A93091:353
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.
Answ. 1 We answer: It must necessarily be understood distributively, for the several flocks in all those Countries to be fed by their particular Elders; not collectively, to be fed as one flock in common: For the Countries are so many and large, as it was impossible. Yea, we have a clear parallel, James 2. 2. where writing to the Jews of the twelve Tribes scattered abroad, yet he speaks of a man coming into their Assembly; which cannot be meant collectively, as if they had one assembly amongst them all, but distributively of any assembly.
Answ. 1 We answer: It must necessarily be understood distributively, for the severall flocks in all those Countreys to be fed by their particular Elders; not collectively, to be fed as one flock in common: For the Countreys are so many and large, as it was impossible. Yea, we have a clear parallel, James 2. 2. where writing to the Jews of the twelve Tribes scattered abroad, yet he speaks of a man comming into their Assembly; which cannot be meant collectively, as if they had one assembly amongst them all, but distributively of any assembly.
2 Though they be called a flock, not flocks, yet this, as Baines observes, was not because it was one flock really in themselves, but in some respect of reason; which also he expounds to ⟨p. 100⟩be per internam (we had rather say, spiritualem) unionem, but not per externam combinationem; in respect of which spiritual union, that is true which Mr. Ball citeth out of Cyprian, Etsi Pastores 1multi sumus, unam tamen gregem pascimus. As also that there is Episcopatus unus▪ & Ecclesia una in toto mundo.
2 Though they bee called a flock, not flocks, yet this, as Baines observes, was not because it was one flock really in themselves, but in some respect of reason; which also he expounds to