Selected quad for the lemma: power_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
power_n	believer_n	church_n	key_n	3,113	5	10.5671	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A93702	Rome ruin'd by VVhite Hall, or, The papall crown demolisht: containing a confutation of the three degrees of popery, viz. papacy, prelacy, and presbitery; answerable to the triple crowne of the three-headed Cerberus the Pope, with his three fold hierarchies aforesaid. With a dispelling of all other dispersed clouds of errour, which doth interpose the clear sun-shine of the Gospel in our horrizon. Wherein the chiefe arguments each of them have, for the vindication of their erronious tenents are incerted, and refuted; with a description of such whem [sic] the true Church of Christ doth consist of: as also how, and by whom, they may be gathered, and governed, according to the will, and appointment of Jesus Christ, and his apostles, in the primative purity thereof. / By Iohn Spittlehouse, assistant to the Marshall Generall of the Army, under the command of his Excellency, the Lord Generall Fairfax. Imprimated by Theod. Jennings, and entred in the Stationers Hall.	Spittlehouse, John.	1649 (1649)	Wing S5013; Thomason E586_2; ESTC R203633	304,213	396

above a Presbiter no Deacon above a Deacon And if ●o how will your Classicall Provinciall and Nationall S●●ods ●o●d together by which you doe assume a power beyond the power which the Apostles used in the Church binding and consining your fellow Presbiters to observe your Injunctions and Decrees as if you were rather Apostles then Presbiters admitting only such Creatures as are of your owne stam●e into the Ministry and to such must all the Parishes of the Kingdome subscribe and admit of whether they have either seene or heard of them before or no your approbation is sufficient if they have but received the Popish stampe of Orders by your Predec●ssors the Bishops they are well enough otherwise not how gifted soever they be SECT 12. AGaine in your answer to his late Majesty you say That no other Persons or Officers of the Church may challenge o● assume to themselves such power as did the Apostles in that respect alone viz. because the Apostles practised it except such power belong to them in common as well as to the Apostles by warrant of Scripture which that it doth your Sinod is yet to prove You there also confesse that our Saviour and his Apostles did not so leave the Church at liberty as that any substantials belonging to Church Government which were appointed by Christ and his Apostles may be altered at pleasure and then I am certaine that your Classicall Provinciall and Nationall Sinods will not agree with the other left by Christ and his Apostles and therefore I beseech the Honourable House of Parliament to looke rather to the originall of those your Powers then the succession of them And thus you have made an Episcopall rod to whip your owne britch Obj. That which is called ordination was by the Apostles and a power established in the Presbitery and not in the Church as m●●re beleevers Ans I have proved and shall prove that the Brethren as well as the Presbitery had a joynt interest and concurrency in all power which belonged to the Church CHAP. VIII Of the Churches power to chuse their Officers SECT 1. Objection HOw prove you the election of Pastors and Elders by the Church or people Ans Even by the renowned Doctor Stewarts The Church hath power to chu●e its Pastors owne confession in his learned Dupley where he voluntarily and ingeniously confesseth and acknowledgeth albeit to the marring of his Market that no Minister or any other Church Officer ought to be thrust upon a people or Congreg●tion no more then a Husband is to be forced upon a woman against her will and that however such a Pastor may goe to the Pulpit and preach amongst them yet unlesse they consent he is not their Minister Thus far the learned Doctor And if so with what impudence have you of the Sinod dispatched your owne tribe to officiate where you your selves please by vertue of an Apostolicall power which you proudly usurpe unto your selves condemning it in others when as it so clearly appeares and that by a Bird of your owne feather that every Church hath power to judge of the ability and sufficiency of their Pastor Obj. If the Dector had thought you would have made such use of his expressions he would have kept them in however it is but one Doctors opinion Are you able to prove from Scripture that the reall body at ●erusalem had such power given them by the Apostles and Elders Ans Yea I am able to prove that they had a voyce in chusing The reall Church chose Matthias to be an Apostle of Matthias to the Apostleship from Act. 1. 23. SECT 2. Obj. THat text doth not say that the people viz. every one of them gave their voyce for if so then Mary and the rest of the women voyced also which was contrary to Pauls command who saith that women are to keep silence in the Church and therefore certainly none did voyce but such as had power to voyce Ans Neither doth the text say that the women did transgresse Women m●y proph●sie if so gifted that precept given by Paul in speaking but as you might●ly mistake the Apostle in other things so in this for in that place where the Apostle commandeth women to be silent in the Church it is only meant concerning preaching and propheying as doth clearly appeare 1 Cor. 14. 36. and not of other conference in the Church for if so Aquilla surely did offend in speaking in her owne house it being a receptacle for the Church Neither is it altogether forbidden in the sence of Prophecying if they be so gifted Obj. I pray you remember your selfe do● not goe about to contradict the Apostle as that he knew not what he said Ans That which I have said I am able to justifie by Scripture yea by the Apostle Paul himselfe if need require Obj. Hold me no longer in dispence but satisfie me how it may be and not to contradict the rule set downe by the Apostle Paul 1 Cor 14. 34. Ans I shall prove it by the Old and New Testament and first in the Old Testament I instance in Miriam Numb 12. 2. where Aaron and Miriam object against Moses in these words Hath not the Lord also spoken by us Such Prophetesses also were Deborah Hanna and Huldah and in the New Testament Hanah the daughter of Pannuel as also Philips foure daughters which were Prophetesses Act. 20. 9. SECT 3. Obj. BVt were these Prophetesses to teach publickly Ans These Prophetesses being extraordinarily stirred Gif●s of Prophesie a●e given to ●di●●● the Church up did also publickly Prophesie and not only privately in their families as may appear by these reasons viz. 1. Because the gift of Prophesie was given them to edifie the Church withall 1 Cor. 14. 3. they then having the gist did use it to the right end viz. publickly 2. It is confirmed by example in that passage I have named touching Miriam Numb 12. 2. Hath not the Lord spoken also by us 3. Deborah is said to judge Israel publickly being a Prophetesse Jud. 4. 4. she did therefore exercise her Propheticall gift publickly 4. The Apostle Paul himselfe dis-alloweth not of it 1 Cor. 11. 5. where speaking of women Prophecying saith not that it is unlawfull for women to Prophesie but that it is not decent for them to Prophesie with their heads uncovered by all which it appeares that some women in Pauls time being Prophetesses such as Philips foure daughters did Prophesie and that publickly Obj. The Apostle there doth not speake of the particular act of women but of the act of the Congregation which is said to pray or prophesie Ans It is apparent to the contrary by the use of the Word elsewhere viz. Ye may all prophesie one by one 1 Cor. 14. 31. for there the Apostle speaketh of the particular act of Prophecying Obj. Wherefore then doth the Apostle injoyne the women silence in the Church 1 Cor. 14. 31. Ans To reconcile these places

invocation of Saints that are departed for God sendeth not Abimeleck to Noah or any other departed to pray for him but to Abraham then living which duty may be mutually performed in charity whilst one knoweth anothers necessities but for the living to pray to or for the dead which knoweth not their wants being already certainly disposed of in an unchangeable estate as the living are not as also in that the Prophet telleth us that Abraham is dead and Isaac is ignorant of us Isa 63. 16. is such a conceit as hath no warrant from Scripture or any sound reason because they are not present to heare our prayers neither doe they know our hearts and we have one sufficient Advocate and Mediator Jesus Christ 1 Ioh. 3. 1. and therefore need we not the mediation of any other neither will they assume unto themselves any part of We ought to confesse our fins only to God 1 King 8. 47. Psal 19. 120. 33. 5 41. 44. Jer. 14. 20. D●n 9. 15. Mat. 15. 18. 1 Ioh. 1. 9. Christs Office for as the perfume Exod. 30. 8. was alwayes before the Lord which doth signifie the prayers of the Saints so God only through Christ must be invocated which honour he will not give to any other for God must only be beleeved upon as our Saviour saith Ye beleeve in God beleeve also in me Joh. 14. 1. and the Apostle saith that men cannot call upon him on whom they have not beleeved Rom. 10. 14. and certainly they would not have us beleeve in Saints departed Obj. Abs●lon could not be admitted to his fathers presence untill Joab had mediated for him and Bethshaba Solomons mother intreated for Adoniah so it is necessary to have Mediators unto God Ans 1. We have one sufficient Mediator Jesus Christ who is able sufficiently to reconcile us unto God 2. Though many mediators are used in Princes Courts because either they are ignorant of our affaires or their affections is estranged yet it is not so with God who knoweth all things besides the love of Christ to us exceedeth the love of all other inferiour Mediators which men can seeke unto 3. The example of Bethshaba is unfitly alledged for she obtained not her suite SECT 6. Obj. ELiphas saith to Job Job 5. 1. Call now if any will answer thee and to which of the Saints wilt thou turne thee 2. David exhorteth to praise the Lord in his Saints Psal 150. 1. 3. It is said in Ezekiel I sought for a man amongst them to make up the hedge c. but I found none Ans Eliphas in that place speaketh of the Saints and righteous living to see if Job could finde amongst any of them a patron to defend his cause 2. The place in the Psalmes is Praise God in his holinesse or in his sanctuary neither doth it follow that because God is praised in his Saints that therefore we are to pray to Saints as it followeth in the next words praise him in the firmament will they therefore have the firmament prayed unto 3. The place in Ezekiel is spoken of men living and not The Saint● to whom the Papists pray shall be their accusers of men dead the answer therefore which Jacob gave to Rachiel when she called to him for children saying Give me children c. Am I in Gods stead may fitly be applyed by the Saints departed to such prayers or desires made unto them And as our Saviour said to the Jewes There is one that accuseth you even Moses in whom ye trust so the Saints which these men so superstitiously worship will at the last day be their accusers CHAP. VI. Treateth of their Idolizing of the Pope c. with a confutation thereof HAving discussed their folly in worshipping of Idols and Images without life as also their adoration and invocation of Angels and Saints departed I shall now discover their folly in worshipping a living Idol viz. the Pope to whom they ascribe an infallibility as also the title of their Lord God the Pope SECT 2. Object IS not the Pope Peters successor and is not Christ said to speake these words to Peter viz. Thou art Peter and upon this rock will I build my Church and the gates of Hell shall not prevaile against it and I will give thee the keyes of the kingdome of Heaven and whatsoever thou shalt binde on earth shall be bound in Heaven and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in Heaven By all which expressions doubtlesse he gave unto Peter a speciall priviledge above all the other Apostles Ans That the Pope is Peters successor I grant but yet in Wherein the Pope is Peters Successor this one particular which was in denying his Lord and Master whose servant he pretends to be and as to the urging of them words mentioned to the particular person of Peter as that thereby he had a more speciall priviledge then the rest of the Apostles is to goe about to prove that our Saviour did contradict himself in his expressions used to the two ambitious Suitors James and John whom no other place would serve them then to sit on the Mat. ●0 20. right and left hand in his kingdome in these words It shall not be so amongst you in which words there is an absolute nullaty of any superiority amongst the Apostles or Disciples of Christ and that by a Statute not to be repealed being the determinate law of a just authority by a Cannon ordained and irrevocably fixed by the wisdome of God and confirmed by an example beyond all arguments even by an example fetched from his owne particular vers 28. where he saith that the Sonne of man came not to be ministred unto but to minister as also Luk. 22. 27. I am amongst you as he that serveth now seeing this humility was in Christ himself how much more ought it to have been amongst Iob. 15. 10. his Apostles and Disciples The servant must not be greater then his Lord Joh. 13. 16. neither he that is sent greater then he that sent him it is enough that the servant be as his Master Mat. 10. 25. 2. To stop these blasphemous and Antichristian mouthes I An equ●ll power and commission were g●ven to all the Apostle● shall also prove that an equall power and commission in use of the keyes was likewise given to all the rest of the Apostles and Disciples of Christ as well as unto Peter and that by the words of our Saviour both before his Passion and also after his Resurrection before his Passion in these words Verily I say unto you whatsoever ye shall binde on earth c. and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven Mat. 18. 18. as also after his resurrection as we have it Joh. 20. 23. Whosoever sins ye remit they are remitted and whosoever sins ye retaine they are retained in both which places of Scripture the words are directed to all the Disciples as also

subjection by incorporating your selves into Bodies Politick by that rule which Christ hath prescribed for that purpose viz. by the gate of Baptisme it being the externall meanes to inisiate you into the externall profession of Christ in his Church Militant your persons being as wel to conforme to the outward Government thereof as your Spirits to the inward Againe as in humane learning he that would be made compleat must first attaine to three degrees of knowledge viz. a good Gramarian a Rethorissian and a Logissian so is it in Spirituall knowledg to which there are also three degrees to be attained before one can be formed a compleat Christian viz. the knowledg of the old testament and the new testament and the Spiritual interpretation thereof And it is worthy of our best observation to consider the Mutuall Harmony of the Scriptures to attaine this Spirituall knowledge as aforesaid For in relation to this threefold knowledg we have a Trinity of persons in the Diety which co-opperate with them and are agreeable and proportionable to them Answerable to which there is also a threefold faith viz. A Fundamentall faith an historicall faith and a Justifying faith the first agreeing with God the Father as the Creator made knowne in the old Testament the second to the Sonne as a Redeemer in the new Testament and the third to the Holy Ghost in the Spiritualitie of the Letter in both of them The first aluding to the knowledg of God as he is in himselfe The 2. as he is in his Son and 3. as he is a Trinity in unity and an unitie in Trinity the 1. describing the Kingdom and government of God the father with his Angellicall Ministers the 2. the government of the Sonne with his Apostollicall Ministers And the 3. The Kingdome or government of the holyghost with his ministring Saints which is now approaching It is also worthy our observation what Sacraments of union and Correspondencie there we●●●●longing to those distinct Kingdomes and governments fro●●●ch as did not belong unto them As in the first under the law they had Circumcision as a badg of their profession under the Gospell or new Testament a baptisme of water in relation to Christ the 2. person as also a baptisme of the spirit in referrence to the third person the water baptisme being a badg of their outward profession as they were a Church millitant or an externall Church and the Spirituall baptisme in relation to their internall or Spirituall societie that of water baptisme being as it were a gate or inlet to the other there beiug also now as much reason why the Saints should be seperated and distinguished from the world and Antichristianisme as there was either before under or after the Law viz. in the Apostle time Againe the new Jerusalem which is now to descend is said to be adorned as a Bride adorned for her Husband which without all controversie cannot alude to any other thing then the primative purity of Gospel-ordinances yea the whole description of it doth evidence as much which to paralell in each particular would be too tedious I shall only hint some few observations of it viz. in that it is described to have walls and gates with its longitude latitude and altitude doth prefiguring a comlinesse decency and order to be admitted into it 3. In that there is said to be no Temple in it is meant that there shall not be a materiall one consisting of wood stone and gold as was in that of Jerusalem built by Solomon and the reason thereof followeth viz. because the Lord God Almighty and the Lambe are the Temple of it that is it doth consist of Saints in whom the Lambe Christ is ever present as also in that he hath opened Heaven in every place to faithful Beleevers 4. In that it is said to need no light of the Sunne or Moone to shine in it is meant of Ecclesiasticall or civill Government as now practised having its proper power and adornment in it selfe viz. from Christ and his Apostles 5. In that the Nations which are saved is said to walke in the light of it is meant that all such who are ordained to eternall life shall be conformable to the government of it in Doctrine Worship and Discipline 6. In that the Nations are said to bring their glory and honour unto it is meant that the Kings and Rulers of the earth shall hate Antichrist in each of his Hierarchies and destroy it in their dominions as also willingly lay downe their owne powers and become loyall subjects to Jesus Christ 7. In that the gates of the City are not said to be shut either by day or by night and yet none is to enter therein that is uncleane c. but such as are written in the Lambs Book of Life is meant that all manner of people may have recourse to the Churches of the Saints to heare the Word As Country-men may have leave to come into a City for Merchandise which admission into the City doth not make them Free-men in regard they are not inrolled in their Records so in like manner albeit the men of the world may have liberty to heare the Word preached amongst the Saints yet they are not thereby made members of their Society not being entred or inrolled a Saint in the Churches Records viz. not being incorporated by Baptisme into their Society or Body Politick 8. In that a cleare and pure River of water is said to proceed out of the Throne of God and of the Lambe is meant of the Spirit of Prophesie which shall be poured upon the Saints who shall be taught of God 9. In that it is said to run through the midest of the streets of the City is meant that the aforesaid Spirit shall be free for each Member of the Church to make use of as well one as other 10. In that on each side of the River is said to grow a tree of Life bearing twelve manner of fruits and yeelding her fruit every month and the leaves being for the healing of the Nations is meant that the Gospel shall flourish and spread it selfe into all Countries by vertue whereof they shall be healed of the leprosie of Antichristianisme Judisme and Heathenism Thus have I briefly discovered unto you the new or Spirituall Jerusalem hoping you will be willing in this day of Christs power to give up your selves as a free-will offering unto him by submitting unto his Kingly Government but I must tell you that at the present there is very small hopes of it in regard of your now condition which if I be not mistaken in as sure I am not may fitly be paralleld with these places of Scripture I shall first instance in that of Marke 14. 38. where our Saviour told his Disciples that their spirits was willing but their flesh was weake even so it is with you for you are awake in the Spirit but asleepe in the body you are awake in the spirituall worship of