Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	case_n	church_n	transact_v	16	3	16.5744	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A88586	The main points of church-government and discipline; plainly and modestly handled by way of question and answer. Very useful to such as either want money to buy, or leasure to read larger tracts.	Love, Christopher, 1618-1651.	1649 (1649)	Wing L3167; Thomason E1182_11; ESTC R208163	25,577	63

the duties of their places became a Church together sufficiently distinguished from others and this is far from the Church-covenant urged by some it being only an agreement implyed in actions as when a man dwells in a Town joyns in chusing Constables and other Offices pays Lays and Taxes assists Officers and bears Office if required doth tacitly agree that he is one of that Town and yet we cannot say that he hath entred into covenant or that entring into covenant doth make him so Quest 16. How large or how little may particular Churches be Answ A Church must consist of more then two or three though when there was no more in the world but Adam and Eve they two made a Church if there was any for two or three were to give the second Admonition which if a man did not here they were to tell the Church f Math. 18 15 16 17. and therefore the Church must of necessity consist of more then two or three yea there should be in a Church a competent number to be Officers and Members at least the Members should be as a Flock that is many though there were no Officer but one Pastor The Churches in the Gospel were numerous consisting of thousands and that they might do so the Apostles planted Churches only in Cities and in great Towns Cenchrea the least was a much frequented populous and famous Haven-Town g Gualter in Rom. 16 so also were the Churches of Galatia Macedonia Judea placed in the Cities of those Countries as Antioch Laodicea Philippi Thessalonica Jerusalem Lidda c. and how numerous soever any Church did grow we read not that it was divided into two or more Churches or that there were more Churches then one in any one City or Town As it is acknowledged on all hands that a particular Church may consist of as many as may meet every Lords day in oue place for edification so it may be proved that the Church of Jerusalem did consist of more then did or could meet with edification in one place 1. By the multitude of Beleevers Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region round about Jordan were baptized by John h Mat. 3. 6 7 and the Disciples of Christ baptized more Disciples then John i Joh. 4. 1 and many of the people beleeved in Jesus k Joh 2. 23 7 31. 8 30 The Pharisees said the world is gone after him l Joh. 12 19 and after Christs ascension there were added 3000 souls m Act. 2 41 and 5000 n Act. 4. 4 and afterward the Disciples were multiplyed greatly and a great company of the Priests were obedient to the faith o Act. 6. 1 7 Now all these which deserved to be called a City a World of people thousands and multitudes for the Holy Ghost at the last leaves numbering could not meet together in one place for hearing the Word For no one room in a private house could hold them all no one mans voyce could reach them much less could so many thousands orderly at once receive the Sacrament together nor could be accommodated with beds to sit lie or lean upon which was Christs gesture a Table to receive at and Cups to drink in and therefore they were constrained to sever themselves into divers companies for breaking of bread p Act 2 46 and to meet distributively in their private houses for that purpose Hence it is observable that though proof be offered by some that the Church of Jerusalem did meet together in the Temple to heat the Word which was common to Jews with Christians and to chuse Officers which is not every Lords day-work and to which the presence of women and children the greater half of the Church is not required yet not one word is brought to prove that they all met in one place to receive the Sacrament the chief Church-ordinance 2. Twelve Apostles q Math. 9. 35. 10 1 seventy Disciples r Luke 10 2 besides Elders mentioned Act. 11. s Act. 11. 30 as being extant before that time which doubtless were diligent Preachers in Jerusalem the chief place of their residence and could not all nor most of them be imployed once every Lords day if there was but one Congregation in Jerusalem 3. The Church that prayed for Peter met many of them in the house of Mary and others of them James and his brethren elsewhere t Act. 12. 5. with 12 17 so that Church did not meet in one place 4. It is said that Paul abode in Jerusalem with Peter fifteen days v Gal. 1. 18 and doubtless Peter and he frequented the Church-meetings yet he saw no other of the Apostles save James the Lords brother he saith not they were not in Jerusalem but he saw them not which had been very improbable if not impossible seeing the Apostles were diligent in preaching if there had been but one Church-meeting in Jerusalem more might be said to prove that the Church of Jerusalem consisted of more then one Congregation and instance of the like may be given in other Churches of Samaria Ephesus Corinth c. Q. 17. May not every Congregation enjoy all the Ordinances of God within it self Ans No 1. Synods are the Ordinances of God and cannot be had in a particular Congregation yea general Councels are the Ordinances of God and yet cannot be found in any less Church then the universal visible 2. A particular Congregation consisting only of private Members cannot enjoy ordination by Presbyters which is an ordinance of God nor can she in that state regularly partake in Sacraments and Censures therefore combination or consociation of Churches is useful and needful in the aforesaid cases as also in case of a particular Churches insufficiency to transact her own business in case of business of common concernment to more Churches then one in case of an incompetent particular Eldership of appellation of presumed mal-administration of divisions in a particular Church of differences between Churches of spreading Heresies indangering Truth Peace decision of hard questions direction in hard cases or the like w Act. 15 Quest 18. Doth the Scripture warrant the use and subordination of Congregational Classical Provincial National and Oecumenical Assemblies Ans Yes it doth For 1. of Congregational Assemblies no question is made 2. The proving of the Church of Jerusalem to consist of more Congregations then one and their Elders questionless convening for Acts of government of those Congregations doth also prove the warrantableness of a Classical Assembly 3. There being warrant sufficient for combination of Churches and the Scripture not limiting it to such or such limits beyond which it may not exceed doth sufficiently warrant the greater combinations as occasion may require them and they may with conveniency be had the Scripture doth not determine those cases in which a Church may call neighboring Churches together for advice nor with how many Churches or with what Churches