Selected quad for the lemma: faith_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
faith_n	church_n	know_v	true_a	25,645	5	6.1205	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A96168	A brief narration of the practices of the churches in New-England. Written in private to one that desired information therein; by an inhabitant there, a friend to truth and peace. Published according to order.	Weld, Thomas, 1590?-1662.	1645 (1645)	Wing W1263; Thomason E298_20; ESTC R200239	15,892	20

them the Elders upon some Lords day or other publique meeting do ordain him to the office and appoint him over that businesse by prayer and imposition of hands The Church thus gathered and furnished with able helpers for edification proceeds to all publike administrations in the body 3. Solemn worship wherein our desire and care above all things is to have all and no more then all the Ordinances of Christ himself Deut. 12.32 and all those as far as God is pleased to lend light in the native purity and simplicity without any dressings or paintings of humane inventions Wee use not to reade in the publique Assemblies Reading Records or Writings of men but that alone which is able to make the man of God perfectly and throughly furnished to all good works the pure Word of God it self and that all things may be done to best edification Exposition wee use to expound and apply the Word unto the people as occasion permits and because we desire to sing as well as to reade the pure Word of God it being an Ordinance of God as sacred as the other wee have endeavoured Nehem. 8.8 according to our light and time to retranslate the Psalmes as neer the originall as wee could into meeter Singing of Psalmes because the former translation was very defective and sing them in the Churches according thereunto For Prayer we use not any prescribed formes or stinted Liturgies but seeing the Ministers of Christ are called as well to give themselves to prayer as to the ministry of the Word Prayer Acts 6.4 wee pray as that blessed inditer of our Prayers who teacheth what to pray as wee ought helping our insirmities according to the peoples necessities the present occasion and the work of Christ in our hands requireth Rom. 8.26 We administer the seals of the Covenant not to all but only to believers or their seed which are either in covenant with our selves or with some other Church of Christ for though wee verily believe there are many precious Saints amongst us who with their children are under the Covenant of Grace through faith in Christ whom we tenderly embrace and esteem deare unto us because they are so to Christ Jesus himself and are ready to give to such approved ones the right hand of fellowship in case they shall desire it yet seeing such are not liable and subject to the Churches censure it is not meet they should partake of the Churches priviledges therefore wee have hitherto for born it untill further light shall appeare For the administration of the Supper Sacrament of Supper 1 Cor. 11.25 because Christ bids us do it often we commonly have it monethly though wee tie not our selves to any set time but alter it as often as good reason appeares and for better remembrance of the duty and preparation thereunto the Elders give notice the Lords day afore and stirs them to an holy preparation for so holy a duty When the time of solemn action is come the Pastor sets apart the Elements for so sacred employment he blesseth the bread he breaketh it in the sight of all the people declaring withall and applying the signification of those holy Rites and Actions He distributes it to those who be neer about him Acts 6.2 and gives the rest to the Deacons hands who stand ready according to their office attending on the Table to give unto all the people not bowing or kneeling which are forms of worship that never came into Christs minde Matth. 26.20 Luke 22.27 to 30. so far as wee know to appoint nor any way sutable to a Table-gesture but in that posture of body in which Christ himself gave it unto his Disciples After the bread hee taketh the cup and blesseth it distinctly by it self for so our Lord Christ did Matth. 26.26.27.29 hee powres out the wine and distributes it this done a Psalme is sung Prayers returned and the congregation dissolved Mat. 26.30 Wee also take our liberty to solemnize holy feastings and fasting dayes as God gives occasion by his extraordinary hand of providence of speciall mercy or judgement either to our selves or native countrey or other churches For the admitting of additionall members to those that are the fundamentalls 4. Addition of members we proceed in this manner Such as desire to joyn to the church do make known their desire to the Eldership who take a survey of their spirituall estates both of the knowledge in the principles of Religion 1 King 6.7 and of the work of Grace in their hearts as also their blamelesse and godly conversation among men in any of which if they finde any wounded they plainly declare it to the parties themselves labouring by love and patience to heal them and ripen them where all things are cleer to themselves they propound them to the church and intreat them as opportunity may serve to take some time to deal with them about their spirituall condition and inquire of the godly approved which know them that nothing may hinder when they are called to admission After some due space the ruling-Elders call them before the church in publike Confession of faith who heare them confesse their faith in the grounds of Religion then their effectuall Vocation to Christ First in their sound repentance from dead works Secondly their unfeigned faith toward the Lord Jesus Matth. 3.7 Luke 3.7 Acts 8.37 Then if they be satisfied in both these as where they discern the least true breathing of Christ though but as sinoaking slax they are they call if need be for testification of their godly conversation which being done they rest and testifie all their consents to their admission by holding up their hands after that the Pastor or Elder propounds to them the covenant which they are to make before God and his people the summe of which is to this effect Covenant To give up one selves to the Lord in all duties of holinesse 2 Cor. 8.5 then to the Church and the Officers in all love and submission according to the will of God and this they doe not trusting in their owne strength See Cottons way of the Churches in New-England pag. 55. more fully expressing the Covenant but in the name and by the grace of Christ himselfe To this Covenant when they have given their consent the Elders in their own name and the Churches reciprocally doe covenant also with them to performe the like duties backe againe unto them Then after prayers made by the whole Church for his gracious assistance in performing these mutuall duties each to other and all of them to God they depart away with a blessing If any member thus admitted hath afterward any speciall occasion to reside for any considerable space of time Of recōmendation and dismission of members in some other Church that wee may the better know according to our charge received of them what becomes of our members

A BRIEF NARRATION OF THE PRACTICES OF THE Churches in New-England Written in private to one that desired information therein by an Inhabitant there a Friend to Truth and Peace Published according to Order LONDON Printed by Matth. Simmons for John Rothwell and are to be sold at his Shop at the signe of the Sunne in Pauls Church-yard 1645. A BRIEFE NARRATION of the practises of the Churches in NEW-ENGLAND PREFACE Mr scope in this Declaration is onely to answer your owne desire and cleere our way from some misapprehensions which I plainly see have been suggested to you against our proceedings what weaknesse may fall from my pen in this relation impute it to my own slendernesse not to the cause in our hands Dirige corrige Jesu benignissime OUr practise in Discipline consists in these six heads especially 1. In gathering or founding our Churches 2. In calling Officers as Pastors Teachers Ruling Elders Deacons 3. In solemne Church-worship 4. In admitting of members 5. In recommendations and dismissions of members to other Churches 6. In censuring delinquent members by Admonition Excommunication For the first such as do intend to gather into Church-followship 1. Gathering the Church doe often in private meete together and seriously examine the spirituall conditions one of another even untill they be mutually satisfied in the judgement of charity of the truth of grace of each other of all such as they intend to make the foundationalls of that Church Which done they certifie the Magistrates and all neere adjoyning Churches of their intentions to erect a Church and the day when they purpose to meet in publique for that end and this is done 1. To shew they are not ashamed of the light 2. To crave the help of their prayers and the assistance of their counsell in so weighty a work being better experienced in those wayes of Christ then themselves as yet are 3. To cleere their own proceedings in their Brethrens consciences that they seeing their entrance to be according to the Rule may accept of them more comfortably into communion as any occasion shall require When the day appointed is come and some deputed persons sent from all the neighbour Churches which usually are the teaching and ruling Elders there present and most part of that day solemnly spent in fasting and praying for a blessing upon that enterprise Then one of them chosen to order the work of the day stands up and speaks to the other of the Brethren that they may now begin to act what they met that day for which is to joyn together into holy fellowship if the will and pleasure of the Lord be so and withall desires then that whereas they have manifested already Gods gracious workings upon their hearts to each other in private now they would do the same again before the Churches in publike Then himself begins Confession and makes confession of his faith in all the principles of Religon and then a declaration of his effectuall calling to Christ and how God hath carryed on the work of grace viz. Repentance from dead works and faith towards God both of which they insist upon in his soule to that day Then all the rest do the like which done to the satisfaction of the Brethren present they give testimony of the godly and approved life and conversation of each other After this Covenant they enter into a sacred and solemne Covenant engagement profession call it what you please whereby they protest and promise by the help of Christ to walk together as becomes a Church of God See Cottons Way in New-England p. 8. in all duties of holinesse before the Lord and in all brotherly love and faithfulnesse to each other according unto God withall producing their Covenant agreed on before amongst themselves then read it before the Assembly and then either subscribe their hands to it or testifie by word of mouth their agreement thereto Then the Brethren of other Churches some in the name of the rest reaching forth the right hand of fellowship unto them beare witnesse to their proceedings to be according to God testifie their acceptance of them into brotherly fellowship and do exhort them also in the Lord to proceed according to those beginnings and so prayers made and praises given unto God and a Psalme sung the blessing is pronounced and the Congregation dissolved The Churches thus gathered 2. Calling of Officers Acts 6.3 they look out from among themselves such who are fit for office and if none among them be so though usually those that joyn into a Church have one amongst them upon whom their eye is for such imployment they seek to the Lord of the Harvest to direct them elsewhere Matth. 9.38 and because Apostles Prophets Evangelists have no successors appointed in Scripture the ordinary officers we use to call Ephes 4.10 are Elders Teaching Pastors Teachers Ruling Deacons The Pastors office properly is to bend himself to exhortation Pastors Teachers Rom. 12.7 8. The Teachers office to give himself to instruction in points of doctrine explication of Scripture confutation of error c. The ruling Elder to order the Assemblies Ruling-Elders to look to the life and conversation of the whole Church and to visit from house to house to see how all thrive in godlinesse while the other give themselves to the Word and Doctrine and all of them together to govern the House of God and also to prepare in private all matters for Church and to survey the estates and ripen all such as are to be admitted in the Church before they produce them in publike c. The Deacons office is to have a diligent eye to look into the necessities of the Church and with a tender heart Deacons and carefull hand supply them from the Church Treasury with such things as they need for necessity conveniency and comfort and to see that none want but honourably to supply them even before they fall into any extremity or be forced to crave help from the Church and therefore he is To Collect diligently To Keep faithfully To Distribute carefully the Churches treasure Acts 6.2 that so hee may serve the Tables which is the proper work the Lords Table Ministers table and the poores table To the Deacons office Deacon 1 Tim. 5.3 we would adde Deaconesses where such may be had according to which should be widowes of the Church faithfull approved and full of good works who may give themselves to works of mercy cheerfully and to be serviceable also to those that are sick when the Deacon so conveniently cannot and sometime so modestly may not send their help as that sex may And here behold by the way the faithfull and tender care of our blessed Lord that fully provides in those officers for the necessities of all his Saints Ephes 4.12 viz. By Pastors Teacher Elders Deacons Widowes and hath given them their names works and titles in his House which are