Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	bond_n	peace_n	unity_n	8,534	5	8.8402	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A26279	Aaron's rod blossoming, or, The orthodox government of the Church of England by bishops, presbiters, and deacons, asserted from the practice of the apostles, the testimony of councils, synods, fathers and doctors, from the apostles time to this day ...		1680 (1680)	Wing A43; ESTC R22486	17,618	40

prebere because they would not submit to Austin's Will For this was indeed the quarrel as our Writers say This their refusal to yield to Austin the Monk I produce as a Proof that the Christians which he found here held in many things with the Eastern Churches as having their Doctrine from Jerusalem and Sion whence the Gospel was to be sent Isaiah 2.3 Malachi 4.2 to the Nations and whence as Salvation went Psal 14.7 so likewise the Doctrine of Salvation for Christ who gave the Apostles Commission to go to all Nations and preach the Gospel did bid them stay at Jerusalem not at Rome till the Holy Ghost had furnisht them with Gifts for the work commanded This further appears by that resolute Answer which the Abbot of Bangor gave to Austin the Monk Anno 601. viz. that he and his acknowledged no Superiority in the Bishop of Rome over them nor any Superiour but their own Arch-Bishop Caer Leonis or as some will have it Senovensis qui sub Deo solus possitus fuit super illos ad super videndum ad faciendum illos servare viam spiritualem who alone was under God made an Overseer or Bishop to them that he might make them observe the Spiritual way Seing this stout Champion thus answered it is propable that they were of the Primitive Institution And this I rather give credit to because if the Bishop of Rome had then held the present Tenent of that Church viz. that their City is the Spiritual Metropolis and that their Bishop is Caput Ecclesiae our Predecessours would have acknowledged the Pope and his See as they had been taught But Baronius saith that our English Bishops are as Antient as those of Rome and it is probable they were For this we have good proof that at a Council held at Arles Anno 314 we had three Bishops viz. Eborius de Civitate Eboraci Episcopus Restitutus de Civitate Londini Episcopus Eldelphius de Civitate Coloniae Londinensium exinde Sacerdos Presbyter Arminius Diaconus Eborius Bishop of York Restitutus Bishop of London Eldelphius Bishop of Colchester and after them Sacerdos a Presbyter Arminius a Deacon These subscribed in this Council here therefore I observe that in the year 314 we had Bishops Presbyters and Deacons the very Government now in question and Romish they were not as I conceive because they then acknowledged not a Subordination to Rome and because Urban the Second called Learned Anselme Patriarcha Brittanniae the Patriarch of Brittain Therefore methinks it should not now be questioned whether Episcopacy be a Romish Relique but rather that it should be confirmed as an Evangelical Ordinance and as Antient as the first Institution of Churches and as a Calling appointed by the Apostles What more have we for Baptism of Infants What more for our Lords Day or Sunday but convincing Deductions from the Scriptures or the Practice of the Apostles and the Observation of the same in the Churches of God successively to this very day And yet we hold both these to be Sacred Ordinances and of Divine Institution though they be both questioned by some men of the Reformed Churches as Episcopacy is among some of Ours The Case is alike and as clear if not clearer for Episcopacy that it had a Divine Institution If what is formerly said satisfie not I will only use this Argument more to prove that Episcopacy is jure divino If the Charge given Tim. 1.6 14. be to Timothy personally and be perpetual then it is to One person namely to Timothy and to the Successours in his place for Timothy was Mortal so that the perpetuity of the Charge must reach to all his Successours until the Appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ But the Charge is personal to Timothy and perpetual even to the Appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ therefore it is to one person viz. to Timothy and to his Successours for ever Object If it be here objected that the Charge was given to Timothy as elsewhere the Keys to Peter and according to that which is said quod dixit Petro dixit ceterisque Apostolis what was spoke to Peter was spoke to the other Apostles also Answ I answer It is true for what was said to Timothy was said ceterisque Episcopis Successoribus corum both to other Bishops and their Successours as Christ's giving the Keys to Peter was to him and the other Apostles but not to all Disciples Deacons and Widdows To sum up all Since it appears that Episcopacy Presbytery and Diaconatus are according to the practice of the Apostles Analogical to the Institution of the Jewish Church appointed by God and establisht by Moses pointed at and in some sort deciphered in the New-Testament and strongly insinuated by the Successours of the Apostles to have been received and practised by them as commended to them by Divine Authority Since these three Orders in our Church are derived so high have continued so long even from the Primitive times to this day we may well conclude that as Presbyters and Deacons so Bishops are jure divino especially seeing Episcopacy is so generally confirmed and hath been so constantly continued by the Aphstles Apostolick men Councils Fathers and Doctors And much the rather I am induced thus as I have said to judge of Episcopacy because the contrary part have not the like Proofs Warrant and Approbation for their Presbytery and can bring no sufficient and convincing Authority for a Quarterly or Yearly President joynt Presbyters and Lay-Elders usurping Pastoral and Episcopal Jurisdiction And here in confidence of my Cause I add That if they have any lawful General Council or any Synod except their own which established Church-Government by such a President Presbyters and Lay-Elders as aforesaid I will renounce my Opinion and yield the Cause Now it concernes us very much to be well advised and truly to judge of these Matters because it appears in a Seditious Pamphlet entituled the Prelates Pride that the Author thereof and such as he is care not what Government be established so that Popery which we wish more rightly than they may be abolisht Episcopacy and the present Government which how inconvenient it may be they know not may be abolisht and they have Liberty and Toleration which what settled State will permit to profess what Religion they please to make choice of and what shall best suit their own Interest the Card they commonly sail by So may we have as many Religions as there be at Amsterdam and unpeople all our Plantations by calling home many Phanatical Scismaticks who under colour of dislike of the Church-Government here have fallen out with our Religion and framed to themselves divers Opinions if not Religions contrary to ours not only in Form but Reality Seeing then there is but one Lord one Faith one Baptism one God and Father of All let us endeavour to keep the Unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace That there may be one Body and one Spirit even as we are Called in one Hope of our Calling Eph. 4. Let us stick fast to that one Truth which we are taught and be stedfast in one Faith and agree jointly with one accord like Children of the same Father and Mother Let us not loose the Honour of our Church-Government but reform the personal Errours if any such be and sinde Reformation signifies nothing else but the reduceing and setting Matters into the Form in which they were most perfect let us constantly bold our selves to the Form kept and practised in the primitiver and purest Times and in the First and Second Centuries in which we shall find the Order Episcopal Presbyterial and Diaconal observed and ever since confirmed by National Synods and Councils of our own near 1400 years ago or 1000 at least and practised in many Successions before and since Nothing now remains but Prayers and Endeavours for the Continuance of the Establishment of the present Government of the Church of England which is so agreeable to the Antient Constitution Only now here I wish that we may save the Honour of our dear and aged Mother and punish her Sons if any have dishonoured her by pride tyranny covetousness or any other way and that the Church and Common-wealth may hold such Correspondency as they did in the days of David and as Kings were nursing Fathers and Queens nursing Mothers to the Church in her Infancy so in her Age she may find Kings to support her if weak And if any of her Children be like Eli's their Father may correct them so that their Mother may not be dishonoured and ruined I conclude with that of St. Augustine si quid tota ecclesia hodie frequent at per orbem hoc quin ita sit faciendum disputare insolentissimae est insaniae if any thing at this day be of frequent use in the whole Church to question and dispute whether it ought so to be is a most insolent Madness Epist. 118 and that it is Arianism to say That Presbyters in Common Acception are equal to Bishops such as were Successours of the Apostles and such as St. Augustin himself was This Epiphanius reckons it among the Antient Heresies and time hath not bettered it And whether it resembles and comes near the Antilogie of Korah or not my self not being rigid and prone to censure I leave to be determined by Others FINIS