Selected quad for the lemma: authority_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
authority_n	bind_v	church_n	law_n	2,400	5	5.0344	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A80635	Some treasure fetched out of rubbish: or, Three short but seasonable treatises (found in an heap of scattered papers), which Providence hath reserved for their service who desire to be instructed, from the Word of God, concerning the imposition and use of significant ceremonies in the worship of God. viz. I. A discourse upon 1 Cor. 14.40. Let all things be done decently and in order. Tending to search out the truth in this question, viz. Whether it be lawful for church-governours to command indifferent decent things in the administration of God's worship? II. An enquiry, whether the church may not, in the celebration of the Sacrament, use other rites significative than those expressed in the Scripture, or add to them of her own authority? III. Three arguments, syllogistically propounded and prosecuted against the surplice: the Cross in Baptism: and kneeling in the act of receiving the Lord's Supper.	Cotton, John, 1584-1652.; Nichols, Robert, Mr.	1660 (1660)	Wing C6459; Thomason E1046_2; ESTC R208022	73,042	79

light of Nature Scripture Custom As a Woman to be veiled in the Congregation in the Eastern Countries So to abstain from Blood whilest the eating of it was offensive to the Jew Now of such things as are necessary and decent Church-Governours have Power to give Order and Commandment as did the Synod at Hierusalem touching those things they called necessary to wit necessary during the time of the offence of the Jew which was necessary to be avoided Act. 15.28 Of such things as are expedient and decent the Church-Governours have Power to declare the decency and expediency of them yea and to advise and perswade the practice thereof but yet not to give an Order or Law to bind the People thereunto further than themselves shall find it decent and expedient for themselves Thus in Point of abiding in single Life in time of the Churches distress the Apostle gave his Judgment and Advice 1 Cor. 7.25 40. and perswaded to it for avoiding trouble in the Flesh Ver. 26 28. But would not bind them to it neither in Point of Conscience nor of outward practice as having no Commandment for it from the Lord Ver. 25. In which respect he calleth such a Commandment if he had given it a snare Ver. 35. And herein the Power of Church-Governours falleth far short of the Authority of Civil Magistrates who may in civil matters make binding Laws for any thing expedient to publick weal which Subjects are readily to submit unto 1 Pet. 2.13 But it may be objected Paul had Power to command Philemon that which was convenient therefore he might make a Law commanding the Church expedient decent things It followeth not For 1. It is one thing to give a Command for one thing another to make a Law to bind him alwayes to do the like 2. It 's one thing to command a particular Person who may owe himself to a Church-Governour as Philemon did to Paul another to command yea to give a standing Commandment a binding Law to a whole Church to whom he professeth himself a Servant 〈…〉 2 Cor. 4.6 over whom he hath no Authority but stewardly or oeconomical to wit when he speaks in his Master's Name not in his own The Steward in a Family hath not power over his Master's Spouse but when he speaks his Master's commands and directions not his own But of such things as are onely indifferent and decent I do not find in Scripture that ever Church-Governours did advise and perswade them much less charge and command them least of all make Laws to determine them And that this place in hand 1 Cor. 14.40 doth not give them any such Power though it be much urged to this end may appear from these Reasons 1. The place speaks not of indifferent decent things but of necessary decent things the neglect whereof was undecent by the light of Nature and Scripture and Custom As for men to pray with long haire Women bare-headed and for Women to speak in the Congregation and for many men to speak at once 2. The words of the place run not thus Let all decent things be done or Let all things judged and declared by the Church to be decent be done but thi● Let all things to wit that are done in the Church whether Prayer or Propesying or other Ordinance of God be done decently or in that decent manner which Church-Governours will appoint or in some other That the Apostle limiteth not but onely requireth that all be done decently which if it be so done his Rule here prescribed is followed and fulfilled 3. The same may appear out of this place by this Argument If this place of the Apostle did give Power and Authority to Church-Governours to command indifferent decent things then he that should transgress the Commandment of the Church should also transgress the Commandment of the Apostle As look what Order or Acts of Justice any Civil Governour doth by the Commission of the King he that violates such Acts or transgresseth such Orders transgresseth also against the Commission of the King But it appe●reth to be otherwise in this case If the Church-Governours command a Minister to preach alwaies in a Gown it being indifferent and decent so to do he that shall now and then preach in a Cloak transgresseth the Command of the Church but not of the Apostle For he that preacheth in a Cloak preacheth also decently which is all that the Rule of the Apostle requireth in this Point But because this Point is of great Consequence both for Church-Governours and others to be truly informed in give me leave to clear the same from some other Arguments That it is not in the power of Church-Governours to command indifferent decent things by Order of Law 1. That which exceedeth the bounds of Apostolical Authority and streightreth the bounds of Christian Liberty that is not in the Power of any Church-Governour But to command indifferent decent things by Order of Law exceedeth c. The former appeareth from the Apostle's Commission granted to them Matth. 28.20 where our Saviour giveth them Commission to teach all Nations to observe all things whatsoever he hath commanded them Now all things whatsoever Christ hath commanded them are necessary not indifferent for the People to observe If therefore the Apostles over and above the Commandments of Christ which are necessary should teach the People to observe indifferent things also which Christ hath not commanded they should exceed the bounds of their Commission It will be in vain to except Our Saviour speaketh here onely of matters of Doctrine and Faith not Government and Order unless it could be proved that our Saviour did else-where enlarge this Commission and gave them a more illimited Power in matters of Government and Order or Indifferency which for ought I see no man goeth about to do unless it be from this place of the Epistle to the Corinthians which hath already been cleared from such meaning As for the second part of the Assumption That to command indifferent decent things streightneth the bounds of Christian Liberty is of it self evident For whereas for example a single Man or Woman are at Liberty to marry where they will 1 Cor. 7.39 If the Apostle had bound them from Marriage by any Commandment of his he had streightned and deprived them of this Liberty It is wont to be objected against this That Christian Liberty standeth not in the freedom of outward Actions but in the freedom of Conscience As long therefore as there is no doctrinal necessity put upon the Conscience to limit the use of outward things Christian Liberty is preserved though the use and practice of outward things be limited Whereto I answer The Apostle in this case leaveth the People of God at liberty not onely in point of Conscience for lawfulnesse to marry or not to marry but even in outward action and practice Let him do saith he what he will he sinneth not let them be married For a second Reason it

once admitted into the Worship of God did multiply and increase till they had obscured if not clean covered and abolished the simplicity and glory of God's Ordinances as bad weeds overgrow the Corn and secretly stollen the heart away from all due reverence and respect to the word of Life and seals of our Salvation For as a man is blind carnall impotent and yet a Lover of his own devices So are the signs devised by him dark vailing the brightness of the Gospel carnall not spirituall dead without Power and yet better affected more delighted in than the Sacraments themselves No sooner was the sign of the Cross added unto Baptism and made a sign like to the Lord's but it presently became greater than the Water which was Christ's sign and that in the Eyes of them who so advanced it Moreover admit Reason for an Umpire in this matter and Images cannot be kept out of the Church for no means is more profitable to inform the mind confirm the memory and move the affection than is the sight of a Picture artificially made cut or carved if a man may believe himself or give credit to his immagination If the Will of God be not unto us instead of all reasons we shall be hardly drawn to dislike that manner of teaching or worshipping A man that is enlightned with the knowledge of God's Will and the mystery of Salvation may lawfully in his meditations make use of diverse Creatures or things that are apt and fit to represent Spirituall things unto him but he must not take upon him to determine them to be used as signs for such an end and purpose for having no promise of God to come by that course he can expect no blessing from God in that practice but the contrary Seeing therefore man is himself ignorant and unwise neither able to receive the things of the Spirit nor discern that which pertaineth to the Kingdom of Christ nor yet being enlightned with the knowledge of the Truth according to godlinesse to devise any fit or acceptable means whereby God should be worshipped or his People taught in the wayes of holiness It followeth That in the worship of God signs not approved of him in his Word cannot be instituted or used in Faith and consequently are to be held unlawfull 5. Christ Jesus the great Doctor of his Church Mat. 23.8 10. Joh. 4.25 Acts 1.3 being called of his heavenly Father to teach to us perfectly and at once the whole Counsell of God and the things that did pertain to the Kingdom of God to the end of the World was faithfull in all his House as was Moses and made known unto his Disciples whatsoever he received of his Father Heb. 3.2 5. But Moses prescribed the form of God's worship in every particular Ceremony significant and brought in none Joh. 15.15 no not one into the Church which the Lord himself did not institute giving charge to the Church of the Jews That the● should neither add thereto Exod. 25.9 38 39 40 27 19 39 42 43. Deut. 12 32. nor take ought therefrom Therefore our Saviour Christ also taught his Disciples what Ceremonies significant ought to be used in the Church of God to whose Ordinance nothing must be added from whose Institution nothing ought to be diminished The old Testament was indeed delivered unto one People only of the World The Commission of the Gospel was Go teach all Nations But the liberty of Instituting Rites significant was no greater to the Christian Church Vis Jun. Animad in Bell. lib. 4. de pont Cap. 17. than to the Church of the Jews They had a prescription of particular Ceremonies most fitly agreeing to the polity of their Church and Common-wealth and dispensation of those times So hath the Christian Church also to which we are as precisely bound as ever was the Church of the Jews to the Ordinances appointed for that time and state as hath been shewed before in Circumstantiall matters concerning Time Place and Order of divine Service And several Christian Churches have liberty according to the generall Rules of Scripture to constitute what is most agreeable to the condition of the Country and doth best tend to Edification And in these things the Jews had Authority no less than the others In Ceremonies and Rites significant annexed to the Worship of God the Jews were tyed to the written Law of Moses and the Prophets nor may any thing be attempted lawfully by the Christian Church in things of this Nature more than was or ought to have been by them Though men be as different almost in Nature as in Nations and Languages yet must they of necessity submit themselves to the use of Baptism and the Lord's Supper which two Ceremonies onely are commanded by Divine precept and are to be received of all Christians that in truth and soundness professe the Gospel And seeing Christ Instituted no signs but these the Apostles commended no other to the severall Churches planted and dressed by them What necessity is there that difference of People to which the Gospel is now preached should inferr a liberty of inventing new Signs or Rites never seen or allowed of Christ Those that God prescribed for the Jews were fit for that Time and for that People none else might be devised those that Christ hath ordained for all Churches are sufficient most fit for them what shall be brought in besides and annexed to them doth want both his Approbation and Blessing As Moses was faithfull in the House of God as a Servant both in thing re●ll and rituall as some distinguish So was Christ also as a Son Neither did his faithfulness stand in removing the Law of Jewish Ceremonies and disburdening all Christians from the use of them but in prescribing Laws and Ordinances whereby the Church is to be ordered and instructed untill his second coming and that as particularly and expresly as Moses had done unto the Israelites To stand upon comparison betwixt Moses and Christ in perfection or reall faithfulness as some call it is not to this purpose for his perfection is one thing his faithfulnesse another and whom He did exceed in perfectnesse He did every way equalize in faithfulnesse in the House of God He did not onely teach a more excellent Doctrine than Moses but more full and perfect He did not onely antiquate what Ceremonies were to be shadows of good things to come and figures of man's Redemption by his Sacrifice upon the Crosse but he ordained also with what visible Signs and Tokens his Church should be nourtured and assured of his love and favour● As he died to bring Life to mankind raised up himself from Death ascended entred within the Vail and hath taken possession of the heavenly Mansion for us So did he give direction to his Apostles and in them to all Churches by what Statutes and Laws his People should be Governed by what Signs and Ceremonies they should be taught and confirmed

may be this They who are not to judge or censure one another in differences about circumstantial things or matters of indifferency they may not make a binding Law that all men shall be of one mind or of one practice in such things But the former is true Rom. 14.3 Let not him that cateth despise him that cateth not c. If it be said The place onely speaks of private Christians not of Church-Governours The place speaks of all Christians publick and private seeing it reserveth and referreth the Judgment of our Brethren in such things not to publick Persons but onely to Christ in the 4th 10th Verses 3. They who did accommodate themselvs in the use of indifferent things according to the judgment and practice of all Christians wheresoever they came they did not make any Laws to bind Christians to follow their Judgment and Practice in the use of things indifferent But the Apostles of Christ did accommodate themselves in the use of indifferent things according to the Judgment and Practice of the Christians wheresover they came As appeareth from the Apostle's Example 1 Cor. 9.20 21 22. To the Jews I became as a Jew c. But it may be said Though the Apostles chose rather to use their Liberty than their Authority in these things indifferent wheresoever they came yet if they had pleased they might have used Apostolical Authority binding all Christians to their Judgment and Practice in such things 1. Doubtless if they had received any such Authority they would in some place at some time or other have claimed it and practised it A Sword never used rusteth in the Scabbard And frustra est potentia quae nunquam venit in actum is a true Axiome whether we speak of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. The Apostle himself cleareth this Point when he confesseth he did thus accommodate himself even to the weakness of Christians lest he should abuse his Authority in the Gospel Ver. 18 19 20. Oh that such Church-Gouernours as plead their succession from the Apostles and do challenge in sundry passage of Government Apostolical Authority would also be pleased to study and emulate an Apostolical Spirit For a fourth Argument let it be this If the Apostles and Presbyters and Brethren at Jerusalem did reach their Authority no further than to lay upon the Disciples necks the yoak and burthen of necessary things and that onely during the time while they continued necessary then may not any succeeding Synod reach their Authority to lay upon the Church Commandments and Canons of indifferent things For the Synod at Jerusalem was the pattern and precedent of all succeeding Synods For primum in unoque genere est mensura reliquorum And our Saviour teacheth us to confute Alterations from Primitive Patterns with this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nou sic fuit ab initio But the Synod at Jerusalem reached their Authority no further than to lay a Commandment upon the Disciples onely touching necessary things Act. 15.28 Necessary I say either in themselves as abstaining from Fornication or at least in respect of present offence as Abstinence from blood c. 5. Let me conclude with this Argument taken from the Apostle Paul his enter-course with the Apostle Peter If the Apostle Peter was to be blamed for compelling the Gentiles by his example to observe the indifferent Ceremonies of the Jews then other Church-Governours will be to blame for compelling Christians by Law and by grievous Censures to observe the Ceremonies in Question though they were indifferent But the Apostle Paul telleth us Peter was to be blamed in this case Gal. 2.11 14. I suppose No man will here except as is wont to be excepted against such Arguments as plead for the refusing of our Ceremonies upon such grounds as Paul urged against yielding to the Jewish Ceremonies as they were urged by the false Apostles viz. with Opinion of necessity unto Salvation For Peter's yielding at that time to the Jewish Ceremonies was not out of opinion of their necessity to Salvation but only out of fear of offence and care to prevent it Ver. 12. The Sum of all this will lead us by the hand one step further If it be a sin in Church-Governours to command especially upon so strict panalt● indifferent decent things it shall be a sin also in Ministers and other private Christians to subscribe ex animo and to yield Obedience to such Command although the Ceremonies commanded were indeed as good as they be pretended which I believe are not indifferent decent things For doth not such voluntary Subscription and Conformity to them build up our Church-Governours yea and with them the Soveraign Civil Magistrate also in this confidence that such Commandments are as well lawfully given by them as received and obeyed by us Now to build up or edify a Brother unto sin is no better than to offend a Brother For the proper definition of an Offence is That which edifies a Brother unto sin as the original word expresseth it 1 Cor. 8.10 And so to sin against my Brother is to wound his Conscience yea and as much as in me lyeth to cause him to perish for whom Christ dyed which is no better than spiritual Murther even the Murther of his Soul Now if thus to edify my Brother unto sin be so hainous an Offence how much more hainous an Offence is it to edify our Governours to the giving and urging of such Commandments yea to the sharp censuring of all others as refractory and factious Persons who choose rather to undergo the loss of the greatest-Comforts they enjoy in this World than to wound the Consciences either of themselves or their Governours It is true by forbearing Obedience to these Commandments we offend the Spirits of our Governours and make them to be though causlesly offended with us but by yielding Obedience to these things we should offend their Consciences in edifying them unto Sin and provoke the Lord to be offended with them and us It is not for Christians much less for Ministers to redeem our peace and liberty at so dear a price as the hazard of the blood of so many precious Soul especially of our Governours in highest place Now I shall proceed to answer another great Question for clearing the Point in hand May not the Church in the Celebration of the Sacraments use other Rites significative than those expressed in the Scriptures or add to them of her own Authority No but she is to rest in the use of those Seals God hath appointed For all signs of mens devising cannot teach or stir up true devotion but delude and nourish Superstition Besides to do any thing which doth derogate from the Seal of Kings and their Prerogative therein we know how dangerous it is in the Common-wealth so certainly to joyn Seals with God's Seals in his Church is a Point will hardly be answered It beseemeth us to acknowledge God so wise in the Signs that