Selected quad for the lemma: kingdom_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
kingdom_n	key_n	open_v	shut_v	2,164	5	9.3630	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A44503	The vvay tovvards the finding of a decision of the chiefe controversie now debated concerning church government	Hales, John, 1584-1656.	1641 (1641)	Wing H281; ESTC R17617	20,569	46

Evangelists 4. Pastors and Teachers Ephes. 4. 11. elsewhere wee finde other names of Gifts and Offices as workers of Miracles Gifts of Healing Helpes Governours Diversities of tongues Interpreters of tongues 1 Cor. 12. 28 29 30. Item Deacons Exhorters Rulers Rom. 12. 7 8. and Bishops Presbyters and Deacons 1 Tim. 3. 1 8. and 5. 17 18 19. From whence I make these inferences 1. If these Officers appointed for the first building of Christs Church were by degrees set in a priority and superiority one above another then I may conceive that a priority and superiority of spirituall Officers is not repugnant to the government of Christs Church But these Officers were so set in relation of degrees one above another therefore I may conceive that such a gradation of spirituall Officers is not repugnant to the government of Christs Church 2. If there was no independent parity in the first Officers instituted in Christs Church then I have reason to conceive that an independent paritie is not answerable to Christs intention in instituting Officers in his Church But there was no independent parity in these first Officers instituted in the Church Therefore I have reason to conceive that an independent parity is not answerable to Christs intention Here two things may be objected or excepted against this Rule of Decision First that the Apostles who were Christs first Officers were equal one to another and independent one from another But to this I answer That I speake not of the Officers appointed before the constitution of the Church but of those that are named expresly to beare office in the Church already constituted Secondly if then it bee said that the inequality of these first Office-bearers doth proceed from the difference of extraordinary and ordinary Officers then requisit at the first constitution of the Church which is not now requisite after it is once constituted then I answer that here I neither intend nor have need to consider which Officers were extraordinary and which ordinary because I take notice of them onely at this time as they were Officers extant at first to build up the Church and my inference goeth no further as yet nor must I come to admit of that distinction in my thought till the matter it selfe carry me to it Fourthly I finde the severall charges and duties of these Officers to be these 1. Christ sending forth his Apostles appointeth them to be his witnesses unto the utmost parts of the earth of that which he hath done for our salvation Acts 1. 8. Also hee giveth them charge to teach all men to observe whatsoever hee had commanded them and to baptise those that received their doctrine Matth. 28. 19. 20. This they did and so gathered a Church together wherein at first the faithfull having all things common brought their goods to the Apostles feet making them distributers thereof unto such as had need But the Apostles found this charge imposed upon them to be too troublesome and not proper unto their spirituall calling therefore they betooke themselves unto their owne peculiar charge which was to attend unto prayer and the Ministery of the word Acts 6. 4. and gave advice that Deacons should be chosen whose peculiar charge at their first institution was to serve the tables Ibid. verse 2 3. yet it is evident that they also preached the word and bore witnesse of Christ Ib. verse 9. 10. and Cap. 8. verse 5. and baptised the beleevers Ib. Chap. 8. vers. 12. 38. Besides these Deacons we finde that the Church being constituted other Officers in it are named and said to bee different in charges As the charge of Prophets was to prophesie according to the Analogie of faith of Deacons to attend their Deaconship of Teachers to attend teaching of Exhorters to attend exhorting of Distributers to distribute of Rulers to rule with diligence Rom. 12. 6. 7. 8. of speakers with tongues to speake and of Interpreters to interpret 1 Cor. 14. 27. Besides these duties thus generally mentioned we finde more particular charges mentioned As first concerning the duties of Prophets how they ought to prophesie of speakers with tongues how they ought to speak unto edification in the Church 1 Cor. 14. 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33. Secondly concerning Rulers where we finde the charge given to Timothy and Titus either as Evangelists or as ordinary Bishops and Overseers of the Churches next unto the Apostles their charge was to set in order things which the Apostles left undone for the constituting of the Churches amongst which the ordaining of Elders and Deacons in every Church was a chiefe duty belonging to them 1 Tim. 1. 3. Tit. 1. 5. item To represse and inhibit false doctrines 1. Tim. 1. 3. Tit. 1. 10. 11. item To settle a course of prayers in the Church 1 Tim. 2. 1. item To appoint due maintenance for widowes and Elders 1 Tim. 5. 9. 17. 18. item To be Judges in matters of accusation against Elders ibid. verse 19. and to give imposition of hands to those that were approved and fit for the Ministery ibid verse 22. item To maintaine their authority not to suffer themselves to be despised therein 1 Tim. 4. 12. Tit. 2. 15. And lastly to commit the things which they had heard of the Apostles unto faithfull men able to teach others who should be successors in that place 2 Tim. 2. 2. As for other Rulers in the Pastorall charge their duty is specified to be a watching over the soules of their flock as those which must give an account Heb. 13. 17. and in doing this they are bound to call their sheep by name to lead them out and to goe before them Ioh. 10. 3. 4. item To defend them against the wolves though they hazard their life in so doing ib. verse 11. item To visit the sick pray for them Iam. 5. 14. item To keepe the keyes of the Kingdome of Heaven to shut it and open it as occasion shall require Matth. 16. 19 and 18. 17 18. and 1 Cor. 5. 4. 5. And then the generall duty of all Officers is that as every one hath received the gift so he should minister the same to others as a good steward of the manifold graces of God 1 Pet. 4. 10. From all this I make these inferences 1. If all these charges and duties are different and yet should be administred jointly as by severall members of one body then it seems such a priority and superiority in some and subordination in others is to be observed as is in the members of a naturall body one in respect of another But all these charges are different and yet so to be administred as is mentioned 1 Cor. 12. 4 5. and till the end of the Chapter Therefore it seems such a priority and superiority in some and subordination in others is to be observed 2. If these charges in their naturall property as they stand in relation one to another be repugnant to an independent parity then

parties is most apparant To which effect I reflect first upon this generall assertion Namely that there be some Ecclesiastical Over-seers which have a Priority and Superiority of government above others in the Church of England to which as it is out of all doubt that it is so in England so in the generall notion my former Rules are not repugnant but rather agreeable that it may be so Then in the next place I say that this Priority and Superiority given to some in the Church of England is in the purpose of the Law by which it is publiquely authorized no more but a Superiority and Priority of watching over others for the good of the Society And this I suppose as it is granted by both sides to be true so I think that it is not repugnant to my former Rules Thirdly I comceive that this watching Priority and Superiority intended by the Law is appointed to be for this particular good of the Society namely that the Flocks committed to every Over-seers Charge should be called and led on in the way of Godlinesse through the publick profession of Gods true worship so as it may become most lawfully conspicuous unto the world And to this effect the Over-seers are authorized to see that the flock be provided with fit Teachers Pastors and Deacons by lawfull election and ordination through imposition of hands that it should bee setled in a course of publick prayers and ordinances befitting the administration of Christian Religion that it should be preferred from false Doctrines ravennous Wolves That it should not want a spirituall Judicature as well in matters of accusation against Elders as in matters of scandall and offence betwixt member and member and that in it the power of the keyes to shut open the Kingdom of heaven as occasion should require might not be wanting and that such maintenance as is due unto these that labour in the Word and Doctrine and necessary for the poore the vvidow and the fatherlesse may be provided for them Those I take to be the true ends for which the superiour Watchmen in the Church of England are appointed by the Church and State to have inspection over other Watchmen of an inferiour degree And that such Superiority in vvatching may be exercised I take it as granted from my former ground and Rules So then I finde no difficulty in the thing it selfe nor doe I thinke that any doth oppose a Superiour Priority of Governours in this respect But if any doe then I conceive they are bound to shew that in such things no Priority or Superiority in watching of some few over many may lawfully be appointed in the Church of God but that every particular Officer in all these things is independent and may doe herein by himselfe whatsoever hee shall think good without all relation or subordination unto any whom the Church doth appoint over such businesses Therefore from the thing appointed and the end wherefore it is appointed in this Church I come to the manner of appointing it and here I enquire whether this Priority and Superiority in government hath not beene appointed by those who have authority to do it that is by the Church it selfe here I meane by the Church the body either representative or collective according to the precepts of the Apostles and the most laudable examples of primitive times If yea then I suppose no exception ought to be taken at it but if no then I think that the irregularity of the appointment ought onely to be excepted against and corrected and the Office it selfe neither condemned nor rejected but maintained Now what the Apostolicall Precepts were or whether or no there were any at all ever given for the manner of appointing such Officers in the Churches I doe not know because I finde nothing in Scripture more then I have intimated already which is that such Superiour Officers are neither repugnant to Christs intention nor to the Rules and formes of Government expresly delivered unto us in Scripture but how they to be appointed that is to say what manner of proceeding ought to be used for their Election calling and institution in their Superiour Charge I find nothing in Scripture that I can call to minde except I will represent ancient types unto my selfe from which I can perhaps gather no more but the shadowes of inferences Therefore in this case I suppose I must betake my selfe unto my next generall ground of proceeding which is the laudable practice of primitive times to see what hath beene done in like cases by those whom wee esteeme to have been most rationall in the ways of true government and most likely to have seene and knowne the Apostolicall Practice if there was ever any in this kind different from the ordinary way of appointing other Officers in the Church But if it be more likely that the manner of appointing such Superiour Officers was rather not different in substance then different from the ordinary way of calling and installing other Officers then perhaps it will not be amisse to reflect upon the most immediate followers of the Apostles so as to take notice of their practice both in respect of the thing it selfe viz. that they had such Superiour Officers and of the manner of appointing them as it was most answerable unto the ordinary Institution And this I will rather doe from other mens Observations then from mine owne I find then that Doctour Reynolds in his Conference with Hart Chapter 8. in the end of the third Division and the beginning of the fifth doth well observe when as Elders were ordained by the Apostles in severall Churches that in processe of time they did use to assemble themselves to the end that things belonging to mutuall and common edification might be done by mutuall common counsell and consent In these meetings they did things orderly and followed the examples of their predecessours in like occasions to chuse one who was to be of their company and Moderatour of their actions So amongst the Apostles at Jerusalem James Peter and John are called the Pillars Gal. 2. 9. and in the meeting Acts 15. the matter was concluded at the determination of Peter and James Thus also in after times although there might be many Elders and Pastors in one Church as at Ephesus Acts 20. 17. yet it may be gathered from Revel. 2. 1. that there was one Chiefe in that Church whom Christ calleth the Angell thereof and directeth that to him which the rest were to know by his meanes Hee was afterward from the Priority and Superiority of his Office by the Fathers called a Bishop For it is apparant that in ancient times there was one who had the Presidentship amongst the Elders This Doctour Reynolds in the forenamed gathereth from Cyprian Epist. 6. 13. Prebyteris Diaconis From Eusebius Histor. Eccles. l. 6. c. 42. and from Cornelius letter to Cyprian Epist. 46. apud Cyprian which Doctor Vsher also hath made more