l h.e Old and New Covenant. Chap, 3 1. 1 parochial Congregations ( which calls for Reformation ,coming too neer the inconvenience before mentioned ) but Parochial! Affemblies, not the name, but the thing ; viz. a people inhabi- Ling at convenient diftance, and joyning together under Officers, according to Scripture, is the way that comes up both to the 1 girt of reafon, and the prefidents of Primitive times. Our dif -I fenting Brethren will have the limit of a Particular Church, to. he within that number of perlons that may congregate in one place for Ordinances,if this be yeelded(as it muft be for Churches':- meerly Con; regationall)'thenit.will eaf ly be proved, that Pa- f ifh`Congregations ( that is, Congregations -of men dwelling in a vicinity )are of divine infl.itution; Saints that made tip a Church iwere Rill Saints in cohabitation, Such convenient - numbers as are fit to makeup a Church,did not live divided in place,, ande fcattered,forne here, fome there, but were as in faith, fo in habi- ! tation joyned together. 1 P;ofefring 1 Chr3ílians rip- ontet,der of themfelves ! ought to be e ' iìcemed mem Ìbets. in the. places where they rukiabit. Thirdly, All.profeflïng, Chriftians in filch cohabitation (efpe cially the civil 1. power authorizing )are to be efteemed and judg ed, rnembers, and not to be refufed, when they offer themselves as members; where there is a holineffe of feparation:.for God, and a profeffed engagement to reall holineffe, there is no Scri -; pture. warrant for repulfe.;.. thofe that offer therrfe.lves- to learn!: are taken into the School, and not, thofe onely that have made) a good ,progreffe in know ledge, and fir for the uppermoft form I. ; Me thinks this íhould be a Propofirion agreed upon between q ,1 1 -and our diffenting brethren, tieing reverend: Maier Cotton lay>,I. Ì ing down certain Propoftions confented to on both fides, in his Trea.tife of the holinefs of Church-members, page i. faith,\,. j Tkat filch as are born of .Chri fti'n parents, , and baptized in their Infancie into the fellowfhip of the ¿hasrch, are initiated `members bf the fame Church, thoughdeftirsue of (pirituall,grace, untill ti'ey juft. ly deprive thernfelves of the priviledge of that fellowfhip. For r- n of filch is,the kingáome of God, as Mar.' o.14 This was the cafe as we conceive of thofe that have gone from us into thofe. J parts of America, here they were in infancy baptized, here they, have- joyned;in Communion at the Lords Table.. If they fay, they were lot "baptized here .into-inch `Church- fellowthip, then they muft fay that here is no Church of God amongf{ us(which as we abhor to fpek or think of them, fo we muft not yeeld con- cerning
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