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Show ----------------w-ho- -4Y-C- t-o -b-~ -.s-d-m-it-te-d-. i-nt~o- ---C-h-a-p-. ~3 · -------th-e- ce-le-b-ra~tin-g -of-t h-e -Lo-rd-s -S'upper, they fh"O tarry oncfO~ J.Mt~tr, 1 Cor. 11· 33· Which argueth the Church indued with onely Of· dinary Officers, lhould confift of no greater number then _that all might part a~ together of the Lords S11ppcr ;,. ollff C07lf!,regamn, and therefore filch Parilhes :u confift of t;ooo. though th~Y. wer~ all fit materialls for Church-fellowlhip, yet ought to be dtVIded mto many Churches, as too large for one. When the hive is toO full, Bees lwamlC into a new hive; fo {hould fuch exccflive number~ of Chriftians iffi1e forth into more Churches: Whence it appe;treth to be an error, to fay there is no limitation or dHlintllon of P~rifhcs, mcaning of Churches,(j<tr~ divino )for though a precifc quotient, a number ofhuudreds and thoufands be not limited to ~very Church, yet fuch a number is limited as falleth not below froeti, nor rif~th above the bulke of one Cot~gregation, and fw:h a C~ngreg~~ tion wherein all m~y meet<, and all mtty heare, md a/Jm1y p.Jrl~, and a/J ""!J be edified tngctbtr. S E C To I I, THey thatde!ire to be added & joyned to fuch a body,tbey firQ make known their delires to the Eldm of the Church who take ~riall.of their ~owkdge in the principles of religion,& of their expermzce m !he wayu ofgrace,andoftheir godly cimverfotien among!\ men; that tf any of them be found igmrant,andgr.Jcelcjje, orfoan• dalotl! ,he may not be prefently prefmted to tht Church, till thefe evil$ were removed. The ftonesthat weretobelaid in.SolomomTcmr pl~, ';\'ere fq?ared. and made ready before they were laid in W buildmg; nett her uon, nor ax,nor any iron toole was heard in t)lj: houfe while it was abuildiog, 1 King. 6. 7. And wherefore fo, ~ not to hold forth that no members were to be received into the Ghurc4 of C~rift, but fuch a& were rough-hewen, -and fquartiJ, and fitted to beclofe and Ievell to Chriftand to his'membefS? . But when fucha5offenhem~ves t~re apprOfltdofthe El.dtr/,~ arer;opoundedby<>ne of the ~ng ElJet's to the Chur~h, wlfh a monOn to tbe,lmthrm to make'inquiry after them,and if th~y Jhi)l heare of any )11ft t=ptio~tl againfi them, w give 1zoti.:e pf it t.o fljl oftbe Elder.!. , But if no exceptioobe beard of, me» ar<:.~1j,;,~ forth w-,..e·lbe 7 • ,..,..,.. '· '...,.Chutc'h, Sett;:z • {hurch-feUowfl;ip ~and ho;;,:--------- - -s-5--· C~urch, after other. holy duties are perfmmed, and each o~e rna- --+-- ket? confe~ton of hts finnes, and profe!flon of his faith. In con-fe! lton ofhts linnes (that it may appeare to be a penitent confeffi-on) he ~ecla~eth alfo the grace of God te his foule, draw in hlm out oflit_s lin!ull efrate into fellow(hi~~h Chrift; In t:hep~~ef-fi~ n ~f hts .f.mh,~<; dec! areth no~ onc}Y_ h}s go~ krulwl.cdge of th~ prmctples o_fR.el~gton?b•n alfo ills pr?feffi:d fub)ctl:ion ·ro the Go· f~ ofChnll:, wtth hts deflre of walkm~ thcrcio, with the fellow- !htp of that Chnrch. Now befme or after !itch his profefli01 0 con:feflion, thofe of the bre~hren afche Chur'h who arc of his1ac: quaintance d<:e give ~ome good ce_!Hmony (.if need be) of his life a~d converC·mo~ ; euher acco:dmg to theu· ownc knowledge of h1m, or ~cc?rdmg t~ the ~re<hble. reports or lcttecs which th~y have recetvea co~cer~mg htm: whiCh done, Jthe Rr<ling Eldrr, or one of the PrMcbmg J!.ldm prop!luudeth it i:o:rhe Church, .whe-ther fr~m1 all ~hac t~:Y ~ave I:e•.rd. and feeney·d~y finde any jull: excepupn agamfr htm '? tf Co, rt IS cleared-and .ct:rnoved \,¢fore any further proceedings; if ne jn!hx~pti:on_ appeue,the Ruling E/du then moveth .c\le Cnmch ta exprcffe tht:ll' ac~ptancc of him inw ~b~lhlp>~ them,by lifting D!l_thei~ !mnds. Which done ( :.md the like courfetak:en with· t'Wtl•elt"lh.ree 1110tlll1as the time will pc:r-mit) the EN a propoundeth to chem t!J<:h<mll of~he CO'W1i"nt which the Lord bath m:sdr with hi! ~burck ~ wlx•t promifos of W"" he b.:ttiJ·. "f"de to,tbem; M ,alfo·w/JJt millet uf}Jllth. •llld obedience he doth req!lire OJ them; As ro't'tlktthe Lo•dJef* for'W<Ir'lfmdJ Prirfb an.dAto,.cmmt ·their o~ely F;·oplnr anff!,~id'c,J'h~'io•fl;'~ Kvtg ~nJl Lrtlf"lgitler, anJ t:, wa~ m profiJFr!Pf,bJelflmTJ..ltnlo-aU•b,., 11uly Ordinrmcu-,irM' -aifo•to w-J~ i'!'brotbe;ly love witlr.~he·brvt'h~erHtfct!Jn· ChltYcb, m>to 111Jti>U!Jll·~tkftpttuon. and'Ji~ecour, accrrri111lg· t~ t h•.r.ztle of rbe ·CiiaJPel: Aod•the-new re-ceived membi:'rs' acknmvledging this-ro<be theiv ducic7 and! pl!l'lfe£. tin&;thcir ccmltnnmto it in ~he name'IDf~llritt; the 1!-lder del!h 'further acqtllrint_ tl\ent with· what dutie<rof hv!:f W4tu/ifu/iJajp <O'IItr t~ they m-'1 expd1 from tbt•Cht~rdJ; amd>'fo lhm.tellh<up>his- wnllke wu:li fo~e'fhurtprayernn~o the-Lord; who•keepeth.covenant and mercy Wlth thoul!i~ds ofhts-pc0pU:,to make us'-lll£,ithfltll tG him, . ~nd ~>ne to another, aet!ordlngto tlie rules of rhis holy Gofpel in €1\nft .J~fi.lS, t4e Mdiator, andt1hretie,Gf1tis<Jo'rellant,.:becwecn . tli~ ~rd"and his people. • S.£ C. 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