N02341:528
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.
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.
At some of these Meetings the Method has been for a Question of Practical Divinity to be proposed unto the Company, for some certain Persons, prepared for that Purpose, to give what Answer they please unto it.