everlasting life i 8 At Death the souls of the Justified go to happiness with Christ and the souls of the wicked to Misery a And at the end of this world the Lord Jesus Christ will come again and will raise the bodies of all men from the dead and will judge all according to their works b And the Righteous shall go into everlasting life and the rest into everlasting punishment c All this I do unfeignedly believe II. Our Consent to the Gospel Covenant with God the Father Son and Holy Ghost by which we are Christians and members of the Catholick Church Quest Are you willing and resolved to Give up your self to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost according to the Gospel doctrine which your profess REpenting of my sins and renouncing the Flesh the World and the Devil a I do take this one God to be my only God b and do heartily give up my self unto him c Even to the Father d as my Creator and Reconciled Father in Christ And to his Son Jesus Christ as my Lord and only Saviour to Reconcile and bring me unto God e And to the Holy Ghost as my Sanctifier that he may further illuminate sanctifie and confirm me and I may hold fast and obey the doctrine of Christ which was revealed by his inspiration and witnessed by his gifts and Miracles and is now contained in the Holy Scriptures and that he may be in me the earnest of my everlasting Happiness with God f III. The summ of Christian Duty Quest What are 1 CHrist hath appointed that fit men shall be Ordained his Ministers to preach the Gospel to the Nations of the world a and make them his Disciples Baptizing them in the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost b and to congregate his Disciples c and to oversee and Guide the several Congregations and each member thereof d Particularly to Teach them the word of God e to Pray and Praise God with them and for them f to administer the Lords Supper in remembrance of him g h Especially on the Lords Day which he hath appointed for holy communion in such works i Also to Rebuke with authority the scandalous and unruly k and to bind and reject those that are obstinately impenitent and unreformed and to Absolve and Restore the Penitent and confirm the weak l It is therefore the Peoples Duty to joyn with such Churches for the aforesaid Worship of God a and to know hear submit to and obey these their Guides that are over them in the Lord b and to avoid Division and Discord and to live in Unity Love and Peace c 2 The Secret Duties of Holiness are these The exercise of Faith Repentance Love Hope Delight in God and all other graces a The mortifying of our sins especially Atheism Unbelief and unholiness hardness of heart disobedience and unthankfulness flesh-pleasing covetousness and Pride b The diligent Examining of our own hearts about our Estates our Duties and our sins c Meditating upon God and his word and works especially of our Redemption by Jesus Christ and of Death Judgement Heaven and Hell d Watching diligently over our Thoughts Affections Words and Actions e Resisting Temptations f And frequent and fervent Prayer to God in the name of Christ with Confession Thanksgiving and cheerful Praises g 3 Parents and Masters must diligently teach their children and servants the word and fear of God a and Pray with them and for them and hinder them from sin b and use all their power that they and their households may serve the Lord c children and servants must willingly learn and obey d We must seek instruction in the matters of our salvation especially of our Teachers e we must take heed of the company of tempting and ungodly persons and delight in the company and help of the Godly We must lovingly and faithfully give and thankfully receive admonitions and exhortations f Confessing our faults one to another g and by Prayer Psalms and edifying conference and a holy conversation provoking one another to Love and to good works h 4 Superiors must rule for God and the common good with Justice and Mercy a Inferiors must honour and obey them in the Lord b We must not injure but preserve the Life Chastity Estate Name and Rights of our Neighbour c Not seeking our Own against his welfare d but doing as we would be done by e forbearing and forgiving f and loving our neighbour as our selves g Yea loving our enemies and doing good to all according to our power h The Agreement of the Associated PASTORS I. WE do each one for himself profess our Resolution in the strength of Christ to be faithful and diligent in the works of our Ministry and to live an holy and exemplary life in Piety Justice and Charity according to the measure of our abilities Especially watching against those sins that tend to the corrupting or dividing of the Church and to the hindring of our Ministry and to the dishonour of the Gospel and of our holy profession II. We do profess our Agreement and Resolution in the strength of Christ to be faithful and diligent in publick Preaching the Gospel And in the personal instructing of all in our Parishes or undertaken limits that will submit thereto teaching the Ignorant the Principles of Religion endeavouring in Love Compassion and Meekness and yet with seriousness and zeal to convince the erroneous and opposers to awaken the presumptuous and secure and help them to try the state of their souls and to see and feel their sin and misery and return to God by Christ that they may live to strengthen the weak to raise the faln to edifie and confirm the strong and to comfort such as need consolation and to help them all to prepare for death and judgement and for everlasting life And all this as frequently constantly and orderly as our strength and time and greater duties will permit III. That the Churches may be capable of the Discipline of Christ and constituted and ruled according to the Word of God and the ends of our Office and Labours may be attained we are Agreed and Resolved to take none for Adult members of the Churches committed to our special charge nor admit them as such to church-Church-Communion and Priviledges but those that have first made some personal credible Profession of true Christianity that is of Faith and Obedience and as members of those Churches submit to our Pastoral over-sight according to the Word of God But all that make this Profession of Christianity and Consent to live in Communion with the Church and under the Ministry and Discipline of Christ we shall receive though they be weak in knowledge and utterance and duties
and shall faithfully imploy our Ministerial abilities and care for their edification and salvation IV. We are Agreed and Resolved in the strength of Christ while we have ability and opportunity to Congregate the people and hold constant Assemblies especially on the Lords-Dayes and therein faithfully to perform the works of our office in Reading the holy Scripture Preaching Praying Baptizing Praising God celebrating the Sacrament of the Lords Supper and guiding the people in the whole publick worship of God And to manage our work with as much prudence and reverence and love and compassion to the peoples souls and with as much plainness and convincing evidence authority seriousness and zealous importunity as we can Avoiding as far as we are able such things as corrupt and dishonour Gods Ordinances and tend to corrupt the peoples minds with errour presumption deadness negligence or other distempers displeasing to the Lord V. For the ends of our Office in obedience to the Lord we Agree and Resolve in the strength of Christ to exercise so much of Church-Government and Discipline in the Churches committed to our charge as we discern to be our certain duty that is to keep order and decency in the holy Assemblies and see that all be done to edification Convicting seducers and stopping the mouthes of perverse gain-sayers Overseeing the several members of our charge and requiring them to walk obediently to Christ and do their duties towards each other to Reprove the gross and scandalous offenders and if they continue impenitent or unreformed to tell the Church or rebuke them before all and publickly pray for their recovery And if they hear not the Church but remain impenitent and unreformed after sufficient reproof and patience to put away such persons from among us declaring against them the threatnings of the Lord and requiring them to forbear Communion with the Church and requiring the Church to avoid them and have no familiarity or communion with them as persons unmeet for the communion of Saints And those that credibly profess Repentance we are to Absolve Ministerially in the name of Christ and comfort with the promises of Grace receiving them and requiring the people to receive them as Brethren into their Communion but warning them to watch and sin so no more lest worse befall them This holy Discipline by the help of God we shall exercise faithfully and impartially but yet with caution and moderation neglecting no necessary consultations with other Pastors or concurrence of the Church and consenting to be responsible for male-administrations VI For the Communion of Churches and the strengthening our selves for the work of God and helping one another therein and maintaining Unity Love and Concord We do Consent to hold a Brotherly communion and correspondency And to that end when necessity or greater duty hindreth us not we shall meet at such convenient times and places as shall be appointed or agreed on from time to time and shall labour to improve these meetings to our mutual edification in such consultations conferences or other holy exercises as our present case shall most require And we consent to deal faithfully in advising and admonishing one another and for the satisfaction of the Brethren to the fore-mentioned ends to be responsible if any shall charge us with Heresie scandal schism or male-administration And forbearing matters without our line to study and endeavour the promoting of Truth and Holiness and Unity among our selves and with other Churches as we have a call And also we agree by communicatory Letters upon all needful occasions to certifie our Brethren and other Churches of the state of our affairs and of particular members that those that justly have communion in one Church or are excluded may have communion with other Churches or be refused by them accordingly when there is just occasion And if any Brethren or Churches be prevailed over so far by temptation as unjustly to deny us their communion in this way of Association Assemblies or Correspondency we shall not therefore deny them to be our Brethren or Churches of Christ but shall Love and Own them and have so much Communion with them as their distance shall leave them capable of if they joyn with us in the Profession and Practice of true Christianity and of the points that are necessary to Church-constitution and communion and are not proved guilty of heresie ungodliness or such kind of schism or scandalous sins for which the Scripture commandeth us to reject men and avoid them But such as are thus guilty though they offer themselves to associate with us we shall refuse to hold communion with till they credibly profess Repentance and manifest a Reformation VII Because it is a matter of great concernment to the honour of Christ the propagation of the Gospel and the encrease and welfare of the Church that there be a Provision of able faithful Ministers and that unworthy persons be kept out and because deceivers and unworthy men are forward to intrude and the people ordinarily are insufficient of themselves to make such tryal of mens ability and soundness as is requisite to the safety of the Church and the Church in all ages hath received Ministers by the Ordination of other Ministers of Christ We do therefore Agree to be careful and faithful in the discharge of our duties hereabout so far as we can discern them Resolving that if any vacant Church desire us to recommend a fit person to be their Pastor or to Judge of any recommended to them we will not recommend or approve of any but such as we judge most agreeable to the will of Christ nor will we prefer less fit and worthy men for friendship or any carnal interest or respect And if any intollerably unworthy person be about to intrude or have intruded or any neighbour Church be about to choose or have chosen such if we have opportunity we shall faithfully acquaint them with their sin and danger and perswade them to a better course And if we shall be called to invest any by solemn Ordination in the sacred office of the Ministry we shall perform it as near as we are able according to the directions of the Word of God admitting none that Christ excludeth And if it may be we shall do it in that Congregation which the person is to Over-see that so we may the better discern their mutual Consent inculcate their duties and engage them to a faithful performance thereof And whereas it is much controverted of late Whether the Power of Ordination be given to the people or the Pastors of a particular Church or the Associated neighbour Pastors and whether a stated President among these should not have a negative voice herein We are Agreed that leaving the people their due Liberty of Consent in the reception of their proper Pastors We will none of us singly Ordain without the assistance of other Pastors Nor will we joyn with any Hereticks or others in unjust
and impious Ordinations that tend to the corrupting or dividing of the Churches And to avoid Division upon a tolerable difference of Opinions where we may agree in Practice we Consent that the Associations that have no stated Presidents or that give not to such a Negative voice shall receive into their Communion those that are of the contrary opinion giving them leave if they desire it to profess or record their opinion in that particular so they will afterward walk among them in Love and Peace And that the Associations that choose a stated President and give him a Negative voice in Ordination shall in like manner and on like terms receive into their Communion such as dissent in that particular and having professed or recorded their dissent will walk submissively in Love and Peace Which liberty also of professing and recording their different principles we desire may be allowed them that joyn in Synods as being only for Communion of Churches and them that joyn in them as having a direct superiour Governing Power over the particular Pastors of the Churches VIII Though it be the surest way to Peace and Concord to take up with these necessary things and we cannot approve of the narrow dividing Principles of those men that will impose things unnecessary to the excluding of the necessary yet if our lawful Rulers shall command it or the peace of the Church through the distempers of the Brethren shall require it we shall obey and consent in things that God hath not forbidden and if we suffer for well-doing and for obeying God rather then men we shall endeavour to imitate our Lord who being reviled reviled not again and when he suffered threatned not but committed all to him that judgeth righteously 1 Pet. 2. 23. The Office of Christs Ministers more largely opened 1. THE Lord Jesus Christ having purchased our Salvation by his blood and stablished his Testament or Covenant of Grace and left us his example of perfect holiness ascended to the Father and is there the Glorified Lord of all and Head over all things to his Church all power being given him in Heaven and Earth that interceding for us with the Father he might be the Treasury of our Light and Life and offering salvation to the miserable world might gather and cleanse and save the Church which is his Body Communicating to them that grace that is here necessary to them in their way and warfare and perfecting them in Glory with himself when their warfare is accomplished 2. Christ Being thus invisible to us in Glory with the Father performeth not these works below by himself in person immediately and alone but by his Spirit Ministers and Word The Holy Ghost being his Advocate or Agent to these ends and his Ministers the Instruments used by his Spirit and himself to indite and bear witness to his word and to Preach it to the world as that infallible Truth which must guide them to Salvation 3. The first Prophetical and Apostolical Ministers being sent by himself and qualified by the inspiration conduct and miraculous gifts of the Holy Ghost did found the Church and enlarge it unto many nations of the world and left them the holy Scriptures which contain the doctrine which they preached that it might be certainly and fully preserved and propagated till the coming of Christ And they setled by the appointment of Christ and his Spirit an ordinary ministry to succeed them not to deliver a new Law or Gospel but to preserve and preach the doctrine which in the holy Scriptures and conjunctly at first also from the mouths of the Apostles they had received as once delivered to the Saints and to guide the Churches by it to the end 4. Though Christ appointed Ministers that should have so far a charge or care of the whole Church as not to be limited to any one part but to extend their labour and oversight as far as their capacity and opportunities would permit yet did he never make any man his Vicar or Vicegerent as Head of the universal Church nor lay upon any one whether Peter Paul or any other the charge and oversight of the whole nor did ever Peter or any one Apostle exercise such an Office in governing all the Catholike Church especially when it ceased to be confined to Jerusalem and the adjacent parts and was dispersed through the world Never did the Apostles receive their Commissions from Peter or all the Ministers then in the world perform their work by his Commission or by any power received from him nor were accountable to him and judged by him for what they did Much less is this universal Head-ship committed to the Pope of Rome through all or any generations But because a certain Primacy of Order was granted him by Emperours and Councils within the limits of the Roman Empire long after the Apostles days therefore doth he take advantage thence to pretend a Title to the universal Head-ship As if the Roman and the Christian world had been the same or the Emperor and his Clergy had been the Rulers of all the Christian subjects of all other Princes or Pastors upon earth and his limited Primacy had been an universal Soveraignty This claim of the Pope of Rome to be the Vice-Christ or universal Pastor of all the Christian world is a tyrannical impious irrational usurpation contrary to the holy Scripture and the state of the Primitive Church and contrary to nature and common sense which declare his incapacity of the work far more then any Prince is uncapable of being the universal Monarch of the world And therefore all Christians should abhor this proud and impious usurpation and fly from the guilt of that horrible schism and those corruptions in doctrine worship and government which it hath introduced 5. Christ calleth his ordinary ministers to that office by enduing them with his gifts and disposing them thereunto and moving the hearts of the people to consent and by ordination of the senior Pastors and giving them opportunities for the work and sometime the Magistrates command hath a hand in the obligation 6. It belongeth to the Office of the Ministers of Christ to Preach the Gospel to the nations of the world and make them Christs Disciples Baptizing them in the name of the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost 7. This Preaching or publishing the Gospel is done by voice or by writing that by voice is done by Reading by publike Sermons or interlocutory conference that by writing is either by translating the holy Scriptures into the languages used by the Nations or by expounding and applying them So that the holy Scriptures in the original languages are the word of God both as to the terms and sense Grammatical and Doctrinal The same Scriptures in a Translation are the word of God as to the sense both Grammatical and Doctrinal but not as to the Terms The holy doctrine of the Scriptures delivered in the writings and Sermons and conferences of the
Preachers of the Gospel is the word of God as to the Doctrinal sense but not as to the terms or Grammatical sense except when they recite the Scripture words as in the original or translated 8. Baptism is a holy Sacrament instituted by Christ in which a person professing the Christian faith or the Infant of such a Professor is regularly by a minister of Christ baptized in water into the name of the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost in signification and solemnization of the holy Covenant in which as a Penitent Believer or the seed of such he giveth up himself or is by the Parent given up to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost from henceforth or from the time of natural capacity to Believe in Love and serve this blessed Trinity against the Flesh the World and Devil and this especially on the account of Redemption and if he sincerely make this Covenant is solemnly entred a member of Christ and his Church a justified reconciled Child of God and an heir of Heaven all which with the other present benefits of the Covenant he is hereby instated or invested in they being thus solemnly delivered to him by the Promise thus sealed and applyed by an appointed Minister of Christ Or if some of us doubt whether these special benefits of the Covenant are delivered thus to all the Infants that are sincerely dedicated unto God yet we are all agreed that they are assured to them as soon as they believe and in the interim of their incapacity they have a general promise that God will be their God and his mercy shall be to them 9. It is a notable part of the ministerial Office to Baptize and consequently to try and judge of their Profession who are thus solemnly to be admitted into the Church and estated by Baptism in these benefits Therefore hath Christ given the Keys of his Kingdom to their trust both that his holy Church may be preserved from the unjust intrusions of uncapable persons and that the faithful Covenanters may have the fuller consolation by receiving a sealed promise and pardon from the hand of a minister of Christ commanded by him to seal and deliver it in his name 10. We are perswaded that it is the Will of Christ that the Infants of the faithful shall be dedicated to him in Baptism and engaged in his Covenant and made members of his visible Church because we find that under the promise before Christs Incarnation it was their duty to devote and engage their Children to God in the holy Covenant and that God did accept them as visible members of his Church And we never find where Christ had discharged Parents from this duty or turned all Infants out of his Church and reversed this blessing of their Church-membership but contrarily we find him offering to have taken the Jewish Nation to be still his Church if they would have taken him for their Saviour and telling us that it was for Unbelief that they were broken off and that it is but some of the branches that were broken off and we are graffed in amongst them into the same Olive-tree and that all Israel shall be saved when the fulness of the Gentiles is come in And we find Christ rebuking his Disciples for hindering little Children from being offered to him and that he charged them to forbid it no more and that he received and blessed them himself and tels us that of such is the Kingdom of God and we find it the Commission given to his Ministers that they were to Disciple the Nations Baptizing them All which and much more especially having not the least intimation of his Will against that which was even then the Duty and Practice of the Parents and the Infants benefit do deter us from forbidding the dedication of Children unto Christ and receiving them into his Church by Baptism 11. Baptism being so great a work should be deliberately seriously and reverently performed if it may be publikely before the Church where the person or Parent should make their solemn profession and be received with the joy and prayers of the Church whether Infant or Adult 12. The Catholick Church consisteth of all the Christians in the world Those that have the sanctifying Spirit of Christ are the living members Those that openly profess Christianity and enter into Covenant with Christ and are not yet Baptized are visible members initially but the solemnization and investiture is defective If it be where Baptism cannot be had the defect is innocent If where it may be had it is sinful but yet not such as nullifieth the persons visible Christianity And no errours offences or differences do exclude any totally from the Catholick Church while all the essentials of Christianity are kept 13. It is the will of Christ that all Christians that have opportunity be members of some particular Church as well as of the universal that he may have the honour and they the great and necessary benefits that by the Ministry Ordinances and Communion of Saints is there to be expected 14. A particular Christian Church is A competent number of Christians cohabiting who by the appointment of Christ and their own expressed Consent are united or associated under one or more Pastors for the right worshipping of God in publick and the Edification of the members in Knowledge and Holiness and the maintaining of their obedience to Christ for the safety strength and beauty of the society and thereby the Glorifying and pleasing of the Lord It is a Political organized society that is here defined and not a meer Community that is incapable of the Sacraments and other Ordinances and the benefits of them for want of Overseers 15. Those Ministers that are placed in Parishes where are many sorts of people some Ignorant of the essentials of Christianity some Apostates some impious and of wicked lives and some that consent not to be members of their Pastoral charge should teach them all that will submit and learn For we are called to it by the Magistrate and obliged by the publike maintenance which we receive to that end and engaged by the general command of improving our talents and the special opportunity that we have thereunto 16. This teaching of all our Parishioners that will submit must be both personally and publikely as far as we have ability and opportunity The former must be by Catechizing and conference wherein we must teach them first the essential points of Christianity and labour to help them to the clearest understanding of the doctrine of Salvation and press it on their affections and help them to discern their sin and misery and do all that we can to procure their conversion or edification according to their several states manageing the whole work with those holy affections that the weight of it doth require 17. The great necessity of our neighbours and the advantages of this familiar way do tell us that this work of catechizing and conference is so
great a part of our duty that we should do it with much diligence prudence and constancy And the general precepts of doing all to edification and in order oblige us ordinarily to appoint a stated time and place where every family may come in order And if we are able we should go to them that cannot or will not come to us if they will but hear us 18. Those that are Baptized in Infancy and there engaged to God in the holy Covenant should with all possible care and diligence be educated by the Parents or any that have the tuition of them in the Nurture and admonition of the Lord and taught betimes to know the doctrine of the Gospel and to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and to Love God above all and their neighbours as themselves and to hate iniquity and live to God and first to seek his Kingdom and righteousness To which end Parents should Catechize their Children and daily be teaching them the word of God and acquainting them with his fear and holy worship And ministers must with special care and diligence oversee the several families of their charge and excite the Parents to this necessary duty And also should themselves assist them herein and Catechize such youth as well as all others that are Ignorant as often as they can especially where Parents do neglect it 19. As Infants are by baptism admitted among the Infant-members of the Church upon their Parents profession of Christianity and dedicating them to God so must they personally make a profession of their own faith and own their baptismal Covenant and give up themselves to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost before they are to be admitted into the number and Communion of the Adult members of the Church Which profession is to be tryed and approved of by the Pastors of the Church And so excellent a duty to be carefully and seriously and solemnly performed that the transition into the state and communion of the Adult may appear to be so great and observable a thing as may excite all to an answerable care and diligence in preparation thereunto and to look after that saving faith and holiness which they must so solemnly profess And Ministers should have a special care that they take nothing for a credible profession that is not so and corrupt not the Church by letting in uncapable members that must either be cast out again to the grievous exasperating them against the Church and way of God and so to the apparent hazzard of their souls or else must live ungoverned in their wickedness to the great dishonour of God and the provocation of his wrath against them and the Church 20. For the publike worshiping of God and our own Edification the Pastors where there is opportunity must congregate the people in a solemn Assembly in a convenient place and time And all that can must constantly there attend preferring the publike worship of God before the private much more before their worldly businesses that are not of flat necessity to themselves or others 21. In these publike Assemblies it is lawful for us to admit even Infidels to be present and such Catechumen's as are yet unfit to be members of the Church and there to teach reprove and exhort them and pray for them according to their state though we may not receive them to be members of the Church nor admit them to our special communion 22. Because it is the holy Scriptures that containe that Gospel of which we are Ministers and because the honour of Gods holy word is to be preserved and the people to be instructed in it and taught to know it it is therefore our duty in the solemn Assemblies to read the word of God to the people in a known tongue as Moses and the Prophets were read every Sabbath day in the Synagogues of the Jews Such portions being chosen and order observed as the Pastors discern to be most for edification 23. Our publike preaching of the Gospel should be from faith and holy experience with plainness and perspicuity with reverence and gravity with convincing evidence and authority with fervent zeal and perswading importunity with the tenderest love and melting compassion with faithfulness impartiality and prudence suiting both matter and manner to the necessity of the hearers and with frequency and unwearied patience waiting on God for the success 24. The Pastor is to lead and the people to consent and joyn in heart in the publike prayers and unanimously to pour out their souls unto the Lord in penitent confession of sin and fervent petition and joyful thanksgiving and praise and this according to the direction of the holy Scriptures and especially of the Lords prayer which is the most perfect comprehensive summary form and pattern of our prayers 25. Confession is to be made both of our own sin and the sins of the Church and Nation of Magistrates Ministers and People yet so as that we turn it not into a reproaching and dishonouring of our superiours or an abusing of mens persons by venting our malice or distempered passions or uncharitable censures against them we must confess our original and actual sin The great corruption of our hearts and lives our sinful thoughts affections words and actions our privative and positive sin out omissions and commissions our secret and unknown sins in general and our known and open sins by name our sins of ignorance and sins against knowledge our sins before and since conversion our sins against the Lord himself consisting in our unholiness contrary to the first table and our unjustice and uncharitableness against our neighbour and our folly and injury against our selves The sins of our relations and of our more private life our sins against the light and law of nature and our sins against the Gospel and grace of a Redeemer Against the outward means of Grace and against the inward motions of the Spirit and of our consciences against mercies and judgements against the examples of Christ and his servants and the warning-falls of others especially those sins by which we have most dishonoured God and our holy profession and have most scandalized hardened or tempted others And all our confessions should proceed from true contrition and hatred of the sin 26. Our petitions must be only for things agreeable to the revealed will of God And principally for the hallowing of his name and the coming of his Kingdom and the doing of his will in earth as it is in heaven And therefore we must have compassionate thoughts of the dark and miserable parts of the world where by Heathenism Infidelity and Mahometanism the name of God is grievously dishonoured and his Soveraignty denied or rejected and Satans Kingdom doth prevail and where the will of God is partly unknown and partly willfully disobeyed And our eye and heart must be on the state of the universal Church that all this interest of God-in-Christ may be there preserved and advanced And in order to
must be opend and the people excited to the exercise of the duties before mentioned Sin must be confessed and lamented and mercy implored and thankfully acknowledged and the goodness of God especially manifested in the work of our Redemption must with the greatest admiration alacrity and joy that we can attain to be magnified and praised till this unspeakable love of God in Christ hath drawn out our hearts in fervent love to him again And it will be most suitable to this Eucharistical Ordinance that the Church do sing some Psalm or Hymn of praise to God for the mercies of our Redemption 47. Those are to be invited to the Supper of the Lord that have these necessary qualifications in some degree and the rest to be acquainted with the danger of eating and drinking unworthily Those only are to be admitted to the Table of the Lord that have the use of reason and can examine themselves and are members of the Church and have made a personal credible profession of faith and holiness and are not justly for heresie or any scandalous sin removed from present communion with the Church 48. The using or not using of forms of prayer in the administration of this Sacrament is to be determined of as aforesaid in the other parts of worship according to the different abilities of Ministers and state of the several congregations and other accidents that should weigh in such indifferent things But as in the Administration of Baptism it is ordinarily meetest and most safe to use the express form of words which Christ hath directed us to and the Church hath still used viz. I Baptize thee in the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost so in the Administration of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper it is safest and meetest that we use the words that Christ by his example hath directed us to use As Matth. 26. 26 27 28. Luk. 22. 19 20. 1 Cor. 11. 24 25. viz. Take ye eat ye this is my Body which is broken for you this do in remembrance of me and This is the Blood of Christ even of the New Testament or this is the New Testament in the Blood of Christ which is shed for many for the remission of sins drink ye all of it in remembrance of him 49. As it is not unmeet for the Church at other times when they assemble to make a solemn profession of the Christian faith and of holy obedience to manifest their constancy therein and to declare what doctrine it is that we assemble to profess and to preserve it in the minds of all so is it more especially meet that at Baptism and the Lords Supper when we are solemnly to renew our Covenant with the Lord the Covenanters do renew this solemn Profession To which end it is most safe to make use of the ancient forms of Confession called The Apostles Creed and the Nicene Creed and also to recite the Ten Commandments with a profession of our consent to the terms of the Covenant with God the Father Son and Holy Ghost To which if we at lest sometimes adjoyn some fuller Explication of the Creed and Decalogue such as is our Profession here before set down it will not be unprofitable or unmeet And in such manner it may all be managed and such signs or expressions of consent required as the Pastors shall judge meet for the attainment of the desired ends with liberty for such variations as are necessary to prevent a dead formality 50. At the dismission of the Assembly it is meet that the Pastor do solemnly bless them in the name of Christ to which he is authorized as an act of his Ministerial Office 51. Deacons are Church-Officers instituted by the Holy Ghost to be serviceable to the Pastors and the Church by the distribution of the Creatures dedicated to the church-Church-Communion and taking care for the supplying of the necessities of the poor out of the contributions or stock of the Church 52. The first day of the week is appointed or separated by the Holy Ghost for the holy Assemblies and publike worship of the Church and other holy exercises and is herein to be improved to the honour of God and the edification of our selves and others and all other imployments are therein to be avoided that any way hinder the holy duties of the day except such as become a greater duty upon the account of Piety Justice or Mercy That some stated time be separated to the publike service of God and the benefit of our souls is a thing that the law of Nature doth command that this stated time should be at least one day in seven the reason and equity at least of the fourth Commandment doth acquaint us that this day should be every first day of the week the Holy Ghost in the New Testament hath revealed to us acquainting us with Christs rising on that day which laid the foundation of the change and of the Assembling of his Disciples on that day and his owning their Assembly by his appearing to them and teaching them and blessing them and giving them their commission and the Holy Ghost Joh. 20. 19 to 24. The same they did the next first day where he again appeared and owned their Assembly and revealed himself unto them Joh. 20. 26 27. And that this was the practice of the Apostles and the Primitive Christian Churches directed by them appeareth Act. 20. 7 8. 1 Cor. 16. 1 2. so that it was called the Lords Day as the last day before was called the Sabbath Rev. 1. 10. And to put us out of all doubt of the matter of fact and consequently of the meaning of these texts of Scripture the certain Tradition and most Concordant history of the Church assureth us that ever since the days of the Apostles the universal Church in all parts of the world hath constantly observed the Lords Day in Commemoration of the Resurrection of Christ which it is not possible that they could have done without contradiction and rebukes from the Apostles themselves or some of the Churches which they planted if it had not been a certain truth Those therefore that will be against the holy observation of the Lords Day must either impudently deny the Testimony of all Church History and Tradition which with one consent assure us that it was observed universally in the Christian Churches from the Apostles daies as a thing by them established and practised or else they must imagine that all the dispersed Churches through the world conspired in the teaching and practising of such an error without any known rebuke wherein it had been most easie for any to have convicted them to be slanderers of the Apostles or the Ages that were before them Having therefore so much in Nature in the fourth Commandment in the New Testament and the Doctrine and Practice of the universal Church for our holy observation of this day it ill beseems any Christian to forsake all or any of these and think
by the death and long absence of the Pastors through so many hundred and thousand miles travail and so long attending which the state and work of proper Universal Councils will require Yea the said distance with the age and weakness of the Pastors and the different languages and the poverty of many disabling them from such tedious voyages and journies and the dissent of the Princes many of them Heathens Infidels Mahometans under whose Government they live or through whose dominions they must pass these with many the like Impediments do make a true Universal Council like an Universal Parliament or Senate to be so far from necessary or desirable as to be Morally Impossible or next to Impossible as to the very Being of it The way that God hath appointed for Church-Government and deciding controversies is 1. That Princes and Magistrates govern by the sword or force and judge who are fit to be Punished by the sword And though most Princes on the earth by Infidelity have made themselves uncapable of this part of the work of their Office yet cannot that disoblige them from the Commands of God or free them from his punishments for not performing them nor make the Office of Magistrates another thing nor disable Christian Princes and Magistrates or disoblige them who have not made themselves uncapable 2. That these Princes and Governors of several Nations do hold a Loving Christian Correspondency for the management of their affairs and Government of the Churches under them so as may be most to the advantage of the Cause of Christ and the union strength and defence of Christians The General Rules and Ends of their Trust and Power do oblige them to hold such Assemblies by their Messengers as are needful for their Agreement and the Unity and Safety of the Churches under them as well as they oblige Pastors to such necessary correspondencies 3. That the Pastors of particular Churches be the Governors of those Churches by the word and holy Discipline not having the power of the sword or violence and that they Judge who is fit or unfit for Communion with that Church which each or any of them over-see and who is to be thence Excommunicated or there Absolved 4. That these Bishops Pastors or Elders of particular Churches should hold Communion among themselves with all their Brethren of other Churches as far as their natural capacity will allow and the need or benefit of the Churches require it and that they handle in common the causes that belong to all in common and settle and maintain Agreements for the Unity and Communion of the Churches And they are Judges as Associate who is to be received into their Associate Communion and who to be excluded from it and what Pastors or Churches they should hold such Communion with as they are capable of and which they should admonish or renounce 5. The Christian people have allowed them a Judgement of Discretion by which they must prove all things and hold fast that which is good and must discern and obey the Lawfull commands and directions of their Magistrates and Pastors 6. And as Men have thus their several shares alloted them in Government Judgement and decisions limitedly and not Absolutely judging even to the Execution which belongs to their several Judicatures So the Finall Absolute Judgement and Decision of all Controversies and Causes is reserved to the dreadfull Tribunal of the Lord to which we may make our last Appeal where all the world shall be judged in Righteousness and all the Judgements of men be themselves Judged and Truth and Error Good and Evil Right and Wrong will be more perfectly manifested unto all and it shall be irreversibly determined by Jesus Christ who shall go into Life Everlasting and who to everlasting punishment Come Lord Jesus Come quickly Novemb. 16. 1658. THE Author thought it not unfit here to annex the Description of that Order and Discipline which is exercised by him with his Assistant fellow-Pastors in the Parish-Church of Kederminster in Association with many Pastors of those parts who have Agreed to exercise so much of the Ministerial Office as by the consent of the Episcopal Presbyterian and Congregationall belongeth to them Which being published 1. May prevent mens injurious mis-reports of our Associations and Discipline which they may be drawn to by fallacious fame 2. And may be an example for those Churches that by the Magistrates are left at liberty to worship God in that Communion and Order which they judge most agreeable to the Word of God and the Vniversal Consent and Practice of the Primitive Church The Order and Discipline of this Church agreeable to the Word of God I. WE are willing to Teach all in our Parish the doctrine of Life that are willing to learn And desire them all to hear the Word publikely preached and to come to us to be Catechized or Instructed II. We own all those as visible Christians and members of the Universal Church that make a credible Profession of Christianity and destroy it not by Heresie or ungodly lives III. So many of these as also Consent to hold Communion with this Church as members of it submitting to the Ministers and Discipline of Christ we shall esteem our flock and special charge and faithfully perform the duties of our Office for their good as we are able IV. We desire that all the Youth of the Parish will learn the principles of the Christian Religion and as soon as they understand it and are heartily resolved to give up themselves to God in Christ through the spirit and to lead a holy life that they will come and acquaint us with their Faith and Resolution and before the Church will make a solemn Profession thereof and give up themselves to God in the personal owning their Baptismal Covenant either reciting the fore-going Creed or Profession or if they are unfit for publike speaking by Consenting when we propound it to them or by any other fit expressions That so we may publikely pray for their confirmation and if they Consent also to hold Communion with this Church we may know them as our Charge and Register their names V. Those Parishoners that desire us to Baptize their children or to be themselves admitted to the Lords Supper and are not members of this Church because they will not we desire to come to us some dayes before that so we may be satisfied of their Faith and Life And if they seem true Christians and either bring a Certificate that they are members of any other Church with which we are to hold Communion or shew that it is not from ungodliness that they refuse to live under Order and Discipline we shall Baptize their children and occasionally admit them to our Communion But if they are scandalous we shall require them first to Profess their serious Repentance And if they return to scandal we shall after stay till we see their Reformation or of one of the parents in case of
Baptism VI If any member of this Church do differ from us about the gesture in the Lords Supper or any such Circumstance we desire them first to come to us and hear our Reasons and if we cannot satisfie them we will not hinder them from receiving it in any decent gesture they desire VII All members of the Church must ordinarily hold Communion with it in the Lords Supper and all Ordinances and if a Brother grosly offend they must orderly and prudently admonish him and if he hear them not tell the Church VIII Once a Moneth we have a meeting of the Magistrates Ministers Deacons and above twenty persons chosen annually by the Church as their Trustees or Deputies Here the offendours must be accused and heard and dealt with before the case be opened in the Church And any that are justly offended with any member may have Church-Justice The Magistrates presence being only ad melius esse and the chosen Trustees or Deputies being no Ecclesiastical Officers nor pretending to Divine Institution as such but only the fittest of the people chosen to do those things which belong to the people who cannot all so frequently meet and having no authoritative ruling Votes IX Those that Repent not upon publike Admonition must be cast out of our Communion and avoided as Heathens But those that are Penitent must be Absolved and lovingly received X. If any of our People be offended at any thing in our Doctrine or Life we desire them before they vent their offence behind our backs to come and lovingly tell it us and hear us speak And if we do not satisfie them we desire them to open the matter before the Ministers of this Association who are here Assembled every Moneth And we shall before them be responsible for our Doctrine our Administrations and our Lives As we are also willing to be to the Magistrate who only hath the power of the sword even over the Pastors of the Church and whom in all things Lawful we must obey and not resist FINIS 1 Of GOD a 1 Cor. 8. 4 6. * Or subsistencies b Mat. 28 19. 1 Joh. 5. 7. c 1 Tim. 1. 17. Psal. 139. 7 8 9. 147. 5. Isa. 40. 17. d Neh. 9. 6. e Rev. 4. 8. 15. 3. Ex. 34. 6 7. Ezek. 18. 4. Psal. 47. 7. 119. 68. 145. 9. 2 Of the Creation of man and the first Law f Prov. 16. 4. g Gen. 1. 26. h Deut. 30. 19 i Col. 3. 10. Eecles. 7. 29. k Psal. 8. 5 6. l Mar. 12. 30. 33. Deut 6. 5. 10 12. 1. 32. m Gen. 2. 16 17. Rom. 6 23. 3 Of mans fall and of original sin and our common misery a Gen. 3. John 8. 44. Rom. 5. 12 18 Gen. 3. 16 17. b Rom. 3 9 19 23. 6. 23. c Acts 26. 18. Eph. 2. 2. Heb. 2. 14. d Psal. 51. 5. Rom 5. 12. Eph. 2. 2 3 5. Isa 48. 4. Job 14. 4. 25. 4. Gen. 6. 5. Hos. 11. 7. e Rom. 5. 18 19. f Rom. 5. 6 10. Acts 4. 12. 4 Of our Redemption by Jesus Christ a Joh 3. 16 17. 4. 42. 1 Joh 2. 2. b Joh. 1. Rom. 9. 5 Joh. 10. 30 c 1 Tim. 25. Heb. 2. 14 16. Luke 1. 27 31 35. Mat. 1. 20 21. d Heb. 4. 15. Mat. 4. Heb. 7. 26. Mat. 3. 15. e Acts 2. 22. Heb. 2. 3 4. f Heb. 9. 26. 10. 12. 1 Tim. 2. 6. Ep. 2. 16. g 1 Cor. 15. 3 4. Luk. 23. 43. Psal. 16. 10 1 Pet. 3. 18 19. * Or to the departed souls Or to the other world h 2 Tim. 1. 10. Heb. 2. 14. Acts 2. 24. i Act. 2. 9. k Acts 3. 21. Rom. 9. 5. Heb. 7. 24. l Acts 2. 36. 10. 36. m Heb. 8. 2. 10. 21. Acts 3. 23. 5. 31. n Heb. 7. 25. Rom. 8. 34. Eph. 4. 8 11 12 13. Rom. 8. 9. 1 Thes. 5. 12. 5 Of the New Testament or Covenant of Grace a Heb. 9. 15. Joh. 1 12. 3. 16. Acts 26. 18 Gal. 5 6. Acts 11 18. 3. 19. 20 21. Rom. 8. 1 13. Mar. 4. 12. b Rom. 8. 16 17. c Gal. 4. 6. John 3. 6. 1 Cor. 6. 17. Rom. 8. Eph. 2. 18. 22. d Rev. 2. 3. Col. 1. 22 23. Heb. 4. 1. e Maâ— 16 16. Joh 3. 3 5 36. Heb. 12. 14. 2 Thes. 1. 8 9. 2 12. Luke 13. 3. f Mat. 28. 19. Mar. 16. 15 16. 2 Cor. 5. 19. g Joh. 6. 37 10. 28 29. 6 Of the Holy Ghost revealing and confirming the Gospel a Joh. 14. 26. 15. 26. 1 Pet. 1. 10 11 12. 2 Pet. 1. 21. 2 Tim. 3. 16. Joh. 16. 13. Eph. 3. 3 5. 2. 20. Isa. 8. 20. Rev. 22. 18 19. 1 Tim. 6. 14. Luke 16. 29 31. b Acts 2. 22. 4. 5. 32. 19. 11 19. Heb. 2. 3 4. Gal. 3. 1 2 3. Joh. 14. 12. 3. 2. 1 Cor. 14. 7 Of our Sanctification by the Holy Ghost and the state and blessings of the sanctified a Acts 26. 17 18. Rom. 8. 9 10 11. Acts 16 14 Joh. 6. 44. Eze. 36. 26. Gal. 5. 22. b Act. 26. 18. c Col. 2. 19. Eph. 5. 30 31 32. 3. 17. 1 Cor. 12. 12 13 27. d Rom. 3. 24. 4. 24. John 1 12. e Tit. 2. 14. f Rom. 5. 5. Mat. 10. 37. 1 Cor. 6. 11 Luke 1. 75. g 1 John 3. 14. 1 Pet. 1. 22. Acts 24. 2. h Gal. 5. 17 24. 1 John 2. 15. i 1 Cor. 1. 7. 2 Pet. 3. 11 12. Tit. 1. 2. 3. 7. 8 Of the Judgement and Execution a Luke 23. 43. 16. 22 2 Cor. 5. 1. 8. Phil. 1. 23. 1 Pet. 3. 19. Luke 16. 26 28. b Acts 1. 11. 1 Cor. 15. Joh. 5. 22 29. Mat. 25. 2 Cor. 5. 10. c Mat. 25. 13. 41 42 43. 2 Tim. 4. 8 18. 2 Thes. 1 8 9 10. 2 12. John 17. 24. a Luke 15. 21. Act. 2. 37. 3. 19. Rom 8. 13. Luke 14. 33. 1 Thes. 1 9. b Exod. 20. 3. Deut. 26 17. Jos. 24. 16. to 26. c 2 Cor. 8. 5. d John 17. 3. 1 Cor. 8. 6. 2 Cor. 6. 17 18. 1 John 1. 3. Eph. 4 5 6. e John 14. 6. Luke 5. 14. 14. 26. Acts 9 6. Rom. 6. 13 16. Luke 19. 27. John 3. 19. f Mat. 28. 29. Eph. 2. 18 22. 1. 13 14 18. Rom. 8. 9 13 16 26. 1 Cor. 2. 10. Eph. 2. 18. 22. 3. 5 16. 2 Cor. 1. 22. 5. 5. Isa. 44. 3 4 5. Rom. 15. 6. 1 The publike means and duties of Holiness a Mat. 28. 19 20. b Rom. 10. 7 14. Act. 14. 23. 2 Tim. 2. 2. Acts 13. 2. 2. 41. c Acts 2. 42. 6. 2. d Act. 20. 7 28. 1. Tim. 5. 17. Tit. 1. 5. e Acts 20. 20 31. Col. 1. 28. Eph 4. 11 12 13. Mal. 2. 7. 1 Tim. 5. 17. f 1 Cor. 14. 16 26. Acts 20. 7 36. James 5. 14. Acts 6. 4. 2. 42. Phil. 1. 4. Neh. 12. 24 11. 17. 9. 5. 8. 4 6. g 1 Cor. 11. 24. 10. 16. h Heb. 7. 7. Numb. 6. 23. i Rev. 1. 10. Acts 20. 7. 1 Cor. 16. 2. k Tit. 2. 15. 1. 9 11. 1 Tim. 5. 19. 3. 5. l Mat. 18. 17 18. Tit. 3. 10. 1 Cor 5. 4 5 11 13. a Acts 2. 42. b 1 Tim. 5. 17. Heb. 13. 7. 17. 24. 1 Thes. 5. 12 13. 1 Cor. 16. 16. c 1 Cor. 1. 10. 3. 3. Rom. 16. 17. Eph. 4. 3 15 16. Phil. 2. 1 2 3. Rom. 15. 6. 2 The secret Duties of Holiness a Jude 21. Gal 5. 22. Luke 10. 27. 1 Tim. 4. 7. Isa. 64. 7. b Acts 24. 16. Col. 3. 5. Rom. 8. 13. Heb. 3. 12 13. Mat. 15. 8 19. Luke 12. 15. Rom. 13. 13 14. 1 Cor. 3. 18. c 2 Pet. 1. 10. 2 Cor. 13. 5. Gal. 6. 3 4. Psal. 4. 4. d Psal. 104. 34. 1. 2. 119. 97 99. Gen. 24. 63. Eph. 3. 18 19. Psal. 90. 12. Luke 12. 36. 2 Pet. 11 12. e Luke 21. 36. Psal. 141 3. 1 Cor. 10. 12. Psal. 39. 1. Prov. 4. 23. f Eph. 6. 10. to 19. 1 Pet. 5. 9. Jam. 4. 7. g Psal. 34. 1. 145. 2. 1 Thes. 5. 17. Phil. 4. 6. John 16. 23. 3 The Private Duties of Holiness in our Relations to others a Eph. 6. 4 9. De ut 6. 11 12. b Dan. 6. 10. Act. 10. 30. Prov. 22. 6 15. 23. 13. Psal. 101. 1 Sam. 2. 23 29. c Gen. 18. 19. Josh. 24. 15. d Col. 3. 20. 22. Eph. 6. Deut. 21. 18. e Act. 16. 30 Mal. 2. 7. 1 Cor. 14. 35. f Psal. 1. 1. 15. 4. 119. 63. Prov. 13. 20. Eph. 5. 6 7 11. Lev. 19 17. Mat. 18. 15. Heb. 3. 13. Jam. 5. 20. 1 Pet. 5. 5. g Jam. 5. 16. h Col. 3. 16 17. Acts 12. 12. 16. 25. Eph. 4. 29. 1 Pet. 4. 11. 3. 2. Jam. 3. 13. Col. 1. 3. 4. 3. Heb. 10. 24. 4 The Duties of Justice and Charity towards men a Deut. 1. 17. 2 Chron. 19. 6 7. Josh. 1. 8. Isa. 56. 1. b Rom. 13. 1 2 3. 1 Pet. 2. 13. Eph. 6. 1 5. c Exod. 20. Mat. 5. 17. to 48. d Deut. 5. 21. Phil. 2. 3 4. 1 Cor. 10. 24 33. 13. 5. e Mat. 7. 12. f Col. 3. 13 g Mat. 19. 19. 22. 39. h Mat. 5. 44. Gal. 6. 10. Heb. 13. 16. Art 1. For an holy exemplary life 2 Chron. 15. 12 13 14 15. Act. 20. 28. 1 Tim. 4. 12 13 14 15 16. and 3. 1 c. and 5. 17 21. 1 Pet. 5. 2 3. Art 2. For teaching all that will submit Art 3. For a personal profession of Christianity to be made by all that will be taken for adult members and partake of their Communion Art 4. For publick worship Art 5. For Discipline Art 6. For Communion of Churches by Associations Art 7. Of Ordination and Approbation of Ministers Art 8. Of Obedience to Magistrates
these blessed ends we must beg such necessaries of our life as the supportation of our natures for the work of God requireth And the forgiveness of all our sins through Christ which yet we cannot expect to receive if we from our hearts forgive not others And a gratious preservation from temptations or the power of them and from Satan and sin the greatest evils That so the holiness of our hearts and lives may shew that we are the loyal subjects of the Kingdom of our Lord and that we acknowledge and magnifie his Soveraign power and live as a people devoted to his glory And all this we must beg in an humble sense of our great unworthiness misery necessity and insufficiency to help our selves and in the name of Christ in understanding and faith and therefore not in a tongue that we understand not and with fervency and uncessant importunity as directed excited and strengthened by the Spirit of Christ 27. Our thanksgiving unto God must not be like the Pharisees in hypocrisie and pride or to make ostentation of things that we never had but in humility and holy joyfulness of mind we must declare our thankfulness for our Creation Redemption Justification and Reconciliation with God our Sanctification and all the parts thereof and helps thereunto For the Gospel and Ministery and the plantation preservation and propagation of the Church thereby for common and special works of providence for the good of the Church our brethren or our selves for mercies ordinary or extraordinary spiritual or corporal for prevention of evils or removing them for the quality and degree the suitableness and seasonableness of all our mercies with the rest of their aggravations especially for those that most promote our everlasting happiness and the publike good and glory of the Lord 28. The matter of our holy praises of the Lord must be his blessed and infinite Being and Nature and all his Attributes his infinite Power and Wisdom and Goodness his Truth and Holiness and Love his absolute Dominion his Soveraignty and Fatherly benignity his Justice and his Mercy even as they are revealed in the works of the Creation and in the glass of the holy Scripture and in the person of Jesus Christ and in the Image of God upon his Saints And all these his works also must be praised in subserviency to his praise And because it is a most high and excellent duty to praise the Lord we must strive to do it with all the faith and reverence and admiration and love and delight and joy and cheerfulness that possibly we can attain and this with constancy as our daily work with our eye on heaven where we shall do it in perfection to all eternity 29. As the holy Scriptures should be read in a tongue that the people understand so should the purest exactest translation of them be used that can be had And though it be not of absolute necessity to the communion or peace of the Churches yet it is to be desired and endeavoured that all neighbour Churches that are of one language do all agree in the use of that one translation 30. Though in cases of necessity the Gospel may be publikely expounded and applied by the reading of the Expositions and Sermons of others yet as it is meet that the Preachers of the Gospel be able to perform this work themselves by the abilities given them from God in the use of just and edifying means so it is meet that by diligent studying meditation and prayer these abilities be improved and that from this holy and spiritual treasure within them the Ministers of Christ do draw forth sound Explication with pertinent lively Application of the truth 31. So also in the publike prayers though it be lawful in it self to read the words of prayer prescribed us by others yet as all Ministers should be able to pray themselves from the knowledge and feeling of their own and the peoples wants so it is meet that their graces and holy abilities be ordinarily exercised in such prayer and that they be not restrained from speaking to God in such sound and meet expressions as shall either presently or by the means of their preparations proceed from the sense of the matter of their prayers excited and drawn forth by the assistance of the Spirit of Christ But whether any particular Pastor should use a stinted form of words imposed by others or invented by himself or whether he shall pray without such stinted forms or both by turns is a point to be determined according to his own abilities and the state of his flock and other accidents but it is not to be made a matter of such necessity in it self as to lay the unity or peace of the Churches or the liberty of the Pastors and Worshippers of Christ upon it 32. The Publike Praises of God must be expressed by the Pastor in such words as are produced by that holy knowledge faith admiration love and delight with which his soul should be possessed that is so nigh to God and also by the recitation of sacred Psalms and Hymns and by the cheerfull singing of such by the Church wherein the melody must be spiritually and not carnally used for the assisting of our souls in the exercise of that holy alacrity and joy that is required in so high a work and not to draw off our minds from the matter nor to stop at the pleasing of our ears Such Psalms also may be recited or sung as contain matter of confession of sin petition thanksgiving and such narratives as tend to praise 33. The form of words to be said and sung must be taken especially out of the holy Scriptures to which use we have the Psalms of David and other Hymns And also we may use such as have been or shall be composed by wise and holy men agreeable to the doctrine of the Scripture and fuited to the Gospel frame of worship and as far as may be even in Scripture phrase And though it be not meet to insist upon a concord in lesser things when it cannot be attained without the violation of concord in greater things yet is it much to be desired and endeavoured that all the Churches of the same language especially that are near and in the same dominions should agree in using the same Psalms and Hymns for matter and meeter and that the version so agreed on be the best that they can have 34. The Eucharist or Supper of the Lord is a holy Sacrament instituted by Christ wherein bread and wine being first by consecration made Sacramentally or representatively the Body and Blood of Christ they are used by breaking and pouring out to represent and commemorate the sacrifice of Christs Body and Blood upon the Cross once offered up to God for sin and are given in the name of Christ unto the Church to signifie and solemnize the renewal of his holy Covenant with them and sealing it unto them and the giving of himself to
them to expiate their sins by his sacrifice and sanctifie them further by his Spirit and confirm their right to everlasting life and they are received eaten and drunk by the Church to profess that they willingly receive Christ himself to the ends aforesaid their Justification Sanctification and Glorification and to signifie and solemnize the renewal of their Covenant with him and their holy Communion with him and with one another 35. The Sacrament of the Lords Supper containeth in it these three parts 1. The Consecration of the Bread and Wine 2. The Representation and Commemoration of the Sacrifice of Christ 3. And the giving to and participation by the Church The Consecration hath chief respect unto God the Father the Representation and Commemoration to the Son as sacrificed and the Giving and Participation to the applying operations of the Holy Ghost As it must first be the Body and Blood of Christ before it be sacrificed and first offered in sacrifice to God before it is offered for nourishment and salvation unto men so is it in the order of Sacramental representation 36. The Consecration is performed by the Churches offering up the Creatures of Bread and Wine to God to be accepted to this holy use and by Gods acceptance of them as dedicated thereunto The Churches dedication is expressed by the present action and Gods acceptance is expressed by his command and promise and the ministerial acception and benediction The Minister in this action is the agent of the people in offering or dedicating these creatures unto God and he is Gods Agent or Minister in receiving and blessing them 37. In this dedication of the Bread and Wine to God to be the consecrated matter of the commemorative representative sacrifice the Church acknowledgeth the three grand relations of God to his people 1. We acknowledge him the Creator and Owner of all the Creatures 2. We acknowledge him our Righteous Soveraign Ruler whose Law we have offended and who hath received the attonement and whose Laws we do herein obey And 3. We acknowledge him our Father or bounteous benefactor by whom we are sustained and whose love we have forfeited and with whom we desire by Christ to be reconciled 38. This consecration maketh not the Bread to be no Bread or the Wine to be no longer Wine nor doth it make any addition to or change upon the glorified real Body of Christ but it maketh the Bread to be Sacramentally Christs Body and the Wine to be Sacramentally his Blood that is representatively as an Actor in a Tragedy is the person whom he representeth or as in Investitures a sword is the honour of Knighthood or a key is the house or a twig or turf is the land 39. Because Christ was to be invisible to us and the heavens must receive him till the restoration of all things therefore as he hath sent his Spirit within to be his Agent in his members so hath he appointed his Ordinances without and especially this visible solemn Representation and Commemoration of his sacrifice that our faith might hereby be helped and our souls might be raised to such apprehensions of his love and the mercy of our Redemption as if we had even seen him crucified before our eyes and this till his glorious return when we shall enjoy him visibly in his glory 40. As Christ in his Intercession as our high Priest in the heavens procureth and conveyeth his benefits of salvation upon the account of his sacrifice once offered on the Cross so doth the Church in this Commemoration present him unto God the Father as the sacrificed Lamb in whom they profess themselves to believe and by whom alone they expect salvation and all the blessings tending thereunto 41. In this Commemoration the Minister is chiefly the Agent of Christ in representing his voluntary offering up himself unto the Father in sacrifice for sin And he is the Agent of the people in that part of the Commemoration in which they profess their Believing in a crucified Christ and thankfulness for him and dependance on him as their hope 42. Jesus Christ having finished the work of Redemption which he was to do on earth in the days of his flesh ascended and is glorified with the Father and being become the perfect head and treasure of the Church hath in his Testament or new Covenant made a free gift of himself and life to all that will receive him as he is offered and he hath appointed his Ministers not only to proclaim this gift unto the world but also in his name to deliver it to the Church And it is a great encouragement and comfort to Believers that it is a Minister or Agent of Christ himself that by his command and in his name doth say to them Take ye eat ye this is my Body which is broken for you And this is my Blood of the New Testament which is shed for you drink ye all of it Christ himself with his saving benefits being herewith as truly offered to their faith as the signs and representations are offered to their hands and mouths Though it be still but consecrated bread and wine that doth represent yet is it the very Body and Blood of Christ that is represented and Christ himself as the Head of the Church and fountain of our renewed life and as our spiritual nourishment that is truly given us and received by us 43. It is therefore unmeet for any but a lawful Minister of Christ who is authorized hereunto to administer this holy Sacrament both because no other are called to it in the holy Scripture nor can shew any warrant for such an undertaking and because it is very injurious to the comfort of the Church when they know not that the person hath any authority to deliver them so great a mercy from the Lord nor whether Christ will own his ministration 44. The Ministers must partake of this holy Sacrament with the Church not as they are the Agents of Christ for the delivery of it but as they themselves are his Disciples and members of the Chruch 45. Before the receiving of this holy Sacrament we ought to examine our selves that we may come preparedly with repentance for all known sin and faith in Christ and an humble feeling of our own necessities and a thankful sense of the love of God expressed in our redemption by Christ and a hungring and thirsting after him and his righteousness and with an unfeigned love unto our brethren and a high estimation of the union and communion of the Saints and with a resolution to walk in holy obedience to God in patient hope of the coming of Christ and of the everlasting Kingdom where we shall be perfectly in him united which holy affections are also to be exercised in the time of our Communion in this Sacrament and afterwards upon the review of what we have here received and done 46. The Word and Prayer must be joyned with the Sacrament The nature and use of it
Church should joyn in prayer for the offender that God would give him repentance unto life 64. If after sufficient waiting in the use of these means the offendor still remain impenitent it is the duty of the Church to reject him out of their communion Wherein the Pastors must compassionately declare his offence and his Impenitency and the Judgements that God hath threatned to such and the Laws of Christ commanding the Church to put such from among them and avoid them and have no company with them that they may be ashamed or to take them as Heathen men or Publicans and must accordingly declare the person offending to be unmeet for Christian Communion and charge the people to avoid him and have no fellowship with him and himself to forbear the Communion of Christians binding him over to answer it at the bar of Christ Which sentence must be accordingly executed by the Pastors in refusing him the Ordinances proper to the Church and by the people in avoiding familiarity and communion with him till he be restored upon his Repentance 65. It must be a credible Profession of Repentance only that must be accepted by the Church either for the preventing of such a rejection or for restoring the rejected And usually when the case is heinous and notorious or the Church hath had the publike cognizance of it they must also have publike notice of the penitence of the offendor who should with remorse of conscience and true contrition confess his sin before the Congregation and heartily lament it and crave the prayers of the Church to God for pardon and reconciliation through Christ and also crave an Absolution by the Minister and a restoration into the communion of the Church But because it much dependeth on circumstances of the case whether the Confession should be publike or private or in what manner made it is therefore to be much left to the Prudence of the Pastors whom the people in such cases are commanded to obey 66. When a credible Profession of Repentance is made whether voluntarily by the Converted or upon the Churches admonition by the scandalous or after excommunication it is the duty of the Pastors to declare such Penitents in the name of Christ to be pardoned and absolved and Ministerially to give them this Mercy from the Lord in case their Repentance be sincere as they profess And if the person were excommunicate it is the duty of the Pastor to declare him again meet for the Communion of the Church and require the Church to receive him with joy as a returning sinner and not to reproach him with his falls but to forgive him as Christ forgiveth him all which they are accordingly to perform and the Penitent with Joy to receive his absolution and to return to the Communion of the Church and to a more holy careful obedient life 67. When any by frequent Covenant-breaking have forfeited the Credit of their words the Church must have testimony of the actual Reformation of such persons before they can receive their professions and promises as credible any more Though yet there is so great difference here in persons and offences that the particular cases must be much left to the prudence of the Pastors that are present and know the persons and the whole case 68. So great is the necessity of the sick and so seasonable and advantagious the opportunity that Ministers should not negligently omit them but in Love and tenderness instruct them according to their several conditions endeavouring the Conversion of the ungodly and the strengthening of the weak and comforting such as need Consolation directing them how to improve their affliction and helping them to be truly sensible of the evil of sin the miscarriages and negligences of their lives the vanity of the world the necessity and sufficiency of Christ and the certainty and excellency of the everlasting Glory Perswading them to a pious just and charitable disposal of their worldly estate and to forgive such as have wronged them and to be reconciled to those with whom they have been at variance and believingly to hope for that life with Christ which he hath promised to all that are sanctified by his Spirit and comfortably to commit their souls to their Redeemer and quietly rest in the Will and Love and Promises of God Resolving if God should recover them to health to Redeem their time and live as a people devoted to his Glory It is meet also that the Pastors pray for the sick both privately and publikely when it is desired and thought fit 69. The Burial of Christians should be decent and honourable and though it be a thing indifferent in it self whether Exhortations Funeral Sermons or Prayers be then used yet because the season is very advantagious for mens reception of holy instructions it is convenient at least when desired that the Minister do take that season as often as he can to mind people of their mortality and the necessity of a speedy preparation for their change so prudently managing all his Exhortations and Prayers that the due end may be attained and the abuse prevented as far as may be 70. The lives of Christs Ministers should be conformable to their holy doctrine and so exemplary in Innocency Love Humility Meekness Patience Contempt of the world crucifying the desires of the flesh and in a zealous heavenly conversation and in all works of Piety Justice and charity within their power that the mouths of the enemies may be stopped and the people may learn and be convinced and directed even by their holy examples and our selves may be saved and the Christian Church and doctrine may be honoured to the glory of the Holy Ghost and of our Redeemer and our heavenly Father 71. As we have all one God one Christ one Spirit one Faith and Hope and Love one Covenant and one Catholike Church so should the Communion of Saints extend as far as their capacity and opportunities will allow And as particular persons must Associate for personal Communion in publike worship so particular Churches should associate for such Brotherly correspondency and communion as they are capable of and their needs require That by communicating the Truths and Mercies which they have received and advising together and by a brotherly collation of their apprehensions and improvement of their several gifts the unity of the Churches may be preserved and discords and uncharitableness may be avoided and the beauty and strength of the Churches maintained And therefore the Pastors of the neighbour Churches not excluding others that are fit should meet as frequently and at such times and places as the ends and works of the Association do require 72. Into these Associations such Pastors and Churches should be received that make a credible Profession of Faith and Holiness and no other And they that are Hereticks or of scandalous ungodly lives must after a first and second admonition if they remain impenitent be rejected and disowned by the Faithful Pastors
and Churches 73. Where the fixing of a stated President in each of these Associations is requisite for the peace and edification of the Brethren it may well be yielded to but however a special care must be had to prevent contentions and divisions and therefore perverse disputings must be suppressed and proud self-conceited domineering persons and such as are of fiery turbulent contentious spirits and also subtile hereticks and dividers must be watched against as the plague of the Churches and all possible charity humility meekness self-denyal and zeal for holy concord must be exercised 74. Those that through distance or impediments cannot or through mistakes or peevishness will not joyn in such stated brotherly Associations and Assemblies are yet to be allowed the due estimation and affection of Brethren and so much Communion as at a distance they are capable of if they do but agree with us in a sound profession of the faith and a holy conversation and Ministerial fidelity in the main but yet we must disown the sin of their dividing or neglect and as we have opportunity testifie against it 75. These Churches that cannot hold local Communion with one another through differences that destroy not the Essentials of Christianity should yet maintain a dear and tender Christian Love to one another and profess their owning each other as Christians and Churches of Jesus Christ and should agree together upon certain just and equal Rules for the management of their unavoidable differences so as may least prejudice charity and common good and least harden the ungodly or grieve the weak or dishonour God or hinder the success of Common great and necessary Truths upon the souls of men contriving and amicably promoting the Cause of Christianity and every part of it in which they are agreed and should open their disagreements to the people as little as they can 76. In cases of tolerable difference as Ministers and People must maintain a special holy Love and Communion as far as their differences will admit so must they desire the well-fare and the Peace of one another and not stir up hatred or persecution against each other by odious nick-names or exasperating the Magistrate or people against dissenters but should consent to the Liberty of each other and help to take off unjust hatred and to hinder all unmerciful violence or rigor against one another And all of us should watch against and abhor that proud self-conceited domineering disposition that would make us censorious malicious or cruel against the weakest servants of the Lord 77. Yet must we not under pretence of Charity consent to any such noxious Liberty as plainly tendeth to the wrong of the Church and the poysoning of the souls of others nor yet must we consent to the errours of the best Though we are not the judges of the secrets of mens hearts nor may not deal uncharitably with any yet must not heretical self-conceited persons be tolerated in the obstinate dispersing of their errours to the destruction or danger of mens souls nor to reproach and speak against the weighty necessary truths of God Nor should any be tolerated to kindle the flames of uncharitableness and contentions in the Churches by railing reproachful language against the tolerable dissenters But a healing merciful and profitable and not a destructive Toleration should be promoted 78. The Pastors of the Churches of Christ have the power of the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven but not of the Temporal sword on earth And though we determine not whether in cases of Necessity it be lawful for Pastors to be also Magistrates yet it is certain that without Necessity it should not be allowed their work requiring all their time and strength and that as Pastors it belongeth not to them But as the Magistrate is the appointed officer of God to Govern even Churches Pastors and People in the way of outward force and Pastors are his Officers to govern them by Spiritual Conduct so must we be so far from desiring to usurp a secular power that we should still advise the Magistrate to keep the sword in his own hand and to take heed of putting compulsive power in the hands of Pastors or enabling them to execute their passionate displeasure against their brethren And as the Magistrate must not usurp the Pastors office but only see that we perform it our selves and punish us if we do not so must not the Pastors usurp the Magistrates office but humbly and modestly teach and advise him from the word of God and reprove him and threaten him and in cases of extremity denounce the Wrath of God against him and bind him over to the Tribunal of Heaven to answer for his obstinate impenitent contempt and then leave all the matter to that bar and patiently suffer if we be persecuted by him Not doing any thing in the management of any of our work without a due respect and reverence to his Authority and a care of the common good that dependeth on his honour but remembring what is meet for him to hear and for us as Messengers of Christ to speak 79. Those Churches of several Nations that through distance and diversity of secular Governours are uncapable of personal or local Communion with others should yet consent as neer as may be in their holy professions and practises not tying each other to any of their unnecessary modes or forms nor uncharitably censuring any tolerable dissenters but owning those Churches that agree with them in the great and necessary things holding such correspondence with them by Messengers as shall be needful to the promoting of their Unity Love and Peace and of the Gospel and common cause of Christ and the defence of each other against the common enemies of those as emergent occasions shall require and direct them 80. To the aforesaid uses the Councils or Synods of Pastors are lawful and convenient in cases that require them where the Pastors of several Churches and Nations may diliberate and determine in order to their Unity of Doctrines and Practices to be Agrreed in and may strengthen the hands of one another But yet the Canons of such Councils are rather Agreements then proper Laws to their several members or absent Brethren and bind in order to Unity and Concord by vertue of those General Commands that require us to do the work of God in such Unity and Concord and not by vertue of any proper superior Regimental power which that Council hath over the particular Bishops of the Churches of Christ And as for General Councils as we should to the forementioned ends regard and honour them above all other if really such were lawfully assembled so in this enlarged and dispersed state of the Militant Church we may easily see that full and proper Universal Councils are neither the Stated Governors of the Universal Church nor necessary to its well-being no nor Lawful to be attempted as a Course that would certainly destroy or grievously wrong the Churches