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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
country_n	church_n	city_n	parish_n	1,800	5	9.9044	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A94297	Of the government of churches; a discourse pointing at the primitive form.	Thorndike, Herbert, 1598-1672.	1641 (1641)	Wing T1055; Thomason E1102_1; ESTC R203782	63,264	216

of Cleophas sister of the blessed Virgin the wife of Alpheus and mother of James the lesse Wherewith agreeth Clemens Alexandrinus in Eusebius Eccles hist ii 1. where he acknowledgeth but two Jameses the son of Zebedee and this James of Jerusalem mentioned by the Apostle And herewith agreeth S. Chrysostome upon that text of the Apostle where he observeth that for S. James his honour S. Paul calleth him brother of our Lord whereas he might as well have called him sonne of Cleophas as the Evangelist had done Here it is plain that James the brother of our Lord and sonne of Cleophas is the Apostle sonne of Alpheus according to S. Chrysostome As for that which followeth that neverthelesse he was not of kin to our Lord according to the flesh but according to the opinion of the world it seemeth to depend upon Hegesippus in Eusebius iii. 11 26. where he maketh Cleophas brother to Joseph supposed father of our Lord. Which is possible to be true that Joseph and Cleophas brothers should take to wife the two Maries sisters or cousins But otherwise there is so much appearance in the Gospel that Mary mother of James and Joses is Mary of Cleophas sister to the blessed Virgin that it must needs be an inconvenience to deny this James to be kin to our Lord by her side As for other relations and conjectures of Church-writers the varietie whereof is endlesse and unreconcilable it is not reason to draw them into consequence to the prejudice of a conjecture which maketh so clear an agreement of this whole difference It was my desire to shew the true meaning of the Apostles words but it is not my purpose to build upon uncertainties Whosoever this James of Jerusalem was we find the Church of Jerusalem under his charge almost assoon as there was a Church there at least if we believe Ignatius Epist ad Trall where he saith S. Stephen was Deacon to this James of Jerusalem which must be betimes after our Lords death And therefore thus we see whom the Bishops of Jerusalem succeed CHAP. III. The Apostles planted mother-churches in mother-cities The Government of them estated upon Presbyteries Saint Paul at the beginning made no Bishops over those Presbyteries The reason Himself had the oversight of the Churches of his planting for the time The like in the Churches of S. Peters charge LEt us now go abroad with the Apostles and see how they followed this pattern in the Churches which they converted to the faith Tertullian l. De praescript c. 20. speaketh thus of them ac providè Ecclesias apud unāquamque civitatem condiderunt This slight circumstance which he but pointeth at that the Apostles founded Churches in Cities is very considerable in our businesse For it is plain they could not bestow their pains on all places reason required they should labour most to plant the faith in the most populous And common sense and the least knowledge of times will serve to shew that from thence it was propagated through the Countreys that lay to those Cities which therefore in time became and were called the Territories Parishes or Dioceses of such or such Churches Now the form of government estated by S. Paul over these Churches is pointed out to us Acts xiv 23. where we reade in the end of their first journey that Paul and Barnabas having ordained them Presbyters in every Church returned to Antiochia But unto Titus the Apostle writeth thus Tit. i. 5. For this cause left I thee in Crete that thou mightest set in order the things that are wanting and constitute Elders in every city as I had appointed thee Elders in every Church in the one place and Elders in every city in the other both to the same effect not meaning one in a place but Presbyteries that is Colledges bodies companies of Presbyters with common advice to order the Churches planted in these Cities Such a Colledge of Presbyters it was that we spoke of in the last chapter instituted by the Apostles in the Church of Jerusalem the pattern whereof S. Paul followeth in the Churches which he converted out of the Gentiles And thus in the Church of Ephesus you shall see S. Paul Acts xx 17. sending for the bench of Elders there to Miletus Thus in the Church of Philippi you shall find that the Apostle directeth his Epistle to the Bishops and Deacons there which must be to the Colledge of Presbyters next above the order of Deacons Thus when the Apostle writeth to the Thessalonians 1. Thess v. 12. And we beseech you brethren to know them which labour among you and are over you in the Lord the multitude whereof he speaketh is to be understood of the like company of Presbyters Thus in Ignatius his epistles you shall find him up and down reckoning next after the Bishops the Presbyteries of all the Churches to which he writeth The like in S. Cyprians epistles for the Presbyteries of Rome and Carthage To spare more words in all Church-writers you shall find continuall remembrance of these Presbyteries whensoever there is speech of Mother-churches in Mother-cities And therefore those we are to understand when we reade that Paul and Barnabas ordained Presbyters in every Church and Titus in every City And such Bodies or Colledges of Presbyters they were to whom the Apostle committed the Churches which he had planted But this being granted the question will be in the next place Where are the Bishops the chief and heads of these Presbyteries For had the Apostle from the beginning of his planting these Churches placed that rank over these Presbyters it is like we should have found some remembrance of it Now these Presbyters are styled by the name of Bishops as hath been observed ever since S. Hierome and which is more to averre the observation for this purpose neither in the relation of his planting and ordering the Churches nor in the style of his Epistles nor in his instructions concerning ministers of these Churches is there any remembrance or respect to be found but of Presbyters and Deacons which in so much eminence of place so much difference of Bishops office if any then had been could scarce have come to passe and maketh me conclude that the Apostle ordained none such from the beginning over the Presbyteries No Bishop the Apostle had yet settled at Ephesus when he used these words to the Presbyters there Acts xx 17. Take heed to your selves and to the whole flock over whom the holy Ghost hath made you EPISCOPOS Bishops or Overseers For as he giveth the name to the Presbyters so he addresseth his instructions to none besides None at Philippi when he directed his Epistle to the Bishops and Deacons there neither the custome of the Church bearing more then one Bishop in one Church at once nor being a thing reasonable to think if any such had been that the Apostle would not have found a room for him in the style of his Epistle None in the Churches within

and wisdome whom we may appoint over this businesse but had the persons been found not qualified no man will be so grosse as to think the Apostles might not or ought not to controll the choice And though it were granted which with truth cannot be granted that the Presbyters aforesaid were made by Saul and Barnabas upon most voyces of the people yet if we reserve to them the Nomination of the persons the interesse of the people will be lesse rather then more then the people of this Church useth at the present though not in themselves yet in the Patrones of Churches to whom the Church yieldeth it in the name of the people in respect to the merit of those that built or indowed Churches at least if the ancient Canon were in use For though it be a little without the terms of my subject yet let me say this word for the provision of Pastours in rurall Congregations that by the order thus farre specified it must needs come from the Mother-church out of the gremialls of it In the first ages of the Church there is little or no mention but of Presbyteries in grosse for the common service of Mother-churches whereof hitherto we speak Afterwards when the faith was planted and Congregations ordered in the Territories of those Cities or Dioceses of those Churches we find in the 25. Canon of Neocesarea a difference made between the Presbyters of them whereof some are called there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these of the Mother-church those of rurall Congregations And by the Canon of Chalcedon mentioned afore forbidding all Ordinations at large but for the service of the city Church or other depending on it it appeareth that by virtue of the Ordination in the Mother Church wherein the people concurred no otherwise then hath been said whether Presbyters or other Ministers were invested in their charge of those Churches Before that time it is to be observed that the Councel of Nice Can. xv forbidding Ministers to passe from Citie to Citie whether Bishops Presbyters or Deacons that is to leave their own Mother-church to serve in another Mother-church proceedeth in these terms 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It seemed good to put down the fashion that is come up in some parts besides the Rule Signifying that the Rule of the Church from the beginning was to ordain Ministers in Mother-churches for the service of those Mother-churches But in the xvi Canon next following it is further provided that they shall be constrained to return to their first charges in these terms 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They must be constrained by all means to return into their own Dioceses For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Canons signifieth the countrey lying to the Citie of the mother-Mother-church which we call the Diocese This Canon speaking of Presbyters and Deacons and not of Bishops besides the voyding of such attempts which is done in the xv Canon afore providing a course to constrain them to return extendeth further then the other did to Presbyters and Deacons in countrey Cures whereas that rested in the Mother-church So the 3. Canon of Antiochia so the xv of the Apostles providing that Ministers should not leave 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their Dioceses as was said speak plain to let us know how much the Cures of the whole Diocese and the Persons by whom they were exercised were in the disposing of the Mother Church when it appeareth that the Ministers of them could not depart to serve in or under other Churches till they were dismissed their first charge with letters of licence from the Mother-church which they called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Dimissorias Wherein the condition of the Church is just that of the Greekish Colonies They were wont to have their Priests sent them from the Mother-cities and reserved the first fruits which were the Priests due for an honour to their founders as Thucydides lib. 1. and his Scholiast writeth alledging this for an occasion of that warre because those of Corcyra neglected their Mother-citie of Corinth in that accustomed right So all rurall Congregations being at first nothing but colonies of the Faith planted from Mother-churches founded in Mother-cities from the time of the Apostles it was but reason they should receive their Pastors from the head of the Diocese where the charge of overseeing as well as planting them belonged The right of presenting then yielded by the Church to the people or to the Patrone it concerns not in her regard if it were to Orders as well as to Cures were more then the People should have in chusing out of those which Saul and Barnabas might nominate But he that would have the people both name the persons and chuse out of those themselves named neglecting imposition of hands or injoyning it upon the choice must first put the Epistles to Timothy Titus out of the Bible least at the first insight that appeare to belong to the office of men of their place the account whereof lyeth upon their charge As for the constituting of Bishops fit it is in the first place provision be made for the interesse of the State as well in ordering the choyces as in approving the persons chosen that no man be established prejudiciall to the Common-wealth But yet that course in which the Christian Emperours of ancient times interposed themselves to nominate the persons being acknowledged to be besides the Rule did not destroy it in all but balk it for the time Now if the people from the beginning had a due share of interesse in giving consent to those which were to be ordained their Presbyters much more must we needs think that it was due and of right that the votes of the Presbyters and consent of the people should go before in designing the Persons under whom and with whom they were to guide and be guided in Spirituall matters As for imposition of hands of neighbour Bishops with whom the unitie of the Church was to be preserved by the Ordained it was not then the formalitie of a thing done but the substance of the Act resting upon the account of them that did it by virtue of the Apostles charge And therefore though it is not easie for me to judge how farre it concerneth the Church to retain the Primitive form yet it is easie for indifferent persons to discern how much is required to the retaining of it CHAP. XIII The rule of censuring persons ordained directed to Timothy alone The office exercised according to the other parts of it Something would here be said in the last place of that which dependeth upon these two last particulars of Penance and Ordination that is the censure of offenses whether in doctrine or manners of persons Ordained because the Apostle seemeth to referre this to Timothy that is to the Bishop alone not mentioning any concurrence of his Presbyters in it For so we reade 1. Tim. v. 19 20. Against an Elder receive not an accusation