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
A77499	The false--teacher tried and cast. A subject useful at all times, and but too seasonable for the present. / By John Brinsley minister of the gospel at Great Yarmouth.	Brinsley, John, 1600-1665.	1658 (1658)	Wing B4714; Thomason E1821_2; ESTC R209775	32,187	84

Not but that the Church also might concur herein but he was the leader having as the first so the chief hand in it And therefore is it that it is here attributed to him to the angel of the Church of Ephesus write I know thy works thou hast tryed them c. And the like did the faithful ministers of Christ in after ages The Ancient fathers Zealous in this way many of which are famous for their zeal and activity in this way As Justine Martyr Irenaeus Tertullian Cyprian Augustine all tryers of false Apostles strenuously zealously opposing themselves against the false Teachers of their times And the like work is incumbent upon all the Ministers of Christ A work incumbent upon all true ministers who who being by their Office shepherds they are to take and give notice of such wolves as come in sheeps cloathing plucking off their disguises unmasking and discovering them to the sheep making them known to the people that so they may not be deceived by them Should be tryers of false Teachers Being ministers their place requires that they should bee tryers 1. 1 Able to do it Such as are in measure able to do this to try Teachers and their doctrines Men endued with knowledge and that in a more then ordinary manner so as they may be able not onely to exhort but to convince So the Apostle expressely requires it in a Bishop a Gospel Minister a Presbyter who in scripture language is ever meant by that name a Bishop saith he must be one that is able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gain-sayers Tit. 1.9 both to hold forth true doctrine himself and to discover errours in others to try them Such ones the Ministers of Christ should be which where in measure they are not as it is the lot of too many places in this Nation at this day their flocks the people committed to their charge must needs bee exposed to the greater hazzard 2. And as they are to be pares operi in measure able to do this Active in it so they are to do it laying forth their abilities in making this trial as occasion is offered looking out as the watchman doth discover the enemie from what quarter or under what disguise soever he cometh so giving due and seasonable notice thereof to the people This most probably did this angel here in the Text and for so doing he is commended And herein let him be a patern to all the apostles of the Churches the Ministers of Christ whom he hath set as watchmen over his Church for this end Son of man I have made thee a watchman to the house of Israel saith the Lord to the Prophet Ezekiel Ezech. 3.17 Now the watchman as he is to take notice of those which come into the Citie so if suspicious persons he is to examine them And so are the Ministers of Christ to take notice in a special manner what teachers they are that thrust themselves in upon the people committed to their charge and being suspicious which all they are who as the Apostle saith of the seducers of his time 2 Tim. 3.6 creep into houses making it their first design to work upon the weaker sex to lead captive silly women 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mulierculas simple women which are apt to be misled instilling their new doctrines first into them as the old Serpent did his first into the woman hoping afterwards to have the like success that he had to draw their husbands after them they are to try them to trie their Calling and doctrine that so they may be known to the people Thus have you the former of these queries resolved who they are that are to make this tryal All Christians in general the Ministers of Christ in special The second followeth Question 1 How is this Tryal to be made A point of large discourse How false Teachers are to be Tryed opening a wide field to him that would follow it But this task I find happily taken off of my hands this work being already largely and fully done in a Sermon Preached not long since The false Apostle tryed and discovered by Wid. Bridge though not in this very place yet not far from it even under the same roof and upon this very Text by a Reverend Brother who hath also given an account of it to the world So as I might wholly spare that labour But it being a point of concernment and which needeth inculcating in regard of the times whereinto we are fallen and I wish I might not say the place wherein we live I shall for this once in a good sense actum agere spend a little time in putting of you in remembrance of what happily you may be too apt to forget Answer For answer then to tread in those obvious steps wherein he went before me By their Calling Doctrine Life The Tryal of false Teachers is to be made principally in and by three things their Calling Doctrine Life By these three the true ministers of Christ are known when their Calling is warrantable their Doctrine Orthodox their lives approveable Now rectum est index sui obliqui that which declares a true Minister discovers a false And so do these three where they are not to be found Tryal 1 1. Try them by their Calling Their Calling If that be false they cannot be true This is the Character which is given of false Prophets Jer. 23.21 I have not sent these prophets yet they ran True Prophets and so true Ministers have a mission and commission from God being sent and authorized by him which they who are not cannot perform what too many pretend to do Preach the word How shall they preach except they be sent Rom. 10.15 Q. Question How Tryed But how shall it be known whether they be rightly called or no A question of great concernment specially in these times wherein the calling of the true Ministers of Christ is so much scrupled and questioned A. Answer Calling of Teachery Ex. traordinary Ordinarie For answer hereunto take we notice of a twofold calling Extraornarie and Ordinary Extraordinarie and Immediate ordinary and Mediate In the former way the prophets and Apostles were so called So Paul describes and asserts his Apostolical calling Gal. 1.1 Paul an Apostle not of men neither by men not by any humane anthoritie or suffrage not having any man for either Author or Instrument in that his calling but he received it immediatly from Christ as the twelve Apostles did In the latter way the ordinarie Ministers of Christ are called Being though not of yet by men receiving their Authotie from Christ but conveyed to them through the hands of men ordinarily imposed and layed upon them So it was in the Apostles time as that charge given by Paul to Timothie doth clearly evidence it 1 Tim. 5.22 Lay hands suddainly on no man that is admit no man into the ministerie without