Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	form_n	prayer_n	use_v	4,815	5	5.9954	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A28901	A light from Christ leading unto Christ by the star of his word, or, The rich jewel of Christian divinity practically explained in the principles enlightening the children of God how to meet Christ in his ordinances and by strength from Christ to walk comfortably with Christ in the whole course of their lives ... by way of catechism or dialogue, not to answer verbatim or by wrote ... but each one according to his own sence and understanding of the question / by Immanuel Bourn of Ashover in the county of Derby, now preacher of the Gospel to the congregation in Sepulchres C.L.	Bourne, Immanuel, 1590-1672.	1646 (1646)	Wing B3855; ESTC R35779	307,398	743

and the bounds of their habitation and in this civil co-habitation there is a union and this civil union in a Kingdom City or Parish or the like doth not un-church a people for this respect for then certainly all the Churches of Christ in Corinth Galatia Ephesus Pergamos Smyrna and others as well as in England London or a Parochial Congregation must have been un-churched then which what is more absurd to imagine Secondly there is a religious and more spiritual formal union when a company of men and women professing the Faith of Christ held forth in the Gospel and subjection thereunto in righteousnesse and true holinesse and united in a Parochial Church or congregational meeting place to partake of the holy Ordinance of the Word Prayer and Sacraments and other acts of Christian communion and Church fellowship This is a true form of a Church amongst us though not without some failings yet so as we have and do remain true Churches of Iesus Christ and such as ought not to be un-churched by schism and separation Quest 45. But how will this appear in particular Ans I Answer first for the preaching of the Gospel and our union in that we have had and do enioy a most comfortable union and meeting of Christ and one with another even our Adversaries being judges they themselves have found the sweetnesse of Christ in the preaching of the Gospel in our mixed Congregations by Gods faithful Ministers And although some Ministers there preach otherwise as in Galatia they do yet not un-church a Church for all this Secondly for prayer howsoever set forms have been by some in Authority so much pressed yet if we look to the ancient form prescribed in the dayes of King Edward the sixt of happy memory That was but a kinde of directory as was evident in the Rubrick and directions at the end of that Book that liberty given to use or not use in divers respects as that in prayer a man might knock his brest or not knock it he might kneel or not kneel in ordinance he might crosse or not crosse and divers other of like nature yea I conceive the late Book of common-Common-prayer howsoever pressed by some yet was but a kinde of directorie as in divers particulars is evident in direction for visitation of sick thanksgiving for womens deliverance from danger of childebirth left to discretion of a Minister and though pressed by other yet not un-church a Church for all this Thirdly for the Sacrament and administration of them those that object that Christ did blesse first the Bread and after distribution of the Bread or partaking of that did then blesse the Cup that we blesse them both together This is but a circumstance of time and if unchurch a Church for this then why not for changing the time of receiving from after supper to the morning or at feasts of charity or the like These are weak objections to unchurch a Church or to separate from a true Church for any such differences I may say the like to that of the cutting of the bread although the bread be cut and fitted for preparation yet we constantly break the Bread in our administration of the blessed Sacrament as those who joyn in communion with us know well Quest 45. But they object we admit ignorant and scandalous persons many times to the Sacrament which should be cast out of the Church Ans I Answer as Saint Paul did ordain concerning the incestuous person all such as are ignorant and to be cast out of the Church when once they are discovered and proved to be so not upon bare surmises onely and this is that which alwayes ought to have been done by the Discipline of the Church of England reade the old Rubrick in that Directory or Book of Common prayer before and at the Sacrament confirmed in the dayes of Edward the sixt and you may finde first that none ignorant ought to be admitted to the Sacrament they must first be catechized and approved before they be received to partake of that holy Ordinance and secondly none scandalous ought to be received yea if there have been or be but a controversie between two parties any malice or hatred the Minister ought first to examine the parties and to perswade to charity and admit the penitent and reject the uncharitable and howsoever this duty may have been neglected yet this failing is not a sufficient ground to un-church a Church or to separate from a Congregation presently for all this else might the Church of Corinth and other Churches of Christ have been unchurched as we noted before Quest 46. But what power of Discipline hath there been in particular Congregations in the Church of England that there might have been a power of Reformation in these things Ans I answer Certainly there was a great power in the Ministers of particular Congregations especially joyning with the Church-Officers who were sworn to assist in Execution of Discipline and further although there was a power taken to the Bishops in the great matter of Excommunication and such like censures yet not the Bishop nor any under him had any lawful power to Excommunicate any inflict any censure until they were first presented by the Minister or Church-officers of the particular Congregation Nor was any man taken notice of as Excommunicate or suspended from the Sacrament until the Sentence was Declared in the particular Congregation and thus There was a power of Discipline in particular Congregations although it was many times obstructed and not put in due Execution as it ought to have been yet for all this it had sufficient to declare and point out a form of a Church and to constitute and continue a true Church for all this Look to the Church of Corinth noted before Look to the Church of Pergamos where Discipline was obstructed the Church and Church-Officers suffered those who taught the Doctrine of Balaam Rev. 2.14 15. and the Doctrine of the Nicolaitans which Christ hated and yet a true Church for all this though corrupt and unsound in this respect Look to the Church of Thyatira Christ complained against them that Discipline was not exercised Rev. 2.20 they suffered the woman Jezabel yet Christ doth not un-church them nor direct any separation from them for all this And so our Churches are true Churches both for matter and form and not to be un-churched or any separation but a Reformation to be sought for and true unity in the Churches of Christ Quest 47. Yet once again Howsoever formerly there hath been a matter and form of a Church yet now the outward form is gone and the Church like an old house pull'd down to be new builded and where and what form of a Church have we now until Discipline and a Government be setled in the Church Ans I answer Our Church is now in a hopeful way of Reformation blessed be God but yet it is not like a house wholly pull'd down to be

their sealing all this in receiving Baptism the signe and seal of this Covenant between God and them and so were formally admitted into the Church and brought into a Church union and fellowship with the Saints And this our Adversaries confesse was a true form of admission into the Church at first conversion And this I say was right for Iews and Pagans born out of the Church converted to the Faith of Christ but it doth not follow that because it was the ordinary way for them Therefore the same order and form in every circumstance must be for those who are born in the Church for children of believers have a priviledge as the children of believing Abraham had and as we have proved already above all the children of Pagans and Infidels out of the Church whatsoever And yet the substance of this Form of admission is and hath been observed in the Churches of Christ and so we may Justifie of our particular mixed Congregations as they are called that they are true Churches of Christ in respect of outward admission into the Church Quest 40. But how do you make this to appear Ans First children of believing Parents have according to their priviledge due to them an infant admission into the Church in Baptism in which whereas they themselves cannot present themselves and desire Baptism that seal of the Covenant as circumcision was of old I will be thy God and the God of thy Seed Acts 2.38 39 The Parents do present their children and desire Baptism for them as a Covenant priviledge belonging to children of believers Secondly because the children cannot professe their Faith The Parents do professe or declare their assent and consent to the Faith of Christ and truth of the Gospel Thirdly because the children cannot intimate their Covenant with Christ therefore their Parents do Covenant and promise to do their endeavour not only to catechize their children and bring them up in the knowledge of Christ but to do their endeavour that the childe when he or she shall be of years and that God hath given knowledge and Faith shall make a solemn profession of the Faith of the Gospel and of their Graces and Faith in Christ Fourthly the Parents promise that they will do their endeavour that the childe when called of God and enabled with knowledge and Faith shall not onely professe Faith and Covenant but desire to renew and solemnly to enter Covenant with the Lord and to seal it in the blessed Sacrament of the Lords Supper after examination profession and approbation of the Church and thus the children of believers have a true infant admission and form of admission into the Church and are true infant members of the visible Church so far as infant-membership is or can be to them now as it was to Isaac at eight dayes old and to all children of believing Abraham before the coming of Christ Quest 41. But this is but an infant-membership which though true yet it doth not Answer that admission of men of ripe years in the Primitive Times Answ I Answer again that when these children of believers baptized in infancy are come to years of discretion and God hath given them knowledge and Faith in Christ and they have made profession of their Faith and Graces of God in them and desire to enter Covenant solemnly with the Lord and to seal it in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper and upon examination and approbation of the Church are formally admitted by the Minister of Christ and the Church and officers thereof there are such persons made compleat visible members called to be of Saints and to the fellowship of the Saints in the Church of Christ And of this person or persons so admitted I affirm that they have a true Form of admission into the Church and if their Faith and prfession of Faith be true and sincere they are as true members of the Church of Christ as the Eunuch was and if their Faith and profession of Faith be but false and counterfet as Simon Magus his was and too many have been in our Churches yet a Church made up of such members is as true a Church visible for our form of admission as any we reade of was since the Apostles times Let any man declare if he can when and where a Church was constituted of such as were born in the Church in a better form for the first six hundred years after Christ common- None to be admitted to the Sacramēt before catechized and approved See the Rubrick before at Sacrament in the old Book of common-Commō-Prayer And therefore I conclude that however many corruptions and failings have been in particular Congregations in the practical part of this admission yet the Lawes of our Church did require both catechizing and profession of Faith and approbation and allowance after examination before admission to compleat visible ripe year membership and admission to the Sacrament to renew covenant as aforesaid And thus our Churches are true in form in respect of outward formal admission into the Church substantially true which is sufficient Quest 42. This I think may satisfie for the form of admission into a Church fellowship When a man or woman born in the Church Mr. Calvin Iustitions l. 4. c. 19.8.4 Ierome Contra. Lucifer I would it were restored to its pure use a childe of a believing Parent baptized in infancy is thus admitted when he or she cometh to years not by Popish confirmation worthily abolished but by this ancient order of solemn profession of Faith in Christ and holinesse and approbation of the Church which learned Martyr speaks of noted before And reverend Mr. Calvin commends as most worthy to be restored in the Church to its pure use But our Adversaries deny our Ministers Ordination and affirm the form of their Ordination and admission or call to be Ministers to be Antichristian and therefore our Churches to be no true Churches of Christ Ans First I Answer that it is the opinion of these Adversaries that there is no need of Ordination of a Minister onely for a particular Congregation to chuse one of their fellow Brethren to be their Minister or to have an approbation of a company of professours to be their Minister there needs no more and then the Ordination of our Ministers as in the opinion of separatists it doth not further so it is certain it cannot hinder a man from being a Minister of Christ if at any time he be called and approved of a Church and whosoever he be who renounceth his calling to the Minister because he was ordained by a Bishop and a company of preaching Presbyters I think in this as in other things he is too superstitious and Popishly affected to an outward form of admission and worthy to be censured of the Church for such an errour in which he condemns valiant Martin Luther judicious Master Calvin worthy Latimer Cranmer Ridley Hooper those glorious Ministers and Martyrs of Christ as if