A02990:355
A friendly trial of the grounds tending to separation in a plain and modest…A friendly triall of the grounds tending to separation in a plain and modest…
A friendly trial of the grounds tending to separation in a plain and modest dispute touching the lawfulness of a stinted liturgy and set form of prayer, Communion in mixed assemblies, and the primitive subject and first receptacle of the power of the Keys: tending to satisfy the doubtful, recall the wandering, and to strengthen the weak: by John Ball.A friendly triall of the grounds tending to separation in a plain and modest dispute touching the lawfulnesse of a stinted liturgie and set form of prayer, Communion in mixed assemblies, and the primitive subject and first receptacle of the power of the Keyes: tending to satisfie the doubtfull, recall the wandering, and to strengthen the weak: by John Ball.
Cambridge: printed by Roger Daniel printer to the University of Cambridge for Edward Brewster, 1640Cambridge: printed by Roger Daniel printer to the Universitie of Cambridge for Edward Brewster, 1640
Chapter 13: An examination of sundry positions laid down by Mr Jacob in his Exposition of the secon…
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
And seeing ⟨p. 299⟩the apostles were extraordinarily furnished for the work, and had a great and wide door set open unto them of God, seeing they were diligent and industrious in their work, and God was pleased mightily to accompany their endeavours, is it not more then conjectural, that within short time the number of believers in those great and populous cities, with their suburbs and circumjacent villages, did exceed the capacity of one congregation? The officers also which the Apostles ordained for the use of those churches, were in number more then one ordinary congregation could bear, or were necessary for the service thereof, unless it were exceeding great, and could not long continue together with edification, but of necessity must assemble in several places. It was not the apostles practice to ordain pastors in those places where as yet no sheep were to be seen or very few: and it had been inconvenient to tie the faithful to one congregation, when by reason of multitude they could not meet in one place to their edification. What then remaineth, but that they might assemble in divers places, and yet hold communion in laws, ordinances, government and officers? When presbyters were first assigned to their particular cures, it is not certain.1 Eusebius reporteth,2 that many churches were gathered in Alexandria by Mark:3 But what he allegeth out of Philo, as if it was to be understood of Christians, is misapplied by him. The first (as it is commonly received) that divided churches into parishes, and assigned presbyters distinctly to ⟨p. 300⟩take care of them,4 was Evaristus Bishop of Rome. But Platina reporteth this upon the credit of Damasus, and that supposititious: for the author of the book carrying the title of Damasus was Anastasius Bibliothecarius, an Abbot of Rome, who lived about the year DCCCLVIII.5 And what probability is there, that under the reign of Trajan, who moved the third persecution from Nero against the church,