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
A10833	A defence of the doctrine propounded by the synode at Dort against Iohn Murton and his associates, in a treatise intituled; A description what God, &c. With the refutation of their answer to a writing touching baptism. By Iohn Robinson.	Robinson, John, 1575?-1625.	1624 (1624)	STC 21107A; ESTC S114366	156,832	207

disciples Phillip and the rest had a calling extraordinarie These Adversaries neither haue the former nor challenge the latter And indeed by this defence so oft renewed by them they make it evident to all the world that they neither consider of their own practise seriously nor of mine exceptions Of the difference between teaching and baptising I shall speak in the fourth Rule as I haue also formerly both in this Treatise and else-where at large cleered their exception about ordination which they cunningly dissemble Here I onely demand of them whether one man alone without either presence or preceding election of the Church may ordain a Pastor as is their manner of baptizing And for me doe they not know in their consciences that I was ordained publiquely upon the solemn calling of the Church in which I serue both in respect of the Ordainers and Ordained Whilst then they account me wilfully blinde in putting difference between my Church ordination their Baptism they shew themselvs witlesly blinde in making them alike To my proof from Math. 3 that Christ in comming to Iohn to be baptized of him fulfilled all righteousnesse c. they answer That this is still done when any disciple c Wherein first they make both Iohn and Christ disciples of Christ Secondly if Christ had herein considered Iohn as an ordinarie disciple onely what needed he to haue come from one countrey to another even from Galilee to Iordan in Iudea to haue been baptized of him Why might he not as well haue used some ordinary disciple neer at hand Christ therefore in being baptized by Iohn fulfilled all righteousnesse in consecrating unto us Baptism as Circumcision to the fathers in his own person who of God is made unto us righteousnesse and that by Iohns ministery who had a most solemn and singular calling thereunto Lastly it is not likely which they take for certain that Iohn in these words I had need to be baptized of thee meant not to wit at all of the baptism with water considering that the quest on between our Lord and him was about that Baptism and none other The words therefore insinuate that some special state and calling is required in the Baptizer aboue these mens common disciple-ship Heer first in answering Ioh. 1. 19. 25 for their own credite they disgrace the Priests and Levits as blind and ignorant Pharisees for demanding of Iohn by what authority he baptized But considering both their places and Iohns practise in bringing a new ordinance of Religion into the Church they did nothing herein not well sorting with their office Secondly their answer that Iohn proovs his authority to baptize by proving his authority to preach from Esaias the Prophet Esa. 40. 3 shews how short their wits are in gageing the depth of the Scriptures He doth not proue his authority to baptize by a common authority or liberty to teach which any of Israel gifted might use but he justifies his whole ministery in all the parts of it by his speciall calling as the harbinger and fore-runner of Christ plainly foretold by Esay and Malachy Doe they think that the Prophets words The voyce of one crying in the wildernes appertained to every Israelite that could teach as they ascribe power to baptize to each of their teaching disciples Or might Iohn without a special calling haue instituted and brought into the Church as he did a new ordinance Yea I would know which of Iohns disciples ever offered to baptize Of whom yet it cannot be doubted but divers were able to teach As Cowards most vilifie in words where in deed they dare doe least so doe these men account this proof most vain against which they haue nothing to bring saving an equivocation in the word Ordinances and a cunning course in leaving out that which I alledg from Rom. 12. 3 which would discover the fallacie The different nature of baptism and teaching meerly by a personall gift is evident A man becomes a Prophet and able to teach by the gifts of the Spirit knowledge and utterance But I would know by what gift of the Spirit any becoms a Baptizer or able to baptize 2 Besides the Scriptures 1 Pet. 1. 12 the light of nature and generall law of loue shews that he who knows any thing profitable for another should in his place upon occasion declare it to him so as teaching by him that hath abilitie hath its plain foundation in nature But so is not Baptism by the light of nature but meerly ordained and instituted of God by supernaturall revelation in which respect I call it an ordinance And this consideration alone if there were nothing else wil with reasonable men oversway all their presumptions Actions of religion are some of them performed immediately from a personall gift and grace of the spirit in the heart as preaching or prophesying and prayer out of a speciall state or office others by no speciall gift of the spirit at all but by authoritie conferred upon some speciall person as the ministration of Sacraments censures ordination the like lastly some others by both as pastoral preaching prayer c the gift ministring abilitie and the office charge to use the gift for feeding of the flock committed to the officer In answering my fift Proof the alledg things partly imper●●n●nt and partly unreasonable Of the former sort is their discourse about the Eun●●chs being a member of Christ and his remaining in any particular Church Whereas they should haue answered directly whether by his faith and baptism hee had been made a member of any particular Church or not But they seeing what would follow upon a direct answer haue rather chosen an indirect evasion Of like hue is that which they add of Israels renewed covenant conceiving Israel as a true Church which we meddle not with in this businesse Absurd it is in it selfe and a slandering of our practise which they affirm of one casting out another where there are but two of a Church Which of us ever so held or practized One man or woman either may upon just ground separate from a whole Church may he or she therfore excommunicate a whole Church Or hath I. M. excommunicated the whole Church of England Separation where lawfull onely shews the liberty which every Christian hath to keep himselfe pure from the sins of others Excommunication imports a judiciarie power and state of authority to execute a solemn censure and punishment which appertains onely to the Church gathered together in Christs name which one cannot be Two may joyn together and so receiving one another mutually may become a Church or may upon just occasion part a sunder and so dissolv but cannot receiv in to speak properly or cast out one another by solemn ordinance this imports authority the former liberty onely But thus it becomes the new builders of Babylon to use brick for stone and lime for well tempered morter Their answer to my