Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	church_n	doctrine_n	teach_v	6,712	5	6.4919	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A92287	The reasons of the Dissenting Brethren against the third proposition, concerning presbyterial government· Humbly presented.	Westminster Assembly; Goodwin, Thomas, 1600-1680.; Westminster Assembly (1643-1652). Answer of the Assembly of Divines unto the reasons of the seven Dissenting Brethren, against the proposition of divers congregations being united under one Presbyteriall government.	1645 (1645)	Wing R573; Thomason E27_14; ESTC R209981	37,798	45

of Jerusalem to have sent chosen men to carry the Letters and withall to shew the grounds of those their judgements by word of mouth ver. 23. 27. 31. This needed not if their own Elders had been present and so had been to have returned and if they were sent as Messengers from the Synod then to all the Churches as well as to Antioch and why doe they then goe no further then unto Antioch ver. 33. Yea and although Paul and Barnabas delivered those results to all the Cities yet as it should seem accidentally and not principally intended they goe not on purpose chiefely to deliver those decrees but ver. 36. of chap. 15. it was Pauls motion upon other grounds to go visit the Churches in every City where they had Preached and so but occasionally delivered these Decrees Chap. 16. 4. So as they came to them not as sent in a mandatory way as to Churches subject to that Synod by a Synodical Law as such Canons are used to bee sent but as the judgement onely of this Church and the Apostles delivered them for their edification And in the third place If there were any further authority or jurisdiction in their Decrees it was from the Apostles who were present and concurred in it and who had power over all the Churches and accordingly though the Elders in the whole Church were present and joyned with the Apostles Quantum in se to consent and approve their Decrees with that severall respective kinde of judgment proper unto them yet all the authority put forth over these Churches was that transcendent authority of the Apostles which is not now left in all the Elders of the world joyned together and that therefore these Decrees made and the decision of these questions here were by infallible Apostolicall authority and to that end they subjoyned that Apostolicall Seale It seemed good to us and the Holy Ghost And although the ordinary Elders yea and the whole Church joyned in this yet but according to their Measure Analogy and Proportion of their faith even as in writing some Epistles Timothy and Silvanus joyned with Paul but yet Paul onely wrote Apostolically and the authority in them is looked at as his or else because perhaps they having the Holy Ghost falne on them through the Apostles Doctrine then delivered which was then usuall perswading their hearts unanimously though afore dissenting as ver. 25. to accord in that respect they might speak this in such a sense that no assembly of men wanting Apostolicall presence and instruction may now speak And although it may bee objected That then this Letter and these Decrees should bee formall Scripture and so binde us still it is answered That they are Scripture and written for our learning and if the case were the same upon which they obliged them then viz. matter of offence that then they would binde us now but the things being enjoyned but as {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} things of a superadded casuall necessity and not absolute in case of offence onely and not simply for the things themselves therefore now the necessity being ceased the obligation ceaseth yet so as the equity of the rule and ground these were commanded upon to abstain from things that will offend our brethren doth hold in like cases to the end of the world And last of all there is no act of such authority and government put forth in it which the Proposition intendeth which will appeare if wee either consider the occasion and rise of it or the issue and result of it It was not a set or stated meeting by common agreement of the Churches but Antioch sends to Jerusalem unknowne to them there are no summons sent to send up Delinquents nor can wee finde these disturbers are sent to Jerusalem to bee censured by those Ecclesiasticall pupunishments in which Government doth properly lye and consist The subject matter sent to them for their decision was meerely matter of Doctrine about this question verse 2. and about this word verse 5. Namely whether the Ceremoniall Law was to bee observed Concerning which they wrote their judgements dogmatically which they were called to doe being thus sent unto Neither doth it argue that it was more then to determine this question doctrinally they came up for because that Paul and Barnabas could have decided that before being themselves Apostles and that therefore their comming up was for discipline against Delinquents for as the case stood they listened not to Paul and Barnabas as Apostles but pretended the judgment of the other Apostles For indeed Paul and Barnabas did declare their judgements the {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} or contention ver. 3. being attributed unto them as contending against the false Teachers for the Truth and so as even the Church of Antioch rested not in their decision Otherwise Paul and Barnabas might have as Apostles censured those Delinquents without comming to Jerusalem as wel as by Apostolique authority have decided the question For Apostolicall power extended to Discipline as well as Doctrine If it bee said That even doctrinally to deliver the truth when it is done by a company of Elders hath authority or power in it as when Christ said Goe and teach all power is given unto mee It is granted an Authoritie exercised in doctrine and so to bee in Synods but yet not Jurisdiction which the Proposition intends which is when doctrines are delivered sub paena under the penaltie of that Ecclesiasticall punishment of Excommunication if not received One Minister alone hath a dogmaticall authoritie as a Minister to rebuke exhort and yet acts of Jurisdiction are not his alone but of others conjoyned with him Neither secondly doth the titles given to these results of theirs argue a Jurisdiction in that they are called {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} and {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Act. 16. 4. For although the word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} is used for an Imperiall decree Luke 2. 1. yet but rarely and more commonly as Stephanus and Budaeus observe for doctrine opinion in matters morall or speculative as Platonis Dogma c. and thence is translated to import the Judgements of Divines given in matters Theologicall although delivered with certaintie And so the using of this word implyeth the subject to have beene doctrinall onely and so delivered And further the subject matter of this decision being about rules and ceremonies and the not observation of them the Dogma is elegantly and perhaps on purpose given to these Apostolicall Canons by way of opposition and contradiction to those that taught and observed such rules who are said {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} in so doing Colossians 2. 20. being led away by the false Dogmata or Heterodox theses of false Teachers that enjoyned them And for that other word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} translated ordained it plainely notes out but this that these

doctrinall Theses were the joynt declared and avowed Judgement and conclusions of these and so answereth to those other words in their letters It seemeth good unto us being with one accord c. Apostles and Elders thus met with one accord agreeing therein and particularly and unanimously so judging and therefore when James gives his judgement hee useth the same word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Verse 19. of this 15. Chap. This is my judgement which being voted and agreed upon by the rest they are called {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Neither doth this argue any act of authoritie that the things here declared to bee observed are indifferent for some of them come under a morall consideration and all come under the case of offence Neither doth the language they commend those to them in sound of that Jurisdiction or government intended in the proposition for although they seeme to speake as guided infallibly in their resolution it seemed good to us and to the holy Ghost yet their expressions are carried so as to avoyd Jurisdiction those words To lay no other burthen if any must import this Jurisdiction but these words as Ludovicus de Dieu hath well observed are as they may bee taken passively therein agreeing with the Syriack translation It seemed good to and the holy Ghost that no other burthen bee laid on you that whereas these Teachers of the circumcision had gone about by their doctrine to bind the Law of Moses upon mens consciences and to put on them a burthen too heavy for them to beare as Peter speakes Vers 9. and had taught this to bee the commands of Christ and his Apostles and the judgement of the Church of Jerusalem They disclaime this and professe they would have no such burthen put upon them and that they gave these Teachers no such commandement that is never delivered or uttered any such Doctrine to bee commanded And if it bee taken actively yet the declaring it to bee the command of Christ is the imposition here intended for the same words are used of the Teachers who yet had not assumed by vertue of an Ecclesiasticall authority to impose these things but by way of Doctrine So Verse the tenth Why tempt you God to put a yoake upon the necke of the Disciples Vers 5. And it is well knowne that in the Scripture phrase to teach and to declare though by way of Doctrine and to presse mens consciences with things as the commands of God is said to bee a binding and imposing a burthen on them So of the Pharisees and these were of the sect of the Pharisees of whom and to whom that was spoken Verse 5. it is said Matth. 23. 4. that the Pharisees bind heavy burthens and grievous to bee borne and lay them on mens shoulders which is spoken but of a doctrinall declaring and pressing mens consciences with the rigour of the Law and this is so well knowne to bee the Language of the Jewes that it need not bee insisted on Neither doth it follow that if they may lay these burthens by way of Doctrine they may censure for the neglect of them for every Minister in his Sermon imposeth those burthens whilst they urge and declare these duties to men and yet have not power Ecclesiastically to censure them for though it being a command of Christ they could not but hold it forth as such and so urge it yet not by way of Jurisdiction but with these soft words which if you observe you doe well Lastly although these false Teachers had subverted their faith and against their owne light had avouched their Doctrine to bee the doctrine of the Apostles which deserved the highest censure being a sinne so scandalous yet they proceeded not to censure them by way of admonition or excommunication which are acts of government but onely do declare their sinne and errour and give their Judgement of it Whereas in the close of the proofe from the Church of Jerusalem for many Congregations to bee under one Presbyteriall government it is asserted whether these Congregations bee fixed or not fixed it is all one to the truth of the proposition this reason is offered against it There is this difference every Congregation having Elders fixed to it is a Church for the relation of Elders and Church is mutuall Acts 14. 23. They ordained Elders in every Church This relation of Elders to a Church is a speciall distinct relation to that Congregation of which they are Elders so as they are not related to other Congregations and these Congregations are Ecclesiae primae Churches formed up though uncompleat as being according to our Brethrens opinion members of a more generall Presbyteriall Church But if Congregations have no fixed Officers they are not Churches according to their Principles Now it makes a great difference as to the truth of the Proposition whether many Churches may bee under the government of one or whether many Congregations which to them are no Churches may bee under the government of one Whatsoever our Brethren shew of divers Congregations to bee under the government of a Church Presbyteriall yet they no where shew any one patterne or example in Scripture wherein many Churches were under the power of one nay nor where any one Church was under the power of another And lastly if there were many Congregations in Jerusalem having their Officers fixed to them and not in common then during the time before the dispersion the Apostles must bee those Officers that were thus fixedly disposed of to those severall Congregations some over one others over another as ordinary Elders now are Now suppose this number of Beleevers to have beene as many thousands as is argued at 10. or 12000. soules and these to bee divided into as many Congregations as might bee divided to twelve Apostles severally to watch over Or suppose the severall Congregations made up of 2000. which is an alotment small enough to bee set apart for the paines of two Apostles Hereupon great incongruitie doth follow that Apostles are brought to the state and condition and worke of Parish Ministers to whom yet it was committed and inseparably annexed to their Office yea and constituted it as Apostles to have the care of all Churches and if when the Churches were multiplyed and dispersed into severall Countries they were to have the care of them then much more when they were in one Citie Some of the writers against Episcopacie when those that write for it alledg the instance of James abiding at Jerusalem as the Bishop of that Church have judged it a debasing of the Apostolicall power to limit it to one Diocesan Church but this position doth debase all the Apostles at once much more it makes them not Bishops to many Churches but ordinary Elders in that one or two of them perhaps are over one single Church yea and which is yet more incredible if these Churches and their government were like to those under the Presbytery and no