Selected quad for the lemma: church_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
church_n	epistle_n	paul_n	timothy_n	2,910	5	10.4803	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A19800	The iudgement of that reuerend and Godly lerned man, M. Lambert Danæus, touching certaine points now in controuersie, contained in his preface before his commentary vpon the first Epistle to Timothie, written in Latine, and dedicated by him to the Prince of Orange. But novv translated into Englishe, for the behofe and comfort of all those, who (not vnderstanding the Latine tongue) are desirous to know the trueth in those points; In D. Pauli priorem epistolam ad Timotheum commentarius. English. dedication	Daneau, Lambert, ca. 1530-1595?	1590 (1590)	STC 6228; ESTC S111042	11,315	26

institution hereof vnder the olde testament soe hath hee as largely vnder the newe instituted or rather restored it being fallen downe and decayed the same by his Apostles as being a matter altogether most necessary for the right constitution and gouernement of his Church The which thing appeareth out of many places in the newe testament and especially out of the Acts of the Apostles the first epistle of Paul to the Corin. the first to Timothie and that to Titus In al which the like places whatsoeuer apertaines to the right and laweful gouernement of the Church is carefully and largely set downe Whether you regard the ordering of the whole Church in general or the gouerning of some fewe in particular In consideration whereof I thinke it a wonderful an absurde case that afterwards so many cannons so many decrees of synods so many constitutions of churches The Canons of generall and prouinciall Councels for the most part vaine and needles both general and particular were written and established for the ordering of Ecclesiastical gouernement For what neede was there of this labour which only did arise from the greate contempt and ignorance of these precepts which the holy Ghost had set downe by the pen of the Apostles and that because men despised the waies of God that they might establish the inuentions of their owne braynes and bring into the church their owne tradicions which for the most part were too absurde and childish and alwaies mere contrary vnto the Discipline prescribed in the worde of God But here some man wil demaund whether this discipline be so precisely set downe Note and prescribed in the newe testament as nothing can be added vnto it and apointed so strictly vnder paine of the Lords displeasure as men may not swerue any whit at al from it In the answere of this question I must be faine to vse a distinction For there are many and sundry partes of Ecclesiastical discipline whereof the one doth containe and describe only a general way and meane of placing guiding and ruling the Church in whatsoeuer place and country of the world it doth remaine As for example that only the voice of our Lorde Iesus Christ is to be harde in the church and no other That the sacraments are only to be deliuered vnto the godly and faythfull and all other pointes that are of like kinde which generally respect the conseruation of the Church The other parte doth handle and declare more particularly the rule of gouerning the same This latter parte of Ecclesiastical discipline containeth 4. heades First the election of these persons which are called vnto some Ecclesiasticall office Secondlye a description of the offices and callings of the persons that are elected Thirdly the way and maner of administring church censures as wel publickly before the assembly of the elders as otherwise The fourth is concerning the receiuing into the Church of them that are vnder the ecclesiasticall censures either suspended or excommunicated When as the question is therfore whether euery particular of these heades be so set downe in the word that nothing can be added thereunto Some things essentiall some things accidentarie in the regiment of the church I answere that in euery worke cause and action there are some things essential and some thinges accidental Those thinges are essential which contain the whol nature of the thing or some parte thereof as in this argument If any man in the laweful calling of Pastors or other church officers that are to be chosen shal deny either that their life and doctrine are to be tryed or that the approbation of the people is to be had in their choise he denieth those things which are essential vnto al laweful elections In like sort if any man shal say that this tryal is not to be had by the church and that by many but by one man alone and shall teache that the Church is to stande in this case vnto the meare determination of one he taketh away those things which are essential in election But if a man shoulde reason that this tryall by many is to bee done in this or that place at this or that time after this or that maner he speaketh only of those things which are accidental As for example the ancient manner in times past of election and tryal of Pastors was that he shoulde be chosen by 3. Bishops or Pastors that were next vnto him togither with the Eldership and church whereof hee was to be Pastor And this was done onely in the metropolitan City at a certaine and an apointed time namely in the time of publicke fast to bee short he was chosen not by the bare consent and voice of the people but by the lifting vp of their hands which was called χεῖ̓ροτονία al which things are to be accounted accidentarie and not essential in election This therefore wee conclude that whatsoeuer by the word of God is commanded to be done and obserued in the gouernment of the church whether it be cōcerning the election or the offices of those that are called or whatsoeuer head of ecclesiastical discipline it doth respect we conclude I say that to be altogether essential But as for those thinges which are adjudged and appointed in euery particular prouince or Church to be most commodious to effect and practise the former points we hold thē to be but accidentary matters As that the preaching of the word shold be at this hower rather then at an other That the church should rather haue this number of Elders and deacons then that Al which things are to be held accidentary in no wise essential vnto the gouerment of the Church Nowe therefore vnto the present question in hand according vnto this distinction wee answer after this sorte that wee vtterly holde it vnlawful that such things as are essentiall vnto Church gouernment should be either augmented or diminished by the commandements lawes of men But as for the things that are accidental wee deny not but they may be increased diminished qualified or augmented not only by euery prouince but euen by particular Churches as they finde them conuenient or incommodious vnto their state and to speake in a word as occasion of the circumstances of places times and persons shall require And after the selfe same manner wee answere vnto that other demaunde of some which would know whether the Church may swarue from that order of gouernement which is set downe in the writings of the Apostles and whether the one the selfe same forme of Church regiment discipline ought to be established in al the churches that professe the Gospell For if they speake of those thinges which are essential vnto the gouerment of the church the answer is that al churches are bound alike to obserue and keepe them inuiolable as that the gouernement of the Church shoulde be Aristocratical that is in the handes of many and not monarchical that is in the handes of one

to offer extreame injurie vnto the maiesty of God which claimeth this authority vnto himselfe alone We do not deny but that kings and Princes together with their counsellours and such as are well seene in matters of state may deuise and enact wholsome lawes for the maintaining of publicke peace among their subiects but to inuent and ordaine newe lawes besides those that are prescribed in Gods word wherewith they would rule and binde the consciences of men or to appoint enact ordinances and constitutions concerning the lawful callings of those that gouerne the Church which is the house of God and not the mansion of anie earthly Prince they haue no warrant nor authoritie at all Yea and as hath bene sayd the whole Church of God gathered and assembled togeather in a generall Councell hath no authoritie at all to take any such worke in hand In so much as whatsoeuer generall Councels haue enacted and constituted different from or contrary vnto the substance of Ecclesiasticall Discipline prescribed in the worde of God it was nothing els but plaine tyrannie and a most injurious vsurpation of the right which belongeth vnto the Lorde alone although it cannot bee denied but those Councels and assemblies perswaded themselues that they went about no such matter but intended a farre better and a more holie purpose The confusion and miserable ruine of the Church folowed vpon their purposes do manifestly shew the truth hereof For if they had retained that discipline of the Apostles and appointed no other the Church of God had not fallen into that horrible disorder wherewith at the length it was lamentably ouerthrowen Doe you then will some men say condemne all those Churches that receiued the gospell wherein either no Ecclesiasticall discipline at all or at the least that ordained by the Apostles is not obserued but haue either corrupted the true Discipline or substituted a false in stead thereof Vnto this odious question wherewith we haue bene often cumbred wee answere plainely and yet louingly and modestly that we indeed do not condemne those Churches and congregations wher idolatry is banished and the pure and true preaching of the Gospell retained as not beeing the Churches of GOD notwithstanding that they want and in joy not the true gouerenment of the Church For the fundamentall and true and infallible note of gods Church heere vpon earth is onely one namely the word of God truly preached by a lawful Pastor the which true preaching of the worde wheresoeuer it bee there men may boldly conclude the Lordes flocke to bee a remnant according to the saying of our sauior Christ My sheepe heare my voyce yea and wee hould this flocke to bee the flocke of God although it want both the administration of the sacraments and the vse and practise of the true Discipline of the Church And whereas these 2. last markes to wit the sacraments and discipline are by some thought necessary to point out the true Church their meaning in this is nothing els but to shew what and how much is necessarily required to the perfect and absolute constitution of the outward face of a Churche But they are verye farre from thinking that those congregations cannot be at al accounted the Churches of God which want ecclesiasticall discipline so that the word of God be trulie and soundly preached in them Those congregations and assemblies then which want Discipline are indeed the Churches of God but yet lame vnperfect and maimed Churches As we cal him a man though he haue both his arms cut off so that hee be liuing haue the vse of his reason Notwithstanding all those Countries who hauing banished idolatry and receiued the true and liuely word of God do as yet want this disciplin ought to know that this shuld be their chiefe care and continual endeuor euen that they may without delay joyne and adde vnto their Church this notable ornament namely Ecclesiasticall Discipline as it is prescribed in the writinges of the Apostles and so they shall not only haue the bones and sinowes but inioy the bloud colour beauty and retaine the absolute strength of a Church And in this point that speeche of the holy ghost is carefully to be hearkned vnto that we ought to make straight steps vnto our feet least that which halteth be at length clean turned out of the way For if those things which are needful be through carelesnesse neglected in the Church of God it will come to passe that in processe of time the Church it selfe wil be clean alienated from God And in asmuch as this Discipline whereof wee speake is set downe in the first Epistle of Tim. therfore I haue principally chosen it in the expoūding wherof I thought good briefly to set down my iudgement concerning this whole argument Diuers many both new and olde writers being indeed learned men haue written vpon this Epistle But amongst the rest one Claudius Spensaeus especially endeuoured to shew how much he was able to write concerning the Discipline of the Church For besides a large commentarie that he hath written vpon the text it selfe he hath also published no lesse then three tedious books of digressions as he calleth them vpon this verie same Epistle But he is so farre in my iudgement from being a helpe vnto any man by his bookes that in my daies I haue knowen nothing more obscure then his verie commentary and nothing more confused and out of order then are his intricate discourses For these Schoolmen of whose number this Spensaeus was on are blinded by the iust iudgement of God and so giuen to obscuritie that in the most thinges they vnderstand not themselues because their onely bringing vp is in darknes and vaine iangling Indeed when I had lighted vpon these commentaries and could profit my selfe nothing at all by them the best course that I could take was to betake me from his wandering digressions vnto the right way it selfe that is vnto the text of the Apostle and so as the olde prouerbe faith I dranke and hasted away For my selfe what I haue attained vnto by this my trauel and howe much I haue manifested this cause which otherwise for want of practise nowe these many yeares was growen out of vse the knowledge of men let others iudge Thus much I may bouldlye affirme that I was not able to bring to light these olde rubushes of antiquitie without great labour and paines Howsoeuer it bee I intreat the Lord God that these my labours may be profitable vnto his Church and acceptable vnto the godly And as for your excellency most noble prince vnto whome I doe most humbly and willinglie dedicate this worke if it may bee but approoued of you I shal take your acceptation as a great fruit of the labour bestowed heerein There are many and diuerse causes of waight why I should dedicate this trauel of mine vnto your excellency but this in speciall And that is that whereas by the blessing of GOD and your great