Selected quad for the lemma: authority_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
authority_n	great_a	king_n	people_n	5,724	5	4.8029	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A05113	Mr Henry Barrowes platform Which may serve, as a preparative to purge away prelatisme: with some other parts of poperie. Made ready to be sent from Miles Mickle-bound to much-beloved-England. Togither with some other memorable things. And, a familiar dialogue, in and with the which, all the severall matters conteyned in this booke, are set forth and interlaced. After the untimely death of the penman of the foresaid platforme. & his fellow prisoner; who being constant witnesses in points apperteyning to the true worship of God, and right government of his Church, sealed up their testimony with their bloud: and paciently suffred the stopping of their breath, for their love to the Lord. Anno 1593.	Barrow, Henry, 1550?-1593.	1611 (1611)	STC 1525; ESTC S122418	73,650	164

the Bishops For they rise up hastily put the other down most hatefully Miles It is then with the Bishops according to the old proverbe evil weeds doe growe apace And Mr. Tindall in the practise of Prelates shewe●h to this eff●ct That as the Ivie comp●sseth the oake and groweth up about it till it is higher then he oake it self so doth the Prelates with their Princes Hereof wee haue seen lamentable experience in the papacie For the Bishop of Rome hath gotten himself aloft advauncing himself above the trees as it is in Iothams parable Iudg. 9.7 c. that is above Princes even Kings and Emperors whō he makes his vassals and kissers of his feete We ●●ad in ●yst of one of those Bishops that 〈…〉 upon the Emperors neck and having s●t on the crowne with his hand hee stroke it off with his foote To shewe that he had power to 〈◊〉 up call downe Kings at his pleasure God grant that such presidents may be a warning for all Kings and Princes to keep downe such climers while power is in their hand to restraine their unnaturall growth But is it not to now that the Arch Bishops grace is come to the Title of a Prince and President in the Right honourable privie counsell And are not also the inferiour Bishops invested with the stile of Barons and Peeres of the Realme Which titles and authorities are in deed fit for Peeres and Magistrates in the common wealth not for ministers of the Church but is forbidden unto them in the sacred Scriptures And yet such titles doe men give and these Bishops presume to take notwithstāding And that not as they are imployed in civil affaires but as they are ministers and spiritual men and are therefore called spiritual Lordes even as the others truely honourable are called the Lords temporall and are so distinguished one from another The abuse ought to be much lam●nted and utterly abandoned And these are of that broode which the learned linguist Mr. Hugh Broughton usually calleth the banned Bishops But tell m● how doe they now behave themselves in their usurped authorities Desiderius It may be answered That that is not usurped which is given But Princes doe give them their authoritie Therefore they usurp it not Miles If the Prince of princes hath not given it them but forbidden it they are usurpers the donation of earthly princes cannot make them to be otherwise seing it is unlawfull for the one to give for the other to receive such authorities and titles But you answer not my demand how they behave themselves therein Desiderius They imprison put to silence degrade at their owne pleasure and to speak the trueth they stand more upon the observation of their ovvne unholy ceremonies then upon Gods most holy oracles And all that refuse to bovv they vvill bend till they break the back of their conscience So that I see no end of their evills neither can I dive into their doings for a suteable discoverie vvithout much sorovve of heart Miles When Iohn Baptist sent Disciples unto Iesus to ask him whether he vvas he that should come or vvhether vve should look for another Our Saviour ansvvered Goe and tell Iohn what thinges ye heare and see The blinde receive sigh● and the halt walk the leapers are cleansed and the deafe heare the dead are raysed up and the poore receive the Gospell Math 11.4 5.6 c. Novv these being the vvorks that the true Christ should doe Iesus doeing them Iohn knevv and taught his disciples to knovv that that vvas in deed the very Christ promised Even so those vvorks that you say the Bishops doe being the vvorks of Antichrist doe tell reach that these Bishops are truely Antichristian And the discoverie of their doings hath been sufficiently performed heretofore by sundry persons in divers manners by some merily by some modestly by some gravely all soundly Therefore take you no care for that service neyther let any be dismayed for their loftynes tyrannicall cariages A lofty sayle with great vvindes vvill soone break dovvne a rotten mast And the higher the Bishops climbe the nearer they are to their fall the greater shall it be Yea vvho can tell hovv soon the vvindes of Gods vvrath shall blovv upon them against vvhich they shall not stand The Axe of Gods vvorde is ready hastily to hevv them dovvn did not humane authoritie hinder the stroke of it to support the Lordlynes of these Prelates for a season But vvhen the time is come vvhich the Highest hath set humane authoritie shall no longer hinder but help to further Gods vvork As it vvas in the dayes of Cyrus King of Persia vvhen the deliv●rance of Gods people came so suddenly as they vvere like those that dreame Psal. 126. which is as if they reasoned in themselves are vve delivered or doe vve but dream of deliverance The first Babylonians had their fail and vvho need make doubt that these vvho are Babylonians spiritual and vvere typed out by the former shall tast of their cup and vvhē they haue drunk then may this race of Anchrists clergie dolefully sing the dovvnfall of their offices and Bishopricks For dovvne they must mauger the Divil deviser and first foun●der of their functiō Though Babel should moun● vp unto heaven and though shee should defend he● strength from on high yet from me shall her destroyers come sayth the Lord. Ier. 51.53 Miles I dare not be so severe to censure them in respect of their office which may be holy though they are unholy but in respect of their harmfulnes in their office which I cō●fess is too too apparant and past all denial Miles If a woulf should forbeare to ravine and cease to doe harme yet is he a Wolfe still and hath in him the same wolvish nature and who then would trust him in a flock of sheep or cōmit the guidance of them to his charge Even so if those Bishop and false ministers should forbeare to doe harme yet are they the same false ministers stil being not sent of God not sanct●fied unto his people and therfore ought not to be trusted with the sheepe of Christ not be a guide unto them but to be thrust out although for the time present they did no harme at all Thus might they bothe please God in doeing his will and put away from themselves all danger and dread which continually do compasse them whiles they are ledd by such guides Yea the perill whereof is much greater then if they were sold to be under the conduct or cōmand of the chief Captaynes under their most mortal and manifestly knowne enemies For such danger is but ●●mporal but this eternall That concerneth 〈◊〉 the body onely this the soule and body ●o Take heed ther●fore what ministers you ●ommit your self unto for the guide of your ●●●e lest whiles they should feed you with the ●holesome milk of Gods word they fill you with the poi●on of their ovvne or other

to imprison them unto death as they haue done 17. or 18. others in the same poisome Gaoles within these 6. yeeres The Wife Husband being now taken by them they permit not to be in the same but haue sen● them to bee closely kept in other Prysons What the poore Family doth at home in the meane tyme your Lordships may consider and justly pitty Some of this company had not one penye about them when they were sent into close prison nor any thing being abroad which is the case of the most of them if not all to procure themselves and their poore families any maintenance save onely their handly labours and trades Whereby it is come to passe that these Enimies of God doe not onely starve and undooe a number of men in the prisons but even a lamen●able company of poore Orphanes and servants abrode Their unbrydled sclanders their lawlesse pri●e searches their violent breaking open and ryfling of our houses their lamentable and barbarous usage of weomen and yong children in these hostile assaults their uncontrolled the every robbing taking away of whatsoever they think meet for us in this case their unappeased mercilesse pursuite of us from our houses trades wives children especially from the holy societie of the Saints and Church of God we are enforced to omit lest we should be over tedyous to your Lordships But their dealing this way towards us is so woefull right Honourable as we may truely demand with grief of heart whether the forreigne Enemie or our native Countrey men doe possesse and beare rule over us in our deare and native countrey Their whole dealing herein is most barbarous most inhumane but specially most unchristian and such as exceedeth the crueltie of the heathen and popish professed Tyrants and Persecutors The records of the heathen persecution under Nero T●ajan Desius Galienus Maximinian c. can scant affoard us any examples of the like cruelty and havock For the heathen Romanes would murther openly and profes●edly These godless men have putt the blood of warre about them in the day of the peace truce which this whole land professeth to hol● with Iesus Christ and his servants Bishop Bonner Story Weston dealt not after this sort For those whom they cōmitted close they would also eyther feed or permit to be fed by others and they brought them in short space openly unto Smithfield to end their miserie to begin their never ending joye Whereas Bishop Elmar Do Stanhope and Mr Iustice Younge with the rest of that persecuting blood thirstie facultie will doe neyther of these No Felons no Murtherers no Traytors in this Land are thus dealt with There are many of us by the mercies of God still out of their hands The former holy exercise and profession we purpose not to leave by the assistance of God Wee haue as good warrant to reject the ordinances of Antichrist and labour for the recoverie of Christs holy institutions as our Fathers and brethren in Queene Maries dayes had to doe the like And we doubt not if our cause were truely knowen unto her Majestie and your Wisdomes but we should finde greater favour then they did whereas our estate now is farre more lamentable And therefore we humbly and earnestly crave of her Majestie and your Lordships both for our selves abroade and for our Brethren now in miserable captivitie but just and equall triall according unto her Majesties Lawes If we prove not our adversaries to be in a most pestilent godless course both in regard of their Offices and their proceedings in them and our selves to be in the right way we desire not to haue the benefit of her Majesties true and faithful subjects which of all earthly favours we accompt to be one of the greatest Are we malefactors Are we anywise undutifull unto our Prince Mainteyne we any errors Let us then be judicially convicted thereof and delivered to the civill authoritie But let not these bloody men both accuse condemne and closely murther after this sort contrary to all law aequitie and ●●●science where they alone are the plaintiffs the accusers the Iudges and the executioners of their most fearful and barbarous tyranny They should not by the Lawes of this Land goe any further in cases of Religion then their owne ecclesiastical censure and then referre us to the civill power Their fore-Fathers Gardyner Boner Story deale thus equally And wee crave but this aequitie Oh let her excellent Majestie our Soveraigne and your Wisdomes consider and accord unto this our just Petition For streames of innocent blood are likely to be spilt in secret by these blood-thirstie men except her Majestie and your Lordships doe take order with their most cruel inhumane procedings Wee crave for all of us but the liberty eyther to dye openly or to live openly in the land of our Nat●vitie If we deserve death it beseemeth the magestie of Iustice not to see us closely murdered yea starved to death with hunger and cold and styfled in lothsome Dungeons If we be guiltlesse wee crave but the benefit of our innocencie viz That we may have peace to serve our God and our prince in the place of the Sepulchres of our Fathers Thus protesting our innocencie complayning of violence and wrong and crying for justice on the behalf in the name of that righteous Iudge the God of equitie justice we continue our prayers unto him for her Majestie and your Honours whose hearts we beseech him to incline towards this our most aequal just suite Through CHRIST IESVS our Lord. Desiderius I pray you tell me Was this Petition of Mr Barrowes owne writing Miles The draught of it was and some copies also One of which I haue seen in the hands of a Gent. very fairely wri●ten and out of it was this same exactly taken But read the other and then tel me your judgement of them both To our Soveraigne Lord the Kings most excellent Majestie togither with the Honourable Nobility Knights and Burgesses now assembled at the High Court of Parliament MAy it please your Majestie Honours worships gratiously to respect the humble suit● of Gods poore afflicted servants and well affected loyal subjects to your Highnes Honours Wee are many of us constrained to live in exile● out of our native Countrey others deteyned in prisons all of us in some affliction which the Prelates and Clergie of this Land have infflicted upon us for our faith in God obedience to the Gospel of our Lo Iesus Christ Wee have never to this day been convinced of heresie errour or crime for which we should susteyne the great calamities we haue indured The groundes of Christian religion professed and mainteyned in this Land and other Churches round about we also with one hart and spirit assent unto and professe Enemies we are to all Poperie Anabaptistrie or other heresie schisme rebellion treason or faction and whatsoever else is contrary to the wholsome doctrine of the Gospell or

were appointed to office to the end they might feede feede feed the Lords sheepe But our English ones are appointed to their roomes in their old age to the end they may nowe togither with the Levites of 50. yeres of age rest their bones and feed their owne bellies Thirdly the first were tyed to no one sea but were sent to teach all nations These keepe themselves within a stinted compasse teaching fewe or none once in a long time Fourthly the Apostles of Christ could not discharge their work but by comming through many wants These of our land may discharge their work by leaning on their elbowes in the middst of their Lordly platters Fiftly the first were appointed to gather churches and establish all holy order As for these not one of them ever gathered a church but haue kept many in disorder Sixtly the first had attending on them for the furtherance of their Apostolical work blessed Euangelists and preaching Disciples These latter haue first a company of ruffling Chaplaines that can handle cardes and dice well secondly a company of swash-rutting serviters that can teach all the parish to sweare and weare all foolish fashioned apparel Seventhly the first were plain simple harted Ministers These are Lords in name Lords in living Lords in pompe Lords checkmate with the nobleest Peere of our Realme Eightly the first were brought before lordly ri●lers for preaching Christ and his kingdome these convent preachers before them say if we silence them not by bonds imprisonment gallowes the● will cause the civil Magistrate take away our Episcopal kingdom Ninthly the first established wise godly Elders in every cōgregatiō These establish dumb dogs greedy hogges in their parishes confused assemblies Tenthly the Apostle Paul upbraided the Church of Corinthe for not exercising the power of our Lord Iesus committed unto her in delivering up the incestuous to Satan These Bishops are not so foolish but haue got all the power into their own hāds sending that latin burbolte our of their unholy court Eleventhly the first sought no kingdome here because they lookt elswhere to sit on a throne with Iesus But these so seek kingdome establish their houses here as if they were of minde with the governor of the feast in Cana of Galilee that sweet wine is best at the first Twelvethly the Apostles of Christ were the chosen penmen of the holy Ghost and therefore their writings are of sufficient credite in themselves and canonicall As for our English-ones God never chose them for such purpose and therefore their writings which are almost none and their sermons which are almost as fewe are to be suspected and to come under examination Lastly to give 13. to the dozen the Apostle Paul did think they were set forth the last Apostles 1 Cor. 4.9 These men come more then XV. hundred yeres after that they were Apostles Likewi 〈…〉 these opposites can meet togither in one subject black can be white and Ataxia can be Eutaxia Disorder good order I shall never beleeve that Lord Bishops are eyther Apostles or Euangelists or yet so good as Pastors This comparison he wrote when heretofore by his separation he was called a Brownist and nowe it may serve as a glasse for his Lords spiritual to behold themselves in But how he estemeth of them now or how he maketh the matter with them having i● priesthood frō and under them I cannot tell It is doubtful he hath learned to dye a blacke into whi●e and to make Ataxia to be Eutaxia disorder good order But let his conscience see to it lest he be condemned therof For if his own hart condem●e him God is greater then the conscience The next testimonies are from such as never sep●rated Mr Fenner hath published in Defence of godly mo●sters against Bridges slanders pag. 111 that of S. P●ul were now in England no greater man then he was made by Christ he might not be equall with these Bishops For they are spiritual Lords he was never so they might send for him by a Pursevant lay him in the Counter or command him to the Fleet so could not Paul doe the least Minister of the Gospell And againe in the same book p. 123. speaking of their offices he saith Our kinde of Bishops the Commissaries the Archdeacons and such like we account them no naturall members of the body of Christs Church because they are of humane addition not borne with her nor growne up with her from the cradle Mr. Cartwright in his first reply pag. 8. 88 striking at the chief and strength of their ministerie to were at the Arch Bishops and Archdeacons under whom the other Bishops ministers doe execute their offices proveth that these functions are not in the word of God but of the earth new devised ministeries and such as can doe no good Yea that the Arch Bishops office is the weck of the popish Hierarchy come out of the bottomles pit of hell Mr Travers in Defence of Ecless discipl p. 88 ● 91 against D. Bridges proveth by divers good sufficient reasons that their Bishops are neyther Pastors nor Teachers Vpon which one in a certaine place inferreth And what ordinary Ministery of the Gospell then doe they execute As for extraordinarie the Prelates were not knowen when they were in the world besides that they are as unlike them as darknes is to light And upon my memorie I dare say that in the Demostration the authour speaking of this lofty ministery sayth that they are plants which our heavenly Father hath not planted and must be plucked up by the rootes And how Mr Chaderton hath painted them out I haue shewed before Finally all the seekers of Reformation haue in the Admonition to the Parl. 2. treatise sect 14.18.20 professed that the Names and offices of Archbishops Archdeacons Lordbishops c. are togither with their government drawen out of the Popes shop Antichristian Divilish and contrary to the scriptures That the Parsons Vicars Parish priests Stypendaries c. b● birds of the same fither And in a word as hath been noted before that they haue an Antichristian Hierarchy and popish ordering of Ministers strange from the word of God and the use of all well reformed Churches in the world Thus may we learne of our own worthies at home if we will not learne of others abroad who haue been forced to separate from church ministery for such fowle grosse most horrible unsufferable corruptions as are both in the one and other And wel I remēber that Mr Beza contra Saraviam mentioning but 3. or 4. of the corruptions there saith if it be so that then it is not a corruption in Christianity but a manif●st defection from Christ. Desiderius Trouble not your self further in this matter at this time for you haue spokē therof both largely and plainely opening as it were a window through the which I see a great light and as my name by interpretation is Desire so doe I most earnestly

desire the same light might shine clearely in eyes of all other mens understanding And now I would I were as wel able as willing to make sute to the higher powers that by their lawfull authoritie the unlawfull offices jurisdictions of the Prelates might be abolished The performance wherof as you know would make way for establishing of godly preachers throughout the land and removall of all dumbe dogges and ilde drones which feed their own bodies sterve other mens soules Might this gratious worke be once effected there would be full supply for many painfull and wel deserving preachers out of those fat Bishopricks and ric● revenues which now serve but for a fewe yet too many proud prela●es and their swaggering retinue But some that were fit to be suiters in this worthy cause will surely fainte eyther for feare of mans face or for want of faith in God Miles Yet let all men be comforted in this that God will haue his vvorke done vvhen and by vvhomsoever he shall appoint the performāce therof For strong and Mighty is ●he Lord of Hostes able to doe all things vvhen man is vveak and unable to doe any thing He hath spoken the vvord and it shall stand yea his vvord is ●ure vvord Hab. 3. vvho then shall resist And vvho knowes not that the Aboats and the rest of that generation ●ad as much ●oo●ing in Englād as haue now the Bishops and wer● in their time as much supported by humane authoritie as are they yet being parts of that an i●●ristian synagogue spiritual Babylon which the Lord hath threatned to consume they are consumed rooted out end quite abolished and that with as much detestation as these their brethr●n are now had in admiration who being growne great go ten up aloft are also terrible to the peoples wherein they fitly resemble the Anakims race of the Gi●nts in Canaan for feare of whom the harts of the Israelites melted wherin they ten of the 12 spies greatly sinned but ●aleh Iosuah who were faithful incouraged the Lords people to goe up against them and possesse the good land vvhich the Lord promised them Be you careful to follow the example of the faithful not of the feareful even ●s you desire to haue sinne subdued and the unrighteous ordināces of Antichrist overthrown that the Lords blessed ordinances which he hath promised to his people now under the Gospell may be established and enjoyed among them Labour you as an instrumentall meanes to make the same light appear unto others which you say hath arisen unto your self that both they and you may walk in the light as children of the light of the day forsaking all d●eds of darknes Continue constant in a good testimony and bereave not your self of the fruit that will followe Seeke unto him for your helpe who is Lord of Lords and King of Kings who hath the hear●es of all Kings and Princes of the earth to turne ●hem as it pleaseth him And secundarily s●eke unto higher powers the Prince Peeres and Magistrates with earnest suite according to your place and utmost meanes that you can make for furtherance of a full reformation and freedome from the former abuses which I stedfastly beleeve God wil accomplish at one time or other Therfore when you haue begun well be not weary of weldoing And remember for your exampleing and incouragement the good hand of God that was upon Nehemias when hee sought the wealth prosperitie and reedifying of Ierusalem and what furtherāce he found at the hands even of a heathen King Nehem. 1. chapt which should put you into a strong hope of good successe and gratious grants from our Christian King But where you s●em to desire that the livings of idle and Antichristian Prelates might be converted to the maintenance of painful Christian preachers you aim not aright at the glorie of God which cannot be advanced by seeking to have his Ministery mainteyned by those livings that were formermerly consecrated to idolatrie and yet used to the high dishonour of God in maintenance of part of that great swarme of popish officers whereof some are cast out of the land and many doe yet remaine Wheras if men will be the true Ministers of Christ they should cōtent themselves ●o live by the means that he hath appointed that is by the voluntari● contribution of the Lords free people Sainctes by calling And as for all such idolatrous livings they ought in every Countrey by the Magistrates of the same to be converted to civil uses wherein how much the more that charitie is respected so much the more shall God therein be honoured All such livings are of the stollen goods which Antichrist hath purloigned from the common wealth civil estates of people to inriche his Clergie vvithall and for supporting of his other abominations So as such goods and livings cannot rightly be imployed till they be converted ●o civil uses againe Which vvill be as the taking of the purse from the thieves hand to give unto the true man But whiles you think to beg these idolatrous livings from the Prelates to the Preachers your suite is not worth the suing for neyther will God be pleased therewith The preachers that will depend upon God follow his word are to haue their wants supplied otherwise as is abovesayd But thus though you seeme to forsake the errour that you were in about the Bishops office yet you are in an other errour about their livings which you think ought to be for other Ministers And herein I will put my selfe to new paines to informe you better Desiderius Wee haue lately heard a Bell sound that it is a just judgement of God upon K. Henry the 8. that there is not one of his posteritie left to sit upon his throne for bereaving the Church of the Gleabes Abby lands c. and imploying them to other uses And how then shall the taking away of the Bishops livings from the Clergy to the laitie from the service of God in the Church to the service of the common wealth be esteemed lesse then a sinfull and sacrilegious act Miles Such Bells as you speak of that sound so badly deserve well to loose their clappers or to be hung out of all mens hearing For the work of that worthy King in suppressing those Abbyes Frieries Nunneries and the Vermine living in them was all within the limits of his office and duetie as was also the converting of those livings to his own or other civil uses In which the more he respected the glory of God and charitie the more worthy was his work and deserved the higher praise even as those Kings and Princes shall doe whom God vvill imploy as his instruments for rooting out the remnant of that race the Arch and Lord Bishops with a number of false functions and anti christian offices under them and converting o● their livings likewise to civil uses For these livings and ecclesiasticall offices and Ministeries