OCR Text |
Show ploy in lome publike offi-ce amongfl: them, and lhall ~~ake known their want co lome other Church, who r~ray abound.m ffich ~leilings, (as fomctim:s the Chmch at.A•mocb had.fom or ve rophets ,1mom; them,Ai1.13.1 .when othet:s w.uHed)thc C•hrHGh th.n aboundcdr in fuch help~, is ready to knd and con_rm.n~ uch of thei ,. mcmb~rs as their !Cl ves may ljJarc, <tnd are fit tor office, (~m 110, called to office <tmongfl:. th.ern(elves) (O fupply the neceflmcs of their Brethren. 5 E CT. V f. A Sixth way of comm•mL>n a·nongfl: vnr Churches, is by way ofdrlmonition: as it one Church lhould be credrbly grven to underfiand, of illl1re lcand.rl! .triling in .urorher Chm~h, w~ether· by cm·tuptirmin.d,[Jrine, o: ir~ rflttl!F!r'f, and upon dtltg~nt t:.lrch and inquiry, the report is round t rue; the Church hc.rnng tnere-. or·, fendcdr Lorw·s, or l\Je!fen~c:·s, or both, unto thcEI<lers ot that Church, where tl!Ch offence is t;_,und, and exlwrtetlr them to take a rpce.:ly and diligent cvur!e for the .redrdfe ~hereof; ?m if she Elders of th.\t Chw·clr lhou!d be renuif.: thercm (or be t.mlty thcmfelves)drey th"n w·titie the whole Chur.:h thereof,to c.t!lupon their ollicas, asP~"! lent to the Church of Co 'of!, to c.rll upon Arcbippuo, co r~kc diii>;ent heed. r_o the !itlliilling nf rhat work o~ the Mini!lery,whtch hee lud recctvedol the Lord (_~o!. + 17.) It the Church neare them, the fc.rndJJl :s removed ; It tt he~rc the11 not the Church offe:rded he:·ewith, t.tkcth in the help of two or rhr~e Churches more to joyne wirh tl1e111 in their cxhortJrion, or admonition. It Hill the Church where the offcncelicdr pel'lifteth in the neg· leE\: of their duty, and of thecounfell of their Brethren; either the matter would be re&:rred to a Con7.reg 1tion ofm "!!'>"' uU tb< Cl111rclm together;(if need rnvuld reguire)or ei!~,if thc."rTence be evident and weiglny,and ofill,though not !(ener:.\1 conlcqr1•:nce, the Churches otiended with them would (as jufrly drcy miglu)wirhdraw themfelves from the right hand of fellowlhip, and io forbeare al~ fuch exerciles of mutual! brotherly communion with them~ wluch all • (.he Churches ofChrilhare wont to walke in one towards another. We have. never yet been put to the utmoO: extent of this· dmy to· wards --------------- ~ard~ any. of our Churches: The Lord hitherto fo t:u'fe ~reve;rt= -mg. Wit~ ~1s grace~ that no Church hath flood out !o long in mamt.umng any otfence found amongH them: Bm if it lhould (o f:tll out, (which God forbid) wee look ~t it as our dntie to be faithfull,one Chnrch·to.another,in like fort as the Brethren of the fame Church a1·e called to be f.rithft1ll one towards :mother · Doe not Churches injuy bro,rherly Communion one with ;moth~r, as well as brethren of the fame Chlli·ch? The Church in the C mticleJ tooke c.tre, not one! y for her uwn members but for her little filler, which h.rd no breafl:s, CJnt. 8. 8. An,[ \~ould lhce ll.lve t.1- ken no C.lrc of luving her brealh healed, it' her b,·c.dls h.1d heen diilempcrcd,and given cor!:UPt milke? The Apo!ib h rd .1 publick care (by venue of their ottrte) of all the Churches, 2 Cot. 11. 2 8. And is the pub lick li'i' it ofg:·.\ce and lvvc dead wiLir them 'i on~ht not .111 the Chw·chcs <If ~hn fl:, to h.1v~ ~ c.IL·e and watchful! eye over the pub!tck good ot one ~noLlrcr ! I hough not virtute oj}icii, yet inmiw cbJ,.itJtu. s " c T. v r r. THe fevcnth an~ lalt way of the Co1mmrmion of our Churche~, is by w,ry ot prop,~ttio:t, or nmltiplicatiun of Churches; Though this w.~s a pcprli<~r eminency oft he Apofl:olike c.rlling fvr them in their lite-rimes to rr.1vell into all Nations, to pre.tch the Gofpel, w beget D&iplcs, to gathenhem into Church-eftate, and to to pbnt Church:s wherefoevcr they came : yet th.rt which they did by ve1 tue of dreir oflice, is rc!ervcd unto the Churches of Chrifl, to profecute and c.trry along( according to their mcafi.1re) throughout all gener.rtions, and in all Nation~, for the inLu·gcn1ent of the kin!(dome ofChrift, unto the end of the world. The power of the ;,eys, which was imm.ediatdy ?,ivcn by ChriO: unto his Apofllcs, is alfv given by Chrifl: unw all the Chmches, in that fulndfe of meafi.u·e, which the clbblilhment and cnbrgement of Chrifls kingdome doth require. If then any particnlar Clmrch ofChriO: lhall come in p1·oce1Te of time to be fo farre multiplyed, as that like Bees when the hive is too fult they are neceiTarily occalioned to fwarme forth (as it is indeed the cafe when the voice of their Miniflers cannot reach to all) |