Selected quad for the lemma: authority_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
authority_n	apostle_n	church_n	know_v	2,397	5	4.1848	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A10090	Vnto the most high and mightie prince, his soueraigne lord King Iames. A poore subiect sendeth, a souldiors resolution; humbly to waite vpon his Maiestie In this little booke the godly vertues of our mighty King are specified, with disscription [sic] of our late Queene, (and still renowned) Elizas gouernement: the Pope and papists are in their colours set forth, their purposes laid open, and their hopes dissolued, the happie peace of England is well described, and the long continuance thereof humbly prayed for.	Pricket, Robert.	1603 (1603)	STC 20343; ESTC S115229	27,405	47

Church vnto whom they administred greater titles riches and honor then T. Titus had who were the Bishops in the primitiue Church of which sort there must bee a continuall succession euen vntill the comming of the Lord Iesus yet notwithstanding if the Bishops now do execute no other office and that in no other sort then Timothie and Titus did then their titles riches and honours being but externall things lawfully giuen and lawfully receiued do not preiudice the worthines of their calling And about this the mēbers of the church of God ought not to contend For it is the zealous godly religious care in the execution of their office which doth onely dignifie the approbation of their calling And if they fail in the performāce of those godly duties to their place belonging then in the abuse of their titles riches and honors the fault consisteth And whereas many in these our times do take offence against the names titles wealthes and honors which our Bishops haue on them bestowed thinking that all such things at first proceeded from the Pope of Rome they are therin deceiued for since the time that christian Emperors kings Queens became the nursing fathers and mothers of the Church both titles riches and honors were by them bestowed vpon the Bishops in the Church who were notwithstanding obediēt subiects vnto their Emperours Kings and Queenes and were approued glorious ministers of the Gospell of Christ Iesus and all this was done before the Bishop of Rome did make himselfe the beast of Rome which now he is by vsurping vnto himselfe the sole authoritie ouer al the kingdoms in Christen dome Since which time both the Pope himselfe and all the Bishops vnder his Antichristian sea haue fled from the approued authoritie of Timothie and Titus in not being desirous to administer vnto the church but like tyrannicall Lords to rule and ouer rule the same and by their ouerruling vtterly to ouerthrow the church by extinguishing the purity of that light which shined in the same placing in stead thereof the traditions of men by their approbation of vnwritten verities And thus being desirous to raise themselues vnto a higher height then vnto them was limitted they lest to seeke the glory of God onely sought by peruerting the Scriptures to glorifie themselues aboue all the kingdoms of the earth and by this his pride the Pope hath made himself to be the open reuealed Antichrist as is before described But now my hope is that not any will continue to contend about the estate of Bishops as now they stand sith by their lawfull liberty of power they may receiue dignities on them bestowed by those vnto whō they administer which example was obserud by many christian Emperors kings many holy and reuerent Bishops long before the Pope was knowne to be that diuell which now he is And therfore let not any so contend about these things as if they thought the abuse of the Antichristian sea could extinguish or race out the lawfull liberty of power which was by the Apostles of Iesus Christ left vnto the godly Bishops in the church This may it please your Maiestie I haue aduentured to speake because I know some few vnlearned people in your land do desire to striue to much in this contention And though the authority of bishops be approued lawful yet al within the cōpas of your highnes kingdoms are your subiects and in their harts no doubt they vnfainedly desire to be so and do in their souls reioyce because they are so and your Maiestie shall find them reuerent godly wife learned men yet if there be negligent defects in any they will assuredly perceiuing that your highnes do looke into their course speedily by your directiō amend the things amisse henceforth not suffer that such vnworthy guides as are before described should by the laying on of hands be admitted to the ministry nor alow of any Nisi probatus vel Episcoporum examine vel populi testimonia Vnlesse he be allowed by the examination of the Bishops or testimonie of the people And the better to direct this course no doubt our Bishops will obserue the saying of S. Ambrose who speaketh thus in his exposition of Paules Epistle vnto Timothie Paul Chargeth Timothie before God the Father and Christ the Sonne and the elect angels Vnder this charge be commaundeth those things to be kept which pertaine to ordination in the Church least easily any man should get an Ecclesiasticall dignitie but inquisition be first had of his life and maners that a meete and approued minister or Priest may be appointed neither any to be ordayned whose faults deserue suspition for hee sinneth which or dayneth and trieth not This course obserued then shall your Maiestie ioyfully behold your Englands famous vniuersities send forth worthy men faithfully to labour in that worthiest work then should your highnes see your England furnished with the blessed number of those preaching pastors whose heauenly minds diuinely sanctified will iustifie the approbation of their calling by the inward testimony of the spirit of God Whose mouthes are touched with an hote coale taken from the fire of the Altar Whereby they are purged that the worke of God may be done by them with a pure performāce the approbatiō of whose ministry shall for euer ground it selfe vpon the foundation of that written truth contained in the holy Scriptures by the authority whereof they will like faithfull ministers truly teach the church of God arightly to vnderstand the worthines of hir peace in Iesus Christ vpon which corner stone the truth of their doctrine being established it will manifest vnto the world that they are sent of God and by the power of the holy Ghost are called to be the preaching ministers of saluation vnto all beleeuers Such as these are those of whome the Prophet Esay with admiration speaketh Oh how beautifull are the feete of those that declareth and publisheth peace that declareth good tidings and publisheth saluation saying vnto Sion thy God liueth These are the well commended watchmen which do continually with carefull diligence attend and waite vpon the Church giueth warning when the enemie approacheth neere vnto it or vnto any member of the same and so well they know all the publike and priuate enemies that they can describe the power likenesse craftes and policies by which and vnder pretext whereof The diuell with all his boares and beares and wolues and foxes seeketh to deface the beauty of the Church vtterly to destroy the same so wise these godly watch men are that they can prescribe and teach the true and perfect vse of euery powerfull meanes whereby the euent of each dangerous opposition shall soundly securely be preuented so that the church notwithstanding the force of all occasions shall at al times know how to enioy the safety of her peace These are the faithfull sheapheards who being

your royall vertuous selfe to bee their righteous king millions of thousands in your England liues whose spirites by the instinct of nature giues themselues to loue the lawfull exercise of Armes they with ioyfull willingnes will waite vpon the summons of their kinges commaund and spend their liues their lands their goods in the performance of faithfull and obedient seruice your England hath for these many yeares obserued the maner of your neighbor bordering kingdoms gouernment with what prudēt wisedom your maiesty did protect the safety of your land the continued true report of your renowned vertues fed your Englands people with delightfull ioy and to their hearts it did a comfort giue when as they thought vpon that blessed hope which built it selfe vpon the well known right of your succession though in christian policie A publike note was taken from the vulgar view yet all the world may witnes that our late Queenerenownde Elizabeth did with her Lordes and honoured Councellers long ago decree to yeeld vnto your Maiestie the proper right of your inheritance and that the people of your kingdom did expect no lesse was certainely approued by that ioyful general applause whichal your Englands subiects gaue when as they heard king Iames proclaimde to be their Soueraigne And now most mightie Prince sith that in despite of Rome the God of heauen hath established your name on earth and made you greater then euer yet was any Christian king and hath in peace confirmed the regall seate of your imperiall throne I make no doubt but your Maiestie with a Christian constancie and religious care will confirme the strength thereof by the inuisible force of a prudent wise godly gouernment which doth vnto two speciall poynts direct it selfe which is vnto the well ordering of diuine and humane things wherein the obedience vnto God belonging doth challenge to it selfe a title Capital the celestiall dignitie whereof is first before all other things in the chiefest place to be preferred Diuine regiment doeth therefore take vnto it selfe the matter of Religion onely and the ordināces to be vsed in the church which in the time of the Law were commanded by God himselfe vnto his seruant Moses and hee by the appointment of God committed the principall charge thereof vnto Aaron and his sonnes and the tribe of Leui but now in the time of the Gospell they were taught and commaunded by Iesus Christ himselfe and by him left vnto his Apostles and from them the principall charge thereof is committed vnto the Bishops and Pastors of the Church And as in the time of the Law Aaron though he were the high priest vnto God and had chiefe authoritie in diuine things yet was not he the king Prince or supreme Magistrate ouer the people of God but that supremacie of kingly honour was giuen vnto Moses who was vnto Aaron in the stead of God and therefore next vnder God Aaron and his sonnes were accounted subiects vnto Moses So in the time of the Gospell though Bishops and Pastors haue the chiefe authoritie to deale with the administration of diuine and holy things yet they nor any of them are the kings princes or supreme Magistrates ouer the people of God and Church of Iesus Christ. But that supremacie of kingly honour is giuen vnto Kings and Princes in their seuarall kingdomes who are vnto Bishops and Pastors in the stead of God And therefore all Bishops and Pastors are to be accounted subiects vnto their seuerall Kings and Princes And as Moses in the diuine ordinances concerning the law of God did commaund nothing vnto Aaron and the tribe of Leui but that he had expresly receyued from the mouth of God So Kings and Princes in the diuine ordinance of the Gospel of Iesus Christ are not to commaund vnto their Bishops and Pastors any other thing then can bee expressely warranted by the doctrine of Christ himselfe or his Apostles Lastly as in the time of the Law the Kings and Princes of Israel and their Priests and Leuits did bring on them and their posterity the eternall curse of God when they fled from the obedience of the Law written by Moses in the old testament of God Euen so in the time of Gospel shall Kings Princes with their Bishops Pastors bring vpō themselues their posteritie the eternall curse of God when they shall flie from the obedience of the Gospel written by the Apostles and Euangelifts and left vnto vs in the new Testament of Iesus Christ in which is contained the freedome libertie and iustification of our best esteemed and most blessed peace And from the obedience therevnto hath proceeded the long continuance of Englands peacefull quietnes and by the meanes thereof most mightie soueraigne your royall person and your Scotlands kingdome from euery threatned danger haue vntill this time most safely beene preserued And for from hence must spring the firme continuance of your royall state and kingdomes blessednesse your righteous soule no doubt will most desire that things diuine be chiefly lookde vnto and because there neuer was a church so rightly ordered but that some errors were therein remaining the reformation whereof did belong vnto the kings vnto whose charge the gouernment thereof in their seuerall kingdoms was principally committed it now therefore remaineth euident that your religious vnderstanding wise diuine and sanctifyed heart will in the beginning of your most happie raigne looke first amiddest your Englandes kingdome with godly care to beautifie the Spouses of Iesus Christ. My Soueraigne Lorde I doubt not but your highnesse will be pleased to obserue the order giuen vnto your princely son the happie comfort of your Englands hope and account it for your greatest honour to see the Church of God well gouerned I am a souldier my most mighty king and my dutie is when iust cause requires to fight for God and for his Church and for you my soueraigne next vnder God within the compasse of your kingdomes confines the onely supreme heade and gouernour Be then most mightie Prince vnder your captaine Christ a glorious instrument as to that ende you were ordained and aboue all things chiefly see his Church to be well ordered O then let your Maiestie vouchsafe with Salomon To walke downe into the Garden of Nuts The Sinagogues congregations in England and see the fruit of the valley see if the Vine buddeth and looke if the Pomegranets flourish Beholde what profite hath proceeded from the doctrine of the Law the Prophets and in many Congregations see nothing that your highnesse can take knowledge of but onely ignorance disobedience and rebellion The fearefull daunger of whose desperate estate is principally occasioned by the want of Pastors able to teach them to vnderstand that peace in whome the lawe and the Prophets is fulfilled and then from the loue of those vngodly guides which taketh vp the place bequeathed to better men let your diuine and heauenly soule as