Selected quad for the lemma: power_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
power_n	bishop_n	call_v	presbyter_n	3,415	5	10.3134	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A34903	An answer to a late book intituled, A discourse concerning the inventions of men in the worship of God, by William, Lord Bishop of Derry wherein the author's arguments against the manner of publick worship performed by Protestant dissenters are examined and by plain Scripture and reason confuted, his mistakes as to matters of fact detected, and some important truths concerning the spirit of prayer and external adoration, &c. vindicated / by Robert Craghead ...	Craghead, Robert.	1694 (1694)	Wing C6793; ESTC R7154	118,658	170

sinful mean to command men to Act either against clear light or doubtingly for whatsoever is not of Faith is ●in 7ly To impose any thing in the worship of God as necessary which the imposers call indifferent is unaccountable for it can be no sin in them to forbear imposing what themselves account indifferent but must be a sin in such as comply and Act that which they know is not indifferent but unlawful 8ly As every Christian is oblidged to endeavour the quiet of his own Conscience that it be not defiled or wounded by Acting worship which God hath not required since we are alwayes to exercise our selves to have a Conscience void of offence towards God so on the other hand we are to exercise our selves to have a Conscience void of offence towards men endeavouring Unity and peace in the Church of God not making causless Rents and Divisions not indulging groundless scruples Labouring to have no less clear grounds for our forbearing or non-complyance with the manner of worship observed by others than we have for Acting in our own manner when this is neglected men sin which way soever ignorantly for a good Conscience must have this for a ground of comfort as far as in them is as far as it 's possible without sin they have followed peace and unity Rents in the Church of God are of so afflicting and important consideration that nothing but danger of sin should make any separation 9ly Albeit this separation from Orthodox Protestants even in part as to our separat Assemblies be onerous to us judge otherwise who will yet obedience to God and preservation of a good Conscience must preponderat all other considerations therefore when such Terms for our Communion with them are imposed as we cannot comply with without evident danger of sin and violenting our Consciences then it 's not our sin to withdraw being driven into separate Assemblies 10th We being thus constrained to separate and worship God in the manner we judge most acceptable to him and find prescribed by himself it is our comfort that we have a Gospel Ministry according to the Institution of Christ among our selves and Gospel Ordinances as delivered and prescribed by him unto which our people conscientiously adhere 11th We find also the Ministerial charge of feeding the Church of God committed to Presbyters Acts 20. Verse 28. Where they are also called Overseers or Bishops the word of God never made difference between those Presbyters and Bishops tho' men without warrand of Scripture hath made a difference of their own devising for in this Scripture we find Parity of Ministerial power committed to them all without exception to feed and Oversee the flock which is a full Commission to guide and govern as well as to teach neither is this Commission by any Scripture either repealed or retrenched by prescribing imparity among Gospel Ministers nor can a few or many of these Ministers instruct a Commission or power to deprive any of them of that which Christ hath conferred on them all 12th It is also Gods great mercy to us and no small encouragement to our peoples stedfast adhering to the Communion whereof they are members that no Scandalous Ministers are permitted to Officiate with us such as common Swearers profaners of Sabbaths Adulterers Drunkards gaming and dancing untill Lords Day morning mockers of Piety aspersing all the gracious operations of the Spirit of Grace as meer Enthusiasm calling conversion and Regeneration meer cant and Melancholy fancies advancing mans free will as above Gods previous concourse and predetermination maintaining universal Redemption and the utter Apostacy of Saints c. nor are such permitted with us who are negligent of their charge making less then half a day in a fourthnight all the time they get for instruction or when they do instruct to tell the people they need not trouble themselves with Predestination or Adoption but live a good life with their neighbours and so be saved no such Ministers are of our Communion and we pitie the Souls that are under such conduct wheresoever they are for the blind are leading the blind and both ready to fall into the Ditch Ministers are peculiarly oblidged to be 1 Tim. 4. 12. An example of believers in word in conversation in Charity in Spirit in Faith in Purity We have also by the tender mercies of our God Gospel Ordinances Administred in our publick Assemblies according to Scriptural Primitive simplicity not willingly omitting adding or depraving any part thereof nor hath the Author by all his elaborate discourse instructed any Deviation from Scripture institution in our publick Administrations tho' no doubt we are guilty as to the manner and spiritual performances Having then a Ministry and Gospel Ordinances according to Christs institution and our Ministers gifted by him with some measure of competent Qualifications for all Ministerial work diligent in their work and of Godly conversation we judge our selves safest as to our Consciences where we are and tho our desires were never so ardent for Peace and Unity in the Church yet what is now said and much more to this purpose said by others together with these two Scriptures Matth. 20. verses 25 26 27. and Luke 22. verses 24 25 26 and 27. Notwithstanding of all the Glosses put on them by men affecting preheminency yet to us they are so plain and awful that we dare not we cannot and by Gods grace will not countenance any thing that is there forbidden by Christ Since the Author doth so particularly desire that our people be not indulged in such affected distances good manners requireth that either the demand be granted or some reason why it cannot as for affecting distances we disown it wishing that God would open their eyes who make the distance for we look upon our selves as ridiculed First to barricado our way and then invite us to come in And if the Author be pleased to consider I will serve him with some necessary informations concerning his Book That he hath missed the Art of making Proselytes for many upon perusal of the Book are determined to a greater aversation and distance than ever before and no wonder considering First That they can expect no Gospel preaching in communion with the Author affirming that all preaching is either reading of the Scriptures or publishing of the Gospel to such as never heard it before our people heard the Gospel long ago and therefore can expect nothing but reading so that they must adhere to that communion where they know to find Gospel Preaching the great mean of Salvation for Faith cometh by hearing and how can they hear without a preacher Could this be a Load-stone to draw men by telling they need expect no preaching 2ly We are told in hyperbolicks for much reading that the Scriptures apply themselves but many find it otherwise requiring adventious help our Saviour and his Apostles explained and applyed Scriptures and our people find it necessary for their Souls being sensible that

incapable of watching over so many souls Let the Reader observe and remember that Scriptural Pastors appointed to feed their flocks Act. 20. 28. are also required to oversee them this feeding and overseeing is the highest Ministerial power over the flock that any Officer in the House of God can claim by right and whoever pastorally feedeth by tenor of the same commission is to oversee which feeding and overseeing is to guide govern and rule by the Laws of Christ and therefore every Pastor hath this power by his Commission without being beholden to any other who has no other commission from Christ than themselves besides that Ministerial ruling is plainly ly declared to be the Right of Presbyters and therefore cannot without Sacriledge be appropriated or reserved by one to the prejudice of others 1 Tim. 5. 17. Next The Laity as the Author termeth them are desired to consider and lay to heart what he tendereth to them for he cannot prevail with them to come and receive instruction from his mouth Ans No doubt they do consider what is said but some of them say the more they consider the less they lay to heart and to say truth if readers take pains to consider well what they read there 's no danger of becoming Proselytes 2ly It 's complained that the people will not come to hear instruction from the Authors mouth Ans Is there none to give instruction in the Diocess if they come not to receive it from the Authors mouth are there not other Teachers of his own communion in the Diocess but this confirmeth what is abovesaid that he is the one appointed 2ly Can all the Dissenters of the Diocess of Derry come to hear and be instructed by his own mouth the whole body of the people being Dissenters where could be the hearing place where the voice to reach so many thousands 3ly Since this is the Authors regret that all the people come not to hear him his best relief is to take charge of no more than can hear him and then he is not only eased of his complaint and grief but besides shall be more conform'd to Scripture Rules feeding a flock personally wherever he is made Overseer for any man to engage in a Charge which he shall never be able to discharge is in accountable and his delegation to others under him that which he calleth his own charge and work hath no colour of warrand from any Scripture or Reason Page 182. In this Treatise I have not led you into long Reasonings or the intricacies of humane Learning but I have referred you to your Bibles Ans It was no doubt discretion to take care the Laity should not be confounded with too sublime speculations yet the Seraphick Patterns are too sublime for either Clergy or Laity 2ly Our people are referred to their Bibles the Author could not advise them better especially when they are well Expounded and the advice is to be the more regarded since the Authors own people are recommend but to the Book of Common Prayer as their best Family Devotion Ibid I would desire you to observe that it ever has been and in all probability ever will be the humour of the World to be more fond of their own inventions than of what God commands Ans The Author saith well for Inventions being mens own Brats are dear to their Parents were they never so deformed 2ly He saith in probabillty this will be ever the humour of the World if it be still the humour of the World Why but it may be the Authors humour also for he is yet in the World as others And if he say of himself and his though they be in the World yet they are not of the World and that only a rable of reprobat Dissenters are the men of this World if this be the Authors sense of us he is but consistent with himself in what he elsewhere published that such as we are belong not to the Catholick Church and so are the men of this world in the worst sense being without Christ having no hope and without God in the world I could never learn of any other but a Pope that hath excommunicated so many famous Churches sound in the Faith Neither is this ignominy done to the Churches of God ever yet publickly retracted as it ought to be though detected published and solidly Confuted by Mr. Boyse Those whom the Author now writeth to have found it to their smart who are most fond of Inventions they cannot be bewildred where to find them many of them being excommunicated fin'd and confined for no other cause but non-complyance with unwarrantable inventions in the worship of God Page 183 and 184. The Author accuseth the Laity for bringing in extemporary prayers saying It's plain you have brought them into practice against the opinion of the Church governours and of the first Reformers who all did settle Liturgies in the Churches which they Reformed this Knox did in Scotland Luther for Germany Calvin for Geneva and the French Church Ans Was it the Laity taught their Teachers to pray conceived prayers No sure for the Spirit of God teacheth all the Children of God such prayers when the Author pleaseth let him answer the Scripture proofs I have brought for it we find Abraham the Patriarchs Job Moses the Prophets our Saviour himself and his Apostles all using conceived prayers without a form so that the best Church Guides has taught the people such prayers and not the people them 2ly Our first Reformers from Popery allowed some forms and did well in so doing when few qualified persons either for preaching or praying could be found so Homilies were appointed in place of preaching because the poor ignorant Priests could neither preach nor pray 3ly Our first Reformers did then pray conceived prayers themselves and limited no Ministers by forms of humane composure whom God gifted for extemporary prayers and all these Churches to this day use conceived prayers in their publick Assemblies Page 184. And let me tell you that it is no hard matter to give a reason why the generality of people are better pleased with such extemporary prayers than with forms for can any wonder that a prayer which people never heard before and is adapted to the fancies and humours of a party with all the advantages which novelty gives should gratifie carnal and itching ears more than the fixed and setled prayers of a Church whereas there is a pleasure and a kind of sensual delight in the novelty of the other prayers and the Tone wherewith they are sometimes delivered makes the hearers imaginarily devout Ans Here is judging and censuring to the highest degree and that very judging which is forbidden of God for men to judge of mens hearts which is Gods prerogative For first he saith extemporary prayers are adapted to the fancies and humours of people that is when Ministers pray conceived prayers they fit these prayers for fancies as if they prayed to God that peoples