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
A78955	His Maiesties paper containing severall questions propounded to the commissioners Divines touching Episcopacy. With an humble answer returned to his Majesty by Mr. Marshall, Mr. Vines, Mr. Carill, and Mr. Seaman 4. October 1648. Published by authority.	England and Wales. Sovereign (1625-1649 : Charles I); Marshall, Stephen, 1594?-1655.; Vines, Richard, 1600?-1656.; Seaman, Lazarus, d. 1675.; Caryl, Joseph, 1602-1673.; Westminster Assembly (1643-1652)	1648 (1648)	Wing C2533; Thomason E466_6; ESTC R205221	7,335	14

not that act wherein Bishops have challenged a singularity or peculiar eminency above the Presbyter To that which your Majesty doth conceive That Episcopall Government was practised by Apostles themselves We humbly answer That the Apostles as they were the highest officers of the Church of Christ so they were Extraordinarie in respect of their Commission and gifts and office and distinguished form all other officers 1 Cor. 12. 28. God hath set some in the Church First Apostles Secondly Prophets Thirdly Teachers Ephefians 4. 1. 1. Christ gave some Apostle and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pasters and some Teachers Whereby the Apostles are distinguisht from Pastors and Teachers who are the ordinary Officers of the Church for Preaching the word and Government that they had power and authority to ordaine Church-Officers and to excercise censures in all Churches we affirme and withall that no other Persons or Officers of the Church may challenge or assume to themselves such power in that respect alone because the Apostles practised it except such power belong unto them in common as well as to the Apostles by warrant of the Scripture for that Government which they practised was Apostolicall according to that peculiar Commission and Authority which they had and no otherwise to be called Episcopall then as their Office was so comprehensive as they had power to doe the worke of any or all other Church-Officers In which respect they call themselves Presbyteri Deaconi but never Episcopi in distinct sence and therefore we humbly crave leave to say That to argue the Apostles to have practised Episcopall Government because they ordained other Officers and exercised censures is as if we should argue a Justice of Peace to be a Constable because he doth that which a Constable doth in some particulars It s manifest that the Office of Bishops and Presbyters were not distinct in the Apostles they did not Act as Bishops in some Acts and as Presbyters in other Acts The distinction of Presbyters and Bishops being made by men in after times And whereas your Majesty doth conceive That the Episcopall Government was by the Apostles committed and delivered to particular persons as their Substitutes or Successors therein as for ordaining Presbyters and Deacons giving rules concerning Christian Discipline and exercising censures over Presbyters and others seeming by the alleadged places of Scriptures to instance in Timothy and Titus and the Angels of the Churches We humbly answer 1 And first to that of Timothy and Titus we grant That Timothy and Titus had authority and power of ordaining Presbyters and Deacons and of exercising censures over Presbyters and others though we cannot say they had this power as the Apostles Substitutes or Successors in Episcopall Government nor that they exercised the power they had as being Bishops in the sence of your Majestie but as extraordinary Officers or Evangelists which Evangelists were an Office in the Church distinct from Pastors and Teachers Ephesians 4. 11. And that they were Evangelists it appeares by their being sent up and downe by the Apostles or taken along with them in company to severall Churches as the necessity and occasion of the Church did require the one of them being expresly called an Evangelist 2 Tim. 4. 5. And neither of them being anywhere in Scriptures called Bishop neither were they fixed to Ephesus and Creet as Bishops in the Churches committed to them but removed from thence to other places and never for ought appeares in Scriptures returned to them againe And it seemes cleare to us that neither their abode at Ephesus and Creet was for any long time nor so intended by the Apostle for he imployes them there upon occasionall businesse and expresseth himselfe in such manner I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus when I went into Macedonia that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other Doctrine 1 Timothy 13. For this cause left I thee in Creet Titus 1. 5. As doth not carry the fixing or constituting of a Bishop in a place as a perpetuall Governour And it is as manifest that they were both of them called away from these places 2 Tim. 4. 9 Do thy diligence to come to me shortly Titus 3. 12. Be diligent to come to me to Nicapolis so that they may as well be called Bishops of other Citie or Church where they had any considerable abode as they are pretended to have beene of Ephesus and Creet as they are called by the Postscripts of these Apostles the credit of which Postscripts we cannot build upon in this point 2 Secondly to that of the Angels of the Churches the Ministers of the Churches are called Stars and Angels which Denominations are Metaphoricall and a Misterie Rev. el 1. 20. The Mistery of the seaven Starres Angells in respect of their mission or sending St●●●… in respect of their station and shining And it seemes strange to us that so many expresse testimonies of Scriptures and allegoricall denominations or mysteries should be opposed These Angels being no where called Bishops in vulgar acceptation nor the word Bishop vsed in any of Johns writings who cals himself Presbiter nor any mention of superiority of one Presbiter to another but in Diotrophes effecting it And as to that which may be said that Epistles are directed to one We answer that an number of persons are in the mysterious and Prophetique writings exprest in singulars And we humbly conceive that being written in an Epistolary stile for they are as Letters or Epistles to the Churches these writings are directed as Letters to collective or representative bodies use to be that is to one but are intended and meant to the body in meeting assembled which that they were so intended is cleare to us both because there were in Ephesus Bishops and Presbiters one and the same to whom the Apostle at his farewell commended the Government of the Church and by divers expressions in these Epistles as Revel. 2. 24. To you and to the rest in Thyatira by which distinction of you and the rest we conceive the Church-governments which were more then one and the people to be signified and so cannot consent that any singular person had majority over the rest or sole power of exercising Church censures and Government spoken of in these Chapters Having thus as we humbly conceive proved by pregnant places of Scripture compared together that the Apostles themselves did not institute or practise Episcopall Government nor commit and derive it to particular persons as their substitutes or successors therein We shall in further discharge of our duty to and for the more cleere and full satisfaction of your Majesty in this point briefely declare into what Officers hands the ordinary and standing offices of the Church were transmitted and derived by and from the Apostles The Apostles had no Successors in eundem gradum The Apostolicall office was not derived by succession being instituted by Christ by extraordinary and speciall commission but for the ordinary and