Selected quad for the lemma: church_n
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A29276
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The churches resurrection, or, The creating of the new heavens written by an unworthy gospel-minister, John Bryan.
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Brayne, John.
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1649
(1649)
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Wing B4321; ESTC R23804
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57,437
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84
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gradu collocatum Episcopum nominabant Heraclas was Origens Scholler in whose time the old form observed by the Church from Mark to that day was broken and who was more like to break it then Origen who was of that Church and a man not unknown to any that have read him of unsound and uncertain judgement yet learned and witty who did acknowledge in taking Ordination from Dimetrius at the first for Catechizing that the power of Ordination did reside in every true constituted Church And who knoweth where God permitted him to Emasculinate himselfe as a judgement on him for destroying that order by which God raised up seed in the Church he being best to take the litterall no man since but hath taken mystically as other things being all forced it may be Origen did this for some controversie had between Dimetrius of Alexandria and himselfe and to honor Theotistus and Alexander who had shewed exceeding favour to him in his banishment at Ceserea who it is like were willing to take this honor to themselves robbing the Church of it's choicest Jewell Hieron In the first times Bishops differed nothing from Presbyters and are now above them rather by the custome of the Church then by the truth of the Lords disposing and ought to rule the Church in common which shewes that the Bishops practice in Jeroms time differed from that of the Apostles and that the true primitive practice was fallen in his time In Cornelius time Euseb l. 6. cap. 43. at Rome numbers under one Bishop 46. Priests 7. Deacons 7. Subdeacons 42. Acoluths 52. Exorcists and a numberlesse company of Readers and Sextons if these are not Popish corruptions the Church in 50. years was strangely altered Cyprian mentions in his Epistles the same names of Officers whose names are not written in the Gospell-Kalender In his time also there were Bishops of Provinces and although he held the name of Colleagues and Compresbyeters yet the number were altered and so the order among them as appeares in many Epistles is to be doubted Bilson in his 14. cap. of Perp. Church-Government tells us how Bishops came to extend their Jurisdiction so vastly far about them in the Countrey By no meanes saith he could any Countrey-Parishes in the Primitive Church have any Presbyters but from some City and that not without the liking of the Bishop which forced all Countrey Townes and Villages to matriculate and incorporate themselves into the Church of some City by whose Bishop their Presbyters living were governed and dying were supplyed 1. It 's confessed they must incorporate or should have no Presbyter 2. The people and Presbyter are forced to be under his Jurisdiction or they should have no Presbyter nor will let Episcopall Authority go from him 3. It must be with the liking of the Bishop conditions are first agreed on between Presbyter and Bishop and Bishop and People So that whereas the Episcopall power should reside in every true and right constituted Church the Bishops would keep it from them the Presbyter shall not be ordained nor people be taught if before-hand they promise not submission to the City-Bishops Jurisdiction and this granted by a Bishops confession which shews the subtil course taken to raise Antichrist The 4. Century Eusebius Caesariensis 320. Lactantius wrote to the Gentiles but nothing of the Church-Discipline at all Athanasius 370. Hylarius 370. Bazilius Chrysost 370. Hieronimus Ambrosius 370. Augustinus 370. The Church was to go into the wildernesse and be hid to the world in the Yeare 406. It was to remain hid 1260. yeers That the number of Antichrist may be 1666. 1. Eusebius l. 5. cap. 9. saith of the time of Pantenus about 210. Erant enim adhuc in illis Temporibus Evangelistae nonnulli qui ad imitationem sanctorum Apostolorum in diversis orbis partibus oberrantes per gratiam Dei animi sui virtutem 1. It is to cleare these of these times could not be extraordinarily called nor I think were they extraordinarily gifted untill these times the Church kept it's true forme and it 's like the senior Presbyter was of many called the Evangelist however altered in their writings 2. It seemes that after these times the name and the office of Evangelist ceased in the Church 1. In the Councell of Nice his office was destroyed and an Antichristian Officer put in his place Canon 10. Et nè in una civitate sunt duo Episcopi which proves before this Canon or Councell there were in some Cities two Bishops there being in them two compleat Churches A high step made to help Antichrist into his throne Councell of Antioch took downe the Country Evangelist or Bishop as Nice the City Conceditur Chorepiscopis ut ordinent Lectores Subdiaconos Exorcistas de superioribus ordinibus decernitur ut nec Presbyterium nec diaconum ordinare audeant praeter civitatis Episcopum cui ipse cum possessione subjectus est 1. Had not Country Bishops ordained all degrees of orders in the Church they by a Councell would not have granted the lesser and have denied the greater 2. Whereas he may do it by leave of the City Bishop though not without shewes the act was lawfull according to God or how could it be done by the allowance of men 3. If it were lawfull according to God then the tyranny of Antichrist was great in these times Zozomen l. 7. cap. 19. Etenim per Scithiam cum civitates multae unum duntaxat hae omnes Episcopum habent apud alias vero Nationes reperias ubi in pagis Episcopi ordinantur sicut apud Arabes Cyprios apud Novatianos Montanistas 1. This is more then is written of any after his time this was quickly altered when Antichrist came to his throne in the world 2. These that held the Church forme went under the name of Novatians Montanists Sectaries The ground they had to distinquish the Country from the City Bishop was that the Country Bishop was resembled in the 70. the City Bishop in the Apostles But as it is well observed of Mr. Rutherford p. 476. of a Presby Church at Antioch Look what frame of Churches the Apostles did institute in Cities that same they behoved to institute in villages also for places cannot change the institution of Christ And before p. 470. on Acts. 8.5.6 When Peter and John came to Samaria to help Philip it cannot be that they all went to one house and to one single assembly to preach the Word And Page before 460. on 1. Cor. 14.15 I baptized none but Cryspus and Gaius c. If many were baptized other Pastors not Paul baptized them and so they were baptized in other Assemblies then in those in which Paul baptized Acts. 18.8 Many Corinthians were baptized I passe by these and come to my task though these are the truths I intend Chrysost on Eph. 4.11 Tertio Evangelistas non circumeuntes sed Evangelizantes ut erant Priscilla Acyla Pastores Doctores quibus viz.
Scripture reproved Paul calls the whole ministry of Ephesus Acts 20.28 Bishops I mention not the Election of Ambrose Euseb lib. 11. cap. 11. Auxentius being dead he a Caterechumenus not baptized is chose Bishop against the minde of God 1 Tim. 3.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ordination pertained to every true Church Cyp. lib. 1. epist 3. Plane Episcopi non de voluntate Dei fiunt qui extra ecclesiam fiunt sed contra dispositionem traditionem Evangeli fiunt Euseb lib. 6 17. Post Philetum autem apud Antiochiam Zebenus ecclesiam suscepit quo in tempore Origenes rogatus est ab ecclesiis qui sunt apud Antiochiam ut illuc usque pro convincendis haereticis qui inibi liberius convaluerant perveniret Quo cum pergeret inter necessarios ageret per Palaestinam Presbyter apud Caesaream ab illius Provincae Episcopis ordinatur pro hoc autem adversum eum in humanus clivor accenditur 1. Here he is ordained at Caesarea 2. For his taking Order of Pastorship or Presbyter there and not at Antioch where he was to minister of that Presbytery he kindled against himself inhumane hatred or extream spite In the following story the Bishops of the Church of Caesarea plead onely his sufficiency in Preaching the Word as if that were enough to justifie the act and in that they plead this it appears they had none but this and that it was done against the Gospel Institution and the precedent practise of the Churches of Christ though after in the Councel of Nice this was taken violently from the Church as I shall shew after Again the same Origen lib. 6. cap. 2. In the Church of Alexandria by Demetrius of the same Church is made Catechist Ei docendi magisterium in ecclesia tribuit The same power the Presbytery of Alexandria had to ordain him Catechist they had to ordain him Pastor and Teacher and none had it but that Church in which it was to be exercised 13. For constituting of a Church I know but one example in story extant that may give us any light herein which was done in the beginning of the darkning of the Church way and by him that holp to darken it But before I proceed it will be necessary to clear an Objection made by Bilson c. 12. perp Church-Government which is that Origen Clemens Pautenus were but lay men upon the words of Demetrius spoken of Origen before his Ordination 2. Master Fox thinks that Heraclas was Usher to Origen in keeping his School Euseb lib. 6. cap. 2. Igitur Origenes injuncto sibi à Dimetrio Episcopo Magisterii Officio Grammaticam Scholam negligere coepit Cap. 5. Origenes apud Alexandriam Doctor ecclesiae valde clarus habebatur Lib. 6. cap. 2. Tunc adhuc Gammaticam docentem c. Which shews he taught not School long after he taught the Gospel cap. 6. He had not an hours time to do it as after and Heraclas teaching with Origen was that way by which he came after to become Bishop of Alexandria and governed that Church succeeding Demetrius therein Euseb lib. 6. Euseb cap. 11. lib. 6. Interea cum videret Origenes se non sufficere ad omnia id est 1. Vel in profundioribus divinioribus pertractandis 2. Vel in sanctae Scripturae explanationibus disserendis 3. Vel etiam in eorum qui quotidie fidei addebantur instructionibus vel institutionibus adimplendis Ex quibus omnibus ne respirare quidem ei unius saltem horae liberum tempus dabatur dum semper ex aliis in alia vocaretur ita ut prima luce usque ad profundam vesperam neutiquam cessaret auditorium suum aliis vero non recedentibus dum verbi Dei dulcedine colligati sunt utilius esse ratus est segregare incipientium turbas uni ex discipulis suis plene jam optime instructo viro atque in omnibus virtutibus sibi probato Heracli tradere participemque eum officii sui ac laboris assumere erat enim in Sermone disertissimus in omnibus Philosophicis eruditionibus opprimè institutus Huic ergo tradendi prima elementa incipientibus delegat officium sibi vero perfectorum instructiones reservat In the mean time when Origen saw himself not to be able to do all that is 1. Either for the handling of the more profound and divine things 2. Or for declaring the Explanations of Scripture 3. Or else for perfecting the Instructions of those who daily were added to the Faith 1. Here are the three operations declared of the threefold Ministry 2. He was put on these things in a time of extream necessity 3. Those were no things pertaining to Philosophical School He proceeds by reason whereof there was not given him one hours time to breath in whiles that always he was called from some to others so as that from the Morning light to the dark night his audience never ceased Some not departing 1. Here it is remarkable he taught not all confusedly together but went from some to others That is from those he taught the profound things to those he declared the expositions of Scripture and thence to those whom he instructed in the Institutions of Christianity who were daily added to the Faith 2. See some stayed until others were exercised even unto the dark night each society being Ministred unto according to his proper capacity in its proper time and allotted place Again Whiles they are gathered by the sweetness of the Word of God he thinking it more profitable to separate the Assembly of Beginners and to commit them to Heracles one of his Disciples being a man well instructed and approved in all Vertues 1. This was the way of the Apostles taking helpers with them to the Work 2. The Church did ordain that was constituted Members of their society of men for Ministers as here Heracles of whom it is said Cap. 2. Qui cum ab eo non solum in fide nostra atque scientia sed vitae purioris institutionibus ad perfectum fuisset instructus Alexandrinae Ecclesiae praeesse post Demetrium subrogatus est Who saith he was not instructed onely of him in our Faith and Knowledg but also in the Institutions of a purer life to perfection who was appointed after Demetrius to govern the Church of Alexandria Now this could not be applyed to an Usher of an ordinary School as by some 3. The ground of this Separation was not altogether for his ease but the peoples profit that the Ministry may prove to be for the peoples greater edification 4. He is approved for his vertue and knowledg as a Minister of the Gospel ought to be And then he made him partaker of his office and labor 1. He was partaker with him of his labor laboring with him in the Gospel 2. Of his office to shew that to this work he had a call and without it he could not undertake it which in schooling was not required and