SECTION- II. - And does not the New Testament teach us the same prac- tice, viz. that wherepersons would he united in christian worship and religious society, they must agree in their religion so far at least, as to make a credible profession of their being the sincere disciples of Christ, and must make known their agreement in all the necessary principles of christianity*. They must pro- fess not only the one true God, but faith in Jesus Christ, the Lord, in his most important characters and offices, together with such repentance of sin, and such a visible practice of holi- ness, as may give reason to hope their profession is sincere. In the primitive times they confessed their faith, and thenshewed their works; Acts xix. 18. and thereby proved their profession to be sincere and their faith to be a trueor livingfaith; James I ii. 17, 18. t was commanded that the Jews should bringfbrth fruits meet for repentance ; in order to be admitted to St. John's baptism ; Mat. iii. 8. And surely then it must be required to the baptism of christianity, or an union with the disciples of Christt. They are generally described to be such as worship God, through Jesus Christ our Lord ; and profess that faith which worketh by love; which is the substance of christianity in a very fewwords. And though there are, and will be, some . lesser differences in sentiment among christians in all ages, and though they are as great as were between the Jewish and the Gentile converts in primitive times; yet the New Testament teaches, that they may all unite in the same christian society, and receive one another in the Lord; that is, to all the privileges of fellow -christians, and the fellowship of gospel- ordinances, even upon as large a foot as Christ has received them ; Rom. xiv. 3. and xv. 7. Whether they are strong or weak in the faith, they are tobe thus received, withoutentangling their minds withmore doubfed and disputable things; Rom. xiv. 1. that is, whether they eat herbsor flesh, or believe some days were holy, or every day alike; verses 3 -5. III. Again, The light of reason teacheth, that there must be a mutual consent, compact, or agreement, amongst such persons as profess the same religion, to walk according to the directions and dictates of it, and to assist and encourage, to join and support one another, in the profession and practice of it, as well as to meet and worship together at a certain season, and a certain place. This engagement for mutual assistance is very * Itere it is not proper to divertso far from my subject, as to enter into a debate how many of the Christian doctrines are of absolute necessity to make a disciple of Christ, or a true christian: This is an endless controversy, according to the different opinions of men.` t Let it be observed, that in this, and other parts of my discourse, I speak only of adult persons, who are capable of prof.-ssing their faith ; being not willing to embarrass this discourse with the controversy relating to infants, their discipleship, or their baptism.
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