Selected quad for the lemma: power_n
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A78115
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An answer to the eight quæries propounded by the House of Commons, to the assembly called divines, sitting at Westminster, April. 22. 1646 never to this day by them answered, nor they called to an accompt by the Parliament, for their ignorance or negligence therein.
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Barber, Edward, d. 1674?
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1648
(1648)
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Wing B691; ESTC R230130
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12,373
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14
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their advice not that they had any authority over them and they as humbly and truly sent their advice saying it seemed good to the holy spirit and to us to lay upon you no other burthen then these necessary things Now if these could say thus and would do as they did their Councell ought evangelically to be received in like sort by believers but these as they were never called and gathered by Christs Authority so have they not the promise of his presence by his spirit with them as his Churches have Mat. 18.17 to 20. 28.20 1 Cor. 3.22.23 1.5.4.5 Iohn 14.16.17 15.26.27 To the 5. I find no oecumenical Assemblies in Scripture under the Gospel to be of Gods appointing but an invention of the man of sin raysed by those Locusts that came out of the smoke that arose out of the bottomlesse pitt Rev. 9.2.3 who had power as the Sorpions of the earth have power that so by force As Eze. 34.4 flatteries as Dan. 11.21.22.34 And cunning crastinesse whereby they lye in wait to deceive Ephes 4.14.15 Transforming themselves as the Ministers of righteousnesse Cor. 2.11.15 whose end shall be according to their workes by which meanes they cause all the world to wonder after the beast who had his wound and did live Rev. 13.3 to 7. for the first beast being those heathen bloudy tyrants who worshipped the Draggon which gave him his power to whom was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies against God to blaspheme his name and his Tabernacle and them that dwell in Heaven c. This beast being thus wounded there ariseth another beast out of the earth to wit out of those earthly inventions of Popish assemblies counsells and Synods Re. 6 13.14 the Starres folling from Heaven to the earth they leaving those glorious institutions of Christ the dipping of actuall believers upon confessing sins and professing faith as also the volentarie contribution of the Saints or as Fox in his acts and monuments renders it the puer almes of the Church and bringing in baptizing or rather sprincklin of Naturall Infants and paying 〈◊〉 â—iths hereby raising national Churches wichout the which they could never have done it neither could they now retaine them thereby contradicting the Appostles rule Cor. 1.4.6 in presuming a bove that which is written but should these 2. pillars be taken away according to our Protestation and Covenant and a reformation set up according to the word of God as is pretended the Kingdome of Antichrist like the Philistins house will fall upon their heads as that on the Philistins upon Sampsons that glorious â—â—pe of Christs pulling away the 2. pillars whereupon the house stood Iudg 16.29.30 That whereas by the authority of the Civill Magistrate they having insinuated into there affections like Pharoahs froggs into his and his servants Bedchambers Exod. 8.3 4. by being their Chaplains as they call themselves a service not known in the Gospell of Christ for his ministers whereby the Magistrates being by them deluded give that power which was given theÌ„ of God for the punishment of evill doers but for the praise of them that doe well to the upholding of this beast and his Image and they having received it put it forth to the uttermost causing all both small and great rich and poor free and bond to receive a marke in their right hand and in their foreheads and that no man might buy or sell save he that had the mark or the name of the beast or the number of his name c. This second beast consisting of the whole state hirarchie or clergy as they call themselves with the Image even all that receive the ordination from that state there being not soe much as one of there names much lesse their practice or maintenance heard of in the Gospell of King Jesus from the Pope or Prelate to the Sexton and yet they do as that vile person spoken of by Daniel Dan. 11.21 That come in peaceably and obtaine the Kingdome by flatteries pretending they are the ministers of Christ yet are not content with his ordination nor maintenance and wages and therefore obtaine ordinances as doctor Burgis c. and Statute Lawes from the state though some of them had little need having enough before which have caused more breach of the protestation and Covenant and tedious suits in the Courts of Justice then any one thing in the Kingdom and therefore to say no more to this all appeales to them are humaine and not Iure Divino neither in the particular or generall To the 6. I answer The Lord Jesus Christ having satisfyed his Fathers Justice and thereby wrought everlasting rightcousnesse for all them that obey him it being testified from Heaven by the Father that he is his beloved Sonne in whom he is well pleased And having received all power both in Heaven and in earth by which Authority as then he sent forth his Servants so hath he also given and setled this power only upon and in his Church and that to the body not the Ministers consisting of a company of dipt Disciples not the Servants distinct from the Church as they new pretend and assume but as they derive it from the Church they giving it to them and therefore these Presbyters not being Members of any Church of Christ according to his institution and yet claiming such power as distinct from the Church have nothing therein but what they have from the man of sinne by tradition of men and not lure Divino by the will and appointment of Jesus Christ To the 7. There are no rules at all given in the Gospell of King Iesus in question giving power to the said Presbyters or Elderships or any of them for the putting in execution of any the power aforesaid seeing their constitution is not from God by Christ thaâ— great prophet of the Church but from their reverend Fathers the Prelates and so consequently from the Pope or civill state who hath no more power to Command or set Lawes in the Kingdom of Christ then the King of Spain or the French King hath in the Kingdom of England which is intire and Independant of it selfe But for a Church of Christ truly stated there are rules as to receive in so to deale with and cast out if need require as Tim. 2.3.16.17 All Scripture is given by inspirtaion of God and is profitable for Doctrine for reproofe for correction for instruction in righteousnesse that the man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good workes To the 8. We are to take notice that under the Gospel the Lord Jesus is not only a King but the only King and Law-giver to his Church Isai 33.22 Iames 12.4 Tim. 16.15 Rev. 17.14 and therefore the civill Magistrate under the Gospell ought no more to intrench upon his prerogative in Church Government then he did upon theirs in civill things as Luke 12.13 14. where he would not so much as divide the inheritance
derision then shall he speak to them in his wrath and vex them in his sore displeasure yet have I set my King upon my holy hill of Zion all which their doing was but a vane thing in Davids Accompt vers the first and vers 10.11.12 he exhorts them saying be wise now therefore on ye Kings be instructed ye Judges of the earth serve the Lord with feare and rejoyce with trembling kisse the Son least he be angry ye perish from the way if his wrath be kindled yea but a little blessed are they that put their trust in him compared with Prov. 16.20 Isa 30.18 Jer. 17.7 27 7. Rom. 9.33 and 10.11 1 Pet. 2.6 For saith the Lord Isa 60.12 The Nation and Kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish yea those Nations shall be utterly wasted on that England would consider this in time least one day it be said to it as was once said by Christ to Jerusalem Luke 13.34 and 19 41. where coming nigh to the City he beheld it and wept over it saying if thou hadst known even thou at least in this thy day the things that belong to thy peace but now they are hid from thy eyes So the Lord for many years having called upon this Kingdom of England for repentance and turning unto him by amendment sollowing us with mercies and deliverances fatherly chastizing us by pestilence sword and famine but what amendment is there of any since but that in justice pride cruelty neglect of the poore Idolatry covetousnes abounds as the proph saith Is 56.11 every one for ku gaine from his quarter that love of mony the roote of all evill remaining as much as ever 1 Tim. 6.10 That therefore we would turn unto him according to promise in keeping the Protestation and Covenant in standing for a reformation according to the word of God and institutions of Christ and not covetous mens desires and inventions who in all ages have been obstructers of the true worship of God persecuters of his servants as King 1 22.22 to 28. Ier. 18.18 Come let us smite him with the tongue Ames 7.10.11 Mic. 1.1 c. 3. Ier. 26.11 to 19. Mat. 23.13 who shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men they neither go in themselvs neither suffer them that are entring to go in but as Theedoro Beza observes from Act. 6.9 to 15. that fals teachers because they will not be overcome flee from disputations to Magistrates open slandering and false accusations that the first bloudy persecution of the Church of Christ began and sprung from a Councell of Priests by the suggestion of the University Doctors that therefore we might beware of men and according to the command of God heat ken only to the voice of Christ Mat. 17.5 that so we obeying him the great Prophet and Anointed the Lord may be gracious unto us in causing the sword to be sheathed and that he may delight to dwell among us in turning the hearts of the Fathers unto the children and the hearts of the children to the Fathers which shall be the desire and prayer of him that desires the happines here and glory hereafter of you and all that love the Lord Jesus Christ in fincerity Whereas it is Resolved by the House of Commons that all persons guilty of uotorious offences shall be suspended the Sacrament of the Lords Supper the House of Commons desires to be satissied by the Assembly of Divines in these particulars 1. WHether the Parochiall and Congregationall Elderships appointed by Ordinance of Parliament are Jure Divino by the will and appointment of Jesus Christ 2 Whether all the Members of the said Elderships are Members thereof or which of them are Jure Divino by the will and appointment of Jesus Christ 3 Whether the Supreame Assemblies or Elderships viz. the Classicall Provinciall and Nationall whether all or any of them or which of them are Jure Divino and by the will and appointment of Jesus Christ 4. Whether appeales from Congregationall Elderships to the Classicall Provinciall and Nationall Assemblies or to any of them or which of them are Iure Divino and by the will and appointment of Jesus Christ 5. Whether oecumenicall Assemblies are Iure Divino or whether there be appeales from any of the former Assemblies to the said oecumenicall Assemblies Iure Devino by the will and appointment of Jesus Christ 6. Whether by the word of God the power of judging and declaring what are such notorious and scandalous offences as aforesaid and conventing before them trying and actuall suspending from the Sacrament such offenders accordingly either in the Congregationall Elderships or Presbytery or in any other Eldership of Presbytery presented to the House as the advice of the Assembly and whether such powers are in them only or any of them or in which of them Jure Divino and by the will and appointment of Jesus Christ 7. Whether there be any certaine and particular rules expressed in the word of God to direct the said Elderships or Presbyteries or any of them in the exercise and execution of the powers aforesaid and which are those rules 8. Is there any thing contained in the word of God that the Supream Majestracy in a Christian state may not judge and determine what are the aforesaid notorious and seandalous offencet and the manner of suspention from the same And in what particulars concerning the premisses is the said Supreame Majestracy by the word of God excluded In Answer of these particulars the House of Commons desires of the Assembly of Divines their proofs from Scripture and to set down the severall texts in the expresse words of the same Ordered that every particular Minister of the Assembly of Divinâ— that is or shall be present at the debate of any of these questions de upon every resolution which shall be presented to this House concerning the same subscribe his respective name either with the Affirmative or Negative as he giveth his Vote those that do decent from the major Part shall set down their possitive opinions with the expresse Text of Scripture upon which their opinion is grounded For Answer to the first Quaerie the Churches of Christ were constituted and gathered out of the world by the Ministry of the Gospel according to that great Charter thereof Mat. 28.19.20 Mark 16.15.16 Lu. 24.47 And not by any Authority or Ministry of the civill Magistrate and as they were thus gathered planted in the premitive times so are they in like manner by his Servants to be gathered after the Apostacie whom by his power he shall in an extraordinarie manner raise up and by the Servants of the Churches that shall be by them sent forth to preach the everlasting Gospel for the inlightening the earth discovering the Mistery of iniquity and the Ministry of Antichrist gathering his people out of spirituall Babylon as out of Babylon of old and planting them into Church fellowship and order having their Commission