Selected quad for the lemma: authority_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
authority_n	doctrine_n	scripture_n	word_n	3,808	5	4.2807	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91943	The fast friend: or A friend at mid-night. Set forth in an exposition on that parable Luke 11. 5.-11. Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at mid-night, &c. By Nehemiah Rogers, minister of the Gospel.	Rogers, Nehemiah, 1593-1660.	1658 (1658)	Wing R1822; Thomason E953_1; ESTC R203374	432,120	516

other man for all men are Lyars and subject to errours 1 Cor. 13.9 And as God so he was the Author of Truth and Truth it self Joh. 14.6 Every word he spake was the Word of God the Word was God Joh. 1.1 Christ was the Word not onely the Essential Word which was always with God but the very written Word too He was Scripture saith one Dr. Dunn As we say of great and Universal Schollers that they are viventes Bibliochecae living walking speaking Libraties so Christ was Loquens Scriptura living speaking Scripture Our Sermons are Text and Discourse Christ's Sermons were all Text And so Credit of right is due to whatsoever he spake without any further proof Obj. But Christ alleadges Scripture for what he said Luke 19.46 24.46 Ioh. 8.17 10.34 5.33 Resp he confirms his Doctrine by it as Luke 19.46 24.46 Joh. 8.17 10.34 And referred his Hearers to the testimony of others as Joh. 5.33 He did so and in so doing he refers them to himself for he was the Scripture nor was that testimony which was given of him the testimony of man Ioh. 5.34 Again Ioh. 5.34 Ioh. 3.35 this he did First to confirm the Authority of Scripture Ioh. 3.35 Secondly Ioh. 13.5 to give us that are Dispensers of the Word an example Ioh. 13.5 I have given you an example that you should do as I have done As in that so in this Thirdly in respect of the weakness of his Hearers whom he did instruct because as yet they did not so fully know him to be the Son of God they looked on him as mere man not knowing the relation he had to the Father nor believing that the Deity was veiled under the flesh And so for the present the testimony of Scripture was of more Authority with them then his bare word But this was more then he was bound unto or needed to have done Obj. But he confessed 2. Ioh. 5.31 32. Resp his Witness were not true Joh. 5.31 32. That was said out of a Legal and Proverbial Opinion of theirs that a Witness testifying of himself was not to be believed in that he said and so there is a Rhetorical Conception in the words saith Beza and he reasons with them after their own Conceptions q. d. Say I should yield unto you that my Testimonies concerning my self were not to be admitted as indeed in Judicature the Rule is both just and equal yet you have no reason to press this upon me for there is another that beareth Witness of me even John whom you sent unto who pointed to me with the singer and willed you to behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sinnes of the World John 1.29 But after this after he had done enough to make them see that he was more then man by multiplying of Miracles amongst them and when he speaks positively unto them he tells them plainly That albeit he bore Witnesse of himself yet his Witness was true John 8.13 And why so Because saith Christ I know whence I came and whither I go verse 14. Iohn 8.13 Ver. 14. Even out of the Bosome of mine Eternal Father whither I am returning even to the re-possession of that Glory So then albeit our Saviour grants that in the ordinary course of Humane Proceedings no mans testimony is to be taken concerning himself yet in his Case it was far otherwise he being a Divine Person exempted from all possibility of Errour Nor was it possible that Christ could be singularis testis he was more then one Witness because he was more then one Nature God and Man and therefore instructing Nicodemus he speaks plurally We speak that we know we testifie you receive not our Witness John 3.11 Iohn 3.11 He saith not mine but ours because he was although a singular yet a plural person too The Uses follow Use 1 If Christ's word be sufficient of it self without other Testimony for confirmation and proof then divers are to be reproved First such as will not take it alone without other warrant they rely not on it without other Testimony The Papists are such who without the Testimony of the Church will not receive the Testimony of Christ albeit they will receive the Testimony of the Church without the Testimony of Christ They will not believe the Scripture unless the Church give Testimony unto it but the Church they will believe even in such things as have no Testimony at all from Scripture And what is this then but to undervalue the Testimony of Christ and prefer the Testimony of the Church before it This is no other then in effect to believe God for man's cause and give him the honour For Dr. Prid. Lect. de testib as he that receives the Testimonie of Christ for its self sets to his Seal that God is true so he that receives it for the Testimony of the Church sets to his Seal that man is true It is granted that we receive the Scriptures by the Churches Testimony but yet not for it The Testimony of the Church may first incline us to believe that the Scripture is Scripture and make us willing to reade it Whitak and hear it Yet the Church hath a Ministerial Introductory perswasive concurrence in this Work pointing unto the Star which yet shineth by its own Light and it reacheth forth and exhibiteth unto me the light which Dr. Potter's Answ to Char. mistaken p. 141. though in it self visible could not be so ordinarily unto me unless thus presented explaining the Evidence of those Truths unto which I assent not for the Testimony of the Church but for their own intrinsecal certainty We know such a weight to be true by the Standard but the Standard true by it self All other Doctrines we know to be sound by the Scriptures but the Scriptures by themselves one Text by another And amongst our selves there may be found such as refuse to receive the bare word and testimony of Christ That Ministery is disdained by them as unlearned and of no worth that brings no other Authority and Testimony with it then the Scripture as if a Thief should refuse a Pardon from his Prince because there is not witness to it onely his own hand The Prophets Apostles yea and Christ himself contented themselves with the bare Testimony of Scripture And if the Word preached by the Prophets Apostles yea and Christ himself whether to Jews or Gentiles were absolutely to be believed and obeyed by every one that heard it without other or further Testimony why not as well and as much now by every one of us who hear it read and preached Obj. But why then do Ministers bring other Testimonies besides the Word for the confirming of their Doctrines if it be not needful Resp These Authorities are not brought for the Confirmation of Doctrine so much as for illustration of the Point or Conviction of Gain-sayers And so St. Paul alleadged the

by quenching it c but that God will be with us to support us in fire and water we may conclude Secondly in the Application of those Generall promises to thy self which God hath made to others see thou bring like Qualifications and then spare not to inferr according to the latitude thereof God will receive all Penitents into favour and forgive their sins Ezek. 18. but see that thou be a true Penitent if thou would'd comfortably apply that promise to thy self Observe these Cautions and then thou may'st comfortably apply Generalls to thy own particular for thy encouragement and strengthening Use 4 Lastly from hence let us be encouraged not only to make use of the experiments of others but to declare them to others we get not experiments only for private use but to communicate So the Saints have done Psal 40.10 60.16 So David promiseth to do Psal 40.10 60.16 Psal 51.12 John 4.28 29. Psal 51.12 So John 4.28 29. And this may be one reason why God bringeth us through so many troubles to furnish us with a body of experimentall Doctrine These are like those Mandrakes the Spouse speaks of Cant. 7.13 they give a sweet smell powerfull in the provocation of others they should be at our gates Cant. 7.13 not farr to seek New and Old must be laid up and not spent lavishly but preserved and brought out again as occasion is offered When thou art converted strengthen thy Brethren said Christ to Peter Luke 22.32 that is Luke 22.32 2 Cor. 1.4 comfort and revive them by thine own experience So St. Paul 2 Cor. 1.4 He assures us that for this cause God comforted him in his affliction that he might be able to comfort others in any trouble with the same comfort wherewith he had been comforted In visiting of a sick friend of some Disease out of which we our selves have been recovered we are still prescribing medicines upon our own experience Oh that we could or would thus play the Physitians to our Neighbours Soul and tell him what we have found to be good by our own experience how good God hath been unto us In so doing the profit and benefit would be greater then we are aware Thus I have by God's gracious Assistance carryed you through the Exposition of this excellent Parable of a Friend coming to his Friend at Mid-night wherein you have had the Exercise of Prayer opened and by sundry Arguments pressed the efficacy and power of faithful Prayer manifested Audience from our Blessed Saviours own mouth assured And if notwithstanding all that hath been said our hard and Earthly Hearts are not wrought upon to fall upon the Duty We have another Parable propounded in the words following wherein our Saviour comes closer to us of which we shall speak God willing in the next place I shall conclude this and what hath been said of t●is with the words of David Whoso is wise and will observe these things even they shall understand the loving kindness of the Lord Psal 107.43 FINIS An Alphabeticall Index or Table for the readier finding out of the most material things the handled and enlarged in foregoing Exposition upon that Parable Luke 11.5 11. A. ABility is in God to help us page 219 Abundance of outward things is no sure note of Gods speciall love page 78 Yet they are fruits of Gods common love page 79 Abundance is pernitious to the wicked ibid. Accommodation Mutuation how they differ page 140 Affections corrupt blind the judgement page 265 Affections inordinate condemned page 266 Affections when they exceed their bounds page 266 Affections how to be limited page 267 Afflictions not absolutely to be prayed against page 181 Affliction a good School-Master and many wayes profitable page 208 Afflictions necessary page 211 Afflictions are a part of our portion and may not prodigally be wasted page 213 Afflictions are not profitable to the wicked page 207 They cause the wicked to blaspheme page 135 Alienation of goods the severall kinds page 140 Almes we all live by page 396 Amen why Christ is so styled page 318 Why St. John alwayes doubl's it and not the other Evangelists page 318 Anger distinguished of page 46 In Gods Anger love may be seen page 247 Angry-men make no friendship with page 46 God Answers such as Aske page 401 How God Answers us and when page 232 233 Prayer is the holy Anchor page 436 Appetite how to get to our spiritual food page 175 Application to be made of doctrine page 320 321 And of promises page 460 In Applying generall promises some cautions given page 463 Spare to Ask and spare to speed page 401 Assurance of God's love to us may be gathered from Gods dealing with others page 462 Author●ty humane of what use i● is page 316 B. BAnckrupts notable Theeves page 152 How God is said to be in Bed page 269 339 When God is in Bed no creature is up page 269 The Grave is a Bed page 274 A good Conscience is a soft Bed page 271. 273 Beggars a Corporation of them page 77 They are the Vermin of the Commonwealth page 77 We are all a nest of Beggars page 396 Street Beggary condemned page 399 We must pray like Beggars page 395 We have a licence to Begg page 399 The Godly may be put to Begg Bread page 78 Blessings Temporall how farr they are promised page 76 Temporall Blessings are but lent us page 55 A different manner in Gods dispensation of Blessings temporall and spirituall page 157 We must willingly part with them when God calls for them page 158 We may not be proud of them ibid. Not abu●e them ibid. Bread what it notes page 163 Want of Bread a great Judgement page 88 That especially causeth Famine page 90 Bread made of se●erall things page 89 Three sorts of Bread mentioned in the Scriptures page 172 Bread of life the best Bread page 175 Bookes are the dead to whom we may resort in trouble page 105 Borrowers of three sorts page 149 What Borrowers may not be lent unto page 148 None should Borrow without great need page 151 Dutyes of Borrowers page 152 What Borrowers should do that are not ab●e to par page 154 Bounty of God towards us is very great page 448 Gods Bounty is much abused page 449 His Bounty many wayes exceeds mans page 450 If should encourage us to seek to him page 451 As we tast of his Bounty so should he of ours page 451 A Churle may sometimes seeme Bountifull page 351 It is a fault to overburthen a Friend page 160 C. MUch wickednesse is committed by Candlelight page 128 Catechised Familyes the best Familyes page 17 Catechising used by Christ himself page 31 A good Catechisme for Inferiours page 11 In workes of Charity what to be respected by us page 336 Christ to be beleeved on his bare word page 318 Godly Familyes are little Churches page 18 Church-Government to be set up in our Familyes page 23 The Church

Authority of a Cretian to the Cretians Tit. 1.12 Tit. 1.12 And so to the men of Athens a sentence out of Aratus which quotations have sweetned the unwholesome waters of Jericho and have made wholesome drink of them for the Children of the Prophets But in Confirming of the Truth we may say with Hierom to Eustachius Quid cum Psalterio Horatius cum Evangelistis Maro cum Apostolis Cicero It is unseemly for the Subject to fit on the same throne with his Prince or the Mayd on the same seat with her Mistresse yet it is comely to have them stand about and attend in their places Starrs have their stations and motions allowed them in the Firmament albeit they come far short of the Sun and Moon And As these deserve Reproof who cannot content themselves with the single Testimony of Christ without other Authority so Secondly Such fall under it as do absolutely reject it and give no credit at all to it be it backed with never so many testimonies or good Authority Who hath believed our report saith the Prophet Esay 53.1 So Esay 35.1 John 12.38 Rom. 10.16 Acts 7.38 Heb. 1.2 Revel 2.7 Heb. 5.12 Luke 10.16 1 Tim. 6 3.-5 John 12.38 and Rom. 10.16 Sometimes Christ spake unto us by lively voice Acts 7.38 Heb. 1.2 and something he speakes to us in the Scriptures Revel 2.7 Heb. 5.12 And something he speaks to us by his Ministers Luke 10.16 yet who gives any credit to any of those things they read or hear These men the Apostle speaks of 1 Tim. 6.3 -5. A Popish Fryar sometimes wittily told his Hearers that the Truth Preached was like unto Holy water which every one calls for apace but when it came to be cast upon them they would turn their faces aside and their backs upon it And as Agathon once said If I tell the Truth I shall not please and if I would please I may not tell the Truth You call on Us that are Gods messengers to speak the Truth and embolden us to speak it but as Martiall said to some of his Friends so we may say the Truth is you will not endure to hear the Truth Nay we do not onely scorn it and reject but oppose it and set our selves against it to persecute it and the Bringers of it Thus Elijah and Michaiah were hated of Ahab for the Truths sake and the man of God by Jeroboam And so John of Herod Steven of the Iews and St. Paul of his own Hearers Gal. 4.16 Seldome doth Christs word the Truth go without a scratcht face As Luther once said of Preaching Praedicare nihil aliuà est quàm derivare in se furorem To Preach the Truth is nothing else but to stirr up the fury of Hell Sathan and the world against a man But thus not only to reject the Truth of Christ but to hate it and persecute the bringers of it is a sin next to that that shall neither be forgiven in this world nor in the world to come Use 2 Oh! that we would be prevayled with to give Christ this honour as to receive his Testimony and believe him on his word A word from some mans mouth is little to be regarded But as the man is such is his word If a King protest in verbo Regis he will look to be believed If a Noble man protest in verbo Honoris he takes it indignely if he be not credited If a Clergy man averr ought in verbo Sacerdotis he thinks he ought to be regarded what then doth Christ expect think you who is both King Priest and Prophet that Amen the true and faithful witnesse of his Eather Revel 3.14 2 Cor. 1.20 1 Pet. 2.22 Revel 3.14 whose words are all yea and amen in whose lips there was no guile How often doth Christ repeate Amen Amen so often as that you may reckon it thirty times in that one Evangelist St. Iohn It was Christs ordinary Asseveration As oft as the other Evangelists mention it in Christ's mouth they mention it and expresse it singly with one Amen Verily I say but St. Iohn doth evermore double it Amen Amen Verily Verily it is thus thus The Reason is rendred to be this St. Iohn considers the Divinity of Christ more then the other Evangelists do and the nearer we come to the consideration of that the more confident we are of the establishment of his promises but however it is religiously thought that from the frequent Use of that Asseveration St. Iohn called Christ by that name Amen Revel 3.14 Surely Verily John 10.3 that is his Name And shall we not know him by Name He knows us by Name and calls us by it Iohn 10.3 And shall we not know him by His how then can we call upon it and come to God in it as we are required in Scripture To know him by Name and come to him by Name is to consider him in and come unto him as this Amen the faithfull and true witnesse and to put up our Prayers and shut up our Prayers with this Amen resting upon the Truth of his Promi●es Oh! what Name dost thou call him by when thou swearest blasphemest slaunderest witnessest a falshood canst thou call him Amen then art thou perswaded that his threatnings are true as well as promises Oh! that we that professe the name of Christ would learn at length to justifie both It and Him and give Him the honour of his Testimony in b●lieving it and Assenting unto it seem it never so unlikely or improbable in the eyes of flesh and blood be it either the word of Precept Gen. 22.2 Gal. 1.16 Gen. 16.5 17 16. Rom. 4.20 Heb. 11.11 Gen 6.13 17. Joh. 3.4 5. Heb. 11.7 Heb. 11.3 Math. 8.3 1 King 13.18 Gal. 2.13 Acts 3.1 12. Gen. 22.2 Gal. 1.16 or of Promise Gen. 15.5 17 16. Rom. 4.20 Heb. 11.11 or of Reproof Gen. 6.13 17. Iohn 3.4 5. Heb. 11.7 or of History Heb. 11.3 What Christ testifieth we are to rest and acquiesce in Say with the Centurion speak the word onely Math. 8.3 and when Christ hath spoken the word rest in it and yeild that honour which Pythagoras his Schollars gave to their Master in resting upon his bare Authority It is much more due to Christ then to any mortall man else whatsoever for that they are subject unto error and their knowledge is imperfect such as may both deceive others be deceived themselves 1 King 13.18 Gal. 2.13 Acts 3.1.12 Much Reverence indeed and Respect is to be given to the opinions of the Antient Fathers and Doctors of the Church to the Judgment of Learned Sober Godly Divines more to Canons and Decrees of Generall and Provinciall Councells But as one truly we may not jurare in verba build our faith upon them as upon a sure foundation nor pin it upon their sleeves so as to receive for an undoubted truth whatsoever they maintain and hold This honour is due unto Christ alone and