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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
ground_n	church_n	scripture_n	truth_n	5,145	5	6.4163	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A47044	A sermon preached at the consecration of the Right Reverend Father in God Ambrose Lord Bishop of Kildare in Christ-Church, Dublin, June 29, 1667 / by the right reverend father in God, Henry, Lord Bishop of Meath.	Jones, Henry, 1605-1682.	1667 (1667)	Wing J948; ESTC R5267	35,856	90

had been so ordered by the Apostles see it by the Church received and after continued throughout all ages from the beginning whereby what might seem doubtful in the first Institution may be cleared by observing what was of that understood and after practised by the Church accordingly The Church is the pillar and ground of truth and what grounding on the Scripture the Church in all ages hath held from the beginning that we may rely upon for truth And how did the Church understand the Apostles appointing Bishops and Elders in the Church for its Government Did they not understand it of Bishops distinct from Elders and Superior to them Did they ever understand it of Elders without Bishops or of Elders ruling in chief much less of Lay-Elders of which is nothing to be found any where in Scripture or Antiquity Let the constant practise of the Church throushhout all ages be Judge in that how the Apostles were therein understood In which I shall use the words of Judicious Mr. Hooker Very strange it is saith he that such a Discipline as ye Elders speak of should be taught by Christ and his Apostles in the word of God and no Church have found it out nor received it till this present time contrariwise the Government against which ye bend your selves be observed every where throughout all generations and ages of the Christian world no Church ever perceiving the word of God to be against it adding We require you to finde out but one Church upon the face of the whole earth that hath been ordered by your discipline or hath not been ordered by ours that is to say by Episcopal Regiment Sithence the time that the blessed Apostles were 〈◊〉 conversant This was Mr. Hookers challenge to that side in this case and that many years since which hath never been to this day answered onely by the sword and so was it indeed put home to us perilously Antiquity is not to be despised but that to be advised with and submitted to in such cases Enquire of the former Age and prepare thy self to the search of their fathers for we are but of yesterday and know nothing shall not they teach thee and tell thee and utter words out of their hearts said Bildad to Job 8. 8. 9. 10. So the Lord directs by the Prophet thus saith the Lord stand ye in the way and see and ask for the old paths where is the good way and walk therein and ye shall find rest for your Soules but they said we will not walke therein which is even what these say in this refusing any such tryall in this dispute well knowing themselves cast in it But in matters of antiquitie to denye the credit of Antiquitie in what is not contradicted by Scripture discovers One addicted to Noveltie and singularity rather then to truth Let therefore our Church Levellers se to this who in such their Schisme teare and rend the seamless garments of the Church and as a generation of Vipers eat out and through the bowels of their Mother disturbing Church unity and peace drawing into factions and filling all with confusions Herein let them see themselves in their forefathers for such there were of old under both Testaments Se some under the old Testament setting themselves even against what God himself had expresly ordered concerning the high Priest-hood in Aron There Corah of the tribe of Levy raised a partie and faction of 250 Princes of the Assembly against Moses and Aron having the confidence thus to tell them yee take too much upon you seing all the congregation are holy every one of them and the Lord is among them wherefore then lift you your selves above the congregation of the Lord but Moses returns it to them again yee take too much upon you yee Sons of Levy seemeth it but a small thing unto you that the Lord God of Israel hath separated you from the congregation of Israel to bring you near unto himself to do the service of the Tabernacle of the Lord to stand before the congregation to Minister unto them And he hath brought thee neer unto him and all thy brethren the Sons of Levi with thee and seek ye the Priest-hood also so was it then 2. And such Corahs we find under the new Testament also of whom the Apostle S. Jude speaks with a woe woe to them for they have gone in the way of Cain and ran greedily after the error of Balaam and perished in the gainsaying of Core Where se them ranked with three notoriously wicked Cain and Balaam and Corab with Cain for blood with Balaam for Covetousness and with Corah for faction Cain the accursed murderer of his brother righteous Abel so was he the first persecuter of the Church Balaam called on to curss the people of God and Corah a factious schismatique to Corahs schisme are they moved by Balaams Covetousnesss and ambition and to that going on in the way of Cain in blood and cruelty And for that see woe and destruction begining with woe Judgment denounced and ending with destruction Judgment executed perishing in the gainsaying of Core Core or Corah of all that faction is alone mentioned others being but his followers in that wicked cause his destruction being also more remarkable whether as to those with him in that rebellion or as to those other two notoriously wicked Balaam and Cain whose ends were not as of others Corah and his followers perishing not by an ordinary Judgment like other men the earth opening its mouth and swallowing up them and theirs alive in sight of all the people By the dreadfulness of the Judgment let the hainousness of the sin be estimated 3. And such have been our Corah● also authors of our late confusions and evills in Church and State By whom hath been in the Church and Inlet and overflowing of blasphemies and of monstrous and pernicious doctrines horrible to be mentioned and not in very confutations to be remembred as if hell it self had broken loose The title of a book in which many of those abhominations are Collected And no wonder it should be so Church order and Government having been as it was cast off and trampled on While that stood all was well withus the face of our Church was comely and truth and peace secured and the enemies to both error and schisme not daring to shew themselves among us The Church is here Militant So is it described terrible as an army with banners with banner i. e. in order So it is by the LXX rendred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An army under its banners is in order and in that order is both beauty and terror and in that security Church security and Church beauty is in order thou art beautifull O my love as Tirza comely as Ierusalem terrible as an army with banners Cant. 6. 4. how pleasant is an army ranged under its banners so the Church under its colours leaders and officers

a Bishop in anothers D●ccess or a busie body in other mens matters so is that in our English rendred whereas the same work is in the hands of Bishops far otherwise who as they do it themselves so is it in them in way of Superintendency to see it done by others also So the chief Priests under the Law whom the Apostles and afther them Bishops represent they were Overseers to others that the work be done in manner and order as did become Thus are Bishops overseers to those other Overseers the care of many Churches being on them as was the cure of all Churches on the Apostles whereas the care of particular Churches this or that is onely on others 2. Although Presbyters have power to preach and do what belongs to their Function yet are they in acting that power limited and ordered by the Bishop Wherein we are to distinguish as in the Schools between Power of Order and of Jurisdiction Power of Order Presbyters receive in their Ordination to do what belongs to their function to which they are thereby qualified but the Power of Jurisdiction to act that their power of Order as ●astors that a Presbyter hath in his Institution from the Bishop being thereby appointed to a charge and place and licensed to discharge the duty of his calling to which he was before qualified and now enabled Tertullian saith That the chief Priest which is the Bishop hath the right of giving Baptism and then the Presbyters and Deacons but yet not without the Authority of the Bishops So also S. Hierome Without power from the Bishop neither Presbyter nor Deacon hath right to baptize Every Presbyter therefore hath power in common with a Bishop to preach and administer the Sacraments in fulness which an inferior Order a Deacon cannot do yet the exercise of that power is subjected to and regulated by the Bishops authority to be permitted directed restrained or suspended as should be necessary In which the Bishops priviledge of Jurisdiction over Elders is he from them eminently differenced It was said of Elders that they have a power of Jurisdiction understand it of a power of spiritual and inward Jurisdiction in foro conscienciae in the Court of Conscience so as Pastors of the flock is committed to them the seeding ruling teaching reproving binding sinners notoriously scandalous by denouncing Gods judgements in the Word and while unreformed excluding from the Sacrament and again loosing and releasing penitents by applying the gracious promises of the Gospel and readmiting them to the use of the Ordinances But that Jurisdiction which is in Bishops is more extended and that even over Elders themselves For as Presbyters are in their Ordination qualified and by their Institution authorized to their work so are they after to behave themselves in that as becometh It is in Bishops who are overseers of those Overseers to expect and exact that from them authoritatively and on failing in duty or manners as to life and conversation to reprove and punish also In this is Episcopal Jurisdiction given them Apostolically and over inferior Elders particalarlarly to which they are subjected Such was Timothies power in Ephesus Rebuke not an Elder and against an Elder receive not an accusation but before two or three witnesses them that sin rebuke before all that others may fear Which words Rebuke not an Elder is not a restraining but an ordering that rebuke that it be not lightly or on slight grounds as in 1 Tim. 5. 19 20. by which appears a Jurisdiction in Bishops above Elders directive coercive and corective which is Epiphanius his interence on these words against a Presbyter c. Therefore saith he Presbyters are subject to the Bishop as to their Judge He is their Judge as to Doctrine that thou mayest charge some that they teach no other Doctrine saith the Apostle to Timothy 1 Tim. 1. 3. and to Titus Tit. 3. 10. A man that is an Heretick ofter the first and second admonition reject judge also as of their Doctrine what they teach so of their Conversation how they live as you have heard in that of 1 Tim. 1. 5 17 20 21. Therefore is the Angel of the Church of Ephesus Timothies Successor commended that he could not bear with them that are evil and had tryed them which say they are Apostles and are not and had found them lyars Rev. 2. 2. On the contrary the Angel of the Church of Thyratira is reproved for suffering such Rev. 2. 20. So as although there be a Community of names in some cases between Bishops and Elders Bishops are called Elders and Elders Bishops and notwithstanding that the worke also be in a kind common yet is that community so differenced in both that all pretences of Elders in that for casting of Bishops as to their Office or divesting them of Jurisdiction and Dignity is apparently inconsequent and evil For although the names of Bishops and Presbyters were confounded and the work in a sort common to both yet were not the Offices of Bishops and Presbyters ever confounded until now 1. And now to sum up al● you see the Church under the New Testamen ordered as before in way of Superiority and Subordination and that Apostolically appointed So Timothy in Ephesus and Titus in Crete and others elsewhere in like manner they ordering persons and things appertaining to that sacred work within their respective Jurisdictions 2. See those Apostolically ordered to that care and charge in the Church above others to be by the Apostles dignified with their own name that standing name of Bishops they standing also in their place and stead and acting in their work Ordaining Overseeing Ordering and Correcting as is necessary 3. What hath been by the Apostles so ordered in the Church whose words Christ would have to be observed as his own If they have kept my saying they will keep yours also John 15. 20. that in this particularly hath been by Christ himself the High Priest approved For as the High Priest did Christ appeare habited being cloathed with a garment down to the feet and girt vbout the paps with a golden girdle and also visiting his Church Ecclesiatim each of the seven Churches particularly being by him inspected In that reproving what was amiss in any and allowing what was right particularly See that Government which was ordered in each of those eminent Churches in Ephesus and the other six under their respective Angels or Chiefs or Bishops see that order I say in the Church approved of Christ for the Seven Stars the seven Angels Angels of those Churches their Bishops were in Christs right hand Rev. 1. 16. 20. that is under his care and protection And to those Angels of the Churches doth our Lord direct himself principally in behalf of all under their charge expecting from them an accompt of the Churches within their respective Jurisdictions each of them being responsible for all that was there well or otherwise 4. Lastly What