QUESTION XI. 11S particular exhortations, reproofs, instruction, conviction, or com- fort for ourselves or others, without deducing consequences, and thereby bringing the general words to our daily present occa- sions : Nor is it possible for any persons to be admitted into a church of Christ, upon just and regular grounds, without com- paring their. personal characters, their confessions, and their practice with the word of God, by the exercise of our reason, and applying to that particular case, what we derive and infer from general rides, or parallel examples now all this cannot be done without making use of the consequences of scripture. VI. This test of christian knowledge this supposed rule of communion, is not found amongthe express words of scripture, I might therefore ask leave of our protestant brethren, who stre- nuoùsly maintain this principle, to make an address to them, in their own language, thus : " Surely if this rule of christian communion be of such absolute necessity to maintain peace, and secure truth, we may wonder why it is not written down ex- pressly in scripture. Has Jesus Christ so little consulted the peace of his churches, and the truth of his gospel, as to neglect so necessary a rule of 'church communion, without which you suppose,that neither peace nor truth can be,maintained ? O what a worldof strife and confusion in the churches might have been prevented by an express appointment of the words of scripture, to be the universal test of knowledge for christian communion ? Is the scripture so careful to express all things necessary, and yet is this' omitted ? May I not thence infer, according to your own principles, that this rule of communion is not necessary? indeed, in my opinion, it is so far from being written in the bible in express words that by all the exercise of my reason, I cannot derive it from my bible, by any plain or certain consequence ; I bave not yet seen evidence enough to believe it to be a sufficient, or an appointed rule ; much less of so absolute necessity to chris- tian communion, truth, or peace." QUEST. XI. ?Theurer all sorts of Protestants may join to- gether as Members of the sane Church. SECT. I. By the name protestant, I intend, not only those that protested against the corruptions of the Roman church, and the edict of the Emperor in Germany at the beginning of the re- formation, but I include also all that hold the same general prin- ciple, making the bible the only and perfect rule of faith and manners, and giving every single person a right to judge for himself concerning the sense and meaning of the bible in mat- ters of religion, and to practise according to his own sentiments in things sacred. it 2
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