Selected quad for the lemma: church_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
church_n	bishop_n	call_v	elder_n	6,218	5	9.7137	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77763	A plea for Mr Strong's church-members; shewing they ought not implicitely to submit to his unnecessary and doubtful rules, although for it he threaten to debar them from the Lords Table, or to leave them altogether. / By Thomas Bakewell.	Bakewell, Thomas, b. 1618 or 19.	1650 (1650)	Wing B536; Thomason E610_6; ESTC R206336	7,343	11

Excommunication was inflicted by many 2 Cor. 2.6 not by all as Independents would have it nor by one as the Prelates would have again if in any Society the governed have power to cast out the Governor as the Governor hath power to cast them out this would soon be the bane of all Societies the servant may then as well cast out the master as the master the servant Hagar may as well cast out Abraham as he cast out her and so the son may cast out the father as the father the son which would be the ruine of Church and State immediately yea of all Families and civil Societies The seventh Rule Church-Officers are to be chosen by their Church-Members Ans It is true that Church-members and not Turks and Infidels are to choose Church-officers but through some defect all the members cannot choose them for children and sick persons and those in a journey and excommunicate persons cannot choose them nor women who may not speak in the Church nor servants who do not contribute to their maintenance may not choose them yet all in the Church who are not hindered by such like impediments may choose their Officers yea out of themselves they may choose their Elders and Deacons for saith the Text Look you out from among your selves seven men of honest report and full of the Holy Ghost and Wisdom and they chose Steven and the rest Acts 6.3.5 But those were only chosen for that particular Society where they lived and for no other they were not placed in the Ministry nor in the Universal Church so that if they remove to another Church they cannot take their office with them therefore their power to choose and also to be chosen reacheth no further then their own Society or Congregation But a Minister being chosen to be placed in the Universal Church a particular Church cannot choose them for the Ministry because I say their office is not there confined but if they shall remove to another Congregation they take their office with them yea if he should be cast out among the Heathen he may preach and baptize and so dispence all the Ordinances to them if they will embrace the Christian Faith but if multitudes of other Christians were cast amongst them they can act but as private Christian The Jews being returned from Babylon found that they had no Ministers did not make Ministers of other men but sent to Iddo and his brethren and desired to send them Minsters for the House of God and they sent them a man of understanding of the Tribe of Levi Ezra 8.17 18. And so should other Congregations send to the University for the like blessing When Samaria had received the Christian Faith the Apostles heard of it and sent them Peter and John Act. 8.14 But the Congregation can give the Minister no power to act they cannot put him into the Ministry which are not in it themselves nor give him power to act in other Congregations where they have no power at all It is not said the particular Church but the people of the Land shall choose the Watch-men and not out of their particular Church but out of their Coasts Ezek. 33.2 Now those people of the Land may be Ministers in the University coming thither out of all parts of the Land and yet out of their Coasts or national Church so that hear we grant them to be Church-members although not members of their particular Society and it is a gracious promise that all Governors in Church and State shall be chosen out of the midest of them that is of thy brethren by Nation and not strangers Jer. 30.21 22. Also I grant that a Congregation may choose their own Ministers in relation to themselves being already in the Ministry both elected and ordained by Ministers before for the Ministry but a Congregation may not elect and ordain a Minister into the Ministry Matthias was chosen by a hundred and twenty names of men that is Officers Act. 1.15 When two or three are in the Name of Christ having his Authority they are Church-officers with the power of binding and loosing Mat. 18.17.20 so that 120. was made up of the 70. and 11 Apostles and other preachers which were with them from the Baptism of John Act. 1.21 22. The Officers of Antichrist falling and said to be 7000. names of men Rev. 11.13 and Ministers must be ordained by the Presbytery 1 Tim. 4.14 and not by the people yea when Deacons were chosen out of themselves for their present Society yet they were ordained by the Apostles they prayed and laid their hands on them Acts 6.3 4. Thus far I grant that the Members of a particular Church have power to choose and to be chosen for Church-officers but no further The eight Rule The Officers instituted by Christ in the Church are Pastors Elders and Deacons whose callings and qualifications are plainly laid down in the Word Now to this last Rule I shall willingly subscribe if you do not limit and restrain your Officers from acting and make meer Cyphers of them having but the bare names of Officers and yet give the least Member in the Congregation as much power if not more to act then he making them to punish those whom every member but themselves shall think fit giving them no power at all to judge and censure but to execute the censure of all other members whether he thinks the censure just or not but Ministers are sometimes called Elders in regard of their Power in the Church and the rest charged to obey them Heb. 13.7.17.24 Tit. 5.17 and sometimes they are called Pastors to feed them with knowledge and understanding Ier. 3.15 and sometimes they are called Bishops or Over-seers in regard of their pains and labour vigilency and aptness to teach the flock 1 Tim. 3.1 2. and also to defend them from Wolves that would devour the flock and likewise to maintain the Office of ruling Elders who also are placed in the Church to strengthen the Disciples and to take care that the poor be provided for of that society and that the Collections be gathered and disposed by the Deacons as they shall appoint for to them should the stock of the poor be committed when relief was sent to the Churches in Judea it was committed to the Elders Act. 11.30 and also their work is to deside controversies when private Brethren cannot do it then saith the Text tell the Church Mat. 18.17 that is her Officers and what they bind and lose shall be done in heaven ver 18. now this cannot be the whole body because two or three may do it in the name and power of Christ ver 20. nor any two or three had not that authority for then the offending and the offended brethren had it but they had it not nor two or three more for it was the third gradation and yet but two or three which could be none but the Officers or Eldership which is the highest appeal in a particular Church Thus if you allow of their Offices as well as their names I shall subscribe to this last but I doubt you will not unlesse you do renounce the latter part of your sixt Rule Imprimat J. D. August 22. 1650. FINIS