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Show J Of th. e .Addition Chap. 3• 5~2·~----------------------~~ ood inq~irie the proceedings ·of their flfrex:=church·, hhey. :;da~ ~dmottilh the Eldm of that Church touchmg what ~12.} \v~o atullfe. But if the Ekkr$ hearken not unto_t~em, t~e Ch h admonilh them, being unCttisfied~may acquam~ thetr oy;n h urc with the offence of their neighbour Ch,urch, and thd ~~~ifh ih:. ofthe Lotd, and of their o~n Church, they may a n: . fi·, h f b Letters and Meffengers fent to them to that. pu~ e. · 1£ ~~utl~e bhurch adrnonilhed,hearken no~ 1mt~ them,th~~hu~h: offended may and ought to acquaint thm. n<etg~bour . ?rc es . h . hall who nuy ·Joyne with them ' either m convmcmg the t erewit ' • ·1 · h h · offending Church of their fin, and fo preval c Wit t em unto re~ . fOJmation ' or e!Ce (if they perfill: in obfiinacy ) they m~y fr~m h £ th witbdrm> aU continu~nce of brotherly commumon wu{~ t cnCelOl' . . r. .Jr. • h' h . i'. I ·u they acknowl ~dge thetr tran,grcuton, w tc IS as •arre t ?eCmh, uur ches m·a y goe in a C h urc 11 -way, •m ca fce o f o bfHnacy of a :ighbour-<l:hurch in any offence, and fo farre they may gee acd' g to the proportion of the rule, Mat. !8.15, I6, I7· Look :~a~1~1Je a brotber is to attend unto in feeking to heale the_ offince of a brotber,the fame rule may and ought a ftjler-Chr~rch to attend. • fe~king to heale an offending ftfler-Chrmh. And looke as uFnatuol wmh g had.received"the fame,eqila ll power o f t he k. 'c ys,w•tt h p< · ter,reproved Peter opm!J when he was to be blamed, Ga!.2. II . fo ~· Church, who hath received· the fame equall power of dre keys With another, may ,•ep•·O'lle anotlxr Church openly when they are to be bla·med. And locke by what power they may reprove them, by the fame they may proceed to withdr:m> jrom tlmn?~f they _hearker.not to their reproofe-according to God. But all this notwahfrandmg, ~hey will not allow a brother offended to complaine to the Presb;~ trrs of anoth~r Churcb, till he fee no hop~ of removall of the offence by his onm Cburch iu ho~1e: ~----......... ------- ,(.,.~------ . · · , C. H A r. HI. · . . , ··' of thCJ.4dditi~IJ of Mtm~trs to the Cbur&b. , ,, · .: ·: sl!cT· r .. • HeChwd'i be~. tllus gathemhnd'ro~ifhed wit~t~} Officm, in fuch .manner as the tord hal:h appomUll? . looke ;is itt tlilffidt,.Primitive Chu~cb: tll. Loid 'atMlJ'II . 1!1111· Seth~-. tbemd?Jlflfocb tHjbould befwed,AEi:u. 47 .. fodoe wee admit and receive from the Lord fuch as he kndeth and addcth to us. The tirfi ahd lowefi nHmber of a Church, to whid1 \i)e othrr members are added, is not exprefly limited in the word., onely it is not fo low·as feme have conceived, to confifionely of two m· three,. it is a mifiake of that place, Mal. IS . .20. where a promife of Chrifis .prc-· fence u nude to two or thm,to conceive it made to the lowefi numberofaChnrch- body; forthofe two or thrw, are not confidered there ·as a Ch~trcb-bod]>but as a foffci~nt 11umber of wit11c§u ,to jayne with a brother offended, in convincing and admonifhing the brother that gave the offence; againfi whom, if he doe not hearken to .them, they arethen.furthertoprocecd, and to tell the Churcb. Which argucth that they themfelves are not a Churcb,but a fmaller company agreeing in a dutie ofbrotherly love, either to heale an offending brothet' by their own admonition, or to wimeffe againfi him before the Church ; and yet they have a fpeci all p,romifeof Chrifts prefcnce with them in thedutie, left they might thinke li1ch a labour oflove underFakcn in vaine. But the Church muft needs be a gre.mr nrmzbet tben I WJ Oi' time, ffclng thcle two or three are to referrc the per·fon and the ~:aufe co a ~{tater. body ~hen themCel ves; for thong~ t~erc might be a - ~omcJ! zca/1 Chwch mAdam and Eve at the begummg,yet fuch a Church which Chrift !nth inflituttd ;, tlu new Tejl.~mcnt~ confificth of a greater number. The very Officers of a Church, complcatly fumilhed, are no lcffe thmform (a Paftor,a Teacher, aFl Elder,.a Deacon,) and therefore the body of the Church had; need to be. of a g_reater number then fo. An<Lthough the <ffince 9f a Church may confifi without the integritie of all his members ( as a lame man that wanteth.fome of his members may have the eflence of a man,) yet under feven, a Church can hardly confift offo man)l members as doe perfom1e any part of a Church-body. , T-o fuch a body, how many members-may be-adde<\, is not limited exprefly in the. Word,onely it is provided, in che Word,that they be'no more then thatall may meet in. one Congregation, that aU may htare,and alJ m<9 be edified.For(as. hath been noted above) ~~e Ap,ofilc fo qefcribeth the whole Church iK meeting in one f'la..'t, \Cor:} 4.'23. But if aU cannot bean, all cannot be edified •. Beiides ~c.fi~~Ie recjp,ll;~tP.t~~t.whe~ the Chur4l meec~h togethe~ !"hr ·.:.:··, - c.. . :I.- ~ -· -~··· 53 tr- |