Selected quad for the lemma: church_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
church_n	officer_n	ordain_v	ordination_n	3,414	5	11.2484	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A05190	The prophane schisme of the Brovvnists or separatists With the impietie, dissensions, levvd, and abhominable vices of that impure sect. Discouered by Christopher Lavvne, Iohn Fovvler, Clement Sanders, Robert Bulvvard. Lately returned from the companie of M. Iohnson, that wicked brother, into the bosome of the Church of England, their true mother.	Lawne, Christopher. aut	1612 (1612)	STC 15324; ESTC S121934	59,954	107

Creed forsaken by M. Iohnson THe words of this declaration taken from the originall copie which was giuen to the arbiters are these as followeth 1 The 23. article of the confession of our faith whereto also our Apologie agreeth page 46. 47. professeth that euerie Christian congregation hath power to elect and ordaine their owne ministerie c. and vpon desert againe to depose yea and excommunicate them These haue defended that a Congregation without Ministers cannot ordaine officers And that if the Eldership fall into heresie or wickednesse the whole Congregation cannot depose nor excommunicate them And that a Congregation without an Eldership cannot excommunicate any wicked person whatsoeuer 2 The 24. article confirmed in our Apologie page 60. 62. 63. professeth that the power to receiue in or to cut off any member is giuen to the whole bodie together of euery Christian Congregation Matth. 18.17 c. These haue pleaded for the Eldership to be the Church Matth. 18. and to haue both rightfull power to excommunicate though without and against the consent of the bodie of the Congregation 3 The 29. article as also our Apologie page 51. 52. professeth that the Hierarchie of Archbishoppes Lord Bishoppes Priests c. are a strange and AntiChristian Ministerie and Officers not instituted by Christs Testament nor placed in or ouer his Church These haue placed ouer them one that was made Priest by a lord Bishops ordination so as because of it they did not ordaine or impose hands on him when at the same time they ordained and imposed hands on others whom together with him they set ouer the Church 4 The 31. article and also our Apologie page 109. professeth that such ecclesiasticall assemblies as remaine so in confusion and bondage vnder that Antichristian Ministerie Courts Canons c. cannot bee esteemed true visible Churches c. These now pleade not only for them but for Rome it selfe to be the true Church of God 5 The 32. article whereto our Apologie agreeth page 52. 53. 44. testifieth that all such as haue receiued any of those false offices of Lord Bishops Priests c. are to giue ouer and leaue them and so hath it been practised heere before by all such Priests as came to our faith and Church now one is Minister ouer them ordained Priest by the Prelates as is before said 6 The 32. article which our Apologie also confirmeth page 45. professeth that people being come forth of the Antichristian estate c. are willingly to ioyne together in Christian communion and orderly couenant and to vnite themselues vnto peculiar and visible congregations c. These haue pleaded that all are bound to communion by vertue of their Baptisme receiued in the Church of Rome or other Antichristian assemblies 7 The 33. article corfirmed also in our apologie page 46. 47. 48. professeth that a people so ioyned together may proceed to choise and ordination of officers except they haue officers before to do it 8 In our apologie page 113. it was mantained to be grosse error and notorious absurditie either to hold the Popish Church to be a true Church hauing a true Ministerie and true Sacraments or else that men are vnbaptised and must admit of the Anabaptists re-baptisation These haue themselues much obiected to vs that either the Church and Baptisme of Rome is true or else we must be re-baptised Both which we still deny 9 The 38. article of our confession professeth that Congregations are by all meanes conuenient to haue the counsell and helpe one of another in all needfull affaires c. The practise of this was denied when in our greatest need and trouble they would not consent to haue the comfort and helpe of the English Church at Leiden which professeth the same faith with vs. 1 Before our parting wee offered that notwithstanding our differences of iudgement that we would continue together if our former practise might be retained but this was refused 2 We desired that then wee might haue apeaceable parting and to be two distinct Congregations each practising as they were perswaded yet nourishing brotherly loue and vnitie This also they would not agree to vnlesse wee would leaue this Citie 3 We procured though without their consent the helpe of the English Church at Leiden who laboured our peace a way of peace by these themselues propounded and by the Church of Leiden and vs agreed to these after ●…uersed and stood not vnto vnlesse we would goe dwell out of this Citie And although in the treatie of the Agreement it was testified by the Elders of that Church That vnlesse it were to the apparant vndoing of vs and of our families we should not be dismissed againe to dwell here yet because we would not absolutely promise to leaue this Citie they would not stand to the agreement which themselues had made Thus haue they manifested how M. Iohnson hath forsaken the Faith and cast away his old Creede in nine speciall Articles which they haue here numbred out yea and besides that haue also added in the end thereof three other articles against him and his companie wherein they are manifested as enemies vnto peace whereunto they were so deafe to hearken and not onely that but also are shewed to bee truce-breakers violaters of their promise and falsifiers of their word by reuersing the way of peace that was once concluded and for not standing vnto the agreement which themselues had made And thus by this writing and by the twelue articles thereof nine concerning faith and three concerning peace and truth the Franciscanes are shewed to be without faith without peace and without truth And thus hath Master Ainsworth set twelue sharpe teeth vpon the Franciscans and thereby made twelue wounds in the bodie of their honestie and faith vntill with some probable answere they can salue the same But alas how shall M. Iohnson with any sound answer salue his faith and his honestie by writing against M. Ainsworth that doth now become his accuser Seeing by M. Iohnsons owne testimonie and confession M. Ainsworth * Fran. Iohnsons enquirie of Tho. Wh. p. 43. for his learning wisdome and godlinesse as also for his faithfull teaching of the Church and vpright walking toward all is so well knowne and approued as neither he not we need regard any aduersaries malice and opposition against him These things being so what need M. Ainsworth to regard the malice and opposition of M. Iohnson now his aduersarie vnlesse M. Iohnsons malice be aboue the malice of other men and vnlesse his opposition be more terrible than the opposition of all aduersaries besides If M. Ainsworths learning be so well knowne and approued then what needes he to regard M. Iohnsons sophistrie If his wisedome be so well knowne and approued what needes he to regard the policies and subtleties of Fran. Iohnson and Dan. Studley If his godlinesse and vpright walking towards all be so well knowne and approued then what great cause hath euerie man to

M Bernard p. 234 Schisme for teaching that the power of Excommunication is in the Officers for hereby saith he All the communion passeth betwixt the parties admonishing and admonished excommunicating and excommunicated whereof the body of the Church is neither but a very cipher and a hang-by Now maister Iohnson practising and teaching that which maister Robinson here reprooueth by his Sentence is become guiltie of Schisme making his Church to be a cypher and a hang-by M. Robinson speaking of the power of binding and loosing saith Pag. 244. These knots are to bee tyed and loosed onely by the Chauncellours or Officialls fingers this power haue they enclosed with hedge and ditch c. This contumely may as iustly be returned vpō master Iohnsons head with master Robinsons wordes that those knots are to be tyed and loosed onely by master Iohnson and his officials fingers especially the filthie fingers of Dan. Studley his a Quondam chiefe Chancelor and that hee hath captiued his Church and seized the substance and kernell as it were into their hands leauing the poore people onely the shell and shadow to feede vpon Further master Bernard writing about ordination and succession of the Ministerie is tasked by master Robinson as being b Answere to Ber. pag. 421. either a marked seruant of the Pope or one that cared not what he wrote for some present seeming aduantage Now master Iohnson arguing in like matter about ordination and succession of the Ministerie and fetching the same from Rome the reproach doth fall as strangely vpon master Iohnsons pate Master Robinson writing about the Temples wherin we worship Saints that they are as c Page 443. execrable things to be auoided and yet further saith that they are the least d Page 4●5 difference betwixt him and master Ber. The matter therefore of popular gouernment and the peoples power is acknowledged to be a matter of greater waight and therin master Iohnson erring falles into a sinne more then execrable or accursed To omit many the like speeches by this it doth euidently appeare how master Robinsons teeth are like kniues and his iawes like swords to eate vp master Iohnsons companie while he thus bites them by his doctrine while hee makes master Iohnson and his elders to be bastardly runnagates miserable guides engrossers of the keyes arrogant Zidkiahs laying the corner stone of Babylon Lucians or skoffing Atheists Schismatikes making their Church a Cypher and a hang-by wanting an honest heart like Chancellors and Officials captiuing of the Church either marked seruants of the Pope or such as care not what they say for some present seeming aduantage vsing a power more then execrable or accursed Thus hauing shewed what he writeth against master Iohnson let vs see in a word what hee witnesseth against master Ainsworths companie When some of master Ainsworths companie wrote vnto master Robinson desiring him to come and helpe the Lord against the mightie against master Iohnson whom they had accounted as the strongest Giant of the Separation master Robinson at last came vnto them to dispute with master Iohnson about the change of his gouernment and being come and entred within the listes of that disputation he found master Ainsworths faction so disorderly and clamorous that he often desired them to be still and silent and reproued their vnseemely and vnreasonable behauior but at length when he saw the tumult encrease looking vpon them round about as a man amazed and agast with fierce and outragious carriage he did then openly testifie among them That he had rather walke in peace with fiue godly persons than to liue with fiue hundred or fiue thousand such vnquiet persons as these were Hauing spoken to this effect master Iohnson told him further That this was a small thing and nothing in respect of their vnpeaceable and disordered carriage at some other times And these things being so alas how euill doe they prouide for their owne peace and comfort which ioyne themselues vnto such a contentious and tumultuous band of Schismatikes As for master Smith and his disciples they doe at once as it were with open mouth swallow vp all the Separation besides by a Charact of Beast Epistle protesting against their false constitution false worship false Ministerie and false Gouernment For howsoeuer master Robinson did heretofore seeme to agree with master Smith in the reproofe of the triformed Presbiterie as he calleth it and hath had much question with his people about the same howsoeuer master Robinson hath followed master Smith in his doctrine and practise about the separation in almes and so hath one speciall kind of separation more than master Iohnson or master Ainsworth in their Companies doe practise and therefore might seeme to haue a more holy treasurie and a more pure sacrifice of almes free from that rigour and pollution wherewith the treasurie of the Franciscanes and Ainsworthians appeares to be defiled yet notwithstanding all this while they retaine a false constitution maister Smith stil protesteth against them all without exception b Epistle to the Character That there is no one true ordinance of the Lord among them And how they haue on the other side laied him open as a Schismatike an Heretike and an Apostata their Bookes against him doe plenteously declare We might here proceed yet further to shew what bitings there be among the other lesser factions and broken peeces of the separation and among those that walke alone but hauing alreadie led the Reader a rough way and beeing our selues weary thereof wee doe here rest our selues and sit downe for the present hoping that this which is alreadie done wil be sufficient to shew what bitter fruit groweth vpon the trees of the separation and withall desiring the Lord to keepe his seruants from tasting of this forbidden fruit which in our owne experience we haue felt so bitter we here take our leaue and heartily bid the Christian Reader farewell in the Lord. MATTH 7.15.16 Beware of false Prophets which come to you in sheepes clothing but inwarly they are rauening wolues Ye shall know them by their fruits Do men gather grapes of thornes or figges of thistles FINIS