Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A Word B Word C Word D Occurrence Frequency Band MI MI Band Prominent
duty_n appoint_v place_n time_n 1,168 5 4.4869 4 false
View all documents for the selected quad

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

There are 2 snippets containing the selected quad. | View lemmatised text

THE ORDER of choosing Church-Officers WITH A Declaration of the Calling of the MINISTERS ALSO 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 According to the Forme of the Presbyterian Government Published according to Order LONDON Printed for R. A. 1646. Of the Calling of Church-Officers AS no man ought to presume to enter into any office Ecclesiasticall without an inward calling from God who onely discerneth the intentions and desires of the heart whether they be earthly or heavenly whether they be set upon the glory of God and edifying of the Church or upon the meanes of this life So none are to be admitted without the approbation and judgment of men according to the rules of the Word and the received order of the Church This outward calling of the Officers of the Church doth consist in Election and Ordination after due tryall and examination of their soundnesse in religion and godlinesse of life For the better understanding of the order of the calling of Ministers it is to bee considered That in every one almost of the Classes or great Presbyteries there be Studnets of Divinity wherefore some if they have opportunity of their Studies make their abode within the bounds of the Presbyterie and attend the meetings thereof Others who are the greater part stay at the Universities and in the time of vocation come home and wait upon the Presbytery The abilities of both the one sort and the other are to be tried in private before the Presbytery and how soon they are found fit to come in publike to enter upon the exercise or prophecy with the Ministers of the Presbytery and at sometimes employed and allowed to preach before the people By which meanes their gifts and abilities are known to the people as their manners are manifest by their conuersing amongst them Out of the number of these Proposants or as you may call them Expectants the Pastor is to be nominated to the vacant place by the Eldership and by the Minister if any be with the consent and good liking of the people and if they can pitch upon none within the bounds of their owne Presbytery to have their liberty to make their choice of an Expectant of good esteem and report in some other Presbytery The person thus knowne and nominated is by the particular Eldership to be named to the greater Presbytery and there examined of his skill in the Languages Latine Greeke and Hebrew in his interpreting of Scripture in the controversies of Religion in his gift of exhortation in the holy and Ecclesiasticall Historie and Chronologie And first of all Of his life and manner of conversation wherin if he be found vitious or scandalous he is not to be admitted to ●ny other examination After the people have heard him some Minister of the Presbyterie is to be appointed to preach to that people of the necessity of the Ministery of the excellency of a faithfull Minister of the qualities of a Minister and of the obedience due to the Gospell or of some such Theme And at the same time a publike Edict must be served That if any person or persons have any thing to object against the literature doctrine or life of such a man why he may not be a profitable Minister of such a Congregation They shall appeare before the Presbytery in such a place and at such a time that their objections may be tried and discussed Vpon the time appointed the Doore-keeper of the Presbyterian meeting is to call three severall times if there be any thing to object against the person nominated and if any thing be alledged against him by any of that particular flocke or any other to whom he is knowne it is duly and equally to be pondered by the Presbyterie and if it be found to have any weight or the case be doubtfull the Ordination is suspended to a more perfect tryall otherwise if there be nothing but silence to proceed So that by this meanes no man is obtruded upon the people against their open or tacite consent and approbation or without the voices of the particular Eldership with whom he is to serve in the Ministerie But if the person nominated be a Pastor of some other flock and his faithfulnesse knowne in his former charge this Processe is spared and his Translation more speedily expedited if there be no impediments of another kind Vpon the day appointed for accomplishing his election and for his Ordination which is in due time to be made knowne to the Congregation and agreed upon by them a Fast ought to be ordained to be kept with more then ordinary supplication for the assistance and blessing of God in a worke of so great concernment and one of the Pastors of the Presbyterie is appointed to preach to that People of the mutuall duties of Pastor and People all which being done the partie during the time of the exercise of publike Worship sitting in some conspicuous place before the Pulpit with the Elders and some Ministers of the Presbyterie is to be called and demanded concerning his willingnesse and desire to serve the Lord Jesus for the good of that people with other questions of that kind and the people also are to be demanded whether they will receive him for their Pastor and submit themselves unto his Ministery in the Lord. Both having declared their readinesse and mutuall consent the Minister coming from the Pulpit with so manie Ministers present as may conveniently come neare lay their hands upon his head and in the name of Jesus appoint him to be Pastor of that people praying that from Jesus Christ who is at the right hand of the Father and giveth gifts unto men he may finde the demonstration of the Spirit and the power and blessing of God in his Ministerie to the comfort of that People after which the whole Eldership give unto him the right hand of Fellowship Last of all the Minister going to the Pulpit is to conclude with pertinent Thanksgiving and Prayers and a Psalme being sung the Assembly dismissed with a Blessing The Congregation where he who is presented to serve is called if they have ought to object against his Doctrine or life after they have heard him or that their consent may be had and if he be found Reus ambitus or to have gone about to procure a presentation he is to be repelled and declared incapable of that place No Pastor may thrust himselfe upon a flock nor after his entry desert his charge or remove himselfe to another Congregation at his own pleasure The deserters if any be are appointed to be admonished and in case of obstinacie to be excommunicated If a Minister upon lawfull and urgent causes desire to remove from one Congregation to another for which he is more fit or be called forth upon grave considerations for some publike employment tending to the common
benefit of the Church this is not done by private transaction and particular agreement of Ministers and Congregations but by the wisdome and authority of the Presbyteries or Assemblies of the Church not is it done by them but upon such reasons as should move that Church wherein for the present he administreth to give her consent for whose supply also either a convenient course is presently taken or the way of supply is seen to be easie The Ministers thus removed from one Church to another receiveth no new Ordination but by vertue of his first Ordination serveth in the place unto which he is called and elected Only at his admission one of the Presbytery who is appointed to preach of the duty of Pastors and people and to pray for a blessing recommendeth him to the Congregation who have before declared their willingnesse and desire to receive him and the Congregation to his care and fidelity and the Pastor if any be together with the Elders with whom he is to sit before the Pulpit take him by the hand Pastors and Ministers of the Word through old age sicknesse or other infirmity being disabled to beare the weight and discharge the duty of their Pastorall charge do notwithstanding still retain the honour of their office and comfort of maintenance during their life time And they performing what they are able in teaching government visitation and catechising others are joyned with them by the Presbytery with the consent of the people to be their fellow-labourers and to undergo charge The same course of election and admission for substance and in forme according to the nature of their office is observed in the calling other Officers as Ruling Elders and Deacons at the beginning and where there be none the Pastor with the gravest holiest and those of the soundest judgement and best affection to Religion doe choose them with the consent of the rest of the people And where particular Elderships are already constitute the Pastor and Elders who are in office doe choose such as are to succeed those who are removed by death or any other way or by vicissitude are to relieve such as are in place and that the election of one or more at first or afterward may proceed with the consent of the people their names are to be published and made knowne to the Congregation by the Pastors that if ought may be objected against any of them why they may not be received to the office of an Elder or Deacon it may be examined and if it be found important others may be chosen When the day of their admission cometh the Pastor having fram'd his Doctrine to the purpose calls them up and remembring both them of their duty in their charge and the people of their submitting themselves unto them they are to be solemnly received with lifted up hands giving their promises to be faithfull Of Elders and their Office THe Calling Election and admission of Elders is before spoken of The number of Elders in every Parish is not definite but doth vary according to the number and necessity of the people In some parishes sixe in some ten or twelve c. Such are to be chosen for Elders as come nearest to the gifts and qualities required by the Apostle and after they are chosen are at all occasions to be exhorted by the Pastor to be ensamples to the flocke and to watch over them fa●thfully against all corruptions in Religion and life And as the Pastor should be diligent in teaching and sowing the seed so are the Elders desired to be carefull in seeing and seeking the fruits of the people The Elders are to attend with the Pastor in Catechising the people to assist him in visiting the sicke in admonishing all men of their duty and if any will not heare them they must bring the disobedient before the E●dership But a principall part of their duty is to joyne alwaies with the Pastor in the particular Eldership and in other assemblies of the Church as they shall be called for exercising of discipline and governing the whole Congregation Of the Deacons and their Office VVHat manner of persons the Deacons ought to be the Scripture is plaine and such they make choice of as are so qualified so farre as may be The forme of their election is before expressed Their number must be considered of according to the number of the poore and the proportion of the Congregation as wee spake before of the Elders Their maine duty is to collect receive and distribute not onely the almes for the poore but the whole Ecclesiasticall goods which are not assigned and appointed for the maintenance of particular persons These duties they must performe at the discretion and by the appointment of the Pastor and Elders for which cause and not for government they are to be present at the ordinary meetings of the Eldership The meanes for the maintenance of the poore are collected by the Deacons the first day of the weeke and other dayes of the publike ass●mbling the people to the worship of God at the entry of the Church And if this prove not a competency then do the people either bring in their Charity on such daies as are appointed by the Eldership or are willing to be taxed according as they shall bee judged to be able In Cities and Parishes where this order shall be carefully observed none will be suffered to beg and none lacke Of Church Assemblies in generall NO man were he never so eminent above others for piety wisdome or learning or doth he never so much arrogate authority to himselfe hath the rains of Church-Government in his hands to determine or to doe what seemeth good in his owne eyes But all matters are to be advised determined and judged with common consent in the meetings and assemblies of the Church which for this end are of foure sorts and degrees which are commonly called by the names of Church-Sessions or particular Elderships or Consistories Presbyteries or Classes Provinciall Synods and Nationall or Generall Assemblies Each of these assemblies hath a President or Moderator who beginneth and endeth with Prayer propoundeth matters to be treated procureth them to be debated if need be and in orderly way that all may be heard and none interrupted unlesse he speake too much gathereth the voices which are noted by the Clerk and pronunceth the sentence or if there be an equality remitteth it to the greater Presbytery each of them hath a Clerk or a Notary and a Register of all things debated and done by them especially of such matters as may be of future use None of these Assemblies from the least to the greatest are to treat of matters pertaining to the civill Jurisdiction and Magistrate but only of matters Spirituall and Ecclesiasticall that the doctrine and worship may be kept in purity all things be done decently and in order in the particular Churches and that all the Members of the Churches may walk worthily of the Gospel The