how that wee three severall times have propounded unto you the name of our fellow Brother N. heere present to see if there was any body who had any thing against him eyther in doctrine or life whereby hee might bee hindred from being confirmed in the Ministery of the Word seeing now that no body hath shewed any lawfull exception against his person therefore are we now in the name of the Lord to proceed to his Confirmation For which cause you N. and all yee who are present are to hearken to ashort declaration touching the institution and worke of the Pastour or Minister of the Word Where in the first place you are to observe That God our Heavenly Father having purposed to call and assemble out of sinfull mankinde a Church to everlasting life useth heere unto out of his singular grace the ministry of men therefore saith Paul That Christ hath given some to bee Apostles some to bee Prophets some Evangelists some Pastours and Doctors for the perfecting of the Saints for the worke of his service namely the edification of the body of Christ Out of which wee see that the Apostle saith that among others the Pastors Office is an institution of Christ Now what belongs to his holy Office wee can easily see out of the very name given unto it for as the charge of a common Shepheard is to feed the flocke committed unto his charge to leade rule and protect the same so is it with the spiritual Pastours which are set over the Church of God which God esteemes as sheepe of his Pasture The pastures wherewith these Sheepe are to bee fed is nothing else but the preaching of the Word of God with the service of Prayer and administration of the Sacraments the same Word of God is also the staffe wherewith the flocke is lead and ruled consequently the office of the Pastours and Ministers of the worde of God consists heere in First That they faithfully propound the Word of God contained in the writings of the Prophets and Apostles and apply the same both in generall and particular to the edification of the hearers instructing admonishing comforting and reprooving according to every ones necessity preaching conversion to God and reconciliation with him through faith in Christ as also refuting with the worde of God all errours and heresies which are repugnant to sound Doctrine All this is plainly discovered unto us in holy Scripture For the Apostle Paul saith That these labour in the Word and elswhere hee saith That this ought to bee done according to the rule of Faith and that a Pastor must hold fast that faithful and sincere word which is according to Doctrine and divide it aright also hee that prophecyeth that is who teacheth Gods word speaketh to edification admonition and consideration In another place hee doth put himselfe as a patterne to Pastors declaring that hee openly and in houses hath taught and testified the conversion to God and Faith in Jesus Christ But wee reade in an especiall manner a true description of the Office and Ministery of the Gospell 2. Cor. 5. wherein the Apostle speakes after this manner All things are of God who hath reconciled us to himselfe through Jesus Christ and hath given to us namely to the Apostles and Pastours the ministery of reconciliation to wit That God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himselfe not imputing their trespasses unto them and hath commited to us the word of reconciliation Now then wee are Ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us wee pray you in Christs stead to bee reconciled to God. Touching refutation of unsound doctrine saith the Apostle to Titus Chap. 1. vers 6. That a Minister must holde fast the faithful word of God that hee may bee able by sound doctrine to convince the gainsayers Secondly The office of the Pastour is publiquely to invocate the name of God in the behalfe of the whole assembly For what the Apostles saith We will give our selves to prayer and the Ministery of the Word the same is common to these Pastors with the Apostles to which end the Apostle Paul thus exhorteth Timothy Wherefore I exhort that Supplications Prayers intercessions and giving of Thankes bee made for all men for Kings and for all in Authority Thirdly Their order is to administer the holy Sacraments which the Lord hath ordained and instituted as a seale of his grace as appeareth out of the Commandement which Christ hath given to his Apostles and in them to all the Pastours Baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost In like manner I received of the Lord that which I also delivered unto you The Lord Jesus in the night c. Fourthly The office of the Minister of the Word is to keepe the Church in good discipline and to rule them after that manner which the Lord hath ordained For Christ having spoken of Christian reproofe saith thus to his Apostles What you shall binde on Earth shall be bound in Heaven and Paul will have Ministers to bee able to governe their owne houses well because otherwise they should not bee able to governe well the Church of God. For this cause also the Pastors are called Housholders of God and Bishops That is Overseers and Watchmen for they have the inspection of the House of God wherein they converse to the end that all things may bee done decently and in order and that they open and shut with the Keyes committed unto them the Kingdome of Heaven according to the charge given unto them of God. Out of these things it doth appeare what an honourable worke the Pastorall office is seeing that such great things are done by the same yea how necessary it is to men for the salvation of their soules which is the reason also why God would have this office allwayes to remaine For thus speakes Christ to his Apostles when hee sends them abroad to exercise this function Loe I am with you to the end of the world Where wee see that his will and pleasure is that this holy office should bee kept and maintained alwayes upon earth unto the end of the world for those persons to whom hee spake can not live to the end of the world and therefore Paul exhorteth Timothy that hee would commend that which hee heard of him to faithful men who are able to teach also others and to this end also hee ordained Titus to bee a Pastor and commanded him that hee should ordaine Bishops and Elders in every place For as much therefore as wee to the maintaining of this office in the Church of God are now to ordaine a new Minister of the Word and having sufficiently spoken of the charge thereof Therefore you N. are to answer to that which shall bee propounded unto you that so it may appeare to every one that you are minded thus to receive this charge First I aske you whether you feele in your heart that you are
lawfully called of the Church and consequently of God himselfe to this holy office Secondly Whether you hold the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to bee the onely Word of God and perfect Doctrine to salvation and whether you reject all opinions which are repugnant to the same Thirdly Whether you promise to discharge your office faithfully according to the same Doctrine and to adorne your Doctrine with a godly life submitting your selfe to the admonition of the Church if you should come to miscarry eyther in Doctrine or life according to the received order of the Churches Heereupon hee shall answer yea from my heart Then shall the Minister who demandeth these questions of him or an other if there bee more then one lay his hands upon him and say thus NOTA. This Ceremony shall not bee used in the Confirmation of those who have beene in the Ministery before God our heavenly Father who hath called you to this holy Office enlighten you by his holy Spirit strengthen you by his grace and so governe you in your Ministery that you may walke therein fruitfully as you ought to the gloly of his Name and enlargement of the Kingdome of his Sonne Jesus Christ Amen Afterwards shall the Minister from the Pulpit admonish the Minister Confirmed and the whole Church in following manner Take heed therefore beloved Brother and fellowservant in Christ unto your selfe and to the whole flocke over which the holy Ghost hath made you Overseer to feed the Church of God which hee hath purchased with his owne blood Love the Lord Christ and feede his sheepe taking oversight thereof not by constraint but willingly not for silthy lucres sake but with a willing minde not as being Lord over the people of God committed to you but as one who is made a patterne to the flocke bee an example to the faithfull in Word in Doctrine in love in faith in purity Hold on in reading admonishing instructing neglect not the gift which is given unto you bee diligent that your progresse may bee made manifest in all Take heed to the Doctrine and bee constant therein beare patiently all sufferings and oppression as a good Souldier of Jesus Christ If you doe these things you shal save your selfe and those that heare you and when the chiefe Shepheard shall appeare you shall receive the incorruptible crowne of glory And yee beloved Christians receive this your Minister in the Lord with all joy and respect consider that God through him speakes to you receive his word which hee according to the Scripture shall declare unto you not as the worde of man but as it is the Worde of God let the feet of those who preach you the glad tidings of peace bee welcome unto you bee obedient to those who are set over you in the Lord for they watch for your soules as those who must give an account there of that they may doe it with joy and not with sighes for this is not profitable to you if you doe these things it shall come to passe that the peace of God shall enter into your houses and that receiving this man in the name of a Prophet yee shall receive the reward of a Prophet and through his word believing in Christ shall inherit eternall life through Christ Yet seeing no man is of himselfe sit for these things let us call upon the name of God. MErcifull Father wee blesse thee that thou hast beene pleased out of lost man kynde to gather a Church to everlasting life through the Ministery of man and that thou hast so graciously provided a faithfull Minister for this Church in this place Wee beseech thee tot fit him more and more with thy Spirit to the Ministery to which thou hast called him enlighten his minde to understand the holy Scriptures give him utterance to publish the mysteries of the Gospell with an undaunted Spirit furnish him with Wisedome to rule aright the people over whom thou hast set him and to keepe them in Christian peace that so thy Church may under his ministery encrease in number and vertue give him courage in all difficulties and troubles which he may meet with in his Ministery that hee being strenghthened ihrough the comforts of thy Spirit remaining stedfastly to the end may be received with all thy faithfull servants into his Masters joy Graunt also to this people that they may carry themselves a right towards this their Minister acknowledging him sent of thee receiving his doctrine with all reverence and submitting themselves to his exhortations that so believing through his word they may bee made pattakers of everlasting life Heare us gracious Father for thy deare Sonne his sake who hath taught us to pray after this manner Our Father c. FORME For the Confirmation of Elders and Deacons when they are confirmed at the same time and if Elders and Deacons bee confirmed a part then shall this Forme bee usud according to occasions BEloved Christians you know that wee now at severall times have propounded uto you the names of our fellow Brethren heere present who are called to the Office of Elders and Deaconship to this Church to know whether there bee any that hath any thing against them why they should not bee Confirmed in their Offices seeing that no body is come before us who hath brought any lawfull exception against them therefore wee are to goe on at this present with the Confirmation of the same for this end yee N N who are to bee confirmed hearken first to ashort Declaration concerning the institution and the Offices of Elders and Deacons Concerning the Elders it is to bee observed that the name of Elders which name is taken out of the Old Testament and signifieth a person who is placed in an honourable Office of Government over others is given to two sorts of Persons which serve in the Church of Christ For the Apostle saith The Elders who rule well are worthy of double honour specially those who labour in the Word and Doctrine out of which it is manifest that in the Apostolicall Church there have beene two sorts of Elders where of the first have laboured in the Word and Doctrine and the others not the former were the Ministers of the Word the Pastours who preach the Gospel administer the Sacraments but the others who did not labour in the Word yet serving the Church had aspeciall charge namely that they tooke oversight of the Church and with the Minister of the Worde did rule the same For after the Apostle Paul had spoken Rom. 12. of the Ministery of the Word as also of the Office of the Deacons hee speakes of this Office afterwards saying Hee that ruleth let him doe it with all diligence and so in an other place 1 Cor. 12. Among other Offices which God hath ordained in his Church hee reckens Government in so much that this sorte of Ministers is given as a helpe and assistance to the others who preach the Gospell as in the
old Testament the Levites were ioyned to the Priests in the common service of the Tabernacle to bee helpers unto them in those things which the Priests alone could not performe remaining notwithstanding distinct offices Besides this it is necessary that to the Ministers of the Word such men be joyned in the Government of the Church that all Lording and Tyranny which can creepe in sooner if the Governmentlye in the hand of one or few may bee kept out of the Church so the Ministers of the Word the Elders make up one Assembly being as a Senate of the Church and representing the whole Church whereunto Christ had respect when hee saith Tell the Church which can not be meant of the Church apart but very well of those who by the Church are chosen to governe the same The Office of the Elders consists herein First To take with the Ministers of the Word the oversight of the Church committed unto them carefully to looke to it that every one carry himselfe aright in his Confession and in his Conversation to admonish those who carry themselves scandalously and to take heed so much as lyes in them that the Sacraments bee not prophaned as also to deale with the penitent according to Christian discipline and to receive them againe into the bosome of the Church as is manifest not onely out of the forenamed saying of Christ but also out of other places of Scripture 1 Cor. 5. 2 Cor. 12. wherein it is apparent that these things belong not to one or a few but to many who are ordained there unto Secondly Whereas the Apostle commandeth that among Christians al things bee done decently and in order and no body ought to minister in the Church but such as are lawfully called there unto according to Christian Constitutions concerning the same therefore it belongs also to the office of Elders to take care thereof and of all things which concerne the good estate of the Church to assist the Minister with their counsell and advise yea all Christians with advise and consolation Thirdly It belongs also to the charge of Elders to looke to the Doctrine and life of the Ministers of the Word to the end all may bee ordered to the edification of the Church and that no strange doctrine bee propounded according to that which wee reade Act. 20 where the Apostle admonisheth to watch diligently against the wolves who might come into the sheepfold of Christ and that they may doe this the better the Elders are bound to search diligently the Scriptures and to exercise themselves continually in meditating of the Mysteries of the faith Concerning the Deacons of the Originall and institution thereof wee may read Act. 6. where wee find that in the beginning the Apostles themselves did serve the poore at whose feet were laid downe the Price of those goods that were sold and by whom distribution was made to every one according to his need but when afterwards there arose a murmuring because the widowes of the Grecians were neglected in the daily ministration therefore there were elected by the advise of the Apostles men who should make it their worke to serve the poore that so the Apostles might give themselves continually to prayer ministery of the Word and this hath beene kept from that time forward in the Church as doth appeare Rom. 12. where the Apostle speaking of this Office saith that those who distribute shall doe it with sincerity and 1 Cor. 12. speaking of helpers hee doth thereby understand those who are ordained by the Church to helpe the poore in their necessities Out of which places it doth sufficiently appeare what belongs to the Office of the Deacons namely First That they Collect and keepe with all faithfulnesse and diligence the Goods which are given to the poore yea to doe their utmost endeavours that many helpers may be found out for the reliefe of the poore The second part of their Office consists in the distribution wherein is not onely required discretion and prudence to give the almes to none but where there is need but also simplicity and cheerefulnesse to distribute the almes with an hearty affection to the poore according to that of the Apostle Rom. 12. 1 Cor. 12. For which end it is necessary that they doe not onely relieve the poore with outward giftes but also with comfortable words out of the Word of God. To the end therefore beloved Brethren N. N. that every one may see that you are willing to take upon you the forenamed Offices every one in his place you shall give answer to that which shall bee propounded unto you First I aske you both Elders and Deacons whether you doe not feele in your hearts that you are lawfully called to these holy Offices each to his by the Church and consequently by God himselfe Secondly Whether you hold the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be the onely Word of God and the perfect Doctrine to salvation rejecting all Doctrines which are repugnant to the same Thirdly Whether you promise to performe your Offices as they have beene now described with all faithfulnesse according to your power Yee Elders N. N. in the Governement of the Church with the Ministers of the Word and yee Deacons N N in the Ministring to the poore Further Doe yee promise both together to carry your selves in all Godlinesse submitting your selves also to the admonition of the Church in case you should come to miscarry Heereupon yee shall answer Yea. Whereupon the Minister shall say The Almighty God and Father give unto you all his grace that you may walke in these your Offices faithfully and fruitfully Amen And shall further admonish them as also the whole Church in this following manner Wherefore yee Elders be diligent in governing the Church which with the Ministers of the Word is committed unto you Bee also Watchmen over the House and City of God to admonish every one faithfully and to warne them of their perdition Take heed that the purity of Doctrine and Godlinesse of life be maintayned in the Church And yee Deacons be diligent in Collecting of the almes prudent and cheerefull in distributing of the same Assist the oppressed relieve the true widowes and orphans shew mercifulnesse to all but especially to the houshold of Faith. Bee yee all faithfull in your Offices and keepe the mysteries of faith in a pure conscience and bee good examples in all things to the people In so doing you shall get to your selves a good degree and much cheerefulnesse in the faith of Christ and heereafter enter into your Masters joy On the other side Beloved Christians receive these persons as servants of Christ count the Elders who discharge wel their Office worthy of double honour give your selves willingly to their oversight and governement Provide good meanes for the Deacons to the reliefe of the poore Bee liberall yee rich give thanckfully and contribute willingly And yee poore be poore in spirit and carry