N02341:527
Ratio disciplinae fratrum Nov-Anglorum. A faithful account of the discipline professed and practised; in…
Ratio disciplinae fratrum Nov-Anglorum. A faithful account of the discipline professed and practised; in the churches of New-England. : With interspersed and instructive reflections on the discipline of the primitive churches. : [Seven lines from Ezekiel]
Boston: printed for S. Gerrish, 1726
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Otherwise, One of the Brethren makes a Prayer; and one reads a Sermon, either Printed in a Book, or taken by the Pen of a ready Writer in the public Assemblies: And they close the Exercise with Singing of Psalms.
Bucer indeed affirms, that Lay Men were admitted sometimes to Interpret the Holy Scriptures, in the Primitive Churches; tho' they performed it mostly when the Rectors of the Churches were Present. There was a Custom of this Nature in the Jewish Synagogues; And Grotius tells us, The Custom continued for a while in the Christian Church, that unordained Persons were admitted sometimes to Expound the Scriptures in public among them. Eus•bius proves by the Example of Origen & others, That it was not Unusual for Lay Men to Preach. And in the Constitutions, that go under the Name of Clemens, 'tis conceded, A Laick may be a Teacher. At the Private Meetings in some ⟨p. 193⟩former Years, the Private Brethren would sometimes Preach themselves. But that Practice is now generally laid aside, throughout all New-England.
Bucer indeed affirms, that Lay Men were admitted sometimes to Interpret the Holy Scriptures, in the Primitive Churches; tho' they performed it mostly when the Rectors of the Churches were Present. There was a Custom of this Nature in the Jewish Synagogues; And Grotius tells us, The Custom contiuned for a while in the Christian Church, that unordained Persons were admitted sometimes to Expound the Scriptures in public among them. Eus•bius proves by the Exemple of Origen & others, That it was not Unusual for Lay Men to Preach. And in the Constitutions, that go under the Name of Clemens, 'tis conceded, A Laick may be a Teacher. At the Private Meetings in some ⟨p. 193⟩former Years, the Private Brethren would sometimes Preach themselves. But that Practice is now generally laid aside, throughout all New-England.