Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	apostle_n	bishop_n	presbyter_n	3,386	5	10.4987	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

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

HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE 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 LONDON Printed by R. C for Samuel Cartwright and are to be sold at the signe of the Hand and Bible in Ducke-Lane 1641. TO THE MOST NOBLE LORDS WITH THE HONORABLE KNIGHTS CITIZENS AND BURGESSES Now assembled in PARLIAMENT IN Epistles Dedicatory sometimes men render an account to the world by what Principles they were Led to such a worke Sometimes they maintaine and strengthen what they have done by New Arguments Sometimes ad captandam Benevolentiam they present their whole Designe in a briefe Epitomy that so they may invite the Reader But I shall doe None of These The first I need not For if the Ten Kings must hate the Whore Eate her flesh and Burne her with her fire Will not every good Christian offer himselfe a ready Servant to This Worke a Willing Souldier under this Standard The Second I cannot without questioning my owne Diligence or which is worse my Readers Gentlenesse Either of which every Writer carefully shunneth The third I will not left I be injurious to my selfe For Humane Nature is ever Novorum avida and the Soule of vast comprehension the Booke therefore would seeme but Crambe bis cocta to All that read the Epistle and but create a nausea to Those that had already gathered all by viewing the Breviate If it be the Glory of a King's Daughter to be clothed in Needle-worke surely This poore Birth will need more then Fig-leaves to make it Beautifull When it is Cloathed with its Best Robes It will not be worthy to appeare in so Great a Presence How much lesse then when presented only in a bare and naked Sceleton The Worke then of These Lines is to lay prostrate at Your Feet most Noble Lords and Gentlemen the Retirements of Your Humble Servant in the Last Recesse If you shall aske mee how I dare take the boldnesse to interrupt Your more serious Thoughts with These Things of Little Worth All I shall plead for my selfe is but This the bow must be sometimes unbent and if then This Pamphlet may be called for it is all I aspire to For Your Protection and Your Patronage not Your Trouble is My Request Of which being no whit Doubtfull with all Humility commending This to Your Noble Favour Your selves and Counsels to the Almighty I crave le●ve for ever to remaine Your most obliged and devoted Servant ROBERT BROOKE The CONTENTS of the Sections and Chapters in the following Discourse SECT I. CHAP. I. THe Subject Stated Not a Bishops Name but Office Opposed nor Office in generall but Such Such a Bishop repug●nt to State-Policie Antiquity Scripture The Method pro●unded for the first Section containing Arguments drawne ●●om State-Policie fol. 1. Chap. II. Of Our Bishops Birth how unsuitable to his Office how Hurtfull to Himselfe and Others How incongruous ● State-Policie 3 III. A Bishops Breeding not fit for his Calling against Rules of Policie Some Objections answered 5 IV. Of Our Bishops Election whether suitable to State-Policie Of his Office Principles or Maximes by which hee governeth and Practice according to Those Principles 11 V. Of the Nature of Indifference what it is and in what i● h●th place whether in Re or onely in Appearance to our Understandings 19 VI. Where the Power of Indifferent Things seemes to be fixed whether in the Church or not or if in the Church How farre Of the Churches Deciding Commanding Power Of Doubts and how we must deport our selves under Doubts 30 VII Of the Consequents to a Bishops Office His Relations Vpward and Dependances Of his Vote in Parliament Relations Downward How repugnant to State Policie 35 VIII What Good our Bishops can do to the State is examined whether they have beene or can be friends to Monarchy or Civill Government 42 IX How suitable such Episcopacie can be to Monarchy is farther considered Whether the Best forme of Church Government be Monarchicall Whether other Formes may not well stand with Civill Monarchy How Church and State Goverment differ and agree 48 X. Who it is that opposeth and exalteth himselfe above all that is called God Who is properly a Papist and what is Popery Why the Pope is most properly Antichrist How such Episcopacy differs or agrees with Popery 53 SECTION II. Considereth how Consonant such Episcopacy is either to sound Antiquity or Scripture Chap. I. Some Antiquities produced by a late most Learned and Reverend Patron of Episcopacie are discussed 65 II. Our Bishops Election Delegation c. Examined by Antiquity 69 III. Of Ordination whether proper onely to Bishops or equally committed to all Presbyters discussed by Ancient Authorities 72 IV. Of the Name and Office of a Bishop in Scripture How little or how much the Scripture makes for or against Bishops Diverse Texts are discussed 75 V. What forme of Church Government seemes most consonant to Scripture Whether Monarchicall Aristocraticall or Democraticall 81 VI. Of the consequemts that may possibly follow the change of Church Government Of the great danger of Schismes Sects and Heresies Of One new Sect to come in the Last Dayes Whether Bishops can keepe the Church from Schismes Sects c. What is or who are the Cause of most Schismes among us 86 VII The danger of Schismes and Sects more fully discuss'd the Nature and Danger of Anabaptisme Separatisme and Unlicensed Preaching The conclusion with an affectionate desire of peace and union 98 ERRATA PAge 4. line 24. Affection for Affectation p. 19. l. 2. Indifferent for indifference p. 26. l. 35. at one any time for at any one time p. 5. l. ●0 Ioy for Ivy. p. 56. l. 11. may be the more for may be more p. 88. l. 2. of all Civill c. for of all Civill c. p. 94. l. 32. Orders for Orders from Rome p. 98. l. 7. dele now A DISCOVRSE OPENING THE NATVRE OF THAT EPISCOPACY 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 CHAP. I. IAyme not at Words but Things not loving to fight with Shadowes It is not the Looke much lesse the Name of a Bishop that I feare or quarrell with it is his Nature his Office that displeaseth me Nor yet his Nature or Office in Generall but Such and so cloathed or rather veyled with such and such adjuncts For to me the Word Bishop-signifies either one that is to Preach Administer the Sacraments Exhort Reprove Convince Excommunicate c. not only in some one distinct Congregation his owne Parish but in many severall Congregations crowded up together in one strange and for long unknowne word a Diocesse Or one who hath to all this added not onely the

say they when men with unhallowed hands will touch the Arke and with unsanctified eyes pry into these mysteries and so These men making the Scripture a Rule in appearance do in truth Monopolize all to themselves This is just and flat Popery In the last place The Manner which God hath prescribed is that every thing be done in decencie and in order with what singlenesse and plainnesse may be without any addition of mens inventions The Pope carrieth on his Jurisdiction with pompe and much outward glory They have cōmissions Injunctions Charters Seales Secretaries Clarkes and 1000 other inventions to grind the face of the poore Episcopacie hath its Courts Summons Clarkes Seales with other Ceremonies of the like nature Christs rule is that Ministers of equall ranke shall all have equall power Apostles indeed were above Evangelists and Evangelists above Pastors and Teachers but one Apostle was not above another nor one Pastor did not superintend another The Pope hath Priest Bishop Archbishop Primate Patriarch Cardinall Pope and Episcopacie hath Ministers now called Priests Deacons Bishops Archbishops Primates c. The Scripture commandeth Preaching in season and out of season but with the Pope and our Bishops All preaching is now out of Season I am sure out of fashion in themselves and cryed downe in others for with them Ignorance is the mother of Devotion The Scripture alloweth but two Sacraments the Pope addeth five and our Bishops are ambiguous Two onely they say are generally Necessary to salvation which may clearly intimate that there are More than Two though perhaps not absolutely Necessary to Salvation or though necesary yet not Generally necessary to all men in all times states and conditions whatsoever and so much the Papists yeeld of Their five Sacraments nay of fixe of their seven For onely Baptisme they say is absolutely and generally necessary to salvation the Eucharist even with them is not Necessary to Infants much lesse Matrimony Orders Confirmation Penance V●ction In what do our Bishops then differ from Papists in This How do they differ in Baptisme Both Pope and Bishops hold it necessary absolutely necessary to salvation Yea the most Moderate of Both maintaine a generall Baptismall Grace Equally confer'd to all partakers of that Sacrament Indeed Our Bishops doe not openly use Salt and Spittle but yet they retaine the Crosse perhaps much worse and beginne to Claime spirituall alliances as the Papists doe In the Lords Supper the Pope makes rather than findes an Hostia an Altar a Priest and This Priest must offer for the sinnes of the Quick and Dead Our Bishops must have Priests Altars a Sacrifice Corporals and what not that Papists have to say nothing of their Times and Gestures which sure the Scripture never so determined much lesse excluded any that could not yeeld to such and such circumstances which none ever thought could be more than Indifferent In all Ordinances the Scripture now speakes of no other Holinesse then That which is Spirituall Rationall the Holinesse of the whole man The Pope hath found out new Holinesse which he puts on Places Times Vestments Bels Tapers Water Wafers Copes Basons Pots and Cups with other Vtensles And doe not our Bishops so also What meanes such rigid pressing of Holy dayes Bare heads in Churches Holy Surplices What meane they else by their Holy Chalices Holy Knives Holy Patents Holy Vtensles all which may be so sanctified by a devout Priest t●at they may become profitable to the Soules of those that use them How then doe our Bishops differ from Papists in administring Sacraments Manner of all Ordinances And is there any Greater Difference in Admission of Members and Excommunication This last being the last and Greatest Censure of the Church by both Bishops and Pope is made not onely most Common as the humour moves them but also most Ridiculous being the usuall appendix of one groat short in our Reckonings with our Lord Bishops Register Proctor or Apparitor I would not be mistaken here I bring not in These Things of Doctrine or Discipline as if by agreeing in One or Many of These I might convince Bishops and Papists or the Pope were all one The maine thing I drive at in all this is the Originall fountaine from whence All These spring and all the bankes that keepe in These Rivulets That vertue and power which moves and actuates all these in their proper Channels And This is Papall For what ever the Pope doth of his owne head by his owne Power Dictating to his Vassals as Head of the Church This is truly Papall and such is the Power by which They usurpe so much over mens persons and consciences in injoyning and pressing such or such Doctrine or Discipline So that a Bishops wearing a Surplice Cope Miter using the Crosse Bowing to the Altar and many such Things though they may be Errors yet All These or One of these makes him not a Pope a Popeling or properly Antichristian But Receiving These from the Popes Dictates doing them because he commands acknowledging his power in commanding This makes a Papist and Commanding them Pressing them on Others in such Despoticall power makes a true Pope a Reall Antichrist Nor may Our Bishops Evade by This which I easily see will be answered that though indeed they doe these things and command these Things yet they neither doe them from the Popes Command nor Command them in the Popes Power Though I should grant This which yet many wise men will not grant for Our Bishops first Power came from the Pope and of late also We have found letters advice commands Dictates from the Pope to some of our Bishops and that in Matters of greatest Consequence both for Church and State But grant all They say yet they may be Antichristian and so such in Re as the Pope is though not literally Romanists Except they doe or command in the Power of Rome This I shall be bold to affirme and maintaine till I see better Reason that He whoever he be that Commands the least title of Doctrine or discipline meerely Ex imperio Voluntatis in his owne Power and Authority without Licence or Warrant from Scripture or Right Reason where the Scripture hath beene silent though the Thing he so commands should happen to be good in it selfe Yet He in his so Commanding is not onely Tyrannicall but Antichristian properly Antichristian Encroaching on the Royall Office of Christ which is truly High Treason against God and most properly Antichristianisme I care not whether we call him a Pope Papist Romanist or any other name I call him Antichrist and if you will call Antichrist by the name of Pope I call such an Imperious Commander among us though he have no shadow of Dependance on Rome or Romish Pope an English Pope I meane an English Antichrist I neede not spend much time in shewing by what meanes Either the Pope or Our Bishops beganne and continued to be so Antichristian Du Plessis and Others have sav'd

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 initiativè virtualiter conclusivè 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 23.24.2● 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 representativè 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 figurativè and sometimes properly Figurativè 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 Collectivè 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