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	church_n	ordination_n	6,915	5	10.5861	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A88653	The tythe-takers cart overthrown or, The downfall of tythes. Proved that they are not to be payd now, either to the appropriate or impropriate parsons or persons. Pen'd for the general satisfaction and easement of all the people of England. By D. Lupton, servant of Christ Jesus in the work of the Gospel.	Lupton, Donald, d. 1676.	1652 (1652)	Wing L3495; Thomason E1380_3; ESTC R209388	17,631	52

honor unto himself says the Apostle Heb. 5.4 If the second then by whom If only from other men and corrupt too then as our Saviour speaks it how can ye believe who receive honour one of another Joh. 5.44 If from Christ and his blessed Spirit of Truth and the Apostles they themselves plead not their Visible Succession of Presbytery or Ordination of Ministers so high as from the two first but from the Apostles times by the Imposition of hands of the Presbytery from Paul and Titus and other Disciples they hold out and make the World believe their perpetuated Visibility and Ordination of Ministers made from time to time and so even to this time by one another And by this Rule their Ordination came in corrupted times and by corrupted persons into the hands of the Popes of Rome which Gangrene spread it self by the Popes policy into all Kingdoms for the Kingdoms of the World have been made drunk with her fornications and so the Popes Doctrine and Discipline advanc'd it self into our Nation and so our Archbishops and Bishops and other Ministers had Ordination by the Popes Power and Keys and these from them Behold we pray you all good people of England the Claim and Title our pretending Presbyters lay hold on to prove themselves lawful Ministers of Christ and so cry out that Tythes all Tythes are due to them as such Ministers and Presbyters Now that their Claim to Tythes may be of no force or virtue we shall lay down some Conclusions against their Calling which being found true and undeniable they cannot have the face to lay claim any longer or to take and rake that which is not their own 1. First Therefore we say That their Ordination it self by a visible descent and grant from one to another is corrupted and against divine Truth How can a clean thing come out of an unclean or a streight from a crooked A corrupted Fountain cannot send forth pure streams nor a rotten Root sound Branches These Parsons come out of the loyns of the Bishops and they from the Popes Authority these men themselves were the pullers down of the Bishops Power as Antichristian which had they been lawful why rejected if unlawful how can our Presbyters be good who proceed from them And then 2. Secondly Their Ordination of one another as they say from the Apostles times holds up a Visibility of the Ministry and by consequence a Visible Church too which is not only Popish but opposes Christs Spiritual Kingdom My Kingdom is not of this World And we believe the Communion of Saints now Faith says the Apostle is of things not seen Heb. 11.1 He himself is called the King Invisible his Kingdom his Office his Ordinances and People are all Spiritual and Invisible and Godliness it self is called a great Mystery and yet our Presbyters and pretending Ministers will be visible and worldly how can light and darkness agree But 3. Thirdly The Prophets of God were called by God and extraordinarily endowed not with titles only but with gifts and graces and sent immediately Behold I send THEE even THEE to the house of Israel says God unto the Prophet Ezekiel Ezek. 2. And after them the Apostles were all called and then sent by Christ Behold I send you as sheep among Wolves But are our Presbyters thus called or sent or are they sent at all Nay they seek places desire places solicit for Preferments do all they can to procure fat Livings and the best Benefices Do not these run think you and God sends them not Yea they climb by Craft and Ambition and come not in at the door Joh. 10. We may know who they are and to whom they do belong And yet further 4. Fourthly Their works and fruits shew they are not of this flock or fold if they be lawfully sent let them shew forth the works of him that sent them the tree is known by his fruits Can we find in these men though they so much cry up Reformation any true Reformation at all Oh could we but with Lanthorn and Candle find an Humble Presbyterian Minister a merciful One a liberal-minded One a meek One endued with the Spirit of Love and but even Obedience to the Civil Magistrate But alas the Pulpits are filled and the Commonwealth too with ambitious and proud Parsons with covetous and contentious seeking not as the Apostle says you but yours your Goods your Tythes not wearing Christs Motto Hereby ye shall be known to be my Disciples if ye love one another We appeal to all England and further too to their own Consciences if this be not so We may say then and conclude with the Apostle Are ye not carnal Are not these men in their sins And then how can we imagine and conclude these men to be not only Followers but true Teachers of Gods Word also whose Actions are diametrically opposite unto those of Christ 'T is said of him Behold the Lamb of God who taketh away the sins of the world Joh. 1. Is he a Lamb and must these be Lions Did he take away sin and shall these keep it and live in it Oh 't is time to distinguish them they have wore their hoods and vails long enough it 's time to unmask them We proceed on and say 5. Fifthly These Presbyterian Ministers confess so much themselves That there is a twofold Calling to the Ministry one Immediate another Mediate now say they the Prophets and Apostles were indeed called Immediately but they only Mediately what have they then we pray you but what any man might have had for money as well as themselves And what is this their Mediate Calling for more they dare not say in truth they have but an Outward Art as a shadow to a body or as sign to the thing it self nothing worth without the Inward Or have these men the Influences and Assistance of Gods holy Spirit more in them then others Or is it promised or given to them more then to others who have not that outward Calling As for their parts and Arts their seeming gifts and shifts too they are by study and other helps acquired their degrees in Schools humane not divine Now this is no safe Conclusion but rather indeed a meer Delusion to say because such and such are Ministers in Arts in a University and have some knowledg in Hebrew Greek and Latin and have by Friends and Moneys too if not by making Feasts or Banquets for some of the Classical Rabbies that therefore if some of these shall lay hands upon them that therefore they are true Ministers of Christ and from that time forward chiefly if not solely they may set their heart and affections to try all ways possible to enjoy a good Parsonage and then demand and command Tythes as true Orothodox and godly Ministers of Christ Oh falshood Oh these men to be layd in the ballance will be found too light And for all this it may yet be asked them Friend how came

so much as mention Tythes nor can our Ministers fetch or alledg truly any Authority for their Tythes now from hence And therefore first for his liberty and his plea for maintenance for Preachers 1. He was an Apostle Am I not vers 1. justifies his mission could our men do so too 2. His freedom in preaching not chargeable Are our Ministers of this stamp we fear they are not 3. His priviledg seen the Lord vers 1. not onely in spirit but Christ appeared to him Have our Ministers this spiritual happiness 4. His effectual operation in their conversion v. 2. O happy man worthy indeed of allowance and liberal too But can ours shew their seal and evidence to mens consciences that they have wrought their conversion we wish they could 5. His confirmation of them in Grace O where are such Ministers to be had 6. Eating and drinking and leading about a sister a wife the two first things indifferent and allowed by Christ Eat and drink such such things as are set before you Luk 10.7 v. 4 5. Here 's onely meat and drink an Apostles allowance and yet he had learned to be content and thankful too What will our Presbyters plead to this whom meat and drink moneys and all will scarce please for his leading about a sister a wife no ways obnoxious to scandal a sister by professing the same faith a wife and so constant and as diligent to minister to them in their journeying Divers women of affection to Christ followed him being so taken with his doctrine Luk. 8.2 3. He was put upon this employment by Christ himself his warfare planting and feeding Acts 22.14 15. Ours put themselves upon it and thrust into it for gains and means Rich Parsonages need not cry out for want of Pastors they strive who should get into them first His comparison from the muzling of the Ox This creature is laborious and a pattern of a good Minister v. 9. For his Argument from the greater to the less 't was true vers 11. He did sow i. e. preach spiritual things Ours too too many of them preach carnal things as for maintenance by Tythes nay and contention too and preach themselves and for themselves he not And so also for his plowing he performed it spiritually so of threshing and sowing this was his task it 's good to have a Calling not to run without a Call and moreover observe his labor in the Gospel I saith he labored more then they all 1 Cor. 15. A good example to all that undertake this profession to be true Laborers in Gods Harvest and Vineyard His fetching Authority for Ministers means from their practice under the Law vers 13. for in his time the Law of Moses was not quite decayed The Light of the Gospel did spread but yet then the Jews Law was not down it decayed by degrees but now 't is no plea for our Ministers it being now vanished as old Hebr. 7. In the last place at vers 14. from Gods Ordinance we say so too 't is Gods Ordinance we know that the Laborer is worthy of his hire the Apostle says they should live of the Gospel but doth not mention a word to confirm the taking and raking after Tythes and all this he good man did onely perswade forc'd it not rail'd not against them accused them not did not prosecute them at Law neither did he threaten any of them And now to sum up all this What makes all this for Tythes in kinde not a word nor one syllable When we consider this mans admirable gifts and his constant employment of them his patience in troubles and wants too how he only craves and perswades not for any superfluity but onely to live what mean and laborious names he takes to himself even of a private Soldier of a Vine-dresser of a Shepherd of a Plow-man of a Thresher and of a Seeds-man Titles not of honor but of labor and pains and all these with persecution too and onely to live to preach to live and live to preach Look upon this Example O Ministers and then blush at your Pride Contention Debate Envy Idleness and Imperiousness He perswades but you 'l command he onely to live of the Gospel you to lord it over your Brethren the People too Ye take too much upon you ye sons of Levi Num. 16.7 8. He converted Souls and confirmed them in the Faith Oh could you but shew such seals of your employments and yet for all this demanded no Tythes at all onely peoples liberality We would not do not debar a good maintenance to you though you be far inferior to the Apostles onely be not your own Carvers Allowance we say is fiting but not in this kind by Tyth-taking We would not be tedious upon this subject onely give our Ministers notice that they exact too much upon Gods people by Tythes Further to convince them in this particular we say Argum. 9. Ninthly Seeing that Moses and the Prophets nor Canonists Civilians Casuists nor School-men nor yet the Word of God in the New Testament will or do uphold them in their practice they retire to the common Law of the Land because confirmed by several Acts of Parliament and this is it indeed that bolsters them up and swels them so that they think all 's their own and that nothing can hinder them from their Right as they hold it Well Is the whole matter come to this from Jure Divino to Jure Humano Is all their pretences and clamors and bustleings for Tythes all this while summed up in this Tythes are setled to our Ministers by Act of Parliament This is but a weak plea for them for we say first what the Parliaments of this Land did in this particular was out of indulgency to encourage them in their profession not to heighten them in pride for Alimony not for Covetousness their intentions were honorable the worse is the abuse but yet those that sat then and ruled in chief had dependance on the Pope the Houses were filled with Popish Prelates and Abbots nay most if not all in both Houses were zealous Papists and had no further knowledg held it a meritorious Act and the business put on by the Archbishops and Bishops of the same tribe that the Ministers were of and so indeed Tythes came in But we hope many other Acts of Parliament in after times have been repealed and when it pleaseth God to stir up the spirits of this honorable Parliament to put their Power into execution in this particular it may be speedily effected without either any prejudice to their Consciences or violation of any mans just Right but to the general and universal Freedom of this Nation from Jewish and Popish Thraldom for which purpose there have been sundry Petitions from several parts and persons all desiring this one thing as a great grievance may be taken out of the way And certainly as 't was said of Henry the eight that he broke the Popes shins