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	king_n	name_n	2,254	5	5.7280	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A74698	Logoi Ōraioi. Three seasonable sermons the first preach't at St. Mary's in Cambridge, May 31. 1642. The others designed for publick auditories, but prevented. / By Tho. Stephens, M.A.	Stephens, Thomas, fl. 1648-1677.	1660 (1660)	Thomason E1839_2; ESTC R210165	57,540	136

to the deadly stroak of the enemies to secure the person of their Emperors Others leaping alive into their Funeral piles as if they could do them no later no greater service But I will name no more lest their dust fly in our eyes so blinde and eclipse the glory of Christians For let me seriously put the question Are we Christions Do we know the vertue of in Oath What think we then of that solemn Oath of our Allegiance An Oath which can receive no dispensation no absolution from what power soever Are we Protestants Nay one step farther yet are we Protestors What think we then of that branch of the late Protestation that I will maintain the establisht doctrine of the Church as it stands in opposition to Popery and Popish Innovations I conceive this mainly material to the work in hand therefore give me leave a while to insist upon it What is the doctrine of the School of Jesuits Bellarmines position will fully tell us non licere Christianis tolerare regem haereticum c. Princes falling into Apostacie from the faith or heresie in the faith lose all dominion over their Subjects and our own Countriman Parsons goes a little farther that the People if they can gather strength sufficient ought to depose such an unworthy Governour and like apt Scholars they will learn their lesson quickly for thus a Jacobine with an Assassination shall soon make good in practise what their School hath taught them Thus without much straining they make good the Text Those there work their pleasure because there was no King in Israel these here will have no King because they might the more freely work their pleasure Contrary to this is established doctrine of the Church of England in the 37th Article The Kings Majesty his the chief power in this Realm of England and his other Dominions and is not nor ought to be subject to any Jurisdiction whatsoever but may and must restrain with the sword the Stubborne and Evil doers Farr different it seems from that he is tobe restrained by Stubborne and Evil-doers upon a pretence of his evill doing To which purpose are those six parts of the homily against Rebellion so full and apposite that we must either disclaim them from being the interpreters of the Doctrine of our Church or sit down convinc'd in the manifest truth of this assertion To these I shall and the Testimony of some unquestioned Divines amongst us purposely avoiding the authority of such who are amongst some men perhaps unworthily suspected lest their names prove a blemish to the Calendar Bishop Cranmer in his Necessary Erudition for Christian Men A work composed by him and other Divines of Henry the Eight and printed long since by the same King upon the fifth Commandement declares that by it we are bound not to withdraw our Fealty Truths Love and Obedience from our Princes for what cause soever it be nor yet for any cause may we conspire against his Person nor do any thing towards the hindrance or hurt thereof or of his Estate Not long after Bishop Hooper upon the same commandement determines that if he be naught that rules the place he is in it is the Order and work of God so if thou put a difference between the Office it self which is good and the Officer which is evill it shall keep thee in a religious fear that thou reverence a good and godly Government in a bad Governour Bishop Latimer a Companion of them both in a Sermon upon Twelfday tells us that we may for nothing in the World observe the Universality rebell against the Ordinance of God that is the Magistrate All these three glorious Saints did in their Actions consirme their Doctrine and in the days of Queen Mary received the triumphant crown of Martyrdom obeying her in suffering for that which their consciences would not give them leave actually to perform Next them comes that painfull and Reverend Bishop Jewel who dispuring the Case with Harding drawes issue in the story Chilperick of France whom the Nobles deposed the people were contented with it and then Pope confirmed it rebellion as well strengthened as we could wish yet did his Succcessor Pepin scarce ever with quiet injoy the Kingdom and of the nine Generations which were all that of that race succeeeded hardly one was found which went down into the grave in peace Dr. Humpheryes Sermons upon Abisha's story 1 Sam. 26. are so full to our cause in hand that I should do him wrong to cite any part of him and not spin it put to a just Treatise I referr yee to the book it self as also to Bishop Bancrofts English-Scottzing Bishop King in his 35. Lecture on Jonas makes it the very case of the Brownist who in his reformation would tread Conscience Obedience Religion and Duty both to God and Man under foot Whereupon the Reverend Bishop Davenant in his twelfth determined Question tells us induant quam venlint pietatis larvan● isti Magistratuum marke that Magistratuum not Religionum reformatores Albiniani tamen Nigriani out Cassiani rectius audient quam Christiani Let them mask under what cloak they will Religion may be their plea but Rebellion is their practise I shall forbear the envy of naming such as are still alive amongst us of whom Bishop Morton is not the least But one passage of the Reverend Primate of Armagh in a speech in the Castle Chamber may not be forborne because of the Universality of the position There is nothing so contrary to the nature of Soveraignty which I hope we still allow our Kings if not how fell they from it as to have any Superiour power to over-rule them Qui Rex est Regem Maxime non habeat I forbear Seravia because although one of our Church yet a stranger born and the Learned Erwin of Scotland their works will testify sufficiently Yet if you desire to know the consentient opinion of the Protestant Divines take Calvin in his 25. Sect. of his 4. book of Institutions Beza in his exposition on the 13. to to the Rom. and the Harmony of them all in the confession of the Helvetian Divines in the 19. Sect. Article 25. They have prepared against Sophistications in their Anathema there is put in both the palam and the Arte too whosoever openly by offence as well as cunningly pretending defence shall do it there is a damnamus past upon him there is sentence given by the Church against him acquit him who will These are men whose names will tell you never were yet suspected for a Malignant Party Should we blot out these from the Catalogue of the Churchy I fear we had but a poor Charter for our Religion if we esteem them as they are Protestants I wonder how we can make so brave a flourish with this late taken Protestation in our hats and banish the genuine interpretation from our hearts If then there be any here with whom that sacred name of Majesty like a high

and well there is so good authority If this blazing starr from Heaven had not pointed out this judgment holy Deborah would have blessed her enemies and prayed for them that used her thus despitefully I will not trouble you here with the Schoolmens quarrels what this Angels name was or of what Order in the Heavens whether he defended visibly or motu Angelico insensibly pretty cobwebs these are to catch flies in Or whether this Angel were her confederate Barak inspired by Heaven with a Prophetick soul which Peter Martyr thinks a probable conjecture be it one or other in idem res rediit this we know that in times past there was a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 divers wayes and manners how God spoake to our forefathers by the Prophets Saul it seems 1 Sam. 28 Made tryal of them all he sought God by dreams and visions by Urim and the Prophets but finding Heaven inflexible Acheronta movet a witch at Endor must do the feat and raise up the Divel in Samuels mantle to inform him which Necromantick Religion I would to God it descended not down to these our dayes Too many I fear me finding their dreams grown ridiculous and their visions blinded and disdaining the Urim the pretious stones of the high Priests breastplate and the Prophets have but one refuge left some old woman which can raise up Samuels Ghost a Divil in a Prophets likeness which without the wages of Balaak or the expectation of an Angel of God can make every Cupboards side or tables-end the top of Pisgah and the top of Peor from whence they spit out their poyson upon the host of Israel Nos autem Christum non sic didicimus if any Man amongst us be thus contentious we have no such custom nor the Church of Christ Deborah was a Prophetess yet durst not she strain her authority thus farr but signatim dicit least this curse should pretend to a morality and prove a leading case to all succeeding ages she shews her patent and produces her authority The Angel of the Lord sayes it And let us give Gods Angel this honour to affoord him 1. A Credendum 2. A Tremendum 3. A Cavendum Credendum 1. Gods Angel is but his messenger and shall God speak it and the thing not come to pass T is confirmation enough to me that Meroz fell under this bitter curse because neither sacred Scripture nor humane writer that I can find did ever since make mention of it And indeed Sirs le ts take heed there are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Angels upon the Earth still The Church has Angels saies St. John and the Woman of Tekoah thought the King of Israel was at least 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Angel of the Lord Thus when the Angel of the Church curses shall our souls be so irreligiously incredulous as to call it brutum fulmen a squib in the air or if the Angel of the state curses to call it fulmen br●ti Hannibals fagots on his bulls hornes to make them roar the lowder Experience will be a sharp a Mistriss when we shall one day feel the Burthen of that which we would not believe But 2. Tremendum Manoahs Wife thought the face of the Angel very terrible and at that time when he comes to comfort her Judges 13. and shall not Meroz tremble when he comes to curse her This is most truly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Eclipsing of the Sun the blacking over the face of Heaven Vaenobis saies St. Bernard si quando provocati sancti Angeli peccatis negligentiis indignos nos judicaverint praesentia vifitatione sua Unhappy Sodome when her daring sins put Lot and his Angels to flight but infinitely more unhappy when they came armed with fire and brimstone to destroy it Our good God created them Ministring Spirits partly for the use of Men ore whom he gave them charge though all that time he never lessens their joys of Heaven there is exterius Ministerium sayes Gregory but still there is interior contemplatio But when our guardidians prove our executioners when the Sheepheards which should quarrel with the wolves devour the flock when the Cherub that defends the garden of Eden brandishes a flaming sword to drive out Adam let us fear and tremble Lastly Cavendum if we fear that curse beware that sin which caused it when Jonathan shoots an arrow o're Davids head t is enough to make David fly the place to beware his Fathers vvrath Here is one arrow shot over us and it lights on Meroz but the bow is bent still and armed with as great a curse a curse for cursing if not for not going out to help the Lord I am sure for going to fight against the Lord this vvas particular here and occasionall the other is generall and eternall God speaks that the Angel of God speaks this Curse ye Meroz sayes the Angel of the Lord yea curse yee bitterly the inhabitants thereof We are novv come to the sentence Curse yee yea curse ye bitterly that is curse ye with a cursing in the originall in vvhich I will not so farr interest my self as to think to teach you that it is a Hebraisme yet thus far give me leave to note that these ingeminations are either used asse ●erando as a note of confirmation as that in Genesis 2. in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely dye moriendo morieris or intendendo as a screw to set it higher as this here execrationibus execramini curse ye bitterly What a curse is I shall satisfie my self and you too I hope in a plain Narration from Aquihas Idem est maledicere sayes he malum dicere in his 76. Question 2.2 cursing is the same with speaking or wishing evill And so a man may curse as many wayes as he speaks which is either Enuntiative declaring what is done Thus Deborah in this song may be said to curse Sisera in that Rhetorical Catastrophe which Jael brought upon his life At her feet he bowed he fell he lay down at her feet he bowed he fell where he bowed there he fell down dead or 2ly Imperative by commanding what should be done which none can challenge but they which have soveraignty as God or his Messengers like the Angell here or 3ly Optative by wishing what might be done as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 most execrations are The first is in it self indifferent neither good nor evil unlesse detraction accompany it The two last are alwayes evill unlesse some occasion of a greater good do invite them And this good is double 1. Either that of justice thus God may curse immundum mundum the unclean World Elisha may curse the reviling brats and the Church may curse the bastard of spring of Sectaries which like the Mices birthday fill the mountain with abundant squeeking in the bringing forth but then nascuntur ridiculi you may know they are empty vessels because they sound so much or secondly the good of profit that

up all the Synagogues in the Land 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 say the Septuagint changing one letter they will forbid all his festivals But the first part of the verse reconciles both Let us say they destroy them altogether so that no Sanctuary no budding rod on budding rod no Aaron no Aaron no worship of God Thus we have dispacht the history of the Text with such inferences touched upon by the way as could not well be bauk'd Now since whatsoever was written of Old was written for our instruction it will not be amiss to see how this rod of Aaron points down to us and is laid up to testify against these latter dayes And first I must not baulk the next high Priest next in time though first in honour our Saviour Christ who although he succeded not of Aarons order but of Melchizedecks yet he is the Architype and substance which that other Priesthood shadowed The Author to the Hebrews his saved me the labour of making an Analogy between them And I hope his Offices without dispute will furnish him with a rod as a King a rod of power and correction as a Prophet of guidance and instruction as a Priest of comfort and sustentation In vain was that scape-goat of the Jewes upon whose head was laid the sins of the Congregation if it were not for this Lamb slain from the beginning this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this high-Priest which sacrificed himself and laid the burthen of all our sins upon his own shoulders He it is that took the censer in his hand as Aaron did when the fire of Gods wrath was gone out against us and stood between the living and the dead nay he fell down amongst the dead and was numbred among the transgressours that by his stripes we might be healed He he it is who in the last act of his life erected his crosse the rod of his exaltation that rod upon which his name was wrote which bore most precious fruit the fruit of his own Body which whosoever can lay up in a sanctifyed heart the Temple of the holy Ghost may be sure to have it testifye for him in the latter day But being thus gone up on high and lead captivity captive and received guifts for Men is he grown a niggard of them and bestowed none upon his Church which he hath left behind him Were the Jews better provided for who were only ad memoriam but types and figures of him that was to come then we which are a memoria his remembrancers and Priests in his stead in persona ejus sayes the vulgar his deputies which here personate him and act him over again No his Church has Aarons still and the Aarons have their rods too Nay the Aarons of the Gospel shall be refined too sayes Malachi 3. Chap. 3. God shall purge the Sons of Levi which St. Hierome interprets the Evangelical Ministers If the Testament be above the law God forbid the Ministration should be beneath it St. Paul 1 Cor. 12. tells us of divers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 free graces or gifts proceeding from the Spirit verse 4. and that we may not think them to be heaped confusedly all upon one in the next verse he speaks of several 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 administrations and offices among which they are devided the graces are reckoned up verses 8 9 10. Some peculiar to the A postles some streaming down upon the skirts of the Church The offices are recounted v. 28. and of them likewise some meerly Apostolical some permanent and perpetual namely those three Teachers Helpers Governours Perpetuall I call them for besides that the light of nature instructed the heathen so far as the morality of the service of a God carried them to the same division of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their helpers their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their teachers and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their governours they are the very same which God prescribed his own people the Jews in their Levites their Helpers and as it were their Deacons their Priests their Teachers and instructers the sons of Aaron their Praelates and Governours And thus we find the oyntmentt powred upon Aarons head has run down o his beard and wet the borders of his garments But this quick sighted generation amongst whom we live has seen farther into the words then any of the ancient Fathers and out of the word Governours has extracted an Elixar their ruling Elders A Government it is indeed but such as Jothams bramble was which burnt down the Cedars of Libanon the pillars of the Temple An opinion so full of novelty and void of authority that fourscore years ago it scarce had a being As if Gods Church all the time before had been hid with Eliah in his cave or fled with the woman into the Wildernesse Some there are I know which have deeply strained their wits to fetch this Government out of the Scriptures and pinch hard upon that text 1 Tim. 5.17 when all other fail them The Elders that rule well are worthy of double honour especially they which labour in the word and Doctrine Ergo by implication Elders there are say they which labour not and those are lay-ruling-Elders But St. Chrisostome which lived nearer and knew more of the Apostles practise than we found out another sence All Priests sayes he which may administer the Sacraments are not allow'd to preach the meaner sort may deal with Baptism the wiser only with the Word Which difference St. Paul found in himself 1 Corin. 1.17 Christ hath sent me not to baptize says he but to preach the Gospel If then thou hast such a Minister over thee as is gifted for both Offices allow him a double honour And let no man mistake the name of Elder or Presbyter in Scripture which is no other then Priest or Minister so St. John stiles himself in his two last Epistles so St. Peter 1 Ep. 5.1 and so all the pen men of Gods holy Word have called the Ministers of the Gospel Which is so notoriously true that the very patrons of this Government have disclamed the jus divinum of it and make it onely a State convenience Undenyably true it is that our Saviour in his time did choose his twelve Apostles as Superiours his seventy as subordinate Subordinato I say they were for besides that they were forbidden by the other in the time of Christ Luke 9.49 They were commanded by them afterward as Silas was by Paul Acts 17.15 and so were within their power Afterward that the Apostles left their successours Bishops may be evident by St. Pauls own Epistles to Timothy the Bishop of Ephesius and Titus Bishop of Crete and the undoubted testimony of Ireneus confirms it who lived immediately upon the Apostles age But what need we more Authority St. Jude v. 11. Speaks of some in his time which perished in the gainsaying of Corah What that was ye have heard he would be Aarons equall how any could perish in it was impossible unlesse by desiring or affecting a parity with their Governours In the fear of God Brethren suffer then a word of Exhortation This rod of Aaron ha's sap in it still and sprouts to this day Oh shake not of the blossomes pluck not off the fruit if God have laid it up in the Tabernacle let not Sacrilegious hands steal it thence T is a rod of power submit to it a rod of correction be afraid of it a rod of instruction obediently receive it a rod of sustentation rely on it Obey them which are set over you in the Lord. Let no Uzzah presume to touch the Ark nor Uzziah to offer sacrifice let the sons Levi only wait upon the altar If a quis aequisivit be terrible at the last day who has required these things at your hands will not prohibita sunt have I not fobid thee be much more terrible We find in Exodus that Pharaohs sorcerers had got them rods too but Moses his Serpent soon devour'd them And the Sons of Sceva Act. 15.19 would be conjuring in the name of Jesus but the Devil soon prov'd himself their Master Beware that fearfull curse which befell the nolumus hunc regnare those that would not let Christ raign over them And such are they that despise his Ordinances and so do all such as disobey his substitutes His substitutes I call them for they are his Labourers but one degree remov'd from himself he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if God be the chief guide Moses and Aaron are the hands to lead his people if God be chief Shepheard Peter and his partners have the office under him to feed the flock 1 Pet. 5. And if in temporalls the civil Magistrate at this day thinks himself sufficient without bringing the difficultest causes to Aaron and the Priests as God prescribes Deuter. the 17.8 9. if Jehoshaphat I say think his Judges able to dispatch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the affairs of State yet let the Priest dispence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Chro. 19.8 The Lords business the judgment cause of the Lord. Make not thy self the Devils instrument since he hath left disputing about Moses his body for thee to dispute Aarons authority But rather joyn with that Captain of Israel in his prayer for Levi. Deuter. 33. Let thy Urim and Thumim be with thy holy one bless O Lord his substance and accept the work of his hands and smite through the loins of them that rise up against him and of them that hate him that they rise not again To conclude Aarans rod is Gods rod and Gods rod will alwayes bring forth fruit either sweet or bitter Almonds sermons prove either the savour of Life or death May that rod and this Sermon take such deep rooting in our heart that it may bring foorth fruit abundantly in our lives to Gods honour his Churches glory our own comfort c. Gloria Deo in Excelsis