Selected quad for the lemma: authority_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
authority_n	act_n	law_n	parliament_n	5,454	5	6.8345	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A97005	Certaine affirmations in defence of the pulling down of communion rails, by divers rash and misguided people, judiciously and religiously answered, / by a Gentleman of worth.	I. W., Gentleman of worth.	1641 (1641)	Wing W39; Thomason E171_1; ESTC R9386	13,019	36

of conscience Moreoever the Nation it selfe wherein wee live was not inhabited at first with Protestants yet God forbid that any should be so simple therefore to forsake the Land or pull down the Churches For the abuse ought not to take away the right use of any thing 2 The Rails were not lawfully set up Ans The authority of subordinate Governours of the Church for the necessary repaire ornament and uniformitie of reverent and decent behaviours will hereafter more manifestly appeare For as there is but one God and one Truth so there ought to be amongst us but one way one cōmon union But suppose they were set up without that authority which you call l●wfull They ought therefore to be taken down by a more lawfull authority For as a lawfull thing may be done unlawfully so what is unlawfully done may likewise be undone far more unlawfully 3 London and all other places have pulled them downe in the like manner Ans It is a question whether they have done the like or not The whole is not to be blamed for part unlesse all were actors or consenters Yet if it were so the actions of others will not justifie ours before God or Man wee must not follow a multitude to doe evill nor doe evill that good may come thereon 4 It is just with God they should be so pulled down Ans That which is just with God and according to his secret Will may be unjust in Man being done contrary to his revealed Will. As in the Death of Traytors and the like Offenders against the Common-wealth It is just with God and Man they should be cut off by them Yet it is unjust and unanswerable to God and Man for any to take away their lives before justice hath ordained the Execution and the Executioner also 5 There are none that truly feare God that oppose the pulling of them down or are offended with them who pulled them down Ans This is a rash and self-conceited censure too common amongst Christians wedded to their owne opinions Hee that serves God truly ought to serve him rightly according to his Word But Gods Word doth not allow or countenance Mutinies unlawfull Assemblies or Rebellions against Government pulling the Sword of Justice out of the Magistrates hand and using or rather abusing it as we please according to our perverse wils and affections Therefore consequently those that doe so doe not fear God truly Nor are offended c. It is not the Matter so much as the Manner that gives the occasion of the offence and not the persons so much as their offences And as there were probably severall sorts of people that were at the pulling of them downe for severall ends and intents most of them for sinister ends and by respects Yet some who were simple honest and well meaning people only mis-informed and mis-led So likewise all that are offended thereat have not the like affections yet most I believe are justly offended to see the Protestant Religion and Covenant so much dishonoured and abused Authority and Government contemned the bonds of Duty and Unity broken the Governours Officers and Town like to be prejudiced and the actors themselves like to be mischieved 6 Wee are bound by the last Protestation against Innovations This being an Innovation we ought to pull it down Ans This manifests simplicitie ignorance or worse It is true that wee are bound to maintain and defend the Protestant Religion contained in the Doctrine of the Church of England against all poperie and popish innovations contrary to the said Doctrine But what is that to any necessary or decent ornament of the Church besides wee are bound to maintain the protestant Religion no further then wee may lawfully do it that is by petition solicitation information affirmation to those who have authority to reforme Not by unlawfull assemblies and tumultuous riots especially in times of reformaon to be our owne Judges Juries and Executioners Moreover wee must remember that by the said Protestation we are bound according to the duty of our allegiance to maintaine the Kings royall person honour and estate Now all Royall and lawfull authoritie and honour is derived and given even from GOD Almighty to the King and from him to all his subordinate Ministers Hee then that offends this lawfull authority though in the meanest Minister offends and dishonoureth the highest authoritie from whence it came Againe we are bound by the said Protestation to maintaine and defend the power and privileges of Parlaments In both which certainly are included the Laws and Acts of Parlaments which concernes either of them Furthermore wee are bound in all just and honourable wayes to endevour to preserve the Union betweene the Kings three Dominions undoubtedly then wee are not to neglect our own For Unity as well as Charitie is to begin at home 7 We ought to maintain the cause of Religion and not to discover the faylings of the Professors thereof Ans Wee are to maintain the cause of Religion Religiouslie and lawfully and not otherwise True Religion needes not errors to maintain it it is able by sound truths and sollid reasons to maintain it selfe That which is contrary to it is not from God but rather from the delusions of the Devill who is the authour of all Rebellions Seditions and discords And certainly such courses are dishonourable and offensive to God and our governours and can wee suppose lesse then that we prejudice our cause and dishonour them also when we unlawfully and furiously anticipate their intentions when wee endevour to do that by our wils and perverse affections which they intend by lawfull authority and sound reason to grant us And not to discover the faylings c. It were to be wished that those that make so much profession of Religion would make conscience also of the discoverie of the faylings imperfections and infirmities of others but much more how they doe backbite slander and beare false witnesse as they too often use to do But such acts in Professors or others that are openly committed offensive scandalous concernes our late Protestation and are of dangerous consequence tending to the subversion of the fundamentall Maximes both of God and Man for Government ought to be discovered and disclosed by those who make conscience to feare God honour and obey the King 8 Many meddle and talke more in these matters then they need Ans It is true indeed there are too many vain idle and unjustifiable speeches which have no warrant or lawfull Calling thereunto so likewise there are more then ought to be that meddle too little For the truth is at all times to be mayntained the ways and end being good and lawfull the time and place seasonable and the persons considerable But if we were not Protestants yet as we are Christians wee are to mayntaine unitie prevent imminent dangers which we see counsell and informe the ignorant and blinde and other works of Mercie belonging both to soule and bodie And