Selected quad for the lemma: church_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
church_n	apostle_n	bishop_n	ephesus_n	3,999	5	11.0253	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