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	peter_n	5,721	5	7.6949	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A43607	Syntagma theologicum, or, A treatise wherein is concisely comprehended, the body of divinity, and the fundamentals of religion orderly discussed whereunto are added certain divine discourses, wherein are handled these following heads, viz. 1. The express character of Christ our redeemer, 2. Gloria in altissimis, or the angelical anthem, 3. The necessity of Christ's passion and resurrection, 4. The blessed ambassador, or, The best sent into the basest, 5. S. Paul's apology, 6. Holy fear, the fence of the soul, 7. Ordini quisque suo, or, The excellent order, 8. The royal remembrancer, or, Promises put in suit, 9. The watchman's watch-word, 10. Scala Jacobi, or, S. James his ladder, 11. Decus sanctorum, or, The saints dignity, 12. Warrantable separation, without breach of union / by Henry Hibbert ...	Hibbert, Henry, 1601 or 2-1678.; Hibbert, Henry, 1601 or 2-1678. Exercitationes theologiae.	1662 (1662)	Wing H1793; ESTC R2845	709,920	522

Idolatry For whatsoever is undertaken for Religion sake as an honor unto God beside the command of God is plain Idolatry therefore altogether unlawful Again All religious distinction of place is taken away once Christ is come The Veil of the Temple is rent in the midst Worship God in holiness and 't is now no matter where we worship God Paul and Silas prayed and praised God at midnight in the prison 1 Tim. 2.8 Act. 16. I will therefore that men pray every where lifting up holy hands without wrath or doubting Pray every where for every where where thou prayest God is present by his grace He is over thee he is under thee he is before thee and behind thee he is on every side of thee We cannot say now as once Jacob said Surely God is in this place and I knew it not but Surely God is in this place and every place and I know it and I know that therefore I must worship God in this and every place He that thinks otherwise is procul à Jove far from God Where two or three are gathered together in my name there will I be in the midst of them saith our Saviour In medio virtus The power of the most High will stand in the centre of them that are gathered in his name be where it will God will not contend for place Bring him a good heart any where and it 's all he requires at our hands My son give me thy heart It is likewise unlawful in the End because going to the earthly Jerusalem or Rome or other places ordained for the like Superstition by Antichrist they think to merit the Heavenly Jerusalem But I am assured they are never the neerer it by going thither or any other the like place These Vagabonds for so I may term them that run from place to place in that manner steal from Christ to adde to Superstition Life eternal is in the hands of Christ and therefore his gift And they going another way to foot out their salvation foot it the wrong way for Christ is the onely way Joh. 14.6 I am the way the truth and the life Furthermore It is unlawful because it is done to the Reliques and Images of dead men They think to live by the dead they shall have but a dead life on 't Thus while they go to do homage unto the dead they rob the living God of his honor by the way For they expect a remission of their sins by the intercession and merits of those dead whose Reliques or Images they trudge so to adore And whereas they run to the custom of the Church it is very false the true Church of God never used it For Pilgrimage undertaken to the Reliques of the Dead was not used in the Primitive Church until three hundred years after Christ and that unto Images six hundred years only by some but both condemned for dead services Lastly It is unlawful because it is profitable neither to body or soul neither of them that wander thus with aking heels nor others it tends no way to Christian edification there is no goodness in it Therefore such fruitless trees are to be rooted out of Gods growing Temple And thus much for the false doctrine of Papists grounded on these words but falsly but idly I went up to Hierusalem Their other doctrine is That Peter had the Supremacie of Paul because the Text saith he went to see Peter Here we may observe the absurd dealing of the Adversary who to patch up their ragged coat of Popery do fain quidlibet ex quolibet as if to be visited doth argue a Primacie And here the Rhemists as one calls them Gagling Geese make a distinction of Visitation He went not up say they to see him in a vulgar manner but for respect and honor of his person and of duty and as Chrysostom noteth the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to import to behold him as men behold a thing or person of name excellency or majesty Chrysost These are their very words Indeed that he came of honor and reverence to him may be easily granted but every reverence argues not a superiority for reverence saving their reverences may be done to equals They say again he did it as his duty but there is no such matter This can be as soon denied as affirmed He came about his office and authority in preaching For he was equal in honor unto him saith a Father and again saith the same Chrysost That blessed man went not to learn any thing of him nor to receive any correction but only to see him and honour him with his presence Ambrose tells us Ambros he went to see Peter for affection of Apostleship that Peter might know that the same licence was given unto him that he himself had received and hence he is called his Fellow-Apostle and had a Fellowship in the Colledge of the Apostles as well as Peter As for that place so often quoted by them Mat. 16. Thou art Peter and upon this rock c. It proves not a superiority in another above the rest of the Apostles For as one saith of that place All the Logicians in the world cannot conclude in lawful Syllogism out of the words of that Chapter That any greater authority was granted to Peter than to every one of the Apostles A primacie of order and promptness of faith cannot be denied him but none of dignity And here the Rhemists again play upon the name Peter signifying a Rock a Stone hence they make him to be the Foundation of the Church and therefore the Principal Apostle If they mean his Person they are far deceived If his Confession Thou art Christ the Son of the everliving God we agree Hence saith one on these words Thou art Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church calling a Rock as I think saith he the unmoveable Faith of the Disciple Again If they say that he is the whole Foundation away with that blasphemy they take away Christ the onely Foundation for stedfastness I say for stedfastness for this Foundation Peter did shake fearfully when he denied Christ and he had been ground to powder and fifted as wheat had not Christ prayed for him and make the rest stand for cyphers The Apostles are pillars of the Church and what dignity hath one pillar in a Church more than another Not onely Peter but James and John were called pillars of the Church Gal. 2.9 And when James Cephas that is Peter and John who seemed to be pillars Again the twelve are called twelve foundations Rev. 21.14 Speaking of the new Hierusalem the wall of the City had twelve foundations and in them the names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb. Hence saith Tertullian Tertul. all the Apostles were stones So might Papists say were they not stones Thus we see that Peter had not a Monarchical preheminence of honour above the Apostles Therefore not above Paul

albeit he was his senior Apostle Both of them are called Eodem titulo fundatores Christiani nominis founders of the Christian name Peter among the Jews Paul among the Gentiles And one presumes to call Paul maximum or summum Apostolum the greatest or highest Apostle The reason may be this because he had more revelations than all of them And here the Rhemists because they would not have their foundation pul'd down upon such terms grow to that malapertness that they affirm that the greatest soveraignty in Gods Church Revel 3.7 attributed unto Christ is given to Peter in these words I have the key of David that openeth and no man shutteth and shutteth and no man openeth Whatsoever ye bind in earth shall be bound in heaven and whatsoever ye loose in earth shall be loosed in heaven It in truth is such blasphemy as a godly man of our Church saith as Peter would have rent his clothes if he had heard any man attribute so much unto him For Christ hath the key of David as the onely true Messias which openeth and no man shutteth shutteth and no man openeth This Key can no man have except he were a Messias Besides the words are in the Plural number whatsoever ye bind whatsoever ye loose And thus you have the true doctrine concerning these two false doctrines to my poor ability wherein you see not onely the absurdity of the doctrines but also the absurd grounding of them on these words I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter I would not be curious because saith the Philosopher Accurate refellere stultas sententias stultum est It serves first to teach us not to build our faith on a staggering foundation such as man is Christ was faine to pray to God that Peters faith fail him not Other foundation can no man lay 1 Cor. 3.11 than that which is laid which is Jesus Christ. To it let us cleave and not cleave it And secondly whereas Peter is called a rock and the Apostles rocks as they have the true rock in them Christ Jesus It teacheth us to put no difference in respect of authority between them but to give equal respect unto all of them Thirdly all of us are rocks as long as we make this confession Thou art the Son of the ever living God Aug. Sweet was St. Austins Application upon Peters confession which I apply unto every one Endeavour that thou mayest be a rock therefore seek the rock not without thee but within thee thy act is thy rock thy mind is thy rock Let thy house be builded upon this rock that it may not be beaten with any storms of spiritual wickedness Faith is this rock faith is the foundation of the Church if thou be a rock thou shalt be in the Church because the Church is upon a rock All Apostolick and Christian men are rocks saith another This Papists might see were they not rockt asleep on Peter and had not dreamed as a Pope had aut Caesar aut nihil for these words I went up to Hierusalem to see Peter To see him as a friend as a companion not as his Master not as King of the Apostles as Papists would have it but not as God would have it The last part and point here is the time o● Pauls residence with Peter he adode with him fifteen dayes Fifteen dayes to be better acquainted with him Ipse aspectus boni viri delectat Senec. Hierom. Gods children the children of light should delight in the company of one another Cursed is their company that takes pleasure onely in the company of the cursed But godly is their company that loves the company of the godly Fifteen dayes to conferre with him he had no need of great instruction and therefore tarried but a short time with him fifteen dayes Hence we learn that the most learned may not despise to confer with any of his rank albeit he should excel him in gifts This is a fault and must be mended This conference argues also a mutual consent That both of them were of the same mind and agreement This teacheth the Ministers of Gods Word to be always at an agreement in their opinion and albeit there may arise some difference in matters indifferent yet cleave to the foundation be sure that be not shaken or called into question for the foundation of God is sure How should their people ever be at quiet when their shepheards are at variance and ods No strife no wrangling must take place in Christian hearts lest their hearts be consumed in strife and wrangling Ministers as they are messengers of peace so Ministers of peace and therefore never to fall out Pulchrum est concordia cordis oris Moreover he sets down how long he stayed fifteen dayes to shew the absurdity of those false Apostles that thus vexed his soul For how was it possible that he could learn the Gospel of them in so short a space Where we may observe That it is no easy matter to be a Minister of the Gospel This learning is not so easily attained unto Therefore it is a grosse errour of some that no sooner put off the name of Sophister but puts on the name of Minister If they can reckon up Aristotles five Predicables on their fingers ends presently they fall to predication or preaching It were better wait a while hast makes wast saith the Proverb 〈◊〉 longer and fare better Rome was not built in a day no more can it be 〈◊〉 down in a day Thou mayest thunder against it è Rostris but it is not so soon wasted except thou come well provided Thy fourteen years and thy seven years is time too little to furnish thee be not therefore high-minded but fear but labour but wait a while Fifteen dayes Hierome observes a mystery in the fifteen dayes and if it can be found out in fifteen dayes or in fifteen years it is a mystery These are his words Hoc mysterio hebdomadis ogdoadis futurus Gentium Praedicator instruendus erat This mystery is comprehended under the number of seven and eight Seven indeed is called numerus sacer quietarius sacer because it consists of three which is numerus Dei and four which is numerus mundi numerus virtutum cardinalium quietarius because the seventh day is the Sabbath day the day of rest the seventh year the year of rest so in the seventh moneth the trumpet was to sound to the Jubile after so many Sabbaths as make up seven times seven years Levit. 25. which makes forty nine years So eight is called primus numerus and summus in harmonia Thus I have spelled put together who can I cannot And therefore rather than I will be vainly curious in seeking out a mystery where under correction I think there is none I leave this seven and eight at six and seven For all mysteries are wrought by Gods extraordinary and special providence But Paul's abiding here with Peter fifteen dayes

head in every state and condition whether we consider his state or the state of the Church 1. If his he was head in the state of his humiliation whilest he was conversant among us here on earth so is he now in his state of exaltation unto glory sitting at the right hand of God the Father 2. In the state of the Church let it be in what state it may be Christ is the head thereof who will be with it even to the end of the world in prosperity in adversity in plenty in poverty in a wastful persecution in a flourishing peace Christ ruleth it Christ protecteth it And it being collected out of divers nations sects vocations and conditions of men Christ doth respect them all equally not for any sinister or worldly respect preferring one before another but receiving all in the bowels of mercy into one mystical body For of a truth he hath no respect of persons the outward or contingent conditions are not reflected upon but into whom the supernatural qualifications of the Spirit are infused be they Lazarusses or Vivesses be they Kings or Beggars be they Jews or Turks or Indian Christ Jesus is their head Last of all Christ Jesus is the head of the Church in all authority It is his own voice that said All power is given unto me both in heaven and in earth Undependent supremacy is proper unto him Hence is he stiled by St. John in the Revelation the King of Saints he exercising dominion over them and they promising professing performing all lawful obedience unto him In the 2. of Hebrewes 10. he is termed the Captain of our salvation which may have allusion unto that Josh 5.15 where he is called the Captain of the Lords host who as he beats down our enemies before us unweaponing them and dispossessing them of all forcible lability to lift up their heads against us so doth he environ and surround us about with his special grace and ever operative Providence as that we do obtain a most secure convoy to the land of the living which is the inheritance of the Saints in glory Life and death are at his most just diposing and none are exempted from awful subjection to his imperial Scepter His authority reacheth over all and the limits of his jurisdiction extend as far as his alsufficient and unresistible omnipotency Thus Christ is head of the Church in all places at all times in all states and conditions and in all authority I put a period to my discourse on this head passing over to the next the womans head And the head of the woman is the man The surpassing wisdom and power of the infinite Creator having made woman an help-meet for man whom he made ruler over all his creatures when he made him implyed by the subject-matter out of which she was made mans soveraignty over her So much also is intimated by the priority of time wherein Adam had being and existence before her upon which ground the Apostle frames this speech I suffer not a woman to usurp authority over the man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 2.12 for Adam was first formed then Eve who in the processe of time becoming a pernicious help unto him by the cunning sleight of the subtil serpent wrought both their own overthrowes Whence the Apostle by way of Argument maintains mans principality over the woman Vxor mea tota in fermento est Said he in Plantus proceeding thus vers 13. and Adam was not deceived but the woman being deceived was in the transgression whereof the woman being convicted by the righteous Judge of all the world to whom the secrets of all hearts are open in express terms delivers this positive and resolute determination of the case to put it out of all question Genes 3.16 Thy desire shall be to thy husband and he shall rule over thee God the first Author of the sacred bond of Matrimony hath by a definitive sentence ordered that the man shall be the head of the woman the husband of the wife In token whereof it was the custome among the Hebrewes that the wife when first presented to her husband covered her head with a vaile Rebecca took a vaile and covered her self Genes 24.65 and for this cause namely in sign of subjection ought the woman to have power over her head 1 Cor. 11.10 where by power Over all Muscovie it is a custome observed that a maid id time of woing sends to that suiter whom she chooseth for her husband a whip curiously wrought by her self in token of subjection unto him Heyl p. 347 Numb 5 1● the Apostle understandeth a vaile Should any ask the question why he doth denote this vaile by the name of power especially seeing it was in token of subjection I reply that the Apostle being an Hebrew of the Hebrews might have respect unto the Hebrew word Radid signifying a vail which is derived from the root Radad to bear rule and authority and so might use the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 power in the same sence the Hebrews did And intruth what was this subjection to the husband but a kind of power and protection derived unto the wife in comparison of her former state of virginity Wherefore in case her husband were jealous of her among other tokens of sorrow she was commanded to stand at her trial with her head uncovered intimating thereby that if she could not then clear her-self she was from thence forward deprived of all power which before she enjoyed by her husband Now for further satisfactory information in this point my discourse shall be divided into two rarts 1. The one containing the respects wherein the man is the womans head 2. The other the mutuall good offices to be performed by both to each other For the former the man is the head of the woman 1. In respect of discrepancy flowing from the several properties of an head differencing it from all and every singular part of the body 2. In respect of congruity and agreement effected by a uniformity radicated and established in the very nature and essence of the head and members by the immutable law of the Omnipotent God As for the first the respect of discrepancy it is fourfold The head differs from the members in regard of eminency and dignity so man from the woman hence the government of the woman is committed to the man Equity pleads for it for from him she first received her nature her name her honour Her nature she was framed out of the rib of man and 't is a Maxime in the art of reason that Causa est potior effectu the cause doth exceed the effect in excellence Her name she shall be called woman saith Adam for she was taken out of man Her honour in that she is one flesh with man they both shall be one flesh from which unity doth issue a communication of honour For if one member be honoured all the rest rejoyce

with it faith St. Paul and good reason for the honour given to any member or the head is not so proper to it but that it is participated to the rest causing an effluction of joy in all So that what proportion of honour the woman is possessour of it is derived from the principal in man to whose superintendency the woman by divine institution is subject for the man was not created for the woman 1 Cor. 11.9 but the woman for the man The head differs from the body in regard of perfection There are more absolute endowments and perfections of greater excellency in the head than in the other subordinate parts None I presume but a brainsick man will impugne this assertion nor the consequence of it but a self-will'd woman Thus in man there is a confluence of more eminent qualities and rarer parts than are in the woman The temper and constitution of his body is generally and naturally more solid his ability in feates of activity more vigorous and substantial wherefore the more apt for industrious labour It is a Positive Principle in Aristotelical Philosophy Aristot●● that faemina est mas tantum occasionatus seu imperfectus woman is an imperfect man whose generation or production is not intended by nature but contingent occasioned either by the debility of an impotent natural agent or the imperfection of an infirme Patient or the indisposition of the ill-affected matter or some transmutation thereof proceeding from eternal causes But let the naturalist yield me the like liberty of my thoughts as he for himself doth challenge to his own There is no great glory purchased to man by the undervaluing of woman questionless God having made woman as well as man intending thereby mans good nature the ordinance of God Aquinas doth really intend the generation of woman Aquinas moderates the matter thus That universal nature doth intend the production of woman because it looks to the main chance the preservation of the whole universe but the●e is no such intention in particular nature Durand but the contrary which Durand another Schoolman denies for the intention of particular nature is but subordinate not opposite to that of universal nature both aiming at tht same end For mine own part lest I be censured to be unnatural to my Mother I side with Durand for the woman howsoever the woman must yield to man that superiority generally in bodily perfection whereof she is not made capable Furthermore if you view mans soul you shall find sounder and more accurate intellectuals in him than in woman the vivacity both of his speculative and practical understanding is far more exquisite in comparison Those inorganical operations of mans spirit and abstract notions of his intellect that have no dependances upon material or corporal substances are more highly elevated and have most commonly a more noble object than woman can comprehend His invention is more various his judgment more fixt and setled than the invention than the judgment generally of woman is his resolutions are lesse subject to alteration and his will follows the undeceiveable direction of right reason more close at the heeles than hers doth Thus in regard of perfection man is the head of the woman who is term'd by the Apostle in this regard the weaker vessel The head differs from the body in respect of rule and authority Every part of the body is guided by the head in voluntary actions So is the man to govern his wife he shall rule over thee saith God to the woman of the man but neither making her his slave nor his servant but his bosome friend and close companion and she must be willing to submit her neck to the yoke of obedience in all matters of indifferency lest she deserve the infamous title of an unruly and disordered wife Head-strong fancies grounded but upon superficial appearances must not interpose themselves nor attempt to draw another way but at the appearing of sufficient reasons which proceeding from the man may be in a better interpretation term'd head-strong must vanish away Hence let the judicious man learn to rule his wife and the well-disposed woman learn to obey her husbands will that it may not be said what I oft heard men complaine of that the wife is the husbands master The head differs from the body in regard of influence From the head there is an influx of animal spirits into the parts of the body whereby they are capable of fence and motion So there is a power derived from the man to the woman for the dispatch of all domestick affairs and oeconomical employments towards the supportation of life and well-being Beside what powerful influence is derived unto her for the inlarging of their house with an off-spring generated out of their own loines And thus man is the head of the woman in respect of that sourfold discrepancy which is betwixt the head and the inferior parts As for the latter Man is the head of the woman in respect of congruity which is threefold The head hath a natural conformity with the members both have the same nature So man doth agree with woman in specie though he differ from her in sexu Adam said of Eve that he was flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone and therefore saith Moses shall a man leave his Father and his Mother and shall cleave unto his wife and they shall be one flesh This is a great mystery saith Paul which is a resemblance of a greater the union of Christ and his Church The head and members do agree in ordination to the same end and joine their forces together for the attaining thereof So the husband and wife do mutually concurre in bending their endeavours to the same scope They are bound by a solemne promise and vow to uphold the Christian reputation and civil credit one of another The end in this Matrimonial contract where two are mystically contracted into one propounded and aimed at is threefold denoted in the form of Solemnization of Matrimony 1. The procreation of children to be educated in the fear and nature of the Lord and praise of God 2. The avoidance of fornication and preservation of chastity thereby to keep themselves undefiled members of Christs body for in this sacramental tye there is comprehended a firm restriction to curb in the insolent and violent extravagancies of our carnal appetites and lustful affections 3. The mutual succour and comfort that the one is to afford the other both in prosperity and adversity Vae soli saith the wise man there 's no comfort in being alone in which regard marriage is commended above a single life Woman was made for an help to man to ease him of part of his labours of his pain hence saith Solomon A good wife is the gift of God no earthly nor temporal blessing is like unto it Sweet is the harmony betwixt the united couple who admit no distractions for then will they aime at

in the translation of the word Gnuunotho Austin Hierom and Theodoret with almost all the Papists translate it omnis mansuetudinis ejus but Luther Calvin Tremelius and others translate it Cum totâ afflictione ejus So Arias Montanus a Papist Cum universa ejus afflictione ad verbum cum omni affligi ejus we follow the last But to leave off words and come to the matter it is manifest by these words that David had many afflictions yet he was the beloved of the Lord his darling so was Christ yet from the Cradle to the Crosse was he afflicted of whose troubles Davids here were types Therefore Gods dearest children are subject to afflictions they are Gods messengers to bring them to him messengers of life not of death of love not of hate for the Lord chasteneth whom he loveth David was afflicted by Saul and his followers before he had possession of the throne and after he was sole Monarch placed in the throne many were the troubles that attended on him Thus Kings are not exempted from being afflicted Among his manifold troubles this one is recounted the inward care he had of finding out a sit and convenient place where to build a Temple for the Lord. This we may perceive in the verses following he was tost too and fro with many difficulties inwardly perplexed and all for Gods glory Constantine the great was of his mind for no sooner did he conquer Maxentius and Licinius by which victory he ended the Persecution moved in the East and West Churches but he caused Bishops to be consecrated Churches to be built and then the Church of God began to flourish which before was almost drown'd in the red sea of bloody persecution for some hundreds of years I might be infinite in reckoning up the Godly Acts in this kind of Kings and Governours which outward acts shew the inward love they bore to God and true Religion Here is mention made of Davids afflictions to shew the truth or certainty of promise as if they had been therewith seal'd and sign'd Which proves that he endur'd all these troubles because he had so fair promises of God Therefore to whom God doth give comfortable promises no trouble or anguish should annoy him but he should willingly undergo all tribulations for the promise sake It was not for his afflictions that God made him this promise it was gratis Lastly Davids afflictions are put down for an example to incite others to suffer the like To comfort them and to assure them that albeit they suffer never so many troubles that it would seeme impossible that those promises should be accomplished yet should they put their trust and hope in God who out of stones is able to raise up children to Abraham As Solomon prayed thus in his own behalf so let us as the Apostle commands make intercession for Kings and those which are in authority Lord remember our David CHARLES the second by the grace of God King of Great Britain France and Ireland defender of the Faith c. Thou who art the King of Kings make him a King over many Kings thou who art the King of peace guide the feet of our King in the wayes of peace Sit thou in his heart the chief Defender of his faith Councel thou him from above to have mercy on them to whom mercy belongs and to execute justice to them to whom justice Lord discover all plots and conspiracies intended against his sacred Majesty Let them be taken in their own nets that conspire against him Make him careful of thy Church Fill him with Faith Hope and Charity and at last reward him with a crown of glory And grant that ever after his seed may sit on his throne till the coming of the Messias Amen THE WATCHMAN'S Watch-word ACT. 20.28 Take heed therefore unto your selves and to all the Flock over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you Overseers to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood WHosoever shall seriously observe Gods powerful providence in Pauls Conversion may discern an act of great mercy in God and a strange alteration in Paul It was the great mercy of the Almighty that ever Paul was converted to the faith He was a raveming wolf of the tribe of Benjamin using his best endeavours to devour the little flock of God breathing out threatnings against the Christian profession and slaughter against the Disciples of the Lord. Yet God in whose hands are the hearts of all m●n did so suddenly alter his savage disposition and so turn the course of his resolutions another way as for a time seem'd incredible From persecuting the Gospel the Lord won him to the preaching of the Gospel from being a profest Enemy to Christianity to be a strong Pillar of the Christian Religion The time was that his whole aim was bent to the extirpation of the Doctrine of Christ Jesus not a Professor durst hold up his head in his sight his imployment was to find out such and to bring them bound to Hierusalem To this purpose had he Letters framed countenanced by the Great ones and bacht with the chief Authority that his actions might pass unquestioned without contradiction Neither wanted he wit learning and courage to draw his projects into publique view and execution with all dexterity thereby to discharge his warranted Commission with approbation But when he heard that Voice from Heaven Saul Saul why persecutest thou me when he saw the Heavens took notice of his actions he was struck into a maze he trembled exceedingly his courage fell down his heart was astonished and suddenly turns Professor of that faith he erewhile persecuted to the death What before he endeavoured to pull down and trample under foot be took in hand to erect and build up Christ crucified was the subject of his discourse as before the object of his hate for whose sake he was put into as great fears as ever he put others and was subject to as great dangers by others as ever others were by him But in process of time he became a man of so undaunted a spirit as that no threatnings could terrifie him no fierce looks outlook him no power affright him no dangers discourage him from publishing to the world the Doctrine of Peace and Reconciliation through the blood of Jesus Christ call'd then by the Scribes and Pharisees as to this day by the Roman Sectaries Heresie God having thus made him a Chosen vessel to bear his Name before the Gentiles and Kings he went about from place to place preaching That Christ that was crucified was the Son of God Being at length come to Miletus he calls the Elders of the Church together to whom he delivers sundry wholsom Instructions tending to the good of Gods Church committed to their cure This was his Conscio ad Clerum and it was his parting Sermon It begins at the 18. verse of this Chapter and continues to the 36. Part of which Sermon are