Selected quad for the lemma: authority_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
authority_n	book_n	divine_a	scripture_n	2,963	5	6.0860	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A45430	Of the power of the keyes, or, Of binding and loosing	Hammond, Henry, 1605-1660.	1651 (1651)	Wing H569; ESTC R14534	153,935	168

semper quotidie fallunt How many things have alwayes deceived and daily do deceive men that are not suspicious nor upon their guard And if all the Fathers of the Church beginning from those that were nearest Ignatius's time must be involved in the number of these incautious cheatable men I shall be afraid to mention the consequences that will too readily be deducible from hence I shal only say May not this liberty or licence rather be soon extended very inordinately to the invasion of the sacred Canon of Scripture Nay when the same current and consent of Fathers which delivers down all the books which make up our Canon of Scripture for Canonicall and Theopneust shall be found at the same time to deliver down and make use of these Epistles of Ignatius onely with the distinction of Apocryphal and mean by that not supposititious books or books which are under suspition that they are not their off-spring whom they call Father but only books of inferior authority as Apocryphal is opposed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the books of divine Scripture legi Domini to the Law or word of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to those that are put in the Canon and in a word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as you may see in the end of Nicephorus's Chronography and in others inter scripta novi Testamenti novi apocrypha numbred among the apocryphal books not of Ignatius but of the New Testament and appointed to be read by pious men though not allowed that same authority and dignity in which the books of Sacred Scripture have been justly estated when I say the same hands of the antient Church shall deliver both the Epistles of St Peter for Divine Scripture and these Epistles of Ignatius for the Epistles of Ignatius though not for Divine Scripture who can say that Salmasius when he had thus confidently thrown off these Epistles from being written by Ignatius did not consequently and agreeably to his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in throwing off one of St Peters Epistles also And who can think it reasonable that our warinesse and censoriousnes shall enable us at 1500 years distance to judge more truly of a matter of fact which none but they that are near be they never so wary and suspicious can discern any thing of then they that lived in those times which were nearest to the scene of action Nay how much more rational is that of the same Salmasius who in the controversie about the parts of the Crosse i. e. when he conceiv'd antiquity to be favourable to that opinion which he defended hath made this argumentative against his adversaries An credibile est Gregorium qui vixit tanto tempore postquam crucis supplicio nemo amplius afficebatur certiorem esse testem de habitu crucis totius c. quàm eos authores qui scripsere cùm adhuc passim in usu esset communissimo nocentum crucifixio Is it credible that he that lived so long after the use of that kind of death was left off should be a surer witnesse of any thing that belongs to it then those Authors that wrote when it was in use De Cruce p. 255. And again if Blondel may say without proof that the Fathers were incautious in general and thence conclude that they were actually deceived in this particular Why may not I as reasonably affirm having given my reasons when he hath not that Blondel is too censorious and partial and willing to bring all to the cause he hath espoused and thence conclude knowing how contrary these Epistles are to his interests that he hath actually exprest his passion and injustice in this causlesse censure of these Epistles I have done with this learned mans observations in this matter and when I shall hear of any other argument which can seem of force against these Epistles I shall be glad to consider it professing my self to conceive that as long as that one Author stands in the Church in his just value the cause of Prelacy and Hierarchy cannot want supports every page almost of those Epistles being sufficient which the adversaries acknowledge in saying he doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in season and out of season at all turns assert Episcopacy to interpret the obscurer vestigia in the New Testament and to assure us what was the practise and doctrine of the Apostles and Primitive Churches in that point and that is the reason I have insisted so long on a thing which may seem so extrinsecall to my first undertaking and shall not think my self out of my way if I be content to return to this controversie again as having such an immediate influence on the cause in hand whensoever I shall be call'd to it In the mean I shall content my self with this view of that matter and for the present as I cannot but conceive it rashnesse to cast an Epistle of St Peter upon a bare affirmation in a Parenthesis quae sola planè genuina est so will it be in a lower degree but in like manner to deal with a most antient Apostolical-spirited volume upon such unproved censures as these and it is observable that the first writer that ever undertook to be thus severe against that whole volume of Epistles did with as much confidence and as little pretention to argument cast off one of the books of Canonical Scripture This I thought not amisse here to insert to vindicate the writings of that antient Martyr though it may be taken for a parergon in this place Supposing then this writer to stand in the same repute in Sect. 5 the Church of God in which he did before he was observed to be unreconcileable with the designs of the new Reformers I shall proceed to make use of his testimony He commands obedience to be paid to Bishops 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as to the Apostles to the Presbyters as to the Seventy to the Deacons as to the Deacons in the Acts. The passage is known and although in another place he makes the Presbyters parallel to the Apostles and the Bishops to Christ yet these places are easily reconciled it being clear that that latter place considers the Apostles at the time when Christ was here on earth at which time they were indeed but a second rank and in that respect it is that Origen saith Tr. in Mat. 24. Propriè Episcopus Dominus Jesus est Presbyteri Apostoli Christ is properly the Bishop and the Apostles Presbyters but the former place considering that after Christs departure is that which more properly belongs to this matter this power though promised before being not yet instated on them till after his resurrection immediately before his leaving of this world or indeed till the coming of the Holy Ghost at which time they were left the Governors of the Church as Christ had been before and the Bishops their successors ever since To which purpose St Cyprian Ep. 65. Apostolos i. e. Episcopos Praepositos Dominus

that have read them all know there is nothing more contrary This I have said because this Doctor makes his complaint of the opposition and contempt and affronts put upon him by those friends to whom before the setting out he had communicated his book objecting saith he nothing against him but that he was besides his calling which therefore with him I confesse to be an unsufficient argument against his book if it have no other to joyn with it and I rather conceive that it was a civility in his friends which used it then an entire and sole objection designed by them as a means to take him off from a confidence that he had done well by telling him he was no competent judge whether he had or no and advising him that being a stanger in that faculty he should not depend too much upon his own judgement rather then an acknowledgement that they had nothing else to object to him And if civilities be apt to be thus mistaken the truth is a little plain dealing were a more friendly office I shall therefore have no necessity of replying to his answers to those friends That Scrutamini Scripturas and Probate spiritualia Search the Scriptures and Try the things that are spiritual were a sufficient comminssion to him for that attempt especially if 't were true which he addes that if he had had a stipend to read Divinity this fact of his would then have nothing in it in their opinion aliene from his office or duty Where yet I suppose the office might be distinguisht from the stipend and though the money be not apt to inspire as a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or grace yet sure the mun●s or calling to the office may go for a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to which we may hope for the annexion of Gods blessing more then to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the meddling in faculties or studies that belong not to us we have any promise to authorize us to expect Sect. 31 2. For the occasion of his quarrel against Excommunication I shall give you no other account then what from himself I have received who I suppose was able to speak the bottom of the truth and nothing else and while I do so shall desire the Reader to observe how certain it is that the fabrick of the Church of England I mean the antient structure as it stands by Law and the doctrines thereof would never have provoked him to this enmity if he had lived here under the best or perhaps worst daies of our Episcopacy and then as his Hippocrates in his excellent tract 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will tell us of a mighty influence that the place the air or some such accidentall circumstance may have upon the bodies first and through them the minds of men so will the Read●r find that his having chang'd the air had been excellent effectuall Physick for him and in all probability might have made a shift to have changed his opions also The first thing which saith he cast him on those considerations Sect. 32 against Excommunication was the unseasonablenesse of the time for the administring of such purging Physick There was then saith he a great paucity of Protestant Professors and the number of Papists extremely overtopt them in those parts and of the Protestants scarce the thirtieth part understood and approved the doctrine and therefore it must be in his opinion a strange improper season for the setting up this course of severe ruggid discipline which would exclude from the Sacrament so many of the few Protestants that it would both unpeople their assemblies and necessarily cause a dangerous scissure in the multitude The second thing was his having observ'd the unfitnesse of the Sect. 33 persons that were imploy'd and presided in this matter their Ministers and Lay-Elders fit saith he neither for age nor experience nor wit nor judgement nor manners nor authority to be esteem'd able to sustain so great an office with dignity The third thing and that which advanced him in his conceit Sect. 34 that he had faln upon the right sense of the Scriptures produced and pleaded for this discipline was the consideration of the state of the Commonwealth and Church among the Jews God having said Deut. 4. that that people had Laws and Statutes so just and wise that the institutions of no Nations the sanctions of no Commonwealth no Ordinances though never so wisely thought on could compare with them and therefore that that Church must needs be best and most wisely disposed which came nearest to the Jewish form A consideration indeed that it seems was of great weight with him not observing that that comparison in Deut. was made only betwixt the Jewish and other heathen nations of the world at that time and only in relation to their present state and not to the prejudice of Christs institutions after when that nation and religion was destroyed and that if that argument were of weight besides that he must be bound to prove his Modell out of the Mosaicall Law he must be obliged also to bring back all the Sacrifices Passeover Circumcision Ceremonies of the Jews into the Christian Church and turn both the Lords Day the Sacraments and the very Religion of Christ the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Law of Faith out of it The fourth thing saith he and that which set him on writing was an accident that he then observed An English man which at that time had quitted this Kingdome on the dislike of Ceremonies and came to Geneva and proposed his Thesis there de adiaphoris vestibus of things indifferent and of vestments particularly the Surplice c. he was saith he not permitted to maintain them publickly ne Anglos offenderent that they might not offend the English This man therefore changing his purpose chose a new Thesis In quavis rectè institutâ Ecclesiâ hanc servari procurationem in quâ ministri c●m suo delecto ad eam rem Presbyterio jus teneant quosvis peccantes etiam Principes excommunicandi That in every well o der'd Church this government was to be observed in which the Ministers with their Elderships chosen to that purpose should have power of Excommunicating all offenders even Princes themselves and this Thesis saith he he was permitted to maintain I hope he did not beleeve that the English would be better pleased or lesse offended with it then with that other about Surplices but only that ' twat a doctrine wherein that Common-wealth of Geneva was more concern'd and so did not so much consider how the English might take it from them as in the other where they were lesse interessed they had leasure to do That the doctrine of the Anglican Church and constant practise of it is utterly abhorrent from this dangerous sacrilegious excesse I shall not be so wary or humble as to think it necessary to demonstrate but confesse that he which saw that doctrine so confidently and so early avow'd