Selected quad for the lemma: act_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
act_n	apostle_n	church_n	elder_n	5,779	5	10.2377	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A56221	Twelve considerable serious questions touching chvrch government sadly propounded (out of a reall desire of vnitie and tranquillity in church and state) to all sober-minded Christians, cordially affecting a speedy setled reformation, and brotherly Christian vnion in all our churches and denominations, now miserably wasted with civill unnatuall warres, and deplorably lacerated with ecclesiasticall dissentions / by William Prynne ...	Prynne, William, 1600-1669.	1644 (1644)	Wing P4117; ESTC R32182	10,363	9

freely elect prescribe unto themselves during pleasure and alter as they see occasion upon more light of truth revealed 6. Whether in all Nations Ages from the first preaching of the Gospell till this present as Christians and beleevers multiplied particular Churches did not likewise multiply which had a dependency on and communion one with another and were all subordinate to Nationall or Provinciall Synods and publike Ecclesiasticall constitutions And whether any one example of such a particular Independent Congregationall Church or Governement as some now strennuously contend for or any one eminent Writer who maintained the same can be produced in any Christian Nation Kingdome or Republike totally converted to Christianity since Christs time till within our memories If yea then let the Independents nominate the place age Author if they can If not then doubtlesse that can be no Church Government of Christs or his Apostles Institution which had never yet any being nor approbation in the world till this present age for ought that can be proved 7. Whether the selfe-same Law of Nature God and rule of rectified reason which instructed warranted all persons Nations as they multiplyed from private families to unite themselves into severall Villages * Cities Kingdoms Republikes and to subject themselves to some one or other publike forme of Civill Government and such generall Laws obliging all persons societies of men alike which they conceived most usefull necessary for their common safety and prosperity did not heretofore and now likewise teach perswade instruct all men to use the selfe-same form of proceeding in matters of Church Government as the number of Christians Churches multiplyed or shall yet encrease among them Since all Nations whatsoever upon their conversion to Christianitie have proceeded in this Method as all Ecclesiasticall Histories and the Acts of Councels testifie For example first one person or more in a Nation was converted to the Faith of Christ who converted his Family and so perchance for a time had a private * Church in his owne house This Family after converted other persons families by degrees who united themselves into a Congregationall or Parish Church after which the Christians multiplying and their Princes Magistrates Nations embracing the Christian Religion they divided themselves into many Parochiall Churches Diocesse Provinces none of which Parochiall Churches when multiplyed and the whole Nation converted either were or claimed to be independent but were ever subordinate to (h) Nationall or Provinciall Synods Classes to the (i) Common Councell of Presbyters and governed by generall Laws or constitutions to which they still submitted just like our new Chappells and Churches lately built about London and other places which are not Independent but subordinate to the Ecclesiasticall Lawes and publike setled Government of our Nationall Church A course observed in all Religions Nations in the world since Adams time till now for ought appeares to me And why this order dictated by God nature and constantly pursued in all Nations converted to Christian Religion should not be perpetually observed but Independent Congregations gathered not of Infidels but of men already converted to and setled in the Christian faith of which forme of congregating Churches no one example unlesse derived from the private Conventicles of Arrians Donatists and other Heretickes who yet were not Independent amongst themselves nor any direct Scripture Reason or Authority can be produced to satisfie Conscience for ought ever I could yet discerne nor yet for particular Church Covenants to which all Members must subscribe before admission into Independent Churches I can yet see no ground 8. Whether the concession of one Catholike Church throughout the world denied by none the (k) Nationall Assembly and Church of the Israelites under the Law who had yet their distinct Synagogues and Parochiall Assemblies Instituted approved by God himselfe the Synodall Assemblie of the Apostles Elders and Brethren at Ierusalem Acts 15. who (l) made and sent binding De●rees to the Churches of the Gentiles in Antioch Syria Cylicia and other Churches compared with the severall generall (m) Injunctions of Paul in his Epistles to Timothy Titus the Corinthians and other Churches hee wrote to touching Church discipline Order Government seconded with all Oecumenicall Nationall Provinciall Councells Synods and the Church Government exercised throughout the world in all Christian Realmes States from their first generall reception of the Gospell till this present compared with Acts 7.38 c. 2.47 c. 5.11 c. 8.1.3 c. 12.5 c. 15.22 c. 20.28 Math. 16.18 Ephes. 3.10.21 c. 5.25.27.29.32 Col. 1 18.24 1 Tim. 3.5.15 Be not an infallible proofe and Justification of Nationall Churches of a common Presbyterian Classicall government to which particular Congregations Persons ought to be subordinate an apparent subversion of the Novell Independent Invention Whether all answers ●iven to these examples Texts by Independents be not when duly scanned meere palpable shifts or evasions which can neither satisfie the Consciences or Judgements of any intelligent Christians And whether their argument from these phrases n the Churches the Churches of Christ of Asia Macedonia all Churches c. in the plurall number meant only of the Churches then planted in severall Cities Provinces Regions Nations under distinct civill Governments comprised in Scripture under this aggregate Title the Church oft times and then equivalent to Nationall Churches derived out of them as the Gospell and beleevers of it multiplied be any more or better proofe of particular Independent Churches in one the selfe same City Nation Kingdome Republique Then Historians Councells and Canons mentioning of the Churches of England Scotland Ireland Wales France Spaine or the Churches within the Province of Canterburie Yorke or Diocesse of London c. argue all or any of their Parish Churches to be Independent not one Parochiall Church in all these Realmes being yet independent but alwayes subordinate to the whole Nationall or Provinciall Churches Councels Parliaments Synods of these Kingdomes as all Authors and experience witnes 9. Whether the Independents challenge of the Presbyterians to shew them any Nationall Church Profes●ing Christ in our Saviours or the Apostles dayes before any one Nation totally converted to the Christian faith or any generall open profession made of it by the Princes Majestrates and Major part of any Nation Kingdome Republique who were then all generally Pagans and Persecutors of the Gospell not then universally embraced be not a most irrationall unjust demand And whether this Argument from thence There was no Nationall Church professing Christian Religion in the Apostles dayes before any Nation totally converted to Christianity Ergo there ought to be no such Nationall Church now though the o Prophets long before assured us and (p) Christ with his Apostles certainly knew predicted there should be Nationall convertions Churches after their dayes Be not as absurd an Argument as these ensuing There was no Nation wholy converted to th●●aith nor any Church-meetings of Christians