Selected quad for the lemma: kingdom_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
kingdom_n	king_n	priest_n	priesthood_n	2,020	5	10.6468	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A13202	A defence of the Holy Scriptures, worship, and ministerie, used in the Christian Churches separated from Antichrist Against the challenges, cavils and contradiction of M. Smyth: in his book intituled The differences of the Churches of the Separation. Hereunto are annexed a few observations upon some of M. Smythes censures; in his answer made to M. Bernard. By Henry Ainsworth, teacher of the English exiled Church in Amsterdam.	Ainsworth, Henry, 1571-1622?	1609 (1609)	STC 235; ESTC S117973	115,496	140

distinction be not true then M. Sm. is a deceiver properly so called who to make things serve his hereticall humour and hide his blasphemies against our reading of the holy scriptures in the Church hath digged thus deep to find a pit whereinto to fell the righteous though himself by Gods iudgement be fallen into the same And here by the way I will briefly note M. Smyths methode in contriving of his book for the advantage of his cause The three offices of Christ in prophesie preisthood and Kingdome he reduceth vnto two 1. kingdome and 2. preisthood comprehending prophesie vnder the preisthood as a branch of it Deut. 33. 10. Rev. 1. 6. with 1 Cor. 14. 31. Act. 2. 17. 18. Whereas by the same ground of Deut. 33. 10. he mought have made the kingdome also a branch of the preisthood for the Preists were to teach Iaakob Gods judgements and Israel his law as well in cases of controversie plea and strife which M. Smyth maketh actions of administring the Kingdome as in other doctrines of exhortation and comfort But I find in the scripture that Moses not Aaron the Preist is made a figure of Christ as a Prophet and Prophets there were many in Israel of other tribes then Levi seing then Moses the Prophets caried types of Christs prophesie Aaron and the Priests of his priesthood David and the kings of his kingdom I would not now confound the priesthood prophesie in Christ any otherwise then the priesthood and kingdome but keep a like distinction in them al as in Christ the head so in the Church his body Againe as in heavenly order the 1. manifestatiō of mans syn and miserie by the law of his justice happines by the gospel also the 2. work of mans redemption by sacrifice 3 the conservation of this grace wrought for the Church against al enemies are three distinct things one following another so Christ in his administratiō observed this order distinction first teaching the Church as a Prophet above three yeares then offring up himself as a Preist sacrifice to his father for his Church and lastly rising ascending into heaven to the right hand of God there to reign as king until al his enemies be made his footstool Now M. Smyth maketh prophesie one with the Priesthood because he would have these two to be Gods worship the kingdome he speaketh of first and excludeth al the actions of it from Gods worship Whereas the Gospell is called the word of the kingdome and Christ when he preached or prophesied is sayd to preach the kingdome of God and the doctrines which he taught were the secrets of the kingdom and the Apostles in their sermons preached expounded and testified the kingdom of God Wherefore they be deep waters which M. Sm. hath found that the actions of administring the kingdome should not be worship and yet the preaching of the gospell or prophesying shal be worship and that in the highest degree properly so called If he followed not fansy in these things rather then sound judgement let the prudent iudge Like vanity he sheweth in this that having made the scriptures to be the matter of our worship now he makethnot them to be the matter also of Gods worship in Israel but beasts incense oil fat c. and the form of our worship to be the spirit but the forme of theirs to appear in honey leven fyre salt What had not they the written word of God for a ground of their religious actions as well as we have the written word had not they the good spirit of God to instruct them as we have had they not praying prophesying singing c. by the spirit as we How is it then that this man maketh the matter and form of Gods worship in Israel to consist in such carnall things There is a depth of abomination herein which is the ground of his anabaptising heresie For wheras th'Apostle magnifieth the Iewish Church above the Gentiles in many respects this proud Gentile disgraceth them extremely saying that their Ministerie worship government was carnal that faith and repentance was not required to the matter that is the people of that Church but onely a carnall holynes with many such like vituperies which out of his carnal hart he uttereth against them But for their worship which we have in hand let him shew if he can what one thing we have which they had not before vs. He maketh the parts of our worship to be three praying prophesying singing all these they had and vttered them by the spirit as the scriptures every where manifest and though they had many carnal rites with these as sacrifices incense c. yet was not their worship carnal for we have also some carnall rites as washing with water in baptisme the eating of bread wine in the Lords supper have we therefore a carnall baptisme a carnall supper if not neyther had they a carnal worship though carnall rites were adjoyned unto their worship But as God whom they worshipped was a spirit so worshipped they him in spirit and with faith exspecting that promise which God made vnto them of salvation by Christ as Paul testifyed of the whol body of that Church that the twelve tribes instantly serving or worshiping day and night hoped to come vnto it shewing further that the gentiles are of the same or one joynt body with them fellow-heyres and partakers of the promise in Christ. M. S. having shewed as he thought the matter and form of the Iewes worship inferreth vpon it thus Hence it followeth sayth he that the worship that beginneth in the book or translation commeth not originally from the spirit but from the letter or ceremony and so is not properly of the new Testament but of the old 2 Cor. 3. 6. If this followeth upon the former description of their worship and ours I think it comes a great way behind that few wil be able to see it For did the matter of their worship the beasts incense oil c. proceed out of the book or did the form seen in fyre and salt come from the book any otherweise then our praying preaching and ministring of the sacraments dooth or must doe Did they look on a book when they kindled fyre on the altar or cast salt on the sacrifice if not how followeth this halting inference That the worship performed in reading the scriptures proceedeth originally from the spirit even from God whose spirit is in his word and who hath commanded it to be read and that such reading is not the ministerie of the letter spoken of 2 Cor. 3 6. shall through Gods grace anon be proved in handling the second point of the scriptures Here next followeth to be considered Mr Smythes allegories opening the worship of the new testament by the type in the old Their Church Ministery worship government

part of worship if properly so called help not here at a need M. Sm. wil be found a calumniator both of vs and of Israel and of Christ himself For he would have his reader think that we whom he opposeth made arguments for bookworship which here he answereth wheras we never spake or thought of reading to be worship in such a sense as he would draw it vnto nor othervveise worship then reading vvas in the synagogues by Christ himself neyther vvas there controversie about worship at all but onely whether it were Gods word or mans that we read in the Church in the worship of God But now to cloak his blasphemous error he hath dived into his wit to bring out a distinction of properly so called so cogging the reader with the die of deceit and calumniating vs. And hath he not also injuried Israel in charging them vvith book worship and belyed Christ himself that he should use and finish a ceremonie of book worship when yet here he granteth it vvas of another nature it vvas no part of worship properly so called it vvas that vvhich is cōmon to the Churches of all ages As one tossed in the sea of error so reedeth this adversary to and fro and staggereth like a drunken man The second objection he forgeth thus Reading is commanded in the new testament Col. 7. 16. 1 Thes. 5. 27. and a blessing promised therto Rev. 1●5 and the cōmandement is that it be practised in the church therfore it is a part or meanes of the worship of the new testament The summe of his answer hereunto is Not everie thing performed in the Church is a part of spiritual worship for al the parts of publik administration of the kingdom ar done in the Church and yet cannot be said to be parts of spiritual worship properly so caled chap. 1 and 2. Properly so called is a common vizar of deceit puld off before as here it shal be agayn For M. Smyth divided the whole leiturgie of the church into actions of the kingdom and of the Preisthood of the saincts chap. 1. and 2. The actions of administring the preisthood he made to be actions of concord and union and of these generally he sayth they be actions of spiritual worship properly so called The actions of administring the kingdom he made to be actions of opposition difference plea and strife and of them generally he sayth they are not actions of spiritual worship properly so caled Now here and often he deneyeth reading of the scriptures to be such spiritual worship therfore it is no action of the preisthood therfore no action of concord or union So when the Preists and Levites read the law in the synagogues and at their solemn feasts we may not say they did any action of the preisthood and when Christ read the prophet Esaias Luk. 4. we may not say he did an action of concord or union when Paul would have his Epistle read in the churches of Colosse Laodicea and Christ would have the Revelation read of al we must not understand them to meane reading as an action of concord or union in the church for then it must be an action of the preisthood and consequently worship properly so called which M. Sm. wil by no meanes admit of for he hath limited their bounds and if any read the scriptures in the church as an action of concord and union he wil draw it as by the haire of the head along these grounds to be antichristian idolatrous so setteth he his mouth against heaven Yet reading he granteth but it must be of an other nature and what is that trow we He is loth to speak of the preisthood it is no part and in handling the actions of the kingdom he specifieth it not onely there he sayth that bookes of al sorts may be produced for finding out of the truth and he quoteth among other Act. 7. 22. and 17. 28. 1 Cor. 15. 33 Tit. 1. 12. Where the learning of the Aegyptians and testimonies of the hethen poets are alleged and further he nameth particularly translations dictionaries histories chronicles commentaries c. Behold here what place this man alloweth the reading of the scriptures yea even of the Originals they must not be read but by way of opposition difference plea and strife they must not be read but where when and as histories chronicles commentaries books of hethen poets and al other like may be read and produced so they are tollerable otherweise there is no place allowed them though elswhere he esteemeth better of them then of other writings But in the actions of the preisthood in the actions of concord or union to read them is idolatrie What haeretik professing Christ could more have sought the disgrace of Gods holy book then thus to shut it quite out of Gods worship allowing it no other place by these his wicked grounds then Iulian the Apostata Christs deadly enemy would and did allow it though he esteemed worse of it in his blasphemous writings For eyen he in cases of opposition plea and strife alleged the testimonies of holy scriptures among other writings but in his worship of his Gods he would none of them No marvel though God have stroken this man like Elymas with the blindnes of Anabaptisme it is a just recompence of his former error that as he would have deprived the church of the use of the scriptures the instrument of Gods covenant so himself now should be deprived of the covenant with Abraham and his seed and become an alien from the common wealth of Israel But let us proceed with his answer Moreover sayth he when he commandeth his Epistles to be read in the churches his meaning is not strictly literal that is that the very words which he wrote should be repeated verbatim out of the book but his meaning is that the sense of the words or meaning of the Apostle should be related whither by reading the very words by expounding the meaning by interpreting or translating c. Loe here the shifts of haeretiks Paul willeth the church to read his Epistles yea chargeth them in the Lord to read them to al the brethren and writeth to them again to keep the instructions taught by his Epistle M. Smyth sayth the meaning is not strictly literal that the words which he wrote should be repeated but the sense ralated As if Paul wāted fit words to set down his meaning they that should read could tel it better He that readeth must read words as they ar written specially in Gods book Epistles from the holy Ghost wherein no one word is vaine idle or unprofitable no word misplaced or out of order and he that shal presume to add or diminish or change the order in reading Gods writings doth wickedly and is neer unto the curse If things in reading be difficult God hath given gifts unto

member must yeeld to the voice of the multitude in every thing they lyst If so then Aaron had been blamelesse for making the golden calf because it was the peoples lyst and they importuned him thereto Exod. 32. 1. 22. 23. But M. S. proceedeth saying nor that the Eldership hath in their hands the power of Christ to rule contrarie to their liking I answer the Elders are to teach and rule the Church by Christs own word and lawes as I have expressed And herein I presuppose that both the Elders wil teach and rule according unto godlynes the people wil obey the godly doctrines directions of their Elders without mislike or discontentment For Christs sheep wil hear his voice his kingdom is peaceable his subjects loyal and obedient Now whiles I speak of the ordinary power that the Elders have to teach and rule the Church as Christ hath constituted it in peace it is but from a contentious humour to obiect that they have not power to rule contrary to the peoples liking as if there could be no rule but when the Elders and brethren are at warr one with another Of the Church it is written the multitude of them that beleeved were of one hart and of one sowl yet none I think doubteth but ther was rule goverment amōg them And of such quiet rule spake I though M. Sm. would disturb it with his exception which he mought also have alledged against the Presbyteries authoritie to pray preach and administer the sacraments seing these ar no more to be done contrary to the peoples liking then rule and goverment for God hath caled us in peace So for ought that is yet sayd the government by Elders standeth fast The last battry foloweth But sayth M. S. the intent of the Apostle is to show that all the particular members in all their affaires must submit themselves to the instruction and guidance of the Elders For although Christ hath placed the Elders as stewards over the servants yet he hath not appointed them as Lords over his spowse wife Your argument therfore sayth he is a fallacian a coniunctione divisione thus Al the particular members must obey the elders in their lawful instructions and their wholsome admonitions severally Ergo the whole body must ioyntly obey the voyce of the Elders Here M. Sm. running himself into a fallacie by dividing those that are joyned togither of the Lord would bear himself out in his evil by blaming an other first but without al equitie as the judicious reader may easily perceiv For his reason is to this effect Jf Elders be stewards over the servants and not Lords over the wife the church then is not the church to obey or submit unto them Where learned the man this logik Is there no obedience or submission thinks he but unto Lords Then is there no obedience ecclesiastical which the church may yeeld to any save unto Christ for he is the onely Lord. But this man is blinded with his erroneous conceipt For as in civil goverment we are to obey and submit not onely to the King as unto the superior but also to the governours that are sent of him so in goverment ecclesiastical we are to obey and submit not onely to the King Christ but to the Elders his ministers sent of him to the one we submit as to the Lord and King to the other as to servants and ministers set over us by the Lord. Agayn I would fayn know whither Mr. Sm. thinketh the Elders to be Lords over the particular members If he say yea I abhor his pride for it is injurious to Christ the sole Lord of al every one in the church if nay then I detest his sophistrie for by the same reason that he disswadeth the whol flock from obedience he mought also disswade each particular member which yet he dooth not but yeeldeth the contrary Now that the Apostle intendeth not onely the particular mēbers but the general flock also is apparant First by his reason which he annexeth for they watch for your soules as they that must give accounts Al good Elders I ween do watch as well for the publik church as for the private members and shal give account for the whol If then the Apostles reason be of weight the vvhol flock as vvel as the particular sheep must obey and submit to such as vvatch over them Secondly the Apostle sayth elsvvhere to the Elders of an other church take heed to al the flock wherof the holy ghost hath made you overseers poimainein that is to feed rule govern guid direct and doe al other duties of good shepheards unto the church of God Novv these vvords flock church mean not particular members but the general company under charge guidance And if the holy Ghost have set Elders and shepherds over the whole flock can any man doubt but they must teach rule and direct the whol if they must doe this by authoritie from God is not the whol flock bound to be taught ruled directed by them in the Lord What perverting of the scripture then is this that when the Apostle writing to a whol church to obey and submit unto their guides it should be restreyned unto particular members for to obey Such doctrines fitt rather the confusion of Babylon then the holy order goverment of Sion But it seemeth the stinch of this restreynt went up into the nose of the man himself as he wrote it for presently he seeketh to sweeten the yll savor with these flowers that Al the saincts shal yeeld obedience to the Elders in things commanded by God and the Elders shal al of them obey the voyce of the church in things commanded of God He might also have added that both Elders and people should obey the voyce of any particular person in things commanded by God For if the whol church doe syn and any one make it known unto them and shew them the law of God they are bound to obey him submit to his good coūsel in the Lord. But what is this to the purpose The question is into whose hands Christ hath committed the ordinarie teaching guiding governing and ruling of his saincts here on earth The scriptures teach and we accordingly have long since professed that it is into the hands of the Bishops or Elders This is that which I defend in my answer to M. Bernard for this if for any thing M. S. also inveigheth against me being indeed against himself also herein For besides the testimonies fore alleged out of his book he hath further in the same book written thus Christ is not their king seing he onely ruleth by his own lawes and officers and not by Antichristian Lords and lawes c. And agayn You refuse Christs testament and his kingdome and will not have him to reign over you in his own offices and lawes which is contrarie to these places Luk.