Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	church_n	word_n	write_a	3,648	5	10.7659	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A87723	The unlimited authority of Christs disciples cleared or the present church and ministery vindicated. Or Christs disciples authority for the practice of his commands is unlimitted. Being a brief answer to a book intituled (A sober Word to a serious people.) There the writer saith, Christ gave his commissions not to disciples as disciples, but to apostles. But here is by Scripture proved, that the authority & commissions, given to disciples, (as disciples considered) are of a far larger extent, then the authority of commissions given to apostles. Written by Thomas Kilcop.	Killcop, Thomas.	1651 (1651)	Wing K441; Thomason E1377_5; ESTC R209289	19,252	48

The unlimitted Authority OF Christs Disciples cleared OR The present Church and Ministery vindicated Or Christs Disciples Authority for the practice of his Commands is unlimitted BEING A brief answer to a Book intituled A sober Word to a serious People There the Writer saith Christ gave his Commissions not to Disciples as Disciples but to Apostles But here is by Scripture proved that the Authority Commissions given to Disciples as Disciples considered are of a far larger extent then the Authority or Commissions given to Apostles Written by THOMAS KILCOP Bind up the Testimony seale the Law among my Disciples Esa 8.16 O my Dove that art in the Clefts of the Rocks in the secret places of the staires let me see thy countenance let me hear thy voice f●r sweet is thy voice and thy countenance comely LONDON Printed by J. C. 1651. TO THE READER CHristian Reader there came to my hand a Book with no name to it intituled A sober word to a serious people It opposeth all Churches or Ministery that this day be and none as yet hath put forth any answer thereto wherefore I thought my self engaged to spend my mite of opportunity therein In the said Book are multiplicity of words and Scriptures quoted over and over therefore for brevity sake I mind only yet exactly the pith of it and give thereto a brief and punctual Answer even by the word of truth being very brief the Reader should be the mere observant Try all things hold fast that which is good 1 Thes 5.21 Do men contend against truth Oh then contend against such men Do they make void Gods Commands Oh then exalt them it is time for thee Lord to work saith David for they have made void thy Law therefore I love thy Commandements above Gold yea fine Gold therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right and I hate every false way The unlimitted Authority of Christs Disciples cleared The first part CHAP. 1. IN that Book he mindeth what the better sort of Seekers so called can do and what they cannot do they ought saith he p. 2. to read pray and give Almes from Acts 8. 10.1.2 and this for several ends p. 3. but for the present Churches and Ministery they see no ground these being Christ's grand capital and comprehensive institutions to which he gave gifts for comparing these with the word they conform not p. 4. I answer Christ requireth not only reading praying and almes-giving but also Church-meeting and Ministery as forsake not the fellowship that you have among your selves exhort one another daily love brotherly fellowship Heb. 3.13 and 10.25 1 Pet. 2.17 such as gladly received his word were baptized and they continued in the Apostles Doctrine and fellowship Act 2.41 42. Why can you not conform to one as well as to the other since Christ requireth the one as much as the other 1. These saith he are great and capital institutions I answer the more great and weighty the rather to be obeyed they were hypocrites that tythed Mint and Annis and left the weightiest matters of the Law Mat. 23.23 24. 2. To these saith he Christ gave gifts I answer if by gifts he mean the gift of faith love joy c. surely if these be wanting not Church Ministery only but praying reading and almes giving also are alike vain for who can call on him in whom they believe not Rom. 10. and if we give all our Goods to the poor and have not love it profits not 1 Cor. 13.3 and reading if without faith profits not for without faith it is unpossible to please God Heb. 11.5 but it by gifts he mean tongues and Miracles as I judge he doth then I reply that miracles were to confirm the word and not to beget obedience to it in such as before knew it tongues also were not for them that believe but for them that believe not these gifts were not given to make knowers obey but to make non knowers to know Mark 16.20 1 Cor. 14.22 Heb. 2.4 Do you own the Scripture to be Gods word and therefore read it though you saw no miracle to confirm it much more should you obey it though you see no miracle or do you in some things conform to it without seeing miracles you might do so also in other things on the same ground and you cannot disobey it for want of miracles without disowning it on the same account and as well might you for want here of disobey it in every thing as in som thing But the inference of these words to these he gave gifts is that the Church or Ministery that hath them not is not Christs Church or Ministery and then Christ may be obeyed though these be rejected I answer the Scripture saith these tokens shall follow them that believe Mark 16. but it doth not say such tokens shall accompany the Ministery and be in every visible Church therefore you might rather question as some do whether any in the world do believe since these are wanting then for want of these to question the truth of the Church and Ministery which those by you judged believers do enjoy 2. You herein question the truth of the Church and Ministery that have been as much as those that now are for John a Gospel-Minister Mark 1.1 2 3 4. did no Miracle John 10.41 and though the Corinth had all gifts 1 Cor. 1.7 and the Galatians had some yet we read not of any in the Churches of Macedonia or Asia or the Ephesians Bereans Philippians or almost any Church spoken of Obj. God hath set such in the Church 1 Cor. 12.28 29. I answer it is in that place evident that the Church there specified is no particular Church but the Church general called else-where the general Assembly of the first born written in Heaven Heb. 12. of which if we be not Members not only Church and Ministery but our readings prayings and distributions are little worth But if we be of this Church general as all believers be then may we acceptably pray read c. and as acceptably associate preach break bread and what not for if justified by faith we have peace God-ward through our Lord Jesus Christ by him also we have access to this grace wherein we stand Rom. 5.2 Rejoyce not in men for all is ours Paul Apollo things present or to come all is ours and we Christs 1 Cor. 3.21 22 23. 3. These saith he if compared with the word conform not I answer as much as your praying reading or Almes-giving do though we examine only his own quotations The Eunuch and Cornelius who acceptably read prayed and gave Alms had quickly the one a man the other an Angel sent them to estate them into Gospel Church and Ministery which he hath not to this day enjoyed therefore his own practice conformeth not to his own quotation Obj. They are not so unsuitable as to be disowned I answer I say the same of the

present Churches and Ministery their unsutablenes may be parallel'd by some owned in Scripture for Churches and the Temple he saith else-where was a Type of the Gospel Church State but in that though the free harted could not come nigh the first pattern how doth God incourage them notwithstanding Haggai 2.4 5 6. therefore if you can pray and read c. though you therein come short of the primitive pattern you might also conform to the present Church and Ministery among the free and upright hearted though they come short of the first pattern And so much to that CHAP. 2. IN the said Book he also saith though some say the Commission Mat. 28.19 20. was given to Disciples as Disciples or to preaching Disciples but Christ saith he p. 5. singled out some from others to preach Mat. 10.1.16 Mark 3.13 Luke 6.13 and this Commission Mat. 28. was given to the same persons p. 6. I answer that Commission Mat. 10. was in its extent limitted both for time and persons it was to be expenced by singled out men only to the ●ews before Christ's death But this Mat. 28. is every way unlimitted it extendeth to all Nations all Ages And may be yea must be dispensed by Disciples Obj It was given to the very same persons I answer it was given to them and also to the rest that were with them as Luke 24 33. to the end 2 If it had been given personally to no more then the eleven yet were they when that was given Mat. 10. called Apostles but now called disciples verse 16. and Christ could as easily have called them Apostles as Disciples had he herein considered them as Apostles and not as Disciples 3 If it had been given to them only and if they had now also been termed Apostles yet it would plainly appear to be given to them not considered as Apostles but as Disciples yea so as to include therein the whole body of Disciples in all Nations and in all Ages as much as they For these are herein bid 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by teaching to make Disciples all Nations with this addition verse 20 teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and loe I am with you always c teaching them to wit the disciplised whether Jew or Gentile to observe to do to practice all things every Gospel Command whatsoever I have ever since I estated to you in Gospel Worship Commanded ●ou But Christ had taught these to be baptized ●o pray to preach to baptize to assemble to break bread Act. 2.41.42 Ergo the disciplised must do the same of what Nation or age soever therefore as praying Disciples may pray so preaching Disciples may preach uniting Discipls may unite if they have ability they want not authority being Disciples and so we being Disciples learners of Christ hearkners to Christ have authority to practise what we finde in Scripture be Christs Gospell commands Consider also these things 1. Were those to whom in person this commission was given Apostles then the same Gospell commands that Apostles were to observe must Disciples observe also 2. Were they Jews then the Gospell-commands that Jews were to practise must Gentiles practise also 3. Were they with Christ and was this before Christs ascension then the same commands that were to be observed while Christ was present and before his ascention must be observed after his ascension and in his absence 4. The same authority given before his death to singled out men is after his resurrection given to them and others as Disciples but then it was limited to Apostles but now to Disciples boundlesse Therefore the authority of Disciples is far greater then the authority of Apostles 5. Sith this commission was given to Disciples before they had received the promised power from on high we learn that Disciples authority was as great before they received that power as after and then the said power is ability not authority 6. Was this commission given to the eleven and the others with then as Luke 24.33.47 48 49. Those that could work miracles and those that could not too then such Disciples as cannot work miracles have as much authority as those that can And so much to this also CHAP. 3. In the next place he propoundeth 4. questions p. 6. and giveth thereto 4 positive answers in substance thus 1. As of old administrations were committed to choice men Ex. 28.1.2 so now is preaching and baptizing to a Ministery p. 7. Mar. 3. Lu. 6. Acts. 10 1. 1 2.17.25 I Answ As then the Levits were chosen for ●riests and Aarons family for high Priests Ex. ●8 So now is Christ our high Priest and his disci●●es are Priests Heb. 3.1 1 Pet. 2.5 6. and faith●●ll preachers are choice men His quotations were minded in the 2d chap. Only here are two more added by him as Act. 1. Acts 10. but both do gaine say what he draws from them Act. 1. declareth first That that which he jumbles together are distinct and Judas had a share in both Ministerie and Apostleship verse 25. Seconly That Apostles did not only preach and baptize but were also eye-witnesses of Christs death and resurrection v. 22. Thirdly this place sheweth plainly that the Ministerie was bounded in Discipls that Disciples have authority to rectifie what by Scripture they find to be amisse yea authority to place men into offices yea into Apostleship and so disciples authority is greater them Apostles authority for Peter stood up among the Disciples and said Men and brethren this Scripture must be fullfilled c. vers 15 16. and then his advice being given to verse 22. the effect is and they appointed two they to wit the disciples the men and brethren afore specified and verse 24. 't is said further and they prayed c. and they gave forth the Lots c. they appointed they cast Lots they numbred him with then Apostles thus his own quottaion is sufficient against him Ob. Verse 1 He gave commandement to the Apostles whom he had chosen Act 10 but to us chosen before of God and he commanded us to preach c. I Answ That he now did give Commandements to those before chosen and called Apostles is true but that his commands were given but to them or that they were herein considered not as disciples is false for First as they were given to them so to the rest with them Secondly they were to teach the disciplised to observe the same as in chap. 2 And so in act 10 41 42 He appeared openly not to all the people that is not to all the Jews good and bad but to us chosen before of God not us Apostles only but to us brethren to 500 at once 1 Cor. 15 6 even to us which did eat and drink with him after he rose againe and he commanded us to preach c. us that eat and drank with him which is the eleven and the rest that were with them as Lu● 24.33 43