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	law_n	power_n	3,346	5	4.9385	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A51447	Themis avrea the laws of the fraternity of the Rosie Crosse / written in Latin by Count Michael Maierus, and now in English for the information of those who seek after the knowledge of that honourable and mysterious society of wise and renowned philosophers ; whereto is annexed an epistle to the fraternity in Latine, from some here in England.; Themis aurea. English	Maier, Michael, 1568?-1622.	1656 (1656)	Wing M287; ESTC R21726	55,939	168

why his name hath been hitherto concealed It is most certain that a Prince who is as it were an Head to his Subjects that are his Members it is indeed a thing ●●questionable but that he hath full power of making and ratifying of Lawes For chiefly it belongs to the Emperour then to each King because they have right to govern Lastly it concerns any Princes or Civil Magistrates But Lawes that are brought in by Inferiours extend onely to those that have a particular Relation to them neither are they long lived nor do they excuse from the Lawes of Superiours being onely obligations which respect Time Place the Person and Subject Amongst the Antients those men who were of best repute for their Wisdome Learning Authority Sincerity and of greatest Experiences might set up Lawes in any City or Nation Thus we see that Moses was made Ruler and Cheiftain amongst the Hebrews and amongst the Heathen the first Law-givers were called Zephyrians after them Zaleueus in imitation of the Spartanes and Cr●tians who were thought to have received Antient Lawes from Minos wrote severe Lawes and found out sutable punishment he left rules whereby men might try their actions so that many afterwards were fr●●●ted into good manners for before him Lawes were not written but the sentence and state of the cause lay in the Judges breast Afterwards the Athenians received Lawes from Drac● and Solon upon which they proceeded in all Courts of Judicature from whom the Romans who lived after the building of the City three hundred yeares had their Lawes of the twelve Tables published by the Decemviri and these in processe of time being enlarged by Romane Magistrates and the Caesars became our Civil Law which at this time is used amongst us Other Nations also had their respective Lawgivers as Aegygt had Priests and Isis who were taught by Mercury and Vulcan These were golden Lawes and such as owed their birth to the fire Babylon had the Caldeans Persia had Magitians India had Brachamonds Aethiopiae had the Gymnosophists amongst the Bactrians was Zamolsis amongst the Corinthians was Fid● amongst the Nilesians was Hippodamus amongst the Carthaginians was Charonda lastly amongst the Brittaines and French the Druides From what hath already been said there may be gathered thus much viz. That any one hath liberty his Companions complying and faithfully engaging to prescribe Lawes to himselfe and them especially if such Lawes are founded upon Reason and Equity For as the Comedian hath it amongst the good ought to be transacted just and honest things but as the combination of the the wicked is unlawful so are those bands that oblige them damnable whose trust and fidelity are but true cheats and sure deceits their constancy but obstinacy their oaths cursings their rules methods of villany their lawes are commands to wickednesse Our Author indeed was a private man and no Magistrate but in his particular relation he was invested with much Authority whereby he might oblige and binde others be both Lord and Father of the Society and the first Author and Founder of this golden Medicine and Philosophical Order If any one shall attempt to usurpe jurisdiction over any against their wills and consent he shall finde his labour to be in vaine for he must needs suppose them to have a prejudice against such designes since he playes the Bishop in anothers Diocesse But certainly the case is different here because by a faire resignation they devoted themselves to his command Surely for confirmation we may take notice of the Time They have been kept and observed for many Ages and this doth not a little strengthen the first Authority for if you prescribe Lawes to any who were not under such before and and such Lawes continue a long season unviolated it will follow that those Lawes being just and good may yet endure for that nothing hinders but that this private Legislative power may be in force being neither contrary to Divine or Civil Statutes the Lawes of Nature any positive Law or Custome of Nations To some it may seeme a strange thing that our Authors name should not be known to which we answer Our Father indeed hath lien hid as being long since dead and his Brethren although they live and retaine in Record and Memory his Sacred Name yet because of some secret and weighty causes are not willing to have his name or person known Besides they have a continual succession and genealogy from him to themselves and they received afterwards a Lampe from a known confederate and colleague of their Fraternity They can read the Authors soule in his Bookes view the true Feature in the picture judge of the truth of the cause by the effect whose actions confirme their goodnesse and sincerity their hands are set with eyes so that their beliefe goes beyond their sight what other men foolishly and ignorantly think incredible and vaine they know to be reall and possible Shall we deny that those men who were chosen and selected to be of the Fraternity were unacquainted with our Author Surely they were most intimate and familiar with him and performed with alacrity what ever he commanded or enjoyned them To those indeed to whom the knowledge of him was no benefit he was not neither was it necessary that he should be known unlesse such persons over curious pryed into matters which concern them not for as it belongs not to us to have intelligence what designes are in agitation within the walls of Troy or who in India doth administer justice or give Lawes so likewise ought they not to intermeddle with this Author and his Brethren altogether unknown to them If we behold smoake breathing out of an house we presently conclude that there is fire within And why should not we although the Father and the Fraternity have not been seen by outward eye yet because of their workes by the eye of our mindes discern and satisfie our selves concerning them We can passe a judgement upon a Tree by the fruit although the fruit be plucked off it sufficeth to the knowledge of a man if we heare him speake Whence Socrates spake thus to a young vertuous man but one that held his peace speake said he that I may heare thee A Dog discovers himselfe by his barking a Nightingale by her sweet chaunting notes and we judge of all other things according to their actings And why then cannot we distinguish this our Author from cheats by his Positions and Lawes since it is the others whole designe to delude they make gain of their tricks that which would be iarksome to another they take pleasure in and make a sport of dangers and hazards Our Author is namelesse but yet worthy of credit unknown to the vulgar but well known to his own Society And some may ask the reason of his concealment We know that the Antient Philosophers counted themselves happy in a private life and why may not Moderns enjoy the same priviledge since necessity may put these more