Selected quad for the lemma: power_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
power_n	ceremony_n	church_n	rite_n	2,845	5	10.3412	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A30961	The Winchcomb-papers revived wherein are contained some particulars concerning the govenment of the church, the liturgy and forms of prayer, the ordination and power of ministers, the administration of the Sacrament &c. : for the use of dissenting brethren.	Barksdale, Clement, 1609-1687.	1675 (1675)	Wing B810; ESTC R25862	79,287	210

man of a different way and to make good his cause to appoint a time place and some discreet persons to be witnesses and I would wait on him Let him shew you my Note I never heard of any good order at any late-publick popular disputes and it is against my peaceable disposition and Studies to engage my self to the noise factions of such meetings 'T will be better sure first to corfer in private I will meet Mr. Helme at Mr. Freemans house if he will The sooner the better Let him chuse some se●ect friends of judgment and I shall be glad to have both of you present to keep us within the Laws of Academicall Disputation Upon which meeting if we can agree upon any publick orderly way of Tryall that may tend to a good effect with leave of Superiours I shall God willing be ready and either answer or oppose so far as it concerns me I most desire to confer by letters with any sober Divine Nec quenquam fugio Your very humble Servant C. B. That same week was sent to Mr. H. a paper conteining three false Doctrins to be confuted at Gods house in Winchcomb by some neighbouring Ministers Novemb. 9. with an Epigram to the erring Brethren Papists look one away c. See it immediately before the Dispute Mr. H. to Mr. B. October 31. 53. SIR There was a nameless paper sent to me with three questions and a Libell at the end of it directed to the erring brethren the Messenger said it came from you I desire to know who those erring Brethren are The question I propos'd takes in the substance of what is in difference between you and me And I shall be ready the day and hour appointed viz. 10. of the clock on the 9. day of November next at the Meeting-house at Winchcomb which you Idolatrically call God's House to justify through Grace that assertion I sent to you and I do desire your positive Answer whether you will be there or not to answer as you first proposed my opposition Your friend so far as you are for truth C. H. Mr. B. to Mr. H. November 1. 53. SIR I am very prone of my self to wait on you either privately or publickly but you know I think or may know that my Intention was for a private meeting I am assured by some judicious friends that no scholastic Order is to be hoped for at your publick Meeting Wherefore I may without any injury to my Cause decline it being ready to answer either by word before some discreet witnesses or by writing as you shall please to propose your Arguments But pray let them be Arguments not ill words as Libell Idolatry Murdering and other the like elegancies of yours In all wayes that become an ingenuous man and a Christian I am your servant All-Saints-Day Mr. B's Reply to Mr. A. P. Octob. 31. 53. DEar Sir Si judicas cognosce My self am best able to inform you both what my Thoughts are and what my Actions are Ever since I was initiated into Holy Orders which was above twenty years since it hath been my Design in preaching with sincerity and simplicity of heart I thank God though with much weakness to commend unto my Hearers both the Form and the Power of Godliness not one without the other but Both Quae Deus conjunxit I could never approve of those that pretending to set up the Power cry down the Form that is all decent and comely Rites and Ceremonies ordained by the Church nor of those that while they were zealous for Rites and Forms neglected the Power The Church of England I have always reverenced I mean in respect of the excellent constitutions and Laws of it as for corrupt practices of Officers or Ministers therein I can be sorry for them I cannot defend them And now since the late obstinate Disorders of our people I am more in love with the Beauty of the Church appearing still in the said constitutions Till I find a better Church I must have leave to continue in the communion of this A causeless separation from it I cannot excuse from the crime of Schism In the Ministration of the Sacrament I indeavor to follow the Rule so far as I can and after the best preparation I can use admit only those that joyn with me in holy professions and serious and solemn engagements to lead a Christian life If I be enformed of any particular that scandalously breaks his Vow I will take heed how I admit him again without satisfaction But where things are doubtful I encline to the more favourable part Private Conference either by word or Letter I much desire with any of your Temper Publick I refuse not if it may be quiet and orderly Your Letter I much thank you for I will study it and give you Account This general Answer I scribled and sent you this next morn after the receit of yours that you may know I have kindly taken it and that I heartily am SIR Yours C. B. His fuller Answer to Mr. A. P. Dear Sir THe Zeal that sparkles all over your Letter of the 26. of Octo. which I have now had leasure to read so often that I can read it perfectly calls for a more particular Answer than I gave you on Monday last Expect only a few brief notes upon it till I have the opportunity of a friendly meeting You say you do not find but Mr. H. proceeded according to what I proposed to him My note shews that I offered a meeting at the place he would appoint in the presence of some discreet Auditors What place can be understood but a private place or house as I also explaned my self to the Baylif that received of me the Paper mentioning his house or Mr. F's so that it is no receding from my offer but a refusal of an unreasonable demand if I come not among the confused multitude Peruse a passage in Hookers Preface concerning publick Conferences or Disputes and consider whether Mr. H. his publike meeting will admit of any such Rules You say You are grieved to hear of me as an Opposer of Reformation c. If you would make it appear to me that the work at Winchcomb is a work of true Reformation Oh how glad should I be to contribute my best aid to it But I administer the holy things you say to Prophane Wretches the haters of Godliness who the next hour c. We confess our selves to God miserable and wretched sinners but we trust in his mercy that he will accept us in Christ not weiging our merits but pardoning our offences I shall use the best means I can to find out those you characterize and deal with them accordingly but after all care there may be false Professors and Revolters in the truest Church I countenance none in their corrupt and loose waies but on the contrary shew the danger of such looseness and exhort unto all Gospel-Order nor do I know any of my Company that do

scornfully refuse it I am not guilty of the bloud of Christ which I highly honour and Minister to those only that seem to me to thirst after it and receive it with fear and reverence after profession of Faith and Obedience If by Praelatical formal superstitious usages you mean those decent Orders and Rites which have been established and used in the Church of England I have much to say for the Lawfulness of them yet am ready to submit to the commands of my Superiors when they shall establish another way agreeable to Gods word I will neither shut my eyes against the light nor resist the Spirit of Christ for which I daily pray The way of holiness I conceive doth not exclude laudable Forms and Customs which serve for edification in holiness Me thinks it is very fit the body should act a part in the service of God with the Soul for both are Gods I had almost forgot that you say I have no Call to do what I do If Mr. H. hath as lawful a Call as I I will seek Communion with him the next day I know it The out-comers that will make use of my Ministry I cannot deny so long as they have no Pastor that will own them upon lawful conditions for the conditions of that same new Covenant are not right in the eyes of very knowing orderly and well-disposed People It had been methinks a good way to have proposed that Covenant to debate among Neighbouring Ministers before it had been obtruded on the People under penalty of loss of Communion The excellent Scriptures you commend unto me I have considered and will give you my sense of them when I see what deductions you can make thence against me I do think there are as good Preachers and as holy men of that way which you call Prelatical as are under Heaven quos longè sequar vestigia semper adoro I speak of Jewels Hookers Ushers Halls Lakes Andrews I could weary you with names worthy of eternal memory It is easy to call yours the Lord's they that are truly so I honour not despise and others a loose dead-hearted carnal party For my part I judge no man but pray that we may all labour to make our calling sure and work out our own salvation with fear and Trembling By the Grace of God we are what we are if there be any good in any of us That Spirit of Grace whose name you say hath been among some a derided thing who have given the occasion to that derision I will not say is by all sober persons ever to be magnified and adored Without which you say well I cannot approve my self a member of his body much less a Minister of Christ And therefore I pray for that Spirit and not expecting new Revelations study what is the mind of the Spirit in the Holy Scripture For the explication whereof because a late Doctor of ours hath done more than any in this Age I commend his paraphrase to you on the New Testament specially on the Texts you cite to me and desire you to peruse Sine Studio partium his Treatise prefixed concerning the New Lights and if you look upon his Exposition of the Apocalyps you will have no cause to repent of your pains Having mentioned this Author of no less piety and modesty than Learning and judgement I would gladly know your opinion of his Latin Book against Blondell If either Blondell be right for Presbytery or He for Episcopacy vide si vacat Thorndik of Prim. G●ver cap. ult of the Right of the Church both waies your New-Church-way will prove plainly Schismatical I do verily believe the power of Godliness may be upheld without the overthrow of antient forms Nor can I be so irreverent to our Fore-fathers ever since the Reformation much less to all Antiquity as to slight and condemn what they either appointed or retained My rule is this Rites of Religion not opposite to Scripture may lawfully be used What say you against it Have they not also if they make for order and Edification a reall tendency in your phrase to advance Jesus Christ What tendency to this end is in the countenancing of Un-ordained Ministers and in usurping a Power of Government in the Church which Christ hath deposited in other hands and in setting up ignorant Persons to be publike Orators I confess Dear Sir I do not understand And my opposition against such waies proceeds meerly of duty In which opposition I shall carry my self with all Moderation approving and imitating what is commendable in the Adversary while I oppose what I can prove to be blameable Him will I willingly confer with either by my tongue or pen in such manner as I may safely do it but much rather with your self because I conceive you are of a sweeter temper that I mention not parts Learning and the like things which although without Grace they are not much to be valued yet are very useful and subservient to the work of God Wherein I heartily desire to joyn with you so far as I can and I hope in whatsoever we be differently minded God will in time reveal even that to us To his gracious direction and blessing I commend you and your labours praying that as you are endowed with precious gifts of Zeal Elocution Learning Judgement Meekness so you may employ them happily to the Glory of the Donor in procuring the Unity and Tranquillity of his Church Your servant in Christ C. B. Nov. 2. 1653. Mr. B. to Mr. H. Novem. 7. 1653. SIR I Am assured you are resolved to hold your publick meeting on Wednesday next and I am desired by some of your Neighbours as well as your self to be present I intend God willing to wait on you at your hour on this condition that you permit me being Respondent to stand in your Pue that I may be seen and heard the better and be free from the croud You and if they be present Master Palmer and Master Tray I will embrace and only you in order as my Opponents placing your selves a part as you shall see most convenient That the people abstain from all rudeness and disturbance of our work your Officers must take care Qu. Whether it be lawful to administer and receive the Holy Sacrament in Congregations called mixt Aff. My meaning is clearly to affirm what you deny though my Terms are not just the same Yours in the Truth C. B. All was granted but the Pue An Answer to a Question proposed by the separating Minister to one of the Parish of W. 1653. Qu. Of what Church are You 1. I Am a member of the Parish Church wherein I live which although it be much distracted by a Minister of separation yet it is not destroyed Although we cannot come to the usual place for the present safely and without danger of being engaged in Prayers against our Conscience and of being seduced by erroneous doctrin and much offended and grieved by uncharitable