Baxter - BX5207 B3 A2 1696

A2'mENDIX Numb:IV. ' fing your felt that you are out of doubt that we arevery well accepted of God, ' andyou think that it is accounted for Baptifm to us. And if you yield both that ' we are bound to the Duty, and !hall have Acceptancein particular Church Com- a munion, what is it then betides the regularity that you deny ? Do you not grant ' the Caufe in Hand ? And we havemany Promifes of Acceptance of Believers in ' their fincereEndeavours, and all things are pure to the Pure. And if involunta- 'ry unavoidable Mittakes !hall hinder our Acceptance when we are fincere, then we can never be fore that we are accepted. g. It is but vifibility that is requifite in a Church or Member to make them capable of our Communion, If it be a e Communion of Chriftians as Chrißian, or Saints as Saints that particular ' Churches are to hold withal, that confent and are Members of their Churches, then Chriftianity or vifible Sanity in fuch Confenters is all that is of Neceility e to fuch Communion :- But theAntecedent is plain : As it is as Chriftians thatwe ' mutt inwardly love one another, fo it is as Chriftians, that we muff manifeft that Love inholyCommunion. Communion is the Demonftration of Love; and all ' Men muß-know us tobe Chrift's Difciplesby our loving one another; and there- ' fore if any Man be but a vifible Chriftian, it's plain that he's capable of your ' Communion (if he cohabits and confent) elfe it were not formaliaur a Common- ' onof Saintsor Chrißian, but of fomething elfe ; Now you confefs that Men are ' vifible Christians that are (to you) unbaptized. i 4. There is no fuch thing as a univerfal vifible Church that is not to tife Eu- ' charißical Communion, nor anyparts of it that have opportunity. Your fimsli. ' rude of Corporations in a Republick holds in fome things, but bath this diíìîmili- tude, that all Chrift's Republick should confiß of fuch Corporations, except a ' Perfon that is a Merchant Traveller,Embatfador,orby fome extraordinary Necelil- ' ty is denied Opportunity : which Rarities are not here of Confideration. And ' whereas in Republicks, it may be as commodious for rural Villages to be not in- ' corporate, as for Cities to be incorporate, and their Priviledges in their Nation a may be as great , and they are not obliged to incorporate , none of this is fo in our Cafe: But every vifible Chrißian (not hindered by Neceífity) ' is bound to incorporate, and charged not to forfake the Aßemblies but all to ' join and fpeak the fame things and Glorify Gqd with one Mouth, ezrc. And he 'that is not a vifible Chrißian, path no vifible Right toour ChriftianCommunion: ' And he that is a vifible Chrißian and depriveth himfelf of this Communion fin- ' neth, and wrongeth his own Soul, and as it were, out-laws himfelf, and isnot as ' you fuppofe in your Comparifon of the notincorporate : But though in fome ' Cafes fuch may be faved, as deny inßituted Communionand Worship, or negle, ' it, yet theydo fo far put themfelves into the State of thofe without. s. Your Opinion lets up a new kind of Church, or ChriftianAlfemblies and ' Communion of fuch as may only hear and Pray, and not have Eucharißical ' Communion and be under Church-Guidance : Shewus any fuch in Scripture if ` you can ' 6. Heathens or Infidels are called to a natural Worship of God : Ergo, vifible ' Chriftians are called to more. ` 7. Faith it felf bath iìs Office formally by Inßitution, though its aptitude there- ' to bein the Nature of the thing. And if the Gofpel it felf be fuperpatural, and ' our Chriftianity and Faith an inßituted thing, as well as Sacrament and Gover- ' nors, and fo the univerfal vifible Church an Inßitution as well as a particular, ' then certainly want of Baptifm will no more keep a vifible Chriftian out of the particular institutedChurch, t)an outof the univerfal becaufe as to the Point of Inßitution there is no fuch Reafon as can make a Difference. ' 8. The great and excellent part of Church Communion is that which you call natural Worship as performed by Believers, in the loving God in Chrilt and admiring and magnifying his Love, in the Richesof the Grace of Redemption, `. and feekingwith all Saints tocomprehend it, hearinghis Counfels and Commands, ' praying for hisGrace and Glory, and praifing and magnifying him in Faith, and Hope, and Love, with our Eye upon the fecond Coming of our Lord. And that which you call Inßituted Orderand Worship, is but the means to this, and ' without this but a Shell : It is fubfervient to it And therefore ` r. They that are capable of the greater, are capable of the lefs. Heathens are bound to meer natural Worship, and their Hearing and Praying is another thing, and Obligation and Capacity differ. 4 z. They

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