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
A56328	The Trojan horse of the Presbyteriall government vnbowelled wherein is contained, I. The power of the Presbyterian government, II. The persons in whom this power is placed, III. The exercise of the Presbyterian power in Scotland, and the lawes there imposed on the peoples necks.	Parker, Henry, 1604-1652.	1646 (1646)	Wing P427; ESTC R5914	15,875	25

be considered what kind of persons stand fairest to be chosen for Lay-Elders If wee make our judgement herein upon observation of those dispositions which qualifie men for the peoples favour we shall finde them to be for the most part either activenesse or greatnesse In some Parishes he can do most who though he hath neither wealth wit nor honestly is yet most active and busie and if this be the choice those will be trusted with the Spirituall power that are aptest to bring all to ruine and confusion But if greatnesse beare the sway as in most places it is like to do then shall men of great estates and dealing in the world great Landlords Noble-men and Gentlemen be Lay-Elders who will use their power to enthrall their Tenants Dependents and Inferiours to them and bring the Yeomanry and Husbandmen of England to such a slaverie and vassallage under them as that sort of men groane under in Scotland Fourthly though Appeals may seem to afford some remedy yet is that of little use being a matter of so much trouble and charge to go from the Parish-Session to the Classis and from thence to the Provinciall Assembly and from thence to the Generall Assembly before a man can come at the Parliament so that very few men can make use of it Wherefore since Appeals leave the most men without remedy it is a madnesse to make those men Judges in the first instance that are so like to judge amisse Fifthly the constitution of Generall Assemblies for the number of Ministers and Lay-Elders to be sent from the severall Presbyteries being at the will of the same Assembly is very uncertaine and may surprise those that little dream of it and take away all power from either the Ministers or the Layty before they be aware For if in some one Generall Assembly practises shall prevaile to over-prise one part with a greater number of the other that part that then gets all the power into their hands will keep the other under irrecoverably and of this mischife Scotland will affoord an instance Lastly in this forme of Government such a multitude of men have a share that if they shall be found to abuse their power to the prejudice of the State it will hardly ever be possible to get it out of their hands again For example if Church-Government be put into the hands of the Ministers and Lay-Elders of almost 10000. Parishes and thereby some inconveniences not yet fore-seen shal arise which shall induce the State to change it for another Forme how shall they be able to wrest the power out of the hands of a Faction so numerous who having found the sweet of Rule will bee loath to part with it Of the exercise of the Presbyterian Power in Scotland and the Lawes there imposed on the peoples necks IT now remaineth that by considering their particular Lawes we shew how grievous the exercise of this Power wil be to all sorts of men that live under it 1. It hath been shewed already that the Presbyterian Government requireth that all Ministers be appointed by a popular election and utterly dis-alloweth Patronages of livings that have cure of soules which will be prejudiciall to the Nobility and Gentry despoiling them of their inheritance And if any shall object that either in this or any other matter their practice differs from their rule let him mark what caution is given in the Preface to the Bookes of Discipline To distinguish betwixt the Kirks purpose and intention in every particular and their possibility to performe and practise as circumstances concurred or were contrary and he shall find that the practise prevailes onely because they want power to alter it and that they will never rest satisfied till they obtain their purpose 2. They are no better friends to the Ministers then to the Nobles and Gentry for their Lawes provide that they shall be kept poore enough to make both them and their Doctrine servile to the peoples humours Their Benefices must be changed into stipends That which is called the Benefice ought to be nothing else but the stipend of the Ministers that are lawfully called 2. Book of Discip. Chap. 3. These stipends must be raised out of the rents of the Tithes which are paid to the Deacons by the owners and out of them must the poore and the Schooles be provided for as well as the Ministers We think it a most reasonable thing that every man have the use of his owne Tiends provided that he answer to the Deacons and Treasurers of the Kirk of that which in justice shall be appointed unto him We require the Deacons and Treasurers rather to receive the Rents then the Ministers themselves because that of the Tiends must not onely the Minister be sustained but also the poore and Schools 1 Booke of Discip. 6. Head Of the Rents c. Yea the second Book of Discipline Chap. 12. goeth further and will have the Kirk Rents divided in foure portions whereof the Minister must be content with one the other three to be for the Elders Deacons and other Kirk-Officers Doctors Schooles the Poore reparation of the Kirks and other extraordinary charges for the Kirk and Common-wealth The words I omit for brevity When all these collops are cut out the Ministers part is partly taxed and partly left to the curtesie of the Kirk It is thought good that every Minister shall have at least forty bolls meale twenty six bolls malt to find his house bread and drink more so much as the discretion of the Church finds necessary besides mony for buying of other provision to his house and other necessaries the modification whereof is referred to the judgement of the Kirk to be made every yeare at the chusing of the Elders and Deacons of the Kirk 1. Book of Discip. 5. Head Of the provision for the Ministers c. Their Glebes if they exceed six Acres they are content shall be deteined If any Glebe exceed six Acres of ground the rest to remaine in the hands of the possessors till order be taken therein 1. Booke of Discip. the 6. Head 3 In general this Government insults upon the inslaved people with all sorts of heavy burdens and vexations When they have brought the Ministery into so poore a condition that few but the lowest of the people will willingly enter into it then to supply that defect they have Lawes to compell men to take that function upon them and Parents to dedicate their children to it by the censures of the Kirk and the Civill Power Your Honours with consent of the Church are bound by your Authority to compell such men as have gifts and graces able to edifie the Church of God that they bestow them where greatest necessity shall be knowne 1. Booke of Discipline 4. Head Of admission The rich and potent may not be permitted to suffer their children to spend their youth in vaine idlenesse as heretofore they have done but they must be exhorted and

or Ecclesiasticall within the Realme 2. Booke of Discipline Chap. 12. The Princes and Magistrates not being exemed and these that are placed in the Ecclesiasticall Estate rightly ruling and governing God shall be glorified c. 2. Booke of Discipline Chap. 13. If any man shall wonder how these insolent claimes can stand with their former expressions in favour of the Civill Magistrate let him know that there be two Texts in their Booke of Discipline that will open this mystery and reconcile the contradiction The first The Magistrate neither ought to preach minister the Sacraments nor execute the Censures of the Kirke nor yet prescribe any rule how it should be done but command the Ministers to observe the rule commanded in the Word and punish the Transgressors by Civill meanes The Ministers exerce not the Civill Jurisdiction but teach the Magistrate how it should be exercised according to the Word Chap. 1. By this it appeares that all the power they allow the Civill Magistrate in Church-affaires is onely to be the Executioner of their Decrees The second Although Kings and Princes that be godly sometimes by their own Authority when the Kirk is corrupted and all things out of order place Ministers and restore the true servants of the Lord after the example of some godly Kings of Juda and divers godly Emperours and Kings also in the light of the New Testament yet where the Ministery of the Kirk is once lawfully constitute and they that are placed doe their office faithfully all godly Princes and Magistrates ought to heare and obey their voice and reverence the Majesty of the Son of God speaking in them 2. Booke of Dis. Chap. 10. This Text I confesse is fast and loose For who shall be Judge whether the Church be corrupted and all things out of order or whether the Ministery be lawfully constitute and the Office faithfully discharged Shall the King Their Practise shewes that they will not allow that Shall the Ministery be Judge Then the power given to Princes in a corrupted Church is just nothing For sure the Ministers will not condemne themselves If any thing of certainty can be made out of this Oracle it is this That the Presbyterian Government must be supposed to be the onely orderly Government and all the proceedings of it just and Kings and Princes may claim a power to cast out any other Government and set up that but when that is once up they must then bee content with what the Assembly will allow them 5 To their Doctrine that it is unlawfull to resist the Civill Magistrate they give these bounds while he doth his duty and governeth as he ought To disobey or resist any that God hath placed in Authority whilest they passe not over the bounds of their office we confesse or affirme to be sin Large Confes. Art 15. We confesse and avow that such as resist the supreame Power doing that thing which appertaineth to his charge doe resist Gods Ordinance and therefore cannot be guiltlesse Large Confes. Art 25. From these premisses I thinke the inference is good that if the supreame power passe the bounds of his Office if he doe not that thing which appertaineth to his charge if he doe the contrary if he mis-governe then they hold resistance to be no sinne nor the Subjects that resist him to be guilty of resisting Gods Ordinance It may be that the generall disaffection to Regall Power in these distractions may render some men lesse apprehensive of the dangerous consequences of this Doctrine and the former Claimes as supposing them to have no other drift then to clip the wings of Royall Prerogative But this is a grosse and dangerous mistake and whosoever shal be envested with that Civill Power which shal be taken from the King be it the Parliament or whosoever else must looke to succeed him in the heavy enmity which this Presbyterian Power will exercise against the Civill Power when it doth not comply with them in what hands soever it be placed For these incroachments of theirs are not upon the King as distinguished from other Magistrates but upon the Civill Magistrate in common whosoever he be as appeares plainly by the former Testimonies So that if they have a minde to call a generall Assembly though the King and Parliament finde it needlesse or in regard of circumstances of time place or distempered affections in the Ministers or People inexpedient or dangerous they will over-rule though to the highest disservice of the State and must be obeyed If they agree upon any Ecclesiasticall Constitutions and Canons though the King and Parliament judge them never so contrary to the Lawes tending to the hurt of the Kingdome yet must they yeeld to this Presbyterian Power If the King and Parliament make any Lawes concerning the affaires of the Church which are not to their liking they may repeals them The King and Parliament must be Subject not onely to their generall Assembly but in subordination to that to the Dictates of every petty Parochiall Session where their personall residence and abode shall be Lastly If the King and Parliament will governe contrary to their will and pleasure their principles will allow them to incite the people to resist them After so rank a crop of weeds pernicious to Civill power I know not what regard will be had to the gleanings which yet would not be lost 6 Therefore if the Civill Migistrate punish not with death such as in their judgement deserve it they order that the Church may excommunicate the offender not onely for his crime but as suspect to have corrupted the Temporall Judge If no remedy by them can be found that is by the Magistrates then justly may the Church pronounce the offender excommunicate as one suspect besides his crime to have corrupted the Judges revengers of blood Order of excommunication in the Psalm Booke So that if the Civill Judges thinke not fit to proceed against every one whom they hold a capitall offender not only the reputed offender shall be excomunicate but in the publication of the Sentence the Judges shall be openly defamed as corrupt and that upon a suspition thus weakly grounded 7 They determine that the Temporall Magistrate is bound to punish Adultery with death by Gods own Law It is cleerly knowne to us that N. somtimes baptized in the name of the Father of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost and so reputed and counted for a Christian hath fearefully fallen from the society of Christs body by committing of cruell and wilfull murther or by committing filthy Adultery c. which crime by the Law of God deserveth death Order of Excom. in the Psalm Book Blasphemy adultery murder perjury and other crimes capital worthy of death ought not properly to fall under censure of the Kirk because all such open transgressors of Gods Law ought to be taken away by the Civil Sword 1. Book of Discip. Head 7. Marriage once lawfully contracted may not be dissolved at mans