A93091:53
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.
The second thing which we conceive may chiefly hinder this closing, is that point of Church government, which concerns the power and liberties of particular Churches or Congregations, and here we must acknowledge the distance is ⟨p. 22⟩too great. For on the one side, we cannot see either by Treatises, or by the Directory for Worship, that Congregations are acknowledged to be complete Churches, especially standing among other Churches, or that any power or liberty is given to them to administer Church censures, no not so long as they administer rightly according to the rule, but all such power is taken indeed from the Churches, though in words they are persuaded that it is to strengthen them; and if this also come down from the Catholic Church, and so to lesser Synods, the greater part having power over the less, as it were jure divino, it will strike sore at the liberties and power of particular Churches. But what here to say of the distance on the other hand, we cannot tell, we see or read nothing, but that our dear and honoured Brethren do freely embrace communion of Churches in consultative Synods, for the brotherly help of each other, and the weaker Churches; yea, and in a doctrinal way to declare the will of Christ, and to threaten his judgements against such as shall refuse wholesome counsel, and withdraw communion from such as wilfully refuse to hear what is propounded according to the mind of Christ.
The second thing which wee conceive may chiefly hinder this closing, is that point of Church government, which concernes the power and liberties of particular Churches or Congregations, and here wee must acknowledge the distance is ⟨p. 22⟩too great. For on the one side, wee cannot see either by Treatises, or by the Directory for Worship, that Congregations are acknowledged to bee compleat Churches, especially standing among other Churches, or that any power or liberty is given to them to administer Church censures, no not so long as they administer rightly according to the rule, but all such power is taken indeed from the Churches, though in words they are perswaded that it is to strengthen them; and if this also come down from the Catholick Church, and so to lesser Synods, the greater part having power over the lesse, as it were jure divino, it will strike sore at the liberties and power of particular Churches. But what here to say of the distance on the other hand, wee cannot tell, wee see or read nothing, but that our deare and honoured Brethren doe freely imbrace communion of Churches in consultative Synods, for the brotherly helpe of each other, and the weaker Churches; yea, and in a doctrinall way to declare the will of Christ, and to threaten his judgements against such as shall refuse wholsome counsell, and withdraw communion from such as wilfully refuse to heare what is propounded according to the minde of Christ.