Linguistic DNA - Concept Modelling Demonstrator

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
saint_n	bishop_n	church_n	deacon_n	1,417	5	10.6336	5	false

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A29665	A discovrse opening the natvre of that episcopacie, which is exercised in England wherein with all humility, are represented some considerations tending to the much desired peace, and long expected reformation, of this our mother church / by the Right Honourable Robert Lord Brooke.	Brooke, Robert Greville, Baron, 1607-1643.	1641 (1641)	Wing B4911; ESTC R17972	85,248	148

called the Church as the Church at Ephesus Corinth c. Secondly When the Congregations are called Churches as the Churches of Galatia and of Iadea Thus it is used Properly Thus Figuratively but no where RepresentativÃ¨ scil the Ministers the Presbyters or the Bishops or all these for the Church You shall finde these and the Church contradistinct as To the Saints the Bishops and the Deacons 1 Phil. 1.1 To the Church and the Elders Act. 15.4 I conceive wee are bound to take a word in that sense which is currant in Scripture except that sense cleerely crosse the scope and spirit of the text You shall meet with that word 48. times in the New Testament and no where signifying that which wee call the Representative Church Very often for the Saints themselves As 1 Cor. 1. vers 15.2 Cor. 1. vers 1. 1 Thes. 1. vers 1. Why should we not then take it in the same sense Are not wee then bound to expound the word Church in some of those significations which are frequent in Scripture and not in that sense which is so far from being found in the text that a Contradistinct phrase is as I said before â—ather used Againe From the text and context that will appeare to be the meaning of the Spirit and no other The text is Mat. 18. vers 17. If hee shall neglect to heare Them tell the Church but if hee neglect to heare the Church let him bee to thee as a heathen man and a Publican The context is in the 15. and 16. verses If thy brother shall trespasse against thee goe and tell him his fault betweene thee and him alone If hee shall beare thee then hast thou gained thy brother but if hee will not heare thee then take with thee one or two more that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established In the context and the text there are three things to bee examined before the true sense can bee found out First Who are meant in that Gradation in the 15 16 17. v. Secondly Who is meant by Them v. 17. if hee will not heare Them Thirdly What is meant by Publicans and sinners First Who is meant in that Gradation In the first place is meant the Party in the second is meant the Elders or the Bishops the Officers of the Church If you say They are not there understood yet I am confident you will not I am sure you cannot say they are there excluded If then the Spirit pointed at them with the other members of the Church or them solely It would be an unnecessary thing to bring him afterwards to them againe as to the Representative Church Secondly By Thee v. 17. is not meant only the Party but every Christian every Church member to whomsoever the newes of such a miscarriage shall come Else this will bee a meanes to nourish particular parties sidings which the Scripture doth exceedingly shun If by Gods Law hee should bee a Publican to one of the Church and not another If hee be so to every member of the Church this will bee a hard case That if a Bishop or an Elder one two or more shall passe the bitter sentence of Excommunication hee must be so to mee also though I know nothing of it But some will say that must be done before the Church To which I answer The word saith no such matter And thus those who mis-expound the Scripture must eck out the Scripture to make good their own imagination But secondly Why should it be complained of before the Church if the deciding power be in the Officers Frustra fit per plura quod fieri potest per pauciora But thirdly and lastly If you will have the whole Church heare it seemeth to mee against all reason in the world that the party deputed should have power the party deputing being present The Steward of a Court Leet or Court Baron is annihilated if the Lord bee there All Officers vaile bonnet when the party giving them power is present Why are Parliaments the representative body of the Kingdome but because the Plough cannot stand but because no plaâ—e can containe the whole body But if all the people could meet in Campo Martio should Those who now are but servants then bee more than servants surely the whole Church being present foure or five by Gods Law shall not rule all seeing Gods Law never appoints any standing Laws against the rules of nature In the third place wee must enquire after the sense of Heathen and Publican sc. the most odious of men Is it possible that any Christian shall bee to any Christian the most odious of men for the sentence of a Judge which hee never heard neither hath right to heare Thus if you will bee bound either by text or context or the common acceptation of the word in the Scripture by Church must bee understood the whole Congregation Againe for excommunication of members 1 Cor. 5.13 S. Paul commandeth Them sc. the whole Church to put away that wicked person and to deliver up such a one to Satan 2 Cor. 2. They restore him They forgive him Thus we see every where That in election of Officers in decision of Controversies in cases of Conscience in Excommunication the whole Church disposeth everything not the Bishops not the Presbyters alone I doe not observe the Church hath power in other things but in these and in all these in election of Officers in decision of controversies and excommunication of delinquents the whole power is in the Church I conceive then I have cleerely and briefly proved these three things 1 That there is little in Scripture for Episcopacy much lesse for such an Episcopacy as Ours 2 Something against them 3 Another Government cleerely delineated SECT II. CHAP. VI. IT being as I conceive it is cleered both from State-policy Antiquity and Scripture how incompatible Civill Government and such Episcopacy are I hope we shall never hereafter be choaked with that Proverbe No Bishop no King I doe most willingly pay very great reverence to a saying delivered to us by many successions from the wisedome of our forefathers But I shall ever crave leave to question that Maxime which may justly seeme to me the birth either of Ignorance or ends Antiquity must have no more authority than what it can maintaine by reason frequent impostures of this nature command us to be circumspect did not our predecessors hold the torrid zone inhabitabilem aestu till Noahs Dove Columbus discoverd Land the world was confined in the Arke of Europe Africa and Asia In Divinity where an error is of most dangerous consequence we have beene too credulous how many hundred yeares did our fore fathers swallow this pleasant bait We must believe as the Church believeth And since the light of Reformation was not particular assurance of our Salvation delivered us as an exact definition of our faith We have ventured our bodies as well as our soules upon these sands

twenty severall times in the New Testament And you shall find the Apostles honouring This Name so much that one of them stiles himselfe an Elder but none calls himselfe a Bishop Indeed Iudas is so called Who as it were Prophetically behaved himselfe so that his Arch-Bishoprick was given to another I doubt not but the Spirit fore-saw this Word would bee quickly mounted high enough so that it brands Iudas first with This stile Of much more â—ajesty is the Word Presbyter which signifies Senior Under the Law Youth was bound to pay Tribute to Gray haires and Senatus of old was so stiled Ã Senioribus Whereas Episcopus signifies nothing but an Overseer And such indeed Bishops have beene for many yeares Perhaps the Name of Bishop is sometimes though rarely used that the wilfully blinde might stumble But the Name Presbyter very frequent that Those who love Truth and Light might still see such a Glympse that might Enlighten them in the midst of Egyptian darknesse from which I doubt not but God will deliver all Christendom in due time I can finde as little also for the Office of a Bishop as for his Name in Scripture yea much lesse I can finde our Saviour rebuking his Disciples striving for precedency saying Hee that will bee first shall bee last I can finde St. Peter saying Lord it not over the flock of Christ And St. Iohn branding Diotrephes with seeking the Preheminence But where shall wee finde the usurped Office of our Bishops in all the Scripture Can they finde it by a multiplying glasse where ever they see the Name of Bishop though but in a Postscript of St. Pauls Epistles Whither I see many of them fly for their owne Name I must confesse I have found some Praescripts of Davids Psalmes and other Texts to bee now part of Scripture but never yet found any Postscript of such Authority I dare not therefore give it unto These Which first were never that I could learn received by the Church for Authentick Scripture nor ever fully joyned to the Scripture but by some distinctive note till our Bishops times Yea some Antient Copies have them not at all as one very old Greek Copy in Oxford Library if I be not mis-informed Againe These Postscripts have many Improbabilities and some repugnancies as many Learned men observe As That of the first to Timothy From Laodicea the cheifest City of Phrygia Pacatiana Which sure was never so subscribed by St. Paul who would not have spoken of a First Epistle when as yet there was no Second nor appearance of any Againe the Epithet Pacatiana came from Pacatianus a Roman Deputy 300. yeares after St. Paul wrote The Epistle to Titus is thus subscribed or rather superscribed To Titus ordained the first Bishop of Creet from Nicapolis of Macedonia but it should have beene added Whither St. Paul meant to come after the Epistle but was not there at his writing as appeares very probably from the third of the same Epistle verse 12. But what meanes that Phrase Bishop of the Church in Creet was there but one Church in all Creet This sounds not like the Scripture stile which alwayes expresseth Nationall Congregations by Churches in the Plurall But it may very well be Titus was Bishop or Pastor but of one Church in Creet so that wee shall not need to contend about This. Our Adversaries themselves yeeld there cannot bee much urged from these Subscriptions Baronius Serrarius and the Rhemists will ingenuously confesse so much and Bishop Whitgift also against Mr. Cartwright â—he Postscripts failing where will they shew either Name or Office of a Bishop as now it is used I know their strong Fort Tit. 1.5 For this cause I left thee in Creet that thou shouldest set in Order the things that are Wanting and Ordain Elders in every City c. Here they think the Power of a Bishop is set forth at large But what if so Will they bee content to bee limited to This Power if so wee shall the sooner agree I think no man ever thought Good Titus had a Commission heere to draw the Civill Sword or so much as to strike with his Church Keyes Let us a little examine This Commission Which seemâ— but a Briefe of a large Patent which Saint Paul had given him before If we first examine the Date of This Commission wee shall finde it before any Church Government was setled and so an Extraordinary Case not fit perhaps not lawfull to be produced as a constant president Extraordinary Cases of Necessity breake through the Ceremoniall yea Morall Law too The Shew Bread may refresh fainting David Cain and Abel may marry their owne sisters to propagate the World Samuel may be a Priest though not of Aarons House as was shewed before And why then may not an Extraordinary way be taken in the first setling of Church Government where there is yet none setled Any man might now in the conversion of the Americans or Chinois give direction how to admit Members elect Pastors exercise the keyes c. This Titus did and no more But secondly in what manner his Commission was I know not and nothing can be proved from hence till that be agreed upon It is as probable he did it but instructivÃ¨ exhortativÃ¨ and not imperativÃ¨ Timothy received his gift by imposition of Presbyteriall hands If an extraordinary gift was conveyed in an ordinary way Why might not an ordinary calling and affaires of an ordinary nature be managed by an extraordinary man be carried forth in an extraordinary way The contrary is not proved and so This must till then be Ineffectuall to them But thirdly and lastly I beseech you consider by what power he did it by the power of an Evangelist There are two sorts of them 1. Who write 2. Who proclaime the Gospell in an extraordinary way as coadjuters and messengers to the Apostles in this great worke Of this last sort certainly he was A Bishop he was not for our adversaries doe all agree that it is the duty of a Bishop curae sue incumbere to watch over his charge now this he did not for if Creet was his Charge which in no way neither by Scripture nor Antiquity is proved he did not attend it for we finde him continually journeying up and downe he leaveth Creet and commeth to Ephesus from thence he is sent to Corâ—nth after that into Macedonia from Macedonia he is returned to the Corinthians Neither is it to be found in History that he ever returned to Creet Thus if I mistake not the Text is lesse advantageous than the Postscript Some thinke to finde Episcopacy established in that example of Saint Iohn writing to the Angels of the seven Churches But this is Argumentum longÃ¨ petitum Because Paul endorseth the Letter of a Corporation or an Assembly to the most eminent man in the Congregation Therefore He shall have sole Jurisdiction therefore the Maior shall have sole power without the Aldermen est par ratio

When Paul writes to the Church of the Thessalonians 1 Thes. 5. v. 27. commanding That Epistle to be read to all the holy Brethren the Church of the Thessalonians should have Jurisdiction over other Churches which truely I doe not thinke to be a strong Argumentation Secondly the Word is taken collectively for the Assembly and charge of Ministers and not for One as appeareth evidently Revel 2. v. 24. He saith speaking to the Angel To you and to the rest in Thyatira he puts the Angel in the plurall number which hee would not have done had he written to a single Bishop Thirdly these Epistles are written to the whole Church for the threats and promises are read to them and the Epiphonema of every Epistle is this he that hath an eare let him heare what is spoken to the Churches But yet if this superscription could give any advantage to the Angel it would but extend to his owne congregation The Laodicean Angel hath no influence upon the Philadelphian or the Smyrnite and if that be not proved nothing is gained in the point of Episcopacy except it could be proved that these Angels had in their care many congregations under these particular Churches which never hath nor ever will appeare I hope it is manifest to all men that they cannot establish Episcopacy by Scripture Secondly there is much in Scripture against them For the word Elder and Bishop is all one Tit. 1. ver 7. For this cause left I thee in Creet that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting and ordaine Elders in every City as I had appinted thee for a Bishop must be blamelesse as the Steward of God First he sheweth Titus what manner of man an Elder must be viz Blamelesse and now proveth it because a Bishop must be blamelesse As if I should write to Thomas to live soberly because a Man must be sober it necessarily followeth that Thomas is a man So that Phil. 1. he writes to the Bishops and Deacons at Philippi Is it probable that a little Towne in Macedonia should have many Bishops when one Bishop must have many Cities in his Dioces Those Who translated the Bible foresaw This And therefore Acts 20. They have translated the word Episcopus an Over-seer Yet in other places they translate it Bishop And the Jesuites say Piae fraudes sunt licitae The carriage of the Apostles in severall places is remarkable when they come to a City as Acts 20. They send for the Elders of the Church never thinking of a Bishop he is so inconsiderable a man These places I hope make cleerely against them So now I will endeavour to shew what the Scripture holdeth forth for Church Government SECT II. CHAP. V. IN this search you will agree that the Government is fixed there where you shall see setled the plenary and absolute power of Election of Officers Decision of controversies and Excommunication of those that transgresse This you will find ministerially in the Officers But initiativÃ¨ virtualiter conclusivÃ¨ in the People The Officers are called Overseers Rulers and Elders c. Some of these are to preach and administer the Sacraments others to watch over mens manners others to serve Tables and looke to the poore All these are chosen by the People but whensoever by their industry any delinquency is discovered the whole matter is brought to the Church and there the people and Elders doe passe their definitive sentence Examine but where election of Officers decision of controversies excommunication of members are recorded and you shall have them all in the Church not representative but in the whole Church consisting of Officers and other members As first for election Acts 1.15 Peter speaketh to the People and telleth them they must choose one in Iudas his place and ver 23. It is said They appointed Two It is true the lot divided which of them two should be the man a course in the like case not unlawfull to us at this day But the reducing of it to Two was the act of the Church though Peter was amongst them So afterwards Timothy received his Evangelicall gift by the Imposition of Presbyteriall hands which Presbyters were in this worke the servants of one present Congregation Secondly Decision of Controversies either in cases of Conscience or in point of manners In cases of Conscience when Paul and Barnabas had no small difference about Circumcision they sent to Jerusalem where the Apostles Elders and Brethren meeting together joyntly returned that answer which you finde Acts 15 23.24.2â— Some would presse this place this act of the Apostles further and give to every Synod a Commanding Power because it is said Act. 15.28 It seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us to lay no further burden upon you Therefore they say a Synod hath a commanding and burdening Power But I cannot consent to that for then the major part of the Churches in Europe Africa Prester Iohns Country might meet and command all the Churches of Christ which God forbid in what they pleased and that jure divino for God when hee giveth a rule to his Church hee speaketh to the whole Church of Christ and not to any particular Congregation I only presse it thus farre That the People were joyned even with the Apostles in that Great Synod The Commanding power of the Synod lay in this that the Apostles speak the minde of the Holy Ghost But such authority is not left in us and therefore no such Obligation upon others Truly if there were such a power left us I should with much scurple resist any act of such Government whereof I could make a good construction For many times the power Commanding is more dangerous than the thing Commanded but there is no such power Neither as I said before doe I presse it with such a designe In cases of Civill converse Mat. 18.17 Wee must make our addresses to the Church and hee that will not heare the Church must be as a Publican In that place the greatest dispute will be What is meant by the Church for some will say Here is meant the Church representativÃ¨ either in more as the Presbytery or in one as the Bishop and not the Church at large But I would labour to evince the contrary Weigh either the Context or the generall signification of the word Church and I hope the true sense will be manifest For Let us see how Church is taken in the Scripture It is used sometimes figurativÃ¨ and sometimes properly FigurativÃ¨ as when a particular house is called a Church As the Church in his house Rom. 16.5 Secondly When by Synecdoche the head is put for the whole as Christ is called the Church 1 Cor. 12.12 Thirdly CollectivÃ¨ When all the Churches of Christ are called the Church 1 Cor. 10.32 It is used perhaps under some other figures but it will bee long to quote them all Secondly It is used Properly in two phrases First When the Congregation is

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