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Author: Nicholson, William, 1591-1672.
Title: An apology for the discipline of the ancient Church:: intended especially for that of our mother the Church of England: in answer to the Admonitory letter lately published. By William Nicolson, archdeacon of Brecon.
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Print source: An apology for the discipline of the ancient Church:: intended especially for that of our mother the Church of England: in answer to the Admonitory letter lately published. By William Nicolson, archdeacon of Brecon.
Nicholson, William, 1591-1672.
London: printed for William Leake at the Crown in Fleetstreet, betwixt the two Temple-gates, 1659 [i.e. 1658]
Subject terms:
Presbyterianism
Church discipline -- History
Church of England -- Government -- Early works to 1800.
Church of England -- Doctrines -- Early works to 1800.
Admonitory letter written by an old minister of the new Congregational Church, and sent to divers ejected ministers of those parts in which he lives.
URL: https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A89681.0001.001
How to cite: For suggestions on citing this text, please see Citing the TCP on the Text Creation Partnership website.

Table of Contents
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title page
THE COPY OF A LETTER Written by a Divine, A Friend of the AUTHOUR.
TO THE Reader.
A KEY to open the Debate about a Combinational Church, and the power of the KEYES. The first Part.
In nomine Domini, & ad honorem Iesu Christi & ipsius Ec∣clesiae, ad veritatis aram haec offero. An answer to the Admonitory Letter. The words are these. SECT. I.
Tbe Answer to the first Section.
SECT. II. The words of the Letter.
Answer.
Reply.
SECT. III. The Letter.
Answer.
SECT. IV. The words of the Letter.
The Replication.
SECT. V. The words of the Letter.
Reply.
Proposition 1. That the Church of the last and longest constitution was a Presby∣terial or Combinational Church.
Proposition 4. Viz. That this prescribed Ministery must consist of Pres∣byters, or Teaching and Ruling Elders.
Proposition 5. That these Presbyters, Teaching and Ruling Elders must be of the Professing Members own voluntary Election, and regular Ordination.
1. Of Election of Presbyters and Ruling Elders.
2. The other part of your Proposition is; that these Presby∣ters and Ruling Elders be of the Professing Members Regular Ordination.
The texts alleadged.
Rom. 12.7, 8.
1 Cor. 12.8. & 28.
Ephesians Chap. 4. Verse 7. and Verse 14.
Conclusio Parainetica.
A KEY to open the Debate about a Combinational Church, and the power of the KEYES. The Second Part. The words of the Letter.
SECT. I. The Reply.
SECT. II. The words of the Letter.
SECT. II. The Reply.
SECT. III. The words of the Letter.
Reply.
1. Proposition. That the Combinational Churches corruption, was the Cathedral Churches generation.
Proposition. 2. A presumption to alter and to elevate the places and appellations of the Teacher, Pastour, Ruler, and Deacon, into those unscri∣pture-like Titles of Lord-bishop, Deane, Chancellour, Arch-deacon.
Proposition. 3. Who ventured to usurp the power of excommunication in their Synods and Councils.
Proposition 4. That this was contrary to what was practised in the Ortho∣dox pattern, Acts 15.24. which was laid down and left as well for the imitation as information of after-ages.
Proposition 5. To censure any mans person, is the expresse priviledge of the Presbyterial Church, 1 Cor. 5.4, 5. 2 Thes. 3.15.
Proposition 6. Alexander Patriarch of Alexandria began this usurpation a∣gainst Arius and Eusebius Bishop of Nicomedia in the reigne of Constantius and Constance.
SECT. IV. The words of the Letter.
The Reply.
1. You say, That the Presbyterial Church in respect of its Primitive constitution, was composed and made up of living stones, namely, lively members, &c.
2. That the rise of the rottening of the Church, was its falling from a pure poor Presbyterial Church into an impure, unpolished Parochial Church.
3. At that time this was, when ceasing to elect and ordain either a Teacher, a Pastour, a Ruler, a Deacon or Dea∣conesse, or Widow, in conformity to the heavenly Canon, Rom. 12.7. & 15.4. & 16.1. compared with 1 Tim. 3.1. Titus 1.5.6. it was well content with a Parson, a Vicar, a Warden, an Over-seer of the Poor, and a Midwife.
4. The very beginning and breeding of which Parochial Church is seen to have been in the time of Polycarp and Irenaeus.
SECT. V. The words of the Letter.
Reply.
1. The degeneration was, when it climbed up to be a Provincial Church.
2. This man was not afraid nor ashamed to assume the Name and Office of an Arch-bishop and Metropolitan.
3. When he left the servile and subservient names of Prebend, Surro∣gate, Vicar General to inferiour Officers his underlings.
4. Of which proud and profane Pest-house, that Austin who was sent from Gregory, the last of the good Bishops, end the first of the bad Popes of Rome, is reputed to be the father and founder in this our Land, &c.
SECT. VI. The words of the Letter.
The Reply.
1. That there is a National Church, and that this was, first, is conso∣nant to Scripture, to reason, to experience.
2. The next thing that in general you charge the National Church with∣al, is, that they took up the customes you name by a Jewish imitation.
1. Yhe first was of National times, as the fifty yearly Festivals, or ho∣ly-working dayes, Cursed-masse, Candle-masse.
2. The second was of National places, as the Consecrated meeting hou∣ses, Porches, Chancels, avd Church-yards.
3. The third was of National persons, as Universal Preachers, Office-Priests, Half-Priests, or Diocesan Deacons.
4. The fourth was of National pious performances, as stinted worship, Qui∣risters, singing of Psalms, with all the Rubrique postures.
5. And the first was of National payments or spiritual profits, as offerings, Tyths and Mortuaries.
SECT. VII. The words of the Letter.
The Reply.
A KEY to open the Debate about a Combinational Church, and the power of the KEYES. The Third Part.
The Reply.
The words of the Letter.
The Reply.
SECT. 1. The words of the Letter. Of the vile and virulent head the Pope.
The Reply.
SECT 2. The British King the Ʋiolent Head.
The Reply.
1. Partly because the head, not only of a very Uncanonical, but also of a ve∣ry unspiritual corporation.
2. Partly because of the said National Corporations inconsistence with the Scripture precepts, Mat. 18.17. 1 Cor. 14.23. which doth require its ordinary congregating in one place.
3. Seconded and aggravated by its notorious inconformity to the Scripture patterns.
SECT. III. The words of the Letter. Of the Provincial Church and its haughty head the Arch-bi∣shop.
The Reply.
The words of the Letter.
The Reply.
The words of the Letter.
The Reply.
SECT. 6. The words of the Letter. Of divers other things jeerd at by the Epistler.
The words of the Letter.
The Reply.
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Books printed or sold by William Leak, at the signe of the Crown in Fleet-street, between the two Temple Gates.
table of contents
The summe of what is contained in the answer to the first part of the Ad∣monitory Letter.
The Summe of the second part. pag. 46.
The Summe of the third part. pag. 149.
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