Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	according_a	church_n	doctrine_n	4,717	5	6.8021	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A86962	A modest offer of some meet considerations tendered to the learned prolocutor, and the rest of the Assembly of Divines, met at Westminster, 1644. Concerning a form of church-government. By Jos. Hall, D.D. late Bishop of Norwich.	Hall, Joseph, 1574-1656.	1660 (1660)	Wing H395; Thomason E1034_13; ESTC R209040	9,313	14

every aberration of them either in matter of opinion or practice And lest any errour or heresie may seize upon the Pastor they have their Presbyteries consisting of several Shrivalties which meet together in the chief Town or City next to them every week also once and have there their exercise of Prophecying after which the Moderator of the said Meeting asks and gathers the judgments of all the said Pastors concerning the Doctrine then delivered or of any other doubtful point that is then and there propounded And if the said Presbyters be divided in their opinions then the Question is under an enjoyned silence put over to the next Synod which is held twice a year unto that all the Pastors of that Quarter or Province duly resort accompanied with their Elders The Moderator of the former Synod begins the Action then a new moderator is chosen for the present or as it seldom fals out the last Moderator by Voices continued Any Question of doubt being proposed is either decided by that Meeting or if it cannot be so done is with charge of silence reserved till the National Synod or General Assembly which they hold every year once Whither come not the Pastors only but the King himself or his Commissioners and some of all Orders and degrees sufficiently authorized for the determining of any Controversie that shall arise amongst them Thus he And certainly this bears the face of a very fair and laudable course and such as deserves the approbation of all the well-willers to that Discipline But let me add that we either have or may have in this very same state of things with some small variation in effect the same Government with us only there wants some care and life in their execution which might without much difficulty be redressed Every Parish hath or by Law ought to have their Minister ever present with them and carefully watching over them In stead then of their Pastors Elders and Deacons we have in every Parish the Minister whether a Rector or Vicar Churchwardens Quest-men or Side-men and Overseers for the Poor and in places of any eminence a Curate or Assistant to the Rector who is a Deacon at least These may and ought and in some places do duly meet together every Week on a set day in their Vestry and decide such differences as happen amongst them and may well be enjoyned to take notice of such abuses and mis-demeanors as are incident in their Parish for their speedy reformation within the Verge of their own power In stead of their Presbyteries consisting of several Pastors we have our number and combination of Ministers in the divisions of our several Deanries under which are ranged all the Minsters within that circuit Over whom the Rural Dean as he is called is every year chosen by the said Ministers of that Division as their Moderator for the year ensuing whose Office if it were carefully looked unto and reduced to the original Institution might be of singular use to Gods Church This Deanry or Presbytery consisting of several Pastors may be injoyned to meet together every Moneth or oftner if it seem fit in some City or Town next unto them and may there have their exercise of Prophesying as I have known it practised in some Parts of this Kingdom and as it is earnestly wished and recommended by that excellently Learned Lord Verulame Late Lord Chancellor of England in his prudent Considerations and then and there may endeavour to decide any doubt that may arise in their several Parishes either concerning the Doctrine of their Minister or scruple in cases of Conscience and may transact any publick business that may concern their whole Division But if any such matter or question shall arise as their divided opinions cannot fully determine it may under charge of silence be put over to a more publique meeting which is the synodall assembly of the Clergy held twice a year under the moderation hitherto of the Archdeacon And if there the question fail of a full determination it is or may be referred with like silence and peace to a Diocesan Synod which may be held every year once under the presidency of the Bishop And if yet the decision come not home it may be referred to the determining of a Provincial Synod or yet higher to a Nationall So as in these cases of doubts or errors if men would not be wanting to themselves nothing needs be wanting in the state we now stand in to the safety and happiness of our Church For matter of Ordination of Ministers the former Constitutions of our Church have deeply enjoined the presence and assistance of those who by their original institution are the Presbytery of the Bishop at and in the examination and allowance of the persons to be ordained requiting also the joynt-imposition of those hands which attested the sufficiency of the said Examinates not without a severe sanction of two years suspension or the Act of Ordaining to pass upon any Bishop or Suffragane that shall be found failing in any of the particulars The qualification of those that are to be ordained is in our Canons already set forth with much caution for their age their degrees their abilities the testimony of their holy conversation neither need I doubt to affirm that he who besides all other circumstances of education is able to give a good account of his faith in Latine according to the received Articles of the Church of England and to confirm the same by sufficient testimonies out of the holy Scripture may be thought competently sit for matter of knowledg to enter upon the first step of Deacon ship which the wisdome of the Church hath according to the Apostles rule appointed not without a sufficient distance of time in way of probation to the higher order of Ministry forbidding to give both Orders at once and requiting that he who is ordained Deacon shall continue a whole year at least in that station except upon some weighty reasons it shall seem fit to the Bishop to contract the time limited And lest there should be any subreption in this sacred business it is Ordered that these Ordinations should be no other than solemn both in respect of time and place neither ought they to be nor in some places are without a publick preconization of lawfull warning affixed upon the Cathedrall Church door where the said Ordination shall be celebrated and over and besides the charge that none shall be admitted to be a Candidate of holy Orders but he who brings sufficient testimonials of his good life and conversation under the seal of some Colledg in Cambridg or Oxford or of three or four grave Ministers together with the subscription and testimony of other credible persons who have known his life and behaviour by the space of three years next before it is well known to you that before the Act of Ordination there is publick Proclamation made to the whole Assembly that if any man knowes any crime