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Show 64 . .J Receiving of M:_:e.:.:_m_b_e-r_s ____ _ 1 libe . . h (;;:; nd perfortllance of'all fuch to all thofe h_o y _rues WI~ t e 'a all the fellow-members fpirituall duues to him , which belong ~0 !li f mutual! aoi the fame body ; and let men call this_apre wn h~r then wha grcement by what name they plcafe ' this 15 no ot ~ wee call CIJ11rcb-Cove1wtt. J • SECT· V. LEt us proceed then to give account of the third point~ why we communicate fo mu~h power to ~he people, as to p:op~moi:l 1weiving of M<mberJ,unto theu· approbauon and confent · O)ll rca- Ions arc thcfe: · . ~ 1 , From the like power give1, unto them by Chnfi , tor the cafiing out of fcandalous and corrupt members, MJtth. ~8. 17. I Cor. '5· s -ifthe Church mult be told of ~ry memb~r tha~ IS to be eafl 911t and when he is to be caft om, they are to de/rvt'l' htm to Sr 1111 : then the Church mufl: be told of every member. that iw recei• ~ed and when he is to be received, they are tu receive him into the tell~wfhip of the Lord,and of his Church; but the for'_'ICr is cl~rc from thofc Scriptw-cs, and c~nfeqt~ently the latte~. J~ IS a recetv~ Maxime, Ejujilem efl potej!atu apmre & claudtre, mjhtum .Cf' ~eJV.~ It/ere cas they call it,) they that have power to fhut me deores ,0~ the Church by Excommunication, they have power to,fJ>fn ~he Joores of the Church by admitting to Communion. ~- , -- . 2, From the Example of the Chwch at Hierufoltm, Af!t. 9• 26. who when Pa11l affiryeth to joyne himfelfe unto them, did, n~t at fir It r<ceive him, beca ufe· the Difciples were not fatisfied in his fpirituall good e!tate, untill BJrnah.1J by his tefl:il?ony of him ~a4 removed ilieir fcruple : which argueth the prwat< bretb.-en tn.: Church as well as publique Officer I, nmlt be fatisfied in hin~whoiS to-be received into Communion with them'. · ' '· . · '' 3· From the Churches power in Ele8ing and calling ~inifrers to orlicc. It hath been !hewed ·above, that· it belQilgeth to tire jlS~ pie, the body of the Church, to cboofo atld c{llltheir oWite Oj}l~11 according to the fpeech of Cyprian, Lib. t. Epif!. •P· PlebJ maxun: J10tej!atem habet, vel facertlJteJ dignos e/ige.ndi, ve/ jnt:Jignol recuf!IIZ~· And if they have fuch power of choofing woothy,Mitliflerf>and ~: fitfing the unworthy, how much more of rcceivillg worthy. 9r1t jhanz1 Sea:. x. in the power of the pe~~p/8. ~!aJ' k~irefufing of ~worthy. Yea,in the Epifl:Ic going before, pea expteOy, be hd .h doe t~ ptrfwtltie tiJe peopleu rtteive fo~~~e, whofo.rtpentance R>l..t noJ.fo <kaTt to th1W.; which arg!JC:tb ev~~ dencly the1r power in receiving Member;. 1 ••• •·•· • r ' c ·H 'l"; r; I v. ,'J Concerning ~u~ tJ~der ~~d_form! in atlminiftrat·i~~ r: of Cjods puhltck worfhip. · 1 S.ECT. I. IDHeChurch being garnered and furnilhed with able helps, Officm and B.·et_hre-n, th~y proc~d to the adminij!rativn •of a~ the pubhck Ordmances m publick Alfemblies, efpc<;~ally on :V~ry Lords day ; wherein our principall care and defu·e IS to admtm!ter and partake tn aU,and 1111 more then aU,the ordinances of C~rifi h!mfel~e, an~ in all thofe ( fo farre as t~e Lord hath lent-us hgbt) ~n therr natzve P_uritie and flmplicitie, Without any dre!fmg or pamung of humane utventions.For as the firfi Command~en~; requireth us to worfhip him with. his oWnc' o?ely true worfhip,as he hath appointed in his Word, without ad-' ding ought thereto,or taking ought therefrom,I{:..29-1)- Dmt.12. 32· So we b~eeve it to be un_lawfull for any Church to· cake upon them to ob!e.r:ve, much lelfe for the Oflicers•of their owne or other Chu~ches to_tm pofe upon_ them any inj!itution.r oft heir owne ( whether ~n doll_rzne? or worfhzp, or gtroernment, but what the Lord hath appomtedmius Word. 1 • Our reafon 'her~ (one in 'fiead of many) is taken from the exten~ of. the Comnu!lion of the Lord Jdits given to his Apofiles, whtch IS as lru-ge as ever w,as given to any Church-governours, an~ yet reacheth no further then t'o teach the people to obferve aft tb!ngs whatfoever I h<roe Cf!Y11~anrjed you, Mat. 28. 20. If the Ap_o· flles themfelvegteach•the.Cblil-ches tp 'dbfer\te'mbre then lle ha'tn ct>mmanded them, they goe beyon'd the liounds of their Commi{:. _fion. The Apofiles in the Synod in Hierrifa!em,laid'upOti rhe Chur· ches no other burden then neceffary things, Am 15. 29. Neceffary K they |
