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<DATE>2008-3-28</DATE>
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<NAME>Elspeth Healey</NAME>
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<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P>THE
AGREEMENT
OF THE
ASSOCIATED
MINISTERS <HI>&amp;</HI> CHURCHES
OF THE
COUNTIES
OF
Cumberland,
AND
VVe&s;tmerland:
With &s;omething for
EXPLICATION and EXHORTATION
Annexed.</P>
<BIBL>1 Cor. 1. 10, 11, 12, 13.</BIBL>
<Q>Now I be&s;eech you brethren, by the Name of our Lord Ie&s;us Chri&s;t
that ye all &s;peak the &s;ame thing, and that there be no divi&s;ions among you: but that
ye be perfectly joyned together in the &s;ame minde, and in the &s;ame judgment, &amp;c.</Q>
<BIBL>1 Cor. 3. 3, 4.</BIBL>
<Q>VVhereas there is among you envying, and &s;trife, and divi&s;ions, are
ye not carnal, and walk as men? For while one &s;aith, I am of Paul, and another,
I am of Apollo; are ye not carnal?</Q>
<BIBL>Rom. 14. 19.</BIBL>
<Q>Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things
wherewith one may edifie another.</Q>
<BIBL>Phil. 2. 4.</BIBL>
<Q>Look not every man on his own things; but every man al&s;o on the things of
others.</Q>
<BIBL>Rom. 16. 17, 18.</BIBL>
<Q>Now I be&s;eech you brethren, mark them which cau&s;e
divi&s;ions, and offences, &amp;c. and avoid them, &amp;c.</Q>
<P><HI>London,</HI> Printed by of for <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter"> VVater&s;on,</HI> &amp; are &s;old at the &s;ign of the <HI>Globe</HI>
in <HI>Pauls</HI> Church-yard, and by <HI>Richard Scot.</HI> Book&s;eller in <HI>Carli&s;le&punc;</HI> 1656.</P>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="discourse">
<PB REF="2">
<PB N="1" REF="2">
<HEAD>PROPOSITIONS
Agreed upon by the
ASSOCIATED MINISTERS
OF THE
COVNTIES
OF
<HI>Cumberland,</HI> and <HI>VVe&s;tmerland.</HI></HEAD>
<P>_WHen we compare the pre&s;ent
mi&s;eries and di&s;tempers with
our former confident expe|ctations
of unitie, and refor|mation,
our hearts bleed, and
melt within us; we are be|come
a by-word to our Ad|ver&s;aries,
they clap their hands
at us, &s;aying, <HI>Is this the City
that men call the perfection of Beauty?</HI> Piety is generally
decayed, mo&s;t men placing their Religion in <HI>doting
about Que&s;tions</HI> which they under&s;tand not: Pro|phanene&s;s
<PB N="2" REF="3">
thrives through want of Di&s;cipline; Er|ror
and Bla&s;phemie domineers; Jealou&s;ies, Divi|&s;ions,
unmerciful revilings, and cen&s;urings, are fo|mented
among Brethren of the &s;ame Hou&s;hold of
Faith; the weak ones are di&s;couraged and di&s;tract|ed
by the multitude of Opinions, and fierce oppo&s;i|tion
of each party, and that which is wor&s;t of all,
Gods honor &s;uffers deeply, and the credit of Religi|on
is brought very lowe; <HI>Is this nothing to you, all yee
that pa&s;s by?</HI></P>
<P>Though the&s;e things can never be &s;ufficiently la|mented;
yet &s;eeing it is not &s;ufficient barely to la|ment
them, without indeavouring to heal them:
and con&s;idering, that it is a duty incumbent upon all
Chri&s;tians, (according to their &s;everal places and a|bilities)
to promote the welfare of <HI>Sion;</HI> e&s;pecially
when wee have ta&s;ted &s;o much of the bitterne&s;s of
our divi&s;ions: And becau&s;e a brotherly union hath
&s;o much of God in it, and con&s;equently gives &s;o
much hope that God will take that cour&s;e in e&s;ta|bli&s;hing
his Church, when he &s;hall ari&s;e to build <HI>Ie|ru&s;alem;</HI>
and &s;eeing it is an unju&s;tifyable petti&s;hne&s;s
and peevi&s;hne&s;s of &s;pirit, to be aver&s;e from joyning
together in any thing, becau&s;e we cannot joyn in all
things; therefore we re&s;olve (&s;etting a&s;ide all car|nal
intere&s;ts, and ca&s;ting our &s;elves, with all our con|cernments,
at the Lords feet) to walk together as
far as we can for the pre&s;ent, not re&s;ting here, nor
tying our &s;elves from further progre&s;s in union, (as
the Lord &s;hall give light and &s;atisfaction) much le&s;s
binding our &s;elves from a &s;ubmi&s;&s;ion to, and com|pliance
with a more general accommodation, (if a|ny
<PB N="3" REF="3">
&s;uch thing &s;hould hereafter be agreed on) which
might be more &s;utable and fitted for the compo&s;ure
of the different principles of Brethren throughout
the Nation.</P>
<P>In order to the carrying on of this great work, wee
lay down and a&s;&s;ent unto the&s;e general rules, as
the Ba&s;is and Foundation which mu&s;t &s;upport and
bear up our following Agreement.</P>
<P>1. THat in the exerci&s;e of Di&s;cipline, it is not
onely the mo&s;t &s;afe cour&s;e, but al&s;o mo&s;t
conducing to brotherly union and &s;atisfaction, That
particular Churches carry on as much of their work
with joynt and mutual a&s;&s;i&s;tance, as they can with
conveniency and edification, and as little as may be
in their actings, to &s;tand di&s;tinctly by them&s;elves, and
apart from each other.</P>
<P>2. That in matters of <HI>Church Di&s;cipline,</HI> tho&s;e
things which belong onely<NOTE N="&dagger;" PLACE="marg">Things not e&s;&s;en|tial.</NOTE> <HI>ad melius e&s;&s;e,</HI> ought to
be laid a&s;ide, both in re&s;pect of publication and pra|ctice,
rather then that the Churches peace &s;hould be
hindered.</P>
<P>3. That where different principles lead to the
&s;ame practice, wee may joyn together in that pra|ctice,
re&s;erving to each of us our own principles.</P>
<P>4. That where we can neither agree in principle,
nor in practice, we are to bear with one another's
differences, that are of a le&s;s and di&s;putable nature,
vvithout making them a ground of divi&s;ion among&s;t
us.</P>
<P><PB N="4" REF="4">
Yet notwith&s;tanding, we do not hereby binde up
our &s;elves from endeavouring to inform one ano|ther
in tho&s;e things wherein we differ, &s;o that it
be done with a &s;pirit of love and meekne&s;s, and
vvith re&s;olutions to continue our brotherly amity
and a&s;&s;ociation, though in tho&s;e particulars our
differences &s;hould remain uncompo&s;ed.</P>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Upon the&s;e grounds we agree as followeth.</HEAD>
<P>1. Seeing the Lord hath called us out of his <HI>work,</HI>
and hath imployed us as <HI>Amba&s;sadors, Stewards,
Watchmen,</HI> and <HI>Over&s;eers,</HI> in his Church, we re&s;olve
through his a&s;&s;i&s;tance, to endeavour the di&s;charge of
our duty and tru&s;t herein, unre&s;ervedly, and with all
faithfulne&s;s, to the utmo&s;t of our power, though
hereby vve hazard reproach, revilings, contempts,
injuries, lo&s;s of friends, and maintenance, or what|&s;oever
el&s;e may be dear to us.</P>
<P>2. To this end we re&s;olve in the cour&s;e of our
Mini&s;tery, to ob&s;erve the temper, di&s;po&s;ition, and
capacity of the generality of the people, and to &s;uit
our &s;elves not onely in our matter to the people's
conditions, but al&s;o in our expre&s;&s;ions to the people's
apprehen&s;ions, that &s;o our Sermons may bee plain,
piercing, &s;ea&s;onable, and profitable.</P>
<P>3. Particularly, we re&s;olve undauntedly (and
yet according to the rules of Chri&s;tian prudence) to
reprove the &s;ins that mo&s;t abound in our people, and
&s;hall mainly bend the force of our endeavours to
convince men of their carnal &s;ecurity, to di&s;cover
the rotten and deceitful props on which it is built,
<PB N="5" REF="4">
and to pre&s;s them to the acceptance of Chri&s;t accor|ding
to the proffers of the Go&s;pel.</P>
<P>4. We will lay out our &s;elves in keeping Lectures
(as the &s;ea&s;ons of the yeer will permit) wherein we
will more e&s;pecially have regard to tho&s;e places that
are de&s;titute of preaching.</P>
<P>5. We re&s;olve to catechi&s;e and in&s;truct the peo|ple
committed to us, explaning to them the grounds
of Religion, that knowledge may increa&s;e among
them; and to this purpo&s;e we conceive it mo&s;t fit
to make u&s;e of the A&s;&s;emblies larger and &s;horter
Catechi&s;ms.</P>
<P>6. We re&s;olve, be&s;ides the work of publike
preaching, and catechi&s;ing, to in&s;truct them private|ly
from hou&s;e to hou&s;e, (&s;o far as our publike work
will permit) that &s;o we may have an opportunity of
being more throughly acquainted with their &s;tate
and condition, and of dealing with them more clo&s;e|ly,
and particularly, as occa&s;ion &s;hal require, &s;triving
alwayes to improve our occa&s;ional di&s;cour&s;es and
commerce with them to that end, having our words
&s;ea&s;oned with &s;alt, that they may admini&s;ter grace
to the hearers.</P>
<P>7. Fora&s;much as affliction and &s;ickne&s;s doth not
onely call for mini&s;terial help and advice in a more
e&s;pecial manner; but al&s;o gives opportunity and ad|vantage
for coun&s;el or reproof; therefore wee re|&s;olve
to be as diligent in vi&s;iting the &s;ick and afflic|ted,
as other labours, greatne&s;s of our charge, and a|bility
to go abroad will &s;uffer us; and that not on|ly
the rich, and tho&s;e that de&s;ire us, but al&s;o the
poor, and tho&s;e that &s;end not for us.</P>
<P><PB N="6" REF="5">
8. Seeing we are in Scripture commanded to love
all men, and as much as in us lieth, to follow Peace
with all; and yet warned to re&s;erve our Brotherly
kindne&s;s and delight for tho&s;e that walk holily;
therefore we re&s;olve in our Society, as well as in di&s;|pencing
of Ordinances, to put a difference between
the precious and the vile; and though we intend not
to deny that Charity, Help, Civility and Duty that
we owe unto the Scandalous, yet will we be&s;tow our
love of complacencie onely on tho&s;e that order
their conver&s;ations aright, le&s;t by intimacie with
wicked men, we &s;trengthen the hands of evill do|ers,
grieve the hearts of the godly, and en&s;nare our
own &s;ouls.</P>
<P>9. Seeing the &s;ins of Sabbath-breaking, Swear|ing,
Fornication and Drunkenne&s;s are &s;o abominable
in the &s;ight of God and men, and yet &s;o frequent, we
re&s;olve, be&s;ides the reproving of the&s;e &s;ins in pub|like
and private, to endeavor to bring &s;uch Offenders
to the puni&s;hment of the Law, in tho&s;ed ca&s;es pro|vided.</P>
<P>10. We will in&s;truct our people publikely, con|cerning
the nature of the di&s;cipline of Chri&s;t, &amp; &s;hal
pre&s;s the nece&s;&s;ity of their &s;ubmi&s;&s;ion to it, according
to the Rule of Scripture.</P>
<P>11 Becau&s;e it hath been the commendable prac|ti&s;e
of the Saints of old, in order to the <HI>Reformation</HI>
of the Churches, publikely and &s;olemnly to renew
the Covenant with God; and becau&s;e in this Age,
temptations to Apo&s;tacie, and back-&s;lidings from the
faith are &s;trong and frequent, and becau&s;e our hearts
are &s;o ready to &s;tart a&s;ide from the Power of Di&s;ci|pline,
<PB N="7" REF="5">
that we daily &s;tand in need of all po&s;&s;ible Ob|ligations
to &s;ubmi&s;&s;ion; therefore we re&s;olve to re|quire
from our people an a&s;&s;ent to the Truths of
Chri&s;t, (contained in a &s;hort Confe&s;&s;ion of Faith
hereunto annexed) and a Profe&s;&s;ion of their con&s;ent
to &s;ubmit unto, and accept of the terms of the cove|nant
of Grace, to take the Lord for their God; to
walk in his Wayes; to fear, love, honor and obey
him with all their heart, and with all their might,
and to &s;ubmit to Di&s;cipline and Government.
Yet</P>
<P>1. We are &s;o far from re&s;olving to &s;atisfie our
&s;elves with the bare recital and repetition of the
words of the Profe&s;&s;ion, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> that we &s;hall endea|vour
to make the people not onely to profe&s;s with
Under&s;tanding, but (&s;o far as we can) with feel|ing
Apprehen&s;ions of what they &s;peak.</P>
<P>2. Neither do we intend &s;trictly to bind all to
the &s;ame circum&s;tances of profe&s;&s;ing their con&s;ent,
but (if any profe&s;&s;ing &amp; owning the &s;ub&s;tance) &s;hall
&s;cruple at any particular circum&s;tance, we re&s;olve
to u&s;e towards &s;uch, all po&s;&s;ible meekne&s;s and
condi&s;cention.</P>
<P>12. Be&s;ides a profe&s;&s;ed competent Knowledge of
the fundamentals of Religion, we re&s;olve to require
an unblameable conver&s;ation in all tho&s;e whom we
&s;hall admit to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper,
both the&s;e being nece&s;&s;ary for the di&s;covery of peo|ples
<HI>pre&s;ent</HI> fitne&s;s and right,<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">In re&s;pect of the Church.</NOTE> in <HI>foro Eccle&s;iae,</HI> to the
<HI>actual</HI> enjoyment of that Ordinance.</P>
<P>13. Becau&s;e the Ordinances of God may, on the
one hand, be prophaned, by the &s;inful neglect and
carele&s;sne&s;s of the Church-guides; and becau&s;e on
<PB N="8" REF="6">
the other hand, people may be wronged by a ra&s;h
and groundle&s;s exclu&s;ion; therefore in the judging
and determining of peoples pre&s;ent fitne&s;s for that
Sacrament, we re&s;olve to &s;et before us the&s;e follow|ing
Rules, both in point of Knowledge and Scan|dal.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>In Point of Knowledge.</HEAD>
<P>1. Becau&s;e the truth of Grace is utterly incon|&s;i&s;tent
with a total ignorance of the Fundamen|tals
of Religion; and becau&s;e &s;uch per&s;ons, <HI>not be|ing
able to di&s;cern the Lords body, would eat and drink
judgement to them&s;elves;</HI> therefore we re&s;olve, not
to admit any that upon trial &s;hall be found to be
&s;uch, to the Sacrament of the Supper.</P>
<P>2. We &s;hall not reject any as ignorant that
have a competent Knowledge of tho&s;e heads of
Divinity, mentioned by the A&s;&s;embly in the form
of Church-Government, <HI>pag.</HI> 28.</P>
<Q><P>All &s;uch per&s;ons who &s;hall be admitted to
the Sacrament of the Lords Supper, ought to
know, That there is a God; that there is but one
everliving and true God, Maker of Heaven and
earth, and Governor of all things; that this
onely true God, is the God whom we wor&s;hip;
that this God is but one God, yet three di&s;tinct
per&s;ons, the Father, Son and Holy Gho&s;t, all e|qually
God.</P>
<P><HI>That God created man after his own image,
in Knowledge, Righteou&s;ne&s;s, and true Holi|ne&s;s;</HI>
That by one man &s;in entred into the world, and
<PB N="9" REF="6">
death by &s;in, and &s;o death pa&s;&s;ed upon all men, for that
all have &s;inned; that thereby they are all dead in Tre&s;|pa&s;&s;es
and &s;ins, and are by nature the children of wrath,
and &s;o lyable to eternal death, the wages of every &s;in.</P>
<P>That there is but one Mediator betwixt God and
man, rhe Man Chri&s;t Ie&s;us, who is al&s;o over all, God
ble&s;&s;ed for ever; neither is there &s;alvation in any o|ther.</P>
<P>That he was conceived by the <HI>Holy Gho&s;t,</HI> and
born of the Virgin <HI>Mary;</HI> that he died upon the
cro&s;s to &s;ave his people from their &s;ins; that he
ro&s;e again the third day from the dead, a&s;cended
into heaven, &s;itteth at the right hand of God, and
maketh continual interce&s;sion for us; of who&s;e ful|ne&s;s
we receive all grace nece&s;&s;ary to &s;alvation.</P>
<P>That Chri&s;t and his benefits are applied onely
by faith; that faith is the gift of God, and that we
have it not of our &s;elves, but it is wrought in us by
the Word, and the &s;pirit of God.</P>
<P>That faith is that grace whereby we believe and
tru&s;t in Chri&s;t for remi&s;sion of &s;ins and life ever|la&s;ting
according to the promi&s;es of the <HI>Go&s;pel;</HI> that
who&s;oever believes not in the Son of God, &s;hall
not &s;ee life, but &s;hall peri&s;h eternally.</P>
<P>That they who truly repent of their &s;ins, do &s;ee
them, &s;orrow for them, and turn from them to the
Lord; and that except men repent, they &s;hall &s;ure|ly
peri&s;h.</P>
<P>That a godly life is con&s;cionably ordered accor|ding
to the word of God, in holine&s;s and righteou&s;|n&s;es,
without which no man &s;hall &s;ee God.</P>
<P><PB N="10" REF="7">
That the <HI>Sacraments</HI> are &s;eals of the <HI>Covenant</HI>
of <HI>Grace</HI> in the blood of <HI>Chri&s;t;</HI> that the <HI>Sacra|ments</HI>
of the New Te&s;tament are Bapti&s;m, and
the Supper of the Lord; that the outward ele|ments
in the Lords Supper are Bread and Wine,
and do &s;ignifie the Body and Blood of <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> cru|cified,
which the worthy receiver by Faith doth
partake of in the Sacrament, which <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> hath
likewi&s;e ordained for the remembrance of his
death; that who&s;oever eateth and drinketh un|worthily,
is guilty of the body and blood of the
Lord; therefore that every one is to examine
him&s;elf, left he eat and drink judgement to him|&s;elf,
not di&s;cerning the Lords Body.</P>
<P>That the &s;ouls of the &s;aithful after death doe
immediately live with Chri&s;t in ble&s;&s;edne&s;s; and
that the &s;ouls of the wicked do immediately go
into Hell Torment; that there &s;hal be a Re&s;ur|rection
of the bodies both of the ju&s;t and unju&s;t
at the la&s;t day, at which time all &s;hall appear be|fore
the Judgement-&s;eat of Chri&s;t, to receive ac|cording
to what they have done in the body,
whether it be good or evil; and that the righte|ous
&s;hall go into life eternal, and the wicked in|to
everla&s;ting puni&s;hment.</P></Q>
<P>3. We mu&s;t not expect from the ordinary &s;ort
of people, (who through want of breeding, and o|ther
natural defects, are u&s;ually unable well to ex|pre&s;s
their mindes) a di&s;tinct or continued di&s;|cour&s;e
of the&s;e things, and therefore we &s;hall be
&s;atisfyed, if we can but perceive that they under|&s;tand
the &s;ub&s;tance.</P>
<P><PB N="11" REF="7">
4. We mu&s;t take care not to make a Que&s;tion
more difficult by our dark and cloudy Expre&s;si|ons;
but mu&s;t endeavor to propound things in the
plaine&s;t terms we can.</P>
<P>5. Though we may propound higher and more
difficult Que&s;tions, for di&s;covery of, and provoca|tion
to growth in Knowledge; yet we wil always
(as neer as we can) make their knowledge or Ig|norance
in the points mentioned, the rule of our
di&s;cerning and determination.</P>
<P>6. And in ca&s;e any give not that &s;atisfaction we
de&s;ire, we will endeavour to di&s;cover whether it
be, fir&s;t, from their unacquaintedne&s;s with the
terms &amp; words of the Que&s;tion; or &s;econdly, from
ba&s;hfulne&s;s or &s;hamefacedne&s;s; or thirdly, from
natural impediments; or fourthly, from ignorance
of the thing it &s;elf; and accordingly we wil pro|pound
the Que&s;tion in other words, or fetch a
compa&s;s, to &s;ee if they can take a hint from &s;ome|thing
introductory; however in ca&s;e no &s;atisfacto|ry
account can be given, we wil not &s;et the parties
a&s;ide, as if we took no further care, but &s;hall endea|vour
to in&s;truct them with all meekne&s;s and pati|ence.</P>
<P>7. Becau&s;e we finde by experience, that many
people &s;peak of the Fundamentals of Religion in
a meer form of words by roat, without under&s;tan|ding
the &s;en&s;e and meaning thereof; in propound|ing
our Que&s;tions we will of purpo&s;e forbear the
words and method of ordinary Catechi&s;ms.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<PB N="12" REF="8">
<HEAD>In point of Scandal.</HEAD>
<P>1. Fora&s;much as &s;candalous &s;inners cannot be
admitted to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper
without great di&s;honor to God, defiling and abu|&s;ing
of that holy Ordinance, &s;in and judgement to
them&s;elves, the indangering of the leavening the
whole lump, &amp; uncharitable unfaithfulne&s;s in tho&s;e
that knowingly admit them; therefore we re&s;olve
not to receive any (of what degree, quality or rela|tion
&s;oever) to this Ordinance, that can be proved
to be &s;candalou&s;ly &s;inful.</P>
<P>2. In regard we can only take cognizance of peo|ples
<HI>outward and eccle&s;ia&s;ticall</HI> right to Ordinances;
therefore we re&s;olve in matters of &s;candal, not to
proceed again&s;t any according to our private &s;atis|factions,
&s;u&s;pitions, di&s;-&s;atisfactions, or rumours;
but according to outward, vi&s;ible, and full proof
of the matter of fact.</P>
<P>3. Becau&s;e all &s;ins are not alike heinous &amp; &s;canda|lous,
&s;ome being &s;uch in one &s;ingle act; others only
in re&s;pect of continuance, &amp; other aggravating cir|cum&s;tances;
thereforefore we re&s;olve to di&s;tingui&s;h
betwixt &s;in and &s;in; wherein that we may proceed
both more unanimou&s;ly and &s;afely, we &s;hall take
the A&s;&s;emblies direction for our rule, looking up|on
tho&s;e &s;ins mentioned by them in the form of
Church Government as &s;candalous, though but
once committed.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Their words are the&s;e:</HEAD>
<Q><P>All &s;candalous per&s;ons hereafter mentioned, are to
<PB N="13" REF="8">
be &s;u&s;pended from the Sacrament of the Lords Supper:
<HI>that is to &s;ay;</HI></P>
<P>All per&s;ons that &s;hall bla&s;phemou&s;ly &s;peak or
write any thing of God, his holy Word or Sacra|ments;
all renouncers of the true Prote&s;tant Re|ligion
profe&s;&s;ed in the Church of <HI>England;</HI> &amp; all
per&s;ons who &s;hall by preaching or writing,
maintain any &s;uch errors as do &s;ubvert any of
tho&s;e articles, the ignorance whereof doth render
any per&s;on excluded from the Sacrament of the
Lords Supper; an ince&s;tuous per&s;on, an adulterer,
a fornicator, a drunkard, a prophane &s;wearer or
cur&s;er; one that hath taken away the life of any
per&s;on maliciou&s;ly; all wor&s;hippers of images,
cro&s;&s;es, crucifixes, or reliques; all that &s;hall make
images or pictures of the Trinity, or of any
per&s;on thereof; all religious wor&s;hippers of
<HI>Saints, Angels,</HI> or any meer creatures; any per&s;on
that &s;hal profe&s;s him&s;elf not to be in charity with
his Neighbor; all per&s;ons in whom malice ap|peareth,
and they refu&s;e to be reconciled; any
per&s;on that &s;hall challenge any other per&s;on
by word, me&s;&s;age or writing to fight, or that &s;hall
accept &s;uch challenge, and agree thereto; any
per&s;on that &s;hall knowingly carry any challenge
by word, me&s;&s;age or writing; any per&s;on that
shall upon the Lords Day u&s;e any dancing, play|ing
at dice, or cards, or any other game, mask|ing,
wakes, &s;hooting, bowling, playing, playing
at foot-ball, &s;tool-ball, wre&s;tling; or that shall
make re&s;ort to any Playes, interludes, fencing,
bull-baiting, bear-baiting; or that shall u&s;e
<PB N="14" REF="9">
hawking, hunting, or cour&s;ing, fishing or fowling;
or that shall publikely expo&s;e any Wares to &s;ale
otherwi&s;e then is provided by an Ordinance of
Parliament of the 6th. of <HI>April,</HI> 1649. Any
per&s;on that shall travel on the Lords day without
rea&s;onable cau&s;e; any per&s;on that keepeth a
known Stews, or Brothelhou&s;e, or that shall
&s;ollicite the cha&s;tity of any per&s;on for him&s;elf, or
any other: any per&s;on, Father or Mother, that
that shall con&s;ent to the marriage of their chil|dren
to a <HI>Papi&s;t,</HI> or any per&s;on that shall marry a
<HI>Papist;</HI> any per&s;on that shall repaire for any ad|vice
to any Witch, Wizard, or Fortune-Teller; a|ny
per&s;on that shall menace or a&s;&s;ault his Pa|rents,
or any Magi&s;trate, Mini&s;ter, or Elder in the
execution of his Office; any per&s;on that shall be
legally attainted of Barrotry; Forgery; Extor|tion
or Bribery.</P></Q>
<P>4. Much tenderne&s;s is to be u&s;ed in judging of
le&s;s &s;ins that have more then ordinary advantage
again&s;t men by &s;udden &s;urpri&s;al&punc; as Pa&s;sion; <HI>&amp;c.</HI>
and in the out-breaking of &s;ins that have formerly
been cu&s;tomary, but are now &s;triven again&s;t and
weakned; in &s;uch ordinary failings as are daily in|cident
to the &s;ervant of God, in matter of Debt,
Titles or particular intere&s;ts; &amp; in all other things
wherein the &s;infulne&s;s is dubious and di&s;putable.</P>
<P>5 We re&s;olve in le&s;s &s;ins to have regard to the
con&s;tant tenure of the parties life and carriage; as
whether he be ordinarily otherwi&s;e &s;trict or care|le&s;s;
and to the circum&s;tances of frequency, ob&s;ti|nacy,
company, provocation, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> which might
<PB N="15" REF="9">
either aggravate or le&s;&s;en the offence.</P>
<P>6. In ca&s;e the party offending upon Reproof,
&s;hall manife&s;t repentance by a &s;erious profe&s;&s;ion of
&s;orrow, (not &s;leight and meerly verbal) he ought
to be received again.</P>
<P>7. And if the party profe&s;&s;ing repentance, &s;hall
readily return to the &s;ame &s;in once, and again; or
to any other &s;candalous &s;in, though he again pro|fe&s;s
repentance, yet we will defer his re-admi&s;sion
til we have trial of his reformation for &s;ome com|petent
time.</P>
<P>8. Becau&s;e it often falls out, that mens actions
are lyable to mi&s;-con&s;tructions, and mi&s;-apprehen|&s;ions,
e&s;pecially among&s;t the weaker &s;ort of chri|&s;tians,
and when the party lieth under prejudice;
and le&s;t brotherly in&s;pection degenerate into an
unbrotherly prying into, and di&s;covering of other
mens actions; and generally for the avoiding of
di&s;order, and other inconveniences, we re&s;olve
not to encourage any private chri&s;tian, immedi|ately
to acquaint the Church with the private
failings of a brother, till he have fir&s;t admonished
him privately, and (in ca&s;e he hearken not) before
witne&s;&s;es, and when the fruitle&s;sne&s;s of the&s;e endea|vours
shall nece&s;sitate the publication of the Fact,
yet will we not countenance the bringing of the
matter before the congregation, until the church-officers
be fir&s;t acquainted with it.</P>
<P>9. Fora&s;much as in the bu&s;ine&s;s of &s;candal it is
unrea&s;onable and uncharitable to take up again&s;t
men old offences of any con&s;iderable di&s;tance
from the time pre&s;ent; and becau&s;e in &s;ome ca&s;es
<PB N="16" REF="10">
it will be nece&s;&s;ary to require &s;ome te&s;timony of
humiliation, even for &s;ins of ancient date; and in
regard we cannot punctually determine how far
back into the time pa&s;t we may look for laying
&s;candals to mens charge; therefore we re&s;olve to
proceed warily in &s;uch ca&s;es, and not to do any
thing without the advice of the A&s;&s;ociation.</P>
<P>10. We shall do the like in tho&s;e &s;ins that ren|der
men obnoxious to the Law, either in regard
of life, liberty or e&s;tates, as al&s;o in any other ca&s;e
not fore&s;een, or provided for, in the foregoing
rules.</P>
<P>11. VVe agree, not to pre&s;s a declaration of the
time and manner of the work of grace upon the
people, as a nece&s;&s;ary proof of their actual pre&s;ent
right to the Lords Supper, nor to exclude per&s;ons
meerly for want of that, yet will we accept it, if any
will be plea&s;ed to offer it freely.</P>
<P>15. VVe agree, not to re&s;t &s;atisfyed with the bare
exclu&s;ion of an ob&s;tinate &s;candalous &s;inner from the
Sacrament of the Supper, but shall endeavour faith|fully
and &s;incerely (as God shall enable us) to pro|&s;ecute
the rule of Chri&s;t, <HI>Matt.</HI> 18. 17. again&s;t any
&s;uch offender; and <HI>if he refu&s;e to hear the Church, he
&s;hall be to us as an heathen, and a publicane,</HI></P>
<P>16. Becau&s;e Members living much di&s;tant from
their Pa&s;tors, and from one another, mu&s;t unavoid|ably
be (in great part) deprived of the priviledge,
and come short of the duty, both of con&s;tant in&s;pec|tion,
and mutual edefication; and al&s;o for the pre|venting
of di&s;orders and offences, both in Mini|&s;ters
and people, we agree, That we will not admit
<PB N="17" REF="10">
into any of our churches, tho&s;e that live in other con|gregations;
execept, fir&s;t, They haue no Mini&s;ter at
all; or &s;econdly, One that is &s;candalous; or thirdly,
One that hath not competent abilities for the VVork
of the Mini&s;try. Yet</P>
<P>1. In ca&s;e afterwards a godly able Mini&s;ter be
e&s;tablished where there was none, or &s;uch as were
&s;candalons and unfit; then we will &s;eriou&s;ly advi&s;e
tho&s;e, whom in the ca&s;es afore&s;aid we have ad|mitted,
to joyn them&s;elves to that Mini&s;ter.</P>
<P>2. We re&s;olve to con&s;ult with the A&s;&s;ociation
concerning the ju&s;tne&s;s or unju&s;tnefs of excepti|ons
in point of &s;can&s;dal, or inabilitie of Mini&s;ters,
made by tho&s;e that de&s;ire to be entertained in o|ther
congregations, becau&s;e we conceive, That
neither the people that de&s;ire to depart from &s;uch
Mini&s;ters, nor the Mini&s;ters with whom they de|&s;ire
to joyne, are competent Judges in &s;uch an in|tere&s;ted
ca&s;e; yet if the Exceptions be &s;uch as are
approved of by the A&s;&s;ociation, we conceive it fit|te&s;t
for the Rea&s;ons above&s;aid, that they joyne
them&s;elves to the neere&s;t congregation, where a
godly and able Mini&s;ter is &s;etled.</P>
<P>3. Neither do we intend hereby to debar peo|ple
from the occa&s;ional hearing of other Mini&s;ters
or from the occa&s;ional partaking of other Ordi|nances
in another congregation, &s;o that this liber|ty
be not u&s;ed to the apparent prejudice of the
Mini&s;try and Di&s;cipline of their own Congrega|tion.</P>
<P>17. When a Mini&s;ter is to be ordained unto a
congregation, we agree, That godly and able mini|&s;ters
<PB N="18" REF="11">
of neighbor congregations, be called to be em|ployed
in the examination and trial of the fitne&s;s
of the party to be &s;et apart to that weighty Office,
and in the act of Ordination.</P>
<P>18. Though we differ about the fir&s;t &s;ubject of the
power of the Keys, yet fora&s;much as we all agree,
That the affairs of the Church are to be managed by
the Officers thereof, therefore we conclude that the
examination and determination of things in ca&s;es of
admi&s;&s;ion and rejections, and other church acts, &s;hall
be permitted by the Officers; yet &s;o that the people
have notice of what they re&s;olve and conclude upon,
in matters of moment, that in ca&s;e any thing be done
again&s;t which the people may (upon probable
grounds at lea&s;t) object from the word of God, it
may either be forborne, or their &s;atisfaction endea|voured.</P>
<P>19. And fora&s;much as we cannot all proceed ac|cording
to the ordinary rules in managing of the af|fairs
of our particular congregations, through the
want of fit per&s;ons to be made church-officers, and
for other cau&s;es; therefore we re&s;olve by our mutual
a&s;&s;i&s;tance to &s;upply the want, becau&s;e we may have
(according to Scripture warrant) recour&s;e to an ex|traordinary
expedient, the ordinary rule failing, and
becau&s;e this &s;eems to us to come neere&s;t the ordinary
rule. Yet</P>
<P>1. VVe intend not that this &s;hould be perpetual,
but only during the pre&s;ent want, and in order to
the &s;etling of our churches according to the rules
of the Go&s;pel.</P>
<P><PB N="19" REF="11">
2. Neither intend we hereby, to put into any
Mini&s;ters hand, a &s;uperior power over his Bre|thren.</P>
<P>3. Nor would we be under&s;tood, as making our
many churches to be but one particular church, or
giving the Pa&s;tor of one church a true Pa&s;torall
power and charge over other churches.</P>
<P>20. Albeit we differ as to the power of a&s;&s;ociated
churches over particular congregations; yet, we agree
that it is not only lawful and u&s;eful, but in many ca&s;es
nece&s;&s;ary, that &s;everal churches &s;hould hold commu|nion
and corre&s;pondency together; and to that end
we re&s;olve to a&s;&s;ociate our &s;elves, &amp; to keep frequent
meetings for mutual advice and help, as occa&s;ion
&s;hall require.</P>
<P>21. VVe take our &s;elves and our churches bound
to follow what&s;oever advice, direction or reproof,
(being agreeable to the word) any of us &s;hall receive
from the Brethren in a&s;&s;ociation with us.</P>
<P>22. And in ca&s;e it &s;hould &s;o fall out, that our bre|thren
in a&s;&s;ociation &s;hould advi&s;e that which might
&s;eem le&s;s convenient in the judgement of the Parties
immediately and &s;pecially concerned, in the advice
or reproof, or to the particular apprehen&s;ions of any
other of us, (it being of le&s;s moment, and not appa|rently
contrary to Scripture) then we re&s;olve to &s;ub|mit
to it, rather then to endanger the peace of the
churches, and to become examples and encouragers
of di&s;order by our di&s;&s;ent and refu&s;al.</P>
<P>23. Particularly, Fora&s;much as the cen&s;ure of
excommunication is of great weight and concern|ment,
wherein we are &s;ure we can never be too cir|u&s;pect
<PB N="20" REF="12">
and careful; therefore we re&s;olve, fir&s;t to advi&s;e
with the a&s;&s;ociation, before we proceed, by that &s;en|tence,
to ca&s;t any out of our particular churches; and
who&s;oever &s;hall thus be ca&s;t out of one church, wee
wil repute him equally ca&s;t out of all, and avoid com|munion
with him accordingly.</P>
<P>24. If it &s;hould &s;o fall out, that any Mini&s;ter or
particular church, &s;hould ob&s;tinately and wilfully,
after many endeavours, and much waiting, reject the
direction and coun&s;el of the a&s;&s;ociation, in things
apparently agreeable to the word of God, then we
re&s;olve to draw the right hand of fellow&s;hip from
&s;uch Mini&s;ter or church.</P>
<P>25. For the better carrying on of our intended
a&s;&s;ociation, we re&s;olve to ob&s;erve the&s;e following
rules.</P>
<P>1. We judge it convenient to divide our &s;elves
into three a&s;&s;ociations, (<HI>viz.</HI>) at <HI>Carlile,</HI> at <HI>Penrith,</HI>
and <HI>Cockermouth,</HI> and &s;hall meet once a Moneth, or
more or le&s;s, as occa&s;ion &s;hall require, and the
major part of the a&s;&s;ociation &s;hall think fit; yet in
this we do not intend to exclude any Mini&s;ter (not
being &s;candalous) from any of the a&s;&s;ociations,
that will be plea&s;ed to take the pains to be pre|&s;ent
there, nor yet the Mini&s;ters of other Coun|ties
that &s;hall de&s;ire to joyne with any of them.</P>
<P>2. At the&s;e meetings we &s;hall hear and deter|mine
things of common concernment, endeavour
to re&s;olve doubts, compo&s;e differences, con&s;ider
the ju&s;tne&s;s &amp; weight of the grounds and rea&s;ons
of Mini&s;ters removals from any place, when &s;uch
ca&s;es &s;hall fall out, con&s;ult and advi&s;e about &s;pe|cial
<PB N="21" REF="12">
emmergencies that may happen to our Mini|&s;try
or congregations in particular.</P>
<P>3. Becau&s;e mini&s;ters being men of like pa&s;&s;ions with
others, can claime no exemptions from humane
frailties and infirmities; and in regard their mi&s;car|riages
are more di&s;honorable to God and the
Go&s;pel, more offen&s;ive and hurtful to private
chri&s;tians, therefore we re&s;olve, impartially to hear
complaints made again&s;t any Mini&s;ter in a&s;sociati|on
with us; and to this end we do all and every one
of us (in ca&s;e any exception or complaint again&s;t
any of us &s;hall be made) freely profe&s;s our re&s;olu|tion
to &s;ubmit to the admonition, reproof, cen&s;ure
or advice of our brethren; yet we would not be
here mi&s;taken, as if we intended the encouragement
of groundle&s;s and frivolous quarrels and excep|tions,
either in people again&s;t mini&s;ters, or in one
mini&s;ter again&s;t another; for as we purpo&s;e (the
Lord a&s;si&s;ting us) not to be too backward to re|prove
and rebuke when there &s;hall be ju&s;t cau&s;e, &s;o
&s;hall we endeavour to be mindefull of that wa|rine&s;s
which the Scripture enjoyneth, in recei|ving
an Accu&s;ation again&s;t an Elder.</P>
<P>4. Though for conveniencie we divide our &s;elves
into three a&s;sociations, yet we re&s;olve &s;ometimes
to meet all together, e&s;pecially when there &s;hall
fall out any thing of more extraordinary and pub|like
nature or difficulty, which cannot be ea&s;ily &amp;
&s;atisfactorily decided in any of our particular a&s;|&s;ociations.</P>
<P>5. If any that &s;hall offer to ioyn with us in our
a&s;sociation, lie under the common repute of &s;can|dal,
<PB N="22" REF="13">
then we will deferr his admi&s;sion till he have
cleared him&s;elf, or otherwi&s;e given &s;atisfaction;
and for the prevention of offences, we re&s;olve not
to admit any into our a&s;sociations without the
con&s;ent of the whole or major part of them.</P>
<P>6. La&s;tly, we will endeavour a clo&s;ure of affec|tion,
as well as judgement and practi&s;e, and to that
end we re&s;olve, wholly to lay a&s;ide, and bury all
names and terms of difference, to carry our &s;elves
each to other as brethren, forbearing (as much as
we can) what&s;oever might, either in word or acti|on,
occa&s;ion mi&s;-reports and offences, or rai&s;e up
grounds of iealou&s;ie and exception one again&s;t a|nother.</P>
<P><HI>Omnibus hi&s;ce Con&s;entimus, &amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>The Mini&s;ters of <HI>We&s;tmerland</HI> gave their Con&s;ent in
the&s;e words:</P>
<Q>We, who&s;e Names are here under-written, do &s;ub&s;cribe to
the forementioned Propo&s;itions, except what concerns
the County of <HI>Cumberland</HI> in particular.</Q>
</DIV2>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="text">
<PB N="23" REF="13">
<HEAD>The Confe&s;sion of Faith.</HEAD>
<P>I Believe that there is one only<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">Deut. 6. 4. 1 Chron. 8. 4. 6.</NOTE> living and true God,<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>I</HI> Believe in God, the Father Al|mighty, Ma|ker of Hea|ven and earth. And in Ie|&s;us Chri&s;t his onely Sonne our Lord, which was concei|ved by the Holy Gho&s;t, Borne of the Virgin <HI>Mary,</HI> Suf|fered under <HI>Pontius Pi|late,</HI> was crucified, dead, and Buried. He de&s;cended into Hell. The third day hee po&s;e againe from the Dead. Hee a&s;cended into Hea|ven, and &s;itteth at the right Hand of GOD, the Father Almighty. From thence he &s;hall come to iudge the Quick and the Dead.
I believe in the Holy Gho&s;t. The Holy Catho|like Church. The Com|munion of Saints. The forgivene&s;s of Sins. The Re&s;urrection of the Body, and the Life Everla&s;ting. <HI>Amen.</HI></NOTE>
<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">1 The&s;. 1. 9. Ier. 10. 10.</NOTE> who is a mo&s;t pure &s;pirit,<NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">Io. 4. 24.</NOTE> infinite in being and
perfection<NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">Iob 11. 7, 8, 9.</NOTE>. And that in the Unity of the Godhead
there are three dictinct Per&s;ons, the Father, the Son, and
the Holy Gho&s;t; and the&s;e three are one God, the &s;ame
in &s;ub&s;tance, equal in power, and glory<NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg">1 Ioh. 5. 7. 2 Cor. 13. 14. Mat. 28. 19.</NOTE>.</P>
<P>2. I believe that God hath revealed his whole coun|&s;el,
concerning his own glory, and mans &s;alvation, in the
Scriptures of the Old and new Te&s;tament, which were
given by divine in&s;piration<NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg">2 Pet. 1. 21.</NOTE> to be the perpetual and
onely rule of our faith and obedience<NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg">2 Tim. 3. 16, 17. Eph. 2. 20. Rev. 22. 18, 19.</NOTE>.</P>
<P>3. I believe that in the beginning God created the
heavens and the earth,<NOTE N="h" PLACE="marg">Gen. 1.</NOTE> and all things in them of no|thing,
in the &s;pace of &s;ix dayes, and all very good; and
that he upholdeth<NOTE N="i" PLACE="marg">Heb. 1. 3.</NOTE> all things by the word of his Power,
and governeth<NOTE N="k" PLACE="marg"><HI>P&s;.</HI> 103. 19. &amp; 13 5. 6.</NOTE> all things according to the coun&s;el of
his own will<NOTE N="l" PLACE="marg">Eph. 1. 11. Mat. 10. 29, 30.</NOTE>.</P>
<P>4. I believe that God created man after his own im|age,
in knowledge, righteou&s;ne&s;s, and true holine&s;s;<NOTE N="m" PLACE="marg">Gen. 1. 26, 27. Col. 3. 10. Eph. 4. 24.</NOTE>
And that he gave him a Law,<NOTE N="n" PLACE="marg">Rom. 2. 14, 15</NOTE> promi&s;ing life upon
perfect obedience, and threatning di&s;obedience with
death<NOTE N="o" PLACE="marg">Gen. 2. 17. Gal. 3. 10.</NOTE>.</P>
<P>5. I believe that man having broken this Law, lo&s;t
the image of God, and communion with him,<NOTE N="p" PLACE="marg">Gen. 3. 6, 7, 8</NOTE> and
brought him&s;elf &amp; his whole po&s;terity into an e&s;tate of &s;in
and mi&s;ery<NOTE N="q" PLACE="marg">Gen. 2. 17. with Rom. 5. 12. 18, 19. Eph. 2. 1, 2. 3.</NOTE>.</P>
<P>6. I believe that man not being able to deliver him|&s;elf
from the cur&s;e,<NOTE N="r" PLACE="marg">Rom. 5. 6. &amp; 8. 3.</NOTE> God &s;o loved the world,<NOTE N="s" PLACE="marg">Io. 3. 16, 17.</NOTE> that
he promi&s;ed,<NOTE N="t" PLACE="marg">Gen. 3. 15. 1</NOTE> and accordingly when the fulne&s;s of time
was come, &s;ent forth his Son Je&s;us Chri&s;t<NOTE N="u" PLACE="marg">Gal. 4. 4.</NOTE> who took to
him our nature,<NOTE N="w" PLACE="marg">Heb. 2. 14 16</NOTE> and became man,<NOTE N="x" PLACE="marg">1 Tim. 2. 5. Rom. 5. 15.</NOTE> being concei|ved
by the Holy Gho&s;t in the wombe of the Virgin <HI>Ma|ry,</HI>
of her &s;ub&s;tance, and born of her,<NOTE N="y" PLACE="marg">Luk. 1. 27, 31, 35, 42. &amp; 2. 7. Gal. 4 4</NOTE> yet without &s;in,
<NOTE N="z" PLACE="marg">Heb. 4. 15. 2 Cor. 5. 2i.</NOTE> who having fulfilled all righteou&s;ne&s;s<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">Mat. 3. 15. &amp; 5. 17.</NOTE> was made
a cur&s;e for us,<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">Gal. 3. 13.</NOTE> &s;uffered death upon the cro&s;s,<NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">Luk. 23. 33 Ph. 2. 8.</NOTE> was
buried, and the third day he ro&s;e again,<NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 15. 4.</NOTE> a&s;cended in|to
heaven,<NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg">Acts 1. 9, 10.</NOTE> and &s;itteth at the right hand of God<NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg">Eph. 1. 20. Rom. 8. 34</NOTE>
making interce&s;&s;ion for us<NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg">Heb. 7. 25.</NOTE>.</P>
<P><PB N="24" REF="14">
7. I believe that all the fruits of Chri&s;ts Mediator&s;hip
&s;hall be effectually communicated to all,<NOTE N="h" PLACE="marg">Act 13. 48.</NOTE> and onely
<NOTE N="i" PLACE="marg">Rom. 11. 7.</NOTE> tho&s;e who in him were elected unto &s;alvation, before
the foundation of the world,<NOTE N="k" PLACE="marg">Eph. 1 4, 5.</NOTE> which the Holy Gho&s;t
doth certainly apply by working faith in them,<NOTE N="l" PLACE="marg">Eph. 2. 8. Ioh. 6. 37.</NOTE> there|by
uniting them in their effectual calling to Chri&s;t their|head,
<NOTE N="m" PLACE="marg">Eph. 3. 17. 1 Cor 1. 9. Col. 1 88.</NOTE> and into one Church which is his body,<NOTE N="n" PLACE="marg"><HI>Eph.</HI> 1. 22. 23. &amp; 4. 15, 16.</NOTE> ju|&s;tifying,
<NOTE N="o" PLACE="marg">Rom 8. 30.</NOTE> adopting,<NOTE N="p" PLACE="marg">Io. 1. 12. Eph. 1. 5.</NOTE> &s;anctifying<NOTE N="q" PLACE="marg">1 Co. 6. 11. Eph. 2. 10.</NOTE> and bringing
them into communion with him in all &s;pirituall ble&s;|&s;ings
<NOTE N="r" PLACE="marg">1 Co. 1. 9. Eph. 1. 3.</NOTE>.</P>
<P>8. I believe Chri&s;t hath appointed that tho&s;e who
profe&s;s his name, &s;hould for the begetting<NOTE N="s" PLACE="marg">Rom. 10. 17.</NOTE> and
increa&s;e<NOTE N="t" PLACE="marg">1 Pet. 2. 2.</NOTE> of grace and knowledge, exerci&s;e an holy
communion together,<NOTE N="u" PLACE="marg">Act 2. 42. 46.</NOTE> under the admini&s;tration of
all his Ordinances,<NOTE N="w" PLACE="marg">Neh. 8. 1, 2 3. Acts. 15. 21. Mat. 28. 19, 20 2 Tim. 4. 2. Acts 2. 42. Col. 3. 16. 1 Cor. 11. 24, 25, 26. Heb. 3. 13. Levit. 19. 17. Mat. 18. 17, 18. 1 Cor. 5. ult.</NOTE> which they are carefully to ob|&s;erve
till his &s;econd coming<NOTE N="x" PLACE="marg">2 Cor. 3. 11. Eph, 4. 12. 13. Heb. 12. 27. Matth, 28. 19, 20. 1 Cor. 11. 26. 1 Tim. 6. 14.</NOTE>.</P>
<P>9. I believe that Chri&s;t &s;hall come again at the end
of the world;<NOTE N="y" PLACE="marg">Acts 1. 11. 1 The&s;. 4, 16, 17,</NOTE> and that then the Bodies of all
tho&s;e that &s;hall bee found dead, &s;hall bee rai&s;ed,
and the re&s;t<NOTE N="z" PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 15. 12. to the end.</NOTE> changed, and all brought before
him to judgement, which he &s;hall pa&s;s upon them ac|cording
to their works,<NOTE N="&dagger;" PLACE="marg">2 Cor. 5. 10.</NOTE> whereby the righteous &s;hall
be adjudged to eternal life in heaven, and the wicked to
eternal death in hell<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Mat. 25 31. to the end.</NOTE>.</P>
<P>I do heartily take the Lord to be my God<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">Deut. 26. 16</NOTE> and chief good,<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">P&s;a. 73. 25. to the end. &amp; 4. 6, 7.</NOTE> and Ie&s;us
Chri&s;t to bee my onely Saviour and Redeemer,<NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">Phil. 3. 8, 9.</NOTE> and the Holy Ghost
to bee my Sanctifier,<NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 51. 11 Eph. 4. 30.</NOTE> giving my &s;elfe up wholly to this one
God, to love him with all my heart, with all my &s;oule, and with
all my might,<NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg">Deut. 6. 5. Mat. 22 37. Luk. 10. 37.</NOTE> to obey him &s;incerely, and faithfully<NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg">Io&s;h. 24. 14.</NOTE> in all
his Lawes contained in the Holy Scriptures,<NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg">Numb. 15. 39, 40. Deu. 12. 32.</NOTE> though never &s;o
<PB N="25" REF="14">
cro&s;s to my de&s;ires, or intere&s;t of Credit, Plea&s;ure, and Profit,<NOTE N="h" PLACE="marg">Mat. 10. 38 16. 24. Luk. 9. 23. &amp; 14. 26.</NOTE>
and all this to the death:<NOTE N="i" PLACE="marg">Rev. 2. 10. Mat. 10. 22.</NOTE> And in particular, I con&s;ent and re|&s;olve,
in the &s;trength of Christ, to hold con&s;tant Communion with the
Church of <HI>CHRIST</HI> in the publike VVor&s;hip of GOD,<NOTE N="k" PLACE="marg">Acts 2. 42. 46. Heb. 10. 25.</NOTE> and
to &s;ubmit unto the Di&s;cipline and Government which <HI>CHRIST</HI> hath
ordained<NOTE N="l" PLACE="marg">Mat. 18. 15, 16, 17.</NOTE> for his own glory, and his peoples good,<NOTE N="m" PLACE="marg">2 Cor. 13. 10. &amp; 108.</NOTE> and that
I may have the opportunity of the injoyment of the&s;e priviledges, for the
advancement of mine obedience, I re&s;olve and promi&s;e to &s;ubmit<NOTE N="n" PLACE="marg">1 The&s;. 5. 12, 13. Heb. 13. 17.</NOTE>
to the Mini&s;teriall guidance and over&s;ight exerci&s;ed according to the Rules
of the VVord, in this Congregation, and to the brotherly advice and ad|monition
<NOTE N="o" PLACE="marg">Heb. 3. 13. Lev. 19. 17. Eph. 5. 11.</NOTE> of fellow-Chri&s;tians here.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="address">
<PB N="26" REF="15">
<HEAD>TO ALL
That pro&s;es the Name of the
LORD JESUS,
IN THE
COUNTIES
OF
Cumberland, and We&s;tmerland,
BOTH
<HI>Magi&s;tratates,</HI> and <HI>People.</HI></HEAD>
<P>They that &s;hall appear again&s;t the carnal intere&s;ts and corruptions of
men, in the confident expectation of a calm Sea, and a generall
acceptance, do forget that they deal with men who&s;e di&s;tempers u|&s;ually
are awakened to the mo&s;t vigorous angry oppo&s;ition, by the
&s;ma<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="2 letters"> of a &s;earching (though never <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 word"> and nece&s;&s;ary) medicine. Or,
that they deal with Engli&s;h men, (pardon the expre&s;&s;ion) who&s;e for|mer
contentions and di&s;-&s;atisfactions make their pa&s;&s;ions the more rea|dy
to take up Armes, and become quarrel&s;ome. Or, that they deal
with Satan, who will the more be&s;t it him&s;elfe to kindle and blow the
fire, becau&s;e hee knowes &s;uch undertakings are principally again&s;t his
intere&s;t are Kingdome: Yet they who &s;hall be affrighted from their
duty by the report of <HI>Giants and walled Cities,</HI> (difficulties that attend
it,) &s;hew &s;o much unfaithfulne&s;s in regard of their duty; &s;o much block|i&s;h
regardle&s;sne&s;s of Gods Honour, and the Churches good; [which
are of far more value then all our lives, if it &s;hould co&s;t us &s;o much,]
&s;o much &s;ordid ba&s;ene&s;e of &s;pirit, as not daring to di&s;quiet tho&s;e hu|mours,
which if reuzed, might hazard them in their e&s;teem, peace
or maintenance; &s;o much Athei&s;me and unbelief, as if the great <HI>JE|HOVAH</HI>
were not able to bear them out, and to give unexpected
&s;ucce&s;s to contemptible beginnings; or at lea&s;t, to reward them plenti|fully
for their toyle and care: That they declare before all the world,
their unworthine&s;s of that high Tru&s;t, and tho&s;e honourable Titles of
<HI>Over&s;eer, Guide, Amba&s;&s;ador, Steward, Stars and Angells,</HI> which are then
mo&s;t glorious to a &s;piritual eye, when mo&s;t &s;corned and vilified by the
World.</P>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<PB N="27" REF="15">
<HEAD>Upon the&s;e and &s;uch like Con&s;iderations, we have
put our &s;elves upon the&s;e Re&s;olutions, which
herewith are pre&s;ented unto you.</HEAD>
<P>WE, who have engaged our &s;elves in this undertaking, have (we
hope) throughly con&s;idered, what in all probability it may co&s;t
us, that while we look for reproach &amp; contradiction, which yet we would
not willingly finde, our oppo&s;ers may find that undaunted courage in our
pro&s;ecution of this Work, which they would not readily have
looked for.</P>
<P>The great di&s;tance of this from the fir&s;t undertaking, and Report
of our Agreement, doth nece&s;&s;arily draw forth this brief Account
of its Birth and Progre&s;s. About three yeers ago &s;ome of us joyned
together in an Expedient much of this nature, which we propounded
to &s;ome of our Brethren of different per&s;wa&s;ions in the&s;e things, but it
took not; whereupon we re&s;olved to pro&s;ecute it among our &s;elves, and
made &s;ome Progre&s;s in it: At which time <HI>VVorce&s;ter&s;hire A&s;&s;ociation;</HI>
with Mr. <HI>Baxters Explication,</HI> came forth: Upon this we began to con|ceive
more probability of &s;ome reconciliation (at lea&s;t) of different
judgements, in matters of Church-Government, then formerly, be|cau&s;e
we hoped, the prejudice which po&s;&s;ibly might ari&s;e from our &s;ingle
attempt, (in a bu&s;ine&s;s of that nature) would be much removed,
when they &s;aw we were not alone, and that the way was led by others of
&s;o much worth and ability; we therefore re&s;olved to take up our former
de&s;ign again, and to propound it to the whole Mini&s;try of the Coun|ty
in general. To that end &s;everal Meetings were de&s;ired; and at la&s;t
we agreed in the&s;e following Propo&s;itions, which were cheerfully
&s;ub&s;cribed by &s;everal, both of the <HI>Presbyterian,</HI> and Congregational
Judgement. During the agitation of the&s;e things, &s;ome of us were
much affected to ob&s;erve:</P>
<P>1. The A&s;&s;ent of men both able and judicious, and &s;uch as had
throughly &s;tudyed the Congregational Way, and from whom (in pro|probability)
oppo&s;ition might have been expected, in ca&s;e the&s;e
things had been incon&s;i&s;tent with the&s;e Principles.</P>
<P>2. That Prejudice (which like a hateful Mon&s;ter, impoy&s;ons the be&s;t
things, &s;eeks Fuel from its own ignorance and blindne&s;s, and from the
very di&s;tance which it &s;elf cau&s;ed; like a Fiery Oven devours all that's
ca&s;t into it, and mu&s;ters up all the Pa&s;&s;ions to fight again&s;t it knows not
what) hath the greate&s;t hand in hindering the Unity and and Concord
of Brethren.</P>
<P><PB N="28" REF="16">
3. That the be&s;t way to cure it, is friendly and brotherly debates,
e&s;pecially after it hath tyred it &s;elf with its own Activity, and evaporated
&s;omething of its Fury.</P>
<P>4. That the Churches Peace (if by all parties &s;eriou&s;ly laid to heart)
is a very forceable <HI>medium</HI> to infer a conclu&s;ion of Unity.</P>
<P>Yet all was not done when we had proceeded thus far; Action (the
life of all) was yet behinde; Satan is enraged, (and &s;urely that mu&s;t
needs be good which he &s;o furiou&s;ly oppo&s;eth) and endeavours to &s;tiffle
it in the birth; to effect which, he di&s;gorgeth from his hateful &s;tomack,
a &s;warm of Quakers; the&s;e, at that very time, when all things were rea|dy
for practice, come upon us like a furious Torrent; all is on fire on the
&s;udden, many are un&s;etled, the foundations &s;haken, and &s;ome <HI>apo&s;tatize;</HI>
here we are beaten off, and are forced to lay other things a&s;ide, that we
might more fully binde our &s;elves to quench the&s;e flames. After a while
this &s;torm abates, and we begin to think of our former Work.</P>
<P>But the la&s;t Parliament was then &s;itting, and becau&s;e &s;omething of
that nature was expected from them, it was advi&s;ed we &s;hould yet a lit|tle
forbear, till we might &s;ee the i&s;&s;ue. The Parliament being ended,
we encountered with an other Demurrer which was this: The provi|dence
of God &s;o ordered things, that many Mini&s;ters in this County
were unfixed, &s;uppo&s;ing they &s;hould be nece&s;&s;itated to remove; and &s;e|veral
did remove to other Counties, &s;o that we were again forced to let
all alone, expecting what way things would be ca&s;t. And now all the&s;e
things being over, we have once more re-a&s;&s;umed our ancient Re&s;oluti|ons,
ca&s;ting our &s;elves upon the Lord, and looking up to him for a&s;&s;i&s;t|ance,
That things concerning his Honor and Hou&s;e, with &s;o much diffi|culty
now brought to the <HI>birth, may not mi&s;carry.</HI></P>
<P>When the&s;e were now ready, it plea&s;ed the Lord to give us this encou|ragement;
Our Brethren, the Mini&s;ters of our neighbor-County of
<HI>VVe&s;tmerland,</HI> de&s;ired of us a Copy of our Propo&s;itions and Confe&s;&s;ion;
and after they had among them&s;elves con&s;idered and debated them,
they &s;ignified to us their free con&s;ent to all, except what concerned the
County of <HI>Cumberland</HI> in particular.</P>
<P>The&s;e things we &s;peak from the Pre&s;s; 1. Becau&s;e we &s;uppo&s;e it nece&s;|&s;ary
that you have Copies of the&s;e Propo&s;itions, and this is the readye&s;t
way to procure them. 2. For prevention of mi&s;takes and mi&s; apprehen|&s;ions,
which might ari&s;e either from corrupt Copies, or from Report of
our bare actions, while men only hear what we do, but are not acquainted
with our Grounds and Principles. 3. That this may &s;tand upon Record
as a Te&s;timony of our de&s;ires of, and endeavours for the healing of <HI>Si|on.</HI>
We know not what &s;ucce&s;s the Lord may be plea&s;ed to give to this:
when we look upon our &s;elves, we profe&s;s our &s;elves unworthy of that
honour, of being imployed in any part of Gods Work, and unable of
our&s;elves to do any thing in it; and it may be the Lords time of building
<PB N="29" REF="16">
<HI>Ieru&s;alem,</HI> is not yet come, or who knows but he may exclude you from
&s;uch a Priviledge, while he grants it to others? Yet when we look upon
his Power, his Word, and his Work upon &s;ome of you, we are not with|out
hope: How ever it plea&s;e the Wi&s;e God to di&s;po&s;e of this, we are
&s;ure it is our duty to do our utmo&s;t in the pro&s;ecution of concord: And
though our &s;ouls &s;hall mourn in &s;ecret, if our di&s;-union and di&s;tractions
continue; yet it will be no grief of heart to us (e&s;pecially in our dying
hour) to con&s;ider that we did what we could to prevent them.</P>
<P>It will not be requi&s;ite to &s;peak much in Explanation, or Vindication
of what we propo&s;e; becau&s;e in mo&s;t things it is fully done to our hands,
by Judicious and Learned Mr. <HI>Baxter,</HI> in his Explication of the <HI>VVor|ce&s;te-&s;hire
A&s;&s;ociation,</HI> unto which we refer you for &s;atisfaction, whiles we
give a brief touch upon &s;omething in the general.</P>
<P>1. Know that &s;everal things, as to Method, Phra&s;e, and Omi&s;&s;ions,
(which tho&s;e that are ver&s;ed in the Controver&s;ies about Government,
will readily ob&s;erve) were not done altogether upon neglect, or inadver|vertency,
but on de&s;ign.</P>
<P>2. That the&s;e were not calculated for every <HI>Meridian;</HI> we were forced
to have an eye to the general temper of our people, as well as the differ|ing
Judgements of one another: And therefore let it not be blamed, if
it be found not &s;uitable in all things to other places.</P>
<P>3. Let it be carryed in your minde all along, That through the con|texture
of the whole work, our Debates were, what we ought to do for
the Churches peace, and not what each of us might do, according to
the latitude and utmo&s;t extent of the u&s;ual practice of different Judge|ments.</P>
<P>4. In all this Agreement there are no Principles broken on either
&s;ide; and nothing conde&s;cended unto by any, which hath not the &s;ub|&s;cription
and a&s;&s;ent of eminent men on both parties in their writings.</P>
<P>The chief Corner-&s;tones of this Fabrick, are four, which pre&s;ent
them&s;elves in the entrance, whereof the fir&s;t and la&s;t Propo&s;itions nei|ther
fear oppo&s;ition, nor require explication; if any &s;hould que&s;tion
them, &s;uch evidence and general acception doth accompany them, that
they will finde advocates in every place.</P>
<P>The &s;econd (we hope) will not be accu&s;ed (by any that &s;hall &s;eriou&s;ly
con&s;ider all) for entrenching too much upon the intere&s;t of truth. We
acknowledge every truth to be precious in it &s;elf, and profe&s;s our &s;elves
unfeigned lovers of it; neither are we ignorant how much tho&s;e over|tures
of Union, (&s;uch as <HI>Charls</HI> his <HI>interim,</HI> and <HI>Ca&s;&s;anders</HI> de&s;igne)
wherein the difference is compremi&s;ed with the lo&s;s of truth, are gene|rally
and ju&s;tly di&s;ta&s;ted: Neither can we blame tho&s;e primitive Fathers
for &s;ticking &s;o peremptory to <GAP DESC="foreign">, refu&s;ing Concord, rather then ad|mitting
one <HI>iota</HI> more to that word, where &s;uch a little litteral Addition
would make &s;o great an alteration in &s;en&s;e and Faith; Neither do we for|get
<PB N="30" REF="17">
how apt the be&s;t men are (with <HI>Bucer haurire faeces) to &s;uck in the
dreggs</HI> out of an eager thir&s;t after peace.</P>
<P>But no &s;uch thing can be fa&s;tned on what we a&s;&s;ert; we are not enga|ged
to deny or renounce the lea&s;t Truth, much le&s;s any Fundamental:
All that the Propo&s;ition &s;peaks of, is onely a &s;ilencing and forbearing
&s;ome truths. And this Condi&s;cention is, 1. Terminated only on Govern|ment.
2. On the confe&s;&s;ed lower, and mo&s;t que&s;tionable Points there|of.
And 3. This only &s;o long, and &s;o far as the Churches peace requires
it.</P>
<P>If any think that Union and Peace &s;hould be hazarded, nay lo&s;t, rather
then &s;o great an injury done to truth; let them con&s;ider, Whether they
be &s;o great friends to truth as they pretend; if the Church be broken
through di&s;&s;ention, we &s;uppo&s;e Truth will bleed and groan under its
Ruines. If the Pillar &s;hake or fall, Truth that hangs on it, will be in|volved
in the &s;ame fate. What if Peace borrow &s;omething of truth?
will it not by that loane be enabled to repay all with advantage? <HI>Truth
indeed is the way to Peace,</HI> (<GAP DESC="foreign">
<HI>Greg. Naz. Orat. 12. de Pace:) Yet when Truth is
que&s;tioned, then Peace is the way to Truth; and the main thing to be looked at
for the &s;ecuring of its intere&s;t, is union;</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">.
<HI>Greg. Naz. ibid.</HI> In &s;o narrow a point doth Truth lye, that men are not
likely to have any full or certain view of it, till their Spirits be calmed,
and their eyes be freed from that du&s;t which their contentious bickerings
have rai&s;ed.</P>
<P>But have not the Guides of the Church in all ages been forced to
make u&s;e of this Pla&s;ter to heal the Churches Wounds?</P>
<P>Did not the Apo&s;tles betake them&s;elves to this expedient, <HI>Acts</HI> 15. 20.
to allay the difference betwixt the Chri&s;tian <HI>Iews</HI> and Gentiles? And
were not circumci&s;ion and <HI>Mo&s;aicall</HI> ceremonies of greater moment then
our differences? And were not tho&s;e truths, about our Freedom from
that Yoke, &s;ilenced for that time, and the contrary practi&s;ed even by
them&s;elves? <HI>Act.</HI> 16. 3. &amp; 21. 24. 26. This is &s;o clear an in&s;tance, that it
is frequently urged in this ca&s;e; and indeed, &s;o &s;trong for us, that we
doubt of being acquitted by it in the judgement of under&s;tanding men.
Con&s;ider,</P>
<P>1. That the Laws concerning <HI>Mo&s;aical</HI> Ob&s;ervations were abrogated
at the death of Chri&s;t, and therefore in regard of their pre&s;ent &s;tate (or
el&s;e as &s;ome call it) neither lawful nor indifferent.</P>
<P>2. The Apo&s;tle of the Gentiles had laid them a&s;ide as u&s;ele&s;s, nay
had &s;poken again&s;t them; and hence aro&s;e the conte&s;t about them.</P>
<P>3. When the matter was referred to the Synod of <HI>Ieru&s;alem,</HI> (though
before he had preached publikely again&s;t them; yet) he is &s;o far from
a&s;&s;erting, That every Truth mu&s;t be publi&s;hed what ever become of
<PB N="31" REF="17">
peace, that he forbears to &s;peak publikely, and applies him&s;elf <HI>particu|larly</HI>
(<GAP DESC="foreign">) <HI>to tho&s;e that were pillars, and of Reputation,</HI> viz. <HI>Peter,
Iames, Iohn, &amp;c.</HI> for Dr. <HI>Lightfoot, Harm. N. T.</HI> p. 97. makes it the &s;ame
journey with that mentioned <HI>Gal.</HI> 3. 2.</P>
<P>4. The Synod doth determine not only the &s;ilencing of this truth, <HI>viz.</HI>
the abolition of ceremonies, and Chri&s;tians freedom from them; but al&s;o
permits the exerci&s;e of the&s;e to the Jewes, and injoynes the practice of
&s;ome of them to the Gentiles.</P>
<P>5. The ground of the determination was the churches peace, <HI>Acts</HI>
15. 21.</P>
<P>6. And in this regard they enjoyn them as <HI>nece&s;&s;ary things,</HI> which they
&s;hould do well to ob&s;erve, <HI>Acts</HI> 15. 28, 29. till the church might have a
competent time and means of &s;atisfaction. The &s;um is this: The &s;ilen|cing
of &s;ome truths for peace &s;ake (both in regard of publication and
practice) was by them judged nece&s;&s;ary.</P>
<P>Since the Apo&s;tles dayes, tho&s;e who have mo&s;t earne&s;tly contended
for the foundations, and things neer the foundation, have alwayes ad|vi&s;ed
to conde&s;cention for peace &s;ake. To recite all in&s;tances that might
be given, would be tedious: We &s;hall content our &s;elves with two or
three in &s;tead of many.</P>
<P><HI>Ba&s;il. ad Presb. Tar&s;en&s;es</HI> Epi&s;t. 203. advi&s;eth to concord as nece&s;&s;ary
for the e&s;tabli&s;hment of the church, and propounds conde&s;cention as
a nece&s;&s;ary means of it; There is need (&s;aith he) of a great deal of
care and diligence for the helping of the churches, which cannot be but
by uniting tho&s;e that differ; which union will be effected (<GAP DESC="foreign">)
<HI>if we conde&s;cend to the weak in things not prejudicial to the &s;oul.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Luther</HI> gives the &s;ame advice in an Epi&s;t. to the Divines a&s;&s;embled in
a Synod at <HI>Norimberge</HI> <Q>[<HI>Meum con&s;ilium fuerit (cum nullum &s;it eccle&s;iae
periculum, ut hanc cau&s;am &s;inatis, vel ad tempus &s;opitam (utinam extinc|tam)
jacere donec tutiore &amp; meliore tempore animis in pace firmatis &amp;
charitate ad unatis, eam di&s;putetis]</HI> My advice is that (&s;eeing no hurt can
accrue to the church by it) this difference might &s;leep, at lea&s;t for a
time, (or rather indeed dye out) till your mindes were confirmed in
peace, and united in love, then might you more &s;afely enquire into it.</Q></P>
<P><HI>Greg. Nazi.</HI> is as peremptory as any again&s;t purcha&s;ing peace with the
lo&s;s of truth; witne&s;s his Expre&s;&s;ions [<GAP DESC="foreign">.
<HI>Orat.</HI> 12.] <HI>Contention for Piety is better then a
vicious peace.</HI> And again, let none conjecture that I think all peace
ought to be loved and embraced (<GAP DESC="foreign">)
<HI>For I know that as &s;ome kinde of di&s;agre|ment
is good, &s;o &s;ome agreement is pernicious. ibid.</HI> And more fully, <HI>Orat.</HI> 32.
p. 518. <HI>Let us not pro&s;ecute peace to the prejudice of truth.</HI> (<GAP DESC="foreign">)
Nay, in &s;uch ca&s;es he tells us, we
&s;hould contend as much, as if it were again&s;t Fire and Sword,
<PB N="32" REF="18">
<Q><HI>and that hee that in other things is mo&s;t milde and gentle, &s;hould here be</HI>
mo&s;t violent and pugnacious [<GAP DESC="foreign">] </Q>Orat. 12. p. 198.
203. And yet he is as zealous for making way for peace, by &s;ilencing
le&s;&s;er truths, as any: How earne&s;tly doth he urge a nece&s;&s;ity of di&s;tin|gui&s;hing
of truths? <Q><HI>Some are</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>&s;utable to our capacities, &s;ome a|bove
them; &s;ome</HI> (<GAP DESC="foreign">) concern the time pre&s;ent, <HI>others
the world to come, &amp;c.</HI> and then applies all thus: <HI>Some things
are not at all to be enquired after, others with moderation. Some truths are
to be contended for earne&s;tly; in others</HI> (<GAP DESC="foreign">)</Q>
conde&s;cention and forbearance to be u&s;ed, &amp;c. <HI>Orat.</HI> 14.
P. 220. And afterwards he exhorts tho&s;e that wor&s;hip the &s;ame Trinity,
to cut off and avoid &s;uperfluous que&s;tions, as the common di&s;ea&s;e of that
time, and as &s;o many (<GAP DESC="foreign">) <HI>&s;uckers,</HI> which rob
the tree of its &s;ap and fruit, <HI>or crooked windings,</HI> which lead the traveller
into a maze and confu&s;ion; and in the clo&s;e of that excellent Oration
adds, <GAP DESC="foreign">.
<HI>Let us yeeld a little in &s;maller truths,
that we may receive that which is greater, viz. Concord: Let us yeeld that
we may overcome.</HI> And much to the &s;ame purpo&s;e al&s;o he hath, <HI>Orat.</HI> 12.
<HI>p.</HI> 203. but we forbear.</P>
<P>To this purpo&s;e we might urge the example of <HI>Con&s;tantine</HI> the Great,
who in matters of greater con&s;equence, (<HI>viz.</HI> the difference betwixt <HI>Ari|us</HI>
and the Orthodox) propounds the forbearance of asking or an&s;wer|ing
que&s;tions concerning that difference as a nece&s;&s;ary means to peace;
which he did as &s;uppo&s;ing it to be of lower concernment, <HI>vide Soc. Ec|cle&s;.
l. 1. c.</HI> 4.</P>
<P>To the third we need &s;ay little; onely to explain our meaning, know,
That there are &s;everal things which both Parties practi&s;e upon different
grounds: As in matters of Appeal, where one party gives power au|thoritative;
the other fraternal onely; yet both own the thing: So
in the exerci&s;e of the power of the Keyes, where though the
<GAP DESC="foreign">, (<HI>i. e.</HI>) the fir&s;t &s;ubject be que&s;tioned, yet all agree, that
(in Churches Organical at lea&s;t) the Officers are to manage them.</P>
<P>To the&s;e may be added Ordination by Pa&s;tors of other Churches, and
the Church-covenant, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> Now all we &s;ay here is this, That the diffe|rence
of principles by which both parties are carried to the &s;ame thing,
doth not make our conjunction unlawful.</P>
<P>The 11th. Propo&s;ition we hope will not be quarrelled with by &s;ober
minded men. 1. None will &s;ay that 'tis unlawful to renew covenant with
God. 2. Nor will any deny the expediency and u&s;efulne&s;s of it in refor|mation
of churches. 3. Nor that our particular churches (&s;o overgrown
with ignorance and prophanene&s;s, &s;o be&s;et with Here&s;ies, &s;o weakned (as
to di&s;cipline and government) through licencious Liberty) have no need
of it.</P>
<P><PB N="33" REF="18">
4. In this we cro&s;s not any <HI>Presbyterian</HI> Principle. Tho&s;e that have
mo&s;t oppo&s;ed an explicite Church-covenant as the form of a Church, do
not deny the lawfulne&s;s and u&s;efulne&s;s of the thing, but only the ne|ce&s;&s;ity
of it, in reference to &s;uch an end; and the extent of it, as to &s;ome
particular Articles; <HI>vid. Ruther.</HI> due Right, <HI>p.</HI> 85. <Q><HI>An explicite vocal
covenant,</HI> &s;aith he, <HI>we deny not, as if the thing were unlawful,</HI> &amp;c. p. 86.
<HI>Nor deny we, that at the Election of a Pa&s;tor, the Pa&s;tor and people tye them|&s;elves
by reciprocation of Oaths,</HI> &amp;c. p. 88. <HI>Nor do we que&s;tion whether
&s;uch a Covenant may be lawfully &s;worn; we think it may,</HI> &amp;c.</Q> So al&s;o
<HI>Apollonius,</HI> p. 4.</P>
<P>5. The grounds and ends mentioned, and only impo&s;ed in the Pro|po&s;ition,
and the draught of the Profe&s;&s;ion it &s;elf, will (as we hope)
&s;ufficiently clear us from the two fore-hinted Exceptions.</P>
<P>6. The mentioning only of tho&s;e Grounds wherein all are agreed,
doth not exclude <HI>a reip&s;a,</HI> any other further end of covenant|ing,
(if it have any &s;uch,) nor bereave it of any of its proper effects:
For &s;o long as the thing is done, it will reach all its ends of in&s;titution,
whether we particularly di&s;cover them or no. Divine in&s;titutions, in re|&s;pect
of the effects immediately re&s;ulting <HI>ab earum po&s;itione &amp; u&s;u,</HI> are
not enlarged, or narrowed, according to the largene&s;s or &s;traightne&s;s of
our apprehen&s;ions, no more then our not apprehending the Sun to be
appointed to concurre to the production and growth of vegetables, will
hinder its effects that way. So that the Congregational Brethren, being
conde&s;cended unto in the practice of the thing, need not pre&s;s the di&s;pu|table
ends and grounds of it: And the <HI>Prebyterian</HI> Brethren need not re|fu&s;e
the thing, they being not urged to do it upon tho&s;e que&s;tionable
grounds.</P>
<P>The twelfth Propo&s;ition &s;hews our rule of Admi&s;&s;ion, and the
rules which we have propounded to our &s;elves for our &s;afer proceeding:
We know that two parties will take Exceptions again&s;t what we pro|pound:
&s;ome thinking us too &s;trict; others too open-handed.</P>
<P>Tho&s;e that think this rigid and har&s;h dealing, let them be plea&s;ed
to con&s;ider; 1. That 'tis none but the ignorant and &s;candalous, which
we &s;hall de&s;ire to debar from that Ordinance. 2. That by putting bounds
to our &s;elves, we take away the a&s;per&s;ion of an indefinite, unlimited, ar|bitrary
and uncertain Government. 3. That in debarring &s;uch, the
Church-guides go not beyond their commi&s;&s;ion, but only execute that
Office, and di&s;charge that tru&s;t that God hath laid upon them: Are
tho&s;e not Rulers and Governors? and doth not this engage and autho|rize
them, to prevent and hinder the polluting and prophanation of his
Ordinances? Have tho&s;e that are charged with holy things, a charge to
give onely and not to debar? The Officers of the Old-Te&s;tament, were
to exclude the unclean actually; the Porters of the Temple were not to
&s;uffer the Unclean to enter the Temple, 2 <HI>Chr.</HI> 23. 19. &amp; in <HI>Eze.</HI> 44. 7, 8.
<PB N="34" REF="19">
&s;hall we think that when God prohibits the unfit, he leaves the executi|on
of this Prohibition &s;olely to every mans particular per&s;wa&s;ion con|cerning
him&s;elf, and leaves only a Doctrinal declarative power to the
Officers; and that though they may declare a per&s;on unfit, yet they may
not refu&s;e to give the Ordinance to him whom they declare unworthy;
is the Juridical, Deci&s;ive Power in every per&s;on for him&s;elf? Doth
not this as much di&s;able them from debarring and men, or men actual|ly
Drunk? If &s;uch intrude, can he do no more then declare them unfit?
Or if he may debarr the&s;e juridically, becau&s;e they are not in a capacity
of improving the Ordinance,<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">May he not then juridi|cally debar others that are in a like capacity of improving the Ordi|nance?</NOTE> though from other cau&s;es, as ignorance,
<HI>&amp;c.</HI> And indeed, that the Officers may juridically debar from the
Lords Supper, cannot be denyed, by tho&s;e that will acknowledge
That the offended Brother mu&s;t <HI>tell the Church;</HI> the Church then hath
power to examine; el&s;e, to what purpo&s;e is it to make known the grie|vance
to it? And doth not Examination infer more then a declarative
power? neither can it be denyed by tho&s;e that will grant excommuni|cation;
if they can juridically ca&s;t out of the Church, then it mu&s;t
be granted, they can juridically exclude from the Supper, for this Rea|&s;on
at lea&s;t, Becau&s;e the former includes the latter. 4. The exclu&s;ion of
ignorant and &s;candalous per&s;ons, is not a novel invention, or new de|vice,
but that which carries the Stamp of <HI>Antiquity</HI> upon it. The very
Light of Nature &s;eems to have hinted &s;uch a thing to the Heathens; as
their <HI>Proculite propahni</HI> at &s;acrificings te&s;tifieth. But if we look within the
Church, we have abundant evidence.</P>
<P>Diony&s;ius Areop. <HI>an ancient Writer (though</HI> Perkins <HI>and</HI> Illyricus <HI>give
&s;ufficient rea&s;ons to evince that it was not he that was</HI> Paul<HI>'s &s;chollar)
in</HI> Eccle&s;. Hierar. <HI>cap. 3. p. 93. tells us,</HI> <Q>That the <HI>Catechumeni, &amp; Ener|gumeni,</HI>
and others under penance (<GAP DESC="foreign">) were admitted
to hearing of Scripture, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> yet they were excluded the&s;e my&s;teries, and the per|fect
onely admitted. <GAP DESC="foreign">.
And afterwards
p. 96. &amp; 97. extends this exclu&s;ion, <GAP DESC="foreign">,
to the le&s;s perfect and unholy, and gives this rea&s;on for it, Becau&s;e it
admits not <GAP DESC="foreign">, that which is not altogether holy,
or that which in &s;ome re&s;pect comes not up to the image of God.<GAP DESC="foreign">, &amp;c.</Q></P>
<P>Iu&s;tin Martyr, Apol. 2. <HI>is more expre&s;s, and requites, 1. Profe&s;&s;ed know|ledge:</HI>
<Q>It is not to be given (<HI>&s;aith he</HI>) to any but <GAP DESC="foreign">
to him that believes the Doctrine of the Go&s;pel to be true,
which includes profe&s;&s;ed knowledge. And &s;econdly, Holy life, <GAP DESC="foreign">.</Q></P>
<P><PB N="35" REF="19">
If we &s;hould &s;earch the Decrees of Coun&s;els, we might &s;hew you
much to the &s;ame purpo&s;e; but te&s;timonies of this nature are collected
by <HI>Gilla&s;pie, Rutherford,</HI> and others, and therefore we forbear.</P>
<P>Neither are our proceedings herein different from what was pre&s;cribed
and enjoyned by the Epi&s;copal Divines; knowledge was alwayes pre&s;up|po&s;ed
as a nece&s;&s;ary qualification for the Lords Supper, and therefore
catechi&s;ing was to be u&s;ed. And as for Scandal, the Canons of the church
of England took care that it &s;hould exclude, <HI>Can.</HI> 26. enjoynes, <Q><HI>That
no Mini&s;ter &s;hall in any wi&s;e admit to the receiving of the holy Communion,
any of his cure or Flock, which be known to live in any notorious &s;in without
repentance, or who have maliciou&s;ly and openly contended with their neigh|bours,
untill they &s;hall be reconciled.</HI></Q></P>
<P>The &s;ame thing al&s;o was expre&s;&s;ed in the Rubrick of the Common-Prayer;
where the Mini&s;ter was not only to di&s;&s;wade per&s;ons in malice to
come to the Lords Table, but not to &s;uffer them: and not only &s;uch, but
al&s;o who&s;oever &s;hall be found to be an open and notorious evil-liver,
<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">By whom the Congre|gation might be of|fended.</NOTE> or &s;uch as wronged their neighbor in word or deed. There is then no dif|ference
'twixt them and us in the Rule, but only in the practice, in that
they come not up to their own rule. So that if you will be finding fault,
you mu&s;t blame them for their neglect, not us for our &s;trictne&s;s.</P>
<P>We might al&s;o &s;hew (again&s;t the charge of novelty) the Papi&s;ts a&s;|&s;erting
the &s;ame thing; though of all men it might lea&s;t be expected
from them, &s;eeing they affirm the Lords Supper to confer grace. <HI>Aquinas</HI>
Part 3. Q. 80, in Art. 6.<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Art. 4, 5. Notwith|&s;tanding this, calls the &s;canda|lous mans receiving, <HI>Sacrilegii crimen, peccatum multis al<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">is gravius,</HI> and affirms the party <HI>mor|taliter pec|care, &amp; &s;a|cramentum violare, &amp; in Art. &amp;c.</HI></NOTE> concludes thus; <HI>Divina Maje&s;tas &amp; Evangelica
di&s;ciplina exigit, ut manife&s;tis ac publicis peccatoribus, ctiam petentibus &s;acra
denegetu Communio.</HI> And for this cites <HI>Cyprian Lib. 1. Epi.</HI> 10. advi&s;ing not to
give the Supper to Stage-Players, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> as being contrary to the di&s;cipline
and honor of the Church.</P>
<P>Nay, tho&s;e that plead mo&s;t for a free admi&s;&s;ion, are &s;o far from taxing
this practice with novelty, that they yeild it to be a piece of the ancient
and u&s;ual di&s;cipline of the church, to exclude the notorious and open
&s;candalous, though not excommunicate; Neither do they &s;o much plead
for the admi&s;&s;ion of the &s;candalous, as for the excommunicating of
them fir&s;t, before a debarment from the Sacrament.</P>
<P>5. If there were no &s;uch power, yet &s;o long as 'tis granted, that Offi|cers
have charity, &amp; may, &amp; mu&s;t u&s;e it to prevent our brothers danger, &s;o
long &s;urely may we do all this; if we had nothing el&s;e to bear us out,
would not this engage us to help you to examine your &s;elves? (&amp; is the
matter of &s;o &s;mall moment, that you need no help?) nay, and to refu&s;e to
give you that which we &s;ee would hurt you? will real love &s;atisfie it &s;elf
with a bare warning, without endeavouring to prevent? will it only tell
him 'tis poy&s;on he drinks, &amp; not al&s;o take it out of his hand? &amp; have you
any cau&s;e to be angry when we tel you the truth concerning your e&s;tates,
or hinder you from de&s;troying your &s;elves out of love to you? that when
we love our peace or maintenance le&s;s then your good, you &s;hould &s;o op-po&s;e.
<PB N="36" REF="20">
When the Phy&s;ician puts the Patient to &s;ome grief, in the application of
a nece&s;&s;ary Medicine, is it rea&s;onable either to refu&s;e his Medicine, or to
abu&s;e his per&s;on? That the Medicine is &s;o &s;harp, is your fault, not ours.
The Lord knows we delight not in excluding, if we could admit you
without your own hurt; &amp; if God laid not this duty upon us, can you ima|gine
that men that know what they do, would unnece&s;&s;arily provoke
your hatred and oppo&s;ition, when they might have love and good will?
But when we con&s;ider the weight of the blood of &s;ouls, and how bitter|ly
many a poor creature &s;hall in hell cur&s;e his man-plea&s;ing Mini&s;ter, we
are afraid.</P>
<P>Tho&s;e that think us too large, let them be plea&s;ed to con&s;ider.</P>
<P>1. That God would not have the door &s;o &s;trait as many &s;uppo&s;e; we
know that purity is amiable, and required of all in the Church, and that
it hath &s;uch a lovely a&s;pect, that many &s;o fix their eyes upon it, as if that
were only to be attended and pro&s;ecuted in the con&s;titution and refor|mation
of Churches; yet with &s;ome confidence we dare affirm, 1. That
the &s;tricte&s;t way of admi&s;&s;ion is not therefore be&s;t, becau&s;e &s;tricte&s;t.
2. That 'tis much &s;afer, in the management of Admi&s;&s;ions, and more
acceptable to God, to be &s;o facile, as to hazard the admi&s;&s;ion of many
unfit, rather then to exclude one that ought not to be excluded:
Mr. <HI>Cotton</HI> &s;aith, <Q><HI>Rather ninety nine &s;hould peri&s;h through pre&s;umption,
then one humble &s;oul belonging to Chri&s;t, &s;hould &s;ink under di&s;couragement:</HI></Q>
Way. <HI>p.</HI> 58. 3. That the admi&s;&s;ion of &s;ome le&s;s fit, can neither defile
the Ordinances to others, nor hinder their Spiritual Communion: <HI>Non
polluitur communio, licet minuitur &s;olatio.</HI> 4. That Cen&s;oriou&s;ne&s;s, Re|vilings
and Contempt of weaker Chri&s;tians, Errors, Aver&s;ne&s;s to con|cede
and yeild to Brethren of different Judgement in le&s;s things, for
peace &s;ake, (though they make not &s;o great a noi&s;e in the world) are
&s;ins of a more dangerous con&s;equence, more pernicious to the Church,
in them&s;elves more infectious, and again&s;t which there lies more ju&s;t
exceptions, as to admi&s;&s;ion, then many other failings which u&s;ually are
excepted again&s;t in the weaker &s;ort. 5. That tho&s;e Churches have mo&s;t
of Go&s;pel-order, where unity and encouragement of the weak is equal|ly
regarded and pro&s;ecuted with purity, going hand in hand, but one not
ju&s;tling out another. 6. That if the be&s;t of men would but impartial|ly
weigh their private failings in the &s;ame Scale in which they u&s;ually
weigh other mens, with the application of <HI>Matt.</HI> 7. 1, 12. and would put
on charity, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 13. 4, 5, 6. with humility, they would not be &s;o &s;evere
again&s;t others.</P>
<P>2. We cannot &s;ee any ground or Scripture-Warrant, for a &s;tricter rule
then this we walk by: 1. The fitne&s;s which comes under our cogni|zance,
is only outward; whether they that are only outwardly qualifi|ed,
have a real intere&s;t in the &s;eals of the covenant, <HI>before God,</HI> or not;
we think it un&s;ea&s;onable now to di&s;pute; that which we a&s;&s;ert, is grant|ed
<PB N="37" REF="20">
by all of both parties, (that under&s;tand their principles) that the &s;eals
are given to &s;uch; and that in our Enquiries and Determinations, we are
to go no higher, lea&s;t we be guilty of prying into things &s;ecret, and of
u&s;urping the Throne and Scepter of the Almighty. 2. The rule which
mu&s;t direct us to judge aright of this fitne&s;s, mu&s;t of nece&s;&s;ity have the&s;e
properties; Fir&s;t, it mu&s;t be general; or el&s;e, how &s;hall it reach all men?
if it &s;hould be &s;o &s;hort, or &s;o narrow as to exclude any admi&s;&s;able, it
could not be acknowledged to be true. Secondly, it mu&s;t be publike; the
Officers are publike, and &s;o is the Act of Admi&s;&s;ion, and &s;o are the Or|dinances
admitted to: and therefore it cannot be granted, that Officers
mu&s;t manage the&s;e things by private in&s;tructions, and let in by a private
door. Thirdly, it mu&s;t be a &s;tanding rule; for if it be uncertain, uncon|&s;tant,
and bending, how &s;hall it direct us to make any &s;teady or certain
tryal?</P>
<P>3. The &s;atisfaction wherein we are to acquie&s;s, ought to be publike
and Eccle&s;ia&s;tical; for if we were to admit only according to our private
&s;atisfactions or di&s;-&s;atisfactions, who almo&s;t then could be admitted
with &s;ome? Who &s;ees not the uncertainty of &s;uch a Rule? If this were
true, the &s;ame parties, under the &s;ame qualifications, without any alter|ation,
might be lawfully admitted, and rejected by &s;everal Churches,
nay, by the &s;ame Church at &s;everal times, &s;ome being more ea&s;ily &s;atis|fyed
then others.</P>
<P>Not that the u&s;e of charity in this ca&s;e is denyed, when we have made
as impartial a trial as we can; the &s;tanding rules of charity mu&s;t be made
u&s;e of: But yet God hath not &s;o referred the matter to charity, as if none
were to be admitted, where our charity would not bring us up to a per|&s;wa&s;ion,
or belief of regeneration; we &s;uppo&s;e this therefore to be a
&s;tanding Truth, that we may lawfully, and with peace of con&s;cience,
nay we ought to admit one, (if coming up to the rule) of who&s;e inte|grity
we may have particular di&s;-&s;atisfactions.</P>
<P>If this were well con&s;idered, the difference about rigid admi&s;&s;ions
would not be &s;o great. Mr. <HI>Noton, Cont. Apoll.</HI> pag. 11. is full in this
point, di&s;tingui&s;hing 'twixt <HI>fideles</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign"> and <GAP DESC="foreign">,
or Eccle&s;ia&s;tice fideles, <HI>Believers that are really &s;uch, and tho&s;e that are re|puted
to be &s;uch:</HI> And plainly a&s;&s;erts, That we ought to carry our &s;elves
toward tho&s;e, as if they were really godly; and that
we are not bound po&s;itively to believe every one admi&s;&s;able into the
Church to be regenerate: Nay, that the Church may &s;in in not admit|ting
one Eccle&s;ia&s;tically fit, although not really a Believer; and that the
judgement of charity, is not a per&s;wa&s;ion of the integrity of a man;
but, in doubtful facts where the evil is not evident, an inclining to judge
the be&s;t, <HI>Negative &amp; practice,</HI> as he &s;peaks.</P>
<P>Or if any &s;hall not be &s;atisfied with this, let them be plea&s;ed to con|&s;ider,
whether Mr. <HI>Burrows (Go&s;pel VVor&s;hip</HI> p. 238) doth not &s;peak more
<PB N="38" REF="21">
<HI>largely then we in the in&s;tance of</HI> Iudas; <HI>where he affirms our re&s;ting in
Eccle&s;ia&s;tical &s;atisfaction &s;o nece&s;&s;ary,</HI> <Q>That though we had a private
Revelation from heaven, that &s;uch a one were an hypocrite, yet we are to com|municate
with him &s;till, till he &s;o far di&s;cover him&s;elf, that his evill can be
proved publikely by witne&s;&s;es.</Q></P>
<P>If any Rule &s;hall come &s;hort of the&s;e, we doubt not to call it defec|tive;
and if any &s;hall go further, we as little doubt to call it a &s;trictne&s;s
above what is written.</P>
<P>That our Rule is adaequate to outward fitne&s;s, hath the three fore|mentioned
qualifications, and affords &s;ufficient ground of Eccle&s;i|a&s;ticall
&s;atisfaction, &s;eems very clear to us, neither is it charged by any
with defect, &s;aving that it &s;peaks not of the declaration of the work of
Grace, (which is further required by &s;ome) which how far it &s;uits with
what we have now hinted, we leave to the judicious to con&s;ider: And
&s;hall only add a Word or two concerning the fifteenth Propo&s;ition,
which expre&s;ly relates to this. Wherein take notice:</P>
<P>1. That it is not denyed, but that men converted may lawfully and
profitably declare what the Lord hath done for them.</P>
<P>2. That therefore we &s;hall accept it where offered.</P>
<P>3. But the pre&s;&s;ing of this as a <GAP DESC="foreign"> upon all, is that where|in
we are not &s;atisfied.</P>
<P>1. Becau&s;e &s;ome of us &s;ee neither Scripture-Precept, nor pre&s;ident
for it: If the Apo&s;tles had either pre&s;&s;ed this them&s;elves in their Admi&s;&s;i|ons,
or pre&s;cribed it to us, good rea&s;on had it been we &s;hould have done
10. The mo&s;t probable place for countenance of this practi&s;e, is 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 3. 15,
16. which yet &s;peaks nothing to a declaration of the work of grace; but
only that in tho&s;e per&s;ecuting times, they &s;hould have &s;o much know|ledge
of the Principles of Religion, as might enable them to ju&s;tifie
their profe&s;&s;ion, by giving a Rea&s;on of the Doctrine thereof, which he
calls hope, as <HI>Paul</HI> frequently doth, <HI>Act. 23. 6. &amp; 26. 7. &amp;</HI> 28. 20. And
that this is the meaning, appears from the Context, <HI>v.</HI> 14, 15, 16, 17 which
&s;hews he &s;peaks of giving this Rea&s;on of their Hope to Per&s;ecutors di&s;|&s;atisfyed
with their Doctrine, (not with their integrity and truth of con|ver&s;ion)
and therefore not a declaration of the work of Grace to Church-Officers
for admi&s;&s;ion. To this &s;ome add <HI>Mat.</HI> 3. 6. which indeed &s;peaks
of confe&s;&s;ion of &s;ins, but nothing of a Declaration of the work of
Grace; they might acknowledge the &s;infulne&s;s of their former e&s;tate, or
acknowledge particular offences, and yet be far from that, for which
&s;ome produce this Text: Or if this Text would prove &s;uch a thing, it
would only prove it voluntary on their part, but not enjoined by <HI>Iohn;</HI>
nay, what ever it was, it will be very hard to prove that it was publike,
or to <HI>Iohn</HI> at all; and as hard to prove it to have been before their Ad|mi&s;&s;ion
by Bapti&s;m, and not after, <HI>vid.</HI> Dr. <HI>Lightfoot, Harm. Evan. in
Loco.</HI></P>
<P><PB N="49" REF="21">
2. Though it &s;hould be granted (which yet all wil not) that the invi&s;i|ble
Church is the prime, and proper only &s;ubject to whom the &s;eales be|long;
and that &s;aving qualifications are requi&s;ite to give a real intere&s;t
in them; and that we are to admit onely upon &s;uch evidences, as may
give proof of intere&s;t; yet there are other more &s;atisfactory evidences,
<HI>viz.</HI> from the tenour of a Chri&s;tians life, then this; which would &s;uffici|ently
demon&s;trate, (&s;o far as we either can, or are concerned to know)
though this were laid a&s;ide. If we had no mark but this, or none &s;o de|mon&s;trative
as this, or none &s;ufficiently demon&s;trative without this, or
none le&s;s que&s;tionable, or le&s;s open to inconveniences, we conceive much
might have been &s;aid.</P>
<P>3. This is &s;o incon&s;iderable an evidence, that it &s;eems &s;carce any at
all (be&s;ide &s;o much of it as is included in the former)
to &s;ome of us; if there be any thing in it, it mu&s;t be from the parties
own word, that is, his own affirmation that he is converted; which we
&s;uppo&s;e to be no proof in this particular. If you &s;ay there is more, it
mu&s;t be either from the thing &s;poken in the matter, or in the manner,
<HI>viz.</HI> the affectionatene&s;s of utterance. For the former, we &s;uppo&s;e none
will &s;ay, That he only that hath the real experiences of grace and con|ver&s;ion,
can declare &s;uch things, at lea&s;t, as are ordinarily &s;poken and
accepted in &s;uch ca&s;es. As for the latter, we &s;uppo&s;e it will &s;carcefinde a
Patron for its evidence&s;hip: And if his Expre&s;&s;ion and affectionatene&s;s
&s;hould, yet &s;till it re&s;ts upon his own his word, whether it be &s;o with him
as he &s;peaks.</P>
<P>We intreat tho&s;e that think this &s;o full a proof, to con&s;ider how fre|quent
it is, &s;ince this came into fa&s;hion, for vile men (&s;ome of us could
give in&s;tances, if it were convenient) to &s;peak &s;o affectionately of their
conver&s;ion, and tell you how they were ca&s;t down, and comforted, <HI>&amp;c.</HI>
that as to expre&s;&s;ion, they would match the holye&s;t Saint in the world.</P>
<P>4. 'Tis not adaequate to Saint-&s;hip, (at lea&s;t as 'tis pre&s;&s;ed and urged
by &s;ome) and therefore unfit to try by, as not reaching all admi&s;&s;able, ac|cording
to the Rule of Chri&s;t. Who knows not how &s;ecret a thing the
work of grace is upon a &s;oul, and how hardly di&s;cernable? The gradu|al,
and &s;till proceedings, the long intervals of the &s;pirits acts, the differ|ent
method, the darkne&s;s and fears upon peoples hearts; all the&s;e make
it hard to be di&s;covered.</P>
<P>5. We have &s;een &s;ome printed Books of Confe&s;&s;ions, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> which
have as much &s;atisfied us again&s;t it as any thing. We are afraid of put|ting
our people upon the&s;e temptations and inconveniences, which in
that cour&s;e others have fallen upon.</P>
<P>6. There is a holy mode&s;ty and ba&s;hfulne&s;s, which either doth, or
ought to attend tho&s;e pa&s;&s;ages and tran&s;actions (we mean the work it
&s;elf, and not the &s;hameful mi&s;carriages of our lives) 'twixt God and
out &s;ouls, which may ju&s;tly excu&s;e them from publike view.</P>
<P><PB N="50" REF="22">
7. <HI>Tho&s;e of our Brethren of the Congregational Way, do not pre&s;s
this as nece&s;&s;ary to Member&s;hip. Mr.</HI> Norton <HI>is full,</HI> Cont. Apoll. <HI>p.</HI> 3.
Non nece&s;&s;ario quaerendum, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> <Q>It is not nece&s;sary (in admi&s;&s;ion into the
Church) to require men to give a particular account of the &s;ignes of true grace,
or the work of Faith, and true Repentance: Mr. <HI>Cotton, Hol. Ch. Memb.</HI>
pag. 19. admits tho&s;e, 1. That profe&s;s (publikely) faith and repentance. 2. Sub|jection
to Ordinances. 3. Inoffen&s;ive conver&s;ation. And excludes, 1. The
ignorant. 2. Tho&s;e that deny the Faith. 3. The Scandalous.</Q></P>
<P><HI>Mr. Hooker in&s;i&s;ts only on the&s;e two,</HI> Part 1. p. 15. <Q>Per&s;ons, though
they be hypocrites inwardly, yet if their conver&s;ations and expre&s;&s;ions be &s;uch,
&s;o blamele&s;s and inoffen&s;ive, that according to rea&s;on, directed by the VVord,
we cannot conclude, but in charity there may be, and is &s;ome &s;pecial good in
them; the&s;e are fit matter of a vi&s;ible Church, &amp;c.</Q> <HI>And, Part 1. p.</HI> 24. <Q>;He
that profe&s;&s;ing the Faith, lives not in the neglect of any known duty, or in the
commi&s;&s;ion of any known evill; and hath &s;uch a mea&s;ure of knowledge, as
may in rea&s;on let in Chri&s;t into the &s;oul, and carry the &s;oul to him; the&s;e be
grounds of probabilities, by which charity, poized according to rule, may, and
ought to conceive there be &s;ome beginnings of &s;piritual good.</Q> <HI>And more ful|ly,</HI>
Part 3. <HI>p. 5. &s;peaking of Admi&s;&s;ions, and of private Members repair|ing
to them, to enquire the time and manner of their conver&s;ion, he
&s;aith,</HI><Q>I am afraid it is a pre&s;umed kinde of Liberty, which wants precept
and example, for any thing that ever appeared to me in Scripture.</Q> <HI>And that
not onely becau&s;e it entrencheth upon the Office of the Elder (as he
&s;aith) but becau&s;e the thing it &s;elf is inconvenient. Hear his own words:</HI>
<Q>All &s;uch pains mi&s;&s;eth the end and fruit of it; for the &s;tre&s;s of the tryal lyes
not there, nor can the la&s;t re&s;olution of judicious and rea&s;onable charity i&s;&s;ue
there: whether the per&s;on be a vi&s;ible Saint or no? for there be many truly and
&s;avingly called, who never knew the time and manner of their conver&s;ion, and
therefore cannot relate it to others, and yet expre&s;s the power of grace in their
lives,</Q> <HI>&amp;c. And afterward, to that que&s;tion; What is the rule according
to which &s;atisfaction is to be regulated? He an&s;wers thus:</HI> <Q>In a word,
if a per&s;on live not in the commi&s;&s;ion of any known &s;in, or in the neglect of
any known duty, and can give a rea&s;on of his hope towards God (<HI>he means
a profe&s;&s;ing of Faith, as before he expre&s;&s;ed him&s;elf</HI>) This ca&s;ts the cau&s;e
with judicious charity, to hope and believe there is &s;omething of God and
grace in the &s;oul; and therefore fit for Church-Society.</Q> <HI>So that the que&s;tion
is, Whether &s;uch a mark which is que&s;tionable in its warrant, accompa|nyed
with inconveniences, more open to counterfeiting, flexible, not ge|neral,
and not in&s;i&s;ted on as nece&s;&s;ary by our Brethren, ought to be ri|gidly
pre&s;&s;ed, to the hinderance of the Churches peace; when other &s;uf|ficient,
more certain, evidential, and generally agreed on Evidences may
be had: And &s;eeing it is put to this i&s;&s;ue, we hope our congregational-Brethren
will not take offence at any conde&s;cention herein.</HI></P>
<P><PB N="51" REF="22">
What we lay down, <HI>Propo&s;.</HI> 16. wherein we confine our &s;elves to our
own Pari&s;h-bounds for Member&s;hip, we hope wil not provoke the di&s;ta&s;te
of any Brother.</P>
<P>Some of us cannot behold the different practice of our Brethren in
this point, without amazement: Alas! that men &s;hould no more lay to
heart the divi&s;ions of the Church, the di&s;orders, and other inconvenien|ces
which ari&s;e from this Liberty, that men are &s;o ready to take to them|&s;elves!
How great a hand this hath in keeping of a clo&s;ure of Brethren,
we need not tell; look about, and &s;ee it. Ingenuous and moderate
Mr. <HI>Firmin,</HI> (a <HI>New-England</HI> man) calls this a dividing Principle, in his
Epi&s;tle to his &s;erious que&s;tion, and the Practi&s;ers of it, &s;eekers of divi&s;i|on;
and for the regulating of it, propounds the &s;ame that we do, in the
forementioned Propo&s;ition; and &s;uppo&s;eth, That if Congregational
men would but yeild in this one thing, it would much tend to the heal|ing
of our breaches.</P>
<P>We earne&s;tly be&s;eech the contrary-minded, to con&s;ider &s;eriou&s;ly:</P>
<P>1. That the <HI>Presbyterians</HI> never pleaded for local limits, or Pari&s;h|bounds
in this &s;en&s;e, as if Church-Member&s;hip did ari&s;e from thence:
They are as ready as any to &s;ay, That co-habitation makes not men
Members of a Church; though (it cannot but be ob&s;erved) that they
are (by &s;everal) &s;poken again&s;t, as if this had been their A&s;&s;ertion.
Surely ingenious men will not threap that upon them, which they with
one Voice do &s;o much di&s;own.</P>
<P>2. All that they &s;ay, (in this ca&s;e) is this, That it is nece&s;&s;ary that
Church-Members do co-habit; and that for order &s;ake, it is fit that
bounds be &s;et and ob&s;erved. And doth not Scripture and rea&s;on &s;ay the
&s;ame?</P>
<P>1. In the New-Te&s;tament, Did not the people of God, living in a
Town or City, alwayes joyne together among them&s;elves in a Church-Way?
For why el&s;e are Churches denominated from places? as the
Church of <HI>Rome, Corinth,</HI> &amp;c. when will it be proved, or what Scripture
&s;peaks it, that any lived in a Neighborhood or Town, where there was a
Church, and yet was a Member of a Church in an other Town?</P>
<P>2. Is not this (as 'tis u&s;ually practi&s;ed) incon&s;i&s;tent with the ends of
Church-Member&s;hip? Church-Members may &s;o live together, 1. That
their Pa&s;tor and Officers may re&s;ide among them for in&s;pection and
rule. 2. That they may meet commodiou&s;ly and frequently together for
the enjoyment of Ordinances. 3. That they may maintain communi|on
for help and advice among them&s;elves, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> and all this with ea&s;e and
conveniency. Now how this can be done as it ought, where the Members
live &s;o much di&s;tant, (as is u&s;ual in many gathered Churches) let the
moderate judge?</P>
<P>3. How will contention, confu&s;ion and di&s;order be avoided, if this
be kept up? Is it nothing for one Mini&s;ter (by the invitation of &s;uch a
<PB N="52" REF="23">
proclaimed Liberty) to deprive another of the comfort of his prayers,
tears and labours? Or for one Church to bereave another of its help
and comfort, in bereaving it of its choice&s;t Members? Or is it nothing
to &s;et &s;uch an example before the eyes of the weaker &s;ort? May not the
pulling out of one Pin endanger the ruine of the whole Fabrick? Make
the ca&s;e your own, and then judge. Would you be willing to be &s;o dealt
withall? Would you not think your &s;elves wronged, if others &s;hould go
about to withdraw from you the Members of your Churches? It is won|dered
by &s;ome, how men can &s;o confidently appropriate the title of Go&s;|pel-Order
to their Way, (but that glorious pretences, and high words
are more hopefull to prevail with the greater part of men, then &s;olid
Arguments,) when 'tis &s;o apparently peccant again&s;t the Go&s;pel rules of
the God of Order? yet let not this be thought an Accu&s;ation of all the
Congregational Brethren. Many there are (we know) that judge the&s;e
proceedings irregular as well as we; and that are afraid <HI>to boa&s;t in another
mans line, of things made ready to their hand,</HI> choo&s;ing to wait with hope for
the enlargement of their Churches and comfort, from the reformation
and growth of tho&s;e that are under their own Mini&s;try, rather then to
make up their churches by entring upon <HI>other mens labours, 2 Cor.</HI> 10. 15, 16.</P>
<P>3. That the Principles of the Congregational Brethren come up &s;o
far, that we think there would be no difference in this point, if they were
practi&s;ed.</P>
<P>1. <HI>They &s;ay, co-habitation of Members is nece&s;&s;ary, upon many &s;pi|ritual
accounts.</HI> Vid. Hooker Survey, Part 1. <HI>p.</HI> 49. <Q>Such co-habitation (<HI>&s;aith
he</HI>) is required, which is nece&s;&s;ary for the di&s;pen&s;ation of Gods Ordinances,
and the admini&s;tration of Church-cen&s;ures; for otherwi&s;e the end of the co|venant
would be made fru&s;trate, and the benefit of the whole prejudiced; and
hence there mu&s;t needs be &s;uch a co-habitation of Officers, and a convenient
company of Members, that they comely and conveniently meet together, to
the exerci&s;e of all Gods Ordinances,</Q> Act. 14. 27. 1 Cor. 11. 20. <HI>&amp;.</HI> 14. 23.
<HI>To the &s;ame purpo&s;e,</HI> Norton Contr. Apoll. <HI>p.</HI> 40.</P>
<P>2. They acknowledge our churches (at lea&s;t, mo&s;t of them) to be true
Churches. Mr. <HI>Hooker</HI> rejects the denyal of this with abhorrency.</P>
<P>3. That therefore 'tis unlawful to &s;eparate from them, either for the
want of &s;ome Ordinances, or for the <HI>fin</HI> of &s;ome wor&s;hippers. <HI>Vid. Hook|ker
Preface</HI> to the <HI>Survey:</HI> and <HI>Norton, p.</HI> 156.</P>
<P>That the&s;e three Principles are owned by them, will not be denyed;
and that they are incon&s;i&s;tent with the common practice of gathering
Churches out of other Pari&s;hes, is too evident. Will they call our
Churches true, and yet unchurch them, by taking our Members again&s;t
our con&s;ent? Will they &s;ay, That 'tis unlawful to &s;eparate from our
Churches, and yet entertain and encourage tho&s;e that &s;eparate? Will
they &s;ay, Co-habitation is nece&s;&s;ary, and yet receive tho&s;e that live ma|ny
miles di&s;tant?</P>
<P><PB N="53" REF="23">
If any &s;eek to evade this by &s;aying, That though many, yet not all
Congregations in England are true Churches.</P>
<P>We an&s;wer, 1. It &s;hould then fir&s;t be proved, (and not taken for grant|ed)
that &s;uch a Congregation as they de&s;ire to receive Members from,
is no true Church.</P>
<P>2. But who (of all that take this Liberty) doth make a difference
'twixt one congregation and another, and forbears to take (if opportu|nity
&s;erve) from a congregation, reputed a true Church.</P>
<P>3. How ea&s;ily will this be objected again&s;t any Church whence Mem|bers
be had, That 'tis no true Church; and how mu&s;t the controver&s;ie
be decided? <HI>Facile credimus quod volumus.</HI></P>
<P>If it be further urged, that though our Churches be true, yet are they
corrupt: So that it may be lawfuli to withdraw communion from the
&s;ame; as in the <HI>An&s;.</HI> of Elders of <HI>New-England,</HI> to the 32. Que&s;t.
<HI>pag.</HI> 29.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> We acknowledge with grief, That many of our congregati|ons
are corrupt. Yet [1.] this doth not in any wi&s;e ju&s;tifie the gathering
of Members that inhabit not within convenient limits. [2.] Nor the ga|thereing
out of tho&s;e Congregations which are more purged, though
not according to the hight of &s;trictne&s;s which &s;ome require. <HI>Ames</HI> (u&s;u|ally
cited by our Brethren in this point) <HI>Ca&s;. Con&s;c. Lib. 5. cap.</HI> 12. Q. 3.
mentions but three cau&s;es of &s;eparation from a true Church: 1. Parti|cipation
of their &s;ins. 2. Eminent danger of Seduction. 3. Per&s;ecution.
And yet the&s;e are not applicable to many <HI>Presbyterian</HI> Churches, from
whom neverthele&s;s Members are withdrawn. True indeed, Mr. <HI>Norton</HI>
adds a fourth; Separation may be (&s;aith he, <HI>p.</HI> 168.) for purer Wor&s;hip
and Edification, <HI>no great inconvenience en&s;uing.</HI> But there lies much
weight in the la&s;t words; otherwi&s;e upon this ground men might &s;hift
from one Congregational-church to another for purer Wor&s;hip, as well
as from a <HI>Presbyterian</HI> to a Congregational-church. But (3.) is it the be&s;t,
mo&s;t warrantable, and mo&s;t effectual cour&s;e of curing a corrupt church,
to take away from it the be&s;t Chri&s;tians it hath? Or are you &s;ure that
you can ju&s;tifie before the Lord, your weakning the hands and hearts of
other Mini&s;ters, that are upon the reformation of their more corrupt
churches, which you unavoidably do by this practice. Many have
thought, that it were a better expedient to di&s;per&s;e good members into
le&s;s pure Churches, that &s;o there might be mo&s;t help, where there is mo&s;t
need.</P>
<P>If any &s;ay, This is a grievous yoke for tender con&s;ciences.</P>
<P>We an&s;wer: 1. Tender con&s;ciences ought to be univer&s;ally tender;
Why al&s;o are they not tender of breaking rule, and of being exam|ples
of di&s;order, and introducing the many inconveniences that attend
this practice?</P>
<P><PB N="54" REF="24">
2. We think we have provided as much for a tender con&s;cience, as a
truly tender con&s;cience can require. Do we engage them to be without
Ordinances or Member&s;hip, in ca&s;e there be no Mini&s;ter of their own?
Or do we engage them to &s;candalous and in&s;ufficient Mini&s;ters? If any
will de&s;ire to depart when they can plead none of the&s;e; we fear it be hu|mor,
or ignorance, more then tenderne&s;s of con&s;cience, To tho&s;e that
would plead that we may tye them from Church-Ordinances, (as in ca&s;e
the Mini&s;ter where they live forbear them upon the general unfitne&s;s of
his people.) 'Tis readily an&s;wered, we provide help for that, he may en|joy
them for the pre&s;ent in other congregations.</P>
<P>They that &s;ay, by this means they &s;hall be hindered from &s;ome Mini|&s;ter
with whom they can mo&s;t profit; may be plea&s;ed to an&s;wer the&s;e que|&s;tions:
Whence is your profiting? is it from the Mini&s;ter and his ability,
or from God? Is it likely that God will give the &s;ucce&s;s you, expect out
of his own way? We deny not but the God of order may overlook your
irregularities, and give divine influence while ye &s;eek it in a di&s;orderly
way. But what rea&s;on have ye to expect it in your way? Do ye certainly
know that ye have profited, or that all your joy which you have got in
this cour&s;e is &s;olid? Are there not &s;en&s;ible con&s;olations, even in holy
men? And do not the&s;e run with a violent &s;tream? May they not mi&s;take
their own &s;pirits upon that account? May you not profit more, for ought
you know, in humble waiting on God where he hath &s;et you? And might
you not more cheerfully expect it here then el&s;ewhere? Many &s;erious
Chri&s;tians have thought, and found it to be the mo&s;t hopeful, ready,
certain way of a &s;peedy increa&s;e of grace, and of attainment of more
real and la&s;ting comfort, for a man to be&s;tirre him&s;elf in the in&s;truction,
reproof, and reformation of the people with whom he lives (this affords
opportunity and advantage for the exerci&s;e of grace; and exerci&s;e is one
of the be&s;t wayes to increa&s;e it) rather then to remove to the mini&s;tery
of a man of quicker and abler parts.</P>
<P>Some may (po&s;&s;ibly) except again&s;t the conde&s;cention of our bre|thren
of the congregational-judgement, in point of Ordination, men|tioned
<HI>Prop.</HI> 17. Let &s;uch con&s;ider:</P>
<P>1. That Ordination by the people is one of the main occa&s;ions of of|fence
to the <HI>Presbyterian</HI> Brethren, who in this regard do not know how
to own men, &s;o ordained, for Mini&s;ters; and then &s;urely, if it were po&s;&s;i|ble,
this offence &s;hould be removed.</P>
<P>2. This Propo&s;ition doth not take away the election from the
people, which the congregational-brethren look upon as the chief
thing.</P>
<P>3. We are agreed, That &s;uch Ordination &s;hall be per|formed
in the Congregation, unto which the per&s;on is to be or|dained.</P>
<P><PB N="55" REF="24">
4. <HI>Albeit, the congregational brethren affirm, that an</HI> inorganicall
Church, and homogeneal, <HI>may ordain; yet 'tis not again&s;t their principles,
that Mini&s;ters of other Churches do it for them. Mr.</HI> Hooker <HI>affirms as
much out of</HI> Didoc. Survey Part 2. p. 57. (<HI>&s;peaking of tho&s;e that are to
ordain</HI>) <Q>By Elder&s;hip then is meant the Officers; but whether they were the
Pa&s;tor and Teacher, and the Ruling Elders of one Congregation, called a Con|&s;i&s;tory;
or whether they were the Officers of many congregations together, ter|med
a Cla&s;&s;is: I could never yet hear any Arguments that could evince either
by dint of undenyable evidence. <HI>And more fully, p.</HI> 59. Though it be mo&s;t
comely that tho&s;e of the &s;ame congregation &s;hould exerci&s;e it, yet the Elders
al&s;o of other congregations may be invited hereunto, and intere&s;ted in the ex|erci&s;e
of it, in an other church where they have no power.</Q> <HI>And the Liberty
which they allow to Mini&s;ters of preaching and admini&s;tring the Seals
in other congregations be&s;ides their own, as al&s;o the requiring of the
coun&s;el and help of other Mini&s;ters for the tryal of a per&s;on to be or|dained
over an other church (which is allowed and advi&s;ed too by</HI> Ames.
Bellar. Enerv. Tom. 2. <HI>&amp;</HI> Norton <HI>p.</HI> 101.) <HI>will al&s;o prove this conde&s;cention
&s;utable to their principles. Mr.</HI> Allin, <HI>and Mr.</HI> Shepheard <HI>in the defence of
the 9. Po&s;itions, p. 132. grant,</HI> <Q>That a Mini&s;ter may put forth an occa&s;io|nal
act of Power, or <HI>precariam pote&s;tatem</HI> to tho&s;e in an other Church, over
whom he is no Officer (though it be not towards them as over his own Flock)
and that though an Officer of one Church, is no Officer over an other Church,
yet &s;uch an Officer may put forth acts of his Officer towards tho&s;e that are
not of his proper Flock.</Q> <HI>And if &s;o, why not this Act of Power as well as
an other? why may they not ordain, as well as admini&s;ter Sacraments
in another Church?</HI></P>
<P>Mr. <HI>Firmin</HI> (a Congregational-Brother, and one thus ordained) in
his Epi&s;t. before his &s;erious que&s;tion, gives us the report, that of late
this is practi&s;ed in <HI>New-England;</HI> which al&s;o we have had confirmed to
us by others. And &s;hould not this then be yeilded unto for the churches
peace?</P>
<P>5. Although the congregational-brethren &s;hould think the peoples
Election greater then ordination, yet if they yeild to Ordination as a|fore&s;aid,
the <HI>Presbyterian</HI>-Brethren can comfortably own them as Mini|&s;ters
of the Go&s;pel; for &s;o long as they have both, there is no doubt to
be made, but that they have all e&s;&s;entials of an outward call to the Of|fice
of a mini&s;ter; though we run up &s;everall lines, yet we all meet in the
&s;ame point.</P>
<P>One thing more there is which &s;ome may peradventure &s;tumble at,
which is the &s;upplying the want of Elders by the a&s;&s;i&s;tance of neigh|bouring-mini&s;ters,
of which in <HI>Prop.</HI> 19. The rea&s;ons of which practice
are hinted in the Propo&s;ition; and the cautions for the right under&s;tand|ing
of it, are &s;ubjoyned to it, &s;o that we may &s;ay the le&s;s.</P>
<P><PB N="56" REF="25">
We would not have adventured upon any thing not ordinary; <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1+ words">
did not compel us. They that under&s;tand the controver&s;&s;e about Go|vernment,
know, 1. That all are not &s;atisfied concerning Ruling Eld|ers.
2. And others are not &s;atisfied concerning the power of a Mini&s;ter
to act alone in the&s;e things, where Elders are not to be had. And &s;uch is
the general &s;tate of our people, that in ca&s;e we were all &s;atisfied in the
fir&s;t, yet can we not at pre&s;ent act in that cour&s;e, for want of fit men to be
imployed in that Office. So that &s;uch of us as are not &s;atisfied concern|ing
the Mini&s;ters &s;ole power, mu&s;t either take &s;ome &s;uch cour&s;e, or do
nothing. If our pre&s;ent ca&s;e then be well con&s;idered, we hope men will
not be &s;o ready to except again&s;t it.</P>
<P>That in &s;uch a ca&s;e, where the ordinary cour&s;e cannot be followed,
&s;ome extraordinary way may be taken, is not only our a&s;&s;ertion, but the
a&s;&s;ertion and practice of others (in other ca&s;es) who&s;e authority we &s;up|po&s;e
will not be &s;lightly overlooked by pious and intelligent men; we
mean the A&s;&s;embly, who in their advice concerning Ordination, lay
this down as a certain conclu&s;ion, which they prove 2 <HI>Chron</HI> 29. 34, 36.
where the <HI>Levi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="2 letters">s</HI> (which was be&s;ide the ordinary rule) helped the Prie&s;ts
to &s;lay the Burnt Offerings, they being too few to do it by them&s;elves.
And al&s;o 2 <HI>Chr.</HI> 30. 3, 4. which Propo&s;ition will as much ju&s;tifie us in this
particular, as them in an extraordinary expedient for Ordination; which
as things then &s;tood, was nece&s;&s;ary; and for which this was produced by
them.</P>
<P>That this cour&s;e is neere&s;t to the ordinary rule, we think is appa|rent.</P>
<P>1. The work is done by Mini&s;ters, of which number the Mini&s;ter of
the Congregation is one: Here is one part of the ordinary Rule kept
up.</P>
<P>2. The end may be as well attained in this, as in the ordinary
cour&s;e: None (we hope) will &s;ay this is a le&s;s &s;afe proceeding, in refer|ence
to the ju&s;tne&s;s of admi&s;&s;ion and rejection.</P>
<P>3. Many &s;uppo&s;e, that as in the planting of the fir&s;t Churches, all
things were managed by Mini&s;ters in common, till the churches were &s;et|led;
&s;o in the reformation of corrupt churches, things cannot be carried
on any other way, till the churches be brought into &s;ome order.</P>
<P>4. This is no other then what the A&s;&s;embly advi&s;e, in the Form of
Church Government, where in the want of an ordinary Elder-&s;hip,
they direct, that &s;uch a congregation &s;hould be under the in&s;pection of
the a&s;&s;ociated Neighbouring-Officers.</P>
<P>Many other things there are which we would have in&s;i&s;ted on, but o|thers
having writ &s;o fully of them, we &s;hall pa&s;s them over in &s;ilence.
Many exceptions al&s;o we fore&s;ee, &s;ome of ignorant &amp; wilful men, which
we conceive not worthy to be taken notice of; others of learned men,
which we apprehend not fit to trouble the weak withal. We are not ig|norant,
<PB N="47" REF="25">
that the di&s;tinction of <HI>Forum Eccle&s;iae &amp; Dei</HI> (which we make
u&s;e of) is que&s;tioned by &s;ome; as Mr. <HI>Blake Cov. &s;ealed p.</HI> 141. But the &s;en&s;e
in which we u&s;e it, lies not open to his exceptions. We deny not but that
<HI>Forum Eccle&s;iae</HI> is a Court of Gods con&s;tituting, and in that regard, 'tis
al&s;o <HI>Forum Dei;</HI> but we only u&s;e it to expre&s;s that external right which
Profe&s;&s;ors have, by vertue of tho&s;e directions which God hath given for
the regulating of Church-affairs (whether this be a real, or onely an
analogicall right we meddle not) as it &s;tands in oppo&s;ition to the inter|nal
and gracious acceptance of God.</P>
<P>The u&s;ual exceptions about &s;candals not enumerated, need not trouble
us. When we a&s;&s;ent to the A&s;&s;emblies directions, about &s;ins &s;candalous
in one &s;ingle act, though we &s;ay that we look upon all the &s;ins mention|ed
by them as &s;uch; yet we &s;ay not that we look upon them only as &s;uch.
So that when any thing of that nature falls out, we are agreed to con|&s;ult
the A&s;&s;ociation about it.</P>
<P>Some may likewi&s;e think our u&s;ing the A&s;&s;emblies direction (in tho&s;e
Principles of Religion &s;et down by them) for tryal of Knowledge, to
be &s;uperfluous, &s;eeing we might have made u&s;e of our Confe&s;&s;ion for
that end. But we have not done this without weighty rea&s;ons (as &s;eems
to us) which for brevitie &s;ake we mention not. And &s;eeing the wor&s;t
that can be &s;aid again&s;t this, is but to charge us with an unnece&s;&s;ary re|dundancy
(which yet judicious men will not do) we are the le&s;s careful
to &s;pend time about it.</P>
<P>As for the Confe&s;&s;ion it &s;elf, we have added it as an Expo&s;ition to the
Creed; and yet not out of any affectaion of Novelty or Singularity. They
that know any thing of the Hi&s;tory of the Church, know that it hath
not been unu&s;ual to compo&s;e and recommend &s;everal forms of Confe&s;&s;i|ons
of Faith; and that in &s;uch ca&s;es tho&s;e things were mo&s;t in&s;i&s;ted on,
which were then mo&s;t que&s;tioned and oppo&s;ed; wi&s;e men (we know) will
not take exceptions again&s;t the thing it &s;elf. 'Tis not a new Faith that
we propound, but that which was of old delivered unto the Saints; none
(&s;urely) but blind and perver&s;e men will think to bring it into contempt
by calling it a new Creed. If the exceptions lie again&s;t our per&s;ons, as
unfit to compo&s;e or recommend &s;uch a thing; we have this to &s;ay, That
as we conceived &s;uch a thing nece&s;&s;ary, (as the ca&s;e of the Church now
&s;tands) &s;o were we mo&s;t de&s;irous to have u&s;ed what others have done be|fore
us, rather then by our example to encourage a ra&s;h, indeliberate,
or perver&s;e undertaking of men in this kinde, or what&s;oever inconveni|ences
might follow the common practi&s;e hereof. Yet while &s;ome con|fe&s;&s;ions
(which others u&s;e) plea&s;ed not all, as to method, and form, and
the like: It was propounded that we &s;hould &s;et the A&s;&s;emblies confe&s;&s;i|on
and Catechi&s;m before us, as our rule, that a &s;hort confe&s;&s;ion &s;hould
be drawn out of them, and as near as could be in their very words. And
this cour&s;e accordingly was agreed on: So that we would not have
<PB N="48" REF="26">
you to look upon it as ours, but the A&s;&s;emblies, onely epitomized by us.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Having put you in minde of the&s;e things, we &s;hall now conclude with
Exhortation.</HEAD>
<P>1. We be&s;eech you Brethren, in the Name of our Lord Je&s;us, pro&s;e|cute
union and concord: Let the peace of the Church lie very neer
your hearts. This is &s;o much in mens mouths, prayers and wi&s;hes, that it
would &s;eem not to &s;tand need of many Arguments to inforce it: And in|deed
it would not, if mens endeavours were but an&s;werable to their
expre&s;&s;ions; but the thing is &s;o precious, and men (notwith&s;tanding
their complemental pretences) &s;o really backward, that it requires more
then at pre&s;ent we can &s;ay.</P>
<P>1. Our Profe&s;&s;ion is a profe&s;&s;ion of Peace; Concord is a nece&s;&s;ary in|gredient
of Religion, both in re&s;pect of its pre&s;ervation and propaga|tion.
The Scripture telling us of the <HI>bond of peace,</HI> and calling love the
<HI>bond of perfectne&s;s,</HI> doth more then hint how much Religion is behold|ing
to it, both as to life and growth. The Go&s;pel indeed doth occa&s;ion
wars, and thrives by them, while her profe&s;&s;ors are at peace among
them&s;elves: But if di&s;&s;ention among brethren ari&s;e, ruin ha&s;tens on,
<HI>a Kingdome divided cannot &s;tand.</HI> So much of Religion is wrapt up in it,
that God &s;tiles him&s;elf by that name. And Chri&s;t looks upon it as one
of his honourable titles, [<HI>King of Peace.</HI>] And that we may know how
much he delights to have us re&s;emble him in this, he puts that name
upon his Go&s;pel, and Children. It runs through all the veins of Reli|gion,
and is as in&s;eperable from it as holine&s;s, <HI>the wi&s;dome from above is
peaceable, as well as pure, Sam.</HI> 3. 17.</P>
<P>2 How many ingagements hath the Lord laid upon us for unity?
Would he have inculcated his exhortations to amity and peace &s;o of|ten,
if it had been a &s;uperfluous, unnece&s;&s;ary, indifferent accident of Re|ligion?
What book almo&s;t of the New Te&s;tament is there that recom|mends
it not? Read <HI>Rom.</HI> 16. 17, 18. and 15. 1, 2, 3. 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 1. 10, 11.
with many places more; Or would he have pre&s;&s;ed it &s;o earne&s;tly, if
he would not have had us forward in it? <HI>Paul</HI> exhorts and conjures
the <HI>Philippians</HI> chap. 2. ver. 1. by all the ingagements of love betwixt
Chri&s;t and them, and by all the bonds of affection, pitie and duty be|twixt
him&s;elf and them, to be <GAP DESC="foreign"> unanimous of the &s;ame &s;oul;
his words are affectionate and pre&s;&s;ing; <HI>If there be therefore any con&s;o|lation
in Chri&s;t; if any comfort of love, if any fellow&s;hip of the Spirit, if a|ny
bowels of mercies, fulfil ye my joy, that ye be like minded, &amp;c.</HI> And in
<HI>Eph.</HI> 4. 1. 3, 4, 5, 6. He urgeth it by &s;even &s;trong motives: <HI>David</HI> in
<HI>P&s;al.</HI> 133. calls it not onely good in it &s;elf, but al&s;o plea&s;ant in its
<PB N="49" REF="26">
fruits and exerci&s;e. Chri&s;t makes it the great Character of his Di&s;ci|ples,
and annexeth large and glorious promi&s;es to it. And be&s;ides all
the&s;e, our own confe&s;&s;ions of the happine&s;s and nece&s;&s;ity of concord
(wrung from our own lips, by the &s;mart of our divi&s;ions) and our pray|ers
for it, as a choice ble&s;&s;ing, are &s;trong obligations upon us for the
pro&s;ecution of it.</P>
<P>3. Why is the rod yet upon our backs? Is not this one main cau&s;e,
that we know not how to agree among our &s;elves? doubtle&s;s our falling
out by the way is di&s;plea&s;ing to the Lord: When the Lord was about
to heal us we have fallen together by the ears, and &s;et up Altar again&s;t
Altar; Church again&s;t Church: The Lord hath &s;een it, and hath turn|ed
us back into the wilderne&s;s: Shall wee not learn yet to be friends,
when the Lord hath been forced to whip us for our contention? Doubt|le&s;s
we cannot expect the healing of the Land till our mindes are more
peaceable, and the noi&s;e of the Axe and Hammer cea&s;e; The
hou&s;e of God will not be built, till the materials be fitted for a clo&s;e
and orderly conjunction.</P>
<P>4. Is it &s;ea&s;onable now to contend when we are upon the very brink
of ruine? If we were not a&s;leep, or if God had not be&s;otted and be|nummed
us, in order to de&s;truction, (for <HI>quos perdere vult dementat</HI>)
would we not be more &s;en&s;ible of our danger then to trifle and contend
when the &s;hip is now almo&s;t overwhelmed with the waves?</P>
<P>What greater advantage can wee give to the common adver&s;aries?
who looks upon our divi&s;ions as the hopefulle&s;t &s;tratagem to further
their de&s;ign? How ea&s;ie is the conque&s;t when wee have weakned our
&s;elves? what will they have to do more then to look on, and gather
the &s;poil? Forrain inva&s;ions is u&s;ually a means of cementing a Nati|on,
under civil Conte&s;ts: And why do not we &s;ee this nece&s;&s;ary upon
the Churches account? Is it not enough for <HI>Moab</HI> and <HI>Ammon</HI> and <HI>Mount
Seir</HI> to be again&s;t us, but we mu&s;t needs be one again&s;t another? True,
divine anger hath &s;tirred up the waves, and made the Sea boi&s;terous,
and now (as <HI>Ba&s;il Epi&s;t.</HI> 5. makes the compari&s;on) we are ready to bee
de&s;troyed, not &s;o much from the violence of the &s;torm, as our cla&s;hing
one again&s;t another. Oh! remember it's ea&s;ie to break a divided church;
but if once broken, who knows whether ever it may be made up again.
<HI>Ba&s;il in Epi&s;t.</HI> 203. compares the Church to an old garment which is &s;oon
torn, but not &s;o &s;oon mended; he &s;aith not at all, (<GAP DESC="foreign">)
and &s;peaks of its recovery as hopele&s;s.</P>
<P>See how our &s;trifes gratifie our adver&s;aries! 1. While we are bu&s;ie one
again&s;t another, we give them opportunity to undermine us; the du&s;t we
<PB N="50" REF="27">
have rai&s;ed, gives incouragement to them that work un&s;een, and al&s;o
afford tools to work withall, and advantages to work upon. 2. The
&s;coffs they ca&s;t upon us keep off many, and &s;o weakens us by with-draw|ing
a party; which though it clo&s;e not with them directly, yet they &s;erve
as a Blinde to cover their &s;ecret contrivances again&s;t us. 3. We put an
argument into their mouths again&s;t our &s;elves; they conclude again&s;t
the truth of our Churches from our di&s;agreement. The Papi&s;ts, as <HI>Bel|larmine,</HI>
and all of that way that &s;peak of the notes of a Church,
as al&s;o Quakers make u&s;e of this to prove us no true Church. How
quarrels and divi&s;ions among Chri&s;tians occa&s;ioned the per&s;ecutions of
the Heathen Emperors, and were made u&s;e of to ju&s;tifie their cruelty, is
too apparent.</P>
<P>5. We not onely hazard all for the future; but at pre&s;ent we ta&s;te &s;o
much of the bitter fruits, as may make us lay a&s;ide our contendings:
Who &s;ees not how much the honor of Religion, the glory of the Chri|&s;tian
name, and of Gods name too, is wounded by it?</P>
<P>We have &s;triven &s;o long about &s;maller matters, that others begin to
que&s;tion all, and with a daring hand to &s;hake the main Pillars of Reli|gion.
And the&s;e &s;trivings about Government gave the fir&s;t hint of take|ing
up notions, and encouragement to tho&s;e errors to appear boldly with
open face, which otherwi&s;e would not have dared to have peeped out of
their graves. And tho&s;e that adhere to the truth, are not a little prejudi|ced
by it, as to piety and growth in grace: If that heat and diligence
which hath been &s;pent in the pur&s;uance of the&s;e que&s;tions, had been
laid out for the improvement of godline&s;s, Oh! what glorious Chri&s;ti|ans
&s;hould we have had! How weari&s;ome and tedious are the&s;e civill
broyles? What mi&s;takes, revilings, and un&s;eemly expre&s;&s;ions have
they occa&s;ioned? How much hath our communion with God been in|terrupted
by them? and how much of our &s;weetne&s;s and inward peace,
while we were nece&s;&s;itated to &s;tudy, and dwell upon &s;uch unplea&s;ing
&s;ubjects? O ye &s;ons of peace! why do ye &s;o forget your name, your
Fathers name, the Go&s;pels name? why are you &s;o pitile&s;s to the di&s;trac|ted
Church, your di&s;tre&s;&s;ed Mother? Hath cu&s;tome &s;o naturalized you
to contention, that you will rather venture the reputation of Religion,
weaken your own graces, abate your comforts, &s;traighten the pa&s;&s;ages
of intercour&s;e 'twixt God and your own &s;ouls, then be per&s;waded to bee
at peace? Doubtle&s;s, if we hold long at this, we &s;hall have cau&s;e to va|lue
peace at a higher rate than many of our que&s;tionings, when perhaps
we cannot &s;o ea&s;ily obtain it.</P>
<P>But this is a thing which (by vertue of divine Authority) will claim
a greater intere&s;t in our endeavours then our bare wi&s;hes and prayers
will amount unto; In <HI>Rom.</HI> 14. 19. we are bid (<GAP DESC="foreign">) to <HI>pro&s;ecute</HI> it
<PB N="51" REF="27">
while it flies from us; not barely to meet and accept it, when it comes
to us; 'tis a &s;ad contradiction (nay a &s;elf-conviction and condemnation)
to pray for it, and yet not to pur&s;ue it.</P>
<P>True, all would have peace; but then they would have others to
come up to their terms, while they in the mean time refu&s;e to de&s;cend
to others; &s;o that the hinderance is from hence, not that peace is not
de&s;ired, but not rightly pro&s;ecuted. There are fit mediums and founda|tions
for peace, which we are ingaged to look after as well as peace it
&s;elf; in the fore-mentioned place the Apo&s;tle bids us follow not barely
<GAP DESC="foreign"> but <GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>things that concern it,</HI> and may conduce
thereunto; would but men con&s;ider that they are ingaged to this, and
con&s;cienciou&s;ly obey the divine command herein, peace would not long
be a Stranger to us.</P>
<P>We know &s;ome that eagerly pre&s;s peace, propound no other founda|tion
for it then union of affection, with a mutual toleration of diffe|rences:
But alas, this will not heal the wound, nay &s;carce skin it over,
&s;o long as no cour&s;e is taken to heal our differences (e&s;pecially in tho&s;e
things wherein we intrench upon one anothers intere&s;t) it will be found
a task next to an impo&s;&s;iblity to cement affections: We know when all is
done, there will be a need of that principle; but yet it mu&s;t be conde&s;cen|tion
in the &s;maller things of difference, that mu&s;t do the work They that
will not &s;acrifice their Punctillo's for the Churches peace, do not value
peace of the Church as they ought. The great controver&s;ie 'twixt be|lieving
Jews and Gentiles was thus compo&s;ed by the Synod of the Apo|&s;tles,
<HI>Act.</HI> 15. The Gentiles were &s;o far to conde&s;cend, on their part, as to
&s;ubmit to the four Precepts of <HI>Noah:</HI> And the Jews &s;o far to conde&s;cend
to the Gentiles, as not to pre&s;s circumci&s;ion and other ceremonies upon
them. Neither do we &s;ee how peace can be &s;etled in the&s;e Churches up|on
other terms; Shall the Presbyterian and Congregational Brethren
&s;tand at a di&s;tance &s;till? then they mutually hinder one anothers work,
and betwixt them endanger the intere&s;t of the Go&s;pel: Would you have
either of them to drive on their way to the overthrow of the other? that's
unchri&s;tian, unbrotherly, unmerciful: Is there hope of convincing each
other, and &s;o of one party to come over to the other? that's not to be ex|pected:
Is there a probability of union of affection while the difference
&s;tands as wide as before? Experience teacheth the contrary; alienation
of affections is the onely i&s;&s;ue of different judgement and practice. What
other thing then can be thought of, be&s;ides mutual conde&s;cention in
le&s;s things? And if both parties would but &s;tand to what hath been
written on either &s;ide, and improve their mutual conce&s;&s;ions, the compo|&s;ure
of the difference would in a great part be effected. And as for the re|maining
differences, if they were put to this i&s;&s;ue, How far we ought to
yeeld for peace? it would (through Gods ble&s;&s;ing) be quickly complea|ed.</P>
<P><PB N="52" REF="28">
The greate&s;t difficulty is from the di&s;temper of mens heads and hearts;
the di&s;tance of principles is not half &s;o great as the di&s;tance of affecti|ons.
The due re&s;pect that (for con&s;cience &s;ake) is to be had to the com|mon
lafety and welfare of the Church, together with what is already
yeilded unto by the &s;everal parties, will take away a great part of the
difference; the di&s;agreement in &s;everal other principles (though it &s;hould
continue) need not hinder union in the practice of tho&s;e very things a|bout
which the di&s;agreement is, and an agreemen thus far is the mo&s;t
hopeful cour&s;e to &s;atisfie one another in other things; to debate things
in &s;uch a calm way, gives more hope of divine approbation and ble&s;&s;ing,
and le&s;s advantage to Satan of working upon the humors and pa&s;&s;ions
of men, which u&s;ually darken the judgement, even of tho&s;e that &s;eek
the truth, and hinders &s;atisfaction. If a compo&s;ing de&s;igne pro&s;per not,
we &s;u&s;pect the hinderance will chiefly ari&s;e from &s;ome of the&s;e
evills.</P>
<P>1. Some are plea&s;ed with nothing which them&s;elves propound not;
many are &s;o de&s;irous to be Leaders, and have &s;uch an immoderate am|bition
after an <HI>ego primus inveni,</HI> that they think it a di&s;grace to be fol|lowers,
though in a nece&s;&s;ary work. This thi&s;tle will grow &s;ometime in
good ground, and good men have cau&s;e to watch again&s;t it: the di&s;a|greement
of <HI>Luther</HI> from <HI>Oecolampadius</HI> in the bu&s;ine&s;s of pulling down
of Images, is &s;aid to have &s;prung from this root.</P>
<P>2. Ignorance (we fear) will prove as great an enemy to peace, as any
thing el&s;e: Many under&s;tand only the practike part of their own way,
not fully knowing the extent, limits, nece&s;&s;ity, and indifferencie of their
&s;everal principles: the&s;e even out of a zeal to truth, will &s;tand off, as
not knowing how far they may &s;afely yeild.</P>
<P>3. Many are engaged, and they will finde it a hard task to deny them|&s;elves
in point of honor and credit, which they will think mu&s;t be lo&s;t
if they alter their cour&s;e; this will &s;tick in the heart many a time, when
the mouth will be ready to proclaim it to be the highe&s;t honor for any
man to be conquered by truth and peace.</P>
<P>4. Many Mini&s;ters (and yet they mu&s;t be leading-men, if &s;uch a thing
as this go on) are &s;o over-driven by their friends and members of their
congregations, that they dare do little for fear of di&s;plea&s;ing them; an
unworthy &s;pirit in a Mini&s;ter of the Go&s;pel.</P>
<P>5. Some are &s;o imbittered and exa&s;perated, that their blood is not
ea&s;ily cooled, to conde&s;cend to tho&s;e whom but now they oppo|&s;ed.</P>
<P><PB N="53" REF="28">
6. Some delight in quarrels, and are only whetted up to embrace a
way, or to continue in it becau&s;e of oppo&s;ition; their zeal is not &s;o much
from love or conviction of the truth, as from an angry de&s;ire to contra|dict;
like &s;ouldiers of fortune, who, becau&s;e they live by the wars, are un|willing
to hear of peace.</P>
<P>7. Some want publike &s;pirits; others want publike Principles; the for|mer
care not, &s;o much as they &s;hould, what becomes of other Churches,
&s;o long as they have the ball at their own foot, and things go with them
as they would have it. The latter are &s;o &s;traitned and pinioned in them|&s;elves,
that, if they would, they cannot be very &s;erviceable, the&s;e ha|ving
but &s;ome one thing in their eye, (as &s;uppo&s;e purity or peace) pro|&s;ecute
that to the ruine and neglect of other things nece&s;&s;ary.</P>
<P>8. Some have drunk in &s;uch &s;trong prejudices again&s;t their brethren,
that fancying the difference to be greater then it is, and &s;uppo&s;ing a clo|&s;ure
either unlawful, or &s;carce po&s;&s;ible, they are the more backward to
hearken to any thing tending to a compo&s;ure.</P>
<P>9. Some place too much of their religion in &s;tanding off from others,
as if the excellency &amp; height of chri&s;tianity lay in a rigid &s;eperation from
tho&s;e Profe&s;&s;ors which are of a lower &s;ize; and therefore will be more
hardly drawn to remit any thing of their &s;uppo&s;ed nece&s;&s;ary &s;trictne&s;s,
rather de&s;iring to plea&s;e them&s;elves, then to bear the infirmities of the
weak, &s;u&s;pecting even nece&s;&s;ary provi&s;ions for the admi&s;&s;ion of &s;uch as
favouring too much of loo&s;ene&s;s, and that which may bring upon them
a participation of other mens &s;ins.</P>
<P>10. Some (it may be) think, an utter refu&s;al of peace with the <HI>Pres|byterians</HI>
is but a ju&s;t requital of that rigour and har&s;hne&s;s which they
u&s;ed to others when they had the chair.</P>
<P>We do not ju&s;tifie the failings and irregularities of any; all parties (we
think) have too much cau&s;e to acknowledge them&s;elves guilty before
the Lord, and to be humbled; but if any make this a ground of di&s;tance,
let him call to minde that, in &s;o doing, he becomes guilty of that which
he condemns in them: Nay, let him know, that whatever were the mi&s;|carriages
of &s;ome particular men at that time; yet the A&s;&s;embly were
even then no le&s;s de&s;irous of concord with the di&s;&s;enting Brethren,
then others are at this pre&s;ent: They that will read the papers of Accom|modation
annexed to the Rea&s;ons of the di&s;&s;enting Brethren, may &s;uffi|ciently
&s;atisfie them&s;elves in this.</P>
<P>So powerful and &s;o frequent are the&s;e di&s;tempers in many of all par|ties
<PB N="54" REF="29">
(we intend them not as an accu&s;ation of any particular man) that
except the Lord command the&s;e proud waves to be &s;till, and take down
the loftine&s;s of all our hearts (which is the root whence all the&s;e evils
&s;pring) we cannot hope for any great &s;ucce&s;s in this de&s;igne of concord,
notwith&s;tanding that our &s;everal principles make &s;o fair a way for it. If it
would plea&s;e the Lord to do this for us, &amp; withal to &s;tir up a <HI>Con&s;tantine</HI> or
a <HI>Theodo&s;ius,</HI> that might rigorou&s;ly pre&s;s on this work, by countenancing
it where it is endeavoured, by calling the Godly Mini&s;tery of the land to
con&s;ultation, by charging them to agree, and holding them to it, we
&s;hould quickly &s;ee the face of things altered; <HI>Ephraim</HI> would not any
more envy <HI>Iudah,</HI> and <HI>Iudah</HI> would not vex <HI>Ephraim.</HI></P>
<P>2. We exhort you to &s;ubmit to the Di&s;cipline and Government of
Chri&s;t: <HI>Obey them that have the rule over you, and &s;ubmit your &s;elves; for
they watch for your &s;ouls, as they that mu&s;t give account, that they may do it
with joy, and not with grief, for that is unprofitable for you. Heb.</HI> 13. 17. The
great quarrel that carnal hearts have again&s;t Chri&s;t, is about the Laws
and Scepter of his Kingdom: this is that that renders him &s;o unlovely
to them. To &s;uch men we &s;hall propound four things, which we de&s;ire
they &s;hould &s;eriou&s;ly weigh.</P>
<P>1. The Government and Di&s;cipline is not ours, but Chri&s;ts: True
indeed, he hath appointed his Officers to manage it, and for that end
hath made them Rulers over you, but yet they are <HI>over you in the Lord,</HI>
1 The&s;. 5. 13. and <HI>as tho&s;e that mu&s;t give an account for you,</HI> and therefore
charges you to <HI>obey</HI> and <HI>&s;ubmit</HI> to &s;uch; not only to obey their Doctrine,
but al&s;o to &s;ubmit to their reproof and cen&s;ures, <HI>Heb.</HI> 13. 17. And becau&s;e
the con&s;ideration of their in&s;pection may be a means to prevent &s;ins in
you, therefore he commands you to <HI>remember them which have the rule
over you,</HI> v. 7. And in 1 <HI>The&s;&s;. 5. 12, 13. Know them which labour among you;</HI>
that is, acknowledge (for <GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>non e&s;t &s;impliciter cogno&s;cere &s;ed agno&s;|cere.
Zanch.</HI>) them as Rulers appointed over you by God, obeying and re|verencing
them accordingly; and that not only in their teaching when
they <HI>labour among you,</HI> but al&s;o in their Ruling-work when they <HI>admoni&s;h
you.</HI> And though the effect of this might be &s;ometime di&s;plea&s;ing to you,
yet notwith&s;tanding he chargeth you to <HI>e&s;teem them very highly in love,</HI>
(<GAP DESC="foreign">) <HI>very abundantly, more then exceedingly for their work &s;ake.</HI>
Oh! then take heed of that rebellious voice, which co&s;t <HI>Korah</HI> and his
company &s;o deer, <HI>Numb. 16. 3. Ye take too much upon you; wherefore lift you
up your &s;elves above the Congregation of the Lord?</HI></P>
<P>2. If ye refu&s;e and rebell, you do not &s;o much de&s;pi&s;e us as Chri&s;t,
who hath imployed us; the cau&s;e is not ours, but his; and the contempt is
principally again&s;t the king of peace: he fully tels you all this, <HI>Luk</HI> 10. 16
<PB N="55" REF="29">
<HI>that heareth you, heareth me; and he that de&s;pi&s;eth you, de&s;pi&s;eth me; and he
that de&s;pi&s;eth me, de&s;pi&s;eth him that &s;ent me.</HI> Say not in your hearts as tho&s;e
wicked ones, <HI>VVe will not have this man to rule over us.</HI></P>
<P>3. Con&s;ider the i&s;&s;ue; will ye think to gain any thing by rejecting
his Government? Do you not remember that he hath an Iron Rod, as
well as a Scepter of Mercy? If ye refu&s;e the yokes of wood, can he not
put an iron yoke upon your neck? think not to bear out in a bravado
again&s;t God, though like the wilde A&s;s in the wilderne&s;s, you &s;hould
&s;nuff up the winde, and traver&s;e on your way, or bend your brow again&s;t
him; yet, will the Almighty be afraid of your frown? Or will he make
&s;upplications to you? Oh vain man! bethink thy &s;elf how thou wilt
an&s;wer thy contempt if thou do&s;t continue.</P>
<P>4. There is nothing in the Government of Chri&s;t, that &s;hould make
a rational man refu&s;e it, (we &s;peak of Government and di&s;cipline in the
main, and not of the controverted points of it) That there mu&s;t be ru|lers
and ruled in the Church, is not que&s;tioned; and that the ruled mu&s;t
&s;ubmit to the direction, admonition and reproof of their rulers; and
that in &s;ome ca&s;es &s;inners mu&s;t be &s;harply dealt withall by publike re|buke,
1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 5. 20. and &s;ometimes by excommunication, <HI>Matt.</HI> 18. 17.
1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 5. 4, 5, 13. All the&s;e are evident. Now though the&s;e thwart the car|nal
intere&s;ts of men, and are no wayes plea&s;ing to fle&s;h and blood, yet
&s;eeing all is <HI>for edification, and not de&s;truction, 2 Cor.</HI> 10. 8. &amp; 13. 10. <HI>for
the de&s;truction of the fle&s;h, that the Spirit may be &s;aved in the day of the Lord
Ie&s;us, 1 Cor.</HI> 5. 5. What man is there, that prefers heaven before hell, or
the &s;afety of his &s;oul before bodily ea&s;e and credit, that will turn his
back upon the&s;e nece&s;&s;ary, though &s;harp Medicines? How then can you
profe&s;s Chri&s;t, and yet refu&s;e to &s;ubmit to the righteous Scepter of his
Kingdom?</P>
<P>3. Beware, le&s;t you al&s;o being led away with the Error of the wicked,
fall from your own &s;tedfa&s;tne&s;s; be not children to&s;&s;ed to and fro with e|very
winde of Doctrine, by the &s;light of men, and cunning craftine&s;s,
whereby they lie in wait to deceive. 'Tis the glory of a Chri&s;tian to
be &s;teady and unmoveable, holding fa&s;t the faith once delivered to the
Saints. We would not be over-tedious, and therefore &s;hall &s;et before
you but &s;ome of tho&s;e many Con&s;iderations which might here be urged.</P>
<P>1. God doth permit the&s;e &s;warms of Errors for the tryal of his peo|ple,
and the di&s;covery of Hypocrites and rotten Profe&s;&s;ors. <HI>Paul</HI> (in
1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 11. 19.) tells us, <HI>Here&s;ies mu&s;t be,</HI> (they are not only po&s;&s;ible but
nece&s;&s;ary) <HI>that they which are approved might-be made manife&s;t; and that
they that went out from us might be made manife&s;t that they were not all of us,</HI>
1 Joh. 2. 19.</P>
<P>2. Do you not &s;ee it frequently, that they who make &s;hipwrack of faith,
make al&s;o &s;hipwrack of a good con&s;cience? Do not erroneous principles
<PB N="56" REF="30">
in wicked and licencious practices? It is too vi&s;ible in the carriage of
many already, and of others, you may ea&s;ily gue&s;s what will follow,
when they are more hardened in error. And dare you take that for truth
which hath a natural tendencie to loo&s;ene&s;s and liberty? How far the&s;e
principles of following the Light within, and of ab&s;olute perfection,
(which will at la&s;t bring in either a denyal of Fornication and Lying,
<HI>&amp;c.</HI> to be &s;ins, or to be theirs that act them) and &s;everal others are di|rectly
improveable this way, we need not tell you.</P>
<P>3. Have you not ob&s;erved how fickle and uncertain error is? when once
men are turned off from the truth, they readily fall into a di&s;like of the
errors, which at fir&s;t they doted on, (after they are &s;tale) for the enter|tainment
of a new Error, when grown into fa&s;hion; and &s;o from one
Error to another, till they arrive at <HI>Athei&s;m,</HI> if God in pitty &s;top them
not; like a &s;tone, when once &s;et a going down the hill, it rowles &s;till till it
come to the bottom.</P>
<P>4. Con&s;ider the dreadful threatning of the Lord again&s;t tho&s;e that
received the truth, but not in the love of it: Read and &s;tudy wel that text
of 2 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 2. 11. For this cau&s;e God &s;hall &s;end them &s;trong delu&s;ions,
that they &s;hould believe a lye, that they all might be damned who be|lieved
not the truth, but had plea&s;ure in unrighteou&s;ne&s;s. And forget
not the danger of Apo&s;tacie: &s;ee <HI>Heb.</HI> 6. 4, 5, 6. &amp; 10. 26. 'Tis a &s;ad &s;en|tence,
(though we &s;hould take the mo&s;t favourable con&s;truction that is
given of it) to &s;ay, There remains no more &s;acrifice for &s;ins, and that
'tis impo&s;&s;ible to renew them again by repentance.</P>
<P>5. The hand of God is &s;o vi&s;ibly again&s;t them, that they that will
not &s;ee it, are inexcu&s;ably blind. What God hath done in <HI>Germany,</HI> and
of late in <HI>New-England,</HI> ought not to be &s;lightly pa&s;&s;ed over. And how
heavy &s;piritual Judgements are upon Apo&s;tates, &s;everal of our own
Counties are &s;ad and &s;ufficient Examples: when God &s;uffers Error to
draw men beyond the bounds of Rea&s;on, Mode&s;ty and natural con|&s;cience;
when that which they &s;eemed to have is taken away; their gifts
withered, and their former &s;eeming religious ob&s;ervation of duty quite
dryed up by the roots: &s;urely his minde is, that we &s;hould take warning
by their dreadful fall.</P>
<P>As for the <HI>quakers,</HI> one would think their actions and principles would
make a man that had any of common rea&s;on left, to abominate and ab|hor
them: Sure we are, the prevalency of that madne&s;s, is not from any
&s;trength of rational, or &s;criptural &s;atisfaction, (we have &s;een many
&s;trongly and pa&s;&s;ionately po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed with that, who yet neither under&s;tood
it, nor could give a rea&s;on for it) but from an <GAP DESC="foreign">
<PB N="57" REF="30">
<HI>the efficacie and &s;trength of delu&s;ion,</HI> through divine judgement upon them:
Shall we need to put you in minde of that which your &s;elves know &s;o
well, and are eye and ear-witne&s;&s;es of, as well as we? How vi&s;ible is
the devils <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 word"> in the bea&s;tly nakedne&s;s of men and women in our A&s;|&s;emblies?
in what a &s;trange unchri&s;tian temper of railing, reviling,
<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 word">, and lying do they appear in publike, in&s;omuch that a &s;cold
with a <HI>Stento<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="2 letters">an</HI> voice, is the fitte&s;t <HI>Antagoni&s;t</HI> to undertake a di&s;pute
with them. What gro&s;s principles do they maintain? as of &s;etting up
their Conceits and Experiences, as being of equal authority with the
Scriptures; and that the Scripture bindes not them, if not let on their
hearts by a pre&s;ent impul&s;e: Their denying interpretations of Scr<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">p|ture,
under the name of Meanings and Additions: Their following the
Light within: Their pleading for a nece&s;&s;ity of being &s;aved, as <HI>Adam</HI>
&s;hould have been, by an ab&s;olute perfection: Their grievous conceits
concerning Chri&s;t, to the &s;ubverting of the Doctrine or his Nature, of|fices
and &s;atisfaction: Their neglect and denial of the ob&s;ervation of
the Lords Day and Ordinances, as Bapti&s;m, and the Lords Supper, <HI>&amp;c.</HI>
We might tell you of their ridiculous interpretations of Scripture,
(interpretation of Scripture is a fault in other men, but none in them)
of their placing their religion in trivial things, as <HI>Thou-ing,</HI> and keep|ing
on the har, when yet the weightier matters of communion with
God, are neglected. As al&s;o we might reckon up their &s;elf-contradictions,
their ignorant and &s;otti&s;h conceits about the unlawfulne&s;s of u&s;ing
words which the Scripture u&s;eth not, (as <HI>Trinity, Sacrament, &amp;c.</HI>) or
habits which the Scripture &s;peaks not of, when yet they cannot excu&s;e
them&s;elves from what they condemn in others; neither is it to be forgot|ten,
that when they have &s;tuffed a paper as full of lying and non-&s;en&s;e
as it can hold, (and we have many of them in our hands) they blu&s;h
not to father all upon the &s;pirit of God. Con&s;ider we pray you the ca&s;e
of tho&s;e that have been entangled, and yet are pluck'd out as a brand
out of the fire. Con&s;ider the relation of <HI>Iohn Gilping</HI> well, (you &s;ee what
pittiful &s;hifts they are put to, when they would &s;eem to &s;ay &s;omething in
an&s;wer to it) Ob&s;erve what a favourable a&s;pect all their opinions have
to Popery, and how vi&s;ibly tho&s;e poor creatures are acted by the Je&s;uits,
as by relation of the man of <HI>Bri&s;tol,</HI> and others, it appears. What pro|gre&s;s
in grace, and true religious walking can you ob&s;erve in them &s;ince
their Apo&s;tafie? Where is now their con&s;tant Family and private pray|ers?
Where is that con&s;cientious fear (which &s;ometime they &s;eemed to
have) of &s;peaking evill of what they know not? La&s;tly, Doth not all
that they &s;ay again&s;t us (under the reviling terms of <HI>Baals</HI> Prie&s;ts, or
Prie&s;ts of the world) &s;trike al&s;o again&s;t all tho&s;e Martyrs, which in
Queen <HI>Maries</HI> time, and before, have laid down their lives for the Te&s;ti|mony
of Je&s;us? Oh! then beware, if you love your own &s;ouls; what is
<PB N="58" REF="31">
there here that can be called Chri&s;tian? We could tell you of &s;ome
Chri&s;tians in <HI>Cumberland,</HI> that have thought it their duty to humble
them&s;elves &s;olemnly before God for their inclinations this way (when
the error fir&s;t appeared, and was not then well known) and al&s;o to re|turn
thanks to God for pre&s;erving them from the infection; and the
rea&s;ons of their di&s;like of the <HI>quakers</HI> (given in writing) were mo&s;t of
the&s;e that we have hinted to you. 'Tis good to learn the danger of the
&s;nare from other mens dear-bought experience. <HI>Mark therefore them
which cau&s;e divi&s;ions and offences, contrary to the doctrine which yee have
learned, and avoid them: For they that are &s;uch &s;erve not the Lord Ie&s;us,
but their own belly,</HI> Rom. 16. 17. We &s;hall conclude this with that of
1 <HI>Tim. 6. 3, 4, 5. If any man teach otherwi&s;e, and con&s;ent not to whole&s;ome
words, even the words of our Lord</HI> Je&s;us Chri&s;t, <HI>and to the doctrine which is
according to godline&s;s, he is proud, knowing nothing, &amp;c. From &s;uch with|draw
thy &s;elf.</HI></P>
<P>4. La&s;tly, walk worthy of the vocation wherewith you are called,
and let your conver&s;ation be &s;uch as becomes the Go&s;pel of Chri&s;t; ye
cannot be happy without holine&s;s; except you be redeemed from your
vain conver&s;ation, and have crucified the old man with his deeds, the
fle&s;h with the lu&s;ts thereof, and be renewed in the &s;pirit of your mind,
ye &s;hal peri&s;h, and &s;hal not enter into his re&s;t.</P>
<P>Ye are &s;ure that you can never be too holy, or that you can never do
too much for God. Gird up therefore the Ioyns of your minde, and
run the race that is &s;et before you: Be not affraid of being too preci&s;e,
or of being reviled and hated for a Puritane: Take courage; you are
unworthy of &s;uch a Prince of Righteou&s;ne&s;s, if ye dare not own him; how
wil you deny your &s;elves, &amp; take up his Cro&s;s, and follow him (&amp; upon o|ther
terms you cannot be his di&s;ciples) if a word or a frown of man do di&s;|courage
you? Be not a&s;hamed of <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> &amp; his ways, even in their &s;trictne&s;s,
le&s;t he be a&s;hamed of you in his <HI>kingdom, Mar.</HI> 8. 38 therfore walk circum|&s;pectly;
avoid the appearances &amp; occa&s;ions of evil. Sanctifie the Sabbath
con&s;cientiou&s;ly: Set up prayer and in&s;truction in your Families: Deal
uprightly with all men. Set a watch over your lips. Take heed of giving
offences. Let your zeal and moderation be known to all. Forget not to
do good, and to di&s;tribute. Do not &s;atisfie your &s;elves with a form of
godline&s;s, but labour after the power of it. Endeavour to grow in grace,
and knowledge. Edifie one another; Warn the unruly; Comfort the
feeble-minded; Support the weak; Con&s;ider one another, to provoke
unto love and good works. Keep up Chri&s;tian communion and &s;ociety:
Let tho&s;e that fear the Lord &s;peak often one to another, <HI>Mal.</HI> 3. 16. but
yet manage it wi&s;ely; let other mens mi&s;carriages in this kinde be a
<PB N="59" REF="31">
warning to you. Keep within your &s;phere; Take heed of pride, and
contempt of the weaker &s;ort. Lo&s;e not the end of Chri&s;tian Society,
by doating about que&s;tions and &s;trifes of words, whereof cometh <HI>Envy,
Strife, Railing, Evill Surmi&s;es, Perver&s;e Disputings of men of corrupt
mindes, and de&s;titute of the truth, 1 Tim.</HI> 6. 4, 5. Let your di&s;cour&s;es be
&s;ober, tending to the promoting of grace, duty and a&s;&s;urance. The&s;e
Counties of <HI>Cumberland</HI> and <HI>VVe&s;tmerland</HI> have been hitherto as a
Proverb and a by-word in re&s;pect of ignorance and prophanene&s;s;
Men were ready to &s;ay of them as the Jews of <HI>Nazareth, Can any good
thing come out of them?</HI> Let us now labour to become a ble&s;&s;ing and a
prai&s;e, that people may &s;ay concerning us, <HI>Behold in the VVilderne&s;s
waters have broken out, and &s;treams in the De&s;art; the parched ground is
become a pole, and the thir&s;ty land &s;prings of water; it doth rejoyce
and blo&s;&s;ome as the ro&s;e. Therefore beloved Brethren, be ye &s;tedfa&s;t, unmo|vable,
alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord; for as much as you
know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.</HI></P>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV2>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
