N00061:106
Communion of churches: or, The divine management of Gospel-churches by the ordinance of councils,…
Communion of churches: or, The divine management of Gospel-churches by the ordinance of councils, constituted in order according to the Scriptures. : As also, the way of bringing all Christian parishes to be particular reforming congregational churches: humbly proposed, as a way which hath so much light from the Scriptures of truth, as that it may lawfully be submitted unto by all; and may, by the blessing of the Lord, be a means of uniting those two holy and eminent parties, the Presbyterians and the Congregationals. : As also to prepare for the hoped for resurrection of the churches; and to propose a way to bring all Christian nations unto an unity of the faith and order of the Gospel. / Written by John Eliot, teacher of Roxbury in N.E. ; [Two lines of Scripture texts]Communion of churches: or, The divine management of Gospel-churches by the ordinance of councils, constituted in order according to the Scriptures. : As also, the way of bringing all Christian parishes to be particular reforming congregationall churches: humbly proposed, as a way which hath so much light from the Scriptures of truth, as that it may lawfully be submitted unto by all; and may, by the blessing of the Lord, be a means of uniting those two holy and eminent parties, the Presbyterians and the Congregationals. : As also to prepare for the hoped for resurrection of the churches; and to propose a way to bring all Christian nations unto an unity of the faith and order of the Gospel. / Written by John Eliot, teacher of Roxbury in N.E. ; [Two lines of Scripture texts]
printed by Marmaduke Johnson, 1665
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.
III. When Twelve Provincial Councils, or any other number under Twenty four, shall, with the explicit conse•t of the first Councils, and with the explicit consent of the Churches, who are in this Combination, agree to hold Communion in a Council for Mutual Help; and to that end, shall send forth fro• among themselves at least one principal Teaching Elder, and one Ruling Elder, both eminent in holiness, wisdom, and all fitting abilities, to manage the Ordinance of Counsel in a National Synod, in the behalf, and for the benefit of all the Provinces, first Councils, and particular Churches herein combined: These do constitute a Third Order of Councils. These are a National Council; these do represent a whole Nation of Churches and all the people of the Land; and yet they are but Twenty four Elders, as Rev. 5.11, 13, 14. though all Creatures concur, and are combined in the work; all are represented before the Lord in Twenty four Elders. These are all of them Church-Messengers, sent forth to manage the Ordinance of Counsel; but they are immediately sent forth by the Provincial Councils.
III. When Twelve Provincial Councils, or any other number under Twenty four, shall, with the explicite conse•t of the first Councils, and with the explicite consent of the Churches, who are in this Combination, agree to hold Communion in a Council for Mutual Help; and to that end, shall send forth fro• among themselves at least one principal Teaching Elder, and one Ruling Elder, both eminent in holiness, wisdome, and all fitting abilities, to manage the Ordinance of Counsel in a National Synod, in the behalf, and for the benefit of all the Provinces, first Councils, and particular Churches herein combined: These do constitute a Third Order of Councils. These are a National Council; these do represent a whole Nation of Churches and all the people of the Land; and yet they are but Twenty four Elders, as Rev. 5.11, 13, 14. though all Creatures concurre, and are combined in the work; all are represented before the Lord in Twenty four Elders. These are all of them Church-Messengers, sent forth to manage the Ordinance of Counsel; but they are immediately sent forth by the Provincial Councils.