Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	authority_n	church_n	primitive_a	2,508	5	9.0550	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A41790	A sigh for peace, or, The cause of division discovered wherein the great Gospel promise of the Holy Ghost, and the doctrine of prayer with imposition of hands, as the way ordained of God to seek for it, is asserted and vindicated, as the interest and duty of Christs disciples in general : in answer to a book intituled A search for schism / by Tho. Grantham ...	Grantham, Thomas, 1634-1692.	1671 (1671)	Wing G1548; ESTC R39437	69,616	172

need to beseech him to abide there it being not unknown to him that it was by all means requisite for such Pastors to reside neatheir respective flocks and not to go to forrein Countreys to mannage the Affairs of other Churches But evident it is that Timothy was not fixed in any particular Church but was Pauls fellow-traveller among the Churches in divers Countreys and frequently sent by him to sundry places from the time that he was called by the Apostle to go forth with him till Paul sent for the Elders of the Church of Ephesus which was not long before he was taken prisoner for all which see Act. 16 1 2 3 4. and 17. 25 18 5 the 19. 22. the 2. 4. to 18. And though in a certain Post-script added to 2 Tim. it is said that Timothy was ordained the first Bishop of the Church at Ephesus yet this cannot be true seeing the Church at Ephesus had Bishops Acts 20. 18. even whiles Paul and Timothy were companions in preaching the Gospel in divers Countrys Nor are the ancients positive in this matter for I find Eusebius only saying that it is reported that Timothy was the first Bishop of Ephesus and Titus of Creet but he affirms nothing in this matter But that Timotheus his care was for other Churches as much as for that at Ephesus is evident Philip. 2 19 20. But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timotheus unto you for I have no man like minded who will naturally care for your state But ye know the proof of him that as a Son with the Father he hath served with me in the Gospel Of Titus the same consideration may be had seeing he was left in Creet to set in order the things which were wanting and to ordain Elders in EVERY Church plainly shewing that his power in the Affairs of the Gospel and his care for the Churches was the same for every Church that it was for any one which is a far different charge from that which was given to the Elders of the Church of Ephesus Acts 20. for they are not bid to look to all the Churches in Asia but only to the flock in the singular number over which the Holy Ghost had made them Episcopos Overseers or Bishops nor was Titus his care for the Churches in Creet only for Paul calls him his partner fellow helper concerning the Church at Corinth 2 Cor. 8. 23. whether any do enquire of Titus he is my partner and fellow helper concerning you Of the same import is that place Gal. 1. 18 19. I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter but other of the Apostles saw I none save James the Lords brother here James the Lords brother is called an Apostle he was not one of the 12. for that James is called the Son of Alpheus Math. 10. 3. of this mind is Eusebius But Ierom would sometimes make these two one self-same man and yet otherwhiles doth call him Decimum tertium Apostolum that is the thirteenth Apostle but that James the Lords brother was not one of the 12. is evident 1 Cor. 15. 5. to 8. where it is said that our Lord apppeared first to Cephas then to the 12. after that he was seen of James then of ALL the Apostles Two things are hence to be noted 1. That James is distinguished from the 12. and so are those persons signified by ALL the Apostles for it cannot be that by all the Apostles should be meant the chief Apostles for they were mentioned before and Paul himself who was an Apostle of the same dignity is mentioned afterwards but by ALL the Apostles is most like to be meant the 70. Disciples whom our Lord sent out as messengers to preach the Gospel in every City whither himself would go and who no doubt became famous Ministers of the Gospel after the Ascention of our Lord and with this Eusebius doth seem to agree we see then partly from evident Texts of Scripture and partly from rational probabilities that the Primitive Churches were endewed with a Ministry of many messengers or Apostles beside those who were the Foundation layers and Master-builders in the Church of Christ And hence we infer that God hath ordained such a ministery to continue in his Church till the body of our Lord be perfected 4. From the practice of those brethren who most question the being of messengers as a ministery in the Church at this day It will appear that such an Office doth remai● For do they not frequently send out men to act Authoritatively both in preaching the Gospel to them that are without in setting things in order in remote Congregations to exercise Discipline by Excommunication of offenders and remitting the penitent by ordaining them Elders and dispencing to them the holy Ordinances c. As these things cannot be denied so we may justly enquire how it comes to pass that they do thus if indeed the Church hath none to act in the capacity of Apostles or messengers of the Gospel at least as we have defined them seeing it cannot be proved neither I think do our Brethren affirm that Elders of the Churches have equal power in other Congregations as in that which they are chosen to serve neither is it in the power of any Congregation to take the Pastour of any Church from them neither may any Church impose their Pastour upon another Church wherefore unless there be a ministery remaining in the Church which is related to all Congregations indifferently we may perceive what confusion is like to ensue Moreover if those who go to preach to the World cannot justisie their calling how shall they comfort themselves in their undertaking or answer opposers when questioned concerning their Commission especially in such places where the Scriptures are received sith all that have read them may easily perceive that as the Gospel is to be preached so those which go forth as Ministers thereof must be sent either by immediate mission from Heaven which our brethren pretend not to or some mediate mission from the Church of God which none can pretend to that deny the Office of messengers sith other Officers are not by vertue of their Office to go out into the World to teach the Nations or to preach the Gospel to every creature If to that which we have said it should be replyed ●hat Churches which are distant one from another may by consent let the Elders of one Church act as Elders in another c. this is sooner said than proved for seeng Officers have their Commission at what time they a●e ordained it cannot be that they should have their power de jure made either less or greater by the consent or non-consent of any person or persons whatsoever Again It would be understood how long the power our brethren gives to men to act as Elders in those Congregations doth remain Whether they thenceforth stand equally engaged to Oversee those Churches as the Church that first called them to serve

as Pastors And also how many several Congregations they may act in as Pastours by consent Whether two only or ten only or an hundred and so ad infinitum Surely if once they give particular Pastours power to act as Elders in more Congregations then they were at the time of their Ordination appointed to Oversee they can never bound their power and then what messenger of the Church did ever exceed them in that respect And further if our brethren can give their particular Pastours power to act as Pastours in many Churches for a month or half a year then why not a year 2. or 3. and so for the term of life the occasions still being the same And how much comes this short of the power committed to any messenger in the World at this day Wherefore seeing that our brethren do exercise as great Authority in sending men to preach to the World and to settle their Churches as we do it is strange they should dislike our calling those Offices by such names as the Scripture gives them rather then by such names as are exclusive of that Authority which is exercised either by those who go out to preach the Gospel to every creature or those that take the care of all the Churches True it is that Peter calls himself an Elder and that he was Elder in one Church as well as in another but this was because he had an Office which was comprehensive of all Offices in the Church and hence it is that we find the Apostles sometimes performing the Office of Deacons when it might be done without lett to the preaching of the Word but though it be true that the greater contains the less yet the less doth not contain the greater for it cannot be denied that the Office of a particular Elder of a Congregation only and a charge to Teach all Nations are things inconsistant to one and the same person What may or ought to be done in preaching the Gospel by persons gifted in the Church as a general priviledge or duty it is not my business here to discourse but only to shew what it is which necessarily is to be done by vertue of those Offices which God hath ordained in his Church otherwise it were easie to shew that God hath not only provided a Liberty in his Church for the modest exercise of the gifts of his Spirit in the way of Prophesie Exhortation c. That the body may be edified But also when by his providence any of the members of the body are exposed to rem●te places or otherwise called to testifie their Faith they may lawfully Evangelize or preach the Gospel as is evident both from the holy Scriptures Act. 8. 4 5. And other very ancient Authors See Socrates Schlasticus l. 1. the 15. 16. Chapters 5. The necessity of messengers or Apostles in the sense we have defined is yet more evident from the state of the world in respect of their continual ne●d to be taught the Gospel in the ancient purity thereof and the rather because of that gre●t danger they lie under by reas●n of the many decivers or salse Vpostles which are gone out into the world who corrupt the wordly mingling therewith their own Traditions The world is the Lords Harvest into which he is pleased to send his Labourers and the Church is commanded to pray that the Lord of the Harvest would send forth painful Labourers into his Harvest Luke 10. 1 2. It will not be denied that these labourers are at least chiefly some that are in a ministerial capacity to preach the Gospel And they cannot so well be understood of any particular function in the ministery as that of messengers partly for that the other Officers in the ministry are bound to particular congregations as we have shewed before and partly for that our Saviour gives this direction to the Church upon the occasion of his sending forth messengers to preach the Gospel If then it be the duty of the Church at this day to pray to the Lord that he would send forth painful Labourers to preach to the world as sure none can deny that there is not any room left to doubt of the continuance of such an Office as that of messengers of the Gospel for that very clause touching their being sent forth and that as Lambs in the midst of Wolves doth sufficiently instruct us what Labourers these are A necessity therefore lieeth upon the Church of God to dispose of her Members to that needful work as the Lord vouchsafes to fit them for least otherwise she be like those who make many prayers for that which they never intend to do It is certain the Church hath no power to cause the world to come to her Assemblies nor is it like that the world will send to the Church of God for instruction It remaineth therefore seeing the Gospel is for the illumination of all that as Gad hath wont to send forth his Ambassadours to beseech the world in Christs stead to be reconciled to God even so one fruit of the Ascension of our Lord at this day is a gift even for the Rebellious that the Lord God might dwel among them Psal 68 18. which being compared with Ephes 4. may very well be interpreted of a gifted ministery to turn Rebellious sinners from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God To which agrees that place John 16. 8. where our Lord doth assure his Disciples that when he should send the Holy Ghost he should convince the world of sin of Righteousness and judgment and this no doubt as he should operate or work upon men by the ministery of the word which promise either ended with that age which is absurd to think or else if it remain to these days then it supposes a ministery to hold forth to the world the everlasting Gospel for the obedience of faith I mean such a ministry as are bound even by virtue of their calling as debtors to the wise and unwise to preach the Gospel to those that are without There is no doubt but Satan hath his Ap●stles Ministers or messengers in the world as well as in times past 2 Cor. 11. 13 22. It were strange now if our Lord Christ should have none to withstand these if need be with an are they Apostles so am I as well as with an are they Mnisters of Christ so am I. Nor doth the Apostle hear dissllow the Appellation of Apostles or Ministers of Christ to others beside himself and the rest of the chief Apostles But that which he doth disallow is that men should be called either the one or the other when their works declared that they were false Apostles and such as only transformed themselves as the Ministers of Righteousness But had it been unlawful for any to be called Apostles beside the Foundation-layers Paul had a very easie way to confute these deceivers even by telling them that their professing themselves Apostles was proof