A93091:385
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.
4 Though a Church be such by combining, and so subjecting themselves to the power of others, yet it must not be herein illimited, but according to the form and mould expressed in the Word; for if they have this power to combine as many, and as largely as they will, then a Diocese, Province, Nation, may combine, and so put themselves under the power of a Diocesan, Provincial, National society, which is unlawful; for the Church must be such a form as a man may ordinarily bring offences unto it, according to Matth. 18. Tell the Church; but that cannot be in a Diocese, much less in a Province or Nation, where the Members can neither take notice of the offence, nor ordinarily so much as consent unto any censure acted by any Officers in such a Church; nay, further, if their power be unlimited, they may choose a Diocesan Pastor, one, or many to feed all, or one to rule (like Beza his Episcopus humanus) with subjection in case of error to the censure of all; nay, hence we see not, but they may choose an universal Pastor, and so give away the power to one, if all will agree.
4 Though a Church be such by combining, and so subjecting themselves to the power of others, yet it must not be herein illimited, but according to the form and mould expressed in the Word; for if they have this power to combine as many, and as largely as they will, then a Diocese, Province, Nation, may combine, and so put themselves under the power of a Diocesan, Provinciall, Nationall society, which is unlawfull; for the Church must be such a form as a man may ordinarily bring offences unto it, according to Matth. 18. Tell the Church; but that cannot be in a Diocese, much lesse in a Province or Nation, where the Members can neither take notice of the offence, nor ordinarily so much as consent unto any censure acted by any Officers in such a Church; nay, further, if their power be unlimited, they may choose a Diocesan Pastor, one, or many to feed all, or one to rule (like Beza his Episcopus humanus) with subjection in case of error to the censure of all; nay, hence we see not, but they may choose an universall Pastor, and so give away the power to one, if all will agree.