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	speak_v	word_n	4,593	5	4.2557	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77486	Brightman redivivus: or The post-humian of-spring of Mr. Thomas Brightman, in IIII. sermons. Viz. [brace] 1. Of the two covenants. 2. The danger of scandals. 3. Gods commission to Christ to preach the Gospell. 4. The saints securitie.	Brightman, Thomas, 1562-1607.; Halsted, John.	1647 (1647)	Wing B4691; Thomason E375_16; ESTC R201349	89,168	128

is large and light So then many deceive themselves thinking they are Gods children though they never came almost where the seed was sowen and never shew themselves Spiritually alive by hungring after the milke of the Word so that it may ranckle in the brests of the Nurses before these will desire to draw it out and hence comes the neglect and contempt of the Word and Ministers Verse 27. Rejoyce thou barren c. This is the reason of the Application out of the testimony of the Prophet Esay chap. 54.1 And by allegation of this Scripture it is manifest that Sara was a lively patterne of the Evangelicall Church and the Apostle warranted by Divine authority did undertake the interpretation of this Type For when the Prophet in these words alluding to Sara doth speake to the Christian Church it is meet that by the other eyther Wife or Concubine of Abraham that the other Church should bee understood so that this Interpretation was not fained of himselfe For though the Apostles of their own authority might propound and command any thing to the Church as being Promised the infallible assistance of the Spirit yet oft did depart from some part of their right and for the weaker ones did confirme by Propheticall authority what they did deliver but this was touched before This testimony doth shew a three-fold agreement twixt Sara and the Christian Church First in Sterility Second in joy for Of-spring Third in multitude of Posterity For the first Sara was long barren even till she came to that age that she might dispaire of Seed but when she had received a Promise of a Son sh●e was so joyed with it that her Son had her name thence Gen. 17.17 and 18.12 And this joy the Parents shewed by an extraordinary Feast Gen. 21.8 Then in progresse of time the seed became so fruitf●ll that in multitude it farre passed the Posterity of Agar for the Ismaelites might not compare with the Israelites eyther in largenesse of Territory or multitude of People And even such like was the state of the Christian Church before Christ while the Temple and Sinagogue flourished it was barren of any truly faithfull and sate as a widow forsaken and so long remained thus till all hope of ever being visited with Of-spring might seeme to have been taken away But when the promised seed came how great joy and gladnesse possessed the hearts of the faithfull so that it was truly said of the Angels Luke 2.10 J bring you great tydings of joy and now we see the Christian Church farre to passe the Synagogue that shee may now contend with her and overcome Hence three things is to be learned First that judgement is not to be given of a Churches truth or being by the multitude of her Sons for Agar was ever fruitfull and Sara long barren and the small number of the Church is not to be despised much lesse to be forsaken Why then doth Rome boast of her multitude may she not be Agar for all that 2. The Church doth rejoyce in the multitude of her Sons that is in the conversion of men to God as the Angels do for a repentant sinner Luke 15.4 7 9 23. verses 3. God is not tyed to meanes for he makes the barren and forsaken woman more fruitfull then the married Psal 113. at the end Esa 62.4 5. Vse The meditation of these points are very profitable For first they admonish us of our former condition what we were once namely barren and forsaken Hos 1.10 This most diligently Saint Paul admonishes the Ephesians of Ephesians 2.1 2 3 4 11 and 12 verses So doth Pet. 1 Epist 2.9 10. verses For hereby we shall be stirred up to thankfulnesse and a walking worthy our calling and a great meanes to keepe in obedience To this end God appointed a service to the Iewes Deut. 26.5 6. Wherein they should solemnly remember their former condition So did the Prophet Ezech. chap. 16. O that we could think how deformed ugly wicked and enemies we were would it not inflame our heartt with a love of God 2. It must shame us now to be barren Rom. 7. at the beg Pa●l shewes that the Law was as an unsufficient and impotent Husband by whom wee could not conceive Children to God but now we are freed from that Husband and married to CHRIST who is all-sufficient so that there remaines no excuse for us and as much as in us lies wee shame our Husband and therefore it behooves us to bee fruitfull in all good workes not walking in the oldnesse of the Letter but newnesse of Spirit No marvell if a Land be barren that hath neither dew Sunne nor raine to refresh it But the Land that hath all these plentifully and yet remaines barren is cursed and neere to burning and have not we long had all these 3ly It behoves every Christian in his place and especially the Ministers by all diligence to increase the Church for this makes to Gods glory for the glory of a King is in the multitude of his Subjects yea it shall be the joy of the faithfull here and hereafter this is shewed Esay 62.4 and 5 verses O how should this move all to be ready to plant the Gospell where it is not and to make smooth way for it and to take away the stumbling blocks that hinder the free and the fruitfull course of it 4ly Every true Christian must rejoyce in the prosperity of the Church and grieve in the wayning and decay thereof as Nature teaches to mourne in the losse or affliction of naturall brethren and sisters So must grace in these of the godly and the rather because Gods glory and the good of soules should be more deere and nere to us then any outward things yea this is a certain token to try our hearts by if we can rejoyce and mourne in the Peace and calamity of the Church as in the naturall body if one member be in paine all suffer 5. Lastly let us not dispaire of the Church if at any time it seeme to be brought to a desperate state for it cannot perish and God can make it then when it seem'd to have been cleane withered to flourish as he did in Christs time and in our Fathers dayes and as the Iewes were in captivity Ezech. 37. And with this power and love of God to his Church Ezechiel doth comfort the Church chap. 17.24 that God exalts the low Tree and abases the high that he makes the greene Tree to wither and the dry to flourish I the Lord have spoken it and have done it Amen FINIS THE DANGER OF SCANDALL AND OFFENCES Sermon II MATH 18.7 Woe to the World because of offences It must needs bee that offences come but wee to that man by whom the offence doth come c. IN the beginning of this Chapter is decl●red how the Disciples of Christ had ambitiously reasoned about dignity and greatnesse a part from Christ Christ omitting no occasion how h●e

might profit his Disciples askes them of the matter of their disputation himselfe well knowing is though hee did not expresly taxe their Speeches Mark 9.33 And knowing Pride to bee the bitte● root hee exhorts to Humility and that by the example of a Child set before them Now because that is a C●rnall conceit and stron● imagination that if one cary himselfe humbly and lowly that he shall be troden under foot of every one and be regarded of none therefore to prevent this he teacheth that the humble are a speciall care to God so that he will most severely punish them who shall offer the least injury unto them and by their insolencies shall weaken the endeavour of the practice of this so holy and commendable grace and so on this occasion Note falling into the mention of Scandall in this Particular he doth with great Patheticalnesse of affection breake forth to the prosecuting of the Doctrine of Scandall in generall So that the words read doe containe a most passionate exclamation and a bitter bewayling of those horible evils and Calamities that hangs over the wo●ld through their Scandals and the reason is set down Cryptically or imperfitly which is thus enlarged An Inevitable calamity hanging over one or approaching one doth make his condition miserable But Scandals are inevitable and they draw with them misery and therefore the state of the world thereby must needs be wretched and wofull The first part of the reason is appa●ent and needs no demonstration The second part of the reason is in these words It must needs be that offences come The conclusion or last part is in the first words Woe to the World And in the last end of the verse is a secret objection answered And now of the first words containing the conclusion or thing to be proved the meaning wherof in generall is that the world is miserable through Offences and here are three points to be handled First what Scandals are and the kinds of them 2. The misery comming by them 3. The inevitablenesse of them The word here usually translated Offence is not meant so much sin in it self as commonly they are called Offences as they are indeed against both God and man But the word offence is here taken for a peculiar effect or fruit that followes on the evill behaviour of men and therefore is well translated Scandals it being the Greeke word here used and it properly signifies that crooked peece of wood to the which the baite in a Trap is fastned which while the Mouse or other thing doth gnaw or move it puls the Trap on it self It is also any block that is cast in ones way wherby one may be endangered to stumble and fall and so figuratively it is used in Scriptu●e for every publike and open evill and sin whither word or deed which while others do endeavour to follow by his example and authority that did it or spake it being allured as with a baite they entangle themselves in the Devils trap or snare or thereby they are made to stand still or fall in the right way And therefore this word is interpreted by a departing as may appea●e by comparing Math. 13.21 With Luke 8.13 For that which in the one place is called a Scandalizing in the other is called a Falling away And Rom. 14.13 It is directly called a stumbling-blocke whence a Scandall may be defined to be any word or deed giving occasion to any of falling into sin or of falling away from the received truth or practice of Piety or doth cause a negligence in the same Now these Scandals are of two sorts First given Second taken Scandals giuen are all wicked sayings and deeds repugning the loue of God and of our neighbour and whereby the former effects are occasioned and these are either in matters of Doctrine or in life and manners Thus all false and erroneous Doctrines as of Iewes Turkes Infidels and Papists are great meanes whereby many are with-held from the right way to Salvation but especially the Papists are hereby a great scandall unto the Iewes who live among them for they seeing Idols so usuall in their Churches and Practices which they justly abhorre they are made thereby to loath Christian Religion Againe all prophane and irreligious speeches of God and his worship are of this kind as Mal. 3.14 All blasphemous contumelies and reproaches of the truth of Pauls Doctrine was Scandalized Rom. 3. at the beginning Rom. 6. and Rom. 7. And our Doctrine of Iustification Free-will with other necessary truths are so perverted by the Papists to their followers that thereby great offence is given to the ignorant So for wicked actions they are Scandals for thereby other are incouraged to evill or made not so much to feare them Math. 16.17 Thus the incest of the Corinht 1 Cor. 5. For the Scandall of the contagion is called a Leaven And so scandals give● are by all sorts of wicked men professing Christ but especially by such who being forward and zealous in Religion doe either grow unsound decaying or dissolute The neglect also of good things whither private or such as belong to publique callings whether Civill or Ecclesiasticall As the Magistrates Scanda●l is when he doth not his duty in punishing wickednesse and cherishing the good the scandall of Ministers is when they are negligent and carelesse in their Ministry and here chiefly Nonresidency and unsufficiency are grievous scandals for hereby men are exceedingly weakned in the course of Piety by the example of such as are counted wise and learned and so such as whose example might safely be followed And thus were the Pharises a great Scandall to the common people of the Iewes as Christ charges them Math. 2● They would not let the people enter into Heaven There are also Scandals given not only in doing things unlawfull in themselves but in things indifferent which are not evill in themselves Thus Peter was a great Scandall by his eating and living as the Iewes so that Barnabas was stumbled by it and this Paul teaches plainly Rom. 14.13 14 15 16. 1 Cor. 8. and 9. chap. For though the nature and use of these things be alwayes lawful in themselves yet it may be offended in the externall usage of them for thereby another may be hindered either from the truth or Piety as is seene 1 Cor. 6.12 The second sort of Scandals are such as are taken not given That is that are of such nature of themselves as might incite to Piety and might confirme in truth but yet are abused to the contrary And thus euery word or action good in it selfe may be the matter of Scandall being taken to be evill whither it be done slanderously out of malice or out of weaknesse through ignorance And that these are not to be blamed it may appeare for even the most holy things are within this compasse All these Scandals may be referred to three chiefe heads First the word of God Second the works of God

to be seene of Joseph advanced by Pharoah in Naamans servant divers others in Scripture as Nehemiah waited on Ashuerosh For this womans name it was Agar this as occasion served was imposed on her by Abraham or his Family and it signifies so much as that Stranger So then we see what manner of one the Mother of the one Son was to wit a Servant an Egyptian by Nation a stranger by her Name But what is this to the Son Namely this To shew her Son to bee a Servant as the Proverbe is The brat or brood followes the Belly But you will say It was shewed before that the condition of the Parents neither helps nor hurts the Of-spring To this the answer is It is true in regard of the grace of God but not as touching Externall and civill condition for in this regard such Parents such Children Now this Externall condition of these Sons God doth not make the cause of bestowing or with-holding his Grace but onely a figure and type thereof But why is the sonne of the Servant first mentioned Answ First because hee was the elder Second because for the most part the condition of the sonnes of this world in carnall things is better then the children of God they take to themselves lofty tytles as the Son of the servant was called Ishmaell one heard of God But the Son of the free-woman called Isaac Laughter not onely of the laughter of his Parents but because he was laughed at and scorned of Ismaell which Paul calls Persecuting in the 28 verse againe Ismaell grew presently into a mighty and populous Nation Gen. 17.20 and 25. chap. 11.12 vers But Isaac scarce crept up in many ages but such is the will of God who hath layd up better things for his least being fastned to the earth they should forget heaven The other Son was of the free-woman of Sara a wife no captive nor bought with money and no way of Servile condition but Free the neice of Abraham and this is the first difference of these two Sons arising of the differing condition of their Mothers The second difference is in regard of the manner of Procreation the Son of the servant is sayd to be borne after the Flesh that is after the ordinary course of Nature without any word of God going before to that end Secondly hee is said to be borne after the Flesh because hee was begot and borne by the counsell of the flesh which Sara suggested to Abraham For when they had received from God a Promise of a Son and had long expected the same till growing in yeares shee thought it vaine to expect it any longer of her selfe she thought it might be that what God had Promised hee would performe by another and so out of the desire of seed shee perswaded her Husband to goe in into her Maid This counsell was of the Flesh and therefore that that was borne of it is said to bee borne after the Flesh This practise though it did argue great Humility and Ingenuity in Sara in not envying that honour to her Maid which she thought was denyed to her selfe yet herein greatly to bee blamed because she ought not by her owne over-hasty desire to have prevented the Lords opportunity and therefore this her fact doth openly declare our corruption which can not beare any long delay but through irksomnesse wee are ready to attempt by unlawfull meanes such things as God would have effected by himself in seasonable time neyther was Abraham blamelesse in this that hee did so easily hearken to his wife advising so ill But such is our Nature thus did the Children of Lot Gen. 19.32 Thus the Israelites not expecting till Moses returned Exod. 32. made the Calfe Thus did Saul in presuming to Sacrifice 1 Sam. 13.8 9. And in consulting with the Witch 1 Sam. 28.7 Vse This must teach us to take notice of this Corruption so watch over it that wee faint not in Faith if God at any time deferre to performe his Promise that we be not carried to the seeking of carnall and unlawfull means for the accomplishing of it but that in Faith and Patience wee possesse our soules depending on him who is faithfull able and most wise to effect every thing in due season The want of this God complaines of in the Israelites Psal 78.41 That the limited the holy one of Israell And David was overtaken with this in his Passion Psal 116. I said that all men were lyars But hee that Beleeves makes not hast Isaiah 28.16 and 30.18 Blessed are all they that wait for him A second thing to bee observed hence is That albeit Ismael was begot by holy Counsell in regard of the parties giving it and in regard of the end why given yet because he was conceived without the authority of Gods word hee is said to be born after the Flesh Abraham was not moved by lust but by his wives perswasion If yet for all this the Scripture doth taxe this as a carnall Birth then of what account shall that unbridled lust be had to the fulfilling whereof men are caried with the breach of all the barres and bonds of Nature modesty and the ordinance of God Sure the damnifying of the Child so borne should bee of greater force to restraine then the gaine got by such filthy pleasure should provoke for though God being bound to none can and doth freely bestow his mercy where seemes him good yet as much as in us lies that which is borne by such conception is made altogether Carnall Not onely opprobious in regard of civill condition and dishonesty of birth then which what injury can be greater but is also made naked and destitute of divine Grace which consideration of it might take place would be an effectuall bridle to this raging and raigning sin of Lust seeing this is so that this action and the fruit thereof in some sort holy is termed carnall let us take heed of good intents it is the Divels subtilty to corrupt our good wee doe by doing it oft to bad ends and to encourage us to doe evill by propounding good ends but both these are displeasing to God Good intents then though never so holy yet being besides the word are taxed and are unlawfull and dangerous as are seene in the examples of Saul 1 Sam. 15. In sacrificing See what a goodly end he had verse 11. and 12. so 1 Sam. 15. They were reserved for Sacrifices So 2 Sam. 23. beginning Saul slew the Gibeonite forzeale to the Israelites yet a Plague came on the Land for the same Second It behoves us to watch over our hearts and to examine the thoughts and suggestions thereof that they savour not too rankly of the flesh for even this counsell heere called Carnall had not his ground meerly on the flesh but in part of that faith which she had in the Promise of God So subtile is the divell sayes learned Beza that he can serve his own turn not onely of our