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
A85210	The equallity of the ministery plainly described, both by Scriptures, fathers, and councels. Layd open to this present Parliament, to stop the mouthes of all gaynesayers whatsoever. / By D.F. minister.	D. F., Minister.	1641 (1641)	Wing F7; Thomason E205_11; ESTC R15289	3,729	17

The Equallity of the Ministery plainly described both by Scriptures Fathers and Councels Layd open to this present Parliament to stop the mouthes of all gayne-sayers whatsoever By D.F. Minister Printed in the yeare of our Redemption 1641. The Equallity of the Ministry described by Scriptures Fathers and Councels Layd open to this present Parliament to stop the mouths of all Gayn-sayers THe Lord hath ordayned that there should be one Bishop or Pastor at the least president over every Congregation or Flocke are of equal authority in their severall charges and in the general government of the Church T. C. 1 Booke pag. 22. 2. booke 1. part pag. 515. They maintaine contrary unto this these two viz. 1. That one may have two or mo charges and be absent from them as their Dispensations and practice do proove 2. That one Minister may have a soveraigne and Lordship over his fellow Ministers which both being disprooved the former assertion will remaine still sure Reasons against the 1. proposition 1. One man may not have mo Charges then he is able in any measure to discharge the duty that is belonging unto mo flockes then one seeing he cannot preach unto them both in season and out of season therefore no man may have more Charges then one as I shall make it appear 2. That which maketh an open entrance to the enemy to spoile cannot be lawfull for one to have mo Charges then one maketh open entrance for the enemy to spoil for the Wolfe watcheth to devoure and destroy whilst the Shepheard is absent Therefore no man may have mo Charges then one and therefore it is unlawfull 3. That which hath neyther Precept nor President for it eyther in Gods Word or any approved Writer but only from Antichrist is unlawful But such is the having of more Charges then one Therefore it is accounted and esteemed unlawfull 4. That which declareth a Minister to be more desirous of the fleece then to profit the flocke that same is vnlawfull But such is the having of mo Charges then one for were it not for the gaine they would thinke one a burthen as heavy as they could beare therefore it is unlawfull 5. All the reasons that be alleadged in this booke against Non-residence are forcible to this purpose for if he may not be Non-resident he may not have mo Charges unlesse he be willing to be quartred that every Charge may have a piece of him Hooper upon 8 command He reckoneth them among Theeves and their action to be theevery condemned by that Commandement Therefore if one man cannot in any tollerable measure discharge mo Charges then one Conclusion if to have mo maketh an open entrance to the enemy to spoile if it have neyther precept nor president for it but only in the Kingdome of Antichrist if it declare the practice to be more desirous of the Fleece then to feed the Flocke if all the reasons that condemne Non-residency be against it lastly if it be plaine Theevery then must it needs follow that one may not have two or mo Charges Their objections such as they be shal be set downe and the answers to them hereafter The second proposition that they hold reasons against it The second propostion that they hold is thus One Minister may have a soveraign authority and Lord over his fellow ministers is thus disprooved 1. They that have their Commission indifferently given them without difference between one and another are of equal authority and may not be one over another But such is the Commission of all Gods Ministers indifferently as appeares Mat. 28.19.20 Therefore they are of equall authority and may not have any dominion one over another 2. That which Christ hath directly forbidden that one Minister should have dominion over another Matt. 20.25 Luke 22.25 Therefore one Minister may not have superiority or dominion over another 3. They that may not be Lords over the people of God may much lesse be Lords over the Ministers for the Ministers be in respect of the Ministery above the people But a Minister may not be Lordly over Gods people as is testified by him on whom they would father the greatest Lordlinesse 1. Peter 5.3 Therefore one Minister may not be Lord or have superiority over another 4. It is ordained Cypria● 〈◊〉 1 Epist. 3. and is equall and right that every mans cause be heard where the fault was committed and it is meet to handle the matter there where they may have both the Accusers and witnesses of the fault which sheweth that every Minister had authority over his own flock and no other to medle 5. Bishops whersoever they be in al the world are equal to our Bishops Luther adversus papat a Satana fundat or Parish Ministers and Preachers of none it can be said one is Lord another is servant whatsoever belongeth to the Church belongeth equally to all saving that some are of better gifts then others howbeit such gifts cause no inequality or Lordship in the Church 6. In the Apostolicke Church Musscul loc com de mini ver bi the Ministers of the Word were none above another and were subiect to no head or president c. 7. The honour of a Bishop The same upon the 2. Thes 8.2 being taken from the rest of the Ministers and given to one was the first steppe to Papacy 8. Christ did most severely forbid unto the Apostles and their Successours Confes Hel. vet cap. 17. primacy and dominion 9. Equall power and Function is given to all ministers of the Church The same cap. 18. and that from the beginning no one preferred himselfe before another saving only that for order some one did cal them together propounded the matters that were to be consulted of and gathered the voices Therefore if all Ministers have their Commission indifferently given unto them Conclusion if Christ have forbidden that one minister shold have dominion over another if no Minister may exercise dominion over Gods people if authority to handle Controversies belonged to every several Congregation if a Bishop and parish Minister be all one it in the Apostles time no Minister was above another if the superiority of one above another was the first step to the papacy lastly if they have equall power and function from the beginning then must it needes follow that no minister may have superiority or exercise dominion over another Jt remaineth that we proove more directly A Bishop should be in every Congregation that the Lord hath ordained that there should be a Bishop Resident over every Congregation which is thus proved 1. If a Bishop and Minister be all one then must there be a Bishop in every Congregation for every man wil confesse that every Congregation ought to have a Minister But a Bishop and a Minister is all one as appeared by this that St. Paul discribeth not one quality for the Bishop but it is also the quality of every good Minister also in that he describeth no other Minister but the Bishop Therefore there ought to be a Bishop in every Congregation 2. S. Pauls Bishops and his Deacons were appoynted to one place as it fully appeareth both in the description of them and the practise of the Apostles But the Deacons were in every Congregation which appeareth Phil 1.1 Acts 6.2 That office being needfull every where and in that it continued so longer then the Office of Bishops Athanasius apol 2. Ierom contra Luciferianos c. Therefore there ought to be a Bishop in every Congregation 3 That which Paul injoyned to Titus is also to be practised alwayes in the like case But hee commanded him to ordaine Elders in every City Tit. 1.5 which are expounded in the next verse to the Bishops Therefore there must be a Bishop in every Congregation Ignatius ad Philadelph 4 Every Church should have her Communion Table and every Church her Bishop 5 Where there was found any worthy to be a Bishop there a Bishop was appoynted Epiphan lib. 3. tom 1. haeres 75. where there was not to furnish both Bishop and preaching Elder hee meaneth the Doctor there the Apostles made a Bishop and left the Elder 6 If a Bishop runne into a Slander 1 Con●● Carthag tam 1. c. p 10. and many Bishops cannot suddenly be gathered his cause shall be heard of 12 Bishops c. 7 If an Elder be accused 3. Concil tous 1. cap. 8 hee may call sixe Bishops from the place hard by 8 Stories make mention of Bishops of little Townes as a Euseb lib. 5 cap. 16. Solicus Bishop of the village Cuman b Theodoret. lib. 5. cap. 4. Mares Bishop of a small Towne called Solicha c Socrat. 4.26 Gregorie Bishop of a small Citie called Nazianzum d Quest 16. dist 50. The Bishop of a Castle Ierome ad Evagrium 9 A Minister that is to say a Bishop and a little after the Apostle doth plainly teach Minister and a Bishop is all one and upon Titus a Bishop and a Minister are the same and ad Oceanum with the ancient Fathers Bishops and Elders were all one 10 D. Barnes in his first Article saith Acts and Monuments fol. 216. I will never believe neither can I ever believe that one man may by the Law of God bee a Bishop of two or three Cities yea of a whole Countrie for that is contrary to the Doctrine of St. Paul who writing to Titus commandeth that hee should ordaine a Bishop in every towne 11 It is pitty to see how farre the office of a Bishop is degenerated from the originall in the Scripture Hooper upon 8 Command pag. 90. it was not so in the beginning when Bishops were at the best as the Epistle to Titus testifieth that willeth him to ordaine in everie City c. They know the Primitive Church have no such Bishops as wee have untill the time of Silvester the first The Conclusion Therefore if a Bishop and a Minister be all one if Bishops were to bee where Deacons are who were in every Congregation if Paul enjoyned Titus to ordaine Bishops in every Citie and if every Church had her Bishop a long time after the Apostles as appeareth by the testimonies of Councels Histories and Learned Writers both old and new then must it needs follow that there ought to to bee a bishop in every Congregation FINIS