Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	bishop_n	church_n	presbyter_n	1,031	5	10.3609	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A26932	Gildas Salvianus, the reformed pastor shewing the nature of the pastoral work, especially in private instruction and catechizing : with an open confession of our too open sins : prepared for a day of humiliation kept at Worcester, Decemb. 4, 1655 by the ministers of that county, who subscribed the agreement for catechizing and personal instruction at their entrance upon that work / by their unworthy fellow-servant, Richard Baxter ...	Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691.	1656 (1656)	Wing B1274; ESTC R209214	317,338	576

Justice of Peace may be said to rule the Land is not a matter of much moment to be stood upon but the former seems most likely to be the sense 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is both acquisivit asseruit in suam vindicavit It s said to be done by the blood of God by a Communication of the names of the distinct natures And it affords us an argument against the Arrians seeing Christ is here expresly called God SECT II. BUT it is necessary before we proceed to Instruction and Application that we be resolved more clearly who those Elders or Bishops be that Paul doth here exhort I am desirous to do all that lawfully I may to avoid controversie especially in this place and on such occasions But here it is unavoidable because all our following application will much depend upon the explication and if you shall once suppose that none of this Exhortation was spoken to men in your office and capacity no wonder if you pass it over and let it alone and take all that I shall hence gather for your practise as impertinent This Text was wont to be thought most apt to awaken the Ministers of the Gospel to their duty but of late the negligent are gratified with the News for news it is that only Bishops in a s●pereminent sense whom we usually call Prelates are spoken to in this Text and not only so but that no other Text of Scripture doth speak to any other Church Presbyters certainly but them yea that no other were in being in Scripture times Here are two Questions before us to be resolved 1. Whether the Elders here mentioned were the Elders of one Church of Ephesus or of all that part of Asia that is of every Church one This is but in order to the second which is whether these Elders were only Prelates or such Bishops as among us have carried that name The reasons that may be brought to prove these to be the Prelates of the several Cities of Asia and that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is those many Cities are these following 1. The affirmation of Irenaeus To which we say 1. There might be many Elders of Ephesus present though some from the neerest Cities were there also which is all that Irenaeus affirms 2. We oppose to the saying of Irenaeus the ordinary exposition of the antients The most singular is of least authority caeteris paribus 2. It may be said that Paul calls them to remember how he had been among them three years not ceasing to warn every one c. But he was not three years at Ephesus only but in Asia c. Answ He may be said to be where his chief place of abode is He that resideth ordinarily at Ephesus though he thence make frequent excursions to the neighbour parts may well be said to abide so long at Ephesus And the Ephesian Elders might well be acquainted with his industry round about them though here is no certainty that he mentioneth any more then what he did with them For what he did in Ephesus he did in Asia as that which is done in London is done in England Obj. 3. But it is meant of all Asia for he saith among whom I have gone c. Answ 1. As though Paul might not go preaching the Gospel in Ephesus 2. If he went further the Ephesine Elders might accompany him Ob. Ephesus was the Metropolis and therefore all Asia might be thence denominated Answ 1. It must be proved that it was so denominated All France is not called Paris nor all England London 2. It is not whole Countries but a Church that Paul speaks of and it is yet unproved that the Church of one City had then any such dependance on the Church of another City as lesser Cities had upon the Metropolis Our Reasons that make us think that either all or many of these Elders or Bishops were over the particular Church of Ephesus are these 1. It is expresly said in the Text that they were Elders of the Church referring to Ephesus next before mentioned He sent to Ephesus and called the Elders of the Church And it cannot be proved in all the New Testament that the Bishops of other Churches and Cities are called Bishops of a greater City because it is the Metropolis 2. Here is mention but of one Church and one Flock in the singular number and not of many when yet it is acknowledged that he speaketh not of the Universal Church for then that language were not strange but of a particular Church And it is the use of the Apostles to speak still in the plural number when they mention the particular Churches of many Cities and not to call them all one Church or Flock 3. And it may seem else that the Elder of each one of these Cities hath a charge of all the rest For they are required to take heed of all the Flock which though it may possibly be by taking every one his part yet if one should fail the rest seem to have his charge upon them which is more then they can do 4. Paul was now in so great hast in his journey to Jerusalem that Luke measureth it out by the daies And it is not like that Paul could in such hast call the Elders from the several Cities of Asia If he had passed through the Brittish Seas in such haste and lodged at Plimouth and had thence called to him the Elders of Paris he must have staid many dayes or weeks before he could have gathered also the Bishops of Rhemes Arles Orleance and the rest of France 5. The numbers of Prophets and gifted men in those times and the state of other particular Churches doth give us sufficient reason to conjecture that Ephesus was not so scant of help as to have but one Presbyter Grotius thought that Timothy with his Com-Presbyters made this appearance but others have given very probable reasons that Timothy was none of them 6. The Judgement of Expositors antient and modern running so commonly the other way commandeth some respect from us But 1. I confess the matter seemeth but conjectural on both sides and neither part to have a certainty but if probability may carry it there seems to be many of the Elders of Ephesus though possibly some of the neighbouring Cities might be with them 2. But let this go how it will it maketh not much to the main matter in hand What if Ephesus and each other City or Church had then but one Presbyter will it follow that he was a Prelate No but the contrary It will prove that there was then none such at all if there were no subject Presbyters For there is no King without subjects nor master without servants 1. The stream of antient and modern Expositors do take this Text to speak of Presbyters in the common sense And we must be cautelous before we be singular in the expounding of so many texts as speak the same way 2. If men be

to us as well as others He therefore that hath ears let him hear the voice of railing enemies of all sorts the voice of them that cry down with us even to the ground all calling us to try our waies and to reform He that hath eyes let him see the precepts of Repentance written in so many admirable deliverances and preservations and written in so many lines of blood By fire and sword hath God been calling even us to Humiliation And as Judgement hath begun at the house of God so if Humiliation begin not there too it will be a sad prognostick to us and to the Land What! shall we deny or excuse or extenuate our sins while we call our people to such free Confessions Is it not better to give glory to God by a full and humble Confession then in tenderness of our own glory to seek for fig-leaves to cover our nakedness and to put God to it to build his glory which we denyed him upon the ruines of our own which we preferred before him and to distrain for that by a yet sorer Judgement which we denyed voluntarily to surrender to him Alas if you put God to get his honour as he can he can get it to your greater sorrow and dishonour If any of our hearers in a day of Humiliation when sin is fully confessed and lamented should be offended at the Confession and stand up against it and say You wrong me I am not so bad You should have told me of this in private and not have disgraced me before the Congregation What could we think of such a man but that he was a hardened impenitent wretch and as he would have no part in the Confession so he should have none in the Remission And shall we do that which we scarce ever see the most hardened sinner do Shall we say This should not have been spoken of us in the ears of the people but we should have been honoured before them Certainly sins openly committed are more dishonourable to us when we hide them then when we confess them It is the sin and not the Confession that is our dishonour And we have committed them before the Sun so that they cannot be hid Attempts to cloak them do increase the guilt and shame There is no way to repair the breaches in our honour which our sin hath made but by free Confession and Humiliation I durst not but make Confession of my own and if any be offended that I have confessed theirs let them know that I do but what I have done by my self And if they dare disown the confession of their sin let them do it at their peril But as for all the truly humble Ministers of the Gospel I doubt not but they will rather be provoked more solemnly in the face of their several Congregations to lament their sins and promise Reformation CHAP. V. SECT I. The Use of Exhortation HAving disclosed and lamented our miscarriages and neglects our duty for the future lies plain before us God forbid that we should now go on in the sin that we have confessed as carelesly as we did before Then would that exclamation of Salvian fall upon us de Gubern l. 3. p. 87. Novum siquidem monstri genus est cadem pene omnes jugiter faciunt quae fecisse plangunt Et qui intra●t Ecclefiasticam domum ut mala antiqua defleant exeunt quid dico exeunt in ipsis pene hoc orationibus suis ac supplicationibus moliuntur Aliud quippe or a hominum aliud corda agunt Et dum verbis praeterita mala plangunt sensu sutura meditantur ac fi oratio eorum rixa est magis criminum quam exoratrix ut vere illa in eis Scripturae maledictio compleatur ut de oratione ipsa exeunt condemnati oratio eorum fiat in peccalum Be awakened therefore I beseech you brethren by the lowd and manifold voice of God to set more seriously to the work of God and to do it for the future with all your might and to take heed to your selves and to all the Flock The Reasons why you should take heed to your selves I gave you in the beginning The Reasons why you should take heed to all the Flock I shall give you now as Motives to enforce this Exhortation and the Lord grant that they may work with us according to their truth and weight 1. THE first quickning Consideration which the text here affordeth us is taken from our Relation to all the Flock We are Overseers of it In this I shall further shew you these subordinate particulars which will manifest the force of this consideration 1. The nature of the office requireth us to Take heed What else are we Overseers for Episcopus est nomen quod plus oneris quam honoris significat saith Polid. Virgil. p. 240. and a Father before him To be a Bishop or Pastor is not to be set up as Idols for the people to bow to or as idle slow-bellies to live to our fleshly delight and ease but it is to be the guide of sinners to salvation The particulars of our duty we have somewhat touched before and more shall do anon It is a sad case that men should be of a calling that they know not the nature of and undertake they know not what Do these men know and consider what they have undertaken that live at ease and pleasure and have time to take their superfluous recreations and to spend an hour and more at once in loitering and vain discourses when so much work doth lie upon their hands Why Brethren do you consider where you stand and what you have taken upon you Why you have undertaken the Conduct under Christ of a band of his souldiers against Principalities and Powers and spiritual wickedness in high places You must lead them on the sharpest conflicts You must acquaint them with the enemies stratagems and assault You must watch your selves and keep them watching If you miscarry they and you many perish You have a subtile enemy and therefore must be wise You have a vigilant enemy and therefore must be vigilant A malicious and violent and unwearied enemy and therefore you must be resolute couragious unwearied You are in a crowd of enemies compassed with them on every side and if you heed one and not all you will quickly fall And O what a world of work have you to do Had you but one ignorant old man or woman to teach though willing to learn what a tedious task is it But if they be as unwilling as ignorant how much more difficult is it But to have such a multitude of these as most of us have what work will it find us Who hath ever tryed it that knoweth it not by experience What a pitiful life is it to reason with men that have almost lost the use of reason and to talk with obstinate willful people that know what they will and resolve but not why they do