N00061:67
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.
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.
As in the Order of that Civill Government set up by Moses; ⟨p. 10⟩the Orders of Ten, and of Fifty, &c. are denominated b• the least and constituting Number: though those Orders may consist (when they are full of people and blessing) of many more, even any number under Twenty and an hundred, &c. But when Ten are become Twenty, and when Fifty are become an hundred, then they must be multiplied into more Orders, because these Numbers are Foundation Numbers by which the Orders of the Government are multiplied and compacted; and when that is transacted, they are reduced unto their Foundation Numbers.
So it is here is the Ecclesiastical Orders of Government, the least Number of a complete stated first Council, is Twelve Churches ▪ whose least Number of Messengers are Twenty […], and by these Numbers they are denominated, though they may be more Churches in a Combination, and more Messengers from some of the Churches: and so it is in all the other Orders of Councils.
So it is here is the Ecclesiastical Orders of Government, the least Number of a compleat stated first Council, is Twelve Churches ▪ whose least Number of Messengers are Twenty 〈…〉, and by these Numbers they are denominated, though they may be more Churches in a Combination, and more Messengers from some of the Churches: and so it is in all the other Orders of Councils.