Selected quad for the lemma: rest_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
rest_n	bishop_n	church_n	presbyter_n	2,348	5	10.4986	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77508	The sacred ordinance of ordination, by imposition of the hands of the presbytery. As it was lately held forth in a sermon preached at the solemn ordination of ministers in the city of Norwich June 11. 1656. / By John Brinsley minister of the Gospel at Great Yarmouth. VVhereunto is also affixed the word of exhortation given to the persons then and there ordained, being usefull to all others of the same tribe. By Nic. Ganning, B.D. minister of the Gospel at Barnham-Broom.	Brinsley, John, 1660-1665.; Ganning, Nicholas, d. 1687.	1656 (1656)	Wing B4726; Thomason E1601_3; ESTC R208903	43,850	99

they are known This is one of the characters that the Apostle giveth of a Bishop a Gospel Minister 1 Tim. 3.7 Hee must bee one that hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a good Testimonial a good report yea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of those that are without without the Church no members of it much more of them that are within such must the conversation of a meet Candidate bee not onely unblameable but laudable And withall hee ought to be such a one as upon whom a humane and conjectural prophesy hath passed one whom others look upon for his parts and gifts as a hopeful instrument of doing service in the Church of God 2 And besides this humane let them look for somewhat of a divine Testimony though not in an extraordinary way as Timothy had that is not now to bee expected yet in an ordinary that they be such persons as in whom in the judgement of a well regulated charity they themselves may see somewhat of God of his grace and spirit sanctifying of them and so fitting them for this so weighty a service And now these two concurring they may comfortably go on in ordaining and setting apart such a one thereunto which how it is to bee done the next clause will inform you With the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery Where again wee must make further enquiry what is here meant by the Presbytery what by Laying on of the hands of the Presbytery Quest 1. For the former 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hereby some would understand the office of a Presbyter So Erasmus here transsates it Authoritate sacerdotis To which sense I finde what I wonder at Mr. Calvin here not wholly averse yea Omuibus expensis diversum sensum non male quadrare fateor ut sit nomen officii Calvin ad Text. Quod de Impositione manuum Presbyterii dicitur non it a accipio quasi Paulus de seniorum collegi● loquatur sed hoc nomine Ordinationem ipsam intelligo Calvin Instit lib. 4. Cap. 3. Sect. 16. Cameron Praelect in Mat. 18.15 elsewhere wholly for it but by the favour of so judicious an Expositor then whom I know none more we may take notice first that the word here used is never taken in scripture in this sense Neither can it well bear it True indeed as the learned Cameron notes upon it were it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it might be so construed Presbyteratus the office or dignity of a Presbyter but not so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And secondly If the word would bear it yet the scope of the place will not For should we so read it with the laying on of the hands of the office or dignity of a Presbyter I must professe with the same Authour I should not know what sense to make of it And therefore letting that passe enquire we how this word is elsewhere used That wee may soon see there being but two other Texts where it is to bee found The one Luke 22.66 where wee read of the Elders of the people 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The other Act. 22.5 where wee meet with the estate of the Elders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In both places thereby meaning the great Councel of the Sanhedrim a Colledge or company of officers to whom the Government of the Church was committed Here is the Original both of the name and thing from whence it was derived as most other things concerning Ecclesiastical Government were unto the Christian Church which in like manner had its Presbyteries Societies and Companies of Church officers to whom the Government of the Church was in like manner committed And in this sense without question are wee to look upon the word here in the text as denoting Caetum seu Collegium Presbyterorum a Company of Presbyters Herein the generality of Expositors both Ancient and Modern Presbyterium qui hic collectivum nomen esse putant pro Collegio Presbyterorum positum recte sentiunt meo judicio Calvin ad Text. both Protestant and Romish do fully accord Mr. Calvin also among the rest upon second thoughts yeilding his free assent thereunto Quest Only the question remains what kinde of Presbyters were these Answ To this shall wee give the Doctors of the Church of Rome leave to return the Answer most of them will roundly tell us that they were Bishops Bishops as distinct from Presbyters wherein they plead the consent of some of the Ancients Such was the office say they to which Timothy was ordained not of a Presbyter but of a Bishop Now it was never the custome for Presbyters to ordain Bishops No The lesse is blessed of the better the greater faith the Apostle speaking of the Priestly office Heb. 7.7 Not the greater of the lesse Presbyters are ordained by Bishops not Bishops by Presbyters And herein we finde them seconded by some of our own of late times who contend that the office to which Timothy was ordained was the office of a Bishop an Arch-Bishop a Metropolitane And consequently the Presbytery here spoken of must bee a company of Bishops at least not of ordinary Presbyters In pursuit whereof some there are who spare not to affirm that in Pauls time there was no such order in the Church No Presbyters properly so called True indeed in a large sense say they the Apostles some of them sometimes stile themselves so as Peter and John who write themselves Presbyters 1 Pet. 5.1 2 Epist Joh. 1. and 3. Epist 1. But strictly and properly there was then none of this order None at least till St. Johns time the last of the Apostles Then indeed say they was this order introduced as a middle office betwixt Bishops and Deacons But before that there were no other ordinary offices in the Church but these two taking the word Bishops in a strict acception and consequently the Presbytery here spoken of could bee no other So high are some flowne in these distracted times being as they say of some Meteors set on fire by an Antiperistasis But as for this opinion as it is but novel newly hatched and singular so I suppose it is not like to be long lived it being such as the best friends to Episcopacy which the moderate party are I presume will not bee willing to own Neither indeed is there any reason they should in as much as it runnes so directly crosse as to clear evidence of Scripture so to the general if not universal consent of all divines both Ancient and Modern who look upon the office of a Presbyter as in Order and Time precedent to that of a Bishop Yea so necessarily preceding it that who ever shall be ordained a Bishop per saltum not having first a Presbyter they pronounce his Ordination invalid a meer nullity So it is agreed both by Protestants Papists Yea by the moderate on both these parts it is also yeilded that Presbyiery is the highest order of ordinary Gospel ministery Episcopacy not being a different Order from it but onely

among you I exhort feed the flock of God which is among you c. And when the cheif Shepheard shall appear yee shall receive a Crown of glory that fadeth not away Here is the faithful Pastors Aureola if they will needs have it so called To which I will adde but one notable saying more of that famous Father St. Austin in his Epistle to Valcrius Nihil difficilius laboriosius periculosius Episcopi aut Presbyteri aut Diaconi officio sed apud Deum nihil beatius si eo modo milit etur quo noster imperator jubet There is nothing more hard nothing more laborious nothing more dangerous than the ministerial office and yet with God there is nothing more happy says hee nothing more rewarded in heaven if it bee faithfully executed as it ought And thus yee have the third and last general head laid forth unto you the great reward which shall certainly bee conferred upon every faithful Minister of the Gospel And now Brethren out of all these three main considerations which I have here mentioned unto you that it is so high and weighty a Calling that wee runne so great a hazzard in the negligent performance of it and that on the contrary so great a reward remains for every one that faithfully dischargeth it let both you that are this day newly initiated into it by Ordination and all of us also whosoever else are of the same ministerial function let us all bee stirred up to set our selves the more strenuously about it and with all carefulnesse and watchfulness for to manage it That shall be my closing speech Labour to put in ure both the precept and the practice of the great Apostle St. Paul his Precept unto Archippus Col. 4.17 And say to Archippus take heed to the Ministery which thou hast received in the Lord that thou fulfil it let that bee the utmost both of your and our indeavour to fulfil the Ministery which we have received And labour as well to follow the practical example of the same great Apostle as a most renowned pattern and president for all Ministers while the world shall stand it is Act. 20.24 But none of these things move me neither count I my life dear unto my self so that I might finish my course with Joy and the ministery which I have received of the Lord Jesus to testify the Gospel of the grace of God Hee says that no affliction whatsoever neither bonds and imprisonment nor martyrdome it self should withhold him from fulfilling his Ministery and so finishing his course with joy agreeable to that Swannes song of his which hee uttered when hee was ready to bee offered up in sacrifice for the faith of the Gospel 2 Tim. 4.7 I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the Faith henceforth there is laid up for mee a crown of righteousness c. And therefore this saying of his in the Acts hee spake unto all the Elders of Ephesus whom hee had sent for unto him propounding his own example before them whereby they might learn how to fulfil their Ministery which is that which both ye and all other Ministers ought to bee alwayes learning how to perform Which that ye may the better do give me leave for a conclusion of all to lay you down briefly some helps and furtherances thereunto I will first remove the hindrances and then give you the helps 1 Take heed of an ambitious and proud Spirit of an high and domineering spirit such as would not onely Lord it over Gods heritage as St. Peter speaks but also over your fellow brethren in the Ministery for this is just Diotrephes his spirit of whom St. John complains that hee was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 One that loved to have the preeminence and to be leader of all 3 Joh. 9. I Wrote unto the Church but Diotrephes who loved to have the preeminence among them receiveth us not And indeed it was this that first brought in the typhus papalis in the Church First They laboured for the primacy and that by degrees ushered in the Supremacy for the Bishop of Rome had at first but primam sedem afore the rest of the four Patriarchs of the Christian Church it was this same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and this same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which made him at length affect to be Episcopus Oecumenicus And though now Bishops bee put down yet must every Minister among us beware of any risings of a domineering spirit within him for if as Luther was wont sententiously to speak that every man had a Pope in his belly then surely much more did hee mean it of Clergy men who have been ever too much addicted to this fin Beginne then to lay a low and deep foundation in humility especially the better gifted any of you bee or have the better parts as the more dangerous inlet unto pride according to that of the Apostle knowledge puffeth up 1 Cor. 8.1 And remember that qualification which among the rest the same Apostle requires in those which are to bee made Ministers 1 Tim. 3.6 Not a novice least being lifted up with pride hee fall into the condemnation of the Devil he was very careful least any Minister should bee tainted with that Devillish and Luciferian sinne of Pride by which the Devils got so great a fall How art thou fallen from heaven O Lucifer sonne of the morning Isa 14.12 which though it bee litterally understood of the great King of Babylons fall yet mystically of the Devils fall in the judgement of Interpreters who was once a good Angel and a bright shining star 2 Take heed of a covetous spirit of a lingring desire after preferments and gainful places for nothing will sooner Wyer-draw a Minister from a careful and faithful discharge of his office nothing will sooner make him turn a Balaam who loved the wages of unrighteousnesse as St. Peter speaks 2 Pet. 2.15 and nothing if need bee will sooner make him turn from the truth than that same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that being given to filthy lucre which both the great Apostles do so much inveigh against 1 Tim. 3.3 1 Pet 5.2 And that it often makes men swarve from the Truth not onely experience in all ages of the Church hath made it manifest but St. Paul tells us plainly so 1 Tim. 6.10 The love of mony is the root of all evil which while some have coveted after they have erred from the faith sayes he which is meant of fides quae creditur and not of fides quâ creditur of the faith which wee do beleeve and not of that by which wee beleeve Do none of you then turn secular Priests in the truest sense according to that of the Apostle to Timothy 2 Tim. 2.4 No man that warreth intangleth himself with the affairs of this life after hee had said unto him in the verse before Endure thou hardness as a good Souldier of Jesus Christ And according to his