Selected quad for the lemma: church_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
church_n	act_n	bishop_n	presbyter_n	3,131	5	10.0517	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85121	A plain-dealing, and plain-meaning sermon, preach't in the parish church of St. Nicholas, Bristol, April. 6. 1660. Being the day appointed by the Parliament for publique fasting and humiliation for the sins of the nation, &c. Together with a prefatory epistle, and subsequent vindication both of the sermon, and author. Wherein (besides an apology for home and plain-preaching) you have something offered to allay the heat of thier stomacks, and to temper the tongues of those, who (being ignorant in scripture) reproach and revile Presbytery and Presbyters. With some hints at Satans subtlety, and the mischief of those people, who brand zeal for God and truth (in free, home, and faithfull preaching) with the reproachful names of anger, passion, and railing.	Farmer, Ralph.	1660 (1660)	Wing F443; Thomason E1025_5; ESTC R208684	39,155	50

you one thing According to the usuall apprehension and among us in England what was the office and businesse of a Bishop And what is the office and business of a Presbyter You 'l say the office of a Bishop was to rule and govern for so they did And the office of a Presbyter or Elder is to teach and feed the Flock But now doth the Scripture thus distinguish and put a difference No but if there be any to be found there 't is on the other side the leaf That puts the honour of ruling upon the Presbyters the Elders and the businesse of teaching and feeding upon the Overseers the Bishops 1 Tim. 5.17 The Elders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Presbyters that rule well are worthy of double honour And the Apostle in Acts 20. puts the businesse of feeding one part whereof is teaching upon Bishops For vers 28. Take heed sayes he unto your selves and to all the flocke over which the holy Ghost hath made you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bishops so in the Greek to feed the Church of God See here you are made Bishops to feed Elders to rule and Bishops to feed So that by this it seems in the Apostles times the Bishop was not the better man But beloved are you willing to know the truth and wil you not kick against it when 't is laid plainly before you Why then know that then in the Apostles time Presbyter and Bishop were all one And that as the before-commended Mr. Lawson hath it whatsoever some of late have said to the contrary Presbyter and Bishop were onely two different words signifying the same Officer And for evidence undenyable do but read the 17. verse of that Chapter Acts 20. and there you shall finde who those persons are whom he calls Bishops or Overseers even the Presbyters the Elders of the Church of Ephesus put both together and it runs clearly thus St. Paul said to the presbyters or Elders of the Church of Ephesus Feed the flocke of God over which the holy Ghost hath made you Bishops I wonder why our last Translators of the Bible did not render it Bishop here but Overseer which they have not done in any other place where this word is used But I know the mysterie and I could give you some account as I have been credibly informed But to be short compare 1 Tim. 3.1,2,3 c. with Titus 1.5,6,7 c. and you shall finde the qualifications of a Bishop and of an Elder or Presbyter to be the same And in that place to Titus if you compare in 5. verse and the 7th you shall finde the Apostle using Elder and Bishop as synonimous signifying the same This is plain the Apostles themselves were not the onely Bishops even in the Apostles times And to close all in this particular let that place 1 Pet. 5. beginning be considered where St. Peter writing to the severall Churches as appears Chap. 1.1 in that 5th Chap. he exhorts the Presbyters or Eldrs to a faithfull discharge of their duty which is a diligent feeding their Flock without lording it over them much lesse over their fellow Elders vers 2 3. of which he professes himselfe to be one in vers 1. The Elders or Presbyters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which are among you I exhort who am 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 also a Presbyter or Elder a fellow-Presbyter or a Presbyter together with you Feed the flock of God which is among you taking the oversight thereof so we read it but in the Greek it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 playing the Bishops or doing the work or businesse of Bishops So that then Bishop and Presbyter both name and thing Title and employment was all one without any domination according to the rule and Canon of their Lord and Master Mar. 10.42 where a request having been made in the behalf of some of his Disciples for domination he calls them to him and sayes Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over Gentiles or Heathens exercise Lordship over them and their great ones exercise authority upon them But so it shall not be among you c. Much more might be said and is said by others in this matter And if any desire further information satisfaction herein let them without prejudice read Mr. Baxters five Disputations of Church-government and worship and there they shall finde these things plainly and truly stated and discussed What then will some say you would have all leveld and equal And you would have every Minister every Presbyter a Pope to domineer and Lord it in his own Parish Friends be not too hasty I do not say so nor would I have it so I would not have all equall all are not fit for every thing I am not of their opinion who say all things requisite to government and discipline in the Church are fully contained I mean punctually and particularly in Scripture Nor do those who say so make it good in their practice nor can they And I say further That opinion hath been the mother and nurse of much schisme and faction I grant that much here must be left to prudence and that not of single or particular Pastors Presbyters or Bishops but to the consideration and determination of the most godly learned grave and able in the Nation to which I would have all to conform If any like it not they are at their liberty Vnity and order is more precious then to be destroyed for the satisfaction of such as will never be satisfied as not well knowing their owne mindes And as for Lordly dominion and Poping it in our Parishes I do professe I do abhor it under every form I as much adhominate a lording Presbyter as a lording Bishop no name title or pretext whatsoever gives us any such authority And I would begge as I do desire that we might be kept to that which shall appear to be our proper businesse which if those of our profession had been England had not been in so sad a condition as it is this day I like not the Scotch Stool of Repentance nor would I have excommunicate persons driven into the Church again by the secular power As by Writs de excommunicato capiendo or the like It may force men to an hypocritical acknowledgment of some kinde of penitence but it cannot produce true repentance I would have Church-censures reach no further nor cut any deeper then their spiritual sword will penetrate I approve not rigid compulsions by the arme of flesh in such things which are the onely work of the spirit as is true and unfeigned repentance Of which if people by constraint make a feigned profession it doth but harden them in their sin and make them impudent which as I have been credibly informed is too manifest in some places of the world notwithstanding the strictnesse of their discipline I would have Church affairs in this respect so managed as if the Civil Magistrate were no friend to Religion farther

and raved at it Oh! that blessed book think they that most excellent book for sports on the Sabboth That was a good a blessed a merry time with us These people are like those Jer. 44.16,17,18 As for the word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the Lord we will not hearken unto thee But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth to burn incense unto the Queen of heaven and to pour out drink-offerings unto her as we have done we and our fathers our Kings and our princes in the Cities of Iudah and streets of Ierusalem For then had we plenty of victuals and were well and saw no evill But since we left off to burn incense to the queen of heaven c. we have wanted all things and have been consumed by the sword and by the famine Well sirs think as you will For my part I thinke that accursed book was none of the least provocations that drew down the judgements of God upon the Nation And yet how glad would many be of this licentious liberty re-introduced And oh for some good Court Bishops to help us in this particular against the Round-heads and these puritanical Presbyterians Beloved Reader I charge this upon the Court Bishops onely For confident I am there were many good and godly Bishops in the Nation who abhorred that execrable thing and yet this is the thing these miserable wretches look for And here let me not be mistaken or mis-reported as if I thought that none but prophane and godlesse persons look and long for the Kings coming No far be it from my soul For I am assured there are many godly and honest hearts sober and discreet persons who earnestly desire it and would be glad to see it But as for prophane and ungodly persons drunkards swearers whoremongers Sabboth-breakers despisers of Religion and godlinesse in the power of it upon what good account can they desire him I leave it to any reasonable man to judge Do they desire it either for the Kings good or their own good certainly no But they are sure if one party whom they how hate should prevail they shall still walke in their chains and fetters but from another they hope at least for freedome And should they be hampered and restrained by that other they would hate both alike For 't is not this person or that person this party or that which is the quarrel or offence But the old enmity of opposition and hatred between the two seeds of godly and ungodly And if the King be as by some he is reported which God grant godly and shall shew it by his curbing their wickednesse they will not like him long but would be weary of him And clearly the observation and information of their prophanesse the last Fast day is to me yea and to any considering person a sufficient argument of their ungodlinesse and these onely are the men I spoke of and desired to consider the vanity of their expectations That if it had been the will of God I might have been instrumental to undeceive but some one of them and see how they requite me for my labour But I shall not lose it And truly although these be the persons I chiefly aym at as most worthy of reprehension Yet since I am now discharging my conscience in this way of writing which I think not to do again I would beg leave to advise some of our more civill and moderate opponents in one particular 'T is too easie and familiar with many of you upon the least provocation sometimes without it to return upon us with the word Presbyterian by way of reproach as a Nick-name and to inveigh against Presbytery But Sirs do you understand what you do It 's true the Bishops have a long time kept the name and thing in a kind of silence under hatches But will you without passion and partiality and as in the presence of God for so I desire to deale with you be informed in the truth Then I must tell you this one thing the Scripture speaks more of and for Presbyters then Bishops Not that I bring this as an argument to prove Presbytery to be more sacred then Episcopacy For I thinke them both so alike and I intend not to handle that controversie My designe is to let you know if the Scripture may rule you you may as well speak scornfully of Bishops as Presbyters and of Episcopacy as of Presbytery For I tell you again the Scripture makes oftner mention of Presbyters then Bishops Now for your information and to clear this to you you must know that the word presbyter though we by use make it English is a Greek word which we in our English Bibles have always translated by the word Elder It comes from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Senex one that 's old And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is Senior one that 's Elder And this word is used in Scripture sometimes in a naturall sense to signifie one elder in age and sometimes in an ecclesiastical sense for an Officer in the Church of Christ Now it was my purpose to have examined all the places in the Greek Testament where the word Presbyter is used and to have observed how many times it was used in an ecclesiastical sence signifying a Church-Officer But the day before the writing hereof there came very happily to my hand a Book lately published by one whose other workes praise him in the gate and this not a little scil Mr. George Lawson Politica Sacra which saves me some labour which I am willing to embrace at this time for hast-sake especially from such an Author And he tells me page 139. of that Book that he finds the word Presbyter in an ecclesiastical sence and notion about sixteen times in the New Testament And now as for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is sometimes translated an Overseer as Acts 20.28 and sometimes a Bishop I could quickly number them for 't is but five times used and one of them is spoken not of an ordinary Church-officer but of our Lord Christ Jesus 1 Pet. 2.25 So that I say the Scripture makes more use and more often mention of the word Presbyter then Bishop and therefore not so to be slighted and reproached or to be used as a terme of disgrace to any man unlesse you have a mind to disgrace the Scripture which thus honours Presbyters and Presbyterians above Bishoips Yea but Bishops are above them How know you that They were so and so have a long time that 's true But did the Scripture put them there Good sirs let no man be angry with me if I express my mind freely I mean not to make a quarrel of it nor contend with any man about it for I have better work to do then nodum in scirpo quaerere But where doth the Scripture put a Bishop above a Presbyter Let any man in the world shew me the place Shall I ask

then that those who professe it and live peaceably may be protected by him from outward violence No let the beauty excellency benefit and necessity of the communion of the Church with the priviledges thereof be clearly layd open to the people Let the hazard danger and mischief of just excommunication be declared and urged upon them And let all Christians with draw all countenance and unnecessary lessowship and society from them according to the Scriptures And if the sense shame and grief thereof with other such considerations set on by the spirit of God will not humble them Let them alone till the Lord cometh But then I would not have those who are by just excommunication cast out of one Church or Congregation received in into another for this were the way to make Conventicles of Hereticks Schismaticks blasphemers and all manner of prophane and ungodly ones And in this I conceive the Civill Magistrate is much concern'd especially being a Christian For 't is found too true by sad experience that factions in the Church beget fractions in the State And therefore my soul longs for such a happy day wherein by the favourable aspect of Christian Magistrates all wayes of faction separation and division may be fore-cluded And if men be otherwise minded let them sit still and be quiet Or if they will be doing it were good if they would go and gather Churches among the heathen and not intrude themselves into other mens labours This which I have now declared was and is onely to allay the heat of those mens stomacks who being altogether ignorant of what the Scripture hath and saith in the behalf of Presbyters and Presbyterians do so slight and vilifie them as to make the name and thing a reproach unto them You may as well call a man prick-eard Christian as prick-ear'd Presbyterian And I have done this to give you timely warning and to prevent your prophanesse If you will not leave it know however you scorn them the Scripture honours them and take heed of kicking against the pricks Your prophanesse is that I complain of and if you will go on Dominus venit And now I have one thing more to speak to and then manum de tabula and it is to fore-warn or rather after-warn you for it hath been too long practised of another evill and that is reproaching zealous home and plain down-right preaching with the odious names of passion anger and railing And let me tell you this is no other then Sathans subtlety to render our preaching unto you unprofitable and ineffectual We confess we are men subject to passion yea and sinfull passion as others are Iam. 5.17 Instances might be given from Scripture of the Lords most precious Saints and servants in this sad particular But what then Is plain and home and down-right preaching passion and railing Take heed of that Nay is it not lawful sometimes to be angry and in passion Eph. 4.26 Be angry and sin not A man may be angry and not sin Nay 't is a sin not to be angry sometimes Is not the Lord himselfe said sometimes to be angry And can he sin It 's true St. Paul would not have a Bishop or Presbyter soon angry Tit. 1.7 not suddenly lightly hastily But doth that infer he should not be angry at all Nay rather doth it not infer the contrary He may he must be sometimes angry Would you be drunke and swear and curse and prophane Gods Sabboths and hate and scorn strict profession of Religion and openly declare your enmity and shall not must not we be angry Must we not reprove you sharply cuttingly So the word properly signifies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I 'le tell you sirs That which you call anger and passion and railing is in Scripture call'd zeale Tit. 1.13 I could be large in this particular but there is so much in this kind done to my hand already by a worthy and reverend brother and that in print in a little book called Elias Abatement or Corruption in the Saints Being a Sermon preached by Mr. Thomas Case at the Funerals of a godly Minister one Mr. Gualter Roswel I say this being so excellently and fully done to my hand I shall forbear the further prosecution from my own thoughts Onely because every one hath not that Book and some may meet with this who possibly may never meet with that And for that prejudice against Ministers upon this account is so great a mischief to them especially to their people being as I said a device of Sathan to hinder the entertainment of their Doctrine I shall take so much pains as to lay before you some of that which that Reverend Author hath to this purpose and which he did in vindication of that deceased brother who it seems was changed to be a man passionate and cholerick In the first place he confesses he was a man in whom the black adust humour of choler had predominance in his natural constitution and who can help that And he sayes that many times gave a tincture to his discourse and actions which standers by more censorious then candid interpreted to his unjust prejudice Then he gives him a high commendation for his eminent gifts parts and abilities comparing him in his measure to Elias and John the Baptist in many things Amongst others he says his Ministery was a thundring Ministery and I would to God sayes he we had more of them there is need of them And because t is so good and pertinent take more Thunder says he purgeth the air And if so we have need of more such sons of Thunder amongst us and not such as will sing Placentia unto people Sow pillows under their elbows and sing men to Hell with sweet Lullabies of peace peace when there is no peace Our air is pestilentiously infectious in the sense of our spirituall Physitians and our Climate is mortally infected with the pests of heresies and blasphemies and with the putrid stench of all manner of poysonous lusts which is the fatall source of all our plagues both in Church and State and this our precious brother saith he was deeply sensible of And hence it was that his spirit was warmed within him to a more then ordinary degree of zeal in his Ministery And he says his courage was rival with his zeal he feared not the face of any man but would boldly reprove as Elias even the highest In all the Changes that went over his head in all the Controversies of the times wherein he exercised his Ministry he was a most strenuous assertor of the Truth and a most couragious opposer of errour and innoviation and that even while some higher then others by head and shoulders in their own eyes did basely and unworthily betray their cause he feared not the face of man in the cause of Jesus Christ He durst tell the greatest person he had to do with of their faults upon just occasion in the worst of Times He was a hammer