4· lt is not Neccff.uy to a mans BJptifm and firHChurch·mcmberfhip, that he r,ive any tt ltimony of an antecedent godly life: Becaufc it is Rtpenta~tcc and {1mtre obcdimct pro/rffid char is his: ride ; .w~j we mull not keep men from Covmanting, till we firH fee wheth('r they will l<CLp the Covenant ~hid1 they are to make. for CoVenantin.g goeth btfore Covenant·l<e~pir:g : And it is :my the moll: ut~ pi· ous finner who Repen!cth, that 1s to be W.ifl1ed and Jufhhed as foon as he be,omerh a Be– liever. ')·Yet if any that Profeffeth Faith and Repentance, tl10uld commit Wlmrcdom!', Dmnkennefs, r .cor 6 9,10. Murder, Blafphemy, or an~ mortal fin,. before .he is baptized •. we have .rt2ton tO make a ftop ~f i.'11,~;.~·.J;,~~;: that m:tns baptifm, becante he contradtCl:eth h1s ow:1 pro~d11011! and btveth us caufc to rake trACts 1 .n. 3 8. for hypocritical, till he give us better evidence that he IS penuer.t 1ndced. . 6. Htort·Covtnanting maketh an invijible Cburch·.mcmber, andVerbal Covw 1JUi11g and BJptifn malre a Vijible Cbureh·mmzber. And he that ma~eth a Proflffio;t of Chriilianity, ~o far. as eo dcdarc rhat he bclitvetb all tlu Articles of the Creed particuL.zrly mtd underjfandingl.Y ( wa h {omc wler:~.ble under– tlanding though not difiinCl: enough and full) and that he openly devowh hirnld f w God the Fa– rher, Son,and Spirit, in the Vowand Covenant ofBaptlrm, doth prdduc.e afufficwtt talr, to the Re– lation of a Chrijlian and Church-membtr; and no MiniHer may rejeCt him, for want of telling, when, and by what argument.;, means, order, or degrees he was converted. 7• They that forfake thefe terms of Church entrance, left us by Chrifi and his Apofiles, and ufcd by all the Churches in the world, and reJect thofe that {hew the T1tle of fuch a ProflffiOn, for want of{omcthing more, and fet up other ftrilier termr of their or!'n, as necctfJry to dilCovcr mens converjio11 and fincerity, arc guilty ofChurch t)'ranny againfl men, and ufurpation againfl: Chrlft: And ofmaking Engines to divide the Churches ; teeing there will never be agreement on any humane de– vifed terms,. but forne will be of one fize, and tOme of another, when they for[ake the terms of Chritl. 8. Yet if the Fafior thall fee caufc upon fufpicion of hypocrif.e, ad me/ill< effe, to put divers quefiion; to one man more than w ariothcr, and to· defirc further fatisfaction, the Catcchurnens ought in confcience to anfwer hirn,and endeavour his fatisfaction. for a Minifler is not ryed up to fpeak only fuch or fuch words to the penitent: And he that {hould fay, I will anfwer you no further d1an to re~ peat the Creed, cloth give a man reafon to fuppofc him either Ignorant, of Proud, and to fufpend the reception of him, though not to deny it. But fiill ad effe no terms muft be impofcd as ncccff:uy on 1~Church, but what the Holy Ghofl by the Apofiles hath etlablifhed. O!!eft 1 6. Wf,at is nece§a1y to a mam receptioll into Memberjhip in a parti< ett!ar [/JUrcb, owr an4 abo"V~ tlm 'forejaid t~tie! Whether mry other Tryals, or o i )lellallt, or IV!Jat ! r. A Particular Church is a regular Part of the Univerfal , as a City of a Kingdom, or a Troop of an Army. 2· Every man that is a member of the particulu Church, is a member of the Univerfo1l ; but every one that is a membe'r of the Univcrfal Church, is not a member of a particular. 3· Every particular Church hath its own particular Pafior (.one or more), and its own par~icu~ Jar place or bounds of habitation or refid'enCe : Therefore: he that will be a merr~ber ofa puticular Church, r. Mull cohabite, or live in a proximity capable ofCorcimunion. 2· And mull: Confent to be amember of that particular Church, and to be under the Guidance of its particular Pafiors in their Office work. For he cannot be made a mc:mber without his own Confcnt and Will; nor can he be a member, that fubjeCteth not himfelf to the Governour or Guide. 4· He therefore that will intrude into their Communion and priviled~cs without expreffing his confent before hand to be a member, and to fubmit to the l'aftoral overlight, is to be taken fot an invader. • 5· But no other perfonal qualification .is to be exaCl:ed of hit11 as necdfary, but that he b-e a mem– ber of the Church Univcrfal. As he is not to be baptized again, fo neither to give again all that account .of ~IS Fait~l and R~p~ntance ~artic_ularly which .he gave at Bapti(m : Much lefs any highct proofs of hts finccnty: But tf he contmue m the Covenaf!t and Church.flate which he was B1ptized into, he is capable thereby of reception into any particular Church upon particular Confent. Nor is there any Sctiplllrc proof of any new examinat~ons about their Converfion m finccrity , at their removals or cntetance into a particular Church. ., · 1 6· Bllt yet bccaufe he is not now.lookt on only as a Covenant.makei)i\s he was at Baptifm,bn.t alfo a~ a Covenant·keeper Or performer, therefore if any can provt that he is falfe to his Baptifmal Cove– nant, by Apoflalic, Herefie, or a wicked life, he is to be refuted till he be Abfolvcd upon his re• ntwed .repentance.' . . 7· ~e that oft profdfeth to Repent, and by oft revolting into mortal fin, (that is, fin which 01ewctn a flatc of dearh) doth !hew that he was not finccre, muft afterward Chew his Repentance by actual amendment, before he can fay, it is his due 10 be believed. 8. \oYhether . .
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