Selected quad for the lemma: power_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
power_n	bind_v	church_n	loose_v	4,001	5	10.0884	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A34020	Gospel order revived being an answer to a book lately set forth by ... Increase Mather ... entituled, The order of the gospel, &c ... / by sundry ministers of the gospel in New England.	Colman, Benjamin, 1673-1747.; Pemberton, Ebenezer, 1672-1717.; Woodbridge, Timothy, 1656-1732.; Bradstreet, Simon, 1671-1741.	1700 (1700)	Wing C5399; ESTC W13238	38,537	52

Arguments In the fore-going Chapter when he would prove there ought to be a tryal of Persons he tells us of the Porters that were set ut the gates of the Temple 2 Chron. 23. 19 but those Porters were Officers 1 Coron ●6 1. so he Instances in the Twelve Angels at the Gates of the Mystic 〈…〉 Jerusalem which tho' it may imply that the G●●es were kept yet not that the fraternity were the keepers He instances also in Phillip and John the Baptist which if it argues any thing is applicable only to the Officers and not in the Brother-hood But to examine his strength in this Chapter what he calls argument may more truly be stiled dogmatical affirming or a more mean begging the Question Till pag. 24 25. he quotes a cripture or two in proof of his assertions ●●i● 1 Corinth 5. 12. 2 Cor. 2. 6. in both which places the Apostle is writing to the Church at Corinth about excommunicating the l●cestuou● Person to h●●●●n and the restoring him again upon his Repentance And w 〈…〉 t the Reverend Author to the same holy Aposti● for an ●●swer 〈…〉 t is that known place 1 Corinth 1● chap. where he compares the Church to a mans Body and shows the distinct offices and operations of the respective Members as the Eye and Ear the Hand and Foot And to render the allusion the more intelligible he names the Officers God had set over his Church as more immediately referred to v. 28. God has set some in his Church first Apostles secondarily Prophets thirdly Teachers and in the close of the 14. chap. he adds Let all things be done decently and in order The result of all is this The Apostle would have every one to keep his proper place and sphere and do his own work soil in the Censure of the faulty Person the Eldership were to do theirs the Brotherhood not to usu 〈…〉 or arrogate any thing above their Province For as the Apostle queries v. 19 are all Apostles are all Prophets are all Teachers i. e. in a govern'd Body we cannot expect all should be Governors vid. Pool's Annot. There is another Text also produced to prove the power of the Brethren scil Mat. 18. 17. and if he shall neglect to hear them tell it to the Church This Text has been often brought on this account and sometimes on other accounts and as often answered yet here brought again but it will not answer the end The Context supposes an Offender and the wronged party proceeding against him and here are three steps the dissatisfied Person is directed to take in order to heal the wound given 1. To tell the Offender his fault in private 2 To tell him before 2 or 3 witnesses and if the end be not obtained 3. To tell it to the Church Suppose now a Person acting according to this Rule as we could give instances if need were when the first step did not gain his Brother nor the second answer the end at last the dissatisfied Person carried the case to the Pastor and now he reckened he had told it to the Church The Pastor sending so the Offendor presently convinced him brought him to Repentance and to give satisfaction and the thing was issued Here the Rule was attended the Church told the offendor healed the wronged Person satisfied and the matter issued when the Brotherhood all this while knew nothing of it It is evident from the next verse that by the Church must be meant those who had Power to bind and loose which Power Christ had given to the Apostles Moreover let the sense be that the Offence is to be told to the Rulers first and then by then to the multitude not for the multitude to judge of it but for their warning and example for their prayers for the offendor and their approbacion of the Elders Censure and that they might take care to avoid the familiarity of such an insectious sinner vid. Pools Annot. But if Scripture will not prove the Power of the Brethren possibly some venerable Maxim may do the feat Quod ●angie omnes debet ab omnibus approbari But alas this Maxim gives so much to the Sisters as to the Brethren Surely it is no divine Oracle it neither came from Heaven nor is it according to the manners of men upon Earth If a master of a family take in a so●ou●nor or a servant all are concerned but their vote is not asked If a Captain list a Souldier all the Company is concerned but it is done by his Authority without asking their leave And pray carry this m●x●m to the Colledge and see if the President and fellows will stand by it in their admissions If it be objected that even in all these cases if there be any sufficient reasons presented by those concerned a prudent Ruler will yield to it we easily grant it and therefore it s not unfit that men be proposed to the Congregation if there be any thing to object against their lives c. Another argument for the Brethrens Power in admission is lest the whole Power should sometimes reside in the hands of a single Minister and that this is unreasonable we have a Speech quoted from the Presbiterian Ministers in London But it is strangely perverted from their true meanning as appears not only from the whole series and scope of the Book but also from what is expressed in the page quoted p. 71. where they say That the Power cannot be placed in the whole Church collectively taken The Scripture makes an exact distinction between Rulers and ruled They only plead that there should be more Rulers in a Church then one or that when there are more then the Power belongs to the whole meaning the ruling Elders as well as the Teaching And what is that to the Power of the Brethren One officer has Power in plain cases to act in the Kings name Indeed our Saviour did frequently send forth his Disciples two and two But yet Phillip was sent alone to baptize the Ethiopian Eunuc 〈…〉 It will not excuse a Minister in the neglect of Christs work because he has no fellow labourers with him But the strongest argument comes last The way to keep Popery our of the World saith our Author is for the fraternity to assert and maintain that Power which does of right belong to them In answer to which we need only blot out the word fraternity and in its room write the word Ela●rship An excellent argument that will equally prove either way and by the change of a word serve also to answer Doctor Owens long Speech which ends that Chapter In short all Power is firstly in Christs ●a●ds and our Reverend Author produces no commission or order from Christ for the ●rethren ●● ma 〈…〉 ge the affairs o● his House in his name for he has appointed Officers of his own to that end Q. 4. Whether is it necessary t●at Persons at their admission into the Church should make a publick

no Wife is a Husband This is worn thred-bare and answered long ago by the Assembly at London and others and sometimes by the Author himself A Minister may be considered under a double Notion as a Minister of C 〈…〉 t or of this or that particular Church In this latter sence they are Relate Correlate and no otherwise Hence if he leaves them he ceases to be their Minister and they cease to be his Flock but still he may be a Minister of Christ and they a Church of Christ And thus in that little Book that is en●it●led The judgment of several Divines of the Congregational way concerning a Pastors Power occasionally to exe●t Ministerial acts in another Church besides that which is his particular Flock the Reverend Author expresses himself after this manner pag. 1. The Ministerial Power which a Pastor has received from the Lord Jesus Christ ●● not so ●o●fined to his particular Flock as that he shall cease to be a Minister when he shall act in the Name of the Lord else where And a little after I am as to this particular fully of the same judgment with the learned Dr. J. Owen in 〈◊〉 judicious Treatise concerning a Gospel Church Pag. 100 101 where he has these words Although we have no concer●●●us in the sig●ent of an indelible Character accompanying sacred Orders yet we do not think the Pastoral Office is such a thing as a man must leave be●●nd him every time he goes from home for my own part ● I did not think my self b●●nd to preach as a Minister authorized in all places and ●● all occasions when I am called thereunto I think I should never preach more in this World Thus Dr. Owen We see then that our Reverend Author and the famous Dr. Owen plainly hold that though there be a Relation to a particular flock yet a Minister is so au●hro●zed by Jesus Christ that he is capable in his Name to perform Ministerial Acts in other places and upon all occasions And were not our Author sincerely of this Opinion we cannot but think he would highly condemn any Minister that should be absent from his Flock four years together upon any service whatsoever ●ure if he be no way capable to act as a Minister of Jesus Christ he is all that while but as a stray Bird idly wandering from its Nest Yet at this time our Author would bear the World in hand that a Minister has no power to act as such but to his particular Flock and therefore quotes the words of the Plat-form chap. 9. sect 7. He that is clearly loosed from his Office Relation to that Church whereof he was a Minister cannot be looked on as an Officer nor perform any act of O 〈…〉 e in any other Church unless he be again called unto Office But a more eminent Assembly of Divines at London have quoted this very Paragraph pag 1●5 and severely but justly answered it as a great ●bs●rdity and contrary to sound Doctrine The answer to the other part of the Question Whether a Minister should be ordained only in the presence of that Church where he is ●●serve ● Will result from what has been already laid down The presence of Christ must be supposed when ever a person is seperated to his Ministry but seeing our Lord Commissions none immediately such must be present as have Power to authorize Commission and give the charge in his Name When ever a Call is given received and accepted whether it be by Words Message or letter both Minister and People are conceived as present face to face But the Circumstances of Times Places Persons Distance c. must determine this matter which as they m●● fall out may sometimes render it both prodent regular and necessar● then its the Voice of Providence for a Min 〈…〉 to be ordained on one Land and to serve in another Q. 14. Is the Practice of the Churches of New-England in granting Letters of Dismission or Recommendation from one Church to another according to Scripture and the Example of other Churches The Reverend Author refers to many Scriptures to prove the Affirmative but not one of them reaches the Question or proves ●● dismission for this end soil to take a person off from being a Member of one Church to be made a Member of another The Epistles or Letters he refers to are all Apo●ta●●cal or Ministerial not the Letters of one Church to another some only excepted which is mentioned as writ by the Brethren but Apol●● on whole behalf they wrote was not a Member of their Church nor do they write to those in Achaia to receive him as a Member but rather as a Minister or as a Christian of eminence and singular goodness Indeed there may be a good use of Letters of Recommendation and especially among strangers and where a Member removes from one Church to another a mutual satisfaction may be laboured after But we cannot but think such Letters frivilous when in the same Town and at two streets distance a Person known over all the Town for an exemplary Conversation prefers anothers Ministry Civility will constrain such persons to acquaint then Ministers of their purposes and the same Christian Civility obliges such a Minister to acquaint the other Pastor if need be to whose Ministry they repair that they have carried themselves well in his Communion and that he hopes they may prove blessings in all other But as for the Brethren We need not go to them to make a second Speech now to ask leave to with-draw and to render an account to every impertinent Talker who thinks the man Married to him and that his bed is broke into or that there 's no just reason for a divorce Moreover some people are forever dissatisfied neither conveniencies of Habitation liking the others Ministry profiting under it or dislike of some Customs and Practices which he would willingly be rid of the light of can satisfy And what must the grieved person do further in this case Why truly he has done his duty and may hear and communicate where God and his own sober Conscience directs him No● ought any Minister of Christ to reject his claim to the Lords Table with him To say no more our Reverend Author having in a former Treatise proved that persons baptized are thereby subjects of Discipline We think they all ought to be accountable to the Society where they are there persons being dismissed by the Providence of God whether they have letters of dismission or not Else by their principles an ordained Minister in London formerly of Communion with a Church in Boston being called to Office in a particular Church and having accepted the Pastoral Care thereof must first send over a Pacquet to New-England for a Letter of dismission And don't you think he would be well imployed Qu. 15 Is not the asserting that a Pastor may administer the Sacrament to another Church besides his own particular Church at the a●fire