Selected quad for the lemma: church_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
church_n	angel_n	bishop_n	ephesus_n	3,413	5	11.4256	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A49524	The reformed Presbyterian, humbly offering to the consideration of all pious and peaceable spirits several arguments for obedience to the act for unifromity, as the way to vnity and endeavouring to demonstrate by clear inferences from the sacred scriptures, the writings of some of the ancients, or several old pastors of the reformed churches abroad, and of the most eminent old non-conformists amongst ourselves : as Mr. Josias Nichols, Mr. Paul Baines, and other learned divines : as for Mr. Perkins, Mr. Iohn Randal, and Mr. Rob. Bolton, that there is nothing required by the act for vniformity that is forbidden by the law of God / by Rich. Lytler ...	Lytler, Richard.	1662 (1662)	Wing L3573; ESTC R1525	139,662	290

of two hundred and fourteen Bishops declaring that the power of Ordination is in the hands of Presbyters as well as Bishops Sect. 4. Now who these Bishops were and of how long continuance in the Church that were thus to ordain by the counsel of Carthage I find laid downe by the said Ministers in a quotation of Hieron ad Euagrium pag. 31. and also by Mr. Baxter in Five Dispist pag. 216. which place he saith Bishop Usher told him he alleadged to King Charles at the Isle of Wight to this end when he was asked by him for an instance of Presbyters ordaining Quod autem postea unus electus est qui caeteris praeponeretur in schismatis remedium factum est ne unusquisque ad se trahens Christi Ecclesiam rumperet Nam Alexandriae à Marco Evangelistae usque ad Hieraclem Dionysium Episcopos Presbyteri semper unum ex se Electum In excelsiori gradu collocatum Episcopum nominabant quomodo si excercitus imperatorum facit aut Diaconi elegant de se quem industriam noverint Archidiacon vocant Presbysers then made the first Bishop at Alexandria They elected them as an Army doth a General but a further act is required from others for his Confirmations in that place Now the general scope being to prove the original of Bishops from the Apostles times as appeares by the conclusion of it in Five Disput. 218. omnes Apostolorum successores sunt Sect. 5. From this quotation I shall raise these Observations very much conducing to the Confirmation of what I have taken in hand First that from the Apostles as a remedy against schism by the Election of Presbyters one was elected from amongst themselves Secondly that after his Election thus made by the Presbyters the parity that was before between them then was taken away he being placed in gradu excelsiori and by them called a Bishop was as much above them as was a Generall chosen by his Army and the Lord Mayor of Lond. though chosen by the Livery of the city Thirdly that the first Bishop thus chosen in Alexandria Five Disp●t pag. 218. was S. Mark even in the Apostles time for Mark was martyr'd six years before Peter and Paul as the Ecclesiastical stories do record Fourthly this first Bishop and his Successors continued in this gradu excelsiori and were not Moderators for a time over the rest of the Presbyters but as they were in Saint Marks time by the Electors named Bishops so they continued and were fixed in that Office as appeareth by the said quotation which giveth the same Title to Hieraclas and Dyonisius as they did at first to Saint Mark which Dyonisius I find was the thirteenth Bishop of Alexandria after him and that you may the better perceive how long in the Church of Alexandria it was from Saint Mark to Dyonisius I shall give but a little touch by two of Saint Marks Successors The first after him was Anianus made in the eighth year of Nero's Reign and he continued two and twenty yeares before that Abilius succeeded him Abilius governed the Church in that gradu excelsiori before spoken of thirteen years and dying Cordo succeeded him These three succeeded one another S. John yet living neither had Alexandria any more then two Bishops in 25. years after the death of St. Mark Most confirmed 5 Disput. p. 218. Euseb lib. 2. cap. 24. Idem lib. 3. cap. 13. Idem lib. 3. cap. 21. Sect. 6. Now that the Bishop thus chosen to a higher degree in the Apostles time and the Presbyters did ordain altogether neither of them alone I find by a quotation in Five Disput. pag. 211. from Bishop Vsher saith he Of the many Elders who thus ruled the Church of Ephesus in common there was one President whom our Saviour in his Epistle to this Church in a particular manner styleth the Angel of the Church of Ephesus and Ignatius in another Epistle written about twelve years after to the same Church calleth a Bishop Between the Bishop and the Presbyters there what an harmonious consent there was in the ordering of the Church-government the same Ignatius doth fully declare c. But that the Bishop was the chief over the rest appeareth by the Title that was given him in Tertullians dayes in the same quotation to be Summus Sacerdos From which quotation I observe that in some of the Apostles dayes in the Church of Ephesus though some of the Presbyters were called Bishops in the exhortation that was given them by Saint Paul appointed as Bishop Usher noteth by the Church of England to be read at the Ordination of Priests c. pag. 211. That yet amongst those many Elders who were there called Overseers or Bishops and commanded to oversee and take heed to themselves and to the flock over whom the Holy Ghost had made them Overseers yet that there was one amongst the rest by our Saviour in his Epistle to that Church styled the Angel of the Church of Ephesus and it is observable what he speaketh to him alone by way of approbation Revel 2. I know thy works that thou canst not bear with them which are evil and hast examined them which say they are Apostles and are not and hast found them Lyers Sect. 7. So that it is evident that in those times there was a Superiour in the Ministry that did examine try and find lyers such as said they were Apostles which must needs be such as did take upon them the Ministry of the Word But yet notwithstanding according to the quotation if Bishop Usher in the Fourth Concil of Carthage agreeing with what is before quoted in the Ordination of Presbyters as the Bishop was to lay on his hands so also were the Presbyters then present It was to be therefore a joynt Act and not singly to be done by either in these pure and primitive times of the Church Sect. 8. Now to make a right judgement from this Discourse of the Ordination that hath been in use amongst us for these several late years past as to matter of fact I suppose it will easily be granted that contrary to what was propounded and pleaded for as a great and necessary part of Reformation that the Bishop should not Ordain alone but the Presbyters joyn with him The Ordination of Presbyters hath been without any such Bishop described by Hieron ad Euagrium that hath had either the Name of a Bishop or hath been exalted to a bigher degree then the rest of the Presbyters or hath continued in the exercise thereof as those Bishops did from Saint Marks time to Hieraclas and Dyonisius Sect. 9. I must professe for my part I have been at many Ordinations in the City but could never see any such Person hear of any such Name but both Name and thing have been wanting as described by St. Jerom. The Classes ordaining without any Bishop present alone by themselves and therefore the Ordination that hath been in this