Selected quad for the lemma: church_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
church_n	officer_n	ordain_v	ordination_n	3,414	5	11.2484	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A52993	Palæmon, or, The grand reconciler composing the great difference and disputes about church-government and discovering the primitive government of churches, built upon the Word of God, and the practice of the apostles / compiled by one who labours for the peace of the church.	T. N.	1646 (1646)	Wing N77; ESTC R30734	20,310	32

Mr. Th. is most observable and waighty He advises in the first place that with all circumspection and providence great care be used in ordering the choice of them His meaning is that if the people in the primitive Church had an interesse or share in giving consent to those who were to be ordained Presbyters much more must we think it very just and fit that the votes of the Presbyters and consent of the people should now precede and concur in the designing of such persons under whom and with whom they are to guide and be guided in spirituall affaires such persons are Bishops who should be men most holy in their life and most eminent for learning Most happy would this Nation be if all our Prelates were such and if that prescribed method were duly observed in the choice such would there alwayes or for the most part be who should fit at the Helme of this poore distracted Church now like to that Ship in which Peter was tossed and ready to sink for want of good Pilots SECT X. LAst of all because this Apostolicall government by Bishops and Presbyters is chiefly exercised in Ordination Penance a question may arise Whether it belongs to the Bishop alone without his Presbyters to censure the offences whether in doctrine or manners of those persons who have received holy orders Mr. Th. clearing first that place in 1 Tim. 5.19 20. answers the question Against an Elder receive not an accusation but under 2. or 3. witnesses c. That without all doubt it was the practice of the primitive times for the Bishop with his Presbyters to take the examination of offending Ministers whom being convicted of their offence by the mouth i. e. the asseveration of 2. or 3. witnesses he in the presence of his Presbyters did rebuke before all in the sight and hearing of the congregation that others thereby might be strucken with feare to offend God and his people by their scandalous conversation If this course had been taken formerly with Ministers and Deacons it might have so pleased God that the Church should not now have layen bleeding and gasping in this fatall ruine Neither would there have beene given to our enemies so just an occasion of relating sad truths in Gath and Askelon Thus following the method of that most learned Gentleman I have cast his larger Modell into a lesser frame that the cmmon people may hereby be better instructed and advised not to thinke of destroying Bishops but rather labour and wish for the restoring of their Presbyteries which forme of government being set downe and delivered in the holy Scriptures is commended and countenanced by the agreement of historicall Truth and primitive practice as of the Apostles and other succeeding ages And seeing that the Bishops succeeded the Apostles in place and function I cannot but wonder that those should endeavour to destroy them those who are Sons of the Apostles Faith and Doctrine S. Hierom of all Church Writers least favorable to the Order of Bishops is neverthelesse most large in acknowledging that without it the peace of particular Churches could not be preserved In witnesse whereof we may appeale to those many and happy dayes which our Church since the Reformation by means of it hath enjoyed without such ruptures and factions which have happened in a neighbouring Church whose people were alwayes observed to be of all others most daring in matters of Religion to innovate opinions and break the bonds of peace by which the good and welfare of Church and State is promoted To re-establish which blessed peace after which we groane in our prayers with panting desires it could be wished that wee might see the Heads of our Church the Bishops stand as Mr. Th. expresses it well in their right places being set over Bodies or Colledges of Presbyteries which should consist of men conforme to the Church both in Doctrine and Discipline To the want of which government although some have attributed those many inconvenciences wherewith the Church is cumbred yet most of the Clergy-men that are versed in the affaires of the Church wishing its prosperity and peace doe acknowledge and confesse with a protestation against it That there is one in conveniency now setled in the Church which has done much mischiefe and cannot be redressed without a publique Act of Parliament It is the committing of Jurisdiction at large even that which by the power of the Keyes received from Christ is proper and essentiall to the Church to Lay persons as Chancellors and Commissaries c. who may still retaine that office and ranke they hold in regard of those other points of Jurisdiction in charitable causes annexed by the favour of Princes and Lawes of Commonwealths to the Church As the probat of Wils c. which is fittest to judge and determine in such cases yet may be nonplust sometimes for want of knowledge in the Civill Law and therefore may and must have need of such assistants who if they moved onely in the lower Sphere of the Law and medled not with that Primum mobile the great wheele of the Church the discipline of penance but did leave the execution of this to the Bishop and Presbyters If this were once amended and officers duly censured by the B ps their Presbyters openly in the Church or in any publike place of Justice And besides the exercise of this discipline if they enjoined their joint pains parts in the tryall examination of persons who come for Ordination providing that none be ordained but those who are either Assistants of and are presented to Cures according to our Lawes if this were faithfully done and Ministers without connivence censured who should offend either in life or doctrine then should we see Righteousnesse run downe like a streame in our streets and Peace would flourish within our wals and Plenty in our palaces This is my daily prayer and it is the desire of all good Christians Da pacem Domine in diebus nostris Give peace in our time O Lord. O pray for the peace of Jerusalem FINIS Kinde Reader The Authors of this Book being by multiplicity of imployments detained from meeting together to revise the whole before the impression was finished the Errata swell to a greater number then may stand with the credit of the Book but if thou pleasest before the reading of it with thy pen to correct these ensuing we hope it will tend the more to thy satisfaction PAge 1. line 5. 1 Joh. 5.22 read Joh. 5.22 p. 5. l. 26. blot out is p. 6. l. 22. in some Copies comparing r. conforming p. 52. l. 19. three r. two and l. 20. blot out these words 3. It is an exercised power p. 73. l. 6. in margin potentissima r. potissima p. 75. l. 7. serve r. swear p. 82. l. 3. conventies r. conventions and l. 34. essentiall r. severall p. 84. l. 14. subject r. directly and properly subordinate p. 85. l. 33. essentiall r. severall p. 87. l 4. seeing r. preaching p. 95. l. 36 37. blot out those words God hath not given us the spirit of feare but of power Tit. 1.7 p. 96. l. 25. 1 Cor. 19. r. 1 Cor. 14. p. 103. l. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 111. l. 1. to 5. blot out the sentence from supposing to the period and l. 10. perfect r. profest p. 111. l. 7. because in no. r. but a. p. 115. l. 5. blot out joyntly p. 118. l. 3. blot out these words 3. He that sheweth mercy i. e. such as were to entertain strangers relieve the sick c. ver 8. p. 121. l. 10. blot out yet p. 123. l. 34. blot out well p. 169. l. 11. 1 Cor. 4.21 r. 1 Cor. 4.20 p. 172. l. 17. blot out of the Church p. 195. l. 5. a multitude r. multitudes p. 214. l. 28. blot out greater and l. 29. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Other literall faults will be pardoned of course

discipline of the Church were exercised upon them they should not communicate with the people of God till the Church were satisfied of their correction and amendment This also would give satisfaction to the tender consciences of those good Christians who like to those in St. Cpyrians time are scandalized when they see them admitted to the Communion who live without any the least amendment in a constant practice and profession of sinne There being then so much good Cypr. Ep. 551. and the prevention of so much ill contained in the Discipline of penance let it be the hearty desire of all knowing and well-affected Christians towards the State and Church that the Discipline commended to us by our Saviour and practised by the Apostles may be with all care and speed reformed and brought againe into use SECT IX HAving thus unfolded the nature of that power wherewith Christ invested his Apostles and from them derived it to his Church and that is the power of the Keyes whereof there be two appendixes Excommunication and the Discipline of Penance Mr. Th. proceeds to the discovery of the other part of the Churches Office and that is the constituting and ordaining of Ministers of which there be some vestigia or footsteps left for our imitation in the holy Scriptures as when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them they sent them away Act. 13.3 Act. 14.23 1 Tim. 4.14 Neglect not the gift that was given thee by Prophecie with the imposition of the hands of the Presbyterie which words are expounded 2 Tim. 1.6 by imposition of my hands so likewise 1 Tim. 5.22 To which we may adde the choice of Matthias Act. 1.23 and that passage in the choice of the seven Deacons Act. 6.3 Looke ye out among you seven men of honest report and verse 5. and 6. They chose Steven and the rest and set them before the Apostles and when they had prayed they laid their hands upon them Which place is alledged by St. Cyprian to prove that the people have an interesse and ought to have a share in the ordination of Ministers And that this was the custome and practice of the Primitive Church to publish the names of those persons who were to be ordained that so the people discussing their lives and manners might by their approbation ratifie the ordination of such whom they knew to be men well gifted and of an holy conversation This appeares by a remarkable passage in the life of Alexander Severus by an excellent saying of St. Cyprian to this purpose Ordinationes Sacerdotum sub populi assistentis conscientia fieci Cypr. and by the 6. Canon of the Councell of Chalcedon By all which it is evident that the people did not nominate but onely approve by their common suffrage and consent the persons who were to be ordained And that the Bishop did advise with his Presbyters about the nomination of those who were to be ordained Deacons or Ministers this is cleare by those words of St. Cyprian Ep. 54. where he excuseth himselfe to his Clergy that he had ordained Saturus and Optatus alone without their consent and approbation By this we may collect what was practised in that age of the Church First there was a nomination or publication of the persons names to the people Secondly upon their knowledge and approbation of the persons to be ordained there followed imposition of hands wherein consisted the accomplishment of the whole work which is therefore called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greek Concerning the Ordination of Bishops onely this may be averred out of Saint Hierome who hath recorded that in the Church of Alexandria the Presbyters were wont to choose a Bishop out of their owne Classis or rank yet we must not deny that the first constitution of a Bishop there who was Hanania was made by Marke the Euangelist as we may see in Eutichius lately set forth by Mr. Selden And it is evident out of many other Authors that they nominated the person to be approved of by the people and to be ordained by the neighbour Bishops This too is maintained by Saint Ambrose in his Comment upon Ephes 4.2 Where wee must understand by those words Multorum Sacerdotum judicium Non ordo sed meritum creabat Episcopum multorum Sacerdotum judicio constitutum c. Vi. Can. 19. Concil Antioc as well the judgement of the Presbyters by whom the Bishop was elected as of the Bishops of other Churches by whom he was ordained and with whom he was to preserve the unity of the Church And unlesse three Bishops at the least were present it was not usuall to ordaine one Thus without consent of the Bishops all proceedings of the Clergy and people were quite disabled and to no purpose in the Primitive times And although the Bishops in some Churches usurped the power of Ordination of Ministers without the consent of their Presbyters Vi. Chrys Hom. 2. in 1 Tim. It. Hieron in Ep. ad Euagr. however it is manifest by the joynt consent of the Fathers who witnesse that the Presbytery was a Bench assistant to the Bishop without advice whereof nothing of moment was done or acted by the practice of the Apostles that the Presbyters ought to have a share with the Bishop in the imposition of hands 1 Tim. 4.14 2 Tim. 16. Timothy received imposition of hands from Saint Paul and the Presbyters of Autiochia This last Thesis may be confirmed by the authority of Saint Cyprian who oft expresses himselfe in this particular That he would never ordaine any without the advice of his Presbyters and consent of the people which advice implyes that they concurred with him in the Ordination of Ministers And as for imposition of hands that the Presbyters also conjoyned with the Bishops in this it is evident by the 22. Episcopus sine Concilio Clericorum suorum Clericos non ordinet ita ut civium assensum testimonium quaerat Canon of the fourth Councell of Carthage and by the aforesaid Epistle of Firmilianus Bishop of Cesarea Cappadocia as also by Ignatius his Epistle to Hero By all these authorities it evidently appeares that the Presbyters concurred with the Bishops in the act of Ordination assisting them by their prayers gracing them by their presence and countenancing their act by a joint consent in their Suffrages The like is affirmed in the fourth Councell of Carthage c. 3. where it is provided and appointed that when the Bishop giveth imposition of hands the Presbyters also shall impose theirs by his which they did to argue their consent to what was done by the Bishop In which act the people had no share And this joynt act of the Bishop and Presbyters in laying their hands upon the heads of the Ministers signified the overshadowing of the Holy Ghost which they then prayed might light upon them who are to be ordained As for the constituting and ordaining of Bishops the advice of