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	people_n	power_n	6,970	5	5.1237	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A30556	The true state of Christianity, truly discribed, and also discovered unto all people what it was in its beginning and purity, and what it now is in its apostacy and degeneration ... / written by ... Edward Burrough.	Burrough, Edward, 1634-1662.	1658 (1658)	Wing B6047; ESTC R12629	29,962	40

be fuel for this fire of his anger he will pluck it up and not plant it again because it is degenerated G●…e car all ye Christians to the Testimony which is concerning you you are fallen you are fallen and being compared to what the Christians were you are no whit equal but a●… diverted in all your practices from that spirit which led the Apostles and Christian Churches and your works shew another spirit then the spirit of Jesus Wherefore great i●… your fall and to be lamented and though you have the name of Christians yet you want the life THE END AN OBJECTION BUt whereas it may be objected by some and said seeing the state of Christianity is thus discovered what it was i●… its beginning and purity and what it now is in its degeneration and seeing the present state of Christians is thus condemned what do I believe concerning the state of Christianity to come what shall succeed this present degeneration And may it be expected that ever Christianity shall be restored to that state of purity as it was in its beginning And whether may people expect to come into the same life again and to know the same power and worship and unity which was amongst the Apostles and first Christians Churches And whether do I judge that ever the Ministry can be again received by the gift of the holy spirit onely without natural learning and languages And whether the same spirit is to be waited for and received And whether the same anointing can be known in this age or any age to come as it was in and among the Apostles and Christians before the Apostacy and degeneration ANSWER To all this I answer and do say that the present state of Christianity is woful and to be condemned of the Lord as being degenerated from his life power and spirit whereby all hearts are darkened and all minds estranged from the Covenant of life and peace and from the sence and feeling of the life of God and now in all the wayes and worships and practices of Christians they are fallen and degenerated from that life in which the Christians once were and the beast hath raigned over all for many ages and because of his power and greatness and dominion who hath been able to make war with him he hath killed the Saints and hath subjected all Nations under his power and every Nation hath received the mark of the beast and born his Image for generations and all flesh hath s●…ggered and hath been made drunk with the ●…up of fornication that hath been i●… the hand of the whore who hath set upon this beast who hath caused both small and great to worship him and all that would not he hath had power to kill them and this Government hath ruled over the whole Christendom and the worship practised hath been but the worship of the beast while people have been erred from the spirit of Christ and not guided by it onely and people hath been compelled to worship by Laws of men they have been compelled to sprinkle their Infants and they have been compelled to go to Steeple houses and compelled to keep a Sabboth and compelled to hire Priests and to pay them wages against their wills and all this compelling by an outward power hath not been the worship of God but savoured altogether of the worship of the beast for you may read Rev. 13. 12 15 16 17. how the beast caused all both small and great to worship him and all that would not worship him by his power he hath had power to kill them and all compelling and causing to worship by an outward power is the worship of the beast for Christ nor his Apostles never caused any to worship God by an outward power for while Christianity kept its purity and authority they begot people to God and to worship him by the word of God and by the power of the spirit and they did not bring any into their Sect nor to worship with them by an outward Law and authority for that is in the Government of the beast it was he that first caused both small and great to conform to his worship and it is his power that upholds it and maintains it unto this day But now the seed of God is arising which is able to make war with the Beast and his kingdome and his worship shall be thrown down to the ground and all this causing and compelling to worship causing to keep a day and causing to hire Teachers to maintain them and this causing to go to Steeple-houses and to maintain them and all this causing to pay tythes it shall all fall to the ground and be beat down by the 〈◊〉 of God which is a rising and it shall be no more found among true Christians nor the Beast shall not be worshipped 〈◊〉 his authority any more of force for the day of the Lord hath now appeared and the light is sprung forth which hath made all things manifest and now the difference is known between the worship of the beast and the worship of the true God And concerning the state of Christianity to come this I ●…new believe a glorious restauration thereof shall appear throughout the whole christendom christianity shall again be restored to its former purity and Christians shall and may receive the same spirit from which the Christians hath been degenerated and the same life the same power and the same worship and Unity shall be revived amongst Christians in the restoration even the same that was in the beginning before the Apostacy and the glory of God shall again appeare among his people and they shall again worship him in spirit and in truth onely as they did before the Apostacy and all this traditionall worship and false imitations which hath been set up since the Apostles dayes shall be overthrown and confounded the Lord is risen and will dash down and overthrow all this idolatry now practised amongst Christians And a great shaking and counfounding shall suddenly come among Christians for the Lord will break down that which hath been builded because it is polluted and he will pluck ●…p that which hath been planted because it is defiled and a mighty work will the Lord work in the Earth the kingdoms of this world will he change into the kingdoms of Christ and Christ shall reigne in and among his people and his spirit shall be the teacher and leader of his people and all false ●…chers will the Lord confound and consume all these hirelings who go for gifts and rewards and all this manner of preaching and teaching which are come up since the Apostles dayes all this preaching which they study for and by a 〈◊〉 and for so much money a year all this shall be tumbled down into the pit Gods vengeance shall come upon it all and the annoynting shall be received and it shall dwell in people as it did in the Apostles and the people shall need no other

by the gift of his holy spirit and when that was come they should be witnesses and Ministers of Christ Acts 1. 48 and as they were waiting with one accord in one place the Holy Ghost fell among them and filled them and then they began to speak as the spirit gave them utterance and they went up and down and testified to the World of what they had heard and seen Acts 2. 4. now this was the call of Christian Ministers and this was the authority by which they went forth into the World to wit the spirit of God poured upon them and by authority of this onely they went up and down the World and declared what they had handled seen and tasted of the Word of of life 1 Iohn 〈◊〉 and as every man had received the gift so they might minister the same one to another 1 Pet. 4. 10. and this was the practise of the Christian Ministers in the beginning of Christianity concerning their call to the Minist●…ry But how is the Christians here d●…generated from what the Apostles were in for by another way then this are your Ministers made not by the gift of the holy Ghost received from God neither do the Christians now wait for such a thing to go forth by authority and power thereof but they are made Ministers by natural learning and education at School having authority by man and are ●…pproved of man and not of God and a man knows who of his children he will make Ministers when they are Infants and thereupon pu●…s him to Schools to learn Arts and knowledge of earthly things 〈◊〉 so long time till he have gained so much knowledge and craft to be approved of such and such men and as is 〈◊〉 knowledge and opportunity serves withal having a grea●… place provided where there is great store of maintenance such a man becomes a Minister and a Preacher to others having never received nor thought to receive the gi●…t of the Holy Ghost neither having heard se●…n tasted nor handled any thing of the Word of life from G●…d in his own particular neither hath he received the gift of Christ to be made a Minister by this sheweth greatly your degen●…ration from the true Christian spirit none then Ministers among Christian●… but them who had received the gift by the Holy Ghost and power from on high but now Ministers are made and approved and sent forth amongst Christians because of natural learning and education without receiving the gift 〈◊〉 the holy Spirit and the Ministers of Christ then spoke 〈◊〉 the spirit gave them utterance but now Ministers studies fo●… what they speak and reads old Authors to gather forth matte●… to preach to the people then the Christian Ministers heard and tasted and handled of the Word of life in themselves but now the Ministers hath their knowledge from book●… and what they have heard and read without them Oh how great is your Apostacy ye Christians and in respect of your Ministry how greatly are you degenerated from the Ministry which the Christians once had be hold consider this all ye Christians upon earth your Ministry is proved not to agree but rather to be contrary to that Ministry which was amongst Christians in the purity of Christianity as hereby is manifest and you are fallen from the Ministry made by the gift of the holy Ghost to a ministry made by natural learning consider all ye Christians how great is this fall Again in respect of the maintenance of your Ministry your degeneration doth appear for the Ministers of Christ amongst Christians as they were called by the spirit so they were maintained in the work of their Ministry by the free gift of the people who received their Ministry and they were to give freely and minister freely as they had received freely 〈◊〉 10. 8. 2 Cor. 11 7. The Apostle preached the Gospel of God 〈◊〉 and would not make it chargeable to any 1 Cor. 9. 18. and the Ministers of Christ among Christians at that day went through the world and preached freely the things that they had received from God and they sought no mans money nor g●…d nor apparel Acts 20. 33. and saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 12 14. I seek not yours but you and that was their end altogether to bring people to God by their Ministry onely Christ did allow Luke 9. 4. Into whatsoever house they entred that was worthy they might there abide eating and drinking such things as were set before them and it was the Apostles practice sometimes to reap carnal things where they had sown spiritual things and it was a small matter that they did so yet by a free gift they desired to reap it and not by force and violence did they ever obtain any thing But concerning this great is the degeneration of Christians in this generation for now the Ministers amongst you Christians are maintained by an outward power through compelling maintenance of Tithes and other set wages from the people even from them that doth not receive their Ministry and they do not preach freely but makes their preaching chargeable to whole nations and the maintaining of Christian Ministers is become a burthen to whole nations and great oppressions upon the poor and now the Ministers seeks mens mony and gold and it doth not appear that they only seek a people to God but on the contrary they seek peoples mony to themselves and it doth not sa●… the Ministers now to eat drink such things that is set before them in a house that is worthy but they must have so much a year and so much a sermon and so much from every particular man of his parish be they worthy or unworthy to the value of 100. or 200 l. by the year whereby poor people are greatly oppressed and they will reap carnal things by force and violence from them to whom they sow no spiritual things for they are suing at Law and putting in prison and distraining peoples goods by force and cruelty to maintain them and their familes in pride and idleness which things the Christian Ministers formerly in the dayes of the Apostles never did but were often under great sufferings in 〈◊〉 often and in cold and nakedness often Labouring with their hands 2. Cor. 11. 27. Wherefore ye Christians behold how you are fallen and how your Ministry is degenerated both in its call in its maintenance being diverted 〈◊〉 contrary to what the Christian Ministry was once behold I say how you are fallen and your Ministry quite subverted from what the Ministry was in the dayes of the Apostles then the maintenance of Ministers was by a free gift from them that received their Ministry and they would not make their Ministry chargeable to any but now the maintenance of Ministers is by force and cruelty and great oppression of many people and their preaching is chargeable to many Nations then they sought no man gold nor mony nor sought ●…ot riches from the people