Selected quad for the lemma: authority_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A34136
|
Common-prayer-book devotions, episcopal delusions, or, The Second death of the service-book wherein the unlawfulness (with advantage) of the imposition of liturgies ... is clearly and plainly demonstrated from the Scriptures ...
|
C. W.
|
1666
(1666)
|
Wing C5572; ESTC R35602
|
67,445
|
80
|
of Nature carrieth us up to the Truth we contend for by these gradations or steps 1. It teacheth us that God is to be worshipped by his creature Man 2. That he is to be worshipped with such Worship which is most agreeable unto the excellency of his Nature and Divine Being and which is most honourable for him to receive 3. It teacheth us further That that Worship which is most agreeable unto his Nature and most honourable for him to receive is to be dictated and prescribed by the most perfect knowledge of his Nature and Being that is to be found For he that is in any degree ignorant of these cannot direct a Worship or manner of Worship agreeable to Him or to his Nature as he may who perfectly knoweth Him and comprehendeth all his Perfections 4. The same Teacher likewise informeth us That every creature is finite and partaketh of Entity and Being but by measure and that God the Creator of all things is Infinite and He only 5. From the same hand we are clearly instructed yet further That the most perfect of Creatures being Finite is not able no not by the greatest enlargement of its endowments or abilities from God to know perfectly or to comprehend the Infinite Perfection of the Divine Being but that God by the advantage of his Infinity is able fully to comprehend it yea that he doth actually thus comprehend it By this series or chain of natural Maxims we are advanced unto the ground of our present contest namely That God himself is only competent to prescribe and dictate his own Worship all Creatures being strangers in comparison of himself to his most transcendent Excellency and Being and consequently incompetent to contrive or frame a Worship suitable unto him and much more to impose some upon others and this with extream rigour any Form of Worship of their own devising this being interpreted by the premises being a Worship unsuitable to the Nature of God and so unacceptable unto him Again 2. The Light of Nature enlighteneth our Judgments with this Truth That the Worship manner or kind of Worship which is agreeable to the Nature of God and so accepted with him is but one and the same Worship or kind of Worship as his Nature is but one and the same So that though he commandeth every Kindred and Tongue and People and Nation under Heaven to worship him yet the Worship which he requireth of them all is for manner and kind but one and the same nor diversified in any such respect as these by any exigency of circumstance one or more whatsoever What this one kind of Worship is which we affirm God requireth of all shall be shewed in due place and this ere long In the mean time proceed we with our Argument in hand If God requireth one and the same kind of Worship of all People and Nations doubtless he hath not invested any of these Nations much less the Rulers or Governours of any of these Nations with any authority or right of power to worship him with what kind or form of Worship they please Much less hath he given authorrity to any one part or party in any of these Nations to impose upon all the rest in their Nation contrary to their Judgments and Consciences what manner form or kind of Worship they fancy to be best pleasing unto him Or if he hath given any such authority as this unto the ruling or prevailing party in any one of these Nations questionless he hath given the like or the same unto the like party or parties in them all for there is no competent Reason assignable why any difference should be made between them in this case If then the Rulers and Governours of all Nations under Heaven have an equal right of Power derived unto them from God to impose upon the People under them what Worship seemeth good in their eyes Idolatrous Princes shall have as much and as lawful authority to impose any Idolatrous Worship upon those under them as those that know God and are truly religious have to impose a better Worship upon those that are subject unto them For there is little question to be made but that in the eyes of an Idolatrous Prince an Idolatrous Worship will seem as good or better as the truest Worship doth in the eyes of a Prince truly Christian If it be said A Prince imposing an Idolatrous Worship abuseth his Authority but this ought not to be pleaded in Bar to the regular and due exercise of the like Authority by another Prince I answer 1. If he hath Authority from God to impose such a VVorship which he judgeth to be good and pleasing unto God he doth not abuse this Authority by acting according to the tenor and purport of it which he doth when he imposeth only such a Worship which he really judgeth to be good however he be mistaken in his judgement in the case 2. A Prince professing Christian Religion abuseth his Authority as much or rather more when he imposeth upon his Subjects being Christians any false VVorship or such which is displeasing unto God And however when he adventures to impose any VVorship at all not being infallible he runs a double hazard of abusing his Authority For first he may mistake the VVorship which he imposeth supposing it to be legitimate and pleasing unto God when indeed it is spurious and an abhorring to his soul Men of great learning and parts and studied in the Scriptures far above the ordinary rate of Princes have with great confidence built errours and mistakes as great and dangerous as that upon misprisions of Scriptuere Secondly The Prince we speak of runneth yet a greater hazard of abusing his Authority in imposing any VVorship at all because he cannot know no nor yet conjecture upon any probable or competent grounds that it is pleasing unto God that he should impose any thing in this kind Yea it is scarce any question at all but that to compell men by penal threatnings and executions to submit to any form or kind of Worship be it never so plausible is an abuse of any created Authority whatsoever Besides all this If God imposeth one and the same Worship or kind of Worship upon all Nations under Heaven which is a supposition of unquestionable Truth as was lately hinted with the ground of it he should act contrary to his own Design or Command in this behalf in case he should give Authority to the Rulers of these Nations or to any party in them respectively to set up or impose what forms or kinds of Worship they should apprehend and judge to be most fitting to be imposed or set up The grant of such Authority would be a direct course to fill the world with as many forms and shapes or kinds of Worship as there are Nations in it and Rulers over them yea and all that enormous variety of superstitious idolatrous and false Worships which are or have been imposed countenanced practised in
the whole heart faint from the soal of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it but wounds and bruises and putrifying sores Isa 1.5 6. Suppose I say it should be so far altered from the present deformity and deplorable condition of it as to become as praise-worthy for Beauty as Absalom of whom it is said that from the soal of his foot even to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him 2 Sam. 14.25 and that a general Council of Elect Angels should assemble to reform and amend it and should make all the crooked things in it straight and all the rough things in it smooth yet would not this Angelical purity and perfection of it wherein its Admirers might in this case safely glory justifie either the Imposition of it from imperious Blasphemy or the use of it in worshipping God as or because imposed from base and wretched Idolatry This is demonstrable from this clear and pregnant ground attested both by the Scriptures and by the Light of Nature or sound Principles of Reason consonant to the Scriptures It is as well or as much the incommunicable Priviledge or Prerogative of God to prescribe appoint and command his own Worship as to be worshipped I mean as to be worshipped in his Divine or God-like Capacity This being a Truth as we shall presently God assisting evince it to be it undeniably by a near-hand consequence and whereof every man is or soon may be capable followeth 1. That he that shall authoritatively under any penalty to be inflicted on those that shall not obey command any Form Model Method or manner of Divine Worship to be observed by men maketh himself God or equal unto God obtrudeth himself as God or in Gods stead upon men claiming assuming and usurping such a power which is a branch of the appropriate and incommunicable prerogative of God Even as he that claimeth and exerciseth Regalia such Power and Authority which are the appropriate Rights of Kings maketh himself a King and saith in effect and in a more significant expression then the plainest words that way would amount unto I am a King In like manner whoever acteth or exerciseth any of those Divine Rights Authorities or Powers which are inseparably annexed to the Throne of Heaven and so declared and asserted by him that sitteth thereon though in words he should deny it yet in deeds which speak loudest he professeth and saith I am God It is like that they who stumble at this stone may think they walk inoffensively in their way and probably intend no such thing as an arrogation of Divinity unto themselves in what they do But this is common to the greatest Offenders of all not to intend the formality but onely the matter of their wicked actions to intend onely the Text not the interpretation of their sins The grossest Idolater that is doth not intend to commit the sin of Idolatry but he intends the doing of that which being truly interpreted is the committing of the sin of Idolatry There is the like consideration of the Blasphemer of the Persecutor of the Saints and of many other most enormous Transgressors And thus it is like to be with those who count it a goodly thing to say with the King of Babel of old We will ascend above the heights of the Clouds WE WILL BE LIKE UNTO THE MOST HIGH Isa 14.14 We will give Laws to the Judgements and Consciences of Men as well as He It is like I say that though they speak thus in their actions yet they do not intend to make themselves Corrivals in Authority and Power with God or to supersede and make void his Laws concerning his Worship with devotional Laws and Statutes of their own From the said ground it clearly also followeth 2. That whosoever shall accept of submit unto or worship God with any such Worship or form of Worship which is prescribed imposed and commanded by men especially if he shall submit unto it as or because thus commanded committeth spiritual whordom and bringeth the heavy guilt of the sin of Idolatry upon his soul besides the strengthening the hand of the imposer in a very sinful way The reason hereof upon the former ground is plain namely because he exhibiteth that honour reverence and homage unto a creature which are due unto God alone and as it were turns creature unto him that is no God unless a God may be made of dust and ashes For if it be the Prerogative of God to appoint and command his own worship they who approve and justifie men assuming and exercising this Prerogative entertain the creature with divine reverence and honour saying constructively and in effect unto it Thou art God or I acknowledge and own thee for my God Persons of this Character are all those who practise the Worship commanded by men upon the account or because of their command whether they do it willingly I mean before or without any outward violence or compulsion or whether they do it upon sufferings or through sear of suffering though the sin seems to be much greater in the former case Ephraim is oppressed and broken in Judgment because he WILLINGLY that is readily and with forwardness of compliance without asking any question for conscience sake walked after the commandment meaning after the idolatrous commandment of their King Jeroboam seconded and enforced by all his successors Hos 5.9 He that liveth under the Authority and Government of a lawful King over him and shall subject himself unto the commands of another commanding him as his King or such things which his King only hath by the Laws a right of Authority and Power to command him renounceth his Allegiance unto his own Prince and becomes a Traitor to his Crown and Dignity 3. From the ground aforesaid it followeth yet further that such persons who do obey the Commands of their Princes or other Magistrates wherein they enjoyn them any form method or manner of divine Worship are in such their obedience their greatest enemies thereby exposing them to the stroke of the jealousie and high displeasure of God The reason of this consequence is because to make an Idol of any creature or to set up any whether thing or person in competition with God and to ascribe divine honour unto it rendreth it the object of his severe wrath and jealousie The Scripture is abundantly pregnant with testimony of this truth as well in the case of persons as of things The People ascribing divine honour unto Herod in giving a shout in applause of his Oration The voice of God and not of man brought suddain destruction upon him and this in a most loathsom and grievous manner And immediately saith the text the Angel of the Lord smote him because he gave not God the glory whereby he might indeed have prevented the judgment and he was eaten of worms and gave up the ghost Acts 12.22 23. So dangerous a thing it is for Princes and Great