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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

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A90523	A defence of church-government, exercised in presbyteriall, classicall, & synodall assemblies; according to the practise of the reformed churches: touching I. The power of a particular eldership, against those that plead for a meere popular government, specially Mr Ainsvvorth in his Animadversion to Mr Clyft. &c. II. The authority of classes and synods, against the patrons of independencie: answering in this poynt Mr Davenport his Apologeticall reply, &c. and Mr Canne his Churches plea, &c, sent forth first by W. Best, and afterwards for this part of it, under the title of Syons prerogative royall. By Iohn Paget, late able and faithfull pastour of the Reformed English Church in Amsterdam. Hereunto is prefixed an advertisement to the Parliament, wherein are inserted some animadversions on the Cheshire Remonstrance against Presbytery: by T.P.	Paget, John, d. 1640.; Paget, Thomas, d. 1660.	1641 (1641)	Wing P166; Thomason E117_1; ESTC R16734	348,418	298

so that the 120 persons met together at this time Act. 1.15 cānot be sayd to have bene a distinct particular Church of persons dwelling in Ierusalem but an occasionall assembly or Synod upon such ground as the story of the Scripture doth manifest II. In respect of the busines it self here performed viz. the election of an Apostle it was such a work as did not appertaine unto any one particular Church but all Churches had interest therein seeing the care of all the Churches was cōmitted unto the Apostles 2. Cor. 11.28 All Churches were alike bound to beware of false Apostles that could transforme themselves into the Apostles of Christ 2. Cor. 11.13 It had bene a presumption in any one Church and a wrong unto all the rest if without their consent one alone should have chosen an Apostle especially considering there were even at this time a multitude of the faithfull in other places whom this work concerned Many had bene lately converted by the ministery of Iohn Baptist Matt. 11.12 and now immediately before the Ascension of Christ we read of more then 500 brethren at once which were witnesses of the Resurrection of Christ 1. Cor. 15.6 These 120 had done injury unto them save that these generall persons the Apostles called of God for the service of all Churches did for them by divine appointment appeare in this Synod III. In respect of the manner of this election which was made with a threefold limitation 1. Unto one of those men which had companyed with the Apostles all the time that the Lord Iesus went in and out among them beginning from the baptisme of Iohn even untill that same day that he was taken up from them Act. 1.21 22. Now these Disciples that thus waited on Christ such as Barsabas and Matthias were being no inhabitants of Ierusalem what power had a particular Church to determine and dispose of them that were no members of their particular society 2. There was a restraint from absolute electing of any one of these they were onely allowed to present two and to offer them unto the choyse of the Lord. vers 23.24 3. The way and meanes of inquiring the will of God herein was determined and restrained unto a Lot whereby the judgment and definitive sentence of God was declared unto the Synod that rested therein And by these extraordinary directions it pleased God to honour this first Synod of the new Testament It is here also to be observed that although some Writers have spoken of this election as made by a particular Church yet we have sundry learned men consenting with us in the exposition of this story who labouring to shew the profit and necessity of Synods (a) Whitak de Concil qu. 1. c. 3. doe argue from this place Act. 1. and affirme that in the New Testament the Apostles and whole Church did celebrate a Synod for the choosing of Matthias into the place of Iudas The Professours of Leyden to the same purpose (b) Synops pur Theol. Disp 49. alledge this example Act. 1. and call it the first Synod at Ierusalem II. The example of that renowned Synod which is recorded Act. 15. is a sufficiēt warrant wherein the use and authority of Classes and Synods is commended unto us and this not onely for counsell and admonition but also for the judgement of causes and for the exercise of Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction As that which went before the Synod namely the great dissention about a dangerous errour with seeking of redresse by a solemne deputation of messengers from the Church of Antioch Act. 15.1 2. did call for help in the most effectuall manner so the things done in the Synod are an evidence of the authority which they used therein both by a definitive sentence which they pronounced concerning that controversy which was brought unto them vers 28 29. and by an authentick ambassage of chosen men sent from that Assembly of Apostles Elders and brethren both to carry the Epistle that was written and by word of mouth to declare the same things vers 22 23 25 27. That also which is noted to have bene done after the Synod in the publication of the acts thereof doth also beare witnesse touching the authority of those acts in that they are called the decrees ordained of the Apostles and Elders c. Act. 16.4 The fruit also which by the blessing of God followed hereupon in being a meanes of great consolation and establishment of the Churches in the faith Act. 15.31 16.5 is to be considered as an argument whereby the H. Ghost doth further commend unto us the authority of such Synods in the right government of the Church Upon this example doe generally all judicious Writers build the authority of Synods as upon a sure foundation groundwork Calvine saith that (c) Cōment in Act. 15.6 here is prescribed of God the forme and order of gathering Synods c. Beza upon this place (d) Annot. maj in Act. 15.12 V. 23. having shewed that here was a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or foregoing consultation of the Apostles and Elders which was related unto the whole Church and ratifyed in the common assembly thereof he affirmeth that this was the right forme of a lawfull and true Apostolick Synod c. And both these are to be understood of such Synods as exercised authority of Ecclesiasticall censure according to the practise of those Churches wherein they lived of which more hereafter Bullinger observeth here as is noted by (e) Expos Eccles in Act. 15.6 Marlorate that this custome was in old time diligently kept of the holy Bishops in imitation of the Apostles and complaineth of the neglect thereof D. Rainolds when as the Papist objected unto him that there must be a chief Iudge to end controversies to keep the trueth of faith peace of the Church that it be not pestered with heresies and schismes he answers thereunto (f) Conf. with Hart. c. 6. div 2. p. 206. that The wisedome of God hath committed that chieftie of judgement so to call it not to the soveraigne power of one but to the common care of many For when there was a controversy in the Church of Antioch about the observation of the law of Moses some Iewes teaching contrarie to that which Paul and Barnabas taught they ordained that Paul and Barnabas and certain other of them should goe up to Ierusalem to the Apostles and Elders about that question Act. 15.2 And so by their common agreement decree the controversy was ended the trueth of faith kept and peace maintained in the Church After which example the (g) Euseb hist Eccl. l. 5. c. 14. 21. 22. lib. 7. c. 26. 28. Cypr. epist 6. 14 31. 53. 72. 75. Concil Ancyr Gangr Antioch Laodic c. Bishops that succeeded them made the like assemblies on the like occasions and by common conference took order for such matters both of doctrine and discipline

being such parties also as had bene already censured about that controversy And see the dawbing between Mr Canne and W.B. The conclusion spoken of was not the conclusion of the Congregation and Mr Canne himself allowes not a Consistory to make any such conclusions without the Congregation and by his profession it doth not belong unto a Consistory and yet he helps W.B. to exclaime for that wherein he himself is of another minde Touching the words of the Prophet abused and misapplyed by them to frame their complaint Woe unto us we are spoyled Ier. 4.13 I answer 1. The liberty of appeales unto Classes and Synods is that which preserveth a Church and the members thereof from being spoyled by any faction And by their help we enjoy our liberty and peace and are established and furnished with such Ministers as agree with us in the trueth and are endued with such gifts as are meet for our edification 2. On the contrary for want of combination with Classes Mr Can. may justly take up the complaint Woe unto us we are spoyled Since his comming unto them beside former dissipations their Church is rent in the midst by incurable contentions their people scattered he himself deposed and rejected by the Elders people they mutually one half abandoning another avoyding one anothers companies as excommunicates Loe here a Spoyle ARGVM X. It is a sinne against God to adde any thing to that forme and manner of ordering Churches which Christ our heavenly Prophet hath set forth unto us in the New Testament To subject particular Congregations under any other Ecclesiasticall authoritie out of themselves is to adde unto that forme and manner of ordering Churches which c. Therefore it is a sinne to doe it The Proposition cannot be excepted against for the Scriptures herein are evident Deut. 4.2 c. Many learned men c. The Assumption cannot for shame be denyed onely because the weight of the controversy leaneth upon it I will speak further of it in the next Section ANSVV. For the Proposition I. If it be well understood I doe willingly grant it And Mr Canne doth againe trifle in alledging so many Scriptures Ancient fathers and other later Writers for the proof thereof II. Both the Scriptures and other Writers alledged by him doe as well condemne such as take from the word of God as those that adde unto it And therefore they serve to reprove Mr Can. that detracts from it by denying the authority of Synods taught in the forementioned Scriptures both of the Old and New Testament The Kings coyne is adulterate as well by clipping and diminishing the same as otherwise This crime are they guilty of that clip the authority of Synods III. The Fathers here mentioned doe give expresse testimony for Synods by speciall particular allowance of them and therefore they are doubly abused being thus alledged against their meaning For the Assumption he incurreth a threefold shame I. It is a bold and shameles assertion for him to say it cannot for shame be denyed when as it is evidently false and generally denyed by the most godly and learned in all ages II. Another shame it is that though he here confesse the weight of the controversy leaneth upō it yet here he brings nothing at all for the confirmation thereof This is his manner where no need of proof is there he idlie abounds with Scriptures Fathers and other Writers where the poynt of difference is on which the weight of the controversy leaneth there he leaves his Assumptions naked and without proof III. It is a further shame to put us off to the next Section and to tell us he will there speak further of it where he onely alledgeth the testimonies of men Is this answerable to the profession of the Brownists that boast so much To the Law and to the Testimony HAving thus examined his Arguments which he hath honoured with the ornaments of his Art by propounding them in Syllogisticall formes we will now proceed to consider another sort of his Reasons to which he doth not vouchsafe so much respect but propounds them more carelesly and nakedly without such complete Logicall attire Of these he sayth There are yet other reasons to proove our Assertion the which I will here lay downe more briefly REAS. I. (i) Church plea p. 75. If every Eldership have a like equall power as Hierome Cyprian Bucer and others affirme then may not the Officers of one Congregation seeke by authority to suppresse the acts and decrees concluded in another ANSVV. I. The consequence of this reason is denyed by us Though every Eldership be of equall power yet the Ministers and Elders of one Congregation being joyned together in a Classis or Synod with the Deputies of many Churches these may lawfully seek by their joynt authority to suppresse any unlawfull acts or decrees of another Congregation The reason is because as D. Whitaker (k) De Cōc qu. 1. c. 3. reasoneth from Matt. 18.20 and Mr Parker (l) Pol. Ecc. l. 3. c. 13. § 4. alledgeth againe from him Vis unita fortior Power combined is the stronger The concurrence of power from many Churches is the ground on Synodall and Classicall authority over particular Churches though otherwise in themselves considered apart they be all equall II. Note here againe the trifling and shifting of Mr Canne To prove the equality of Elderships he alledgeth the testimonies of Hierome Cyprian Bucer and others though I had before granted it and shewed that in the Classis our Eldership had (m) Answ to W. B p. 86. the same liberty and power in giving our voyces equally with others and that our Elders (n) Ibid. p. 90. have exercised as much authority as any member of the Classis by giving their voyces for deciding judging and determining any controversy c. yet needlesly he brings divers Writers for proof of this confessed and practised trueth and for the confirmation of his most false consequence he offers not to bring any proof at all from any word of God or man REAS. II. It is against sence that a Minister should undertake the care of more Churches then one onely who reads in Scripture of a steward over many families a sheep heard over divers flockes c. Nature hath ordained saith (o) Lib. 1. c. 2. Aristotle one unto one ANSVV. I. We read in Scripture of Jaacob that was a shepherd over divers flockes both of his owne and of Labans Gen. 30.36 40. II. We read in Scripture of the Apostles that were stewards and shepherds over divers flockes having the care of all Churches 1. Cor. 4.1 with 2. Cor. 11.28 Ioh. 20.15 16. Mr Canne ought at least to have excepted extraordinary Shepherds III. Though ordinary Pastours or Ministers have the peculiar and proper charge of no more then one flock yet in regard of a common and joynt care of many Churches combined in Classes and Synods we read in Scripture that the

(n) Pag. 156. 157. c. 164. c. before III. If he would have spoken to the purpose he should have shewed that particular Congregations standing under no other Ecclesiasticall authority out of themselves are not thereby exposed to manifold disorders confusion and dissipation Or if he would have retorted this argument upon the Defendant he ought to have prooved that Classicall and Synodall government of its owne nature brings with it manifold disorders confusion and dissipation of Churches But instead of this he mentioneth onely the offences which in many things many times have been observed in about the execution And behold what he saith for proofe hereof I. C. And this I am sure no good Christian will deny I could give divers instances for it but it needs not Onely it is not amisse to set downe Nazianzens (o) Epist 42. ad Proc. words who was an Elder or Bishop I am minded sayth hee to shunne all assemblies of Bishops because I never saw any good event in any Councell c. Whither things are better caryed now then they were in his time I will not nor am able to judge ANSVV. I. If he will not nor cannot judge whether the same abuses be now committed which Nazianzen complained of it followes that he ought not to have the will nor ability to conclude that this government should now be remooved as it seemes he would inferre from such a reason as was used by Nazianzen for his dislike of the Synods of his time II. This testimony of Nazianzen hath been sufficiently answered (p) P. 222. 223. before out of D. Whitaker where it hath been also shewed that it makes as much against those Assemblies of Bishops which Mr C. himself allowes as against any other But to make it appeare that this is no new objection that we need not seek any further answer unto it loe here what others have sayd touching the same testimony Beza among other counsels to the Emperour States of Germany for the settling of the peace of Christian Churches doth specially give advice for the celebrating of a Synod seeing he doth not onely answer the foresayd exception but withall notably declare the lawfull ancient and profitable use of Synodall authority I have here set downe his words at large as worthie our observation for this purpose Churches (q) Cons●l ad Caes Stat. c. Tract Theol vol. 2. p. 111. 112. saith he cannot be rightly governed by their Pastours unlesse beside the sowing of good seed they doe also by the word of God as with a sickle cut downe evill herbes yea root them out according to their power But because that cannot oftentimes be performed by the authority of one or a few neither happily were it meet therefore since Churches began to be settled the Bishops of the Provinces did meet together as often as there was need and that according to the example of the Apostles lest any should think this hath been the device of man The Synod of the Church of Jerusalem and Antiochia celebrated in the Actes of the Apostles is well knowne Afterwards followed that first Oecumenicall Synod of Nice where Ecclesiasticall Provinces being more accurately then happily divided this also was ordained that every yeare two Provinciall Synods should be gathered by the Metropolitanes which custome if it had bene diligently observed certainly it is likely that many and most great calamities of the Church might have bene prevented But here some doe object unto us that for the most part dissensions have been rather kindled then quenched by these Synods insomuch that the famous Bishop Nazianzene by a certaine sentence of his hath as it were condemned all those assemblies But we make no doubt to oppose unto this opinion partly that Apostolicall example and partly also the historie of things done Indeed the Nicene Synod hath not quite allayed the furies of Arius no nor some that followed after But who shall therefore judge that there hath been no fruit of that Synod which even at this very time we doe abundantly reap Yea that Apostolicall Synod hath not altogether restrained Cerinthus and those obstinate maintainers of Circumcision But who would therefore deny that it was necessary for the Church Therefore every one sees that that sentence of Nazianzene doth not concerne Synods rightly ordered unlesse we thinke that he would detract from the Synod of Nice which indeed is very absurd seeing it is well knowne how great a defender he hath been thereof If neverthelesse Arians ceased not to rage through the world how much the more may we thinke that they would have done it if the authority of that holy Synod agreeing whith the word of God so often objected against them had not repressed their renewed endeavours The same we avouch concerning the Macedonians Nestorians Eutychians and their issue whom as many Oecumenicall Synods if not with one wound yet with reiterated blowes have by the word of God stricken downe insomuch that they doe afford us armes against the same springing up againe in this our age Yet when we say these things we doe not hold that the Church is grounded upon the authority of such Assemblies or that all Conventicles by whatsoever name they be called are to be accounted Synods but this one thing we say that God is to be intreated by us in these calamities of the Church that we may duely and holily use these remedies also which are given unto us of God Thus farre Beza The same objection out of Nazianzene is to like purpose answered by Vrsinus when he saith (r) Admon de lib Concord c. 12. Op. tom 2. col 686. The complaint of Nazianzene that he saw no good issue of any Synod we make no generall rule unlesse we would condemne the Orthodoxe Oecumenicall Councels of the ancient Church to have had an evill event which Nazianzene doth not say who speakes of the Synods of his time whereof some were Arian Synods some perhaps confusedly undertaken governed Sibrandus Lubbertus speaks in like manner touching the same testimony of Nazianzene saying (ſ) De Concil l. 1. c. 1. This unhappines of the events must not be asscribed unto the Councels themselves but to the ambition desire of command in those that assemble as the same Nazianzene doth also testify I. C. ANSVV. V. If the infirmities of the people be a good reason to take away their liberty in practising among themselves all Gods ordinances then the contrary vertues which oftentimes have bene found in them as in staying the rage of the Scribes Pharisies (t) Mat. 21.26 Act. 3.26 in preferring sincere Christians before Arrians (v) Zezom l. 7. c. 7. being themselves sound in the faith (x) Theod. l. 2. cap. 7. when their Ministers have bene Heretickes is a good reason to maintaine their liberty still REPL. 1. This answer is beside the question which is not here touching the peoples liberty as they are distinguished