Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	apostle_n	prophet_n	write_v	2,138	5	5.7555	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A94297	Of the government of churches; a discourse pointing at the primitive form.	Thorndike, Herbert, 1598-1672.	1641 (1641)	Wing T1055; Thomason E1102_1; ESTC R203782	63,264	216

preaching in the assemblies of Christians at that time so farre as we understand by the Apostle went more by mens gifts then by their places in the Church Reade the fourteenth chapter of the first to the Corinthians throughout and consider what great use there was of the gifts of prophecying and speaking strange languages in their assemblies which the Apostle there regulateth sure you will never imagine for there is not a syllable to intimate it that these were all Presbyters ordinary Ministers in the Church The like must be said of the gifts reckoned vers 8. The word of Wisdome the word of Knowledge Discerning spirits and the like of the gifts of Teaching and Exhorting Rom. xii 7 8. of Pastours and Doctours mentioned by the Apostle Ephes iv 14. The Office of the Presbyters at Thessalonica the Apostle recommendeth to the brethren there in these terms 1. Thess 5. 12. We beseech you brethren to know them which labour among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you And to esteem them very highly in love for their works sake But we are not bound to think them all the same persons whose graces he recommendeth when he addeth vers 19. 20. Quench not the Spirit Despise not prophesying Acts xiii 1. There were in the Church of Antiochia Prophets and Teachers and of them they were that gave Paul and Barnabas imposition of hands And 1. Tim. iv 14. these are those that prophesied of him and Presbyters they were I suppose that gave him imposition of hands with the Apostle And so it was argued from hence afore that the Spirit of Prophesie rested upon those Presbyteries But that all such Prophets were Presbyters or all Presbyters such Prophets neither is it written in Gods book nor of it self credible in such varietie of graces specified which all being given for edification and used in the assemblies to that purpose must either rest in the rank of ordinary Ministers or be counted personall graces whether miraculous or otherwise used for the edification of the Church in supplement of their indeavours which have served the turn in after ages He that writ the Commentaries upon S. Pauls Epistles under S. Ambrose his name upon Ephes iv 10. having laboured to accommodate the gifts there specified to the Ministeries then in use in the Church is at length driven to this point Tamen postquam omnibus loci● Ecclesiae sunt constitutae officia ordinata aliter composita res est quàm coeperat Primùm enim omnes docebant omnes baptizabant quibuscunq●●diebus vel temporibus fuisset occasu● And after a while Vt ergò crescere plebs multiplicaretur omnibus int● initia concessum est evangelizare baptizare Scripturas in Ecclesia explanare That which he saith of a●● persons publishing the Gospel is justified by that which we reade Act viii 4. Therefore they that were scatered abroad went everywhere preaching the word And again Acts xi 19 Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen travelled as farre as Phoenice and Cyprus and Antiochia preaching the Word to none but unto the Jews onely That which he saith of expounding the Scriptures that is speaking in the Church will be justified no lesse if it be referred to that variety of gifts specified out of the Apostle most an end miraculous and concerning that time the use whereof was for edification in the assemblies And the reason that is to be given for this must needs appear very considerable Because that among men chosen out of those that were newly converted to the faith in their elder years for which they are called PRESEYTERS and that in respect of other kind of abilities tending to other parts of their office there should be found men fit to speak in publick assemblies upon humane parts and indeavours so as to preserve the decorum and reverence of so great a work is beyond the compasse of common discretion to imagine these qualities being not often found but in those that are habituated to them from their youth Do but look on those of our Lords kindred that confessed him before Domitian and therefore were made leaders of Churches as was related before from Hegesippus and think whether men whose hands were hardned with the plough already struck in years were fit to make Preachers when they were made Rulers of Churches So farre is it from us to think that in the cradle of the Church no Presbyter was made but for his abilities in preaching Let us now look back a little upon the platform pretended and ask what commission men have to turn temporary indowments into perpetuall places or according to personall gifts and graces to distinguish oecumenicall offices And yet it will not appear that ever Pastours were distinguished from Doctours by the Apostle For he never said that Christ hath given some Pastours some Doctours but his words are Ephes iv 11. that he gave some Pastours and Doctours having said afore that he gave some Apostles some Evangelists some Prophets distinguishing those but comprising these If Teaching and Preaching must make two offices as then they were two graces why shall not Exhorting come in for a share and demand that there may be an office instituted for the purpose of it as well as for Teaching which it standeth in equipage with Rom xii 7 8 why should not the word of Wisdome and the word of Knowledge do the like for these mentioned 1. Cor. xii 8. are of perpetuall use although Prophesies and strange languages were but for the time There is one good reason to be given and no more Because perpetuall Ministeries are one thing temporary Gifts are another thing Those we know by the institution of them in Scripture by the office of them specified in the Acts and in the Epistles by the practice of them in all ages of the Church those we know were in time of the Apostle but not instituted for Ministeries because not continued The Office of Presbyters we know was both for Government and Teaching Both are found in S. Peters exhortation to the Presbyters of his charge 1. Pet. v. 2. feeding the flock and overseeing it both in S. Pauls charge to the Presbyters of Ephesus Acts xx 28. and afterwards both in the qualities of Bishops that is as is acknowledged of Presbyters wherein Timothy is instructed by the Apostle 1. Tim. iii. 2 5. both conteined in that very passage that is alledged to bring in a difference of Presbyters 1. Tim. v. 17. For those Elders that rule well are such as labour in the word and doctrine Why might not the Apostle then difference Presbyters by the execution of their functions as well as by the functions themselves Why might not some Presbyters shew more diligence in the most eminent point of the office taking speciall pains in the Word and Doctrine which speciall pains the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth and yet others be counted worthy of double

not yet made therefore he did not intend there should be any such in the Church Rather let me argue that because S. Paul left two of his principall Disciples in two principall places with charge to plant Presbyteries as there was means to propagate Churches therefore he gave a pattern of that which these Disciples and all the Church was to do afterwards in settling the government of those Churches in the Presbyteries of them and in their heads which themselves were for the time And this we shall find was done in good time in the Churches of Timothies charge if we take but a short consideration of the beloved Disciple John the Apostle and Evangelist what we find concerning him in Scriptures or otherwise received and credible in this nature He lived longest of all the Disciples as is said and he will easily shew us Bishops over the Churches of Timothies charge for such without doubt were the seven Churches of Asia unto whom the Apostle sending from our Lord seven Epistles ii and iii. chapt of his Revelation directeth them to the Angels of those Churches a style not competible to a person of common rank and the act of directing Epistles to one in the name and behalf of the whole Church arguing the eminence of the head fit to answer for the body he representeth Herewith agree the words of Clemens Alexandrinus in Eusebius iii. 23. concerning this Apostle that being returned from Patmus to Ephesus he used upon request to go among the neighbour-nations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is in some places to constitute Bishops to wit where there were Presbyteries afore that yet had none in some to found whole Churches in others to ordain a Clergie out of such as were signified by the Spirit as we reade of S. Paul and Timotheus For will you have these to be Bishops according to the use of the word in S. Paul where it is all one with Presbyters Sure we must needs think of such as his own writings make Angels of Churches Ignatius that was his Disciple according to some in all his Epistles specifieth and sometimes by name the Bishops of some the same Churches and some of others together with their Presbyteries and in particular Onesimus Timothie's successour at Ephesus Tertullian and Ireneus the most ancient we can alledge have named Polycarpus in particular made Bishop of Smyrna by this Apostle It is not possible to say more in this case So often as we find mention of government in particular Churches in Scripture so often we meet with Presbyteries or the heads of Presbyteries Apostles themselves or deriving their charge from the Apostles Nay it is very much not pretending that Bishops came on otherwise then to be in stead of the Apostles over particular Churches that there is so much to be said for their office out of Scriptures all written during their time CHAP. V. The Presbyterie at Antiochia S. Peter and S. Paul heads of the Church there Likewise of that at Rome The difference about their next Successours Epiphanius his conjecture upon it Another Clemens succeeded S. Peter and Linus S. Paul The succession of the Apostles there is unquestionable THe Church of Antiochia is remembred next to that of Jerusalem in the Acts of the Apostles but of the government thereof we have nothing so distinct or expresse in Scripture Yet this we reade Acts xiii 2. Now there were in the Church at Antiochia certain prophets and teachers And as they ministred unto the Lord and fasted the holy Ghost said Seperate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them And when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them they sent them away That these Prophets and Teachers were all of them Presbyters of that Church is more then can be affirmed because it is nowhere set down But when we reade that they ministred unto the Lord which must be understood of the service of God in their assemblies especially in celebrating the Eucharist and gave imposition of hands we find among the number of them the works of ordinary Ministers when there was no higher rank then that of Presbyters able to do the like For as concerning the Heads of this Church we must have recourse to Ignatius his Epistle ad Magn. where he useth these words For at Antiochia the Disciples were first called Christians Paul and Peter founding the Church And in the Epistle ad Antioch if it be his as the other unquestionably is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is Ye are Pauls and Peters Disciples Remember Euodius that first had the rule of you put into his hands by the Apostles Be he what he will be that writ this let me be bold to say it agreeth marvellous well with what hath been said and with the Scripture In which it is plain there were at the beginning two congregations of Christians at Antiochia one of the Circumcision the other converted from the Gentiles because S. Peter Gal. ii 12. fearing those of the Circumcision withdrew himself and ate no more with the Gentiles In regard of the care of which two congregations performed by S. Peter and S. Paul according to the division agreed upon Gal. ii 9. the words of Ignatius are to be verified where he maketh both Apostles founders of the Church at Antiochia Who finding themselves imployed in other parts of the world took the same course with this Church which S. Paul did with those he commended to Timothy and Titus and put both congregations by that time united and concorporate in one under the charge of Euodius predecessour to Ignatius These two Apostles are usually counted founders of the Church at Rome as well as of that of Antiochia Ireneus iii. 3. Fundantes itaque instituentes beati Apostoli Ecclesiam Lino Episcopatum Ecclesiae administrandae tradiderunt Hujus Lini Paulus in iis quae sunt ad Timotheum Epistolis meminit Succedit autem ei Anacletus Post eum tertio loco ab Apostolis Episcopatum sortitur Clemens Where you see he referreth the foundation of that Church to both the Apostles as doth Dionysius also of Corinth some hundred and twentie years after their death in Eusebius Eccles hist. iii. 26. and others of later stamp sans number Whereupon Epiphanius Haer. 27. reckoning the succession of the Bishops of Rome putteth Peter and Paul in the first place But yet observe further the difference between the words of Ireneus which put Linus after the Apostles and the Latine Church which according to S. Hierome Catal. Script in CLEM. reckoneth Clemens in that place which Tertullian the most ancient of that language lib. De Praescript averreth To which difference we may ascribe the confusion that Baronius hath observed in the Pontificall book under the name of Pope Damasus an ancient piece but pieced indeed out of severall writings and crosse to one another divers times As for the purpose when it