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Show Of EleBion and Ordination. heart· and every good heart is not fitted to clofe ( fo fully as were meet) with every good people: Every key is not fit to open every Lock;nor every good mans gift fit to edifie every ~ple:But when upon try~ll, the Church doth Iinde every maps ~plflt among them defirous of the fellowfhip of the man, and h1s gifts? ~ben they agree aniongfl: thcmfelves upon a certain day, wherem1n a folemnc n1anner they intend to Eletl: him to office a~on~ll: themfelves. Of this they give notice to all the neare adjoymng Churches, whom and when, and to what office they intend to choofc fach' man , ~hom they nominate to them ,. ~treating th~ prefenoe, and brotherly counfell, and affill:ance at the day appomted: They give notice alfo th~rcof unto the Governour,and fuch other of the Magill:rates , as are near to them, that the perfon to be chofen meeting with no jull: exception from any, may Iinde the grcatClf incouragement and acceptance from all. . . • . When the .day is come; it is kept as a day ofhurruhauon, w1th £,mug, praying, and preolching the Word, according to the pa~ tcrne, Af1.14· 23.& 13· 1, 2, 3· Towards the end of the day, one of the Elder! of the Church (if they have any) if not, one ofthe graver Brethren of the Church , (appointe<;!. by themfelves to order the worke of the "day )ll:andeth up and inquireth of the Church, If now after this "' folemne feeking of God for his counfell and direaion in this " weigh tie work, they fiill continue in their purpofe,to elect fucb " a one for their own P uj!or, or Teacher ,or Rulitlg Elder,whom be" fore they agreed upon; Then having taken their filence for a confent to their purpole,He proceedeth to inquire into the approbation of the reO: of the Alfembly, not onely the Meffengel'$, and Brethren of other Churches prefent,but of all that fiand by; be- • caufe an Elder if to be a man of good report of them that are without, ( I1im. 3· 7·) how much more well approved of the Churches " of Chrlll:? He demandetb therefore of the Churches tirO:, ~~d "then of the reO:, whether any of them have knowne of any cvi!l, " in the man prefented before them , either in judgement, or " praaice, which might give them jull: caufe to forbeare his eleaion? If all keepe fllence (as ufually they doe, for if any have any juft excertion againft the man, he is wont to acquaint [orne oro· ther of the Chur•h with it before the day) he tumcth himfelfe co • • Sea. 3· the Church againe.Now feeing all ieclear for theirfreedectiooof him to fuch an office, he defireth all the Brethren of that Church, to ~eclare their ~let1:i~n of him with one accord, by lifting up therr hands; wh1ch bemg done, he deflreth to know of the partie chofen,whether he doth accept of that calling, which the Church hath given .him in the name ot Chrill: unto that office? He having cxpre!fed h1s acceptance (upon fuch ground~, as wherein he hath chiefly fecne the hand of God leading him thereunto, ) the Elder doth then a.dm~ni!h the Church w?at duties the Lord requireth of them all m h1s Word towards !urn, whom they have thus chofen; A!1~ af~erwards advertifeth him what duties the Lord requireth at !urn JU that place towards-the Church; And having taken the acknowledge7hcms of them both, of their mutuall dutie towards one another ; He then with the Pmbywy of that Church ( !f they have any, if not two or three others of the grave a Chrl~ uns among!t .the Brethren of that Church,being deputed by the , body ) doc Jn the name of the Lord Je!iJs ord.tine him unto "that Office, with impofition of hands, calling upon the Lord " (who hath fm·ni!hed him with fpirituall gifts and bowed th~ :; hearts '?f the C:hnrch to call h~m to that of!ic:) to accept and owne hm1 thercm, to enlarge h1s heart and fpirit, according to "all ~h~ eludes thereof, to breath in all his admini!trations, and " to guide an? bid~ all his going out and coming in before them i And, fo turnmg hts fpeech upon theperfon on·whom their hands " are in1pofed, He as the month of the Pmbywy, exprefleth their "ordinatioa of hint to that office in the name of the Lord Jefus, " and puts a folemne charge upon him to lookc well to himfelfe "and to the whole flock, overwhichthe Holy Ghoft hath mad; "hin1 an overfecr, as one that mull: give account of all their foules :: ~mto the great _Shepheard of the fbeep, at the day of his appc~r- . mg. After thiS the Eldm of their Churches prcfent, ohfervmg the prefence of God , both in the dmies of that day performed by the Officer then chofen , and ord.tined, and in the orderly proceeding of the Church to his Eletlion and Ordin.Jti~ n, one _of them in the na~e of all the rdr, doth give unto hm~ tl~e rzr,ht. h.md of [.:Uowjh1p, in the fight of all the Affembly, tc 'h.fymg rhe1r Rrotbedy acceptance of him, and their thank, fulneffe to God for his g1·acious gift bell:owcd on him, and d~th G exhort |