so much as in a general or obscure way much less that men destitute of the revelation of him by the Promise or Gospel should be inabled thereby to attain saving Faith or Repentance III. The revelation of the Gospel unto sinners made in divers times and by sundry parts with the addition of Promises and Precepts for the obedience required therein as to the Nations and persons to whom it is granted is meerly of the Soveraign will and good pleasure of God not being annexed by vertue of any promise to the due improvement of mens natural abilities by vertue of common light received without it which none ever did make or can so do And therefore in all ages the Preaching of the Gospel hath been granted unto Persons and Nations as to the extent or straitning of it in great variety according to the Counsel of the Will of God IV. Although the Gospel be the onely outward means of revealing Christ and saving Grace and is as such abundantly sufficient thereunto yet that men who are dead in trespasses may be born again quickned or regenerated there is moreover necessary an effectual irresistible work of the holy Ghost upon the whole soul for the producing in them a new spiritual life without which no other means are sufficient for their conversion unto God CHAP. XXI Of Christian Liberty and Liberty of Conscience THe Liberty which Christ hath purchased for Believers under the Gospel consists in their freedom from the guilt of sin the condemning wrath of God the rigor and curse of the Law and in their being delivered from this present evil world bondage to Satan and dominion of sin from the evil of afflictions the fear and sting of death the victory of the grave and everlasting damnation as also in their free access to God and their yielding obedience unto him not out of slavish fear but a childe-like love and willing minde All which were common also to Believers under the Law for the substance of them but under the New Testament the liberty of Christians is further inlarged in their freedom from the yoak of the Ceremonial Law the whole Legal administration of the Covenant of Grace to which the Jewish Church was subjected and in greater boldness of access to the throne of Grace and in fuller communications of the free Spirit of God then Believers under the Law did ordinarily partake of II. God alone is Lord of the Conscience and hath left it free from the Doctrines and Commandments of men which are in any thing contrary to his Word or not contained in it so that to believe such Doctrines or to obey such Commands out of conscience is to betray true Liberty of Conscience and the requiring of an implicit faith and an absolute and blinde obedience is to destroy Liberty of Conscience and Reason also III. They who upon pretence of Christian Liberty do practice any sin or cherish any lust as they do thereby pervert the main designe of the Grace of the Gospel to their own destruction so they wholly destroy the end of Christian Liberty which is that being delivered out of the hands of our enemies we might serve the Lord without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life CHAP. XXII Of religious Worship and the Sabbath-day THe light of Nature sheweth that there is a God who hath Lordship and Soveraignty over all is just good and doth good unto all and is therefore to be feared loved praised called upon trusted in and served with all the heart and all the soul and with all the might But the acceptable way of worshipping the true God is instituted by himself and so limited by his own revealed will that he may not be worshipped according to the imaginations and devices of men or the suggestions of Satan under any visible representations or any other way not prescribed in the holy Scripture II. Religious Worship is to be given to God the Father Son and holy Ghost and to him alone not to Angels Saints or any other Creatures and since the Fall not without a Mediator nor in the mediation of any other but of Christ alone III. Prayer with thanksgiving being one special part of natural worship is by God required of all men but that it may be accepted it is to be made in the name of the Son by the help of his Spirit according to his will with understanding reverence humility fervency faith love and perseverance and when with others in a known tongue IV. Prayer is to be made for things lawful and for all sorts of men living or that shall live hereafter but not for the dead nor for those of whom it may be known that they have sinned the sin unto death V. The reading of the Scriptures Preaching and hearing the word of God singing of Psalms as also the administration of Baptism and the Lords Supper are all parts of religious Worship of God to be performed in obedience unto God with understanding faith reverence and godly fear Solemn Humiliations with Fastings and Thanksgiving upon special occasions are in their several times and seasons to be used in a holy and religious maner VI Neither Prayer nor any other part of religious Worship is now under the Gospel either tyed unto or made more acceptable by any place in which it is performed or towards which it is directed but God is to be worshipped every where in spirit and in truth as in private families dayly and in secret each one by himself so more solemnly in the publique assemblies which are not carelesly nor wilfully to be neglected or forsaken when God by his Word of Providence calleth thereunto VII As it is of the law of Nature that in general a proportion of time by Gods appointment be set apart for the worship of God so by his Word in a positive moral and perpetual commandment binding all men in all ages he hath particularly appointed one day in seven for a Sabbath to be kept holy unto him which from the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ was the last day of the week and from the resurrection of Christ was changed into the first day of the week which in Scripture is called the Lords day and is to be continued to the end of the world as the Christian Sabbath the observation of the last day of the week being abolished VIII This Sabbath is then kept holy unto the Lord when men after a due preparing of their hearts and ordering their common affairs beforehand do not onely observe an holy rest all the day from their own works words and thoughts about their worldly imployments and recreations but also are taken up the whole time in the publique and private exercises of his Worship and in the duties of Necessity and Mercy CHAP. XXIII Of lawful Oaths and Vows A Lawful Oath is a part of religious Worship wherein the person swearing in truth righteousness and judgement solemnly calleth God to witness
their proceedings We humbly conceive that WE being dissatisfied in these things as our Brethren the like liberty was intended by the honorable Houses and may be taken by us of the Congregational way without blame or grief to the spirits of those Brethren at least to resolve or rather to continue in the same resolution and practise in these matters which indeed were our practises in times of greatest opposition and before this reformation was begun And as our Brethren the Ministers of London drew up and published their opinions and apprehensions about Church-Government into an intire System so we now give the like publique account of our consciences and the rules by which we have constantly practised hitherto which we have here drawn up and do present Whereby it will appear how much or how little we differ in these things from our Presbyterian Brethren And we trust there is no just cause why any man either for our differing from the present settlement it being out of conscience and not out of contempt or our differences one from another being not wilful should charge either of us with that odious reproach of Schism And indeed if not for our differing from the State-settlement much less because we differ from our Brethren our differences being in some lesser things and circumstances onely as themselves acknowledge And let it be further considered that we have not broken from them or their Order by these differences but rather they from us and in that respect we less deserve their censure our practise being no other then what it was in our breaking from Episcopacy and long before Presbytery or any such form as now they are in was taken up by them and we will not say how probable it is that the yoke of Episcopacy had been upon our neck to this day if some such way as formerly and now is and hath been termed Schism had not with much suffering bin then practised since continued in For Novelty wherewith we are likewise both charged by the enemies of both it is true in respect of the publique and open profession either of Presbytery or Independency this Nation hath been a stranger to each way it 's possible ever since it hath been Christian though for our-selves we are able to trace the footsteps of an Independent Congregational way in the ancientest customs of the Churches as also in the writings of our soundest Protestant Divines and that which we are much satisfied in a full concurrence throughout in all the substantial parts of Church-Government with our Reverend Brethren the old Puritan non-Conformists who being instant in prayer and much sufferings prevailed with the Lord and we reap with joy what they sowed in tears Our Brethren also that are for Presbyterial subordinations profess what is of weight against Novelty for their way And now therefore seeing the Lord in whose hand is the heart of Princes hath put into the hearts of our Governors to tolerate and permit as they have done many years persons of each perswasion to enjoy their consciences though neither come up to the Rule established by Authority And that which is more to give us both protection and the same encouragement that the most devoted Conformists in those former superstitious times enjoyed yea and by a publique Law to establish this Liberty for time to come and yet further in the midst of our fears to set over us a Prince that owns this Establishment and cordially resolves to secure our Churches in the enjoyment of these Liberties if we abuse them not to the disturbance of the Civil Peace This should be a very great engagement upon the hearts of all though of different perswasions to endeavor our utmost joyntly to promove the honor and prosperity of such a Government and Governors by whatsoever means which in our Callings as Ministers of the Gospel and as Churches of Jesus Christ the Prince of peace we are any way able to as also to be peaceably disposed one towards another and with mutual toleration to love as brethren notwithstanding such differences remembring as it 's very equal we should the differences that are between Presbyterians and Independents being differences between fellow-servants and neither of them having authority given from God or man to impose their opinions one more then the other That our Governors after so solemn an establishment should thus bear with us both in our greater differences from their Rule and after this for any of us to take a fellow-servant by the throat upon the account of a lesser reckoning and nothing due to him upon it is to forget at least not to exercise that compassion and tenderness we have found where we had less ground to challenge or expect it Our prayer unto God is That whereto we have already attained we all may walk by the same rule and that wherein we are otherwise minded God would reveal it to us in his due time Books sold by John Allen at the Sun Rising in Pauls Church-yard viz. Mr. Caryls fifth Volume on the Book of Job in quarto Mr. Caryls seventh Volume on the Book of Job in quarto Bezae Novum Testamentum in folio Mr. Allens Scripture Chronology in quarto Mr. Baxters Call to the Unconverted Mr. Cotton on the Covenant intended suddenly for the Press Mr. Lukins Practice of Godliness Mr. Burgess of Original sin Pareus on the Revelation in folio Mr. Gataker against Judicial Astrology wherein he proves it to be the way and practice of Heathens and ought not to be so much as named by them that profess the Name of Christ Esay 47.12 13. Jer. 10.2 The History of the Evangelical Churches of the Valleys of Piemont containing a most exact Description of the Place and a faithful Account of the Doctrine Life and Persecutions of the ancient Inhabitants together with a most naked and punctual Relation of the late Bloody Massacre 1655. and a Narrative of all the following Transactions to 1658. justifiâ—d partly by divers ancient Manuscripts written many hundred years before Calvin or Luther By Samuel Morlaend Esq in folio The humbled sinner resolved what he should do to be saved or Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ the onely way of Salvation by Mr. Obadiah Sedgwick in quarto The Riches of Grace displayed in the offer and tender of Salvation to poor sinners by the same Author in twelves The Fountain opened and the Water of Life flowing forth for the refreshing of thirsty sinners by the same Author quarto The Gospels Glory without prejudice to the Law shining forth in the Glory of God the Father Son and holy Ghost for the salvation of sinners by Mr. Richard Byfield in octavo A DECLARATION OF THE FAITH and ORDER Owned and practised in the CONGREGATIONAL CHURCHES IN ENGLAND CHAP. I. Of the holy Scripture ALthough the Light of Nature and the Works of Creation and Providence do so far manifest the Goodness Wisdom and Power of God as to leave men
unexcusable yet are they not sufficient to give that knowledge of God and of his Will which is necessary unto salvation Therefore it pleased the Lord at sundry times and in divers maners to reveal himself and to declare that his Will unto his Church and afterwards for the better preserving and propagating of the truth and for the more sure establishment and comfort of the Church against the corruption of the flesh and the malice of Satan and of the world to commit the same wholly unto writing which maketh the holy Scripture to be most necessary those former ways of Gods revealing his Will unto his people being now ceased II. Under the name of the holy Scripture or the Word of God written are now contained all the Books of the Old and New Testament which are these Of the Old Testament Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy Joshua Judges Ruth 1 Samuel 2 Samuel 1 Kings 2 Kings 1 Chronicles 2 Chronicles Ezra Nehemiah Esther Job Psalms Proverbs Ecclesiastes The Song of Songs Isaiah Jeremiah Lamentations Ezekiel Daniel Hosea Joel Amos Obadiah Jonah Micah Nahum Habakkuk Zephaniah Haggai Zechariah Malachi Of the New Testament Matthew Mark Luke John The Acts of the Apostles Pauls Epistle to the Romans 1 Corinthians 2 Corinthians Galatians Ephesians Philippians Colossians 1 Thessalonians 2 Thessalonians 1 to Timothy 2 to Timothy To Titus To Philemon The Epistle to the Hebrews The Epistle of James The first and second Epistles of Peter The first second and third Epistles of John The Epistle of Jude The Revelation All which are given by the inspiration of God to be the Rule of Faith and Life III. The Books commonly called Apocrypha not being of Divine inspiration are no part of the Canon of the Scripture and therefore are of no authority in the Church of God nor to be any otherwise approved or made use of then other humane writings IV. The Authority of the holy Scripture for which it ought to be believed and obeyed dependeth not upon the Testimony of any man or Church but wholly upon God who is Truth it self the Author thereof and therefore it is to be received because it is the Word of God V. We may be moved and induced by the Testimony of the Church to an high and reverent esteem of the holy Scripture And the heavenliness of the Matter the efficacy of the Doctrine the majesty of the Style the consent of all the parts the scope of the whole which is to give all glory to God the full discovery it makes of the onely way of Mans Salvation the many other incomparable excellencies and the intire perfection thereof are Arguments whereby it doth abundantly evidence it self to be the Word of God Yet notwithstanding our full perswasion and assurance of the infallible Truth and Divine Authority thereof is from the inward work of the holy Spirit bearing witness by and with the Word in our hearts VI The whole Counsel of God concerning all things necessary for his own Glory mans Salvation Faith and Life is either expresly set down in Scripture or by good and necessary consequence may be deduced from Scripture unto which nothing at any time is to be added whether by new Revelations of the Spirit or Traditions of men Nevertheless we acknowledge the inward illumination of the Spirit of God to be necessary for the saving understanding of such things as are revealed in the Word And that there are some circumstances concerning the Worship of God and Government of the Church common to humane actions and Societies which are to be ordered by the Light of Nature and Christian prudence according to the general Rules of the Word which are always to be observed VII All things in Scripture are not alike plain in themselves nor alike clear unto all yet those things which are necessary to be known believed and observed for salvation are so clearly propounded and opened in some place of Scripture or other that not onely the learned but the unlearned in a due use of the ordinary means may attain unto a sufficient understanding of them VIII The Old Testament in Hebrew which was the Native Language of the People of God of old and the New Testament in Greek which at the time of writing of it was most generally known to the Nations being immediately inspired by God and by his singular care and providence kept pure in all Ages are therefore Authentical so as in all Controversies of Religion the Church is finally to appeal unto them But because these Original Tongues are not known to all the people of God who have right unto and interest in the Scriptures and are commanded in the fear of God to read and search them therefore they are to be translated into the vulgar language of every Nation unto which they come that the Word of God dwelling plentifully in all they may worship him in an acceptable maner and through patience and comfort of the Scriptures may have hope IX The infallible Rule of Interpretation of Scripture is the Scripture it self And therefore when there is a question about the true and full sense of any Scripture which is not manifold but one it must be searched and known by other places that speak more clearly X. The Supreme Judge by which all controversies of Religion are to be determined and all Decrees of Councels Opinions of ancient Writers Doctrines of men and private Spirits are to be examined and in whose Sentence we are to rest can be no other but the holy Scripture delivered by the Spirit into which Scripture so delivered our Faith is finally resolved CHAP. II. Of God and of the holy Trinity THere is but one onely living and true God who is infinite in Being and Perfection a most pure Spirit invisible without body parts or passions immutable immense eternal incomprehensible almighty most wise most holy most free most absolute working all things according to the Counsel of his own immutable and most righteous Will for his own Glory most loving gracious merciful long-suffering abundant in goodness and truth forgiving iniquity transgression and sin the rewarder of them that diligently seek him and withal most just and terrible in his Judgements hating all sin and who will by no means clear the guilty II. God hath all Life Glory Goodness Blessedness in and of himself and is alone in and unto himself All-sufficient not standing in need of any Creatures which he hath made nor deriving any glory from them but onely manifesting his own glory in by unto and upon them He is the alone Fountain of all Being of whom through whom and to whom are all things and hath most Soveraign dominion over them to do by them for them or upon them whatsoever himself pleaseth In his sight all things are open and manifest his Knowledge is infinite infallible and independent upon the Creature so as nothing is to him contingent or uncertain He is most holy in all his Counsels in all his Works
the remaining corruption for a time may much prevail yet through the continual supply of strength from the sanctifying Spirit of Christ the regenerate part doth overcome and so the Saints grow in grace perfecting holiness in the fear of God CHAP. XIV Of saving Faith THe grace of Faith whereby the Elect are inabled to believe to the saving of their souls is the work of the Spirit of Christ in their hearts and is ordinarily wrought by the Ministery of the Word by which also and by the administration of the Seals Prayer and other means it is increased and strengthened II. By this Faith a Christian believeth to be true whatsoever is revealed in the Word for the Authority of God himself speaking therein and acteth differently upon that which each particular passage thereof containeth yielding obedience to the commands trembling at the threatnings and embracing the promises of God for this life and that which is to come But the principal acts of saving Faith are accepting receiving and resting upon Christ alone for justification sanctification and eternal life by vertue of the covenant of Grace III. This Faith although it be different in degrees and may be weak or strong yet it is in the least degree of it different in the kinde or nature of it as is all other saving grace from the faith and common grace of temporary believers and therefore though it may be many times assailed and weakned yet it gets the victory growing up in many to the attainment of a full assurance through Christ who is both the author and finisher of our Faith CHAP. XV Of Repentance unto life and salvation SUch of the Elect as are converted at riper years having sometime lived in the state of nature and therein served divers lusts and pleasures God in their effectual calling giveth them Repentance unto life II. Whereas there is none that doth good and sinneth not and the best of men may through the power and deceitfulness of their corruptions dwelling in them with the prevalency of temptation fall into great sins and provocations God hath in the covenant of Grace mercifully provided that Believers so sinning and falling be renewed through repentance unto Salvation III. This saving Repentance is an Evangelical Grace whereby a person being by the holy Ghost made sensible of the manifold evils of his sin doth by Faith in Christ humble himself for it with godly sorrow detestation of it and self-abhorrency praying for pardon and strength of Grace with a purpose and endeavor by supplies of the Spirit to walk before God unto all well-pleasing in all things IV. As Repentance is to be continued through the whole course of our lives upon the account of the body of death and the motions thereof so it is every mans duty to repent of his particular known sins particularly V. Such is the provision which God hath made through Christ in the Covenant of Grace for the preservation of Believers unto salvation that although there is no sin so small but it deserves damnation yet there is no sin so great that it shall bring damnation on them who truly repent which makes the constant preaching of Repentance necessary CHAP. XVI Of good Works GOOd works are onely such as God hath commanded in his holy Word and not such as without the warrant thereof are devised by men out of blinde zeal or upon any pretence of good intentions II. These good Works done in obedience to Gods commandments are the fruits and evidences of a true and lively Faith and by them Believers manifest their thankfulness strengthen their assurance edifie their Brethren adorn the profession of the Gospel stop the mouthes of the adversaries and glorifie God whose workmanship they are created in Christ Jesus thereunto that having their fruit unto holiness they may have the end eternal life III. Their ability to do good works is not at all of themselves but wholly from the Spirit of Christ And that they may be enabled thereunto besides the graces they have already received there is required an actual influence of the same holy Spirit to work in them to will and to do of his good pleasure yet are they not hereupon to grow negligent as if they were not bound to perform any duty unless upon a special motion of the Spirit but they ought to be diligent in stirring up the grace of God that is in them IV. They who in their obedience attain to the greatest height which is possible in this life are so far from being able to supererogate and to do more then God requires as that they fall short of much which in duty they are bound to do V. We cannnot by our best works merit pardon of sin or eternal life at the hand of God by reason of the great disproportion that is between them and the glory to come and the infinite distance that is between us and God whom by them we can neither profit nor â—â—tisfie for the debt of our former sins but when we have done all we can we have done but our duty and are unprofitable servants and because as they are good they proceed from his Spirit and as they are wrought by us they are defiled and mixed with so much weakness and imperfection that they cannot endure the severity of Gods judgement VI Yet notwithstanding the persons of Believers being accepted through Christ their good works also are accepted in Him not as though they were in this life wholly unblameable and unreproveable in Gods sight but that he looking upon them in his Son is pleased to accept and reward that which is sincere although accompanied with many weaknesses and imperfections VII Works done by unregenerate men although for the matter of them they may be things which God commands and of good use both to themselves and to others yet because they proceed not from a heart purified by Faith nor are done in a right maner according to the Word not to a right end the glory of God they are therefore sinful and cannot please God nor make a man meet to receive grace from God and yet their neglect of them is more sinful and displeasing unto God CHAP. XVII Of the Perseverance of the Saints THey whom God hath accepted in his beloved effectually called and sanctified by his Spirit can neither totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace but shall certainly persevere therein to the end and be eternally saved II. This Perseverance of the Saints depends not upon their own free-will but upon the immutability of the Decree of Election from the free and unchangeable love of God the Father upon the efficacy of the merit and intercession of Jesus Christ and union with him the Oath of God the abiding of his Spirit and of the seed of God within them and the nature of the Covenant of Grace from all which ariseth also the certainty and infallibility thereof III. And though they may through the temptation of Satan and of the world
with or calls them to to be continued to the end of the world are Pastors Teachers Elders and Deacons X. Churches thus gathered and assembling for the Worship of God are thereby visible and publique and their Assemblies in what place soever they are according as they have liberty or opportunity are therefore Church or Publique Assemblies XI The way appointed by Christ for the calling of any person fitted and gifted by the holy Ghost unto the Office of Pastor Teacher or Elder in a Church is that he be chosen thereunto by the common suffrage of the Church it self and solemnly set apart by Fasting and Prayer with Imposition of Hands of the Eldership of that Church if there be any before constituted therein And of a Deacon that he be chosen by the like suffrage and set apart by Prayer and the like Imposition of Hands XII The Essence of this Call of a Pastor Teacher or Elder unto Office consists in the Election of the Church together with his acceptation of it and separation by Fasting and Prayer And those who are so chosen though not set apart by Imposition of Hands are rightly constituted Ministers of Jesus Christ in whose Name and Authority they exercise the Ministery to them so committed The Calling of Deacons consisteth in the like Election and acceptation with separation by Prayer XIII Although it be incumbent on the Pastors and Teachers of the Churches to be instant in Preaching the Word by way of Office yet the work of Preaching the Word is not so peculiarly confined to them but that others also gifted and fitted by the holy Ghost for it and approved being by lawful ways and means in the Providence of God called thereunto may publiquely ordinarily and constantly perform it so that they give themselves up thereunto XIV However they who are ingaged in the work of Publique Preaching and enjoy the Publique Maintenance upon that account are not thereby obliged to dispense the Seals to any other then such as being Saints by Calling and gathered according to the Order of the Gospel they stand related to as Pastors or Teachers yet ought they not to neglect others living within their Parochial Bounds but besides their constant publique Preaching to them they ought to enquire after their profiting by the Word instructing them in and pressing upon them whether young or old the great Doctrines of the Gospel even personally and particularly so far as their strength and time will admit XV Ordination alone without the Election or precedent consent of the Church by those who formerly have been Ordained by vertue of that Power they have received by their Ordination doth not constitute any person a Church Officer or communicate Office power unto him XVI A Church furnished with Officers according to the minde of Christ hath full power to administer all his Ordinances and where there is want of any one or more Officers required that Officer or those which are in the Church may administer all the Ordinances proper to their particular Duty and Offices but where there are no teaching Officers none may administer the Seals nor can the Church authorize any so to do XVII In the carrying on of Church-administrations no person ought to be added to the Church but by the consent of the Church it self that so love without dissimulation may be preserved between all the Members thereof XVIII Whereas the Lord Jesus Christ hath appointed and instituted as a means of Edification that those who walk not according to the Rules and Laws appointed by him in respect of Faith and Life so that just offence doth arise to the Church thereby be censured in his Name and Authority Every Church hath Power in it self to exercise and execute all those Censures appointed by him in the way and Order prescribed in the Gospel XIX The Censures so appointed by Christ are Admonition and Excommunication and whereas some offences are or may be known onely to some it is appointed by Christ that those to whom they are so known do first admonish the offender in private in publique offences where any sin before all or in case of non-amendment upon private admonition the offence being related to the Church and the offender not manifesting his repentance he is to be duely admonished in the Name of Christ by the whole Church by the Ministery of the Elders of the Church and if this Censure prevail not for his repentance then he is to be cast out by Excommunication with the consent of the Church XX As all Belâ—evers are bound to joyn themselves to particular Churchâ— when and where they have opportunity so to do so nonâ— are to be admitted unto the Priviledges of the Churches who do not submit themselves to the Rule of Christ in the Censures of the Government of them XXI This being the way prescribed by Christ in case of offence no Church-members upon any offences taken by them having performed their duty required of them in this matter ought to disturb any Church-order or absent themselvâ—s from the publique Assemblies or the Administration of any Ordinances upon that pretence but to wait upon Christ in the further proceeding of the Church XXII The Power of Censures being seated by Christ in a particular Church is to be exercised onely towards particular Members of each Church respectively as such and there is no power given by him unto any Synods or Ecclesiastical Assemblies to Excommunicate or by their publique Edicts to threaten Excommunication or other Church-censures against Churches Magistrates or their people upon any account no man being obnoxious to that Censure but upon his personal miscarriage as a Member of a particular Church XXIII Although the Church is a Society of men assembling for the celebration of the Ordinances according to the appointment of Christ yet every Society assembling for that end or purpose upon the account of cohabâ—â—ation within any civil Precincts and Bounds is not thereby constituted a Church seeing there may be wanting among â—hem what is essentially required thereunto and therefore a Believer living with others in such a Precinct may joyn hâ—mself with any Church for his edification XXIV For the avoiding of differences that may otherwise arise for the greater Solemnity in the Celebration of the Ordinances of Christ and the opening a way for the large usefulness of the Gifts and Graces of the holy Ghost Saints living in one City or Town or within such distances as that they may conveniently assemble for divine Worship ought rather to joyn in one Church for their mutual strengthning and edification then to set up many distinct Societies XXV As all Churches and all the Members of them are bound to pray continually for the good or prosperity of all the Churches of Christ in all places and upon all occasions to further it Every one within the bounds of their Places and Callings in the exercise of their Gifts and Graces So the Churches themselves when planâ—ed by the providence of God so as they may have opportunity and advantage for it ought to hold communion amongst themselves for their peace increase of love and mutual edification XXVI In cases oâ— difficulties or differences either in point of Doctrine oâ—â—n Administrations wherein either the Churches in general â—â—e concerned or any one Church in their Peace Union anâ— Edification or any Member or Members of any Church 〈◊〉 injured in or by any proceeding in Censâ—â—es not agreâ—able to Truth and Order it is according to the minde oâ— Christ that many Churches holding communion togethâ—r do by their Messengers meet in a Synod or Councel to consider and give their advice in or about that matter in â—ifference to be reported to all the Churches concerned Howbeit these Synods so assembled are not entrusted with any Church-Power properly so called or with any Jurisdiction over the Churches themselves to exercise any Censures either over any Churches or Persons or to impose their determinations on the Churches or Officers XXVII Besides these occasional Synods or Councels there are not instituted by Christ any stated Synods in a fixed Combination of Churches or their Officers in lesser or greater Assemblies nor are there any Synods appointed by Christ in a way of Subordination to one another XXVIII Persons that are joyned in Church-fellowship ought not lightly or without just cause to withdraw themselves from the communion of the Church whereunto they are so joyned Nevertheless where any person cannot continue in any Church without his sin either for want of the Administration of any Ordinances instituted by Christ or by his being 1 Cor. 1.10 Acts 15. Rom. 15.6 8 9. v. 9. This perswasion cometh not of him that calleth you Gal. 5.8 1 Pet. 1.5 1 Pet. 3.15 8 Cor. 2. Gal. 1.6 Heb. 5.12 Eph. 4.12 14. Heb. 3.6 Heb. 10.22 June 20. 1648. Aug. 1647 Session â—86 Ordinance of March 14. 1645. Considerations and Cautions from Sion Coll. June 19. 1646. Jus divinum Minist. pub by the Provost of London in the Preface Puritanis Ang. by Dr. Aims near 50 years since as the opinions of Whitehead Gilbe Fox Dearing Greenham Cartwright Venner Fulk Whitaker Rainold Perkins c.