Selected quad for the lemma: hand_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
hand_n	bishop_n	church_n	presbyter_n	4,517	5	10.4419	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A26279	Aaron's rod blossoming, or, The orthodox government of the Church of England by bishops, presbiters, and deacons, asserted from the practice of the apostles, the testimony of councils, synods, fathers and doctors, from the apostles time to this day ...		1680 (1680)	Wing A43; ESTC R22486	17,618	40

institute he made Timothy and Titus Episcopos Cleri gregis quoad regimen in ecclesia Bishops of the Clergy and their Flocks and to have Ecclesiastical Government over them whereas before they were but Presbyters or Disciples brought up under him by this Institution were other Presbyters made subordinate to them in governing and teaching the Church which to prove I thus argue He that is ordained and so ordained that he hath power constituere presbiteros per civitates to ordain Presby ters in every City is greater than those who have no such power in their Cities and Churches and they who may correct what is defective are superior to those for whom matters defective are corrected but Timothy and Titus had such power given them and did so correct things defective and none of the Presbyters had the same from the Apostles no not Timothy nor Titus whilst onely Presbyters therefore I conclude undeniably that Timothy and Titus were Superiors as Bishops over the Presbyters in their several Charges and Divisions Timothy in Ephesus and Titus in Creet That they had this Power given them by Paul appears Tim. 1.5.22 Lay hands suddainly on no man Tit. 1.5 For this cause I left thee in Creet that thou should'st set in order things which were wanting and ordain Elders in every City as I had appointed thee If any other in those Churches could have ordained Presbyters why was Timothy sent to Ephesus and Titus left at Creet for this very purpose And if the Cretians could have set in order things defective what need was there that Titus alone should have this Commission St. Jerom no great Friend to Episcopacy gives us in his Epistle to Evagrius pag. 329 this as a Distinction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 remarkable betwixt a Bishop and a Presbyter saying quid facit excepta ordinatione Episcopus quod non facit Presbiter What does a Bishop except the Ordaining of Others which a Presbyter does not And it is worth the observation what the Antient Father and Champion for the Blessed Trinity Athanasius hath in his Second Apologie viz. That Colithus a Presbiter of Alexandria had constituted Presbyters But what became of them Recissa est haec ejus ordinatio omnes ab eo constituti in Laicorum ordinem redacti fuere The ordaining of others by him was made invalid and they who were ordained by him were degraded and made Laicks So then you see that Bishops are Eminenter superiores presbiteris Eminently superiour to Presbyters having power affirmative and negative by the Opinion and Practice of the Antient Fathers This confirmes what the Apostles had taught and practised and appointed others in place above the ordinary Presbyters to do Now I come to shew the Second Difference betwixt a Bishop and a Presbyter And wherein a Bishop hath eminentem superioritatem a clear Superiority above a Presbyter that is in Excommunication which was called Mucro Episcopalis the Episcopal Weapon and was a Power given to Bishops Successors of the Apostles and was ever practised by them This appears in that an Account of it was and is expected at their hands as it is manifested by the quarrel which our blessed Saviour had against the Angel of the Church of Pergamus namely that he suffered some of his Church who held the Doctrine of the Nicholaitans and against the Angel of the Church of Thiatira that he suffered the woman Jesabel to teach and seduce the people By this it is apparent that Christ expected they should do what they had by their places power to do namely that they being Angels of their Churches whom I affirm to be also Bishops thereof and Successors to the Apostles as is sufficiently proved by the most reverend and learned Archbishop of Armagh and Beza himself calling them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men in place above others should Hereticos coercere ex Ecclesia ejicere keep under Hereticks and cast them out of the Church If here it be objected that we must not argue from dark and mystical places of Scripture such as is the Apocalypse I answer that I argue from a plain place and from the plain words and direct Scope of the place and not from the mystical Sence or Interpretation neither can we here admit of that distinction that Angelus is in this place to be taken Collectively pro tota Ecclesia for the whole Church For I conceive there is not a word in Scripture but hath its weight and was it not as easy to have said Ecclesiae as Angelo Ecelesiae if Angelo had not something more in it then Ecclesiae and why not Angelus Ecclesia the Angel the Church but Angelus Ecclesiae the Angel of the Church if it had been to be taken Collectively but the terms are different and of a distinct force like those panis Domin● the bread of the Lord and panis Dominus bread representing the Lord. Besides to come to Timothy and Titus they are enjoyned to command others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not to teach other Doctrine and obturaro ora deceptorum hereticos rejicere to stop the mouths of deceivers and to reject Hereticks these things were commanded them and an Account accordingly expected of the performance thereof which manifestly proves that every Church had its Angelum who had Episcopal Authority and Jurisdiction eminent above other inferiour Clergy-men and not many Angels in each of these Churches all of equal Authority and place or at least the Angel in each of the seven Churches was so absolute in his power that he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chief Governour the Presbyters only Assistants to him he a Spiritual Justice and of the Quorum they of the Council The difference also of Episcopal Authority from that of Bresbyters appears in the Cause of Excommunication where there was an Appeal to the Synods which either confirmed or disolved them but none to the People none to the Presbyters this is confirmed by the antient Council at Nice Can. 5. and at Antioch Can. 6. and Jerom himself writing to Riparius concerning Vigilantius an heretical Presbyter is angry that the Bishop under whom he was did acquiescere ejus furori non virga Apostolica virgaque ferrea vas inutile confringere tradere ad interitum Carnis ut spiritus salvus fiat did quietly give way to his fury and not rather break in pieces that unprofitable vessel with his Apostolick Staff and rod of Iron and deliver him up to the destruction of the Flesh that his Soul might be saved And it seems strange to me that any should think that our Blessed Saviour his Executioners Administrators and Assigns knew not the meaning of his Will and Testament as well as we in these days Christ who ascending to Heaven gave Gifts to many would not deny this Gift so necessary He I say giving supereminent Gifts to the Apostles ad fundandam ecclesiam for the founding of his Church would not deny to their Successors those which were necessary