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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	authority_n	jurisdiction_n	power_n	1,683	5	4.9363	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A56155	Diotrephes catechised, or, Sixteen important questions touching the ecclesiastical jurisdiction and censures (contradistinct to civill) now eagerly pretended to and challenged by a divine right, by some over-rigid Presbyterians and Independents propounded to both these dissenting parties for the further discovery of truth, the preservation of the civil Christian magistrates interest, and speedier comprimising [sic] of our present unhappy controversies touching church-government ... / proposed, published by W. Prynne ...	Prynne, William, 1600-1669.	1646 (1646)	Wing P3945; ESTC R31935	18,373	18

them then certainly Christian Majestrates as such must either be Church Offic●…rs as well as Ministers or Lay-Elders the rather because all Precepts given to Majestrates themselves in Scripture are given only to such * Godly or Christian Majestrates who beleive embrace the Scriptures and are Members of a visible Church or Christian state as such not to any infidells or Heathen Majestrates as heathenish or meere Majestrates out of the Church as some grosly mistake else they were not obliged by Gods Law to see Church censures executed obeyed submitted too if no Church officers 14ly Whether it be not more agreeable to the word of God the Rules of Justice and more conducing to the Churches Peace for the Civill M●…jestrate juditially to examine punish all pretended scandalous persons with temporall cen●…ures and then if they still continue impenitent to certifie the proofs taken before him to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Congregation upon their request ●…or their conviction t●…ere to ground an ●…xcommunication or suspention upon if there b●…e cause then to ●…ive them immediatpower to examine all scandalls themselves upon Oath without first acquainting the Civill Majest●…ate with it or desiring his 〈◊〉 examination of the scandalls of purpose to subject them to Church censures Since wee read of no such Examinations upon Oath practised by Presbyteries Church-Officers or particular Congregations among the Jewes or Christians in Scripture which if taken in writing and recorded as they ought to be that so they may be produced scanned upon Appeales there must then be a particular examiner or Register at least appointed in every Presbyterie Classis and Provinciall Synod to record them for which they will expect a constant Fee from the Church or State or an answerable recompence from the parties accusing or accused which cannot be setled without Act or Ordinauce of Parliament being new Fees and Offices and so it will draw a very great unnecessary charge farre greater then that of Bishops and their Officialls upon the people which they wil very unwillingly beare In which regard it is fitest the civill Majestrates or Justices of Peace should only take the Examinations of scandalls as they do in cases of Felony and other crimes and certify them to the Presbyteries or Classis as there shall be need 15ly Whether it be not both unjust and unreasonable to presse the Parliament to settle any kinde of Church-government as prescribed Iure divino before it be clearely demonstrated or manifested to their Iudgements consciences to be so by perspicuous undenyable proofes from Scripture Or to importune them to grant any unlimited arbitrary power to Classes Presbiteries or Congregations to judge of unknowne contingent scandals never yet thus censured from Adams or Christs dayes til now before they can so much as conjecture what they are or where ever they will bee perpetrated in our Churches since offences always use to h preceed Laws made to punish them and ex malis moribus optimae oriuntur leges as all Polititians have resolved Whether the demanding of such an unlimited power to be now established be not as bad yea more unreasonable then the late Prelates c. Oath most justly damned declaimed against and savors not more of wilfullnes then Conscience of the spirit of i Diotrephes then of Christ of whose Kingdome some pretend it to bee a most necessary and inseperable Branch And whether any Prophet Apostle Godly Presbyter privat Congregation or Classis in the primitive Church ever sollicited their Princes or Parliaments for such an exorbitant unlimited power 16. Whether Christian Princes and Majestrates k indulging of over-much power Honour and Ecclesiasticall Authority in point of Iurisdiction Church Censures and Excommunication in former ages to the Clergy under this apprehention perswasion that they were most pious conscientious holy moderat just and humble persons who would exercise it for Gods Glory only and the Churches good hath not beene the true Originall cause of all that Antichristian Tyranny Persecution exorbitances of Popish Prelates and Clergymen which have over-spred corrupted infested the Church and people of God And whether former examples of this kinde may not justly lesson us to beware of the like Error for the present though our Ministers who claime this Ecclesiasticall Iurisdiction now contested for by a Divine Right be never so Godly upright discreet humble conscientious since we know not what many of our Ministers Elders who must exercise it in the Country are for the present or what the best of them all or their successors at least may prove for the l future m ambition being mans first sinne and most pleasing to our corrupt Natures as we see by the example of [u] Christs owne Apostles and daily experiences every where especially when they have engrossed more Ecclesiasticall power into their hands by pretext of a Divine Right then ever the expresse Law of God or Christ Himselfe in his Gospell hath delegated to them It is very observable that while the o Popes claimed their Papacy and Superiority over other Churches by grants and donations from the Christian Emperors of Rome they were very humble loyall and obsequious to them But after the long enjoyment of their transcendent jurisdiction by imperiall donations had so far puffed them up with pride as by degrees to desert their true ancient claime and challenge both their Papacy and Supremacy by a divine Right from Christ Himselfe by wresting divers Scriptures to their purpose and some of those among others which our Divines now principally insist upon they presently cast off both their subjection Loyalty to the Emperours at once so prosecuted them with Excommunications Interdicts suspentions rebellions force of Armes and parties raysed against them in their owne Empires that at last they quite trampled them under their feete disposing of their Crownes at pleasure making them sweare solemne homage to them as their Vassalls and to hold their Imperiall Crownes from them alone who formetly did homage to and held their Bishoprickes with all the Papall Jurisdiction they enjoyed onely from them Yea if our Presbyteries Classes or Independent Congregations shall be admitted to hold and enjoy all the Ecclesiasticall Jurisdiction they now pretend to by a Divine Right and the Parliament their power authority only by a meet humane Institution and not by as cleare a Divine Right as theirs the next consequence I feare will be and we see it already maintained in some (x) Presbyterians and more (y) Independents printed Bookes That our Parliaments Kings and temporall Majestrates must have nothing at all to do with Church Officers or Church Government by way of direction correction or appeale but meerly as their subordinate Ministers to ratifie their determinations and enforce obedience to their censures which if they neglect or refuse to doe or stop their proceedings by any Prohibitions or legall course for ought I know when their Divine pretended Authority is setled to their mindes the next thing

Diotrephes Catechised OR Sixteen IMPORTANT QUESTIONS Touching the ECCLESIASTICAL Jurisdiction and Censures contradistinct to Civill now eagerly pretended to and challenged by a DIVINE Right by some Over-rigid Presbyterians and Independents Propounded to both these Dissenting Parties for the further Discovery of Truth the Preservation of the Civill Christian Magistrates Interest and speedier comprimising of our present unhappy Controversies touching CHURCH-Government On which many now so over-dote as to place the Whole Kingdome of Christ and substance of Religion therein to repute all our former Reformation a meere Nothing the Church of Christ undone and the exercise of their Ministry not onely fruitlesse but unlawfull so as they cannot with good Conscience continue but threaten to relinquish it in case they cannot obtain their demands of such an Exorbitant power by Divine Institution which Christ and his Apostles never claimed exercised nor themselves nor Predecessors ever formerly enioyed petitioned for or pretended to in any age but this Proposed published by W. Prynne a Well-wisher to Verity and Vnity The Second Edition with some Enlargements Lu. 22 24. 25. 26. Math. 20. 25. 26. 27. And there was a strife among them which of them should be accounted the Greatest But Iesus called them unto him and said ye know that the Princes of the Gentiles Exercise Lordship or Dominion over them and they that are great exercise Authority upon them But it shall not be so among you But whosoever will be Great among you let him be your Servant Even as the Sonne of man came not to be Ministred unto but to Minister 1 Pet. 5. 2 3 5. Feed the flock of God which is among you taking the oversight or care thereof not by constraint but willingly not for filthy luchre but of a ready mind Neither as over-ruling or being Lords over Gods Heritage but being ensamples to the flock Yea all of you be ye subject one to another and be cloathed with humility for God resisteth the Proud and giveth Grace to the humble LONDON Printed For Michael Sparkes Anno Dom. 1646. Sixteene Important Questions touching the Ecclesiasticall Iurisdiction and Censures Contradistinct to Civill now challenged by a Divine Right THe serious consideration of the importunate Claimes of a new kinde of Ecclesiasticall Iurisdiction by a pretended Divine Right by those very men who of late so eagerly declaymed against the Old as Antichristian and Papall when challenged by our Prelats upon the selfe-same grounds and Title hath induced me to propound these few Important Questions to the over-●…asger prosecutors of this supposed Divine Authority at leastwise to moderate if not extomgio●… those unseasonable deplorable late kindled flames of Contention which if not timely prevented may prove more fatall to our Churches Kingdomes then all the former Dissentions and break forth into a new Civill Warre betweene our selves when we have totally vanquished the Common Enemy The Prelates deserting of their undoubted Jus hum inum and unadvised challenge of a Ius Divinum to advance perpetuate their Iurisdictions and sweating men to this their Title by a new c. Oath was the immediate forerunner yea principall meanes of the utter subversion both of their Hierarchy and Authority And wee have cause to feare that some over-ridged Presbyterians in considerate zeale in waving the Presbyteriall Authority vested in them by an unquestionable Ordinance of Parliament to their full contents as most men deemed and resorting to a more dubious disputable pretended Ius Divinum formerly laid aside by both houses of Parliament and the Assembly though now resumed revived the more highly to advance and firmely settle it in ou●… Churches may produce the like contrary unexpected effects and either revive the old exploded Luciferian Episcopacy or introduce that more feared Anarchicall Hydra or Bable of Independenc y which they most endeavour to suppresse or at leastwise revolve the censorius or corrective power of all scandalous sinnes and sinners into the Civill Majestrates hands the farre safest of the three on whose be●…e I shall with the spirit of Peace and Meeknesse propose these following Queries both to my Presbyterian and Independent Brethren desiring their acquiescens in or serious answers to them after sound deliberation laying aside all private Interests and designes whatsoever which may misguide their Judgements for the sifting out of that one Golden medium of sacred Truth which can only reconcile and ●…ordially re-unite us in the Bonds of Love 1. Whether all scandalous Sins and Offences now pretended by Presbyteri●…s or 〈◊〉 to be of Eccle●…sticall cognisance be not by Gods own Institution and Command as well before as undet the Law and through out the Old Testament inquirable examinable and to be determined In ged only by the temporall Majestrates or Civil powers and punished only with temporall or corporall punishments not by any Ecclesiasticall Persons Officers or Church-Censures only distinct from civill since we read that the severall scandalous sinnes of (a) Idolatry (b) Cursing Blaspheming (c) Sabbath-breaking (d) Disobedience to Parents natural or civill (e) Whoredome Adultery (f) Incest Rape Sodomy Buggery (g) Murther (h) Witchcraft Sorcery with sundry other sinnes were by Gods owne precept to be inquired after censured punished by the Temporall Majestra'e civill Congregation powers People and only with civill punishments alone as putting or stoning to death burning i hanging (k) fines stripes and the like but never enjoyned to be examined censured by Ecclesiasticall Persons Officers or to be punished by them with Church-censures as Excommunication Suspention from the Passeover Circumcision Sacrifices Festivalls or any publike Ordinances then in use or exclusion from the Temple or Synagogues as the marginall texts demonstrat And more especially Ezra 7. 25. 26. where King Artaxerxes sending Ezra the Priest descended linially from the High-Priests before him as is evident by v. 1. to 6 up to Ierusalem with a speciall Commission to repaire the City Temple restore the service of God therein and settle the Government of that place according to the Law of God gives him this command And thou Ezra after the wisdome of thy God that is in thine hand set Majestrates and Iudges that may judge ALL THE PEOPLE that are beyond the River all such as know the LA●… OF THY GOD and teach yee them that know them not AND WHOSOEVER WILL NOT DO THE LAW OF THY GOD and the Law of the King let Iudgement be executed speedily against him not by Ezra the Priest or any Ecclesiasticall Consistory or Presbytery of Priests with meere Ecclesiasticall Censures of Excommunication or suspention from the Temple or publike Ordinances of God no such Church-Officers punishments being then known or instituted by Gods Law but by the Majestrates and Judges appointed who were to punish them only with temporall Censures as the following words thus resolve Whether it be unto DEATH or to BANISHMENT or to CONFISCATION OF GOODS or to IMPRISONMENT the only punishments censures then inflicted

on Delinquents against Gods Law as well as against the Kings Yea had there bin any other Censures Ecclefiasticall distinct from these temporall which ought by any Divine Right or institution to have bin then inflicted upon notorious scandalous offendors against Gods Law by the high Priest or any other Church Officers or Iudicatory no doubt this devcut King upon this occasion would have expresly commanded Ezra the Priest himselfe or those Church-Officers or Judicatories to have duly executed the same when he gave him this large Commission and extended so much extraordinary favour to him that he cryes out in the very next ensuing words v. 27. Blessed be the Lord God of our Fathers who hath put such a thing as this into the Kings heart c. Which as it expresly determines that this Commission and forecited direction was inspired into the Kings heart by God himselfe and so most consonant to his written word and Law so it insinuates that by the Law of God in those dayes all scandalous Offenders against Gods Law were to be punished only by the civill Majestrates and Judges with civill punishments not by any Ecclesiasticall Officers or Iudicatory with any Church-censures whatsoever This may be further evidenced by the Priests Prophets Peoples and Princes proceedings against Ieremiah Vriah who for preaching and prophecying falsly as was supposed were punished by the King and Princes upon the Priests Prophets peoples malicious accusation only by * Imprisonment Death alone not by Church-cen●res Church Iudicatories Yea Deuter. 13. 5. False Prophets are expresly enjoyned to be put to death by the Civill Majest●●●s not punished by the Ecclesiasticall powers with excommunications or suspentions And it is most cleare and undeniable by the 1 King 22. 26. 27. 2 Chron. 16. 10. c 18. 25. 26. Math. 14. 3. 4. 5. Luk. 22. 23. Acts 5. 18. 19. c. 8. 3. c. 12. 2. 3. 4. c. 16. 23. 24. c. 22 19. 20 to 30. c. 24 25 26 2 Cor. 6 5 Hebr. 11 36 37. That both in the old and new Testament False Prophets Teachers and broachers of Erronious Doctrins or such who were so reputed though true yea the Apostls Saints of Christ for preaching professing the Gospell and truth of God amongest the Jewes and others who reputed it * Heresie Scisme or false Doctrine contrary to what they had formerly received were usually convented before the civill Majestrates and punished with imprisonment stripes putting or stoning to death and the like but not with Excommunication or any Ecclesiasticall Censures of divine institution though now made matters of meere Ecclesiasticall Cognisance And if so whether the Temporall Christian Majestrates and civill Powers as such have not now the selfesame divine Authority to punish such sinnes and sinners under the Gospell only with temporall punishments without the interposition Examination or Censures of any Church-Officers or Presbyteries as the Godly temporall Majestrates Civill powers had then under the Law If not how the contrary can be evidenced by cleare Scriptures and by what texts in particular 2. Whether the texts of Deut. 17. 8. to 14. 2. Chron. 19. 8. to the end do warrant any Ecclesiasticall Iurisdiction Congregationall or Classicall in Causes meerely Ecclesiasticall or any meere Church censures distinct from the Civill Majestracy and temporall Censures as some now pretend Whether the genuine scope and sence of these texts hold forth any more or other jurisdiction and power in the Priests Levites or High Priest himselfe then this That they joyntly with the temporall Iudges and chiefe of the Fathers of Israel not alone by themselves should resolve not ordinary plaine or undisputable but only all such doubtfull civill cases or controversies which the ordinary Iudges or Majestrats in their Cities held dubious or too hard for them to determine aright between not scandall and scandall ●or who should be excommunicated suspended from the Ordinances as scandalous ignorant or unfit and who not but between blood and blood plea and plea stroke and stroke being matters of civill controversie in their gates and between Law and Commandement Statutes and Iudgments to wit the Judiciall written Law of God upon whose exposition any civill doubts or controversies should arise which the people themselves could not resolve whose superior resolutions they should submit to and proceed accordingly to execution and he that would presumptuously disobey and not submit to their sentence was not to bee excommunicated or suspended * but put to death a meere civill censure to terrify others And if this only be the ful sence and meaning of these texts whether any episcopal Presbyteriall classical or congregational Iurisdiction to correct scandalls with meer Ecclesiasticall censures can be deduced from them Whether that speech of Iehoshaphat 2. Chron. 19. 11. And behold Amariah the Chiefe Priest is over you in all matters of the Lord not scandalous sinnes and Ecclesiasticall Offences committed by the Priests or people no matters of the Lord but sins of men detested by the Lord imply or necessarily enforce that he had any Ecclesiasticall Iurisdiction in point of judicature to censure punish all or any sort of scandalous sinners with Church censures of which there is not one sillable in the text vested in him by any divine Authority And if so whether it makes not more for Papall and Archiepiscopall then Presbyteriall Classicall or Congregationall Authority this power or superintendent Iurisdiction over all matters of the Lord being vested in this High Priest alone and no other Or rather whether it be not clearly meant that as King Josiah himselfe did by his own Regal Authority appoint Iudges in the Land and in Jerusalem in the preceeding 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. verses to determin all controversies punish all Offences whatsoever according to the Lawes of God and that Kingdom so he did by the selfesame regall Authority appoint Amariah then chief Priest over the Priests Levites only implyed in the word You not over the people of the Land in all matters of the Lord that is to Order direct the Priests and Levites under him in their several courses and all matters what soever concerning the worship service Oblations and sacrifices of the Lord to be performed by them in the Temple at Ierusalem in the selfesame manner as he set Zebadiah the Ruler of the House of Judah over all the Kings matters in the very next ensuing words That is as all consent not over the people and Kingdome for to judge and governe them for that the Iudges forementioned were to do but over his househould Lands Revenews as his Lord Treasurer or Lord High Steward of the Revenewes of the Crowne as the comparing of it with ●● Chron. 26. 30. 33. And of the Hibronises Hashabiah and his Brethren men of valour a thousand and seven hundred were Officers among them of Israel on this side Jordan westward IN ALL BVSINESSES OF THE LORD in the service of the King