Selected quad for the lemma: order_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
order_n	direction_n	file_n	rank_n	3,179	5	11.4747	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77901	Poimēnopurgos. Pastorum propugnaculum. Or, The pulpits patronage against the force of un-ordained usurpation, and invasion. By Thomas Ball, sometimes Fellow of Emmanuel College in Cambridge, now minister of the Gospel in Northampton, at the request, and by the advice, of very many of his neighbour-ministers.	Ball, Thomas, 1589 or 90-1659.	1656 (1656)	Wing B584; Thomason E863_10; ESTC R206670	204,465	356

was needful to their Office they did and could receive not for them only but also for their successors unto the worlds end for he closeth his Commission with this assertion and assurance that he would be with them unto the worlds end (a) Mat. 28. 20 It falls out often here in this world that many promise fair whilst they are in pursuit of some enjoyment and satisfaction that is in their eye but when they have atchieved and attained what they prosecuted forget their promises as Pharoahs Butler did his promise and engagement unto Joseph (b) Gen. 40. 23. but Christ forgets not what he promised his Servants but when he had attained what he aimed at was setled and possessed of his Kingdom ascended up on high was out of danger now himself had led captivity captive had all his enemies his foot-stoole as the Psalmist speaks (c) Psal 110. 1. yet he gives gifts to men some Apostles some Prophets some Evangelists some Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints the work of the Ministry the edifying of the body of Christ till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ (d) Eph. 4. 11 12 13. that is till we be come to Heaven and are past faith and hope all Acts and Ordinances that help us in the way and suppose infirmity and imperfection and this Authority Paul and the rest not only exercised and used themselves but give directions unto others also for to use as unto Titus (e) Tit. 2. 15. these things speak and exhort and rebuke with all authority let no man despise thee And because Timothy was but a young man and wanted that authority which age and gray hairs give he gives direction to make that up by conversation which course of years gave not (f) 1 Tim. 4. 12 let no man despise thy youth but be thou an example of believers in word in conversation in charity in spirit in faith in purity These graces he was sure would purchase and beget authority a little sooner then the ordinary time and course of years would bring it and it was not ordinary to admit of young men an Elder and a Minister being in the Scripture of the new Testament of great affinity because their very years procured some authority to what they said and it is as needful and as useful now as ever that a Minister should be a man of gravity and seniority that they may by that means have some authority annexed unto what they say which an ordinary person that hath never been abroad that was never from the place of his nativity can hardly have whereas those that have spent their younger years in study and have been out of sight have by their very absence and distance gotten some opinion and reputation nam major reverentia è longinquo they would not entertain our Saviours Doctrine because he was their Neighbour and bred among them (g) Mat. 13. 54 55 56 57. but when a man hath been abroad hath been in some great famous University annum jam audientem Cratippum idque Athenis and then is sifted and examined and afterwards admitted and made a Minister it carries reputation with it and more authority then another can have though of equal parts and gifts as the same words to a prisoner by one that is a Judge and hath Commission of Oyer and Terminer have more authority and influence then if spoken to him by one not in office Though the private person be the abler Orator and have more dexterity in expressing of himself Women can speak well many times and their affections make them eloquent and apt to speak yet the Apostle calls it usurpation to exercise this faculty of theirs in publick meetings of Gods people (h) 1 Tim. 2. 12. because they could not do it in the hearing and sight of men with that authority that was required 12. We say that all this ought to be in every setled well ordered Church beside the labours and endeavours of godly well-affected private Christians these are diversa but not opposita divers but not dissenting or opposing one another Church-work is for the most part slow and many hands may be imployed provided that they be subordinate to one another that the Master-builders be allowed to give directions as in an Army many hands may yea must be imployed but ranks and files must be observed the Officers must give out Orders and Commands and the common Souldiers execute as in the body there are many Members yet all subordinate unto the head in a Ship there are many Marriners and Souldiers yet all under one Generall and duly distributed into different distinct and several subordinations so in the Church good people may have use enough of all their parts and gifts of all their faculties and graces and yet need Ministers to guide and lead them to teach in publick and with more authority then they for the Church consisteth and is made up of many small societies and bodies and every little body hath ability to govern and direct it self yet in subordination to the whole In a Grammar-School the upper forms can order and direct the lower yet there is use of and need of Masters in a Town there be some that have good medicines for the stone and tooth-ach yet there must be Physitians in a Ship there be many that can steere and understand the Card and Compasse yet there is use of Pilots so in a setled and well-ordered Church there may be many that can speak of good things that can instruct and catechise their families that can admonish one another and exhort and comfort as there is occasion offered and afforded yet for all this in those very places some should be set apart to attend and act in holy things beside the labours and endeavours of these godly well-affected private Christians CHAP. VI. A praeludium to the Arguments HAving thus opened and expressed our sense and fixed what we purpose to assert we come in the next place to maintain and make it good having declared and discovered what we hold we come to shew the grounds and evidences by which we hold it having said what we think in this particular we come to settle and assure it Though we believe unto a willing minde we have already said what may suffice if we be not much mistaken in our explications all along we have been rather Doctors then Dictators Ministers then Masters of your apprehensions so that unto an impartial unbyassed and can did Reader more need not be added But we consider what an Iron age we live in how sparing men are of their faith and charity How many godly well-meaning Christians have in these late years bin robbed and rifled of their fastnesse and easinesse to entertain truths brought unto them by pretenders to integrity and ingenuity and

it was Gods goodnesse that these Cockatrices were not crushed in the Egge but were suffered thus to break forth into a Viper (x) Isa 59. 5. for men would have been apt to think some good had been supprest and stifled and that the spirit had been quenched and restrained whereas now they have had time and elbow-room enough to shew themselves and will not be so pittied as they would have been if they had been persecuted and crushed in their Cradles as Christ had like to have been though they were not altogether new to us the insurrections tumults confusions and disorders that grew in Germany upon the same grounds might have admonished us and had not these excrescencies bin mannaged and mastered by some more cunning well advized heads and hands that have nourished and bred them up as men do Tygers and Bears to make a gain and an advantage of them in the end they would have worried and devoured one another long before this as the false Apostles did in Pauls time (y) Gal. 5. 16. and if at any time they break their Chains and get loose from their Keepers we may have cause to wish they had not grown so lusty 5. But perhaps it will be said no body suckles such Imps as these good honest people are intended to be countenanced and incouraged whose holinesse and graces do bear witnesse unto their gifts that have been tryed and found blamelesse and well deserving we think that many such think it unlawful to be thus imployed or if they have been tempted and seduced unto any such extravagancies and intemperance yet now they are awakened and taken off and are willing to acknowledge with him in the Prophet (z) Zach. 13. 5 I am no Prophet I am an Husband-man for man taught me to keep Cattle from my youth do finde the work is not so easie as they thought it had been for howsoever popular applause may blow men at the first into a Pulpit yet when the winde fails or turns they will come down no Trade is driven long or unto Profit without a stock gaudeo quod spectant oculi me mitte loquentem was at the first a fine thing but when for want of store plenty the same Colewort is served up again it will be nauseous those that without wit at first ran to them at last without fear will run from them and those that came into into the Pulpit to be admired and wondred at will not be willing to be rejected and unde●valued quem tulit ad scaenan ventoso gloria curru Examinat sensus spectator a carelesse hearer kills but a Minister that hath a Calling and is furnished will bear it well enough and assure himself the Seas will flow again as well as now they ebbe as Christ preached his hearers all away but the Apostle (a) Joh 6 66 67. yet gave not over but incouraged himself again now if we set by these conscientious scrupulous men the rest wil be too few to do this great work for it s as true as ever that the Harvest is great and the labourers are few (b) Mat. 9 37 for those that have pretended to assist and aid have greatly added to our labours and have put us to begin our work a new to lay again the foundations of repentance from dead works and of faith towards God of the Doctrine of baptismes and of laying on of hands and of the Resurrection of the dead of eternal judgement (c) Heb. 6. 1 2. instead of propagating they have plundered and depopulated many precious truths or at least endeavoured to do it so that there is need of many hands to carry it on again and set it forward and we think there will not be good humble modest private Christians enow to do it though the incouragements were greater 6. But finally we answer that we think there will be work enough for them and us no doubt it may be truly said to the honour and renown of English Ministers that many godly private Christians have attained unto and gotten very great abilities by hearing writing and repeating good Sermons by frequent and assiduous reading of the Scriptures by learning English Catechismes and such little easie bodies and compendiums of Divinity by much discourse and frequent conferences about matters of their Estates and souls and reading good English Books unto all which they have been frequently and seriously exhorted by the Ministers and these abilities doubtlesse they may and ought to use but it must be in a subordinate and sober way not in a tumult and confusion as those Babylonish Brick-layers that understood not what another said (d) Gen. 11. 9. but mannaged and kept within their banks and bounds by Ministers who may charge them and look unto them that in their meetings and conventions they vent no other Doctrine neither give heed to fables and such things as Minister questions rather then godly edifying which is in faith (e) 1 Tim. 1. 3 4. as in the building of the Temple there were many Labourers that furthered the work but not that gave out patterns for the direction of it (f) 1 Chron. 28. 11 12 13. so private Christians may help forward the work of God exceeding much if they will act by order and direction from the Ministers and Pastors of the place but must not be for that set up and substituted in the Office place and power of the Minister and Pastor may help the building very much yet must not be esteemed Master-builders as the Apostle calls himself (g) 1 Cor. 3 10. though they perhaps do understand the model of the work and will offer and may afford their service at a cheaper rate but notwithstanding these assistants and subordinated Labourers there must be some ordained Pastors to attend wait upon every flock or Congregation and take the custody and care of them upon him and be accountable to the chief Shepheard for them CHAP. V. The Question stated IT is well said minimus error in principio erit maximus in fine a line distant but a very little in the centre at the circumference will be a great way off and therefore in foundations men must be very wary how they erre when the doubt or question is not stated well there is muc●●rangling to little purpose the Apostle seem● to make that the ground of their vain jangling that they understood not whereof they did affirm (h) 1 Tim. 1. 6 7. that is did not state the question well whereabout they wrangled and moved doubts that we therefore may not erre this errour nor lose our way in setting out we desire our sense may be conceived and taken in this ensuing thesis proposition aphorisme That in every setled well-ordered Church there ought to be some persons set a part to attend and act in holy things with more assurance and Authority then others besides the labours and endeavours of godly well-affected private Christians 1. We say