A93091:141
A treatise of liturgies, power of the keys, and of matter of the visible…A treatise of liturgies, power of the keyes, and of matter of the visible…
A treatise of liturgies, power of the keys, and of matter of the visible church. In answer to the reverend servant of Christ, Mr. John Ball. By Thomas Shepherd, sometimes fellow of Emanuel-College in Cambridge, and late pastor of Cambridge in New-England.A treatise of liturgies, power of the keyes, and of matter of the visible church. In answer to the reverend servant of Christ, Mr. John Ball. By Thomas Shephard, sometimes fellow of Emanuel-Colledge in Cambridge, and late pastour of Cambridge in New-England.
London: printed by E. Cotes for Andrew Crooke, 1652
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
Thirdly, suppose some of the Priests and Levites were unable,1 yet the Ministry of the Old Testament was limited by God himself to the tribe of Levi, and that by succession, which is far otherwise in the New Testament, being left to the Churches election, and therefore they had no power to reject them, o• withdraw from them, when they had ministered the ordinances of God.
Thirdly, suppose some of the Priests and Levites were unable,1 yet the Ministery of the Old Testament was limitted by God himselfe to the tribe of Levi, and that by succession, which is farre otherwise in the New Testament, being left to the Churches election, and therefore they had no power to reject them, o• withdraw from them, when they had ministred the ordinances of God.
- 1Peter Martyr in 1 Kings 12. verse 31.
Fourthly, suppose some of them were not called of God, being not lineally descended of that tribe, yet those things wherein the faithful, Christ and his Apostles, and others did communicate with them, were necessarily commanded of God, viz. sacrifices, offerings, &c. in the Temple, which seal of God we see not stamped upon this Liturgy in question, to make it currant. And thus Peter Martyr answereth in the like case, that though1 there were many pernicious doctrines taught by Scribes, Pharisees and wicked Priests, yet sacrificandi ritus, &c. the rites of sacrificing were not changed; for the same oblations were offered, which the Law commanded, and therefore the Saints might use them, having the word of God conjoined with them.