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ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A36060 A Directory for church-government and ordination of ministers to be examined against the next Generall Assemblie. Church of Scotland. 1647 (1647) Wing D1542; ESTC R34740 14,967 36

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of the whole Classis It belongeth unto Classicall Presbyteries To consider of to debate and to resolve according to Gods Word such cases of conscience or other difficulties in Doctrine as are brought unto them out of their association according as they shall finde needfull for the good of the Churches To examine and censure according to the Word any erronious Doctrines which have been either publikely or privatly vented within their association to the corrupting of the judgements of men and to endeavour the converting and reducing of Recusants or any others in Errour or Schisme To order all Ecclesiasticall matters of common concernment within the bounds of their association To take cognizance of causes omitted or neglected in particular Congregations and to receive appeals from them To dispence censures in cases within their cognizance by Admonition Suspension or Excommunication To admonish or further to censure scandalous Ministers whether in Life or Doctrine according to the nature of the offence and that not only for such offences for which any other Member of the Congregation shall incurre any censure of the Church in which case he is to be censured by the Classis with the like censure for the like offence but likewise particularly for Simony entering into any Ministeriall charge without allowance of authority false Doctrine affected lightnesse and vanity in Preaching willfull neglect of Preaching or slight performance of it wilfull Non-residence from his Charge without call or cause approved by the Classis neglect of administration of the Sacraments or other Ministeriall dueties required of him in the Directory of Worship depraving and speaking reproachfully against the wholesome orders by authority setled in the Church casting reproach upon the power of Godlinesse which he by his office ought cheifly to promote Yet so as that no Minister be deposed but by the resolution of a Synode To examine ordain and admit Ministers for the Congregations respectively therein associated according to the advice formerly sent up to the honourable Houses of Parliament Of Synodicall Assemblies SYnodicall Assemblies do consist of Pastors Teachers Church-Governours and other fit Persons when it shall be deemed expedient where they have a lawfull calling thereunto These Assemblies have Ecclesiasticall power and authority to judge and determine controversies of Faith and cases of Conscience according to the Word They may also lawfully excommunicate and dispence other Church censures Synodicall Assemblies are of severall sorts viz. Provinciall Nationall Oecumenicall Of Provinciall Assemblies LEt Provinciall Assemblies generally be bounded according to the civill division of the Kingdome into Counties and where any very great Counties are divided within themselves let the Provinciall Assemblies follow these divisions as in the Ridings of Yorkshire Provinciall Assemblies consist of Delegats sent from Severall Classes within that Province whose number shall exceed the number of any one Classicall Presbytery within that Province And to that end there shall bee at the least two Ministers and two ruling Elders out of every Classis and where it shall appear necessary to encrease the number let it not exceed six of each from any one Classis Let these Assemblies meet twice every year And for enabling them unto any act of Government let there be a major part at least of the Ministers delegated from the severall Classes Of the Nationall Assembly THe Nationall Assembly consists of Ministers and Ruling Elders delegated from each Provinciall Assembly The number of which delegats shall bee three Ministers and three Ruling Elders out of every Province and five Learned and Godly Persons from each University Let this Assembly meet once every year and oftner if there shall be cause The first time to bee appointed by the Honourable Houses of Parliament Of the subordination of these Assemblies IT is lawfull and agreeable to the Word of God that there be a subordination of Congregationall Classicall Provinciall and Nationall Assemblies for the Government of the Church that so appeals may bee made from the inferiour to the superiour respectively The Provinciall and Nationall Assemblies are to have the same power in all points of Government and censures brought before them within their severall bounds respectively as is before expressed to belong to Classicall Presbyteries within their severall associations The DIRECTORY for Church censures CHurch censures and Discipline for judging and removing of offences being of great use and necessity in the Church that the Name of God by reason of ungodly and wicked persons living in the Church be not blasphemed nor his wrath provoked against his people that the Godly be not leavened with but preserved from the contagion and stricken with fear and that the sinners who are to be censured may be ashamed to the destruction of the flesh and saving of the Spirit in the day of the Lord Jesus We judge this course of proceeding therein to be requisite The order of proceeding with offenders who before excommunication manifest Repentance WHen the offence is private the order of admonition prescribed by our Lord Mat. 18.15 is in all wisdome and love to bee observed that the offender may either be recovered by Repentance Or if he adde obstinacie or contempt to his fault he may be cut off by Excommunication If the sinne bee publikely scandalous and the sinner being examined bee judged to have the signes of unfeigned Repentance and nothing justly objected against it when made known to the people let him be admitted to publike confession of his sinne and manifestation of his Repentance before the Congregation When the penitent is brought before the Congregation the Minister is to declare his sinne whereby hee hath provoked Gods wrath and offended his People his confession of it and profession of unfeigned Repentance for it and of his resolution through the strength of Christ to sinne no more and his desire of their Prayers for mercy and grace to bee kept from falling againe into that or any the like sinne Of all which the penitent also is to make a full and free expression according to his ability Which being done the Minister after prayer to God for the penitent is to admonish him to walk circumspectly and the people to make a right use of his fall and rising again And so to declare that the Congregation resteth satisfied The order of proceeding to Excommunication EXcommunication being a shutting out of a Person from the Communion of the Church and therefore the greatest and last censure of the Church ought not to be inflicted without great and mature deliberation nor till all other good meanes have been assayed Such errors as subvert the Faith or any other errors which overthrow the power of Godlinesse if the party who holds them spread them seeking to draw others after him and such sinnes in practise as cause the Name and Trueth of God to bee blasphemed and cannot stand with the power of Godlinesse and such practises as in their own nature manifestly subvert that Order Unity and Peace which Christ hath