Selected quad for the lemma: order_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
order_n	bishop_n	church_n	ordination_n	3,732	5	10.3279	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A55574	Common-prayer-book no divine service, or, XXVIII reasons against forming and imposing any humane liturgies or Common-prayer-books, and the main objections to the contrary, answered also, the English Common-prayer-book anatomized, likewise twelve arguments against diocesan and lord-bishops, with the main objections answered, and the great disparity between them, and Timothy and Titus, shewed / by Vavasor Powell.	Powell, Vavasor, 1617-1670.	1661 (1661)	Wing P3084; ESTC R40660	35,918	54

are plain in Act. 20.28 Take heed therefore to your selves and to the whole flock over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you over-seers Or more near the Greek Take heed therefore to your selves and feed the whole flock in which the Holy Ghost hath put you Bishops In that particular Church of Ephesus there were several Bishops or as they are called in the 17 vers Elders which are the same for Peter though an Apostle calls himself an Elder so in the Church of Philippi there were several Bishops as well as Deacous 1 Pet. 5.7 Phil. 1.1 Then to appoint or set up one Bishop over divers Congregations as over three or four hundred nay some over a hundred Parishes is to do contrary to what the Spirit of the Lord hath done Therefore 't is unlawful That order which is contrary to the order which the Apostles set up in the Churches of the Gentiles is unlawful Argum. 3. But the order of Lordly or diocesan-Diocesan-Bishops is contrary to that order which the Apostles set up in the Churches of the Gentiles _____ Therefore unlawful The Proposition will not be denied for what the Apostles received from Christ they set up in the Churches 1 Cor. 11.23 14.3.7 Act. 15.29 16.4 The Assumption I prove thus The order that the Apostles set up in the Churches of the Gentiles was Bishops or Elders which were of equal power and authority as is shewed before and will more fully be afterward in every Church Act. 14.23 Tit. 1.5 7. But Diocesan order is to set up one Bishop over many Churches which order is contrary to the order set up by the Apostles and so consequentially unlawful They that walk contrary to the Rules of the Apostles walk contrary to the Lord himself 1 Cor. 11.1 Ephes 5.1.2 Thes 3.9 and they that walk contrary to the Lord the Lord will walk contrary to them Lev. 26.21 41. That Office and Authority which makes a man utterly uncapable of performing the duties belonging properly to his Function is unlawful Argum. 4. But Lordly or Diocesan power makes a man utterly uncapable of performing the duties belonging to his Function Therefore Lordly or Diocesan Power is unlawful The Major none but such as are willing to shun performing their Duties will deny The Minor is proved by considering what the Duties are which belong to the Function of Bishops to wit to know their stocks watch over them feed and comfort them to resolve their doubts visit them and administer the Lords Supper often unto them c. Prov. 27.23 1 Thes 5.12 13. Heb. 13.7 17. Act. 20.28 2 Cor. 1.4 James 5.14 1 Cor. 11.23 26. and how any Diocesan-Bishops whose power extends in some Diocesses over several Counties can possibly do this let any judge That which doth necessarily introduce the Popes power over the Churches of Christ Argum. 5. is unlawful But the office of Lord-Bishops or Diocesan-Bishops doth necessarily introduce the Popes power over the Churches of Christ Therefore the office of Lord-Bishops and Diocesan-Bishops is unlawful None but Papists will oppose the first The second I prove thus They that have their Ordination from the Pope and so consequently their Ministry for Ordinatio apud Episcopos est causa sine qua non c. for a man though never so well qualified is not accounted by them a Minister without it do introduce the Popes power over the Churches of Christ But Diocesan or Lord-Bishops have their Ordination from the Pope Ergo. I prove they have their Ordination from the Pope They that have their Ordination from the Archbishop have their Ordination from the Pope as holy Crunmer confessed they had and as one lately made Bishop Mr. Nichols formerly Minister in Carmarthen in South-Wales now as they say Bishop of Glocester acknowledged before many witnesses in a conference with mee in Carmarthen for which some of his own friends blamed him For if the Archbishop hath not his Ordination from the Pope then he hath none at all and so is no Minister at all and so hath no power to ordain other Bishops nor they any other Ministers for Nemo dat quod in se non habet So that it is easie to derive the Pedigree of our Diocesan-Bishops And the learned Papists who are well versed in this Genealogy know their descent perfectly that the Bishops and themselves have but one Grand-father whoever their Grand-mother or Mother is Obj. But if it be objected That one Bishop hath power to ordain another and so they need not have dependance upon the Pope for their Ordination Ans I answer If one Bishop ordain another either hee ordains him as another ordinary Minister or Priest as they say or as a Bishop If as another ordinary Minister then a Bishop is not of another or higher Order than the ordinary Minister is of but they are Equal in degree and then par in parens non habet imperium And this will not satisfie the Bishops If he ordained him first as a Minister and afterwards as a Bishop he hath had two Ordinations for which there is no Rule in Scripture Obj. But the Archbishop doth but consecrate and confirm the Bishop Ans Suppose that were a distinct thing from Ordination which cannot be proved from the Word of God yet who shall consecrate the Archbishop either it must be his Inferiour Equal or Superiour surely it will not be admitted that his Inferiour should do it for by that Rule and Reason ordinary Ministers which they call Priests and account to be of a lower rank than Bishops may ordain Bishops An Equal cannot do it because that the Archbishop of Canterbury hath no Fellow unless the Archbishop of York then of necessity there must be application to a Superiour and there is no such that assumes any Authority to administer Ecclesiastical Ordinances except the Pope himself So that by close pursuit you may finde where these Foxes are or will be kennell'd Let us therefore with the Church pray Take us or as it is in the Hebrew gnalu for us the little Foxes that spoil the Vines for our Vines have tender Grapes Cant. 2.15 That Order and Office which hath many unscriptural Inferiour Officers depending thereon Argum. 6. and are as branches thereof is unlawful But the Order and Office of Diocesan and Lord-Bishops hath many unscriptural Officers depending thereon and are branches thereof Therefore it is unlawful The former is proved 2 Chron. 13.9 Ezek. 43.3 Act. 23.3 when Paul said to Ananias the High Priest Thou whited wall c. doubtless he looked upon him to be irregular in the Office as the corruption was grown among the Jews to have a Sagan answerable thereto sure are Suffragans and when he said I wist not that he was the High Priest he spake it Ironically and 't is as if he had said I knew him not to be an High Priest but I looked upon him as one that doth usurp the place Surely Paul knew the

28. Bishops so it is in the Greek See Reas first And if there were divers Bishops there how could Timothy be a single Bishop there And if those Bishops were chosen and ordained in Ephesus whilst Timothy was attending upon Paul in his Journies and Voyages how could he be the first Bishop there as the subscription saith that he was ordained the first Bishop of the Church of the Ephesians 3. If Titus were Bishop of Crete Crete called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a hundred Cities as the subscription saith he must be Archbishop For 1. Crete had a hundred Cities in it if we may credit divers Historians and Expositors 2. He ordained Bishops or Elders which is the same as was shewed before and that was one of the main ends why Paul left him in Crete Tit. 1.5 compared with vers 7. And why Titus should be Bishop of many Cities and that Timothy who was his equal at least in most or all regards and that had that commendation from Paul himself That he had no man like-minded c. and Timothy Bishop but of one City or Church Phil. 2.20 as Ephesus was let the next Synod of Bishops resolve and determine if they can ☜ Obj. But in the Epistle directed to the seven Churches of Asia there is mention onely of one Angel Ans 1. It hath been shewed already that in one of those seven Churches viz. Ephesus there were divers Bishops and so in the Church of Thyatira The Holy Ghost writes to you and the rest in Thyatira which were more than one cap. 2.24 2. Many good Angels termed one as in Psal 34.7 91.11 2 King 6.16 17. 19.35 So one Priest or Prophet is put for many Isa 3.2 Jer. 6.18 19. Ezek. 7.26 Hos 4.6 One Angel is here taken for divers shewing that all the Officers in the Congregation were entire and one 3. If there were but one Bishop in those Churches then the order in those Churches and in other Churches would not be the same as was shewed before Phil. 1.1 Act. 14.23 20.28 But 4. Lastly suppose it be granted that there was but one Bishop in every one of those particular Churches and that their power did extend no further as there is no ground to beleeve it did than in their particular Churches then they were not Diocesans Obj. The Government of Bishops is antient of fifteen hundred years standing therefore lawful Ans 1. The Devil and Antichrist may make that Plea as well as they John 8.44 2 Thes 2.4 1 John 4.3 2. See the differences clearly and fully shewn in Smethy Annuus They that read the History of the Church written by Eusebius Sympson c. will easily discern the differences between the Bishops of the three first Centuries and our Diocesan-Bishops The controversie is not about the ●●me as is acknowledged by all but about the power of Bishops 3. Mea entiquetas Christus est August Consuetudo sine veritate est vetustas erroris If the word of God be a perfect Rule as it is what need we go any further Bring your Episcopal Metal to this Touch-stone and if it will hold here we will honour it with its Gray hairs and receive and reverence it as the right Heir If not we must say with Gerhard Antiquity without truth is but a cypher 1 Thes 5.21 Prove all things hold fast that which is good Isa 8.20 To the Law and to the Testimony if they speak not according to this Word it is because there is no light in them Is qui praeest si praeter voluntatem Dei vel praeter quod in sanctis Scripturis evidenter praecipitur vel dicit aliquid vel imperat tanquam falsus aut sacrilegus habeatur Can. Law FINIS

High Priest and his power well enough but he spake to him as Diogenes said to Alexander the Great I do not know Alexander the King but I know Alexander the Tyrant The Minor or latter that the Diocesan and Lord-Bishops have many unscriptural inferiour Officers as Deans Deans and Chapters Archdeacons Commissaries Chancellors Canons Residents Prebendaries Peticanons c. such a rabble-rout that some who have searched the Nest affirm that there are from the bottom to the top from the Van to the Rear thirty eight distinct Officers that is thirty above what Christ hath put in his Church So having done with these Syllogistical Arguments I will now lay down a few more plain Reasons against Diocesan Lord-Bishops and their Power Because there is no difference made in the Scripture between Bishops and other Gospel-Ministers Argum. 7. called Elders See Act. 20.17 and 28. Mat. 6.37 Col. 1.23 Phil. 1.1 Tit. 1.5 6 7. Note that where the Church-Officers are mentioned in Scripture the Bishops are never named as a distinct Order from the Elders but onely from the Deacons Rom. 12.6 7 8. Ephes 4.11 12. Obj. Yea there is mention made of Helps and Governments 1 Cor. 12.28 Ans Though he speaks of Helps and Governments yet it is in the fifth or sixth place after Apostles Prophets Teachers c. and not in the first nor second rank So that if any can spy out Episcopacy here I am sure they can neither in this place nor elsewhere in Scripture finde lord-Lord-Bishop neither in name nor power nor in that Rank and Order they place themselves no though you thus reckon First the Pope secondly the Cardinal thirdly the Archbishop fourthly the Diocesan-Bishop there you finde them in their proper place but not in the Scripture 2. It is said Aquila and Urbane nay Priscilla a woman were Helpers of Paul in Christ Jesus Rom. 16.3 9. and yet they were no Bishops It were to be wished that the Bishops were as good Helpers as they were and as like Timothy whom they would have to bee a Bishop bee ready to carry a poor painful persecuted Preachers Cloak Books c. as he did Pauls And thus they would obey the commands of Christ who said Whosoever will be great among you let him be your Minister and Whosoever will be chief among you let him be your servant Mat. 20.26 27. I suppose all know who would be greatest and chiefest among the Ministers but do any know which of them will be content to learn this Lesson of Christ for such a Bishop would we give our voice nay I am contented that the Bishops should have the chiefest care of so many as they have converted or fed This granted it is supposed their power will not be too great Because they are created by men viz. by the Kings or Princes Argum. 8. in whose Dominions they are and I may say to them as the Boy said to the Doctor That God made his Fathers Ox a Bull but his Father made him an Ox God made them men but the King made them Bishops See Cook De Jure Regis Ecclesiastico Because they depend upon man Argum. 9. which the true Ministers of Christ never did Episcopacy is a Noune Adrective that cannot stand by it self but it must be supported by the hand of the chief Magistrate And they shelter themselves under that Maxime of theirs No Bishop no King And the Bishops say No Ceremonie no Bishop whether this be not to lay a weak foundation to Regal Authority let any judge The Proverb would be truer No King no Bishop for the King may very well subsist without them Simile but they like Colewerts close to the Vine draw the fatness of the earth from it to themselves Or like the Ivy to the Oak Simile sheltring it self under its arms and boughs but in the mean time keeping much of the vertue of the Sun from the Tree A tenth Reason to prove Diocesan Bishops to be unlawful Argum. 10. is because they do imitate the Priests of the Law so much in respect of their different degrees order c. as Archbishops answering the High Priests the Presbyters the other Priests and the Deacons the Levites and the Chorister and Cantors the Jewish Singers so their Organs and other Instrument They have also their Pauls answerable to the Temple their Garments Girdle Mytre c. like those which the Priests did use Exod. 28.4 5 6. also their Tables Altars Sacrifices Oblations Purifications of Women and their Holy-days Feasts with many such things answering to the Jewish Feasts Heb. 9.7 8 9. but this is to set up the Legal Priest-hood again that was weak and those things which were but shadows and continued onely till the time of Reformation And is not this to do altogether as bad as the Jewish Teachers did Gal. 3.4 who indeavoured to bring back the Disciples who had begun in the Spirit to end in the flesh Obj. But how can they be Jewish and yet Popish Ans Very well for the Pope and Papists are in a manner Imitators of the Jews onely they borrow some Heathenish Customes and create some of their own for outward advantage And doubtless it was the aim and indeavour of some of the late Bishops as might easily be seen by their Writings and works that they intended to unite England to Rome and what some of the present ones may do being Birds of the same feather when their wings grow longer Time which is the discoverer of things will shew Because Lordly and Diocesan power is more than the Apostles of Christ did exercise either joyntly or apart Argum. 13. For they imposed no Canons or Decrees except the pure Scriptures the true Rule and Standard upon any of the Churches no though a whole Synod of them were gathered together to make such but delivered and left them to the Churches with this Recommendation If you keep your selves ye shall do well Act. 15.29 Likewise Paul an Apostle and Timothy a Bishop if you will have him so would not exercise Dominion over the Faith of the Christians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lordship 2 Cor. 1.1 compared with 24. Lastly It will evidently appear that the Lordly Diocesan-Bishops and their power are unwarrantable and unscriptural if we compare them with the Bishops mentioned in Scripture and particularly with Timothy and Titus who are urged by them for Authority and Example Timothy and Titus were 1. Begotten again and converted by the Gospel 1 Tim. 1.1 Titus 1.4 2. True Disciples and Servants of Jesus Christ Act. 16. Phil. 1.1 3. Men of good report Act. 16.2 2 Cor. 8.6 4. Inwardly and really affected to the people of God 2 Cor. 7.15 Titus 1.8 as Brethren Col. 1.1 5. Well acquainted with the Scriptures and the Word of God and having a gift to prophecy 2 Tim. 3.15 and 1 Tim. 4.14 6. Doubtless chosen by the suffrages or voices of Church-members as the manner was in chusing