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	ordain_v	titus_n	2,698	5	10.8309	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A53734	Two discourses concerning the Holy Spirit, and His work the one, Of the Spirit as a comforter, the other, As He is the author of spiritual gifts ... / by ... John Owen.	Owen, John, 1616-1683.; Mather, Nathanael, 1631-1697.; Owen, John, 1616-1683. Discourse of spiritual gifts.	1693 (1693)	Wing O818; ESTC R2819	174,342	306

continued by the Will of Christ in the ordinary State and Course of the Chrrch. 2 That there is no need of their Continuance from any Work applied unto them § 16. AND 1. The things that are Essential unto the Office of an Evangelist are unattainable at present unto the Church For where no Command no Rule no Authority no Directions are given for the calling of any Officer there that Office must cease as doth that of the Apostles who could not be called but by Jesus Christ. What is required unto the Call of an Evangelist was before declared And unless it can be manifested either by Institution or Example how any one may be otherwise called unto that Office no such Office can be continued For a Call by Prophesie or Immediate Revelation none now will pretend unto And other Call the Evangelists of Old had none § 17. NOR is there in the Scripture the least mention of the Call or Appointment of any one to be an Ecclesiastical Officer in an Ordinary stated Church but with Relation unto that Church whereof he was or was to be an Officer But an Evangelist as such was not especially related unto any one Church more than another though as the Apostles themselves they might for a time attend unto the Work in one Place or Church rather or more than another Wherefore without a Call from the Holy Ghost either immediate by Prophesie and Revelation or by the Direction of Persons infallibly inspired as the Apostles were none can be called to be Evangelists nor yet to succeed them under any other Name in that Office Wherefore the Primitive Church after the Apostles time never once took upon them to constitute or Ordain an Evangelist as knowing it a thing beyond their Rule and out of their Power Men may invade an Office when they please but unless they be called unto it they must account for their Usurpation And as for those who have erected an Office in the Church or an Episcopacy principally if not solely out of what is ascribed unto these Evangelists namely to Timothy and Titus they may be further attended unto in their Claim when they lay the least Pretence unto the whole of what is ascribed unto them But this doing the Work of an Evangelist is that which few Men care for or delight in only their Power und Authority in a new kind of Mannagery many would willingly possess themselves of § 18. 2. THE Evangelists we read of had extraordinary Gifts of the Holy Spirit without which they could not warrantably undertake their Office This we have manifested before Now these extraordinary Gifts differing not only in Degrees but in Kind from all those of the Ordinary Ministry of the Church are not at present by any pretended unto And if any should make such a Pretence it would be an easie matter to convince them of their Folly But without these Gifts men must content themselves with such Offices in the Church as are stated with respect unto every particular Congregation Acts 14. 23. Chap. 20. 28. Tit. 1. 5. 1 Pet. 5. 1 2. Phil. 1. 1. § 19. SOME indeed seem not satisfied whether to derive their Claim from Timothy and Titus as Evangelists or from the Bishops that were Ordained by them or described unto them But whereas those Bishops were no other but Elders of particular Churches as is evident beyond a modest Denyal from Acts 20. 28. Phil. 1. 1. 1 Tim. 3. 1 2 8. Tit. 1. 4 5. So certainly they cannot be of both sorts the one being apparently superiour unto the other If they are such Bishops as Titus and Timothy Ordained it is well enough known both what is their Office their Work and their Duty If such as they pretend Timothy and Titus to be they must manifest it in the like Call Gifts and Employment as they had § 20. FOR 3 There are not any now who do pretend unto their Principal Employment by Vertue of Office nor can so do For it is certain that the Principal Work of the Evangelists was to go up and down from one Place and Nation unto another to preach the Gospel unto Jews and Gentiles as yet unconverted and their Commission unto this purpose was as large and extensive as that of the Apostles But who shall now empower any one hereunto What Church what Persons have received Authority to Ordain any one to be such an Evangelist Or what Rules or Directions are given as to their Qualifications Power or Duty or how they should be so ordained It is true those who are ordained Ministers of the Gospel and others also that are the Disciples of Christ may and ought to preach the Gospel to unconverted Persons and Nations as they have opportunity and are particularly guided by the Providence of God But that any Church or Person have Power or Authority to ordain a Person unto this Office and Work cannot be proved § 21. LASTLY The Continuance of the Employment as unto the Settling of new planted Churches is no way necessary For every Church being planted and settled is entrusted with Power for it's own Preservation and continuance in due Order according to the Mind of Christ and is enabled to do all those things in it self which at first were done under the Guidance of the Evangelists nor can any one Instance be given wherein they are defective And where any Church was called and gathered in the Name of Christ which had some things yet wanting unto it's Perfection and Compleat Order which the Evangelists were to finish and settle they did it not but in and by the Power of the Church it self only presiding and directing in the things to be done And if any Churches through their own Default have lost that Order and Power which they were once established in as they shall never want Power in themselves to recover their pristine Estate and Condition who will attend unto their Duty according unto Rule to that purpose So this would rather prove a Necessity of raising up new Evangelists of a new extraordinary Ministry on the Defection of Churches than the continuance of them in the Church rightly stated and settled § 22. Besides these Evangelists there were Prophets also who had a Temporary Extraordinary Ministry in the Church Their grant from Christ or Institution in the Church is mentioned 1 Cor. 12. 28. Ephes. 4. 11. and the Exercise of their Ministry is declared Acts 13. 1. But the Names of Prophets and Prophesie are used variously in the New Testament For sometimes an Extraordinary Office and Extraordinary Gifts are signified by them and sometimes Extraordinary Gifts only sometimes an Ordinary Office with Ordinary Gifts and sometimes Ordinary Gifts only And unto one of these Heads may the use of the word be every where reduced In the places mentioned Extraordinary Officers endued with Extraordinary Gifts are intended For they are said to be set in the Church and are placed in the second Rank of Officers next to the

an Evangelist by especial Revelation or Prophesie the Apostle laid his Hands on him whereby he received the Holy Ghost in his extraordinary Gifts The Gift of God which was in him by the putting on of his Hands 2 Tim. 1. 6. And as it was usual with him to joyn others with himself in those Epistles which he wrote by immediate Divine Inspiration so in this Act of laying his Hands on an Evangelist as a Sign of the Communication of extraordinary Gifts he joyned the Ordinary Presbytery of the Church with him that were present in the place where he was so called It is evident therefore that both their Call and their Gifts were extraordinary and therefore so also was their Office For although Men who have only an Ordinary Call to Office may have Extraordinary Gifts and many had so in Primitive Times And although some might have Extraordinary Gifts who were never called unto Office at all as some of those who spake with Tongues and wrought Miracles yet where there is a Concurrence of an Extraordinary Call and Extraordinary Gifts there the Office is Extraordinary § 13. THE Power that these Officers in the Church were entrusted with was Extraordinary For this is a certain Consequent of an Extraordinary Call and Extraordinary Gifts And this Power respected all Churches in the World equally yea and all Persons as the Apostles also did But whereas their Ministry was subordinate unto that of the Apostles they were by them guided as to the particular places wherein they were to exercise their Power and discharge their Office for a Season This is evident from Paul's Disposal of Titus as to his Work and Time Tit. 1. 5. Chap. 3. 12. But yet their Power did at no time depend on their Relation unto any particular place or Churcb nor were they ever Ordained to any one Place or See more than another But the Extent of their Employment was every way as large as that of the Apostles both as to the World and as to the Churches only in their present particular Disposal of themselves they were as it is probable for the most part under the Guidance of the Apostles although sometimes they had particular Revelations and Directions from the Holy Ghost or by the Ministry of Angels for their especial Employment as Philip had Acts 8. 26. § 14. AND as for their Work it may be reduced unto Three Heads 1 To Preach the Gospel in all Places unto all Persons as they had occasion So Philip went down to Samaria and preached Christ Acts 8. 5. And when the Apostle Paul chargeth Timothy to do the Work of an Evangelist 2 Tim. 4. 5. he prescribes unto him Preaching the Word in Season and out of Season ver 2. And whereas this was incumbent in like manner on the Ordinary Teachers of every Church the Teaching of those Evangelists differed from theirs in two things 1 In the Extent of their Work which as we shewed before was equal unto that of the Apostles whereas Ordinary Bishops Pastors or Teachers were to feed teach and take care of the especial Flocks only which they were set over Acts 20. 17 18. 1 Pet. 5. 2. 2 They were obliged to labour in their Work in a more than ordinary manner as it should seem from 2 Tim. 4. 5. 2ly The Second Part of their Work was to confirm the Doctrine of the Gospel by Miraculous Operations as occasion did require So Philip the Evangelist wrought many Miracles of sundry sorts at Samaria in the Confirmation of the Doctrine which he taught Acts 8. 6 7 13. And in like manner there is no question but that the rest of the Evangelists had the Power or Gift of Miraculous Operations to be exercised as occasion did require and as they were guided by the Holy Ghost 3 They were employed in the settling and compleating of those Churches whose Foundations were laid by the Apostles For whereas they had the great Work upon them of Preaching the Gospel unto all Nations they could not continue long or reside in any one Place or Church And yet when Persons were newly converted to the Faith and disposed only into an Imperfect Order without any especial peculiar Officers Guides or Rulers of their own it was not safe leaving of them unto themselves lest they should be too much at a Loss as to Gospel-Order and Worship Wherefore in such places where any Churches were planted but not compleated nor would the Design of the Apostles suffer them to continue any longer there they left these Evangelists among them for a Season who had Power by vertue of their Office to dispose of things in the Churches until they came unto Compleatness and Perfection When this End was attained and the Churches were settled under Ordinary Elders of their own the Evangelists removed into other places according as they were directed or disposed These things are evident from the Instructions given by Paul unto Timothy and Titus which have all of them respect unto this Order § 15. Some there are who plead for the Continuance of this Office Some in express Terms and under the same Name Others for Successors unto them at least in that part of their Work which consisteth in Power over many Churches Some say that Bishops succeed to the Apostles and Presbyters unto those Evangelists But this is scarce defensible in any tolerable manner by them whose Interest it is to defend it For Timothy whom they would have to be a Bishop is expresly called an Evangelist That which is pleaded with most probability for their Continuance is the Necessity of the Work wherein they were employed in the Rule and Settlement of the Churches But the Truth is if their whole Work as before described be consulted as none can perform some parts of it so it may be very few would over-earnestly press after a Participation of their Office For to preach the Word continually and that with a peculiar Labour and Travail and to move up and down according as the Necessity of the Edification of the Churches doth require doing nothing in them but according to the Rule and Appointment of Christ are things that not many will earnestly covet to be engaged in But there is an Apprehension that there was something more than Ordinary Power belonging unto this Office that those who enjoyed it were not obliged always to labour in any particular Church but had the Rule of many Churches committed unto them Now whereas this Power is apt to draw other desireable things unto it or carry them along with it this is that which some pretend a Succession unto Though they are neither Called like them nor Gifted like them nor Labour like them nor have the same Object of their Employment much less the same Power of Extraordinary Operations with them yet as to the Rule over sundry Churches they must needs be their Successors I shall therefore briefly do these two things 1 Shew that there are no such Officers as these Evangelists

Warranty from the Word to yield Obedience unto all the Commands of Christ which when we have talked of Power and Authority whilst we please is all that is lest unto us in this World or that in so doing he will not accept them and approve of what they have done is an Assertion fit for Men to maintain who have a Trade to drive in Religion unto their own especial Advantage § 10. 2ly THE Lord Christ giveth and continneth this Office by giving Spiritual Gifts and Abilities unto Men to enable them to discharge the Duties and perform the Work of it This is that which I principally design to confirm in it's proper place which will immediately ensue All I shall say at present is that Spiritual Gifts of themselves make no Man actually a Minister yet no Man can be made a Minister according to the Mind of Christ who is not partaker of them Wherefore supposing the continuance of the Law and Institution mentioned if the Lord Christ doth at any time or in any place cease to give out Spiritual Gifts unto Men enabling them in some good measure unto the Discharge of the Ministry then and in that place the Ministry it self must cease and come to an end To erect a Ministry by Vertue of outward Order Rites and Ceremonies without Gifts for the Edification of the Church is but to hew a Block with Axes and smooth it with Planes and set it up for an Image to be adored To make a Man a Minister who can do nothing of the proper peculiar Work of the Ministry nothing towards the only end of it in the Church is to set up a dead Carcass fastning it to a Post and expecting it should do you Work and Service § 11. 3ly HE doth it by giving Power unto his Church in all Ages to call and separate unto the Work of the Ministry such as he hath sitted and gifted for it The things before mentioned are essentially constituent of the Ministry this belongs unto the outward Order of their Entrance into the Ministry who are by him called thereunto And concerning this we may observe the things following 1 That this Power in the Church is not Despotical or Lordly but consists in a Faculty Right and Ability to act in this matter obedientially unto the Commands of Christ. Hence all the Acting of the Church in this matter is nothing but an instituted means of conveying Authority and Office from Christ unto Persons called thereunto The Church doth not give them any Authority of it's own or resident in it's self but only in a way of Obedience unto Christ do transmit Power from him unto them who are called Hence do they become the Ministers of Christ and not of the Bishops or Churches or Men holding their Office and Authority from Christ himself by the Law and Rule of the Gospel so that whosoever despiseth them despiseth him also in them Some would have Ministers of the Gospel to receive all their Authority from the People that choose them and some from the Bishops who Ordain them and whence they have theirs I know not But this is to make them Ministers of Men and Servants of Men and to constitute other Masters between them and Christ. And whereas all Church-Power is originally and absolutely vested in Christ and in him solely so that none can be Partaker of the least Interest in it or share of it without a Communication of it from him unto them neither Popes nor Prelates nor People are able to produce any such Grant or Concession of Power unto them from him as that they should have an Authority residing in them and in their Power to despose unto others as thay see cause so as they should hold it from them as a part or efflux of the Power vested in them It is Obedience unto the Law of Christ and following the Guidance of his previous Communication of Gifts as a Means to communicate his Power unto them who are called to the Ministry that is the whole of what is committed unto any in this kind 2 The Church hath no Power to call any unto Office of the Ministry where the Lord Christ hath not gone before it in the Designation of him by an Endowment with Spiritual Gifts For if the whole Authority of the Ministry be from Christ and he never gives it but where he bestows these Gifts with it for it's Discharge as in Eph. 4. 7 8 c. then to call any to the Ministry whom he hath not so previously gifted is to set him aside and to act in our own Names and Authority And by reason of these things the Holy Ghost is said to make Men Overseers of the Flocks who are thus called thereunto because both the Communication of Power in the Constitution of the Law and of Spiritual Gifts by internal effectual Operation are from him alone Acts 20. 28. 3 The outward way and Order whereby a Church may call any Person unto the Office of the Ministry among them and over them is by their joynt solemn Submission unto him in the Lord as unto all the Powers and Duties of this Office testified by their Choice and Election of him It is concerning this outward Order that all the World is fill'd with Disputes about the Call of Men unto the Ministry which yet in Truth is of the least concernment therein For whatever Manner or Order be observed herein if the things before mentioned be not premised thereunto it is of no Validity or Authority On the other hand grant that the Authority of the Ministry dependeth on the Law Ordinance and Institution of Christ that he calls Men unto this Office by the collation of Spiritual Gifts unto them and that the Actings of the Church herein is but an instituted moral means of communicating Office-Power from Christ himself unto any and let but such other things be observed as the Light and Law of Nature requireth in cases of an alike kind and the outward Mode of the Churches acting herein need not much be contended about It may be proved to be a Beam of Truth from the Light of Nature that no Man should be imposed on a Church for their Minister against their Wills or without their express Consent considering that his whole Work is to be conversant about their Understandings Judgments Wills and Affections and that this should be done by their Choice and Election as the Scripture doth manifestly declare Numb 8. 9 10. Acts 1. 23 26. Acts 6. 35. Acts 14. 23. so that it was for some Ages observed Sacredly in the Primitive Churches cannot modestly be denied But how far any People or Church may commit over this Power of declaring their Consent and Acquiescency unto others to act for them and as it were in their stead so as that the Call to Office should yet be valid provided the former Rules be observed I will not much dispute with any though I approve only of what maketh the nearest Approaches to the