Selected quad for the lemma: saint_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
saint_n	article_n	church_n	creed_n	1,359	5	10.1652	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B20736	The vvay of the churches of Christ in New-England, or, The vvay of churches walking in brotherly equalitie, or co-ordination, without subjection of one church to another measured and examined bythe golden reed of the sanctuary, containing a full declaration of the church-way in all particulars / by Mr. J. Cotton ...	Cotton, John, 1584-1652.	1645 (1645)	Wing C6471; ESTC R209858	96,219	122

as Cyprian saith lib. 1. Ep. 4. maximè potestatem habet dignos Sacerdotes eligendi then as hee saith there also potestatem etiam babet Sacerdotes indignos recusandi abdicandi On the other side the Elders have rule over the Church and do expresse it in sundry acts of authority as 1. In calling the Church togethr upon any weighty occasion Acts 6.2 2. In opening the dores of speech and silence to any of the Assembly Acts 13.15 unlesse it be where the Elders themselves lie under offence or suspicion of offence and the offended parties may begin with them Acts 11.2 yet with due reverence observed as to their yeers so to their place 1 Tim. 5.1 3. In preaching the Word the Elders have power to teach and exhort to charge command to reprove and rebuke with all authority 1 Tim. 5.7 6.17 2 Thes 3.6 Tit. 2.15 4. In dispensing all the censures of the Church unlesse it be in their own cause for though they take the consent of the Church in dispensing a censure yet they set it on with great authority in the Name of the Lord yea it is no small power they put forth in directing the Church what censure is due according to the Word as in our native countrey though the Judge dispense no sentence but according to the verdict of the Jury yet his authority is great both in directing the Jury to give in their verdict according to the law and in pronouncing sentence with power and terror according to the law and their verdict The like do the Elders in dispensing Church-censures 5. The Elders have power to dismisse the Church and that with a blessing Numb 6.23 to 26. which is an act of superiority Heb. 7.7 6. In case of the Apostasie of the Church or of other notorious scandall committed by them and their obstinacy therein the Elders have power to denounce the Judgement of God against the Church and to withdraw themselves from it As upon the Idolatry of the Israelites Moses took the Tabernacle and pitched it without the camp Exod. 33.7 and Paul with Barnabas rejected the Jewes for their blaspemy and turned to the Gentiles Act. 13.45 46. CHAPTER VI. SECT I. WEE come now to that last part of our order which standeth in our communion with other Churches amongst our selves though one Church claim no power either of Ordination or Jurisdiction over another for we know of none such given us by Christ yet wee maintain Brotherly communion one with another so far as wee may also help forward our mutuall communion with the Lord Jesus The communion of Saints is accounted an Article of the Creed and communion of Churches is but a branch thereof Seven wayes there be wherein wee exercise holy communion one with another which for distinction and memories sake we may summe up in so many short names First by way of Participation secondly of Recommendation thirdly of Consultation fourthly of Congregation fifthly of Contribution sixthly of Admonition seventhly of Propagation or multiplication of Churches 1. For Participation wee have occasionally spoken of it before it is allowed by the consent of our Churches that when the members of any other Church are occasioned to rest with us on the Lords day when the Supper cometh to be administred and neither the persons themselves nor the Churches they come from lie under any publike offence wee do admit them to the participation of the Lords Table with us For wee look at the Lords Supper not only as a seal of our communion with the Lord Jesus but also of our communion with his members and that not only with the members of our own Church but of all the Churches of the Saints SECT II. BY way of Recommendation wee communicate one with another in this wise When any of our members by occasion of businesse is called to reside and continue for any time in another Towne wee give him Letters of recommendation unto the Church in that place giving testimony of him as of a Brother approved and intreating them to receive him in the Lord as becometh Saints unto holy Communion with them and to watch over him in Brotherly love to his building up in fellowship with the Lord Jesus The patterne whereof wee take from Pauls recommendation of Phebe a Deaconesse of the Church of Cenchrea unto the Church of Rome Rom. 16.1 2. Of which Letters he maketh mention also to the Church of Corinth though not as needfull for himselfe but for others 2 Cor. 3.1 But if a Brother have necessary occasion to remove himselfe and his family for all together unto another Church and there to take up his setled habitation for the necessary imployment of his calling or for other just ends he acquainteth the Elders of the Church and some of his intimate friends and brethren and it may be if conveniency permit the whole Church with the grounds of his removall which if they doe appeare to them to be just and weightie they then write more ample Letters of recommendation unto that Church in his behalfe wherein they doe recommend him wholly to their charge now not as one of themselves but as one of theirs to whom they doe resigne him and intreat them to receive him as a Brother beloved in the Lord unto all those Christian liberties and holy duties wherein they are wont to Communicate with their owne members unto all spirituall growth in Christ Jesus Which Letters because they doe so fully recommend a Brother unto another Church are to dismisse him from his owne wee therefore for distinction sake call them Letters of dismission which indeed doe not differ from the other but that the former recommendeth him to another Church for a time these for ever The Brother thus dismissed to another Church bringeth his Letters to the Elder of that Church who reading them before the Church demandeth the Churches consent for his acceptance If he be well knowne and approved of them they expresse their consent either by lifting up of hands or by silence but if the man be wholly unknowne and doubted of by them though they reserve due honour to the testimony of the Church which sent them yet for as much as Churches may erre sometimes as well in judgement of persons as of doctrines Hanc veniam perimusque damusque vicissim wee take libertie to take some tryall of his spirit and gifts and then either upon his just approbation of him wee receive him or if wee see just occasion of offence in him wee returne him with the cause back againe to his owne Church who receiveth him againe into her own fellowship and takes care for his healing for wee look at our Church-Covenant as an everlasting Covenant Jer. 50.51 And therefore though it may be translated or resigned from one Church to another as Gods hand shall direct yet it is not to be rejected or violated by us but onely by the members cutting off himselfe from the fellowship of the Church by such