Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	acknowledge_v	church_n	true_a	2,461	5	5.0683	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77507	The sacred and soveraigne church-remedie: or, The primitive and apostolicall way of composing ecclesiasticall differences, and establishing the churches of Christ. Wherein the authority and utility of lawfull councels and synods is asserted and vindicated, and divers of the sad controversies of the times modestly debated; first preached in the parish church of great Yarmouth, and now published for a preservative against the poyson of anti-synodall suggestions, and a preparative to the receiving of what mercy God shall please to convey unto his Church in this kingdome, through the hands of the present reverend Assembly of Divines. / By John Brinsley.	Brinsley, John, 1600-1665.	1645 (1645)	Wing B4725; Thomason E269_27; ESTC R212361	64,670	94

Acts I will not contend but certainly take it how we will it imports an exceeding great number well nigh innumerable so I finde the word in two places translated Luk. 12. 1. it is said that there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people the word is the same {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} So againe Heb. 12. 22. we reade of an innumerable company of Angells {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} And such was the number of the believing Jewes which had joyned themselves to the Church of Jerusalem almost an innumerable company so as they could not possibly meet all together in one place to partake of the Ordinances To me it is no question they had severall Congregations Quest But were not these then severall Churches Answ. No Severall Congregations but one Church the Church of Jerusalem even as it is in a great City there may be severall Societies and companies according to severall trades and mysteries and those so many petty corporations who may have their severall Halls and their severall meetings and yet all making up but one Incorporation to which they are all subordinate because all under one and the same Government and Governours even thus may it be in the Church and in the Primitive state of it I conceive so it was In one City and the adjacent territories there may be many Congregations and yet but one Church inasmuch as they may be united by the same Lawes have communion in the same Ordinances and be linked together under the same spirituall Guides and Officers Surely in all probability thus it was at least in some of the Proto-Primitive Churches And why not now But not to wade too farre into this collaterall Controversie from which I have bound my selfe before however certainly to multiply Churches in one Towne one Citie especially to set up Churches in Churches the one extracted out of the other this hath no President no warrant no maintenance no countenance from any phrase of Scripture or practice of the Apostolicall times Object No it will be said What say we then to the Jewish Church Did not the Apostles set up Churches in that Church and those extracted out of it Answ. To this shadow of an Argument it is soon answered Here was not one Church set up in another but many set up upon the ruines of one so as the setting up of the one was the pulling down of the other Even as the Apostle saith of the two Covenants old and new The first was taken away that the second might be established Heb. 10. So was it with these two Churches that legall this Evangelicall As for the Jewish Church it was now like the Jewish legall covenant which the Apostle speaketh of Heb. 8. calling it {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Antiquatum quid senes●ens a thing which was Antiquated and wax●● old {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} nigh to vanishing ready to disappeare and come to nothing so as here was onely a new edifice to be erected upon those ruines a new Church to be set up in an Evangelicall way where that Legall Church had been Now I confesse had we to deale with rigid down-right Separatists who looke upon our Churches as no true Churches of Christ but Anti-christian Synagogues fit to be dissolved and pulled down saying of them in the Edomites language Rase them rase them even to the foundation thereof then might this Argument have some colour of strength in it But otherwise where our Churches are acknowledged as true Churches in this case to set up a Church in a Church and to extract the one out of the other I say it again and I wish it may be taken notice of it is a thing which Scripture will give no warrant no president for Quest But suppose a Church be defective or corrupted in this case what shall we doe Answ. Not presently think of pulling it down and setting up another Was it not the very case of the Church of Corinth and yet we doe not read of any that went about to set up a Church in that Church under pretence of walking in a purer way but rather endeavour by all meanes to purge and reforme it This will we doe by our houses if they be foule we will sweep them if decayed and impayred though it be in some of the principals we will not presently think of pulling them down and building others out of their timbers and materialls but repayre them And thus did King Jehoash for the house of his God the Temple finding it ruinous he gave order not to pull it down and build a new one but to repayre it O that we would all of us entertaine such thoughts concerning the Church or Churches of God in this Kingdom It is a thought which God hath already put into the heart of the state of this Kingdome and what progresse and procedure is already made in the work I shall not need to tell you I hope time ere long will declare it Herein then let all our hearts close and comply with theirs every one in our places doing what we may to further so pious an undertaking in the meane time taking heed of adventuring upon new wayes which we have neither precept nor president in Scripture for What way of gathering setting up of Churches the Scripture holdeth forth unto us you may see by what hath been already said Those which embraced the faith within such a circuit within the bounds of a Citie and the adjacent Territories they were all framed together into one Christian society or Church And hence is it that Cities and Churches in phrase of Scripture are as you see put the one for the other as elsewhere so here in the Text As they went through the Cities they delivered unto them c. Quest Delivered them But what Cities what Churches were these Answ. The Text layeth it downe in indefinite words carrying with them the force of an universall viz. what ever Cities they passed thorow where there were any Churches they delivered these Decrees unto them Quest Here a scruple may arise Why should the Apostles here deliver these Decrees alike unto all the Churches where they came when as all of them did not appeare at this Councell As for Hierusalem and Antioch and the Churches of Syria and Cilicia these Decrees were proper for them in as much as they had referred both the Question and cause to the determination of that Councell and had their Agents there to deale for them But so had not some other of the Churches How then could these Decrees be obligatory and and binding unto them which they had no hand in making of or ●ss●●ting to Answ. To this it is answered that though these Decrees were not binding to them formally yet Morally and Vertually they were As for Jerusalem and Antioch and such other Churches as concurred with them in this Appeale they

whole City had given heed to Simon Mag●s and were carried away with his sorceries and enchantments they gave heed to him from the least to the greatest Vers 10. So now they were generally brought to imbrace and professe the faith so much may be collected from the 12. Vers where it is said when they believed Philip viz. those which had been seduced by Simon even the whole city which is further confirmed from the 14 Vers where it is said that the Apostles at Hierusalem beard that Samaria had received the Word importing that the Word had a generall if not an universall entertainment in that City Now in this case which let it be observed a whole City was taken in and associated into a Church thus we reade of Samaria there When they believed they were baptized both men and women Vers 12. The generality of the people were all joyned to the Church However some of them were unworthy and afterwards upon discovery were ejected and cast out againe as you may see it in Simon Magus in the sequel of the Chapter And thus in like cases it may and ought to be when the generality of a people in such a town such a city do imbrace the Gospell professing faith and obedience to believe on Christ and to submit to his government In this case the whole multitude not only may but ought to be received into Church-society However some may be unworthy who upon the manifestation thereof may and ought to be cast out againe by the censures of the Church duly exercised But this case was not very ordinary with the Apostles Commonly the City and the Church were two distinct things the one far larger then the other the City an ample 〈◊〉 the Church a small handfull con●eined in it a peculiar society selected out of the multitude Paul writing to his Colossians willeth them to walke wisely towards th●se which were without Col. 4. And who were they Why generally all In●idells and unbelievers who though they were within the City yet were without the Church within the w●lls of the one but with out the pale of the other interested in the imm●niti●s and liberties of the one not so in the priviledges of the other having civill commerce with the members of the Church but no Church-communion Quest Why then are Cities and Churches put one for the other Answ. Take it in a word because the whole company of Christians of professours within such bounds and limits viz. within the City and the adjacent territories were wont to be framed into one Christian society or Church Observ. So many Cities so many Churches and no more so much this phrase imports and it will not be amisse my brethren for us to take speciall notice of it l●st in going about to multiply Churches to erect and set up Churches in Churches like Ezekiels wheeles one within another and those not uniforme in their motions as these were but in this rather like the wheeles of a clock which move divers and contrary waies we trespasse and transgresse not only against the phrase of Scripture but against the primitive and Apostolicall practice in●inuated unto us in that phrase Looke I beseech you through the whole new Testament and see where you find mention made of any more Churches in a Town or City then one true we reade frequently of the Churches of Judea the Churches of Asia Macedonia Galatia c. many Churches in one Kingdome in one Province but no where of the Churches of Philippi of Corinth of Samaria or yet of Jerusalem But still the Church Ques● Why but may there not then be more Congregations in a City then one Answ. Surely yes and I heartily wish that it were so in this place where the number of a people professing the Gospell is so increased as that they cannot assemble together in one place now it is not only lawfull and expedient but even necessary that they should be divided into severall Congregations Thus for my own part I cannot but think that it was in some of the Cities forenamed at least in Jerusalem where the number of believers as the story tells us was in a little time so exceedingly increased first to three thousand Act. 2. not long after to five thousand Act. 4 which five thousand however Calvin and some others looke upon it as the totall ●o●m●e the whole number of believers taking in the former three thousand yet many I think the most other Expositors conceive of it rather as a new addition five thousand added to the former three thousand thus amongst the Ancients Jero●e Augustine Chry ●o●tome Lycanus Beda amongst N●●●ericks Cornelius a Lapide Aretius which last Author giveth a double reason why he conceiveth it should be so to me both very probable For first in reckoning of the former three thousand the Evangelist did not take in the hundred and twenty the first fruits of the Church spoken of in the first Chapter but only set down the new addition which was made so here in setting down the five thousand he may seem to have no reference to either of the former numbers but to shew what a new increase and accession there was And secondly hereby not only the increase of the Church is set forth but also the increase of the efficacy of the Word which grew stronger and stronger fetching in first three thousand then five thousand which five thousand as it is further noted by some are there said to be men the number of the men was about five thousand {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} numerus vi●●r●● If so what then shall we conceive the number of the women not to speak of children who in devotion have been ordinarily observed not to come short but rather to go far beyond the other Sex To go on after this we yet reade of new additions Act. 5. it is said that Believers were the more added to the Lord multitudes both of men ●●men In so much that in a short time the number of them was grown very great so much that speech of James the Elders of Hierusalem unto Paul imports Act. 21. where speaking of the believing Jewes who joyned themselves to the Church of Jerusalem Thou seest brother say they how many thousand Jewes there are which believe c. The word in the originall is {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} and it properly signisieth how many ten thousands and so we finde it translated elsewhere Act. 19. Where the conjuring books which were burnt are estimated the totall is computed to be about fifty thousand pieces of silver Vers 19. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} five Myriads five times ten thousand so in the 14. Vers of the Epistle of Jude we reade of ten thousand of Saints {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Whether the word should be so strictly taken in this place of the