N00061:81
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.
Again, the ready subjection of all the Churches about Antioch, and other places, Acts 16.4. unto the Decrees of the Council at Jerusalem, doth probably speak, That, as the trouble by those Questions, was a common case in all the Churches; so they had some fore-knowledge, concurrence, and consent (after consent sure enough they had) in the Mission of Paul and Barnabas (Teaching Elders of Antioch, Acts 13.2.) unto Jerusalem, to the Apostles and Elders about that matter.
Again, the ready subjection of all the Churches about Antioch, and other places, Acts 16.4. unto the Decrees of the Council at Jerusalem, doth probably speak, That, as the trouble by those Questions, was a common case in all the Churches; so they had some fore-knowledge, con•urrence, and consent (after consent sure enough they had) in the Mission of Paul and Barnabas (Teaching Elders of Antioch, Acts 13.2.) unto Jerusalem, to the Apostles and Elders about that matter.
Again▪ seeing the Rule of Communion of Churches doth impose upon Elders a degree of care of a• the Churches, especially of those within their Ordered Communion; it doth also give unto all the Churches, a mutual interest in each others Elders.
Hence, when they choose any of the Elders within the compass of their Order, they choose those, who, in some respect, are their own, in whom they have an Ecclesiastical interest, especially unto this public service of Counsel.