• Ho1v far qJurch.GolJernment i; determined of in Scripture. ~~~tmnnnJ- ftmtlion of _ou_r brcthrcP, c~~n th~ weak._. ~r to the div_ifion of the Church. I3· And many thing1> Co!./.ts, &c. he hat~ ~.rncularly forbwden m Wodlrp ; as makmg to our felvcs any graven Image, &c. and 1 l _,h, 5 . :~ 1 • VVorf11lppmg Angel'~, &c. R:Y. 2. J 4. § 20· ~~d as. tO ~he or_dr:r and G.n:.cr~m~N.t of_ the Church (for I am willing to difparch all here togeth~r) rr 1S much IS phmly dctcrmme~ m Scr•ptur,r.. l• That tbr:re be Officers or Minifte d M~r. ~s. 1 9• Cbri.f to be the {f.;tcd1uc!;crJo[ his pc~?ple, and tu B;ptiZI\ and Admin'lfl:er rhe Sccramen~' 0~11h~r ~~.~;:~~I: s. Bo~): and B:ood~ and b~ thi: ~outh and Guid~ of ~.~e people in publick_ Prayers, thankfgiving an~ ACt :.. 4!. pr ..utcs, and eo bmd the unremrent and loofe tnc pequent and. to be che Dircelcrs of the-flocks _ & :2o. ,, ~s cotding 10 the L1w of God, to life eternal. And rhtir btncc is defcribcd and dttermined by Ch ~~ P.ph. 4· 11 ,14· :;;:. It i.i f(<jU;n.:d that Chrifii:ms do ordinari) AJJcmblc together for God1 publici• wor~ip. andrtb. Md '· 7 G . 1 d I . I ' ' h . P !I 1 . . d I b fid I '- ,,. ' e b.;:!;, 3. 17 ,u. ua.C' 1 t \~~on .lY c,.,,c t ~1r a _ors. 3· ~IS n~l!.tre t 1ar <..1 cs t le mtjixtdMiniftcrs, who eml.lcr.. It.t7, ploy t.H.m{r..!VC~ 111 cnnvertmg InliJr..ls, and 1n an 1tuu:r:mt fc:IVIC~ of ·the Churches, there be alii 1S. ]fated fixr;d 1\-I!ni)crs, having a fpccial ch:uge of c2ch plrticular Church: and that they may kno; ~· .. :t~.\~: thtir mrn fi.~(kJ1 znd tc.Jcb tl~rm pu~lick]y at~d from houfe to ho~if't, and th~ people m1y l{_now thtir l T>c:. ~. t!. own P.tjbr; thc1t t~·r vcr tiHm rn the L rd, af!d honour t~e~n and obey them m all that they teach them H.b 1 i 7 . 17 • from 1 he 'Word of God Ior their f:tlvation. 4· The M1mfi:ers that Baptize arc ro judge of the ea~ 1\U. 8. )7· plCily and tlwd<; of rhofe w~om they B.1ptilc; whether ~he Adult that are,admitn:d upon their ptr– & t,. 37, ~8. fim.Jl pr.f.ffion and CI>V(.nanrmg, or Infants that arc admitted upon their P.Irent; ptofef!iun and en. ~~~;-~0~~6. tuir;g ihun into CO\•Cn~nt. 5· Th~~aflors r~t adminificr the Lords Supper to rheir particular & 9 • q, 14 • flocb, a1c to difc:l!rnor JUdge of the fitnefs of thofe pcrfons whom they rccei,ve newly into their Atl:. 10. chng,c ~r ~vhom they. admit to Communion in that Sacrament as _members of their fiock: 6. Every ~or. '-· 1 I. fuch PJ!ior 1S alfo perlonally ro watch over all the members of h1s flock as far as he is able · Jell D~~~~.' ~~ 1 t faH~ teo.chus fld~1ce thtm> or fatan ger advantage o( Wcm, or any corruption or root of birt;rncfs 2 Tim. 41 ,z.,3. fP1 ing up ;tmong them and defile them. 7· It il the duty of the IC:veral members of the flock, if Matth. JS.15, a Brutha trtfpatS :.\glintl them, to 1ell him h;s faults between them ao.d him; and if he hear 110 t t6, 17. to take two or three, and if he hear not them to teJI the Ch~rch. 8. It is the Pafiors dury to :l. ~hcf. ~- adrr.onil1·, the umuly, and c2ll themto Rcpenbnce, and pray for their Convcrfion. 9· And ic is : 1:~~~~~~:. the P.:.ikrs dllty to declare the obHinately impenitent uncapable of Communion with the Church 'Ji. )· 10. and 10 charbc him to forbe:Jr it, and the Chmch to av~id him. Io. It is the peoples duty w avoid 1 Cor. S· ;, 4, fuch 2.CCutdi1'1gly, and have no farni!iari'ry with them that they may be ~.rhamed ; 2pd with fuch 00 ltum~·~~: :;~·bot to ear.. ~I· lt is rhc_PJI!Ors ~tHy to Abfol_vc the Penite~t, declaring. the rrrnifliOn of their fin, 1 Tim. 5 . 17 • and re admnnng ro the. Commm~t~J1 of. the Sutlls., 12· Jt IS the ~copies duty to re-admit the ab~ luk. to 16. fclvtd to thtir Communion with JOY, and w take them as Brethren 10 the Lord. 13. Though every & n.4z.. P.!lio~ bath a Gmeral p.?wer to exercTfe his office in any parr of the Church, where he fhall be truly Att. 13· 1 3· caUcd to it; yet cvtry Paflor hath afp(Cit~l obligation (and con'fequemly a fpccial powtr ) to do it ;~·i~·. ~: ~.' over the flock, of which he hath r~ce~ved the {pecial charge and overfight. 14. The Lords day is 1 Pet. S· t, 2, fcpuared by Gods appointment for the Churches ordin~ry holy'Communion in Gods Worlhip under ~' 4· the conduct of thcfe their Guides. 1 5· And it is rcqUJfite that the fcveral particular Churches do Rev. •· 10 ' maintain as much agrcem~nt among thcmftlvc$, as their capacity will allow them; and keep due ~~~:.0;;: 1 • Synods and correfpondenci~s.to f~l~t. en~. Thus much.'of GodJ l!'orjhip, and Churc~·ordtr and Ga– vcrmntnt at lcarl is of D1vmc m{ht~non, and dccerrnmed by Scnprure, and not ldt to the will or libcrry of man. Thus far the Form of Govnnmenc (at lc}df ) is of Vivine Right. §. 21 , Bur on the con1nry, 1. Abmt DoUrine and lVorpJip; the Scripture is no L1w in any ofthefe following cJfcs, but hlth. left them undetermined. 1. There _are many n£Jturaf 1ruthJ, which the S;;:.inrun: rneddleth not w1th: .As Phyficks, Meraphyficks, LQg1ck, &c. 2 · Scnpturc tellcth not a Min,JOer wh.ar patticufJr 1cxt or S11bjdl he flull.Preach on this d.1y or that. 3· Nor what method his Text c1r SL1bject (lull be opened and handled m. 4· Nor what d.1y of the week befides the Lords d.:y he fllJ.II proch) nor what hout on the Lords day he Onll begin. 5·. Ncr in what panicular place . the Church 0lJll meet. 6. Noi' what particul.Ir fin; we {hall moO: confefs: nor wha perfonal mer– ciu we fh 1 ll at thM prefent time, tirfi ask : nor for what we !hall nnw moll copioul1y give thanks: For fpc,ial occ..fions mull determine a1l thefe. 7· Nor what p.uri.cular Chapter _wt !hall now .read: r:or wh..:t puticu\ar pfl/m we Oull 1Jowfing_. 8 Nor whu particular tranjlatronof the Scnpture, or vcrfiu;t of the P[:~.lms we flull now uft. Nor into what Sections to difhibutc the Scripture, as we do by Chapters and Ver{(~s. Nor. whether the Bible !lull be Printed or \.Yritten, or in what Ch~ncters or how bound. 9· Nor JUfi by what fign I fh:~.ll exprcfs my confent to the truths or dutits which I am called to exprcfs conjent to, ( bdidcs the SacrtJments and ordinary tWJrdJ,' 10 , Nor whether I {hall ufe written Note! to h~lp my tnemory in P_rt£Jcbinl,, or P1each without. 11 , Nuwh(thtr I (hal1ufe a writing or book..,m prayer, or pray wuhour. 12. Nor whether 1 fl 1allufe the fame word 1 in preaching and prayer, or various.new exprdlions. . I 3· Nor whar uttHjils in holy adminifirations I f111ll u[e ; as a Templl or an ordm~ry houfe, a Pulptt, a {1~zt, a 1ablr, c~p1, cufhions, and m3.ny fuch, which belong to che feverll par& ofWor011p. I4· N)r 111 whar particu– lar t?,tjlure wefilJllprc.Jcb or reJd or hear. 15· Nt1r what parr.ic~lar garment! Mmifiers or peo~le r.ull wear in time of Worlliip. J6. Nor what. n.ltural or artJ[ictal. he!p1 to our natural faculoes ~~,;f~~~~: we Oull ufc : as medicaments for the Vo1ce, tunes, muhql mftrumcnrs, fpedacles, hour– liw rc ful y in glaiTes : Thc[c and fuch like are undetermined in Scripture and arc left to be determined by my DlfDut. S· humane prudence, not as men pleofe i but as mra111 in order to rhc P.roper end, according to the of ChurchGorcral L.zwJ of Chrifi, For Scrip!Ure is a Gtneral L.:zr:' for all fuch Clrcumlbn~cs, but not a par- ~~:c~~&~~;:_ ticular La.w. So
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