Selected quad for the lemma: act_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
act_n	bishop_n	church_n	presbyter_n	3,490	5	10.5633	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A13216	Redde debitum. Or, A discourse in defence of three chiefe fatherhoods grounded upon a text dilated to the latitude of the fift Commandement; and is therfore grounded thereupon, because 'twas first intended for the pulpit, and should have beene concluded in one or two sermons, but is extended since to a larger tract; and written chiefely in confutation of all disobedient and factious kinde of people, who are enemies both to the Church and state. By John Svvan.	Swan, John, d. 1671.	1640 (1640)	STC 23514; ESTC S118031	127,775	278

in the dispensation of his word and mysteries Bishops and inferiour Priests whether they bee Doctors or others are all Brethren and fellow Presbyters yet in the power of governement equall authority belongs not to them nor ever did since first the Churches of Christ began to be planted One in a certaine Sermon of his upon Acts the 15.36 doth thus declare it namely that although a Bishop doth not differ from an ordinary Pastour Quoad virtutem Sacerdotij yet there is and must be a difference Quoad potentiam jurisdictionis And againe although a Bishop and an Arch-Bishop differ not in potestate ordinis yet there is a difference in potestate regiminis SECTION III. WHat then shall become of those annuall offices of Lay-Elders which the Genevian Factours would put upon us I find no such thing in Scripture as these men dreame of All the Elders there mentioned which have any thing to doe in the Church and appertaine to the governement thereof are no silent or unpreaching Governours In Gods booke we have neither example for instance that ever there was nor precept for direction that ever there may be any such Lay-Eldership And although they alledge that saying of Saint Paul to Timothy The Elders that rule well are worthy of double honour 1 Tim. 5.17 especially they that labour in the word and doctrine yet can it be no good consequence to argue from thence that there were some Elders in the Church which taught nothing For doe we not all know that it is one thing to teach another to labour or be painefull in teaching It may be granted that although all be in some measure painfull yet some againe have beene more painfull than others If either their constitution of body yeares gifts or carefull using of them were such that they could both rule well and be painfull also in teaching they are worthy not only of honour but of double honour So that out of these words can bee collected no such distinction as they doe imagine of preaching Elders and governing Elders which are no Preachers The office then of Eldership which the scripture mentions must be in a lawfull Minister and not in a Lay-man out of orders 1 Pet. 5.1.2 Saint Peter was a Preacher yea and a chiefe Elder Hee chargeth therefore other Elders to feed their flocks The word which the Scripture useth is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an appellation pertinent to all Priests as being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fellow Presbyters although not of equall power as hath beene shewed Act. 20.17.28 Saint Paul also chargeth the Elders of Ephesus to feed the Church of Christ which he hath purchased with his owne blood And to Titus hee giveth charge T it 1.59 that he appoint Elders in every citie shewing that by these he meaneth such as must be able to exhort with wholesome doctrine and to convince them which say against it not one word being mentioned of Elders out of orders to be in the stead of Bishops to take upon them the governing of the Church Which last testimony puts into my mind that speech of the thrice famous man Erasmus E●asmus in an Epistle to Iohn Alasco prefixed to the workes of Ambrose viz. That if wee had more Bishops like vnto Ambrose we should have more Emperours like unto Theodosius And t is as true likewise of inferiour Priests The sitter for their office the better for the people For what is there which brings more harme then either ignorance or want of courage They who be tainted with either of these are rather led by the people then the people by them For either they cannot or they dare not be what they ought in their holy functions SECTION IIII. BUt now I mention that holy Father Ambrose Quest some perhaps may propound it as a question whether the said father doth not in a certaine place of his writings viz. where he expounds that of Saint Paul to Timothy Rebuke not an Elder c. give some allowance to this office of Lay-elderships Nothing at all Hee giveth I confesse Answ some light concerning those officers belonging to the Church of England which wee call by the name of Sworne-men Gardians or wardens of the Church into whose hands the care of Church provisions is committed both in the providing of things wanting in repayring of things decayed and in the trustie keeping of things had These are those men who present to the Arch-bishop Bishop Arch-deacon or their Chancellours the faults and disorders done in their parish against those Articles to which they are sworne against the Canons and against his Majesties Lawes Ecclesiasticall and so the Arch-bishoppe Bishoppe Arch-deacon or their officers proceed according to the information of the said Wardens of every such Parish For albeit the love of monie rather then of vertue and reformation bee ready among some under-officers to send out the Apparatour as a close spie into the Countrey yet we know that the Canons of our Church doe in no wise tollerate such indirect courses Whereupon in the 138. Canon thus wee read that They meaning Aparatours shall not take upon them the office of Promoters or informers for the Court. Which in some sort agreeth also to that of Saint Ambrose saying that there is nothing done in the Church without those Elders of which hee speaketh because such disorders as are proceeded against according to the tenour of their informations are legally proceeded against and justly punished there being an oath taken for the discharge of this office in a pious and conscionable way Thus it is with us And thus also or not far otherwise it was in the dayes of old St. Ambrose complained of the want of it and we doe well to retaine still these usefull footings appertaining to it Onely sometimes we have a double fault committed The one in the choise of those annual officers The other in that too high prerogative which some men give them above their Minister First of all in many country parishes the lowest meanest of the people are chosen although they be but yong and ignorant boies in comparison of others whereas they ought of right to be grave sober and able Seniors if not for yeeres yet for parts who both know their office and are not afraid to do it And yet be they whom they will either in this office for the Church or in that of Constable for the common-weale if they would or could but tell how to make conscience of an oath there would not come in so many omnia bene's when there be Multa passim mala Howbeit I do not mention this to incourage the envious busie practises of some ill disposed officers but only to stir up the negligent to a more carefull consideration of the wrong done to themselves through their slight regarding of knowne evills And next as for that exaltation which some men give them t is fit they have all that of right belongeth to them but to be exalted

See Mat. 10. and Luk. ch 2.8 10. ver 3. Then after them the seventie Disciples Christ likened the first to sheepe the second to lambes thereby declaring that there was a greater dignity in the one then in the other and that the first-sent had not onely the priority of time but of place and authoritie It was Christs owne act and therefore let no man presume not so much as to thinke of joyning together those whom Christ hath put asunder And so saith the ordinary glosse Sicut in Apostolis forma est Episcoporum sic in septuaginta Discipulis forma est Presbyterorum secundi ordinis as it is alledged by Stella and Aquinas It is also so understood by Theophilact and sundry others upon the tenth of Luke viz. that the seventy were inferiour to the twelve Some expresse it thus that the seventy in stead of Aarons sonnes should be amongst us as inferiour Priests others thus that the twelve were as the chiefe Captaines and Commanders in the Church And although in these ordinances it is as if Christ tooke patterne from the Law wherein all Priests were not equall yet is it nothing against the abrogation of the Law For the Ceremonies both might be and were abolished although the forme of the old governement bee still retained seeing that was a thing which pertained not so much to types and figures as to that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or rule of doing things decently and in order for paritie is the next way to bring all things to an Anarchy and so no order unlesse there bee an order in confusion And without doubt when our Saviour said Dic Ecclesiae Tell it to the Church he had an eye to those whom hee had made cheife in authority above the rest And all this whilst Christ lived Next if we have respect to the times of the Apostles we shall find that Saint Paul though last called 2 Cor. 11.5 yet not a whit inferiour to the ●hi●fest Aposles by warrant from the holy Ghost appointed Timothie to bee a Bishop over all the Churches of Ephesus saying I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus when I went into Maced●nia 1 Tim. 1 3. to charge some that they teach no other doctrine At the end therefore of the second Epistle to Timothy it is said that it was written from Rome to Timotheus the first elected Bishop of Ephesus Tit. 1.5 And to Titus he also writeth thus For this cause I left thee still in Crete that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting and ordaine Elders in every City The end likewise of that Epistle witnesseth that it was directed to Titus the first elected Bishop of the Cretians And in the stories of the Church declaring the Acts and Monuments of ancient times thus we read Eusebius reporteth in his third book and fourth Chapter of Ecclesiasticall historie that Timothy was the first Bishop of the whole precinct of Ephesus in as ample manner as Titus was cheife Bishop of all the Churches of Crete 〈◊〉 2. c. 16. Hee also writeth that Saint Marke did institute the Churches of Alexandria lib. 2. c. 24. And in another place that Anianus did immediately succeed Marke the Apostle in the said Churches of Alexandria And againe Iulian the tenth had the Bishopricke of the same Churches 〈◊〉 5. c 9. and in his third booke and 20. chapter speaking of Saint Iohn When he returned saith he out of Pathmos to Ephesus at the request of others he visited the places bordering thereupon that he might ordaine Bishops constitute Churches and elect Clergie men by lots whom the Holy Ghost had assigned and comming to a City not farre of he cast his eyes upon that Bishop which was set over all the rest and unto him hee committed the tuition of a young Gentleman saying I doe earnestly commend this young man unto thee witnesse Christ and his Church Nay before this alledged of these Apostles we read in scripture of Philip one of the seven Deacons who being sent forth an Evangelist preached and baptized but neither might nor did ordaine others to doe the like For when the Apostles heard that Samaria had received the word of God they send thither Peter and Iohn because they had power of imposition of hands which Philip had not as is recorded in the eight chapter of the Acts of the Apostles Act. 8.14.17 Nor did Saint Paul but set downe rules how Bishops should behave themselves which were in vaine if the Church ought of right to bee without them But among all passages this may not slip namely that the seven Churches of Asiae had their Bishops even at the very time when the Spirit of God endeavoured to lay open the particulars of their faults And yet amongst all the things worthy of blame wherewith they were charged there is not a word against them for being governed by Bishops and surely that order had not escaped reprehension if it had not beene knowne to have beene of divine Institution And next the testimonies being thus cleare can any but a mad-man thinke that they are meant only of ordinary Parish Priests such as are now as if every such Priest should bee a Bishop Or if of other Bishops is there any colour for it that they should be Bishops onely in title without jurisdiction when one as we see is plainly said to have the governement of many Churches which by the Apostles were founded planted constituted or appointed Certainly the word Churches in the plurall number doth not import more Catholike Churches then one for there is but one and therfore by Churches is meant the severall plantation of Churches to be setled and governed by their Bishops some one having the cheife oversight of as many as were within the bounds of one precinct and some other of as many as were within the bounds and limits of another precinct For that word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used by Eusebius is thus to be taken both the word Churches formerly mentioned as also the grammaticall signification thereof doe fully witnesse Of which Scapula in his Lexicon writeth after this manner namely that it signifieth Accolarum conventus et Accolatus sacraque vicinia And therefore may bee taken for many Churches within any limited Precinct or jurisdiction namely for a Diocesse either large or small which is but as a great and generall Parish Mr. Seld. hist of Tithes c. 6 page 80. the lesser being since called by the same name because they limit the people unto which particular Church they are to go and unto which to pay their tythes Thus were the first beginnings The imitations continuations and inlargements were afterwards and built upon the same grounds when as the number of beleevers increased there was a more generall division of Congregations into a greater number of particular parishes Yet so as they were to have their dependance on the mother Churches first erected and to be governed by every such Bishop