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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A26895	The Christian religion expressed I, briefly in the ancient creeds, the Ten commandments, and the Lords prayer, and, II, more largely in a profession taken out of the Holy Scriptures, containing 1, the articles of the Christian belief, 2, our consent to the gospel covenant, 3, the sum of Christian duty, according to the primitive simplicity, purity, and practice, fitted to the right instruction of the ignorant, the promoting of holiness, and the charitable concord of all true believers ... / by Richard Baxter.	Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691.	1660 (1660)	Wing B1221; ESTC R25270	38,730	88

by the death and long absence of the Pastors through so many hundred and thousand miles travail and so long attending which the state and work of proper Universal Councils will require Yea the said distance with the age and weakness of the Pastors and the different languages and the poverty of many disabling them from such tedious voyages and journies and the dissent of the Princes many of them Heathens Infidels Mahometans under whose Government they live or through whose dominions they must pass these with many the like Impediments do make a true Universal Council like an Universal Parliament or Senate to be so far from necessary or desirable as to be Morally Impossible or next to Impossible as to the very Being of it The way that God hath appointed for Church-Government and deciding controversies is 1. That Princes and Magistrates govern by the sword or force and judge who are fit to be Punished by the sword And though most Princes on the earth by Infidelity have made themselves uncapable of this part of the work of their Office yet cannot that disoblige them from the Commands of God or free them from his punishments for not performing them nor make the Office of Magistrates another thing nor disable Christian Princes and Magistrates or disoblige them who have not made themselves uncapable 2. That these Princes and Governors of several Nations do hold a Loving Christian Correspondency for the management of their affairs and Government of the Churches under them so as may be most to the advantage of the Cause of Christ and the union strength and defence of Christians The General Rules and Ends of their Trust and Power do oblige them to hold such Assemblies by their Messengers as are needful for their Agreement and the Unity and Safety of the Churches under them as well as they oblige Pastors to such necessary correspondencies 3. That the Pastors of particular Churches be the Governors of those Churches by the word and holy Discipline not having the power of the sword or violence and that they Judge who is fit or unfit for Communion with that Church which each or any of them over-see and who is to be thence Excommunicated or there Absolved 4. That these Bishops Pastors or Elders of particular Churches should hold Communion among themselves with all their Brethren of other Churches as far as their natural capacity will allow and the need or benefit of the Churches require it and that they handle in common the causes that belong to all in common and settle and maintain Agreements for the Unity and Communion of the Churches And they are Judges as Associate who is to be received into their Associate Communion and who to be excluded from it and what Pastors or Churches they should hold such Communion with as they are capable of and which they should admonish or renounce 5. The Christian people have allowed them a Judgement of Discretion by which they must prove all things and hold fast that which is good and must discern and obey the Lawfull commands and directions of their Magistrates and Pastors 6. And as Men have thus their several shares alloted them in Government Judgement and decisions limitedly and not Absolutely judging even to the Execution which belongs to their several Judicatures So the Finall Absolute Judgement and Decision of all Controversies and Causes is reserved to the dreadfull Tribunal of the Lord to which we may make our last Appeal where all the world shall be judged in Righteousness and all the Judgements of men be themselves Judged and Truth and Error Good and Evil Right and Wrong will be more perfectly manifested unto all and it shall be irreversibly determined by Jesus Christ who shall go into Life Everlasting and who to everlasting punishment Come Lord Jesus Come quickly Novemb. 16. 1658. THE Author thought it not unfit here to annex the Description of that Order and Discipline which is exercised by him with his Assistant fellow-Pastors in the Parish-Church of Kederminster in Association with many Pastors of those parts who have Agreed to exercise so much of the Ministerial Office as by the consent of the Episcopal Presbyterian and Congregationall belongeth to them Which being published 1. May prevent mens injurious mis-reports of our Associations and Discipline which they may be drawn to by fallacious fame 2. And may be an example for those Churches that by the Magistrates are left at liberty to worship God in that Communion and Order which they judge most agreeable to the Word of God and the Vniversal Consent and Practice of the Primitive Church The Order and Discipline of this Church agreeable to the Word of God I. WE are willing to Teach all in our Parish the doctrine of Life that are willing to learn And desire them all to hear the Word publikely preached and to come to us to be Catechized or Instructed II. We own all those as visible Christians and members of the Universal Church that make a credible Profession of Christianity and destroy it not by Heresie or ungodly lives III. So many of these as also Consent to hold Communion with this Church as members of it submitting to the Ministers and Discipline of Christ we shall esteem our flock and special charge and faithfully perform the duties of our Office for their good as we are able IV. We desire that all the Youth of the Parish will learn the principles of the Christian Religion and as soon as they understand it and are heartily resolved to give up themselves to God in Christ through the spirit and to lead a holy life that they will come and acquaint us with their Faith and Resolution and before the Church will make a solemn Profession thereof and give up themselves to God in the personal owning their Baptismal Covenant either reciting the fore-going Creed or Profession or if they are unfit for publike speaking by Consenting when we propound it to them or by any other fit expressions That so we may publikely pray for their confirmation and if they Consent also to hold Communion with this Church we may know them as our Charge and Register their names V. Those Parishoners that desire us to Baptize their children or to be themselves admitted to the Lords Supper and are not members of this Church because they will not we desire to come to us some dayes before that so we may be satisfied of their Faith and Life And if they seem true Christians and either bring a Certificate that they are members of any other Church with which we are to hold Communion or shew that it is not from ungodliness that they refuse to live under Order and Discipline we shall Baptize their children and occasionally admit them to our Communion But if they are scandalous we shall require them first to Profess their serious Repentance And if they return to scandal we shall after stay till we see their Reformation or of one of the parents in case of

everlasting life i 8 At Death the souls of the Justified go to happiness with Christ and the souls of the wicked to Misery a And at the end of this world the Lord Jesus Christ will come again and will raise the bodies of all men from the dead and will judge all according to their works b And the Righteous shall go into everlasting life and the rest into everlasting punishment c All this I do unfeignedly believe II. Our Consent to the Gospel Covenant with God the Father Son and Holy Ghost by which we are Christians and members of the Catholick Church Quest Are you willing and resolved to Give up your self to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost according to the Gospel doctrine which your profess REpenting of my sins and renouncing the Flesh the World and the Devil a I do take this one God to be my only God b and do heartily give up my self unto him c Even to the Father d as my Creator and Reconciled Father in Christ And to his Son Jesus Christ as my Lord and only Saviour to Reconcile and bring me unto God e And to the Holy Ghost as my Sanctifier that he may further illuminate sanctifie and confirm me and I may hold fast and obey the doctrine of Christ which was revealed by his inspiration and witnessed by his gifts and Miracles and is now contained in the Holy Scriptures and that he may be in me the earnest of my everlasting Happiness with God f III. The summ of Christian Duty Quest What are 1 CHrist hath appointed that fit men shall be Ordained his Ministers to preach the Gospel to the Nations of the world a and make them his Disciples Baptizing them in the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost b and to congregate his Disciples c and to oversee and Guide the several Congregations and each member thereof d Particularly to Teach them the word of God e to Pray and Praise God with them and for them f to administer the Lords Supper in remembrance of him g h Especially on the Lords Day which he hath appointed for holy communion in such works i Also to Rebuke with authority the scandalous and unruly k and to bind and reject those that are obstinately impenitent and unreformed and to Absolve and Restore the Penitent and confirm the weak l It is therefore the Peoples Duty to joyn with such Churches for the aforesaid Worship of God a and to know hear submit to and obey these their Guides that are over them in the Lord b and to avoid Division and Discord and to live in Unity Love and Peace c 2 The Secret Duties of Holiness are these The exercise of Faith Repentance Love Hope Delight in God and all other graces a The mortifying of our sins especially Atheism Unbelief and unholiness hardness of heart disobedience and unthankfulness flesh-pleasing covetousness and Pride b The diligent Examining of our own hearts about our Estates our Duties and our sins c Meditating upon God and his word and works especially of our Redemption by Jesus Christ and of Death Judgement Heaven and Hell d Watching diligently over our Thoughts Affections Words and Actions e Resisting Temptations f And frequent and fervent Prayer to God in the name of Christ with Confession Thanksgiving and cheerful Praises g 3 Parents and Masters must diligently teach their children and servants the word and fear of God a and Pray with them and for them and hinder them from sin b and use all their power that they and their households may serve the Lord c children and servants must willingly learn and obey d We must seek instruction in the matters of our salvation especially of our Teachers e we must take heed of the company of tempting and ungodly persons and delight in the company and help of the Godly We must lovingly and faithfully give and thankfully receive admonitions and exhortations f Confessing our faults one to another g and by Prayer Psalms and edifying conference and a holy conversation provoking one another to Love and to good works h 4 Superiors must rule for God and the common good with Justice and Mercy a Inferiors must honour and obey them in the Lord b We must not injure but preserve the Life Chastity Estate Name and Rights of our Neighbour c Not seeking our Own against his welfare d but doing as we would be done by e forbearing and forgiving f and loving our neighbour as our selves g Yea loving our enemies and doing good to all according to our power h The Agreement of the Associated PASTORS I. WE do each one for himself profess our Resolution in the strength of Christ to be faithful and diligent in the works of our Ministry and to live an holy and exemplary life in Piety Justice and Charity according to the measure of our abilities Especially watching against those sins that tend to the corrupting or dividing of the Church and to the hindring of our Ministry and to the dishonour of the Gospel and of our holy profession II. We do profess our Agreement and Resolution in the strength of Christ to be faithful and diligent in publick Preaching the Gospel And in the personal instructing of all in our Parishes or undertaken limits that will submit thereto teaching the Ignorant the Principles of Religion endeavouring in Love Compassion and Meekness and yet with seriousness and zeal to convince the erroneous and opposers to awaken the presumptuous and secure and help them to try the state of their souls and to see and feel their sin and misery and return to God by Christ that they may live to strengthen the weak to raise the faln to edifie and confirm the strong and to comfort such as need consolation and to help them all to prepare for death and judgement and for everlasting life And all this as frequently constantly and orderly as our strength and time and greater duties will permit III. That the Churches may be capable of the Discipline of Christ and constituted and ruled according to the Word of God and the ends of our Office and Labours may be attained we are Agreed and Resolved to take none for Adult members of the Churches committed to our special charge nor admit them as such to Church-Communion and Priviledges but those that have first made some personal credible Profession of true Christianity that is of Faith and Obedience and as members of those Churches submit to our Pastoral over-sight according to the Word of God But all that make this Profession of Christianity and Consent to live in Communion with the Church and under the Ministry and Discipline of Christ we shall receive though they be weak in knowledge and utterance and duties

great a part of our duty that we should do it with much diligence prudence and constancy And the general precepts of doing all to edification and in order oblige us ordinarily to appoint a stated time and place where every family may come in order And if we are able we should go to them that cannot or will not come to us if they will but hear us 18. Those that are Baptized in Infancy and there engaged to God in the holy Covenant should with all possible care and diligence be educated by the Parents or any that have the tuition of them in the Nurture and admonition of the Lord and taught betimes to know the doctrine of the Gospel and to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and to Love God above all and their neighbours as themselves and to hate iniquity and live to God and first to seek his Kingdom and righteousness To which end Parents should Catechize their Children and daily be teaching them the word of God and acquainting them with his fear and holy worship And ministers must with special care and diligence oversee the several families of their charge and excite the Parents to this necessary duty And also should themselves assist them herein and Catechize such youth as well as all others that are Ignorant as often as they can especially where Parents do neglect it 19. As Infants are by baptism admitted among the Infant-members of the Church upon their Parents profession of Christianity and dedicating them to God so must they personally make a profession of their own faith and own their baptismal Covenant and give up themselves to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost before they are to be admitted into the number and Communion of the Adult members of the Church Which profession is to be tryed and approved of by the Pastors of the Church And so excellent a duty to be carefully and seriously and solemnly performed that the transition into the state and communion of the Adult may appear to be so great and observable a thing as may excite all to an answerable care and diligence in preparation thereunto and to look after that saving faith and holiness which they must so solemnly profess And Ministers should have a special care that they take nothing for a credible profession that is not so and corrupt not the Church by letting in uncapable members that must either be cast out again to the grievous exasperating them against the Church and way of God and so to the apparent hazzard of their souls or else must live ungoverned in their wickedness to the great dishonour of God and the provocation of his wrath against them and the Church 20. For the publike worshiping of God and our own Edification the Pastors where there is opportunity must congregate the people in a solemn Assembly in a convenient place and time And all that can must constantly there attend preferring the publike worship of God before the private much more before their worldly businesses that are not of flat necessity to themselves or others 21. In these publike Assemblies it is lawful for us to admit even Infidels to be present and such Catechumen's as are yet unfit to be members of the Church and there to teach reprove and exhort them and pray for them according to their state though we may not receive them to be members of the Church nor admit them to our special communion 22. Because it is the holy Scriptures that containe that Gospel of which we are Ministers and because the honour of Gods holy word is to be preserved and the people to be instructed in it and taught to know it it is therefore our duty in the solemn Assemblies to read the word of God to the people in a known tongue as Moses and the Prophets were read every Sabbath day in the Synagogues of the Jews Such portions being chosen and order observed as the Pastors discern to be most for edification 23. Our publike preaching of the Gospel should be from faith and holy experience with plainness and perspicuity with reverence and gravity with convincing evidence and authority with fervent zeal and perswading importunity with the tenderest love and melting compassion with faithfulness impartiality and prudence suiting both matter and manner to the necessity of the hearers and with frequency and unwearied patience waiting on God for the success 24. The Pastor is to lead and the people to consent and joyn in heart in the publike prayers and unanimously to pour out their souls unto the Lord in penitent confession of sin and fervent petition and joyful thanksgiving and praise and this according to the direction of the holy Scriptures and especially of the Lords prayer which is the most perfect comprehensive summary form and pattern of our prayers 25. Confession is to be made both of our own sin and the sins of the Church and Nation of Magistrates Ministers and People yet so as that we turn it not into a reproaching and dishonouring of our superiours or an abusing of mens persons by venting our malice or distempered passions or uncharitable censures against them we must confess our original and actual sin The great corruption of our hearts and lives our sinful thoughts affections words and actions our privative and positive sin out omissions and commissions our secret and unknown sins in general and our known and open sins by name our sins of ignorance and sins against knowledge our sins before and since conversion our sins against the Lord himself consisting in our unholiness contrary to the first table and our unjustice and uncharitableness against our neighbour and our folly and injury against our selves The sins of our relations and of our more private life our sins against the light and law of nature and our sins against the Gospel and grace of a Redeemer Against the outward means of Grace and against the inward motions of the Spirit and of our consciences against mercies and judgements against the examples of Christ and his servants and the warning-falls of others especially those sins by which we have most dishonoured God and our holy profession and have most scandalized hardened or tempted others And all our confessions should proceed from true contrition and hatred of the sin 26. Our petitions must be only for things agreeable to the revealed will of God And principally for the hallowing of his name and the coming of his Kingdom and the doing of his will in earth as it is in heaven And therefore we must have compassionate thoughts of the dark and miserable parts of the world where by Heathenism Infidelity and Mahometanism the name of God is grievously dishonoured and his Soveraignty denied or rejected and Satans Kingdom doth prevail and where the will of God is partly unknown and partly willfully disobeyed And our eye and heart must be on the state of the universal Church that all this interest of God-in-Christ may be there preserved and advanced And in order to

quick and the dead At whose coming all men shall rise again with their bodies and shall give account for their own works And they that have done good shall go into life everlasting and they that have done evil into everlasting fire This is the Catholike faith which except a man believe faithfully he cannot be saved The ten Commandments Exod. 20. GOD spake all these words saying I am the Lord thy God which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt out of the house of bondage Thou shalt have no other gods before me Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image or any likeness of any thing that is in Heaven above or that is in the earth beneath or that is in the water under the earth Thou shalt not bow down thy self to them nor serve them for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God visiting the iniquities of the Fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me and shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy six days shalt thou labour and do all thy work but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God in it thou shalt not do any work thou nor thy son nor thy daughter thy man-servant nor thy maid-servant nor thy cattel nor the stranger that is within thy gates for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth the sea and all that in them is and rested the seventh day wherefore the Lord blessed the Seventh day and hallowed it Honour thy father and thy mother that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee Thou shalt not kill Thou shalt not commit adultery Thou shat not steal Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy Neighbour Thou shalt not covet thy neighbours house thou shalt not covet thy neighbours wife nor his man-servant nor his maid-servant nor his ox nor his ass nor any thing that is thy neighbours The Lords Prayer Mat. 6. OUR Father which art in Heaven hallowed be thy Name Thy Kingdom come Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven Give us this day our daily bread And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil for thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory for ever Amen The PROFESSION of the CHRISTIAN Religion I. The Articles of the Christian Belief It is a Catechism if you prefix to every Article the Question What do you believe 1 THere is one only God a in three persons * the Father Son and Holy Ghost b Who is Infinite in Being Power Wisdom and Goodness c The Creator of all things d Our most absolute Lord most Righteous Governour and most gracious Father e 2 God made man for himself f in his own image g with Reason and freewill h endued with wisdom and holiness i and put under him the inferior creatures for his use k and bound him by the Law of Nature to adhere to God his Maker to Believe him fear him love him honour him and obey him with all his powers l Moreover forbidding him to eat of the tree of Knowledge upon pain of death m 3 Man being tempted by Satan did wilfully sin and so fell from God and Happiness under the wrath of God a the curse of his Law b and the power of the Devil c And hence we are all conceived in sin and prone to evil d and condemnation is passed upon all e and no meer creature is able to deliver us f 4 God so loved the world that he gave his only Son to be their Redeemer a who being God and One with the Father b did take our nature and become man being conceived by the Holy Ghost in the Virgin Mary and born of her and called Jesus Christ c and being free from sin he conquered the tempter fulfilled all righteousness d revealed the Gospel and confirmed it by Miracles e and gave himself a sacrifice for our sins and a ransome for us in suffering death on the cross to reconcile us unto God f and was buried and went among the dead g * and Rose again the third day having conquered death h and afterward ascended into Heaven i where he remaineth God and Man in one person k and is Lord of all in glory with the Father l the chief Priest and Prophet and King of his Church m interceding for us and teaching and ruling us by his Spirit Ministers and Word n 5 The Lord Jesus Christ hath ordained in his Testament that all they that receive him by a true effectual faith and by true Repentance do turn from the flesh the world and the Devil unto God shall freely receive the pardon of their sins a and shall become the Sons of God and heirs of everlasting Life b the Spirit of Christ shall dwell within them c and all that overcome and persevere to the death shall live with Christ in endless glory d But the Unbelievers impenitent and unholy shall be condemned to everlasting fire e And this he hath commanded his Ministers to preach to all the world f And hath told us that All that are given him of the Father shall come to him and that he will in no wise cast them out nor shall any pluck them out of his hands g 6 The Holy Ghost proceeding from the Father and the Son did inspire and guide the Prophets Apostles and Evangelists that they might truly and fully reveal the doctrine of Christ and deliver it in Scripture to the Church as the rule of our faith and life a and by abundance of Evident uncontrouled Miracles and wonderfull gifts to be the great witness of Christ and of the truth of his holy word b 7 Where the Gospel is made known the Holy Ghost by it doth enlighten the minds of all that shall be saved and opening and softening their hearts doth draw them to believe in Christ a and turneth them from the power of Satan unto God b Whereupon they are joyned to Christ the Head and into one holy Catholick Church which is his Body consisting of all true believers c and are freely Justified and made the Sons of God d and a sanctified peculiar people unto him e and do Love him above all and serve him sincerely in holiness and righteousness f Loving and desiring the Communion of the Saints g Overcoming the Flesh the World and the Devil h and Hoping for Christs second coming and for

these blessed ends we must beg such necessaries of our life as the supportation of our natures for the work of God requireth And the forgiveness of all our sins through Christ which yet we cannot expect to receive if we from our hearts forgive not others And a gratious preservation from temptations or the power of them and from Satan and sin the greatest evils That so the holiness of our hearts and lives may shew that we are the loyal subjects of the Kingdom of our Lord and that we acknowledge and magnifie his Soveraign power and live as a people devoted to his glory And all this we must beg in an humble sense of our great unworthiness misery necessity and insufficiency to help our selves and in the name of Christ in understanding and faith and therefore not in a tongue that we understand not and with fervency and uncessant importunity as directed excited and strengthened by the Spirit of Christ 27. Our thanksgiving unto God must not be like the Pharisees in hypocrisie and pride or to make ostentation of things that we never had but in humility and holy joyfulness of mind we must declare our thankfulness for our Creation Redemption Justification and Reconciliation with God our Sanctification and all the parts thereof and helps thereunto For the Gospel and Ministery and the plantation preservation and propagation of the Church thereby for common and special works of providence for the good of the Church our brethren or our selves for mercies ordinary or extraordinary spiritual or corporal for prevention of evils or removing them for the quality and degree the suitableness and seasonableness of all our mercies with the rest of their aggravations especially for those that most promote our everlasting happiness and the publike good and glory of the Lord 28. The matter of our holy praises of the Lord must be his blessed and infinite Being and Nature and all his Attributes his infinite Power and Wisdom and Goodness his Truth and Holiness and Love his absolute Dominion his Soveraignty and Fatherly benignity his Justice and his Mercy even as they are revealed in the works of the Creation and in the glass of the holy Scripture and in the person of Jesus Christ and in the Image of God upon his Saints And all these his works also must be praised in subserviency to his praise And because it is a most high and excellent duty to praise the Lord we must strive to do it with all the faith and reverence and admiration and love and delight and joy and cheerfulness that possibly we can attain and this with constancy as our daily work with our eye on heaven where we shall do it in perfection to all eternity 29. As the holy Scriptures should be read in a tongue that the people understand so should the purest exactest translation of them be used that can be had And though it be not of absolute necessity to the communion or peace of the Churches yet it is to be desired and endeavoured that all neighbour Churches that are of one language do all agree in the use of that one translation 30. Though in cases of necessity the Gospel may be publikely expounded and applied by the reading of the Expositions and Sermons of others yet as it is meet that the Preachers of the Gospel be able to perform this work themselves by the abilities given them from God in the use of just and edifying means so it is meet that by diligent studying meditation and prayer these abilities be improved and that from this holy and spiritual treasure within them the Ministers of Christ do draw forth sound Explication with pertinent lively Application of the truth 31. So also in the publike prayers though it be lawful in it self to read the words of prayer prescribed us by others yet as all Ministers should be able to pray themselves from the knowledge and feeling of their own and the peoples wants so it is meet that their graces and holy abilities be ordinarily exercised in such prayer and that they be not restrained from speaking to God in such sound and meet expressions as shall either presently or by the means of their preparations proceed from the sense of the matter of their prayers excited and drawn forth by the assistance of the Spirit of Christ But whether any particular Pastor should use a stinted form of words imposed by others or invented by himself or whether he shall pray without such stinted forms or both by turns is a point to be determined according to his own abilities and the state of his flock and other accidents but it is not to be made a matter of such necessity in it self as to lay the unity or peace of the Churches or the liberty of the Pastors and Worshippers of Christ upon it 32. The Publike Praises of God must be expressed by the Pastor in such words as are produced by that holy knowledge faith admiration love and delight with which his soul should be possessed that is so nigh to God and also by the recitation of sacred Psalms and Hymns and by the cheerfull singing of such by the Church wherein the melody must be spiritually and not carnally used for the assisting of our souls in the exercise of that holy alacrity and joy that is required in so high a work and not to draw off our minds from the matter nor to stop at the pleasing of our ears Such Psalms also may be recited or sung as contain matter of confession of sin petition thanksgiving and such narratives as tend to praise 33. The form of words to be said and sung must be taken especially out of the holy Scriptures to which use we have the Psalms of David and other Hymns And also we may use such as have been or shall be composed by wise and holy men agreeable to the doctrine of the Scripture and fuited to the Gospel frame of worship and as far as may be even in Scripture phrase And though it be not meet to insist upon a concord in lesser things when it cannot be attained without the violation of concord in greater things yet is it much to be desired and endeavoured that all the Churches of the same language especially that are near and in the same dominions should agree in using the same Psalms and Hymns for matter and meeter and that the version so agreed on be the best that they can have 34. The Eucharist or Supper of the Lord is a holy Sacrament instituted by Christ wherein bread and wine being first by consecration made Sacramentally or representatively the Body and Blood of Christ they are used by breaking and pouring out to represent and commemorate the sacrifice of Christs Body and Blood upon the Cross once offered up to God for sin and are given in the name of Christ unto the Church to signifie and solemnize the renewal of his holy Covenant with them and sealing it unto them and the giving of himself to

must be opend and the people excited to the exercise of the duties before mentioned Sin must be confessed and lamented and mercy implored and thankfully acknowledged and the goodness of God especially manifested in the work of our Redemption must with the greatest admiration alacrity and joy that we can attain to be magnified and praised till this unspeakable love of God in Christ hath drawn out our hearts in fervent love to him again And it will be most suitable to this Eucharistical Ordinance that the Church do sing some Psalm or Hymn of praise to God for the mercies of our Redemption 47. Those are to be invited to the Supper of the Lord that have these necessary qualifications in some degree and the rest to be acquainted with the danger of eating and drinking unworthily Those only are to be admitted to the Table of the Lord that have the use of reason and can examine themselves and are members of the Church and have made a personal credible profession of faith and holiness and are not justly for heresie or any scandalous sin removed from present communion with the Church 48. The using or not using of forms of prayer in the administration of this Sacrament is to be determined of as aforesaid in the other parts of worship according to the different abilities of Ministers and state of the several congregations and other accidents that should weigh in such indifferent things But as in the Administration of Baptism it is ordinarily meetest and most safe to use the express form of words which Christ hath directed us to and the Church hath still used viz. I Baptize thee in the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost so in the Administration of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper it is safest and meetest that we use the words that Christ by his example hath directed us to use As Matth. 26. 26 27 28. Luk. 22. 19 20. 1 Cor. 11. 24 25. viz. Take ye eat ye this is my Body which is broken for you this do in remembrance of me and This is the Blood of Christ even of the New Testament or this is the New Testament in the Blood of Christ which is shed for many for the remission of sins drink ye all of it in remembrance of him 49. As it is not unmeet for the Church at other times when they assemble to make a solemn profession of the Christian faith and of holy obedience to manifest their constancy therein and to declare what doctrine it is that we assemble to profess and to preserve it in the minds of all so is it more especially meet that at Baptism and the Lords Supper when we are solemnly to renew our Covenant with the Lord the Covenanters do renew this solemn Profession To which end it is most safe to make use of the ancient forms of Confession called The Apostles Creed and the Nicene Creed and also to recite the Ten Commandments with a profession of our consent to the terms of the Covenant with God the Father Son and Holy Ghost To which if we at lest sometimes adjoyn some fuller Explication of the Creed and Decalogue such as is our Profession here before set down it will not be unprofitable or unmeet And in such manner it may all be managed and such signs or expressions of consent required as the Pastors shall judge meet for the attainment of the desired ends with liberty for such variations as are necessary to prevent a dead formality 50. At the dismission of the Assembly it is meet that the Pastor do solemnly bless them in the name of Christ to which he is authorized as an act of his Ministerial Office 51. Deacons are Church-Officers instituted by the Holy Ghost to be serviceable to the Pastors and the Church by the distribution of the Creatures dedicated to the Church-Communion and taking care for the supplying of the necessities of the poor out of the contributions or stock of the Church 52. The first day of the week is appointed or separated by the Holy Ghost for the holy Assemblies and publike worship of the Church and other holy exercises and is herein to be improved to the honour of God and the edification of our selves and others and all other imployments are therein to be avoided that any way hinder the holy duties of the day except such as become a greater duty upon the account of Piety Justice or Mercy That some stated time be separated to the publike service of God and the benefit of our souls is a thing that the law of Nature doth command that this stated time should be at least one day in seven the reason and equity at least of the fourth Commandment doth acquaint us that this day should be every first day of the week the Holy Ghost in the New Testament hath revealed to us acquainting us with Christs rising on that day which laid the foundation of the change and of the Assembling of his Disciples on that day and his owning their Assembly by his appearing to them and teaching them and blessing them and giving them their commission and the Holy Ghost Joh. 20. 19 to 24. The same they did the next first day where he again appeared and owned their Assembly and revealed himself unto them Joh. 20. 26 27. And that this was the practice of the Apostles and the Primitive Christian Churches directed by them appeareth Act. 20. 7 8. 1 Cor. 16. 1 2. so that it was called the Lords Day as the last day before was called the Sabbath Rev. 1. 10. And to put us out of all doubt of the matter of fact and consequently of the meaning of these texts of Scripture the certain Tradition and most Concordant history of the Church assureth us that ever since the days of the Apostles the universal Church in all parts of the world hath constantly observed the Lords Day in Commemoration of the Resurrection of Christ which it is not possible that they could have done without contradiction and rebukes from the Apostles themselves or some of the Churches which they planted if it had not been a certain truth Those therefore that will be against the holy observation of the Lords Day must either impudently deny the Testimony of all Church History and Tradition which with one consent assure us that it was observed universally in the Christian Churches from the Apostles daies as a thing by them established and practised or else they must imagine that all the dispersed Churches through the world conspired in the teaching and practising of such an error without any known rebuke wherein it had been most easie for any to have convicted them to be slanderers of the Apostles or the Ages that were before them Having therefore so much in Nature in the fourth Commandment in the New Testament and the Doctrine and Practice of the universal Church for our holy observation of this day it ill beseems any Christian to forsake all or any of these and think

now in the end of the world to find out the certain practice of the Apostles better then all the Churches which they planted 53. Seeing the Lords Day is purposely set apart for the celebrating of the memoriall of the Resurrection of Christ and so of the work of our Redemption as the Sabbath was for the Commemorating of the work of Creation the work of the day must be very much Eucharistical and the Church should be taken up in the thankful admiration of the mysterie and mercy of our Redemption and in the affectionate praises of the Lord our Redeemer and an aspiring after the everlasting Rest which he hath purchased and promised and prepared for us with himself 54. Ministers must not only perform the publike worship of God upon this day but also exhort the people to improve the rest of it in private by prayer and meditation and holy conference and calling to mind the Word which they have heard especially the Parents and Masters of families who must instruct their children and servants and watch over them and restrain them from the violation of the day and call them to an account of the doctrine they have heard and the duties to be performed 55. It is lawful and a duty on other daies also according to our necessities and opportunities to Redeem some time for the publike worship of God And whenever the Pastors shall call the Church together to hear the Word or perform holy worship it is the peoples duty obediently and gladly to attend if greater duties do not prohibit them 56. When great afflictions lie upon the Church or any useful members of it or when any great sins have been committed among them it is meet that in publike by fasting and prayer we humble our selves before the Lord for the averting of his displeasure And on such occasions it is the Pastors duty to confess his own and the peoples sins with penitence and tenderness of heart and by his doctrine and exhortation to endeavour effectually to bring the people to the sight and sense of their sin and the deserts of it and to a firm resolution of better obedience for the time to come being importunate with God in Prayer for pardon and renewed Grace 57. Upon the receipt of any notable extraordinary mercies the Church having opportunity should Assemble for publike Thanksgiving unto God wherein the Pastors should stir them up to the livelyest sense of the greatness of their mercies and lead them in a joyful celebration of the praises of their bountiful benefactor And it is lawful on these daies to express our joy in feasting and outward signs of mirth provided that they be moderately and spiritually used and not to gratifie our sensual desires and that we relieve the poor in their necessities which also on daies of Humiliation and other seasons we must not forget 58. It is not unlawful or unmeet to keep an anniversary commemoration of some great and notable mercies to the Church the memory whereof should be transmitted to posterity 59. In all the modes and circumstances of worship which God himself hath left undetermined all Christians must take heed of making unnecessary things to be necessary and laying the unity and peace of the Church on things indifferent and laying snares for the consciences of others but must leave much to the prudence of the particular Pastors that are upon the place to whom it belongs to fit such circumstantials to their peoples state and the Churches in such things wherein they may safely differ must be left to their liberty Long and sad experience having taught us that the violent imposing of unnecessary things is the engine of the Devil to tear the Church 60. The marriage of Christians being a work of great concernment to themselves and meet to be publikely performed and accordingly to be sanctified by the Word and Prayer it is convenient that it be solemnized by the Minister or at least that he counsell and exhort them and pray for a blessing on them being first sufficiently satisfied of their capacity and necessary preparations Herein he is to acquaint them with the Institution Nature and Ends of their Relations and the duties severally and joyntly by them to be performed and the difficulties and temptations to be expected and provided for Especially they are to be directed to live together in holiness as the heirs of life and to be very carefull and diligent in the holy education of their children and governing their families for the Lord and to use the world as not abusing it remembring their approaching separation by death And he is to see that they solemnly enter into the Matrimonial Covenant engaging themselves to conjugal fidelity to each other until they are separated by death 61. The Pastors of the Churches must not only Teach the people and guide them in the publike worship but also must faithfully Oversee them in private endeavouring to know and watch over each member of their flock preserving them from heresies errours and divisions defending the Truth confuting gainsayers and seducers instructing the Ignorant exciting the negligent encouraging the despondent comforting the afflicted confirming the weak rebuking and admonishing the disorderly and scandalous and directing all according to their needs in the matters of their Salvation And the people in such needs should have ordinary recourse to them as the Officers of Christ for guidance and resolution of their doubts and for assistance in making their Salvation sure and procuring maintaining or restoring the peace of their consciences and spiritual consolation 62. Those persons that are known to commit any gross and scandalous sin should first by private reproof and admonition unless where the notoriousness and heinousness of the crime doth presently call for publike reproof be called to Repentance And if they hear not the Reprovers or will not Reform the Church must be told of it and therein it is most convenient that the Pastors be first acquainted with the case to avoid contention and confusion before it be brought into the publike assembly And to that end it is convenient that there be stated meetings where the Pastors and some chosen members of the Church not as Officers but the Deputies or Trustees of the rest should in their several capacities take cognizance of such offences that so a unity and full correspondence may be held between the Pastors and the flock and all things may be done advisedly orderly and concordantly but where this cannot well be done the Pastor or Pastors must do their work without it 63. Those persons that by more private means will not be brought to necessary Repentance and Reformation must by the Pastor be publikely reproved and admonished before the Church and there called to Repentance by the opening of their sin and the judgements of the Lord and pleading with them those Gospel mercies and motives that should melt them into contrition And if the success do not appear it is ordinarily meet that the

Church should joyn in prayer for the offender that God would give him repentance unto life 64. If after sufficient waiting in the use of these means the offendor still remain impenitent it is the duty of the Church to reject him out of their communion Wherein the Pastors must compassionately declare his offence and his Impenitency and the Judgements that God hath threatned to such and the Laws of Christ commanding the Church to put such from among them and avoid them and have no company with them that they may be ashamed or to take them as Heathen men or Publicans and must accordingly declare the person offending to be unmeet for Christian Communion and charge the people to avoid him and have no fellowship with him and himself to forbear the Communion of Christians binding him over to answer it at the bar of Christ Which sentence must be accordingly executed by the Pastors in refusing him the Ordinances proper to the Church and by the people in avoiding familiarity and communion with him till he be restored upon his Repentance 65. It must be a credible Profession of Repentance only that must be accepted by the Church either for the preventing of such a rejection or for restoring the rejected And usually when the case is heinous and notorious or the Church hath had the publike cognizance of it they must also have publike notice of the penitence of the offendor who should with remorse of conscience and true contrition confess his sin before the Congregation and heartily lament it and crave the prayers of the Church to God for pardon and reconciliation through Christ and also crave an Absolution by the Minister and a restoration into the communion of the Church But because it much dependeth on circumstances of the case whether the Confession should be publike or private or in what manner made it is therefore to be much left to the Prudence of the Pastors whom the people in such cases are commanded to obey 66. When a credible Profession of Repentance is made whether voluntarily by the Converted or upon the Churches admonition by the scandalous or after excommunication it is the duty of the Pastors to declare such Penitents in the name of Christ to be pardoned and absolved and Ministerially to give them this Mercy from the Lord in case their Repentance be sincere as they profess And if the person were excommunicate it is the duty of the Pastor to declare him again meet for the Communion of the Church and require the Church to receive him with joy as a returning sinner and not to reproach him with his falls but to forgive him as Christ forgiveth him all which they are accordingly to perform and the Penitent with Joy to receive his absolution and to return to the Communion of the Church and to a more holy careful obedient life 67. When any by frequent Covenant-breaking have forfeited the Credit of their words the Church must have testimony of the actual Reformation of such persons before they can receive their professions and promises as credible any more Though yet there is so great difference here in persons and offences that the particular cases must be much left to the prudence of the Pastors that are present and know the persons and the whole case 68. So great is the necessity of the sick and so seasonable and advantagious the opportunity that Ministers should not negligently omit them but in Love and tenderness instruct them according to their several conditions endeavouring the Conversion of the ungodly and the strengthening of the weak and comforting such as need Consolation directing them how to improve their affliction and helping them to be truly sensible of the evil of sin the miscarriages and negligences of their lives the vanity of the world the necessity and sufficiency of Christ and the certainty and excellency of the everlasting Glory Perswading them to a pious just and charitable disposal of their worldly estate and to forgive such as have wronged them and to be reconciled to those with whom they have been at variance and believingly to hope for that life with Christ which he hath promised to all that are sanctified by his Spirit and comfortably to commit their souls to their Redeemer and quietly rest in the Will and Love and Promises of God Resolving if God should recover them to health to Redeem their time and live as a people devoted to his Glory It is meet also that the Pastors pray for the sick both privately and publikely when it is desired and thought fit 69. The Burial of Christians should be decent and honourable and though it be a thing indifferent in it self whether Exhortations Funeral Sermons or Prayers be then used yet because the season is very advantagious for mens reception of holy instructions it is convenient at least when desired that the Minister do take that season as often as he can to mind people of their mortality and the necessity of a speedy preparation for their change so prudently managing all his Exhortations and Prayers that the due end may be attained and the abuse prevented as far as may be 70. The lives of Christs Ministers should be conformable to their holy doctrine and so exemplary in Innocency Love Humility Meekness Patience Contempt of the world crucifying the desires of the flesh and in a zealous heavenly conversation and in all works of Piety Justice and charity within their power that the mouths of the enemies may be stopped and the people may learn and be convinced and directed even by their holy examples and our selves may be saved and the Christian Church and doctrine may be honoured to the glory of the Holy Ghost and of our Redeemer and our heavenly Father 71. As we have all one God one Christ one Spirit one Faith and Hope and Love one Covenant and one Catholike Church so should the Communion of Saints extend as far as their capacity and opportunities will allow And as particular persons must Associate for personal Communion in publike worship so particular Churches should associate for such Brotherly correspondency and communion as they are capable of and their needs require That by communicating the Truths and Mercies which they have received and advising together and by a brotherly collation of their apprehensions and improvement of their several gifts the unity of the Churches may be preserved and discords and uncharitableness may be avoided and the beauty and strength of the Churches maintained And therefore the Pastors of the neighbour Churches not excluding others that are fit should meet as frequently and at such times and places as the ends and works of the Association do require 72. Into these Associations such Pastors and Churches should be received that make a credible Profession of Faith and Holiness and no other And they that are Hereticks or of scandalous ungodly lives must after a first and second admonition if they remain impenitent be rejected and disowned by the Faithful Pastors