Selected quad for the lemma: city_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
city_n	church_n	great_a	place_n	5,080	4	4.2516	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A44779	A sermon preached at the first visitation of the Right Reverend Father in God Ralph, Lord Bishop of Chichester, holden there Septemb. 20th, 1675 by William Howell ...	Howell, William, 1631 or 2-1683.	1676 (1676)	Wing H3144; ESTC R6553	17,200	37

his Monitors but oblige them to be his followers He especially subjects them to him for they could no longer complain of him for severity to them when they themselves had given up themselves in all things unto him to stop their mouths he writes these things unto them in ver 17. saith St. Chrysostom Hereby then it seems that the end and design of this charge was not that the Colossians might admonish Archippus but that they should declare their good affection submit themselves unto and unanimously hold communion with him in the exercise of his ministry among them And this at that time was an office of Charity very decent and seasonable for St. Paul to enjoyn and for the Colossians to perform as well as for Archippus to receive from them for it was the readiest way that could be to extirpate the seeds of Heresie and Schism that were sown among them and to make them keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of Peace And for this cause in this sense it would be neither ungrateful to us nor unseasonable for our Congregations respectively to say to us as the Colossians to Archippus but alas such is the Atheism and profaness or else the factious humor of our age as that most men are now more apt either to cast off all respect and reverence to their authorized Teachers or else to say to the little foxes that spoil our vines rather than to us Take heed to the Ministery which you have received in the Lord that you fulfil it And this leads me to The Second part of my Text viz. Archippus his duty Take heed to the Ministery that thou fulfill it In which words we must consider two things viz. First his Ministery and then his Duty As for Archippus his Ministery it is not very easie to determine what it was among the Colossians because S. Paul useth the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 11.13 some think he was but a Deacon but this is so slender and inconclusive an argument as that they may as well say He was an Apostle because St. Paul calls his own office by that name Others because it seems St. Ambrose saith so think he was Bishop of Coloss but this cannot well be granted neither for it is more probably thought that at that time not Archippus but Epaphras was Bishop in that City St. Paul himself hath laid the foundation of this conjecture for he calls Epaphras his dear fellow-servant Cap. 1 7. and tells the Colossians He is for them a faithful Minister of Christ whereby it is plain He was not an Evangelist only in planting the Gospel but that he was a settled Minister or at least designed so to be among them and since he was St. Paul's dear fellow-servant it is probable he was advanced above the inferiour sort of the Clergy even to the Apostolical Dignity Hom. ult in Col. for so Saint Chrysostome saith of him But this could not be but by the communication of the ordinary part of the Apostolical Office unto him which was not to convert Infidels but to teach and govern those that were converted to the Faith This was and still is the Office of a Bishop Thence I conceive it was that the Primitive Bishops because of their participation of the Apostolical Office were sometimes called Apostles thus Epaphroditus was the Apostle of the Philippians Titus of the Cretians and Timothy of the Asiatick Christians Apud Hammond dissert 4. c. 3. sect 24. p. 186. as Theodoret it seems testifies very fully And thus 't is like that Epaphras was the Apostle i. e. the Bishop of the Colossians and so I find by Baronius that some ancient Martyrologies say expresly Ad an Ch. 60. that he was and if so because it was inconsistent with the Primitive Constitutions that there should be more than one Bishop in one City it must be concluded that Archippus his Ministery was but the Office of a Priest or Presbyter yet at that time his Duty I think was somewhat enlarged the Cure he had to supply the Work he had to do was somewhat greater than ordinary That you may perceive the reason both of Saint Paul's charge and of this mine opinon pray be pleased to observe That in those places where the Apostles constituted Bishops the whole work of the Ministery was devolved upon them and their respective Deacons Thence peradventure it was that Aerius took occasion to say That a Bishop and a Presbyter are the same But Epiphanius takes him up very sharply and tells him That being ignorant of the consequence of Truth and having not read the profoundest Histories he had not known that when the Gospel had been preached but a little while the holy Apostle wrote as occasion required where there were Bishops then constituted he wrote to the Bishops and Deacons and it may be to others elsewhere For saith he the Apostles could not presently constitute and settle all things on a sudden for there was need of Presbyters and Deacons that by these two the Ecclesiastical Orders might be compleat but where there was no person found fitting for the Episcopal Office there the place remained without a Bishop but where there was need and there were some worthy of that Office there were Bishops constituted but while Believers were but few in number there were no Priests or Presbyters found among them they were content with only a Bishop in the place but without a Deacon a Bishop could not well be the holy Apostle therefore took care that there should be Deacons to assist the Bishop in the work of the Ministery Thus far Epiphanius whereby it seems that the Orders of Bishops Priests and Deacons were from the beginning all instituted by the Apostles but not all in all places of the Church where there were none found fitting to be Bishops the places remained without any yet very unlikely it is that there were none appointed among the Christians in those places to guide their feet in the way of Peace in all probability therefore the Doctrine of the Church and the Worship of God was taught and upheld by the Ministery of Priests or Presbyters among them But in greater places where there was need of Ecclesiastical Discipline as well as of Doctrine and Worship if there were any found fitting to be intrusted with it as doubtless there was in most if not all Cities there were Bishops constituted and these Bishops with the assistance of Deacons while the number of Believers was not great in those places without any intermediate Presbyters undertook not only the Regiment of the Church but the daily performance of all its Offices Thence no doubt it was that long before Epiphanius Clemens Romanus observed Ad Cor p. 54. That the Apostles preaching the Word in Cities and Countreys constituted the First-fruits of their Ministery to be Bishops and Deacons of th●m that should believe It seems then the Apostles as Irenaeus saith did deliver their