Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	according_a	church_n	word_n	2,678	5	4.0797	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A55001	A Platform of church discipline gathered out of the Word of God, and agreed upon by the elders, and messengers of the Churches, assembled in the Synod at Cambridge in New England, to be presented to the churches and Generall Court for their consideration and acceptance in the Lord, the eighth moneth, anno 1649.	Mather, Richard, 1596-1669.	1649 (1649)	Wing P2396; ESTC W2574	37,140	44

place that the unworthy may be duely proceeded against by the Church to whom this matter doth appertaine CHAP XV Of the cōmunion of Churches one with another ALthough Churches be distinct therfore may not be confoūded one with another equall therfore have not dominion one over another yet all the churches ought to preserve Church-communion one with another because they are all united unto Christ not only as a mysticall but as a politicall head whence is derived a communion suitable therunto 2 The communion of Churches is exercised sundry wayes I By way of mutuall care in taking thought for one anothers wellfare II By way of Consultation one with another when wee have occasion to require the judgment counsell of other churches touching any person or cause wherwith they may be better acquainted then our selves As the church of Antioch consulted with the Apostles Elders of the church at Ierusalem about the question of circumcision of the gentiles about the false teachers that broached that doctrine In which case when any Church wanteth light or peace amongst themselves it is a way of communion of churches according to the word to meet t●…ether by their Elders other messengers in a synod to consider argue the points in doubt or d●…fference haveing found out the way of truth peace to commend the same by their letters messengers to the churches whom the same may concern But if a Church be rent with divisions amongst themselves or ly under any open scandal yet refuse to consult with other churches for healing or removing of the same it is a matter of just offence both to the Lord Jesus to other churches as bewraying too much want of mercy faithfulness not to seek to bind up the breaches wounds of the church brethren therfore the state of such a church calleth aloud upon other churches to excercise a fuller act of brotherly communion to witt by way of admonition III A third way then of cōmunion of churches is by way of admonition to witt in case any publick offēce be found in a church which they either discern not or are slow in proceeding to use the meāes for the removing healing of Paul had no authority over Peter yet when he saw Peter not walking with a right foot he publickly rebuked him before the church though churches have no more authority one over another then one Apostle had over another yet as one Apostle might admonish another so may one church admonish another yet without usurpation In which case if the church that lyeth under offence do not harken to the church which doth admonish her the church is to aquait other neighbour-churches with that offēce which the offending church still lyeth under together with their neglect of the brotherly admonition given unto them wherupon those other churches are to joyn in seconding the admonitiō formerly givē and if still the offēding church continue in obstinacy impenitency they may forbear communion with them are to proceed to make use of the help of a Synod or counsell of neighbour-churches walkig orderly if a greater can̄ot conveniētly be had for their conviction If they hear not the Synod the Synod having declared them to be obstinate particular churches approving accepting of the judgmēt of the Synod are to declare the sentence of non-cōmunion respectively concerning them therupon out of a religious care to keep their own communion pure they may justly withdraw themselves from participation with them at the Lords table from such other acts of holy cōm●…ion as the communion of churches doth otherwise allow require Nevertheless if any members of such a church as lyeth under publick offence do●… not consent to the offence of the church but doe in due sort beare witness against it they are still to be received to wonted communion for it is not equall that the in●…cent should suffer with the offensive Yea furthermore if such innocent members after due wayting in the use of all good meanes for the healing of the offence of their ●…wn church shall at last with the allowāce of the counsel of ne gh●…our-churches withdraw from the fellowship of their own ch●…ch 〈◊〉 offer themselves to the fellowship of another wee judge it lawll for the other church to receive them being otherwise fitt as if they had been orderly dismissed to them from their own churc●… IV A fourth way of communion of churches is by way of particip●…n the members of one church occasion●…lly comming unto another wee willingly admitt t●…em to 〈◊〉 with us at the Lords t●…le it being the seale of our communion not only with Christ nor o●…ly with the members of our own church but also with all the churches of the saints in which regard wee refuse not to baptize their children presented to us if either their own minister be absent or such a fruite of holy fellowsh●…p be desired with us In like case s●…ch churches as are furnished with more ministers then one doe willingly afford one of their own ministers to supply the place of an absent or s●…ck minister of another church for a needfull season V A fifth way of Church-communion is by way of ●…mendation when a member of one church hath occasion to reside in another church if but for a season wee cōmend him to their watchf●…ll ffellowsh●…p by letters of recommendation but if he be 〈◊〉 to settle his abode there wee commit him according to h●…s desire to the ffellowship of their covenant by letters of d●…smission VI A sixt way of Church-communion is in case of Ne●… to minister reliefe succour one unto another 〈◊〉 of able members to furnish them with officers or of outward ●…pport to the necessityes of poorer churches as did the 〈◊〉 of the Gentiles contribute liberally to the poor s●…ints at Ierusalem 3 When a compāy of beleivers purpose to gather into church fellowship it is requisite for their sa●…er proceeding the maintaining of the communion of churches that they sign●…fie their intent unto the neighbour-churches walking according unto the order of the Gospel desire their presence help right hand of fellowship which they ought readily to give unto them when their is no just cause of excepting against their proceedings 4 Besides these severall wayes of communion there is also a way of propagation of churches when a church shall grow too numerous it is a way fitt season to propagate one Church out of an other by sending forth such of their mēbers as are willing to remove to procure some officers to them as may enter with them into church-estate amongst themselves as Bees when the hive is too full issue forth by swarmes are gathered into other hives soe the Churches of Christ may doe the same upon like necessity therin hold forth

to thē the right hand of fellowship both in their gathering into a church in the ordination of their officers CHAP XVI Of Synods SYnods orderly assembled rightly proceeding according to the pattern Acts. 15. wee acknowledg as the ordinance of Christ though not absolutely necessary to the being yet many times through the iniquity of men perversness of times necessary to the wel-being of churches for the establishment of truth peace therin 2 Synods being spirituall ecclesiasticall assemblyes are therfore made up of spirituall ecclesiasticall causes The next efficient cause of them under Christ is the powr of the churches sending forth their Elders other messengers who being mett together in the name of Christ are the matter of the Synod they in argueing debating determining matters of religion according to the word publishing the same to the churches whom it concerneth doe put forth the proper formall acts of a Synod to the convictiō of errours heresyes the establishment of truth peace in the Churches which is the end of a Synod 3 Magistrates have powr to call a Synod by calling to the Churches to send f●…rth their Elders other messengers to counsel assist them in matters of rel●… 〈◊〉 ●…t ye●…t the constituting of a Synod is a church act may be t●…d by the churches even when civil magistrates may be enemyes to churches to churchassemblyes 4 It bel●…ngeth unto Synod counsel●… to debate determine controversies of faith ca●… of cons●… to cleare from the word holy directions for the ●…ly worsh●…p of God good government of the church to beare wit●… against ●…al administration Corruption in doctrine or man̄ers in any particular Church to give directions for the reformation therof Not to exercise Church-censures in way of discipline nor any other act of church-authority or jurisdiction which that presidentiall Synod did forbeare 5 The Synod●… directions determinations so farr as consonant to the word of God are to be received with reverence submission not only for their agreement therwith which is the ●…ncipall ground therof without which they bind not at all ●…t also second●…ly for the powr wherby they are made as being an ordinance of God appointed therunto in his word 6 B●… is d●…ficult if not impossible for many churches to c●… altogether in one place ●…n all their●…●…rs universally therfore they may assemble by their delegates o●… messengers as the church of Antioch went not all to Ierusalem but some select men for that purpose Because none are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be more fitt to know the state of the churches not to advise of wayes for the good thereof then Elders therfore it is fitt that in the choice of the messengers for such assemblies they have special respect ūto such Yet in as much as not only Paul Barnabas but certayn others also were sent to Ierusalem from Antioch Acts 15. when they were come to Ierusalem not only the Apostles Elders but other brethren also doe assemble meet about the matter therfore Synods are to consist both of Elders other church-members endued with gifts sent by the churches not excluding the presence of any brethren in the churches CHAP XVII Of the Civil Magistrates powr in matters E●…c●…es●…l IT is lawfull profitable necessary for christians to gather themselves into Church estate therin to exercise all the ord●… of chr●…st according unto the word although the consent of Magistrate could not be had therunto because the Apostles christ●…ans in their time did frequently thus practise when the Magistrates being all of them Jewish or pagan mostly persecuting enemies would give no countenance or consent to such matters 2 Church-government stands in no opposition to civil gove●…ment of cōmon-welths nor any intrencheth upon the authority of Civil Magistrates in their jurisdictions nor any whit weakneth their hand●… in governing but rather strengthneth them farthereth the people in yielding more hearty consc●…onable obedience ūt●… the●… whatsoever some ill affected persons to the wayes of Christ have suggested to alienate the affections of Kings Princes from the ordinance of Christ as if the kingdome of Christ in his church could not rise stand without the falling weakning of their government which is al●…o of Christ wheras the contrary is most true that they may both stand together flourish the one being helpfull unto the other in their distinct d●… administrations 3 The powr authority of Magistrates is not for the restra●…ing of churches or any other good workes but for helping in furthering therof therfore the consent countenance of Magistrates when it may be had is not to be ●…ghted or lightly esteemed but on the contrary it is part of that hon●…ur due to christian Magistrates to desire crave their consent approbation therin which being obtayned the churches may then proceed in their way with much more encouragement comfort 4 It is not in the powr of Magistrates to compell their s●…bjects to become church-members to partake at the Lords table for the priests are reproved that brought ●…worthy ones into the ●…tuarie then as it was unlawfull for the preists so it is as unlawfull to be done by civil Magistrates Those whom the church is to cast out if they were in the Magistrate ought not thrust into the church nor to hold them therin 5 As it is unlawfull for church-officers to meddle with the sword of the Magistrate s●… 〈◊〉 it ●…wfull for the Magistrate to meddle with the work p●…per to c●…ch officers the Acts of Mo●… Dav●…d who were not only P●… but P●… were ex●… therfore not ●…ble Ag●…●…n 〈◊〉 the L●…d wit●… by 〈◊〉 Uzz●…h w●… 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 to offer 〈◊〉 6 It is the duty of the Ma●… to take ●…e of matters of rel●…gion to ●…nprove his ●…l autho●…ty for the oble●…ing of the duties commanded in the first is well as for observing of the duties commanded in the second table They are called Gods The end of the Magistrate●… office is not only the q●… p●…ble l●…fe of the subj●…t in 〈◊〉 of rig●… ho●…ty but also in matter of ●…ss yea of all 〈◊〉 M●… j●… D●… S●… Asa Jehoshaphat Hezekiah Josiah are much commended by the Holy Ghost for the putting forth their authority in matters of religion on the contrary such Kings as have been fayling this way are frequently taxed reproved by the Lord not only the Kings of Judah but also Job Nehe●…h the king of Nin●…veh Darius Artaxerxes Nebucad●…ezar whom none looked at as types of Christ thouh were it soe there were no place for any just objection are cōmēded in the book of God for exercising their authority this way 7 The object of the powr of the Magistrate

A PLATFORM OF CHURCH DISCIPLINE GATHERED OUT OF THE WORD OF GOD AND AGREED UPON BY THE ELDERS AND MESSENGERS OF THE CHURCHES ASSEMBLED IN THE SYNOD OF CAMBRIDGE IN NEW ENGLAND To be presented to the Churches and Generall Court for their consideration and acceptance in the Lord The Eight Moneth Anno 1649 Psal 84 1. How amiable are thy Tabernacles O Lord of Hosts Psal 26. 8. Lord I have loved the habitation of thy house the place where th●…ne honour dwelleth Psal 27. 4. One thing have I desired of the Lord that will I seek after ●…hat I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the dayes of my life to behold the Beauty of the Lord to inquire in his Temple Printed by S G at Cambridge in New England and are to be sold at Cambridge and Boston Anno Dom 1649. THE PREFACE THE setting forth of the Publick Conf●…ssion of the Faith of Church●… at●… a 〈◊〉 ●…d 〈◊〉 b●…h ten●…ing to puplic 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of the fa●…h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 se●…f secondly th●… holding 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Un●…ty Harm●… both amongst with other Churches Our Chu●…es h●…e as ●…y the grace of Chr●…st wee beleive profess the sam●… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●…e 〈◊〉 ●…f ●…he Gospell which generally is received in ●…ll the reformed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●…st in ●…rope so 〈◊〉 wee desire not to vary f●…om the ●…octrine of f●… 〈◊〉 ●…eld fo●… by ●…he churches of our nat●…ve country For though it be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that can breed vs 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 min●… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 w●…e for to hav●… the glor●…ous fa●…h of our Lord Iesus w●…th respect of persons yet as P●…ul who wa●… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●…rofessed to hold forth the doctrine of just●…fication by faith of th●… 〈◊〉 of the de●… 〈◊〉 as he know his godly countrymen did who were ●…wes by nature Gala●… 2. 15. Acts 26. 6 7. soe wee who are by nature Eng●…sh m●…n d●… d●…sire to hold forth the s●…me 〈◊〉 of religion especially 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wh●… wee see kn●…w to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by th●… churches of England accor●…g to the truth of the Gospell The more wee 〈◊〉 that which wee doe have cause to doe with incessant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he 〈◊〉 unbr●…therly unchristian contentions of our godly brethr●…n countrymen ●…n matters of church-government he more ern●…stly do●… wee desire to see th●…m joyned together in one common faith our selves w●… 〈◊〉 For th●…s ●…nd h●…ng perused the publ●…k confession of faith agreed uponly the Reverend assembly of D●…ines at 〈◊〉 find●…ng the sum●… su●…stance therof in matters of doctrine to express not th●… own judgements o●…ly 〈◊〉 o●…rs also and being likewise called upon by our godly Mag●…strates to d●…w up a publick 〈◊〉 of that f●…ith which is constan●…ly taught genera●…y 〈◊〉 amongst us wee thought good to p●…esent ●…nto them with them to our 〈◊〉 w●…h them to all the church●…s of Christ abroad our prof●…ssed hearty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to th●… whole 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 faith f●…r 〈◊〉 of d●…ctrine which 〈◊〉 Reverend 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 H●…nourable 〈◊〉 of Engl●… Excep●…ing only some 〈◊〉 in the 25 30 31. C●…apters of their conf●…ssion whic●… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of con●…roversie in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whi●… wee ref●…re our selves to the draught of church-discpline in the ensueing treatise The truth of what we here declare may appear by the unanimous vo●…e of the Synod of the Elders messengers of our churches assembled at Cambridg the last of the sixth month 1648 wo●…ch ioyntly passed in these words This Synod having perused considered with much gladness of heart thankfullness to God the cōfession of faith published ●…f late by the Reverend Assembly in England doe judge it to be very holy orthodox judicious in all matters of faith doe therfore freely fully consent therunto for the substance therof Only in those things which have respect to church government discipline wee refer our selves to the platform of church-discipline agreed upon by this present assē●…ly doe therfore think it meet that this confession of faith should be cōmended to the churces of Christ amongst us to the Honoured Court as worthy of their due consideration acceptance Howbe●… wee may not conceal that the doctrine of vocation expressed in Chap 10. S 1. summarily repeated Chap 13. 1. passed not without some debate Yet considering that the term of vocation others by which it is described are capable of a larg or more strict sense use and that it is not intended to bind apprehensions precisely in po●…t of order or method there hath been a generall condescendency therunto Now by this our professed consent free concurrence with them in all the doctrinalls of religion wee hope it may appear to the world that as wee are a remnant of the people of the same nation with them so wee are professors of the same common faith fellow heyres of the same common salvation Yea moreover as this our profession of the same faith with them will exempt us even in their judgmēts from suspicion of heresy so wee trust it may exempt us in the like sort from suspicion of schism that though wee are forced to dissent from them in matters of church-discipline Yet our dissent is not taken up out of arrogancy of spirit in our selves whom they see willingly condescend to learn of them neither is it carryed with uncharitable censoriousness towards them both which are the proper essentiall charracters of schism but in meekness of w●…sdom as wee walk along w●…th them follow them as they follow Christ so where wee 〈◊〉 a ●…fferent apprehention of the mind of Christ as it faileth out in some few points 〈◊〉 church-order wee still reserve due reverence to them whom wee judge to be th●…ough Chr●…st the glorious l●…ghts of both nations only crave leave as in spirit wee are bound to follow the Lamb w●…thersoever he goeth after the Apostles example as wee bele●…ve so wee speak And if the example of such poor outcasts as our selves might prevaile if not with all for that were too great a blessing to hope fo●… yet with some or other of our brethren in England so farr as they are come to ●…ind speake the same thing with such as dissent from them wee hope in Christ it would not onely moderate the harsh judging and condemning of one another in such differences of judgment as may be found in 〈◊〉 ch●…ysest sa●…nts but also preven ●…y the mercy of 〈◊〉 the perill of the distraction 〈◊〉 of all the churches 〈◊〉 both k●…ngdoms Otherwise if brethren shall goe on to bite devoure one another the Apo●… feare●… as wee als●… ●…th s●…dness of 〈◊〉 a●… 〈◊〉 will tend to the 〈◊〉 of them 〈◊〉 wh●…ch t●…e Lo●…d prevent Wee are not ignorant that besides these 〈◊〉 of Heresy Schis●… other exceptions also are tak●…n at our w●…y of church govern●… 〈◊〉 as wee conce●… u●…

as li●…le 〈◊〉 As 1 That by admitting none into the fellowship of our Church but saints by c●…lling wee 〈◊〉 p●…sh-churches of th●… b●…st 〈◊〉 to make up one of o●…r cong●…gations which is not o●…ly to gather churches o●…t of churches a th●…ng 〈◊〉 ●…f ●…n Sc●…pture but also to weaken the hearts hands of the best Minist●…rs ●…n th●… par●…shes by d●…spoyling them of th●…●…st ●…earers 2 That wee provide no course for the gayning 〈◊〉 in of ignorant erronious 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whom wee 〈◊〉 to receive into our churches so exclude from the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 3 That in our way wee sow seed●… of division h●…ndrance of edificat●…ō in every f●…ly whilst admitting into our churches only voluntar●…es the husbād w●…ll be ●…f on●… church the wife of another the parent of one church the children of 〈◊〉 the ma●…ster of one ch●…rch the servant of another And so the parent ma●…sters being of d●…fferent churches from their child●…n servants t●…ey cannot take a j●…st ●…ccount of their profiting by what they heare yea by this 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 parents ma●…sters shall be chargable to t●…e 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 other churc●…es church-officer●… besides their own which will prove a charge b●…rden unsuppo●…ble 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as to 〈◊〉 Fo●… 〈◊〉 churches out of churches wee cannot s●…y t●… it is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The ●…st 〈◊〉 church was 〈◊〉 out ●…f the Iew●…sh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●…f 〈◊〉 part●…y of 〈◊〉 Ga●…leans who though t●…y k●…pt some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 parts of pu●…k 〈◊〉 wi●…h the T●…ple yet 〈◊〉 th●… 〈◊〉 th●…y frequen●… th●… 〈◊〉 no●… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the 〈◊〉 of their 〈◊〉 causes b●…t 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the Apostles c●…ch ●…ll ●…he ord●…nances of the gos●… And for the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 church of the 〈◊〉 at Antoch it appe●…reth 〈◊〉 ●…ve ●…een g●…hered 〈◊〉 partly of the ●…sed b●…hren of the 〈◊〉 at Ierus●…lem whe●…of so●… were men of Cyprus and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts ●…1 20 21. If it be sa●…d the fi●…st christ●…an church at Ierus●…lem that at Antioch were gathered not out of any ch●…stian church but out of the Jewish 〈◊〉 and Synagogues which were shortly aft●…r to be abolished their gathering to Ant●…och was upon occasion of dispersion in time of persecution Wee d●…sire it may be considered I That the members of the Iewish Church were more strongly and st●…tly tyed by express holy covenant to keep fellowsh●…p with the Iewish church t●…ll it was abol shed then any members of christian parish-churches are wont to be tyed to keep fellowsh●…p with their par●…sh-churches The Episcopall Canon●… which bind them to attend on th●…er parish church it is likely they a●…e now abolished with the Episcopa●…y The common Law ●…f the Land is satisfy a as wee concive if they attend upon the worship of God in any other church though not 〈◊〉 their own parish But no such like covenant of God nor any other religious 〈◊〉 upon them to attend the worship of God in their own par●…sh church as did lye up●…n the Iewes to attend upon the wo●…ship of God in their Temple and Synagogue 2 T●…ugh the Iew●…sh Temple Church at Ierus●…em was to be abolis●… vet that doeth not make the desertion of it by the members to be lawfull ●…ll 〈◊〉 was al●…o she●… Future abolition is now errant for present dese●…o unless it be lawfull ●…n some case 〈◊〉 the chu●…chis yet in present sta●…ding to 〈◊〉 to witt either for avoyding of present polutions or for hope of greater 〈◊〉 and so f●…r better 〈◊〉 to conscience in either future events 〈◊〉 for●… of 〈◊〉 to not ●…olve present relat●…on Else wives children servants might desert 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pa●…ents ●…asters when they be mortally sick 3 What the members of the Iewish ch●…ch did 〈◊〉 to the church a●… Antioch in time of persecution it may w●…ll be con●…ved ●…e 〈◊〉 of any christ an church may d●… the lik for satisfaction of con●… Pe●…ce of 〈◊〉 is m●…re 〈◊〉 then the pe●…ce of the outwa●…d 〈◊〉 ●…nd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of cons●…ēce is m●…re 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to a sincere hea●… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 If it be s●…d these members of the Christ an Ch●…ch at 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that joyned to the church at Antioch removed their 〈◊〉 together with th●…r relations which ●…f the brethren of the 〈◊〉 way 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it w●…ll much abate the grievance of their depart●… from their presbyter all churche●… Wee verily could w●…sh them ●…o to a●… as ●…ll approv●…ng the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●…bitation ●…n case of ch●…ging church-relation●… 〈◊〉 that it may be done wi●…hout too much ●…riment to their outward estate ●…nd w●… for our pa●…tes have done t●…e same But to put a necessi●…y of removall of habi●…●…n in such 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to fo●…nt and cherish a corrupt principle of making civ●…l ●…ation if ●…ot a 〈◊〉 cause yet at least a proper adiunct of church-relation which the truth of the Gospel do●…h no●… ackno●…ledg Now to 〈◊〉 an errour to the prejudice of the tr●…th of the Gospell is no●… to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the truth of the G●…pel as Paul 〈◊〉 Galat. 2. 14. 4 Wee do not think it meet or safe for a me●…ber of a presbyteriall Church fo●… with to desert his relation to his Church betake himself to the fellowship of a 〈◊〉 Church though he may d●…scern some def●…ct in the estate or government of his owne For 1 Faithfullness of brotherly love in Church-relation requireth that the members of the Church sh●…ld first convince their brethren of their sinfull defects duely wait for their reformation bef●…re they depart from them For if wee must take such a course for the healing of a private brother in a way of brotherly love with much ●…eekness patience how more more ought wee so to walk with like tendrness towards a whole church Again 2 By the hasty departure of ●…ound members from a defective church refo●…mation is not promoted but many times retarded corruption increased Wheras ●…n the contrary while sincere members breathing after purity of reformation abide together they may by the blessing of God upon their faithfull endeavours preva●…le much with their Elders neighbours towards a reformation ●…t may be so 〈◊〉 as that their Elders in their own church shall receive none to the Lord table ●…ut visible saints in the Classis shall put forth no authoritive ●…ct but c●…tive only touching the members of other churches nor touching their own but 〈◊〉 the consent silēt consent at least of their own church which two things 〈◊〉 t●…ey can ●…bteyn with any humble meek holy faithfull endeavours wee 〈◊〉 they might by the grace of Christ find liberty ●…f consc●…ce to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 relation with their own pre●…byteriall church w●…hout scru●…le 5 ●…t to add a word farthe●… 〈◊〉 the gathering of C●…urches out of Ch●…rches what ●…f the●…e we●…e ●…o express examp●…●…f such a