Selected quad for the lemma: judgement_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
judgement_n	authority_n	church_n	particular_a	1,635	5	6.7687	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A90879	A voice from heaven: or, A testimony against the remainders of Antichrist yet in England: and in particular, the court of tryers for approbation of ministers. / Born by Gualter Postlethwait, pastor to a Church of Christ in Lewes in Sussex.	Postlethwaite, Walter, d. 1671.	1655 (1655)	Wing P3022; Thomason E1498_3; ESTC R208640	39,391	112

concurrence that it will not admit such a plea. Difference in the order of their concurrence we shall grant viz. that the Apostles and Elders did lead the Church in these acts but difference in nature we cannot grant If it be said that by the whole Church is meant onely the Synodical Church the reason that is given for this falls to the ground For 't is grounded on the Impossibility of the meeting of the Church of Hierusalem together in one place that hath been refuted from cleare texts of Scripture But be it that we shut out the brethren from a concurrence of the same nature with the Apostles and Elders to the making of these decrees and let our adversaries make the most of vers 6. of this chapter and vers 4. of the following chapter will they say these decrees were Authoritative and formally binding the Churches of Antioch Syria Cilicia I trow not when they have better considered of the matter according to what has been said Will they say that the Elders of a Classicall Presbytery at Ierusalem for they assert no more of the Presbytery there see Mr. Wood in the aforesaid tractate pag. 371. and the Messengers of Antioch are excluded from the decision of the controversie and Decrees here made by the text it self ch 16. 4. did exercise rule over all these Churches so far distant that could not therefore be of their combination Neither is it to be conceived but if classes were then in fashion they had their classical combinations and Presbyteries too and shall Presbyteries of the same order rule over one another It may be it will be said that the presence of the Apostles being Extraordinary Officers constituted this a Synod I answer 't is sooner said then proved The text rather represents the Apostles condescending to act with the Church then elevating the Church to act with them vers 22 25. If against what has beene said against exercise of authority by this meeting over the Churches that vers 28 of laying a burden of necessary things upon them be objected Let it be considered whether there be not as much said of the Assertion of the Pharisees vers 5. whether therebe not as much said of their Assertion vers 10. And thus you see how hard it will be to grant any more with Scripture-warrant if we should grant classical Elderships and combinations but we shall not grant these for want of instance in Scripture or any other sound ground for them For the most Numerous of Churches that we read of we have already shewed at large that it was Congregational viz. the Church at Hierusalem And I conceive that the Numerousness of the Churches we read of in Scripture called severally even the most Numerous but by the name of Church in the singular Number without the mention of any more then one company of Elders I conceive that hath occasioned the conceit of classical Churches and Elderships but without warrant from Scripture as may appeare I say from that the Holy Ghost hath been so punctual in shewing that the most numerous Churches have still met together in one place To the Church of Hierusalem we may adde that of Corinth 'T is plaine that the Apostle writes to the body of the congregation by the epither he gives them in the inscriptions of both Epistles These he hints their ordinary coming together to joyne in the same individual acts when he enjoynes them the casting out of the incestuous person When ye are gathered together to deliver such a one to Satan 1 Ep. chap. 5. vers 4 5. A like hint we have in the same Epistle chap. 14. vers 23. And here we may take notice not onely that this Numerous Church of Corinth how Numerous soever pretended to be was congregational but that this Church had and exercised the power of the Keys for neglect of exercising which she is blamed 1 Cor. 5. 2. although Paul had not before this written to manifest his determination and that the exercise of this great piece of the Power of the Keys viz. Power of excommunication I say the exercise of this Power is put upon the body of the congregation by Paul without any distinct application of his speech to the Presbyterie And in the same manner that the Power of binding is put upon them in the same manner is the Power of loosing put on them 2 Cor. 2. 6. c. without any mention of their Eldership in particular but wrapping up Elders and People together as which were both to concur in this exercise of Ecclesiastick discipline and that with a concurrence of like nature as to the substance of the matter leaving to each their due place in the body the one going before the other following in the Lord. But to return if these most numerous congregations were congregational not Classical I cannot think there were any Classical Churches except there be a Scripture produced as plain for their Classicalness as these are that I have quoted to the congregrationalness of these that I have instanced in For reason will carry any man to thinke if the most Numerous Churches were congregationall that the less Numerous were so too and nothing but a plaine Scripture can stop the course of such a reasoning And thus the whole fabrick of the Classical way falls to the ground in my Judgement Their appropriating all authority and power of exercising Ecclesiastick discipline to the Presbyterie the secluding the Presbytery of a particular congregation from such authority together with the whole course of subordinations of combinations of Churches and Elders from the Classical that is the lowest to Oecumenical that is the highest combination they can none of them shew their genealogie nor derive their Pedigree from Scripture And what difference betwixt the Episcopal and Presbyterial Government wherein does their constitution differ except in the exorbitant power of a Chair-man that the Presbyterians cut by the height of the rest of the Presbyters in the several combinations And what difference betwixt the Vniversal Church of the Papists and that of of the Presbyterians is it more then Circumstantial The Papists refer the Roote and head of the Universality to Rome the Presbyterians do not the Papists subject it unto the Pope the Presbyterians do not but unto a general Councel and some Papists plead for no more save in the interim of the general Councel Vide Ellis Vind. Cathol Pag. 16. Let it be seriously considered that the Bishop of Rome is not reckoned the Antichrist from what time he got the peaceable possession of his Universal Bishoprick with all the exorbitant Power thereunto belonging but from what Vide Cot. in Rev. 13. Pag. 36. time he aipired to and carryed it ambitiously and had it yeelded usually unto him to sway Bishops and Churches at his pleasure and from this time at least before he proceeded farther he is reckoned Antichrist and the seventh head of the Monstrous Beast Rev. 13. 1. c. That is no