A93091:367
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. If it be meant thus, that they are Pastors of some particular part of the Church, and in that respect in the whole, and for the good of the whole, the good of every part redounding to the good of the whole; yea, if some Pastoral care also be intended towards other Churches, and to fetch in such as are yet not of the Church; we grant all this according to the meaning of that place, 1 Cor. 12. 28. formerly opened by us.
Answ. If it be meant thus, that they are Pastors of some particular part of the Church, and in that respect in the whole, and for the good of the whole, the good of every part redounding to the good of the whole; yea, if some Pastorall care also be intended towards other Churches, and to fetch in such as are yet not of the Church; we grant all this according to the meaning of that place, 1 Cor. 12. 28. formerly opened by us.
But if this Argument intend that they are Pastors of the Catholic Body as of One Political Church, then we deny the Assumption upon this ground; because a Pastoral Office consists properly ⟨p. 103⟩in having a charge and power over those to whom he is a Pastor, Act. 20. 28. but he hath no charge of the whole; for if so, he must give account to Christ of the whole; neither hath he power over such a Catholic church, being never chosen by it, nor it subjecting to him. If it be said, such are made Pastors by Ordination of the Presbyters, not the election of the people who only appropriate him to themselves, who is a Pastor of the whole Church: then he is either a Catholic Pastor that hath power to intermeddle in all Churches, as the Apostles had, which we think none will yield them; or else they are Pastors only in name, without power, which is absurd. Nor doth the similitude of a Physician made Doctor of Physic at large by a College of Physicians, help in this case. For it supposeth him to be made such a Doctor before he be elected by any people to exercise this faculty; which applied to this case of a Pastor, as having Ordination to make him a Pastor at large, before election to this or that people, is utterly against all examples of Scripture, as