Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	bishop_n	call_v	presbyter_n	3,421	5	11.0026	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91833	A most gracious message sent by the Kings Majesty to both houses of Parliament, declaring his ardent desires for peace and the setlement of a true and happy union between his three kingdoms, to be dispersed throughout his Majesties realms and dominions, for satisfaction of all his Majesties loyall subjects. Also, divers new proposalls presented to the devines by His Majesty touching Episcopacy and the church litturgy, with their severall answers thereunto. To all true subjects.	E. R.	1648 (1648)	Wing R15; Thomason E468_31; ESTC R205404	3,495	8

A MOST GRACIOUS MESSAGE SENT By the Kings Majesty to both Houses of Parliament Declaring his a●dent desires for Peace and the setlement of a true and happy union between his three Kingdoms to be dispersed throughout his Majesties Realms and Dominions for satisfaction of all his Majesties loyall Subjects ALSO Divers new Proposalls presented to the Devines by His Majesty touching Episcopacy and the Church Litturgy with their severall answers thereunto To all true Subjects Great Brittain's King desires that Wars may cease True Subjects then rejoyce ther 's hopes of Peace All Subjects now may Halilujah sing And pra●se Jehovah that hath rais'd their King No Subject 't is conceiv'd desires these Jarres Then let all pray that Peace may end thes● Warres THE TREATING HOUSE THE I LE OF WAIT Octob. 23. LONDON Printed for R. L. 1648. The Kings Majesties most gracious Message to both his Houses of Parliament Right Honoured THe News here for present is of great Concernment which I have sent in brief viz. HIs Majesty concurs to the Propositions concerning Delinquents with these alterations that those in the first and 2 qualification may have life and be in the Capacity of the 4. qualification And that their incapability of Offices be for a time And of b●ing Members of Parl. to be for 3. years His Maj. hath offered Propositions to the Commissioners severall times but being not received The King sent this Message to the Parl. 1. That his Maj. may come to London and have the faith of his 2. Houses for his security to be there in safty freedom honour 2. That an Act or Acts may be passed for a full Indempnity and of oblivion with such qualifications as shall be agreed on by his Majesty his 2. Houses of Parl. 3. That his Maj. may have his Revenues restored unto him And 4. That a Compensation may be allowed to his Maj. in liew of what he shall passe away The Ministers have delivered to the King another paper concerning Episc●pacy but his Maj. is not yet satisfied so as to passe away their Lands quite A coppy whereof followeth viz May it please your Majesty WEE desire to speak both to the Bishops Challenge and to your Majesties description of Episcopall Government And first to their Ch●llenge because it is first exprest in your Majesties Reply The Challenge we u●dertake in two respects 1. In respect of the power challenged 2. In respect of that ground or Tenure upon which the claim is laid The power challenged consists of 3. particulars Ordaining giving Rules of Discipline and Censures No more no other in respect of their Episcopall Office We see not by what warra●t this Writ of p●●tition is taken forth by which the Apostilicall Office is thus shared or divided The Governing part into the Bishops hands the Teaching and administring Sacraments into the Presbyters For besides that the Scripture makes no such inclosure or partition wall it appears the challenge is grown to more then was pretended unto in the times of grown Episcop●cie Jerome and Chrysostome do both acknowledge for their time that the Bishop and Presbyter differed only in the matter of Ordination and learned Dr. Bilson makes some abatement in the claim of 3. saying the things proper to Bishops which might not be common to Presbyters are singularly of succeeding and superiority in Ordaining 1. The name of Bishop the Scripture neither expresly nor by implication gives to either the work which they are injoyned to do is common to Apostles Evangelists Pastors and Teachers and cannot of it self make a Character of one distinct and proper Office But that there was such an order of Officers in the Church as Evangelists reckoned amongst the extraordinary and temporary Offices and that Timothy was one of that Order and that both Timothy and Titus were not ordained to one particular Church but were Companions and f●llow Labourers with the Apostles sent abroad to severall Churches as occasion did require it is as we humbly conceive clear enough in Scripture and not denyed by the learned defenders of Episcopal Government nor as we remember by Scultetus himself during the time of their Travells 2. To that which Your Maj. secondly saith That we cannot make it appear by any Text of Scripture that the Office of Evangelist is such as we have described his work seeming 2 Tim. 2. 4. 5. to be nothing else but diligence in preaching the word notwithstanding all impediments and oppositions We humbly Answer That exact definitions of these or other Church-Officers are hard to be found in any Text of Scripture but by comparing one place of Scripture with another it may be proved as well what they were as what the Apostles Presbyters were the discription by us given being a Character ma●e up by collation of Scriptures from which Mr. Hooker doth not much vary saying that Evangelists were Presbyters of principall sufficiency whom the Apostles sent abroad and used as Agents in Ecclesiasticall Affaires wheresoever they saw need Thirdly Your Majesty saith that that which we so confidently affirme of Timothy Titus their acting as Evangelists is by some denyed and refuted yea even with scorne rejected by some rigid Presbyterians and that which we so confidently deny that they were Bishops is confirmed by the consentient testimony of all antiquitie recorded by Ierome himself that they were Bishops of Pauls ordination acknowledged by very many late Divines and that a Catalogue of 27. Bishops of Ephesus lineallie succeeding from Timothy out of good Record is vouched by Dr. Reynolds and other Writers Our confidence as your Majesty is pleased to call it was in our Answer exprest in these words we cannot say that Timothy and Tytus were Bishops in the sense of Your Maj. but extraordinary Officers are Evangelists in which opinion we were then clear not out of a totall ignorance of those Testimonies which might be alledged against it but from intrinsick arguments out of Scripture from which your Maj. hath not produced any one to the contrary nor is our confidence weakned by such replyes as these the Scripture never calls them Bishops but the Fathers do the Scripture calls Timothy an Evangelist some of lrte have refuted it and rejected it with scorn the Scripture relates their motions from Church to Church but some affirm them to be fixed at Ephesus and in Creet the Scripture makes distinction of Evangelists Pastors but some say that Timothy Titus were both we cannot give Your Majesty a present account of Scultetus and Gherards Arguments but do believe that M. Cillespi Rutherford are able with greater strength to refute that opinion of Timothy and Titus their being Bishops then they do if they do with scorn reject this of their being Evangelists Your Majesty saith that we affirm but upon very weak proofes that they were from Ephesus Creete removed to other places the contrary whereunto hath been demonstrated by some who have exactly out of Scripture compared the times and order of the severall journies and stations of Paul and Timothy It is confeffed that our assertion that Timothy and Titus were Evangelists lies with some stresse upon this that they removed from place to place as they were sent by or accompanied the Apostles the proof whereof appeares to us to be of greater strength then can be taken off by the comparison which your Majesty makes of the Devines of the Assembly at Westminster And for the travells of Timothy Titus we find them in order recorded in these Scripture places Act. 17. 14. 15. 1 Thes 3. 1. 2. Act. 18. 5. Act. 19. 22. Act. 20. 4. 5. 6. 17. Now if your Maj. shall be pleased to cast up into one totall that which is said the severall journeyes and stations of Timothy the order of them the silence of Scriptures touching his being Bishop of any one Church you will acknowledge that such a man was not a Bishop fixed to one Church or precinct and then by assuming that Timothy was such a man you will conclude that he was not Bishop of Ephesus The like conclusion may be inforced from the like premisses from the instance of Titus Gal 1. 2. Titus 3. 12. 22. 12. 2. Cor. 5. 6. 2 Cor. 8. 6. 2. Tim. 4. 10. To that which is asserted That these singular persons were Bish in distinct sence whither we brought any thing of moment to infirm this we humbly submit to your Maj. judgment and shall only present to you that in your reply you have not taken notice of that which in our Answer seemes to us of moment which is this That in misterious prophetick writings or visionall representations a number of things or persons is usuall exprest in singulars and this in visions is the usual way of Representations of things a thousand persons making up one Church is represented by one Candlestick many Ministers making up one Presbytery by one Angell Lastly these writings are directed as epistolary letters to collective bodies usually are that is to One but intended to the body which your Majestie illustrateth by your sending a Message to your 2 houses and directing it to the Speaker of the house of Peers which as it doth not hinder we confesse but that the Speaker is one fingle person so it doth not prove at all that the Speaker is alwaies the same person or if he were that therefore because your Message is directed to he● that he is the Governour or Ruler of the 2 houses in the least and so your Majesty hath given clear instance that though these letters be directed to the angels yet that notwithstanding they might neither be Bishops nor yet perpetuall Moderators As for your Majesties condescension in vouchsafing us the Liberty and Honour of examining Your Learned Reply Cloathed in such Excellency of Stile and for Your exceeding Candour shewed to such men as we are and for the acceptation of our humble duty we render to your Majesty most humble thanks and shall pray That such a Peen in the hand of such abilities may ever be imployed in a subject worthy of it Sir having thus acquainted you with the chief heads of the answer to His Majesties last Papers till next opportunity I remaine Your humble servant E. R Newport Octob. 20. 1638. FINIS