Selected quad for the lemma: authority_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
authority_n	church_n	power_n	scripture_n	7,777	5	6.2723	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A76081	The Independents catechisme. Or Some observations gathered out of Doctor Bastvvicke his religious and learned treatise entituled Independency not Gods ordinance. For the use of all poor ignorant, wavering, and seduced independents. By John Bernard philopresbytes.	Bernard, John.; Bastwick, John, 1593-1654. Independency not Gods ordinance.	1645 (1645)	Wing B1064; Thomason E1186_5; ESTC R14251	6,406	31

they continued in Ierusalem to comfort and support the Church And refresh the believers in this heat of persecution when they wanted the helpe of their faithfull ministers and Pastors Quest. Who Govern'd ordered and ruled this Church consisting of so many congregations and assemblies Answ The Apostles and Presbyters as in the Originall Act. 7. 19. 29. 30. Act. 15. 2. 4. 6. 22. Act. 16. 4. 5. Act. 21. 17 18 25. And howsoever the Apostles in the places above specified are differenc'd by that title from the Presbyters yet in all acts of Government performed by them in the Church of Ierusalem they were for the substance of them ordinary acts such as Presbyters dayly perform And therefore the Apostles are in them to be considered as Presbyters who received the power of Jurisdiction or ruling and acting as Presbyters were in their ordinary employment Though at other times they used Superlative authority as Christs extraordinary Ambassadours 2 Cor. 5. 20. Some Impertinent Cavills about the Apostles exercising the office of Presbyters made by the Independents are clearely taken away by the Dr. from pag. 84 unto the 94. p. And least any should conceit the Apostles were not Presbyters because in those places above it is said the Apostles and Presbyters making a distinction betwixt them The Apostle Saint Peter resolves the doubt 1 Pet. 5. 1. 2. 3. in which place Peter styles himselfe a Presbyter or Elder In the second Epistle of Iohn ver 1. Saint Iohn doth style himself Presbyter or Elder saying The Presbyter to the Elect Lady Saint Paul likewise styles himselfe a Presbyter if you compare 1 Tim. 4. 14. with 2 Tim. 1. 6. in which places it is evident that Saint Paul was one of the Presbytery Quest. Why do the Independent Brethren conclude every of their congregations a particular Church depending upon no other Church either for Government Doctrine or Manners when the whole current of the Scripture doth so clearly expresse the Presbyterian Government Ordain'd by Christ in the mother Church of Jerusalem must be a pattern unto all daughter Churches untill the end of the World Now it hath beene plainly proved that the Church of Ierusalem consisted of many congregations which made but one Church And that one Church distributed into those particular assemblyes was Governed by a Common-Councell or Presbytery The example of which Church the Independent Brethren pretend to follow Answ The Brethrens Answer is seconded with these reasons First because their particular Churches have for their patterne no lesse then the whole Colledge of the Apostles and Presbyters Act. 1. 15. Where they sate in councell to chuse a disciple in the place of Judas the number of the men not of men and women as in verse 14. being one hundred and twenty The Independent Brethren mistaking the members of the congregation who were men and Brethren verse 16. and not men Brethren and Sisters do peremptorily conclude from hence there were no more believers in Ierusalem then in this congregation notwithstanding the multitudes that believed and were baptized by Iohn Baptist and this whole Colledge of Apostles and Presbyters before the Passion of Christ Secondly Because their Churches though made up with a number of women by imitating the Assembly of Apostles and Presbyters every particular Church doth thereby gaine the same Authority which our Saviour gave to the whole Colledge of Apostles Mat. 18. 15. 16. 17. 18. which being extraordinary and exceeding the tenure of the Scripture to have so much power confered upon a smal congregation doth declare our Brethren the Independents to be wise above that which is written 1 Cor. 4. 6. and in knowledge to resemble the children of this world Mat. 16. 8. The second part of the INDEPENDENTS Catechisme gathered out of the Treatise upon these six following Queres concerning the gathering of CHURCHES 1. Quere WHere it is commanded in the word of God that the Ministers of the Gospell shall run about from their owne places and Charges to gather believing Christians from amongst believing Christians into their owne Independent congregations and debar them from all Church-fellowship and communication with other believers in Gods holy Ordinances and Sacraments And proclaime all that are not molded up after this new-modell to be a people out of covenant to have no right to the seales of the New-covenant neither they nor their children though believers whether this way of gathering Churches was ever heard of before these daies whether this be to set up Christ as King upon his throne to make divisions and Scismes in Churches and among beleivers and Brethren and that upon groundlesse pretences 2. Quere Whether for the making any man or woman a member of the Church it be necessary to the believeing and being baptized that they should walke some dayes weekes monthes or yeares with them that they may have experience of their conversation before they can be admitted and after that a confession of their faith should be publikely made before the congregation and the evidences of their conversion as the time when the place where the occasion how they were converted And if any either men or women shall except against their evidence that then they are not to be admitted 3. Quere Whether for making any man a member or an officer of a Church the consent of the whole congregation or the greater part of them besides the Presbyters and Ministers be requisite 4. Quere Whether for the admission of any one into Church-fellowship and communion a private solemne Covenant be requisite or necessary for the making any one a member the neglect or refusall of the which makes them incapable of their member-ship or admission 5. Quere Whether the women and people as well as the Presbyters and Ministers have the power of the Keyes And whether the women have all their voices in the Church both for election and reprobation of members and officers as well as the men and whether the consent of all the women or the greatest part of them to be requisite for the making any one a member or officer So that if they gainsay it being the greater number or allow of it the most voices carry the businesse 6. Quere Whether the practice and preaching of all these things and the gathering of Churches after this manner be to set up Christ as King upon his throne and whether Churches and assemblyes thus congregated be the onely true Churches in the which only Christ rules and reigns as King and all other that are not molded up after this fashion be no true congregated Churches and in the which Christ is not set up as King upon his throne Quest. Who were commanded by Christ to preach the Gospell and to propound to all Nations the conditions upon which they were to be admitted into his Church And who were to admit them Answ The Apostles onely and Presbyters and Ministers of the Gospell As appeares by Christs Commission given unto them and his promise to be with them