Baxter - BV669 B3 1681

to Armies, yea the Enemies Armies, film that far more could hear at once,then cando withus (whether voices or aire did make the difference IKnow not)and ifthe fore-named Parifhes that have but one ordinary meeting place, have 30000 or 40000 or 5000o fouls in there, we may conje&ure at the cafeof Jerufalem hereby ; For though among thofe new Converts, there were not fo'many negleders ofthe Affemblies,. yet the patting firangers might be many. To make thecafe plain,I would but delire the di ffen tors to confider. 4. Whether that Gods publick worship be not a duty ? Even the Corn-, a unionof Chriftians in Doctrine, Prayer and Sacrament? 2. Whether there muff not befome prefent Paftors to officiate before the Church in all thefe? vg 3. Whether this Congregation 'mull not be Chrillians, and perfons qualified for Communion? and whether the Churches havenot al wales ( by the holy Spirits appointment) differenced between Chrjianr and Infidels, and between Heretical or flagitious perfons, and the orderlyand obedient ? and admitted thefiri fort only to Communion ? 4. 'Whether he that is prefent and dclivereth the Sacrament; fhould not know what he doth, and to whom he giveth it, and fhould not in the adminifiring make a difference, and keep away the Infidels, Hui- ticks and openly flagitious, and thould not know the people whom he overfeeth? 5. And whether hecan do all or any ofthis, to a tranüent multi- tude, that as the waters of a river are palling away, when he ffill teeth orange faces cnly, and thofe. are his Auditors, and Commuicants, whom he never law before, or knoweth : how can he know whether they are BaptizedChriffian.s, or unb.ptized, Jews or other Infidels? 6. Thereforeis not an ordinary Cohabitatior,or vicinity, ofneccility to a fixed Church and Palior, that he may know them, and they may -know eachother ? Thefe thingsI fiappoleare pall difpute. ¡. And then I ask whether fuch a fociety as this be not a true Church? and filch as is defcribed in fcripture ? and fuch as fhouldordinarily be continued in the world ? whether it be hart of a more compounded generalChurch, and under the general overfight ofApoftolical Bifhops, is none of my gtchien now; but whether this benot an ordinarypoliti- cal Church, of the fìrft order ? 8. And if fo, whether every fuch Church by Alls. r4. 23, fhould not have fuch Elders 'as,are there, mentioned, which Dolor flámmond maintaineth to be Bithtps ? or fhould not have fuch Epifeopos gregisover- fecrs of this flock, as are impowered to do all the forefaid'works of their proper Cffice ? of which next. S 2. CIIA P.

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=