Selected quad for the lemma: country_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
country_n	bishop_n	city_n	diocese_n	1,568	5	11.4499	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A42933	Gods government of his church, and the deputation thereof to men both for the civill and ecclesiastical estate : especially for the ecclesiasticall, concerning which many doubts and debates are now moved.		1641 (1641)	Wing G958; ESTC R21789	29,179	52

God was much enlarged The Church is now and ever was a Body consisting of severall members some in this a 1 Cor. 12. Body are eyes some hands some feet c. some b Luk. 22.26 are greater and chiefe some lesse in the Kingdome of Christ The lesse have a lesse service or charge the greater and chiefe are or should bee of greater service and imployment for the good of the whole and so they are indeed though it may seeme otherwise A prudent and considerate man will not judge the belly in the Roman Apologue to bee idler then the other parts nor the Master of the Ship sitting at the Sterne a lesse actor for the welfare of the passengers then they which tug at the oares or hoyse or strike saile As the hand and foot are content with their owne offices so should each member in the Church but yet there is a difference in some regard for one of inferiour place in the Church may desire the improvement of his talent and abilities may desire 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as was said above As Saint Paul approves this so the practice of the primitive times shew it then to have beene usuall Matthias of a Disciple was made an Apostle Philip of a Deacon became an Evangelist Furthermore concerning the performance of these Ecclesiasticall offices Saint Paul speaking of and particularly reckoning up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the diversities of Gods gifts sheweth a more excellent way to use them namely That whatsoever gift of God in this kinde any one hath hee should above all make use of Christian love without which tongues prophesie knowledge faith and all other gifts and graces are nothing and with which Christian love if any ones heart bee truly enflamed hee will apply himselfe to doe good in the Church in whatsoever kinde hee can as Pastor as Deacon as a fellow-workman as a Presbyter as an helper c. yea doe any usefull service in the Church as God gives ability and occasion is offered So Saint John being an Apostle did as a Prophet write the Revelation and as an Evangelist also his Gospel a divine supplement to the three other Gospels and then his Epistles Paul sent forth to preach did sometimes baptise performed the part of a Deacon and Evangelist yea became all things to all men But how may it appeare that any one as a Bishop had many Presbyters and Deacons under him or had a Diocesse or a large circuit of a country to be overseen by him Answer Wee may observe that the Apostles in regard of thepaucity of labourers in the great harvest of God had large as I may call them Diocesses and that each of them settled Presbyters in many Cities as we conceive by that which we read of some of them It is also manifest that there were many Presbyters at once in a Act. 20. Ephesus Acts 20. in Jerusalem Act. 11.30 in Antioch Act. 13.1 b Act. 11.30 at Caesarea there were at one time Philip the Evangelist Paul c Act. 13.1 and the companions of his travels Agabus and Luke These would not have stayed there but that there was worke for more then one of them Seeing professours of Christianity much increased and the Apostles endevoured to hold them in the true faith and still to convert more Proselites it necessarily followeth that they would not see them want any needfull supply of Teachers and Instructors but sent their Ministers and helpers to any Church as any present occasion required and that they call'd them back as they found necessary and expedient for any other place And seeing some Cities were large and had many a Act. 13.5 Synagogues which the Apostles made use of and so probably such as were by them sent or left there to preach it was requisite that they should have more then one Presbyter for the same over which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Angell of the Church was left When the rest of the twelve Apostles were dead and Saint John onely left alive but aged he not able to visit some remote Churches in his own person by writing to the seven Churches of Asia informed every one who had an eare in any Church whatsoever to heare their duties These Angels might according to the example of Titus left by Paul in Creet ordaine Presbyters in every of their Cities They might also try those who said * Rev. 3.9 Rev. 2.2 they were Jewes that is Christians and might examine them who pretended to be Apostles and were found lyars Had not these seven Churches more then one Teacher entertained in them no stranger would have fained * Say he was an Apostle a mission unto any of them and if the Angell of a Church exercised his power to examine and reject false pretenders we see thereby what his authority was for he who could do thus by a stranger might doe as much by a Presbyter bred up in his owne Church As for Diocesses the thing is ancient For the great Cities of old had some Pagi or villages neer adjoyned and subordinate to them Hence we read of a Jos 15. Gilead Ekron c. and their villages of Jerusalem b Ezek. 16. and her daughters Of this there is no need to doubt because it is usuall in all Countries whatsoever as being a thing for many reasons expedient and therefore wee may well grant that Ephesus Smyrna Philadelphia c. had some villages depending on them and subject to them and that therein some free men of the chiefe Cities did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inhabit And thus the thing is ancient how late soever some affirme the name to be Men also have used of old 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to dwell together for mutuall defence and comfort one of another so that the thing here also is ancient and was fitted of old for the name of Christian Parishes Suppose there were such adjacent villages to the great Cities and that the retired persons and shepheards there harkned as soon or sooner to the Gospel then the richer and greater Citizens who were cumbred with worldly imployments burdened with the weight of honourable places because also the shepheards of Bethlehem and Joseph of Arimathea and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 coasts neer adjoyning to the more noble Cities were often more attentive to the Gospel then the great men in Jerusalem and other large Cities suppose all this yet how will it appeare that these Angels or chief Overseers of the Churches had such large revenues as some Bishops in these our dayes Answer To this an answer is easily made No man can expect that a river should have so great a stream at or neer the spring head as it hath after many miles running 'T is not possible that a Lords or Knights house in New-England should be as well built furnished and attended as a Lords or Knights house usually in Old-England The Angels and Presbyters of the primitive times found stronger