Selected quad for the lemma: authority_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
authority_n	church_n	know_v	scripture_n	12,921	5	7.0300	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A68555	An epistle of the persecution of Catholickes in Englande Translated ovvt of frenche into Englishe and conferred vvithe the Latyne copie. by G.T. To whiche there is added an epistle by the translator to the right honorable lordes of her maiesties preeuie councell towchynge the same matter.	Parsons, Robert, 1546-1610.; Briant, Alexander, 1553-1581.	1582 (1582)	STC 19406; ESTC S117527	81,669	186

particuler man lyst to take yt for by this mean all heresies are defended but that we ought to resorte to the moste certein Iudgement of the churche vniuersall at the least way moste auncient which being directed by the spirit of God doeth laye downe before vs the true naturall sense of scriptures And because the ministers dyd not admitt this grownd nor yet refell yt but as theyr fashion is runne into corners creakes and starting holes he put downe in writing being but a lay mā not muche trauailed in scriptures six strong reasons to fortifie his opinion whereunto he desired that the ministers wolde answere there with all requested that it might be lawfull for him by speche or penne to confute their answers yf they shoulde seme to hym eyther impertinent and doubtfull or otherwyse weake and insufficient VVell when these ministers had got the writinge thense they packe in haste to the superintēdēt of londō they go to hym they cōplain of the mans pertinacie how notwithstanding their aduises and motions he refused to be a Caluinian yea and that he durst take vpō hym to defend his opinion by writing This superintendent as in verie dede he is a fumish hasty man and by nature cholerick being outragiouslie incensed with ire desineth the gentleman by and by in his mynd to some speciall payne purposing to punish hym throughlye And thereupon he thrusteth him so delulie oute of lōdō īto a streicter kynde of imprisonment he locketh hym vp in an olde decayed castell a raw vnhaunted and obscure place vhere he could neyther haue the sight of the Sunne or other light nor yet of men he loadeth hym wyth yrons and not to recite all particulars he afflicteth hym with calamities meruailouse withoute all measure Now these ministers being thus put owte of all doubt feare of their aduersarie do sett forth a booke and make a kinde of answer to the reasons by hym before layde downe vnto them and as in other things so especiallie in this they delt moste iniuriouslie with him for they conceale and dissemble the verie state and principall point of the question and controuersie charging hym to haue sayde that the scriptures are in his opiniō of lesse authoritie than the churche where in truthe he talked not of the authoritie of suche scriptures as are euidentlie knowne to be diuine scriptures but his talke was eyther touching the knoweing and discerning of such vncertein scriptures as haue bene called in question and doubted of or touching the vnderstanding of the sēse true meaning of darke obscure places of diuine scripture Moreouer a certaine diuine doctor and one of some authoritie among oure aduersaries came one day with no small ostentation nor light traine of folowers to a certain prison for disputation sake as he pretended for these felowes wold gladlie beare the people on hand make them belieue that they do offer to oure men disputations thick and threfolde there this gloriouse doctor calleth to gether in to the halle euery prisoner which whas shut vp in that prison for religion bothe yong and olde priests and lay folke he telleth them that he is come to dispute he and his associates take their seats on the benche sitt downe solemnelre And first of all though the prisoners were in nūber manye yet he demaundeth of eche man his name dwelling place Yf any answer not readilie the diuine by and by wolde fall in a terrible chafe and shake vp the prisoner outragiouslie Then before the disputatiō dyd begynne one of the prisoners vpon occasion dyd alleige forth of holie scripture some thinge whiche the doctor had denied whervpon the sely old man waxeth verie augrie in no case will admitt that any suche thing is to be found in scripture the booke is brought forth and the thing is recited verie clearlie worde for worde as it had bene alleged The olde man taketh his spectables and readeth but for that the booke was an other mans booke he wold not credit ye but called for his owne his cōpanions fall to laughing And to be short withoute further proceding they all arose departed and thus the disputation was ended before it beganne Then the sorye olde felow when he seeth that he could not preuaile falleth a cursing wisheth mischef and destruction to the howse and to all the prisoners there And all this fell oute thus the keper of that prison being present and ashamed of the matter Now what can be sayd more fonde or more ridiculous than this And yet neuerthelesse yt was reported for certein and sure that this mightie Hercules had ouerthrowen and beaten downe the Catholiques albeit in verie dede he neuer vsed argumēt but onelie a bare brabling and contention in woords There is allso among oure aduersaries one other odde minister a bygge man in his owne opinion yet in other mens iudgements he is but meane how be yt in tongue not vnreadie yet rashe and headlong by reason that he knoweth not hym selfe This felow not long agoe hoping to pick owt some peece of estimation by contending with greate personages crept vnlooked for into a prisō where the aforesayde learned and reuerend fathers the byshop of Lincoln and Abbot of west minister with others of good accompt are imprisoned for religion And at his first entree he gyueth in commaundement that they all appears personallie before hym he telleth them that he his come to conferre aboute the chefe litigiouse points of religion and signifieth his will and pleasure that they should beginne the dispision But when those good fathers as they are wise dyd perceiue the man to doe all this withoute warrant and vvithoute anie certein order or forme of conference but onlie vppon a rashe and vndiscrete heade of his owne and meerlie for vainglorie they make smale accompt of him but contemne such ridiculouse vanitie of the arrogāt yong felowe And therfore when they had spoken something abowte the vnreasonable condition then offred and of their want of bookes tyme and other things they leaue the man to his owne folies as best besemed their grauitie they lett hym passe away as one by them contēned rather than vexed But yet the yong peacocke as his maner is aduaunced vp his tayle triumphed abroode with all brauerye and publisheth a pamphlet of his great conquests and victories ouer captiues In which pamphlet there are many vntruthes very many friuolouse toyes and nothing to serue his turne nothing to make for his side but mere vanitie and that euen by his owne declaration as he hym selfe telleth his owne tale But when suche huddling shyfting of matters was knowne so as manye euen of oure aduersaries dyd mislike yt for it had allmoste bredde a cōmon quarell had wellnigh putt into the peoples heades some suspition that theire cause was ouer throwen Some there were which to salue this sore and to take away the infamie made a certaine