Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	bishop_n	church_n	presbyter_n	1,664	5	10.2707	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A67119	Eleutherosis tēs aletheias, truth asserted by the doctrine and practice of the apostles, seconded by the testimony of synods, fathers, and doctors, from the apostles to this day viz. that episcopacie is jure divino / by Sir Francis Wortley ...	Wortley, Francis, Sir, 1591-1652.	1641 (1641)	Wing W3637; ESTC R34763	18,183	38

run cleare down to the after times I have to his end above defined Episcopum a Bishop if we observe what he is then shall we evidently see whether Saint Paul did institute such a calling or no Of Civill Bishops I speake not but of Spirituall A Bishop of this kind I defined to be Presbyterum cum additamento superioritatis quoad regimen in Ecclesia he governs the Clergie and their flocks in spirituall matters Bishops of this Kind Saint Paul did institute He made Timothy and Titus Episcopos Cleri Gregis quoad regimen in Ecclesia Bishops of the Clergie and their flocks and to have Ecclesiasticall government over them whereas before they were but Presbyters or Disciples brought up under him By this institution were other Presbyters made subordinate to them in governing and teaching the Church Which to prove I thus argue He that is ordained and so ordained that hee hath power Constituere Presbyteres per civitates to ordain presbyters in every City is greater then those who have no such power in their Cities or Churches and those who may correct what is defective are superiour to those for whom matters defective are corrected But Titus and Timothy had such power given them and did so correct things defective and none of the Presbyters had the same from the Apostles Therefore I conclude undeniably that Titus and Timothy were superiors as Bishops over their Presbyters in their severall charges and Divisions viz Titus in Creet and Timothy in Ephesus That they had this power given them by Paul appeares 1. Tim. 5. 22. Lay hands suddenly on no man Tit. 1. 5. For this cause I left thee in Creet that thou shouldst set in order things which are wanting and ordain Elders in every City as I had appointed thee If any other in these Churches could have ordained Presbyters why was Timothy sent to Ephesus and Titus left at Creet for this very purpose And if the Cretians and their Presbyters could have set in order things defective what neede was there that Tit. alone should have this commission Saint Ierom himselfe who was accounted no great friend but rather harsh against Episcopacie in his Epistle to Evagrius pag. 329. gives us this as a distinction {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} remarkable betwixt a Presbyter and a Bishop saying Quid facit excepta ordinatione Episcopus quod non facit Presbyter What doth a Bishop except the ordaining of others which a Presbyter doth not And it is worth the observation that the ancient Father and great Champion for the blessed Trinity Athanasius hath in his second Apologie viz. that Colythus a Presbyter of the Church of Alexandria had constituted Presbyters but what became of them Rescissa est haec ejus ordinatio omnes ab eo constituti in laicorum ordinem redacti fuere The ordaining of others by him was made invalid and they who were ordained by him were degraded and made Laicks So then you see that Bishops are in this eminenter superiores Presbyteris eminently superior to Presbyters having power affirmative and negative by the opinion and practice of the ancient Fathers This confirms what the Apostles had taught practised and appointed others in place above the ordinary Presbyters to do Now I come to shew a second difference betwixt a Bishop and a Presbyter and wherein a Bishop hath eminentem superioritatem a cleere superiority above a Presbyter That is excommunication and was called Mucro Episcopalis the Episcopall weapon and was a power given to Bishops successors of the Apostles and was ever practised by them This appears in that an account of it was and is expected at their hands as is manifested by the quarel which our blessed Saviour had against the Angell of the Church of Pergamus namely that he suffered some of his Church who held the doctrine of the Nicolaitans and against the Angell of the Church of Thyatira viz. That hee suffered the woman Iezabell to teach and seduce the people By this it is apparent that Christ expected they should doe what they had by their places power to doe namely that they being Angells of their Churches whom I affirme to bee also Bishops therof and successors to the Apostles as is sufficiently proved by the most reverend and learned Arch-bishop of Armach and by Beza himselfe called {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} men in place above others should haereticos coercere ex Ecclesia ejicere Keepe under Heretikes and cast them out of the Church If here it be objected that wee must not argue from darke and mysticall places of Scripture such as the Apocalypse I answere that I argue from a plain place and from the plain words and direct scope of the place not the mystical sense or interpretation Neither can we here admit of that distinction that Angelus is in this place to bee taken collectively pro tota Ecclesia for the whole Church For I conceive that there is not a word in the Scripture but hath its weight and was it not as easie to have said Ecclesiae as Angelo Ecclesiae if Angelus had not something more in it then Ecclesiae And why not Angelus Ecclesi● but Angelus Ecclesiae The Angell the Church but the Angell of the Church if it had beene to be taken collectively But the tearmes be distinct and of a different force like those panis Domini the bread of the Lord and panis Dominus bread representing the Lord Besides to return to Timothy and Titus they are injoyned to command others {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} not to teach other doctrine and obturare ora deceptorum haereticos rejicere to stop the mouthes of deceivers and to reject Hereticks These things were commanded them and an account accordingly exspected of the performance thereof which manifestly proves that every Church had his Angelum who had Episcopall authority and jurisdiction eminent above other inferior Clergie-men And not many Angels in each of these Churches all of equall authority and place Or at least the Angell in each of the seven churches was so absolute in his power that he was {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} chief Governour the Presbyters assistants to him he a spirituall Justicer and of the Quorum they of the Counsell The difference also of Episcopal authority from that of Presbyters appears in the cause of excommunication where there was an appeal to the Synods which either confirmd them or dissolved them but none to the people none to the presbyters This is confirmed by the ancient Councill at Nice Can. 5. and at Antioch Can. 6. And Ierom himselfe writing to Riparius concerning Vigilantius an Hereticall Presbyter is angry that the Bishop under whom he was did acquiescere eius furori non virga Apostolica virgaque ferreavas inutile confringere tradere ad interitum carnis ut spiritus salvu● fiat Did quietly give way to his fury

of Episcopacie because the contrary part have not the like proofes warrant and approbation for their Presbytery and can bring no sufficient and convincing authority for a quarterly or yeerely President joynt Presbyters and Lay Elders usurping pastorall and Episcopall jurisdiction And here in confidence of my cause I adde that if they have any lawfull generall Councill or any Synod except their own which established a Church Government by such a President Presbyters and Lay-elders as above I will yeeld the cause Now it concerns us very much to be well advised and truly to judge of these matters because it appeares in that dangerous and seditious Pamphlet concerning the late Protestation that the Author therof and such as he is care not what government be established so that Popery which we wish more rightly then they be abolished Episcopacie and the present government which change how inconvenient it may be they know not be altered and that they may have liberty and toleration which what state wil permit to professe what manner of Religion they make choise of So may we have as many religions as there be at Amsterdam and unpeople all our plantations by calling many phantasticall schismaticks home who under colour of dislike of the Church Government here have fallen out with our Religion and framed to themselves divers opinions if not Religions contrary to ours not only in forme but in reality Seeing there is but one Lord one faith one baptisme one God and father of all let us indevour to keepe the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace that there may be one body and one spirit even as we are called in one hope of our calling Eph. 4. Let us stick fast to that one truth which wee are taught and be stedfast in one faith and agree joyntly with one accord like children of one Father and Mother Let us not lose the honour of our Church Government but reforme the personall errours And since reformation signifies nothing else but the reducing and setting matters into the forme in which they were most perfect let us constantly hold our-selves to the forme kept and practised in the Primitive times and in the first second Cēturies In which we shal find the Order Episcopall Presbyteriall and Diaconall observed and ever since confirmed by Nationall Synods and Councils of our own neere 1400 yeeres agoe or at least 1000 and practised by many Successions before and since What then remayneth but that wee establish the present Government of our Church which is so agreeable to the ancient Constitution As for that which is alleaged by Saint Ierome in his Dialogue against the Luciferians concerning those things which were rather in honorem sacerdotii quam legis necessitate gratia Principum Conciliorum authoritate data collata for the honour of the Ministerie then the necessity of any Law given and bestowed by the bounty of Princes and authoritie of Councils I say for these things I take them not to be Iure divino though Deo data I know that God is to be honoured with our substance and that it is as lawfull since Christs time to vow or give to him according as he blesseth out labours and meanes as it was for David Solomon and their worthies and how offensive it may be to him to alter what is given or vowed as it was of old to change and give a bad lamb for a good I leave to the grave consideration of others Only I here wish that we may save the honour of our deare and aged Mother and punish her sons if any have dishonoured her by Pride Tyranny or Covetousnesse and that the Church and Common-wealth may hold such correspondencie as they did in the daies of David and Solomon and that as Kings were Nursing Fathers and Queenes Nursing Mothers to the Church in her infancie so in her age shee may find Kings to support her if weake and if any of her children be like those of Elies their fathers may correct them so that their Mother be not dishonoured nor ruined To say no more I conclude with that of Saint Augustine Siquid tota Ecclesia hodie per orbem frequentat hoc quin ita sit faciendum disputare insolentissimae est insaniae If any thing at this day be of frequent use in the whole Church to question and dispute whether it ought so to be is a most insolent madnesse Epist. 118. And that it is Aerianisme to say that Presbyters in the common acception are equall to Bishops such namely as were successors of the Apostles and such as Saint Augustine himselfe was This Epiphanius reckons among the ancient Heresies and time hath not bettered it and whether it resembles and comes neere to the Antilogie of Koreh or not my self not being rigid or prone to censure I leave to be determined by others FINIS Object Answ. Object Answ. Object 2. Answ. Of the first point Object Answ. Epist. ad Antioch The second point The third point Object Answ. The fourth point Object Answ.