Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	apostle_n	bishop_n	church_n	2,501	5	4.6398	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85121	A plain-dealing, and plain-meaning sermon, preach't in the parish church of St. Nicholas, Bristol, April. 6. 1660. Being the day appointed by the Parliament for publique fasting and humiliation for the sins of the nation, &c. Together with a prefatory epistle, and subsequent vindication both of the sermon, and author. Wherein (besides an apology for home and plain-preaching) you have something offered to allay the heat of thier stomacks, and to temper the tongues of those, who (being ignorant in scripture) reproach and revile Presbytery and Presbyters. With some hints at Satans subtlety, and the mischief of those people, who brand zeal for God and truth (in free, home, and faithfull preaching) with the reproachful names of anger, passion, and railing.	Farmer, Ralph.	1660 (1660)	Wing F443; Thomason E1025_5; ESTC R208684	39,155	50

you one thing According to the usuall apprehension and among us in England what was the office and businesse of a Bishop And what is the office and business of a Presbyter You 'l say the office of a Bishop was to rule and govern for so they did And the office of a Presbyter or Elder is to teach and feed the Flock But now doth the Scripture thus distinguish and put a difference No but if there be any to be found there 't is on the other side the leaf That puts the honour of ruling upon the Presbyters the Elders and the businesse of teaching and feeding upon the Overseers the Bishops 1 Tim. 5.17 The Elders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Presbyters that rule well are worthy of double honour And the Apostle in Acts 20. puts the businesse of feeding one part whereof is teaching upon Bishops For vers 28. Take heed sayes he unto your selves and to all the flocke over which the holy Ghost hath made you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bishops so in the Greek to feed the Church of God See here you are made Bishops to feed Elders to rule and Bishops to feed So that by this it seems in the Apostles times the Bishop was not the better man But beloved are you willing to know the truth and wil you not kick against it when 't is laid plainly before you Why then know that then in the Apostles time Presbyter and Bishop were all one And that as the before-commended Mr. Lawson hath it whatsoever some of late have said to the contrary Presbyter and Bishop were onely two different words signifying the same Officer And for evidence undenyable do but read the 17. verse of that Chapter Acts 20. and there you shall finde who those persons are whom he calls Bishops or Overseers even the Presbyters the Elders of the Church of Ephesus put both together and it runs clearly thus St. Paul said to the presbyters or Elders of the Church of Ephesus Feed the flocke of God over which the holy Ghost hath made you Bishops I wonder why our last Translators of the Bible did not render it Bishop here but Overseer which they have not done in any other place where this word is used But I know the mysterie and I could give you some account as I have been credibly informed But to be short compare 1 Tim. 3.1,2,3 c. with Titus 1.5,6,7 c. and you shall finde the qualifications of a Bishop and of an Elder or Presbyter to be the same And in that place to Titus if you compare in 5. verse and the 7th you shall finde the Apostle using Elder and Bishop as synonimous signifying the same This is plain the Apostles themselves were not the onely Bishops even in the Apostles times And to close all in this particular let that place 1 Pet. 5. beginning be considered where St. Peter writing to the severall Churches as appears Chap. 1.1 in that 5th Chap. he exhorts the Presbyters or Eldrs to a faithfull discharge of their duty which is a diligent feeding their Flock without lording it over them much lesse over their fellow Elders vers 2 3. of which he professes himselfe to be one in vers 1. The Elders or Presbyters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which are among you I exhort who am 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 also a Presbyter or Elder a fellow-Presbyter or a Presbyter together with you Feed the flock of God which is among you taking the oversight thereof so we read it but in the Greek it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 playing the Bishops or doing the work or businesse of Bishops So that then Bishop and Presbyter both name and thing Title and employment was all one without any domination according to the rule and Canon of their Lord and Master Mar. 10.42 where a request having been made in the behalf of some of his Disciples for domination he calls them to him and sayes Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over Gentiles or Heathens exercise Lordship over them and their great ones exercise authority upon them But so it shall not be among you c. Much more might be said and is said by others in this matter And if any desire further information satisfaction herein let them without prejudice read Mr. Baxters five Disputations of Church-government and worship and there they shall finde these things plainly and truly stated and discussed What then will some say you would have all leveld and equal And you would have every Minister every Presbyter a Pope to domineer and Lord it in his own Parish Friends be not too hasty I do not say so nor would I have it so I would not have all equall all are not fit for every thing I am not of their opinion who say all things requisite to government and discipline in the Church are fully contained I mean punctually and particularly in Scripture Nor do those who say so make it good in their practice nor can they And I say further That opinion hath been the mother and nurse of much schisme and faction I grant that much here must be left to prudence and that not of single or particular Pastors Presbyters or Bishops but to the consideration and determination of the most godly learned grave and able in the Nation to which I would have all to conform If any like it not they are at their liberty Vnity and order is more precious then to be destroyed for the satisfaction of such as will never be satisfied as not well knowing their owne mindes And as for Lordly dominion and Poping it in our Parishes I do professe I do abhor it under every form I as much adhominate a lording Presbyter as a lording Bishop no name title or pretext whatsoever gives us any such authority And I would begge as I do desire that we might be kept to that which shall appear to be our proper businesse which if those of our profession had been England had not been in so sad a condition as it is this day I like not the Scotch Stool of Repentance nor would I have excommunicate persons driven into the Church again by the secular power As by Writs de excommunicato capiendo or the like It may force men to an hypocritical acknowledgment of some kinde of penitence but it cannot produce true repentance I would have Church-censures reach no further nor cut any deeper then their spiritual sword will penetrate I approve not rigid compulsions by the arme of flesh in such things which are the onely work of the spirit as is true and unfeigned repentance Of which if people by constraint make a feigned profession it doth but harden them in their sin and make them impudent which as I have been credibly informed is too manifest in some places of the world notwithstanding the strictnesse of their discipline I would have Church affairs in this respect so managed as if the Civil Magistrate were no friend to Religion farther

impenitence did not hinder and with-hold so great a mercy And the people in generall and my selfe in particular being in an apprehension and expectation of the Kings being brought unto the throne I thence took occasion in my discourse to suggest such things as I conceiv'd might be profitable and conducent to what I intended which was to in vite them to repentance But as he said of Bookes Pro captu lectoris habent sua fata libelli According to the understanding of the Reader so do books find entertainment So may we say of Sermons According to the understanding of our Auditors so are our Sermons accepted or rejected Nay not onely according to their understanding but many times and with most according to their ignorance humours fancies interests It was always so even with Christ and his Apostles Some believed their preaching and some mock'd and derided Some reproacht belied and slandered both them and their Doctrine Thus it hath fared with me not onely at other times but also at this time And it is some comfort to me that I am not alone But that my betters find no better entertainment from their Auditors it makes me think it is not our fault but theirs And because it doth so much quadrare so suite with my condition I will make so bold as to lay the complaint of a most eminent able and godly learned Preacher in his own words before you not being able to do it in better language It is the Reverend Dr. Gauden in his Sermon preached in St. Pauls Church London before the Lord Mayor Lord Generall c. Feb. 28. 1659. Being a day of Solemn Thanksgiving c. Wherein intending to deale faithfully and plainly Having proposed his Text after a few words he makes this entrance in page 2 3 4. of that Sermon to this purpose He seems very apprehensive of the danger and difficulty of free preaching in these times wherein as he observes people are not onely impatient to be touched freely and searched throughly but are also prone to plead as the Devills in the Gospel who had possessed the poor man now a long time against all health and recovery Many men being like Cantors and Lazors Canting beggars in love with their wounds and ulcers As getting their living more easily by keeping them open raw and running then if they should quite heal them up And he takes notice of the tenderness of many mens minds who are onely for lenitives and oyles for soft smooth supple applications even to their most desperate hurts But he professes to chuse not to preach at all then to preach timerously and precariously as if he should ask men leave to be honest or were afraid to speak the word of God to them And he further sayes When he is called to speak in Gods name he must be Parrhesiastes as well as Ecclesiastes I am sayes he to do it as a work-man that needs not to be ashamed either for his ignorance or cowardise or indiscretion And whether men will hear or forbear the whole counsel of God must be delivered in its season so as becomes the words of soberness and truth For the Church and Pulpit must not be a sanctuary for insolency nor a Burrow or retreat for rudeness No however men become our enemies for speaking the truth yet it 's better so then to have God our enemie for smothering it when it is just and seasonable And such it is when necessary and soveraign to heale the hurt of a Church or State Thus that reverent person And then complains It hath been his fate frequently to offend some men when he hath been most intent to serve them by Texts and Sermons which he thought most apt useful and innocent And then gives in three Texts which he preacht upon on 3. several great and special occasions One before the King another before the long Parliament the third elsewhere And of all three says he though wholsome and innocent Texts and I hope accordingly handled yet I heard some unpleasing eccho's and reflexions The sore and itching eares of some men in all ages are such that they will not endure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 healing or sound and wholsome doctrine though the pain ariseth from the sores and inflammation in themselves and not from the plaister and hand which honestly applyes it Yet they are prone as in fell boyls and acute tumours when but touched though but gently to fly upon those that are next them and cry aloud O you hurt me when the hurt is within and from their selves and their sound parts will endure free and rough handling such as are unfound do most want it And therefore if we will be faithfull to God to our own souls and our hearers we must not flatter their sores to their ruine but rather choose to heal them though at present we be thought to hurt them Nor sayes he farther shall our labour of love be in vain either in the Lord or before good men who at length will find by experience that the wounds of a friend which let out the putrified matter of painful tumors are better then the kisses of an enemy which do infidis cicatricibus cuticulam obducere Skin over with unfaithful scars the ill-searched ill-purged Ulcers of mens hearts and lives I hope this worthy person will pardon me that I have made so bold with him as to borrow so much from him I shall pay it him in those respects and honour I owe unto him for his noble disposition and temper And I rather chuse thus to do as hoping his worth will add more weight then if it had been delivered in my own words And see what is here delivered in the Sermon was but as a prophesie what befell this good man and good Preacher afterwards For in his Epistle Dedicatory to the Lord Mayor Aldermen and Court of Common-Councel who gave him thanks for his Sermon and intreated him to print it he tells them he heard some more offended at the plain-dealing he used which possibly sayes he was from their over-rawness and soreness more then from my roughness As I aym to do things faithfully personally so decently and discreetly Nor do I thinke I am to learn of those Censorious Cato's how to preach any more then they will learn of me to buy and sell or how to fight and war And he says No man may wonder if he dare to reprove those sins which some dare to do or to approve but dare not hear of or repent And that his parrhesia and freedome of speech as a man a Christian and a Preacher was such as became his feeling of the publique miseries the desire of the Publique tranquility and the sense of that fidelity he did owe to God his Countrey them to whom he preacht and his owne soul And the Lord knows my owne soul can and doth attest the same in my poor weak labours and indeavours also Though infinitely short in worth of this most