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
A48286	The only vvay to rest of soule in religion here, in heaven hereafter: shewed plainly and succinctly by pure scripture, in three treatises: demonstrating, I. That the church was left by Christ, as the means to teach us his gospel. 2. Which is she that was left in that office. 3. What it is, she teacheth for gospel. By I.L. Bach of Div. Licensed by the university of Oxford, to preach throughout Engalnd, and late rector of L. in the county of S. now a Catholike.	Lewgar, John, 1602-1665.	1657 (1657)	Wing L1832A; ESTC R218105	64,778	221

Heb. 13.7 Iam. 1.21 1 Pet. 2.2 when naming the rule of faith Rom. 12.6 the ground of truth 1 Tim. 3.15 the means left by Christ for the perfecting of the Saints Ephes 4.11 finally when naming the end vvherefore Scripture vvas given by God and to which it is profitable 2 Timoth. 3.16 3. And how easily how soon had it been named in one or other of these occasions For example to have said to Timothy or Titus Teach Scripture or according to it c. or to the people Prove all things by Scripture or Make it your rule or guide or Obey your Pastors teaching out of or according to it or it was given or is profitable that the Christian man may be perfect c. 4. At least they might have given the people some advice or encouragement in plain words to read to sometimes or the Pastors some charge to read it sometimes to them 5. Nor was it of forgetfulness that they balked the giving these instructions For in their Epistles to the Pastors they could well remember to advise and encourage them to give diligence to the reading it 1 Tim. 4.13 2 Tim. 3.16 and in some Epistles to some Churches to charge the reading of some particular Epistles in some particular Congregations once 1 Thess 5.27 Col. 4.16 and S. Peter could once take occasion to speak of his brother Paul's Epistles and by that occasion of Scripture in general but what he saith of it is so far from encouraging people to read it much less to make it their guide or rule as it is enough to scare any one either people or Divines from meddling with it without a good interpreter 2 Pet. 3.16 6. Some of these Epistles were written by them when now ready to be offered 2 Tim. 4.6 2 Pet. 1.14 by S. Iohn when now 100. year old and all the other Apostles dead and perhaps rotten long afore and he saw the Churches round about him swarming with Sects and wrote to that end chiefly to confirm Catholicks in faith and nourish them against Sects and shew them the best means and way to discern and avoid them Nor could he but know in what a sad condition the sacred writings were like to be left by him Some corrupted by Hereticks Apoc. 22.18 some counterfeit 2 Thess 2.1 some uncertain Luk. 1.1 some lost vid. infr c. 5. arg 9. § 4. some in one Countrey some in another perhaps 500. miles asunder not so much as a Catalogue of their names or number c. yet he left the world as the rest had done afore him without any least mention of the New Testament or any part of it more then what he wrote himself or that as to any office of teaching Religion CHAP. II. Vrging the second Argument Scripture not for the people MY second reason is because it was never ordained or meant so much as for the peoples reading further then the Church should see expedient to permit it but given into the hand of the Church for her to teach it to them and to be an instrument helpful to her in her office of teaching As is manifest For 1. When God Almighty had written the ten Commandments the first piece of Scripture that was written though it were the plainest both for stile and matter and most proper and useful for the people and to be the principal part of their Catecism yet he delivered it not to them but to Moses with these words expressely declaring the whole intent of it as to the people I give thee the Law which I have written that thou maist teach it to them Exod. 24.12 2. In like manner when Moses had written the Law he delivered it not to the people though the whole Nation were then present afore him in Assembly but finally or supremely unto Iosuah or Eleazar the one chief Ruler or Pastor in ordinary the other in extraordinary with these words expressely declaring the whole intent of it as to the people and the right they were to have to it At the end of every seven years thou shalt read this c. Deut. 31.9 3. This copy delivered by Moses into the High-Priests hand was there to remain without any one to have a copy of for ought appears until there should be a King who was to share the supream office with the High-Priest who was not to be in 500. years after and he was to write him a copy of it out of that which was before the Priests Deut. 87.19 4. In their custody it remained 2 Chron. 17.9 Neh. 8.1 without any copy of it for certain in all the land of Israel after Ieroboam's schism 2 Chr. 15.3 and if not after most likely nor afore for we do not finde that he meddled at all with the Bible and but one in the Church of Iudah until after the Captivity to wit that in the Priests custody in the Temple as should seem by the great matter was made of the finding it when it had been lost some years and by Iosiah's proceeding thereupon to a Reformation by it which afore it seems he could not for want of it 2 Chron. 34.14 c. The same may be said for the New Testament For 1. S. Iohn's Apocalypse the onely book of it written by command was expressely written to the Angel or Pastor of the Churches to which it was to be sent and to him alone immediately Apoc. 2.1 c. 2. His Gospel was likewise without all question delivered by him to some Pastors to be by them taught and published as appears by their testimony to it Ioh. 21.24 3. Three of S. Pauls Epistles for certain were written to Pastors alone the first and second to Timothy and that to Titus and very probably a fourth to Philemon whom he calls his fellow labourer Phil. 1. 4. So were also probably S. Lukes Gospel and Acts Theophilus to whom they were dedicated being by some ancient Writers said to have been a Bishop 5. Two other of S. Paul's Epistles though dedicated to Churches yet were delivered immediately into the hand of the Pastor to be by him read to the people or else that charge of reading them to them had been superfluous Col. 4.16 1 Thess 5.27 So in his hand they remained also after the reading and at his discretion whether he would read them the second time and much more whether permit any of the people copies of them And by parity of reason the same is to be presumed of the other Gospels and Epistles dedicated to Churches or without dedication But what need I prove it thus by inferences and presumptions When the text affirms it expressely that the Scripture was written purposely for the Church and immediately for her alone to be an instrument in her hand for teaching the people and furthering and helpful to her for the better discharge of her office 6. So saith S. Paul touching his Epistle to Timothy These things write I unto thee that thou maist know how thou oughtest to behave

place comparing it with the other c. Because 1. In some there is neither occasion scope nor coherence visible e.g. in these Shall he finde faith Luk. 18.8 Quench not the Spirit 1 Thess 5.20 2. Some are never used but once e.g. these He shall be in danger of a Councel Mat. 5.22 The sin against the Son of man and the H. Ghost Mat. 12.31 The word was made flesh Ioh. 1.14 Retaining sins Ioh. 20.23 Saving by fire 1 Cor. 3.15 c. 3. Some are alike dark in all places e.g. Binding and losing Mat. 16.19 18.18 Delivering to Satan 1 Cor. 5.5 1 Tim. 2.20 4. Few of them but in divers places have divers senses and many times unevident whether or no and if whether be it e.g. Faith in these Mat. 17.19 Lu. 18.8 Act. 19.9 Rom. 14.23 1 Cor. 13.2 Baptism Mat. 3.6 11 Mar. 10.38 Acts 1.5 1 Cor. 15.29 Imposition of hands Mat. 19.15 Act. 8.17 9.17 13.3 1 Tim. 4.14 5.22 Heb. 6 1. Bishop Act. 20.28 Phi. 1.1 Tit. 1.7 Presbyter Act. 11.30 15.2 20.20 1 Tim. 4.14 5.1 22. 1 Pet. 5.1 Election or elect Mat. 20.16 24.24 1 Pet. 1.1 Sin Rom. 5.12 7.17 1 Ioh. 1.8 3.8 Iustification Rom. 2.13 8.33 VVorks Rom. 4.2 Iam. 2.21 5. Some of them seem to some Divines to have divers senses in divers places to others but one in all e.g. this name the Church upon the true sense whereof depends in fine all faith religion consequently the salvation of all mankinde and yet there among your learnedst Teachers as many differing definitions of it almost as there are Teachers to speak sadly as many as are deviseable by the wit of man and all pretending to Scripture 6. Finally and which is of greatest difficulty to the Interpreter and danger to the not Catholick reader the words of it in their proper and Grammatical sense are often times repugnant to themselves so as it is necessary in the one place to forsake it for another improper to the end to reconcile it with other and many times unevident whether of them is to give the law of sense to the other and what that sense is which is to reconcile them Instances hereof you will see divers anon mean time these may serve God hardned Pharaoh's heart Gen. 7.3 God tempts no man Iam. 1.13 Again The sin against the H. Ghost shall never be forgiven Mat. 12.31 Come unto me all that are heavy laden and I will refresh you Mat. 11.28 §. 6. The first cause in the form's Stragling Those I shall name in the form shall be but two The one that often times it delivers the rule incompleatly and straglingly part in one place part in another and so one must be made up by or with the other And sometimes unevident even to the learnedst Divines without the Churche's shewing which and how many texts appertain to the compleating of it For instance One place relates how Abraham was justified by faith Gen. 15.6 another how by offering his son Gen. 22.16 now supply as S. Iames saith you render it fulfil the one Scripture with the other as he there shews you the art of it Iam. 2.23 and they give you the true doctrine of justification otherwise taken apart but a part of it Again in one place our sweet Saviour promises he will refresh all penitent sinners that come to him Mat. 11.28 In another he institutes and declares the means by which he vvill refresh them to vvit the word of Priestly absolution Ioh. 20.21 Now supply the former place vvith the latter and they will give you the true ground of hope of remission of sins upon your going to Christ vvith sorrovv and confession of them othervvise in stead of hope delude you into damnable presumption §. 7. The scond cause repugnancy The other and mainest of all is that ordinarily vvhat it saith in one place it gain-saith in another in words taken in their proper Grammar sense and in all sense imaginable so seemingly as the best Divines have many times their hands full to reconcile them and the comparing places considering the scope coherence c. is often times so unserviceable to that end as it rather inflames the difficulty Nay it creates works enough sometimes for the Church her self to do it and in one age she gets one step tovvard it perhaps three or four ages more ere she get another so as she hath not yet done it in all in that perfect manner as perhaps she may hereafter vvhen God shall give her more light And in those she hath reconciled the certainty as to us of the truth of the reconcilement comes not from any evidence of the thing but onely from the authority of the Interpreter Nor is it always possible to be done no not by her by any means rule or help of interpretation to be found in Scripture but she must pray in aid from her own sense or practice To name a few instance among many 1. In one place The Lord he is God one Lord no Lord beside him Deut. 4.45 6.4 In other The Gods Elohim said Let us make man Gen. 1.27 The Lord rained from the Lord c. Gen. 19.24 Thee the onely God and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ Ioh. 17.3 But one God the Father and one Lord Iesus Christ 1 Cor. 8.6 In the name of the Father the Son and the H. Ghost Mat. 28.19 2. In one place My Father and I are one Ioh. 10.30 In another My Father is greater then I Ioh. 14.28 you will say that was meant in respect of his divers natures True but where 's that said in Scripture 3. In one If we say we have no sin we lye 1 Ioh. 1.8 In other They were both righteous before God walking in all the commandments of the Lord blameless Luk. 1.6 I know nothing by my self 1 Cor. 4.4 The childe of God sinneth not 1 Ioh. 3.9 4. In one He that is not with me is against me Mat. 12.30 In another He that is not against us is for us Luk. 9.50 5. In one If I bear record of my self my record is not true Ioh. 5.31 In another It is Ioh. 8.14 6 In one Paul took Timothy and circumcised him Acts 16.3 In another He that is circumcised Christ shall profit him nothing Gal. 5.2 7. In one If Abraham was justified by works c. Rom. 4.2 In another VVas not Abraham justified by works Iam. 2.21 8. In one My loving kindeness will I not utterly take from him my covenant will I not break for any wickedness of his children c. Psal 89.33 In the very next verse Thou hast cast off and abhorred thine Anointed thou hast made void thy covenant with him thou hast prophaned his crown c. 9. In one There was given him a kingdom that all nations should serve him his dominion is an everlasting dominion c. Dan. 2.44 7.14 In another VVhen the Son of man comes shall he finde