Selected quad for the lemma: sense_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
sense_n	church_n	prove_v	scripture_n	5,357	5	6.6789	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A78955	His Maiesties paper containing severall questions propounded to the commissioners Divines touching Episcopacy. With an humble answer returned to his Majesty by Mr. Marshall, Mr. Vines, Mr. Carill, and Mr. Seaman 4. October 1648. Published by authority.	England and Wales. Sovereign (1625-1649 : Charles I); Marshall, Stephen, 1594?-1655.; Vines, Richard, 1600?-1656.; Seaman, Lazarus, d. 1675.; Caryl, Joseph, 1602-1673.; Westminster Assembly (1643-1652)	1648 (1648)	Wing C2533; Thomason E466_6; ESTC R205221	7,335	14

His Majesties PAPER Containing severall Questions propounded to the Commissioners Divines Touching Episcopacy With an humble Answer returned to his Majesty by Mr. Marshall Mr. Vines Mr. Carill and Mr. Seaman 4. October 1648. DIEV ET MON DROIT London printed by Moses Bell 9 Octob. 1648. SIR I Have received your Letter of the 28. of September for which I give you many thankes and to satisfie you that the Treaty goeth on I have sent you what hath passed here of late which is as followeth Upon occasion of debate upon the Proposition of the Church in which his Majesty makes divers scruples of Conscience there was a concession that our Ministers that is Mr. Marshall Mr. Vines Mr. Carill and Mr. Seaman should attend his Majesty to remove such objections as he should please to make and accordingly on Munday morning they waited on his Majesty to whom the King delivered these inclosed Questions whereunto they have returned this Answer now also sent These Propositions of the Church are still under debate and will take up this weeke or more in the consideration of them which being once granted as some are of opinion they will be we may thereby hope for a very speedy consent to all the rest Commend me to all my friends whose names I purposely omit and rest Newport in the Isle of Wight 4. of October 1648. Yours to Command W. M. Charles R. I Conceive that Episcopall Government is most consonant to the Word of God and of an Apostolicall institution as it appeares by the Scripture to have been practised by Apostles themselves and by them committed and derived to particular persons as their Substitutes or Successors therein as for ordaining Presbyters and Deacons giving rules concerning Christian Discipline and exercising Censures over Presbyters and others and hath ever since to these last times been exercised by Bishops in all the Churches of Christ and therefore I cannot in Conscience consent to abolish the said Government notwithstanding this my perswasion I shall be glad to be informed if our Saviour and the Apostles did so leave the Church at liberty as they might totally alter or change the Church Government at their pleasure which if you can make appeare to me then I will confesse that one of my great Scruples is cleane taken away And then there only remaines That being by my Coronation Oath obliged to maintaine Episcopall Government as I found it setled to my hands whither I may consent to the abolishing thereof untill the same shall be evidenced to me to be contrary to the Word of God Newport 2. Octob. 1648. An humble Answer returned to your Majesties Paper delivered to us Octob. 2. 1648. May it please Your Majesty WE do fully agree without haesitation That thes Scriptures cited in the margent of your Paper Acts 14. 23. Acts 6. 6. 1 Cor. 16. 1. 1 Cor. 14. 1 Cor. 5. 3. 3 John 9. 10. do prove That the Apostles did ordaine Presbyters and Deacons give rules concerning Christian Discipline and had power of exercising censures over Presbyters and others and that these places of Scripture 1 Tim. 5. 22. Titus 1. 5. 1 Tim. 5. 19. Titus 3. 10. do prove That Timothy and Titus had power to ordaine Presbyters and Deacons and to exercise Censures over others and that the second and third Chapters of the Revelations do prove That the Angels of the Churches had power of governing of the Churches and exercising Censures But that either the Apostles or Timothy and Titus or the Angels of the Churches were Bishops as Bishops are distinct from Presbyters exercising Episcopall Government in that sense or that the Apostles did commit and derive to any particular persons as their Substitutes and Successors any such Episcopall Government or that this is proved in the least measure by the Scriptures alleadged we do as fully deny And therefore do humbly deny also That Episcopall Government is therefore most consonant to the Word of God and of Apostolicall institution or proved so to be by these Scriptures None of these were Bishops or practised Episcopall Government as Bishops are distinct from Presbytery neither is such an Officer of the Church as a Bishop distinct from a Presbyter to be found in the new Testament by which we humbly conceive That our faith and conscience touching this point ought to be concluded The Name Office and worke of Bishop and Presbyter being one and the same in all things and never in the least distinguisht as is cleerely evident Tit. 1. 5 7. For this cause left I thee in Creete that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting and ordaine Presbyters in every City as I had appointed thee for a Bishop must be blamelesse In which place the Apostles reasoning were altogether invalid and inconsequent if Presbyter and Bishop were not the same Office as well as they have the same name The same is manifest Acts 20 17 28. And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the Presbyters of the Church to whom he gave this charge vers. 28. Take heed therefore unto your selves and to all the flocks over which the Holy Ghost hath made you Bishops to feed and governe the Church of God Where we observe That the Apostle being to leave these Presbyters and never to see their faces more vers. 38. doth charge them with the feeding and governing of the Church as being Bishops of the Holy Ghosts making But that the Holy Ghost did make any superiour or higher kinde of Bishops than these common Presbyters is not to be found in that or any other Text And that under the mouth of two or three witnesses this assertion of ours may stand we adde to what we have already said That in the first of Peter 5. 1 2. The Presbyters which are among you I exhort who am also a Presbyter feed the flock of God which is among you Performing the Office of Bishops Where it appeares plaine to us That under the words used in this place is exprest whatsoever worke the Presbyters do more for the Government or good of the Church otherwise than is there expresly enjoyned unto Presbyters By all which that hath been said The point is rendered most cleare to the judgement of most men both ancient and of latter times That there is no such Officer to be found in the Scriptures of the new Testament as a Bishop distinct from a Presbyter Neither doth the Scripture afford us the least notice of any qualification required in a Bishop that is not required in a Presbyter nor any Ordination to the Office of a Bishop distinct from a Presbyter nor any worke or duty charged upon a Bishop which Presbyters are not enjoyned to do nor any greater honour or dignity put upon them For that double honour which the Apostles speake of 1 Tim. 5. 17. As due to Presbyters that rule well is with a note of especially affixed to that act or worke of labouring in the Word of Doctrine which is