Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	authority_n	church_n	scripture_n	4,231	5	6.1426	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A06347	An excellent and plaine discourse of the church, whereby the godlie may knowe and discerne the true Church, from the Romish Church, and all other false and counterfet churches, as well for matters of doctrine, as discipline, &c. Written in Frenche by M. Bartrand de Loque, a godlie minister of Dolphenine. And faithfully translated into English, by M.T.W. Seene and allowed; Traité de l'eglise. English	Loque, Bertrand de.; T. W. (Thomas Wilcox), 1549?-1608.	1582 (1582)	STC 16813; ESTC S103377	172,896	422

was taken out of the lawe and prophetes in like manner if any vnder the title and name of the spirite shall bring vnto vs any thing which is not contained in the Gospell let vs not beleue it For as Christ is the accomplishmente and fulfilling of the lawe and Prophetes so is the holie Ghost of the gospell But how can wee by this way or meane discerne and know the spirites that is to say whether the doctrine which they shall propound and set foorth vnto vs bee from the holy Ghoste or no After two sortes or by two meanes you shall knowe this First if it tend to this end to exalt establish and set vp the glorie of God For as Iesus Christe saith Ioh. 7.18 Hee that seeketh the glorie of God is true and no vnrighteousnesse is in him Secondly if it bee conformable and agreeable Rom. 12.6 to the proportion of faith that is to say if it agree and accorde well with the heads foundations of Christian religion wherof we haue spokē more largely heretofore in the fourth Chapter The second thing that I aunswere touching the foresaide reason of the Romishe Catholikes is that the consequence thereof is not necessarie neither well grounded when they saye that the Churche yeeldeth testimonie to the worde of God and doth commend the same vnto vs that therefore the certaintie and authoritie of the worde of God dependeth vpon the authority and iudgement of the Church For as wee haue but a little while agoe alleadged out of Alfonsus de Castro The word of God is certaine not by reason of the Church whiche beareth witnesse thereof but because of it selfe and his owne credite The Apostles yelded testimonie and bare witnesse of Iesus Christe Iohn 15.17 Acts. 1.8 And who is hee that will therefore say that Iesus Christe his authoritie doth depende of the authoritie and iudgement of the Apostles The Goldsmith trieth the golde and putteth a difference betweene that which is good and pure and that which is naughtie mettall But doth hee therefore by his tryall and proofe make that the golde is either good or euill A Parliament receiueth some edict or lawe which commeth from the King that it may bee published and proclaimed Inquirie is diligently made whether it come from the King or no Afterwardes all knowe that it commeth from the King what doth the Parliament then It is true that it alloweth the edict that it acknowledgeth the same that it beareth witnesse to it and commendeth and setteth out the same yea and if neede bee interpreteth it according to the Kings intent and meaning But doth the parliament for all this cause it or make it to bee the kings lawe Doth it giue authoritie to it Hath it any authoritie to chaunge any thing in it or to adde any thing to it or to clippe or take any thing what so euer away from it It is certaine no. Euen so standeth the case with the Church For although it be an excellent testimonie to the worde of God yet it cannot at any hande giue it authoritie as to say that the certaintie of the worde of God hangeth vpon the authoritie and iudgement of the Churche For when the Church acknowledgeth and alloweth the worde of God and doth put a difference betweene it the doctrines and inuētions of men she doth no other thing but heare the voyce of her pastor discerneth knoweth it frō the voice of a strāger Ioh. 10.5 Now there is great difference betwene discerning the Pastors voice from a strangers and adding authoritie and credite thereto bringing to passe and that according to truth that it should be such or such that is either true or false The second reason is The Church is more auncient than the Scriptures For in the time of Adam Abell Seth Noah Abraham Isaac Iaacob there was no scripture For Moses was the first penman or writer of matters concerning religion and yet notwithstāding there was a church Wherfore it followeth that the authoritie of the Church is aboue the authoritie of the holy scripture First and formost I aunswere that the consequence of this argument is none at al. For graunt it that one thing be more ancient and old than another yet it followeth not for all that that it should be of greater authoritie and credite otherwise we must inferre that Moses hath more authoritie than Iesus Christe and the lawe more than the Gospel Secondly as touching the antecedent or former proposition I say that it is sophisticall captious and full of deceit For albeit that in these first times of the worlde there was no scripture which the father 's vsed yet for all that the worde of God ceased not to bee because it was written and ingrauen in the fathers heartes and moreouer founded verie cleerly in the Churche whiche worde was in good time brought and committed to writing first by Moses and afterwards by others and thereupon called the holie scripture wherefore seeing that the holy scripture and Gods worde is nothing but one and the selfe same thing it followeth very well that if our first fathers haue had the word of God they haue had also in substance the holy scriptures Aug. cont epist fundamen cap. 5. The third reason S. Augustine hath said I woulde not beleeue the Gospell if the authoritie of the Catholike Church did not mooue mee thereto Wherefore it is certaine that the Gospell taketh his authoritie from the Church I answere that the consequence is starke naught for that which S. Augustin speaketh to one purpose or in one respect is applied to another end This holy doctor speaketh so as hauing regarde to that hee was then when he tooke the part of the Manichees and as it were disputing against them Now the Manichees would that the Epistles of Manicheus their authour which they called Fundamental containing in it all their false opinions should be of like and equall authoritie with the Apostles epistles Beside they allowed one part of the Gospel disallowed an other that not by the aduise and iudgement of the Church but of their owne proper and particular authoritie S. Augustine hauing taken in hand to confute the saide Epistle in the beginning speaketh thus The Epistle beginneth after this manner Manicheus the Apostle of Iesus Christe by the prouidence and appointment of God the Father I aske who is this Manicheus you wil answere the Apostle of Iesus christs I beleeue it not What wilt thou say thereto Perhaps thou wilt bring foorth the Gospel and thereby thou wilt lift vp and establish the person of Manicheus But what if thou haddest to doe and deale with a man who doth not yet beleeue the Gospel what wouldest thou do whē hee should say vnto thee I beleeue not the Gospell For as touching my selfe I would not beleeue the Gospel if the authoritie of the Catholike Church did not moue me thereto Beholde Saint Augustines wordes by which it is altogether

of an other charge or office These men of whome wee speake were as it were fellowe helpers to the Apostles whom they did follow and were almost continually in companie with And their office came somewhat nigh to the office of an Apostle the difference was onely in the degree of dignitie Of this sort were Silas Timothie and such like In the one and twentie of the Acts Philip is called an Euangelist Act. 21.8 And Saint Paul admonisheth Timothie in one of the Epistles which hee wrote vnto him to continue to doe the worke of an Euangelist 2. Tim. 4 5● These likewise had their time are no more in vse at this present Pastors are they Pastors that haue the charge of some certaine flockes and of some certaine Churches to rule and gouerne the same preaching the Gospell administring the Sacramentes and exercising discipline in those Churches This degree and office must haue his course and continue in the Churche euen vntill the ende of the worlde Doctors Doctors are they which the Churche in olde time called Catechisers that is to say instructors or teachers whose charge and office was plainely and simplye to expound the scriptures that men might haue the right sense and vnderstanding thereof and namely to teach the Catechumen● that is to say those that were yet to be instructed in the points and principles of Christian religion Of this sort are the Doctors teachers of our age which teache youth in schooles expounding vnto them the scripture And their office consisteth heerein carefully to prouide that sound doctrine may be kept and published to the end that pure religion may continue and remaine in the church Some suppose that the office of Pastor and Doctor is all one as Chrysostome and Saint Augustine yet there is no dout but that they are two distinct offices which men may not confound and mingle together For albeit that this be the charge and office of al Pastors to teach yet they go somwhat further than the Doctors do For first formost they preach and exhort applying the doctrine to the necessities of the Church next they administer the Sacraments and in the third place they haue the charge gouernment and execution of the discipline to which matters the Doctors charge reacheth not they being only ordained to expounde the scriptures to the end that pure and sound doctrine may alwayes bee preserued maintained in the church And indeede such a one may be very apt to execute the office of the Doctor as hath not the gift to preach such a one on the other side may verye well haue the gifte to preache as shall not at any hande be meete or fit to exercise the charge office of the Doctor although that sometimes hee that shall bee the Pastor may also well bee the Doctor but yet this is to bee marked that they are diuers and seuerall charges or offices And these be the fiue degrees or orders of ministers to whō the Lorde hath cōmitted the gouernment of his church to feede the same of which fiue the last two onely remaine to bee alwayes vsed in his Churche Saint Paule indeede maketh mention in other places of some other names as of Bishops that is to say watchmen Bishops and Elders or Auncients or ouer-watchers and of Elders that is to saye Senators or Ancients but these two names signifie one and the selfe same thing as the Apostle himselfe declareth Titus 1. 5 writing to Titus For marke what he saith For this cause left I thee in Creete that thou shouldest continue to redresse the things that remaine that thou shouldest ordeine Elders that is to say Auncients in euerie citie as I appointed thee And afterwardes hee addeth an excellent description of true Elders and Auncients For a Bishop saith he must bee vnblameable as the guider or steward of Gods owne house and so foorth We fee that those whome he named Elders or auncients in one verse hee nameth the same Bishops in an other verse Now these two names of Bishop and Elder and the name also of Pastor are taken in the scripture to signifie one and the selfe same estate For the charge and office of the Pastor is to feede the sheepe as appeareth by that which the Lorde saith in the foure and thirtie Chapter of Ezechiell Woe be to the shepheards of Israel Ezech. 34.2 which feede them selues Should not the sheepheards feede the flocks But the Bishops and Elders are called to the same thing Act. 20.28 as both Saint Paule and Saint Peter doe declare Saint Paule speaking thus Take heede to your selues and to the whole flocke ouer which the holie Ghoste hath made you Bishoppes or ouerseers to feede the Churche of God which hee hath redeemed with his owne blood And Saint Peter thus 1. Pet. 5.1.2 The Elders which are amongest you I beseech which am also an Elder with you Feede the flocke of Christe whiche is committed vnto you caryng for it not by constraint c. If one woulde knowe the reason why the Pastours are called Elders or Auncients it is for honours sake not as though when in olde time they chose Pastours they were all auncient in age and yeeres but because that they specially chose them from amongest the Auncients and also because they ought to bee men both ripe wise and also very well experienced Old age commonly hath more wisedome more experience and grauitie But yet it doth not alwayes fall out that white or grey haire maketh men wise yea sometimes wee shall finde young men which are farre more fit to exercise and execute the charge office of a Pastor such a one was Timothie than those that be of greater yeeres It is true that there are two sortes of Elders that is to say Ancients One sort haue charge and office to minister the worde of God and Sacraments and to watche ouer the discipline and ouer the whole Church The other are ioyned vnto these to aide them in the exercising and execution of discipline without medling any whit at all in the preaching c. Saint Paule setteth out this order when he saith to Timothie The elders that rule well 1. Tim. 5.17 are worthie of double honour specially they which labour in the word and doctrine For in that he maketh mentiō of bearing rule hee giueth vs well to vnderstand that those whom hee nameth Elders or Auncients that is to say the Pastors and such as are ioyned vnto them are chosen to haue charge and office in the Church ouer the people And in that he more commendeth those whiche minister the worde and doctrine than the other hee euidently declareth that all haue not one and the selfe same charge Wee may beholde this order euen at this day obserued in the reformed Churches Deacons The Apostle maketh mention likewise of Deacons whiche woorde is taken in holie scripture in two senses or sortes Sometimes generally for euery minister