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	prove_v	3,145	5	6.1841	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A64622	A body of divinitie, or, The summe and substance of Christian religion catechistically propounded, and explained, by way of question and answer : methodically and familiarly handled / composed long since by James Vsher B. of Armagh, and at the earnest desires of divers godly Christians now printed and published ; whereunto is adjoyned a tract, intituled Immanvel, or, The mystery of the incarnation of the Son of God heretofore writen [sic] and published by the same authour.; Body of divinity	Ussher, James, 1581-1656.; Downame, John, d. 1652.	1645 (1645)	Wing U151; ESTC R19025	516,207	504

off from the Church and delivered unto Satan as shall be declared How are the Censures ratified and the authority of the Church confirmed by our Saviour Christ That appeareth by his words unto his Disciples Matth. 18. 18. Whatsoever you bind on earth meaning according to the rule shall be bound in heaven and whatsoever you loose in earth shall be loosed in heaven which is as much as if a Prince giving authority to one of small reputation should bid him execute justice he would beare him out How is this further proved It is further confirmed in the verse following by a reason of comparison If two or three shall agree upon any thing and shall aske it in my name it shall be granted If Christ will ratifie the deed of two or three done in his name how much more then that which the whole Church shall doe accordingly Why is it said And shall aske it in my name To declare that by prayer unto God in the name of our Saviour Christ all the Censures of the Church but especially Excommunication should be undertaken as the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 5. 4. When you are gathered together in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that is calling upon his name deliver such an one unto Satan What need is there of this ratifying of the Churches authority in exercising the Censures Because some doe contemne the Censures of the Church as proceeding from men onely as if thereby they were no whit debarred from the favour of God whereas neverthelesse whom the Church separateth from the outward seales them also Christ depriveth of the inward graces banishing them from his kingdome whom the Church hath given over to Satan What gather you of this That men should not slightly shake off but with reverence esteeme the censures of the Church as the voice of God himselfe and although they be never so high and stout yet are they to subject themselves to the judgement of God in the Church unlesse they will set themselves against the Lord himself We have heard of the generall doctrine of censures What are the kinds of them They are either of soveraigne medicine Matth. 18. 15 16. 1 Cor. 4. 5. or of fearfull revenge 1 Cor. 16. 22. Iam. 1. 14. 2 Tim. 4. 14. the former properly are corrections the latter punishments What are the medicinall censures They are such as serve to bring men to repentance the principall end of the next the glory of God being the salvation of his soul that is censured What things are required of them that doe execute these censures against any man Six 1. Wisdome 2. Freedome from the sin reproved 3. Love 4. Sorrow 5. Patience and 6. prayer for the party Of what sorts are the medicinall Censures They are either in word or in deed What are they in word The chidings rebukes of the Church for sin which we call Admonitions How many sorts of admonitions are there Two the first is private betwixt Brother and Brother Levit. 19. 17. Mat. 18. 15 16. the other publick by the Minister assisted by the congregation when the private will not prevaile Mat. 18. 17. 1 Tim. 5. 20. What are we to observe in the private admonitions That we should watch one another diligently witnessing thereby our mutuall love which God requires of us as if any man seeing another whose journey he knoweth wander out of the way if he should not admonish him he might justly be accounted unnaturall much more we knowing all men think to journey towards heaven if we see any go the wrong waies as by Robberies Adulteries Vsury Swearing or Drunkennesse and do not admonish them are even guilty of their wandring especially sith the other belongeth to the body but this both to body soul. But is it not sufficient for men to watch themselves seeing every man standeth or falleth to God Such was the wicked answer of Cain and they that use it are like unto him but if God commanded in the law to help our enemies Oxe or Asse having need of help we are more bound by the law of charity to helpe himself and unlesse we reprove him we are partakers of his sin as hath bin said which we ought not to be because we have enough of our own What are the degrees of private admonitions They be two the former is most private done by one the other is private also but more publick then the first and it is done by two or three at the most whereof he that first admonisheth must be one Mat. 18. 15 16. Why hath our Saviour Christ limited us with these degrees By all means to win the offender if it be possible if not that his condemnation may appeare to be most just after so many warnings How is the first degree of private admonition expressed If thy brother offend against thee or in thy knowledge onely tell him between thee and him Matth. 18. 15. Are we bound to reprove all men of what profession soever No but him that is of the same profession of Christianity that we be of whom the Scripture termeth a brother thereby shutting forth Iewes Turks Hereticks and Atheists except we have some particular bond as of a master to his servant or father to his child or magistrate to his subject What learn you thereby 1. That we observe this in our admonitions that he be a brother whom we admonish and not such a one as is a scorner 2. That we are not to make light of or contemn the admonitions of others but to accept of them and account of them as a pretious balme How must we reprove our brothers fault First we must be sure that it is a fault we reprove him for and then we must be able to convince him thereof out of the Word of God so that he shall not be able to gainsay us unlesse he doe it contemptuously it being better for us not to reprove him then not to be able to convince him by the Word of that we have reproved him in Lastly we ought to doe it with all love and mildnesse regarding the circumstances of persons time and place not inconsiderately nor of hatred or to reproach him or as one that is glad of somewhat to hurt his good name What is meant by Tell him between thee and him Matth. 18. 15. That the good name and report of another man should be so regarded by us that if his fault be private we are not to spread it abroad as some that think they be burthened unlesse they tell it to others which is not the rule of Charity Why is this added If he heare thee thou hast gained thy brother As a notable meanes to encourage us in this duty For if the bestowing of a Cup of cold water shall not be unrewarded how much more the gaining of a soule from Satan What if our brother heare us not and so we doe not gain him Notwithstanding we lose not our labour but our reward

an eye-witnesse of many wonders by which the Ministery of Moses was confirmed testifieth his writings to bee the undoubted Word of God the same doe the Prophets which continued the History of the Church in the time of the Judges both of Moses Joshua Likewise all the Prophets which successively recorded the holy Story and Prophesies by divine Revelation from Samuel unto the Captivity and from the Captivity to the building again of the Temple and of the City and sometimes after receiving the same book of heavenly Doctrine from the former age delivered them to their posterity And Malachi the last of the Prophets closeth up the Old Testament with a charge and an Exhortation from the Lord to remember the Law of Moses delivered in Horeb and to use the same as a Schoole-master to direct them unto Christ untill hee came in person himself Mal. 4. 4. Finally from that time the Church of the Jews untill the comming of Christ in the flesh imbraced all the former writings of the Prophets as the book of God Christ himself appealeth unto them as a sufficient testimony of him Joh. 5. 39. The Apostles and the Evangelists prove the writings of the New Testament by them and the Catholike Church of Christ from the Apostles time untill this day hath acknowledged all the same writings both of the Old and New Testament to bee the undoubted Word of God Thus have wee the testimony both of the Old Church of the Jews Gods peculiar people and first-born to whom the Oracles of God were committed Act. 7. 38. Hos. 8. 12. Rom. 3. 2. 9. 4. and the view of Christians together with the generall account which all the godly have made at all times of the Scriptures when they have crossed their natures and courses as accounting it in their soules to bee of God and the speciall testimony of Martyrs who have sealed the certainty of the same by shedding their blood for them Thereunto also may bee added the testimony of those which are out of the Church Heathens out of whom many ancient testimonies are cited to this purpose by Josephus contra Appion Turks and Jews who to this day acknowledge all the books of the Old Testament and Hereticks who labour to shroud themselves under them c. Are there not some divine testimonies which may likewise bee added to this Yes first the known Miracles which the devill was never able to doe that did so often follow the writers and teachers of the Scriptures Secondly the manifold punishments and destruction of those that have reviled and persecuted the same Are these motives of themselves sufficient to work saving faith and perswade us fully to rest on Gods Word No besides all this it is required that wee have the Spirit of God as well to open our eyes to see the light as to seale up fully into our hearts that truth which wee see with our eyes for the same holy Spirit that inspired the Scripture 1 Cor. 2. 10. 14. 37. Ephes. 1. 13. inclineth the hearts of Gods children to beleeve what is revealed in them and inwardly assureth them above all reasons and arguments that these are the Scriptures of God therefore the Lord by the Prophet Isaiah promiseth to joyn his Spirit with his Word and that it shall remain with his children for ever Esa. 59. 21. The same promiseth our Saviour Christ unto his Disciples concerning the Comforter which hee would send to leade them into all truth and teach them all things and to put them in minde of all things which hee had said unto them Joh. 14. 26. 15. 26. The Lord by the Prophet Jeremiah also promiseth to give his Law into their mindes and to write them in the hearts of his children Jer. 31. 33. And S. John saith to the faithfull that by the anointing of the holy Spirit which is on them they know all things 1 Joh. 2. 20. This testimony of Gods Spirit in the hearts of his faithfull as it is proper to the Word of God so it is greater then any humane perswasions grounded upon reason or witnesses of men unto which it is unmeet that the Word of God should bee subject as Papists hold when they teach that the Scriptures receive their authority from the Church for by thus hanging the credit and authority of the Scriptures on the Churches sentence they make the Churches work of greater credit then the Word of God whereas the Scriptures of God cannot bee judged or sentenced by any and God onely is a worthy witnesse himself in his Word and by his Spirit which give mutuall testimony one of the other and work that assurance of Faith in the Elect that no humane demonstrations can make nor any perswasions or inforcements of the world can remove Shew some further reasons that the authority of the Scriptures doth not depend upon the Church First because wee beleeve the Scriptures is a work of Faith but the Church cannot infuse Faith Secondly any authority that the Church hath it must prove it by the Scriptures therefore the Scripture dependeth not upon the Church Thirdly if an Infidell should ask the Church how they are sure that Christ dyed for them if they should answer because themselves say so it would be ridiculous when they should say because the Scripture teacheth so c. What books are the holy Scriptures and by whom were they writen First The books of the Old Testament in number nine and thirty which the Jews according to the number of their letters brought to two and twenty writen by Moses and the Prophets Rom. 3. 2. who delivered the same unto the Church of the Jews Secondly the books of the New Testament in number seven and twenty writen by the Apostles and Evangelists Rom. 1. 16. Rev. 1. 11. who delivered them to the Church of the Gentiles What language were the books of the Old Testament writen in In Hebrew which was the first tongue of the world and the most orderly speech in comparison of which all other languages may bee condemned of barbarous confusion but chosen especially because it was the language of that time best known unto the Church teaching that all men should understand the Scriptures onely some few portions by the later Prophets were left writen in the Chaldean tongue understood by Gods people after their carrying away into Babylon namely the 11 verse of the 10 chap. of Jer. six chapters in Daniel from the 4 ver of the 2 chap. to the end of the 7 chapter and three in Ezra the fourth fifth sixth Had the Hebrew Text vowels or points from the beginning as now it hath Our Saviour saith Matth. 5. 18. that not one jot or prick of the Law shall perish whereby it should appeare that the Law and the Prophets for of both hee speaketh immediately before had vowels and pricks God also by Moses commanded the Law to bee writen upon two great stones at the entrance