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	church_n	creed_n	2,605	5	10.2206	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A41439	A full survey of Sion and Babylon, and a clear vindication of the parish-churches and parochial-ministers of England ..., or, A Scripture disproof, and syllogistical conviction of M. Charles Nichols, of Kent ... delivered in three Sabbath-dayes sermons in the parish church of Deal in Kent, after a publick dispute in the same church with the said Mr. Charles Nichols, upon the 20. day of October 1653 / by Thomas Gage ...	Gage, Thomas, 1603?-1656.	1654 (1654)	Wing G111; ESTC R5895	105,515	104

them to do them good but I will put my fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from me Jerem. 32.40 Thirdly God hath brought us out of the Egyptian bondage of that Roman Antichrist which is another part I have heard the groaning of the Children of Israel whom the Egyptians kept in bondage and I have remembred my Covenant Exod. 6. vers 5. Fourthly because we have the book of the Covenant which is read to us as formerly by Moses to the people who took the book of the Covenant and read in the audience of all the people and they said All that the Lord hath said will we do and be obedient Exod. 24. vers 7. We have the holy Commandments and the Gospel the words of the Covenant Exod. 34. vers 28. And it is a special prerogative to Gods people to have the word of God as Paul observes in the Iews prerogative and advantage what advantage then hath the Jew Much every way chiefly because unto them were committed the Oracles of God Rom. 3. vers ● 2 Which David also sets down as a great priviledge and prerogative He shew●●h his word unto Jacob his statutes and his judgements unto Israel he hath not dealt so with any Nation Ps. 14. v. 7 19 20. All which bound up in one bundle of an impartial judgement t●ue consideration will make it to appear unto the world that surely Mr. Nichols his Assertion is most erroneous and false affirming as much as this that a people offering their prayers to God in the name of Iesus Christ taking the same Iesus Christ onely for their Mediatour and Advocate condemning as Babylonish the Mediation and Advocation of all Saints and Angels partaking of the Covenant made by God to his people through Iesus Christ having true knowledge of Gods word and his Law written in their inward parts having the fear of God possessing their hearts having been brought out of Babylonish and Antichristian bondage having the book of the Covenant read unto them having the holy commandments the Gospel the words of the Covenant and acknowledging obedience due unto them and enjoying that peculiar priviledge and prerogative of Iacob and Israel in the word Yet notwithstanding all these particulars and sure truths out of Scripture that such a people is no true Church but Babylonish and Antichristian Mr. Nichols may say so but I am sure the Scriptures say the contrary which must be yours and my guide to the which I beseech you to lean as you tender your Souls For my part I am so convinced out of the word of the contrary to Mr. Nichols his Assertion that I hope I shall never be so seduced nor blinded as to incline to so gross and false an opinion And I hope my good God my true guide my Prophet and onely Teacher will not hereafter judge or condemne me for the ligh● which in this particular point of controversie I am resolved till death to follow All these Arguments upon the day of dispute should have been objected against Mr. Nichols had he answered like a Schollar Categorically to every Proposition and not so much indeavoured with Speeches and Orations to stop the stream of them Many more I could propound unto you were it not that I have already found the work to increase like the Widows Oyl much in my hands and nothing yet spoken of the second Proposition which I know you expect to have it further cleared unto you than it was the other day by a few Objections against it But before I come unto it I must briefly answer the scruple of one or two of the Clergy my fellow-labourers whose impatient mutterings against Parochial Churches wherein they serve and can willingly enjoy the milk of such flocks were taken notice off by some who seem not to deny Parochial Churches in Mr. Nichols his sense counselling or Preaching a separation from them but in another sense Presbyterial they would fain call it but unjustly as disagreeing with the Classical way and with Provincial Churches which one of them told me were to be called onely Churches and Parishes not truely Churches but onely integral parts of such Classical or Provincial Churches So that the whole County being divided into Classes the Parishes also are to be divided so as that a competent number are to belong to such and such a Classes as formerly to such and such a Cathedral and all that number of Parishes to make up but one Church to be ruled by Officers and Elders according to the word but singly every Parish taken by it self not to be called a Church Which Opinion being but a Cavil as I suppose against my self by the party insisting on it I sh●ll wave as unwilling to disturb and as willing to submit for peace and quietness sake especially in this which well understood doth not cross my Opinion and judgement of holding Parish Societies to be true Churches nor my Opinion cross the judgement of the Learned and Reverend Divines of the Presbyterial way who affirm the Presbyterial Government by Preaching and Ruling Presbyters in Congregational Classical and Synodal Assemblies to lay the truest claim to a Divine Right according to the Scriptures with whose own Doctrine I shall confirm this truth that Parochial Congregations are to be called truely Churches The aforesaid Divines in their book of the Divine right of Church-Government take notice of the whole Church the whole Body of Christ and of larger particular Members of that Body of Christ and thirdly of smaller single Congregations Which threefold distinction of Churches is truely grounded upon the Scripture Thus Paul calls the whole Body of Christ Church Now ye are the Body of Christ and Members in particular And God hath set some in the Church first Apostles secondarily Prophets thirdly Teachers 1 Cor. 12. vers 27.28 So Mat●h 16. v. 18. and often elsewhere So likewise larger particular Members of that body of Christ such as Provincial Churches are in Scripture called Churches as the Church of Ierusalem Act 8. vers 1. the Church of Antioch Act. 13. v. 1. the Church of Co●inth 2 Cor. 1. vers 1. and the Church of Ephesus unto the Angel of the Church of Ephesus write these things Revel 2. vers 1. In which places there were no doubt many single Churches and Congregations as appears plainly in Corinth where Paul taught Apollo taught and Cephas taught and in Ephesus where Eusebius Emissenus reckoneth up above three-score several Churches and Congregations all which in Scripture are called one Church And I cannot here but declare my judgement upon those words of Iohn Rev. 2. vers 1. Unto the Angel of the Church of Ephesus that certainly if there were in Ephesus many single Congregations and particular Churches and yet called but Church as if but one Church were there then it appears evidently that those many single Churches made up one Provincial Church as integral parts of the whole which I will not deny to my Caviller though

for the satisfaction he had of him that he was a fit man to take care of their state and in the mean time he sends unto them Epaphroditus vers 25. and exhorteth them to receive him in the Lord with all gladness and hold such in reputation vers 29. and this without the peoples Election judging their after-approbation to be sufficient Even so for our peoples Election of a Minister if it be not before the Minister comes to a place and he be sent by a Patron yet sometimes the peoples acceptance and approbation afterwards may supply the want of Election at the first as Iacobs after-consent and acceptance of Leah made her to be his wife though he chose her not at the first Now fourthly For the final cause requisite for the compleating a true Minister of Christ it appeareth in many of us by our profit in converting many Souls Yea those that have separated from us must confess that they also were at the first awakened by us We have then Gods ordinary and dayly assistance in our Ministery for the perfecting of the Saints for the edifying of the body of Christ Ephes. 4. vers 12. which is the end of the Ministery and not Babylonish or Antichristian This is clearly seen and proved for Gods assistance appeareth in his effectual working mens conversion by the work of the Ministery for conversion is by the word 1 Cor. 4. vers 15. Rom. 1. vers 16. through the Spirit and not by the word delivered without the Spirit and it is not in man to move the heart to grace 1 Cor. 3. vers 5.6 2 Cor. 3. vers 5. But God doth take the power of conversion to himself Deut. 30. vers 6. Act. 16. vers 14. The means indeed is the word Iames 1. vers 18. Examples hereof we have throughout the Acts of the Apostles Therefore i● men be here converted God doth aid the Ministers and is with them by the power of his Spirit in that work 2 Cor. 3. vers 3. by which the Apostle proveth to have the power of the Spirit in his Ministery by the conversion of his hearers All which considered and finding the four causes requisite to make up and compleat true Ministers to be with us I conclude that the Parish Officiating Ministers in England for the most part are men sufficiently qualified by God orderly called to the Ministery and to do that work which Christ appointed his Ministers to do and consequently that they are not Babylonish but true and lawfull Ministers of Iesus Christ. 4. Argument They that have the true properties of true Shepheards are Christs true Ministers But the Parish Officiating Ministers in England have the true properties of true Shepheards Ergo The Parish Officiating Ministers in England are Christs true Ministers and consequently are not Babylonish or Antichristian The Minor I prove thus from the 10. of Iohn for first these go in by the door vers 2. that is by Iesus Christ v. 7. by his call and the Churches as I have proved before Secondly the Porter openeth unto them vers 3. who invisibly letting men into the Church by Christ the door is Gods spirit who doth qualifie true Ministers with gifts and graces and is forcible by them to win people And visibly the Porter is the Authority committed by the Church unto some for admitting men into the house the Church of God Thirdly they lead them forth vers 3. that is from pasture to pasture from milk the grounds of Religion to strong meat Catechizing and otherwise interpreting the holy Scriptures unto them Which true properties of a Shepheard being found in the Parish Officiating Ministers here in England it appeareth that they are true Shepheards and so true Ministers of Iesus Christ and therefore neither Babylonish nor Antichristian or Popish Thus having with Arguments proved unto you that our Ministers are true Gospel Ministers for the further clearing this truth it remains that we answer to what they object against us who do separate from us which is chiefly this Object The Ordination of the Ministers who a● this time are Parish Officiating Ministers came from the Romish Synagogue they also were ordained by Bishops Ergo They are not true Ministers or thus Those Ministers which stand by a Romish Institution are no true Ministers But the Ministers of England stand by a Romish Institution Ergo They are no true Ministers but Babylonish and Antichristian 1. Answ. The Minor of this Syllogisme must be denied for we stand by no Romish Institution for Ordination is none of Romes inventions but instituted by the Lord Iesus Christ. So that the Ministers of England stand by an Institution of Christ descending to them from the Apostles through the Church of Rome must be the meaning of this Argument To which we answer that the passing through Rome nulls not the Institution of Christ. As we cast not away the Scriptures Sacraments and what ever Ordinances we have now though they have descended to us from the Apostles through Rome Which Argument runs as strong against Baptisme which though mingled with Romish inventions is not therefore nulled The vessels that were once dedicated to God by his own Institution though they were put into the house of Nebuchadnezars Gods and those that were fit very likely used to drink Wine in when he praised the Gods they were not so much as new cast again but carried to Ierusalem Ezra 1. vers 11. Yea Mr. Iohnson a great man of the separation seeing one that was a Minister in the Church of England afterwards to be chosen a Teacher to a separate Congregation without any new imposing of hands undertakes to justifie the Action thus in five Propositions 1. Imposition of hands is of God and not an invention of man It was not a Post or a Threshold first brought by Antichrist into the Temple of God but had therein before ever Antichrist sate there 2. Baptisme and Imposition of hands are joyned together among the Principles of the foundation spoken of Hebr. 6. vers 2. Therefore they ought to be regarded 3. Imposition of hands is in the Church of Rome still given to the Of●●ce of the Ministery and in the name of the Lord as they do also still administer Baptisme 4. We finde not either precept example or ground in the Scriptu●e binding to the repetition of it 5. The Priests and Levites in Israel becoming unclean when afterward they were cleansed retained still their places of being Priests and Levites and the Children of the Priests and Levites ●ucceeding after them did administer without a new anointing or new Imposition of hands Thus Mr. Iohnson and with him also Mr. Ainsworth though in their judgement both for the Separation opposed rebaptization because baptisme is an Ordinance of God which was had in the Church of Rome before the sell into Apostasie and hath been there continued ever since the Apostles times however commingled with many inventions of their own So likewise Mr. Iohnson defended

of the people the Text would ●av● declared it thus unto us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and when they had ordained to themselves Elders and not as it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when they had ordained them Elders as speaking of others Mr. Selden hath a large discourse in his book de Syned●iis veterum Hebraeorum shewing that the word signifies to Elect Decree Ordain and is to be understood of the Apostles Act in this place and not of the peoples What comfort then can Mr. Nichols have from this place especially if he understand Greek and the whole context and from those many more produced by me and unanswered by him to satisfie his conscience when thus by Scripture he is fully convinced to be no lawfully ordained Minister of Iesus Christ Which was the first thing I discovered by Argument against his Church or Congregation that it was not the house of God not being the pillar and ground of the Truth where the Truth of Ordination according to the word of Christ and the practise of the Apostles so much faileth and is by him opposed Thus far beloved my Arguments reached upon the day of our dispute against Mr. Nichols his second Proposition And seeing we are come to this main point of the controversie of these times concerning popular Election and Ordination and popular Government in the Church which popular men too much affecting popularity for their ends to draw away our people from our Churches have devised and of late stirred up I shall yet a little more inlarge my Judgement and Discourse for the better resolving a doubt so necessary in these times to be unfolded This Monstrous opinion can plead no Scripture except those three places by me above rehearsed out of the Acts of the Apostles To that whereon Mr. Nichols leans I have answered as also to that of Act. 6. Chap. where although the people look out honest men for Deacons yet the Apostles appoint them over that business and to that ordain them by Imposition of hands which sheweth more than a meer looking out for them and approving or allowing of them The third place is out of Act. 1. vers 23. They appointed two Joseph called Barsabas who was surnamed Justus and Mathias From whence some of the separation will settle Ordination upon the people because in this peculiar work the people were joyned with the Apostles But observe first from this place that there the Electours were eleven Apostles to guide the other But Mr. Nichols will allow those to chuse him who have no Officer to guide them amongst whom no doubt but there are very many weak persons Secondly It was very easie to chose one of these two Ioseph or Mathias who had accompanied with the Apostles all the time that Jesus went in and out among them vers 21. This was easie to know But to chose a man fit for a Pastour requires more skill than so Thirdly In this Election God was peculiarly seen the Apostles not knowing who it should be Fourthly in vers 26. They gave forth their lots and their lots fell upon Mathias They that will make any thing of this place may as well make casting of Lots an Essential to Ordination as give this power to the people who were never constituted appointed or ordained by Christ to be either the proper first or immediate subject of the power of the Keyes which I shall indeavour to clear thus unto you That which is the first subject is the proper subject No doubt of this But the proper subject is reciprocated and convertible with his Accident As for example A living Creature is the proper subject of sense and feeling A man is the proper subject of laughing or laughter And from hence we say reciprocally Every man is Risible and Every thing that is Risible is a man Every living Creature hath sense and feeling and so likewise Every thing that hath sense and feeling is a living Creature This is called Axioma 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But every Axiome that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth include in it the Rule 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where the Predicate is true of the subject in all place and at all time This is true of a living Creature and feeling of a Man and Risibility And so if the people or the Fraternity be the proper subject of the power of the Keyes It must be true that they are and have been the proper Subject of the power of the Keyes omni tempore omni loco in all places and at all times But if we finde the power of the Keyes exercised in time before there was a Christian Fraternity then certainly there was some other subject of the power of the Keyes in whom this power was as in a proper subject When Paul came to Corinth he preached Authoritative and with power and Commission E●go Then the power o● the Keyes was in some ●ubject but the Fraternity at that time was non En● had no being in Christianity How then could they be the subject And if then they were not the subject how can they now be the proper subject of the power of the Keyes who were not in all place and time the proper subject of it Yet Mr. Nichols could grant that the people were the subject the proper subject and the fi●st subject of the power of the Keyes But he ●ruely might as well have granted that in these times Man is the proper subject of Risibility but was not alw●yes and that at some time Man was not Risible nor at some time a living Creature the subject of s●nse and feel●ng though now he be Bu● secondly This Absurdity will appear thus Those who are the effect of the power of the Keyes are not the fi●st subject of it But the Fraternity is the effect of the power of the Keyes It was so in all the Churches which the Apostles gathered and is indeed to this day So that which is primum Subjectum the fi●st subject is Immediatum Subjectum the immemediate subject But how can the Fraternity be the immediate subject of the power of the Keyes since then mediantibus Apostolis by means of the Apostles and now mediantibus Ministris by means of the Ministers the Fraternity is made up I but the Elector is before the Elected It is true of Christ who Elected the Apostles and gave to them the Keyes from whom by a continued succession of Ministers still the Fraternity was made But had not the power of the Keyes had some effect there had not been a Fraternity to chose an officer though they are now in time before him whom they now Elect Yet they were not before him or them qua Fratres who by the power of the Keyes in the Ministery made them capable to chose an Officer Therefore the power of the Keyes was in some subject before them Besides Election is no power of the Keyes Therefore to argue The people Elect ergo They are the first subject of the

passed through the mud of corruptions and corrupt men The Sun shineth one day bright the next day is obscured with clouds and the third day shines bright again And who of sound judgement will the third day deny that light and brightness to be truely the Suns because the day before it was obscured and hid with clouds Or who will refuse the benefit of the Suns light and brightness the third day because it was the day before clouded and obscured Or who will deny the third dayes light truely to be the Suns because the day before there was not from the Sun so clear a light The same I say of our Ordination that indeed it did shine in the Primitive times and when our Churches in England were first constituted with a most clear and bright light of Christs own Institution but afterwards it was obscured and hid in a cloud of Superstitions Popish Rites and Ceremonies and now again is clear and bright and shineth with the light of the true Institution Who therefore of sound judgement will refuse the benefit of it Who can deny it to be from the Sun of Righteousness Jesus Christ because in Popish times it was obscured with clouds of Superstition Though by the Papists we are unjustly called Hereticks Yet some of them deny not to us what those of the Separation here will not grant us Some of them do still look upon our Ordination as true by reason of the Head and Fountain of Iesus Christ from whom it sprang Dominicus Soto Bellarmine Gregorius de Valentia do teach out of Austin grounding on the Scripture that Heretical Bishops may lawfully ordain and that it is an Heresie such as the Donatists was to deny it To this agrees the judgement of our Saviour who teacheth that the Scribes and Pharisees have a lawfull Succession they sit in his Chair their calling is of God though a Race of bad men possessed that Chair and Christ will have them acknowledged for their lawfull Ministers Math. 23. vers 2 3. So is our calling and succession though it passed through corrupt times The Scriptures themselves Baptisme and the Articles of our Creed have all passed through the Papacie unto us and yet they cease not to be true Scriptures nor true baptisme Much less doth Ordination cease to be true and right it being an Act of Jurisdiction which may be legally and lawfully performed by men of corrupt Faith We must carefully distinguish the Acts of Office which have their form and being from a Root or Fountain without us from the qualities of the man that performeth that Office The man may be naught yet his Office be good and Acts done by ver●ue of his Office may be good just and allowable although the man his religion be naught As for instance in Caiphas and in those Priests to whom our Saviour bad the Lepers go and shew themselves Luke 17. vers 14. A Popish Land Lord makes to his Tenant a Lease of a Farm The Lease is not Antichristian but good in Law although he that demised it be for his Religion a Papist A Popish Judge doth pass a sentende in Court which standeth good in Judicature his sentence is not Popish though he that pronounced it be a Papist The reason is because the Legal sentence is not of him nor from him as a Papist but as a Iudge who doth but deliver that which he hath received from an higher root the Law So in this case Ordination is an Act of Office derived from Christ and it is not Popish though executed by a Papist We do not rebaptize them that were baptized by a Popish Priest because the power of Gods Ordinance depends not on the Person that doth execute the same but upon an higher foundation the Institution of Christ. Ministerial Acts are not vitiated or made null though they pass through the hands of bad men but stand good to all intents and purposes to such as receive them aright by vertue of their Office Authoritatively derived from the first Institution Yea further I say that if there have been no true Ministers in England or else where no true Ordinances nor Churches but where there hath been no humane mixtures nor wicked Persons or Officers then there have been but few Ministers Ordinances or Churches since there was a Church upon earth and if there ought to be separation from such Ministers Churches then we should have found before these dayes Separatists enough How hardly was Superstition kept out in the Church of the Iews before the Captivity Afterwards when Christ came were they clear What shall we say of corrupt Caiphas then the high Priest his corrupt entering into and his continuing in the place for one year So the Pharisees a generation corrupt that God never Instituted their School began some say two hundred and fourty years some say more before Christ and for their Superstitious inventions they were not barren in them But did Christ so soon as he came to preach call away the people and bid them separate No we finde no such words but rather we read that though here were corrupt Officers Christ bids the multitude hear them and observe and do whatsoever they bid them observe and do Math. 23. v. 3. After Christ how long did the Churches continue without Superstitious mixtures I believe we shall finde that the Church hath not been long free but we do not finde separation presently and nulling of Ministers as now Men should do well to give us a precept or example out of the word where Ordinances have been dispensed true for the substance though some humane mixtures have been joyned to them that therefore they were itera●ed 4. A●s Fourthly I answer that if the true succession of Ministers of England and true Ordination of them have failed decayed or been lost because of either Bishops or Popish Prelates or a Romish Presbytery in the time of Popery from whom we have descended then it must be shewed in whom particularly or in what Prelates Bishops or Presbyters this Ordination fi●st decayed died and was quite lost and abolished If we look back to the beginning of Popish Superstition in England and to the first Bishops and Presbyters that then Ap●sta●ized from the purity of the Gospel and of the Ordinances of Christ to Popery we shall finde that Ordination for substance died not in them for before they fall they were truely and rightly Ordained to preach and pray and if to preaching and praying they added Mass mumming that their first corruption did not deprive them of that first power which by true Ordination they received to preach and to pray for that power was not given them conditionally so long as they preserved themselves from corruptions and to be forfeited by corruptions as I shewed before that corruptions in an Officer do not null or make void the Acts of Office which have their form and being from a root or foundation without Ordination therefore in them was not lost