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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
act_n	call_v	church_n	elder_n	2,418	5	9.9805	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77729	An answer to those questions propounded by the Parliament to the Assembly of Divines, touching jus divinum in matter of church-government. Wherein is clearly proved from Scripture, that the Presbyterial government is jure devino, of divine institution, and according to the will and appointment of Jesus Christ. Licensed, and published according to order.	Bakewell, Thomas, b. 1618 or 19.	1646 (1646)	Wing B526A; Thomason E340_29; ESTC R38569	17,260	20

Apostle But then some of them say That hundred and twenty names was the Mother Church out of which all other Christian Churches were to spring forth therefore being the first it was Independent I Answ If Independent Churches must have one as their Mother out of which all other Independent Churches ought to spring forth then I would know which of their Churches is that Mother Church did Mr. Burtons Church descend out of Mr. Goodwins or Mr. Lockers Church descend out of Mr. Holms his Church or which is the Mother and which the Daughters But it may be they will say This Mother of Christian Churches did first Baptize them and so leave them not minding whether they were truly converted or not but then after this there followed some that gathered after them none but the godly into their Congregations out of those Baptized before and those alone were the true Churches having the Kingly Office of Christ and in a Church way and not the other and thus our Independents do here But then where is their proof for those things No the contrary is the truth for when Three thousand was converted and became Christians together and all others when they became Christians were added to the Church daily Acts 2.47 Then if Independents should come after the Apostles to cull for themselves a Church they must first unchurch them out of that where they were placed by the Apostles and so when they have cut them off from being Members of Christ they will prefer them to be their Members and then promise them great priviledges and Liberty of Conscience to live as they list But lest I should here make a digression I shall now prove that the number of names there spoken of was not an Independent Congregation consisting of men and women but a Presbytery of Church-Officers First If names in Scripture signifie Church-Officers then that hundred and twenty names were Church-Officers but the Saints having gotten victory over the Officers of Antichrist are said to get victory over the number of his name Rev. 14.2 And when the Officers of Antichrist shall be slain it is said That Seven thousand names of men shall be slain Rev. 11.13 Then the number of names here spoken of were Officers in the Christian Church Secondly If there may be found so many Officers then in the Christian Church then that hundred and twenty names were Officers in it but there was then eleven Apostles and seventy Disciples sent out by Christ before this and the rest of that hundred and twenty names were Teachers which had accompanied Christ from the Baptism of John until he was taken up Acts 1.21 And Christ Ordained more to Preach then the Eleven and the Seventy for saith he to another Go thou and Preach the Kingdom of God Luke 9.60 Then this was was not an Independent Congregation belonging to one particular man Thirdly If the Disciples were then numberlesse then they must needs be more then a single Congregation but the Disciples were then numberlesse for John Baptized all Judea and Jerusalem and all round about Jordan Mat. 6.5 6. and Johns Disciples encreased so fast that the Priests and Pharisees durst not say his Baptism was of men for fear of the people and Herod durst not put him to death for fear of the people Mat. 14.5.21 23 26. And Christ made more Disciples then John yea they could not Baptize together their multitudes were so great and the Pharisees said Perceive you not how the world is gone after him John 3.22 23.4.1.11.19 And people pressed upon him to hear him Preach and the Priests could not destroy him for the people Luke 4.22.5 1 19.47 48. Five thousand came at one time and Seven thousand at another besides women and children and in the open field Zacheos could not see Christ for the multitudes but was forced to climb up into a Tree to see him Luke 19.3 Then was all this but a single Congregation belonging to one man and bearing the name of his Church Fourthly If there was an Universal Officer to be chosen out of these men and by these men then it appears that they were all Officers before as the seventy and the eleven and others were Mark 3.14 6.3 Luke 9.60 10.1 Again if it was an Independent Church like one of these at London then what should they have to do in the choyce of an Universal Officer unlesse one Independent Church had power to chuse Officers for another which will not be granted for that would soon destroy all their Independent Churches which must be alone having nothing to do with any other nor they with them as a duty only they may do something if they please upon courtisie and they may chuse then this was not such a one while they chose an Officer out of themselves to serve elswhere and not among themselves Let us see another instance Suppose our Independents shall say That Church at Jerusalem that was persecuted and scattered abroad was an Independent Church Acts 8.1 Upon this ground saying They were but a small number one single Congregation for say they If there had been such multitudes as I shewed before then how could they be persecuted and scattered and by whom were they so persecuted I Answer That Church at Ierusalem was the Officers of the Church and they were persecuted and scattered abroad all but the Apostles and this was done by the Rulers which did not believe in Christ Iohn 7.48 and by Saul before his conversion he was sent by the Priests to do it Acts 8.1 9.1 And the Officers may be called a Church Representative for the Lord said to Moses Speak to all the Congregation and then he spake to the Elders of the Congregation 12.21 And Christ said Tell the Church which is meant Tell the Officers of the Church who had both the Key of Doctrine and the Key of Discipline delivered to them before Mat. 16.18 19. 18.17 So here the Church was persecuted and scattered abroad that is their Officers for if all the Disciples had been scattered abroad what should the Apostles do behinde they would not tarry if they had none left to teach nor durst they tarry when there was none to harbor them and who would or who durst harbor them if all the Christians had been scattered and fled but there was Disciples still that did harbor them yea there was then many thousand Believers in Ierusalem and this was presently after that persecution as it were with the same breath Saul persecuted them and was converted as he was going to the next Town and came immediatly to Ierusalem and then there was many thousand Believers in Ierusalem see Acts 8.1 9.1 compared with 21.20 Again the Teachers were persecuted for they travelled as far as Cyprus and Phenice and Antioch Preaching the Word of God and they were called Prophets that came from Ierusalem to Antioch Acts 11.19 21.27 So then this Church was not an Independent Congregation but

said to all the Ministery Mat. 16. Ioh. 20.23 Then I conclude that all the Members in the Presbytery so called by Paul 1 Tim. 4.14 The state of Elders Acts 22.5 And it is called The Assembly of the Elders Psa 107.32 Therefore they are all Iure Divino by the will and appointment of Iesus Christ But it may be some Independent will ask Why their Congregation belonging to one man is not of Divine Institution as well as a Presbyterial Congregation belonging to one man I answer There is this difference The Presbyterial Congregation is a part of the Universal visible Church as a branch of it which is descended from the first Christian Church although it passed under Antichrist and so was defiled yet still God had his Church amongst Papists and at the length brought it out of Babylon by Luther and others and our Ministers are descended from the Apostles whom Christ Ordained to Preach Mark 3.14 And they were sent into all Nations to convert men to the Christian Faith and they also Ordained Elders in every Church in every City or Town Acts 14.23 And after them they left others in their place to do it Tit. 1.5 And thus Church-Officers were Ordained by them of their own calling successively ever since although they passed under Antichrist till Luther renounced them and by him and others was brought out what they had from Christ and left what was of their own Invention and he caused them to protest against Babylon and so they were first called Protestants And then in Calvins time they made a Covenant to set up the true Discipline of Iesus Christ and we in this Kingdom have done the like both by a Protestation against Popery and a Covenant to set up the Discipline of Iesus Christ therefore our Congregations are of Divine Institution but Independent Congregations original descent is but from themselves and that within this few yeers to our knowledge Tradesmen have gathered many Churches but who sent those Tradesmen to Preach and how can they Preach unlesse they be sent Rom. 10.14 15. By what Authority do they Preach and who gave them that Authority Christ taught as one having Authority Mat. 21.23 24. 7.29 Then Independent Congregations are not of Divine Institution But they will say That our Parishes remain still as they did under Antichrist I answer Parishes were divided for better convenience of Publike Worship before Antichrist was in being when the Apostles gave order to set up Elders in every city Tit. 1.5 and they were bounded within a Sabboth dayes Iourney for Publike Worship Acts 1.12 And now Prelats cast out our Parishes remain in that first Institution for those Elders were bounded to that town or city where they were set up but Independent Congregations are boundlesse their Members thirty or fourty miles asunder that they cannot congregate together therefore they are not of Divine Institution The Parliaments third question is Whether the Supreme Assemblies or Elderships viz. The Classical Provincial and National Whether all or any of them and which of them are Iure Divino and by the appointment of Jesus Christ Their fourth question is Whether Appeals from Congregational Elderships to the Classical Provincial and National Assemblies or to any of them and to which of them are Iure Divino and by the will and appointment of Jesus Christ And are their Powers upon such Appeals Iure Divino and by the will and appointment of Jesus Christ Their fifth question is Whether Oecumenical Assemblies are Iure Divino And whether there be Appeals from any of the former Assemblies to the said Occumenical Iure Divino and by the will and appointment of Jesus Christ Now the substance contained in these three questions is this First Whether Classical Provincial National or Oecumenical Elderships or Assemblies be Jure Divino Secondly Whether Appeals from Congregational Elderships to Classical Provincial and National Assemblies are Iure Divino or which of them or any of them to Oecumenical be Iure Divino and are their Powers upon such Appeals Iure Divino by the will and appointment of Iesus Christ To the first of these I have sufficiently proved That the Assembly of Elders and Presbytery are Scripture Names Psal 107.32 1 Tim. 4.14 And these I have shewed that they are frequently called the Church because they do represent it And now I shall prove That Appeals from the lesser Elderships to the greater is according to the Word of God and that their power is of Divine Right to suppresse Error and prophanenesse in case the Magistrate will not by his Positive Laws or to cast them out of the Church rather then the Ordinances of Christ should be polluted I prove it thus If there was Assemblies of Church Officers in the Christian Church who met together for this end then they ought to do so still and if there was Appeals from the lesser of those Assemblies to the greater in the Primitive Church it ought to be so still and if those Assemblies had power to make Decrees and passe Sentence and to binde several Churches to obey them it ought to be so still for we and all Christians pretend to be under the same Discipline of Christ as they were but some in the Christian Church at Antioch would still observe Iewish Cermeonies and they had no small Disputation about it and yet could not suppresse it being parties therefore they determined to send Paul and Barnabas to Ierusalem not to a single Congregation for advice and councel but to the Assembly of Apostles and Elders who came together to consider of that matter Acts 15.1 2 6. And I think there was but two Apostles there and so there was at Antioch only they were parties and so they were not at Ierusalem But some will say What if they will not come to the Assembly or Eldership how then can they suppresse Error or Prophanenesse I answer The Magistrate must by his Positive Laws command obedience to the Church and in case they will not obey the Magistrate he must punish them by his Positive Laws but in case the Magistrate will not do it then the Church-Officers have power to cast them out to keep the Ordinances of Christ from pollution So then if the Magistrate do his part and Assemblies of Church-Officers also do theirs this will sweetly settle peace among the Churches and this is according to the Word of Christ and therefore of Divine Institution And for the Names of those Assemblies let them be called by any names of distinction and it sufficeth I hope we shall not contend about Names but rather labor for peace and a sweet enjoyment of all the mercies of God both in Church and State The sixth Question is this Whether by the Word of God the power of Judging and declaring what are such Notorious and Scandalous Offences for which persons guilty thereof are to be kept from the Sacrament of the Lords Supper and of Conventing before them trying and actual