58 A CHRISTIAN CHUjtCH. to thiswork. The particular forms of their choice and ordination donot enter into the present argument. The business of receiving members into the communion of the church, and the forbidding or excluding of them is a matter of as serious importance as the administration of other christian ordinances ; and oftentimes it is attended with great difficulty. A whole assembly of men .cannot be supposed to manage this affair altogether with decency and regularity, and without confusion : Therefore it is abundantly convenient, if not necessary, to com- mit the first and special care of these matters also to particu- lar persons of human and divine knowledge superior to the rest; persons of great skill in the things of God, in serious religion, and in the affairs and tempers of men, qualified with due zeal for the honour and purity of the ordinances and churches of Christ, and filled with great tenderness and com- passion to the souls of men ; persons of good judgment and discretion, of great meekness, condescension, and charity ; that if possible they may not give occasion to the church to exclude any of the sheep of Christ from the visible fold, nor admit un- clean animals into the flock. The chief officers of a particular church, whether they be called bishops, ministers, presbyters, or elders, pastors, guides, leaders, governors or rulers, &c. are the proper persons to have the first oversight and chief care of this matter ; and in our churches it is committed chiefly to them; to take account of the profession of christianity made by persons . desiring communion, to give some general notices of it to the church, or a more par- ticular narrative where it isdesired : and to receive them to com- munion either with the explicit and formal vote of all the congre- gation, or only by their implicit and silent consent. But if it happen that there is but one minister or presbyter in that church, or if the ministers are young men of small experience in the world, it is usual and proper that some of the eldest, gravest and wisest members be 'deputed by the church to join with and assist the ministers in the care and management Of this affair, Those persons who have been chosen by the church, and have been solemnly devoted by the church, and have also solemnly devoted themselves to that office or service, have been usually called ruling elders. And such officers have been supposed to be described in those words of St. Paul to Timothy ;' 1 Tim. v. 17. Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, thatis, respect and maintenance: But especially if they are also preachers as well as rulers, if they labour in the word and doctrine., These are sùnposed to be called governments ; 1 Cor. xii. 28. and Rom. xii. 8. lie that ruletlz. But if such persons are but appointed to assist a minister, especially one who is young and inexperienced in the government of the
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