A93091:338
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.
2 But suppose that it is a description of the catholic church visible, yet it cannot be a sufficient argument that it is one Ministerial church: For, first, the catholic church is the same in all ages, and therefore by this reason it was a catholic Ministerial body, as well in the days from Adam to Abraham, &c. as in the New Testament▪ Secondly, by this argument we may prove Christ ⟨p. 95⟩the head and husband of the church to be an organical body, as he is the Head of the Church, for Cant. 5. 10, 11. &c. the Church doth allegorically describe the beauty and excellency of Christ, in several organs and parts: but we suppose though Christ Jesus in his humane nature hath members, yet the scope of the Church is not at all to set forth the members of his humane body, but the glorious excellencies, and spiritual perfections of Christ as the Redeemer and Saviour of his Church, according to the manner of Lovers, who are taken with the beauty of their spouses in all their members; When the spouse saith, Cant. 1. 1. Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth; it were too gross to apply it to the humanity of Christ, or to argue from thence that Christ the husband of his Church is an organical body.
2 But suppose that it is a description of the catholick church visible, yet it cannot be a sufficient argument that it is one Ministeriall church: For, first, the catholick church is the same in all ages, and therefore by this reason it was a catholick Ministeriall body, as well in the days from Adam to Abraham, &c. as in the New Testament▪ Secondly, by this argument we may prove Christ ⟨p. 95⟩the head and husband of the church to be an organicall body, as he is the Head of the Church, for Cant. 5. 10, 11. &c. the Church doth allegorically describe the beauty and excellency of Christ, in severall organs and parts: but we suppose though Christ Jesus in his humane nature hath members, yet the scope of the Church is not at all to set forth the members of his humane body, but the glorious excellencies, and spirituall perfections of Christ as the Redeemer and Saviour of his Church, according to the manner of Lovers, who are taken with the beauty of their spouses in all their members; When the spouse saith,