Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	aaron_n	john_n	prerogative_n	12	3	10.8139	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A68236	The third booke of commentaries vpon the Apostles Creede contayning the blasphemous positions of Iesuites and other later Romanists, concerning the authoritie of their Church: manifestly prouing that whosoeuer yeelds such absolute beleefe vnto it as these men exact, doth beleeue it better then Gods word, his Sonne, his prophets, Euangelists, or Apostles, or rather truly beeleeues no part of their writings or any article in this Creede. Continued by Thomas Iackson B. of Diuinitie and fellow of Corpus Christi College in Oxford.; Commentaries upon the Apostles Creed. Book 3	Jackson, Thomas, 1579-1640.	1614 (1614)	STC 14315; ESTC S107489	337,354	346

in Christ the improbability had beene much lesse then now it is in Peters case that the Bishoppe of Rome if any should haue succeeded him But when that people beganne to grow out of loue with the truth fashioning themselues vnto this present world the disease whereof Saint Paul forewarned them it was Sathans policy to present vnto them longing after such a Monarchicall state as their heathenish Predecessors had such shewes of Peters Supremacy and residencie at Rome as by the diuine permission had either crept into some of the Ancients religious cogitations or else in time of darkenesse haue been shufled by the predecessors of these cheating mates late discouered into their writings as fitte baites to entice them vnto this deriuation of that absolute power from Peter to their greater condemnation and our good For God no doubt in his prouidence ordered this their blindnesse to illuminate vs as he did the fall of the Iewes to confirme the Gentiles in faith seeing of al the Apostles Peters prerogatiues as hath beene shewed were most euidently personall all to determine with himselfe vnto which obseruation his owne writings also giue testimony Euen a little before hee was to leaue the world where hee most manifested his earnest desire of preseruing his flocke sound in faith after his death he giues no intimation as shall bee shewed more at large hereafter of any Successor vnto whom they were to repaire His present Epistle he foresaw would bee more auaileable to this purpose then any tradition from him I will not bee negligent to put you alwayes in remembrance of these things though that yee haue knowledge and be established in the present truth For I thinke it meet as long as I am in this Tabernacle to stirre you vp by putting you in remembrance seeing I know that the time is at hand that I must lay downe this my Tabernacle euen as our Lord Iesus Christ hath shewed me I will endeauour therefore alwayes that yee also may bee able to haue remembrauce of these things after my departing 4 As for peculiar direction of later times whence perpetuall infallibility must bee deriued it cannot bee gathered from his writings that hee knew so much as his brother Paul did Albeit in this point these two great pillars of Christs Church more famous then all their fellow Apostles besides for present efficacy of their personall ministery come farre behind the Disciple whom Iesus loued whose written Ambassage was in a peculiar sence to tarry till Christs last comming vnto iudgement as hee himselfe did vnto Christs first comming to destroy Ierusalem and forwarne the nations Besides the doctrine of common saluation necessary for all to know plentifully set downe in this Disciples Epistle his Reuelations containe infallible directions peculiar to euery age And as in some one gift or other euery Apostle almost exceeds his fellowes so if amongst all any one was to haue this prerogatiue of beeing the ordinary Pastor or to haue ordinary successors as Aaron thogh inferior to Moses in personal prerogatiues during his life had after his death this doubtlesse was Saint Iohn who ascribes that vnto the diligent expositors hearers or Readers of his bookes which the Romanist appropriate to such as rely vpon the visible Churches determinations neuer questioning whether it bee that Babylon which Saint Iohn deciphers or no Blessed is he saith Saint Iohn that readeth and they that heare the words of this prophesie and keep those things which are written therein for the time is at hand Blessed they are that reade it with feare and reuerence or so affected as this Disciple was for vnto such the Lord will by meanes ordinary by sober obseruation of the euent reueale his secret entent as he did it vnto him by the extraordinary gift of Prophesie for the testimony of Iesus is the spirit of Prophesie 5 It is euident the spirit of God entended to shew Iohn and Iohn to shew the faithfull all the Eclipses that should befall the Church vntil the worlds end His prophesies since his death were so to instruct the world of all principal euents present or to come as hystories do of matters forepast Now as he in our times wherin God inspires not men with Moses spirit is accounted the best Antiquary that is most conuersant and best seen in the faithfull cords of time not hee that can take vpon him to diuine as Moses did of the worlds state in former ages so since the gift of prophesie ceased hee is to bee esteemed the most infallible teacher the safest guide to conduct others against the forces of hell chiefly heresies or doctrines of Diuels that can best interprete him who first descried them and in his life time forewarned the Churches of Asia planted by Saint Paul and watered by him of the abhominations that threatned shortly to ouerspread them and after them the whole visible Church vntill these latter times doth the Pope then professe more skill in Saint Iohns Reuelations then any other If hee doe let him make proofe of his profession by the euidence of his expositions But from this Apostle hee pretends none at al and we demand but any tollerable proofe of succession from S. Peter 6 A supreme oecumenicall head say the Parasites to the See Apostolique is as necessarie now as in Saint Peters time therefore hee must iure diuino haue a Successour But neither doth Scripture or Reason admit any such head as they haue molded in their braines either then or now As hath beene abundantly proued and their owne instances brought to illustrate the probabilitie of such a deuice contradict them For admit that Christ and earthly Princes stood in like neede of Deputie-Gouernors in their absence would the King of Spaine were he to goe on Pilgrimage vnto his Kingdome of Ierusalem leaue but one Deputie ouer all the Dominions of Spaine and Portugal the West Indies Sicilie Naples and Millaine Or leauing but one would indue him with such absolute power ouer all his Subiects in these Nations as they imagine Christ doth the Pope ouer euery Christian soule throughout the whole world what spirit then may wee think did possesse Bellarmine when he auouched that the church and common weales are different in this case let vs heare the difference The Church Catholike must bee one by communion with one head so must the Liege people of euery Monarch be one by subordination to one Soueraigne whether resident amongst them or farre absent Why may not Christ then though absent be that only supreme head whence vniuersally the Church receiueth vnitie or why may not hee rule in it though dispersed through many Nations as effectually by his Angels and ordinarie Ministers of the Gospell as the Pope doth by his Nuncioes fallible Legates or other inferiour Prelates 7 But though reason and Scripture faile them yet Councels Histories and Traditions may be mustered to their aide These are the first Springes of these many