Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	call_v	holy_a	name_n	13,868	5	5.1648	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A94805	A directory of church-government. Anciently contended for, and as farre as the times would suffer, practised by the first non-conformists in the daies of Queen Elizabeth. Found in the study of the most accomplished divine, Mr. Thomas Cartwright, after his decease; and reserved to be published for such a time as this. Published by authority.	Travers, Walter, 1547 or 8-1635. De disciplina ecclesiæ sacra, ex Dei verba descripta.; Cartwright, Thomas, 1535-1603.	1645 (1645)	Wing T2066; Thomason E269_17; ESTC R212376	12,368	26

A DIRECTORY OF Church-government Anciently contended for and as farre as the Times would suffer practised by the first Non-conformists in the daies of Queen ELIZABETH Found in the study of the most accomplished Divine Mr. Thomas Cartwright after his decease and reserved to be published for such a time as this Published by Authority LONDON Printed for John Wright in the Old-baily 1644. THE SACRED DISCIPLINE of the CHURCH described in the Word of God THe Discipline of Christs Church that is necessary for all times is delivered by Christ and set downe in the holy Scriptures Therefore the true and lawfull Discipline is to be fetched from thence and from thence alone And that which resteth upon any other foundation ought to be esteemed unlawfull and counterfeit Of all particular Churches there is one and the same right order and forme Therefore also no one may challenge to it selfe any power over others nor any right which doth not alike agree to others The Ministers of publique charges in every particular Church ought to be called and appointed to their charges by a lawfull Ecclesiasticall calling such as hereafter is set downe All these for the divers regard of their severall kinds are of equall power amongst themselves No man can be lawfully called to publique charge in any Church but he that is fit to discharge the same And none is to be accounted fit but he that is endued with the common gifts of all the godly that is with faith and a blamelesse life And further also with those that are proper to that Ministery wherein he is to be used and necessary for the executing of the same whereupon for triall of those gifts some convenient way and examination is to be used The party to be called must first be elected then he is to be ordained to that charge whereunto he is chosen by the prayers of that Church whereunto he is to be admitted the mutuall duties of him and of the Church being before laid open The Ministers of the Church are first they that are Ministers of the word In their examination it is specially to be taken héed unto that they be apt to teach and tryed men not utterly unlearned nor newly planted and converted to the Faith Now these Ministers of the word are first Pastors which doe administer the Word and Sacraments then Teachers which are occupied in wholsome doctrine Besides there are also Elders which watch over the life and behaviour of every man and Deacons which have care over the poore Further in every particular Church there ought to be a Presbytery which is a Consistory and as it were a Senate of Elders Vnder the name of Elders here are contained they who in the Church minister doctrine and they who are properly called Elders By the common Counsell of the Eldership all things are directed that belong to the state of their Church First such as belong to the guidance of the whole body of it in the holy and common assembly gathered together in the name of the Lord that all things may be done in them duely orderly and to edification 2. Then also such as pertaine to particular persons First to all the members of that Church that the good may enioy all the priviledges that belong unto them that the wicked may be corrected with Ecclesiasticall censures according to the quality of the fault private and publique by admonishing by remooving either from the Lords Supper by suspension as it is commonly called or out of the Church by Excommunication The which belong specially to the Ministers of publique charge in the Church to their calling either to be begun or ended and ended either by relieving or punishing them and that for a time by suspension or altogether by deposition For directing of the Eldership let the Pastors be set over it or if there be no Pastors then one in the same Church let the Pastors doe it in their turnes But yet in all the greater affaires of the Church as in Excommunicating of any and in choosing and deposing of Church Ministers nothing may be concluded without the knowledge and consent of the Church Particular Churches ought to yeeld mutuall help one to another for which cause they are to communicate amongst themselves The end of this communicating together is that all things in them may be so directed both in regard of Doctrine and also of Discipline as by the Word of God they ought to bée Therfore the things that belong hereunto are determined by the common opinion of those who meet so to communicate together and whatsoever is to be amended furthered or procured in any of those severall Churches that belong to that assembly Wherein albeit no particular Church hath power over another yet every particular Church of the same resort méeting and counsell ought to obey the opinion of more Churches with whom they communicate For holding of these meetings and assemblies there are to be chosen by every Church belonging to that assembly principall men from among the Elders who are to have their instructions from them and so to bee sent to the Assembly There must be also a care had that the things they shall returne to have been godly agréed on by the méetings be diligently observed by the Churches Further in such assemblies there is also to be chosen one that may be set over the assemblies who may moderate and direct them His duty is to see that the assemblies be held godly quiet and comely Therefore it belongeth unto him to begin and end the conference with prayer to know every mans instructions to propound in order the things that are to bee handled to gather their opinions and to propound what is the opinion of the greater part It is also the part of the rest of the assembly to speak their opinions of the things propounded godly and quietly The Synodicall Discipline gathered out of the Synods and use of the Churches which have restored it according to the Word of God and out of sundry bookes that are written of the same and referred unto certain Heads Of the necessity of a Calling LEt no man thrust himselfe into the executing of any part of publique charge in the administration of the Word Sacraments Discipline or care over the poore Neither let any such sue or seek for any publique charge of the Church but let every one tarry untill hee bee lawfully called The manner of entring and determining of a Calling and against a Ministery of no certaine place and the desertion of a Church LEt none be called but unto some certain charge ordained of God and to the exercising of the same in some particular Congregation And he that is so called let him be so bound to that Church that he may not after be of any other or depart from it without the consent thereof Let none be called but they that have first subscribed the confession of Doctrine and Discipline Whereof let them be admonished to have copies

to the Word of God Of Sacraments LEt onely a Minister of the Word that is a Preacher minister the Sacraments and that after the preaching of the Word and not in any other place then in the publique assemblies of the Church Of Baptisme WOmen only may not offer unto Baptisme those that are to be baptized but the Father if it may be or in his name some other They which present unto Baptisme ought to be perswaded not to give those that are Baptized the names of God or of Christ or of Angells or of holy Offices as of Baptist Evangelist c. nor such as savour of Paganisme or Popery but chiefly such whereof there are examples in the holy Scriptures in the names of those who are reported in them to have beene godly and vertuous Of the Communion LEt the time of celebrating the Communion bee made known eight dayes before that the Congregation may prepare themselves and that the Elders may do their duty in going to and visiting whom they ought Of Signifying their names that are to communicate LEt them which before have not beene received to the Lords Table when they first desire to come to it give their names to the Minister seaven dayes before the Communion that care of enquiring of them may be committed to the Elders that if there be any cause of hindrance there may be stay made betime but if there be no such thing let them proceed where neede may be to the examining of their faith before some of the Elders and Ministers every moneth before the Communion Let this whole Treatise of Discipline be read in the consistory and let the Ministers Elders and Deacons be censured one after an other yet so that the Minister concerning Doctrine be censured of Ministers only Let them only be admitted to the Communion that have made confession of their faith and submitted themselves to the Discipline unlesse they shall bring letters testimoniall of good credit from some other place or shall approve themselves by some other sufficient testimonie Children are not to be admitted to the Communion before they be of the age of 14 yeares except the consistory shall otherwise determine On the Sabbath day next before the Communion let mention be made in the Sermon of the examination wherunto the Apostle exhorteth and of the peace that is by faith in the day of the Communion let there be speech of the Doctrine of the Sacraments and especially of the Lords Supper Of Fasting LEt the day of Fasting bee published by the Pastor according to the advise of the consistory either for supplication for turning away of calamities present or threatned or for petition of some speciall grace Let the Sermons upon the same day before and after noone as on the Lords day bee such as may bee fit for the present occasion Of Holidaies HOlidaies are conveniently to be abolished Of Marriage LEt espousing goe before marriage Let the words of espousing be of the present time and without condition and before sufficient witnesses on both sides It is to be wished that the Minister or an Elder be present at the espousals who having called upon God may admonish both parties of their duties First may have care of avoyding the degrees forbidden both by the Law of God and man and then they may demand of them whether they be free from any bond of Marriage which if they professe and be strangers he may also require sufficient testimony Further also they are to be demanded whether they have been married before and of the death of the party with whom they were married which if they acknowledge and be strangers he may demand convenient testimony of the death of the other party Finally let them be asked if they be under the government of any whether they whom it concerneth have consented The Espousals being done in due order let them not be dissolved though both parties should consent Let the marriage be solemnized within two moneths after Before the marriage let the promise be published three severall Sabbath daies but first let the parties espoused with their parents or governours desire the publishing thereof of the Minister and two Elders at the least that they may be demanded of those things that are needfull and let thom require to see the instrument of the covenant of the Marriage or atleast sufficient testimony of the Espousals Marriage may be solemnized and blessed upon any ordinary day of publique prayer saving upon a day of Fast Of Schooles LEt children be instructed in Schooles both in other learning and especially in the Catechisme that they may repeat it by heart and understand it when they are so instructed let them be brought to the Lords Supper after they have been examined by the Minister and allowed by him Of Students of Divinity and their Exercises IN every Church where it may conveniently be done care is to be had that some poore Schollers studious of Divinity being fit for Theologicall exercises and especially for expounding of holy Scripture may by the liberality of the godly rich be taught and trained up to preach Let that exposition as often as it shall be convenient to be had be in the presence at least of one Minister by whose presence they may be kept in order and in the same sort as touching the manner of preaching that publique Sermons are made Which being ended let the other students he being put a part that was Speaker note wherein he hath failed in any of those things that are to be performed by him that preacheth publiquely as is set down before Of whose opinion let the Minister that is present and is moderator of their exercise judge and admonish the speaker as he shall thinke meet Of Elders LEt the Elders know every particular house and person of the Church that they may enforme the Minister of the condition of every one and the Deacons of the sicke and poore that they may take care to provide for them they are not to be perpetuall neither yet easily to be changed Of Consistories IN the Consistory the most voices are to be yeelded unto In it onely Ecclesiasticall things are to be handled Of them first they are to be dealt with such as belong to the common direction of the publique assembly in the order of Liturgy or divine Service Sermon Prayers Sacraments Mariages and Burials Then with such also as pertaine to the oversight of every one and their particular deeds Further they are to cause such things as shall be thought meet to be registred and written in a booke They are also to cause to be written in another booke the names of them that are baptized with the names of their parents and sureties Likewise of the Communicants Further also are to be noted their names that are married that die and to whom Letters testimoniall are given Of the Censures NOne is to be complained of unto the Consistory unlesse first the matter being uttered with silencing the parties name