Selected quad for the lemma: christian_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
christian_n	christian_a	church_n	pastor_n	1,389	5	9.1051	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A61666	Poimnē phylakion, The pastors charge and the peoples duty a sermon (for the most part) preached at the Assembly of ministers at Exon, June 7, 1693 / by Samuel Stoddon.	Stoddon, Samuel.	1694 (1694)	Wing S5714; ESTC R645	61,189	172

the Teaching and Ruling Authority together and committed it in conjunction to the same hands But what God hath joined together let no man put asunder Quest 3. By what Laws must they be ruled Sol. Not by Laws of mens devising which they are wont to accommodate to the service of their own Inclinations and Ends but by the written Laws of his own prescription The Oeconomy is Spiritual and Divine and so must the Laws be by which it is administred Other Foundation can no man lay than that is laid which is Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 3.11 The Foundation of Government and Discipline as well as of Doctrine and Worship is laid by Jesus Christ and whoever lays any other Foundation in either of these entrenches on Christ's Prerogative and shall do it to his own peril Tho' in the necessary Circumstantials of all these humane Prudence and Authority hath a determining power for the Order Peace and Edification of the Church but not to its destruction or disturbance I say the necessary Circumstantials but unnecessarily to multiply Circumstantials under the Notion of Indifferents and on pretence of Decency or Authority is a very unacceptable and offensive piece of Superstition and to impose them as the indispensible terms of Communion on such as are not satisfied about them is not the least Instance of Church-Tyranny Church Officers are but Christ's Deputies and not Lords of Gods Heritage and therefore must rule by Christ's Laws For he is our Judge our Law-giver and our King Isa 33.22 Our Power is but to execute 't is he that must make and give the Laws And what these Laws are and where to be found I need not say the Holy Scriptures are his Statute-Book If they speak not according to this Rule it is because there is no light in them 2. The Rulers If there be some to be ruled there must be others to Rule Relata se simul ponunt tollunt qui novit unum Relatorum novit alterum Yet here it will be enquired who are those that are to Rule I shall not take notice of the Regal Power or how far it being Christian it extends both over Pastors and People not only as Civil Subjects but as Christian Churches and not only in the things of men but in the things of God but shall refer my Reader for this to Mr. Baxter of National Churches and to others that have written of it it being forreign to my present Text. But as Pastors and People are two distinct Political Bodies so there must be two distinct Forms of Government proper to each of them I shall speak 1. Of the People These are to be rul'd and not to rule in the House of God I know this is an hard saying and that there are many that can badly bear it nor would I thus displease them could I help it and yet be faithful Those that are for a Democracy seem to be guided by the same Spirit as they were Numb 16.3 Who gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron and said unto them ye take too much upon you seeing all the Congregation is holy every one of them Wherefore then lift ye up your selves above the Congregation of the LORD That the Tribe of Reuben should be guilty of such a thing was not so strange but great pity it was that any of the Tribe of Levi should conspire with them There is no Minister of Jesus Christ that can consent to such an Usurpation and be innocent and true to the Trust committed to him Let those that are for the Peoples ruling in the Church of Christ shew us when and where the Keys of Government or any one of them was put into any of their hands Where did our LORD make them partners with us in the Government of his Church Or what part of the Governing Office and Work was it that he assigned to them Herein I am sorry that I must dissent not only from Men of an inferiour Note and more Heterodox Principles but from the Learned Calvin too and almost all that follow him For I could never yet find in Scripture any such Officer as a non-preaching ruling Elder appointed of Christ or of his Apostles in the Church The one and only Officer that Christ himself made was the Minister of his Word the Evangelical Pastor whose work was to feed and to rule the Flock To which the Apostles afterward added the Office of the Deacons as Servants to them and Helps in the meaner part of their work as may be seen Act. 6. begin and as Moses did for the ease of his Government by the advice of Jethro Exod. 18.18 c. Which tho' it be Apostolical yet cannot be said to be Primarily but only Secundarily Jure Divino The Scriptures that are alledged in favour of this Ruling Lay Elder do not as I think prove any such conclusions which I shall now examine and leave all to the consideration of such as can without prejudice weigh what I am now bold to offer One Text we have Rom. 12.6 7 8. To which I have this exception If the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that ruleth be here mention'd as a distinct Officer in the Church then why not all the rest of which we have these seven in this one Scripture viz. he that prophesieth he that ministreth he that teacheth he that exhorteth he that giveth he that ruleth and he that sheweth mercy But if we go to work in this way how will Offices be multiplied in the Church beyond all that was ever intended or imagined And then 1 Cor. 12.28 29 30. where we have no less than nine mention'd among which we find 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which they would have to signifie the Ruling Lay-Elder and so we would believe too could they prove that all the rest here mentioned were so many Offices in the Church They insist very confidently on these words of sanction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God hath set and appointed but why this word which hath undeniably an equal relation to all should make or prove one to be an Office and not another I confess is a depth that I am not able to fathom Here as I think the great mistake lies that Gifts and Offices are confounded The Apostle 1 Cor. 12.4 5 6. very plainly distinguishes between Gifts Administ ations and Operations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Where by Gifts are meant the Abilities bestowed upon the Offices or Administrations in order to the operations or effects of them to the edifying of the Church Now in the fore-mention'd Scriptures we find a diversity of Gifts and Operations but Gifts and Offices are not the same But there is one Scripture more which hath been already quoted on the Doctrinal part of this Discourse which seems to speak more fully to their purpose and to make a distinction between Preaching and Ruling Elders viz. 1 Tim. 5.17 Let the Elders that Rule well be accounted worthy of double honour especially they who