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	time_n	3,239	5	3.7702	3	true

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

assigned his proper services Which further appeareth when he urgeth the example of their sacrifices that were offered before the Temple being first visited 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 54. But the Presbyters of that Christian Church he exhorteth with these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Brethren saith he let every one of you give thanks to God that is Celebrate the Eucharist in his language in his own order being in a good conscience not stepping out of the set rule of his Ministery Perhaps his meaning is that they should celebrate by turns Howsoever here is my reason that there was then no Bishop there because then there could not have been so much debate about the order in celebrating the assemblies of Christians which as shall be shewed afterwards were not to be held but upon appointment of the Bishop with advice of the Presbyters being a mark of schisme to assemble otherwise And if this be not enough there is another to second it Whatsoever may be argued from the dissensions at Corinth one saying I am of Paul another I am of Cephas to shew that there was no Bishop there when the Apostle writ this and in his absence still continueth in force at the time of writing Clemens his Epistle The whole subject whereof is to quell such another dissension as this but onely that it was not under such colourable names of Paul and Cephas and Apollos as he complaineth but which is remarkable to prove my intent was as he saith p. 62. a mere faction for the love of one or two persons against the Presbyters no Bishop bearing any part either at one end or other of it Neither is it marvel that this Church should be still without a Bishop for some ten or twentie years perhaps after the death of the Apostle so many companions of the Apostles being then alive Clemens at Rome Titus in Crete Timothy at Ephesus Dionysius at Athens others elsewhere to furnish whatsoever assistance they had received from the Apostle during his time no otherwise then did Timothy and Titus to those Churches wherein they had planted Presbyteries before they had Bishops And this must be the answer if any man ask the question how Bishops came to be propagated through all Churches the answer must be They were made in due time by the heads of neighbouring Churches which we shall discern anon when we come to speak of the course held from the beginning in the choice and constitution of Bishops And by the practice of the Church it should seem the aim was afarre off to propagate Bishops according to the first practice of the Apostles For as they planted Presbyteries to govern Mother-Churches in Mother-Cities so when it became questionable which Churches should have Bishops and which not the matter was regulated according to the greatnesse of Cities or the multitude of Presbyters which the service of the Churches in them required whereof the Bishops were to be heads And therefore in the Councel of Sardica Can. vi it is provided that there should be no Bishop in towns or small cities where one Presbyter might serve but in those places where Bishops were of old time or if a place became so populous that it might deserve to have a Bishop that is either in Cities that had been so populous of old time as to have Bishops or which should afterwards become so populous But the xvii Can on of the Chalcedon Councel providing against innovation in Dioceses taketh order neverthelesse that when a place is promoted by the Emperour to be a Citie the form of the Church shall go along with the form of the Common-wealth that is it shall have a Bishop and his Diocese the territory of that Citie There is here a difference in the particular and yet the same generall ground of both Canons the practice of the Apostles ordaining Presbyteries to govern the Churches which they had planted in Cities the heads whereof were Bishops after their departure And this seemeth to be the reason why the seats of Cathedrall Churches are wont to be Cities And by this means Italy is so full of Bishopricks because it is so full of Cities CHAP. VII Presbyters govern with the Apostles in Scriptures Nothing done in the Church without their advise Why both ranks are called Sacerdotes Presbyteri Antistites and the like HAving hitherto justified the ground whereupon we go and shewed that Bishops came after the Apostles to be heads of Presbyteries in consequence hereunto it must now be averred that the government of Churches passed in common by Bishops and Presbyters as from the beginning the Presbyters governed with the Apostles themselves If in that great action of the Councel at Jerusalem the Elders of that Church bore their part with the Apostles what cause have we to think they did lesse when they were dispersed S. James alone remaining there If they concurred with S. James in his advise to S. Paul about a matter of greatest weight how to deal with those of the Circumcision that believed shall we imagine they did not do the like with his successours If S. Peter call the Presbyters of the Churches to which he writeth his fellow-Elders it is to the purpose to put them in mind of their share in that office which he chargeth himself with If the Apostle of the Gentiles charge the Elders of the Church of Ephesus Acts xx 18. with their part of that care of Christs flock after his departure which he for his time had performed over them shall we think them eased of it because Timothy came to be Bishop there Rather let me conceive this to be the cause why Timothie's instructions are addressed in the singular number to him alone without mention of his Presbyters because they were to receive their charge by themselves about the same time So farre is it from me to think that his Presbyters were not to concurre in assisting that course of government wherein he alone is directed by the Apostle to proceed And if we can go no further in proving this point out of Scripture the reason must be because as appeareth by that which hath been said the Scriptures for the most part speak of that time when Bishops yet were not but the Apostles themselves To which purpose neverthelesse there will be still something to be said out of the Scriptures in the particulars which we shall survey In the mean time let us take notice of a few passages among many more out of Ecclesiasticall writers to argue the generall whereof we speak Ignatius Epist ad Trall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We cannot understand righter what the Presbytery meaneth then out of these words a Colledge or bench of Assessours to the Bishop in sacred matters The Commentaries under S. Ambrose his name upon 1. Tim. v. 1. speak home to this purpose Nam apud omnes utique gentes honorabilis est senectus unde Synagoga postea Ecclesia Seniores

but under two or three witnesses Them that sinne rebuke before all that others also may have fear But having hitherto shewed that our Lord in the Gospel hath appointed matters of particular offense to come before the Consistory of Bishop and Presbyters That the Apostles themselves in divers matters belonging to the Government of the Church used their assistance That in the Primitive times of the Church even under the Apostles matters of Censure and Ordination both were wont to passe by the Presbyters but in the Assemblies of Christian people Let me referre this to al indifferent persons to judge whether the same course of proceeding were in likelyhood observed in the censure of Presbyters The Apostles direction regulating what information to admit is directed to Timothie alone for the meaning is not that two or three should be present when it is put in but that it should not be admitted but as the Syriack translateth it upon the mouth that is the word of two or three witnesses But the censure of reproof is prescribed to passe in the congregation when he saith them that sinne that is them that are found in fault rebuke before all that others may have fear no otherwise then the censure of the Apostle did and was prescribed to do 1. Cor. v. 4. 2. Cor. ii 6. and therefore we are to think that the examination of such causes must passe as others of like nature by him with the Presbyters to whom the Apostle had assigned a charge of governing the Church there Acts xx 28 35. So the keyes of the Church given to S. Peter and to the Apostles were neverthelesse intended to be exercised by the Church as hath been said So the charge of excommunicating Hereticks is directed to Titus alone Titus iii. 10. But we have no reason therefore to imagine that Titus is directed to proceed otherwise in it then we know the Church was wont to proceed in Censures of that nature according to that which hath been said And so it is in the case that followeth a little after verse 22. Lay hands suddenly on no man neither be partaker of other mens sinnes where the rule of Ordinations is directed to Timothy alone yet have we no cause to believe that it was practiced by him otherwise then according to the form aforesaid joyning with him the Ptesbyters in imposition of hands as was practiced by the Apostle The eminence of their place is to be acknowledged because the Apostles instructions for managing these matters are directed to them alone But their course of proceeding must be measured by that which we know otherwise CHAP. XIV Retaining the primitive form Bishops cannot be abolished How Aerius is counted an Heretick All displeasure against Bishops occasioned by defect of Presbyteries To what purpose they might be restored THat which hath been said being intended to represent the form delivered in Scripture by the agreement of Historicall truth and primitive practice concerneth no more as every man sees then the government of Mother-churches contained in Mother-cities Because that is all the Scripture hath expressed But what influence and effect this ought to have in the present state of the Church now that Dioceses are divided Churches built and congregations assigned is not for a private person to particularize unlesse he meant to build Churches as some men do Castles in the air Let it be enough to say thus much in generall which every man must think that believeth what hath been said to be true that he that aimeth at the Primitive form and that which cometh nearest the institution of our Lord and his Apostles must not think of destroying Bishops but of restoring their Presbyteries Were it but an humane Ordinance of yesterday established by due course of right let me be bold to say that if Aerius withdraw his submission to it he must come within Epiphanius his list of Hereticks not understanding an Heretick in S. Augustines sense wherein Tertullian in his book de praescript went afore him to be none but he that will not believe some point of doctrine necessary as the means of salvation to be believed but according to the latitude of the word taking all to be Hereticks that make Sects and assemble themselves apart besides the Church of God lawfully settled This sense is used in Can. 6. Conc. 1. Constantinop where they are counted Hereticks that hold the sound faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And this latitude it seemeth Epiphanius comprised because he reckoneth the Quartadecimani in the roll of Hereticks These when the position whereupon the separation is grounded is not of weight setting their separation aside to separate them from the invisible Church are since according to the Authors named afore by a proper term called Schismaticks though Hereticks in the proper sense separate no lesse then they do And of this crime my earnest desire is that those which have separated themselves from this Church of England upon this quarrel of government by Bishops or the like unjust or unsufficient causes may stand acquitted though how they will acquit themselves of it I cannot yet perceive But if the rank of Bishops over their Presbyters be not onely a just humane Ordinance but estated in possession of sixteen hundred years without deceit or violence at the beginning let me have leave to think it will be hard to shew a better title of humane right for any estate upon the earth How much more when the possession is avouched to have been delivered from the hands and time of the Apostles must it needs seem strange that the successours of their place should be destroyed by the sons of their faith Be it pardonable for our neighbours and Brethren of the reformed Churches abroad to have overseen the succession of the Apostles because they could not discern it as they found it blended with such abundance of accessories especially in the persons of men that hated to be reformed But among us there hath been time to plead the right to the quick and though not without eagernesse of debate which interesse breedeth yet alwayes with advantage to the true tenure And among the multitude of speech that this time hath bred we have heard little or nothing as yet of new reasons to quell the cause with So that before advancing new plea the old right descending from such hands standeth now in as good terms as ever heretofore As for the point of peace within our selves and correspondence with our neighbours be it considered how large S. Hierom of all Church writers least favourable to the Order as he that found himself pinched with the Bishop of Jerusalem hath been neverthelesse in acknowledging that the peace of particular Churches could not be preserved without it To which we must adde the remembrance of so many happy dayes as this Church since the Reformation hath seen without such ruptures as have fallen out in other parts by the benefit of it among a people alwayes observed to be of all