Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A Word B Word C Word D Occurrence Frequency Band MI MI Band Prominent
cause_n body_n power_n soul_n 2,506 5 5.3976 4 true
View all documents for the selected quad

Text snippets containing the quad

ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A28149 The Saints freedom from tyranny vindicated, or, The power of pagan caesars and antichristian kings examined and they condemned by the prophets and apostles, as no magistrates of God to be obeyed by saints for the Lords sake : being the coppy of an answer to a private letter, wherein the civil power of Satan and antichristian states is soberly debated ... / by a lover of truth. A. B. 1667 (1667) Wing B29; ESTC R12371 31,204 42

There is 1 snippet containing the selected quad. | View lemmatised text

as Head of the Church upon the grounds before exprest But I must take the humble boldness in Truths behalf to dissent from others in their sense upon this Text I humbly judge that this Text proves neither the one nor the others opinion though some be godly and learned as to the opinion of those who from this Text or any other do give the sole Supream Power to Men as Lords and Law-givers to others both for Soul and Body I pass them by But to those godly and Learned who from this Text or any other do plead for Saints Subjection to Pagan or Antichristian Kings though idolatrous beastly bloody Tyrants in Civil Affai●s or Temporal Jurisdiction for the Lords sake and for Conscience sake I humbly Reply that they mistake the Apostle and mis-apply the Text who so take the place and to these I humbly offer these my Reasons against that sense to consideration Reason 1 First Though Paul say Let every soul be subject to the higher Powers yet he doth not say Let every soul be subject to the higher Powers in all Civil Affairs concerning Bodies and Estates neither doth he say to Pagan or to Antichristian Powers but with restriction to Powrs ordained of God Note as his Ministers of State Therefore though Paul commands subjection Rom. 13. 1 2 3 4 5. from every soul yet it is not in all things or to all Persons or Powers but as Ordained by God My thoughts are That those who see cause to restrain general Scriptures which speak of Soveraign Magisterial Power to Civil Jurisdiction over the outward man and except their Power and Jurisdiction over souls in Spiritual and Ecclesiastical things will upon good consideration see cause also to restrain Magisterial Power and Jurisdiction Note over Bodies in Civil things and will not strain Texts against the currant of Scriptures to prove what they do not hint If we take these words of Paul or Peter as commanding Saints subjection to the Higher Powers be they what they will in all outward things Note this takes away the Soveraignty of God over Man in all outward things and nulls the moral Law which sets bounds between man and man Superiour and Inferiour Therefore upon this ground the Apostle cannot be taken in that sense viz. to give a power to some men viz. to Kings to command others to break Gods Moral Laws which Moral Laws Paul himself maintained and also taught others in his Epistles But I shall humbly give my sence upon this Text as of other the like Scriptures That both Paul and Peter do only call and command Saints Obedience to all Lawful Magistrates in all Lawful things commanded by God Note and therein enjoynes subjection to Saints for the Lords sake and for Conscience sake as to God Reason 2 Secondly The scope of the Apostle in this place as I judge is to press Saints to submit and subject to Higher Powers or Magistrates as Ordained and set over them by God as his Ministers in State for their good to restrain sins against the Moral Rom. 13. 1 2 c. Exod. 18. 15 16 c. 2 Chr. 19. 6 7. Law and to maintain Justice Equity and Peace between man and man Paul describes not here these Ministers of State by Names but by their Qualities and gives only a general description of Magistracy to be obeyed Note as Ministers Ordained by God In the same way and after the same manner that Paul describes Antichrist the Man of Sin the Son of Perdition to be 2 Thes 2. 3 4. Rev. 14 9 10. Rev. 13. 1 c rejected of Saints he here describes the true Magistrates of God to be obeyed by the Lords People for the Lords sake Surely those have little sight who see not that the general Government of Nations is still beastly Tyranny Note both by Heathen and Antichristian Kings rather than the Government of God for the good of Mankind But many are stumbled at these words of Paul The Powers that be The great question here is The question to what Powers Paul refers to what Powers the Apostle refers viz. Whether to the Pagan Caesars Power who were then Monarchs of all the World or to the Civil Power and Jurisdiction then exercised amongst the Saints as far as they could or to Magistracy as ordained and constituted by God in the Jewish State If we take the Apostle in either of the latter senses there is Scripture-grounds for it but if we refer Pauls words to the Pagan Caesars State there is only this poor plea for it That Luk. ● 1 2 with Pa●ls time the Pagan Caesars were then being and reigning in the World but answered not to the qualifications of those Ministers of God as Paul describeth Magistrates Ordained by God now answering the ends of Government The Caesars then being and reigning Rom. 1● 3 4 5 in the World is but a circumstance of time but the qualifications of Rulers and the ends of Government are Essentials in Magistracy and therefore to expound Paul by a conceived circumstance when and where the Essentials of Government as Ordained by God are wanting cannot be held Orthodox and sound But if we take Paul in these words The Powers that be to refer to that Civil Power and Jurisdiction resting at that time and seated in the Saints by God according to the Moral Law given to Israel there is much Reason and Scripture to confirm this Exposition First Before Christ left the World he devolved the administration of all that Power and Authority Civil and Spiritual Mat. 28. 18 Mat. 25. 14. Mar. 13. 34. over his own People as intrusted with him by the Father to his own Servants Secondly In Pauls time there were Saints in the Churches who were fitted and qualified for Civil Governours or Magistrates 1 Cor. 6. 4. Thirdly In Pauls time the Sain●s had sufficient Laws and power of Jurisdiction to hear and determine all Civil differences amongst themselves that they needed not to go to Law before the Pagan Governours and therefore Paul sharply reproved the Saints of Corinth for going to Law before the unjust and not before the Saints 1 Cor. 6. 4 These Considerations have swayed with me and I know not one argument to shake me in my judgement as this sense hath the currant of Scripture with it Note But if we shall yet suppose that there wants some words in the Text as is common to clear and fill the Apostles meaning yet the current of the following Verses which gives the qualifications of Magistrates as constituted by God carries Pauls sence from the Pagan Roman Caesars that they were not the Powers which he intended neither Antichristian Kings Reason 3 My Third Reason is If we infer from Paul or Peter That Pagan or Antichristian Kings were or are Powers to be submitted and subjected to by Saints in all Civil affairs without limitation or restriction to the Law of God then Saints were and are to