Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	church_n	good_a	holy_a	1,129	5	4.2899	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A13202	A defence of the Holy Scriptures, worship, and ministerie, used in the Christian Churches separated from Antichrist Against the challenges, cavils and contradiction of M. Smyth: in his book intituled The differences of the Churches of the Separation. Hereunto are annexed a few observations upon some of M. Smythes censures; in his answer made to M. Bernard. By Henry Ainsworth, teacher of the English exiled Church in Amsterdam.	Ainsworth, Henry, 1571-1622?	1609 (1609)	STC 235; ESTC S117973	115,496	140

member must yeeld to the voice of the multitude in every thing they lyst If so then Aaron had been blamelesse for making the golden calf because it was the peoples lyst and they importuned him thereto Exod. 32. 1. 22. 23. But M. S. proceedeth saying nor that the Eldership hath in their hands the power of Christ to rule contrarie to their liking I answer the Elders are to teach and rule the Church by Christs own word and lawes as I have expressed And herein I presuppose that both the Elders wil teach and rule according unto godlynes the people wil obey the godly doctrines directions of their Elders without mislike or discontentment For Christs sheep wil hear his voice his kingdom is peaceable his subjects loyal and obedient Now whiles I speak of the ordinary power that the Elders have to teach and rule the Church as Christ hath constituted it in peace it is but from a contentious humour to obiect that they have not power to rule contrary to the peoples liking as if there could be no rule but when the Elders and brethren are at warr one with another Of the Church it is written the multitude of them that beleeved were of one hart and of one sowl yet none I think doubteth but ther was rule goverment amōg them And of such quiet rule spake I though M. Sm. would disturb it with his exception which he mought also have alledged against the Presbyteries authoritie to pray preach and administer the sacraments seing these ar no more to be done contrary to the peoples liking then rule and goverment for God hath caled us in peace So for ought that is yet sayd the government by Elders standeth fast The last battry foloweth But sayth M. S. the intent of the Apostle is to show that all the particular members in all their affaires must submit themselves to the instruction and guidance of the Elders For although Christ hath placed the Elders as stewards over the servants yet he hath not appointed them as Lords over his spowse wife Your argument therfore sayth he is a fallacian a coniunctione divisione thus Al the particular members must obey the elders in their lawful instructions and their wholsome admonitions severally Ergo the whole body must ioyntly obey the voyce of the Elders Here M. Sm. running himself into a fallacie by dividing those that are joyned togither of the Lord would bear himself out in his evil by blaming an other first but without al equitie as the judicious reader may easily perceiv For his reason is to this effect Jf Elders be stewards over the servants and not Lords over the wife the church then is not the church to obey or submit unto them Where learned the man this logik Is there no obedience or submission thinks he but unto Lords Then is there no obedience ecclesiastical which the church may yeeld to any save unto Christ for he is the onely Lord. But this man is blinded with his erroneous conceipt For as in civil goverment we are to obey and submit not onely to the King as unto the superior but also to the governours that are sent of him so in goverment ecclesiastical we are to obey and submit not onely to the King Christ but to the Elders his ministers sent of him to the one we submit as to the Lord and King to the other as to servants and ministers set over us by the Lord. Agayn I would fayn know whither Mr. Sm. thinketh the Elders to be Lords over the particular members If he say yea I abhor his pride for it is injurious to Christ the sole Lord of al every one in the church if nay then I detest his sophistrie for by the same reason that he disswadeth the whol flock from obedience he mought also disswade each particular member which yet he dooth not but yeeldeth the contrary Now that the Apostle intendeth not onely the particular mēbers but the general flock also is apparant First by his reason which he annexeth for they watch for your soules as they that must give accounts Al good Elders I ween do watch as well for the publik church as for the private members and shal give account for the whol If then the Apostles reason be of weight the vvhol flock as vvel as the particular sheep must obey and submit to such as vvatch over them Secondly the Apostle sayth elsvvhere to the Elders of an other church take heed to al the flock wherof the holy ghost hath made you overseers poimainein that is to feed rule govern guid direct and doe al other duties of good shepheards unto the church of God Novv these vvords flock church mean not particular members but the general company under charge guidance And if the holy Ghost have set Elders and shepherds over the whole flock can any man doubt but they must teach rule and direct the whol if they must doe this by authoritie from God is not the whol flock bound to be taught ruled directed by them in the Lord What perverting of the scripture then is this that when the Apostle writing to a whol church to obey and submit unto their guides it should be restreyned unto particular members for to obey Such doctrines fitt rather the confusion of Babylon then the holy order goverment of Sion But it seemeth the stinch of this restreynt went up into the nose of the man himself as he wrote it for presently he seeketh to sweeten the yll savor with these flowers that Al the saincts shal yeeld obedience to the Elders in things commanded by God and the Elders shal al of them obey the voyce of the church in things commanded of God He might also have added that both Elders and people should obey the voyce of any particular person in things commanded by God For if the whol church doe syn and any one make it known unto them and shew them the law of God they are bound to obey him submit to his good coūsel in the Lord. But what is this to the purpose The question is into whose hands Christ hath committed the ordinarie teaching guiding governing and ruling of his saincts here on earth The scriptures teach and we accordingly have long since professed that it is into the hands of the Bishops or Elders This is that which I defend in my answer to M. Bernard for this if for any thing M. S. also inveigheth against me being indeed against himself also herein For besides the testimonies fore alleged out of his book he hath further in the same book written thus Christ is not their king seing he onely ruleth by his own lawes and officers and not by Antichristian Lords and lawes c. And agayn You refuse Christs testament and his kingdome and will not have him to reign over you in his own offices and lawes which is contrarie to these places Luk.