Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A Word B Word C Word D Occurrence Frequency Band MI MI Band Prominent
book_n call_v king_n year_n 3,080 5 4.8170 4 true
View all documents for the selected quad

Text snippets containing the quad

ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A26203 Englands common-wealth shewing the liberties of the people, the priviledges of Parliament, and the rights of souldiery : with epistles to the persons mentioned ... / written by John Audley ... Audley, John, Preacher of the Gospel. 1652 (1652) Wing A4202; ESTC R1402 34,551 48

There is 1 snippet containing the selected quad. | View lemmatised text

over Bishops when it was said The Lord added to the Church such as should be saved Acts 2. 41 47. Where the Church consisted of them that beleeved having heard the word and were to be saved No mention of Bishops nor of Officers under them Then afterwards we read of Deacons Acts 6. And of Elders Act. 14. and of a Church at Corinth 1 Cor. 1. 1. yea seven times mentioned in 1 Cor. chap. 14. when in the Church every one spake according to his gift as any thing was revealed to him that sat by ver. 30. The Saints made a Church at Corinth though yee read not of any Bishops there then Indeed Paul 1 Tim. 3. 5. doth speake of Bishops Ruling their owne house and taking care of the Church of God and 1 Tim. 5. 17. counts them worthy of double honour who labour in the word and doctrine and Tit. 3. 9. he commands that they be able by sound doctrine to exhort and convince the gain-sayers But Peter bids them Feed the flock of God as much as in you is and be not Lords over or over rule not that heritage 1 Pet. 5. 2 3. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Where note that there ought to be no Lords Bishops over the flock of God And that the people called the flock of God because purchased with the blood of Christ are Gods Clergy as much as Bishops That Elders are to feed the flock of God and by feeding them to exercise rule over them And the highest person in the Church that hath highest place among the people hath but the power {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} which signifieth to feed and Matth. 2. 7. to rule and expresse a kind of simple rule and authority such as by feeding the sheep shepheards have over them Here it appears that when the Church of God had Elders to feed them no men might be Lords therein nor over-rule them but feed them rather And yee may observe that when Paul 1 Cor. 12. 28. mentions helps in Government he names Apostles Prophets Teachers Workers of Miracles But he names not either Bishops Elders or Deacons Shewing that they are not that unum necessarium mainly necessary in the Church And however they are by some numbred among helps in Church Government yet if they be not mainly necessary they are not greatly to be contended for for helps in Government are but of the benè esse not of the esse of the Church for there was a Church and a Church governed before Bishops were in being or once so much as named in the Church of God And although these pretended helps in Government be taken away from amongst us yet here is a Church in England stil without Bishops For generally the Bishops did but pretend to help in the Government of the Church the most of them found occasion against both Ministers People concerning the law of our God Dan. 6. 5. who proving a snare instead of an helpe were justly taken away the Church of England stil abiding a Church without Bishops And if your meaning be That we have no Church i. e. No calling to the Ministry in the Church because there bee no Bishops to give ordination I Answer we must soberly distinguish as before between the Essentialls and the Circumstantialls of a Church so here between the Essentialls and the Circumstantialls of a Ministers Call The Essentialls of a mans Call to the Ministry consists in Christs gifting men for the office or in Christs putting into mens hearts the word of reconciliation to minister thereof to men 2 Cor. 5. 20. 2. In his giving such men willing hearts to preach it 1 Cor. 9. 16. Ordination it self is but an act of conveniency in respect of order not of necessity to give men power to preach the Gospell And for ordination by Bishops that is a circumstance lesse necessary to the Ministers Call It had its time to become expedient for such as would enter in by the door which is Christ but ordination by Bishops was never absolutely necessary to a Ministers Call The Circumstances convenient to the Call of a Minister be divers 1. Some be primo necessariae and precedaneous to ordination in this Call As 1. Nomination from among beleevers such as have gone in and out with us this Justus and Matthias also had Act. 1. 2. Imposition of hands with prayer which came instead of casting of lots 3. Examination of men unknowne 1 Tim. 3. 9 10. 4. Separation to the worke of the Ministry which Barnabas and Saul had Act. 13. Which also is called of some by the name of Ordination and indeed hath been in use as here we see before there were Bishops to use the same 2. Some Circumstances be succedaneous to this Ordination of Ministers As 1. Recommendation from knowne Ministers which Titus had 1 Cor. 16. 10. 2. Election to some place which Paul had to Macedonia Act. 16. 4. 3. Approbation of the people in that place Who gave up themselves first to God and then also to us by the will of God 2 Cor. 8. 5. All these Circumstances doe respect the Bene esse or the good constitution of the calling to the Ministry but the esse of their Call requires them not ordination is no part of the Ministers Call from God for Christ is the doore Christs gifting men for it and his inclining gifted men to minister of that they have received is that unum necessarium to a Ministers Call Such an one glorifies not himselfe to be called a Minister of Christ but hee that is called of God Heb. 5. 5. For this cause the Bishops at the ordination of Ministers had in use to move this Question Are you perswaded yee are truly called to this Ministration Vide Book of making Bishops Priests and Deacons Other men have sent forth Ministers to the work as well as Bishops and other people have called Ministers to the places of their ministration As hath been already proved From all which premises it is plaine that the people of England have a Church and have Ministers lawfully called even now though there be no ordination of Bishops to make them such 3. Here is a State though without a King as Israel of old had before there was any King in Israel And when that Common-wealth after Joshua ruled by Elders for three hundred seventy nine years together See the book of Judges and those Elders obtained a good report through faith Heb. 11. Al this was don before yet God gave them a King in his wrath and before King Saul plaid the Tyrant over that people as an executioner of Gods wrath which was spoken of him 1 Sam. 8. 11 18. True Kings Bishops and their Laws were set up by men for helps in Government of this State Church and Commonwealth but the people lacking help of them and being snared by them they have been rooted out by the Trustees of this Common-wealth yet in want of a King here is a