N00061:64
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.
X. Again, though Twelve Churches be the lowest Number of the first Combination, yet they may be more then Twelve, when the pourings out of Gods grace shall be enlarged; yea, they may be any Number under Twenty four Churches.
X. Again, though Twelve Churches be the lowest Number of the first Combination, yet they may be more then Twelve, when the pourings out of Gods grace shall be inlarged; yea, they may be any Number under Twenty four Churches.
If then Twenty three Churches should be in a Combination, their Messengers sent to the first Council will be a great Number; but still they are the Twenty four Elders before the Lord, by their fundamental Constitution.
So a like Number of Provincial Councils, and a like Number of National Councils, though their Messengers are many, yet they are still the Twenty four Elders, growing up, through grace, and increasing unto more Orders of Councils, for the greater glory of Christ.
And when (through grace) there shall be Twenty four Churches, or first Councils, or Provincial, or National Councils, then they must be compacted into two Orders of those Councils, because Twelve is the Foundation Number, by which they are multiplied, and compacted. And when this is done, they are reduced to be Twenty four Elders strictly, the Foundation Number.