And then if Gods mercy to a thousand Generations may fetch in the Children of Excommunicate persons the same promise may fetch in all Turks and Infidels at this day wee dare not therefore improve the large extension of Gods mercy so farre as to give a thousand Generations right and title to the Covenant of God with his Church and to incourage the Ministers of the Gospel to set the seales of the Covenant thereunto The true meaning of the promise wee take to be That God out of his abundant grace and rich mercy may and doth extend thoughts of redeeming and converting grace and mercy unto thousand Generations But he never allowed his Church any warrant to receive into their Covenant and Communion the Children of godly parents who lived a thousand yeare agoe much lesse a thousand Generations Nay rather the Text is plaine that the holinesse of the children dependeth upon the faith of the next immediate parents or of one of them at least 1 Cor. 7.14 to wit such faith as denominateth them Christian-beleevers in opposition to Pagan Infidels and that holinesse of the children to such parents is called Federall which receiveth them into the Covenant and to the seales of it Object Lastly it is objected that children borne in fornication have right to Baptisme and why not then the children of Excommunicate parents The wickednesse of parents ought not to prejudice the children in things that pertaine to their salvation Answ The wickednesse of the Parent doth not prejudice the Election or Redemption or the faith of the childe Jephta a bastard is yet reckoned up in the Catalogue of Beleevers Heb. 11.32 But yet in the old Testament a Bastard was not admitted to come into the Congregation of the Lord to his tenth Generation Deut. 23.2 and that could not but prejudice all the base-borne children of Israel and that in the things which pertaine to their salvation And though God sheweth greater grace to them in the dayes of the Gospel yet greater grace cannot by proportion of any rules of the Gospel be expected for them from the Church then this that notwithstanding the sinne of their parents they may be received into the Congregation of the Lord and so unto Baptisme either when their parents repent and acknowledge their sin before the Lord and his Church or when themselves are able to make a better profession of better things in their owne persons It is generally knowne that our best Divines doe not allow the Baptisme of Bastards sine sponsoribus But whether they consider Sponsores as witnesses as some doe who fetch allowance of witnesses from Isa 8.2 3 4. or whether they consider them as Sureties the holy Scripture gives no warrant for either in such a case The place in Isaiah giveth no foothold for Witnesses in Baptisme The Prophet called not Vriah for a witnesse of the Circumcision of his childe but of the conception of a man-childe yet unbegotten and of the Prophecy of such events as were to fall out during the infancy of the childe nor was it meet the Prophet should honour so wicked a time-server as Vriah was to be a witnesse of the Circumcision of his childe though the more prophane and idolatrous he was the more fit and faithfull a witnesse of a miraculous prediction to the conviction of an incredulous King and people And as for Sureties the Covenant is not intayled to Sureties to such as for whom they undertake but to faithfull parents pertaining to the family of the Church and to their seed It is true indeed there is a large promise to Abraham stretching the Covenant to his seed not onely to the children of his owne body and to his proselyte servants but also to all that were borne in his house or bought with money Gen. 17.12 13. which happily may grant so much libertie to a Christian Sponsor that if a stranger or wicked man should give him his childe from his infancy to be brought up as his owne it may be baptized as his owne But that is the utmost bounds of libertie in this case And very doubtfull it is whether the promise pertaine onely to the children of Proselytes either strangers or borne in the house But wee know not any ground at all to allow a faithfull man libertie to entitle another mans childe to Baptisme onely upon a pretence of his owne promise to have an eye to his education unlesse the childe be either borne in his house or resigned to him to be brought up as his owne CHAP. V. Touching the Dispensation of the Censures of the Church SECT I. WEE proceed not to Censure but in case of knowne offence and such offence as cannot be healed without Censure Two sorts of offences there be some private between Brother and Brother some publick and notorious being knowne to the whole Church or at least to many And of them some are more grosse and hainous some lesse If the offence be private between Brother and Brother the Brother offended is to follow the Rule of Christ Mat. 18.15 16 17. That is first to goe and tell him of his fault or as the word signifieth Convince him of his fault and to admonish him of it privately So that the plaister may be no broader then the sore private admonition is most sutable to a private fault and expresseth both the wisdome and love of the Brother who in so doing both healeth and covereth the offence at once If the offender take the admonition in good part as taking part with the admonition against his owne sinne the Brother hath wonne and gained him both to God and himselfe to God by repentance to himselfe by this experiment of his brotherly love But if the offender heare not his Brother but takes part with his sinne against the admonition he then taketh one or two more with him such as in wisdome he thinketh to be most fit to prevaile with him that so by the mouth of two or three his word of admonition may be established or if the offender heare them not his word of accusation to the Church may be established And they coming to the offender and acquaint him with the cause of their coming to bring him to the sight of his sinne which they understand is committed by him they first call upon the name of Christ to be present with them in this dutie according to his promise Mat. 18.19 20. where he hath said he will be present with any two or three that are met together in his name to aske of him for it is upon this occasion and this chiefly upon which the promise is made And the brother offended laieth open the offence before them and declareth how ill the labour of his love was accepted before and desireth their helpe to assist him in the conviction of the offender If they can prevaile with him to acknowledge his offence and to be humbled for it the soule of the offender is healed thanks are given to God and
Cor. 14.40 doth not authorize the Church nor any Church-governours to make lawes for the observation of such things as they shall account decent and orderly but onely provideth that all the ordinances of God whether prayer or prophesie or singing of Psalmes or tongues or interpretations be all of them done decently without uncomelinesse and orderly without confusion and that this place reacheth no further appeareth evidently from hence that if this place should give unto the Church or unto Church-governours authoritie to prescribe and command decent and orderly things at their owne discretion a man could not transgresse the Commandement of the Church but he should also transgresse the Commandement of the Apostle but the contrary is evident For suppose the Church or Church-governours should make an order that Ministers should alwayes preach in a gowne the thing is decent enough but neverthelesse if a man shall preach in a cloake he shall transgresse the order of the Church but not of the Apostle for he that preacheth in a cloake preacheth decently also which plainly argueth that such a commandement of the Church is not grounded upon the commandement of the Apostle SECT II. FIrst then when wee come together in the Church according to the Apostles direction 1 Tim. 2.1 wee make prayers and intercessions and thanksgivings for our selves and for all men not in any prescribed forme of prayer or studied Liturgie but in such a manner as the Spirit of grace and of prayer who teacheth all the people of God what and how to pray Rom. 8.26 27. helpeth our infirmities wee having respect therein to the necessities of the people the estate of the times and the worke of Christ in our hands After prayer either the Pastor or Teacher readeth a Chapter in the Bible and expoundeth it giving the sense to cause the people to understand the reading according to Neh. 8.8 And in sundry Churches the other whether Pastor or Teacher who expoundeth not he preacheth the Word and in the afternoone the other who preached in the morning doth usually if there be time reade and preach and he that expounded in the morning preacheth after him Before Sermon and many times after wee sing a Psalme and because the former translation of the Psalmes doth in many things vary from the originall and many times paraphraseth rather then translateth besides divers other defects which we cover in silence wee have endeavoured a new translation of the Psalmes into English meetre as neere the originall as wee could expresse it in our English tongue so farre as for the present the Lord hath been pleased to helpe us and those Psalmes wee sing both in our publick Churches and in private The seales of the Covenant to wit the Sacrament of Baptisme and the Lords Supper are administred either by the Pastor or by the Teacher and though with some godly learned Divines it be a question whether the Teacher may dispense the seales yet the question doth rather concerne Schoole-Doctors then the Teachers of a particular Church but wee who have onely the Teachers of particular Churches doe beleeve that they to whom the preaching or dispensing of the Gospel or Covenant of grace unto the Church is committed to them is committed also the dispensing of the seales of the Covenant but to the Teacher as well as to the Pastor is committed the dispensing of the Gospel the Covenant of grace unto the Church and therefore to him as well as to the other is committed the dispensing of the seales of the Covenant Both the Sacraments wee dispense according to the first institution Baptisme to Disciples and who are included in them their seed The Lords Supper to such as neither want knowledge nor grace to examine and judge themselves before the Lord. Such as lie under any offence publickly known doe first remove the offence before they present themselves to the Lords Table according to Mat. 5.23 24. The members of any Church if any be present who bring Letters testimoniall with them to our Churches wee admit them to the Lords Table with us and their children also if occasionally in their travell they be borne with us upon like recommendation wee admit to Baptisme The prayers wee use at the administration of the seales are not any set formes prescribed to us but conceived by the Minister according to the present occasion and the nature of the dutie in hand Ceremonies wee use none but are carefull to administer all things according to the primitive institutions The Father presenteth his owne childe to baptisme as being baptized by the right of his Covenant and not of the Covenant unto God-fathers god-mothers for there is no such covenant of God unto them and their god-sonnes and therefore we have no use of them but omit them in Baptisme as the Apostle cast out love-feasts from the Lords Supper being both of them alike superadditions to the Lords institutions 1 Cor. 11.23 24. The Lords Supper we administer for the time once a moneth at least and for the gesture to the people sitting according as Christ administred it to his Disciples sitting Mat. 26.20.26 who also made a Symbolicall use of it to teach the Church their majoritie over their Ministers in some cases and their judiciall authoritie as co-sessors with him at the last Judgement Luk. 22.27 to 30. which maketh us looke at kneeling at the Lords Supper not only as an adoration devised by man but also as a violation by man of the institution of Christ diminishing part of the Counsell of God and of the honour and comfort of the Church held forth in it In time of solemnization of the Supper the Minister having taken blessed and broken the bread and commanded all the people to take and eate it as the body of Christ broken for them he taketh it himselfe and giveth it to all that sit at Table with him and from the Table it is reached by the Deacons to the people sitting in the next seats about them the Minister sitting in his place at the Table After they have all partaked in the bread he taketh the cup in like manner and giveth thanks a new blesseth it according to the example of Christ in the Evangelist who describes the institution Mat. 26.27 Mark 14.23 Luk. 22.17 All of them in such a way as setteth forth the Elements not blessed together but either of them apart the bread first by it selfe and afterwards the wine by it selfe for what reason the Lord himselfe best knoweth and wee cannot be ignorant that a received solemne blessing expresly performed by himselfe doth apparently call upon the whole assembly to look againe for a supernaturall and speciall blessing in the same Element also as well as in the former for which the Lord will be againe sought to doe it for us After the celebration of the Supper a Psalme of thanksgiving is sung according to Mat. 26.30 and the Church dismissed with a blessing SECT III. IN the afternoone after publick prayer
whom onely the Church and the Covenant of grace unto them and their seed and the seales of the Covenant were granted Object If it be objected that all that were circumcised amongst the people of Israel might come and keepe the Passeover amongst them but wee here withhold the Lords Supper from them that are baptized Answ Our answer is they that were circumcised amongst the Israelites might rightly keepe the Passeover amongst them because the whole Nation of Israel made but one Church and the Officers or Ministers of any one Synagogue the Priests and Levites were Ministers in common to the whole house of Israel In proportion whereunto they that are baptized in any particular Church may in like sort require the Lords Supper in the same particular church where they are baptized if there be no other impediment in regard of their unfitnesse to examine themselves which is a thing requisite to the receiving of the Lords Supper more then was required to the receiving of the Passeover But now because the Churches of the new Testament are of another constitution none of them nationall as the Church of Israel was but all of them congregationall Baptisme in one Church doth not give a man right to the Lords Supper in another unlesse the Officers of one Church were the Officers of all as in Israel they were or unlesse that one Church and the Officers thereof did recommend their right and power to another 3. A third ground of our practise in this point is taken from the case of publick offence which we conceive ought to be removed from all such as are to partake together at the Lords Table so we deale with the members of our own Church and so wee deale with the members of neighbour Churches in this Countrey None of them are received unto the Lords Table with us whilest they lie under the guilt of any publick scandall before the face of the Church For it is our Saviours direction that if a man bring his gift to the Altar and there remembers that his brother hath ought against him he should there leave his gift and goe first to be reconciled to his brother and then come and offer his gift Mat. 5.23 24. If this be a rule for a mans owne private direction in case of private offences it will be a rule also for a whole Church to direct an offending brother to doe the like in case of a publick offence Wee doe therefore direct both the brethren of our own Church and of any other Church in this Countrey that if they present themselves to communion with us at the Lords Table they should first remove such publick offence as either themselves or the Church from whence they come doe lie under before the Lord and us ☜ that according to the figure in the law of the Passeover no leaven must be found amongst us when wee come to sit downe at the Lords Table together Now though wee rather choose to cover in silence and to mourne in secret for any corruptions found in other Churches especially in these so deare and neare unto us as the Churches of England be yet in this case faithfulnesse to God and them and the necessary defence of our own due proceedings here constraineth us to confesse sundry publick offences under which our English parish Churches lie and wherein our selves also were defiled whilest we lived in them and our Country-men are defiled that come over to us from them 1. It is a publick offence that they come over not as members of any particular visible Church for they leave that relation where they left their habitation but of a Nationall Church whereof Christ hath given us no patterne in the new Testament and in which he hath appointed no nationall Churches nor any nationall worship to be performed by them 2. It is a publick offence that though they were baptized in some parish Church in England upon some Covenant or stipulation of their parents or of some in their stead whom they call god-fathers which also was without warrant yet generally they have come to the Lords Table without any publick profession of their own faith or repentance or promise of performance of those Christian duties which their parents or others in their stead made for them which is an offence not onely contrary to the order of their owne Church expressed in the Rubrick before the Common Catechisme but also contrary to the word of God which receiveth none to the fellowship of the seales of the Covenant but such as professe their taking hold of the Covenant as hath been shewed before 3. It is a publick offence that in their parish Communion which not communion of spirit but co-habitation begetteth they partake with all ignorant and scandalous persons not excluding drunkards whoremongers prophane swearers covetous worldlings Atheists Papists and the like whereby it cometh to passe that not a little leaven but a great masse of leaven hath deeply leavened the whole lump 4. It is a publike offence that they have worshipped God according to the precepts and inventions of men both in prescript formes of Liturgie and Letanies and in such ceremonies as which though they be not ordained of God yet are publickly enjoyned as neither darke nor dull but apt to stirre up the dull mind of man to the remembrance of dutie to God by some notable and speciall signification by which he may be edified 5. It is a publick offence that they have yeelded voluntary subjection and obedience to such a forme of government in the Church as the Lord Jesus hath not appointed in his Word and have approved the same whether by subscription or by oath of Canonicall obedience or by conformitie to their usurpations and injunctions These or such like publick offences as wee have bewailed in our selves so farre as wee had any fellowship with them so wee have thought it needfull that our brethren also who came over to us should professe their repentance of the same at least in a positive acknowledgement of the contrary sincere wayes of the Gospel before they be received to Communion with us SECT VI. IF these grounds may suffice to justifie our non-admittance of all the Country-men promiscuously that come over to us to the fellowship of the Lords Table without further satisfaction the same also or some of them at least may suffice to justifie our non-admittance of their infants unto Baptisme Infants cannot claime right unto Baptisme but in the right of one of their parents or both where neither of the Parents can claime right to the Lords Supper there their infants cannot claime right to Baptisme And they cannot claime right to the Lords Supper if it be so that wee have not lawfull libertie to administer the Lords Supper to the Parents or to one of them at least either for our want of due power over them or through their want of Communion with the Church whereof the Sacrament is a seale or by reason of
a precise quotient a number of hundreds and thousands be not limited to every Church yet such a number is limited as falleth not below seven nor riseth above the bulke of one Congregation and such a Congregation wherein all may meete and all may heare and all may partake and all may be edified together SECT II. THey that desire to be added joyned to such a body they first make known their desires to the Elders of the Church who take triall of their knowledge in the principles of religion of their experience in the wayes of grace and of their godly conversation amongst men that if any of them be found ignorant and gracelesse or scandalous he may not be presently presented to the Church till these evils were removed The stones that were to be laid in Solomons Temple were squared and made ready before they were laid in the building neither iron nor ax nor any iron toole was heard in the house while it was a building 1 King 6.7 And wherefore so if not to hold forth that no members were to be received into the Church of Christ but such as were rough-hewen and squared and fitted to lie close and levell to Christ and to his members But when such as offer themselves are approved of the Elders they are propounded by one of the Ruling Elders to the Church with a motion to the brethren to make inquiry after them and if they shall heare of any just exceptions against them to give notice of it to one of the Elders But if no exception be heard of they are called forth before the Church after other holy duties are performed and each one maketh confession of his sinnes and profession of his faith In confession of his sinnes that it may appeare to be a penitent confession he declareth also the grace of God to his soule drawing him out of his sinfull estate into fellowship with Christ In the profession of his faith he declareth not onely his good knowledge of the principles of Religion but also his professed subjection to the Gospel of Christ with his desire of walking therein with the fellowship of that Church Now before or after such his profession or confession those of the brethren of the Church who are of his acquaintance doe give some good testimony if need be of his life and conversation either according to their owne knowledge of him or according to the credible reports or letters which they have received concerning him which done the Ruling Elder or one of the Preaching Elders propoundeth it to the Church whether from all that they have heard and seene they finde any just exception against him if so it is cleared and removed before any further proceedings if no just exception appeare the Ruling Elder then moveth the Church to expresse their acceptance of him into fellowship with them by lifting up their hands Which done and the like course taken with two or three more as the time will permit the Elder propoundeth to them the heads of the Covenant which the Lord hath made with his Church what promises of grace he hath made to them as also what duties of faith and obedience he doth require of them As to take the Lord Jesus for their onely Priest and Atonement their onely Prophet and guide their onely King and Law-giver and to walke in professed subjection unto all his holy Ordinances as also to walk in brotherly love with the brethren of this Church unto mutuall edification and succour according to the rule of the Gospel And the new received members acknowledging this to be their dutie and professing their consent unto it in the name of Christ the Elder doth further acquaint them with what duties of holy watchfulnesse over them they may expect from the Church and so shutteth up his worke with some short prayer unto the Lord who keepeth covenant and mercy with thousands of his people to make us all faithfull to him and one to another according to the rules of his holy Gospel in Christ Jesus the Mediator and suretie of his Covenant between the Lord and his people SECT III. NOw what offence is there in all this or what scruple may arise in a godly minde against these things Two or three things seeme herein offensive but are not First That wee require gracious qualifications in such as we receive to Church-fellowship whereas the visible Church is said to consist of all sorts good and bad and to be a garner containing chaffe and wheate as a field wherein wheate and tares grow up together Secondly That we receive such into the Church by a covenant Thirdly That we communicate too much power unto the people and doe not rather referre all power in this case into the hands of the Elders To give therefore some account of these as the Lord shall assist For the first though wee willingly admit all commers to the hearing of the Word with us as the Corinthians admitted Infidels 1 Cor. 14.24 25. yet wee receive none as members into the Church but such as according to the judgement of charitable Christians may be conceived to be received of God into fellowship with Christ the head of the Church Our Reasons be First From the neare relation between Christ Jesus and the Church as also between the Church and the other persons in the Trinitie the Lord Jesus is the head of the Church even of the visible Church and the visible Church is the body of Christ Jesus 1 Cor. 12.27 The visible Church is said to be the habitation of God by the Spirit Eph. 2.22 to be the Temple of the holy Ghost and the Spirit of God to dwell in them 1 Cor. 3.16 17. to be Espoused to Christ as a chaste Virgin 2 Cor. 11.2 The members of the visible Church are said to be the sonnes and daughters of the Lord God Almightie 2 Cor. 6.18 and are exhorted to be followers of him as deare children Eph. 4.1 Now how can the visible Church be the members of the body or the Spouse of Christ or the Temple of the Holy Ghost or the sonnes and daughters of the heavenly Father except the members in charitable discretion be as indeed the holy Ghost describeth them to be Saints by calling 1 Cor. 1.2 and faithfull brethren Gal. 1.2 and that not onely by externall profession for these are too high stiles for hypocrites but in some measure of sinceritie and truth Secondly We reade Act. 2.47 that the Lord added to the Church daily such as should be saved and how then shall wee adde to the Church such as God addeth not such as have no shew of any saving worke upon them to any spirituall discerning ought not the Lords Stewards to be faithfull in Gods house and to doe nothing therein but as they see the Lord goe before them receiving whom he receiveth and refusing whom he refuseth casting out whom he casteth out Doth not the Apostle Paul upon this ground direct the Romanes to receive a
the whole body of them could not doe but by deputing some eminent persons amongst them to the performance thereof But after they be furnished with Elders a Presbytery of their owne let Imposition of hands be given by them according to 1 Tim. 4.14 to such as for the future shall be ordained 6. For the making up of a Presbytery in stead of Parson and Vicar wherewith some Congregations are endowed let them choose Pastors and Teachers and Ruling Elders in stead of those who crept into their roome viz. the Church-wardens and Sidesmen But let them choose and ordaine them in a day of humiliation according to Acts 14.23 and not for a yeare onely but during life and let the Presbyteries of all neighbour Churches take all opportunities to make use one of another for brotherly consultation but not for Jurisdiction and Authoritie one over another And in stead of Collectors or Overseers for the poore who crept into the roome of Deacons let Deacons be chosen as hath been shewed above but not as members of the Presbytery 7. For set forms of prayer or prescript Liturgies let them not be enjoyned unto the Ministers of the Churches but let the Ministers as well give up themselves wholly unto prayer as to the Ministery of the Word Act. 6.4 8. Baptisme may orderly be administred to the children of such parents as have professed their faith and repentance before the Church as above Or where either of the parents have made such profession or it may be considered also whether the children may not be baptized where either the grand-father or grand-mother have made such profession and are still living to undertake for the Christian education of the childe for it may be conceived where there is a stipulation of the Covenant on Gods part and a restistipulation on mans part there may be an obligation of the Covenant on both parts Gen. 17.7 Or if these faile what hindereth but that if the parents will resigne their infant to be educated in the house of any godly member of the Church the childe may be lawfully baptized in the right of its houshold Governour according to the proportion of the law Gen. 17.12 13. 9. Let the Lords Supper be administred onely to such as have so professed their faith and repentance publickly and are received approved members of the Church endued with sufficient knowledge to examine themselves and to discerne the Lords body free from scandall and of good conversation 10. Let Officers in the Church be redressed and removed not by presentments to Officers of other Churches but according to the order of the Gospel described above Chap. 5. sect 1 2 3. 11. Where the Ministers of the Congregation are ignorant or scandalous meet it is that they were removed and better chosen in their roome by the people according to the counsell direction of the godly Ministers and brethren of neighbour Churches Hos 4.6 12. Where the people in a Congregation are generally ignorant and profane it were necessary godly Preachers were sent forth with countenance from the King and State to preach unto them till they were brought on to knowledge and to some measure of gracious reformation Thus Jehosaphat sent forth Priests and Levites to teach in the Cities of Judah and certaine Princes and Nobles with them to countenance the good worke in their hands 2 Chron. 17.7 8 9. 13. Till the people be in some sort duly prepared and growne up to some measure of knowledge and grace it were neither meet to receive them to a renewing of their Covenant formerly made at their Baptisme or to the seales of it But after they have been wrought upon by the Ministery of the Word to lament after the Lord as the Israelites did when the Arke had been long absent from them 1 Sam. 7.29 then let them proceed as other godly Christians were directed to doe Propos 2 3 c. for renewing of their Covenant for choice of their Ministers and Officers and for Communication in all the liberties of the Church of God 14. For the helpe of the Universities of the whole Kingdome and of all the Churches in it it were necessary that some experienced godly learned Nobles and Ministers were deputed to visite and reforme the Universities That subscriptions to Ceremonies and prescript Liturgies were removed That degrees in Divinitie were not abused unto qualifications for pluralities and non-residency nor allowed in the Ministers of Churches to put a difference between brethren of the same calling whence Christ hath removed it Mat. 23.8 9 10. The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there mentioned is not to be translated Master for it is a Title common to all Ministers but Doctors and the Academicall title of Doctors is fitter for Masters of Colledges Readers in the Schooles then for Church-officers Here also speciall care would be taken for setting up of such Preachers in both the Universities as whose spirit and gift and Ministery might be examplary patterns to young Students 15. For the effectuall and orderly expedition and transaction of all these things it were requisite that as King Jehosaphat did so the King and State should depute some choice persons to doe the same to wit to goe throughout all the Kingdome to see the people returned and all the Churches restored to a true state and course of Reformation 2 Chron. 19.4 All which things are humbly presented by us not as if we would undertake to give Counsell to them that are wiser then our selves much lesse Injunctions But as Subjects who desire to approve our faithfull service to the Lord and our King and Countrey hold them forth as true Consectaries from the Rules of the Gospel which should rule us all FINIS An Alphabeticall Table containing the principall things handled in this Treatise A OF Addition of members to the Church page 52. chap. 3. Sect. 1. Sect. 2. Of communion of Churches by way of Admonition pag. 108. Sect. 6. The Antiquity of the Church way intimated in the Bishops Common-prayer book p. 12 Of disclaiming Advocations by Patrons to livings p. 113. Sect. 2. B Whether all Baptized are fit for Church-fellowship p. 9 Why by the same reason that beleevers children circumcised were admitted to the Passeover now they are baptized may not be admitted to the Lords Supper p. 9 All Baptized by vertue thereof are not members of a particular visible Church p. 9. No place in Scripture for succession of Diocesan Bishops after the Apostles p. 46. Sect. 8. p. 49. Sect. 9. Whether unbeleevers giving up their infant to be educated in the house of a godly member of a Church it may not according to Gen. 17.12 13. be Baptized in the right of that houshold p. 115 C. The part of all true Christians to joyne themselves into some particular visible Church p. 2. Joyning into a particular visible Church cannot be but by Covenant p. 2. 3. 4 c. Particular visible Churches to be gathered must have the concurrence of