A93091:381
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 It's not every Society of visible Professors that do make a Church, for then every family of such Professors are a Church: Then two or three (which our Brethren so much condemn) are a Church; and then a Society of Women professing the truth may be a Political Church; then many members of several Churches met to hear a Sermon, or any like occasion, make a Church; then a number of Professors may constitute a Diocesan Church, or any like form; for out of this block, That any number of believers made a Church, Dr. Downam hewed out his Diocesan Church, and so made a fit seat for his Diocesan Mercury. Lastly, then particular Churches should have no more any set Form prescribed, then Civill government, which is as variable as humane wisdom sees meet, for hence a particular Church may be melted into any form or mould of civil Society; for imagine a number of professing believers, cohabiting either in a City, Hundred, Wapentake, Shire, Province, Nation, Empire, &c. there shall then be so many forms of Churches contrary to the principles and unanswerable arguments of our best Reformers, who accounted it a great absurdity that the heavenly Kingdom of Christ should be moulded and framed according to the weakness of humane wisdom and policy.
2 It's not every Society of visible Professors that doe make a Church, for then every family of such Professors are a Church: Then two or three (which our Brethren so much condemn) are a Church; and then a Society of Women professing the truth may be a Politicall Church; then many members of severall Churches met to hear a Sermon, or any like occasion, make a Church; then a number of Professors may constitute a Diocesan Church, or any like form; for out of this block, That any number of beleevers made a Church, Dr. Downam hewed out his Diocesan Church, and so made a fit seat for his Diocesan Mercury. Lastly, then particular Churches should have no more any set Form prescribed, then Civill government, which is as variable as humane wisdome sees meet, for hence a particular Church may be melted into any form or mould of civil Society; for imagine a number of professing beleevers, cohabiting either in a City, Hundred, Wapentake, Shire, Province, Nation, Empire, &c. there shall then be so many forms of Churches contrary to the principles and unanswerable arguments of our best Reformers, who accounted it a great absurdity that the heavenly Kingdome of Christ should be moulded and framed according to the weaknesse of humane wisdome and policy.