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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

Preachers of the Gospel is the word of God as to the Doctrinal sense but not as to the terms or Grammatical sense except when they recite the Scripture words as in the original or translated 8. Baptism is a holy Sacrament instituted by Christ in which a person professing the Christian faith or the Infant of such a Professor is regularly by a minister of Christ baptized in water into the name of the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost in signification and solemnization of the holy Covenant in which as a Penitent Believer or the seed of such he giveth up himself or is by the Parent given up to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost from henceforth or from the time of natural capacity to Believe in Love and serve this blessed Trinity against the Flesh the World and Devil and this especially on the account of Redemption and if he sincerely make this Covenant is solemnly entred a member of Christ and his Church a justified reconciled Child of God and an heir of Heaven all which with the other present benefits of the Covenant he is hereby instated or invested in they being thus solemnly delivered to him by the Promise thus sealed and applyed by an appointed Minister of Christ Or if some of us doubt whether these special benefits of the Covenant are delivered thus to all the Infants that are sincerely dedicated unto God yet we are all agreed that they are assured to them as soon as they believe and in the interim of their incapacity they have a general promise that God will be their God and his mercy shall be to them 9. It is a notable part of the ministerial Office to Baptize and consequently to try and judge of their Profession who are thus solemnly to be admitted into the Church and estated by Baptism in these benefits Therefore hath Christ given the Keys of his Kingdom to their trust both that his holy Church may be preserved from the unjust intrusions of uncapable persons and that the faithful Covenanters may have the fuller consolation by receiving a sealed promise and pardon from the hand of a minister of Christ commanded by him to seal and deliver it in his name 10. We are perswaded that it is the Will of Christ that the Infants of the faithful shall be dedicated to him in Baptism and engaged in his Covenant and made members of his visible Church because we find that under the promise before Christs Incarnation it was their duty to devote and engage their Children to God in the holy Covenant and that God did accept them as visible members of his Church And we never find where Christ had discharged Parents from this duty or turned all Infants out of his Church and reversed this blessing of their Church-membership but contrarily we find him offering to have taken the Jewish Nation to be still his Church if they would have taken him for their Saviour and telling us that it was for Unbelief that they were broken off and that it is but some of the branches that were broken off and we are graffed in amongst them into the same Olive-tree and that all Israel shall be saved when the fulness of the Gentiles is come in And we find Christ rebuking his Disciples for hindering little Children from being offered to him and that he charged them to forbid it no more and that he received and blessed them himself and tels us that of such is the Kingdom of God and we find it the Commission given to his Ministers that they were to Disciple the Nations Baptizing them All which and much more especially having not the least intimation of his Will against that which was even then the Duty and Practice of the Parents and the Infants benefit do deter us from forbidding the dedication of Children unto Christ and receiving them into his Church by Baptism 11. Baptism being so great a work should be deliberately seriously and reverently performed if it may be publikely before the Church where the person or Parent should make their solemn profession and be received with the joy and prayers of the Church whether Infant or Adult 12. The Catholick Church consisteth of all the Christians in the world Those that have the sanctifying Spirit of Christ are the living members Those that openly profess Christianity and enter into Covenant with Christ and are not yet Baptized are visible members initially but the solemnization and investiture is defective If it be where Baptism cannot be had the defect is innocent If where it may be had it is sinful but yet not such as nullifieth the persons visible Christianity And no errours offences or differences do exclude any totally from the Catholick Church while all the essentials of Christianity are kept 13. It is the will of Christ that all Christians that have opportunity be members of some particular Church as well as of the universal that he may have the honour and they the great and necessary benefits that by the Ministry Ordinances and Communion of Saints is there to be expected 14. A particular Christian Church is A competent number of Christians cohabiting who by the appointment of Christ and their own expressed Consent are united or associated under one or more Pastors for the right worshipping of God in publick and the Edification of the members in Knowledge and Holiness and the maintaining of their obedience to Christ for the safety strength and beauty of the society and thereby the Glorifying and pleasing of the Lord It is a Political organized society that is here defined and not a meer Community that is incapable of the Sacraments and other Ordinances and the benefits of them for want of Overseers 15. Those Ministers that are placed in Parishes where are many sorts of people some Ignorant of the essentials of Christianity some Apostates some impious and of wicked lives and some that consent not to be members of their Pastoral charge should teach them all that will submit and learn For we are called to it by the Magistrate and obliged by the publike maintenance which we receive to that end and engaged by the general command of improving our talents and the special opportunity that we have thereunto 16. This teaching of all our Parishioners that will submit must be both personally and publikely as far as we have ability and opportunity The former must be by Catechizing and conference wherein we must teach them first the essential points of Christianity and labour to help them to the clearest understanding of the doctrine of Salvation and press it on their affections and help them to discern their sin and misery and do all that we can to procure their conversion or edification according to their several states manageing the whole work with those holy affections that the weight of it doth require 17. The great necessity of our neighbours and the advantages of this familiar way do tell us that this work of catechizing and conference is so

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

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 Instructing of the Ignorant the promoting of Holiness and the Charitable Concord of all true Believers Which whosoever sincerely Believeth Consenteth to and Practiseth shall certainly be saved It is also by prefixed Questions made a Catechism By Richard Baxter London Printed 1660. To fill up this vacant Page THE Papists Confession of the sufficiency of our Belief Concil. Basil. Orat. Ragus Bin p. 299. The Holy Scripture in the literall sense soundly and well understood is the Infallible and most sufficient Rule of faith Bellarm. de verbo Dei l. 4. c. 11. In the Christian doctrine both of Faith and Manners some things are simply necessary to salvation to all as the knowledge of the Articles of the Apostles Creed of the ten Commandments and of some Sacraments The rest are not so Necessary that a man cannot be saved without the explicite knowledge belief and profession of them These things that are simply necessary and are Profitable to all the Apostles preached to all All things are written by the Apostles which are Necessary to all and which they openly preaclot to all See the place Costenus Enchirid. c 1. p. 49. Non inficiamur praecipua illa fidei capita quae omnibus Christians cognitu sunt ad salutem necessaria perspicuè satis esse Apostolicis scriptis comprehensa The Ancient CREED I Believe in God the Father Almighty Maker of Heaven and Earth And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord who was conceived by the Holy Ghost born of the Virgin Mary suffered under Pontius Pilate was Crucified dead and buried he descended into Hell the third day he rose again from the dead he ascended into Heaven and sittteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead I believe in the Holy Ghost the holy Catholick Church the Communion of Saints the forgiveness of sins the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting Amen I Believe in one God the Father Almighty maker of Heaven and earth and of all things visible and invisible and in one Lord Iesus Christ the only begotten Son of God begotten of his Father before all worlds God of God Light of Light very God of very God begotten not made being of one substance with the Father by whom all things were made who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate by the holy Ghost of the virgin Mary and was made man and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate He suffered and was buried and the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures and ascended into heaven and sitteth at the right hand of the Father And he shall come again with glory to judge both the quick and the dead whose kingdom shall have no end And I believe in the holy Ghost the Lord and giver of life who proceedeth from the Father and the Son who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified who spake by the Prophets And I believe one Catholike and Apostolike Church I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins And I look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come Amen WHosoever will be saved before all things it is necessary that he hold the Catholike faith Which faith except every one do keep wholly and undefiled without doubt he shall perish everlastingly And the Catholike faith is this that we worship one God in Trinity and Trinity in Unity Neither confounding the persons nor dividing the substance For there is one person of the Father another of the Son and another of the holy Ghost But the Godhead of the Father of the Son and of the holy Ghost is all one the glory equal the Majesty coeternal Such as the Father is such is the Son such is the holy Ghost The Father uncreate the Son uncreate and the holy Ghost uncreate The Father incomprehensible the Son incomprehensible and the holy Ghost incomprehensible The Father eternal the Son eternal and the holy Ghost eternal And yet they are not three eternals but one eternal As also there be not three incomprehensibles nor three uncreated but one uncreated and one incomprehensible So likewise the Father is Almighty the Son Almighty and the Holy Ghost Almighty And yet they are not three Almighties but one Almighty So the Father is God the Son is God the holy Ghost is God And yet they are not three Gods but one God So likewise the Father is Lord the Son Lord and the holy Ghost Lord And yet not three Lords but one Lord For like as we be compelled by the Christian verity to acknowledge every person by himself to be God and Lord So are we forbidden by the Catholike Religion to say there be three Gods or three Lords The Father is made of none neither Created nor begotten The Son is of the Father alone not made nor created but begotten The holy Ghost is of the Father and of the Son neither made nor created nor begotten but proceeding So there is one Father not three Fathers one Son not three Sons one holy Ghost not three holy Ghosts And in this Trinity none is afore or after other none is greater or less then another But the whole three persons be coeternal together and coequal So that in all things as is aforesaid the Unity in Trinity and the Trinity in Unity is to be worshipped He therefore that will be saved must thus think of the Trinity Furthermore it is necessary to everlasting salvation that he also believe rightly in the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ For the right faith is that we believe and confess that our Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God is God and man God of the substance of the Father begotten before the worlds and man of the substance of his mother born in the world Perfect God and perfect man of a reasonable soul and humane flesh subsisting Equal to the Father as touching his Godhead and inferiour to the Father touching his manhood Who although he be God and man yet he is not two but one Christ One not by Conversion of the Godhead into flesh but by taking of the manhood into God One altogether not by confusion of substance but by unity of person For as the reasonable soul and flesh is one man so God and man is one Christ Who suffered for our salvation descended into hell rose again the third day from the dead He ascended into heaven and sitteth one the right hand of the Father God almighty from whence he shall come to judge the

and impious Ordinations that tend to the corrupting or dividing of the Churches And to avoid Division upon a tolerable difference of Opinions where we may agree in Practice we Consent that the Associations that have no stated Presidents or that give not to such a Negative voice shall receive into their Communion those that are of the contrary opinion giving them leave if they desire it to profess or record their opinion in that particular so they will afterward walk among them in Love and Peace And that the Associations that choose a stated President and give him a Negative voice in Ordination shall in like manner and on like terms receive into their Communion such as dissent in that particular and having professed or recorded their dissent will walk submissively in Love and Peace Which liberty also of professing and recording their different principles we desire may be allowed them that joyn in Synods as being only for Communion of Churches and them that joyn in them as having a direct superiour Governing Power over the particular Pastors of the Churches VIII Though it be the surest way to Peace and Concord to take up with these necessary things and we cannot approve of the narrow dividing Principles of those men that will impose things unnecessary to the excluding of the necessary yet if our lawful Rulers shall command it or the peace of the Church through the distempers of the Brethren shall require it we shall obey and consent in things that God hath not forbidden and if we suffer for well-doing and for obeying God rather then men we shall endeavour to imitate our Lord who being reviled reviled not again and when he suffered threatned not but committed all to him that judgeth righteously 1 Pet. 2. 23. The Office of Christs Ministers more largely opened 1. THE Lord Jesus Christ having purchased our Salvation by his blood and stablished his Testament or Covenant of Grace and left us his example of perfect holiness ascended to the Father and is there the Glorified Lord of all and Head over all things to his Church all power being given him in Heaven and Earth that interceding for us with the Father he might be the Treasury of our Light and Life and offering salvation to the miserable world might gather and cleanse and save the Church which is his Body Communicating to them that grace that is here necessary to them in their way and warfare and perfecting them in Glory with himself when their warfare is accomplished 2. Christ Being thus invisible to us in Glory with the Father performeth not these works below by himself in person immediately and alone but by his Spirit Ministers and Word The Holy Ghost being his Advocate or Agent to these ends and his Ministers the Instruments used by his Spirit and himself to indite and bear witness to his word and to Preach it to the world as that infallible Truth which must guide them to Salvation 3. The first Prophetical and Apostolical Ministers being sent by himself and qualified by the inspiration conduct and miraculous gifts of the Holy Ghost did found the Church and enlarge it unto many nations of the world and left them the holy Scriptures which contain the doctrine which they preached that it might be certainly and fully preserved and propagated till the coming of Christ And they setled by the appointment of Christ and his Spirit an ordinary ministry to succeed them not to deliver a new Law or Gospel but to preserve and preach the doctrine which in the holy Scriptures and conjunctly at first also from the mouths of the Apostles they had received as once delivered to the Saints and to guide the Churches by it to the end 4. Though Christ appointed Ministers that should have so far a charge or care of the whole Church as not to be limited to any one part but to extend their labour and oversight as far as their capacity and opportunities would permit yet did he never make any man his Vicar or Vicegerent as Head of the universal Church nor lay upon any one whether Peter Paul or any other the charge and oversight of the whole nor did ever Peter or any one Apostle exercise such an Office in governing all the Catholike Church especially when it ceased to be confined to Jerusalem and the adjacent parts and was dispersed through the world Never did the Apostles receive their Commissions from Peter or all the Ministers then in the world perform their work by his Commission or by any power received from him nor were accountable to him and judged by him for what they did Much less is this universal Head-ship committed to the Pope of Rome through all or any generations But because a certain Primacy of Order was granted him by Emperours and Councils within the limits of the Roman Empire long after the Apostles days therefore doth he take advantage thence to pretend a Title to the universal Head-ship As if the Roman and the Christian world had been the same or the Emperor and his Clergy had been the Rulers of all the Christian subjects of all other Princes or Pastors upon earth and his limited Primacy had been an universal Soveraignty This claim of the Pope of Rome to be the Vice-Christ or universal Pastor of all the Christian world is a tyrannical impious irrational usurpation contrary to the holy Scripture and the state of the Primitive Church and contrary to nature and common sense which declare his incapacity of the work far more then any Prince is uncapable of being the universal Monarch of the world And therefore all Christians should abhor this proud and impious usurpation and fly from the guilt of that horrible schism and those corruptions in doctrine worship and government which it hath introduced 5. Christ calleth his ordinary ministers to that office by enduing them with his gifts and disposing them thereunto and moving the hearts of the people to consent and by ordination of the senior Pastors and giving them opportunities for the work and sometime the Magistrates command hath a hand in the obligation 6. It belongeth to the Office of the Ministers of Christ to Preach the Gospel to the nations of the world and make them Christs Disciples Baptizing them in the name of the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost 7. This Preaching or publishing the Gospel is done by voice or by writing that by voice is done by Reading by publike Sermons or interlocutory conference that by writing is either by translating the holy Scriptures into the languages used by the Nations or by expounding and applying them So that the holy Scriptures in the original languages are the word of God both as to the terms and sense Grammatical and Doctrinal The same Scriptures in a Translation are the word of God as to the sense both Grammatical and Doctrinal but not as to the Terms The holy doctrine of the Scriptures delivered in the writings and Sermons and conferences of the

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

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