Selected quad for the lemma: church_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
church_n	bishop_n	ordain_v	titus_n	2,698	5	10.8309	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A81703	The cleere antithesis, or, diametrall [sic] opposition betweene presbytery and prelacy wherein is apparently demonstrated, whither government be most consonant and agreeable to the word of God.; Appeale to every impartiall, judicious, and godly reader.	Downing, Calybute, 1606-1644.	1644 (1644)	Wing D2099; Thomason E17_7; ESTC R23496	8,758	30

THE Cleere Antithesis OR DIAMETRALL OPPOSITION BETWEENE PRESBYTERY AND PRELACY Wherin is apparently demonstrated whither Government be most Consonant and Agreeable to the Word of GOD. LONDON Printed for Francis Coules and Henry Twyford Anno Dom. 1644. AN APPEALE TO Every Impartiall Iudicious and Godly READER WHETHER THE Presbyterie or Prelacie Be the better Church-Government according to the Word of God being duely compared the one with the other By a judicious and learned Divine LONDON Printed for Francis Coules and Henry Twyford Anno Dom. 1641. THE PRESBYTERIE AND PRELACIE COMPARED Whereby it may appeare whether of them is more for the safety of soules the reformation of mens lives the advancement of a pure worship the practise of godlinesse the abolishment of Popery and prophanenesse with the rooting out of Sects and Schismes and for preservation of Unity and Peace amongst us The Presbyterie I. THis is found in Holy Writ and the Holy Ghost is pleased to mention it by name 1 Tim. 4. 14. for the due honour thereof II. This consists of Presbyters called Elders 1 Tim. 5. 17. or Parochiall Bishops or Bishops of particular Congregations Acts 20. 17 28. Phil. 1. 1. of equall authority among themselves not Lording over Gods heritage III. These have a divine Institution by the Holy Ghost Acts 20. 28. and are ordained by the Apostles Acts 14. 23. and by the Apostles commandment Titus 1. 5. 7. and have warrant we see from the Canonicall Scriptures IV. These were joyned with the Apostles and sate in the Councell at Ierusalem with them and with them made and sent out by the direction of the Holy Ghost the Decrees Acts 15. 4. 6. 22. 23. 28. 16. 4. 21. 18. 25. V. These Elders were they who by divine authority did rule they were called Elders that ruled of such speaketh the Apostle 1 Tim. 5. 17. Heb. 13. 24. and the people had an Apostolicall charge to know them to be over them in 1 Thess 5. 12. and to rule over them Heb. 13. 7. and the people were to obey them and submit to them Vers 17. What can be more clearely delivered out of the Text. VI. The rule of these was Aristocraticall and conjoynt and therefore we reade plurally of Elders the Bishops in one Citie Acts. 20. 17. Phil. 1. 1. Yea Elders were ordained in every Church and Citie Acts 14. 23. Titus 1. 5. VII These rule after God according to his Word and according to such Constitutions as shall be genera●ly with one consent agreed upon and warranted by the Word VIII These can and doe rule spiritually after a spirituall manner Without pompe and great revenues Without a traine of domesticke attendants Without their Chancellors and Archdeacons Commissaries and Officials Surrogates Without Advocates Doctors and Proctors Without charge of great fees and pecuniary mulcts Without their prisons corporally to punish Delinquents IX These use no base nor no lewd companions to come to call Delinquents before them X. These calling offendors before them proceed religiously with them onely seeking their reformation and amendment and so they finde it and not to ma●e game of the people nor doe they ever excommunicate any for not paying fees XI These oppose all corruptions in Gods worship the life and doctrine in all sorts as well in the Clergie as Laitie without respect of persons to honour thereby their Christian profession and to procure glory to God and salvation to many soules XII These make and ordaine a preathing Ministry setting over every particular Congregation a sit Pastor resident and painfull onely attending his ●●ecke and wholy giving himselfe unto his Ministry and not putting off his charge to a Curate XIII These allow not any one of them upon himselfe to ordaine 1. Any Minister alone 2. Nor any man altogether to be Minister without a particular slock to attend upon 3. Not to bee made to pay any thing for his Ordination for a License to preach for Institutions and Inductions 4. Not to sweare Canonicall obedience to them XIV These Ordaining Ministers doe throughly try them not childishly by asking of questions read out of a booke and answers made thereto upon the same booke but in wisedome as shall bee thought fitting for them to aske and the Ordained to answer unto with understanding and this is done with fasting and prayer very solemnely XV. These having thus ordained Pastors over Congregations presse them to preach unto their flockes and thereof to be very carefull or else shall they bee called before them and censured for neglect of their duty herein XVI These impose not needlesse Ceremonies Crosse and the Surplice and such like to bee used in the time of Gods worship for they observe the Apostolicall rules for indifferent things and know how grievously they should sinne in imposing any such things upon Ministers not sufficiently perswaded of the lawfulnesse thereof XVII These punish no Ministers for neglecting any indifferent but for neglect of performing necessary duties to God and men XVIII These seeke Pastors for to feed the people and to fit them for the Congregations as they are lesse or greater and learned or otherwise and may be most for the perfecting of the Saints the worke of the Ministry and the edifying the body of Christ Ephes 4. 12. such they carefully preferre without sinister ends XIX These study carefully with all diligence to hold up goodnesse and that sinne in all sorts may be speedily cut off XX. This Presbyterian Government therefore admitteth of foure kinds or degrees of Assemblies for the well governement of all in onely causes Ecclesiasticall XXI The first is the Assembly of the Parish called a Session or Consistory this consists of one Minister commonly approved for his learning his life and discretion in governement Secondly of certaine men called Elders men of best knowledge and holiest life in all the Parish their number are moe or fewer according to the largenesse or sinallnesse of the Parishioners they are chosen with the peoples consent in their presence and solemnely admitted to their charge their meeting is weekely by these to wit the Pastor and Elders are Parishes well ordered as the Law of God and Law Ecclesiasticall of the Land appoint them according to the Word To these Assemblies come another sort called Deacons to receive directions in their duty concerning the poore for about them is the Deacons employment men grave holding the mystery of faith in a good conscience 1 Tim. 3. 2. XXII By this Assembly weekely at home among themselves the spirituall estate of the people is looked into their walking also towards God and one towards another in love Religion is upheld and the exercise thereof Gods worship kept and upheld from pollution Sacraments from being prophaned by the keeping backe of unworthy persons scandals and offences removed abuses reformed in breach of the Sabbath vertue nourished vice is suppressed in persons and in families by the office of these Elders throughout the whole Parish to the joy

these fore-mentioned which the Presbyterian governement hath utterly shaken off as both needlesse and very burthensomely grievous IX These use Apparitors and others to cite men unto their Courts very lewd and base fellowes all of them of an evill report among the people X. These make gaine of the peoples sinnes by their fees in all and every of their Courts and seeke not their amendment for what one is made the better by them and if any of them pay not fees they are excommunicated by them XI These tollerate many corruptions in Gods worship in mens doctrine and lives in the Clergy as is knowne by shamefull instances to the House of Parliament and in the Laity who if great fearing to meddle with them if rich by making gaine of them if very poore neglecting them because no money is to be had to the great disgrace of profession to Gods great dishonour and to the fearefull damnation of many soules left to themselves of the truth thereof God and men can witnesse XII These make and ordaine a reading Ministry allow Pluralists Non-residents idle Ministers many giving themselves unto the world not a few Master Doctors intruding themselves into secular affaires putting off their Cures to some poore Curates XIII These take upon them to ordaine alone To Make a Minister without a charge to be some Curate or to employ himselfe otherwise till a Living fall To be made to pay his fees for Ordination and License and when hee is to be admitted into his Living to pay for Institution and Induction with other gratuities to the Prelates servants and their gentlemen Apparators and are forced to sweare Canonicall obedience to their Lordly Authoritie XIV These make Ministers upon slight tryall and in their Ordination the Bishop out of booke readeth his questions and the Parties to be Ordain'd answer them by reading in the book very babishly and instead of fasting the Lords day after Ember weeke and for prayers they reade the Letany and some short Collects out of the book thus slightly doing one of the weightiest works of the Ministry in the Church of Christ XV. These having ordained Ministers Instituted and Inducted them allow them not to preach except they come and procure a License so to doe Which when they have gotten though they seldome or never preach they are never called into question for the same so be it they reade their Service XVI These impose these Ceremonies as so necessary that they cry out No Ceremony no Bishop though they know what S. Paul saith touching the use of things indifferent they neither observe his Canons nor fear to lay a stumbling-blocke before their brethren nor to wound consciences nor to cause them to perish for whom Christ died nor doe they care to sin against Christ of all which foure evills Saint Paul speakes in the 14. of the Romans vers 13. 1 Cor. 8. 11 12. XVII Yet these sinners against Christ doe not onely seeke to kill soules by wounding of consciences making them to perish but have ruined many faithfull Ministers in their estates by suspensions and deprivations yea they have kil'd their bodies by imprisonment and all this onely for not-conformity passing by many others neglecting necessary duties being conformable O yee heavens stand astonished and wonder XVIII These seeke out and search for the fattest Parsonages to feed themselves and to fit their carnall mindes carefully preferring their Sonnes their Chaplaines their Friends Kinsmen and Favorites endeavouring sometime to deprive true Patrons by cunning shifts of the right of Patronage to place in whom they please respecting mens persons and not the spirituall good of the people XIX These study carnally to their utmost power that they may hold up their owne greatnesse and not nourish people in goodnesse they strive not against sinne but rather how to secure themselves in their Lordly standing XX. This Prelacie therefore alloweth of no such Assemblies for that they fear thereby their own downfall and for that they onely would have the guiding of all in all matters Ecclesiasticall XXI This is not allowed at any hand under this Prelacy but instead thereof in many Parishes is a blind Shepheard or a prophane Minister without learning honesty of life and discretion to know how to governe Secondly there are two Church wardens and with them two Side men not chosen ever for their knowledge and godly life but by house rous chosen they be as the house falls and in some places otherwise but admitted to their charge not after a solemne manner but by their names set downe in a booke their common office is knowne neither Pastor nor these have any rule Ecclesiasticall but the Church-wardens must appeare twice yearly to forsweare themselves at Visitations to pay money for a booke of Articles and to make presentments to the Ecclesiasticall Courts according to these Articles onely to helpe the Ordinary the Registers Apparitors with money but nothing reform'd in mens lives but perhaps glasse windowes and Church walls amended Bells broken and Ropes prepared Pulpits Seats Surplisses and Communion Tables to be all fit weighty matters There be also in every Parish over seers of the poore such as they bee XXII By this their Prelaticall way and want of the Parochian Session all things goe awry and great is the spirituall misery of the people they live in much ignorance little power is there of the life of religion their worship is but customary the Sacrament is greatly prophaned by unworthy Communicants open drunkards knowne adulterers common swearers c. On the holy Sabbath the Lord is dishonoured much vice raigning among them in them their families to the great griefe of such as feare God who complaining of them shall be heard perhaps it may be for the Court to get money but if others complaine of these they shall surely feele the weight of malice and ill will XXIII Under this Prelacie is no such Presbyteriall Assembly Here are certaine Deanaries in every of which is held an idle Visitation by an Archdeacon or his Substitute once in halfe a yeare to this resort all the Ministers within that Deanary where the Visitation is kept Hereto come the Church-wardens and Side-men and such as have Wills to prove Where we have a Sermon made by such a one as the Archdeacon shall get appoint after which all the Ministers by name are call'd to shew their appearance but no tryall of their gifts nor any such things as be mentioned in the Presbytery they pay there their Paschals and Procurations but none hardly know why Then the Church-wardens Side-men are called an Oath administred with Articles to make their presentments by then if any have Wills to prove they bring them and an Oath is also administred to the Executor Which done the Assembly breakes up to goe to dinner after which the Church-wardens and Side-men doe come againe before the Judge of the Court to give in their presentments This done all is ended without a blessing