N00061:54
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.
V. And unto this Order and Number we may the rather be induced, because here will be the Twenty four Elders, who do wait upon, and worship the holy Majesty of God in all the Churches upon earth, as he hath pleased to reveal himself, Rev. 4. where the presence of God among the Churches is revealed: First, with his glorious Angels next him, represented by the four living Creatures, according to Ezek. 1. & 10. And secondly, with the Communion of Churches about him, represented by the Twenty four Elders, who do represent all the Churches on earth, in Communion: as will anon appear.
VI. […] or when Twelve Churches are combined to ••ld Communion together, the least Number that one Church must (by Institution) send forth to that first Council, must be one Teaching Elder, and one Ruling Elder; and then▪ this Society of Churches is represented by twenty f•ur Elders strictly.
VI. 〈…〉 or when Twelve Churches are combined to ••ld Communion together, the least Number that one Church must (by Institution) send forth to that first Council, must be one Teaching Elder, and one Ruling Elder; and then▪ this Society of Churches is represented by twenty f•ur Elders strictly.
And when Twelve of these first Councils shall, with consent of the particular Churches, elect and send forth one Teaching, and one Ruling Elder, the ablest and fittest among them, to constitute a Provincial Council; that Council will be strictly the Twenty four Elders, representing all the Churches in that Province, concurring in the Election.