A93091:343
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.
yet the Apostles scope is to speak to this Church, as hath been showed, and all are truly appliable unto it, this Church came behind in no good gift, Chap. 1. 7. this Church was one body, vers. 27. and baptized into one body, whether Jews or Gentiles, bond or free, the members of this Church needed the help one of another, must not make schisms in the Body, must care one for another, &c. yea, Apostles as well as other gifts were in the church, 1 Cor. 3. 1. 1 Cor. 14. 6. So that from the scope and drift of the Apostle, all these Offices and gifts might be, and were set in Corinth, and therefore this place will not evince a Catholic organical body; yet we mean not that Apostles were wedged in here, but they were set also in every church, as also Teachers are in every church, but each according to the nature of the Office, the one limited, the other not.
yet the Apostles scope is to speak to this Church, as hath been shewed, and all are truly applyable unto it, this Church came behinde in no good gift, Chap. 1. 7. this Church was one body, vers. 27. and baptized into one body, whether Jews or Gentiles, bond or free, the members of this Church needed the helpe one of another, must not make schismes in the Body, must care one for another, &c. yea, Apostles as well as other gifts were in the church, 1 Cor. 3. 1. 1 Cor. 14. 6. So that from the scope and drift of the Apostle, all these Offices and gifts might be, and were set in Corinth, and therefore this place will not evince a Catholick organicall body; yet we mean not that Apostles were wedged in here, but they were set also in every church, as also Teachers are in every church, but each according to the nature of the Office, the one limited, the other not.
Secondly, we deny not but in this discourse the Apostle also, vers. 12, 13. intendeth the whole mystical body of Christ, which is one Christ, neither do we deny that these gifts of Apostles, Prophets, &c. are given to this Church, but this will not prove it to be an organical Church. For what is this body of Christ, this one Christ into whom all are baptized, &c. It is properly the whole company of true believers in all ages, and so contains the invisible body of Christ; which Catholic body of all ages, cannot properly make an organical body: and be it so, that this body is visible, having visible ordinances, baptized and drunk into one body, yet the Apostle respects the real union of all the members to Christ; and therefore Interpreters understand spiritual and effectual baptism, containing the inward virtue with the outward sign.