Selected quad for the lemma: authority_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
authority_n	ecclesiastical_a	jurisdiction_n	spiritual_a	4,670	5	7.0518	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A83501	Reasons against the independant government of particular congregations: as also against the toleration of such churches to be erected in this kingdome. Together with an answer to such reasons as are commonly alledged for such a toleration. Presented in all humility to the Honourable House of Commons, now assembled in Parliament. By Tho. Edvvards, minister of the Gospel.	Edwards, Thomas, 1599-1647.; England and Wales. Parliament.	1641 (1641)	Wing E233; Thomason E167_16; ESTC R21753	47,020	78

and the 1. yeere of Elizabeth cap. 1. where it will be found that all Jurisdiction Superiority Spirituall and Ecclesiasticall as by any Spirituall or Ecclesiasticall power or authority hath beene or may lawfully be exercised for the visitation of the Ecclesiasticall state and persons and for reformation order and correction of the same and of all manner of Errours Heresies Schismes abuses offences c. shall for ever by authority of this present Parliament be united and annexed to the Imperiall Crowne of this Realme As also that no orders nor constitutions may be enacted in the Church without the Kings assent and hence the oath of Supremacie was appointed by Law for every Ecclesiasticall person to take hence I aske the Independant men seeing they give that immediate Ecclesiasticall power to their particular Churches which the Papists doe to the Pope whether they will take the oath of Supremacie or doe acknowledge in their prayers that title of the King Defendor of the Faith c. Secondly they hold that things lawfull in themselves as for instance set formes of Prayer acknowledged by them to be lawfull yet being enjoyned by Authority are now unlawfull so that though a Forme of Prayer be lawfull yet being imposed for order uniformity that alters the case a strange paradox that things lawfull in themselves tending to Order and Peace should become unlawfull when commanded 3 They affirme that Christian Princes Magistrates who are defenders of the Faith have no more to doe in and about the Church then Heathen Princes Some of them deny also and question that received axiome that the Magistrate is custos utriusque tabulae Saying of those Kings of Judah and Israel who medled in the Church with reformation and establishment of Religion that they did it not as Kings but as types of Christ so that I leave it to better judgement whether it be safe for a Kingdome to tolerate such Churches who maintaine and vent upon all occasions such kinde of principles and as the principles so the people for a great part of them be dangerous and insufferable heady refractory proud bitter scornefull despisers of Authority who though but a few comparatively and the Lawes standing have attempted not to suffer the publicke prayers to be prayed but what with singing what with clapping on of Hats in times of prayer what with reviling and threatning of Ministers have laboured to hinder their use Now if they dare attempt such practises and things being but a few the Lawes being point blanke against them and the Lawes establishing the other what will they not doe when they shall be multiplyed and tolerated if they come once to a great head we may feare they will not tolerate the Churches and Government established by Law but what insolencies and mischiefes will follow upon their toleration not onely in Ecclesiasticall government but in Civill I leave such who are experienced men in matters of Government to fore-see and Judge of but hereafter too late to remedie but I desire rather to pray against a toleration than to Prophecy of the wofull effects of it Reason VIII THese independant men where they have power as in new England will not give a toleration for any other Ecclesiasticall Government or Churches but in their owne way they would not suffer men of other opinions in doctrine and government to live within the bounds of their patent though at the furthest bounds but have banished them They were sent to from England by some godly Ministers their brethren men otherwise approved by them as being against Ceremonies who being in danger of leaving the Land sent to know if they might have liberty according to their Consciences to goe in a Church way something differing from theirs and not in this Independant Popular Government to which question you may reade the answer they could not grant any other forme of government but one seeing there is but one way of Church government layd downe in the Word and that unchangeable and therefore they cannot yeeld to it So others of them will nottolerate or admit into fellowship the godliest Christians unlesse they will enter into Covenant professe their faith submit to their Church Orders though they would be of their Church so that these men who now would faine have a toleration in this great Kingdome will not allow any in a remote Plantation nor in one of their small particular Congregations for feare of disturbing the peace of their Church and yet would have a toleration in this Kingdome never caring to disturbe the peace and good of the three Kingdomes which would be much hazarded by it but thus partiall men are and you may observe it t is ordinary for men when they are not in place nor have no power in Church or Common-wealth and hold also Doctrines and principles contrary to what is held and established then to plead for tolerations when as the same parsons comming to be in place and to have power wil not tolerate others to set up any way different from theirs And I beleeve those present men who here are endeavouring a toleration for their Churches had they the power in their hands to settle a Government we should have no Government tolerated nor Church but the Independant way and for this see The Protestation Protested what he thinkes of our Church and of what ever Government shall be established Reason IX AToleration may be demaunded upon the same grounds for all the rigid Brownists of the Kingdom and for all the Anabaptists Familists and other Sectaries who professe t is conscience in them and in some respects upon better grounds it may be moved by them as being perswaded we are no true Church then for these Semi-Separatists nay whether may not the Papists petition to and hope to have a toleration of Religion seeing it is Conscience in many of them as well as you and if once an exemption be given from the Religion established by Law to one sort why may not others thinke to have the same priviledge and therefore if ever the dore of Tolerations should be but a little opened there would be great crouding by al sorts to enter in at it Reason X. THe granting a Toleration of this Independant way whose first fundamental principle is that two or three Saints where ever or by what meanes soever they doe arise separating themselves from the world into the fellowship of the Gospell are a Church truely gathered and that they only have an immediate and independant power from Christ their immediate head to gather and combine themselvs without expecting warrant from any Governours whatsoever upon earth to make a Church doth make way for any thing for Libertinism or for any opinion in the world that so all who fall into any Doctrine or any who like not their owne Ministers and Church Government either because they restraine them from sinne or keepe them to Gods Ordinances they may goe three or foure

and they in one bed shall be so divided as that they shall not be of one Church nor worship God together in Word Sacraments Prayer but apart O how will this overthrow all peace and quiet in families filling husbands and wives with discontents and setting at variance Fathers and children each against other weakning that fervent love in those relations O how will this occasion disobedience contempt neglects of Governours from the inferiors of the family whilst the Governours be looked upon by them as not in a true Church O how will this toleration take away for every Saint must bee free to joyne himselfe voluntarily to what congregation he please that power authority which God hath given the husbands fathers and masters overwives children servants whilst that they shall joyne against their wills to such Churches and be stollen from them against their pleasure nei●her can the Governours be able to judge of their pro●● in the Word nor be certaine they sanctifie the Lords day according as God hath layd the charge upon them in the fourth Commandement when as the children and servants are of other Churches so that by these and many other things which will be found in experience this toleration will pervert disturbe that Order of Gods owne appointing namely the relations duties and workes of families which were there nothing else to be sayd against it this were enough God certainely appointing no such Church way●●s is crosse to the good and peace of families one orcer of God certainely not destroying another Now how strong this Reason is against this toleration I submit to the Judgement of that Court which hath the Legislative power they knowing well that both Churches and Common-wealths are made of families all issuing out from thence they being the Seminaries and Nurseries for both and if there be a ground-worke layd for disturbances divisions and disorders there what can be firme peaceable or sure Reason IIII. THere will be great danger of continuall Divisions distractions disputes amongst us not onely from the different forme of government and worship in their Churches and ours but from other Doctrines and practises held by some of them for the present as for instance that Saints when they dye goe not to heaven where Christ is but they goe to a third place the sitting with their Hats on at the receiving of the Lords Supper c. and others that will be dayly broached and then their Churches being Independant and not under the government of any out of themselves they will goe on without being hindred and whereas we have now too many new and strange doctrines we shall have nothing but errours and novelties broached and so greater contentions and breaches amongst us Reason V. THe most eminent Ministers in this Kingdome for parts grace and Labours can have little assurance of the continuance of their flockes to them if such a toleration be granted for they will draw away their people and admit them into their Churches and even gather and encrease their Churches out of the labours of the best Ministers the Ministers shall doe little else but spend and be spent for to fit men for them when Ministers have travelled in birth of children and should have comfort and joy in them then they will be stollen away This toleration upon any discontent taken or any light occasion of demanding dues or preaching against any thing they like not opens a wide dore and will invite them to desert their Ministers and what a sadding of the heart and discouragement in the worke of the Lord this must be to the Ministers of the Kingdome let all judge Reason VI A Toleration of Churches to bee erected as Independant to enjoy liberty and exemption from the estabilshed will be undoubtedly a meanes and way of their infinite multiplication and encrease even to increase them 30. fold so that if the Parliament could like to have more of the breede and have a delight to have multitudes to be exempted from the Ecclesiasticall Lawes of the Land which Parliaments never did no way like this for we see within this nine moneths though there be no toleration of their way yet having not beene lookt after how are they increased and multiplyed and that there will be a mighty encrease upon a toleration to say nothing of casting a snare upon the people by this to make doubts nor nothing of the wantonnesse and instability of many professours nor of the activenesse of many to spread these principles that their party may be considerable this may evince it In many if not in most Townes and Parishes it cannot be helped but that there are and will be for many yeeres men of no great popular gifts for preaching who also according to their principles not having beene brought up to it cannot so comply with their people now many that live in these Parishes seeing they may keepe their houses and places of abode upon the newes of a toleration will for the benefit of more powerfull practicall and zealous Preaching betake themselves to goe to their Churches which liberty they cannot have in the Churches established for the Law it is likely will provide for men to keepe to their owne Ministers where there is sufficient preaching and so will fall to their principles and so wee shall have upon this grouud swarmes of them Reason VI THe Prime and fundamentall principles of this Independant way upon which they erect their Church way and independancy are very prejudiciall dangerous and unsufferable to this Kingdome as for instances Saints qua Saints two or three of them or more they onely have an immediate independant power from Christ their immediate head to gather and combinde themselves into visible Churches without expecting warrant from any Governours whatsoever upon earth as also being thus gathered and joyned into a Church to chuse all officers among themselves and to exercise all Discipline and Ecclesiasticall Government even to Excomunication without and against the good will and consent of the Christian Magistrates but the Magistrates whether Kings and Princes or States they have no power but in all things of the Visible Church Christ is an Immediate Governour to the Saints having put none of his power out of his hands to any Magistrate whatsoever but though he hath given much power to Magistrates over goods liberties and lives of his Saints yet this Spirituall power of gathering and making Churches and of the power of exercising censures and Discipline so as it may not be exercised without their power and leave he hath not given them so that I desire them to consider and enquire whether this denying to Kings and Princes power and authority in causes Ecclesiasticall in the Church and giving all Spirituall Ecclesiasticall power immediately and independantly under Christ to the particular Congregations and not to the King be not against these Lawes and Statutes of the Land made in 26. Henry the 8. cap. 1. 25. yeere of Henry the 8. cap. 19.