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	paul_n	timothy_n	3,216	5	10.2195	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A86198	The vnlavvfulnes and danger of limited prelacie, or Perpetuall precidencie in the Church, briefly discovered.	Henderson, Alexander, 1583?-1646.	1641 (1641)	Wing H1444; Thomason E206_5; ESTC R212599	12,364	23

are called (e) 1. Pet. 5.1 Elders But this is not reciprocall for the ordinary and inferiour are never called by the names of the extraordinary and superiour the Deacon is not called an Elder nor the Pastor by the name of the Apostle or Evangelist It is true that Barnabas is called an Apostle (f) Acts 14.4 and 14. because he was an Apostle of Christ as Paul was Titus and others (g) 2 Co. 8 13. and Epaphroditus (h) Phil. 8.23 are onely called Apostles or Messengers of the Church Whence it must follow that the Office of a Bishop is not an Office superiour to the Office of a Pastor since the name Bishop is common to the Pastor and that the Office of a Bishop and the Office of a Pastor are not different but one and the same office Since the names are altogether common in all the places of the New Testament (i) Acts 20.28 Phil 1.1 1 Tim. 3.2 1 Pet. 5.1 And the Syriacke Interpreter hath translated the one by the other (k) Tit. 1.7 What reason can there be while the Officers are distinguished by their names and the names of Bishop and Pastor are common but that the Office of the Bishop and Elder is one and the same Office the one name signifying sapientiae maturitatem and the other Industriam curae Pastoralis saith Beda No Bishop of Bishops or of Pastors in Scripture We finde that in the Ministery of the New Testament there is a comely beautifull and Divine Order one kinde of Ministers both ordinary and extraordinary being placed in degree and dignity before another as the Apostles before all other Ministers the Pastor before the Elder and Deacon But we doe not finde in Ministers of the same kind that one hath majority of power over others or priority of degree and dignity before others except upon the morall respect of age zeale gifts c. No Apostle is in degree above other Apostles no Evangelist above other Evangelists nor Elder above other Elders no Deacon above other Deacons upon what ground then from Scripture can wee beleeve or conceive that one Pastor is in degree superiour to other Pastors or that in all other sorts of Ministers ordinary and extraordinary there 's all be a parity in their owne kind and onely in the Office of Pastors an inequality The whole power and all the parts of the Ministrie which commonly are expressed Every Pastor hath power of ordination and Jurisdiction by the power of Order and Jurisdiction are in Scripture made common to the Pastor and the Bishop for the Pastor hath power to Preach the Word and minister the Sacraments As one of the Presbyterie hee hath power to lay on hands and ordaine Ministers (l) 1 Tim. 4.14 and hath not onely the Keyes of the inward and private Court of Conscience but hath also committed unto him and his fellow Presbyters the Keyes of the outward and publique Court of Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction and censure and both wayes to bind and loose in when the Apostles first planted the Christian Churches and when they were to depart and were neare unto death they recommended the care of these duties in all the Chruches unto the particular Pastors or Bishops (m) Act. 15.6 Act. 16.4 Act. 20 28 ●9 1 Cor. 5. 1 Cor 14.32 40. 1 Th● 5.12 Tit. 1.9 1. Tim. 5.12 Heb. 13.17 And therefore the Pastor and Bishop are in Scripture one and the same in power and degree neither hath the Bishop any degree or power order or Jurisdiction but that which hee arrogateth to himselfe for the honour of his Priesthood and for setting up his Monarchicall power against the word of God nor ought any such power bee given him A point which is strongly proved by our Divines against Papists and Prelates Ecclesiasticall power was not committed by Christ to any one but to many Power ecclesiasticall not given to one but to many It is not said tell the Bishop or any one of the Church but tell the Church (n) Mat. 18.17 nor was it exercised and acted by any one of the Apostles alone for Paul not a lone but with a Presbyterie laid hands upon (o) 1 Tim. 4.14 Timothy and the Apostles not alone but joyning with the Elders (p) Act. 15. did determine controversies and discerne censures the same also was the practice of the Apostolicke Churches at Corinth Thessalonica and in Asia In all which the Discipline of the Church was exercised by many and not by any one And therefore to exalt a Bishop to any part of his power or any degree of Eminence above his Brethren for exercising this power is against the Institution of Christ and contrary to the practice and patterne of the Apostles and Apostolicke Churches All majority forbidden the Officers All majority and preheminence in this kinde is expresly forbidden by Christ the Kings of the Nationas c. (q) Luke 22 25. according to this the Apostle Peter disclaimeth not pride in majority but majority it selfe (r) 1 Pet. 5.1 Non est dictum sola humilitate sed veritate saith Bernard Non 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prohibet Christus non modum rei sed rem ipsam say others Other wayes that which Tacitus writeth of Otho might have beene applied to them Omnia servilit●r pro dominatione and the temptation of the Disciples was not tyranny but superiority Christ speaketh to them sometimes of Thrones of glory in the Church Triumphant never of any throne of Dignity in the Church Militant If any such throne whether of Ecclesiasticall authority or perpetuall presidence had beene lawfull would hee not at sometimes have taught them what it was and with what cautions and Limitations they were to possesse it as that you shall have precedency of degree Precepts in the Gospell to be interpreted according to the rules of the Precepts of the law but not of power of dignity but not of authority These and the like argments Militant not onely against the exorbitancy of Prelates but against the Prelacy of the Ministers of Iesus Christs and if wee will as indeed must understand the commandements of Christ in the Gospell (ſs) Mat. 5.19 〈◊〉 27 33 43. according to the rules agreed upon in the interpretation of the precepts of the Law we must confesse that not onely the Tyranny the Pride the Pompe the Priority and power of Lord Bishops but all the parts all the degrees meanes causes Incentives occasions provocations beginnings and appearances of these evils are forbidden and that we are commanded to stop the way with thornes (t) Hos 2.6 least they returne to their former lovers and to hide all their earerings that they be not found againe (u) Gen. 35.4 Rule of reformation from the prime times If the reformation of Episcopacy be intended we must not take our rule and patterne from ancient and Primitive times but

from the first times and from the very beginning as Christ in the matter of divorcement did not speake of Davids or Abrahams or Lamech's times but of Adams saying but from the beginning it was not so so must we in the matter of this divorcement ascend not to the times of Augustine or Cyprian or Ignatius but to the times of Christ and the Apostles and to the first Institution of the Ministerie at the beginning and so much the more because many of the Fathers did unwittingly bring forth that Antichrist which was conceived in the time of the Apostles and therefore are incompetent Judges in the question of Hierarchie and upon the other part the lights of the Christian Church at and since the beginning of Reformation have discovered many secrets concerning the Antichrist and his Hierarchie which were not knowne to former ages and have shewed us that at the beginning there was no kinde of difference of a Bishop from a Presbyter The way of defection is broad and easie of which we have domestick examples In this Iland in fewer yeeres the Church of Scotland suffered a great Eclipse in fewer yeers ours was greater and darkenesse had covered the Land if the Lord had not prevented us Suppose Episcopacie were shaven and stript naked of all externall Limited Prelacy unlawfull and heterogeneall pompe and power and of the internall power of sole ordination and jurisdiction suppose nothing were left unto the Bishops but a perpertuall presidence in Church assemblies and Synodes Suppose him to be chosen by the Clergie and to be subject to their censure as other Ministers and suppose all the cautions and limitations that can be devised be put upon him to keep him within his bounds from exorbitancie yet still is he such a plant as God never planted rooted not in Scripture but in the Earth and bringing forth such fruites as can neither bee acceptable to God nor profitable to men This degree and primacie of order by which hee is lifted up above his brethren cannot bee separated from some primacy of power and when it meeteth with ambition and opportunitie of advancement through the favour of Princes or the neglect of another time whether carelesse or more carefull about other matters it shall gather strength againe and regaine what it now looseth by the rasour of Reformation shall of a Consull make a dictator and pull downe the house which it made even now to shake Election doth nor hinder his power to be Episcopall for not onely inferiour Bishops are chosen by their Chapters but the Pope also by his conclave of Cardinals neither will this hinder his power to be Episcopall because it is under a Synod for the best of the Papists hold that the Pope subject to an oecumenicall Councell Woefull Experience hath taught that from this perpetuall presidence and Primacy of order Prelacy and Popery inseparable as the first step of the ladder Antichrist hath mounted up to the Primacy of power to Archiepiscopall dignitie to be a Patriarch and at last to be universall Bishop and Antichrist and shall we now after the mystery of iniquitie is made manifest allow him in this land the first step of the Ladder establish him thereby and not turne him quite off and overturne the ladder it selfe this were a dangerous recidive this were twise to make shipwracke and the second because wilfull worse then the first where before wee were patients now to be agents in so great an evill and to make that which was before against our will our evill of paine now by our wilfull errour to be our evill of sinner were it not better by the totall ruine of Episcopacie to give example to other Churches whose eyes are upon us by doing the like to pull downe the Pope to put him out of hope to rise againe in this Church and to make all Papists despaire to regaine this Kingdome to the Roman religion it being their owne declaration that were all England once brought to approve of Bishops it were easie to reduce it to the Church of Rome (a) Cutzen pol Li● 2. c. 18. Limitation of Prelacy will proue weake by the example of the Church of Scotland All bonds and limitations although many although strong although made never so wisely will prove but weake to keep them in order and beare downe their aspiring Ambition which our neighbour Church of Scotland for the greater part did not beleeve at first and which we could hardly be induced to beleeve now were wee not taught by their example for in the yeere one thousand sixe hundred the Church of Scotland being met in a General Assembly at Montrose these cautions and limits were agreed upon the Kings Majesty consenting 1. That the Minister chosen to this place shall not be called Bishop but Commissioner of such a place 2. That hee shall neither propound to the Parliament any thing in name of the Church without their expresse warrant and direction nor shall he keepe silence or consent to any thing prejudiciall to the weale and liberty of the Church under the paine of deposition 3. Vnder the paine of Infamy and Excommunication he shall at every Assembly give accompt of the discharging of his Commission and shall submit himselfe to their Censure and stand to their determination whatsoever without appellation 4. He shall content himselfe with that part of the Benefice which shall be assigned him not prejudging any of the Ministers in their livings 5. He shall not dilapidate his benefice 6. He is bound as any other Minister to attend his particular Congregation and shall be subject to the tryall and censure of his owne Presbitery and Provinciall assembly 7. Hee shall neither usurp nor claim to himselfe any power of jurisdiction in any point of Church government more then any other Minister 8. In Presbiteries Provinciall and generall assemblies he shall behave himself in all things and be subject to their censuring as any of the Brethren of the Presbitery 9. At his admission to his Office he shall swear and subscribe to fulfill all these points under the paines foresaid otherwise not to be admitted 10. In case he shall be deposed he shall no more voyce in Parliament nor injoy his Benefice 11. He shall not have voyce in the Generall Assembly unlesse he be authorised with Commission from his own Presbytery 12. Crimen ambit●● shall be a sufficient cause of deprivation 13. The Generall Assembly which the advise of the Synod shall have power of his nomination or recommendation 14. He shall lay down his Commission annuatim at the foot of the Generall Assembly to be continued or changed as the Generall Assembly with his Majesties consent shall think fit 15. Other cautions to be made as the Church shall sinde occasion The godly and sincere Ministers disliked this course altogether and some did protest against it but others loving preheminence above their Brethren and hunting after fatter Benefices did consent themselves and