Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	new_a	old_a	testament_n	18,420	5	8.4579	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A90164	The order of choosing church-officers: with a declaration of the calling of the ministers. Also [brace] the elders, and their office. The deacons, and their office. Church-assemblies in generall. Particular elderships in parishes. The order of excommunication. And the greater presbyteries, or classes. [brace] According to the forme of the Presbyterian government. Published according to order.		1646 (1646)	Wing O377; Thomason E345_4; ESTC R200983	11,326	18

having entred before upon the publike exercise or prophesie to sit by the Ministers and Elders in the meeting of the Presbytery and to give their judgment of the Doctrine but they have no voice when matters of doctrine or discipline are debated And in the handling of some matters which are thought fit to be concealed and kept secret till they be by common consent published they are to be removed Because the whole discipline in a manner is in the hands of the Presbytery they are to meet once a week or fortnight upon a certain day and in a certain place but in some places through the length and deepnesse of the way in Winter they do not meet so often The subject and matters treated by the Presbytery are all Ecclesiasticall matters of weight which concern the particular Churches there represented as the examination ordination suspension axd depositions of Ministers scandals of Ministers in Doctrine life or any part of their calling the discerning of excommunication references and appellations from particular Elderships and the amending of any thing that hath been negligently or weakly done by them the answering also of questions requests from other Presbyteries Churches or persons or sending of Commissioners in some cases to other Churches or Presbyteries whether to admonish them or to seek counsell from them but so that they have no authority without the limits of their own consociation The Ministers and Elders who are Commissioners together with the expectants and others who are pleased to be present meeting in the place and at the day and hour appointed which useth to be one half hour after nine a clock in the forenoon where of warning is given by the sound of a bell that so all the affaires of that day unlesse there be somwhat extraordinary to hold them longer may be expedited against mid-day do begin with prayer and proceed to the textuall interpretation of Scripture which is done by the Ministers each one in his own place by course or by the expectants whose names are set forth in a Table or written in the Register of the Presbytery for that end after the first speaker some other who followeth in order and is also appointed by the Presbytery the day before speaketh in the second place collecting some doctrine sone or moe upon the text expounded and shewing the use thereof The second speaker having ended about eleven a clock the exercise is closed with thanksgiving by him who spake first The matter of each dayes exercise is some portion of that particular book of the old or new Testament agreed upon in the Presbytery once every moneth some common place or controversie is handled unto which the exercise giveth place for that day The ground is read in Scripture the state of the question propounded the arguments for the truth pressed and vindicated from the sophistication of the adversaries but the arguments contra are left to be proponed in the Presbyteriall meeting by such Ministers as are by the Moderator called to dispute upon the propositions or Theses exhibit the day of the meeting next before by the controversar and are propugned by him the Moderator being prases of the disputation That that the Presbyterie may goe through all the controversies they have also a table wherein they are all digested in order so that each minister or expectant knoweth a moneth before what is next to be treated The exercise or common head of controversie ended in publike the people depart and the Ministers and Elders with others who are permitted to be present go to the private place of their meeting where all being set in order and the Moderator having begun with prayer the doctrine delivered in publike is examined and each one of the Presbytery and Expectants either approveth or in charity and sobernesse of spirit propoundeth his doubt against any point spoken of which being done the speakers for that day are called upon they being apart at this time their interpretation and doctrine approved and they encouraged or if there be cause they are in a brotherly manner admonished The doctrine censured for this is called the censure of the doctrine The matters before mentioned to be the subject of the Presbyteriall jurisdiction are propounded modestly debated and either concluded or taken to further deliberation or remitted to the Synod and so the meeting concluded with prayer The Moderator either continueth in his place between one Provintiall Synod and another or for a shorter time but they think it not fit to change the Moderator at every meeting The Presbyteries also do visit the severall Churches within their bounds either by holding their full meeting at the Churches or by sending their Commissioners thither that they may see how the Ordinances of Christ are used and obeyed by the Minister Eldership and all the Congregation and that if any thing be amisse it may be rectified FINIS