A57976:197
A peaceable and temperate plea for Pauls presbytery in Scotland, or, A modest and…A peaceable and temperate plea for Pauls presbyterie in Scotland, or, A modest and…
A peaceable and temperate plea for Pauls presbytery in Scotland, or, A modest and brotherly dispute of the government of the Church of Scotland wherein our discipline is demonstrated to be the true apostolic way of divine truth, and the arguments on the contrary are friendly dissolved, the grounds of separation and the independency [sic] of particular congregations, in defence of ecclesiastical presbyteries, synods, and assemblies, are examined and tried / by Samuel Rutherfurd ...A peaceable and temperate plea for Pauls presbyterie in Scotland, or, A modest and brotherly dispute of the government of the Church of Scotland wherein our discipline is demonstrated to be the true apostolick way of divine truth, and the arguments on the contrary are friendly dissolved, the grounds of separation and the indepencie [sic] of particular congregations, in defence of ecclesiasticall presbyteries, synods, and assemblies, are examined and tryed / by Samuell Rutherfurd ...
London: printed for John Bartlet, 1642London: printed for Iohn Bartlet, 1642
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.
12. they believed and were baptized both men and women. And that on Philip might have preached to one single Congregation, who doubteth? but the number of believers were so many, that ver. 14. the Apostles behooved to send Peter and John to help to hold up the harvest. 3. That the Church of Ephesus could not be one single Congregation that met together is clear. 1. There was there a Presbytery of Pastors or Bishops, Acts 20. 28. and these preaching or feeding Pastors, who were to watch and take heed to false teachers rising up amongst themselves. 1. teaching perverse things. 2. making Disciples to themselves: the teacher and scholar are relata, every one of them has respect to other. 2. That they were teaching Elders that did follow the Apostles doctrine is clear, Rev. 2. 2. Thou hast tried them that say they are Apostles, and are not, and hast found them to be liars, and Christ termeth them one Church for their common government.1 The answer of Tylen saith, Christ saith not [Greek or Hebrew] to the Churches, and therefore all the Congregation were one Presbyterial Church at Ephesus. But it is without example in the word that one single Congregation with one Pastor only, and some ruling Elders doth try Ministers gifts, and finding them false teachers, authoritatively to cast them out, so that the harvest has been so great, that false teachers calling themselves Apostles resorted to Ephesus, to help the good number of Pastors who were there already, Acts 20. 28. By this it is clear that Ephesus had many Congregations in it, and many preachers also, who in a common society fed the flock, ⟨p. 76⟩and exercised discipline, Rev. 2. 2. neither can we say, there was but one Angel there, except we make that one a Prelate contrary to the word of God, Acts 20. 28. 2. The multitude of converts there required a Presbytery, or a multitude of consociated Pastors,