Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	day_n	jewish_a	sabbath_n	10,681	5	10.1354	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A41212	A compendious discourse upon the case, as it stands between the Church of England and of Rome on the one hand, and again between the same Church of England and those congregations which have divided from it on the other hand together with the treatise of the division of the English church and the Romish, upon the Reformation / enlarged with some explicatory additionalls by H.F. ...	Ferne, H. (Henry), 1602-1662.	1655 (1655)	Wing F790; ESTC R5674	55,518	166

all the Members thereof how much more Vniversall practise This the Adversaries of Episcopall-government whether they be of the Classicall or Congregationall way turn off with a light finger as if it had no weight in it or as if the Apostle had said nothing in alledging the Customes of the Church Scripture is the onely thing they will be tryed by We refuse not to meet them there but let them consider that they come against the Established authority of their own Nationall Church against the custome and practise not onely of that but of all the Churches of God and there are bound to bring plain and expresse Scripture to demonstrate that Episcopacy or such a superiority over other inferiour Pastors or meere Presbyters is directly unlawfull for else the Custome and Practise of the Churches by the Apostles rule must be observed so long as in force i. e. till due Authority change them supposing they are changeable and that it is in the power of the present Church to change them It were well the Adversaries of the Episcopall Function would yeild more Authority to Universall Practise or Tradition of the Churches of God at least in their respect to some points they will acknowledge themselves bound to maintaine As first That Scripture is the Word of God I do not ask upon what grounds they finally believe this themselves but how they would maintaine it against Heathen or Jew and perswade them to it but upon the witnesse of universall Tradition which speaks to the conviction of all men upon the ground of common Sense or Reason as abovesaid 2. or Secondly That the observation of the Lords day comes from the Apostles How would they convince such a one as Mr. Trask was by the places of Scripture mentioning the Apostles meeting upon the first day of the week or that place which names the Lords day Rev. 1. which might be on Easter day the annuall Lords day He according to the doctrine of these men slighting the Witnesse of Universall Tradition or Practise found nothing in Scripture expresse but the Commandement for the Seventh day or Jewish Sabbath so obstinately held for that till he was reclaimed by the labour and travail of our learned Bishops and made to see how the continued and undeniable practise of the whole Church did clearely shew those passages in Scripture were intimations of this practise then beginning and that their observing of the Seventh day or Jewish Sabbath for they observed that too as occasion served was but in complyance with the Jewes for a time while the Temple stood In like manner the Universall practice of the Church the best interpreter of Scripture where there is not any place of it so plaine as to take away all gainsaying tells us those passages we shew in Scripture for this Government contain so many intimations and sometimes exercises of that Episcopall power which should continue in the Church after the Apostles and assures us those other instances brought by the Adversaries against that Function cannot inferre any other way of Government And therefore we had good cause to say above Episcopall Government was conformable to Gods Word which is our second consideration §. XIV Episcopall government conformable to the word Secondly then take we a briefe survey of the Grounds on both sides which yet I cannot in reason enter upon without asking leave to suppose it possible which never was seen in any particular that Universall Tradition or Practise can be contrary unto Scripture but yeilding that as possible to the Adversaries it is cleare they are bound as abovesaid to demonstrate this Practise or Government is against Scripture and that their way is peremptorily there prescribed How impossible it is for them to do this appeares at first sight by their severall judgements upon the passages of Scripture concerning Church-government Some of them look upon these passages and think they see a Classicall or Presbyterian others of them look upon them and are as strongly perswaded they see a Congregationall or Independent way Where 's the clear Evidence then which they pretend against Episcopall Government To examine their chiefe Instances briefly and plainly for the satisfaction of ordinary Capacities make the triall of those that are alledged for the Classicall way because that pretends to more regularity and to a better foundation than the other Their Instances are from the mention made in Scripture of Presbytery and Presbyters or Elders and the name of Bishop applyed to them We read 1 Tim. 4. 14. the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery But what evidence is there in this to demonstrate that the power of ordination was put into the hands of meer Presbyters For first it is a question whether this laying on of hands was for ordination here or for some other purpose Secondly when that is granted it is a question whether the word Presbytery here implies the office to which Timothy was ordained or the Persons ordaining him for both interpretations are admitted Thirdly admit the Persons ordaining are meant yet never can it be proved they were meer Presbyters for besides that the word Presbytery or Eldership included the Apostles and all the chief Rulers of the Church 1 Pet. 5. 1. who am also an Elder and John Ep. 2. v. 1. Ep. 3. v. 1. the Elder St. Paul saith expresly he laid hands on Timothy 2 Tim. 1. 6. Neither can they in all Scripture give one instance of Imposition of hands for Ordination permitted to meere Presbyters alone So for the places alledged by them mentioning Bishops and Deacons onely as the Ministers of the Church Phil. 1. 1. or calling them first Elders and then presently Bishops Tit. 1. 5. 8. Acts 20. 17. 28. If we say that in these and the like places those first Elders set in the Churches newly planted were Bishops properly or that the Elders or Bishops there mentioned were of both sorts some Bishops properly some inferiour Presbyters the Adversaries could disprove neither part evidently or if in the third place we should grant them what they aime at that these were onely Presbyters it would be nothing to the purpose unlesse they could directly shew the power of Ordination and Government over those Churches fully committed to them For supposing those Elders to be such Presbyters the name Bishop might be appliable to any of them in as much as he had over-sight of any flock which Name was appropriated after to the more Generall Pastor who had oversight of the Presbyters and particular Flocks or Congregations within such Precincts And what marvail is it if the distinction of these two sorts of Elders or Bishops did not nay could not appeare so clearly in the beginning of the new planted Churches and whilst the Apostles were on earth governing the Churches as it did after the Churches were enlarged and the Apostles gone off Then clearly appeared who succeeded them and how far in that ordinary power which was to continue

them to examine the purity of their Religion by the Apostles trial of it Jam. 1. ult. who thought good to omit the mention of these exercises because of the Pharisees seeking the esteem of holinesse by such performances because of Christians then as now in our Times resting too much on a fansy of their faith performance of such Exercises without works and deeds answerable And therefore the Apostle described pure Religion by such duties of Charity absteining from all spots of the world or works of the Flesh as make better proof of the sincerity of Religion If the making of Fatherlesse and Widdowes the turning men out of their Estates the invading of other mens Rights had by the Apostle been made the trial of pure Religion then might the Contentious of our dayes have pretended to Purity and Religion and have blessed the Lord that they were become rich though with the spoiling of others as they did Zech. 11. 5. but if Charity and denying of worldlinesse and lusts be the marks then let them try whether their way of Religion bring forth such fruits or be in a capacity to do it When the Romanists alledge the many pious and charitable works as building of Churches Colledges Hospitals Schools and the applying maintenance thereunto done by men in their Religion our pretenders to Purity will be ready to say it was the Doctrine of Merit that did it not reflecting upon themselves to consider what kind of Doctrine theirs is which pulls downe the Monuments of Piety and Charity and converts the publique to private use But when we shew that since the Reformation which cast out Popish merit as many good works for the computation has been made done in the like kinde as have been done in any one Age before we shew the fruits of our Religion and challenge theirs which onely can shew for their way and doctrines tend to no other issue a distempered zeal in destroying much of that which before was raised to pious uses and a self-seeking in the enriching themselves by the spoiles Swearing and drunkennesse the usuall and noted spots of the World are as it is fit very much declined in their way of purity but the Pharisee could say more he was no Extortioner no Adulterer and Saint James implied many other spots of the World which pure Religion must keep a man from and S. John 1. Ep. c. 2. 16. reducing the things of the world to three heads makes two of them the lust of the Eye and pride of Life and therefore tells us that Coveting Injustice Sacriledge and the Pride of life that either causes them or is maintained by them are the Exorbitant Iniquities of the world and therefore Spots which by S. James his rule will not consist with pure Religion I have been the longer upon this Argument because there is scarce any other thing by which the Devil hath gained more or the Church lost more than by this pretence of Purity the common plea of all Sects in all Times Now as to their Reply above that they could not have those duties of exercises of hearing praying in publique purely administred satisfaction will be given below when we come to consider of the offence they take at the Liturgy forms of publique Service Rites and Ceremonies used in and about Gods worship in this Church But first of their Exceptions against the Government it selfe for we charge them of separating or withdrawing their Obedience from their lawfull Pastors and Governours Such as Bishops were in this and in all the Catholique Church in all Ages XI Their Plea against the Government of this Chu. They plead it is no lawfull government of the Church but to be cast out as Antichristian This last contentious age has called the office of a Bishop into question and made a vast controversy of it I will not follow it at stretch but onely observe such grounds as Truth and Peace seems mainly to rest on and which every ordinary capacity may understand and receive satisfaction so far as to keep himself in the unity of the Church It is fitting therefore in the first place to remove the prejudice under which the Adversaries usually represent Bishops to vulgar eyes as men swell'd with their titles of Honour large Revenues attendance of Chancellors Commissaries Officials Lording it over the flock not feeding it Why persons Ecclesiasticall should be thought uncapable of the Honour or unfit for the means which the piety of former times has applyed unto them out of a religious respect I know no cause besides the ingratitude and sacrilegious disposition of this latter Age But to wave these Additionals as external to the very office of a Bishop and to passe by Abuses that might be in government through the iniquity of Persons and corrupter Times all which are capable of Reformation by due Authority that which is concerned in this Controversy is the Function and very office of a Bishop By the office be the times what they will he is set in the Church as a chiefe or more generall Pastor within such precincts or compasse commonly called a Diocesse having inspection and superintendency in which stands his Prelacy over particular Pastors and Flocks providing or ordaining such Pastors as need requires and doing all this with the advice and assistance of his Presbyters or some of the inferiour Pastors anciently called Presbyteri civitatis and they nothing without him Such an office will appeare to be conformable as to the perpetuall practise of the Catholick Church so to the Word of God and most agreeable to the reason of Church-government as to the preserving of Unity and keeping out Schisme the main concernments of the Church and therefore they must appeare also highly guilty of Sacriledge and Schisme that not onely deny obedience to the established Authority of this Office but have endeavoured to subvert the very Function it self §. XIII Episcopall Government is by universall Practise of the Chu First the practise of the whole Church in all Ages is against them Into this Island the Christian faith was received if not in the Apostles times as some think yet in the next age at farthest as all do acknowledge and with that faith the government by Bishops was received and ever since continued neither did the Catholique Church ever know any other Government till the last hundred yeares So the force of the Apostles argument 1 Cor. 11. 16. falls upon the Contentious of this Age and explodes their new way of ordaining Pastors and ruling their Churches without Bishops The Churches of God never had any such Custome yea in some Councils they declared against it upon occasion given by the presumption of some Presbyters that took upon them to ordaine as in the Case of Ischyras and some others ordained by one Coluthus who carried himselfe as a Bishop but was found to be none in Athanas Epist. certainly the lawfull Customes of any Nationall Church are by the Apostles reason binding to