Selected quad for the lemma: authority_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
authority_n	apostle_n	bishop_n	church_n	8,364	5	4.6820	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A75437	An ansvver to the nevv motions or, A serious and briefe discussion of certaine motions now in question.		1641 (1641)	Wing A3427; Thomason E205_4; ESTC R15235	10,697	25

were Christians Therefore during the time of persecution there was especiall need of those men such an one was S. Laurence the broild Martyr at Rome by the Heathen Persecutors But when the Magistrate changed and by good lawes provided for the Ministers Maintenance and the releife of the poore then was there no need at all of this office no more than there is of Widowes who were likewise then in use but now are ceased in all Churches albeit there be rules for their election in the Scriptures as there is for Deacons 1 Tim. 5.9 10. And therefore this is no perpetuall Office Your Helpers the last office that you reckon up can helpe you but little They are but once named in the Scriptures as I take it 2 Cor. 12.28 and there not called Helpers but Helpings Opitulationes But if by Metonimy that be all one yet cannot they be severall from the former and perpetuall for if they helped per Dona sanationum by gift of healing then they are ceased or if by distribution then were they Widowes or Deacons and no severall Offices And thus of your five Officers the three first are but one Office of the Minister and the two later Temporary so farre are you short of your five distinct and perpetuall Offices The second part of your Interrogatory is concerning the Ecclesiasticall State of Archbishops Bishops Deanes Sub-deanes c. In this enumeration you study to be exact and to reckon up every thread by which curious diligence you have thrust in a number that are no Ecclesiasticall Callings at all and againe reckoned up some who are rather yours than ours Stipendiaries Vagrant-Preachers House-Priests and the like But to answer to that which is materiall in your Catalogue I say that in the new Testament is founded a Ministery which may differ in their Degrees and may differ in their Maintenance to which two places may be referred all the Titles here set downe which are Ecclesiasticall For the first though the Ministery it selfe be one yet may it admit divers degrees In the old Testament Aaron and his succession was above the other Priests and the Priests above the Levites Among the Prophets some ruled as Samuel some obeyed as the Children of the Prophets and the morall hereof of Ruling and Obeying is not Ceremoniall In the New Testament Christ made some Apostles as the Twelve some Disciples as the seaventy two And the Apostle S. Paul teacheth us that Christ his Church must be like a Naturall Body wherein some are Eyes some Hands some Feet The Degrees that I meane are Bishops Priests and Deacons For Priests or Elders you can make no question they are in terminis frequent in the Text. For Deacons no doubt those seaven Act. 6. did with the other charge assume also the Ministery from the Apostles Ordination For first they had the imposition of the Apostles hands with prayer Secondly Stephen one of them preached and did miracles Thirdly Philip preached and that which is Ministeriall baptized Fourthly the Apostle willeth that the Deacons hold Mysterium fidei the mystery of faith 1 Tim. 3.9 which signifieth the substance of the Gospel preached in S. Pauls manner of speaking Fifthly the Apostle adds that he that dischargeth his Deaconship well getteth to himselfe a good degree And what can be more reasonable than that there should be an orderly Initiation or Probatiorship into the Ministery Elisha held water to Elias his hands before he was Prophet in his stead The Apostles were witnesses of Christs Temptations before they were sent S. Paul had Barnabas and S. Iohn had Mark for their Minister Act. 13.5 even to the work Such were those Brethren or some of them that went with S. Peter to Cornelius to whom he commanded that they should be baptized Act. 10. Such attended on S. Paul to Corinth and baptized for he himselfe baptized but one household 1 Cor. 1. these you scornefully terme halfe-Priests For the superiority of Bishops not only the Apostles had it but they also whom they constituted Bishops as Timothy at Ephesus and Titus in Creet to redresse things amisse and to ordaine Ministers Yea still this Authority was propagated and continued in the Churches Apoc. 1. and 3. to the Angel of the Churches There were many Elders or Ministers in every Church Antipas Nicholas and those who hated and preached against his doctrine yet one is the Angel there still As more largely it appeareth at Ephesus where surely was more than one that were Ministers yet but one Angel Yea S. Paul alloweth Timothy a Court Ecclesiasticall viz. to receive accusations and examine Witnesses for thus he saith 1 Tim. 5.19 Receive no accusation against an Elder under two or three witnesses The like to Titus 3.19 Avoyd an heritique out of the Church after once or twice solemne admonition Now then can you deny to Superiours and Governours their necessary Deputies servants and substitutes nay these are necessary even to the meanest though they be no Ecclesiasticall persons nor have to do in the Ministery For you know the Gibeonites served for some necessary use in the Tabernacle to draw water and to cleave wood Jos 9.23 But if any of these play Gehazi it is Elisha's charge to mark him with Leaprosie All antiquity speaks of these three degrees of the Ministery the Canons called the Apostles the Antient Fathers and the best Councells doe declare and justifie them The other part the inequality of Maintenance is a sequell of the former for greater degree requires greater supportance And the Scripture sayes the same thing S. Paul 1 Cor. 9.7 resembles the Ministers Maintenance to the stipend of Warfare where every man hath wages according to his place And verse 13. to those that wrought about the Altar where some had prerogative above the rest Yea the same Apostle doth tell Timothy so much 1 Tim. 5.17 The Elders that rule well are worthy of double honour Where he meaneth by double honour larger Maintenance as besides the consent of the best Interpreters the Apostle himselfe explaines it to be meant of Maintenance bringing the same place which before 1 Cor. 9. hee cited for the Ministers Maintenance out of Moses saying Thou shalt not muzzle the Oxe that treadeth out the Corne. And which Christ to the same purpose proverbially used in the Gospell namely the Labourer is worthy of his hire All which is plaine that double honour is interpreted double Maintenance by the Illative for the Scripture saith Thus then you may see that our Ecclesiasticall State in diversity of Degrees and Maintenance is more consonant to Gods word than your device of sundry names without persons or Perpetuities The third Demand Whether the calling and entrance into these Ecclesiasticall Offices last aforesaid their Administration and Maintenance now had and retained in the Church of England bee the manner of Calling Administration and Maintenance which Christ hath appointed for the Offices of his Church above named Answer IN this Third you demand whether