A93091:845
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.
Secondly, we shall now consider what is here said, and first this language of a Minister in the usual Church as a particular Church hath union with and is a part of the universal, it is an unusual expression to us, and to the Scripture phrase, and therefore bear with us if we fall short of your meaning; the usual Church in England hath been either the Arch-Deacons Church in the Deaneries, or Diocesan in the Bishopric, or Provincial or National, but we hope that there is no such intended here, yet to all this and the jurisdiction thereof particular Churches have been subject as parts there.
Secondly, wee shall now consider what is here said, and first this language of a Minister in the usuall Church as a particular Church hath union with and is a part of the universall, it is an unusuall expression to us, and to the Scripture phrase, and therefore beare with us if wee fall short of your meaning; the usuall Church in England hath beene either the Arch-Deacons Church in the Deanaries, or Diocesan in the Bishoprick, or Provinciall or Nationall, but wee hope that there is no such intended here, yet to all this and the jurisdiction thereof particular Churches have been subject as parts there.
But if by usual Church you mean a Classical, Provincial or National Church, we must entreat better grounds for any of these, and therefore we must confess our mind and meaning is not so, that we look at a Minister of a particular Church in any such relation to the usual and intermediate Church between it and the Catholic. The second sense therefore we own and acknowledge as before. But whether this be contrary to the judgement and practise of the universal Church, we know not; because it is hard for us know what the universal Church judgeth, except we could hear it speak or see its practise; if the only head Prophet and Shepherd of the Church Jesus Christ be fit to declare her judgement, we will be tried thereby, who we know hath s•t Elders in every particular Church, Act. 14. 23. to watch over their particular flock,