Selected quad for the lemma: authority_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
authority_n	apostle_n	church_n	prove_v	3,145	5	6.1841	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A57068	The tabernacle of God with men, or, The visible church reformed a discourse of the matter and discipline of the visible church, tending to reformation / by Richard Resbury ...	Resbury, Richard, 1607-1674.	1649 (1649)	Wing R1136A; ESTC R32282	56,135	82

distinct from and above Presbyters is manifest in this instance of the Church of Alexandria where till Heraclas and Dionysius a Bishop was no other but one of the Presbyters by the choice and consent of the rest set in an higher degree 2. Another pretence from antiquity is the Catalogues of Bishops succeeding each other in such and such Churches Answ How doth it appeare that these Bishops had peculiar Ordination and above Presbyters there is as formall a Catalogue given in of the Bishops of Alexandria as of any other Church succeeding Mark the Evangelist in this order 1. Anianus 2. Abilius 3. Cerdo 4. Primus 5. Justus 6. Eumenes 7. Marcus 8. Celadion 9. Agrippas or Agrippinus 10. Julianus 11. Demetrius 12. Heraclas 13. Dionysius Whereas yet we have it cleare from Ierome that Heraclas was the first who had distinct Ordination and Office above a Presbyter 3. Pretence from antiquity such testimonies as are given to the honour and power of Bishops by the Ancients and here above all Ignatius helps at every turne Answ 1. Forasmuch as five of his Epistles are granted by diverse advocates of Episcopacy to be such as do evidently betray no little forgery who shall assure us that those seven by them avouched in all things genuine are so indeed what more unlikely then that they should escape tampering by the same hands 2. Those seven most stood upon are by very learned men amongst others Salmasius judged in the very testimonies very spurious and that not from blasse but upon good grounds 1. The arrogance of some of them take that for one in his Epistle to the Trallians What is the Bishop but he that is strongly possest of all Principality and Authority beyond all as much as is possible for men to be possest being made an imitatour according to Power of Christ who is God He that can find here an Apostolicall spirit breathing surely hath little acquaintance with the Apostles writings saith Salmasius and indeed how unlike to that of the Apostle is it 1 Cor. 3.5 Who then is Paul and who is Apollo but ministers by whom you beleeved c. This was Pauls way to take up schisme how contrary to this Ignatius here for the Prevention of it 2 Of the falsenesse of some that in the same Epistle Reverence the Bishop as Christ as the blessed Apostles commanded you Where is this command That in his Epistle to the Smyrnians Let that be accounted a firme Eucharist which is by the Bishop administred or by him to whom he shall have committed it it is not lawfull without the Bishop either to baptize or to offer c. Hath not the Holy Ghost committed preaching and baptisme and administration of the Supper joyntly to every Presbyter this sounds ill in every care except of Papist or Prelate the Church of Alexandria had no true baptisme for about two hundred and sixty years if this be true doctrine as for the Reformed Churches they are in the same case 3. The idolatrous strayne of some take that in the same Epistle In the Church is nothing greater then the Bishop consecrate to God for the salvation of the whole world 4. The impertinencie of some take that in his Epistle to the Philadelphians Let the Princes obey the Emperour the Souldiers the Princes the Deacons the Presbyters those High-Priests the Presbyters and the Deacons and the rest of the Clergy and who are they I wonder and what part of the Clergy is the Deacon with all the People and the Souldiers and the Princes and the Emperour let them obey the Bishop Setting aside other flawes what impertinencie is here to enjoyne the Princes and the Emperour to obey the Bishop when there were not at this time nor many years after any Emperour or Princes Christian These are some few gleanings more of the like stamp there to be found that not without reason it is by the learned conjectured that about the beginning or middle of the second Century was this forged Author surreptitiously brought into the Church about which time this kinde of Episcopacy soaring above Presbytery began 3. How little our prelates and their party regard his writings only they plead them to serve their own turne is manifest that we hear so little from them of subjection to the Presbyters and Deacons which Ignatius urgeth so much in his Epistle to the Trallians It is necessary that ye do nothing without the Bishop but that ye be in subjection likewise to the Presbytery as to the Apostles of Jesus Christ And ye ought by all means to please the Deacons being of the mysteries of Jesus Christ The Presbyters are the great Councell of God and the Chain of the Apostles of Jesus Christ In his Epistle to those in Tarsus Let the Presbyter be subject to the Bishop the Deacons to the Presbyters the People to the Presbyters and the Deacons they that keep this good order my soul for theirs Much more to the same purpose up and down in him where Salmasius conjectures this spurious Author was about the midst or towards the beginning of the second century whilst the Presbytery yet retaind much of its authority Now what do our Prelates and their party here For Presbyters they allow them no rule by way of jurisdiction for Deacons they have first changed their office and then ordered it so as it is never long standing being only a degree to Presbytery And indeed here this Ignatius seemes to ascribe that office and power to Deacons which the scripture takes no notice of which hath appointed them to the service of tables not to preach and rule in the Church as Jerome argues and this furthers discovers that this is no true Ignatius 4. Conclude from Jerome that before schisme fell out in the Churches and that long after the Apostles times the Church was governed only by Presbyters that the Bishop above the Presbyters was brought into some Churches sooner into others later according as schisme gave the occasion that it was about 260 years ere this change was made in the Church of Alexandria that wheresoever it was made it stands not upon divine authority but upon Church Custome and this by Scripture strongly proved therefore these testimonies of Ignatius or whatsoever the like so farre as they plead for Episcopacy above Presbytery cannot stand either with the truth of the Scripture or the practice of the first and purest Churches We returne to Jerome his Epistle to Evagrius That which next follows concernes not the matter in hand but is against the superiority of the Bishop of Rome and against a perverse custome in Rome that a Presbyter was ordained upon the testimony of a Deacon that which concernes the present question followes in these words Presbyter and Bishop one is the name of age the other of dignity whence to Titus and Timothy the Apostle speaks of the Ordination of the Bishop and Deacon concerning the Presbyters he is altogether silent because in the Bishop the Presbyter

had for ordaining some among them to be their Ministers it were not worth the having but withall it being impossible to be had the call and confirmation of the Church is sufficient as Beza pleads for the first Reformers in Acts 14.23 But further for clearing this scruple we lay down CHAP. VIII The sixth Instruction That Bishops in office above Presbyters are no Church-officers of divine institution it is pleaded by Jerome from Scripture and the highest Gospel-antiquity THere is a Divine Bishop one and the same with a Presbyter or a Pastor or Teacher of a Congregation and Elder labouring in the Word and Doctrine there is an humane Bishop one that pleads his office to be above the Presbyters or Pastors office and two things he challengeth above the Presbyter 1. Power of Ordination 2. Power of Jurisdiction Jerome a learned Father famous about 390 yeeres after Christ in his Epistle to Evagrius and in his Commentary upon the Epistle to Titus speaks clearly to this question both from Scripture and from the first Gospel antiquity I have therefore thought fit to translate that Epistle and thence to observe his Arguments from Scripture as likewise what he produceth from antiquity that we might at once give double light to this question knowing well that where antiquity is used against the Scripture it is nothing worth but whereit stands fair with the Scripture it may be a secondary confirmation of the true meaning of Scripture to the impartial enquiter after truth and an argument fully in force against the adversary pretending antiquity for his Error This Epistle is directed against a certaine person who would have a Deacon to be above a Presbyter against whom thus Jerome We read in Isaiah the fool will speak folly I hear of one who hath broken forth into so great folly that he would prefer Deacons before Presbyters that is before Bishops For when the Apostle teacheth clearly that Presbyters are the same with Bishops who may endure that the servant of tables and widowes should lift up himselfe swollen above them by whose prayers the body and blood of Christ is consecrate Seekest thou authority Heare the Testimony Paul and Timothy Phil. 1. the Servants of Jesus Christ to all the Saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi with the Bishops and Deacons Acts 20. Wilt thou another example In the Acts of the Apostles thus Paul writes to the Ministers Sacerdotes of one Church Take heed to your selves and to the whole flock over which the holy Ghost hath made you Bishops for it is the same word here that every otherwhere is translated Bishops that yee might rule the Church of the Lord so he reads it which he hath purchased with his owne blood And that no man may contentiously wrangle that there were many Bishops in one Church hear yet another testimony by which it is most manifestly proved Tit. 1. that a Bishop and Presbyter are one and the same For this end I left thee in Creet that thou mightest redresse the things that were wanting that thou mighest appoint Presbyters in every City as I have also commanded thee If any man be without blame the husband of one wife have faithful children 1 Tim. 4. not accused of riot or disobedient for it behooves a Bishop to be without blame as the Steward of God And to Timothy Neglect not the grace which is in thee which was given thee by prophecy with the laying on of hands of the Presbytery But Peter likewise in his first Epistle saith 1 Pet. 5. The Elders or Presbyters which are among you I intreat who am your fellow-Elder and a witnesse of the suffrings of Christ and also a partaker of glory to come which is to be revealed that yee rule the flock of Christ and oversee it not of necessity but willingly according to God which in the Greek is more significantly exprest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bishoping that is overseeing them from whence the name of Bishop is drawne Do the testimonies of these so great men seem small to thee let the Gospel-trumpet sound the Son of thunder whom Jesus loved so much who drunk the flowing streams of doctrine out of his Saviours breast The Presbyter to the elect Lady and to her children whom I love in the truth And in another Epistle The Presbyter to the wel-beloved Caius whom I love in the truth Hitherto Ierome Here we have both clearly affirmed and strongly confirmed that a Bishop in office above a Presbyter is no where to be found in Scripture but Bishop and Presbyter are two names of one and the same office so that whatsoever belongs to any Bishop by vertue of his office the same belongs to every Presbyter as he is a Presbyter For clearing both his affirmation and confirmation we must observe that in his time the custome of the Church had obtained that some were single Presbyters others so Presbyters as withall Bishops challenging above single Presbyters the Power of Ordination at the least themselves likewise ordained not by single Presbyters as they called them but by Bishops and it is pleaded by the Advocates of Episcopacy at this day that the Apostles before their death ordained severall Bishops in office above Presbyters as formerly we laid down over the Churches in severall cities and these Bishops in continuall succession ordained others neither can a Bishop be ordained by Presbyters nor a presbyter without a Bishop at least ordinarily Against this Jerome pleads taxing the great errour of them that would preferre a Deacon to a Presbyter That it is all one to preferre him to a Bishop for according to Scripture the one is neither greater nor lesse then the other neither is there any such distinction of single Presbyter from the Bishop but they are one and the same and this he saith the Apostle teacheth clearly and having affirmed this he proves it by many Arguments 1. From the granted operation belonging to the Presbyters office as such and therefore to every Presbyter which is to consecrate the body and bloud of Christ Where is the highest officiall operation there is the highest office but in the hands of every Presbyter is the highest officiall operation for we may not thinke that either imposition of hands in Ordination or passing sentence in excommunication are acts of higher nature then consecrating the elements in the Supper and this belongs to every Presbyter by vertue of his office therefore in the hands of every Presbyter is the highest office The like Argument we have 1 Tim. 5.17 Those acts which are most worthy of honour are the highest but such is labouring in the word and doctrine belonging to every minister of the word compared with ruling challenged by the Bishop 2. Argument from the two first testimonies Phil. 1.1 and Acts 20. Of Bishops above Presbyters there is but one belongs to a city But here are many to one city to Philippi to Ephesus and these were one and the same