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	presbyter_n	1,570	5	10.2756	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A87575	The angel of the Church of Ephesus no bishop of Ephesus, distinguished in order from, and superior in power to a presbyter. As it was lately delivered in a collation before the Reverend Assembly of divines. By Constant Jessop Minister of the Word at Fifeild in Essex. Imprimatur Charles Herle.	Jessop, Constantine, 1601 or 2-1658.	1644 (1644)	Wing J699; Thomason E42_22; ESTC R11787	72,800	73

is the watch-tower of the vine-dresser not the top of honour for him that is proud If whilest I retain my Bishoprick I scatter the flock of Christ how is the dammage of the flock the honour of the Shepheard With what face shall we in the world to come hope for the honour promised by Christ if our honour in this world doth hinder Christian unity Thus farre the African Bishops Sed Cynthius aurem I returne unto and proceede in the proving of our Proposition laid downe before 3. In Christian Churches which were of Apostolicall foundation and others after them we finde two Bishops in a Church or Citie both in and after the Apostles dayes not one advanced before the other Which being duly considered we may invert that argument which is used by our Hierarchists for the maintainance of their Episcopall Monarchie You know who hath laid down this amongst his Postulata g Episc by div right part 1. §. 12. p. 50. We may not entertain so irreverent an opinion of the Saints and Fathers of the Primitive Church that they who were the immediate successours of the Apostles would or durst set up a forme of government different from that which was fore-designed unto them Let this be granted the position may easily be retorted on their own heads thus If the Apostles had instituted one Bishop onely in a Church and placed him in superiority of power and order above the Presbyters can we think that the Saints and Fathers of the primitive Churches or the Churches themselves would have so soon swerved from the rule and practise of their first founders and have set up or admitted two Bishops where the Apostles had ordained but one The truth of this assertion touching the plurality of Bishops in a Church may be easily proved by varietie of examples h Dissert de gub Eccles p. 302 303. Gersom Bucerus hath proved it by no lesse then ten examples out of Scriptures and others out of Ecclesiasticall history I will onely mention some few Narcissus and Alexander both Bishops of Hierusalem not by succession one after the other but both at the same time as is proved out of i Eccl. hist li. 6. ca. 9. 10. Eusebius Ignatius and Evodias both Bishops of Antioch at the same time the one ordained by Peter the other by Paul as the fore-mentioned * Gers Buc. p. 439. forraine Divine hath proved by the confession of Clemens Constit l. 7. c. 46. and Baronius tom 1. ad an 45. At Rome Linus and Cletus or Anacletus were Coepiscopi Fellow-Bishops in Peters dayes and afterwards as Platina l In vita Sancti Petri. hath acknowledged and before him Ruffinus in praefar ad lib. Recognit as m Pan. tom 2. l. 13. c. 4. Chamier hath observed out of him and the n Cent 1 part 2. c. 10. in Lino Centurists of Magdenburge after them both Liberius after his returne from exile was conjoyned with Felix in the Episcopall See at Rome by the decree of the Synod of Syrmium as I have learned from o Cat. test ver l. 4. col 255. Illyricus and Gonlartius out of p Lib. 4. c. 14. Sozomen which Synod was held no lesse then fiftie six yeeres after the Councell of Nice which first made a Canonicall constitution to the contrary prohibiting that there should be two Bishops in one citie as q Lib. 1. c. 6. Ruffinus hath set down that Canon yea later then this Austin was made Bishop of Hippo in the dayes of Valerius and joyned with him as his Colleague in the Episcopall honour and Function albeit Austin was very unwilling yet the x Dum id fieri solere ab omnibus suaderetur atque id ignare transmatinis Africanis Ecclesiae exemplis probaretur compulsus atque●●●ctas succubuit Epi scapatus curam majoris loci ordinationem suscepit Posslid in vita Aug. c. 8. Quod quidem quia tanta ejus obaritate tantoque populi studio dominum id velle credidt nonnullis jam exemplis praecedentibus quibus mibi omnis excusatioi●laudehatur veheme●ter timuiexcusare Aug. ep 34 ●d Pausin Primate of Numidia Megatius Calamensis and Valerius together with all the rest Bishops that were present perswaded him thereunto and by varietie of examples in the African and transmarine Churches proved it to be a thing so usuall that Austin was left without all excuse and yeelded to undertake coepiscopatus sarcinam as he cals it the burthen of Coepiscopacie with Valerius for the prohibition by the Nicene canon was not yet come to the knowledge of Valerius nor to the cares of Austin as he doth ſ Ep. 110. Quod cone liio Nieeno prohibitum saisse nesciebam nec ipse sciebat else where professe This is a truth so clear and which hath such varietie of instances for the confirmation of it that the * Neq fuit tanta valigie priscu illis Episcopis l●cum sibi interdum ascicere aliquem ex suarum Ecclesiarum Presbyteris qui ipse tum furisdictione ordine u uque pleno Episcopalis propriae porestatis tum etiam nomine in eadem Ecclesia simul esset diceretur Episcopus de rep Eccl l 2. c 9. n. 14. Archbishop of Spalato doth confesse The ancient holy Bishops made no scruple of making one of their Presbyters their compani●n who both in Jurisdiction and Order and full use of power properly Episcopall should be their Colleague and Fellow-bishop in the same Church Yea t Idem est juris in parte quod in toto in parvis quod in magnis sed in eodem episcopatu possunt simut esse duo episcopi Caus 7. q. 1. c. Non est autem C Peristi C. Quia vero Ergo consimiliter propter necessitatem vel utilitatem possent esse snnut plures summi Pontifices dial part 3. tract 1. lib. 2. c. 25. sol 202. Occham proving out of the Canon Law it selfe that there may be two Bishops in a Bishoprick or Diocesse doth thence inferre that by the same reason there may be also two Popes u Fideles propter necessitatem vel utilitatem sufficienter moventem constituendo plures Pontifices non facerent conditionem Ecclesiae deterivem sed meliorarent cam cap. 26. sol 203. ad septimum as the government of one and the same Church by more Bishops then one conduceth to the benefit thereof so the regiment of the Church Catholike by many Popes a Loc. cit cap. 15. paulo ante finem This he maintaines might be done in both without any rent or division in the Church without the breach of that unity which the Apostle doth require for among all those things which he reckons up as grounds of union and motives to the conservation of it b Ephes 4. One faith one Baptisme c. Vnum Apostolicum minimè ponit saith he the Apostle makes no mention of one Apostolicall either Pope or

right trade of your apologie to pretend the Church and meane the Pope And so you make the Church but a cloak-bag to carry the Popes titles after him Our Cathedralists pretend the Church but meane the Bishops and themselves and so the Church is made but a cloak-bag to carry the Diocesans titles of honour after him But why I pray you may not a particular private congregation be stiled the pillar and ground of truth There is no Orthodoxe Divine can be ignorant that the Church is said to be the pillar of truth Non ratione architect onica sed sorensi not as the notion of a pillar is taken by Architects in building for that which doth uphold and beare up the roofe or loft that lyeth on it as if the Church did give supportance and stabilitie to the truth but as a pillar in the market-place to which the Kings Proclamation is fastned that all his subjects may take notice of it Hath Christ fastned his truth to a Cathedrall only that there it is to be found and no where else The sad experience of that ignorance superstition and profaneness which reigne in places neerest unto them hath verified the Proverbe The neerer the Church the further from God Lyra though a popish Fryar and one that lived in times of much blindnesse yet saw so much light that he could say h Lyra in Matt. c. 16. The Church consists not in men of dignity and power either Ecclesiasticall or Secular for many Princes and Popes with other inferiour persons have revolted from the faith wherefore the Church consists in those persons in whom is the true knowledge and confession of the faith I would we had not too much cause to confesse the same of many of our Church-men Prelates and their adherents the Cathedrall Diocesan crew with others but albeit there hath been an apostasie in them yet blessed be the Lord for it we may truly say of the Church of England at this day what once a i Dr Potter in his answer to Charitie mistaken Cathedralist spake in favour of the Church of Rome The errours have been the errours of the domineering faction in the Court of England not the errours of the Church of England I hope they will give us leave to speake as favourably of our mother the Church of England as they of theirs the Church of Rome which is with them a true Church I will shut up all that I shall say concerning Timothy and Titus and the pretended Episcopall power committed unto them the same as our Hierarchists say with what they exercise with the observation of a Friar yet an k Historie of the Counc of Trent lib. 4. pag. 332. Historian of good esteeme It is denyed in words that Ecclesiasticall Jurisdiction is dominion as is the secular yet one knoweth not how to put a difference between them But St Paul did when he wrote to Timothy and repeated it to Titus that a Bishop should not be greedy of gaine nor a striker Now on the contrary they make men pay for processes and imprison the parties as is done in the secular Courts In the next place according to promise I come to view the writings of the Apostles and to enquire whether in them there be any such Superiority and Distinction in Order and in Office between a Bishop and a Presbyter as is pretended by our Prelatists If in this Scripture may be judge it is as cleare as the Sunne in my apprehension that a Bishop and a Presbyter are one and the same in Order and in Office For when the Apostle doth set downe the sacred orders we find no other but these Bishops and Deacons that which is by the Hierarchists made a middle order between both to wit of Presbyters is not at all expressed in distinction from the former which doth evidently prove that the distinction between a Bishop and a Presbyter is but an institution of man not of God nor hath it foundation in the Word of God Consider the Inscription of St Pauls Epistle to the Philippians it is directed to l Phil. 1. ● All the Saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi with the Bishops and Deacons When Paul directeth Timothy how he should carry himself in the Church of God that is saith a late m Bishop Hall pag. 108.109 Patron of Episcopacie how he must carry himselfe as a Diocesan in such a Church where there would be need of all varietie of Church-Officers we have no other Orders set downe then the fore-mentioned n 1 Tim. 3. Bishops and Deacons together with the qualifications of the one and the other I demand then of our Diocesans now how comes it to passe that the order of Presbyters is left out If Presbyters were a distinct order from Bishops and inferiour to them in place and power would the Apostle have omitted them as unnecessary and superfluous in such a Church as the Diocesse of Ephesus yea of Asia rather for of that extent is the Church there mentioned by the Apostle said to be by our fore-mentioned Bishop Come we from Timothy to Titus and view the Epistle directed unto him o Tit. 1.5 He is left by the same Apostle at Creete that he should set in order the things that are wanting and ordain Elders in every city Of what ranke and order these Presbyters or Elders were the verses immediately following will informe us The qualifications of those which should be admitted to this order and be made Presbyters follow If any be blamelesse Vers 6. the husband of one wife having faithfull children not accused of riot or unruly Why must a Presbyter be such an one Vers 7. the next verse gives the reason For a Bishop must be blamelesse as the steward of God not selfe-willed c. Therefore must a Presbyter be blamelesse because he is Gods steward a Bishop an Overseer as the Greeke word properly imports and so it is rendred by our late Translators Act. 20. set over the House of God In a word if the Apostles had in their dayes instituted any such distinct order of Bishops above Presbyters then surely either in their last and valedictory speeches to those Presbyters whom they ordained and Churches which they planted or in their Epistles sent unto them we should have some expressions tending to this purpose some charge or other given either to the Bishop how he should carry himselfe towards the Presbyters under his power and Jurisdiction or to the Presbyters how they should behave themselves toward the Bishop set over them But we finde not the least intimation of any such thing nor of one Bishop set over many flocks and congregations but rather of more Bishops then one which had the oversight of a flock The command given to the Hebrewes is this p Heb. 13.17 Obey them that have the rule over you and submit your selves for they watch for your soules as they that must give an account