Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	apostle_n	church_n	time_n	1,048	5	3.6359	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A81501	The Discipline and order of particular churches, no novelty. Proved from Scripture, reason, autiquity, and the most eminent modern divines. Or, A discourse of the church, in a scripture notion, with her extent, power and practice, tending to moderate the minds of men, toward dissenters in matters ecclesiastical, and to acquit such from the charge of innovation, faction, separation, schism, and breach of union and peace in the church, who cannot conform in many things to the rules, canons, and practices of others. / By a Lover of truth, peace, unity, and order.	Lover of truth, peace, unity, and order.	1675 (1675)	Wing D1558A; ESTC R174652	61,995	98

6. col 114. 115. And they also say that Nicephorus and Clement write that they ha● here Psalmes composed by the faithful Cent. 2. c. 6 Col. 115.116 And for the manner they further in the same 114. col say that here they read th● Scriptures as they could and he that was chief o● did preside prayed and gave thanks as he was abl● and so other things as above And to this Tert● in his said Apol. cap. 30. p. 119. saith that the prayers no man did prescribe or declare to the what to say because saith he it is our heart W● prayed a Prayer conceived and produced c a● it was decreed at the Councel of Carthage agai● reading of any thing but the Canonical Scripture in these Churches Magdeburg Cent. 4. c. 6. Col. 412. No other service or prescribed formes or any reading of prayers c. once mentioned to be used in those dayes It 's true in process of time step by step forms of prayer and prescribed rules of worship crept in or were thrust in upon the Churches upon pretence at first that by this they might prevent the spreading of the Arian Heresie which said they men might vent in prayer if they had liberty to have prayed what they had pleased therefore they agreed that Ministers should make their own form and pray no other then after that these forms should not be used till he had conferred with some of the able brethren of the Church whereof he was Minister then the next step was that this prayer must be approved of by a Council e're they might use them again that one and the same form should be used in several Churches as it is at this day all which such as are acquainted with History cannot deny But from this we conclude it was not so from the beginning and it is evident also that the power of managing of the worship of Gods appointment according as we see it was in those dayes belonged to the particular Congregations and each did as to the circumstances of these as they judged most convenient and tend most to edification nor did any other in those days ●ntermedle with these matters but in their own Churches nor did these Churches themselves ever ●dd any thing to their worship or prescribe any ●orms of prayer or rules of worship to which they ●ecessarily bound themselves till this policy ente●ed about the Arians which never had any successe ●o the end pretended We see that they prayed before as they were able and no man prescribed words they read according to the condition of the times The Pastor or Bishop exhorted to follow such things as were read and he gave thanks as he was able they sang Hymnes composed by Godly brethren c. nothing imposed upon them nor did any then pretend authority over them to give rules to the Churches in those things That in those ordinary meetings of these Churches the private brethren who were able did without any allowance of any Church but the Congregation whereof they were members openly preach exhort admonish and comfort one another mutually see Rom. 15.14 1 Cor. 12. ch 14. yea they might Covet gifts to this end as the Apostle there directs the Corinthians and it is said of them 2 Cor. 8.7 That they abounded in utterance and how could this be known or used if not in their Assemblies Jerom. upon 3d. Titus see also Colos 3 16. 1 Thes 5.11 Heb. 3.12.13 cap 10.24 1 Pet. 4.10.11 If it be said that these had extraordinary gifts their practice therefore is no rule Answ The Officers of Churches themselves in these dayes have no such extraordinary gifts and if the brethren now have such ordinary gifts as the Officers have as to this work both being from God ought not these brethren then by the same rule to imploy their tallen● also in an orderly manner as the Apostles directed the use of extraordinary gifts amongst the Corinthians for the Churches good as believers o● old did use their extraordinary gifts for the Churches good in those dayes especially these gifts which are given chiefly for this end that believers should employ them for the edifying of their brethren whe● as tongues were not given for that end but for a sig● to the unbelievers 1 Cor. 14.22 This the brethren did ordinarily in the Primitive Churches as the Magdeburgh Divines alleadge out of Ambrose that in the time of the Apostles in the first Church it was granted to all men to preach and explain the Scriptures Cent. 4. c. 6 col 491. and Fulk against the Rhem. upon Rom. 10. allow this right and urgeth this place of Ambrose and Ruffinus to prove it And in the Churches afterwards Reynold in his conference with Hart c. 3. p. 103 104 saith that all the faithfull owe the duty of strengthening their brethren each to other according to the measure of Grace given to them the brethren did the like Justine writes that in his time the gift of Prophesying did flourish in the Church Euseb l. 4. cap. 18. p. 68. Irenaeus affirms that in his time every one receiving grace of Christ after the quantity of his tallent bent himself to benefit the other brethren in the name of Christ Euseb l. 5. cap. 7. p. 82. This practice is also affirmed to be lawful and usual in those dayes in their open Assemblies yea when Bishops themselves were present in the Congregation as the Bishops of Caesaria and Jerusalem maintains and gives divers instances in those days against one who found fault only because they preached when Bishops were present not for their preaching only or otherwise yet this also they justifie as that which was lawful and in common use at that day See Doctor Taylor Prophesie p. 109. yea and that which the Bishops themselves did then desire the brethren to do See it at large Euseb l. 6. c. 19. p. 106. Mr. Harding against Bishop Jewel though Papist yet he saith that Prophesying is expounding of Scripture and interpreting and he there grants that in case God shall please when we come together in the Church for Comfort and Edifying to give into our Hearts and put into our Mouths what we should Pray and Preach and how we should handle the Scripture then we might do it and he there further saith and alloweth that in the Apostles dayes they came into the Church to the intent that they might profitably Exercise the gifts God gave and by the same especially by the gift of Prophesying edifie one another and Teach one another See this in Bishop Jewels reply to Harding p. 192 193. And the Bishop himself agrees that the brethren as well as Officers may have gifts of the Spirit these are his words in p. 527. 532. That the Spirit of God is bound neither to sharpnesse of Wit nor abundance of Learning oft-times saith he the unlearned seeth that thing that the learned cannot see See Raynolds in his Conference with Hart. c. 2. p.

63 and he there quotes Ephiphanus l. 2. for these words only to the Children of the Holy Ghost all the Scriptures are plain and clear Bishop Nicholson of Gloucester in his aforesaid Book p. 32. from Rom. 12.7 8. saith that those gifts are given to other Christians as well as to Officers and that they ought to use these tallents as well as Officers and there he proves it by other places of Scripture also So that it is plain that the brethren may have the Spirit of God and such gifts of Prophesying as Officers have then surely it 's given to them for use Mr. Stillingfleet in his Book before mentioned p. 249. saith first that it was so in the Church-meetings of the Jews these are his words that any one amongst the Jews who enjoyed any repute for Religion or knowledge of the Law was allowed a free liberty of speaking for the instruction of the People as we see saith he in Christ and his Apostles Act. 13.15 though they were no Officers And secondly he confesseth at large that it was so in the Churches in the primitive times that such did Preach c. The Truth is there is not one president of any credit for some hundred of years of any complaint made against this practice or use as unlawful irregular or as an usurpation of or intrusion upon the Ministers office nor was there any decree in the Church of God in those dayes for the prohibiting of it And it 's very clear by all the places before that every particular Congregation did order every thing about this matter themselves and none else since the Apostles dayes did intermedle with the ordering thereof Now how the prohibiting of the brethrens improving their Tallents in this case robbing of the Churches of that profit Christ intended them by bestowing such gifts will be answered at the last day can hardly be resolved to the Comfort of such who shall be active in it That these Churches or Congregations usually met together for the performance of these and other things when and where they pleased Mr. Vines of the Sacrament p. 194. agrees that these Churches have power so to do and as often as they agreed so to do without any prescribed Rules in the Apostles times for either time or place except on the Lords day and that these Churches practised according to this liberty for some ages we think none can deny since the Scriptures every where clear it where the meeting of Christian Churches is spoken of sometimes in Schools sometimes in Houses c. as the Churches pleased and was most convenient for them and one Church was no rule in this to another nor were any places or times set down as Rules for more than one Congregation to walk by unlesse they did voluntarily approve of what another did and so do the same Thus it was after the Apostles dayes as the Magdeburgh Divines say Cent. 1. l. 2. Cap. 6. Raynolds Conference with Hart c 8. p. 491. Raynolds saith Christians may sing the song of the Lord in all places now no ground unholy every house Sion and every faithfull Company yea every faithfull body a temple to serve God in Col. 492 493. That no certain places or hours were prescribed or enjoyned in the Churches but each Church did herein as was most convenient It 's true we find that after some time They for conveniency of meeting built some places used others formerly built for the commemorations of some Persons or things as Ecclesiastical History testifies And when the Arian Bishops had prevailed with the Emperor to shut up those places from other Christians these met in private places and built them new ones and there met by themselves yet were not these blamed in those days for these meetings though not in their publick places nor any punishment awarded for them No not by these cruel Arian Emperors In those days nothing but the Churches meeting in any place did consecrate that place and Worship was equally accepted in a House as in a publick Temple in one place as in another at one time of the Day as another That in these Congregations Societies or particular Churches and not elsewhere for some ages together from the Apostles downward Offendors scandalous sinners wicked persons c. being members of the Congregations were admonished Publickly and in case of obstinacy or notorious fact Mr. Vines upon the Sacrment p. 166 ●95 say That it was the power of a Church of Christian as such to prevent scandals cast out of the Church by the consent of the whole Congregation whereof he was a member that is The whole Society Ministers and brethren met together for that work And by them again to be received in again upon repentance And that the judgement of all in this Case lay wholly and only in this Church as such and all this by Divine Right The Church of Corinth which was but one Congregation who met in one place toge●●er to partake of Ordinances as before is proved ●ad this power 1 Cor. 5. where the Apostle blames ●he whole Church for not casting out the wicked ●erson ver 2. charging them to meet and doe it 〈◊〉 the name or power of our Lord Jesus ver 4 5. ●nd gave them to know or put them in mind ●hat it was their power and duty to doe it ver ● 2. do not ye judge them that are within saith ●e is it not your duty and power to judge them ●hat are within your Church is it not your practice 〈◊〉 to doe That this authority of theirs in this ●atter carries the force of his argument is plain ●●om his conclusion ver 13. Therefore put away c. he would not have made their bare judgement ●hat such a power resided amongst them or that ●hey practised such a thing his premises for such a ●ositive conclusion had not the right of judging ●nd casting out been in them according to Christs ●hind in that of Matth. 18. Tell the Church c. Bishop Jewel was of the same mind from this Text ●ecause such a Church only who can easily meet 〈◊〉 one place as a Church not the general Church in ●ne sence or another is capable to hear what is told ●hem c. See his words before set down at large ●nd the same Apostle writes to this Church again ●s a Church to receive the same person in again he ●aving manifested great repentance And to this he ●erswades them by several arguments First That the former Censure of many was suf●icient unto him 2ly Lest he should be overwhelmed with sor●ow and Thirdly Because of Satans device and design which was to destroy by that which was appointed ●f God to heal Therefore the Apostle beseecheth them to receive him in again 2 Cor. 2.6 7 8 1● which argues strongly that their power lay in thi● also as in casting him out So he wrote to the Gal●thians to cut off such who troubled them with fals●