Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	faith_n	good_a	work_n	3,907	5	6.0359	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A27060	Two papers of proposals concerning the discipline and ceremonies of the Church of England humbly presented to His Majesty by the Reverend ministers of the Presbyterian perswasion.	Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691.	1661 (1661)	Wing B1440; ESTC R201112	17,144	24

Two Papers OF PROPOSALS Concerning the DISCIPLINE and CEREMONIES OF THE CHURCH of ENGLAND Humbly Presented to His MAJESTY By the Reverend MINISTERS of the PRESBYTERIAN PERSWASION LONDON Printed in the Year 1661. The First PAPER May it please Your most excellent Majesty WE Your Majesties loyal Subjects cannot but acknowledge it as a very great Mercy of God that immediately after your wonderful and peaceable Restauration unto Your Throne and Government for which we blesse his Name he hath stirred up your Royal Heart as to a zealous Declaration against all Prophaneness in the People So to endeavour an happy composing of the Differences and healing of the sad Breaches which are in the Church And we shall according to our bounden duty become humble Suiters at the Throne of Grace that the God of Peace who hath put such a thing as this into your Majesties Heart will by his heavenly wisdom and Holy Spirit so assist You therein and bring your Resolutions to so perfect an effect and issue that all the people of these Kingdoms may have abundant cause to rise up and bless You and bless God who hath delighted in You to make You his Instrument in so happy a Work That as Your glorious Progenitor Henry the Seventh was happy in uniting the two Houses of York and Lancaster and your Grandfather King James of blessed memory in uniting the Kingdoms of England and Scotland So this Honour may be reserved to your Majesty as a radiant Jewel in your Crown That by your Princely Wisdom and Christian Moderation the hearts of the People may be united and the unhappy differences and mis-understandings amongst Brethren in matters Ecclesiastical so composed that the Lord may be One and his Name One in the midst of your Dominions In an humble Conformity to this your Majesties Christian Design we taking it for granted that there is a firm Agreement between our Brethren and us in Doctrinal Truths of the Reformed Religion and in the substantial parts of Divine Worship and that the differences are only in some various Conceptions about the Ancient Form of Church Government and some particulars about Liturgie and Ceremonies do in all humble obedience to your Majesty represent First In as much as the ultimate end of Church-Government and Ministry is That Holiness of Life and the Salvation of Souls may be effectually promoted We humbly desire in the first place that we may be secured of those things in practice of which we seem to be agreed in principles As 1. That those of our Flocks who are diligent and serious about the matters of their Salvation may not by words of scorn or any abusive usages be suffered to be reproachfully handled but may have Liberty and Encouragement in their Duties of exhorting and provoking one another to Love and to Good Works and of building up one another in their most holy Faith and by all religious and peaceable means of furthering one another in the waies of Eternal Life who being not therein opposite to Church-Assemblies nor refusing the guidance and inspection of their Pastors and being responsible for what they do or say 2. That each Congregation may have a Learned Orthodox and Godly Pastor residing among them to the end the People may be publickly instructed by preaching every Lords day by catechising and frequent administration of the Lords Supper and of Baptism and other Ministerial Acts as the occasions and necessities of the People may require in health and sikness And that effectual provision of Law may be made that such as are insufficient negligent or scandalous may not be allowed or permitted in so sacred a Function and Imployment 3. That none may be admited to the Lords Supper till they can competently understand the Principles of Christian religion and do personally own their Baptismal Covenant by credible profession of Faith and Holiness not contradicting the same by a contrary profession or by a scandalous life and that unto such only Confirmation if continued in the Church may be administred And that the Approbation of the Pastors to whom the catechising and instructing those under their Charge doth appertain may be produced before any person receive confirmation Which course we humbly conceive will much conduce to the quieting those sad Disputes which have greatly troubled the Church of God amongst us touching Church-Members and Communicants 4. That an effectual course may be taken for the Sanctification of the Lords day appropriating the same to holy Exercises both in publick and private without any unnecessary divertisments it being certain and by long experience found that the due observation thereof is a special means of preserving and promoting the power of Godliness and obviating of Prophaness Then for matters in difference viz. Church-Government Liturgy and Ceremonies We humbly Represent to Your MAJESTY That although upon just Reasons we do dissent from the Ecclesiastical Hierarchy or Prelacy disclaimed in Covenant as it was stated and exercised in these Kingdomes yet we do not nor ever did renounce the true ancient primitive Episcopacy or Presidency as it was ballanced or managed by a due commixtion of Presbyters therewith as a fit means to avoid Corruptions Partialities Tyrannies and other Evils which may be incident to the administration of one single Person which kinde of attempored Episcopacy or Presidency if it shall by your Majesties grave Wisdome and gracious Moderation be in such manner constituted as that the fore-mentioned and other like Evils may be certainly prevented we shall humbly submit thereunto And in order to an happy Accommodation in this weighty Business we desire humbly to offer to your Majesty some of the Particulars which we conceive were amiss in the Episcopal-Government as it was practised before the year 1640. As 1. The great extent of the Bishops Diocess which was much too large for his own personal Inspection wherein he took apersonal Charge over the Souls of all those within his Bishoprick which burden must needs be granted to be too heavy for any one man's shoulders the Pastoral Office being a work of Personal Ministration and Trust and that of the highest Concernment to the Souls of the People for which they are to give an account to Christ 2. That by reason of this disability to discharge their Duties and Trusts personally the Bishops did depute the Administration of much of their Trust even in matters of Spiritual cognizance to Commissaries Chancellors and Officials whereof some are Secular persons and could not administer that Power which originally pertaineth to the Officers of the Church 3. That those Bishops who affirm The Episcopal Office to be a distinct Order by Divine Right from that of the Presbyter did assume the sole Power of Ordination and Jurisdiction to themselves 4. That some of the Bishops exercised an Arbitrary power as by sending forth their Articles of Visitation inquiring unwarrantably into several things and Swearing the Church-wardens to Present accordingly So also by many Innovations and Ceremonies imposed upon

Ministers and People not required by Law For the reforming of these Evils we first crave leave to offer to your Majesty 1. The late most Reverend Primate of Ireland his Reduction of Episcopacy unto the Form of a Synodical Government received in the Ancient Church as a Ground-work towards an Accommodation and Fraternal-Agreement in this point of Ecclesiastical Government which we rather do not only in regard of his eminent Piety and singular Abilities as in all other parts of Learning so in that especially of the Antiquities of the Church but also because therein Expedients are offered towards in the Healing of these Grievances 2. And in order to the same End we further humbly desire That the Suffragans Chorepiscopi mentioned in the Primate's Reduction may be Chosen by the respective Synods and by that Election may be sufficiently Authorized to discharge their Trust and that the Associations may not be so Large as to make the Discipline impossible or to take off the Ministers from the rest of their necessary Work 3. That no Oathes or Promises of Obedience to the Bishops nor any unnecessary Subscriptions or Engagements be made Necessary to Ordination Institution or Induction Ministration Communion or Immunities of Ministers they being Responsible for any Transgression of the Law And that no Bishop nor any Ecclesiastical Governor may at any time Exercise their Government by their private Will or Pleasure but only by such Rules Canons and Constitutions as shall be by Act of Parliament ratified and established And that sufficient Provision may be made to secure both Ministers and People against the Rules of Arbitrary Government Secondly Liturgy 1. We are satisfied in our Judgments concerning the Lawfulness of a Liturgy or Form of Worship Provided it be for the Matter agreeable to the Word of God and fitly suited to the Nature of the several Ordinances and Necessities of the Church neither too tedious in the whole nor composed of too short Prayers or Responsals not dissonant from the Liturgies of the Reformed Churches nor too rigorously imposed nor the Minister confined thereunto but that he may also make use of the Gifts for Prayer and Exhortation which Christ hath given him for the Service and Edification of the Church 2. Inasmuch as the Book of Common Prayer hath in it many things which are justly offensive and need amendment hath been long discontinued and very many both Ministers and people and persons of pious loyal and peaceable Minds therein greatly dis-satisfied whereupon if it should be again imposed will inevitably follow sad Divisions and widening of the Breaches which your Majesty is endeavouring to heal We do most humbly offer to your Masties Wisdome that for preventing of so great Evils and for setling the Church in Vnity and Peace some Learned Godly and Moderate Divines of both Perswasions indifferently chosen may be imployed to Compile such a Form as is before Described as much as may be in Scripture-Words or at least to Revise and effectually Reform the Old together with an Addition or Insertion of other Varying Forms in Scripture-phrase to be used at the Ministers choice of which Variety and Liberty there be Instances in the Book of Common Prayer Thirdly Concerning Ceremonies We humbly Represent That we hold our selves obliged in Every part of Divine Worship to do All Things Decently in Order and to Edification and are willing therein to be determined by Authority in such things as being meerly circumstantial are common to Humane Actions and are to be ordered by the Light of Nature and Humane Prudence according to the general Rules of the Word which are alwaies to be observed And as to divers Ceremonies formerly retained in the Church of England we do in all humility offer to your Majesty these ensuing Considerations That the Worship of God is in it self Pure and Perfect and Decent without having any such Ceremonies affixed thereunto for did they contribute any thing to that necessary Decency which the Apostle requires we might expect to meet with them in the Apostles time there being no Reason to induce us to the use of them which might not have induced them That the Lord hath declared Himself in the matters that concern his Worship to be a Jealous God and this Worship of His is certainly then most pure and most agreeable to the simplicity of the Gospel and to his Holy and Jealous Eyes when it hath least of Humane admixtures in things of themselves confessedly unnecessary adjoyned and appropriated thereunto Upon these accounts many faithful Servants of the Lord knowing his Word to be a perfect Rule of Faith and Worship by which they must judge of his acceptance of their Services and must be themselves judg'd have ever been exceeding fearful of varying from his Will and of the danger of displeasing him by additions or detractions in such Duties wherein they must daily expect the communication of his Grace and comfort especially in seeing these Ceremonies have been imposed and urged upon such Considerations as draw too near to the significacy and Moral efficacy of Sacraments themselves that they have together with Popery been rejected by many of the Reformed Churches abroad amongst whom notwithstanding we doubt not but the Lord is Worshipped decently orderly and in the beauty of Holiliness And ever since the Reformation they have been a matter of Contention and endless Dispute in this Church and have been a cause of depriving the Church of the fruit and benefit they might have reaped from the labors of many learned and godly Divines some of whom judging them unlawful others inexpedient were in Conscience unwilling to be brought under the power of them And they have occasioned through the offence taken at them by many of the people heretofore great separation in our Church and so have rather prejudiced than promoted the Vnity thereof And at this time by reason of their long disuse may be more likely than ever heretofore to produce the same inconvenience And they are at best indifferent and in their nature mutable And that it is especially in various Exigencies of the Church very needful and expedient that things in themselves mutable be sometimes actually changed lest they should by perpetual permanency and constant use be judged by the people as necessary as the Substantials of Worship themselves And though we do most heartily acknowledge your Majesty to be Custos utriusque Tabulae and to be supream Governor over all Persons and in all Things and Causes as well Ecclesiastical as Civil in these your Majesties Dominions yet we humbly crave leave to beseech your Majesty to consider Whether as a Christian Magistrate you be not as well obliged by that doctrine of the holy Apostle touching things indifferent in not occasioning offence to weak Brethren as the Apostle himself then one of the highest Officers in the Church of Christ judged himself to be obliged by and whether the great Work wherein the Lord hath intrusted your Majesty be not rather