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	city_n	elder_n	3,358	5	10.0309	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A53674	A brief vindication of the non-conformists from the charge of schisme as it was managed against them in a sermon preached before the Lord Mayor by Dr. Stillingfleet, Dean of St. Pauls.	Owen, John, 1616-1683.	1680 (1680)	Wing O723; ESTC R30840	37,860	60

in it the Saints whereof it was constituted with Bishops and Deacons Phil. 1. 1. But that Church being so compleat the Apostle appointed other particular Congregational Churches in the same Province who had Officers of their own with a Power of Government these he mentions and calls the Churches of Macedonia 2 Cor. 8. 1. 23. Wherefore we need no more Directions in this matter then what are given us by the Apostles Authority in the Name and Authority of Jesus Christ nor are concerned in the Practice of those who afterwards took another course of adding Believers from other places unto the Church first planted unless it were in case of a disability to enjoy Church-Communion among themselves elsewhere Whatever therefore is pretended unto the contrary we have plain Scripture evidence and practice for the errecting particular distinct Congregations with Power for their own Rule and Edification in the same Province be it as small as those that were of Samaria or Galile It cannot surely be said that these Churches were National wherof there were many in one small Province of a small Nation nor yet Metropolitical or Diocesan nor I suppose will it be denied but that they were intrusted with Power to Rule and Govern themselves in all ordinary cases especially when in every one of them Elders were ordained which the Apostles were careful to see done Act. 14. 22. This is the Substance of what we plead as unto particular Congregations 3. It is not probable that any of the first Churches did for a long time encrease in any City unto such a number as might exceed the bounds of a particular Church or Congregation For such they might continue to be notwithstanding a Multiplication of Bishops or Elders in them and occasional distinct Assemblies for some Acts of Divine Worship And it seems if they did begin to exceed in number beyond a just proportion for their Edification they did immediately erect other Churches among them or near them So whereas there was a mighty encrease of Believers at Corinth Act. 18. 10 there was quickly planted a distinct Church at Cenchrea which was the Port of the City Rom. 16. 1. And notwithstanding the great number of 5000 that were Converted at Hierusalem upon the first Preaching of the Gospel yet were they so disposed of or so dispersed that some years after this there was such a Church only there as did meet together in one place as occasion did require even the whole multitude of the Brethren who are called the Church in distinction from the Apostles and Elders who were their Governours Act. 15. 4 12. Chap. 21. 22. Nor was that Church of any greater Number when they all departed afterwards and went out unto Pella a Village beyond Jordan before the Destruction of the People City and Temple And though many Alterations were before that time introduced into the Order and Rule of the Churches yet it appears that when Cyprian was Bishop of the Church at Carthage that the whole Community of the Members of that Church did meet together to determine of things that were for their Common Interest according unto what was judged to be their Right and Liberty in those days which they could not have done had they not all of them belonged unto the same particular Church and Congregation But these things may be pleaded elsewhere if occasion be given thereunto But yet 4. I must say that I cannot discern the least necessity of any positive Rule or Direction in this matter nor is any such thing required by us on the like occasion For this distribution of Believers into particular Congregations is that which the nature of the thing it self and the Duty of men with respect unto the end of such Churches doth indispensibly require For what is the end of all Churches for which they are instituted Is it not the Edification of them that do believe They will find themselves mistaken who suppose that they were designed to be subservient unto the secular Interest of any sort of men What are the means appointed of Christ in such Churches for that end Are they not Doctrines and Fellowship breaking Bread and Prayer that is the joynt Celebration of the Ordinances of Christ in the Gospel in Preaching the Word Administring the Sacraments Mutual Watchfulness over one another and the exercise of that Discipline which he hath appointed unto his Disciples I desire to know whether there be any need of a new Revelation to direct men who are obliged to preserve Churches in their use unto their proper End to take care of such things as would obstruct and hinder them in the use of means unto that end of their Edification Whereas therefore it is manifest that ordinarily these means cannot be used in a due manner but in such Churches as wherein all may be acquainted with what all are concerned in the very Institution it self is a plain Command to plant erect and keep all Churches in such a state as wherein this end may be attained And therefore if Believers in any place are so few or so destitute of Spiritual Gifts as not to be able of themselves jontly to observe these means for their Edification It is their Duty not to joyn by themselves in a Church-State but to add themselves as Members unto other Churches and so when they are so many as that they cannot orderly communicate together in all these Ordinances in the way of their Administration appointed in the Scripture unto the Edification of them it is their Duty by vertue of the Divine Institution of Churches to dispose of their Church-state and Relation into that way which will answer the Ends of it that is into more particular Churches or Congregations I speak not these things in opposition unto any other Church-state which men may erect or establish out of an opinion of its usefulness and conveniency much less against that Communion which ought to be among those particular Churches or their Associations for their common Rule and Government in and by their Officers but only to manifest that those of the Non-conformists which are supposed to adhere unto the Institution of particular Churches in a peculiar way do not thereby deserve the Imputation of so great and intolerable a Guilt as they are here charged withal And whereas I have hereby discharged all that I designed with respect unto the first sort of Non-conformists as they are here distinguished I might here give over the pursuit of this Argument But because I seek after Truth and satisfaction alone in these things I shall a little farther consider what is offered by this Reverend Author unto the same purpose with what we have passed through So therefore he proceeds pag. 26. to pag. 27. If that of which we read the clearest Instances in Scripture must be the standard of all future Ages much more might be said for limiting Churches to private Families then to particular Congregations For do we not read of the Church that

by the Courts of Bishops Chancellors Commissaries c. is unknown to the Scriptures and in its Administration is very remote from giving a True Representation of the Authority Wisdom Love and Care of Christ to his Church which is the Sole end of all Church Rules and Discipline The Yoke hereof many account themselves not obliged to submit unto 5. There is in such Churches a total Deprivation of the Liberty of the People secured unto them by the Rules and Practices of several Ages from the Beginning of choosing their own Pastors whereby they are also deprived of all use of their Light and Knowledge of the Gospel in providing for their own Edification 6. It cannot be denied but that there is want of due meanes of Edification in many of those Parochial Churches and yet provision is made by the Government that those Churches are under that none shall by any way provide themselves of better means for that great end of all Church Society It is on these and the like Reasons that the Non-conformists cannot joyn in total Communion such as the Rule pleaded for requireth with Parochial Churches In this state as was said the Lord Christ having Instituted particular Congregations requiring all Believers to walk in them it is the Duty of those who are necessiated to decline the Communion of Parochial Churches as they are stated at present to joyn themselves in and unto such Congregations as wherein their Edification and Liberty may be better provided for according unto Rule But hereon the Reverend Author proceeds to oppose such particular Congregations or Churches I think as unto their original and necessity for so he speaks page 25 to page 26. But I must needs say further I have never yet seen any tolerable proof that the Churches Planted by the Apostles were Limited to Congregations Howbeit this seems to be so clear and evident in matter of Fact and so necessary from the nature of the thing it self that many wise Men wholly unconcerned in our Controversies do take it for a thing to be granted by all without dispute So speaks Chief Justice Hobart page 149. In the Case of Colt and Glover cont Bishop Coventry and Litchfield And we know well that the Primitive Church in its greatest Purity was but Voluntary Congregations of Believers submitting themselves to the Apostles and after to other Pastors to whom they did Minister of their Temporals as God did move them Of the same Judgment are those who esteemed the first Government of the Church to be Democratical so speaks Paulus Sharpius In the beginning the Government of the Holy Church had altogether a Democratical Form all the faithful intervening in the chiefest Deliberations thus we see that all did intervene at the Election of Matthias unto the Apostleship and in the Election of the six Deacons and when St. Peter received Cornelius an Heathen Centurion unto the Faith he gave an account of it to all the Church Likewise in the Council celebrated in Jerusalem the Apostles the Priests and the other Faithful Brethren did intervene and the Letters were written in the name of all these three Orders In success of time when the Church increased in number the faithful retiring themselves to the Affairs of their Families and having left those of the Congregation the Government retained only in the Ministers and became Aristocratical saving the Election which was Popular And others also of the same Judgment may be added But let us hear the Reasoning of this Learned Author against this Apprehension this he enters upon page 26. It is possible at first there might be no more Christians in one City than could meet in one Assembly for worship but where doth it appear that when they multiplied into more Congregations they did make new and distinct Churches under new Officers with a seperate Power of Government Of this I am well assured there is no marks nor foot-steps in the New Testament or the whole History of the Primitive Church I do not think it will appear credible to any considerate man that the 5000 Christians in the Church of Jerusalem made one stated and fixed Congregation for Divine Worship not if we make all the allowances for Strangers which can be desired but if this were granted where are the unalterable Rules that assoon as the Company became too great for one particular Assembly they must become a new Church under peculiar Officers and an Independent Authority It is very strange that those who contend so much for the Scriptures being a perfect Rule of all things pertaining to Worship and Discipline should be able to produce nothing in so necessary a point I Answer 1 It is possible that an impartial account may ere long be given of the state and ways of the first Churches after the Decease of the Apostles wherein it will be made appear how they did insensibly deviate in many things from the Rule of their first Institution so as that though their mistakes were of small moment and not prejudicial unto their Faith and Order yet occasion was administred to succeeding Ages to increase those Deviations until they issued in a fatal Apostasy An eminent instance hereof is given us in the Discourse of Paulus Sharpius about matters Benificiary lately made publick in our own Language 2 The matter of Fact herein seems to me evidently to be exemplified in the Scripture For although it may be there is not express mention made that these or those particular Churches did divide themselves into more Congregations with new Officers yet are there Instances of the Erection of new particular Congregations in the same Province as distinct Churches with a seperate Power of Government So the first Church in the Province of Judea was in Jerusalem But when that Church was compleat as to the number of them who might Communicate therein unto their Edification the Apostle did not add the Believers of the adjacent Towns and places unto that Church but Erected other particular Congregations all the Country over so there were different Churches in Judea Galile and Samaria that is many in each of them Act. 9. 31. So the Apostle mentions the Churches of God that were in Judea 1 Thes 2. 14. And no where speaks of them as of one Church for Worship Order and Government So he speaks again that is constantly Gal. 1. 22. I was unknown by face unto the Churches of Judea And that these Churches were neither National nor Diocessans but particular Congregations is as I suppose sufficiently evident So was it in the Province of Galatia there is no mention of any Church therein that should be comprehensive of all the Believers in that Province But many particular Churches there were as it is testified chap. 1. ver 2. So was it also in Macedonia the first Church planted in that Province was at Philipi as it is declared Act. 16. And it was quickly brought into compleat Order so as that when the Apostle wrote unto it there were