth by degrees quit us of those Prejudices and Entanglements which debase our Understandings and Affections clog our Inclinations and discourage our Attempts as it gives us the true Relish of the Ease and Pleasure of Religion as it gives God's Spirit the Opportunity to concur and work with us 2ly As it gives Courage and Assurance in the performance of our Duty St. Peter stiles such an one a Living stone and doth not think himself lessened by our Saviours comparing the practical Christian to the house built upon the rock He that loves Goodness may with confidence and a good grace recommend it he that hates Vice may with boldness and ex animo reprove and out-face it How sneakingly how coldly must that Man act who is bound to reprove what he dearly loves and recommend that which he hath no relish for no acquaintance with Is not this acting of a Part and turning our very Churches into Stages If our business be Religion for God's sake let us be religious 3dly This gives the best Advantage and