1.96 The LIFE of the LIB. i. mils of its Ends. 4. To maintain perfonal Unity among Miniflers, by Familia- rity and Correfpondency, and to heal Divifcons, and Diffentions, and Eftranged.. nefs; and cherifh Brotherly-love. g. In cafe any be injurioufly calf out of any Neighbour - church ( as for profeffing found Do&rine againft tome Errors of that Church, or thelike) to confult of it, that wemay not alfo injurioufly exclude him from our common Communion. 6. In filch cafes of Error or Male=adminfflrati- tion, to admonifh Neighbour Miniflers and Churches ; as alfo in cafe of anyAbufe of their Pa(lors, or choice of unfound, heretical or ungodly Paflors, or éherifhing Seducers or ungodly Perfons in their Churches, or negle&ing Difcipline, or Eat- ing to loofenefs, or in cafe of Scandals among them, or of Offences and Divifions among themfelves, or between them and fome Neighbour -church, or many the like cafes, the Advice and Admonitions of the Neighbour affociated Patters fhould be dire&ed to them for their Recovery ; which cafes tingle Minifters cannot fo well be informed of, nor perform their Duty with fo much Advantage as the Affociati on may. 7. To concur in fome Admonitions to the intra&able and incorrigible ofour lèveral Parifhes, that they that willnot hear theirown Teachersthrough any Prejudice, may prevailed with by many ; and to ftrengthen our Handsand the Reputation of our Do&rine and common Duties with the People, by our Unity and Concord. 8. To help one another, but efpeèially the younger fort of Mini- flers, to whom it may be as an Academy by Conference, Dilputations, and other profitable Exercifes and preaching ( they that ordinarily preach have need fometimes to hear , and to have a Communication from their Brethren Gifts, as well as the People have from them ) 9. Thole Minifters that temple cenfuring any Offender without the content of other Miniflers, may here take their confect ; and young Minifters that are unskilful in managing fach Works, may take Advice. co. We may here agree upon the fctteft manner, and feafon, and perfons, and places, inour helping the Congregations that are ignorant, ill- provided, or unprovided of Minifters, or.dangeroufly corrupted .;'and may advife any Neighbour Churches that fend to us to help them to a fitMinifter, or in the like cafes. It. Becaufe it is impoffible to enumeratepun&ually the cafes inwhich it is lawful to take Members toe particular Church, out of another Church or Pa- nth, all Churches and Pallors thall give an account of any fuch A&ion to thefe Affociations, if any be offended with them : Where it fhall be enquired, whether the A&ion be difhonourableto God, and injurious to the publick Goodof the Churches; if it be not, theOffenee is removed : if they find it be, the Partiesof- fending are to be admonithed; and if they give not Satisfation, it is to be enqui- red whether there be any thing in the Principlesand manner of the A&ion that makes it an intollerable Offence to the Churches : If there be, then afterfaffrcient Admonition and waiting; the Guilty, if impenitent, are to be call out of our common Communion, or the Churches to refolve to have no Chriflian Commu- nion with them. But ifthere beno fuch heinous intollerable Ingredient, we molt becontent only to admonifh them, and difown the Sin, and continue Communi- on with thorn, In likemanlier if any Scandal be raifed of anyBrother of theAl- fociation, or if any have ass Accufation againft him, we mutt hear them, and he snuff be refponfible, and give account of his Ways; though not as to his Go- vernors, yet as to his Brethren, to remove Offence, and tokeep clear the way of holy Communion. 12. It will be molt regular, and avoid the hurt ofeheChurch- es, if ordination ofMinifterr be either performed by thefe Affemblier, or the Minifters to be ordained be here tried and approved, and the Ordination to be performed in the Church to whichhe is ordained by fuch as they appoint, or by the teaching Elders ofthat (hurch it felf, after-their Approbation ofthe Perfon. In thefe Twelve Par- ticulars you may fee what ufe there is of thefe Mifterial Affociations and Affem- blies, without medling with a fuperior governing Power ; and how great Reafon there is that all fober, godly, peaceable Miniflers fhould join in them ; even for communion of Pallors and Churches, and the promoting of our common Work and Welfare. 9. Let thefe Affociations chufe their Prefsdents or Moderators, ( and any fit Name by which they will call him ) and determine whether he !hall be pro tempo - to; or how long, or fixed as long as he livech and is the fitteft, according to the Judgment of theMinifters: For this is not a cafeinwhich Men can be forced from Beir Liberty: And ifany will fo far make rife of his Advice, as to be guided by hit% as nine can deny him that Liberty of his own Mind, fo he mull not feek to hind all others to the fame Subje&ion ; but thofe that bring themfelves to itby the fume Ellitnation have their Liberty as he. zo. Though
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