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	power_n	word_n	3,007	5	4.1463	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85243	Festered consciences new launced: or, tith-paying defended against William Westup and Thomas Puckle Penned by way of an epistle to every one, who had rather disburden his purse then burden his conscience. By Hierophilus, a young fencer.	Havighurst, Johannes, b. 1701.	1650 (1650)	Wing F828; ESTC R229586	22,857	29

Dignity too If they please to view the originall and so the Apostle manifesteth to the Thessalonians 1 Thess 2.6 And he tells the Corinthians J robbed other Churches taking wages of them to doe you service he calls it robbery and yet wages declaring his Authority that even there where at that time he did not administer of his Spirituals he used a kind of force as I may say according to the signification of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to cause them to give him of their Carnals I shall not multiply any more words concerning this but come to the Conclusion of their argument Then say they if there be any that will not be content with this free contribution of the people and worke with their hands as the Apostles and all the Ministers in the Scripture did which they have not prooved See the falsity of this assertion 1. Cor. 9.6 Nor if they could doe it argue any thing against a precept they then desire them to leave their places for such able men as are but it is as they say without any proofe fitted both to teach the Gospell and also to worke with their hands and shall be contented with what the people will give them It is observable what a plausible way Wolves in Sheeps-cloathing have to win upon the affections of men especially such who make gaine their godlynesse the Devill will play at small game rather then stand out and give me leave according to an Italian proverbe to pause at a good penny-worth for it is most probable either the commodity is nought or else ill got or there is some other plot in it There is no wise man but will question his skill that will worke for nothing especially in any office that requires more then ordinary knowledge J doe not thinke but J may patterne though not in the same kind these free worke-men they speake of in Jsay 44.12 c. The Smith with the tongs both worketh in the coales and fashioneth it with hammers and worketh it with the strength of his armes yea he is hungry and his strength faileth he drinketh no water and is faint and wherefore is all this worke of this poore man meerely to make a graven jmage to doe the Devills journy-worke J am affrayd that these free labourers in the Lords vineyard have some ill worke too it may be if once let in they will stub it up J am verily of the mind they feed the people with that that cost them nothing no great Study for they are extemporary Preachers but J thinke they can scarce preach so well as those they would turne out their booke if they be the men makes them worke-men that ought to be ashamed if their extemporary Preaching doe excell their Booke J must needes apply that proverbe to them which many attribute to women they are wise upon the sodaine but fooles upon premeditation Howsoever they affirme that these men they speake of are fitted by the Lord CHRIST to be contented if Trading faile I confesse they may be fitted for a free contribution but how they are fitted for the Ministry they have not told me if they speake of an Imediate Call they must manifest the same measure of the spirit and gifts that were in the Apostles though CHRIST did call Fishermen yet he markes them out with a signe from heaven so that all the City tooke notice of it Acts. 2. And certainly if God had called these men Immediately out of the Shop into the Pulpit it would have been with the rushing of a mighty wind all should have knowne it but whereas J know they will object that they have an inward Call and are gifted for it yet J may tell them there shall be many at the day of Judgment that have farre exceeded them and yet CHRIST will not owne them Math. 7.22.23 Therefore that can be no proofe of their Ministery without some other call there are false Apostles 2 Cor. 11.13 J read of a sad judgment upon some Jewes and it may be a warning for Gentiles who without any Call would take upon them to doe as Paul did but the evill Spirit prevailed against them Acts. 19.15.16 J feare where the Minister have no call the Devill prevaileth both against Preacher and hearers But do they think in earnest that a man may now both work with his hands and performe the worke of the Ministry too because the Apostle Paul did so J suppose they meane themselves I desire they would resolve me in these Questions were they brought up at the feet of Gamaliel Are they instructed in Learning as he was Why then doe they presume to compare themselves to him as ably to performe the worke of the Ministery and to worke with their hands as he could And observe by the way though their followers cry downe Learning because they have it not yet all the Apostles had it either miraculously infused or els by industry obtained and God did so approove of it in Paul as that he made him his chosen Vessell to beare his name afore the Gentiles and to suffer great things for his name Acts. 9.15 2 Cor. 11. And are not his workes and Epistles upon eternall record more then any one Apostles else besides Did not God by this imply that his Ministers ought to have some other gifts then they have Paul argueth with the Gentiles out of their owne Bookes to convince them therefore hee was well read in them Acts 17.28 29. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but our dayes have brought forth teachers that know more of divinity then they doe of morality and good manners and thinke themselves fit to teach others that which they doe not know themselves Let me intreat such men to put off their shoes for the place they stand on is holy ground the lights upon the candlestickes in the Temple were not made of Shoemakers waxe it is not for every one that can clinch a naile to turne Minister As for their contented disposition J cannot much admire at it he that comes in at the window and not at the dore may be contented whether he have any thing or nothing his bold action making him rather liable to punishment But seeing they have compared themselves with the Apostle Paul J am of the mind if their argument be well sifted wee shall find it to be in the comparative degree and that their arguing doth proove themselves better gifted then he was J hope they will not blame me that J apply their owne words to themselves their manner of life doth too much verifie who are the Ministers they meane Let us but consider the Apostle Pauls condition and we shall find him a single man 1 Cor. 7.7 Yet he found the worke of the Ministry so great that he could scarce spare time for his hands to Minister to his owne necessities 1 Cor. 4.11 J thinke the Apostle doth signify in the said Epistle cap. 9. vers 5.6 that those Apostles that had a wife and

So that by your consequence ye would have the Ministers at all times alike though the Common-wealth make a feast neyther Nathan the Prophet nor Abinadab the Priest shall be invited to it meane apparell and slender dyet shall serve them when ye wallow in Luxurie Because the Apostles were hungry thirsty naked buffetted and had no certaine dwelling place 1 Cor. 4. Therefore all Ministers ought to be so because they were made the off-scowring of all things and as the filth of the world therefore all Ministers ought to be so too Is this the double honour that CHRIST have appointed for his Ministers Is this the cloathing dyet and habitation that the Ministers of Christ are to have in all times and places It is your desire to see the Ministers conformable to their head in all sufferings and ought not the people to be so too Do not your Argument hold as well for People as Ministers God in his old Law would have a proportionable portion for his Levite and hee came in with a blessing to the People but ye would have the Ministers of the Gospell to bee at what you please Sr. But ye instance that the Apostle Paul rather then hee would be chargeable did worke with his hands and counselleth the Elders of Ephesus so to doe urging a sentence of our Lord Christ That it is better to give then to receive and without doubt so it is but none ●an give afore hee first receive But let me argue with you a little ●●e ye account of the Ministry of CHRIST as such a sleight matter ●●at a man may worke of his Trade and follow that too God nee●ed no bellowes to blow the fire upon his Altar for that never went ●ut Ministers as one saith well ought to bee alwayes eyther Prea●hing or studying eyther with Peter and Andrew a Fishing or else with James and John a-mending their Nets Moses and Aaron departed not from the Tabernacle Ministers are Embassadours and ought 〈◊〉 be eyther delivering their message or else taking Instructions from their Lord that sends them like the Orenge-tree they are to beare ●●rth fruit all the yeare long It is a signe ye know not what be●●ngs to the discharging of that Office ye thinke it so easily done Hee that rightly understands Pauls charge to Timothy will thinke himselfe foot-loose from all other imployments and count his course well finished if hee can by any meanes performe that onely 2 Tim. 4.1 c. Me thinks this should make their eares to tingle that ●ookes so meanly upon this high Office appointed by Jesus Christ and the Apostle enforceth this his Charge with a strong Argument for else he tels him hee will be rejected for the people having itch●ng eares will heape up unto themselves Teachers so that they shall ●●ve teachers by heapes more then a good many that shall Preach ●●lse Doctrine and hee fortifieth this argument in the 14. verse with his owne experience Alexander the Copper-smith withstood his words and it is probable enough hee called his Ministry into question as some of his fellow Tradesmen doe our Ministers in these times Pauls hand was not free from a Viper and well may our Ministers expect the same The Apostle in his other Epistle to Timothy commands him to be attendant to reading exhortation and Doctrine and to give himselfe wholly to these things 1 Tim. 4.13 and Act. 6. chap. to the end Then there is surely no part of him left for other imployments and J conceive J should not be much erronious if J should affirme that though the Apostle by reading heere meant chiefly the Scriptures so called for their excellency yet hee did also intend other Books of Learning J am sure it was his owne practice in one sense to bring the uncircumsed into the Temple of God to convince false Teachers that subvert whole houses whose mouths ought to be stopped we may read a verse out of Epimenides an heathenish Author ●ited in one of his Epistles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 J shall not need to English it the Apostolicall gifts which J suppose ye attribute to your selves will reach higher then so Give me leave a litle more to expostulate with you Doe ye thinke rhe waters of a Smiths-forge and of the Temple are of the same depth Ezekiel declares the contrary Ezek. 47. They are too deepe for every shallow-brain'd Sciolist to wade in nor is the measure thereof ordinary it must be a straight Reed of a certaine length Ezek. 40. which every Tradesman have not in his shop The law of God and his testimonies are the rule not the crooked and perverse fancies of men Ministers are called Over-seer and they doe truly over-see that follow other imployments whilst the Shepheard is a mending of his Bootes his sheepe may well straggle they are labourers in the Lords vineyard and by the way be pleased to looke into Cant. 8.12 And ye shall see that the keepers of the Vineyard ought to have something the worke of the Ministry is a laborious worke 1 Tim. 5.17 They labour in the word and doctrine and no man need to take upon him any more laborious imployments then one But ye say is it not evident the Apostles did otherwise J answer with the Apostle Paul are all Apostles 1 Cor. 12.29 because Elisha caused the yron to swim 2 Kings 6.6 Can ye therefore doe it Where are your Apostolicall gifts Is the spirit powred upon you in that measure it was upon them It appeares not in your Booke Nay did not God make them as the Sun and are not our Ministers rather as starres that give light but by way of reflecting that light they receive from them Deny this if ye can unlesse ye will make their Epistles and words of none effect bold is the presumption of some men in the world that if they have but a voluble Tongue and a litle braine-knowledge they are then gifted they thinke for the Ministry though their judgment is altogether erronious which falsly glossing upon the Scripture doe make the Spirit of God which is unity it selfe a Spirit of Contradiction when as he that speaketh ought to speake as the oracles of God 1 Pet. 4.11 Or els let him hold his tongue But further they tell us that Apostle had a liberty to receive and so have J if they will offer any thing to me and no more had the Apostle by their Argument so that J though J am not a Minister have the same power to demand maintenance from the people as the Ministers have the Apostle declares that he had a power to enforce maintenance 1 Cor. 9.2 Thess 3.9 Though for divers ends he did forbeare to use it And what power J pray was this A passive power ye answer to take it if the people will offer it the same power have the Sea in a full measure ye may throw all your wares into it there is a power to receive them but assuredly this power imployes an Authority and