Five disputations of church-government and worship

Unnecessary prolixity is not so acceptable to the Reader that loves both Truth and time, but that I may take it for granted that you desire me to leave out superfluities in this Dispute. 1. The Etymologists shall be better agreed among themselves of the derivation of [Greek or Hebrew] and [Greek or Hebrew], before I will trouble you with their judgements. But we are commonly agreed that [Greek or Hebrew] is oft used for any Ministration, but more strictly, and usually for a public Ministration, or any work of public office; and yet more strictly from the Septuagint, Ecclesiastic writers have almost confined it to Holy Ministration, or public service or Worship of God. The several uses of the word in Scripture, and profane and Ecclesiastic Writers, you may find in so many Lexicons at pleasure, that I shall pass by the rest. Bellarmine doth too grossly pretend that when its applied absolutely to holy things, the word is taken always in the New Testament, for a Ministration in ⟨p. 358⟩sacrificing. A little observation may confute that mistake. Nor is it agreeable either to Scripture or the use of the Ancient Church, to call only Forms of public worship that are written, by the name of a Liturgy. Whether it were Form, or no Form, Written or not written, Premeditated or extemporate, Words or Actions, all the Public holy Ministration or service of God, was of old called The Churches Liturgy: And so men may be for a Liturgy that are not for a Prayer Book. But latter times have most used the word for those stinted forms, that some call Offices containing both the Rubric or Directory, and the Form of words prescribed as the matter of the service. And seeing that those that now we speak to, understand it in this sense, we must speak as they do, while we are speaking to them.

UNnecessary prolixity is not so acceptable to the Reader that loves both Truth and time, but that I may take it for granted that you desire me to leave out superfluities in this Dispute. 1. The Etymologists shall be better agreed among themselves of the derivation of 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 and 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, before I will trouble you with their judgements. But we are commonly agreed that 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 is oft used for any Ministration, but more strictly, and usually for a publick Ministration, or any work of publick office; and yet more strictly from the Septuagint, Ecclesiastick writers have almost confined it to Holy Ministration, or publick service or Worship of God. The several uses of the word in Scripture, and prophane and Ecclesiastick Writers, you may find in so many Lexicons at pleasure, that I shall pass by the rest. Bellarmine doth too grosly pretend that when its applied absolutely to holy things, the word is taken alwayes in the New Testament, for a Ministration in