Selected quad for the lemma: authority_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
authority_n	punishment_n	spiritual_a	temporal_a	2,686	5	9.2641	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A88100	A discourse concerning Puritans. A vindication of those, who uniustly suffer by the mistake, abuse, and misapplication of that name. A tract necessary and usefull for these times.	Ley, John, 1583-1662, attributed name.; Parker, Henry, 1604-1652, attributed name.	1641 (1641)	Wing L1875; Thomason E204_3; ESTC R15236	40,576	60

use then but not now The Spirit of God did then internally incite such and such men at such times to reside preside in such such places and some of the Apostles at some times could judge by inspiration without proofes allegations and could execute sentence of death or other spirituall punishment upon secret hypocrites not intrenching upon temporall authority but in these times this discipline is uselesse therfore decayed Whatsoever the offence then was what injury or trespasse soever betwixt brother and brother the only remedy was Dic Ecclesiae and yet that precept serves as strong for temporall as spirituall trespasses so that it cannot be enforced now to continue unlesse wee meane to drowne all temporall authority As for the extent also of spirituall power in those dayes I will onely cite a learned Politician of the Popish religion who admitting it seemed that the keyes of heaven were given to Saint Peter alone and his Successours and not to all Bishops and Ministers whatsoever thus proceeds By the keyes given to S. Peter many Holy Fathers mean the one of knowledge the other of power and that that power ought not to be understood universally but only concerning the Kingdome of Heaven which is spirituall for the Civill Royall and Temporall power is expresly forbidden him by Christ Even so that also of knowledge it is not to be understood of natural politike or morall things but as Saint Paul saith of Christs mysteries only Wherefore in matters of faith Ecclesiasticall authority may approve and Secular cannot condemne but in matters or policy what all the Prelates in the World approve temporall authority may condemne It is a great wrong to pretend because Christ hath given Saint Peter the cognizance and power of the Kingdome and forbidden him the earthly contrary to this precept to extend spirituall things to temporall Saint Augustine often saith That Grace doth not destroy any thing in Nature but leaveth her all her owne adding moreover divine perfection The Temporality hath of its own nature power to forbid all things repugnant to publike quietnesse and honesty and Christ came not to take away this authority from Magigistrates He only adds power to his Ministers in matters of faith not knowne by nature but revelation For ought wee know this power of opening or shutting Heaven of binding and loosing sins was miraculous and so but temporary but admit it in this Catholike Writers sense yet we plainly see it is no prejudice at all to limit Secular Princes thereby The same learned Papist writes That the Easterne and Westerne Churches continued in unity and charity for the space of nine hundred yeares after Christ and this peace was easily kept because the Supream power was then in the Canons to which all Churches acknowledged themselves equally subject Ecclesiasticall Discipline was then severely mayntained in each Country by its own Prelates not arbitrarily but absolutely according to Canonicall rigour none of them intermedling in anothers government No Pope of Rome did pretend to conferre Benefices in other Bishops Diocesses or to get money out of others by way of Dispensations and Buls but when Rome began to shake off all subjection to Canons then notwithstanding any ancient order of the Fathers Councels or Apostles themselves instead of her ancient Primacy she brought in an absolute Dominion free from any Law or Canon this made the division Neither could any re-union bee brought to passe within these 700 yeares because this abuse which caused the Division is not remedied Whilst the union held Saint Pauls doctrine was joyntly observed that Every one should be subject to Princes no man pretended to be free from punishment Nay and after the division the same opinion remayned that every Christian in temporall businesses is subject to the Prince And nothing is more temporall then offence because nothing is more contrary to the Spirit Amongst the Greeks also it is still held that Bishops ought to judge what opinion is found what Hereticall but to punish those of hurtfull opinions belongeth to the Secular The State of Venice as well as other Catholike Kingdomes walks between two extreames betweene Protestants which have no other ayme but to diminish Ecclesiasticall authority and the Court of Rome which hath no other ayme but to increase it and to make the Temporall her servant Those of the Court of Rome making use of Religion for worldly ends and respects under a spirituall pretense but with an ambitious end and desire of worldly wealth and honour would free themselves from obedience due to the Prince and take away the love and reverence due by the people to draw it to themselves To bring those things to passe they have newly invented a doctrine that talks of nothing but Ecclesiasticall greatnesse liberty immunity and jurisdiction This doctrine was unheard of till about the year 1300 then it began to be written scatteringy in some books but till 1400 there were not written above two Bookes which treated of nothing else after this such Writers increased a little but after 1560 there were scarce any Books printed in Italy but in diminution of Secular authority and exaltation of the Ecclesiasticall And now the people have scarce any other Books to read nor have the Confessors any other doctrine or need any other learning Hence comes this perverse opinion that Magistracy is a humane invention and to be obeyed for policy only not for conscience but that every intimation of Ecclesiasticall persons is equivalent to a divine precept there want not in Italy pious learned men which hold the contrary but they are not suffered to write or print Neither are forraine Books permitted or ancient Authours left ungelded of all which serves for Temporall authority as appeares by a book printed 1607 called Index Expurgatorius and Clement the Eighth in 1595 published a rule in his Index that all Catholike Writers Books since 1515 might be corrected not only by expunging but also by interlining and this hath beene practised though not publikely above seventy yeares Thus we finde the Court of Romes but not the Authors meaning and finally wee are sure to have no book true I have hitherto cited this egregious Politician for these purposes First That we may see how easie it is for Clergie-men to wrest all authority out of the Temporalties hands if Princes will be so easie to be hood-winkt and deluded by them and to resigne their judgments to them in such cases as concern their profit and advancement Secondly That we may take notice how far the learnedst of Papists themselves doe discover and detect the errours and tyranny of the Court of Rome and that mysticall way of deceiving whereby all hope of remedy is cut off I observe this also the rather because our Prelates in England at this day assume to themselves almost as vast and unquestionable a power of shifting and repressing all adverse disputes and of authorizing and publishing all arguments whatsoever savouring their

cause as the Court of Rome does Thirdly that I might produce the same Author against himselfe in those points wherein he taxes Protestants We will yield that for the space of nine hundred yeers the See of Rome did not usurpe over other Sees but did acknowledge equall subjection to the Canons and that the division and separation of the Easterne Churches happened when Rome arrogated above Canons but withall we must have it yielded to us that those Canons had been composed only by Clergy-men and that in too much favour of Clergy-men and too much abridgment of Temporall Rights and Priviledges and that they did concerne matters more then meerly spirituall and speculative and things known by meere revelation So that though one Prelate did not usurpe over another yet all Prelates had usurped over the Laity from the times of Constantine almost It is true the Church had Bishops before in its times of persecution but of what power or pompe It is said of Calvin that in regard of his sway in Geneva he wanted nothing but the Name of Bishop and it may be as truly said of the Bishops before Constantine that they wanted all but the Name The power of Bishops before the installment of Christian Princes was rather like that of Arbitrators then of Judges and that held in all cases alike Civill and Spirituall but in case of disobedience they did not intrench so far upon the Lay power as to inflict any pecuniary or corporall punishment but they did deny the Sacrament and eject delinquents out of the Congregation and this was then an abscission from Christ being done Clave non errante that is whilst God did inspire according to his promise a miraculous power of binding and loosing infallibly The Priestly function was then an Office not a Jurisdiction of sacred dignity not Power but the Function of a Prince was ever sacred both for honour and power for dignity and command Constantine the Great was the first Prince which tooke upon him the care and protection of the Church after that it had suffered contempt and poverty for 300 yeares and now did even that authority and protection cease and devolve into his hands which the poore persecuted Bishops had but feebly managed before but such was the extraordinary indulgence of this pious Emperour as well to religious persons as to Religion it selfe that taking little notice what the Church had gaine by him as its Head and Governour He heaped up greater Titles and Honors upon Bishops Archbishops Patriarchs and Popes as if some other supreme Ruler more sacred and competent then himselfe were necessary Neverthelesse it is thought that this was as poyson poured into the Church and not Balme for from that very time Clergy men began to be more glorious but lesse gracious more rich outwardly but more poore and vile inwardly Within a little space after Constantine there was just cause of complaint that excessive Honours had corrupted the Church and that Religion had prospered better in former times when it had wooden Chalices and golden Priests then now when it had golden Chalices but wooden Priests It is remarkable also that soon after Constantine the temporall power being too much restrained and abased and the spirituall as much inlarged and exalted the whole face of Christendome began to be imbroyled with wars and poysoned with heresies so that the Historians of those times have almost nothing else to write of but the forcible investing and devesting by armes of such Bishops and Patriarchs and of the oppositions of such and such Councels and Synods and of the Appeals Jars Schismes Excommunications and Commotions of such and such Priests and Monks Nay such were the ill effects of those ages which were certainly more zealous then politike that they cannot yet be wholly rectified and purged in these our latter times which are growne too too contrary being more politike then zealous Thus did the Church fare for 900 yeares till the Roman Bishops began to Empire above all and then did the greatest part of the Clergie themselves especially East from Italy make their departure and separation Neither did the Romish Vice-god after this great rent and division in the World hang his head for shame or seeke any re-union by letting fall his pompous painted plumes but audaciates himselfe rather to mount higher yet and to detrude the Western Emperour quite out of the bounds of Italy And in this his industry fails him not for after much bloud-shed in many cruell conflicts Hee gains in Italy a Temporall and in all Europe besides a spirituall Monarchy making a triple Mitre shine as gloriously upon the seven-hilled City as the Diadem had done before During his wars with the Emperour of Germany He had other contestations also with England and some other Potentates at sometimes but all dismaid him not only once Hee was heard to say It was time for him to compound with the Dragon that hee might crush the lesser Adders at his pleasure Yet after this even this Holy tyranny grows too insolent and insufferable and so conspires its owne dissolution so that many Countries in the Northwest parts lying more remote from Rome quite revolt from her Allegeance and Protest against her Amongst those other Countries also lesse distant which still in words confesse her Supremacy her Reigne is now but little more then precarious Venice regards not Buls and Anathemacs France disdains a yonger brothers benediction and Spain being honoured with the title of the Popes eldest Son confesses him a Fathe● but employs him as a Chaplain gives verball but reaps reall honours by him Augustus having cashiered an unworthy Commander gave him leave to say that he had cashiered Augustus and so the Popes great sonnes shake off his yoke by degrees but conceal it and give him leave to doe the like It is now very good policy in the Pope not to pretend to Temporall things as they stand in ordine or have relation to spiritual things but rather to relinquish his right to spirituall things as they stand in order to Temporall it is eminent wisdome in him to forbeare threatning roaring cursing and sending his ridiculous Epigrams out of his owne Territories as hee was wont to doe Nay his very last refuge of sending forth his poysoning and stabbing Ministers cannot remayne in season much longer But to returne to our learned Statesman as Hee justly taxes the Court of Rome so He unjustly taxes Protestants of the contrary extream and this will appeare out of his own words For He grants first that the Secular Magistrates have nothing diminished of their authority by Christs comming and it is cleere that Princes were absolute Governours of the Church before Christ both in Spirituall and Temporall Cases In the next place Hee yields that the power and knowledge of Clergy-man called the power of the Keyes is no other but such as Christ infuses in smeere supernaturall things knowne only by Faith and Revelation not by any Physicall or