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	time_n	3,778	5	3.8101	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A79512	Preaching vvithout ordination or, A treatise proving the lawfulnesse of all persons, of what degree, ranke, or trade soever, being inabled with sufficient guifts and qualifications from God by his spirit, to preach and set forth the Gospel, though no minister nor any other officer in the church of God. By Edmond Chillinden.	Chillenden, Edmund, fl. 1656.	1647 (1647)	Wing C3879; Thomason E405_10; ESTC R201879	25,344	34

way of the Lord being fervent in the Spirit spake and taught boldly mightily convincing the Jews Acts 18 2● and that publikely shewing by the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ 3. He knew the Baptisme of John he was so far taught in the way of the Lord to imbrace Christ as that he went beyond the Jewes and so could be no officer in the Church of the Jewes 4. He could not be any officer in the Christian Church because he knew onely the Baptism of John he was not yet come far enough in the knowledge of the Gospel for that These reasons I conceive are sufficient to evidence to all men that are not guided by a partiall Spirit that Apollos here preached not by vertue of any office or ordination but by the vertue and power of the Spirit of Gods operation in him But some may say this man was extraordinarily guifted by God and so by his extraordinary gift preached Object I answer that some things especially above other man is recorded of him as that namely he was a very eloquent man Answ Acts 18.24 and that he was mighty in the Scriptures and that he boldly taught and that by his teaching he mightily convinced the Jewes but that this did prove that he was extraordinarily indued with guifts from God I cannot see but do beleeve the contrary and for that I shall offer the Reader these reasons first because if God had extraordinarily inspired him he could not have been ignorant of the revealed will way and Councell of God declared in the Gospel and onely to have knowne the Baptisme of Iohn Acts 20.26.27 for none that God did so inspire but did know the whole Councel of God revealed as witnesse Paul and all the oiher Apostles Iohn 14.28 and 16.13 to 16. 2. Because if he had been so inspired then he would had no neede of Aquillaes and Priscillaes teaching or more perfect learning him the way of God for then he might better have taught them but we finde that when they had heard him they tooke him unto them and expounded or shewed him the way of God more perfectly and therefore for these reasons is it that I beleeve he was not extraordinari●y guifted of God and so much may serve to evidence the truth from those false glosses and misinterpretations that some have indeavoured to put upon this Scripture to hinder the Saints from following the rule and example of Christ and his faithfull Servants set forth to us in the Scriptures in preaching and declaring the Gospel without Office or Ordination 1 Cor. 11.1 I come now to Acts 8 1 4. compared with Acts 11.19 20 24. Where it is thus written And at that time there was a great persecution against the Church that was at Jerusalem and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria except the Apostles and in the 4. ver it is said thus therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word and in Acts 11.19 20 ver Thus now they that were scattered abroad upon the persecution that rose about Stephen travailed as far as Phenice and Cyprus and Antioch preaching the word to none but the Jewes onely some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyreene which when they were come to Antioch spake unto the Grecian preaching the Lord Jesus and the hand of the Lord was with them and a great number believed and turned to the Lord here Reader consider seriously what God by his Spirit hath recorded in these places of Scripture for our learning if it be well minded God doth as it were point out to us his foreseeing the errour and evill that men in this point would run into and therefore saith that all the Church except the Apostles were scattered so that I conceive that God doth point out here that the officers staid behinde and those that were scattered and went preaching the Gospel were no ordained men to that end And I conceive it cannot be thought nor gathered from what is in the Scripture related that these that were scattered this whole Church were ministers ordained men namely Pastours teachers or Elders it seems somewhat strange to me that the whole body of a Church should be ordained Ministers for that were to make the body monstrous and disorderly because as the Apostle saith 1. Corinth 12 17 ver If the whole body were an eye where were the hearing if the whole were hearing where were the smelling but now hath God set the members every one of of them in the body as it hath pleased him so that it is cleare that if God be the God of Order and doth all things orderly it cannot be thought that the whole body of this Church being at Jerusalem with the Apostles were all ordained Ministers Acts 8.1.3 they consisting at least of three thousand persons such a thing was never heard of nor yet never any Scripture produced holding forth or hinting any such thing for in these Scriptures here is onely thus much said the whole Church at Jerusalem except the Apostles were scattered and they being scattered went preaching every where Jesus Christ and this is all that is in the Scripture mentioned of them and no office nor ordination at this time minded But though they had no office all of them yet some of them had Object and the rest were extraordinarily by God inspired and guifted by his Spirit I confesse there is mention of Philip who was an ord●ined officer as you may see in Acts the 6. and the 5. ver Answ But what office is it that he had not an office binding him to preach his being ordained into that office was to no such and as you may see in Acts 6.1 2. There it is declared that Philipe office was to serve tables to look to the daily administration for the poor to wit a Deacon and not to preach the Gospel for that was besides his office and no and of being ordained this I leave by the wise to be judged That they were extraordinarily inspired to mē seems unreasonable and that for these reasons First Because there is not the least tittle in the text than giveth any hint that way Secondly Because the onely titles given them are all the Church that was at Jerusalem except the Apostles were scattered and they were some of them men of Cyprus and Cyrene and nothing minded in the least of extraordinary gift or endowment Thirdly Onely their preaching here and there is noted and spoken of ●and that by reason of their persecution they became so scattered and not by reason of any extraordinary gift bestowed on them Acts 8.3 and 11 19 20. 4. Because that if so be they had had any Apostolicall function or ordination or extraordinary gift of the Spirit then in my understanding there had not been any need of so suddain nay not at all of a sending of Barnabas from Jerusalem to Antioch Acts 11.22 23.29 though