Selected quad for the lemma: power_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
power_n	church_n	minister_n	ordination_n	2,890	5	10.2282	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A81703	The cleere antithesis, or, diametrall [sic] opposition betweene presbytery and prelacy wherein is apparently demonstrated, whither government be most consonant and agreeable to the word of God.; Appeale to every impartiall, judicious, and godly reader.	Downing, Calybute, 1606-1644.	1644 (1644)	Wing D2099; Thomason E17_7; ESTC R23496	8,758	30

of well-doers and without chargeable expences to the Delinquents XXIII The second is The Presbyteriall or Classicall meeting which consists of particular Pastors of particular Churches in a certain circuit much like to our severall Deanaries and as with us there be many Deanaries so are there to be many Presbyteries Here an Elder of every Parish appointed by the particular Session thereof doth come and meet with the Ministers and with these others also intending the Ministry who here exercise their gifts This meeting of theirs is somewhere once a weeke but it may be once a fortnight or at farthest once in a moneth This hath the power of Jurisdiction and Ordination Deprivation Visitation tryall of Processe of Excommunication from the Parochiall Session and direction to the Minister of the Parish to excommunicate if need be Here the life and doctrine the diligence of Ministers within the Presbyterie is look'd into and so the lives and behaviours of their Elders and the disobedience of any one to the Session is with authority censured This is begun and ended with Prayer as religious meetings should ever be XXIV The third is called A Provinciall Synod there be many such with us as Diocesses This consists of all such Presbyteries within such a circuit as may be like our Diocesses and every Synod is kept twice a yeare Hitherto come all the Ministers and one Elder from every Parish It 's begun with Prayers and Preaching by a Moderator of a former Synod who is ever here chosen and when he hath done another is chosen for the present Then they proceed to try all the Presbyteries how they have ordered themselves in their meetings and faithfully discharged the power and authority committed to them and this tryall is by the records presented to the Synod by the Clarke of every Presbytery In the end they conclude with Prayer Here is no calling for Procurations nor purchasing of Licenses no paying of money to an Apparitor nor to a Register to shew letters of Orders for better and not for such base ends is this pious Synod kept XXV The fourth and last meeting is The Generall and Nationall Assembly the highest Ecclesiasticall Judicatory and kept commonly once a yeare at the place appointed This consists of Ministers and Elders from every Presbytery where are also present persons of highest place and of the Nobilitie This is begun with a day of Humiliation after which is chosen by the Assembly a Minister to bee Moderator or President Here is handled all causes Ecclesiasticall concerning the whole Church of God every one hath his free voice ●●●hes 〈◊〉 ●●●●●les are propounded and satisfied and whatsoever is ordained is with consent of all there be also chosen out certaine Commissioners to present what of all is thought fit to the Parliament the King the Counsell of the King or the Convention of the Estates XXVI By this most happy subordination of these foure stands the beauty and strength of the Church Government comfortable to all godly Pastors and Professors onely distastefull to Prelaticall spirits to Papists Atheists Hereticks Schismaticks prophane and Machiavillan Statists for by this Governement all these are crushed in them first appearing in Parishes by the Session weekely or in the Rurall Presbytery monethly or by the Provinciall Synod in the halfe year but if these be not so prevalent on a sudden yet are they mightly suppressed once in a yeare by a Nationall Assembly XXVII Under this Presbyterian Government godly Ministers and people are much encouraged in preaching in hearing in frequenting Sermons in conferring together after Sermon in fasting and praying no hinderance of neighbourly and Christian meetings to reade godly means bookes allowed to be printed No lett but rather heartning for one to instruct another to build up to edifie one another without wicked jealousie of unlawfull conventicling whereby knowledge of God increaseth and brotherly love among the people XXVIII This doth allure none unto it but onely the warrantablenesse of it the goodnesse of it the singular benefit which commeth thereby to the Churches of Christ where it is erected to wit the safety of soules the beating downe of sinne and iniquity the humbling of the people by often set fastings and other holy duties which all that feare God should more affect in Ecclesiasticall government then all earthly preferment XXIX This is the governement of the Churches of Christ the reformed Churches with which we confesse our selves to be one and never was it east out where once it was erected and carefully practised among them as any way hurtfull to religion or the Civill State XXX This since the beginning of Reformation hath beene desired of painfull and conscionable Teachers and in following their desires to enjoy it have suffered much as all know for their writing and preaching praying and petitioning to Soveraigne Authoritie and Parliament for the same Lastly this could never yet bee endured here to make a tryall of it and to discerne it in the happy fruits of it as is humbly desired by many thousands to be admitted The Prelacie I. THis is not to be found in the Apostles writings nor doth the HolyGhost vouchsafe to name it as being an over-topping title which Christ approves not of II. This consists of Prelates called Diocesan Lord Bishops Lording over their brethren contrary to Christs forbidding Mat. 20. 25 26. and Lording over their people contrary to the charge of S. Peter 1 Peter 5. 3. III. These have no divine Institution there is for their present standing no warrant from Christs word but what they rest upon are two false Postscripts Apocryphall writings added to the end of the second Epistle to Timothy and the other to Titus IV. There is no mention made of these kinde of Bishops they had then no beeing nor was there in this Councell then any mention at all of any Bishop nor any as yet had that name till Pauls preaching at Ephesus who first mentioned the name of Bishops Acts 20. 28. and yet meaning no other then Elders Verse 17. neither then nor long after Titus 1. 5. 7. V. These Lordly Diocesan Bishops have no rule over us in the Lord if they have let them from Holy Scripture shew it as the Elders can the truth is the rule which these exercise is meerely humane and from the authority of men as hath heretofore been acknowledged by themselves VI. The rule of these is Monarchicall and but one in a Citie and over a great Diocesse extending their power very farre beyond that they are able to performe VII These rule after the will of man and according to either Popish or their owne devised Canons thrust upon the people after the pleasure and lust of some without warrant from Holy Scripture the truth of this appeares from their former and late Canons VIII These neither can nor doe rule spiritually after a spirituall manner but with pompe they cannot bear up their Prelacie but with great revenues with many attendants and all

XXIV Here is no such Provinciall Synod but the Prelates trienniall Visitation whither doe come all the Ministers out of every Deanary one day after another where the Prelate is which commonly is at the Cathedrall Church where he sits with his Chancellors It 's begun with a Sermon after which the Prelate makes a Speech such as he pleaseth to utter Here is calling of Ministers and Church-wardens but no tryall of Ministers gifts nor enquiry of their proficiency but here is paying of Procurations buying of Licenses to rade prayers and to preach and giving money to the gentleman Apparitor The Church-wardens made to sweare and are to buy a booke of Articles and make presentments to the Chancellour who receives their Bils Here the Ministers shew their Orders and Licenses such as have them to the Register who gets much money for them If the Prelate have any private businesse with this Clergy or to crave a benevolence which dare not be denyed him he calls them together in private by themselves Which ended they may depart and goe as they came without any religious care of them the Prelate goes to his Pallace with his traine and the Chancellor by an Apparator invites the abler sort of Ministers to dine with him at an Inne to their proper cost XXV Here is no such Nationall Assembly but a meeting called a Convocation when wee have a Parliament which is in two Provinces one at Yorke in which the Arch-Bishop of Yorke is President and the other at London where the Archbishop of Canterbury is President ruling and commanding or cunningly contriving to bring about what ever pleaseth him Here meet all the Prelates all the great Deanes and Archdeacons and the rest of the Prelaticall body and to these come two Ministers called Clerks out of every Diocesse to represent all the rest of the Ministers chosen these should be freely by the rest of their brethren but are appointed by the Lording Prelates such as they best like of The Nobles and Gentry have nothing to doe here the Prelates have ever had the Laitie as they call them in contempt scorning they should meddle in causes Ecclesiasticall though never so learned and wise here their corrupt dealing need not to be further laid open it 's so openly knowne and condemned by the Parliament XXVI By the unhappy want of such lively meanes here and the over-topping power of this Prelacie many painfull Ministers have beene suppressed many people have been grieved Papists Atheists Semi-pelagian Hereticks have encreased Separatists through the Prelates severity in pressing of Ceremonies have multiplyed the prophane have growne into much basenesse more and more by their proclaiming of liberty to prophane the Lords day and by their corrupt Courts the proofe hereof is the common experience of all this Land XXVII Under this Prelacy and Prelaticall Government much preaching is not valued but rather suppressed as it of late hath beene They give no heartning to people to follow the means of knowledge conferring after Sermons reading together of good bookes singing of Psalmes and praying together and such Christian meetings fill Prelaticall spirits with the spirit of Jealousie causeth them to hunt after such persons and to cite them for Conventiclers whereby they hinder the growth of grace and the increase of Christian love knowledge faith and godly watchfulnesse one over another much to be wished XXVIII This hath all worldly allurements whatsoever may entice carnall mindes to entertain and hold it up as greatnesse riches and pompe glory high estates in dignitie pleasure and profit ease and what not that may favour of the flesh the fruits whereof are peoples ignorance prophanenesse licenciousnesse liberty neglect in most and contempt in many holy duties privately and in families reigning sinnes in publike to be with teares lamented no way to be suffered nor is suffered in a right ordered Church Government XXIX This is the government of the Papall power under that Romish Antichrist against which we make open profession and is a governement rejected by all the Churches reformed and cast out as hurtfull to the Church of Christ and to a Civill State and is now so judged to be by many worthies in Parliament and that very justly XXX This hath beene upheld by seldome preaching Prelates by the like Doctors by Pluralists and Non-residents Idle Ministers Dependants upon Ecclesiasticall Courts such as eate of the fat and hope for preferment to themselves and to theirs these have beene persecutors but voluntarily never came to suffer for meere Prelacie but for other misdemeanors if they have suffered Lastly this hath stood up full fourescore yeares and is well knowne with the unhappie fruits of it and therefore voted against in the House of Commons FINIS