Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	administration_n	prayer_n	sacrament_n	2,563	5	7.2488	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A33973	A reasonable account why some pious, nonconforming ministers in England judge it sinful for them to perform their ministerial acts, in publick, solemn prayer by the prescribed forms of others wherein several of their arguments are modestly propounded, opended and justified against pretended answers given to them, either by Ireneus Freeman, or Mr. Falconer, in his book entituled Liberitas ecclesiastica, or others : the strength also of the several arguments brought by them, for the lawfulness of forms to be used universally by ministers, in their publick ministrations, is fairly tried.	Collinges, John, 1623-1690.; Freeman, Ireneus.; Falkner, William, d. 1682. Libertas ecclesiastica.	1679 (1679)	Wing C5330; ESTC R14423	97,441	180

from Scripture partly from Reason § 2 We judge so from Scripture 1 Pet. 4. 10 11. As every man hath received the gift so minister it one to another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God If any man speak as the oracles of God if any one minister c. The Apostle is evidently there speaking of gospel ministrations and giving a Rule about them his Rule is this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As every man hath received the Gift ministring 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the substantive to that must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is the same which the Apostle expresseth in a little different phrase Rom. 12. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As God hath divided to every one a measure of faith v. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 According to the Grace given to us The Apostle makes the gift 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which we are to minister and we are commanded to minister according as we have received it Now in administrations by other mens forms and prayer is the one half of our ministry we neither minister The gift nor as every one hath received the gift but as we find in the Book or in the forms prescribed A gift indeed we use Reading is a gift but not the gift of prayer § 3 But if we had no such express Scripture The very light of Nature and Reason would make this very probably appear to be the will of God to us 1 Because we use in an act of worship a less proper less natural and perfectly human mean and in the mean time we omit a more proper more natural Divine mean 2 Because wee cannot use other mens forms omitting our own gift but we must omit a mean given us by God for the act to use a mean under no Special divine prescription And we think it but reasonable that nothing but a special divine prescription should controle a general rule whether written in Scripture or approving it self to our Reason Especially if it be in matter of Divine worship and to be done ordinarily This is our first Argument delivered and opened with as much freedom and plainness as we are able to express it in We have indeed met with Six or Seven answers but such as we cannot acquiesce in we will fairly relate them all and shew why they apear to us by no means satisfactory § 4 Some have gone roundly to work denying any such gift as the gift of prayer But this is either to deny what is evident to sense viz. That there are some persons able fitly to express their minds to God in prayer or to deny the Scriptures which say Ja. 1. 17. That Every good gift and every perfect gift cometh from above from the father of Lights Besides That it stubbeth up all Liturgies of Prayer by the roots none it seems having any ability to make them But those who have thus answered have been very few and very invaluable § 5 Others therefore tell us That all ministers have not this gift and it were unreasonable to presume it in such a clergy as that of England consisting of 9 or 10000 persons To this we answer If they who answer thus intend by all Ministers all who are ordained by men or all those whom the church in some stress of necessity is forced to make use off in stead of ministers have not the gift of prayer we do agree it But if they mean that All those who are sent of God into the ministry have not the gift of Prayer we think we should too much trespass upon the reverence we owe to God if we should grant That hee sendeth any into his work whom hee hath not first fitted for all the parts of it 2 We do grant That there may be such a state of the church when for the present it cannot be furnished with perfect ministers by perfect we mean such as are tolerably fit for all the parts of their work Our forefathers experienced this both in the beginnings of our Reformation in K. Edw. in Qu. Eliz. time as also did our Forefathers Brethren in other churches They were so far from finding persons enough fitted to pray preach that were well affected to a Reformation that they had much a do to find such persons enough that could read And it is said the Priviledge in our courts of Judicature which persons guilty of theft separated from Burglary other crimes have comes from this defect of former ages And we do believe that the Orginal or continuance of Liturgies upon the Reformation owes it self in a great measure to this But we say These were but Tanquam ministers better these then none their Reading may give the people some instruction But 3ly suppose some that must be made use off for the present necessity of the church have not the gift must they therefore who have it be restrained in the use of it We do indeed think that it will be hard to find nine or ten thousand scholars in England furnished with the gift either of praying or preaching in any tolerable manner and one great reason is Because they have been so tied to a Liturgy that they have never applied themselves to the study of the Scriptures and their own hearts as they should but to tie up all to the use of such forms is the ready way never to have such a number Therefore this answer is far from a satisfaction § 6 Another hath told us That the same gift may serve for several uses and he that useth it to one use is in some cases excused from using it in another especially if he be hindred by authority This gift he saith may be used another way both in the worship of God out of it In the worship of God because the same faculty which enableth a man to utter a good prayer to God enableth him to make a good exhortation to people Out of the worship else those Laymen who have it and are no ministers sin This is Ireneus Freemans answer in his book called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But certainly this author had forgot whereof he spake By the gift of prayer must be understood An ability in man fitly to express his mind to God in prayer in asking things agreeable to his will Can this gift or faculty be used in making good orations exhortations to the people or can any thing be spoken more absurdly then to say That the gift of prayer may be put to some other use out of Gods worship Surely the author doth not think it lawful to pray to Saints Angels But by the Gift of prayer he certainly understands nothing but the gift of speaking or at most of speaking sense But surely the gift or ability of working in Brass iron wood are differing abilities or gifts though at several times they be exercised by the same person proceed from the same reasonable soul But distrusting this answer he hath a Fourth § 7 That

very Argument the Popish Abby-lubbers Monks and Priests used to persuade the Pope to appropriate to Covents Abbies the tythes belonging to many Parishes and the Racovian Catechism de Eccles c. 11. hath it plain enough Postquam igitur Doctrina Christi secundum consilium Dei patefacta confirmata fuit abundè iis personis quae eam patifecerent confirmarent nihil amplius loci in Ecclesiâ relictum And the Arminians agree much with them Episcopius Disput 28. determineth preaching profitable but not necessary But blessed be God the number of these men in England is not great all men almost acknowledging Preaching a great Ordinance of Christ an ordinance not onely to make men Christians in name and outwardly but Christians inwardly and indeed changing their hearts and turning them from all sin and lust to serve the living God It was the unhappiness of England to have three or four Prelates of great power who thus depretiated the greatest ordinance of the gospel But as they are gone and ere this know whether they in this thing did well or ill so there are not many that approve their sayings or will rise up to call them blessed We therefore take it for granted that Preaching may not be suppressed and are little affected with a Critial Authors witin distinguishing betwixt Preaching and Teaching and essays to prove it is not the ministers duty to Preach but to Teach In short we think that Critick had need himself be taught before he either preacheth or teacheth § 2 Our onely question is Whether it be in the power of man to suppress the gift of preaching in a minister of the gospel We think it is not because of the frequent commands in Scripture to ministers To stir up and not to neglect that gift and to minister it 1 Tim. 4. 14. 2 Tim. 1. 6. 1 Pet. 4. 10 11 c. And to us nothing can be more absurd then to fancy That God should have given abilities and gifts to men for so great a work as the work of the ministry and given them an heart to desire the imployment and the church should have approved of them as furnished by God for his work and sent into it and after this it should be in the power of men to suppress the use of these gifts and appoint them in stead of it to readsome discourses of others to the people § 3 The onely doubt then can be about the Minor Proposition which stands upon this foundation That God hath given unto man no farther liberty to stifle and suppress one ministerial gift then another Nor can any sufficient reason be given of their farther authority in the one case then the other and therefore our wise Reformers seing a necessity to make a provision for that most sad state which our and other Reforming-churches were in in the beginning of Reformation at the same time provided ministers both a book of Homilies and a book of Publick prayers and Homilies at first just proportioned to the Number of sermons they willed to be preached every year That was 12 on each month Well knowing That if they had Authority to do the one they had Authority to do the other And those who had need of the one had an Equal need if not greater of the other The Doctor Respondent therefore within these few years at a Commencement having given the lawfulness of Imposing and using forms of prayer for his Question and being pressed by one of our Learned Prelates with this Argument That then it was lawful to impose and use forms of sermons too Like a wise man granted the Consequence and denied the Assumption And his hearers thought he answered well to avoid a publick baffle though he affirmed a falshood by denying the Minor we are sure some of us did judging the Consequence by no means to be destroyed by the Art of man § 3 Every considerate person will easily understand That if it be lawful for man to compose all forms of prayer and forms of sermons to be used by ministers and they may discharge their ministerial office by reading them both We shall neither need Grammar-schools nor Vniversities to breed up men for the Ministry Let us but make sure of good School-dames in every Parish to learn children to read and every parish will commence a Nursery of very able and sufficient Clerks that is Such as can read Primers Psalters and Bibles or any other books of reasonable good Prints If any will tell us that a Minister hath some other work We answer we know of no other But the administration of the Sacraments where God himself hath made the Form certain the Minister in those ordinances hath nothing farther that we know to do but to add the application of Prayer and Exhortation the two general acts of his office to that particular performance Let none tell us That he is to Convince gainsayers for that so far as it is the work of every ordinary minister it is by way of plain Scripture and ministerial reproof and for that too there are books enough in English So that we are confident That if St Paul had thought such kind of Discharge of the ministerial work would have acquitted Timothy's soul before God he would never have so called upon him as he doth 1 Tim. 4. 13. To give attendance to Reading to Exhortation to Doctrine Neglect not the gift that is in thee c. Nor have told him that such labourers in the word and Doctrine were worthy of double honour 1 Tim. 5. 11. Nor charged him To prove ministers was it whether they could read or no think we Not to lay hands suddenly on any Nor charged him as 2 Tim. 1. 6. To stir up the gift of God Nor called upon him rightly to divide the word of truth it had been divided to his hand he would never have called upon Timothy as 1 Tim. 4. 15. To Meditate on the Scripture To give himself wholly to that study that his profiting might appear to all § 4 But we find our old friend Ireneus Freeman here again opposing us not urging the lawfulness of Magistrates imposing and Ministers using forms of sermons but pretending a different Reason betwixt Forms of Prayers and of sermons which indeed may enfeeble our Minor Proposition we have onely to Examin what he saith whether it will amount to what he would have it For otherwise the strength of our Argument is evident enough to every deliberate Christian He begins with telling us That one would in charity think That these men were none of the Contrivers or Approvers of the Directory for these lamentable restraints both of sermons and Prayers are to be found there To which we answer That one would in charity also think That this Author a Scholar and Divine should speak truth And not abuse his Reader with a known falshood Surely he never read the Directory or hoped his Readers never would Who ever saw one form of