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	power_n	presbyter_n	2,561	5	10.5876	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77901	Poimēnopurgos. Pastorum propugnaculum. Or, The pulpits patronage against the force of un-ordained usurpation, and invasion. By Thomas Ball, sometimes Fellow of Emmanuel College in Cambridge, now minister of the Gospel in Northampton, at the request, and by the advice, of very many of his neighbour-ministers.	Ball, Thomas, 1589 or 90-1659.	1656 (1656)	Wing B584; Thomason E863_10; ESTC R206670	204,465	356

when they have something in their hands to give they will have customers till then they may keep them in their pockets Sol. 1. We have shewed before that Ordination was not designed or intended to convert and bring men home to God that were before strangers and enemies unto him that is the Preachers part as Christ shews unto Paul (d) Acts 26. 18. now because it doth not that it never was intended and designed for shall it be therefore thrown away one hath a good Knife that he carries about with him to cut his meat shall he throw it away because it will not shave the hairs from off his cheeks and beard it may be a good Pen and yet not able to draw a Picture So Ordination may be good for that it was ordained and intended for though it be not good for every thing as the Dutch man doth beleeve his Butter is 2. We have shewed before that Ordination is the dedication or devoting of a qualified or fitted person to attendance and pre-supposed examination and tryal of their Gifts if any Bishop or other Person presumed to ordain unqualified persons or such as were indisposed and unfitted it was his fault not Ordinations and could not be cured by Ordination but should have been prevented by a precedent or antecedent examination and probation of their gifts and fitness if a Physician give high Cordials to one inflamed with a Burning-Feaver shall Physick be no more administred error personae non est arti imputandus it was his fault not his faculties if any Bishop did so much forget himself it was his own fault not his Professions he may be and perhaps is punished for it but it s no good ground to abdicate and throw away the calling materia praeparata disposita is simply necessary and if that be neglected the act is null and void and therefore Paul when he enjoyneth Timothy and Titus to ordain adds Orders for examination and probation as appears (e) 1 Tim. 3. 1 2 c. Titus 1. 5 6 7 3. We answer That if the person or subject matter be not mistaken then there is always good done for they are thereby enabled to preach the Word and administer the Sacraments which others are not nor he was not before there is an Office-power bestowed on them which they had not before as was on those that the Apostles did ordain they are made Over-seers of the Flock or Church of God as they were (f) Act. 20. 28. have a dispensation of the Gospel committed to them as Paul had (g) 1 Cor. 9. 17 and may without any danger approach unto the holy things of God and not perish as they did in the gain-saying of Corah (h) Judg. 11. now it is something to have such an amulet about one that he shall not be smitten with Gods terrible Thunderbolts as Corah was and his Companions 4. Good men are never altogether empty handed especially good Ministers Jacob put upon Ephr aim his right hand and his left upon Manasses (i) Gen. 48. 14 Joseph was troubled at it knowing his Fathers right hand was more oyly and dropped more than did the other (k) Vers 17 18 19. they never would have brought their little Children to our Saviour to lay his hands upon them but that they knew something would flow and follow from it (l) Matth. 19. 13 14 15. and why should we think that Ordination doth no good when it is alwayes attended with fasting praying preaching and encouraging when God is sought in a serious solemn manner he is not sought in vain as the Prophet speak● (m) Isa 45. 19. when there is solemn asking seeking knocking ●ccording to the will and in the way of God we may and should beleeve that there is having finding opening as Christ hath promised (n) Mat. 7. 7 8. Object 3. But whither shall a sober dis-ingaged person go to be ordained and not to be made a party good people think their choise and call sufficient and though our Brethren of New-England would have the Eldership imployed in it yet think the Essence of the Ministerial Call to be in the Election and Designation of the people but against this the Presbyters and Prelates wofully exclaim alleging that the people never had this power and therefore never gave it that the Scripture hath neither president nor precept to enable them and whatsoever power is not planted by their Heavenly Father shall be rooted up (o) Mat. 15. 13. If to the Bishops who have a long time had a Patent and Monopoly the Presbyters and People joyn against it as being an usurpation tyrannically obtruded on the Ministers by custom the worst of Tyrants seeing it cannot be proved by the Scripture that any Bishop ever did ordain quâ Bishop for as for Timothy and Titus it was below them to be Bishops being both of them Evangelists and fellow Travellers with the Apostles to settle things they had appointed and were in such continuall motion that they had no leisure to sit long in any place and when Paul and Barnabas ordained they were Apostles and Itinerant as is apparent from that place (p) Act. 14. 23. where they scarce had time to bid their friends farewell If to the Presbyters which is now the only rendevouz the Prelates and the people cry us down for innovators and intruders say that our Presbyters had limits set them in their Ordination to preach the Word and administer the Sacraments but neither Ordination nor Jurisdiction in there grant and what they never had they cannot give and though it should be granted that the Presbytery the Apostle speaks of (q) 1 Tim. 4. 1● was not the Office but consessus or Collegium Presbyterorum yet how shall it appear that this Presbytery ordained that they laid hands on Timothy is certain but that they might do after Ordination as its certain that Presbytery did to Saul and Barnabas who were either Prophets or Teachers before they did it as appears (r) Acts 13. 1 2 3. for though imposition of hands were used in Ordination yet not only in that for Christ laid hands on little Children (s) Matth. 9. 13 14 15. and gave command to his Disciples to do it afterwards unto the sick (t) Mar. 16. 18. It s true there are other instances in Scripture of Presbyteries (u) Luk. 22. 66. Acts 23. 5. but should we go to such as these they would not like us for these were the Civil as well as Ecclesiasticall Officers and Magistrates assured and perpetual enemies to Christ and the Apostles as in the fore mentioned places doth appear Sic ubi partes labant summa turbatur when parties fall out true men hear of their goods the safest way therefore is to sit still untill they be all 'greed ad neutram accedeas partem fit dominus utrinsque he that takes no part makes all parts court him Sol. 1. How far the people may

therefore are not willing to exact upon them and exhaust them of that Title they have left but are content to lavish and expend our own parts that we may spare theirs to feed them with milk and not with strong meat because at present we think they are not able to bear it in regard of the queasiness and weakness of their stomacks as the Apostle speaks (i) 1 Cor. 3. 2 we only crave and beg their candor care and consideration of what we offer to them that our Arguments may not be slighted before ever they be seen proscribed and expunged before they be perused and examined complaint is made against the Ministers at Ephesus by Demetrius and the Craftsmen (k) Act. 19. 38. but when one of them was ready to make his own and fellows just defence unto the people when they perceived that he was a Jew there arose a cry about two hours long so that nothing could be answered (l) Act. 19. 33 34. such turbulent ingaged prepossessed Readers we would not by our good wills meet with but such as with those noble Bereans will afford us so much of their time and intellectuals as may be able to examine and consider what we say In times of peace men build their houses with respect unto those Offices imployments and entertainments they are like to have but in times of warre combustion and disorder mens houses were accustomed to be their Castles walled most commonly and towred about for safety and defence so those that have imployed their pens upon this subject in former quiet times have framed their speeches and discourses for civil guests that would be willing to take all well and make the best of every thing but we that venture in the storm must carry Anchors and Cables with us must look we build upon the Rock that though the rain descend and the floods come and the winds beat vehemently upon our house yet it may not fall because it is founded upon a Rock (m) Mat. 7. 25. Luk. 6. 48. that is say nothing that we are not able to assert and justifie put nothing down but what we are provided for to prove offer nothing to our readers as opinion which they may at their liberty and leasure take or leave chuse or refuse receive or reject but arm our assertions with arguments and demonstrations that may not only crave but carry and command admission and entertainment yet in a quiet and mild address and importunity for we would have no man to exclude and shut his reason out that we might be received unreasonable and evil men are much alike with us (n) 2 Thes 3. 2. But alas what is it that we goe about with such anxiety and care for to assert and prove some dubious exotick Paradox some hidden and unheard of aphorisme or position as the circulation of the blood in all mens bodies the standing or blazing of the Sun unmovably and the turning and dancing of the fixed Starres and Planets round about it yet even such things have been argued unto belief and satisfaction of very many or is it the ebbing and flowing of the Sea in the nature and manner of a boyling Pot or Caldron as the Scripture calls Leviathan that great Sea monster (o) Job 41. 20 by reason of the heat of the earth in which it stands and the influences of the heavenly bodies that lie continually upon it and make it boyle or is it some new discovery in the Planet Jupiter of we know not what new forms and fabricks as others have done already in the Moon yet these things have been said not without some evidence no alass our thesis is that there ought to be a Ministry some persons set apart to attend and act in holy things with more assurance and authority then others when one had made a very learned and good oration in the hearing of Alcibiades in prayse of Hercules he askt him if he ever heard one made in his disprayse we might be well afraid of such a question but that we are better provided of an answer it s said indeed sapientis est de manifestis rationem reddere to give a reason of the rising and setting of the Sun of the waxing and waining of the Moon of the raising and falling of the rain and dew of the lengthening and shortning of the dayes in spring and fall for of all these questions may be framed and doubts made but no man argues seriously against them unless it be for sport ut simus duo as he said but we meet with serious and elaborate impleadings against this known and common truth with men that labour and ingage their reputation in this cause and perhaps are come at last for to believe themselves we have heard of some that have told a lie so often that at last they were perswaded and began to think it might be true but we cannot think so meanly of professors of the truth among us that the most elevated and rankest Christians in this Church that pretend unto the highest strains of inspirations and assurance should dis-believe a principle so generally and long received and owned by themselves and all men so reasonable and agreeable to order comlines improvement edification of the Church Saints so grounded bottomed abetted in the Scriptures how were those innovators and incroachers in the Bishops times exploded and cryed out on for offering to perplex and puzzle the perswasion that Gods people of the Nation had of the divinity of the Lords dayes rest yet that was not so clear and evident the institution of it in the Scripture more uncertain and consequential the observation not more universal and shall we worship adore for Saints and sublimated Christians those that do not only offer and endeavour to puzzle perplex this principle that there is a Ministry but to expunge overthrow it utterly The Phylosopher in the beginning of his metaphysical enquiries sayes it s a peece of great skill an evidence of ingenuity sapienter dubitare to make pertinent proper doubts qui nescit dubitare nescit discere but we do not think this is a good doubt for men women in a Nation professing godlinesse after so many years perswasion and belief there was a Ministry after so much efficacy and operation of it upon the hearts and lives of Saints and sinners after so much evidence and witnesse bearing to it from above in various apparent providential administrations and effects after it hath upon the matter ruined and overturned Popery removed usurpation in the Church shut out and shamed loosenesse and prophaneness inabled very many of their hearers and Disciples to preach and write and wrangle and contest with them and contend against them for the Garland after they are charged and accused to have raised all this dust confusion and division in the Nations that where five have been in one house there have been three against two and two against three