A93091:809
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.
Reply. The question is of Ministers unjustly forsaken or driven from the Church, and your answer is for most part of Ministers, set aside or deprived by their own default: we never purposed to speak one word for an unworthy Minister, whom Christ hath put out of Office, and therefore your labour to prove that such justly rejected by the the Church, are no longer Ministers, might well have been saved.
Reply. The question is of Ministers unjustly forsaken or driven from the Church, and your answer is for most part of Ministers, set aside or deprived by their owne default: wee never purposed to speake one word for an unworthy Minister, whom Christ hath put out of Office, and therefore your labour to prove that such justly rejected by the the Church, are no longer Ministers, might well have beene saved.
Answ. The ground of this Position being about the Nature of a Ministers Office; Whether it consist in his Office, relation to the flock of a particular Church: the former part of our answer was not in vain, nor the grounds impertinent, and we accept your grant of it, That a Minister justly rejected by his Church is no longer a Minister: then we infer that there is no indelible character in the Office, but that his Ministry stands in relation to a particular flock, not to the Catholic Church, for then a particular Church could not dissolve his Office, and therefore it will follow, that (if he be found worthy after) upon repentance to be called to another Church, he must be ⟨p. 20⟩new elected and ordained to his Office, being no Minister upon his just deposing.
Answ. The ground of this Position being about the Nature of a Ministers Office; Whether it consist in his Office, relation to the flocke of a particular Church: the former part of our answer was not in vaine, nor the grounds impertinent, and wee accept your grant of it, That a Minister justly rejected by his Church is no longer a Minister: then wee inferre that there is no indelible character in the Office, but that his Ministery stands in relation to a particular flocke, not to the Catholike Church, for then a particular Church could not dissolve his Office, and therefore it will follow, that (if hee bee found worthy after) upon repentance to bee called to another Church, hee must bee