Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	private_a	public_a	time_n	1,993	5	3.7610	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A39224	Communion of churches, or, The divine management of gospel-churches by the ordinance of councils constituted in order according to the Scriptures as also the way of bringing all Christian parishes to be particular Reforming Congregationall Churches, humbly proposed as ... a means of uniting those two holy and eminent parties the Presbyterians and the Congregationals ... / written by John Eliot.	Eliot, John, 1604-1690.	1665 (1665)	Wing E508; ESTC R24949	30,563	42

be i●…plored for our Churches or for the Nation or for forreign Churches and Nations such motions and designes of spreading and propagating religion as are in hand c. These are to be presented to all the Churches as matter of Prayer both ordinary and extraordinary 12. When these Members of the National Council return unto the Provincial Councils whose delegates they immediately are they are to report unto them the state and affaires of all the Churches in the Nation and in forreign Nations also And they are to report them to all the first Councils and they unto all the Churches as matters of prai●…e and prayer to God and of incouragement to obedience unto government And that this communication of Ecclesiastical affaires may be the more readily expedited 1. All the first Councils or some one of every Council may meet that day seven night after the Provincial Councils meeting to hear the affaires of all the Province And some of the Provincial Council may be there to declare the affaires of all the Churches in the Province 2. So likewise the Provincial Councils or some of every Provincial Council may meet that day seven-night after the Session of the National Council to hear the affaires of the whole Nation and some of the National Council may be there to give information of all things ●…ing to be communic●…ted But experience will put men upon the best w●…y of Order in these things The p●…rticular duties of the Oecumeni●…al Council I pass in silence I leave them to their consideration whose happy 〈◊〉 it shall be to see those gl●…rious times when such Councils shall be called Notwithstanding these publick Orders of Councils it is lawful for any person or parties or Church to take any private ●…unsel that he or they will or c●…n obtain according to God 〈◊〉 they ●…ay have occ●…sion CHAP. VII Concerning the way to bring every Christian Parishional Congregation to be an explicite Reforming Congregational Church I. EVery Parishional Congregation who solemnly renouncing all their sins and evils both personal and ●…cclesiastical shall willingly by what wayes means or motives soever thereunto induced submit themselves and their children to the Government of Christ in Gospel-Order and particularly to be guided in the common concernments of Religion by the holy advice of the forenamed Orders of Councils and do by their pious and prudent counsel and concurrence orderly elect all Officers both Elders and Deacons among themselves and promise for themselves and their households to walk in the Christian exercise of all Gods Ordinances according to Rule in the Faith and Order of the Gospel That Parish or so many of them as shall herein concurre is to be owned a particular Reforming Congregational Church and is to be received into the Communion of the Churches in this Order of Government They delivering this act of theirs in writing unto that first Council with whom they associate there to be recorded II. It may by the good blessing of God greatly promote Rel●…gion and the Reformation of particular Churches if such of the godly Gentry of the Land who are not in Civil Authority would please to do that honour to Christ to subject themselves to his service in accepting of the Offices of Ruling Elders and Deacons in the ●…urches of Jesus Christ. It would much strengthen the hands of Church-government and be no small honour to themselves and they will hereby render themselves great in the Kingdome of Heaven III. By the Ordinance o●… 〈◊〉 prudentl●… exercised both publickly in the Church and in private houses all t●… Church are to be trained up unto a competency of knowledge in Jesus Christ. IV. Special ●…are is to be had in the training up of Youth in the good knowledge of God made manifest to the Church by their publick account answer or confession thereof a●…d unto an explicite acknowledgement of Christ with sub●… and engagement of themselves unto the C●…urch wherein they give up themselves and their children unto God to be ruled by Religion in the Faith and Order of the Gospel Which done their Children are to be baptized V. Upon the due evidence of some hopeful reall work and change of heart by Faith and Repentance duely manifested to the Church whereby the persons concerned may be in Charity conceived able to examine themselves ●…o discern the Lords body in the Sacrament and spiritually to judge of a spiritual cause such ought by the Church to be received unto Communion in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper and such Males unto Voting in the Church because ordinarily such as are able to discern Christ in the Sacrament are also able spiritually to discern of a spiritual cause and thereby capable to Vote in such cases wherein the Fraternity is called to Voting in the Church CHAP. VIII Touching the Maintenance of these Councils I. THough it be meet that all their necessary Charges be born for them for who goeth on a warfare at his own charge yet it is in no wise meet that any Profits or Revenues should be annexed unto any of the Councils from the lowest unto the highest Worldly Profit Power and Splendor are beneath the spirit and aim of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Onely the Notaries Place being a service of much ●…bour pains and diligence it is me●…t that some consideration be had for some convenient recompence for their labour II. If any godly minded Christian out of a love unto and zeal for the honour of the Kingdome of Jesus Christ should desire to give and annex Maintenance unto any of these forenamed Councils more then conveniently to bear their Charges as Noble Constantine did for the worldly splendor of the Bishops it ought not to be permitted but religiously opposed for it will certainly prove an Inlet of great Corruption Ambition Avarice and Strife unworthy and unfit persons will endeavour to Br●…be themselves into Places more for the Wages then for the Work III. The honour of the Service and the glory of Christ that is upon the Messengers of the Churches these are i●…separable from the Work and are as much as flesh and blood we being in the flesh and state militant will be able to weather and keep from running ●…ground upon But Revenue and Profit are separable from the Work ●…d must be religiously and earnestly kept off It being a Wor●… that will surely corrupt ● this blessed Work and glorious Service of Iesur Christ. IV. A small Revenue will maintain the government of Churches by Councils even in a great Nation in comparison of the vast revenues which the Antichristian Hierarchy hav●… fa●…ed and inriched themselves withall which also hath advantaged them to arrogate unto themselves and 〈◊〉 civil Authority And by these carnal 〈◊〉 unto the Church Religion hath been corrupted most men have been damned and ●…ew saved Therefore the Church ought now in our reformation and res●…rection to despise the World and not to suffer great revenues to be annexed unto this part of the kingdome of Christ especially V. The religious meetings of Councils must be 〈◊〉 of all meetings of all men throughout the Nation for they are many shining Lights met together and all men will mark what they do and one Inch of ex●…ss in them who a●…e the Center will be an Ell in the people Hence they must strive to be patterns to all men 1. In Gravity not full of Mi●…th Laughter and Jesting ●… In Sobriety no excess in drinking wine and strong drink 3. In Moderation of diet Ornaments or any Pomp. 4. In Sedu●…ity and Diligence it is the Lords work and Cursed be he that doth the work of the Lord negtigently 5. In all Holiness of Discourse and Behaviour 6. In Patience and Meekne●… of Spirit in all matters 7. In Care for the publick Cause of Christ and welfare of 〈◊〉 the Churches the chief care of all which doth firstly and chiefly ly upon the Moderators VI. Great care is to be had of the first Councils that there may be some grave and exemplar E●…ers in every one of them because according to ou●… custom there may be sundry that are young raw and weak and need to be trained up unto the gravity prudence and holiness of the affaires of Christ his Ecclesiastical kingdome Care is also to be had that Grave Sober and Pruden●… Ruling Elders may be sent such as may be an awe unto gr●…en and young Schollars where need may be Care is also to be had that they stay no longer then necessary business and just imployment holdeth them that there may be no temptations like company-keeping in vanity and smoaking away their precious time VII Their entertainment may be 8 d. Ordinary at ●…oon and 6 d. at night provided they be necessita●…ed to tar●…y ●…ll night otherwise their charges are but their dinner and horse mea●… For the defr●…ying of which charge the Deacons of that Church where they meet may be authorized so to order the matte●… with the Deacons of all the Churches in that combination as that the charge shall be by them defrayed and not put to the accompt of any of the Elders And by the same hands some recompence may be given to the Notaries for their labour and service For the supply of which charge the voluntary Contributions of every Church will be such a treasury as will never know want so long as Religion and love to Christ remain and rule among them VIII The Provincial Councils will be more choice and grave assemblies and their treatment must be with more respect and reverence but their expences with the like moderation and sobriety It is to be supposed that these dwell more remote are fuller of work and must tarry longer If the State entertain these and allow them 10 li. a Session for their four stated Sessions in a year and 5 li. for the Notaries it will not be a great charge And if the National Council have 100 li. per annum for their Attendance and Notaries One thousand pound per annum will suffice for a great Nation where they may be in twenty Ecclesiastical Provinces And this charge will be less then the the revenues of some one Bishoprick The design of Antichrist was to pamper the flesh the design of Christ is to morti●…ie it and to honour Grace FINIS ⸫ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉