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<DATE>2012-08-17</DATE>
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<NAME>Louis Goldberg</NAME>
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<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P>A MODEL OF Church-Government: OR, The GROUNDS of the Spirituall Frame and Government of the Hou&s;e of GOD.</P>
<P><HI>Shewing,</HI> What the <HI>holy Scriptures</HI> have therein delivered; What the be&s;t <HI>Reformed Churches</HI> do practi&s;e; What the <HI>Tender Con&s;ciences</HI> may re&s;t in.</P>
<P>For the better Satisfaction of &s;uch as &s;cruple at the Work of REFORMATION, declared and appointed by &s;everall Ordinances of PARLIAMENT.</P>
<P>BY JOHN DURY, one of the <HI>A&s;&s;embly of Divines;</HI> Who hath travelled heretofore in the work of Peace among the CHURCHES.</P>
<Q><BIBL>PSAL. 2. 6.</BIBL> I have &s;et my King upon my holy hill of Zion.</Q>
<Q><BIBL>ISA. 9. 6, 7.</BIBL> The government &s;hall be upon his &s;houlder, &amp;c.</Q>
<P><HI>LONDON,</HI> Printed by <HI>T. R.</HI> and <HI>E. M.</HI> for <HI>John Bellamy,</HI> and are to be &s;old at his &s;hop at the three golden Lyons neer the <HI>Royall Exchange.</HI> 1647.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="dedication">
<PB REF="2">
<PB REF="2">
<HEAD>TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE S^r. John Gayer, K^t. Lord Major of the City of <HI>London. And to the Right Wor&s;hipfull,</HI> The ALDERMEN and SHERIFFS his Brethren.</HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>Right Honourable:</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>_The&s;e Scriptural A&s;&s;ertions, at their fir&s;t con|ception, were not de&s;igned for the Pub|lique; they were only put to Paper at the de&s;ire of tho&s;e, who in this City gave me a call to the Cure of their &s;oules, and were willing to reform their wayes according to the will of God. And becau&s;e they did confe&s;&s;e their ignorance of the whole Frame and Government of the Hou&s;e of GOD; my aime was to let them &s;ee it, as briefly as I could, in a Model taken from the patern which I have &s;een in the Mount, which the Scriptures have revealed.</P>
<P>I would not be large, of purpo&s;e, to the end that I might &s;tirre them up the more to Meditation, to the &s;earching of the Scriptures, from which I have endea|voured to gather all; and to conference with my &s;elf,
<PB REF="3"> when they &s;hould be at a &s;tand. I intended nothing, but according to their de&s;ire to give them private &s;atisfacti|on; yet they would not re&s;t there, but in&s;i&s;ted to en|gage me to publi&s;h the&s;e Heads of thoughts (for in effect they are no more:) Nor was it enough to make them publike, but they would have me to owne them, and to pre&s;ent you al&s;o with them. To all which you may per|ceive that I have conde&s;cended, although I confe&s;&s;e with much reluctancie.</P>
<P>Not that I am a&s;hamed to owne any thing that is mine, though &s;o imperfect as this is, and in a matter of &s;o great con&s;equence, (for I am very well con&s;cious to mine own weakne&s;&s;e, and not unwilling that others &s;hould perceive it, (if it may be for their edification) or that I was doubtfull of any Truth here delivered, (for I conceive that all may be made out to the full, if God &s;hould give time, and a call to do it) but that I was loth to offer unto all whom I could not know, that which <HI>I</HI> had de&s;igned only for a few, whom in ca&s;es of mi&s;take <HI>I</HI> would be able to rectifie. I was unwilling to &s;eem to intermeddle to &s;o little purpo&s;e, as the&s;e Tracts are like to be, in matters of &s;o high concernment, in a &s;ea&s;on &s;o full of di&s;traction, and in an Age &s;o willing to cen&s;ure, &s;o apt to mi&s;take, and &s;o ready to mi&s;con&s;true on all hands every thing that hath no character of par|tiality upon it, though done never &s;o harmle&s;ly: And then al&s;o <HI>I</HI> was afraid to be thought to &s;tretch my &s;elfe beyond my line, in making this addre&s;&s;e unto You. But <HI>I</HI> hope that your favourable acceptance, and the Relation which <HI>I</HI> have to a particular Congregation in the City, will free me from this la&s;t apprehen&s;ion; and from the former <HI>I</HI> have been taken off, partly by the con&s;ideration of greater inconveniences which might follow upon the
<PB REF="3"> not yeelding, then upon the yeelding unto a publication; partly by the importunity of the Call which <HI>I</HI> received to do what here is done. So that <HI>I</HI> hope none other con|&s;truction will be made of the publication of the&s;e Notions than ought in charity to be made; which is to believe, That <HI>I</HI> being earne&s;tly de&s;ired to declare my knowledge of the truth of the&s;e matters, thought my &s;elf bound to beare witnes thereunto, and to &s;uffer my te&s;timony to come to the light, that it might appeare that the&s;e works are done in God, that they are free from humane re&s;pects; and that my aim in putting them forth, is to give occa&s;ion to men con&s;cionably peaceable, to con&s;ider whether yea or no, an agreement in the&s;e Truths ought not to oblige Brethren to a neerer conjunction of &s;pirits, &amp; profe&s;&s;ion of unity, then we as yet are come unto? and whether yea or no, the things wherein there is a difference of opinion, de&s;erve &s;o much di&s;tance in affections, as many are fallen into, or ought to be debated in &s;uch a way of heat as mo&s;t men follow, whereby they rather di&s;turbe then edifie one another. It is a &s;ad thing to &s;ee men that are called Chri|&s;tians and Brethren, exerci&s;ing their wits to the di&s;parage|ment of one another in Religious matters; and to deale with things concerning Con&s;cience, lightly, pa&s;&s;ionately, and without all &s;erious and con&s;cionable gravity. The&s;e things are to be deplored, but cannot be redre&s;&s;ed, without the acknowledgement of the Truth; nor can the Truth be received without the &s;pirit of Love and Peace, which the Word of the Go&s;pel doth admini&s;ter only.</P>
<P>The Lord of truth and peace reveal the &s;ame unto us all more and more; and direct You in your &s;tation to walk therein as pat|terns of Righteou&s;nes before all others. Which, with the wi&s;hes of pro&s;perity unto the &s;ettlement of this whole State; &s;hall be towards the LORD who alone is able to &s;ave, the con&s;tant Prayer of</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Your <HI>HONOURS</HI> mo&s;t humble and affectionate &s;ervant in Chri&s;t, JOHN DURY.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="preface">
<PB REF="4">
<PB REF="4">
<HEAD>A PREFACE To the Chri&s;tian and unpartiall Reader.</HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>Chri&s;tian Reader,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>_SEeing I am put upon the publi&s;hing of the&s;e brief Tracts, I will endeavour by this Preface unto thee to make the be&s;t u&s;e thereof that I can, both for mine own comfort, and for the building up of others. As for my &s;elf; I &s;hall be comforted in this, (what&s;oever others may judge of the matter) that I &s;ee cleerly a Providence in this publication, without any purpo&s;e of mine: And that I can conceive of the things which I judge there|in to be imperfections, that they may prove advantages unto Gods main work in his way of u&s;ing them; For the brevity of each Part may, to an intelligent Reader, make the whole &s;o much the more com|mendable; and to one that is of no quick under&s;tanding, although it will be more ob&s;cure, yet it will al&s;o be le&s;&s;e tedious; and may give to him that is ingenious, occa&s;ion to make &s;ome further inquiry after the Truth, that his rationall Doubts may be &s;atisfied; which, as God &s;hall enable me with grace, I &s;hall be willing to intend.</P>
<P>As concerning others; &s;eeing the &s;pirits of mo&s;t men are very &s;harp, and full of jealou&s;ies, I &s;hall therefore offer my &s;elf unto them with the greater &s;implicity; for being in my &s;elf without prejudice, I hope to be found towards all without occa&s;ion of offence; and as I &s;hall be voyd of partiality, &s;o I &s;hall make u&s;e of that liberty which in a bu&s;ine&s;&s;e of this nature doth be&s;eem my profe&s;&s;ion in the Go&s;pel; which is, to look upon all alike, to be free in the matter, and plain in &s;peeches, to utter the Truth as it is in my heart.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t then, I think my &s;elf bound to declare this; That I am under a Vow to pro&s;ecute upon all occa&s;ions, as long as I live, the wayes of Evangelical reconciliation among&s;t <HI>PROTESTANTS;</HI> that is to &s;ay, Profe&s;&s;edly to &s;eeke, and upon all occa&s;ions offered to advance, among&s;t tho&s;e that have received the Holy Scriptures for their Rule, and keep to the Fundamentals of Faith and Practice, the
<PB REF="5"> means of &s;pirituall unity, of peace and of love, by the manife&s;tation of the truth, and in the duties of holy Communion. Having therefore this opportunity fairly offered; I am obliged, in minding my Vow, to di&s;charge a good Con&s;cience; and for the love which I owe unto the Go&s;pel of Peace, to the whole Church of God, and to the pro&s;pe|rity and flouri&s;hing condition thereof in this Nation, to make &s;ome Overtures, which I hope &s;hall give no matter of grievance unto any, but will prove edifying unto all; at lea&s;t my aim &s;hall be none other,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The &s;cope of the Pre|face.</NOTE> but to &s;tir up thy pure minde (Chri&s;tian Reader) to the thoughts of Brotherly kindne&s;&s;e, of meekne&s;&s;e, and of peace; to the end that &s;ome wayes may be taken up, which will help to reconcile the Affections of many divided about Circum&s;tantials; to pre&s;erve and keep entire the &V;nity which remains about Fundamentals; and to prevent or cure the manifold Mi&s;pri&s;ions, which increa&s;e our confu&s;ions, and ob&s;truct the Remedies of our di&s;ea&s;es.</P>
<P>Now to offer at this, I &s;hall not cry out again&s;t particular faults; not becau&s;e I think them not very hurtfull to the wayes of Reforma|tion, or that I think it unlawfull in due time and place, or altogether unu&s;efull to warne all of publike dangers, when none other Remedies are left: But I &s;hall not do it, becau&s;e it is more &s;utable to my &s;pirit to &s;eek to gain all to the &s;en&s;e of nece&s;&s;ary Duties, than to reprove &s;ome for the neglect thereof; becau&s;e my re&s;olution is to follow (if it be po&s;&s;ible) the rule of Charity; fir&s;t to admoni&s;h a Brother in private, before his faults be charged upon him in publike; and be|cau&s;e I find it the Theme of many, on all &s;ides, that do almo&s;t nothing el&s;e: And yet this cour&s;e doth prove no lenitive, but rather an in|centive to our di&s;tempers. My way then &s;hall be, 1. To repre&s;ent as<NOTE PLACE="marg">The parts of it.</NOTE> briefly as I can, the generall danger which hangeth over all our heads by rea&s;on of our common faults. 2. To di&s;cover the cau&s;es whence our danger doth originally proceed. And 3. to offer at &s;ome coun&s;el, which may point at a way to prevent the lamentable con&s;equence which is like to en&s;ue, if no cour&s;e be found and followed for healing of our breaches.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t concerning the danger wherein we are, thus in brief:</P>
<P>That we among&s;t our &s;elves, almo&s;t in re&s;pect of every thing, are all broken to peeces in our affections, is very evident.</P>
<P>That in this rupture of affections there is not only a di&s;tance of parties, but much heat of oppo&s;ition, no man can deny.</P>
<PB REF="5">
<P>That by this heat, the alienations and thoughts of heart grow daily greater and greater, every one can perceive.</P>
<P>That few &s;et them&s;elves in the gap, and labour to make up breach|es, all mu&s;t confe&s;&s;e.</P>
<P>And by rea&s;on of all this, (if the cau&s;e of our un&s;ettlement con|tinue long) that we &s;hall be habituated unto Breaches, even till we be con&s;umed, none can ju&s;tly doubt, but every one &s;hould &s;adly ap|prehend: becau&s;e the &s;aying of our Lord and Saviour is undeni|ably true, <HI>That every Kingdom divided again&s;t it &s;elf is brought to de&s;olation; and every City and Hou&s;e divided again&s;t it &s;elf, &s;hall not &s;tand,</HI> Mat. 12. 23. If then I may parallel the univer&s;all &s;tate of <HI>Prote&s;tancie,</HI> as it is oppo&s;ite to <HI>Poperie,</HI> unto a Kingdome; and the Nationall Churches thereof, unto &s;o many Cities; and the &s;everall Congregations of each city, unto &s;o many Hou&s;es; and in all the&s;e, if I reflect upon the Breaches which are apparent unto all; Fir&s;t between the <HI>Lutherans</HI> and the <HI>Reformed Churches,</HI> which have brought them both from a flouri&s;hing, to a de&s;olate condition, in <HI>Germany:</HI> Secondly between each of the&s;e within them&s;elves, by their Sub-divi&s;ions and cro&s;&s;e Parties, which have weakned all their &s;trength, and multiplied &s;candals amongst them: I mu&s;t needs con|fe&s;&s;e, that Chri&s;ts &s;entence is verified upon them; and that the judge|ment which of old was denounced and executed again&s;t <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> is now come to pa&s;&s;e in part upon the <HI>Prote&s;tant Churches,</HI> and may be ac|compli&s;hed over them all, if the Cau&s;es thereof be not taken away by true repentance. Let us briefly con&s;ider what the Prophet <HI>Amos,</HI> in his &s;ixt chapter, &s;aith unto <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> that we may apprehend therein our own danger. Fir&s;t he denounceth a heavy woe unto tho&s;e that were at their ea&s;e in Zion, and were not grieved at the affliction of <HI>Jo&s;eph;</HI> namely, <HI>That they &s;hould be led away captive with the fir&s;t that go captive.</HI> v. 1. till 7. Captivity then is threatned unto all, but chiefly unto the&s;e. Then he &s;heweth the certainty of this judgement, with the means by which, and the chief cau&s;es for which it &s;hould be brought to pa&s;&s;e. The certainty of the Judgement is de|clared, <HI>v. 8, 9, 10.</HI> namely, that God had &s;worne by him&s;elf, that he did abhorre their excellency and hate their palaces, that he would deliver up the City and all that was in it to the enemies thereof, and that he would kill with death &s;uch as remain after the captivity in the city, although there &s;hould be but ten men remaining in one hou&s;e.</P>
<PB REF="6">
<P>The meanes by which, and the cau&s;es for which this heavy Judge|ment &s;hould be thus executed, are &s;et forth in <HI>ver&s;. 11, 12, 13, 14.</HI> The means are two: He would divide them within them&s;elves, <HI>v. 11.</HI> and he would bring a forraign Nation again&s;t them to afflict them, <HI>v. 14.</HI> The cau&s;es are chiefly two; their incorrigiblene&s;&s;e in unrighteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, <HI>v. 12.</HI> and their pride in their own &s;trength, <HI>v. 13.</HI> All the&s;e things are con&s;iderable in our pre&s;ent ca&s;e: For this is evident; although the Church of God is heavily afflicted every where, and the Saints throughout the world have great cau&s;e to mourn, yet that mo&s;t of us take our ea&s;e, and re&s;t contented in the enjoyment of our Victories, and that we grieve for nothing in effect but becau&s;e we have not all our will accompli&s;hed again&s;t the adver&s;e party with whom we are in conte&s;t about particular concernments; and as for other things be&s;ides, we are &s;ecure and carele&s;&s;e, we take our plea&s;ures to the full without re&s;traint, and we grieve not at the affliction of <HI>Jo&s;eph,</HI> but in effect we do even as <HI>Jo&s;ephs</HI> brethren did, they &s;ate down to eat bread when they had ca&s;t their Brother into a pit, <HI>Gen. 37. 24, 25.</HI> So we who heretofore have helped to bring our Brethren of the <HI>Palatinate</HI> and of <HI>France,</HI> into the Pit wherein at this day they &s;it; now being at our ea&s;e, we minde not at all their intere&s;ts. If then our &s;inne is the &s;ame with that of <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> to &s;eek our plea&s;ure and ea&s;e, and to enjoy it to the full &s;o far as we have gotten it; certainly our puni&s;hment will be the &s;ame with theirs al&s;o: for God hath as ju&s;t cau&s;e to &s;weare that he doth ab|horre our excellencie and hate our palaces, as he did theirs; and he hath no le&s;&s;e power now to puni&s;h this Nation with captivity and mortality, then he had heretofore to puni&s;h that: And to me it is apparent, that he hath &s;et the &s;ame Means awork, and for the &s;ame Cau&s;es, again&s;t us now, which then were threatned again&s;t them. Again&s;t them the Prophet threatned, &s;aying, <HI>Behold the Lord commandeth; and he will &s;mite the great hou&s;e with</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">v. 11.</NOTE> <HI>breaches, and the little hou&s;e with clefts:</HI> that is, he will divide you, and break your &s;trength to peeces; for, &s;aith he, <HI>Shall hor&s;es run upon the rock? will one plow there with oxen? for ye have turned judgement into gall, and the fruit of righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e into hemlock.</HI> That is, You mu&s;t be broken to peeces, becau&s;e<NOTE PLACE="marg">v. 12.</NOTE> you cannot otherwi&s;e be made &s;ubject and u&s;efull unto Gods fer|vice; for you are hardned in your &s;innes like a rock, upon which
<PB REF="6"> the &s;pirit of God cannot run and have a free pa&s;&s;age: Nor can<NOTE PLACE="marg">By hor&s;es, Gods &s;pirit is typified, <HI>Zach.</HI> 1. 8, 9, 10. compar'd with <HI>c. 6. v.</HI> 2, 3, 4, &amp;c. By oxen, the Mini&s;ters of the Word are typified, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 9. 9, 10, 11. v. 13.</NOTE> you be manured as a profitable husbandry unto him, by his ordinary Mini&s;try, which is appointed to plow up your fallow-ground, becau&s;e you are not capable of being plowed by rea&s;on of your &s;tony heart, which is &s;o hardned in the wayes of iniquity, that you have turned Judgement into gall, and the fruit of Righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e into hemlock. Moreover, you <HI>rejoyce in a thing of nought,</HI> and you boa&s;t your &s;elves of your &s;trength, &s;aying, that <HI>you have taken horns</HI> (power to defend and a&s;&s;ault) by your own &s;trength: therefore, <HI>behold &s;aith the Lord God of ho&s;ts, I will rai&s;e up again&s;t you, O hou&s;e of I&s;rael, a Nation, and they &s;hall afflict you, from the entring in of Hamath, unto the river of the wil|derne&s;&s;e.</HI> This is that which was denounced and executed again&s;t <HI>I&s;rael;</HI> this we &s;ee hath been the ca&s;e of the Prote&s;tant Churches in <HI>Germanie;</HI> and may we not now &s;ay unto <HI>England,</HI> or to <HI>Great Britain</HI> in like manner, to this &s;ame effect&mdash;</P>
<P>Behold the Lord hath commanded in the way of his Ju&s;tice, an evill &s;pirit of Divi&s;ion to appeare among&s;t you; for he hath &s;mit|ten your great hou&s;es with breaches, and your little hou&s;es with clefts; there are divi&s;ions and &s;ubdivi&s;ions among&s;t you at home, by which he doth fit you for the ruine which is determined again&s;t you from abroad, and all by rea&s;on of your other &s;innes wherein you are hardened; for you pervert Ju&s;tice, and cannot be reformed: becau&s;e you tru&s;t to the power and &s;trength which you have gotten to your &s;elves, therefore God will bring from abroad enemies a|gain&s;t you, who &s;hall afflict you, as heretofore hath been done to others; Except you feare the Lord, and his goodne&s;&s;e by which he doth yet &s;pare you, and be &s;o wi&s;e as to prevent this Judgement with &s;peedy Repentance.</P>
<P>In re&s;pect of God, this is the danger under which we lie. In re|&s;pect of Men, all the foundations of the earth, all grounds of &s;ettle|ment, all Rules of government, are &s;haken and out of frame. For if we look upon our &s;elves in re&s;pect of that which is within: How little care and compa&s;&s;ion there is of the Poor, of the oppre&s;&s;ed and afflicted; how impo&s;&s;ible it is to expedite the wayes of relief for them; how neer they are to break forth into tumults and di&s;con|tents: How little faithfulne&s;&s;e and tru&s;t there is to be found a|mong&s;t men that are called Brethren; how &s;ome we are of the
<PB REF="7"> event of our Divi&s;ions; how eagerly mo&s;t men are carried to pro&s;ecute the de&s;ignes of a Party, without regard to the Publike; how many cro&s;&s;e Intere&s;ts are pro&s;ecuted by oppo&s;ite Parties in the State, which ob&s;truct all proceedings: How the Church is broken to peeces within it &s;elf, and in the very Principles of a true &s;ettle|ment; how that which is called the pre&s;ent Church, is clogged and ob&s;tructed in the way of Reformation, and in the aime and meanes to compa&s;&s;e it, is di&s;tant from the authority by which it is to be &s;upported; dnd how that which &s;eems to be e&s;tabli&s;hed, is &s;et upon a &s;andy foundation. If (I &s;ay) we look upon the&s;e things within, and then in re&s;pect of that which is without, we take notice of the di&s;tance at which we &s;tand from the re&s;t of the be&s;t Reformed Churches, and of the Judgement which they make of our pro|ceedings. (I &s;ay) if all this be laid together, as to Man; every one that hath eyes, mu&s;t needs fore&s;ee our inevitable ruine, if we continue thus; and that it is impo&s;&s;ible for us to &s;ub&s;i&s;t long in this condition.</P>
<P>Cleer it is, That if every one be left in his outward and publike wayes to the liberty of his own will, to cro&s;&s;e and oppo&s;e his neigh|bour, and affront him as he plea&s;eth; that we &s;hall need none other enemy to de&s;troy us be&s;ides our &s;elves.</P>
<P>But if now in the midde&s;t of our un&s;ettlements, many enemies take their advantage to watch over us to cau&s;e us halt; if they blow dililigently the coals of our divi&s;ions, &s;upporting them&s;elves only with this hope, that the flame which is kindled among&s;t us, will at la&s;t burne us up to a&s;hes, and that they may yet triumph over us therein; And if few do either ob&s;erve their wayes to di&s;cover them, or endeavour by faithfull coun&s;el to &s;hut the door upon them; then we may infallibly conclude, that our de&s;olation will not only be certainly, but &s;peedily accompli&s;hed. And this is the danger wherein I conceive we all are at this time.</P>
<P>Now before we can &s;peak of the Remedies, we mu&s;t look a little into the Cau&s;es, whence the&s;e &s;ymptomes of our ruinous e&s;tate proceed.</P>
<P>I &s;hall not rake into all the particulars that might be ob&s;erved,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Of the cau&s;es of our publike evils.</NOTE> nor lay all the guilt upon any one: It is an ea&s;ie matter to accu&s;e Adver&s;aries; and a very naturall cour&s;e, to make &s;uch as we do not love, odious unto others. But this is a way wherein narrow
<PB REF="7"> &s;pirits walk; and men, as men, &s;eeke rather to ju&s;tifie them&s;elves before the world, then to reclaim with meekne&s;&s;e others from the error of their wayes before God. But I &s;hall look to this la&s;t duty in the fir&s;t place; and then let the other come as it may, if need be, that is, in ca&s;e I find my &s;elf &s;u&s;pected or accu&s;ed wrongfully. Nor &s;hall I meddle with matters of State, to impute the cau&s;es of our mi&s;ery to the mi&s;carriages of Publike de&s;igns, or to the perver&s;nes of the coun&s;els, or the wickednes of the In&s;truments thereof. It is no part of my calling, to trace Polititians in the crooked &amp; &s;erpentine wayes wherein they walk. The Intere&s;t of States is a troubled Sea full of hideous Mon&s;ters, and hidden Rocks, whereupon the men of this world make &s;hipwrack; and therein all the Nations and great Families of the earth are to&s;&s;ed up and down according to the fancies of the Rulers, who&s;e aime (though under other pretences) is nothing el&s;e but greatne&s;&s;e and command, to be &s;upported by riches and power: My &s;oule enter thou not into their coun&s;el, for there is no truth in their wayes, there is no faithfulne&s;&s;e in their mouth, their inward part is very wickedne&s;&s;e: And that our di&s;tractions proceed from this generation of men, and from the Coun&s;el, which are taken up upon their Principles, there is no que&s;tion to be made. But I &s;hall leave them unto God, to be judged in his own time; And walking in mine own &s;phere, &s;hall &s;peake unto thee that art a Chri&s;tian indeed, of things belong|ing to our Religious profe&s;&s;ion; to di&s;cover at the root the cau&s;es of our di&s;ea&s;e, which I conceive is nothing el&s;e but the corrupt Profe&s;&s;ion of the true Religion, whereof we mu&s;t all confe&s;&s;e our &s;elves guilty, every one of us, more or le&s;&s;e: which how to Reform, fir&s;t in our &s;elves, and then in others, will be a profitable enquiry.</P>
<P>If the Truth had not been manife&s;ted unto us, we &s;hould have no &s;inne; but now &s;ince we have known it, and held the profe&s;&s;ion of it in unrighteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, we have no cloak for our &s;inne: we ought then to confe&s;&s;e and deplore that our profe&s;&s;ion is corrupted, two wayes. Fir&s;t, that mo&s;t of us, although we are not ignorant of the Truth; yet we cannot deny but that we have lo&s;t the true aime of the holy profe&s;&s;ion thereof. Secondly, that although &s;ome aimes be right|ly &s;et, and the profe&s;&s;ion of many commendable; yet for the mo&s;t part, the means and wayes of pro&s;ecuting the &s;ame, are either
<PB REF="8"> not an&s;werable unto the Rules of Chri&s;tianity, or el&s;e directly de&s;tru|ctive thereunto.</P>
<P>The true aime of the Holy profe&s;&s;ion is, to &s;hew forth un|to<NOTE PLACE="marg">What the aim of our profe&s;|&s;ion is, and how we fail of it.</NOTE> this evill world, the life and vertues of him who hath called us unto his Kingdome and glory. The Truth which we know, and which by the Go&s;pel is revealed unto us, is the te&s;timony of Je&s;us; that in him alone there is Redemption from all &s;innes; that by him alone there is all &s;ufficiencie of Grace to be recei|ved through Faith; that for his &s;ake alone wee have free ac|ce&s;&s;e by the Spirit unto the Father; that the titles and names of King, Captain, and Forerunner, of Apo&s;tle, Prophet and High Prie&s;t, of Author and Fini&s;her of our &s;alvation, do be|long to him alone: and that he being alone the Way, the Truth and the Life, no man can come to the Father but by him; this we do know and acknowledge; this wee doe maintaine and pro|fe&s;&s;e as the Truth: but who can &s;ay that the true aime of this profe&s;&s;ion, is taken up and followed as it ought to be? this aime is to follow him as deare children, expre&s;&s;ing him in his life, that is, in his lowly, ju&s;t, holy, and unblameable conver&s;ation among&s;t men; and in his death; that is, in his mortified, his &s;elf-denying, his afflicted, his meeke and humble condition in this world. I &s;ay, this aime is not taken up and maintained in this profe&s;&s;ion of the Truth; yet we know that this &s;hould be our whole aime; and becau&s;e we know it, and doe it not, there|fore our &s;inne is heavy upon us; therefore the&s;e judgements doe overtake us, and God doth revenge the quarrel of his Cove|nant again&s;t us; The Covenant is, that wee being in Chri&s;t<NOTE PLACE="marg">Matth. 16. 24. Rom. 8. 17. 2 Cor. 6, 17.</NOTE> &s;hall beare his Cro&s;&s;e, and follow him; that we &s;hall &s;uffer to|gether, and be &s;eparate from the world with him; and if wee touch not the uncleane things thereof, we have a promi&s;e that the Father will receive us. But who is it that doth truly aime at a full &s;eparation from the world, and doth not intend to up|hold the high things and full enjoyments thereof together with the profe&s;&s;ion of the Truth? are we not content, and have we not a de&s;ire to enjoy the fa&s;hion of things pre&s;ent, al|though wee know that we are called to &s;eeke and apprehend one|ly the things to come? wee are called to be conformable unto the image of the Sonne of God; that is, to be no wayes confor|mable
<PB REF="8"> unto this world: but if we mind no &s;uch thing, how can we be &s;aid to maintaine the true aime of our holy profe&s;&s;ion? The Socinians who have ca&s;t off the Truth which is in Chri&s;t Je&s;us concerning our Ju&s;tification before God, and have made the acknowledgement of his Per&s;on in the Truth, void, by their Here&s;ies; the&s;e uphold &s;till the aime of the profe&s;&s;ion, namely, that wee mu&s;t follow his foot-&s;teps: but wee who are convicted of the truth which they have denied, &s;eeme to deny (at lea&s;t in our practi&s;e) that which they uphold; and con&s;equently make the truth it &s;elfe which we acknowledge, ineffectuall, by our pro|fe&s;&s;ion thereof; becau&s;e our aime is not in &s;implicity an&s;wer|able, but rather cro&s;&s;e in all appearance unto the tenour of the new Covenant, and the end of our heavenly calling. Now if the maine and principall aime be lo&s;t in our walking with God; how can he be at peace with us, or we with him? can two walke together except they be agreed? and are tho&s;e agreed who&s;e aimes are different? doth not hee know the &s;ecrets of all hearts, that he may reward every one according to his works? what then can we expect from him other, then to reap the fruit of the &s;eed which we &s;owe? for we &s;ow to the fle&s;h worldly aimes in the field of a religious profe&s;&s;ion; and can we expect any o|ther harve&s;t frrom thence but trouble and confu&s;ion? This then is the fir&s;t and maine cau&s;e of all our di&s;tractions, that the true aim of our Profe&s;&s;ion is for the mo&s;t part lo&s;t among&s;t us.</P>
<P>The &s;econd cau&s;e of our publike di&s;traction is this; that al|though for the maine, a worke of Reformation is truly aimed at by &s;ome; and many particular matters tending thereunto, are rightly de&s;igned by many, for the advancement of Religion: yet the meanes to bring this aime and the&s;e de&s;ignes to pa&s;&s;e, are not at all proportionate to the effect intended thereby. The work of Reformation (no doubt heartily aimed at by &s;ome) is a reall and thorough purging of the Church and State from the corruptions which have overgrowne the one and the other, and a &s;ettlement of both in a way of Righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e: I &s;ay that<NOTE PLACE="marg">What the Re|formation ai|med at is, and why we come &s;hort of it.</NOTE> &s;ome aime heartily at this; and I truly doe beleeve it; but how many there are, God alone doth know. Sure I am wee cannot di&s;cerne very many, that have nothing el&s;e in their aime; but that mo&s;t men, are very fierce in their private, and very cold
<PB REF="9"> in the publike occa&s;ions, wee can ea&s;ily di&s;cern; and yet their Cove|nant both with God and man doth otherwi&s;e oblige them. And would to God there were not &s;ome that did make the aime of a Religious Reformation, a meere pretence to compa&s;&s;e their owne worldly ends: and a &s;nare to entrap others into difficulties. I &s;hall not meddle with the State, the Church is my taske at this time; but I finde, that to advance this Reformation in both, the meanes u&s;ed are very di&s;proportionate to the effect, not only in re&s;pect of the way, wherein many of the Reformers walke in their own thoughts, but al&s;o in re&s;pect of their manner of concurrence eve|ry one with another.</P>
<P>The way wherein mo&s;t men walke in their thoughts to Re|forme the State, hath no relation unto Chri&s;tianity, but onely to the wi&s;dome of the world; and the way by which they &s;eeke to reforme the Church, hath as little relation unto Charity, but is either carried in the way of Liberty, or of Authority; for men walke by one Rule of Prudencie in State matters, and by an|other in Church affaires: as if a Chri&s;tion in his civill em|ployments might act without a Relation unto the will of Chri&s;t; or in Church-matters, might either plea&s;e him&s;elf alone, without a relation to his Brethren, or might u&s;e all the power whereunto he can pretend, without a compliance and conde&s;cen&s;ion to the weak. The&s;e fal&s;e Principles of Reformation, make men incon&s;i&s;tent with them&s;elves both in Church and State: here they act one way by this Rule, and there another way by that Rule, and &s;ome|times they jumble both wayes together, and look at once with two faces in the &s;ame bu&s;ine&s;&s;e different wayes. The &s;implicity and truth of Chri&s;tianity is by this meanes lo&s;t in the Aim, and with it all true Prudencie in the Deliberation; and the&s;e two being gone, men are left unto the coun&s;ell of their own hearts, and betake them&s;elves in the execution of their de&s;ignes, as well in the one as the other &s;phere, to the tricks and contrivements of Policie, or to main power and &s;trength. And thus it falls out, that even the be&s;t and mo&s;t hearty Reformers, walking as Men, in &s;pirituall undertakings, fall into different wayes, take up different Maximes and Rules; and acting according to the &s;ame, (becau&s;e they re&s;pect not the Maximes and Rules of holy Com|munion in Chri&s;tianity) they make u&s;e of all their &s;trength and
<PB REF="9"> wit to oppo&s;e one another by different contrivements about the &s;ame work: And whiles they are wholly bent and po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed (as men naturally are) with the thoughts and affections of their own way and de&s;ignment; they look upon others, no more as upon Chri|&s;tians, but as upon a Party: Becau&s;e the &s;implicity of the Holy Profe&s;&s;ion being lo&s;t in the Aime, and the Rules of Holy Prudencie for the Communion of Saints, being laid a&s;ide in the work; and men having forgotten that they are called to be Brethren, and members of one another, in their relation to Chri&s;t; they act no more in this, (though otherwi&s;e godly men, and hearty towards a Reformation) as men of godline&s;&s;e, and truly reformed from the world, but as men intere&s;&s;ed in a Party of the world; for &s;uch or &s;uch a De&s;igne; to gain, or to oppo&s;e this or that Purpo&s;e. And becau&s;e this frame of &s;pirit even in the be&s;t of us all (if we look not carefully to our &s;pirits) may be found more or le&s;&s;e; there|fore the Meanes of our Reformation are di&s;proportionate unto the End for which they are undertaken; and this, be|cau&s;e they are not put forth by us in Gods way, which alone can edifie his Church, and without which no de&s;igne therein can pro&s;per.</P>
<P>Now when the Authours of our Reformation act thus, and are acted by a Principle of Divi&s;ion within them&s;elves; how can they be brought to a hearty concurrence one with another, except a way can be found to rectifie this Fundamentall error in every one of them? And if the In&s;truments who are to put life in the Means of the Reformation, either cannot at all joyn, or if with|out their conjunction nothing at all can be effected to any purpo&s;e for a &s;ettlement; how &s;hall the work be carried on? If Chri&s;t would not have his own Nation to come to perfection without us; &s;ure he will not have any one of us come to perfection without another. If then the Agents who are to work out the Perfection whereat we aim, are &s;o far from joyning in it, as that they prove by their conjunction rather de&s;tructive to one another, then fur|therers of Gods work; what hope is there of any &s;ucce&s;&s;e? Chri&s;tian Reader, give me leave without offence to &s;peak plainly what is ob&s;erved in the Actors of a Reformation at this time, I mean &s;uch who have the meanes thereof in their hand, or at lea&s;t a hand in the meanes: The&s;e we may finde to be of three &s;orts.
<PB REF="10"> Some minde the work &s;incerely for it &s;elf, although they now and then mi&s;take the Rules by which they &s;hould walk; Some mind the work, only to gain &s;ome temporall advantages by it; And &s;ome minde it only to &s;pie the faults, and &s;top the pro|ceedings of the Actors. Now if our con&s;titution be &s;uch, that nothing can be done effectually in the Publike, without &s;ome of each &s;ort of the&s;e Agents, when&s;oever they li&s;t to have a hand in the bu&s;ine&s;&s;e: it is apparent that no meanes can be imployed &s;uccesfully towards the thorough Reformation of any thing. For the &V;pright man failing (as we all do) to walk by his Rule (which is his &s;trength) he ea&s;ily is drawn by the Worldling into a Plot, to do things for &s;ome End which is not an&s;werable to the &s;implicity of the Go&s;pel; and a&s;&s;oon as any &s;uch thing is in agitation, the third Agent, who is al&s;o intere&s;&s;ed in State|contrivements, &s;teps in to ob&s;erve and ob&s;truct or overthrow their proceedings: And hence it is that the means of an intended Reformation, well meant by many, and &s;et afoot by &s;ome, are un&s;uccesfull in the event, becau&s;e in the proceedings and u&s;e of Meanes there is no &s;utablene&s;&s;e, but rather a de&s;tructive qua|lity unto the advancement of Religion. For in every thing that is propo&s;ed or taken in hand, the jealou&s;ie of a Party doth come in, which over-ruling the Affections by worldly con&s;idera|tions, rai&s;eth an endle&s;&s;e conte&s;t about every thing concerning every part and circum&s;tance of the work; by which means the de&s;igne, though never &s;o ju&s;t and harmle&s;&s;e in it &s;elf, is either &s;tified in the conception, or el&s;e becomes abortive before the time of &s;trength; or a birth of &s;o loug continuance, that in end there is no &s;trength left to bring it forth. And this is briefly my thought of the Cau&s;es why the main work of our Reformation is &s;o much perplexed as we finde it. As for more particular matters hone&s;tly de&s;igned for the advancement of Religion, by many, in their &s;everall places and callings; As they can have but little influence upon the main, becau&s;e the great corner &s;tones of the Reformation, are not as yet publikely profe&s;&s;ed and laid, up|on which every one &s;hould make an orderly &s;uper&s;tructure of gold and &s;ilver and precious &s;tones, in the unity of the &s;pirit towards his Brethren: So, the more &s;uch De&s;ignes are &s;tood upon and advanced in a private cour&s;e, they accidentally become the
<PB REF="10"> greater hinderances to the generall work; whiles men that are thereby &s;tinted within them&s;elves, re&s;t &s;atisfied in their own pri|vate wayes; and by leaving the thoughts of a publike Communion, they prove oppo&s;ites thereunto; when they admit of nothing that is not every way agreeable unto their particular Contrivements.</P>
<P>I am per&s;waded that many able men throughout the Kingdome have many excellent things in readine&s;&s;e, which might be u&s;efully applied to the edification of the Churches, both for the ad|vancement of Knowledge and of Godline&s;&s;e, if the wayes of our Settlement were cleared. But now as matters &s;tand, I cannot look otherwi&s;e upon their excellencies, but as upon the &s;cattered &s;tones of a building not yet framed, and as upon the furniture of a hou&s;e who&s;e model is neither apparent, nor yet well under|&s;tood by any. Therefore although there be many men in the&s;e Churches of eminent abilities, and Ve&s;&s;els of great honour, fit for very good u&s;es in the building of this Tabernacle: yet becau&s;e the Rule and way of their Brotherly communion and corre&s;pon|dencie is not determined as it ought to be, they &s;tand (though in their private &s;phere profitable as to God, yet) as to the Church u&s;ele&s;&s;e in the Communion of Saints. For the Parts of the build|ing not being &s;et together, their &s;erviceable gifs are not im|ployed as Joints &s;hould be in the Body to make up and compact the whole: And for want of this aime and endeavour, by all that they do, they bring nothing forth unto perfection.</P>
<P>I have briefly pointed at the Cau&s;es of our Di&s;ea&s;e; that thou maye&s;t con&s;ider thy &s;elf (Chri&s;tian Reader) as in the pre&s;ence of God, how thou art led, by what &s;pirit thou art guided, and how thou &s;houlde&s;t free thy &s;elf from the guilt of contributing further any cau&s;e or matter of continuance to our Di&s;tempers. Now the Lord grant us all grace, to do all things without murmurings &amp; di&s;putings, to his glory, unblameably in Love. <HI>Amen.</HI></P>
<P>I am in the la&s;t place to &s;peak of the Remedies of this corrupt Pro|fe&s;&s;ion of the true Religion: And if I &s;hould enter at large upon this task, I &s;hould be obliged to write a Volume: but my purpo&s;e is only to name the Heads of things nece&s;&s;ary to be intended and &s;et a|work, to advance our Reformation, and redre&s;&s;e the Evils which threaten our finall ruine; That if thou (Chri&s;tian Reader) art convicted of the u&s;efulne&s;&s;e thereof, thou maye&s;t contribute in thy way what thou can&s;t thereunto.</P>
<PB REF="11">
<P>The remedies then of our di&s;tracted condition I conceive will bee found in a di&s;covery of two things, fir&s;t of that which will helpe to rectifie the di&s;ea&s;e at the root, by taking away the cau&s;e which doth origionally beget it; Secondly of that which will helpe to prevent<NOTE PLACE="marg">Of the reme|dies of our pu|blick di&s;tracti|ons.</NOTE> the effects thereof; which become cau&s;es of increa&s;ing the di&s;tem|pers, to propagate and continue the di&s;ea&s;e.</P>
<P>I have &s;hewed my opinion that the cau&s;es which beget our di&s;tempers, are the want of the true aime in the holy pro|fe&s;&s;ion, and the di&s;proportionatnes of the meanes u&s;ed to pro&s;e|cute the true and lawfull aimes of the Reformation which wee &s;eeke to rectifie the inward Hypocri&s;ie of the heart is only Gods worke; but to di&s;cover it and convict mens con&s;ciences of it, may be the worke of his &s;ervants by the right interpretation and<NOTE PLACE="marg">The Remedie of the fir&s;t cau&s;e of our di&s;ea&s;e.</NOTE> application of the word, as the Apo&s;tle te&s;tifieth, <HI>1 Cor. 14.</HI> 24, 25. Yet the bare di&s;covery of vice or error and the con|viction of a naturall man that hee is guilty of it, is not enough to remedie the evill di&s;po&s;ition of his &s;pirit or to beget a true aime in him to an&s;wer the heavenly call; nothing can doe this but God by the di&s;covery of the truth in the loveline&s;&s;e there|of; When hee giveth faith to the elect by the engrafted word, wherein they receive the love of the truth, which purifieth their &s;oules, and maketh them obedient thereunto through the &s;pirit: unto this worke of God the faithfull Mini&s;ters of the Word are &s;ub&s;ervient, when they hold forth the Truth in &s;incerity and manife&s;t the knowledge of the glory and life of God in the face of Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>The fir&s;t remedy then, will bee to &s;tirre up Mini&s;ters, who under&s;tand this My&s;tery of Godline&s;&s;e ordinarily to pre&s;&s;e and preach the maine things which di&s;cover the life and &s;pirituall e|&s;tate of Chri&s;t as the Truth is in him, that their hearers may know, fir&s;t, po&s;itively what that life is whereunto they are cal|led; and then negatively, what that life and &s;tate is wherein men are by nature from which they are called: and this &s;hould bee done not &s;o much by an inlargement of them&s;elves upon ma|ny particular branches and twigges of duties as upon the mani|fe&s;tation of the Principles and e&s;&s;entiall properties of the &s;piri|tuall and carnall man, from whence the knowledge of duties will of it &s;elfe flow: I doe not meane that the preaching of
<PB REF="11"> particular duties is unprofitable or ought to bee omitted; but I conceive that the fundamentals which di&s;cover the hidden man of the heart both in re&s;pect of the Righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e of the &s;pirituall and of the unrighteou&s;ne&s;&s;e of the fle&s;hly nature &s;hould be main|ly and ordinarily &s;o propo&s;ed, as from the di&s;covery of that which is conformable or inconformable unto the image of Gods life in Chri&s;t, all particular duties &s;hould bee derived and pre&s;|&s;ed upon the con&s;cience; and I beleeve that becau&s;e godly and zealous men commonly &s;pend more of their &s;trength in matters of particular concernment then in &s;uch a fundamentall cour&s;e; that two evils ari&s;e from thence unto the hearers, and one in the Mini&s;ters them&s;elves. Fir&s;t, that the naturall corrup|tions of the hearts of all men, remaine in &s;ome altogether, in o|thers in a great mea&s;ure undi&s;covered at the root; by which means they &s;till conceiving well of them&s;elves, or better than they ought, are not truly humbled before God, and mortified unto the world, but live &s;till as men in the world, and take up the profe&s;&s;ion of Religion in the performance of certain duties, rather than in the pur&s;uit of a heavenly call to come unto Chri&s;t Je&s;us. Secondly, that &s;uch as are ingenuous and have ta&s;ted the Kingdome of God, and thereupon are gotten into a hatred of the world, being fervent in &s;pirit to &s;erve the Lord, are driven, by the much pre&s;&s;ing of particular duties, to an o|ver acting zeale; either again&s;t or for &s;ome per&s;ons or actions, which zeale having no temperament of love, meekne&s;&s;e, and le|nity, to heale and beare with the infirmities of the weake, or to bring their owne proceeding with them home to the true aime of the holy profe&s;&s;ion which is to di&s;cover Chri&s;t unto tho&s;e that goe a&s;tary from him, they are &s;o farre from edifying the Church of God by their forwardne&s;&s;e, that they rather di&s;turb and de|&s;troy every thing they meddle withall; but if they were in&s;tru|cted by their teachers to under&s;tand the way wherein Chri&s;t did<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 12. 19, 20.</NOTE> walke to &s;hew judgement unto the Gentiles; namely, <HI>that he did not &s;trive, nor cry, nor cau&s;e any man heare his voyce in the &s;treets: that hee did not break the brui&s;ed reed, nor quench the &s;moking flax till hee &s;end forth judgement unto victory.</HI> If I &s;ay they were taught to know him in this, as in all other things, and were obliged to judge them&s;elves in all their
<PB REF="12"> aimes, to doe nothing out of the way of conformity unto him, in his walking in the fle&s;h, they would ea&s;ily refrain from the intemperancy of their pa&s;&s;ionate zeal, for or again&s;t particu|lar matters which reach not unto the heart of the profe&s;|&s;ion.</P>
<P>The evill which in this cour&s;e of preaching doth befall unto the Mini&s;ters them&s;elves, who otherwi&s;e are Godly and holy men, is this; that they ea&s;ily over&s;hoot them&s;elves, either by pre&s;&s;ing a particular duty too much and indi&s;creetly laying too great weight upon it towards all without di&s;tinction of ca&s;es, whereby the weaker con&s;ciences are &s;traitned and en&s;nared; or by apply|ing a duty unto matters of &s;tate and publick relations to the prejudice of one party for the advantage of another upon reports or mi&s;takes and mi&s;con&s;tructions of matters, from whence oft times great &s;candals and di&s;contents ari&s;e, and are fomented to the widening of breaches without all hope of reconcilement: If the Mini&s;ters pre&s;&s;e not the fundamentall aime of the profe&s;&s;ion; but re&s;t in the delivery of theoreticall truths, and the application thereof unto particular duties, It is no great wonder that their hearers remain ignorant of it, and walke not up to it; and it mu&s;t naturally follow, that all the care whereunto their con&s;ci|ence will draw them in their profe&s;&s;ion, will bee nothing el&s;e, but a profe&s;&s;sion of &s;ome particular tenets and practi&s;es for which they will &s;trive as for life and death: not that I think that a|ny truth or righteous practi&s;e is rightly to be e&s;teemed or neg|lected; but that all the Theorie of the world, and all the per|formances that can be wrought in particular duties may bee a matter of meere Hypocri&s;ie in the profe&s;&s;or; and nothing el&s;e but an occa&s;ion of &s;trife and di&s;turbance towards tho&s;e to whom our profe&s;&s;ion is addre&s;&s;ed, if the true aime of the holy profe&s;&s;ion bee not minded: the teaching then of the aime of our profe&s;&s;ion (by Gods ble&s;&s;ing upon the word of his &s;ervants) may rectifie the purpo&s;e of the hearers in their profe&s;&s;ion, and cure the fir&s;t and fundamentall cau&s;e of all our di&s;tempers; and if once this radicall cau&s;e be taken away, the &s;ecundary which is but a &s;treame flowing from that fountain, will &s;oon be dried up, by the heat of true love and &s;incerity which will take po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of the affections of tho&s;e that in the Spirit follow Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</P>
<PB REF="12">
<P>For as the &s;econd Cau&s;e of our Di&s;tempers, <HI>viz.</HI> the want of<NOTE PLACE="marg">The Remedy of the &s;econd Cau&s;e of our Di&s;ea&s;e.</NOTE> Proportion in the Means u&s;ed towards a through Reformation, to produce the Effect intended thereby, is an effect of the fir&s;t: So the &s;econd Remedy of that evil, will be a con&s;equence of the fir&s;t, namely the way of doing all things in love. For he that aimeth at nothing in the way of his Profe&s;&s;ion, but to follow Je&s;us Chri&s;t, will find that he in his way of walking did proportionate all his undertakings to the end for which he did them, by the manife&s;tation of Gods love to tho&s;e towards whom he did make his application. And becau&s;e there is little or no &s;incerity of Brotherly love apparent in the u&s;e of the Means which are &s;et a foot for the advancement of a Religious Reformation among&s;t us; therefore every thing which is done by many of us, is altogether un&s;utable to the end for which it is per|formed: for although the thing which is done, be in it &s;elf ne|ver &s;o good and ju&s;t; yet if the &s;pirit of Divine love do not go along with the performance of the work there will be no proportion found therein to reach the end for which it is to be undertaken; becau&s;e there is nothing but love that can fit every thing to the good of tho&s;e to whom it is done. The Apo&s;tle &s;aith, that there is <HI>neither circumci&s;ion available in Chri&s;t Je&s;us, nor uncircumci&s;ion, but</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Gal. 5. 6.</NOTE> <HI>Faith which worketh by Love:</HI> The object of Faith is Chri&s;t, when we take him in the Covenant as our aime to be found in him: and if this Faith hath any life in us, and is not a meer verball pro|fe&s;&s;ion, it will be operative in that Love wherein He did all his works among&s;t men, and towards his Father. The Apo&s;tle &s;peaking of the Rule by which we &s;hould walk as children of God, giveth us this charge, <HI>Ephe&s;. 5. 2. Walk</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>in love, as Chri&s;t al&s;o hath loved us and hath given him&s;elf for us.</HI> If then our aime is Chri&s;t, it will appeare that the chief thing wherein our conformity with Chri&s;t mu&s;t &s;tand, will be the exerci&s;e of love to|wards the Brethren for Gods &s;ake, and of Holine&s;&s;e to be &s;eparate from the world; and when we &s;hall reflect upon the u&s;e of the Means which are &s;et afoot and put in the hands of mo&s;t men for the ad|vancement of our Reformation, we &s;hall find that nothing is &s;o much wanting both in the framing of the coun&s;els, and in the execution of the works, as the &s;pirit of Brotherly love, and of Holine&s;&s;e: and where the&s;e two are deficient in tho&s;e who act a Reformation, what can the event be other then di&s;order and confu&s;ion?</P>
<PB REF="13">
<P>Some Act altogether by the way and in the means of Chri|&s;tian liberty, &s;ome by the way and in the means of Chri&s;tian Authority; but becau&s;e neither of the&s;e for the mo&s;t part are acted by the &s;pirit of love to one another, or by the &s;pirit of Holine&s;&s;e to bee &s;eperate from the world, and from their owne intere&s;ts in what they doe; therefore they act nothing for, but again&s;t one another, as if Chri&s;tian Liberty and Chri&s;tian Au|thority were things altogether incon&s;i&s;tent; and &s;o the means which &s;hould advance both the one and the other part of our &s;pirituall con&s;titution, are not only ineffectuall, but offen&s;ive and de&s;tructive to each other, becau&s;e neither the de&s;ire of liberty, nor the pretence of Authority are put forth in the &s;pirit of love, to &s;erve others thereby in true Holine&s;&s;e, but a certain intere&s;t of &s;tate is rather look't upon both wayes, which makes both the path of Liberty and of Authority to become unchri&s;tian to tho&s;e that walke therein with partiality and worldly aimes, and this is the only cau&s;e why all our works and proceedings of this na|ture doe mi&s;carry; becau&s;e many of tho&s;e that are the Actors thereof in making u&s;e of the means doe not, for the mo&s;t part minde the golden Rules of &s;pirituall proportion and prudency for edification, which are the lawes of Love and Holine&s;&s;e; but in &s;tead of the&s;e are carried &s;ometimes, even in their be&s;t actions, by a Rule of humane Jealou&s;ie, which begets nothing but Pa&s;&s;ion and Policie: And this once being di&s;covered, doth wholly bla&s;t their proceeding, and maketh all the means, though otherwi&s;e in them&s;elves never &s;o powerfull, wholly di&s;proportionate unto the effect.</P>
<P>The &s;econd Remedy then is this: That godly Mini&s;ters, whom I look upon as the chiefe Actors of our Reformation, and &s;uch as mu&s;t put life into the Meanes thereof, mu&s;t fir&s;t &s;et their own hearts aright in this frame of Love and Holine&s;&s;e, and then &s;tirre up one another to the Coun&s;els and Deliberations which the&s;e Prin|ciples, according to the Word of GOD, will &s;ugge&s;t. And becau&s;e in the framing of De&s;ignes which tend unto a publike good, it is apparent that on all &s;ides a Concurrence is &s;ought for by tho&s;e that act in the affaires of State, with tho&s;e that are &s;et in the Church to act for Chri&s;ts kingdome: and that as <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> could not be without <HI>Aaron</HI> at fir&s;t, when he came to the people;
<PB REF="13"> So <HI>Aaron</HI> could not be without <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> at la&s;t when the people was to march through the Wilderne&s;&s;e; and that neither the one nor the other dur&s;t go a &s;tep forward without a direction from God in their wayes; therefore in the concurrence of States-men and Mini&s;ters towards a Reformation by the u&s;e of the meanes; both <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> and <HI>Aaron</HI> mu&s;t walke by one Rule of Chri&s;tianity, whereof the end is brotherly love and holine&s;&s;e, and not by two different rules, as the cu&s;tome of mo&s;t men is, and if the Mini&s;ters &s;uffer them&s;elves to be taken off from this aime by any pretence what&s;oever, or doe not labour to &s;way the Re&s;olutions of the Ma&s;ter-Builders in the common wealth, according to the&s;e Rules, that all publick con&s;titutions and the wayes of acting them upon the &s;pirits of men may &s;avour of nothing but of love, of holine&s;&s;e, and of meekne&s;&s;e in Authority by the directions of the word and the way of Chri&s;ts walking; (I &s;ay) if Mini&s;ters do not exactly keep them&s;elves to this Rule and draw others to walk thereby, they will be by their owne weakne&s;&s;e and the craft of others drawn over to &s;erve &s;tate ends, and be made u&s;e of to divide others, and to be divided from others and from one another among&s;t them&s;elvs, according to the wicked maxim of Machiavilian Government <HI>Divide &amp; Impera,</HI> and who doth not &s;ee that the enimies of our Reformation, leave nothing unattempted to put this maxime in execution, and that they find opportunity e|nough and more then enough, &s;o to doe in every thing which is at|tempted in publick by rea&s;on of the unchri&s;tian frame of our Spirit and our walking by a two-fold Rule or without the Rules of charity and holine&s;&s;e? For Satan which worketh in them, and is the Prince of this world, finding us who pretend to bee Mini&s;ters of Chri&s;t out of the Sphere of Chri&s;ts walking, and in the Sphere of his owne Kingdome, medling with worldly intere&s;ts which con|cerne us not, hath power over us, to make us that are called Mi|ni&s;ters more then all other men in the world to &s;erve his ends, of di&s;|turbing the Peace of mankind, and tearing the Church of God in Peices, and only becau&s;e wee are not in the way wherein God hath &s;et us: but if on the other&s;ide wee &s;tand in the &s;implicity of our Chri&s;tian way and walking to deliberate and doe all things both in private and publick by love, and for holine&s;&s;e according to Chri&s;ts example, then wee are in our full &s;trength, armed with light, and
<PB REF="14"> Satan in the power of darkne&s;&s;e cannot come neer us or comprehend us. And if it is not po&s;sible through our own default to put this Coun&s;ell in practi&s;e among&s;t us, who are convicted of the truth thereof, whether we are Independents or Pre&s;byterians, we are all a|like guilty before God of our own ruine, and of the generall di&s;tur|bance of this Church and State.</P>
<P>I have &s;poken as briefly as I could contract my thoughts concer|ning<NOTE PLACE="marg">The Remedy of the evil ef|fects of our di&s;ea&s;e.</NOTE> the Remedies which will worke a cure upon the Cau&s;es of our di&s;ea&s;e; now I mu&s;t &s;peake al&s;o a word of that which I conceive will bee of u&s;e to prevent the dangerous effects thereof, whereby our di&s;tempers are daily increa&s;ed. The di&s;ea&s;e, in my con|ception, is a di&s;tractedne&s;&s;e of &s;pirit in a divided minde, which hath wrought a di&s;-joynting of our affections; &s;o that we &s;tand as a tall man di&s;tracted in his thoughts, and divided in all his re&s;olu|tions, who hath no command or little u&s;e of any of his members; be|cau&s;e they are all out of joynt, and hang as it were loo&s;e one from a|nother. Thus this Church the talle&s;t of any Reformed in Europe, and fit to bee a leader of the re&s;t in the &s;pirituall Conque&s;t of <HI>Canaan,</HI> doth &s;tand within it &s;elfe and to others u&s;ele&s;&s;e.</P>
<P>The effects of this our di&s;traction and divi&s;ion which increa&s;e our di&s;ea&s;e and make it grow upon us, are chiefely three. Fr&s;t jealou&s;ies, fears and evill &s;urmi&s;es of every thing that is de&s;igned by any party which is not our own. Secondly, cen&s;ures, reproa|ches di&s;putes, accu&s;ations and revilings again&s;t the per&s;ons and the actions of a different party. Thirdly, oppo&s;itions and cro&s;&s;e pro|ceedings in coun&s;ells and attempts, again&s;t all that are not ex|actly in the way wherein that party doth walke of which we are. The&s;e three effects beget each other reciprocally not only in e|very man within him&s;elfe, and in every party within it &s;elfe; but in every man and party in relation to another, as hee &s;tands at a di&s;tance from the &s;ame; and all of the&s;e make our di&s;tem|pers almo&s;t pa&s;t remedy, nor can the one well bee cured with|out the other; and therefore the Remedies mu&s;t needs bee &s;uch, as can have an influence upon all at once, to &s;top the current thereof, upon our own and other mens &s;pirits, if they &s;hould prove &s;uccesfull towards a cure.</P>
<P>The field of this di&s;cour&s;e is &s;o large, that I &s;hall at this time
<PB REF="14"> but name only the heads of things, which mu&s;t become the in|gredients of this Phy&s;ick; leaving the particular compo&s;ition and application thereof unto &s;ome other time, wherein God per|haps may give a call and grace to elaborate the &s;ame; and this I &s;hall do to give unto thee Chri&s;tian Reader, an object of prayer and meditation; that thou maye&s;t be moved to goe to God, and to &s;tirre up thy &s;elfe and others daily, till the&s;e Remedies be ap|plyed unto our di&s;ea&s;es as they ought to be.</P>
<P>If then the forenamed effects of our di&s;ea&s;ed Church &s;hould bee cured by this worke of Reformation; wee mu&s;t con&s;ider not only what is requi&s;ite to allay our pre&s;ent fits of di&s;temper; but al&s;o that which both in our age and in time to come will build us up unto a habitation of God through the &s;pirit, and propagate the ble&s;&s;ings of the Go&s;pel unto Po&s;terity.</P>
<P>To cure then our pre&s;ent di&s;tempers, it is evident that an un|limited liberty to every one to vent and practi&s;e what&s;oever he &s;hall think good without controll, will not do it; becau&s;e this very Li|berty hath begotten our di&s;tempers, and no doubt will increa&s;e them, if no cour&s;e be found to regulate mens proceedings concerning their publike Profe&s;&s;ion, &s;o as they &s;hall have no ju&s;t cau&s;e to complain that they are per&s;ecuted for Con&s;cience &s;ake. But how to determine the way of Regulating mens proceedings, &s;o as none &s;hall have any ju&s;t cau&s;e of complaint, herein lies the difficulty: Yet I conceive it may thus be taken away: Let all Parties who take the Holy Scriptures for the Rule of Faith and Practi&s;e, &s;et down po&s;itively and declare plainly, either that which they judge to be fundamentall in matter of Doctrine and Practi&s;e, or clearly commanded and u&s;efull for Edi|fication; or that wherein they profe&s;&s;e a full agreement with their Brethren. If they do either of the two last, as (I thinke) all may ea&s;ily be engaged to do, either by the demand of any one Party, that &s;eeks to advance Peace; or by the command of the Civil Magi|&s;trate, who ought to re&s;train Quarrels, and take away the cau&s;es thereof &s;o far as he can in publike: If (I &s;ay) either of the&s;e po|&s;itive Declarations, or both, be delivered by each Party to another, then the Apo&s;tles coun&s;el is to be put in execution, which is <HI>Phil. 3. 16, Whereunto we have already attained, let us walk by the &s;ame rule, let us minde the &s;ame thing.</HI> Which coun&s;el, to me, doth furni&s;h this matter of advi&s;e, in reference to our pre&s;ent con|&s;titution.</P>
<PB REF="15">
<P>Fir&s;t, let the Parties by &s;ome of their &s;elected men (who &s;hall do all things with their full con&s;ent and knowledge) make a draught of the full Agreement of tho&s;e former Declarations; and that be|ing imparted unto all, let an Acknowledgement be made concerning it, that it is that whereunto All have attained, and wherein they will minde the &s;ame thing to edifie one another in the Truth where|unto they are come.</P>
<P>Secondly, Let the &s;ame Parties declare negatively the things wherein they conceive they di&s;agree from each other: And when the&s;e Declarations are drawn up, let tho&s;e that have penned them adde their advice concerning the wayes of reconciling the differences, whether in Judgement or in Practi&s;e; and then let &s;ome &s;elected men, the mo&s;t moderate of each Party, be called together to &s;et down the joint agreement of their Advices concerning the way of recon|ciling Differences; and according to that Agreement, let them make a tryall of reconciling the Differences, and offer it to all, only as an E&s;&s;ay without prejudice to any, to be con&s;idered.</P>
<P>Thirdly, Let the &s;ame Parties declare, both Po&s;itively and Negatively, the Rules by which they are willing to walk inoffen|&s;ively towards tho&s;e with whom they do not agree; and in ca&s;e any offences be given or taken about tho&s;e things, How the &s;ame ought to be taken away by mutuall con&s;ent. Here then the &s;ame &s;elected men, or others, may be &s;et a work to peru&s;e &s;uch Declarations, and gather into one Body the Rules whereunto all &s;ides will agree to walk by, to avoid offences; and let every one who will pretend to any freedome of Profe&s;&s;ion in publike, be obliged towards tho&s;e that have in&s;pection over the publike, to walke by tho&s;e Rules of inoffen&s;ivene&s;&s;e, notwith&s;tanding any difference that is, or may ari&s;e in after-times among&s;t them&s;elves or others.</P>
<P>The&s;e things I conceive may be done without great difficulty, and will be done by all tho&s;e that love peace; And that they may be done, I could wi&s;h that the Supreme Authority of the Kingdom would appeare in it to procure it; that when the Publike <HI>Confe&s;&s;ion of Faith,</HI> and <HI>Catechi&s;me,</HI> &s;hall be put forth, all &s;uch as &s;hall de&s;ire the protection of the Supreme Power, and &s;hall be willing to live in peace with tho&s;e that allow of the Government e&s;tabli&s;hed by Law, may be enjoyned thus to proceed towards the &s;ettlement of an union between them and their Brethren, in the Profe&s;&s;ion of the Go&s;pel:
<PB REF="15"> and in the mean while, till this can be done, if all &s;ides would agree voluntarily upon a ce&s;&s;ation from all bitterne&s;&s;e and railing accu|&s;ations again&s;t each other, or if it &s;hould by tho&s;e that are in place of Authority be enjoyned as a Preparatory for &s;o good a worke, it would be very con&s;onant to the abatement of our di&s;tractions, and commendable in tho&s;e that &s;hould do it willingly. But if no &s;uch way of tran&s;acting differences can be brought to pa&s;&s;e an&s;werable to the coun&s;el of the Apo&s;tle, truly then I mu&s;t confe&s;&s;e that I can &s;ee no way to prevent the growing effects of our fatall di&s;tempers, except God &s;o ble&s;&s;e the Government by law e&s;tabli&s;hed, with that &s;pirit of Di&s;cretion, of Moderation, of Equity, and of Lowline&s;&s;e in all things which it doth act, that none &s;hall be able to find any ju&s;t grievance at it. And to this effect, the le&s;&s;e the Cla&s;&s;icall Pre&s;|byteries &s;hall re&s;emble the Civil Courts of Judicature, or the Bi&s;hops Courts in former time, the more they will be &s;utable to the end for which they are in&s;tituted, which is, to entertain Brotherly confe|rences and con&s;ultations about &s;pirituall matters for mutuall a&s;|&s;i&s;tance and &s;upport in the wayes of God; and not at all to inter|meddle with the Congregations in any of their particular affairs, which are not voluntarily brought unto them as a Ca&s;e wherein their Judgement is &s;ought unto; for no particular Church, by its &s;ubordination to a Cla&s;&s;is, is to be deprived of any right which it hath within it &s;elf, but is rather thereby to be maintained therein.</P>
<P>The Maximes then of &s;pirituall Communion to be ob&s;erved in the Cla&s;&s;ical Presbyteries, that all mi&s;con&s;tructions of their wayes which occa&s;ion jealou&s;ies and clamours, may be prevented, ought to be publi&s;hed, to wipe away the fears which en&s;uare us into di&s;tractions again&s;t the duties of Love. And it will be nece&s;&s;ary not only to publi&s;h tho&s;e Maximes for this end; but three other things more mu&s;t be &s;atisfactorily, and from the grounds of Scri|pture cleared, if ever the Government &s;hall pro&s;per, to &s;ettle us in Peace.</P>
<P N="1">1. It mu&s;t be made out, that the Mini&s;ters of particular Con|gregations, and their Elder&s;hips, are bound in con&s;cience in the things belonging to their charge, to maintain a Brotherly communion and corre&s;pondencie with each other, and con&s;equently to enter into &s;uch combinations as to that effect they can conveniently ca&s;t them|&s;elves into.</P>
<P N="2"><PB REF="16">2. That to &s;uch Combinations of Elder&s;hips, Appeals may and ought to be made, hath &s;ufficiently been cleared by many, &amp; e&s;pecially by Mr. <HI>Paget</HI> of <HI>Am&s;terdam,</HI> in a Treaty which hath not been an|&s;wered by any that I know. But the &s;econd thing requi&s;ite to clear mens &s;crupulous apprehen&s;ions about the proceedings of &s;uch com|bined Elder&s;hips, is not &s;o much their Right to receive Appeals and judge Authoritatively thereof; as to make the wayes of their hand|ling matters in judging thereof, as a Senate of &s;pirituall men, evident; that is, To &s;hew forth their way of handling things a|mong&s;t them&s;elves, by what Rules and Grounds it doth &s;tand, in the Communion of Saints; to prejudge no mans ju&s;t and con&s;cionable Liberty, and yet to act Regularly, and with all competent Au|thority.</P>
<P N="3">3. What the way &s;hould be, by which the Combination of Elder|&s;hips ought to deale with &s;uch as are without, who di&s;turbe and trouble the peace of their Congregations. Here, the manner of conferring with tho&s;e that are not co-ordinate with them in the Pro|fe&s;&s;ion, is to be opened, to &s;hew that it doth tend only to the con|viction and reformation of mens &s;pirits, and not to the bla&s;ting of mens names, or any other outward inconveniencie to be brought upon them by rea&s;on of their di&s;agreement from them in opinion and practi&s;e.</P>
<P>If the&s;e declarations concerning the Cla&s;&s;ical Pre&s;byteries were publi&s;hed, as I conceive they may bee drawn up, from the grounds of Scripture, and undeniable Principles of Holy commu|nion, and right rea&s;on; and backed with the practi&s;e of all the be&s;t Reformed Churches; they might bee a fit play&s;ter for the &s;ores which are in mens minds again&s;t the government.</P>
<P>The&s;e are in briefe the heads of my thoughts concerning the cure of our pre&s;ent fits of di&s;temper, as it may by Gods ble&s;&s;ing be wrought out in a &s;pirituall way; what the Civill Magi&s;trate in his Prudence and according to his place, may and ought to doe outwardly to regu|late the outward behaviours of men, &s;o as to make them without offence, I &s;hall not now &s;peak of; but leave it to the wi&s;dome of the State; praying, that God would direct them to doe all things by their own light and for their true end of government; and not by the in&s;tigation and prompting of others who may have by-ends to &s;way them.</P>
<PB REF="16">
<P>As for the Reformation in times to come (becau&s;e wee &s;hould endevour not only to build up the wa&s;t places, but al&s;o to lay the foun|dations of many generations) thoughts &s;hould be had of the&s;e things following; without the accompli&s;hment of which in &s;ome competent mea&s;ure, we &s;hall tran&s;mit little or no comfort unto po&s;terity in the fruit of our undertakings. Thoughts then I &s;ay &s;hould be had,</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, of the wayes of con&s;tituting Schooles for the education of youth throughout the Kingdome in reference to foure &s;orts of peo|ple. <HI>viz. 1.</HI> to the Mechanicks. 2. To the Gentry and Nobles. 3. To tho&s;e that are to be trained up to teach others in humane Sciences. 4. To the &s;ons of the Prophets.</P>
<P>Secondly, of the wayes of purging the &V;niver&s;ities from the froth of ambitious and contentious Learning, and Debates of Sciences fal&s;ly &s;o called; To bring Scholars to a Demon&s;trative way of at|taining profitable Knowledge, and by the exerci&s;e and imployment of their Talents for the benefit of each other without envy, to increa&s;e <HI>in infinitum</HI> beyond the pre&s;ent bounds thereof.</P>
<P>Thirdly, of enlarging unto all &s;orts of people Scripturall know|ledge; not only by Catecheticall exerci&s;es, more exactly to be intended for the manner thereof, by Pa&s;tors, Parents, School-ma&s;ters, and Ma&s;ters of families, then hitherto hath been minded; but by regular and well ordered Conferences, either in private or in publike, as well to re&s;olve doubts from the Text, as to enlarge the di&s;covery of Truths and My&s;teries therein.</P>
<P>Fourthly and la&s;tly, of the wayes and Rules of Spirituall and Rationall Meditation, in Divine and Humane things; to rectifie the Principles of mens thoughts in the &s;earch of Knowledge; whether from the Scripture, by the grounds of demon&s;trating the true &s;en&s;e thereof, in the Literal, Material, and My&s;tical analy&s;is of the Text; or from other Objects wherein the Mind of man may be more freely imployed, either for Theoretical or Practical aims.</P>
<P>Of all which it is not now &s;ea&s;onable to &s;peak any more, but this; That I &s;hall intreat thee (good Reader) not to de&s;pi&s;e the dayes of &s;mall things, nor to mi&s;tru&s;t Gods power and goodne&s;&s;e concerning that which he doth intend to do in the la&s;t dayes; but to lift up thy prayer with me, that we may be all fitted to receive, and to make right u&s;e of the Grace, which in the mid&s;t of many trials is offered unto us in Chri&s;t Je&s;us. To him be glory for ever. Amen.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="table of contents">
<PB REF="17">
<HEAD>THE CONTENTS.</HEAD>
<LIST>
<ITEM><HI>Chap. 1. Pag. 1.</HI> COncerning a Church as it is the hou&s;e of God.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Chap. 2. p. 2.</HI> Of the Members of Chri&s;ts body, and their Conjunction.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Chap. 3. p. 4.</HI> Of the Ordinances of Wor&s;hip and Government.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Chap. 4. p. 7.</HI> Concerning the office &amp; imployment of the Pa&s;tor &amp; Teacher.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Chap. 5. p. 19.</HI> Concerning the office and imployment of Ruling Elders.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Chap. 6. p. 23.</HI> Some Rules taken from the Word of God, to &s;hew how the Elder&s;hips of a particular Church ought to &s;ettle the &s;piri|tuall Government of the Flock committed to them.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Chap. 7. p. 25.</HI> Concerning the office and imployment of Deacons.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Chap. 8. p. 28.</HI> Concerning the duty of Chri&s;tians, as they are to be in a particular Church, and under the government of Rulers &s;et over them in the Lord.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Chap. 9. p. 36.</HI> Certain Rules concerning the Admini&s;tration of the Lords Supper, for the decent ordering of the action, offered to the con&s;ideration of tho&s;e that &s;cruple at the ge&s;ture of Sitting.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Chap. 10. p. 55.</HI> The practi&s;e of the be&s;t Reformed Churches, in the Admi|ni&s;tration of the Lords &s;upper.</ITEM>
</LIST>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="tract">
<PB N="1" REF="17">
<HEAD>THE GROUNDS OF THE SPIRITUAL FRAME OF THE HOUSE of GOD.</HEAD>
<DIV2 N="1" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD><HI>CHAP. I.</HI> Concerning a <HI>CHURCH</HI> as it is the Hou&s;e of God.</HEAD>
<P>1. _A Congregationall Church is a (<HI>a</HI>) dwelling place of Mount <HI>Zion, (a</HI>) I&s;a. 4, 5. <HI>The Lord will create a cloud upon every dwel|ing place of Mount</HI> Zion, <HI>and upon her A&s;&s;emblies. Ergo,</HI> there are many dwelling places, &amp; many A&s;&s;emblies of Mount <HI>Zion:</HI> and each of them hath a promi&s;e of the Lords pre&s;ence with them.] And one of her A&s;&s;emblies, that is to &s;ay, a (<HI>b</HI>) Hou&s;e of God. (<HI>b</HI>) 1 Tim. 3. 15. <HI>The Hou&s;e of God, which is the Church of the living God.</HI></P>
<PB N="2" REF="18">
<P>2. This hou&s;e is <HI>built upon the foundation (c) of the Apo&s;tles and Prophets; Je&s;us Chri&s;t him&s;elf being the cheife corner &s;tone.</HI></P>
<P>(<HI>c</HI>) Ephe&s;. 2. 20. <HI>and ye</HI> (viz. Ephe&s;ians) <HI>are built upon the foundation of the Apo&s;tles and Prophets; Je&s;us Chri&s;t him&s;elf be|ing the cheif corner &s;tone,</HI> as the Ephe&s;ians were, &s;o all true Chur|ches are built upon Chri&s;t alone.</P>
<P>3. The end and u&s;e of this building, is to bee an (<HI>d</HI>) habitation of God through the Spirit. (<HI>d</HI>) Ephe&s;. 2. 22. <HI>in whom you</HI> (viz. Ephe&s;ians) <HI>al&s;o are builded together, for an habitation of God through the Spirit.</HI></P>
<P>4. God then through (<HI>e</HI>) Chri&s;t dwelleth therein; (<HI>e</HI>) Joh. 17. 23. <HI>I in them, and thou in me; that they may be made perfect in one. Ergo,</HI> if they be united by any other tye to one another, then by their relation to Chri&s;t, they are neither perfect as one; nor a true habitation of God by the Spirit.</P>
<P>And that two wayes:</P>
<P>Fir&s;t in the lively members of Chri&s;ts body fitly joyned to|gether.</P>
<P>Secondly in the &s;pirituall ordinances of his wor&s;hip and go|vernment rightly ob&s;erved.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="2" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD><HI>CHAP. II.</HI> Of the Members of Chri&s;ts body and their conjunction.</HEAD>
<P>THe members of Chri&s;ts body are all the lively (<HI>f</HI>) &s;tones of the hou&s;e of God, (<HI>f</HI>) 1 Pet. 2. 4, 5. <HI>To whom coming as unto a living &s;tone, &amp;c. ye al&s;o as lively &s;tones are built up a &s;piri|tuall hou&s;e, an holy Prie&s;thood, to offer up &s;pirituall &s;acrifice acceptable to God, by Je&s;us Chri&s;t</HI>] built upon (<HI>g</HI>) Chri&s;t; and &s;et in their proper places, to offer up &s;pirituall &s;acrifice unto him. (<HI>g</HI>) 1 Cor. 3. 9. <HI>Ye are Gods building;</HI> and Ephe&s;. 2. 21. <HI>In whom</HI> (viz. in Chri&s;t) <HI>all the building is fitly framed together.</HI></P>
<P>2. The &s;tones of this building are either the Foundations, of the Corners, or the Walls.</P>
<P>3. The chief and only foundation, which is the head of the corner, is Chri&s;t Je&s;us. 1 Cor. 3. 11. <HI>Other foundation can no man lay, then that is laid, which is Chri&s;t Je&s;us.</HI> &amp; 1 Pet. 2. 7.
<PB N="3" REF="18"> <HI>&V;nto you he is precious (viz.</HI> Chri&s;t) <HI>but unto the di&s;obedient,</HI> the <HI>&s;tone which the builders di&s;allowed, the &s;ame is made the head of the corner.</HI> Compared with <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 118. 22. &amp; I&s;a. 28. 16. <HI>Thus &s;aith the Lord, behold I lay in Sion for a foundation a &s;tone, a tried &s;tone, a precious corner-&s;tone, a &s;ure foundation.</HI></P>
<P>4. The &s;econdary foundations (<HI>i</HI>) next unto Chri&s;t, are the Apo&s;tles and Prophets, (<HI>i</HI>) Ephe&s;. 2. 20. <HI>Built upon the foun|dation of the Apo&s;tles and Prophets, Je&s;us Chri&s;t him&s;elf being the chief corner-&s;tone.</HI> &amp; Revel. 21. 14. <HI>And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve Apo&s;tles of the Lambe.</HI></P>
<P>5. The walls are the Body of common members, which is the Congregation of believers, joyned (<HI>k</HI>) together in one. (<HI>k</HI>) Cant. 8. 8, 9. <HI>We have a little &s;i&s;ter,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>What &s;hall we do for our &s;i&s;ter?</HI> &amp;c. <HI>If &s;he be a wall, we &s;hall build upon her a palace of &s;ilver.</HI></P>
<P>6. The corner-&s;tones which joyn the walls together, are Officers (<HI>l</HI>) in the hou&s;e, (<HI>l</HI>) Ephe&s;. 4. 11, 12. <HI>Pa&s;tors and teachers, for the perfecting of the Saints,</HI> and (<GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>for the making up</HI>) And as (<HI>m</HI>) joynts in the members of the Body. (<HI>m</HI>) Ibid. ver&s;. 16. From <HI>whom the whole body fitly joyned together, and compacted by that which every joynt &s;upplieth. Ergo,</HI> the joyning and compacting of the Body together, is by the office of the joynts.</P>
<P>7. The&s;e officers are differenced (<HI>n</HI>) according to the grace and gifts given to them for the edification of the Body, (<HI>n</HI>) Rom. 12. 6. <HI>Having then gifts differing, according to the grace that is given us.</HI> &amp; Ephe&s;. 4. 16. That <HI>which every joynt &s;upplieth&mdash;maketh increa&s;e of the Body unto the edifying of it &s;elf in love.</HI>] in their proper (<HI>o</HI>) offices. (<HI>o</HI>) Rom. 12. 4. <HI>All mem|bers have not the &s;ame office.</HI></P>
<P>8. The&s;e offices are either for &s;peaking, (<HI>p</HI>) or for the do|ing of &s;ome &s;ervice. (<HI>p</HI>) 1 Pet. 4. 11. <HI>If any man &s;peak&mdash;if any man mini&s;ter,</HI> (<GAP DESC="foreign">) that is, doth &s;ervice.</P>
<P>The office of him that &s;peaketh, is either to teach, (<HI>q</HI>) or to exhort. (<HI>q</HI>) Rom. 12. 7, 8. <HI>He that teacheth, on teaching; he that exhorteth, on exhortation.</HI></P>
<P>The office of him that is imployed about &s;ome &s;ervice, is either
<PB N="4" REF="19"> to rule, <HI>(r)</HI> or to impart and &s;hew mercy. <HI>(r)</HI> Rom. 12. 8. <HI>He that ruleth&mdash;he that &s;heweth mercy.</HI></P>
<P>9. By the&s;e offices, all things nece&s;&s;ary and comfortable to the hou&s;hold of Faith, in re&s;pect of the inward and outward man, may be &s;upplied.</P>
<P>In re&s;pect of the inward man, it is nece&s;&s;ary that the under|&s;tanding of the hou&s;hold be &s;upplied with knowledge, and the will with &s;incerity of zeale to obedience. The fir&s;t belongeth to the Teacher, the &s;econd to the Exhorter.</P>
<P>In re&s;pect of the outward man, it is nece&s;&s;ary that the life and conver&s;ation of the hou&s;hold be rightly ordered, that is, &s;utably <HI>(s)</HI> to the holy profe&s;&s;ion. <HI>(s)</HI> Ephe&s;. 4. 1. <HI>Walke worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called</HI>] And that their bodily ne|ce&s;&s;ities be &s;upplied in ca&s;e of want, by the charity of their fellow members. The fir&s;t belongeth unto the Ruler; the &s;econd unto the Deacon.</P>
<P>10. More then this nothing is requi&s;ite in ordinary, to build up the Body in <HI>(t)</HI> love within it &s;elf. <HI>(t)</HI> Ephe&s;. 4. 16. <HI>The effectuall working in the mea&s;ure of every part, maketh increa&s;e of the Body unto the edifying of it &s;elf in love.</HI></P>
<P>And therefore, in ordinary, none other offices are either u&s;e|full, or mentioned in the Scriptures, as appointed by Chri&s;t for the con&s;titution of his Church.</P>
<P>The life <HI>(u)</HI> and action of the&s;e members, is to ob&s;erve all Gods ordinances. <HI>(u)</HI> 1 Cor. 11. 2. <HI>I prai&s;e you brethren&mdash;that you keep the ordinances as I delivered them to you.</HI> &amp; Luk. 1. 6. <HI>They were Righteous before God, walking in all the commandements and ordinances of the Lord blamele&s;&s;e.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="3" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD><HI>CHAP. III.</HI> Of the Ordinances of Wor&s;hip and Government.</HEAD>
<P>1. THe ordinances of Gods wor&s;hip are duties pre&s;cribed in the <HI>(x)</HI> Word, <HI>(x)</HI> I&s;a. 8. 20. <HI>To the law and to the te&s;timony.</HI> &amp; chap. 66. 1, 2. <HI>The heaven is my throne&mdash;but to this man will I look, who trembleth at my word.</HI>] According to which God is to be &s;erved in &s;pirit <HI>(y)</HI> and truth, by every
<PB N="5" REF="19"> one. <HI>(y)</HI> Joh. 4. 24. <HI>God is a Spirit, and they that wor&s;hip him, mu&s;t wor&s;hip him in &s;pirit and in truth.</HI></P>
<P>And the ordinances of Government are duties pre&s;cribed for ever unto the <HI>(z)</HI> Rulers, <HI>(z)</HI> 1 Tim. 3. 15. <HI>That thou maye&s;t know how thou oughte&s;t to behave thy &s;elf in the hou&s;e of God.</HI> &amp; chap. 5. 21. <HI>I charge thee before God, and the Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, and the elect Angels, that thou ob&s;erve the&s;e things, without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality.</HI> &amp; chap. 6. 13, 14. <HI>I give thee charge in the &s;ight of God,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>that thou keep this commandement without &s;pot unrebukeable, untill the appearing of our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</HI>] According to which the affairs of the hou&s;hold are to be <HI>(a)</HI> ordered, <HI>(a)</HI> Tit. 1. 5. <HI>I left thee in Crete, that thou &s;houlde&s;t &s;et, in order the things that are wanting&mdash;as I had appointed thee.</HI> &amp; 1 Cor. 14. 40. <HI>Let all things be done decently and in order.</HI> &amp; Colo&s;&s;. 2. 5. <HI>I am with you in the &s;pirit, joying and beholding your order.</HI>] both for the increa&s;e <HI>(b)</HI> of Grace, <HI>(b)</HI> Ephe&s;. 4. 13. <HI>&V;ntill we all come unto a perfect man.</HI> And <HI>v.</HI> 16. <HI>maketh increa&s;e.</HI>] and the ta|king away of <HI>(c)</HI> Scandals, <HI>(c)</HI> 1 Cor. 5. 7. <HI>Purge out the old leaven.</HI> &amp; <HI>v. 12. Do not ye judge them that are within?</HI> &amp; <HI>v. 13. Therefore put away from among you that wicked per&s;on.</HI></P>
<P>2. The u&s;e of the&s;e Ordinances; is, to betroth <HI>(d)</HI> the con&s;ci|ences of men, and bind them over unto God in the covenant of grace; and to keep them faithfull to him, <HI>(d)</HI> Ezech. 16. <HI>v.</HI> 8. till 15. &amp; 2 Cor. 11. 2. <HI>I have e&s;pou&s;ed you to one husband, that I may pre&s;ent you as a cha&s;te Virgin to Chri&s;t.</HI>] or to reclaim them <HI>(e)</HI> when they are faulty therein. <HI>(e)</HI> 1 Cor. 4. 21. <HI>Shall I come unto you with a rod,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P>3. All the Ordinances then are Meanes which God doth u&s;e, either to bring <HI>(f)</HI> men to his Covenant, <HI>(f)</HI> Exod. 19. 5. <HI>If ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye &s;hall be peculiar trea&s;ure unto me.</HI>] or to confirm <HI>(g)</HI> and keep them in it, <HI>(g)</HI> I&s;a. 8. 16. <HI>Binde up the Te&s;timony, &s;eal the Law among my di&s;ciples.</HI> &amp; Ezek. 20. 19, 20. <HI>I am the Lord your God; walk in my &s;tatutes, and keep my judgements and do them; and hallow my Sabbaths; and they &s;hall be a &s;igne between me and you,</HI> that <HI>ye may know that I am the Lord your God.</HI></P>
<P>4. The meanes which doth bring men to the Covenant, is that
<PB N="6" REF="20"> which begetteth Faith; the meanes which doth confirm and keep men in the Covenant, is that which increa&s;eth and &s;trength|eneth Faith; and the meanes which doth reclaim men from the breach of the Covenant, is that which doth cha&s;ti&s;e unbelief and di&s;obedience.</P>
<P>5. To beget Faith, the ordinance of Preaching <HI>(h)</HI> is ap|pointed; <HI>(h)</HI> Rom. 10. 14. <HI>How &s;hall they beleeve in him of whom they have not heard? and how &s;hall they heare without a Preacher?</HI> &amp; <HI>v. 17. So then faith commeth by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.</HI>] To confirm it, <HI>(i)</HI> the &s;ame ordi|nance is to be u&s;ed, <HI>(i)</HI> 1 Pet. 2. 2. <HI>De&s;ire the &s;incere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby.</HI>] together with the ordi|nance of <HI>(k)</HI> Prayer, <HI>(k)</HI> Act. 6. 4. <HI>But we will give our &s;elves continually unto Prayer and to the mini&s;try of the Word.</HI> and the right u&s;e of <HI>(l)</HI> Bapti&s;m; <HI>(l)</HI> Mat. 28. 19. <HI>Baptizing them in the name of the Father, &amp;c.</HI> &amp; Act. 2. 40. <HI>Then they that gladly received the word, were baptized.</HI>] and the <HI>(m)</HI> Lords &s;upper; <HI>(m)</HI> Act. 2. 41. <HI>And they continued &s;tedfa&s;tly in the Apo&s;tles doctrine, and fellow&s;hip and breaking of bread, and in prayer.</HI>] and the fellow&s;hip of the Saints by their <HI>(n)</HI> a&s;&s;em|blies; <HI>(n)</HI> Heb. 10. 25. <HI>Not for&s;aking the A&s;&s;embling of our &s;elves together,</HI> &amp;c.] and by the &s;upporting of one another in their <HI>(o)</HI> burthens; <HI>(o)</HI> Gal. 6. 2. <HI>Beare ye one anothers bur|dens, and &s;o fulfill the law of Chri&s;t.</HI>] And to reclaim the di&s;obedient from the breach of the Covenant, the rod <HI>(p)</HI> of Di&s;cipline, <HI>(p)</HI> 1 Cor. 4. 21. <HI>Shall I come with a Rod,</HI> &amp;c. and weapons of <HI>(q)</HI> Revenge are appointed, <HI>(q)</HI> 2 Cor. 10. 6. <HI>Having in a readine&s;&s;e to Revenge all di&s;obedience.</HI></P>
<P>6. The&s;e ordinances are not to be concealed, but by the publike profe&s;&s;ion <HI>(r)</HI> of the Go&s;pel, admini&s;tred in the Church. <HI>(r)</HI> Mat. 5. 14. <HI>Ye are the light of the world; a city that is &s;et on a hill cannot be hid.</HI> &amp; <HI>v. 15. Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bu&s;hell</HI>&mdash;v. 16. <HI>Let your light &s;hine &s;o before men, that they may &s;ee your good works, and glorifie your Father which is in heaven.</HI></P>
<P>7. The ordinances of Government are to be admini&s;tred by tho&s;e, who are intru&s;ted with the <HI>(s)</HI> Keyes of the kingdome of heaven, who&s;e authority is to binde or loo&s;e, and to remit or
<PB N="7" REF="20"> retain &s;innes, according to the revealed will of God, mini|&s;terially, <HI>(s)</HI> Mat. 16. 19. <HI>And I will give thee the Keys of the king|dom of heaven, and what&s;oever thou &s;halt bind on earth &s;halbe bound in heaven; what&s;oever thou &s;halt loo&s;e on earth &s;hall be loo&s;ed in heaven.</HI> &amp; Joh. 20. 23. <HI>Who&s;oever &s;innes ye remit, they are re|mitted unto them; and who&s;oever &s;innes ye retain, they are retained.</HI></P>
<P>The key of Knowledge mu&s;t alwayes make way for the key of Di&s;cipline; becau&s;e the weapons of Righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e mu&s;t fir&s;t lead the minds of men captive, and convict their con&s;ciences <HI>(t)</HI> before they be made u&s;e of to revenge di&s;obedience. <HI>(t)</HI> 2 Cor. 10. 4, 5. <HI>The weapons of our warfare are mighty through God to the pulling down of &s;trong holds; ca&s;ting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth it &s;elf again&s;t the knowledge of God;</HI> and <HI>bringing into captivity every thought unto the obedi|ence of Chri&s;t;</HI> and <HI>having in a readine&s;&s;e to revenge all di&s;obedi|ence, when your obedience is fulfilled,</HI> &amp; Luk. 11. 52. <HI>Ye have taken away the key of knowledge,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="4" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD><HI>CHAP. IV.</HI> Concerning the office &amp; imployment of the Pa&s;tor and Teacher.</HEAD>
<P>1. THat Chri&s;t Je&s;us hath appointed Pa&s;tors and Teachers to be officers in his Church, is evident from <HI>Joh. 10. 1, 2. the Sheep-fold&mdash;the Shepherd of the &s;heep.</HI> Ephe&s;. 4. 11. <HI>He gave&mdash;&s;ome Pa&s;tors and Teachers.</HI></P>
<P>2. That to the&s;e officers, the whole work and effect of the ordinary Admini&s;tration is committed, is al&s;o evident from <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 4, 11, till 17. where next unto the extraordinary officers of the church, who are Apo&s;tles, Prophets and Evangeli&s;ts; the ordinary, who are Pa&s;tors and Teachers, are ranked: unto whom, together with the others, all is a&s;cribed, that is to be done concerning the Church. Therefore the extraordinary offi|cers cea&s;ing, all is committed unto the ordinary admini&s;tration, which re&s;teth upon the&s;e, 1 <HI>Pet. 5. 1, 2, 3, 4. Feed the flock,</HI> (<GAP DESC="foreign">) &s;hepherdize the flock.</P>
<PB N="8" REF="21">
<P>3. That the&s;e officers are di&s;tinct from Ruling Elders; and that Ruling Elders are &s;ubordinate unto their imployment, is cleer from 1 <HI>Tim. 5. 17. The Elders that Rule well&mdash;e&s;pecially they that labour in the word and doctrine.</HI> That they are al&s;o di|&s;tinct from Deacons, and that the&s;e are &s;ubordinate unto them in like manner, is cleer from <HI>Act. 6. 2, 3, 4. It is not rea&s;on we &s;hould leave the Word, and &s;erve tables&mdash;Look out men&mdash;whom we may appoint over this bu&s;ines; but we will give our &s;elves to Prayer and to the mini&s;tery of the Word.</HI></P>
<P>4. That in the work of the Mini&s;tery, the duties of the Pa&s;tor and Teacher are to be jointly performed, doth appeare by this; that <HI>the Pa&s;tors according to Gods heart, do feed the people with knowledge and under&s;tanding,</HI> Jer. 3. 15. Then al&s;o <HI>reproofs, re|bukes, and exhortations,</HI> which are the proper work of the Pa&s;tor, mu&s;t be performed; <HI>with all long &s;uffering and doctrine:</HI> which is the proper work of the Teacher, 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 4. 2.</P>
<P>5. That the &s;peciall gifts and proper works of both the&s;e, are neverthele&s;&s;e di&s;tinct; is al&s;o apparent from <HI>Rom. 12. 6, 7, 8. Having gifts differing&mdash;He that teacheth, on teaching; He that exhorteth, on exhortation.</HI> And 1 <HI>Cor. 12. 8. To one is given&mdash;the word of wi&s;dome,</HI> which is the Pa&s;toral; <HI>to another the word of knowledge,</HI> which is the Doctoral gift.</P>
<P>6. So then the Pa&s;toral office doth eminently contain the u&s;e of all other offices: for all that is to be done by the Teacher, or by the Ruling Elder, or the Deacon, is to be &s;ub&s;ervient unto this care; and in ca&s;e the&s;e officers be wanting, the Pa&s;tor is to do all by him&s;elf, even as the Apo&s;tles did the work of the Deacons before tho&s;e officers were cho&s;en, <HI>Act. 4. 34, 35. They laid down the prices at the Apo&s;tles feet, and di&s;tribution was made.</HI> And when all the&s;e do their duties, he ought carefully to concurre with them therein, <HI>Rom. 12. 5. We being many are one body; and every one members one of another.</HI> 1 Cor. 12. 20. <HI>They are many members, yet but one body.</HI> ver&s;. 25. <HI>The members &s;hould have the &s;ame care one of another.</HI></P>
<P>7. The end and u&s;e of the Pa&s;toral office, is the &s;ame with the end and u&s;e of the Apo&s;tolical, Prophetical, and Evangelical office. Which is, <HI>to perfect the Saints; to do the work of the mi|ni&s;tery; and to build up the body of Chri&s;t,</HI> Ephe&s;. 4. 12.</P>
<PB N="9" REF="21">
<P>8. The effect of this office, when it is rightly performed, will be,</P>
<P>1. <HI>The unity of the Faith, and of the knowledge of the &s;on of God, unto a perfect man,</HI> Ephe&s;. 4. 13.</P>
<P>2. Pre&s;ervation from (<HI>a</HI>) &s;educers. (<HI>a</HI>) Ephe&s;. 4. 14. <HI>That we henceforth be no more children, to&s;&s;ed to and fro and carried about with every winde of doctrine, by the &s;light of men and cun|ning craftine&s;&s;e whereby they lie in wait to deceive.</HI></P>
<P>3. The growth (<HI>b</HI>) of the Body in all things in Chri&s;t. (<HI>b</HI>) Ephe&s;. 4. 15. <HI>But &s;peaking the truth in love, in all things, may grow up unto him which is the head, even Chri&s;t.</HI></P>
<P>4. The jointing (<HI>c</HI>) and compacting of the Body together under Chri&s;t; that the Members may act within them&s;elves for the building up of each other in love. (<HI>c</HI>) Ephe&s;. 4. 16. <HI>The whole Body fitly joyned together and compacted by that which every joint &s;upplieth, according to the effectuall working in the mea&s;ure of every part, maketh increa&s;e of the Body to the edifying of it &s;elf in love.</HI></P>
<P>9. To gain the&s;e ends and effects, three things are requi&s;ite in the Pa&s;tor.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, that his entry upon the office be lawfull.</P>
<P>Secondly, that the duties proper to it be di&s;charged.</P>
<P>Thirdly, that the &s;pirituall manner of performing tho&s;e duties be ob&s;erved.</P>
<DIV3 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>1. <HI>Of the Entry upon the office.</HI></HEAD>
<P>10. The lawfull entry upon the Pa&s;torall charge, is onely to come in by the <HI>door;</HI> and he that doth enter into the &s;heepfold <HI>any other way, is a thief and a robber,</HI> Joh. 10. 1, 2.</P>
<P>11. The door by which the &s;hepherd mu&s;t come, is Chri&s;t, Joh. 10. 9. <HI>I am the door; by me if any man enter, he &s;hall be &s;aved.</HI></P>
<P>12. Now Chri&s;t by the annointing of the Spirit doth dwell in the (<HI>d</HI>) hearts of the faithfull, (<HI>d</HI>) 2 Cor. 1. 21, 22. <HI>Now he which &s;tabli&s;heth us with you in Chri&s;t, and hath annointed us is God; who hath al&s;o &s;ealed us, and given the earne&s;t of his &s;pirit in our hearts.</HI> &amp; 2 Cor. 3. 17. <HI>Now the Lord is the Spirit.</HI> &amp; Ephe&s;. 3. 16, 17. <HI>Grant you&mdash;to be &s;trengthened with might
<PB N="10" REF="22"> by his Spirit in the inner man; that Chri&s;t may dwell in your hearts by faith.</HI>] If then a Mini&s;ter doth offer him&s;elf by the Spirit with that Pa&s;toral affection which proceedeth from Chri&s;t unto the flock; He who is both the (<HI>e</HI>) Door, and the (<HI>f</HI>) Porter, doth open him&s;elf in the heart of the Flock to receive him, and he enters in lawfully. (<HI>e</HI>) Joh. 10. 9. <HI>I am the door,</HI> &amp;c. compared with <HI>ver&s;e 3. To him</HI> (viz. that entreth by the door) <HI>the Porter openeth.</HI> And with <HI>Revel. 3. 7. He that hath the key of David, that openeth and no man &s;hutteth, and &s;hutteth and no man openeth.</HI></P>
<P>13. If any man hath not this Pa&s;torall affection and &s;pirit which Chri&s;t had towards the flock; but commeth in <HI>&s;ome other way,</HI> that is, by &s;ome humane practi&s;es and contrivances of his own; Chri&s;t doth call him a <HI>thief and a robber,</HI> Joh. 10. 1. and &s;aith, that he doth come <HI>to &s;teal, to kill, and to de&s;troy,</HI> ibid. v. 10. The heart then of the Flock mu&s;t be opened to him that com|meth unto them, el&s;e he cannot pretend to be the Pa&s;tor of their &s;oules.</P>
<P>14. This door of the heart being fir&s;t opened by the inward working of Chri&s;ts &s;pirit; the outward call al&s;o mu&s;t follow upon, by a free choi&s;e, and orderly reception of him that is cho&s;en, in a publike way, in the face of the Congregation, with the countenance of Authority; as <HI>Aaron</HI> was called &amp; received, Hebr. 5. 4. <HI>No man taketh this honour to him&s;elf, but he that is called of God as Aaron was.</HI></P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>II. <HI>Of the Duties belonging to the office.</HI></HEAD>
<P>15. The duties belonging to the Pa&s;torall charge contain all the cares and endeavours, whereby the Flock is to be fed, con|ducted, pre&s;erved and defended.</P>
<P>16. The cares belonging to the feeding of the flock, are the&s;e&mdash;</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, to &s;eek and find out pa&s;ture for them, <HI>Joh. 10. 9. By me if any man enter in, he &s;hall&mdash;find pa&s;ture.</HI> Which is done, by <HI>giving attendance to reading,</HI> 1 Tim. 4. 13. by meditating and ap|plying him&s;elf to profit in knowledge, 1 Tim. 4. 15. <HI>Meditate upon the&s;e things, give thy &s;elf wholly to them, that thy profiting may appeare to all.</HI> And to this effect he mu&s;t keep the form of
<PB N="11" REF="22"> Doctrine received from the Apo&s;tles, and the Truth of grace received from the Holy Gho&s;t, both which are recommended to <HI>Timothy,</HI> 2 Tim. 1. 13, 14. <HI>Hold fa&s;t the forme of &s;onnd words which thou ha&s;t heard of me, in faith and love, which is in Chri&s;t Je&s;us. Keep by the Holy Gho&s;t which dwelleth in us, that good thing which was committed unto thee.</HI></P>
<P>Secondly, to give to the Flock that pa&s;ture which he find|eth to be their proper portion. <HI>Luke 12. 42. Give them their portion of meat;</HI> which is done by dividing the Word to them, 2 <HI>Tim. 2. 15. Study to &s;hew thy &s;elf approved unto God, a work|man that needeth not be a&s;hamed; rightly dividing the word of truth.</HI></P>
<P>Thirdly, to give this portion in due &s;ea&s;on. <HI>Luke 12. 42. Give them in due &s;ea&s;on their portion of meat.</HI></P>
<P>Fourthly, to give it according to every mans capacitie. <HI>Mark 4 33. He &s;pake the word unto them as they were able to heare it.</HI> Then he mu&s;t <HI>give to babes, milk;</HI> 1 Cor. 3. 2. and to tho&s;e that are of <HI>full age, &s;trong meat,</HI> Heb. 5. 12, 13, 14. He mu&s;t <HI>feed all with judgement,</HI> Ezech. 34. 16. He mu&s;t not <HI>feed the weak with doubtfull di&s;putations,</HI> Rom. 14. 1. Nor entertain with any, <HI>profane and vain bablings, and oppo&s;itions of a Science fal&s;ly &s;o called,</HI> 1 Tim. 6. 20. &amp; 2 Tim. 2. 16. <HI>Or que&s;tions and &s;trife of words,</HI> 1 Tim. 6. 4. and <HI>contentions</HI> of <HI>Genealogies,</HI> Tit. 3. 9.</P>
<P>17. The food to be given to the flock, is the word of God, Mat. 4. 4. <HI>Man liveth not by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.</HI> This word of God, is none other but the faithfull word which the Apo&s;tles taught, <HI>Tit. 1. 9. Holding fa&s;t the faithfull word as he hath been taught.</HI> And all the word is taught, to the end that <HI>it may beget Charity out of a pure heart, and of a good Con&s;cience, and of Faith unfained.</HI> 1 Tim. 1. 5.</P>
<P>18. The cares belonging to the conduct of the Flock, are the&s;e&mdash;</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, the good Shepherd ought to <HI>call his &s;heep by name,</HI> Joh. 10, 3.</P>
<P>Secondly, he ought <HI>to lead them out and in,</HI> Joh. 10. 3, 9.</P>
<P>Thirdly, to <HI>go before them,</HI> Joh. 10. 4. to <HI>be an example of the believers, in word, in conver&s;ation, in charity, &amp;c.</HI> 1 Tim. 4. 12.</P>
<PB N="12" REF="23">
<P>Fourthly, <HI>To vi&s;it the flock,</HI> and <HI>&s;eek out the young ones,</HI> Zach. 1. 16. and <HI>judge between cattell and cattell,</HI> Ezek. 34. 17.</P>
<P>19. The cares belonging to the pre&s;ervation and defence of the Flock, are the&s;e&mdash;</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, to pray con&s;tantly for the flock, as the Apo&s;tle doth, <HI>Rom.</HI> 1. 9. &amp; 1. <HI>Cor. 1. 4. Ephe&s;. 1. 16. Phil. 1. 3, 4. Col. 1. 3, 4, 9.</HI> &amp; 1 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 1. 2, 3.</P>
<P>Secondly, to warne them of dangers, as the Apo&s;tle did the Ephe&s;ians, <HI>Act.</HI> 20. 31. and God doth charge watchmen to do, <HI>Ezek.</HI> 3, 17. &amp; 33, 3.</P>
<P>Thirdly, to be helpfull to them in all their infirmities, that is, <HI>to beare the &s;heep that &s;tandeth &s;till,</HI> Zach. 11. 16. <HI>to heale and &s;trengthen the &s;ick and bind up the broken,</HI> Ezek. 34. 4. <HI>to comfort the feeble and &s;upport the weake,</HI> 1 The&s;&s;. 5. 14. <HI>to re&s;tore tho&s;e that are tak<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">n in a fault,</HI> Gal. 6. 1.</P>
<P>4. <HI>To bring back that which is driven away, and &s;eek out that which is lo&s;t,</HI> Ezek. 34. 4.</P>
<P>Fifthly, to re&s;i&s;t the <HI>ravenous wolves,</HI> and <HI>men &s;peaking perver&s;e things,</HI> Act. 20. 29, 30. <HI>to convince gain&s;ayers, and &s;top the mouths of unruly and vain talkers,</HI> Tit. 1. 9, 10, 11. <HI>To reject hereticks,</HI> Tit. 2. 10.</P>
<P>Sixthly, to <HI>lay down his life for the &s;heep,</HI> to defend them, and <HI>not as a hireling to run away from them,</HI> Joh. 10. 10, 1<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">.</P>
<P>And thus much of the Duties: now followeth to con|&s;ider of</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>III. <HI>The &s;pirituall way, how the&s;e Duties &s;hould be performed.</HI></HEAD>
<P>20. The manner and way of performing the&s;e Duties, is not arbitrary, depending upon the wit, or will and contrivance of mans wi&s;dome; but &s;piritually to be regulated either by the Word which is expre&s;&s;ed, or by the undoubted Principles of Edi|fication. 1 <HI>Cor. 2. 1. I came not with excellency of &s;peech or of wi&s;dome.</HI> &amp; <HI>v. 4. My &s;peech was not with enticing words of mans wi&s;dome, but in demon&s;tration of the Spirit, and of power.</HI> &amp; 2 <HI>Cor. 1. 12. Not with worldly wi&s;dome, but by the grace of God we have had our conver&s;ation in the world, and more abundantly to you|wards.</HI>
<PB N="13" REF="23"> &amp; chap. 4. 12. <HI>Not walking in craftine&s;&s;e, or handling the word of God deceitfully.</HI></P>
<P>21. The way then to regulate and order the&s;e Duties, hath three Spirituall paths:</P>
<P>The fir&s;t is, that which &s;etteth the Pa&s;tors &s;pirit upon his pro|per imployment.</P>
<P>The &s;econd, that whereby his endeavours are fitted towards the Flock, and the Flock fitted to receive them at his hand.</P>
<P>The third is, that wherein his imployment is made edifying and u&s;efull towards all. In the fir&s;t path, he will be accepted of God; in the &s;econd and third, approved of men.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Of the fir&s;t Path.</HEAD>
<P>22. The Pa&s;tors &s;pirit will be directed towards the work of his imployment, if he beare in minde,</P>
<P>What his relation is to God, in his office.</P>
<P>What the end and u&s;e of his work is.</P>
<P>And what the frame of his Affections, and Rules of per|formance &s;hould be, to make his way an&s;werable unto the&s;e.</P>
<P>23. His relation unto God, is, that God doth intru&s;t him with his My&s;teries, and with the &s;oules of his children: As a &s;teward to di&s;pen&s;e the my&s;teries unto Gods children; to have in&s;pection over them, and to keep the Keyes of the Hou&s;e of GOD.</P>
<P>24. As a &s;teward thus intru&s;ted: the frame of his Affection mu&s;t be <HI>Faithfulne&s;&s;e (a</HI>) towards his Ma&s;ter; and the rule of his Performance mu&s;t be, to &s;tudy <HI>to approve his con&s;cience</HI> to God, not regarding the judgement of men, but that of God a|lone. (<HI>a</HI>) 1 Cor. 4. 1. <HI>Let a man &s;o account of us as of the Mi|ni&s;ters of Chri&s;t, and Stewards of the my&s;teries of God.</HI> &amp; <HI>v. 2. It is required in &s;tewards, that a man be found Faithfull.</HI> &amp; <HI>v. 3. With mrit is a &s;mall thing that I &s;hould be judged by you, or of mans judgement. v. 4. I know nothing by my &s;elf, yet am I not hereby ju&s;tified; but he that ju&s;tifieth me is the Lord.</HI></P>
<P>25. The my&s;teries wherewith he is intru&s;ted, are the Word and the Ordinances.</P>
<PB N="14" REF="24">
<P>26. As a Steward intru&s;ted with the Word; the frame of his Affection mu&s;t be <HI>Sincerity, (b</HI>) not to mixe any &s;elf-ends with the Word. (<HI>b</HI>) 2 Cor. 2. 17. <HI>We corrupt not the Word; but as of &s;incerity, as of God, in the &s;ight of God, &s;peak we in Chri&s;t.</HI>] And the rule of Performance in reference to God, is to &s;peak as in his &s;ight and pre&s;ence: and in reference to men, to renounce the hidden (<HI>c</HI>) things of di&s;hone&s;ty, and by the manife&s;tation of the truth, to approve him&s;elf to the con&s;cience of every one. (<HI>c</HI>) 2 Cor. 4. 2. <HI>We have renounced the hidden things of di&s;hone&s;ty,&mdash;but by the manife&s;tation of the Truth commending our &s;elves to every mans con&s;cience in the &s;ight of God.</HI></P>
<P>27. Then al&s;o, as a &s;teward intru&s;ted with the Ordinances; the frame of his &s;pirit and affections mu&s;t be free from prejudice, not preferring one Ordinance before another: And the rules of Performance are, to di&s;pence the Ordinances (<HI>d</HI>) impartially, (<HI>d</HI>) 1 Tim. 5. 21. <HI>I charge thee&mdash;that thou ob&s;erve the&s;e things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality.</HI>] and to keep him&s;elf and the holy things pure: Him&s;elf, by not (<HI>e</HI>) partaking of other mens &s;innes; (<HI>e</HI>) 1 Tim. 5. 22. <HI>Neither be partaker of other mens &s;innes; keep thy &s;elf pure.</HI>] the Holy things, by not giving them unto dogs (<HI>f</HI>) and &s;wine; (<HI>f</HI>) Mat. 7. 6. <HI>Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither ca&s;t ye your pearls before &s;wine.</HI></P>
<P>28. To di&s;charge the truth committed unto him concerning the &s;oules of Gods children; the frame of his Affections mu&s;t be Faithfulne&s;&s;e unto them, for Gods &s;ake; and watchfulne&s;&s;e over them, as one that mu&s;t (<HI>g</HI>) give an account, (<HI>g</HI>) Heb. 13. 17. <HI>They watch for your &s;oules, as they that mu&s;t give an account.</HI>] And accordingly the rule of his Performance unto them, mu&s;t be, in di&s;pen&s;ing the Word, to with-hold nothing from them which is profitable touching the whole (<HI>h</HI>) coun&s;el of God, (<HI>h</HI>) Act. 20. 20. <HI>I have kept back nothing that was profitable unto you.</HI> &amp; <HI>v. 27. I have not &s;hunned to declare unto you all the coun&s;el of God.</HI>] And in di&s;pen&s;ing the Ordinances, to be <HI>jealous over them with a godly jealou&s;ie, le&s;t they &s;hould be corrupted from the &s;implicity which is in Chri&s;t,</HI> 2 Cor. 11. 2, 3.</P>
<P>29. The end and u&s;e of the work is, that Gods glory through Je&s;us Chri&s;t; and the common edification (<HI>i</HI>) of every one by
<PB N="15" REF="24"> another, through the right u&s;e of Gods graces, may be advanced. (<HI>i</HI>) 1 Pet. 4. 10, 11. <HI>As every man hath received the gift, even &s;o mini&s;ter the &s;ame one to another&mdash;that God in all things may be glorified through Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</HI></P>
<P>30. And the frame of the Affection whereby the &s;pirit of the Pa&s;tor will be enabled to reach this end, is (<HI>k</HI>) Love. (<HI>k</HI>) 1 Cor. 8. 1. <HI>Charity edifyeth.</HI> &amp; 1 Cor. 13. 1, 2, 3. <HI>Though I &s;peak with the tongue of men and angels; and have no charity, I am as &s;ounding bra&s;&s;e and a tinkling cymball: And though I have the gift of Prophecie, and under&s;tand all my&s;teries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith &s;o that I could remove mountains, and have no charity, I am nothing: And though I be&s;tow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burnt, and have no charity, it profiteth me nothing.</HI> &amp; Ephe&s;. 4. 15. <HI>Speaking the truth in love, ye may grow up unto him in all things.</HI> &amp; <HI>v. 16. the Body unto the edifying of it &s;elf in love.</HI>] And the Rule of Per|formance &s;ub&s;ervient hereunto, for matter of Doctrine, is, to <HI>&s;peak as the oracles of God:</HI> and for matter of Action, is, to <HI>doe as of the ability which God doth give,</HI> 1 Pet. 4. 11.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>The &s;econd Path.</HEAD>
<P>31. The way to fit all Pa&s;torall endeavours to the Flock, is threefold:</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, to make the work of the Mini&s;tery free from all world|ly aimes; as, to (<HI>l</HI>) plea&s;e men, to get (<HI>m</HI>) profit, or to get (<HI>n</HI>) humane glory. (<HI>l</HI>) 1 The&s;&s;. 2. 4. <HI>We &s;peak not as plea&s;ing men, but God which tryeth our hearts; for neither at any time u&s;ed we flattering words. (m</HI>) Ibid. v. 5. <HI>Nor u&s;ed we a cloak of covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e. (n</HI>) Ibid. v. 6. <HI>Nor of men &s;ought we glory, neither of you nor of others.</HI>] to be free from entanglements of (<HI>o</HI>) worldly cares, <HI>o</HI>) 2 Tim. 2, 3, 4. <HI>Endure hardne&s;&s;e as a good &s;ouldier of Je&s;us Chri&s;t: no man that warreth entangleth him&s;elf with the affairs of this life; that he may plea&s;e him who hath cho&s;en him to be a &s;oul|dier.</HI>] And not to be engaged to admini&s;ter worldly (<HI>p</HI>) judi|catures in order to the civil Magi&s;trate, (<HI>p</HI>) Luk. 12. 13, 14. <HI>And one of the company &s;aid unto him</HI> (viz. to Chri&s;t) <HI>Ma&s;ter, &s;peak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me: And he
<PB N="16" REF="25"> &s;aid unto him, Man, who made me a Judge or a divider a|mong you?</HI></P>
<P>Secondly, to do the work towards the Flock, with a willing (<HI>q</HI>) and ready minde without con&s;traint, (<HI>q</HI>) 1 Pet. 5. 2. <HI>Feed the flock&mdash;taking the care thereof, not by con&s;traint, but willingly, not for filthy lucre, but of a ready minde.</HI>] with all gentlene&s;&s;e and tenderne&s;&s;e of affection, and nur&s;e-like (<HI>r</HI>) loving care, (<HI>r</HI>) 1 The&s;&s;. 2. 7, 8. <HI>But we were gentle among you, even as a nur&s;e cheri&s;heth her children: So being affectionately de&s;irous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the Go&s;pel of God only, but al&s;o our own &s;oules, becau&s;e you were deare to us.</HI>] With all ju&s;t, holy, and unblameable (<HI>s</HI>) outward behaviour, (<HI>s</HI>) 1 The&s;&s;. 2. 10. <HI>You are witne&s;&s;es, and God al&s;o, how holily, ju&s;tly, and unblameably we have behaved our &s;elves among you that believe.</HI>] And without all burdens (<HI>t</HI>) unto the Flock, &s;o far as can be po&s;&s;ibly. (<HI>t</HI>) 1 The&s;&s;. 2. 6, 9. <HI>We might have been bur|den&s;ome as the Apo&s;tles of Chri&s;t&mdash;But ye remember our labour and travell, for labouring night and day, becau&s;e we would not be chargeable unto any.</HI></P>
<P>Thirdly, to undergoe any inconvenience what&s;oever, rather then to give occa&s;ion (<HI>u</HI>) of offence unto any at the Go&s;pel, (<HI>u</HI>) 2 Cor. 6. 3, 4. <HI>Giving no offence in any thing, that the Mini|&s;tery be not blamed; but in all things approving our &s;elves as the Mini&s;ters of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in nece&s;&s;ities, in di&s;tre&s;&s;es,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P>32. The way to fit the Flock to receive and admit of all Pa&s;torall duties at their Pa&s;tors hands, is fourfold:</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, to walk openly (<HI>x</HI>) and in the light towards them, (<HI>x</HI>) Joh. 3. 21. <HI>He that doth the truth commeth to the light, that his deeds may be made manife&s;t, that they are wrought in God.</HI> &amp; 1 Joh. 1. 7. <HI>If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellow&s;hip one with another.</HI> Now God is in the light, by the manife&s;tation of his truth to the con&s;cience; if therefore a Pa&s;tor doth walk in this light to the Flock, he will fit them to receive his admini&s;tration.] Which ought to be done by pre|paring and pre-informing their under&s;tandings concerning the cour&s;e which is to be taken towards them; that they may not &s;eem to be &s;urpri&s;ed, or bound to walk by an implicite faith
<PB N="17" REF="25"> under their Pa&s;tor, in blind &s;ubmi&s;&s;ion.</P>
<P>Secondly, to make them &s;en&s;ible that all is done mini&s;terially, as a &s;ervice of love unto them, and to be a <HI>help unto their joy,</HI> and not to exerci&s;e any <HI>dominion over their Faith,</HI> 2 Cor. 1. 24. or (<HI>y) Lord it</HI> over their per&s;ons, (<HI>y</HI>) 1 Pet. 5. 3. <HI>Neither as being Lords over Gods heritage, but being en&s;amples to the flock.</HI>] And yet not to give them occa&s;ion to take authority over their Pa&s;tor, or to (<HI>a</HI>) de&s;pi&s;e him, (<HI>a</HI>) 1 Tim. 4. 12. <HI>Let no man de&s;pi&s;e thy youth.</HI> &amp; Tit. 2. 15. <HI>Exhort and rebuke with all authority; let no man de&s;pi&s;e thee.</HI></P>
<P>Thirdly, to deale with every one of them as well in (<HI>b</HI>) private <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters"> in publike, as need may be, (<HI>b</HI>) Act. 20. 20. <HI>I kept back no|thing that was profitable unto you, but have &s;hewed you and have taught you publikely, and from hou&s;e to hou&s;e.</HI></P>
<P>Fourthly, to bring them to a contract with Chri&s;t, as e&s;pou&s;ed, (<HI>c</HI>) and to be pre&s;ented unto him, (<HI>c</HI>) 2 Cor. 11. 2. <HI>I have e&s;pou&s;ed you unto one husband, that I may pre&s;ent you as a chaste Virgin unto Chri&s;t.</HI></P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>The third Path.</HEAD>
<P>33. Although every Pa&s;tor is authori&s;ed in him&s;elf, by his office, to lead and rule the Flock; and as one who is accountable unto God, mu&s;t di&s;charge his con&s;cience in the ob&s;ervation and practice of all Gods ordinances; And that every Congregation hath full power to do all things for its own edification, <HI>decently and by an order,</HI> 1 Cor. 14. 40. Yet by the Rules of holy com|munion (<HI>d</HI>) in Chri&s;tianity, no Pa&s;tor, nor Flock, nor Chri&s;tian al&s;o ought to walk or &s;tand by him&s;elf alone, if po&s;&s;ibly they can be joyned unto others in the publike profe&s;&s;ion (<HI>d</HI>) Ephe&s;. 4. 1. <HI>Walk worthy of the vocation wherewith you are called.</HI> &amp; <HI>v. 3. Endeavouring to keep the unity of the &s;pirit in the bond of peace.</HI> v. 4, 5. <HI>One body, one &s;pirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one bapti&s;m<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"></HI> v. 6. <HI>one God and Father.</HI> &amp; v. 14. <HI>Till we all come to the unity of the Faith, and of the knowledge of the Sonne of God, unto a perfect man.</HI> &amp; v. 14. <HI>That we be no more to&s;&s;ed to and fro, and <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">rried about with every wind of doctrine.</HI> v. 16. <HI>The whole body fitly joyned
<PB N="18" REF="26"> together and compacted.</HI> &amp; 1 Cor. 9. 19. <HI>Though I am free from all men, yet I made my &s;elf a &s;ervant unto all, that I might gain the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 word">.</HI> v. 20. <HI>To the Jewes I became as a Jew&mdash;to them that are under the Law, as under the Law.</HI>&mdash;v. 21. <HI>To them that are without Law, as without Law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Chri&s;t) that I might gain them that are with|out law.</HI> v. 22. <HI>To the weak I became as weak&mdash;I am made all things to all&mdash;And this I do for the Go&s;pels &s;ake, that I might be made partaker thereof with you.</HI>] If the Apo&s;tle did thus con|de&s;cend to all, to be partaker of the Go&s;pel with tho&s;e that had an intere&s;t in it; then, all that have any intere&s;t in the Go&s;pel, ought to conde&s;cend one to another, to partake of the &s;ame each with other; and con&s;equently, no man ought to &s;tand alone in the profe&s;&s;ion.</P>
<P>34. So then, every Mini&s;ter of the Go&s;pel, in the duties of his Mini&s;terial charge, is bound in con&s;cience to maintain a Brother|ly communion and corre&s;pondency with his neighbour Mini&s;ters; chiefly in matters of common and publike concernment. So that every one is bound to ask the que&s;tion which the Spou&s;e pro|po&s;eth unto Chri&s;t in the <HI>Canticles,</HI> chap. 1. 7. <HI>Tell me (O thou whom my &s;oule loveth) where thou feede&s;t, where thou make&s;t thy flock to re&s;t at noon?</HI> And then to follow the duty pre&s;cribed in (<HI>e</HI>) the An&s;wer, (<HI>e</HI>) Cant. 1. 8. <HI>Go thy way forth by the foot&s;teps of the flock, and feed thy kids be&s;ides the &s;hepherds tents.</HI></P>
<P>35. By which means all the Congregations of Profe&s;&s;ours will be, as they ought to be, co-ordinate unto each other, as <HI>companies of hor&s;es in Pharaohs chariots,</HI> Cant. 1. 9. combined in the &s;ame warfare for the &s;ame Kings &s;ervice.</P>
<P>36. Now this conjunction and co-ordination of Churches, by the brotherly combination of their Leaders; as it may not pre|judge the liberty which they have in Chri&s;t, &s;o it &s;hould oblige them to a right u&s;e of that liberty, to make it &s;erviceable unto each other in the communion of Saints.</P>
<P>37. It cannot be &s;erviceable to this end, and binding, without a free, willing, mutuall agreement of Brethren to walk in the &s;ame publike wayes; Fir&s;t, of Doctrine and of Wor&s;hip, for the honour of God; &s;econdly, of Government, for the good of Believers, to &s;trengthen them in the way of the Heavenly calling;
<PB N="19" REF="26"> Thirdly, of Di&s;cipline, for the rooting out of vice and &s;candals which di&s;honour the profe&s;&s;ion.</P>
<P>38. To make this agreement free and mutuall, there mu&s;t be &s;ome A&s;&s;emblies and Conferences &s;etled; and the&s;e &s;o ordered, that all things &s;hall be carried with that equality, that none &s;hall have cau&s;e to think him&s;elf borne down or excluded from his right, or pa&s;t by and concluded without his con&s;ent in matters which do concern him.</P>
<P>39. And to do this, two things mu&s;t needs be determined: Fir&s;t, what the orderly con&s;titution of the A&s;&s;emblies mu&s;t be, in their Members, and method of handling matters by way of conference: Secondly, what the matters are which they &s;hould meddle withall; and what the things are which they &s;hould not meddle withall.</P>
<P>40. In all which, be&s;ides that which is cleerly to be gathered from the word of God, the practi&s;es and the tryed cour&s;es of the Reformed churches &s;hould be taken into con&s;ideration, and pru|dentially applied unto the circum&s;tances of our pre&s;ent condi|tion. Wherein I be&s;eech God to direct us to his glory, in the advancement of our peace. Amen.</P>
</DIV3>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="5" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD><HI>CHAP. V.</HI> Concerning the office and imployment of Ruling Elders.</HEAD>
<P>THat Ruling (<HI>a</HI>) Elders are officers in the Church of God, may be cleerly gathered from <HI>Rom. 12. 8. He that ruleth with diligence. (a</HI>) 1 Tim. 5. 17. <HI>Let the Elders that rule well be counted worthy of double-honour, chiefly tho&s;e that labour in the word and doctrine.</HI> &amp; 1 Cor. 12. 28. <HI>God hath &s;et in the Church&mdash;Governments.</HI></P>
<P>2. That they are officers di&s;tinct from other officers, is al&s;o plain from the &s;ame place; chiefly from that of 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 5. 17. and from <HI>Rom.</HI> 12. 4, 6. compared with 8. For in 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 5. 17. he doth mention two &s;orts of Elders: fir&s;t in the generall tho&s;e that rule well; &s;econdly more di&s;tinctly, tho&s;e that in bearing rule, labour in the word and doctrine. And in <HI>Rom.</HI> 12. 4. the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, that there are many members in the body of the
<PB N="20" REF="27"> Church, and that they have not all of them the &s;ame offices: then, <HI>v.</HI> 6. he &s;aith, that the gifts of grace which makes men ca|pable of offices, are different: and then in the latter part of <HI>v.</HI> 6. and <HI>v.</HI> 7. &amp; 8. he &s;heweth what the particular differences of offices are, among&s;t which he reckoneth up that of Ruling; from whence it followeth, that the Ruler is not only an officer, but a different officer from the others named in that place.</P>
<P>3. The nature of the office belonging to them may be under|&s;tood, 1. By the names given to it; 2. By the things about which it is conver&s;ant; 3. By the end which it hath in being conver&s;ant thereabout; 4. By the parts of the work to be done in it.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, the Names given to the&s;e Elders are, Rulers, Gover|nours, Over&s;eers, Stewards.</P>
<P>The name of <HI>Ruler</HI> in the originall is twofold; one doth import Superiority, another Action; the fir&s;t is <GAP DESC="foreign">, the &s;e|cond, <GAP DESC="foreign">; both are tran&s;lated Rulers: but <GAP DESC="foreign"> doth pro|perly &s;ignifie one that &s;tandeth over others in authority; and <GAP DESC="foreign"> doth properly &s;ignifie one that doth lead and guide o|thers in the way wherein they ought to walk.</P>
<P>The name of <HI>Governour,</HI> doth &s;ignifie one that giveth directi|ons and addre&s;&s;es whereby others are ordered in a cour&s;e, as a &s;hip by him that &s;itteth at the helm thereof.</P>
<P>The name of <HI>Over&s;eer</HI> (<GAP DESC="foreign">) doth import both authority and action, by the in&s;pection which a Superior doth take of one that is under his charge.</P>
<P>The name of <HI>Steward,</HI> doth &s;ignifie one that is to &s;ee the laws and orders of his Ma&s;ters hou&s;e ob&s;erved; and hath the keyes thereof committed unto his keeping.</P>
<P>2. The Things about which the charge is conver&s;ant, are (in generall) the Church, and &s;uch as may be gained thereunto. Which is the &s;pirituall (<HI>b</HI>) hou&s;e and tabernacle of God, (<HI>b</HI>) Ephe&s;. 2. 21, 22. <HI>It</HI> (viz. the building) <HI>groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord&mdash;an habitation of God through the Spirit.</HI>] the body (<HI>c</HI>) of Chri&s;t, (<HI>q</HI>) 1 Cor. 12. 27. <HI>Now ye are the body of Chri&s;t, and members in particular.</HI>] and the Kingdome which is not of this (<HI>d</HI>) world; (<HI>d</HI>) Joh. 18. 36. <HI>My kingdome is not of this world.</HI>] and therefore is not to be governed by the lawes of this world, nor can the officers thereof claim their calling and
<PB N="21" REF="27"> authority from this world, nor ought they to meddle in their charge with the (<HI>e</HI>) affairs of this world, (<HI>e</HI>) Luk. 12. 14. <HI>Who made me a Judge, or a divider over you?</HI> If Chri&s;t was no Judge or divider in worldly matters; then none of his Officers, as under him.</P>
<P>In particular; this office is conver&s;ant about the Religious profe&s;&s;ion and life of tho&s;e that belong in any re&s;pect to the Church, whether they be in, or out of office.</P>
<P>Thirdly, the End wherefore the Elders are conver&s;ant about the&s;e things, is, that they &s;hould look both to the Church and to the Members thereof: to edifie that, and pre&s;erve it from &s;candals; and to make the&s;e fit to walk worthy of the calling by which they are called in the Go&s;pel.</P>
<P>4. The parts of their work are the &s;everall duties whereunto they are obliged, which are chiefly the&s;e&mdash;</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, in re&s;pect of God, they are his (<HI>f</HI>) &s;tewards, (<HI>f</HI>) Tit. 1. v. 5. with 7. <HI>Thou &s;houlde&s;t ordain Elders in every city, as I appointed thee; if any be blamele&s;&s;e&mdash;for a Bi&s;hop</HI> (an Over&s;eer) <HI>mu&s;t be blamele&s;&s;e as the &s;teward of God.</HI>] and therefore mu&s;t be (<HI>g</HI>) faithfull, (<HI>g</HI>) 1 Cor. 4. 2. <HI>It is required in Stewards, that a man be found faithfull,</HI>] and admini&s;ter their charge &s;o, as to be (<HI>h</HI>) accountable unto him, (<HI>h</HI>) Heb. 13. 17. <HI>Watch for your &s;oules, as they that mu&s;t give an account.</HI></P>
<P>Secondly, in re&s;pect of the Church; they mu&s;t take (<HI>i</HI>) care of it, (<HI>i</HI>) 1 Tim. 3. 5. <HI>If a man know not how to rule his own hou&s;e, how &s;hall he take care of the Church of God?</HI>] and that with (<HI>k</HI>) diligence, (<HI>k</HI>) Rom. 12. 8. <HI>He that ruleth, with diligence.</HI></P>
<P>Thirdly, in re&s;pect of the Members thereof, they mu&s;t (<HI>l</HI>) watch over them, (<HI>l</HI>) Heb. 13. 17. <HI>They watch over your &s;oules</HI>] take pains for them, and (<HI>m</HI>) admoni&s;h them as occa&s;ion &s;hall require, (<HI>m</HI>) 1 The&s;&s;. 5. 12. <HI>Which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admoni&s;h you.</HI></P>
<P>Fourthly, in re&s;pect of the End of their imployment, they mu&s;t be intere&s;&s;ed and ingaged,</P>
<P N="1">1. In the election, calling, and dimi&s;&s;ion of Officers to and from charges in the Church.</P>
<P N="2">2. In the admi&s;&s;ion of worthy, and rejection of unworthy Members.</P>
<P N="3"><PB N="22" REF="28">3. In the ordering of all matters of publike wor&s;hip, to be dutifully and decently performed.</P>
<P N="4">4. In the moderating of the carriage of matters at publike meetings, whereunto the Body of the Congregation is to be invited.</P>
<P N="5">5. In the redre&s;&s;ing of Scandals, by way of in&s;truction, ex|hortation, admonition, or cen&s;ure, if need be.</P>
<P N="6">6. In the re&s;toring of the penitent, in healing of breaches, in the pre&s;erving of all in the unity of the Spirit, in the helping of the weak to beare their burdens, and encou|raging of every one in the wayes of truth and righteou&s;|ne&s;&s;e.</P>
<P N="7">7. In the vi&s;iting of the (<HI>n</HI>) &s;ick, e&s;pecially when they are &s;ent for; to give them comfort, and pray for them, (<HI>n</HI>) Jam. 5. 14. <HI>Is any man &s;ick, let him call the Elders of the Church, and let them pray over him, &amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>4. The manner how this office &s;hould be executed, is, That together with the Pa&s;tor, in all matters of Spirituall go|vernment, as well in the Con&s;i&s;toriall, as in the Cla&s;&s;icall and Synodicall meetings, to give advi&s;e, and according to the Re|&s;olutions to act by common con&s;ent: and as the Pa&s;tor ought not to act by him&s;elf, without their knowledge, any things of common concernment; &s;o much le&s;&s;e ought they to act with|out his approbation, and the con&s;ent of each other, or at lea&s;t of the major part of the Elder&s;hip, upon mature delibera|tion.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="6" TYPE="chapter">
<PB N="23" REF="28">
<HEAD>CHAP. VI.</HEAD>
<P><HI>Some Rules taken from the Word of GOD, to &s;hew, How the Elder&s;hips of a particular Church ought to &s;ettle the &s;piri|tuall Government of the Flock committed to them.</HI></P>
<P N="1">1. THe end and u&s;e of all Church-Offices and Government, is this; <HI>Fitly to compact the members of Chri&s;ts body to|gether by that which every joynt &s;upplieth; that it may grow up in Chri&s;t in all things, and edifie it &s;elf in love.</HI> Ephe&s;. 4. 15, 16.</P>
<P N="2">2. To bring this to pa&s;&s;e, as every one ought to <HI>walk worthy of the vocation wherewith he is called, in the unity of the Spirit with his Brethren,</HI> Ephe&s;. 4. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. So more e&s;pecially ought the Officers of the Church thus to walke before others, <HI>thinking &s;oberly of them&s;elves, according as God hath dealt unto them the mea&s;ure of Faith,</HI> and gift of Admini&s;tration. <HI>Rom.</HI> 12. 3, 4, 5.</P>
<P N="3">3. But if <HI>two cannot walk together except they be agreed,</HI> as the Prophet &s;aith, <HI>Amos</HI> 3. 3. far le&s;&s;e can many do &s;o, except they be agreed: therefore in all undertakings an agreement is to be &s;ought for. Fir&s;t among&s;t the Members of the Elder&s;hip within them&s;elves; Secondly, between the Elder&s;hip and the Flock over which they are &s;et; Thirdly, between one Church and its Neighbour-churches, if the&s;e at all be concerned in the matter; And la&s;tly, between the Churches that are united and concerned in each other, and the Civil Magi&s;trate, if the thing wherein they are agreed hath any reference unto the publique. And this Rule of proceeding is grounded upon the&s;e precepts: <HI>If it be po&s;&s;ible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men,</HI> Rom. 12. 18. <HI>And give none offence neither to the Jewes nor to the Gentiles, nor to the Church of God,</HI> 1 Cor. 10. 32. <HI>Let every one of us plea&s;e his Neighbour, to his edification for good</HI> Rom. 15. 2. Phil. 2. 4.</P>
<P N="4">4. To gain the&s;e Agreements, three things mu&s;t be found and made apparent in every &s;pirituall work of Government:
<PB N="24" REF="29"> One, in the Matter; another, in the End thereof; and a third, in the Manner of performing it.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t in the Matter, it mu&s;t appeare, that the thing to be done is in it &s;elf lawfull, that is, agreeable to the will and purpo&s;e of Chri&s;t, and no wayes prejudiciall to any of his lawes who is the onely (<HI>a</HI>) Lawgiver of the Church, (<HI>a</HI>) Jam. 4. 12. <HI>There is one Law-giver; who is able to &s;ave and to de&s;troy,</HI> Mat. 17. 5. <HI>This is my beloved Son in whom I am well plea&s;ed; heare ye him.</HI> &amp; I&s;a. 33. 22. <HI>The Lord is our Judge, the Lord is our law-giver, the Lord is our King; he will &s;ave us.</HI></P>
<P>Secondly in the End, it mu&s;t appeare, that the undertaking of the work is intended only as a duty towards God, and a &s;er|vice of love (<HI>b</HI>) towards the Saints; (<HI>b</HI>) Gal. 5. 13. <HI>By love &s;erve one another.</HI> &amp; 1 Pet. 4. 10, 11. <HI>As every man hath re|ceived the gift, &s;o mini&s;ter the &s;ame one to another,</HI> as good &s;tew|ards of the manifold graces of God&mdash;that God may be glo|rified in all things through Je&s;us Chri&s;t.] and not as an act of power; for no man hath <HI>dominion over another mans faith, but every one is bound to help another mans joy,</HI> 2 Cor. 1. 24.</P>
<P>Thirdly, in the Manner of going about every work, two things mu&s;t appeare&mdash;</P>
<P>1. That it is undertaken in an orderly cour&s;e, towards tho&s;e fir&s;t that are chiefly concerned therein, and then towards others by degrees; without prepo&s;terou&s;ne&s;&s;e and precipitancie.</P>
<P>2. That the addre&s;&s;es which are made to every one of the&s;e in their proper places, are to be with all <HI>lowline&s;&s;e, meekne&s;&s;e, long-&s;uffering, and forbearance in love, to the end than the unity of the Spirit may be kept entire in the bond of Peace,</HI> Ephe&s;. 4. 12. 3. <HI>And all vain-glory, and provocation to &s;trife, and envy being avoyded,</HI> no offence may be given or taken at the work intended. <HI>Phil. 2. 3. Gal. 5. 26. 2 Cor.</HI> 6. 3, 4.</P>
<P>Thus then we mu&s;t conclude: that in all acts of Government if the work be defective in any of the&s;e properties, there wil either be no agreement at all, or no long continuance thereof. Therefore the&s;e generall Rules mu&s;t have an influence upon all particular Deliberations and Re&s;olutions, to make them ef|fectuall. For the great point of difficulty in all acts of delibera|tion, is this; To order a mans thoughts within him&s;elf, to di&s;|cover
<PB N="25" REF="29"> a duty: And in the matter of Execution, the difficulty is this; To order a mans wayes towards others, &s;o as to find ac|ceptance. Now by the&s;e Rules, by Gods a&s;&s;i&s;tance, all the&s;e difficulties may be overcome. As for the particular acts of Go|vernment in them&s;elves, in admitting of Members to the Church, in ma<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ing u&s;e of the Keyes of the Kingdome of Heaven, in admini&s;tring the Seals of the Covenant, in over&s;eeing the Flock, and addre&s;&s;ing or redre&s;&s;ing them in their duties; they ought not &s;uddenly and ha&s;tily to be medled withall, till the&s;e Funda|mentals be well dige&s;ted; for by the Method, which is in them pre&s;cribed, they will prove &s;ucce&s;sfull. And in a word, nothing will ever be found commendable or warrantable, which in the undertaking, hath not a ri&s;e from &s;ome cleer Rule in the Word; and in the application, is not proportionate to the capacity of tho&s;e to whom it is to be applied: for the Apo&s;tle doth in&s;truct us by his example, to <HI>become all things to all men, to wiune &s;ome.</HI> 1 Cor. 9. 22.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="7" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD><HI>CHAP. VII.</HI> Concerning the office and imployment of Deacon<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">.</HEAD>
<P>1. THe name of a <HI>Deacon</HI> is diver&s;ly taken in the Scripture; (the Originall is <GAP DESC="foreign">) yet alwayes &s;ignifying one that is appointed for, or doth attend upon &s;ome &s;ervice: and according to the diver&s;ity of the &s;ervice, the word is differently taken.</P>
<P>2. Sometime it is applied to common &s;ervice; &s;ometime to peculiar &s;ervice to be performed in the Church only. It is ap|plied to common &s;ervice, <HI>Mat.</HI> 8. 15. where it is &s;aid of <HI>Peters</HI> wives mother, that &s;he being cured of her fever, <HI>ro&s;e</HI> and (<GAP DESC="foreign">) <HI>mini&s;tred unto them.</HI> And in this &s;en&s;e it is u&s;ed, <HI>Mat. 20. 26. He that will be great among you, let him be your mini&s;ter,</HI> (<GAP DESC="foreign">.)</P>
<P>3. When it is applied to &s;ervice peculiarly belonging to the Church, it is again differently taken:</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, for the whole work which by Gods appointment is
<PB N="26" REF="30"> to be performed in the Church, in all his Ordinances. So <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> is called, <HI>Rom.</HI> 15. 8. <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>a Mini&s;ter of the Circumci&s;ion;</HI> &s;o the Apo&s;tle, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 6. 3, 4. doth call him|&s;elf a Deacon of God, and his &s;ervice (<GAP DESC="foreign">) a Deacon|&s;hip; we render it Mini&s;tery: the words are, <HI>Giving none offence in any thing, that the Mini&s;tery (<GAP DESC="foreign">) be not blamed, but in all things approving our &s;elves as the Mini|&s;ters (<GAP DESC="foreign"> Deacons) of God.</HI> Here it takes in the Ad|mini&s;tration of the Word with the other &s;ervice.</P>
<P>Secondly, it is taken for that part of the Mini&s;tery which is contradi&s;tinct to the Admini&s;tration of the Word, and &s;tandeth wholly in matter of Action: in which &s;en&s;e it is taken, <HI>Rom.</HI> 12. 6, 7. where the Apo&s;tle doth di&s;tribute all the offices belonging to the Church into two kinds, into <HI>Prophe&s;ie,</HI> and into (<GAP DESC="foreign">) <HI>Mini&s;tery.</HI> By the fir&s;t he meaneth the whole di&s;pen&s;ation of the Word; and by the &s;econd, all that which belongeth to matter of Action.</P>
<P>Thirdly, it is taken mo&s;t properly for that part of Action and Church-&s;ervice, which is di&s;tinct from the proper work of the Elders; and &s;o it is here to be con&s;idered: and in this &s;en&s;e the quality of a Deacon is de&s;cribed, 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 3. from <HI>v.</HI> 8. till 14.</P>
<P>4. This office was in&s;tituted by the Apo&s;tles at <HI>Jeru&s;alem,</HI> to redre&s;&s;e an inconveniencie which did fall out in the <HI>daily mini|&s;tr<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">ion;</HI> namely the <HI>neglect of</HI> &s;ome <HI>widowes</HI> more then of o|thers; by rea&s;on of which inequality there aro&s;e a murmuring and di&s;content, which by the&s;e Officers was remedied, as you may read more at large, <HI>Acts 6. v.</HI> 1. till 7.</P>
<P>5. The proper work then of the Deacons, is, To look to the provi&s;ion which is made for the relief of the poor, that it be equally di&s;tributed according to their nece&s;&s;ities; and to this effect, they are to receive and keep the collections which are made for that u&s;e; and they ought to vi&s;it, and con&s;ider the &s;tate of the poor and &s;ick, that knowing their wants, the Elder&s;hip (and Congregation, if need be) may help to &s;upply the &s;ame ac|cording to their ability.</P>
<P>6. They ought in the work of their charge to be &s;ubordinate unto the Elder&s;hip, upon whom the chief care of the Flock doth
<PB N="27" REF="30"> lie: For, to ea&s;e the chief Elders at Jeru&s;alem, they were cre|ated: and the rea&s;on why they were con&s;tituted to ea&s;e them, is &s;till in force; for the text &s;aith thus, <HI>Act. 6. 1. There aro&s;e a murmuring of the Grecians again&s;t the Hebrews, becau&s;e their widowes were neglected in the daily mini&s;tration.</HI> Ver&s;. 2. <HI>Then the Twelve called the multitude of the Di&s;ciples unto them, and &s;aid, it is not rea&s;on that we &s;hould leave the word of God, and &s;erve tables.</HI> v. 3. <HI>Wherefore brethren, look ye out among you &s;even men of hone&s;t report, full of the Holy Gho&s;t and wi&s;dome, whom we may appoint over this bu&s;ine&s;&s;e;</HI> v. 4. <HI>But we will give our &s;elves continually to prayer, and the mini&s;try of the Word.</HI> From whence it appeareth, that the &s;ervice of tables (that is, to provide meat for the poor, and di&s;tribute unto them their portion) is not to be impo&s;ed upon them that attend the labour of the Word and Prayer, but ought to be committed unto &s;ome others. And that the&s;e others are &s;ubordinate unto them, appeareth both by the nature of their imployment, which is about a matter of lower concernment; and by the manner of their admi&s;&s;ion unto it, which was by the impo&s;ition of the hands of the Elder&s;hip: for the Apo&s;tles did appoint them to their office, not only as Apo&s;tles, but as Elders of that congregation.</P>
<P>7. And becau&s;e they are thus &s;ubordinate unto the Elder&s;hip by their primitive con&s;titution; therefore in the Reformed churches they are obliged to regulate their matters by the advi&s;e of the Elder&s;hip, to whom they are bound from time to time to &s;hew the accounts of their receipts and disbur&s;ments, and the condition of the poor who are to be relieved. [In the Synodical Acts of the French churches, <HI>cap.</HI> 4. and in the Church-Orders of the Dutch-churches, <HI>art.</HI> 25.</P>
<P>8. And becau&s;e they are thus accountable unto the Elder&s;hip, they are bound to keep exact reckonings of their receipts and disbur&s;ements. The Receipts come, in Foraigne churches, chiefly in <HI>France</HI> and <HI>Low-Countries,</HI> onely from free willing contributions, which at every meeting of the Congregation to heare the Word, are gathered by the Deacons; and the Disbur&s;ements are indifferently to all the Poore who offer them&s;elves, but chiefly to tho&s;e of their owne Congre|gation.</P>
<PB N="28" REF="31">
<P>9. In larger Congregations of the Foraign churches, the Elder|&s;hip hath their meeting apart from the Deacons, &amp; the Deacons meet ordinarily by them&s;elves once or twice a week; but in le&s;&s;er Congregations, the Elders and Deacons meet ordinarily all to|gether at lea&s;t once a week.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="8" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD><HI>CHAP. VIII.</HI> Concerning the Duty of Chri&s;tians, as they are to be in a particular Church, and under the government of Rulers &s;et over them in the Lord.</HEAD>
<P>1. WE under&s;tand by Chri&s;tians, men that have given up their names unto Chri&s;t, to be called (<HI>a</HI>) by his name, (<HI>a</HI>) Act. 11. 26. <HI>The Di&s;ciples were called Chri&s;tians fir&s;t in Antioch.</HI> &amp; Ephe&s;. 3. 15. <HI>Of whom the family in heaven and earth is named;</HI> to call (<HI>b</HI>) upon him, (<HI>b</HI>) 1 Cor. 1. 2. <HI>All that in every place call upon the name of Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</HI>] by calling him (<HI>c</HI>) their Lord, (<HI>c</HI>) 1 Cor. 12. 3. <HI>No man can &s;ay that Je&s;us Chri&s;t is the Lord, but by the Holy Gho&s;t.</HI></P>
<P>2. By a <HI>Church,</HI> is meant a congregation of &s;uch men called and gathered together by the Word; <HI>Mat.</HI> 13. 37. till 44. to be (<HI>d</HI>) &s;eparate from the world, (<HI>d</HI>) 2 Cor. 6. 17. <HI>Come out from them, and be ye &s;eparate, &s;aith the Lord, and I will receive you.</HI> &amp; Revel. 18. 4. <HI>Come out of her</HI> (viz. of Babylon) <HI>my people</HI>] and in the u&s;e of all <HI>Chri&s;ts ordinances, to be an habitation of God through the Spirit,</HI> Ephe&s;. 2. 19, 20, 2<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">, 22.</P>
<P>3. The duty of Chri&s;tians as vi&s;ible profe&s;&s;ors of Chri&s;tianity; doth &s;tand in a threefold Relation:</P>
<P>The fir&s;t is to the Church, as it is the Body of Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>The &s;econd is to the Elder&s;hip of that Church.</P>
<P>The third is to the Members thereof.</P>
<P><HI>Of the fir&s;t,</HI> viz. <HI>Duties relating to the Body of Chri&s;t.</HI></P>
<P>4. All Chri&s;tians that glory in the name of Chri&s;t, ought to appeare (<HI>e</HI>) for him among&s;t men, (<HI>e</HI>) Matth. 10. 32, 33. <HI>Who&s;o|ever &s;hall confe&s;&s;e me before men, him will I confe&s;&s;e al&s;o before my
<PB N="29" REF="31"> Father which is in heaven; but who&s;oever &s;hall deny me before men, him will I al&s;o deny before my Father which is in heaven.</HI>] And they ought &s;o to appeare as he hath appointed, and not as they think good, or as men appoint. Mat. 15. 9. <HI>In vain do they wor|&s;hip me, teaching for doctrines the commandements of men.</HI></P>
<P>5. Tho&s;e that will appeare for <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> ought to apply them|&s;elves to &s;ome particular Congregation profe&s;&s;ing Saint&s;hip, as Members thereof. Mat. 12. 30. <HI>He that is not with me, is again&s;t me, and he that gathereth not with me, &s;cattereth abroad.</HI> Mat. 11. 28, 29. <HI>Come unto me&mdash;take my yoke upon you.</HI> Gal. 6. 10. <HI>Them who are of the hou&s;hold of faith.</HI> 1 Joh. 2. 19. <HI>They went out from us, but they were not of us,</HI> &amp;c. I&s;a. 8. 16. <HI>Binde up the Te&s;timony, and &s;eale the Law among my di&s;ciples.</HI> 1 Cor. 1, 2. <HI>&V;nto the Church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are &s;anctified&mdash;called to be Saints.</HI> &amp; 1 Cor. 12. 27. <HI>Ye are members in particular.</HI></P>
<P>6. It is foretold, that there &s;hould be many Congregations in the Church of the Go&s;pel, and yet all upon the &s;ame Mount <HI>Sion,</HI> and under the &s;ame defence; and by Gods appointment to be as one Body, I&s;a. 4. 5. <HI>&V;pon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her a&s;&s;emblies, there &s;hall be a cloud and &s;moak by day, and the burning of a flaming fire by night.</HI> Joh. 10. 16. <HI>Other &s;heep, not of this fold, them I mu&s;t bring&mdash;there &s;hall be one fold and one &s;hepherd.</HI></P>
<P>7. Now to under&s;tand the Relation which believing Pro|fe&s;&s;ours have unto the Church, three things are to be con&s;idered. Fir&s;t, how every Believer doth &s;tand, as to a particular Congre|gation. Secondly, how one Congregation doth &s;tand as to an|other, in re&s;pect both of the Members and of the Rulers thereof. And thirdly, how Believers &s;hould apply them&s;elves unto par|ticular Congregations, and be received therein by their Elder|&s;hips.</P>
<P>8. All Believers <HI>are baptized by one: Spirit into one Body,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Of the fir&s;t head; how be|lievers stand in a particular congregation.</NOTE> 1 Cor. 12, 13. and in that one Body they are called to the en|joyment <HI>of the Peace of God,</HI> Colo&s;&s;. 3. 15. and therein by God <HI>&s;et in their</HI> &s;everall <HI>places,</HI> 1 Cor. 12. 18. and <HI>made members one of another,</HI> Rom. 12. 4, 5. and <HI>joyned</HI> and <HI>compacted together by joynts under their head Chri&s;t Je&s;us,</HI> Ephe&s;. 4. 16. who&s;e Body is
<PB N="30" REF="32"> every congregation of believers, 1 Cor. 12. 27. <HI>Now ye</HI> (viz. Corinthians) <HI>are the Body of Chri&s;t,</HI> Rom. 12. 5. <HI>So we</HI> (viz. Romans) <HI>are one Body in Chri&s;t.</HI> And the Church univer&s;all, Ephe&s;. 1. 22, 23. <HI>the head over all things to the Church, which is his Body, the fulne&s;&s;e of him that filleth all in all.</HI></P>
<P>9. From hence it is evident, that every believer is not only bound to make open profe&s;&s;ion of his faith, (as is (<HI>f</HI>) required <HI>Rom. 10. 9, 10.) (f) If thou confe&s;&s;e with thy mouth the Lord Je&s;us, and &s;halt believe in thine heart that God hath rai&s;ed him from the dead, thou &s;halt be &s;aved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, and with the mouth confe&s;&s;ion is made unto &s;alvation.</HI>] but that in &s;o doing he is bound to appeare in the communion of (<HI>g</HI>) Saints, <HI>&s;tanding in one body fa&s;t together with</HI> others, &amp; <HI>&s;triving for the Faith of the Go&s;pel,</HI> Phil. 1, 27. (<HI>g</HI>) Ph. 2. 1, 2, 4. <HI>If there be any con&s;olation in Chri&s;t, if any comfort of love, if any fellow&s;hip of the Spirit&mdash;be ye like-minded, having the &s;ame love, being of one accord, of one mind; look not every man on his own things, but every man al&s;o on the things of others.</HI>] And by this conjunction of Believers, when an Elder&s;hip is rightly &s;et over them, particular Congregations are con&s;tituted. As <HI>Act.</HI> 14. 22, 23. The Apo&s;tles having converted the Gentiles to the faith, <HI>ordained them Elders in every Church,</HI> with prayer and fa&s;ting.</P>
<P>10. As &s;ingle Believers are bound to a&s;&s;ociate them&s;elves one to<NOTE PLACE="marg">Of the &s;econd head, how con|gregations doe &s;tand one to an|other.</NOTE> another; &s;o ought every congregation of Believers to a&s;&s;ociate it &s;elf to its neighbour-congregation by the very &s;ame rules &amp; bands by which particular Chri&s;tians are bound to joyn them&s;elves one to another. For if <HI>all</HI> Believers in the world <HI>are baptized into one Body, 1 Cor.</HI> 12. 13. and if all are <HI>called to the Peace of God in that one Body, Col.</HI> 3. 15. and are bound to <HI>endeavour the &V;nity of the Spirit one towards another, in the Bond of that Peace,</HI> be|cau&s;e there is but <HI>one Body of Chri&s;t</HI> in all the world, <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 4. 1, 2, 3, 4. which is homogeneall (that is, of the &s;ame kinde) in all the members thereof: And if this <HI>whole Body</HI> is to <HI>be fitly joyned and compacted together by that which every joint &s;upplieth, Ephe&s;.</HI> 4. 16. Then ought none of all the congregations of Be|lievers to &s;tand &s;eparate one from another, but are bound to unite them&s;elves by their joynts (that is their Officers) &s;o neer as po&s;&s;ibly they can, in all Spirituall relations, for their <HI>mutuall edification in love,</HI> Ephe&s;. 4. 16.</P>
<PB N="31" REF="32">
<P>11. So then, every true Believer that hath made open pro|fe&s;&s;ion<NOTE PLACE="marg">In re&s;pect of their Members.</NOTE> of his faith, by being a member of any one Congregation, hath a right of member&s;hip unto all the congregations of the world, becau&s;e all are <HI>but one in Chri&s;t,</HI> Gal. 3. 28. and all have <HI>one and the &s;ame acce&s;&s;e unto the Father,</HI> and are <HI>fellow-citizens,</HI> and of the <HI>&s;ame hou&s;hold of Faith,</HI> Ephe&s;. 2. 19.</P>
<P>12. It is then contrary to the mind of Chri&s;t, that tho&s;e who make profe&s;&s;ion of the &s;ame faith, and wor&s;hip in the &s;ame way, &s;hould &s;tand either &s;ingle by them&s;elves, and not imbodyed with other profe&s;&s;ors; or &s;tand &s;o imbodyed with &s;ome, as to be di&s;|joynted from other bodies of the &s;ame profe&s;&s;ion.</P>
<P>13. Nor ought any Church-officers to take upon them &s;uch a<NOTE PLACE="marg">In re&s;pect of their Officers.</NOTE> Relation to any particular Body, as to think them&s;elves obliged unto none but unto the members thereof, in their Mini&s;teriall charges; for if they do &s;o, they make them&s;elves to be no joints in the body of Chri&s;t, (which every officer is bound to be) and they hinder the <HI>compacting of the whole together,</HI> which is con|trary to the end of their imployment, <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 4. 13. 16. and they open a door to the <HI>cunning craftine&s;&s;e</HI> of <HI>men who lie in wait to deceive;</HI> that it <HI>may &s;educe the &s;imple and plain-hearted believer, and un&s;ettle him.</HI> Ephe&s;. 4. 14. Rom. 16. 18.</P>
<P>14. All Chri&s;tians applying them&s;elves unto a particular<NOTE PLACE="marg">Of the third head, how be|leevers &s;hould apply them|&s;elves to a par|ticular Congre|gation.</NOTE> congregation, ought to come thereunto free, <HI>willingly, in the beauty of holine&s;&s;e,</HI> P&s;al. 110. 3. and not upon any other con&s;ide|rations then the love of Holine&s;&s;e, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 84.</P>
<P>15. If any that are eminent in the world, do &s;tand upon the points of Honour, thinking that they have a right to the privi|ledges of the kingdom of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> by rea&s;on of their places in the world; and that it would be unbe&s;eeming to them to offer them|&s;elves to be admitted into a particular congregation: They do greatly mi&s;take the nature of Gods kingdom, &amp; the &s;tate of true Honour; for none are truly excellent &amp; honourable but (<HI>h</HI>) Saints, (<HI>h</HI>) P&s;al. 16. 3. <HI>The Saints that are in the earth, and to the ex|cellent in whom is all my delight</HI>] and the Godly, <HI>whom God hath &s;et apart for him&s;elf,</HI> P&s;al. 4. 2, 3. Now the <HI>Kingdome of Chri&s;t is not of this world,</HI> Ioh. 18. 37. nor can it be entertained with the worldly re&s;pects (<HI>i</HI>) of per&s;ons, (<HI>i</HI>) Jam. 2. 1, 2. <HI>My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t the Lord of glory,
<PB N="32" REF="33"> with re&s;pect of per&s;ons; For if there come into your A&s;&s;embly a man with a gold ring in goodly apparell, and there come in al&s;o a poore man in vile raiment,</HI> v. 3. <HI>and ye have re&s;pect to him that weareth the gay cloathing, and &s;ay unto him, Sit thou here in a good place, and &s;ay to the poor, Stand thou there, or &s;it here under my foot&s;toole,</HI> v. 4. <HI>are ye not then partiall in your &s;elves, and become judges of evill thoughts?</HI>] Becau&s;e the world, and all that is in it, is either wholly oppo&s;ite (<HI>k</HI>) unto Chri&s;tianity, and <HI>doth lie in wicked|ne&s;&s;e,</HI> 1 Joh. 5. 19. (<HI>k</HI>) Gal. 6. 14. <HI>But God forbid that I &s;hould glory &s;ave in the cro&s;&s;e of the Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t; by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.</HI> &amp; 1 Cor. 3. 19. <HI>The wi&s;dome of this world is fooli&s;hne&s;&s;e with God.</HI>] or el&s;e, at the be&s;t, (<HI>l</HI>) &s;ubordinate unto it. (<HI>l</HI>) &amp; 1 Cor. 3. 22. <HI>whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things pre|&s;ent, or things to come, all are yours, and ye are Chri&s;ts, and Chri&s;t is Gods.</HI> As if he had &s;aid, Chri&s;t is &s;ubordinate unto God, ye are &s;ubordinate unto Chri&s;t, the world and all things in it are &s;ubordinate to your u&s;e in reference to Chri&s;t. Therefore it can be no di&s;paragement to any in the world to apply them&s;elves to Chri&s;t in his ordinances; but it will be their greate&s;t honour, to exalt him; for &s;uch as <HI>confe&s;&s;e him before men, he will confe&s;&s;e before his heavenly Father and his holy Angels,</HI> Mat. 10. 32. Luk. 12. 8.</P>
<P>16. Nor do the Saints by their profe&s;&s;ion of being &s;eparate from the world, make voyd any of the lawes of nature; becau&s;e they are commanded to be <HI>&s;ubject unto every ordinance of man for the Lords &s;ake,</HI> 1 Pet. 2. 13. And the Lord of glory him&s;elfe (though not bound) did &s;ubmit, by paying tribute, unto the ordinance of <HI>Cae&s;ar,</HI> Mat. 17. 24, 25, 26, 27. and <HI>hath commanded all to give unto Cae&s;ar what is Cae&s;ars, and unto God what is Gods,</HI> Mat. 22. 15. till <HI>v.</HI> 22. Now to <HI>Cae&s;ar</HI> is due (<HI>m</HI>) &s;ubmi&s;&s;ion, and (<HI>n</HI>) honour. (<HI>m</HI>) Rom. 13. 1. <HI>Let every &s;oule be &s;ubject to the Higher powers.</HI> &amp; 1 Pet. 2. 13. <HI>Submit your &s;elves&mdash;unto the King as &s;upreme, or unto Governours as unto them that are &s;ent by him. (n</HI>) 1 Pet. 2. 17. <HI>Honour the King.</HI>] As then by the Kingdom of Chri&s;t, none of the great ones of the world lo&s;e any re&s;pect due unto them, but rather receive an increa&s;e of Honour; &s;o they ought not to refu&s;e to yield unto Chri&s;t the re&s;pect
<PB N="33" REF="33"> which is due unto Him, and his Kingdom; for by giving them|&s;elves up to it, they are &s;et above them&s;elves, that is, out of the world and the re&s;pects of it.</P>
<P>17. Every one then that will be called a Chri&s;tian (what|&s;oever they are among&s;t men, it maketh no matter, God ac|cepteth no mans per&s;on) is bound as a Chri&s;tian to offer him|&s;elf to be imbodyed into a Congregation, and to partake of the priviledges of the hou&s;hold of Faith, and ought profe&s;&s;edly to (<HI>o</HI>) &s;ubject him&s;elf unto the Go&s;pel, (<HI>o</HI>) 2 Cor. 9. 13. <HI>They glorifie God for your profe&s;&s;ed &s;ubjection unto the Go&s;pel of Chri&s;t.</HI>] and give (<HI>p</HI>) him&s;elf over unto the Lord, and by the will of God unto that Elder&s;hip whereunto he doth make his applica|tion. (<HI>p</HI>) 2 Cor. 8. 5. <HI>They gave their own &s;elves unto the Lord, and unto us, by the will of God.</HI> &amp; Act. 2. 41, 42. <HI>There was added</HI> (viz. unto the Church) <HI>three thou&s;and &s;oules; and they continued &s;tedfa&s;tly in the Apostles doctrine, and fellow&s;hip, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.</HI></P>
<P>18. Such as offer them&s;elves in this manner unto the Elder|&s;hip,<NOTE PLACE="marg">And how they &s;hould be re|ceived therein.</NOTE> ought to be received without much (<HI>q</HI>) difficulty or &s;cru|pulo&s;ity, (<HI>q</HI>) Rom. 14. 1. <HI>Him that is weak in the Faith, receive you, but not to doubtfull di&s;putations.</HI>] even as Chri&s;t (<HI>r</HI>) received us, (<HI>r</HI>) Rom. 15. 7. <HI>Receive ye one another, as Chri&s;t al&s;o re|ceived us to the glory of God.</HI>] And &s;uch as <HI>come to him,</HI> he &s;aith <HI>he will in no wi&s;e ca&s;t out,</HI> Joh. 6. 37.</P>
<P>19. Now concerning the outward form and manner of ad|mitting Profe&s;&s;ors unto the holy Communion, and di&s;tingui&s;hing them from tho&s;e that are without; we find nothing di&s;tinctly enjoyned in the Word, or extant in the practice of the Apo|&s;tles: Therefore that which may concern this matter, is con|ceived to be left free unto the di&s;cretion of the Elder&s;hip, as they &s;hall think it mo&s;t fit, for the edification and capacity of tho&s;e with whom they have to do.</P>
<P>And herein the cu&s;tomes of the Reformed churches, in re&s;pect of circum&s;tantials, are found to be different; yet, in the main, their agreement is this&mdash;</P>
<P>1. That every one who for the fir&s;t time is to be admitted unto the Holy communion, is to be examined in re&s;pect of his knowledge and conver&s;ation; although from his infancie he
<PB N="34" REF="34"> hath been borne, baptized, and bred in the Congregation.</P>
<P>2. If he come from abroad; having years of di&s;cretion and judgement fit to examine him&s;elf, it is expected he &s;hould have a te&s;timoniall of his former life and conver&s;ation, and of his diligence in attending the Ordinances in the place where he hath lived. And being found knowing in the fundamentall truths of Chri&s;tianity, he is de&s;ired</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, to declare that his purpo&s;e is to live and die in the com|munion of the Reformed churches.</P>
<P>Secondly, to promi&s;e, that if he &s;hould conceive any &s;cruples of the Doctrine that is taught in the Reformed churches, he &s;hall not conceale his doubts, and fall away from the Fellow&s;hip into which he is received; but make the &s;ame known unto his Teach|ers, to receive &s;atisfaction therein.</P>
<P>Thirdly, to oblige him&s;elf to u&s;e all carefull diligence to ho|nour and adorn his profe&s;&s;ion with his life and conver&s;ation, and to avoyd all occa&s;ion of &s;candall.</P>
<P>Fourthly and la&s;tly, to promi&s;e to &s;ubmit him&s;elf unto the Rules of Church-di&s;cipline, according to the Word; and to re&s;pect tho&s;e that are &s;et over him in the Lord.</P>
<P>All which he is engaged to do by word of mouth, and by giving his hand unto the Elder&s;hip.</P>
<P>In &s;ome places, this admi&s;&s;ion of Members is left to the Pa&s;tor, to be performed in private; yet &s;o, as the reception of the party mu&s;t be notified unto, and ratified by the Elder&s;hip. In &s;ome places, all is done before the whole Elder&s;hip. In &s;ome places al&s;o, the names of tho&s;e that are admitted, are publi&s;hed unto the whole Congregation from the Pulpit.</P>
<DIV3 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Of the &s;econd, <HI>viz.</HI> Duties relating to the Elder&s;hip.</HEAD>
<P>20. Such as have given up their names unto a Congregation to be under a Pa&s;torall charge, and the government of an Elder|&s;hip, ought to hear (<HI>s</HI>) the voice of their Pa&s;tors, (<HI>s</HI>) Joh. 10. 3. <HI>The &s;heep hear his voice.</HI>] To (<HI>t</HI>) follow them, (<HI>t</HI>) Ibid. v. 4. <HI>The &s;heep follow him, for they know his voice.</HI>] To continue (<HI>u</HI>) in their fellow&s;hip, and not to follow &s;trangers, (<HI>u</HI>) Act. 2. 42. <HI>They continued &s;tedfa&s;tly in the Apo&s;tles doctrine and fellow&s;hip.</HI>]
<PB N="35" REF="34"> Yet by this they are not deprived of the liberty of hearing others be&s;ides their own Pa&s;tors, that they may (<HI>x</HI>) prove all things, and hold fa&s;t that which is good, (<HI>x</HI>) 1 The&s;&s; 5. 21. <HI>Prove all things, hold fa&s;t that which is good.</HI></P>
<P>21. They ought to obey their Rulers (<HI>y</HI>) &amp; &s;ubmit them&s;elves unto them; that their work may be done with joy, and not with grief, (<HI>y</HI>) Heb. 13. 17. <HI>Obey them that have the Rule over you, and &s;ubmit your &s;elves, for they watch&mdash;That they may do it with joy, and not with grief.</HI></P>
<P>22. This obedience and &s;ubmi&s;&s;ion ought not to be formall, but hearty, proceeding from (<HI>z</HI>) a high e&s;teem of them in love for their works &s;ake, (<HI>z</HI>) 1 The&s;&s;. 5. 13. <HI>E&s;teem them</HI> (viz. tho&s;e that labour, and are over you in the Lord, and admoni&s;h you) <HI>very highly in love for their works &s;ake.</HI></P>
<P>23. As an inward affection and e&s;teem, &s;o an outward care for their Rulers is requi&s;ite in Profe&s;&s;ors: They ought then to <HI>communicate unto tho&s;e that teach them in all good things,</HI> Gal. 6. 6. counting all that Rule well, <HI>worthy of double honour; but e&s;pecially</HI> to provide maintenance for <HI>tho&s;e that labour in the word and doctrine,</HI> 1 Tim. 5. 17. becau&s;e the Lord hath ordained <HI>that tho&s;e who preach the Go&s;pel, &s;hould live of the Go&s;pel,</HI> 1 Cor. 9. 14.</P>
<P>24. They ought <HI>to mark and avoyd all Teachers that cau&s;e offences and divi&s;ions among&s;t them,</HI> Rom. 16.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Of the third, <HI>viz.</HI> Duties relating to their Fellow-members.</HEAD>
<P>25. They ought to con&s;ider their fellow-members; to <HI>provoke them to love and to good works; not for&s;aking the a&s;&s;embling of them&s;elves together, as the manner of &s;ome is.</HI> Heb. 10. 24, 25.</P>
<P>26. They ought to <HI>hold forth the word of life, and &s;hine as lights in the world in the mid&s;t of a crooked generation,</HI> Phil. 2. 15.</P>
<P>27. To this effect they ought to do all things without <HI>mur|murings and di&s;putings, that they may be found blamele&s;&s;e as the children of God,</HI> Phil. 2. 4.</P>
<P>28. They ought to <HI>&s;erve their brethren through love,</HI> Gal. 5. 13. and <HI>not to plea&s;e them&s;elves, but others for their good to edification,</HI> Rom. 15. 1, 2.</P>
<PB N="36" REF="35">
<P>29. They ought not either to <HI>de&s;pi&s;e</HI> or <HI>judge</HI> one another for matters which God hath left free, either to be done, or not to be done, according as God doth give every one the mea&s;ure of faith. <HI>Rom.</HI> 14. the whole chap.</P>
<P>30. They ought to <HI>withdraw them&s;elves from every brother that walketh di&s;orderly and is a bu&s;ie body,</HI> 2 The&s;&s;. 3. 6, 11. yet they ought not to <HI>count him an enemy, but &s;hould admoni&s;h him as a Brother.</HI> ibid. v. 15.</P>
</DIV3>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="9" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD><HI>CHAP. IX.</HI> Certain Rules concerning the Admini&s;tration of the LORDS Supper, for the decent ordering of the action. Offered to the con&s;ideration of tho&s;e that &s;cruple at the ge&s;ture of Sitting.</HEAD>
<P>1. IT is not lawfull for us, in Gods wor&s;hip, to do what we think good in our own eyes; but what is mo&s;t agreeable to his will.</P>
<P>2. For if we know not what his will is, we cannot wor&s;hip him in Faith.</P>
<P>3. If we wor&s;hip him not in faith, we cannot plea&s;e him.</P>
<P>4. And if we plea&s;e him not, we cannot expect a ble&s;&s;ing upon our performance.</P>
<P>5. Therefore to be &s;ure of a ble&s;&s;ing, we mu&s;t know and carefully ob&s;erve that which is mo&s;t an&s;werable to his will, in things belonging to his wor&s;hip.</P>
<P>6. Now to know and ob&s;erve this in the Sacrament of the Lords &s;upper; Chri&s;ts practi&s;e in the in&s;titution thereof, &s;o far as he would have us to imitate the &s;ame, and his intention in commanding us to imitate him therein, is to be con&s;idered.</P>
<P>7. The nece&s;&s;ity of con&s;idering Chri&s;ts practi&s;e and intention in this matter, doth ari&s;e from the Apo&s;tles commandement, who doth herein very di&s;tinctly referre us unto Chri&s;t him&s;elfe for a warrant of that which is to be done; &s;aying, that in this matter, he <HI>delivered that which he received of the Lord,</HI> 1 Cor. 11. 23. and that we ought <HI>to follow him &s;o far as he is a follower of the Lord,</HI> ibid. v. 1.</P>
<PB N="37" REF="35">
<P>8. Therefore we are bound to look unto Chri&s;t in the fir&s;t place; and to the Apo&s;tles afterward, with a reference unto the Lord: becau&s;e finally our faith mu&s;t re&s;t only in the Lord, as the object thereof; and the end and u&s;e of the Apo&s;tolicall mini&s;tery is, to call us unto communion with them; that by them <HI>we may have communion with the Father, and with his &s;onne Je&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> 1 Joh. 1. 3. For we are &s;ure, that in following him and fulfilling his intention, we do nothing ami&s;&s;e; becau&s;e He is <HI>the Way, the Truth, and the Life,</HI> Joh. 14. 6.</P>
<P>9. Chri&s;ts practi&s;e then in the in&s;titution of his Supper, in that which is to be imitated, is this&mdash;</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, he took the Bread, and by giving &s;peciall thanks over it, he &s;eparated it from the common to a holy u&s;e; then he brake it, and gave it to his di&s;ciples, and commanded them to eat thereof.</P>
<P>Secondly, he took the Cup, which in like manner by a &s;peciall ble&s;&s;ing he &s;eparated from the common to a holy u&s;e; and then gave it to his Di&s;ciples, commanding them all to drink of it.</P>
<P>Thirdly, this bread and cup the Lord did di&s;tribute being at the table with his Di&s;ciples, where he &s;pake with them of his death and of the fruits thereof, and of his comming again, as you may &s;ee more at large in <HI>Matth.</HI> 26. from <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 20. till 36. <HI>Mark</HI> 14. from <HI>v.</HI> 18. till 32. <HI>Luk.</HI> 22. from <HI>v.</HI> 13. till 39. and in <HI>John,</HI> the whole chapters, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17. are to be com|pared with the other three Evangeli&s;ts, and taken in as the matter of his table-di&s;cour&s;e.</P>
<P>10. Next unto this practi&s;e of the Lord, the Apo&s;tolicall pra|cti&s;e, which in the Primitive church did herein follow the Lord, is con&s;iderable; that we may ob&s;erve thereby what is properly imitable in the Lords practi&s;e, by the Church.</P>
<P>11. Let us look upon that which the Apo&s;tle <HI>Paul</HI> delivereth unto the church of <HI>Corinth,</HI> Epi&s;t. 1. chap. 10, 11. I &s;hall open the places briefly, and then make &s;ome ob&s;ervations upon them.</P>
<P>In <HI>chap.</HI> 10. the Apo&s;tles &s;cope is, to di&s;&s;wade the Corinthians from &s;ymbolizing with Idolaters in eating of things &s;acrificed unto idols. The parts of the chapter are two: Fir&s;t, he forbids a mixt communion with Idolaters in things pertaining to their Idol-wor&s;hip, as &s;uch; from <HI>v.</HI> 1. till 23. Secondly, he permits
<PB N="38" REF="36"> unto them a mixt conver&s;ation with Idolaters, in eating and drinking even of tho&s;e things which they had offered unto idols, with this caution, if it were done without offence unto weaker brethren, from <HI>v.</HI> 23. till the end.</P>
<P>Among&s;t other arguments u&s;ed to di&s;&s;wade them from par|taking with idolaters in their Idol-wor&s;hip, one is taken from their engagement to celebrate the Lords &s;upper, and from the relation which they had to the Lord in it, and to one another. This is expre&s;&s;ed from <HI>v.</HI> 15. till 22. where fir&s;t he &s;tirs them up to attention, and to a &s;erious con&s;ideration of that which he was to &s;ay. <HI>I &s;peak as to wi&s;e men</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>judge ye what I &s;ay,</HI> v. 15. Then he declareth unto them three things; and by the an&s;wer of a doubt, doth conclude his dehortation.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t he &s;heweth what is meant by the u&s;e of the Elements in the Lords &s;upper. <HI>The cup of ble&s;&s;ing</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>which we ble&s;&s;e, is it not the communion of the blood of Chri&s;t? and the bread which we breake, is it not the communion of the body of Chri&s;t?</HI> ver&s;. 16. As if he had &s;aid, What do you mean by ble&s;&s;ing the cup, and breaking the bread at the Lords &s;upper? for what end and pur|po&s;e is it in&s;tituted? Is it not to evidence that you have com|munion with Chri&s;t in his body and blood, as his &s;pirituall mem|bers belonging to him?</P>
<P>Secondly he &s;heweth what is meant by their joynt partaking of the Elements. <HI>We being many</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>are one bread, and one body; for we are all partakers of that one bread,</HI> v. 17. As if he had &s;aid; although in our &s;elves we are many and di&s;tinct per|&s;ons, yet in reference to Chri&s;t we are (as of old the &s;hew-bread was to the Lord) but one bread, and one my&s;ticall body; becau&s;e we all jointly do partake of that one bread which in a my&s;terie is his body. And this is brought in as a rea&s;on to confirme the foregoing point; <HI>For</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>we being many, are one bread,</HI> &amp;c. that is, The rea&s;on why the ble&s;&s;ing of the cup and breaking of the bread doth mean and import a communion with Chri&s;t in his blood &amp; body, is cleer from our mutual relation and the con|junction wherein we &s;tand one to another, by this action jointly performed; which is this: That we all by it re&s;pecting each other in Chri&s;t, evidence our &s;elves to be one bread and one body to him. So then hereby we plainly atte&s;t our communion with
<PB N="39" REF="36"> him, &s;eeing by this action, as relating unto him, we have com|munion one with another.</P>
<P>Thirdly, he &s;heweth what is meant by the eating of Sacrifices. v. 18. <HI>Behold</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>I&s;rael after the fle&s;h; are not they which eat of the &s;acrifices, partakers of the altar?</HI> As if he had &s;aid: con&s;ider the cu&s;tome of the Jews after the fle&s;h in their &s;acrifices, and the ordinance that God gave unto them concerning the eat|ing of holy things: Their cu&s;tome is, that &s;uch as eat of the Sa|crifices, have communion with the Altar, and partake in the wor&s;hip by which the &s;acrifices are offered up unto God; and if you look upon Gods ordinance given to the Prie&s;ts concerning holy things, <HI>Levit.</HI> 22. from <HI>v.</HI> 10. till 17. you &s;hall &s;ee that all &s;trangers are expre&s;ly forbidden to partake thereof, and that none but &s;uch as had a reference to the altar might eat of them; the Lord intimating, and the cu&s;tome of the Nation confirming it, that the eating of &s;acrifices is not a common action, but a matter of wor&s;hip importing a communion with the Altar.</P>
<P>From all which the Apo&s;tle doth tacitely in&s;inuate thus much: That as the chief thing aimed at in the Lords &s;upper, is to evi|dence our communion with Chri&s;t, and with one another in re|ference to him; and the cleer purpo&s;e of the Jews in eating of &s;a|crifices, was to manife&s;t their relation unto the Altar as partakers of the wor&s;hip and &s;ervice done at it; So the meaning and intent of eating things &s;acrificed unto Idols, mu&s;t be, to have communi|on with the altar of the Idol, and the idolatrous wor&s;hip per|formed thereat. This inference is not expre&s;&s;ed, but only inti|mated, till a doubt be propo&s;ed and an&s;wered.</P>
<P>The doubt is propo&s;ed <HI>v.</HI> 19. thus: <HI>What &s;ay L<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">h<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">n</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>that the Idol is any thing? or that which is offered <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">n &s;acrifice to Idols is any thing?</HI> As if he had &s;aid: I do not intend to intimate unto you by this, that an Idol is that which hath a reall being; <HI>for we know that an Idol is nothing in the world,</HI> 1 Cor. 8. 4, 8. con&s;equently, I do not &s;ay that the things offered in &s;acrifice unto Idols are any thing in reference to wor&s;hip, further then the imagination of the Idolater doth fancie them to be; which giveth no being to any thing. So then in the propo&s;all of the doubt, he doth cleerly deny that which it &s;eemeth to &s;uppo&s;e; and then for a fuller an&s;wer unto it, he doth &s;hew his cleer
<PB N="40" REF="37"> meaning concerning the &s;acrifices of the Gentiles, and inferreth from thence as a conclu&s;ion, that their duty was, not to partake thereof.</P>
<P>His meaning concerning the &s;acrifices of the Gentiles, is, <HI>v.</HI> 20. in the&s;e words: <HI>But I &s;ay that the things which the Gentiles &s;a|crifice, they &s;acrifice unto devils</HI> (Demons) <HI>and not unto God.</HI> As if he had &s;aid; But my meaning is, to declare that the purpo&s;e of the Gentiles is to wor&s;hip their Demons, which are Devils, or imaginary, and not the true Gods.</P>
<P>Whereupon he inferreth his dehortatory conclu&s;ion thus: <HI>And I would not that ye &s;hould have fellow&s;hip with devils.</HI> As if he &s;aid; Becau&s;e the meaning and purpo&s;e of partaking of Sacrifices, is to have communion in Wor&s;hip; and it is evident that the Gentiles do wor&s;hip Demons, which are devils, or ima|ginary gods; therefore I di&s;&s;wade you from having any <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="3 letters">|munion with them. And he giveth the rea&s;on why he doth <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="3 letters">|&s;wade them from this, <HI>v.</HI> 21. in the&s;e words: <HI>Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of Devils; ye cannot be partakers of the Lords table, and of the table of Devils;</HI> As if he had &s;aid, I di&s;&s;wade you from this, becau&s;e you cannot &s;tand under two oppo&s;ite relations, and have communion with two oppo&s;ites at one and the &s;ame time. The relation which you have unto Chri&s;t, and their relation to the Devils, are oppo&s;ite; therefore you cannot &s;tand under both at once, you cannot maintain com|munion with both at once; but if you partake of the cup and table of the one, you mu&s;t ab&s;tain from the cup and table of the other.</P>
<P>13. Thus having opened the words; the ob&s;ervations which I will briefly make upon them, are the&s;e&mdash;</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, we may gather from hence, that to &s;ymbolize with Ido|laters in their acts of wor&s;hip, is a thing unlawfull to Chri&s;tians. We know that the Ma&s;&s;e is the greate&s;t idol that ever was in the world; and that the act of kneeling was brought in at the Popi&s;h communion to wor&s;hip that Idol: we ought not therefore to &s;ymbolize with them in that act of wor&s;hip; for it is not lawfull for us to follow the corruption of an Ordinance, when we have Chri&s;ts imitable practi&s;e made known to us: It is not lawfull to mixe the acts of Gods true wor&s;hip, with the chief act
<PB N="41" REF="37"> of an Idol-wor&s;hip, &s;uch as is Kneeling at the <HI>Ma&s;&s;e;</HI> For the meaning and purpo&s;e of kneeling, is Adoration; the object of adoration is the Body and blood of Chri&s;t, &s;uppo&s;ed to be in the Elements: but if we believe no &s;uch reall pre&s;ence as they have fancied, then we make void the object of adoration, and con|&s;equently the act intended towards it is di&s;anulled al&s;o. But if any doth incline to kneeling, becau&s;e it hath been a cu&s;tome hitherto u&s;ed; he may upon the &s;ame ground practi&s;e all other Popi&s;h idolatries and &s;uper&s;titions. But if you will &s;ay, that you think Chri&s;t ought to be wor&s;hipped there, and that you cannot come to his table with too much reverence; You mu&s;t under|&s;tand, that Chri&s;t doth not intend to be wor&s;hipped there, but to be received; and that you mu&s;t not be led by your own think|ing, but by the manife&s;tation of his will in matters of wor&s;hip; nor can any one ge&s;ture be accounted reverence to him more then another, otherwi&s;e then as he doth appoint it to be in his wor&s;hip. The &s;tanding at the fir&s;t Pa&s;&s;eover in Egypt, was a re|verence; The &s;itting at the table with Chri&s;t, was in his di&s;ciples a reverence to him; nay, and their &s;uffering of him to wa&s;h their feet, as their &s;ervant, was a reverence due to him as their ma&s;ter, becau&s;e it was his will to have it &s;o. It is neither circumci&s;ion nor uncircumci&s;ion, but the doing of Gods will, that maketh us acceptable unto him. Now it is contrary to his will, that we &s;hould follow another example of wor&s;hip then that which his Apo&s;tles have given us: It is contrary to his will, that we in his wor&s;hip &s;hould &s;ymbolize with Idolaters, and that we &s;hould &s;eem to collude with them in their act of Idol-wor&s;hip, when we know that the Lord will not be adored, but received in his Supper; and it is no reverence at all, but a very irreverent and unbe&s;eeming behaviour, to put forth an act proper to adoration, when he doth call us to put forth an act of communion and fellow&s;hip.</P>
<P>The &s;econd ob&s;ervation is; That the eating of bread, and drinking of a cup at the Lords &s;upper, is a Table-action. This is to be gathered from <HI>ver&s;. 17. We are partakers of one Bread; &amp; v. 21. Partakers of the table of the Lord, and of the table of Devils.</HI> The&s;e expre&s;&s;ions are here u&s;ed with a reference to the aime of fellow&s;hip and communion: whence I inferre the&s;e conclu&s;ions.</P>
<PB N="42" REF="38">
<P>1. Seeing the act of Communion is to be evidenced chiefly by the partaking of one Bread by many; it doth follow, that the more that bread, and the partaking of it is one, the more the act of communion is evidenced. Then it followeth al&s;o, that the partaking of the bread ought to be as much one, as the nature of a Meal doth permit, and as Chri&s;t by his example doth in&s;inuate. Now the nature of a Meal, doth not only permit, but require, that &s;uch as have fellow&s;hip in it, &s;hould be together as gue&s;ts to partake jointly of it; and Chri&s;ts example doth cleerly &s;hew that all his Di&s;ciples were in fellow&s;hip together with him at a table. And therefore to partake of one bread, and of the Lords table, mu&s;t be under&s;tood to be &s;uch a table-action as is proper unto gue&s;ts at a table. From whence it will follow, that to carry the bread and wine up and down the hou&s;e, to per&s;ons &s;itting in &s;everall pewes, as in &s;o many little chambers of that hou&s;e, is not at all &s;utable to the celebrating of the Lords &s;upper, becau&s;e it doth wholly take away the manife&s;tation of that fel|low&s;hip which the Lord would have evidenced in it. Tho&s;e that eat their bread apart, in &s;everall petty corporations, do not &s;hew forth that they are one bread; as the Shewbread was, which was to be &s;et before the Lord upon the holy table in the Sanctuary, <HI>Exod. 25. 30. &amp; Levit. 24. v.</HI> 5. till 10. Which Bread did repre|&s;ent the whole Congregation of <HI>I&s;rael</HI> united as one unto the Lord, in twelve cakes &s;et upon one table; which type is now fulfilled in the Go&s;pel, by the joynt pre&s;entation of the reall members of Chri&s;t as one bread at his table, to his Father, to be a living &s;acrifice unto him. Nor can it be &s;aid that tho&s;e who &s;it in their pewes at a di&s;tance from each other, are one Body, as men u&s;e to be at Meales; for at meales none are one body pro|perly, but &s;uch as eat together at the &s;ame table: Therefore this cu&s;tome is not &s;utable to that which is to be evidenced at the partaking of the Lords table.</P>
<P>2. To &s;hew an act of Communion, we mu&s;t partake of the Bread as it is one. Now the bread is not one otherwi&s;e then as it is upon the &s;ame table, and ble&s;&s;ed with the &s;ame Ble&s;&s;ing: there|fore it will follow, that the partaking of it as one, mu&s;t be to receive it at the table, in a table-action: For if a Table is ap|pointed to &s;hew that we are to be at Chri&s;ts &s;upper as his gue&s;ts;
<PB N="43" REF="38"> and if it be asked what Chri&s;t would have his gue&s;ts to do? the an&s;wer mu&s;t be taken from <HI>Luke</HI> 22. 30. That he would have them <HI>eat and drink with him at table in his Kingdome.</HI> To eat and drink (then) at his table, is to be his gue&s;t; and not to have a bit of meat brought from the table. If <HI>Lazarus</HI> the begger lying at the rich mans gate, had received a di&s;h of meat from his table, it would not have made him one of his gue&s;ts: but the other <HI>Lazarus</HI> of <HI>Bethany</HI> who &s;ate with Chri&s;t at table <HI>Joh.</HI> 2. 2. was properly a fellow-gue&s;t (or perhaps Chri&s;ts ho&s;t) becau&s;e he did eat with him at the table. To have fellow&s;hip then in par|taking of the table, is to be at the table, and to do the action proper to a table: But to carry the bread and drink from the table, to give it to every one apart, is contrary to this Table|action, and therefore not to be practi&s;ed any longer, in this time of Reformation.</P>
<P>3. The table of the Lord, and the table of Devils, are &s;et as parallel in oppo&s;ition to each other; therefore to partake of the one, and of the other, are made contraries directly incon|&s;i&s;tent together; and being actions directly contrary, they mu&s;t be of one kind; and if of one kind, then the table-action u&s;ed at the one, was the &s;ame with the action u&s;ed at the other. Now it is known that at the Idol-&s;acrifices, &s;uch as were invited, did &s;it and fea&s;t at a table, 1 <HI>Cor. 8. 10. Sit at meat in the Idols temple.</HI> And it was the cu&s;tom of all ages to have a fea&s;t upon a &s;acrifice; you may &s;ee it at <HI>Jacob</HI> and <HI>Labans</HI> parting, <HI>Gen.</HI> 31. 54. and at the <HI>Moabites</HI> friend&s;hip which they made with <HI>I&s;rael, Numb.</HI> 25. 1, 2. And to this the &s;trumpet doth allude, <HI>Prov.</HI> 7. 14. and in <HI>P&s;al. 22. v.</HI> 25, 26. the &s;ame thing is intimated by the pro|mi&s;e of a Spirituall meal whereby the &s;oules of believers &s;hall be &s;atisfied and live for ever. If then to partake of the table of de|vils, and of Chri&s;ts table, are parallels in oppo&s;ition; and if it is evident not only by the known cu&s;tome, but by the Apo&s;tles ex|pre&s;&s;ion, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 8. 10. that in partaking of the Idols table, <HI>they did &s;it at meat in the Idol-temple;</HI> then it will follow, that tho&s;e who did partake of the Lords table, did &s;it at meat in the Lords temple: For the Apo&s;tle &s;hewing what he means by partaking in re&s;pect of the one table, doth al&s;o explain that which is to be under&s;tood by the &s;ame word in re&s;pect of the other.</P>
<PB N="44" REF="39">
<P>The third ob&s;ervation is, that the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, <HI>We all are partakers. We all,</HI> &s;heweth that their cu&s;tome was to be in a Body, and as a Body to partake; and that the whole Body did partake at once, &s;o neer as could be. From whence not only the &s;eparate partaking, but the &s;ingle partaking al&s;o is condemned as a thing un&s;utable to the Lords &s;upper. The practi&s;e then of the Ma&s;&s;e-Prie&s;t to take the bread and wine alone in publike, is hereby condemned; and the private admini&s;tration of the Lords &s;upper to the &s;ick (which &s;ome ignorantly and &s;uper&s;titi|ou&s;ly crave, as a <HI>Viaticum itineris &s;upremi,</HI> (&s;o they call it) the provi&s;ion for their la&s;t journey) is a corruption of the ordi|nance: For the words <HI>Many</HI> and <HI>All,</HI> which the Apo&s;tle doth u&s;e here, exclude the Admini&s;tration unto one alone.</P>
<P>14. In the eleventh chapter of this &s;ame Epi&s;tle, from <HI>v.</HI> 17. till the end, the Apo&s;tle doth &s;peak of the celebrating of the Lords &s;upper; and his &s;cope is cleerly, to rectifie the abu&s;es and di&s;orders which were crept in among&s;t the Corinthians in the u&s;e of that ordinance: I &s;hall open the text, and then make ob&s;er|vations.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t then, <HI>v.</HI> 17. he reproves them in generall, that they <HI>came together not for the better, but for the wor&s;e;</HI> namely, for the abu&s;e of this ordinance.</P>
<P>Then in particular, he tells them what their faults were, cor|recting them for the &s;ame; and in&s;tructs them in their duty, &s;hewing how the ordinance &s;hould be ob&s;erved.</P>
<P>He di&s;covers their faults, from <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 18. till 22. which are the&s;e&mdash;</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, that they were divided in &s;ects, <HI>v. 18, 19. For fir&s;t of all</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>when ye come together in the Church, I heare that there be divi&s;ions among you; and I partly believe it; for there must be al&s;o here&s;ies</HI> (&s;ects) <HI>among&s;t you, that they which are approved may be made manife&s;t among you.</HI></P>
<P>Secondly, that they did not come together &s;o much to eat the Lords &s;upper, as their own &s;uppers; and that in a divided and exce&s;&s;ive way, <HI>v. 20, 21. When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lords &s;upper; for in eating, every one taketh before other his own &s;upper, and one is hungry, and another is drunken.</HI> As if he had &s;aid; When ye come together,
<PB N="45" REF="39"> ye do not &s;eem to intend the ob&s;ervation of Chri&s;ts ordinance, but the taking of your own meals in &s;everall companies, in a di&s;|orderly divided way, and with exce&s;&s;e of eating and drinking in &s;ome, when others are fa&s;ting and hungry. Your faults then are, that you come not only divided in opinions and affections, but in your actions and behaviour, you change the Lords &s;upper into an ordinary meale; and the&s;e your meales are taken &s;eparately, and in taking of them &s;ome are exce&s;&s;ive in drinking, and glut them&s;elves, while others who partake not with them are hungry. Thus their faults are opened.</P>
<P>The correction of the&s;e faults, is in <HI>ver&s;. 22. What</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>have ye not hou&s;es to eat and to drink? or de&s;pi&s;e ye the Church of God, and &s;hame them that have not? What &s;hall I &s;ay to you? Shall I prai&s;e you in this? I prai&s;e you not.</HI> As if he had &s;aid, Do you not know that ye ought not to come together in the Church to eat an ordinary meale? are not private meales to be taken at home in your hou&s;es? By this meanes you make the Church of God contemptible, and the &s;ociety of Saints a common thing; and you make them a&s;hamed, that have not made provi&s;ion for entertaining them&s;elves plentifully as &s;ome of you do. You di&s;honour then the hou&s;e of God, and &s;hame your brethren; you de&s;erve greatly to be blamed for all this, wherein you are extreme faulty.</P>
<P>Having thus laid their faults open, and corrected them for the &s;ame; he in&s;tructs them in their duty, &s;hewing them how the Ordinance &s;hould be ob&s;erved, in reference to three things. 1. In re&s;pect of the ordinance in it &s;elf, to imitate Chri&s;ts in&s;titution. 2. In re&s;pect of their private preparation, to partake thereof worthily. 3. In re&s;pect of their publike meeting, to perform the action orderly in the Congregation. The fir&s;t part of the in&s;tru|ction concerns the things to be done by Chri&s;ts appointment; the &s;econd part, and the third, concerne the per&s;ons doing the &s;ame, to direct them in the manner of performance, which hath two duties; the one preparatory, wherein every one is apart to fit him&s;elf for the ordinance; the other executory, wherein all of them are to fit them&s;elves each towards other in their meeting to that effect.</P>
<PB N="46" REF="40">
<P>The doctrine concerning the Ordinance it &s;elf, is <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 23, 24, 25, 26. where fir&s;t he &s;hewes by what authority he doth deliver this doctrine: <HI>For</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>I have received of the Lord that which I have delivered unto you.</HI> Secondly, he relates unto them what Chri&s;t did and &s;aid in the in&s;titution of the Ordinance. Thirdly, he declares unto them what the meaning of their action was, in imitating that which Chri&s;t did, and remembring what He &s;aid.</P>
<P>Chri&s;ts actions and &s;peeches are di&s;tinctly related, in re&s;pect of the time, and in re&s;pect of the things done and &s;aid by him at that time.</P>
<P>The time was, the night wherein he was betrayed. <HI>That the Lord Je&s;us in the &s;ame night wherein he was betrayed,</HI> v. 23.</P>
<P>The things done and &s;aid by him, relate the two parts of the Ordinance: the fir&s;t, concerning the Bread; the &s;econd, con|cerning the Cup.</P>
<P>Concerning the Bread, he did three things: He took it, he gave thanks over it, and then brake it. <HI>v. 23, 24. Took bread, and when he had given thanks, he brake it.</HI></P>
<P>Concerning the Bread, he &s;pake three words: Fir&s;t, a word of command, <HI>Take and eat.</HI> Secondly, a word of in&s;titution and con&s;ecration, &s;hewing what was meant by the bread, <HI>This (viz.</HI> bread) <HI>is my Body which is broken for you.</HI> And thirdly, a word of direction, in&s;tructing them what to do, and to what end they &s;hould do it; <HI>Do this in remembrance of me.</HI> v. 24.</P>
<P>Concerning the Cup he relates in like manner that which the Lord did and &s;aid.</P>
<P>That which he did, is expre&s;&s;ed in the&s;e words: <HI>After the &s;ame manner al&s;o he took the Cup, when he had &s;upped,</HI> v. 25.</P>
<P>That which he &s;pake, is in the&s;e words: <HI>&s;aying, this Cup is the New Te&s;tament in my Blood:</HI> Here is the word of in&s;ti|tution and con&s;ecration. And, <HI>This do ye as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me:</HI> this is the word of commande|ment, and of direction. <HI>v.</HI> 25.</P>
<P>Hitherto the Apo&s;tle hath delivered what Chri&s;t did and &s;aid at the appointment of this ordinance: Now, in the ver&s;e follow|ing,
<PB N="47" REF="40"> he delivers unto them doctrinally, what the true meaning and intent of their action is in celebrating the Lords &s;upper. <HI>For</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye &s;hew the Lords death till he come.</HI> As if he had &s;aid, Chri&s;t having thus appointed his la&s;t &s;upper to be celebrated, by the breaking of bread, and partaking of the cup, for a remembrance of him, and of that which he hath done for us: your imitation of him in this ordinance, in the nature of it, is a &s;hewing forth of his death; a te&s;timoniall of your faith in his death, till he come again to receive you into life.</P>
<P>This is the doctrine which is delivered concerning the Ordi|nance it &s;elf, as it is to be celebrated in imitation of Chri&s;t. Followeth, the doctrine delivered concerning the way to do this worthily, both in re&s;pect of every Member by him&s;elfe in particular, and in re&s;pect of the Body of the Congregation in common.</P>
<P>The particular Members are taught, 1. What the guilt is of unworthy partaking. 2. How this guilt is to be avoyded. 3. What the puni&s;hment of unworthy partaking is; with the cau&s;e de&s;erving it, and the effect following thereupon. 4. And how both the puni&s;hment, and the dangerous effect of it is prevented.</P>
<P>Concerning the guilt of unworthy partaking, the Apo&s;tle doth inferre it as a con&s;equence from the foregoing doctrines, thus&mdash;<HI>ver&s;.</HI> 27.</P>
<P><HI>Wherefore who&s;oever &s;hall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord unworthily, &s;hall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.</HI></P>
<P>That is; Seeing the Lord hath ordained, that the eating of this his bread, and the drinking of his cup, &s;hall be the memoriall of his body broken, and of his blood &s;hed for us; therefore if any man doth not partake thereof an&s;werably to this end, and as it becommeth tho&s;e that celebrate the memoriall of his death till his comming; he &s;hall be guilty before the Lord of his bo|dy and blood, as if he were one of tho&s;e that dealt with him unworthily, and put him to death with wicked &amp; profane hands.</P>
<P>The way to avoyd this guilt, is to come with a previous exa|mination of our&s;elves: this is taught, <HI>v.</HI> 28. in the&s;e words:</P>
<PB N="48" REF="41">
<P><HI>But let a man examine him&s;elf, and &s;o let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup.</HI> As if he had &s;aid; But if you will free your &s;elves from this guilt, you mu&s;t come with due preparation of heart unto the action of the Lords &s;upper; and this preparation mu&s;t be a tryall of your &s;tate in the pre&s;ence of God, &s;o as to approve your &s;elves in all things to be an&s;werable unto his will, in fulfilling the purpo&s;e of this ordinance.</P>
<P>Concerning the puni&s;hment due unto the unworthy partakers, the Apo&s;tle teacheth them that it is the judgement of dam|nation, <HI>v. 29. For</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>he that eateth and drinketh unwor|thily, eateth and drinketh damnation to him&s;elf.</HI> As if he had &s;aid; Be carefull thus to examine and approve your &s;elves in the u&s;e of this ordinance unto God, to an&s;wer his will; for if you do not &s;o, but come unworthily, you &s;hall by your eating and drinking procure a judgement of damnation to your &s;elves, as a ju&s;t pu|ni&s;hment of your &s;inne.</P>
<P>The cau&s;e de&s;erving this puni&s;hment, is their neglect of re|&s;pect and reverence due to God and his ordinance: the Apo&s;tle calls it, <HI>v.</HI> 29. the <HI>not di&s;cerning the Lords body;</HI> that is, the want of care and re&s;pect due to the body of the Lord, not taking no|tice of the dignity and worth of it, nor di&s;cerning Gods pur|po&s;e in offering it to us, but u&s;ing it as a common thing, doth de&s;erve this puni&s;hment.</P>
<P>The effect following upon this cau&s;e, in them was, that many of them were weak and &s;ick, and a&s;leep. <HI>v. 30. For this cau&s;e</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>many are weak and &s;ickly among you, and many &s;leep.</HI> As if he had &s;aid; And becau&s;e the puni&s;hment of condemnation is due unto you, therefore God doth afflict you, to &s;hew his di&s;|plea&s;ure, with outward judgements upon you in the fle&s;h.</P>
<P>The means to prevent the&s;e evils are two: the fir&s;t is our duty, which may prevent the temporall cha&s;ti&s;ement; the &s;econd is Gods dealing with us, to prevent the eternall puni&s;hment.</P>
<P>Our duty is to judge our &s;elves, whereunto a promi&s;e is made, that if we perform it, we &s;hall not be judged of God. <HI>v. 31. For if we would judge our &s;elves, we &s;hould not be judged.</HI> As if he had &s;aid; The&s;e judgements of God befall unto you, becau&s;e you take not heed to your wayes in his &s;ervice; for if you did judge and con|demne your &s;elves by repentance for your faults, God would
<PB N="49" REF="41"> not thus judge you with &s;uch cha&s;ti&s;ements.</P>
<P>Gods dealing with us to prevent the eternall evill of the de|&s;erved puni&s;hment, is, by &s;uch cha&s;ti&s;ements to free us from being condemned with the world. <HI>v. 32. But when</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>we are judged, we are cha&s;tened of the Lord, that we &s;hould not be con|demned with the world.</HI> As if he had &s;aid, However the&s;e cha|&s;ti&s;ements are ju&s;tly inflicted, and judgements befalling us for want of care to judge our &s;elves, and &s;hew that we de&s;erve dam|nation; yet God doth not inflict them otherwi&s;e then as a Father doth, to correct us and cha&s;ti&s;e us in love, that we may not be condemned finally with the world.</P>
<P>Thus he hath in&s;tructed them, how every one &s;hould in private behave him&s;elf in re&s;pect of this ordinance: Now in the two la&s;t ver&s;es of the chapter, he doth in&s;truct them al&s;o how they &s;hould behave them&s;elves in publike; and referres them to his comming, for other matters.</P>
<P>Concerning their publike behaviour in the Church, he ordains two things: Fir&s;t, that they &s;hould tarry one for another, and not eat &s;eparately; Secondly, that they &s;hould not eat to &s;atis|fie their hunger, in the church, but at their hou&s;es.</P>
<P>Concerning the fir&s;t he &s;aith thus, <HI>ver&s;. 33. Wherefore my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another.</HI> Concerning the &s;econd he &s;aith thus, <HI>ver&s;. 34. And if any man hunger, let him eat at home, that ye come not together unto con|demnation.</HI> As if he had &s;aid; Well then, my brethren, let me exhort you to celebrate the Ordinance jointly, and not &s;everally: and to that effect &s;tay till you are all met together, to eat bread as one body and company of Saints; and beware, under pain of condemnation, not to u&s;e this as an ordinary meale to &s;atisfie your hunger, but u&s;e it only for the end to which Chri&s;t hath ap|pointed it; and if you be hungry, &s;atisfie your appetite at home.</P>
<P>The reference which he makes of other matters, till his comming, is in the&s;e words: <HI>The re&s;t will I &s;et in order when I come.</HI></P>
<P>15. Thus I have done with the Analy&s;is and meaning of the Text; now I &s;hall come to &s;ome brief Ob&s;ervations, to fit them to our pre&s;ent occa&s;ions.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, then, we may take notice of the Corinthians cu&s;tome;
<PB N="50" REF="42"> for by the whole context it is apparent that they u&s;ed to come to the Lords &s;upper as to a meale; which the Apo&s;tle doth not at all di&s;commend, but only rectifies the abu&s;e of the meale, by which they were fallen into di&s;orderly &s;eparations, and exce&s;&s;es of eating as at a common meal, for hunger. This being avoided, all the re&s;t of their practi&s;e is allowed, if they did only come pre|paredly, and to the end for which Chri&s;t did appoint this ordi|nance, which by the primitive in&s;titution was appointed to be a holy meale at his table.</P>
<P>Secondly, for the outward manner of celebrating this meale by the Congregation, which is the chief thing we now look after, we may ob&s;erve the&s;e particulars&mdash;</P>
<P N="1">1. That the place where they met to eat, was the Church, and not their hou&s;es; for <HI>v.</HI> 18. he &s;aith, <HI>when ye come together in the Church. &amp; v. 20. when ye come together in one place.</HI> Ergo the place was the Church. From whence we may gather, that &s;eeing the proper place of this &s;acred meale was the Church; the place of their ordinary meales was their private hou&s;es, and it was not lawfull for them to take their ordinary meales in the church, but only at their hou&s;es; therefore it was not lawfull al&s;o to take the Holy meale at their hou&s;es, but only in the church, that is, at their publike meeting-place: for the Holy meale appointed for a publike meeting, is no le&s;&s;e di&s;proporti|onate to a private hou&s;e, then an ordinary meale which men take to &s;atisfie nature, is di&s;proportionate to the church of God: <HI>Ergo,</HI> Private communion is not &s;utable to Chri&s;ts in&s;titution; but the Holy meal is appointed to be in a publike place only, which the Apo&s;tle calls the Church.</P>
<P N="2">2. From this celebrating of a Meale, and in the Church, and &s;uch a meale as was to &s;atisfie their naturall appetite even as they were wont to do in their private hou&s;es; we may gather cleerly, that the Table-ge&s;ture which the <HI>Corinthians</HI> did u&s;e at their ordinary meales wherein they did eat for hunger, was al&s;o u&s;ed in the Church at their celebrating of the Lords &s;upper. For &s;eeing they changed the one into the other, it is not to be que&s;tioned but that their ge&s;ture was the &s;ame in the one as in the other; and con&s;equently, that they &s;ate at the Lords meale, as they did at their own; and if their &s;itting at the one had been
<PB N="51" REF="42"> more reproveable then at the other, no doubt the Apo&s;tle would not have left it untouched when he was mentioning their mi&s;|behaviours and abu&s;es of the ordinance, profe&s;&s;edly, to rectifie the &s;ame. So then, their manner of eating as for the ge&s;ture, is allowed, not only becau&s;e at this time not reproved, but becau&s;e in the foregoing chap. the Apo&s;tle doth expre&s;s him&s;elf &s;o, as doth cleerly import an allowance of the ge&s;ture, in making it paral|lel to the Table-action u&s;ed at the Idol-fea&s;ts, which in <HI>c. 8. v.</HI> 10. he calls <HI>&s;itting at meat.</HI> So then to receive the Lords &s;upper, as men u&s;e to do who &s;it at their meat, is that which the Church of <HI>Corinth</HI> did practi&s;e with the Apo&s;tles approbation, and it is that which we ought to imitate in them, and in Chri&s;t him&s;elf: and con&s;equently Kneeling, either at the table or in the pewes, when the Elements are to be received, is altogether un&s;utable both to the Primitive in&s;titution, and to the Apo&s;tolicall ob&s;ervation of this Ordinance.</P>
<P N="3">3. As we have ob&s;erved here, that the action was a Meale, the place the Church, and the ge&s;ture Sitting at meat; &s;o we may further take notice from the expre&s;&s;ion, <HI>v. 18. &amp; 20. When ye come together:</HI> and from the commandement, <HI>v. 33. When ye come together, tarry one for another;</HI> That the whole Congre|gation was to be joyned in this action of eating a meal. And &s;ee|ing the meale was to be at a Table, and the Congregation did come together to eat, and that they are commanded to tarry one for another; it is cleer that their cu&s;tome was, by the Apo&s;tles direction, to eat all together of the &s;ame bread, at the &s;ame table: which doth again &s;hew the un&s;utablene&s;&s;e of eating &s;everally in di&s;tinct pewes.</P>
<P N="4">4. As for the time, it is cleerly left free to the will of the congregation; for he &s;aith no more when he mentions their comming together, but this, <HI>When ye come;</HI> leaving it indefinitely to their will and conveniencie, when they &s;hould appoint it: whence we may gather that the Church is not bound to the time wherein Chri&s;t did celebrate his &s;upper; becau&s;e that circum&s;tance of time was to the Lord nece&s;&s;ary to be ob&s;erved, for the ful|filling of the law of the Pa&s;&s;eover to aboli&s;h it, and to &s;ub&s;titute in the &s;tead thereof the memoriall of his death, which now at all times is to be remembred, as <HI>Heb.</HI> 13. 15. we are exhorted to do.
<PB N="52" REF="43"> And the typicall circum&s;tance of time which was under the law, being fulfilled, we are now ab&s;olved from that ob&s;ervance, be|cau&s;e the fea&s;t which we are to celebrate is a perpetuall fea&s;t, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 5. 7, 8. and therefore at all times when the Congregation doth think mo&s;t convenient to meet together to eat, it is ob|&s;ervable.</P>
<P>From all which we may gather, that the Apo&s;tles did herein appoint the Churches to imitate Chri&s;ts practi&s;e in all things which were proper to the &s;olemnity of a Meale, for the mani|fe&s;tation of the fellow&s;hip of tho&s;e that have a right to partake of it, as united together in the Lord. So then, the neerer we come to this practi&s;e, the more we &s;hall be conformable to the will, and an&s;wer the intention of Chri&s;t in this his Ordi|nance.</P>
<P>16. Hitherto I have con&s;idered Chri&s;t and the Apo&s;tles pra|cti&s;e, and the end and u&s;e of the Ordinance unto which their practi&s;e was to be &s;ubordinate and an&s;werable: but becau&s;e the Apo&s;tle doth referre us in a &s;peciall manner to take notice of Chri&s;t him&s;elf in this matter, let us look a little directly upon Chri&s;ts whole aim and purpo&s;e in the in&s;titution of this ordi|nance, and that we may do this, the things which in his words and actions do in&s;titute and di&s;cover his intentions, are to be reflected upon.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t then, the words by which he doth con&s;ecrate the bread and wine, are very con&s;iderable: <HI>This is my Body which is given for you;</HI> and <HI>this Cup is the New Te&s;tament in my Blood which is &s;hed for you,</HI> Luk. 22. 19. 20. by which he &s;heweth that his pur|po&s;e was to leave unto his Di&s;ciples, in the u&s;e of bread and wine, a repre&s;entation and a pledge of the benefits which by his body and blood were conferred upon their &s;oules: therefore he giveth unto the Bread and Cup the names of that whereof they were memorials, repre&s;entations and pledges; that by a holy u&s;e thereof in Faith, the things remembred and repre&s;ented thereby might be obtained.</P>
<P>Secondly, the words of Direction in&s;tituting the Ordinance for after-times, <HI>Luk. 22. 19. Do this in remembrance of me:</HI> which the Apo&s;tle doth explain, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 11. 6. to be a <HI>&s;hewing of the Lords death till he come;</HI> do manife&s;t that his intention was,
<PB N="53" REF="43"> that they &s;hould imitate his practi&s;e in his la&s;t Supper, to keep the memory of his death in their mind, till his comming.</P>
<P>Thirdly, there is a word of promi&s;e relating to his comming again, and to the conjunction of his Di&s;ciples with him in his kingdom. <HI>Mat. 26. 29. I &s;ay unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the Vine, untill that day when I drink it new with you in my Fathers kingdome.</HI> This promi&s;e is mentioned al&s;o, <HI>Mar.</HI> 14. 25. and more generally, in <HI>Luk.</HI> 22. 16, 19. and more di&s;tinct|ly, in <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 29, 30. where he promi&s;eth his di&s;ciples <HI>a Kingdome,</HI> and a priviledge <HI>to eat and drink at his table in his kingdome.</HI> All which doth cleerly intimate, that his intention was by this Ordi|nance not only to a&s;&s;ure them of his comming again, but of their &s;ociety and fellow&s;hip with him, whereof this Meale was to be an earne&s;t and demon&s;tration. So then he did intend that this Fea&s;t upon the &s;acrifice of his Body and Blood, &s;hould be unto them not only a means to confirm their Faith in his death, and in the effects thereof in the New Te&s;tament, as a thing pa&s;t, but al&s;o of their hope of the &s;tate of life to come. So that this Fea&s;t was appointed to demon&s;trate al&s;o our expectation of the Fea&s;t which is prepared for tho&s;e that are to be with the Lambe at his wedding, <HI>Revel.</HI> 19. 9.</P>
<P>Fourthly and la&s;tly, Chri&s;ts action of <HI>&s;erving his Di&s;ciples</HI> at his la&s;t meale with them, doth &s;peak much of his intention to|wards them: for he thereby doth not only intend to give them an example of humility, that they &s;hould &s;erve one another, as he expre&s;ly doth mention (<HI>Joh.</HI> 13. 12. till 17. &amp; <HI>Luk.</HI> 22. 27.) that he did &s;erve them; but this &s;ervice at his la&s;t meals, doth &s;peak them to be his loving friends and familiars, as <HI>Joh.</HI> 15. 15. he calls them: It doth &s;peak them his gue&s;ts who did &s;it at meat at his table, as he declares it <HI>Luk.</HI> 22. 27. and con&s;equently it doth ma|nife&s;t unto them and us, that his intention was to &s;hew forth unto them, and in their per&s;ons &s;o entertained by him, to give to all his faithfull &s;ervants by this Ordinance an a&s;&s;urance of the e&s;teem which he hath of them now, and will have of them for ever in his Kingdome, For el&s;ewhere, viz. <HI>Luk.</HI> 12. 37. there is an ex|pre&s;&s;e promi&s;e made unto all his Faithfull &s;ervants, a&s;&s;uring them of the like entertainment; the words are the&s;e: <HI>Ble&s;&s;ed are the &s;ervants whom the Lord when he commeth &s;hall find watching,</HI> (and con&s;equently faithfull to him in their charges) <HI>Verily I
<PB N="54" REF="44"> &s;ay unto you, that He &s;hall gird him&s;elf, and make them &s;it down to meat, and will come forth and &s;erve them.</HI> This then being pro|mi&s;ed unto all, and performed by the Lord unto his di&s;ciples at the la&s;t Meale, whereof the remembrance is to be kept by all; is a cleer demon&s;tration, that Chri&s;ts intention was towards them, and is to all his faithfull di&s;ciples, by the &s;olemnity of the action to give us an a&s;&s;urance of his love &amp; e&s;teem of us, that he accounts us as his friends &amp; familiar gue&s;ts whom he doth honor.</P>
<P>17. From all which, this Conclu&s;ion as a generall rule is to be gathered in this matter; Namely,</P>
<P>That manner of Admini&s;tration of the Lords &s;upper is mo&s;t warrantable, which doth be&s;t expre&s;&s;e and imitate Chri&s;t and his Apo&s;tles practi&s;e in the u&s;e of this Ordinance; which doth repre&s;ent and hold forth mo&s;t effectually all Chri&s;ts intentions in it; and which is mo&s;t fit to accompli&s;h mo&s;t fully the commandement of celebrating the Memoriall both of his death, and of our conjunction with him at his comming again.</P>
<P>And on the other &s;ide, that manner of Admini&s;tration is lea&s;t warrantable, which doth not an&s;wer and imitate Chri&s;t &amp; his Apo&s;tles practi&s;e in the u&s;e of this ordinance; which doth not repre&s;ent and hold forth any of Chri&s;ts in|tentions in it; and which is not at all fitted to accompli&s;h in any competent mea&s;ure, the commandement of celebra|ting the memoriall both of his Death, and of our con|junction with him at his comming again.</P>
<P>But it is now made apparent by that which hath been hitherto &s;aid, that a Table-ge&s;ture in &s;itting at meat, doth be&s;t ex|pre&s;&s;e and imitate Chri&s;t and his Apo&s;tles practi&s;e in the u&s;e of this ordinance; That it doth repre&s;ent and hold forth mo&s;t effectually all Chri&s;ts intentions in it; and that it is mo&s;t fit to accompli&s;h his commandement of celebra|ting the memorial of his death, and of our conjunction with him at his coming again. And on the other &s;ide it hath al&s;o been made apparent, that the ge&s;ture of Kneeling, or any other behaviour incon&s;i&s;tent with a Table-action, at a meal, is lea&s;t an&s;werable and proper to all this.</P>
<P>Therefore it followeth, that the Table-ge&s;ture of fitting at meat is that manner of Admini&s;tration of the Lords &s;upper which
<PB N="55" REF="44"> is mo&s;t warrantable; and that the ge&s;ture of Kneeling is lea&s;t warrantable in this Admini&s;tration.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="10" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD><HI>CHAP. X.</HI> The practi&s;e of the be&s;t Reformed Churches, in the Admi|ni&s;tration of the LORD'S Supper.</HEAD>
<P>HAving hitherto taken from the Word of GOD, the grounds which make good this Conclu&s;ion; I &s;hall adde for a clo&s;e of this Di&s;cour&s;e, a brief Relation of the Practi&s;e of the be&s;t Reformed Churches; to &s;hew how in their Publike meetings this Ordinance is ob&s;erved by them, in imitation &amp; remembrance of the Lord.</P>
<P N="1">1. They appoint commonly the Lords day, in the morning, for the time of partaking of the Lords table; and in mo&s;t places this is done every two moneths once.</P>
<P N="2">2. The Mini&s;ter, after morning-Sermon, when he hath pray|ed, and cau&s;ed the P&s;alm to be &s;ung, and di&s;mi&s;&s;ed tho&s;e that are not to partake; doth &s;peak by way of Exhortation to tho&s;e that are to come to the Ordinance; declaring the in&s;titution thereof, the benefits to be received by the worthy partakers in it, and the danger of unworthy partaking: whereupon the impenitent and &s;candalous are warned not to pre&s;ume to approch unto the table.</P>
<P N="3">3. This Exhortation is by &s;ome delivered in the Pulpit, by &s;ome at the Table it &s;elf; by &s;ome it is read out of a Book where|in the Conceived form by the Church is contained, by others it it not read, but delivered in a free di&s;cour&s;e: for although they have Forms, yet they do not &s;trictly bind their Mini&s;ters to them.</P>
<P N="4">4. There is a Table, before the beginning of the Sermon, covered with a clean cloth upon it; and at the end where the Mini&s;ter is to &s;it, the bread and wine is &s;et prepared, to be con|&s;ecrated by him.</P>
<P N="5">5. When the Mini&s;ter hath ended the Exhortation prepara|tory to the action, before the con&s;ecration of the Elements he giveth thanks, and prayeth unto God for a ble&s;&s;ing upon the Or|dinance, and upon tho&s;e that do partake of it. This prayer is made at the Table, whiles the Mini&s;ter is there alone; the prayer being ended, he invites the Communicants to approach orderly without noi&s;e and confu&s;ion,</P>
<P N="6"><PB N="56" REF="45">6. The Elders and Deacons, in mo&s;t places, partake fir&s;t with the Mini&s;ter; and when the&s;e have received, they ri&s;e and &s;erve the tables, which afterward are filled.</P>
<P N="7">7. According to the bigne&s;&s;e of the Congregation, and the conveniencie of the place, the Table is made longer or &s;horter, and-Forms are &s;et on each &s;ide thereof at a convenient di&s;tance, for people to &s;it, and to go in and out, and they are ordered by the Elders to go in at the one end of the Table on each &s;ide, and out at the other, every one following his neighbour; and as every one doth approach, he giveth unto the Elder &s;tanding at the &s;ide of the Table whereat he enters, his Token.</P>
<P N="8">8. At every time the Table is filled, the Mini&s;ter doth repeat the words of Con&s;ecration u&s;ed by <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> or the Apo&s;tle <HI>Paul,</HI> or to that effect; and di&s;tributeth fir&s;t the Bread, on both hands, to tho&s;e that &s;it next unto him; and then doth &s;hove the Ve&s;&s;ell which containeth the con&s;ecrated bread, unto the re&s;t along the Table as they &s;it in order, every one taking of it as it comes be|fore him a mor&s;ell; and the Elders of each &s;ide &s;tand behind the Communicants to &s;hove the Ve&s;&s;ell along the Table, for the quicker di&s;patch of the action, and to bring up the Ve&s;&s;ell from the lower to the upper end where the Mini&s;ter doth &s;it, when all have eaten of the bread that is in it.</P>
<P N="9">9. The Bread being di&s;tributed, the Cup in like manner is con&s;ecrated, and given by the Mini&s;ter on each hand one cup, to go all along from one to another; every one when he hath ta&s;ted of the wine, &s;etting it down upon the table before his neighbour, and he taking it up, drinking of it, and &s;etting it down again; and when all have drunk, the Elders carry up the Cups to the end where the Mini&s;ter &s;its, and &s;et them filled before him; and a Ble&s;&s;ing being pronounced upon each Table-full, the Communi|cants ri&s;e in order, and go to their &s;eats, and another Table-full doth come in their room, till all have received.</P>
<P N="10">10. The men come fir&s;t in order, &amp; then the women to partake.</P>
<P N="11">11. There is a Ba&s;on held or &s;et in &s;ome place, at the end of the table, where the people come in or goe out, to receive a collecti|on for the poor. 12. When all have received, the la&s;t Table-full doth &s;it &s;til at the table until the Mini&s;ter be gone up again to the Pulpit, to give thanks to God for all, and to di&s;mi&s;&s;e the Congre|gation with a ble&s;&s;ing.</P>
</DIV2>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
