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
A56221	Twelve considerable serious questions touching chvrch government sadly propounded (out of a reall desire of vnitie and tranquillity in church and state) to all sober-minded Christians, cordially affecting a speedy setled reformation, and brotherly Christian vnion in all our churches and denominations, now miserably wasted with civill unnatuall warres, and deplorably lacerated with ecclesiasticall dissentions / by William Prynne ...	Prynne, William, 1600-1669.	1644 (1644)	Wing P4117; ESTC R32182	10,363	9

freely elect prescribe unto themselves during pleasure and alter as they see occasion upon more light of truth revealed 6. Whether in all Nations Ages from the first preaching of the Gospell till this present as Christians and beleevers multiplied particular Churches did not likewise multiply which had a dependency on and communion one with another and were all subordinate to Nationall or Provinciall Synods and publike Ecclesiasticall constitutions And whether any one example of such a particular Independent Congregationall Church or Governement as some now strennuously contend for or any one eminent Writer who maintained the same can be produced in any Christian Nation Kingdome or Republike totally converted to Christianity since Christs time till within our memories If yea then let the Independents nominate the place age Author if they can If not then doubtlesse that can be no Church Government of Christs or his Apostles Institution which had never yet any being nor approbation in the world till this present age for ought that can be proved 7. Whether the selfe-same Law of Nature God and rule of rectified reason which instructed warranted all persons Nations as they multiplyed from private families to unite themselves into severall Villages * Cities Kingdoms Republikes and to subject themselves to some one or other publike forme of Civill Government and such generall Laws obliging all persons societies of men alike which they conceived most usefull necessary for their common safety and prosperity did not heretofore and now likewise teach perswade instruct all men to use the selfe-same form of proceeding in matters of Church Government as the number of Christians Churches multiplyed or shall yet encrease among them Since all Nations whatsoever upon their conversion to Christianitie have proceeded in this Method as all Ecclesiasticall Histories and the Acts of Councels testifie For example first one person or more in a Nation was converted to the Faith of Christ who converted his Family and so perchance for a time had a private * Church in his owne house This Family after converted other persons families by degrees who united themselves into a Congregationall or Parish Church after which the Christians multiplying and their Princes Magistrates Nations embracing the Christian Religion they divided themselves into many Parochiall Churches Diocesse Provinces none of which Parochiall Churches when multiplyed and the whole Nation converted either were or claimed to be independent but were ever subordinate to (h) Nationall or Provinciall Synods Classes to the (i) Common Councell of Presbyters and governed by generall Laws or constitutions to which they still submitted just like our new Chappells and Churches lately built about London and other places which are not Independent but subordinate to the Ecclesiasticall Lawes and publike setled Government of our Nationall Church A course observed in all Religions Nations in the world since Adams time till now for ought appeares to me And why this order dictated by God nature and constantly pursued in all Nations converted to Christian Religion should not be perpetually observed but Independent Congregations gathered not of Infidels but of men already converted to and setled in the Christian faith of which forme of congregating Churches no one example unlesse derived from the private Conventicles of Arrians Donatists and other Heretickes who yet were not Independent amongst themselves nor any direct Scripture Reason or Authority can be produced to satisfie Conscience for ought ever I could yet discerne nor yet for particular Church Covenants to which all Members must subscribe before admission into Independent Churches I can yet see no ground 8. Whether the concession of one Catholike Church throughout the world denied by none the (k) Nationall Assembly and Church of the Israelites under the Law who had yet their distinct Synagogues and Parochiall Assemblies Instituted approved by God himselfe the Synodall Assemblie of the Apostles Elders and Brethren at Ierusalem Acts 15. who (l) made and sent binding De●rees to the Churches of the Gentiles in Antioch Syria Cylicia and other Churches compared with the severall generall (m) Injunctions of Paul in his Epistles to Timothy Titus the Corinthians and other Churches hee wrote to touching Church discipline Order Government seconded with all Oecumenicall Nationall Provinciall Councells Synods and the Church Government exercised throughout the world in all Christian Realmes States from their first generall reception of the Gospell till this present compared with Acts 7.38 c. 2.47 c. 5.11 c. 8.1.3 c. 12.5 c. 15.22 c. 20.28 Math. 16.18 Ephes. 3.10.21 c. 5.25.27.29.32 Col. 1 18.24 1 Tim. 3.5.15 Be not an infallible proofe and Justification of Nationall Churches of a common Presbyterian Classicall government to which particular Congregations Persons ought to be subordinate an apparent subversion of the Novell Independent Invention Whether all answers ●iven to these examples Texts by Independents be not when duly scanned meere palpable shifts or evasions which can neither satisfie the Consciences or Judgements of any intelligent Christians And whether their argument from these phrases n the Churches the Churches of Christ of Asia Macedonia all Churches c. in the plurall number meant only of the Churches then planted in severall Cities Provinces Regions Nations under distinct civill Governments comprised in Scripture under this aggregate Title the Church oft times and then equivalent to Nationall Churches derived out of them as the Gospell and beleevers of it multiplied be any more or better proofe of particular Independent Churches in one the selfe same City Nation Kingdome Republique Then Historians Councells and Canons mentioning of the Churches of England Scotland Ireland Wales France Spaine or the Churches within the Province of Canterburie Yorke or Diocesse of London c. argue all or any of their Parish Churches to be Independent not one Parochiall Church in all these Realmes being yet independent but alwayes subordinate to the whole Nationall or Provinciall Churches Councels Parliaments Synods of these Kingdomes as all Authors and experience witnes 9. Whether the Independents challenge of the Presbyterians to shew them any Nationall Church Profes●ing Christ in our Saviours or the Apostles dayes before any one Nation totally converted to the Christian faith or any generall open profession made of it by the Princes Majestrates and Major part of any Nation Kingdome Republique who were then all generally Pagans and Persecutors of the Gospell not then universally embraced be not a most irrationall unjust demand And whether this Argument from thence There was no Nationall Church professing Christian Religion in the Apostles dayes before any Nation totally converted to Christianity Ergo there ought to be no such Nationall Church now though the o Prophets long before assured us and (p) Christ with his Apostles certainly knew predicted there should be Nationall convertions Churches after their dayes Be not as absurd an Argument as these ensuing There was no Nation wholy converted to th●●aith nor any Church-meetings of Christians

in publique Churches but only in q privat Families Caves Corners in the Apostles dayes Ergo no Nations ought to be totally converted to the faith nor any Christians to meete in publique Churches but onely in private Families Caves Corners now as they did then There was no Nation Kingdom City Republique Catholique Congregationall or Parochiall Church in Adams yonger dayes before people were multiplyed but only a family Government and Church Ergo there ought to be none but an Oeconomicall or Family Government and Church but no Nation Kingdome City Republike Catholike or Parish Church now No man will be so void of sence or reason to argue thus Every man in his Infancy is borne destitute of Religion of the use of speech reason understanding faith legs c. Ergo he ought to continue so when he is growne a man Yet this is the maine Argument of some Independents The Christian Church in the Apostles times whiles she was in her very Infancy and under persecution was not Nationall but so and so yet never Independent Ergo she must not now be Nationall but still necessarily continue in and be reduced to her primitive infant condition and to an Independent Government When as the very History of the Acts and Pauls Epistles clearly informe us that as the number of Christians multiplyed so their (r) Churches Church Officers multiplyed their Church government Discipline varied At first the Christian Church had none but Apostles to preach and instruct the people but when beleevers multiplyed then they and the Apostles ordained (s) Deacons after that (t) Elders Evangelicall Bishops Widdowes with other Church Officers And then fell not only to write new Gospells Epistles Canonicall Scriptures and rules of faith as appeares by the whole New Testament for the Churches further instruction Edification direction by the speciall guidance of (v) Gods spirit but also to prescribe new necessary (x) Rules Canons directions with sundry matters of Order Discipline as new occasions were Offered which liberty of ordaining supplying instituting new Rites Orders Canons things necessary or expedient for the Churches peace and welfare they transmitted to posterity and all Churches of Christ in all ages places yea the Independents themselves have claimed and exercised this very liberty as their right there being many things in their independent Government which have no expresse warrant nor example in sacred wit to justifie them 10. Whether Independents can produce any one solid reason why they ought not in Point of Conscience willingly to submit to a Presbyteriall Government in case it shall be established among us by the generall consent of the Synod and Parliament as most consonant to Gods word the Lawes and Governement of our Realme and if not whether it will not be justly reputed an high degree of Obstinacy Singularity Arrogancy Selfe-ends and peremptory Schisme in them to oppose this forme of Governement or demand a speciall exemption from it for themselves alone when as Papists Anabaptists and all other Sects may claime the like exemption upon the like grounds as they alleadge 11. Whether that Independent Governement which some contend for if positively and fully agreed on and laid downe without disguises and then duly pondered in the ballance of scripture or right reason be not of its owne nature a very Seminary of Schismes and dangerous divisions in Church state a floud-Gate to let in an inundation of all manner of Heresies Errors Sects Religions distructive opinions Libertinisme and lawlesnesse among us without any sufficient meanes of preventing or suppressing them when introduced Whether the finall result of it as Master Williams in his late dangerous * Licentious Booke determines will not really resolve it selfe into this detestable conclusion That every man whither he be Iew Turk Pagan Papist Arminian Anabaptist c. ought to be left to his own free liberty of cōscienc without any coertion or restraint to embrace publikely to professe what Religion Opinion Church Government he pleaseth conceiveth to be truest though never so erronious false seditous detestable in it selfe And whither such a Government as this ought to be embraced much lesse established among us the sad effects whereof we have already experimentally felt by the late dangerous increase of many Anabaptisticall Antinomian Hereticall Atheisticall opinions as of the souls mortality divorce at pleasure c. lately Broached Preached Printed in this famous City which I hope Our grand Councell will speedily and carefully suppresse and by our devisions betweene some of our Commanders refusing to be dependent or subordinat one to another I referre to the judgement of all such who have any sparkes of love to God Religion their bleeding dying distracted native Country flaming in their brests or any remainder of right reason residing in their braines 12. Whether the very title of Independency be not altogether improper for any man or Christian as such who is naturally as a man spiritually as a Christian (y) ●sociable z dependent creature needing both the Cōmunion and assistance of other persons Nations Churches Whether the National League Covenant we have taken doth not in sundry respects strongly ingage us against Independency and whether the root from which it originally springs if really searched to the very bottom stript of all disguised pretences be not a Pharesaical (a) dangerous spiritual Prid vainglorious Singularitie or selfe-conceitednes of mens owne superlative holines as they deeme it which makes them contrary to the Apostles rule (b) to est●●●● others better then themselves to deeme themselvs so transendently holy sanctified and Religious above others that they esteeme them altogether unworthy of yea wholy exclude them from their Communion Church-society as (c) Publicans Hethens or prophane persons though perchance as good or better Christians then themselves unlesse they will submitt to their Church-covenants Goverment refusing all true brotherly familiarity society with them passing oft times most uncharitable censures on their very hearts and spirituall estates of which God never made them Judges (d) Forbids them for to judge because he (e) only knowes mens hearts Which hath lately ingendred an extraordinary strangnes unsociablenesse and coldnesse of brotherly affection if not great disunion disaffection and many dissentions among Professors themselves yea carelesnesse and neglect of one anothers wel●●●●●● Our mutuall Christian dependency on and Relations one to another as Christian Brethren As members of the selfe-same state and visible Church of Christ f being the strongest bond of unitie of brotherly love care reliefe and mutuall assistance in all times of neede it being the common 〈◊〉 naturall disposition of all men to g disrespect neglect the reliefe assistance ●●re and protection of those who are independent on them or have no relations to them no communion with them and whom they esteem as strangers with whom they neither have nor thinke fit to have any brotherly Church-society