Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	apostle_n	bishop_n	church_n	1,878	5	4.2003	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A28865	Observations upon the ordinance of the Lords and Commons at Westminster after advice had with their Assembly of Divines for the ordination of ministers pro tempore, according to their directory for ordination and rule for examination therein expressed.	Boughen, Edward, 1587?-1660?	1645 (1645)	Wing B3815; ESTC R20014	28,236	38

concerning his perswasion of the truth of the reformed Religion which few men know where to finde Where may we see the Articles of your Religion or the rule you will be tryed by Is the Reformed Religion contained in out 39 Articles In the Apostles Nicene or Athanasius Creed None of these are in your new Directory It may be it is in the Harmony of Confessions I would to God you would tell us which it is Be it what it will it is according to the Scriptures Is this enough Will not the Brownist and the Anabaptist the Papist and the Antitrinitarian yea and the Socinian say as much And some of these will put the best of your Elders shroadly to it to prove the contrary 85. But why have we not a Directory for faith as well as for Prayers That so we may know what your new reformed faith is I think as your Prayers are unformed so your faith is unfound it is yet to be agreed on A wonder it is you are so long in voting it But your wisedomes know that it is impossible to vote a Religion which might please all the adherents to this Rebellion As therefore ye leave every man at liberty to the spirit of prayer so have ye left every man free to choose his Religion so it be not destructive to your Platformes This you esteem to be that liberty of Conscience which stints not the Spirit and is the only curbe to Popery 86. But you have a great care of e He is to be demanded of his Zeale and Faithfulnesse in maintaining the Vnity of the Church against Errour and Schisme Ib. the Churches unity against Error and Schisme he is therefore to be examined concerning his Zeale and Faithfulnesse in the maintenance of this unity But have we not read of some whose Faith is said to be Faction whose Religion Rebellion f Tertul. de Praescrip c. 42. whose Vnity Schisme But how shall they maintaine Vnity that have dissolved the bonds of charity Tha● have raised such and so many Schismes as the Church hath hardly been acquainted with from her foundation That have hatched and clucked up so many Errors and Heresies that men and Angells stand amazed at And yet a pretence of Vnity and a pretence of Reformation may work much upon the weake People as many other pretences have Good Lord how like the Devill we affect to be to make show to be what we are least and to endeavour that we seek to overthrow The rest of your Interrogatories are borrowed from our Book of Ordination and from our Canons as every thing else is that is good in this Directorie 87. In the Ordination I observe that you call the Ministery g Ord. p 11. a great worke an h 〈◊〉 12. holy Service and suddenly after he is to be exhorted to i Ib consider the greatnesse of his Office I am glad you have so good an opinion of the calling If then it be such a worke such an Office as yee speake of why have you thrust such illiterate meane Persons into our Cures as Blacke-Smiths Taylors Felt-makers and the like with unwashed hands to meddle with this holy Service Are these men fit to undertake so great a worke Is it probable that such as these should k Ib. both save themselves and the People by you committed to their Charge It is rather to be feared that as l Levit. 10.1 Num. 3. ● with Nadab and Abihu they offer strange fire so with them they will perish in this fire and draw the people into the same destruction 88. Well he is m 〈◊〉 p. 32. set apart by Imposition of hands that ancient Ceremonie of Ordination to fulfill the worke of his Ministery in all things What Ministery is this Here is none named in particular And yet there are more Orders of Ministers then one witnesse your servant Smectymnuus who n Smect Ans p. 63. acknowledgeth Presbyters and Deacons to be of two distinct Orders But the Church of England agreeably to the whole Church of God for 1500 yeares together tells us that o Preface to the Book of Ordination from the Apostles times there have been these Orders of Ministers in Christs Church BISHOPS PRIESTS and DEACONS 89. His Ministery Hath it no speciall or particular name to be knowne by Alas Ministery and Minister are words of a large extent generall names that reach to all Orders and perchance further Minister is the Genus which hath these species under it Bishop Priest and Deacon and each of these is a Minister But before we can tell which of these is meant there must be added a specificall difference as there must be to a Creature before we can conceive what manner of Creature or of living Creature is intended What though In all things be added yet all these things will reach no further then to those things which are within the compasse or power of that his Ministery to which he is ordained And so for all this we are to seek to what Ministery he is set apart Whereas in our Book of Ordination in the Pontificals and Enchologe every person in his Ordination is by name assigned to his particular Order 90. Indeed I must confesse your Minister is expressed to be a Presbyter before Ordination pag 4. as also after Ordination pag. 15. but at Ordination Minister As if Presbyter and Minister were convertible termes names of the selfe same signification True it is that every Presbyter is a Minister but every Minister is not a Presbyter no more then every living Creature is a man though every man be a living Creature I should rather conceive a Minister to be a Deacon then a Presbyter in our language because we usually translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ministery and Minister 2. Cor. 13.23 2. Tim. 4.5 c. But you must enjoy your owne words and your owne meaning though they be contrary to the sence and custome of the Church 91. Order also is taken that p Ord p. 12. one of the Ordainers exhort and charge the People in the name of God willingly to receive and acknowledge him as the Minister of Christ and to maintaine encourage and assist him in all the parts of his Office No question to be made of their willingnesse to receive and acknowledge a new Minister Novelties are pleasing and the People q 2. Tim 4.3 having itching cares will heap to themselves Teachers after their owne lusts and fancies But when it comes to maintenance yee shall find that an Exhortation or Charge will not serve the turne For though r Jer. 5.31 their Prophets prophecy falsely and the People love to have it so yet experience hath taught you that maintenance comes hardly from them till your Orders and Ordinances constraine them to pay You have been therefore and will be enforced to take a more strict course for the maintenance of your Ministers 92. But when it comes to assistance they will be forward enough for your Ordinance is that ſ Ord. p. 12. the People be charged to assist the Minister in all the parts of his Office What Are all Presbyters Are all Ministers Are all Teachers t Haereticorum qui ●am Larc● sacerdotalia munera injungunt Tertul. de Praescrip c. 41. By your Ordinance not only some but all the People are turned Prophets The People must assist the Minister in Baptizing in Preaching in administring the Lords Supper for all these belong to his Office If this be not your meaning you should have done well to have expressed your selves in plainer termes that we might understand your meaning For this is certaine that no man can assist a Presbyter in all the parts of his Office that is not of the same Office For though a Deacon may assist the Presbyter in the administration he cannot assist him in the Consecration of the Lords Supper And your selves will say that a Deacon may not assist him in Imposition of hands How then may the People assist him in all the parts of his Office Surely either the meaning or the expression is not good that 's plaine 93. I have done with your Directorie I have discharged my Conscience and I would to God I could u Ord. p. 12. dismisse you with a Blessing With a Prayer I may beseeching God so abundantly to blesse you with his grace that you may see your foule Impieties and Repent and in time while it is called to day discharge your Consciences knowing assuredly that you must appeare and give a strict account for all your Ordinances and Actions before the impartiall Barre of that unerring Iudge Christ Jesus And x Heb. 10.31 a dreadfull thing it is to fall into the Hands of the Everliving God Then an Ordinance of Parliament or the Protection of both Houses shall stand you and your Divine Assembly in small stead In that day your Ordinances and Actions and Intentions shall be throughly sifted and layed open before your faces Then y S. Ioh. 5.29 they that have done good shall goe into the Resurrection of Life and they that have done evill into the Resurrection of Damnation God give every one of us grace to lay this to heart that so we may avoyd the wrath to come AMEN FINIS