Selected quad for the lemma: saint_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
saint_n	bishop_n	church_n	ephesus_n	1,251	5	11.4920	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B22780	Englands deplorable condition shewing the common-wealths malady, by [brace] sacriledge, and want of duty in the people, contention, want of charity in the ministery, perjury, and want of truth in both : and its remedy by [brace] the peoples obedience and liberality, the ministers love and unity, both their repentance and fidelity : briefly declar'd in three treatises of [brace] the ministers patrimony and peoples duty, proposals to reconcile such as are for lordly episcopacy and un-ordain'd presbytery, for popular independancy and upstart antipædobaptistry, and against perjury : also, a petition for the Jews.	E. F.	1659 (1659)	Wing F18	72,509	69

Word of God the touchstone of all truth the best judge of all Controversies it appears there were no ecclesiastical Bishops or Elders in the Church of Christ in the Apostles dayes but such as were either extraordinarily Called and sent by Christ as were the Apostles Prophets Evangelists Workers of Miracles and such as had the gifts of healing or speaking with or interpreting of divers Tongues a 1 Cor. 12. 28 29 c. Ephes 4. 11. or else such as were ordinarily called and sent by these or by the Presbytery of ordained Elders who impos'd their hands on them with Fasting and Prayer b Titus 1. 5 7. Acts 14. 23. 13. 2. c. 1 Tim. 3. 10. 4. 14. 5. 22. 2 Sith in each Congregation or Church we read of in Scripture there were more than one ordained Bishop or Elder in the Primitive Church placed there according to the bigness of the City or Church by the first Planters c Acts 14. 23. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 20. 12. Phil 1. 1. Titus 1. 5 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3 Sith many were given by Christ to the Church Ephes 4 11. and placed there by the Holy Ghost Acts 20. 28. and 1 Cor. 12. 28. and by the Apostles Acts 14. 23. Titus 1. 5 7. yea Christ when he sent forth his Apostles paired them which also the Holy Ghost confirms in sending Paul and Barnabas after they had been separated or ordained by the E●ders of Antioch for the work whereunto God had ca●led them d Acts 13. 1 2. yea when these two holy men differed in judgement yet singly they went not alone to plant or water the Churches for Paul chose Silas and Barnabas Mark both which were teaching Elders e Acts 15. 39 40. 16. 13. 4 Sith we read of one Elder of a Church absent and so detained by St. Paul f Phil 2. 30. who had other Elders to feed them g Phil 1. 1. C●l 1. 7. and of Epaphras at Coloss Minister who was with the Apostle at Rome whilst the Church had Archyppus to teach them Colos 4. 12. 17. 5 Sith its inconvenient if not hurtful to have but one Bishop or Elder in a Congregation to feed and rule the people therein who being sick as was Epaphroditus of Philippi or otherwise lawfully imployed as was Epaphras of the Church of Coloss h Phil 2. 25. Col 4. 13. the Congregation in the mean time may starve or want food at least be neglected and exposed to danger as sheep without a Shepheard i Ezek 34. 8. and the publick Ordinances of Christ be omitted on the Sabbath day or at least not be so seasonably and perfectly performed as they ought to be as is evident by daily experience in many places and therefore its necessary at least convenient that there should be more than one ordained Elder in every Church otherwise how can he aright receive the Lords Supper when there is no Elder in Christs name authoritatively to bid him take and eat and to represent Christs person to command him to do it as Christ gave it to his Apostles and they distributed each to other and so to the Church as they had received of the Lord k Luke 22. 17 1 Cor 11. 23 24. Vt in prima coenae institutione discipuli oculos habuere intentos ad Dominum qui ad mensam sedens porrexit discipulis corporis sanguinis Sacramentum ita nos quoque levemus corda nostra ad Dominum qui illi● agens nobis ministrorum manibus porrigit verum suum copus c Haeming Comment in Loc August de Consensu Evang lib 3. Mat 5. ●7 for the Minister his action and words are herein Sacramental it belonging only to the Ministers of the Gospel to break the Bread and bless the Cup 1 Cor. 10. 16 17. though some unwarily of late have practised the contrary nor Secondly without there be two or more of those ordained Elders in a Church can christians perform the duty the Apostle requires of them in sickness viz. to send for the Elders of the Church to pray for them James 5. 14. nor can one Elder annoint the sick person with Oyl in the name of the Lord the Commission being given not singly to one Elder but jointly to two at the least Nor Thirdly can the people observe aright as I conceive those rules of giving them double honor 1 Tim. 5. 17. 1 Thes 5. 12. and to know them that labor among them and are over them in the Lord admonish them to submit to and obey them that watch for their Souls and are their guides Heb. 13. 7 17. if there be only one Elder in their Congregation Nor Fourthly can the Doctrine the Minister preacheth be so fully co●firmed unless there be two or three of the Elders to ratifie it Christ himself had his Father with him to bear witness of the truth he spake John 8. 18. though his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 had been sufficient for in the mouth of two or three Witnesses every word shall be established l Mat 18. 16 Nor Fifthly can the discipline of Christ in each Church be rightly administred unless there be two or three of th●se ordained Elders gathered together in Christs name to bind or loose as Christ requires m Mat 18. 17 20. which makes up a Representative Church as the company of Prophets are called n 1 Sam 19 20 for so Christ speaks to his Apostles and in them to the Elders that succeed them What ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven and what two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing ye shall ask it shall be done for you of my Father which is in Heaven Matth. 18. 18 20. Nor lastly can the wicked be so fully convinced neither here in the Church nor yet hereafter in the day of Judgement unless there be two or three of these o Luke 10. 16 Acts 13. 46 2 Thes 1. 10 therefore St. Paul excommunicates not the incestious Person but as joyned with other Elders p which authority the Lord gave unto them for edification q 2 Cor. 10. 8 yea Christ himself distinguisheth the Elders l 1 Cor. 5. 4 and Angel of the Presbytery in Thyatira Rev. 2. 18 24. from the people and divers of the holy Martyrs in the Primitive Church confirm the same r Clem. Epist ad Cor pag 54 Polycarp Epist ad Phillip Ambros Com. in Eph cap 4 Iraeneus calls all the first overseers of the Church of Rome Presbyters s Iraen Epist ad Victor adv Haeres lib 4 chap 43 as Saint Luke long before had called all the Bishops of Ephesus Acts 20. 17 28. yea Evaristus Martyr who was the Angel or chief Presbyter of the Church of Rome ordained seven Presbyters to be in every City for Doctrine and Discipline t Gratian dist 93. cap legimu● Cyprian would do nought