thought the most innocent is To divert and pass away the Time But O consider what a sad thing it is to drive away that Time which flies away too fast Consider that your whole Life if you were sure of its duration is but a short time for to fit and prepare your Soul for an Eternity in which if you should miscarry you are for ever Wretched and Miserable That Word Pastime is a Word of the Devil 's making the Holy Scripture says the direct contrary Redeem the Time Consider the difficulty of the Work you are to do and then you will think the Time but too little You are to become a New Creature throughout changed in every respect from your present vain Conversation Your Immortal Spirit came pure out of God's Hand you have here polluted it by the Vanities of the World which are at Enmity with God you must return it to Him either Innocent which is impossible or wash'd with the Tears of Repentance which Repentance does consist in a Change of your present Course and a Turning to God So that your Will must be first chang'd before you can be accepted of Him You are therefore to be renewed in the Spirit of your Mind to mortifie and subdue all those Lusts and Affections you now so study to please you are to root out that Revenge which you Now think so justifiable upon an Affront and to take up that Meekness which you Now so much contemn for Cowardice in others you are to break off that pursuit which you Now make after Riches and instead of being so careful for the Morrow you are in the sober Use of proper Means to cast all your Care upon God to put your whole Trust and Confidence in his Providence and in all your Undertakings contentedly leave the Issue to Him You are to endeavour the Change of your whole Nature to rejoyce in Tribulation which is Now so grievous to distribute liberally the Wealth you Now hoard up to mortifie and keep under the Flesh you Now pamper to merit by well-doing the Hatred of the World whose Applause you Now so much seek to contemn all those Pleasures in which you Now consume your Time and when you have done all this and a great deal more there is yet a bitter Cup of Repentance behind for all those sinful Thoughts Words and Actions which through Frailty or Wilfulness you have through the Strength of your corrupt Nature been drawn into and also for those Numberless Sins of Omission which so few think of This Work of Repentance is so much the Duty of our Lives that it is the very Condition of our Salvation for by it only is Christ's Redemption apply'd to us that is He has by his Death made our Repentance available for the Pardon of our Sins How inexcusable then are we who thus have by God's Grace the Means put into our Hands of qualifying our selves for the Pardon of our Sins and consequently for Eternal Happiness if we shall fool away that Time in which this great Work must be done and then think to set about it when Time shall be no more when all Means of Reconciling our selves to our offended God shall be removed far from us What Multitudes are there now in Hell who sought for Pastime in their Youth and thought to Repent when they grew Old Wo be to them that are with Child in those days when the Days of Tribulation are come upon them that conceive good Resolutions but the Days of Darkness overtake them before they bring forth any thing Consider this therefore ye that forget God lest he pluck you away and there be none to deliver you If you stop your Ear now to his Call and even This is one of his Calls and are resolved to Enjoy the Pleasures of Sin which are but for a Season a very short Season the Time will come when you will call and cry and then He will not hear but then He will laugh at your Calamity and mock when your Fear cometh Would you then escape the Terrors of that dismal Day that Great and Terrible Day of the Lord the Doom of which shall last to all Eternity Be instant in Prayer to God for his Assistance to work that Change in you which I before-mentioned and then set about it your self with the utmost Diligence lose no Time but Flee for thy Life as the Angel said to LOT and look not behind thee Work out your Salvation to Day while it is called to Day before the Night comes when no Man can work for unless you do beget in your Mind a Love to Heavenly things while you are here and which cannot be done all of a sudden Heaven will not be Heaven to you when you come there You will not you cannot then relish what you have been so unacquainted withall and the contrary to which you have been all along so used to and delighted with Now one of the best Means to do all this is To avoid evil Conversation and to seek for Good for as I said before the Nature of Man requires Conversation and Society And in a Christian State he that will travel alone in the Way to Heaven because it is narrow will often want a hand to lift him out of the Mire of Temptation a Companion to support him in the Storm of Persecution and even a Guide to admonish him to avoid the ruggid and rocky Ways of Imprudent Zeal and to help him out of the Thorny Paths of a Scrupulous and Doubting Conscience to all which a Christian Conversation is the greatest Help in this World Christian Society is like a Bundle of Sticks laid together one kindles another and that First even by Example To see an Injured Christian Meek a Rich one Charitable a Great one Humble a Mean and Ignorant one Obedient and Thankful for Instruction an Infirm and Sickly one Thirsting after Heaven and looking down with Pity on the Vanities of this World a Christian can hardly be in such Company without Edifying his Soul thereby Art thou Dejected through Losses or Disappointments in thy Fortune Lo here another much Poorer than thou yet giving God Thanks for his Bounty to him Art thou Tempted by Lust Lo here another Christian Lustier and Stronger who yet by Mortification and Self-denial by Fasting and Prayer keeps his Soul and Body Pure and the Fit Temple of the Holy Ghost Art thou grovelling in the World and eating the Bread of Carefulness Lo here a Heavenly-minded Christian having nothing and yet possessing all things that can say I know how to abound and to be in want yea I count all things but Dung that I may gain Christ. But though this be a great Benefit of Christian Conversation for our Example thus to see in the same Person the Christian Mixtures of Greatness and Humility of Suffering and Meekness of Poverty and Contentedness of Knowledge and Modesty of Pain and Patience which nothing could unite but that which will make the Lamb
observe the Lord's Day to sanctifie it and not to neglect if in Health the Publick Ordinances of the Church and not to walk in Publick Walks or Places where much People go tho' he be in good Company to avoid the giving of Scandal to good Christians and encouraging the Wicked in their Ways 2. To receive the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper frequently and to attend the publick Service and Worship of Almighty God on Week-days as often as Conveniency will permit 3. To watch strictly that by no means any Action of our Lives nor yet any of our Words may bring any Scandal on the Holy Religion we profess being Just in all our Dealings And each Member shall encourage in their respective Families and Stations all manner of Religious Family Duties 4. That every one endeavour to keep his Soul in an habitual Frame of Prayer by setting the Lord always before his Face and by making Spiritual Reflections upon every Occurrence of Providence 5. That we do not wound our Conscience by a servile Compliance in wicked Company but rather to reprove them bearing Testimony to the Gospel of Christ as far as Conscience and Prudence do then permit us to do and yet to shun all manner of Affectation and Moroseness and be of a civil and obliging Deportment to all Men. 6. To avoid all wicked Company when we have not a lawful Call and to abstain altogether from Play-Houses and Gaming-Houses and from Ale-Houses or Taverns except when doing of Business does require and to arm our selves diligently against Excess upon any such Occasions 7. To discountenance as much as may be any Discourse being divulg'd whereby any Prejudice may arise to any Member of this or any other Society or any other Person whatsoever And to take special Care to avoid entring at any time into any manner of Disputes whether about Religion or Government or other Matters as being that which does insensibly betray to Passion 8. To pray for the Society in our private Prayers that God would preserve them especially from Hypocrisie and Spiritual Pride which is the Worm at the Root that will blast all and that we be helpful one to another 9. To exercise Mortification and Self-denial and to keep a Monthly Fast if Conveniency will admit or Necessity require at least to abstain from some Meals sometimes which will much conduce to bring the Body into Subjection to the Soul 10. That we endeavour that all our Discourse may be for the use of Edifying and to minister Grace unto the Hearers we will diligently apply our selves to the Reading the Holy Scriptures and particularly such parts as are most fitted to our Capacities and Information such as amongst many others is St. Matthew 5 6 7. Romans 12. Ephesians 5 6. 1 Thess 5. 11. That every one think it his indispensible Duty to take care of one anothers Soul and not to suffer Sin to lie upon our Brother and therefore if any Member by long absenting himself from the Meeting without known cause does give just Occasion to suspect him of too much indifference that then no Person shall think himself excus'd from the Obligation of striving to reclaim him unless there be some fit Person or Persons pitch'd upon by the Society to go and do that Charitable Office if there may be hope of his Recovery 12. That we often consider with an awful Dread of God's Wrath the sad height to which the Sins of many are advanced in this our Nation and the bleeding Divisions thereof in Church and State and that every Member be ready to do what upon consulting with each other shall be thought advisable towards the Punishment of publick Prophaneness according as the good Laws of our Land require to be put in Execution and in pursuant of the King's Order and Proclamation 13. To beware of rashly-Judging or Censuring others who do not so much frequent Holy Duties as our selves or upon any other account to express due Christian Charity to those of good Conversation thoâ— they dissent from us And to examine our selves every Night that our Repentance may be sincere always evidenced by good Works 14. If any Member of the Society be Sick we do not forget to visit him and others where we see it may be convenient that we may comfort each other in this to a better Life 15. Lastly That the Major-part of this Society may make what Alteration they shall think Necessary in these RULES which done they shall oblige each Member of this Society to performance subscribing his Name hereunto thereby to declare his Approbation of and his Resolution and Endeavour to live up to them Shorter Practical RULES to be read at every Meeting when there is not time for the longer and fit for every Member to get by heart I. THat God's Glory be the end of all our Actions 1 Cor. 10. 31. II. That we Worship Him in Spirit and in Truth John 4. 24. III. That we love God above all things and our Neighbours as our selves Mark 12. 30 31. IV. That we endeavour to make the Word of God the Rule of all our Actions Psal 191. 9. 105. John 5. 39. Rom. 15. 4. V. That we keep the Lord's-Day Holy Exod. 20. 8. Isa 58. 13. VI. That we stir up and exercise the Grace God hath given us in going on from Virtue to Virtue 2 Tim. 1. 5. 2 Pet. 1. 5 6 7 8. 1 Thess 3. 12. VII That we Pray Frequently Fervent Holy and Persevering 1 Thess 5. 17. Luke 18. VIII To be Just in all our Dealings Matt. 7. 12. Luke 6. 31. IX To receive the Holy Sacrament frequently 1 Cor. 11. 26. Luke 22. 19. X. To have Poverty of Spirit Meekness and Humility Matt. 5. 3 5. Luke 14. 10. XI To watch against Censuring our Neighbours Col. 3. 14. 1 Tim. 1. 5. XII To use our selves to holy Thoughts in all Places Eph. 2. 5. Jer. 23. 23 24. Heb. 4. 13. Psal 139. 23. XIII To examine our selves every Night Psal 4. 4. 2 Cor. 13. 5. XIV To be helpful one to another Cor. 12. 27. XV. To Pray one for another Jam. 5. 15 16. XVI To exercise Tenderness and Compassion to all Men 1 Thess 5. 15. XVII To shun all Occasions of Evil 1 Thess 5. 22. 2 Tim. 2. 9. XVIII To subdue the Body by Fasting Matt. 6. 16. Luke 2. 32 Act. 13. 2 3. XIX To make holy Reflections on our selves when we read the Bible or hear the Word of God James 1. 22 23 24. XX. To endeavour to give no Scandal to the Holy Religion we profess Mat. 18. 7. 1 Cor. 10. 32. XXI To avoid uncomely Jestings and foolish Talking Eph. 5. 4 25. Col. 4. 5. XXII To Judge none that do not so much frequent Holy Duties as our selves Matt. 7. 1. Rom. 14. 13. XXIII Lastly That we all endeavour to encourage pious Discourse and constant Meetings in our Societies as well as enlarge it with suitable Members Mal. 3. 16 17. Col. 6. 9. Heb. 10. 25. James 5. 20. A Friendly Discourse concerning Prophane Cursing and Swearing Wherein is shewed the Heinousness of those Sins and the Necessity of private Persons giving Information to the Magistrates Price Stitch'd Two Pence Sold at the same Place
and the young Lion to lie down together yet the Hearing of the Ear in this is yet of more Benefit than the Seeing with the Eye Indeed the silent Arguments of Example work even upon the Natural Man but Discourse edifies more the Christian by Grace for Faith comes by Hearing And therefore in the Second place one Christian kindles another by Consolation Counsel Admonition Instruction and Reproof which though it be every ones Duty to do yet none performs it but the true Christian he who has a greater Love for other Mens Souls than for their Favour or Esteem For want of the Discharge of this one Duty alone How many Thousand well-disposed Persons are utterly lost who cannot of themselves see the Sin that does so easily beset them Witness David who could not see whilst himself was Party and lived near a Year insensibly under the Guilt of Murther and Adultery Certainly Miserable is the Man that has no such Friend and none can be such a Friend but the Christian for he that does not cast the Beam out of his own Eye before he pretends to take the Mote out of his Neighbours his Reproof will be taken for Envy or ill Nature and so will Exasperate rather than Melt But Thirdly this Christian Conversation might be yet more highly improv'd and render'd much more beneficial to our Souls if we would in conversing together so seriously consider the the Graces we want and the Blessings we injoy as by God's Ordinances of Prayer and Praise and the Reading of his Word to bring Christ into our Company to have Him in the midst of us O how happy would that Meeting be and even this we have his sure Word of Promise for then would our Meetings be every Day for the Better to us and we should rejoyce to come often together and even injoy that Communion of Saints which we hope to be of in Heaven A Zeal for God's Glory a Thirst for his Ordinances a tender Love and Pity to the Souls of Men and a Strictness of Life would then insensibly grow upon us so that we should be habitually prepared for all Holy Duties for the Blessed Sacrament of the Lord's-Supper and even for a sudden Departure out of this World if it should please God so to call us hence and might hope to be reckoned of the Number of those of whom the Prophet Malachi speaks saying Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another and the Lord hearkened and heard it and a Book of Remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and thought upon his Name And they shall be mine saith the Lord of Hosts in that day when I make up my Jewels and I will spare them as a Man spareth his own Son that serveth him I know there are those that would count you Troublesome and Busie-bodies to give them Advice or to pretend to concern your selves about their Souls but however let not this discourage you for of those you give Advice to or admonish if but One in Twenty hears you seriously you have no reason to repent the Loss of your Labour in all the rest Nay if even that it self should not happen yet for Religion's sake you should not hold your Peace for Shall Men be Impudent in the Devil's Service and shall we be Ashamed to own God's Is the Great God and our Maker become so inconsiderable in our Esteem that we dare not stand by Him when Men dare stand up for their Vices Is Eternal Salvation so indifferent a thing that we should be unconcerned for it Do we see the Vices of the Age Growing and Spreading and shall not we stand in Opposition to them Therefore since one teaches another Vice let us teach each other Virtue since one guides another to Hell let us help one another forward in the Way to Heaven and as they make one another Prophane let us teach one another Righteousness in all our Conversation and Friendly Societies and let us incourage others to do the same by our Advice and Example that Religion may once more become a general Practice that our Churches may be fuller and the Publick Prayers more frequented by all that are true Members thereof and those that name the Name of Christ may depart from Iniquity For if it be Charity to direct the Blind in his Way or when we see our Neighbour in danger of being Robbed or his House in danger of being Burnt if to run and help him is Charity then certainly it is greater Charity to instruct the Ignorant by shewing them the right way to Salvation And therefore if you see your Christian Brother your Neighbour or Fellow-Servant in danger of being Ruin'd by keeping ill Company or their Souls in danger of Hell-Fire by Prophaning the Lord's-Day by Neglecting his Laws and Forsaking his Commandments to help such by Godly Advice and Admonition is a great Deed of Charity nay it is your Duty too for thus saith the Lord Levit. 19. 17. Thou shalt not hate thy Brother in thy Heart Thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy Neighbour and not suffer Sin upon him Be not Guilty then of this great Crime upon any Pretence whatsoever But Exhort one another daily while it is called to day lest any of you be hardened through the Deceitfulness of Sin knowing that he that converteth a Sinner from the Error of his Ways shall save a Soul from Death and shall cover a multitude of Sins All the Texts almost of the Holy Scripture point to this Duty either by Exhorting or Commanding us to set about this Necessary Work first to lead good Lives our selves and then to incourage others to do the same I do not exhort you to Controversie nor to meddle much with those of another Persuasion for that is the Minister's Work but this is your One thing needful to meddle with those that own the same Church and profess the same Faith and yet act contrary to it in their Lives and Conversations Put these in mind of their Baptismal Vow How they then promised to renounce the World the Flesh and the Devil and yet do live within the Embraces of them all Ask them How they dare blame others for their Unbelief while they live like Atheists themselves How they dare condemn others for separating from the Church when their own Lives and Conversations are quite contrary to the Holy Doctrines thereof How they dare reproach others for want of Seriousness when they live loose Lives themselves and are so far from Remembring their Creator in the Days of their Youth that they forget Him and his Laws all their Days But intreat them to take the Wise Man's Counsel That they make no tarrying to turn to the Lord and put it not off from day to day Put them in mind of the great Benefit of a Holy Life and early Piety and what a Pleasure it will be when they come to die to look back upon a well-spent Life and be able to say
to advance in Charity toward their Neighbours to grow Eminent in the Love of God to keep Holy the Lord's-Day to honour his Name and obey his Laws Put them in mind to come to the Publick Prayers of the Church and tell them that in the Publick Solemnities God opens his Treasures and pours out his Grace more abundantly upon them Private Devotions and the secret Offices of Religion are like the Refreshing of a Garden with the distilling and petty Drops of a Water-Pot but the Returns to Addresses made in the Temple and Services offer'd up in the publick Communion of Saints is like Rain from Heaven Advise them to behave themselves decently in the House of God for to be rude and talking to laugh and gaze about or to do any Indecency in that Place is to affront the Almighty to his very Face And for their more devout Behaviour in the Church recommend to them to read Dr. Comber's Companion to the Temple and another thing put them in mind of not to repeat the Absolution for that is to be pronounced by the Priest alone and this I urge because I have observ'd some saying the Absolution along after the Priest as if we could pardon our selves nor to repeat the Commandments in the Church but we ought to hearken to them with Reverence as if they were then spoken from God neither should they repeat any of the Prayers with an audible Voice except the Lord's-Prayer and the Responses because they give great Disturbance to others in their Devotions And I would particularly recommend to every one to buy and acquaint themselves with the Thirty Nine Articles of the Church of England that they may lay a good Foundation and have solid Principles to go by I am afraid that some that think very well of themselves do not rightly understand the Principles of their Religion These Articles are as Sea-Marks to shew what Rocks and Sands you are to avoid and by being well acquainted with them you will be able to give a good Account of the Doctrinal Part of our Religion and this is an excellent Foundation to build the Practical Part upon And of all things let me warn you that you do not in any Religious Conversation or Society or elsewhere say or do any thing to the Disparagement of the Ministry of the Church of England but ever preserve a due Respect for that Order In all greater Difficulties resort to them and pay them that Obedience and Honour which the Holy Ghost requires of you And though there may be some bad Men among them yet learn to distinguish the Order from the Defects that cleave to some of them and for all the ill Lives or Weakness of some do not condemn the rest nor erect your selves into Teachers but with great Humility edifie and encourage one another in Duties and Virtues which belong to all Christians Pride Self-conceitedness will ruine your Religion and if Order and Decency be not preserved your Meeting will become a Riot not a Christian Society Nothing will adorn your Piety more than a due Submission to your Pastors and those that would entice you to despise Them are certainly not your Friends but Enemies Therefore take the Apostle's Advice Heb. 13. 17. Obey them that have the Rule over you and submit your selves for they watch for your Souls as they that must give account that they may do it with Joy and not with Grief for that is unprofitable for you AND now in the last This following Part being took out of a private Letter a friend of mine designed for his Brother I thought it might not be amiss to recommend it to you here place there is one thing more that I would particularly recommend to you that are Masters of Families which is this That you would make Conscience of going to Prayer with your Families at least once or twice a day a Duty I think we may trace from our Father Adam for he was no sooner fallen from his Innocence and a Happy State but was sensible God was Angry with him and he thought it necessary to implore the Offended Deity by Prayer and Invocation by Sorrow and Repentance Offerings and Sacrifices and instructs his Children in the Knowledge of Divine things and maintains Religion and the Worship of God in his Family For we find Cain and Abel bringing their Oblations and Seth and Enos called upon the Name of the Lord and Enoch and Noah walked with God Gen. 4. 4. 5. 26. Gen. 6. 9. It cannot be doubted but that the Holy Patriarchs were careful in this Duty as appears by that Character God gave of Abraham in Gen. 18. 19. I know him that he will command his Children and his Houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord to do Justice and Judgment to which they joyned Prayers and Praises as a necessary Duty And David saith Morning and Evening and at Noon will I Pray and you know Joshua's Resolution in this Duty but as for me and my House we will serve the Lord Joshua 24. 15. These Men did not comply with the sinful Neglect of the Times And indeed it 's no thanks to be Religious or go to Prayer with your Family when it is the Humour and Fashion of the Times for then you would be asham'd to neglect it by reason others do it The greatest Trial is as it was with Noah when we live in the midst of a corrupt Generation for it is the Crown of Vertue to be Good when there are all manner of Temptations to the contrary when the greatest part of Men go the other way when Vertue and Honesty are laugh'd at and censur'd as an over-wise and affected Singularity Thus it was with Noah he contended with the Vices of the Age and dared to own God and Religion in his Family when almost all Mankind besides himself and his Family had rejected and thrown it off And although Masters of Families are so careless of this Duty now it 's grown out of Fashion yet it is a Duty still The Primitive Christians did Pray with their Families three times a Day and looked on 't as a great Sin to omit it and What can we expect from you who do not care to Worship God at all Our bare being of the Christian Religion or calling our selves Members of the Church of England will avail but little without this Duty and our Saviour hath intimated so much unto us in the Lord's-Prayer by teaching us to Pray for our Daily Bread and I need not tell you that you have Daily Wants to be supply'd Wants for your selves and Wants for your Children and Servants Have you not Daily Infirmities both in your Self and Family to be healed Are you not Daily subject to Dangers and Temptations And do you not Daily Sin against God And is it not necessary then that you Daily Pray unto God for the Supply of all your Wants for the Healing of all your Infirmities for the Preventing
in our Generations and how far we have sought his Glory and although I have only insisted upon your going to Prayers with your Family yet that is not all you are to do only I am in hopes if you would perform that you could not easily neglect the other Duties such as Reading the Word of God Singing of Psalms Catechising and Instructing your Children and Servants in True Christian Virtues and showing them their Duty to God and Man to see if they thrive in Grace or make Conscience of their Duty to God as well as to your Self For I fear we shall have but little assurance of our own Salvation except we endeavour the Reformation of our whole House so far as lieth in our power The mark of Abraham's Goodness was That he would command his Children and his Houshold after him And David in the 101st Psalm declares his Resolution to this Duty And Good Men in all Ages have carefully performed it and the Primitive Christians were very strict in it And can we think to go to Heaven a nearer way when our Saviour hath commanded all Men to perform it The Scripture condemns all those that neglect it for if we be asham'd to own Christ in our Families and deny the Worship and Service that is due to Him here He will deny us before his Father and all his Saints and Angels at the last Day and then How sad will our Condition be But I hope Dear Brother I may take it for granted that you will neglect it no longer For consider how great satisfaction it will be to you when you come to Die that you have laid up a good Foundation for the time to come a Treasure that no Devil can rob you of a good Conscience then that you have discharged your Duty will go further than Purses of Gold O the Pleasure of looking back upon a well-spent Life in God's Service and Reforming our Families to the best of our Powers Methinks I see how charming it makes Death and how it doth support us in our Sickness arms us to bear the Pangs of Death through the Merits of Christ and makes us die with Joy with Hope with Comfort and Salvation Therefore let me intreat you once more to take up that brave Resolution of the Prophet Joshua But as for me and my House we will Serve the Lord. And in the last place let me advise you in the words of St. James chap. 5. v. 13. Is any among you Afflicted let him Pray Is any Merry let him sing Psalms And avoid all vicious and prophane Songs which corrupt the Mind Singing nothing but Psalms Hymns and Divine Songs which will raise the Mind to a Heavenly Frame a Duty so practis'd by the Christians of old that St. Hierom relates of the Place where he Lived That you could not go into the Field but you might hear the Ploughman at his Hallalujahs the Mower at his Hymns and the Vine-Dresser Singing David ' s Psalms So careful were they to follow the Apostle's Advice in Ephes 5. 19. with which I shall conclude Speaking to your selves in Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs Singing and making Melody in your Hearts to the Lord. And That you may be Stedfast Vnmovable always abounding in the Works of the LORD Is the Hearty Prayer of Your Loving Brother S. W. THE RULES AND ORDERS OF A SOCIETY I. THat the sole Design of this Society being to promote real Holiness of Heart and Life it is absolutely necessary That no Person should be admitted into this Society as a Member but such as are well known to some of the Society as to their Lives and Conversations and that they are of the Church of England as now Establisht and that they are frequent Communicants of the Lord's-Supper and such as do endeavour to make themselves Wise unto Salvation II. Every Member shall meet if he can conveniently about Six of the Clock at the Place of Meeting one Night in every Week in order to incourage each other in Practical Holiness III. That at these Meetings no Person shall discourse of State-Affairs nor in the way of Trade nor any hot Controversial points in Religion or Government but that the whole drift of our Discourse be to glorifie God and edifie one another in Love IV. There shall be Two Stewards chosen by the majority of Voices once every Year or oftner who shall receive all Weekly Contributions and other Charities which shall come to the Disposal of this Society And that on the Day of their going out they shall give an Account of their Receivings and Disbursements and pay in the Overplus to their Successours and no Money shall be paid by them to any Charitable Uses or others but what shall be first approved and agreed upon by the Society at a Meeting And each Member shall give at their Entrance and a Register shall be kept of Receipts and Distributions V. Every Member of this Society shall pay a Week towards the Charge of our Meeting in Chamber-Rent Candles c. and for Charitable Uses if there be any Overplus and Spiritual Charity is the rather to be recommended VI. If any Person of this Society shall fall into any scandalous Sin that the Society having well inform'd themselves thereof shall exclude him from any further Assembling with them till he shall give publick Testimony of his Repentance VII At Whitsontide or Christmas there stall be a small Love-Feast by the Consent of the whole or major-part of the Society with few Varieties and at an easie Charge to be defrayed by every Members contributing proportionably VIII That if the major-part thinks proper the Minister of the Parish for the time being shall be President of this Society IX At their Meeting they shall observe this Method Assoon as some of the Members are come if the Stewards or either of them be there he shall take the Holy Bible and after saying the Prayer for the second Sunday in Advent shall read a Chapter after which any one that thinks fit may discourse thereon either by Explaining for the Edification of others or by asking Questions for his own Information or discoursing of any other Spiritual matter all things being done decently and in order After which he shall sing a Psalm and then one of the Stewards or any other at their request shall begin Prayers beginning with the Confession the Lord's-Prayer with the Collects that follow it and a Thanksgiving after Prayers and so conclude with a Psalm and a Collect and then the Stewards or one of them shall call over the Names and receive the Contributions and about 8 of the Clock all the Business being dispatch'd one of the Stewards shall read over these Practical Rules and the whole at least Four times every Year Practical RULES to be observed by every Member and read at every Meeting after Prayers when the Names are called over 1. EVery Member of this Society shall heartily endeavour through God's Grace strictly to