Selected quad for the lemma: authority_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
authority_n	law_n	nature_n	power_n	4,564	5	5.3735	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85404	Neophytopresbyteros, or, The yongling elder, or, novice-presbyter. Compiled more especially for the Christian instruction and reducement of William Jenkin, a young presbyter, lately gone astray like a lost sheep from the wayes of modesty, conscience and truth. And may indifferently serve for the better regulation of the ill governed Society of Sion Colledge. Occasioned by a late importune pamphlet, published in the name of the said William Jenkin, intituled Allotrioepiskopos; the said pamphlet containing very little in it, but what is chiefly reducible to one, or both, of those two unhappy predicaments of youth, ignorance, & arrogance. Clearly demonstrated by I.G. a servant of God and men in the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ. Wherein also the two great questions, the one, concerning the foundation of Christian religion: the other, concerning the power of the naturall man to good supernaturall, are succinctly, yet satisfactorily discussed. With a brief answer in the close, to the frivolous exceptions made by C B. against Sion Colledge visited, in a late trifling pamphlet, called, Sion Colledge what it is, &c.	Goodwin, John, 1594?-1665.	1648 (1648)	Wing G1183; Thomason E447_27	141,216	147

the equity and meetness for them to practice of the things contained in this Law which this Law is wont to worke and produce in those who live under it besides many other things of like consideration Now I would gladly know of Mr. Jenkin by his next whether neither the power of God nor the righteousnesse of God nor the invisible things of God nor the eternall power of the God-head of God nor the things contained in the law be not the matter and substance at least some-what as much of the matter and substance of the Scriptures If they be then simple is his demand How can any man believe the matter and substance of the Scriptures to be the word of God when as he must be uncertaine whether the written word or Scriptures wherein the matter is contained be the word of God or no One thing more as to the point in hand I would gladly be informed of by Mr. Jenkin in his next viz. what the ground-worke and foundation of that Faith of his is whereby he believes that every passage sentence phrase word syllable letter point extant and to be found in every Bible or copie of the Scriptures printed or written Original or Translated throughout the world is the word of God or any part of it considering 1. the manifold yea and material disagreements that are generally known to be betweene many of them and 2. that the word of God is but one alwayes uniforme and consistent with it selfe without the least variation or change It is more than to be feared that whilst he pretends the establishment of men in the Faith of the Scriptures hee spreads a snare in their way and steers a direct course to cast them upon the quick-sands of insuperable difficulties and uncertainties Whereas I take my Testimonialists tardy Sect. 54. in making it an infamous and pernicious errour against the Divine Authority of Scriptures to say that a superstruction is not a foundation or that the act of believing being built upon the foundation of Religion cannot be this foundation it selfe with what acumen thinke ye doth this novice-undertaker bring off himselfe and his fellow adventures from the shelfe of this malicious absurdity For your argument saith he page 8. 9. Christ is the foundation and therefore not any act of man as the believing of the Scriptures 't is very false and feeble What man is it a very false and feeble Argument to infer that because Abraham begat Isaac therefore Isaac was Abraham's Son Or thus Isaac was the Son of Abraham therefore he was not the Son of Moses is this a false feeble argument too Or is not this an argument of the same calculation pregnancy and frame The timber of an house is part of the superstruction and is built upon the foundation therefore it is not the foundation it selfe Faith is an act of man built upon the foundation of Religion therefore it is not this foundation it selfe If Mr. Ienkin's fore-head will serve him to call these false and feeble arguments gape against ovens hereafter who will and let those undertake to prove that a mans eyes are not his eares who have a minde to trifle away their time or know not how to doe God or men better service with it Mr. Ienkin by such couragious expressions and sayings as these superstructions are foundations 't is very false and feeble to say otherwise that the Covenant hath done good to the Kingdome a Busie Bishop p. 9. that I by denying the Scriptures feare not to destroy the word of Truth b Page 10. that men that are dead assume to themselves titles in print c Page 11. that I dare not come neere an expression of dislike to errour d Page 11. that Master Edwards is a man of blessed memory e Page 12. that to advise men not to make errour and herefie of what they please cannot prove them to be such is to advise them to believe nothing or to put them to believe nothing f Pag. 13. 14. that because there is nothing in the world so certain as matters of Faith g Ibid. therefore there is nothing more certaine then that I deny the Authority of the Scriptures and that naturall men have no power at all to good supernaturall c. that Doctrina salutaris signifies the Law h Page 42. of nature that Gentes ante revelatum eis Christum verae justiciae fuisse compotes doth not signifie that the Gentiles before Christ was revealed unto them were partakers or obtainers of true righteousnesse but of the duties of righteousnesse commanded in the law i Page 43. Mr. Jenkin I say by the frequency of such valorous and couragious sayings and reasonings as these for I omit twenty more and ten of as high a resolution as these hath inspired me also with courage and resolution to count it strength eough for me to sit still the next time he riseth up against me By a like line of learning Sect. 55. reason and truth with which he measured my former errour so voted in the Testimonie concerning the Scriptures at last could make nothing of it but a Truth in processe of discourse he attempts the measuring of my second errour also for so it pleaseth the Colledge of Dictators to adjudge it concerning the naturall mans free will and power to good supernaturall for thus that Facultas Theologica thought good to head it The difference between his deportment and acquitment of himselfe in the one and in the other consists only or chiefly in this that as Jerusalem justified her two sisters Samaria and Sodome by multiplying her abhominations more than they k Ezek. 16. 51. 52. so hath hee qualified the hard aspect of his un-christian and un-clerk like behaviour in traversing the former point with that super-abundant extravagancy in both wherein he utters himselfe in managing the latter As for his un-christian dealings in affirming contrary to the certificate of his own conscience so many most notorious broad-fac'd falshoods untruths knowledg hath been taken of them and given in part under the first head Concerning his ridiculous empty and absurd reasonments and other puerllities of this nature we shall for the present only give a transient brief account of them intending a more full and through discussion of the controversie in due time the great disposer of all things not gainsaying First one of his first-born arguments to prove it an errour in me to hold that a naturall man hath any power to good supernaturall as to repent believe c. is that herein I lovingly joyne hands with the Arminians the Remonstrants a Busie Bishop p. 28. that the Arminions were my Schoolmasters b Page 30. again that I and my masters the Remonstrants will not part c Page 31. This cabbage he boyles and re-boyles and boyles again over and over I know not how often sets it before his Readers as one

same person Mr. Jenkin I trust before he baul Sect. 49. or brays against me any more as a man erroneous for denying the Scriptures to be the foundation of Religion will vouchsafe to answer these 8. arguments that workman-like not after that smal-sense rate at which he hath written in his busie Bishop Or if he had rather clamour then clerk it or shall do only the one because hee hath no good faculty at the other I shall apply that soft and gentle remedy good both for him and my selfe neglect Before I leave the particular in hand I must needs for the credit of my Antagonist being but a young beginner acquaint the Reader with that Hercule in and signall argument of his page 22. being the quintessence and spiritfull extraction of many pages yea of all hee argueth against me about the Scriptures How can any saith he believe the matter and substance of the Scripture to be the word of God when as he must be uncertaine whether the written Word or Scriptures wherein the matter is contained are the word of God or no But is not this a question of the same profound calculation with this How can a man believe that the Sun is a greater light and the Moone a lesser if he be uncertaine whether every jot and tittle of what is read in our Bible Gen. 1. 16. be the word of God or no because here it is said and God made two great lights the greater c Or with this How can a man believe that there are any such seasons in the yeare as Summer and Winter if he must be uncertaine whether that be the word of God or no Psal 74. 17. Thou hast made summer and winter If there be no meanes possible to believe the matter and substance of the Scriptures if a man be uncertaine whether the written word or Scriptures i. whether every thing sentence phrase word syllable letter point that is found in our printed Bibles for this must be his meaning if he meanes to argue against me be the word of God or no miserable is the faith of Master Jenkin yea miserable is the faith of the whole world For what assurance can any man have that the Transcribers of the Bible heretofore and the Printers of them of later times have in nothing mistaken or miscarried about them Are Scribes and Printers Mr. Jenkins his Prophets and Apostles or doth he not vest in them the infallibility of the immediate pen-men of the holy Ghost If the knowledge and faithfulnesse or unerringnesse of Printers and Transcribers be the foundation of Master Jenkin's Faith I confesse that hee and I build upon two very different foundations Besides Sect. 50. if it be unpossible for mee to believe that the matter and substance of Scriptures is the word of God if I be uncertain whether the written word be the word of God or no how came the Patriarchs and holy men and women who lived in the first two thousand years of the world to believe it since it was not only uncertain unto them whether our Bibles or Scriptures or word now written were the word of God or no but whether such a word should ever be written or no Doubtlesse the same way to bring me to believe what they believed is as open before the glorious God at this day as it was then seeing he hath not hedged it up either against himselfe or me with the thrones of any threatning or decree Againe though I willingly acknowledge and prove it at large in my Treatise concerning the Divine Authority of the Scriptures that the manner of the phrase and style of the Scriptures is a rich character of their Divinity and a very considerable ground to prove that they are the word of God yet is not this character of equal weight or power for such a conviction with the matter and substance of the Scriptures Therefore the nature beauty worth weight and excellency of these I meane of the matter and substance of the Scriptures is sufficient to perswade and bring men to believe that they are the word of God or things which came from God though they had not the gracious and super-added advantage of any thing in the Scriptures whereby to believe that they in respect of their language stile and all particularities of expression were the word of God Insomuch that were the matter and substance of the Scriptures understandingly and faithfully declared and held forth in any other Book or writing besides the Scriptures and which Mr. Jenkin himself would not call the written word of God there were no impossibility at all nor much improbability but that considering men might come to believe them to be the word of God Yet again Sect. 57. Doth not the Scripture it self plainly affirm and teach that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the goodnesse or kindnesse of God leadeth even natural yea and wicked men to repentance a Rom. 2. 4. If so then certaine it is that this kindnesse or goodnesse of God towards them leadeth them to the knowledge and consideration of this Truth that upon their Repentance God will be gracious unto them and forgive them their sins in as much as without the knowledge or beliefe hereof it is unpossible that any man should be led to a true and sound Repentance of which the Apostle here speaketh by any motive means or ingagement whatsoever Now I desire to understand from Mr. Jenkin in his next whether forgivenesse of sinnes and acceptation into favour with God upon true repentance be nothing of the matter or substance of the Scriptures yea or whether it doth not comprehend in it as explicitely and intirely as so much can lightly be comprehended in so little the whole and intire matter and substance of the Scripture If this be so then may men who are uncertaine whether the written word or Scriptures be the word of God or no come to believe the matter and substance of them to be the word of God notwithstanding in as much as the long suffering kindnesse or goodnesse of God are extended and vouchsafed unto many who are altogether uncertain whether the written word be the word of God or no. Lastly Sect. 52. doth not the Scripture also as plainely affirme that the Heavens declare the glory i. the glorious power as the word often signifieth of God b Psalm 19. 1. and his righteousnesse c Psalm 50. 6. and againe that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. that which may be knowne of God his invisible things his eternall power and God-head are clearly seene from the Creation of the world and are to be understood by the things that are made d Rom. 1. 19 20. and yet further that the Gentiles without the written word both have and shew the works of the Law written in their hearts e Rom. 2. 15. by the worke of the Law meaning the effect matter or substance of the law written or else such convictions of

so inordinately desire in discountenancing discouraging those that are contrary-minded to them in investing only them and their party in the Ministerie with a capacity of al the sat Benefices yea with al the Church Livings judged meet to continue in such a relation in England c. Men that call themselves Ministers of Christ make such crooked unworthy steps to themselves as these need not call upon any man to disprove their callings they do it with Authority conviction in abundance themselves Neverthelesse that Mr. Jenkin may not remaine u●-gratified in any so reasonable desire or demand I doe here promise him that when either he or any of his party shall have sufficiently vindicated their callings against all those who have already impleaded them no material engagement lying upon me otherwise I shall be willing upon his second summons to attempt some-what according to my feeble and weake manner for his satisfaction in that behalfe Page 2 Upon an ●●staticall pang of desire it seems to have his learning and clerk-ship seene like Solomon in all their glory Sect. 84. mine prostrate in the dust at their feete he resolves to make the representation upon a theatre built by himselfe on purpose to act the triumphant part of a Critique upon Thus then he builds and thus hee acteth in order to that noble designe First for the LECTIO Your meaning I suppose was and had not your rage against the Ministers made you write non-sence you would have said thus The Ministery cunningly vested themselves with the priviledge of the Church and not as you doe The Ministers vested the priviledge of the Church in themselves A man may be vested in or with a priviledge but it 's very improper to say a Priviledge is vested in or with a man as improper as to say a garment is vested in the man that weares it 't were better to say the man is vested in the garment Your pen is drunke with madnesse it doth stagger stammer These faults of pure weakenesse I should not regard c. Poor young man the old proverb hath catch'd you Corrigis Magnificat et nescis quid significat This it is for the Cobler to adventure beyond his Last Even a foole saith Solomon when he holdeth his peace is counted wise d Prov. 17. 28. but Mr. Ienkin I see had rather make an adventure for the reward of a fooles silence I meane repute of wisdome by talking then to accept of it upon such termes on which only he is capable of it For my selfe I am willing and shall not be ashamed to receive reliefe against my weakenesse or ignorance in any kinde from the meanest hand that can reach it unto me if M. Vicars his blew regiment can adde any thing to my knowledge in my mother tongue I shall most readily hearken unto them and upon benefit received shall acknowledge them my benefactors Yea there are not many yeares gone over my head since I must confesse I learned that which I knew not before of such teachers who are known by no greater name then Grammar Scholars But Mr. Ienkin I perceive went lame to the University and halts upon his English leg to this day For what ailes the Lectio he speaks of Doubtlesse much the same kind of ailement which was in the house complained of by Harpasie in Seneca for being darke when as she her selfe was blind And as her blindenesse was all the darkenesse of the house so is Mr. Ienkin his ignorance all the unpropernesse in the Lectio Questionlesse if he had tendered the Lectio to his Teaching Elder Mr. Vicars and desired his advicement upon it before he had taken the Censorian rod into his hand to smite it Mr. Vicars would have taken pitty on him and disswaded him from proclaiming the shame of his folly so loud as to say that hee finds that which is crooked in that which is straight and that which is rough in what is perfectly smooth For though M. Vicars his learning doth not lye so deep in the old Italian tongue called Latin there being haply an unhappy antipathy betweene his Genius and it yet I make no question but that he is a Master of some competency in his Mother-tongue can understand a piece of plain English Speake then Mr. Vicars speake out know neither Father nor Mother Friend nor foe in the judgement is it very improper to say A PRIVILEDG IS VESTED IN A MAN or is it more proper to say A MAN IS VESTED IN A PRIVILEDGE Say did you ever meete with this latter construction of the word VESTED in any good English Author or have you not met with the former in very many Say is it very improper to say that the river runs in the channell and more proper to say that the channell runs in the river Is it very improper to say that the fruit grows upon the tree or more proper that the Tree growes upon the fruit But concerning the regular proper construction of the word VEST VESTED c. let Mr. William Prynne umpire between Mr. William Ienkin and me Well known it is that he is no friend or flatterer of mine nor enemie to Master Ienkin and withall that for understanding in the propriety of the English tongue he is above and Mr. Ienkin beneath I have not had leasure or opportunity of late to search much into his writings but two places wherein he useth the word have occurred unto me In his first book concerning the Soveraigne power of Parliaments and Kingdomes p. 50. he writes thus Now it is clear on the contrary side that the King hath not the power of the whole Realm VESTED in his Person c. In his Full reply to certaine briefe Observations and Antiqueries towards the close whereof he was pleased to make some briefe Animadversions as hee calls them upon my Theomachia he writes thus page 24. Why may they not the common people likewise delegate a lawfull Ecclesiasticall legislative Authority in Church affaires to their elected Parliamentary and Synodicall members which was never actually in themselves as well as M. Goodwin delegates the power of determining who should be fit persons to receive the Sacrament and to become members of his Independent Congregation to eight select substitutes which was never actually VESTED in himselfe nor transferrible thus to others c. How doth Mr. Jenkin his pulse beate upon this potion will he say that rage against the Ministers made Mr. Pryn to write non sence or that his pen was drunke with madnesse Let him either charge him or discharge me For as the saying is Facinus quos inquinat aequat A crime makes equall where it doth pollute Well might he conclude as he doth towards the beginning of his Preface Never was an Over seer so over-seen I easily beleeve that never since the mountains or hills were brought forth was there such a Novice that took upon him the office of an Over-seer and performed it