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	member_n	visible_a	12,321	5	9.4362	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A42358	A treatise of ruling elders and deacons In which, these things which belong to the understanding of their office and duty, are clearly and shortly set down. By a Minister of the Church of Scotland.	Guthrie, James, 1612?-1661.	1690 (1690)	Wing G2265A; ESTC R215845	24,270	96

A TREATISE OF RULING ELDERS AND DEACONS In which these things which belong to the understanding of their Office and Duty are clearly and shortly set down By a Minister of the Church of SCOTLAND 1 Tim. 5. 17. Let the Elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour Tim. 3. ●3 They that have used the office of a Deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus EDINBURGH Re-Printed by the Heir of Andrew Anderson Printer to their most Excellent Majesties Anno DOM. 1690. The Preface THe LORD whose fire is in Zion and whosefurnace is in Jerusalem hath in depths of his wisdom spoken by terrible things in righteousness against this Nation he hath brought us down wonderfully and hath made our breach wide as the Sea who can heal us our bruise is incurable and our wound is grievous for the Lord hath wounded us with the wound of an Enemy with the chastisement of a cruel one because our sins were encreased he hath mingled a perverse spirit in the midst of us which causeth us to erre in every work as a drunken man staggereth in his vomit and we eat every man the flesh of his own arm for all this his anger is not turned away but his hand is stretched out still the yoke of our transgressions is bound by his hand they are wreathed and come up upon our neck and in the day of our calamity he hath covered us with a cloud in his anger that like blind men in the dark we grope for the wall and cannot find either our sin or our duty some cry that there be many of our Prophets who have not discovered our iniquity to turn away our captivity others complain that not a few of them have seen for us false burdens and causes of banishment what shall we do whilst it 's thus with us surely it is meet to be said unto God shew me why thou contendest with me I have born Chastisement I will not offend any more that which I see not teach thou me if I have done iniquity I will do no more untill the Lord shall reveal it unto us and make us wise in heart to understand this and speak to us that we may declare it for what the Land mourns It is fit that in the things of the Lord's controversie and of our duty whereto we have already attained we walk by the same rule and minde the same things I do suppose that all of us are of one minde in this that our corrupt mixture in Church members and Church-officers are one main cause why so much wrath is gone forth from the Lord against us and doth abide upon us The Lord's design upon Scotland for a long time past seems to have been to purge his house and as to have his ordinances pure so to have his people and his Officers also pure I mean not of a higher pitch than the doctrine and policie of our Church doth reach because I fear not to say it the measuring line of the Sanctuary hath been stretched over these ●o give unto them due Scripture dimensions concerning the qualification of Church members and Church Officers If in these things our practice were agreeable to our rule we needed not be ashamed but might speak with our Enemies in the gate and answer him that reproacheth us our sin is that being weighed in our own ballance we are found too light how many Church-members are there in Scotland whom our Church discipline if conscientiously weilded would cut off as rotten How many Church-Officers whom that disciplin would cast out as unsavory salt we have rejoyced in our pride and been haughty because of the Lord 's holy mountain but have not so zealously cared that holiness to the Lord might be engraven in all the pots of his house We have boasted of a Reformation of the Ordinances without seeking as really to reform Church-Officers and Church-Members according to the Pattern thereof Pure Ordinances are indeed things precious and excellent and what soul among us that hath any measure of the true Zeal of the Lords house can behold the defacing of these and not make it the matter of their lamentation yet these are but means subordinate to a more high and super-excellent end to wit that we may thereby be brought with open face to behold as in a glass the glory of the Lord and be changed unto the same Image from glory to glory even as by the spirit of the Lord that we may all come unto the unity of the faith unto the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. It is true that all the Members of the Church visible will not be living and lively stones in the Lords temple neither doth the rule of Church-constitution hold out or cast out all who are not really such but this is the great scope that all of us ought to levell at that all the Lords people may be holy that all who profess faith in Iesus Christ may walk as becomes the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And how shall this be attained unless these who bears the Vessels of the Lord and to whom the charge of holy things be committed be holy the sons of Levi must be purified and purged as gold and as silver before they offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness when that is done then are the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem pleasant unto the Lord. I acknowledge that we were once upon a fair way for purging the House of God in this Land they who interrupted us shall bear their burden but what was done in this thing was not more refreshing to gracious hearts than it was sorely repined at and opposed by others a sin that provoked the Lord to stop the current of so rich a mercy therefore do many now make haste again to intrude themselves upon the Cangregations whence they were once justly cast out and not a few amongst the People love to have it so as though there were a conspiracy to return to Egypt and to build again the walls of Jericho and repair the ruines of Edom. I do also acknowledge it with thank fulness unto the great Shepherd of Souls that there is a great company of gracious men amongst the Officers of his Church who walk in the ways of the Lord and keep his charge but there be also many that neither do so nor know how to do it To say nothing of Ministers It is more than manifest that there is a generation of ignorant slothfull earthly minded men who bear the name of Elders and Deacons in many Congregations and where such bear rule what can be expected but that the People should perish for want of knowledge and holiness be despised and ly in the dust and Congregations still abide

love patience meekness CHAP. V. Of the duties of their Calling which are more private THe duties of their Calling are these that belong to their watching over and ruling of the flock and they be of two sorts some that they are to perform by themselves alone and so may be called More private duties others that they are to perform jointly with the rest of the Over seers of the House of God and may be called more publick The duties of their Calling that be more private are all these that private Christians are bound to perform each of them unto another by the Law of charity and love and these are first to instruct one another Joh. 4. 29. Acts 18. 26. Secondly to exhort and stir up one another to provoke unto love and good works Heb. 10. 24 25. Thirdly to admonish and rebuke one another Levit. 19. 17. First privately and if they will not hearken then before Witnesses if yet they will not hearken then to tell the Church and if they will not hear the Church then to tell the Church and if they will not hear the Church then let them be unto us as Heathens and Publicans Math. 18. 15 16 17. Fourthly to comfort the afflicted and to support the weak 1 Thess. 5. 11. Fifthly to restore those who are fallen Gal. 6. 1. Sixthly To reconcile these who are at variance Math. 5. 9. Seventhly To pray one for another Jude 20. Eighthly To visit the sick and those who are in bonds and distress Math 25. 36. All these duties Elders are to perform to the several Members of the Congregation by vertue of their Calling The Scriptures do expresly mention some of them as incumbent unto them to wit admonishing these over whom God hath set them 1 Thess. 5. 12. visiting and praying over the sick Jam. 5. 14. feeding the flock by Instruction Exhortation Rebuke and Comfort in such a way as is competent to their station Act 20. 28. The rest we may warrantably gather by analogie and proportion from these If privat Christians be obliged thereto much more are Christian Elders who have the charge of Souls in a special way obliged thereto These things are well expressed in the sixth Chap. of the second Book of Discipline As the Pastors and Doctors say they should be diligent in teaching and sowing the ●eed of the Word so the Elders should be careful in seeking of the fruit of the same of the People It appertains to them to assist the Pastor in Examination of them that come to the Lords Table Item in visiting the sick they should cause the Acts of the Assemblies aswell particular as general to be put in execution carefully they should be diligent to admonish all men of their duty according to the rule of the Evangel things that they cannot correct by privat admonition they should bring to the Eldership From what hath been said concerning these duties of Ruling Elders these three things follow First that they ought to be men of such ability as are in some measure able to instruct exhort admonish rebuke comfort pray and do these duties now mentioned Secondly That it is needful for them not only to have some measure of ability for these things but also to have some measure of dexterity wisdom experience tenderness in following the same Thirdly That they be well acquainted with the condition of the Congregation and the Members thereof and therefore be careful to observe their carriage and frequently to visit and take inspection of Families that they may instruct the ignorant exhort the negligent admonish the sloathful and rebuke those who walk disorderly comfort the afflicted establish those who waver visit the sick encourage these who do well and see piety and godliness promoted in Families and every one edifying another in love walking in the fear of the Lord and comfort of the Holy Ghost CHAP. VI. Of these duties which are more publick and which they are ●o perform joyntly with others THe duties of Elders which are more publick and which they are to perform joyntly with others are these which ly upon them in the Assemblies or Courts of the Church which are made up of Preaching Elders Teaching Elders and Ruling Elders These Assemblies are in our Church of four sorts either they are of the Elders of particular Congregations which is the Church Session or of the Elders of moe Congregations than one lying near together which is the Presbyterie or of the Elders of moe Presbyteries then one which is the Provincial Synod or of the Elders Commissioners from all the Presbyteries in the Land which is the General or National Assembly To these we may adde a fifth sort to wit that which is made up of Elders from all or diverse Nations professing the Faith of Jesus Christ. Whilst we speak of Elders of which the Assemblies of the Church are made up we mean all sorts of Elders Ministers Doctors and Ruling Elders It is true that in the Congregations of our Church because of the want of maintenance there be few or no Doctors or Teaching Elders distinct from Pastors or Ministers who perform the duties both of the Preaching Elder and of the Teaching Elder only in the Schools of Divinity are such In all Assemblies of the Church Ruling Elders being therto rightly called have power to sit write debate vote and conclude in all matters that are handled therein Acts 15. 2. and 6. 22 23. The things which be handled in the Assemblies of the Church be either matters of Faith matters of Order matters of Discipline or that which concerneth the sending of Church-officers according to which they have a fourfold power 1. That which is called Dogmatick whereby they judge of Truth and Error in points of Doctrine according to the Word of God only 2. That which is callee Diatactick by which they discern and judge of the circumstances of these things that belong to the worship of God as Times Places Persons and all such particulars in Ecclesiastick Affairs as are not determined in the Word according to the general Rules thereof concerning order and decency avoiding of scandal doing all to the glory of God and to the edifying of the Church 3. That which is Critick or Corrective by which Censures are exercised upon the scandalous and obstinate and such as are penitent again admitted to the Ordinances Fellowship Society of the Church 4. That which is called Exousiastick by vertue of which they send authorize and give power to Church officers to serve in the house of God All these Assemblies are not to exer cise all these powers but to keep themselves within their due bounds the Inferior leaving these things that are of more common concernment to the Superiour but in all these Powers Ruling Elders have a share and do put forth the same in exercise according to the measure that belongs to the Assembly whereof they are Members Acts 15. 6. 22 23. Howbeit the