Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	apostle_n	church_n	creed_n	2,605	5	10.2206	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A49890	Plain dealing, or, Nevves from New-England a short view of New-Englands present government, both ecclesiasticall and civil, compared with the anciently-received and established government of England in some materiall points : fit for the gravest consideratin in these times / by Thomas Lechford ...; Plain dealing	Lechford, Thomas, ca. 1590-1644?	1642 (1642)	Wing L810; ESTC R12846	46,269	88

Jesus Christ the eternall Sonne of God in fulnesse of time took upon him our nature and was made flesh for us and by his death and sufferings redeemed his elect from sin and death Eighthly that Christ Jesus and salvation by him is offered and given in the Gospell unto every one that beleeveth in his name and onely by such received Ninthly that no man can come unto Christ nor beleeve on him except the Father draw him by his Word and Spirit Tenthly whom the Lord draws to him by his Word and Spirit them he justifies freely by his grace and according to his truth not by works Eleventhly where the soule is justified it is also regenerate and sanctified Twelfthly this regeneration and sanctification is still imperfect in this life And unto all is added this generall Article That such as walke after this rule shall arise to everlasting life and those that walk otherwise shall arise to everlasting condemnation in the day of Judgement That the knowledge and beliefe of these are of the foundation of Religion But things touching the foundation of Churches as Baptisme Imposition of hands ignorance in these may hinder the measure of our reward in heaven not communion with the Church on earth Exceptions against the Apostles Creed were these That it is not of necessity to beleeve Christs descent into hell in any sense That it is not in that Creed contained that the Scripture is the onely rule of Gods worship nor doth it so directly set forth the point of Justification And also I remember Master Knolles now one of the Pastors at Watertowne when he first came to be admitted at Boston never made any mention in his profession of faith of any Officers of the Church in particular or their duties and yet was received The party having finished his Discourses of his confession and profession of his faith the Elder againe speaketh to the congregation Brethren of the congregation if what you have heard of from this party doe not satisfie you as to move you to give him the right hand of fellowship use your liberty and declare your mindes therein And then after some silence if none except against the parties expressions as often some members doe then the Elder proceedeth saying But if you are satisfied with that you have heard of and from him expresse your willingnesse and consent to receive him by your usuall signe which is erection and extention of the right hand This done sometimes they proceede to admit more members all after the same manner for the most part two three foure or five or more together as they have time spending sometimes almost a whole afternoone therein And then the Elder calleth all them that are to be admitted by name and rehearseth the covenant on their parts to them which they publiquely say they doe promise by the helpe of God to performe And then the Elder in the name of the Church promiseth the Churches part of the covenant to the new admitted members So they are received or admitted Then they may receive the Sacrament of the Lords supper with them and their children bee baptized but not before also till then they may not be free men of the Common-wealth but being received in the Church they may Sometimes the Master is admitted and not the servant e contra the husband is received and not the wife and on the contrary the child and not the parent Also all matters of publique offence are heard determined in publique before all the Church and strangers too in Boston not so in other places The party is called forth and the matter declared and testified by two witnesses then he is put to answer Which finished one of the ruling Elders asketh the * congregation if they are satisfied with the parties expressions If they are he requireth them to use their liberty and declare their satisfiednesse If not and that they hold the party worthy of admonition or excommunication that they witnesse their assent thereto by their silence If they be silent the sentence is denounced If it be for defaults in erroneous opinions onely the Teacher they say is to denounce the sentence If for matter of ill manners the Pastor denounceth it the ruling Elders doe not usually denounce any sentence But I have heard a Captaine delivered one to Satan in the Church at Dorchester in the absence of their Minister Ordinarily matter of offence is to be brought to the Elders in private they may not otherwise tell the * Church in ordinary matters and so it hath been declared in publique by the Pastors of Boston The admonished must in good manners abstain from the Communion and must goe on to satisfie the Church else Excommunication follows The excommunicate is held as an Heathen and Publican Yet it hath been declared at Boston in divers cases that children may eate with their parents excommunicate that an elected Magistrate excommunicate may hold his place but better another were chosen that an hereditary Magistrate though excommunicate is to be obeyed still in civill things that the excommunicate person may come and heare the Word and be present at Prayer so that he give not publique offence by taking up an eminent place in the Assembly But at New-haven alias Quinapeag where Master Davenport is Pastor the excommunicate is held out of the meeting at the doore if he will heare in frost snow and raine Most an-end in the Bay they use good moderation and forbearance in their censures Yet I have known a Gentlewoman excommunicate for some indiscreet words with some stifnesse maintained saying A brother and others she feared did conspire to arbitrate the price of Joyners worke of a chamber too high and endeavouring to bring the same into civill cognizance not proceeding to take two or three to convince the party and so to tell the Church though shee first told the party of it and this without her husband I feare she is not yet absolved I am sure she was not upon the third of August last when we loosed from Boston There hath been some difference about jurisdictions or cognizance of causes Some have held that in causes betweene brethren of the Church the matter should be first told the Church before they goe to the civill Magistrate because all causes in difference doe amount one way or other to a matter of offence and that all criminall matters concerning Church members should be first heard by the Church But these opinionists are held by the wiser sort not to know the dangerous issues and consequences of such tenets The Magistrates and Church-leaders labour for a just and equall correspondence in jurisdictions not to intrench one on the other neither the civill Magistrates to be exempt from Ecclesiasticall censure nor the Ministers from Civill whether Ecclesiasticall or Civillpower first begin to lay hold of a man the same to proceed not

thus I doubt 1. WHether so much time should be spent in the publique Ordinances on the Sabbath day because that thereby some necessary duties of the Sabbath must needs be hindred as visitation of the sick and poore and family 2. Whether matters of offence should be publiquely handled either before the whole Church or strangers 3. Whether so much time should be spent in particular catechizing those that are admitted to the communion of the Church either men or women or that they should make long speeches or when they come publiquely to be admitted any should speak contradictorily or in recommendation of any unlesse before the Elders upon just occasion 4. Whether the censures of the Church should be ordered in publique before all the Church or strangers other then the denunciation of the censures and pronunciation of the solutions 5. Whether any of our Nation that is not extremely ignorant or scandalous should bee kept from the Communion or his children from Baptisme 6. That many thousands in this Countrey have forgotten the very principles of Religion which they were daily taught in England by set forms and Scriptures read as the Psalmes first and second Lesson the ten Commandments the Creeds and publique catechizings And although conceived Prayer be good and holy and so publike explications and applications of the Word and also necessary both in and out of season yet for the most part it may be feared they dull amaze confound discourage the weake and ignorant which are the most of men when they are in ordinary performed too tediously or with the neglect of the Word read and other premeditated formes inculcated and may tend to more ignorance and inconvenience then many good men are aware of 7. I doubt there hath been and is much neglect of endeavours to teach civilize and convert the Indian Nation that are about the Plantations 8. Whether by the received principles it bee possible to teach civilize or convert them or when they are converted to maintain Gods worship among them 9. That electorie courses will not long be safe here either in Church or Common-wealth 10. That the civill government is not so equally administred nor can be divers orders or by-laws considered 11. That unlesse these things be wisely and in time prevented many of your usefullest men will remove and scatter from you At Boston July 5. 1641. Certain Quaeres about Church government planting Churches and some other Experiments 1. WHether the people should cal the Minister or the Minister a gather the people 2. When a Church is gathered or planted should they not have care in b propagating other Churches in other places next them 3. Whether should not the first Church c visit the later Churches planted by them to see they keepe the faith and order as long as shee remains her selfe in purity of Doctrine and worship 4. How shall a Church propagate and visit other Churches shall they do it by their members ordinary Christians or by their Ministers d or Pastors shall they e intend such propagation or stay till by their numbers increasing they are necessitated to swarme or are persecuted abroad 5. If by their Pastors must there not bee more f Ministers then one in the first Church how else can any be spared to goe abroad about such works upon occasion 6. When they have planted other Churches must not the g first Church take care for the providing of Elders or Ministers for these new planted Churches and h ordain them and sometimes goe i or send some to teach them and uphold the worship of God among them 7. How can any preach unlesse he be k sent and how can he be sent unlesse by imposition of l hands of the Presbytery of the first Church 8. If so hath not the first Church and the Ministers therof Apostlolical m power in these things 9. But have all n Churches and Ministers this power are they able have they learned men enough to o water where they have planted If some should not be of the p Quorum as it were in ordinations and the like what order peace or unity can be expected 10. Againe if all Churches and Ministers have this power equally to exercise the work Apostolicall must they not all then goe or send abroad to convert the Indians and plant Churches and how can all be spared abroad Are all q Apostles all Euangelists where were the body if so 11. Will they not interfiere one upon another and trespasse upon one anothers r line rule or portion which blessed S. Paul condemned in those that entred into his labours 12. When any other s Church besides the t first hath power and ability to propagate and bring forth other Churches may she not doe well so to doe must she not in her fitting line observing peace and holding communion with the first as long as they remain in purity both of them and if a second why not a third and a fourth and so forth to a competent number 13. Whether the first and other Churches also having power and ability thus to propagate the Gospell and plant Churches may not be fitly called prime chief or principall seats of the Church or v chiefe Churches 14. Whether those Churches so gathered in one Kingdome Citie or Principality holding communion together may not be fitly in regard of their unity in Doctrine and worship called the Church of such a Nation or Province u City or Countrey 15. Whether is it probable that the first Church Christian that wee reade of to be at x Hierusalem was onely one congregation or but as many as could meete in one place had they not among them twelve Apostles besides Elders three thousand at once added what ever number there was besides and had they such a large Temple or meeting-houses at their command in those dayes 16. Whether the word Church bee not diversly taken in holy Scripture and sometimes for a civill or uncivill assembly or congression y Acts 19.40 {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} and when he had thus spoken he dismissed the assembly or Church 17. Whether anciently in England some small assemblyes were not called Churches as every presentative Rectory or Parsonage is called Ecclesia when others that were greater were not so called as no Vicaridge Donative or Chappel is called Ecclesia in our Law 18. Whether the Rector or Parson that is a Presbyter in a Church should being alone rule absolutely by himselfe without the concurrence advise or superiour power of the Evangelisticall z Pastor of the Church who had care in the plantation or erection of the Parsons Church 19. If not should the Vicar Donative Minister or Chaplain 20. But where they have used to rule more absolutely as in some peculiar jurisdictions in England why may they not with the peace and unity of the Church and by good