Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	action_n	attend_v	great_a	150	3	2.1251	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A36832	The conformity of the discipline and government of those who are commonly called independants to that of the ancient primitive Christians by Lewis Du Moulin.	Du Moulin, Lewis, 1606-1680.	1680 (1680)	Wing D2533; ESTC R25012	54,163	74

just the Reverse is practised and maintained 'T is now only the Priest that preaches in publick in the Assemblies of several thousands And likewise as the extent of the place unto which the Ministry of these at this day is confined is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so it was also heretofore that of the Bishop and he most commonly dated his Letters thus ex mea paraecia Which by the way plainly shewes us that the Intendance and Government of the Bishop in the Primitive Church was only over a Town or Villa which they called a Parish or a Suburb for also every Villa and Burrough had their Chorepiscopum Monsieur Larroque without thinking of it makes it clear and evident that it was the Ancient practise for the Bishop alone to have the charge of preaching in the greatest and most numerous Assemblies because the Bishops being aged and sick they called to his help and assistance not the Priests of the Bishop's Presbytry but some neighbour Bishops He tells us of one Nareissus Bishop of Jerusalem who being a hundred and sixteen years old had for his Coadjutor Alexander that had been Bishop of Capadocia and of one Theoctenus Bishop of Caesarea that shared the care of his Episcopacy with Anatolius who in truth was not as yet Bishop but who was then consecrated and called Bishop which plainly shewes was that a Priest could not be his Coadjutor This is also confirmed by the example of Valerius Bishop of Hippo who being old and decayed took not one of those who was to continue in the Presbytry for his Coadjutor but he took Saint Austin who was to be his Successor and who also was called Bishop of Hippo during the life of Valerius AS to those of the Presbytry who were called Deacons as they were the Creatures of the Bishop and wholy at his Devotion so likewise their Ministry was that which is spoken of in the 6. of the Acts which was not that of preaching in publick AS for the Priests or Elders who were not Deacons they did not ordinarily preach in publick assemblies whence it happened that we read of very few Homilies composed and made by the Priests Their Ministry was concluded and bound within the apartment or paraecia of the Bishop and as I have already said it was less fixt and more Itinerant for they went from house to house there was not a day past but that the Priest or Elder visited the good Families went to prayers there expounded the word and administred the holy Sacrament of the Lords Supper to them and as for Baptism it was most commonly celebrated by the Deacons in great Assemblies or in great Churches at the entrance of which the Fonts were placed or the Baptisterium 'T IS true the Bishops did frequently oppose those private assemblies and by their Synods and Canons so far as that the Synode of Gangr● anatheniatized them called in derision those that frequented them A●●phales and condemned even those that communicated with them They would do the like also to persons of quality that kept in their houses Priests and Oratories 'T is true also Saint Chrysostome would have the Lords Supper to be as publick as Baptism and that both should be celebrated and performed in the eyes of the whole World BUT because it would scarcely be believed that one Bishop singly as Cyril of Alexandria Cyril of Jerusalem and Saint Chrysostome of Constantinople could preach in publick one Lord's day to above a hundred thousand Auditors that were in each of their Villa's they say that of necessity several of the Presbytry must perform the office of Preachers in those other places of the City where the Bishop did not preach and this appears by the Homilies of Saint Chrysostome ad populum Antiochenum when he was not Bishop That is true but also those Priests had no fixt places no cure nor certain parish over which they were pastors because the Bishop himself was the Curate of the Parish so that the Priests were only the Vicars of the Bishops in the same manner as Nicholas 1. called the Bishop of Germany and of France Suos Episcopos Vicarios Those Priests were as the Deacons at the devotion of the Bishop and were entirely his Creatures and they might rather I am sure better be called the Ministers of the Bishop than of Jesus Christ or of the Church as it appears by the six and twentieth Canon of the Synod of Agde for they were like persons taken upon hire and to whom the Bishop gave Salary for their pains and trouble AFTER all these discoveries and Manifestations there is no doubt but that the Churches in the time of the Apostles and for a long while after were congregational and Independant on Synodes since that even every Family of the most considerable and better sort was a Church or at least they had one among them where the exercizes of Piety were regularly performed every day and where during their repast the holy Scripture was read as we may learn from the first Epistle to Timothy Chapter the IV. verse the fifth For every Creature of God is good and nothing to be refused if it be received with thanksgiving For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer And where before they departed or indeed rose from Table they received the Communion as Tertullian tells us in his book de Corona Militis declaring that this practise was agreeing with the institution of Jesus Christ as it was also practised much in the 3. Age in the time of Saint Cyprian as he tells us in one of his Epistles Quotidie communicamus Although several families every Lord's day made very great and Numerous Assemblies where in most solemn manner they attended upon prayer preaching and celebration of the holy Supper yet he who performed the Action was called Primus Presbyter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Episcopus To which it seemes Saint Paul hath respect in his 1. Epistle to Timothy 5. 17. let the Elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour especially they who labour in the word and Doctrine where though in the words he does not speak of two kinds of Pastors or Ministers distinct in rank and dignity nor even in office yet notwithstanding he does insinuate in that place that in the Presbytry and in the Company of the Ministers of Jesus Christ named indifferently Bishops Elders and Presbyters there were some that were Deacons and whose gifts were less for praying and preaching in publick FOR though I believe that the Apostles did not establish diverse degrees of Pastors and that in their time and a long while after they were called indifferently Bishops Priests Elders sacerdotes Ministers and Deacons And that the same Deacons bore a part in the Ministry of the word with the rest as it is seen for Example in Saint Stephen and Phillip and by what Clemens Alexandrinus tells us in the sixth book of his strom it es and Mr. James Capel

not to believe Transubstantiation A Learned English Dr. named John Hales hath written a Learned Treatise upon this Subject where he condemns this way of Reconciliation that sayes one thing and believes another and that turns again to Rome and he exhorts his Brethren to condemn rather the use of it than to justifie it He sayes also that Martyn Bucer was the first of the Reformed that made use of this way of speaking IT must be confessed that as the weakness of those great lights of Reformation Bucer Calvin and Reza was very great when they explained those Scriptures concerning the Lords Supper by a Comment that was more obscure than the Text nor hath it been less great in those that have come after them when they have explained the words of Jesus Christ in S. John VI. concerning the fleshly eating to the Sacramental and Spiritual eating and when they have made long comments upon the words of Calvin to sweeten and smooth the harshness of them instead of condemning them this obstinacy in adhering to errors hath brought in the pretended infallibility into the Church of Rome and the Incontestability into the Reformed Churches Inter caetera mortalitatis incommoda hoe est errandi necessitas erroris amor Seneca NOW these ways of speaking which simbolize with those of Rome and which give it occasion to insult and triumph over us makes me remember what I have read in the Memoirs and specialties that Joseph Hall hath made of his Life and absolutely convinces me of this truth that it has been so unlikely that they who have believed they might gain upon Rome by retaining some of their ways and modes of speaking or their practises should have succeeded therein that on the contrary She has been so much the more set and hardened against us and have gone so far in it as to make us and their Religion far more reasonable than ours He sayes that in his journey to the Spadan Waters for his health he had before a great company of persons of quality both Papists and Protestants a very hot dispute with a Sorbonist a Prior of the Carmelites who maintained that the Kneeling practised in the Church of England at the receiving of the Eucharist strongly shewed that she believed Transubstantion for that kneeling and the belief of Transubstantiation were things inseparable and always went hand in hand together and since the one had never been believed in the Church without the practise of the other and since it was a distraction of reason and a wicked practise to carry their adorations to Elements that were only Bread and Wine this kneeling of necessity must be a natural consequence of the belief of Transubstantiation Bishop Hall adds that as the company was divided in their judgments and that several of them joyned with those of Rome in condemning this kneeling unless it was a consequence of Transubstantiation more than two thirds of the company were so heated against the poor Bishop that he had not the liberty to speak nor to stand up in defence of the Church's Opinion For if they had given him time to speak he had alleadged the Rubrick of the Church of England which undeceives the Communicants from the thoughts that they might possibly have that that Kneeling or Adoration is carried out to the Bread and the Wine But beside that there is not of a hundred Communicants one who reads the Rubrick it might have happened that those who were so violent against Bishop Hall would have pleasantly stopt his mouth with the Apologue which Beza writ in a Letter to the good Arch-Bishop Edmund Grindal who seeing that he was offended at this kneeling after Transubstantiation was banished endeavoured to cure him of the scandal he had taken making him to know that the Rubrick of the Church of England would give him enough wherewith to be satisfied Upon which Beza returned him this story A Lord having built his house near to the high way where he left a great stone that he had no occasion for just in the road several persons coming by in the night stumbled at it and did hurt themselves and often complaints being made to him about it and intreaties that he would take it out of the way he was very obstinate a long while and was resolved not to meddle with it but being wearied by the continual solicitations that were made to him he bethought himself to set over the stone a Lanthorn with a light Candle in it to warn people of it but that Admonition proving troublesome too one of his friends came and gave him this good Counsel Sir if you would be at quiet take away both stone and Lanthorn together The stone of stumbling is this kneeling at the Sacrament and the Rubrick is for a light and Declaration to signifie to the Communicants that this kneeling is not done to the bread and wine but to Jesus Christ If you take away both you will take away the scandal and the remedy to the scandall You will bring back the way with which Jesus Christ instituted the holy Supper who gave it not kneeling but in the posture of those who take their ordinary repasts at their Tables so that Jesus Christ never required any Genuflexion either at the time or place THESE two stories hit as we generally say two birds with one stone For they may relate to that neerness of assinity with Rome which I have already spoken of above and which I have showed has rather sharpened and embittered the Spirits and tempers of those of that communion to plot against the sacred person of the KING and against his Government than it has any wayes sweetned them and moreover they discover that those who go furthest off from the Doctrines and practises of Rome who renounce all reconciliation with Her as the people of the Congregational way do have most conformity with the blessed peace-Makers of whom Jesus Christ speakes and whereof the Character of the Children of God which he gives them upon this respect carryes them so much the farther from all thoughts of Rebellion CHAP. XII An Apology for the Author of the Conformity of the congregational Churches with that of the Antient Primitive Christians That a disinteressed person such as he is the most sit to write about these matters Of the Obligation he hath to the Bishop of Condom for the light he hath given him I Think my self here obliged to add an Apology as to my own account for what I have said as to the Independant Churches I do imagine I shall be accused at first for having made the description of the congregational way not according as it is in effect but in that manner as Xenophon did the Cyropaedia to be the perfect model of a Prince They will say that any other interest than that of the inward knowledge I have of the goodness truth and holiness of the Congregational way ought to have excited me to commend it so as I have done That I