Selected quad for the lemma: authority_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
authority_n	bishop_n	church_n	year_n	2,667	5	4.8690	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A65898	An expostulation with the bishops in England concerning their jurisdiction over the people of God, called Quakers : with a few wholesom words of exhortation and advice tending to unite them and us in one true spiritual worship.	Whitehead, John, 1630-1696.; Mason, Martin, fl. 1650-1676.	1662 (1662)	Wing W1975A; ESTC R21502	4,930	8

AN Expostulation WITH THE BISHOPS IN ENGLAND Concerning their Jurisdiction over the People of God called QVAKERS with a few wholesom words of Exhortation and Advice tending to unite Them and Vs in one true Spiritual Worship FRiends Consider that many years are passed wherein God's hand hath eminently appeared in divers overturns since the former Bishops were taken away or did cease to exercise that office in their respective Diocesses whether because they were discountenanced by authority or for want of their Revenues or for want of love faith in Christ whom they said called them to watch over and feed his Lambs we shall not now determine Act. 20.28 Witness also the Ecclesi●stical History of the Church for the first 300 years though we are perswaded that the Office of a Bishop or Over-seer that is made 〈◊〉 by the Holy Ghost is to watch over the Flock of Christ and ●eed them as well if not more chiefly in the most perilous times of Persecution as in the times of greatest Prosperity For the Over seers that were ordained by the Holy Ghost in the Primitive times did watch over their Flocks when they had neither large Revenues nor temporal Princes to uphold them but were under most grievous Persecution But when men in Authority began to dislike your Way and the temporal Power and large Revenues which were annexed to your Offices w●re taken away we know not one of the Bishops that di● stand in the Power of God willingly and of a ready mind to watch over his See but We the poor Flock were left to wander or become a prey to such as God did never send or ordain to be his Ministers who whilst they were countenanced by Authority endeavoured with force and cruelty to rule over us and did feed themselves with the Fat and cloath themselves with the Fleece but did not feed us the poor scattered Sheep but with their covetousness and cruelty alienated our minds from them whilst in sincerity we did seek the Lord God And when he saw that we were d●solate and forsaken and none sought after us then did he remember the Promise that he had made of old Read Ezek. 34. declared by the mouth of his holy Prophet Ezekiel and did both seek and search us out from wandring upon the barren Mountains and from amongst the briars and thorns of the wilderness which did tear the wool from off us and the Lord himself did become unto us a Shepherd and hath gathered us into his Fold where our souls find rest and he feedeth us in fresh pastures so that we have no cause at all to turn aside from following of him for we are in truth the Sheep of his hands not at all gathered by your labours nor by the Priests whom ye have ordained and sent forth neither hath any one of your Curates ever healed our wounds nor strengthened us when we were weak and diseased therefore in Justice and Righteousness you cannot claim any Spiritual Jurisdiction over us nor at all blame us from separating from you seeing you were first separate for us but if you have the mind of Christ you will rejoyce that we meet together in his Name Mark 9.38 and obey his Light in our Consciences though we follow not you But if you object and say you have Spiritual Jurisdiction over us and may justlie blame us for separating from you because that many of us when we were Infants were Baptized into your Church and did enter into Covenant to continue in the same c. We answer That then we were not at all capable to know or understand the doctrine of your Church and much less of true Faith and Baptism and therefore we could not then enter into any such Covenant as you speak of but if you say that we did it by our Sureties who did promise and vow in our names We answer That to no such thing were we then capable of consenting therefore you must wholly look to the Sureties which your forefathers took and if they caused them to promise and vow that which they are in no wise able to perform you may do well to take heed of doing the like to others And now that we are come to years of discretion till we can see your Church in the Life and Power of God and your Doctrine in all things according to Godliness we cannot for Conscience sake joyn with you Therefore Friends in all your Visitations Mind the Apostles example who went forth only to visit those to whom they had preached the Gospel that did believe and were gathered from the Jews Synagogues and Heathens Temples Acts 16.36 and do not you stretch your selves beyond your line nor ambitiously seek to be Lords over U S whom ye have not convinced nor laboured at all amongst us for what have you to do to judge them that are without Therefore take heed 1 Cor. 5.12 lest the Shepherd and Bishop of our Souls who doubtless hath Sheep which are not of your Folds do judge you as bold Intruders that would Lord over those of his Heritage John 10.16 which he never committed to your charge Therefore receive this advice from Us Job 31.21 22. who in humility do respect the Office of a Bishop and can give double honour to those Over-seers that rule well Prov. 28.21 though we cannot give flattering Titles nor respect the person of any man for in so doing our Maker would soon take us away First Come ye to the Light wherewith Christ hath enlightned your Consciences that while you seek to take the motes out of your brethrens eyes Luke 22.25 26 27. you may see that there be no beams in your own which may so blind you that you cannot discern Tares from Wheat nor a Wolf from a Lamb. Therefore first begin the work of Reformation in your own hearts and housholds till ye be whollie blamless as the Stewards of God c. according to the Apostles Doctrin 1 Tim. 3. Tit. 2.7 8 9. and be not ye called Lords because Christ said to his Disciples the Princes of the Gentiles exercise Lordship and their great Ones exercise Authority but it shall not be so amongst you 1 Pet. 5.1 2 3. So in obedience to Christ be ye good examples to the Flock that you and your Ministers have convinced to your Way and to all People that you may have a good report of them that are without and be not lifted up with pride lest ye fall into reproach and the snare of the Divel Secondly That there may not be a Cry of Oppression in the Countrie Reform your Officers Priests and Curates until they be everie way blameless as the Ministers of Jesus Christ and set them not up meerlie because they have natural parts and humane Learning but try if you can whether they be of God or no and whether they have received power from on high by the gift of his Spirit and be made