Selected quad for the lemma: power_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
power_n	church_n	congregation_n	elder_n	2,807	5	10.1144	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A43978	De corpore politico, or, The elements of law, moral and politick with discourses upon severall heads, as of [brace] the law of nature, oathes and covenants, several kinds of government : with the changes and revolutions of them / by Tho. Hobbs of Malmsbury.	Hobbes, Thomas, 1588-1679.	1652 (1652)	Wing H2221; ESTC R41339	83,707	190

it shall not be so amongst you but whosoever will be greatest among you let him be your servant And Matth. 23.11 He that is greatest among you let him be your Servant And a little before vers. 8. Be not called Rabbi for one is your Doctor Christ and all ye are Brethren And Act. 1. in the chusing of Matthias to be an Apostle though S. Peter used the part of a Prolocutor yet did no man take upon him the Authority of Election but referred the same to Lot 5. Again Moses had the command of God Num. 11.16 Gather to me seventy men of the Elders of Israel whom thou knowest that they are the Elders of the People and Governors over them and bring them unto the Tabernacle c. And Moses did accordingly vers 24. And these were chosen to help Moses in bearing the burthen of the Government as appeareth vers. 17. of the same Chapter And as the Twelve Princes of the Tribes were according to the number of Jacobs Children so were the seventy Elders according to the number of the persons that went down with Jacob into Egypt In like manner our Saviour in his Kingdome of Heaven the Church out of the whole number of those that believed in him ordained seventy Persons which peculiarly were called the seventy Disciples to whom he gave power to preach the Gospel and Baptize 6. In our Saviours time therefore the Hierarchy of the Church consisted besides Himself that was the Head of Twelve Apostles who were equal amongst themselves but ordained over others as were the twelve Heads of the Tribes or seventy Disciples who had every one of them power to Baptize and Teach and help to govern the whole Flock 7. And whereas in the Common Wealth instituted by Moses there was not only an High Priest for the present but also a Succession and Order of Priest it may be demanded Why our Saviour Christ did not ordain the like To which may be answered That the High Priesthood for as much as concerneth the Authority thereof was in the Person of Christ as he was Christ that is King So also was it in Moses Aaron having the Ministerial part only For notwithstanding that Aaron was the High Priest yet the consecration of him belonged to Moses Exod. 29.1 All the Utensils of sacrifice and other holy Things were ordered by Moses and in sum the whole Levitical Law was delivered by God by the hand of Moses who was to Aaron a God and Aaron to him a Mouth And for the Ministerial part there could no High Priest be ordained but himself for seeing our Saviour was himself the Sacrifice who but himself could offer him up And for the celebration of that sacrifice for ever after our Saviour annexed the Priest-hood to those whom he had appointed to govern in the Church 8. After the ascension of our Saviour the Apostles dispersed themselves for the spreading of the Gospel and continually as they converted any number of men in any city or region to the Faith they chose out such as they thought fittest to direct them in matter of conversation and life according to Christs law and to explicate unto them that Mysterie of Christ come in the flesh that is to say to unfold unto them at large the office of the Messiah And of those Elders some were subordinate to others according as the Apostles who ordained them thought meet so S. Paul gave power unto Titus to ordain Elders in Crete to redress things that were amiss So that Titus was an Elder ordained Elders Tit. 1.5 For this cause I left thee in Creet that thou shouldest continue to redress the things that remain ordain Elders in every City where the word is {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} that is constitute whereby it appeareth that in the Apostles times one Elder had authority over another to ordain and rule them For 1 Tim. 5.16 Timothy an Elder is made iudg of accusations against other Elders And Act. 14.23 The Disciples are said to ordain Elders for all the congregations of the cities they had preached in And though the word there be {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} yet it signifieth not election by holding up of hands but simply and absolutely Ordination For the ordinary chusing of Magistrates amongst the Grecians which were all either popularly governed or else by Oligarehy being performed by holding up of hands made that word be taken simply for an Election or Ordination howsoever made And thus in the Primitive Church the Hierarchy of the Church was Apostles Elders that governed other Elders and Elders that ruled not but their office was to preach to administer the Sacraments to offer up prayers and thanksgiving in the name of the People But at that time there appeared no distinction between the names of Bishop and Elder But immediatly after the Apostles time the word Bishop was taken to signifie such an Elder as had the government of Elders and other Elders were called by the name of Priests which signifieth the same that Elder doth And thus the Government of Bishops hath a Divine pattern in the twelve Rulers and seventy Elders of Israel in the twelve Apostles and seventy Disciples of our Saviour in the ruling Elders and not Ruling-Elders in the time of the Apostles 9. And thus much of the Magistrates over Christs Flock in the primitive Church For the office of a Minister or Ministress was to be subiect to the Flock and to serve them in those things which appertained to their temporal business The next thing to be considered is the Authority which our Saviour gave to them either over those whom they had converted or those whom they were about to convert And for these latter which as yet were without the Church the authority which our Saviour gave to his Apostles was no more but this To preach unto them that Jesus was the Christ and to explicate the same in all points that concern the Kingdome of Heaven and to perswade men to embrace our Saviours Doctrine but by no meanes to compel any man to be subiect to them for seeing the Lawes of the Kingdom of Heaven as hath been shewed Par. 1. chap. 5. Sect. 10. are dictated to the conscience onely which is not subiect to compulsion and constraint it was not congruent to the style of the King of Heaven to constrain men to submit their actions to him but to advise them only nor for him that professeth the Sum of his law to be love to extort any duty from us with feare of temporall punishment And therefore as the mighty men in the world that hold others in subiection by force are called in Scripture by the name of hunters so our Saviour calleth those whom he appointed to draw the world unto him by subduing their affections Fishers And therefore he saith to Peter and Andrew Math 4.19 Follow me and I will make yee fishers of men And Luke 10.3 Behol● saith Christ I send yee

forth as Lambs amongst Wolves And it were to no end to give them the right of compelling without strengthing the same with greater power then of Lambs amongst Wolves Moreover Math 10. where our Saviour giveth a commission to his twelve Apostles to go forth and convert the Nations to the Faith he giveth them no authority of Coercion and punishment but only saith vers. 14. Whosoever shall not receive you nor hear your words when ye depart out of that house or that City shake off the dust of your fee It shall be easier for the land of Sodome and Gomorrah in the day of Judgmemt then for that city Whereby it is manifest that all that the Apostles could do by their authority was no more than to renounce communion with them and leave their punishment to God Almighty in the day of Judgement Likewise the comparisons of the Kingdom of Heaven to the seed Math 13.3 and to the Leven Math 13.33 doth intimate unto us that the increase thereof ought to proceed from internall operation of Gods Word preached and not from any Law or compulsion of them that preach it Moreover our Saviour himselfe saith Joh. 18.36 That his Kingdome is not of this World and consequently his Magistrates derive not from him any authority of punishing men in this World And therefore also Math 26.52 After S. Peter had drawn his sword in his defence our Saviour saith Put up thy sword into his place For all that take the sword shall perish by the sword And vers. 54. How then shal the Scriptures be fullfilled which say that it must be so shewing out of the Scriptures that the Kingdome of Christ was not to be defended by the sword 10. But concerning the authority of the Apostles or Bishops over those who were all-ready converted and within the Church ●here be that think it greater then over them ●ithout For some have said Though the Law of Christ deprive no Prince of his Dominion and Paul did rightly appeal unto Cesar whilst Kings were ●nfidells and out of the Church yet when they became Christians and of their own accord under went the Lawes of the Gospel presently as sheep to a shepherd and as Members to the Head they became subiect to the Prelate of the Ecclesiastical Hierarchy Bell. Lib. De Rom. Pont. Chap. 29. which whether it be true or not is to be considered by that light which we have from the holy Scripture concerning the power of our Saviour and his Apostles over such as they had converted But our Saviour as he imitated the common-wealth of the Jewes in his Magistrates the twelve and the seventy so did he also in the Censure of the Church which was Excommunication but amongst the Jews the Church did put the Excommunicated persons from the Congregation which they might do by their Power Temporall but our Saviour and his Apostles who took upon them no such Power could not forbid the Excommunicated person to enter into any place and Congregation into which he was permitted to enter by the Prince or Soveraign of the place For that had been to deprive the Soveraign of his Authority And therefore the Excommunication of a Person subject to an Earthly power was but a Declaration of the Church which did excommunicate that the person so excommunicated was to be reputed still as an Infidell but not to be driven by their Authority out of any company he might otherwise lawfully come into And this is it our Saviour saith Math. 18.17 If he refuse to hear the Church let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a Publican So that the whol effect of excommunicating a Christan Prince is no more then he or they that so excommunicate him depart and banish themselves out of his Dominion Nor can they thereupon discharge any of his subjects of their obedience to him for that were to deprive him of his Dominion which they may not do for being out of the Church It is confessed by them that make this objection and proved in the former Section that our Saviour gave no Authority to his Apostles to be judges over them And therefore in no case can the Soveraign power of a Common-wealth be subject to any Authority Ecclesiasticall besides that of Christ himselfe And though he be informed concerning the Kingdome of Heaven and subiect himselfe thereto at the perswasions of persons Ecclesiasticall yet is he not thereby subiect to their Goverment and Rule For if it were by their Authority he took that Yoke upon him and not by their Perswasion then by the same Authority he might cast it off But this is unlawfull For i● all the Churches in the World should renounce the Christian Faith yet is not this sufficient Authority for any of the Members to do the same It is manifest therefore that they who have Soveraign Power are Immediate Rulers of the Church under Christ and all other but subordinate to them If that were not but Kings should command one thing upon pain of Death and Priests another upon pain of Damnation it would be impossible that Peace and Religion should stand together 11. And therefore there is no iust Cause for any man to withdraw his Obedience from the Soveraign State upon pretence that Christ had ordained any State Ecclesiasticall above it And though Kings take not upon them the Ministeriall Priesthood yet are they not so meerly Laick as not to have Sacerdotall Jurisdiction To conclude this Chapter Since God speaketh not in these Dayes to any man by his private Interpretation of the Scriptures nor by the Interpretation of any Power above or not depending on the Soveraign Power of every Common Wealth it remaineth that he speaketh by his Vice-Gods or Lievtenants here on Earth that is to say by Soveraign Kings or such as have Soveraign Authority as well as they CHAP. VIII 1. The things that dispose to Rebellion Discontent Pretence and hope of Successe 2. Discontent that disposeth to Sedition consisteth partly in fear of Want or punishment 3. Partly in Ambition 4. Six heads of pretences to Rebellion 5. The first of them That men ought to do nothing against Conscience confuted 6. The second That Soveraigns are subiect to their own Lawes confuted 7. The third That the Soveraignty is divisible confuted 8. The fourth That Subiects have a Propertye distinct from the Dominion of the Soveraign confuted 9. The fift That the People is a Person distinct from the Soveraign confuted 10. The sixt That tirannicide is lawfull confuted 11. Foure Heads of Hope of successe in Rebellion 12. Two things necessary to an Author of Rebellion much Eloquence and little Wisdome 13. That the Authors of Rebellion necessarily are to be men of little Wisdome 14. That the same are necessarily Eloquent 15. In what manner they concur to their common Effects HItherto of the Causes why and the Manner how men have made Common Wealths In this Chapter I shall shew breifly by what causes and in what manner they

himselfe to no greater then Humane Authoritie Nor can a man bee said to submit himselfe to Holy Scripture that doth not submit himselfe to some or other for the Interpretation thereof Or why should there bee any Church Government at all instituted if the Scripture it selfe could doe the Office of a Judge in Controversies of Faith But the Truth is apparent by continuall Experience that men seeke not onely Liberty of Conscience but of their Actions nor that onely but a farther Liberty of perswading others to their Opinions nor that onely for every man desireth that the Soveraign Authoritie should admit no other Opinions to bee maintained but such as hee himselfe holdeth 14. The difficulty therefore of obeying both God and Man in a Christian Common Wealth is none All the difficulty resteth in this Point Whether hee that hath received the Faith of Christ having before subiected himselfe to the Authoritie of an Infidell bee discharged of his Obedience thereby or not in matters of Religion In which case it seemeth reasonable to thinke that since all Covenants of Obedience are entred into for the preservation preservation of a mans life if a man be content without Resistance to lay down his life rather then obey the commands of an Infidel in so hard a Case he hath sufficiently discharged himself thereof For no Covenant bindeth farther then to endeavour and if a man cannot assure himself to perform a iust Duty when thereby he is assured of present Death much less it can be expected that a man should perform that for which he believeth in his heart he shall be damned eternally And thus much concerning the Scruple of Conscience that may arise concerning Obedience to Humane Lawes in them that interpret the Law of God to themselves It remaineth to remove the same scruple from them that submit their controversies to others not ordained thereunto by the Soveraign Authority And this I refer to the Chapter following CHAP. VII 1. The Questions propounded who are the Magistrates in the Kingdome of Christ 2. The Questions exemplified in the Controversies between Moses and Aaron and between Moses and Corah 3. Amongst the Jews the Power Temporal and Spiritual in the same Hand 4. Parallel of the Twelve Princes of Israel and the twelve Apostles 5. Parallel of Seventy Elders and Seventy Disciples 6. The Hierarchy of the Church in our Saviours time consisted in the Twelve and in the Seventy 7. Why Christ ordained not Priests for Sacrifices as Moses did 8. The Hierarchy of the Church in the Apostles time Apostles Bishops and Priests 9. The Preaching of the Gospel was not commanding but perswading 10. Excommunication Soveraignes immediate Rulers Ecclesiasticall under Christ 11. That no man hath any just Pretence of Religion against Obedience to Common-VVealth God speaketh to Man by his Vicegerents IN the former Chapter have been removed those difficulties opposing our Obedience to Humane Authority which arise from misunderstanding of our Saviours Title and Lawes in the former whereof namely his Title consisteth our Faith and in the latter our Justice Now they who differ not amongst themselves concerning his Title and Lawes may neverthelesse have different opinions concerning his Magistrates and the Au●hority he hath given them And this is the cause why many Christians have denyed Obedience to their Princes pretending that our Saviour Christ hath not given this Magistracy to them but to others As for example some say to the Pope universally some to a Synod Aristocratical Some to a Synod Democraticall in every several Common VVealth and the Magistrates of Christ being they by whom he speaketh the Question is Whether he ●peak unto us by the Pope or by Convocations of Bishops and Ministers or by Them that have the Soveraign Power in every Common-Wealth 2. This Controversie was the cause of those two Mutinies that happened against Moses in the Wilderness The first by Aaron and his Sister Miriam who took upon them to censure Moses for marrying an Ethiopian woman And the state of the Question between them and Moses they set forth Numb. 12.2 in these words VVhat hath the Lord spoken but only by Moses hath be not spoken also by us and the Lord heard this c. and punished the same in Miriam forgiving Aaron upon his Repentance And this is the case of all them that set up the Priest-hood against the Soveraignty The other was of Corah Dathan and Abiram who with two hundred and fifty Captains gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron The state of their Controversie was this Whether God were not with the Multitude as well as with Moses and every man as holy as he For Numb. 16.3 thus they say You take too much upon you seeing all the Congregation is holy every one of them and the Lord is amongst them wherefore then lift ye your selves above the Congregation of the Lord And this is the case of them that set up their private Consciences and unite themselves to take the Government of Religion out of the hands of Him or Them that have the Soveraign Power of the Common Wealth which how well it pleaseth God may appear by the hideous punishment of Corah and his Complices 3. In the Government therefore of Moses there was no power neither Civil nor Spiritual that was not derived from him Nor in the State of Israel under Kings was there any Earthly Power by which those Kings were compellable to any thing or any Subiect allowed to resist them in any case whatsoever For though the Prophets by extraordinary calling did often admonish and threaten them yet they had no Authority over them And therefore amongst the Jews the power Spirituall and Temporall was alwayes in the same Hand 4. Our Saviour Christ as he was the rightful King of the Jewes in particular as well as King of the Kingdome of Heaven in the ordaining of Magistrates received that form of Policy which was used by Moses According to the number of the Children of Jacob Moses tooke unto him by the appointment of God Numb. 1.4 twelve men every one of the chief of their Tribe which were to assist him in the Muster of Israel And these twelve vers. 24. are called the Princes of Israel Twelve men every one for the house of their Fathers which are said also Numb. 7.2 To be heads over the Houses ●f their Fathers and Princes of the Tribes and ●ver them that were numbred And these were every one equall amongst themselves In like manner our Saviour tooke unto him Twelve Apostles to be next unto him in Authority of whom he saith Matth. 19.28 When the Son of Man shall sit in the Throne of his Maiesty ye shall follow me in the Regeneration shall sit also upon Twelve Thrones and iudge the Twelve Tribes of Israel And concerning the equality of the Twelve Apostles amongst themselves our Saviour saith Matth. 20.25 Ye know that the Lords of the Gentiles have Domination over them c. vers. 26. But