QUESTION It 55 'himself whether he shall be received to communion with others, andpartake of their sacreds. Nó man can impose himself upon à church, merelybecause he thinks himself qualified : This would lay all the 'garden of Christ waste again, throw down all the fences, and reduce it to a mere wilderness : This supposition is too witd'te be admitted. If therefore a credible profession of christianity be the term of communion appointed by Christ in- his word, there must be some present andliving judges of the credibility of this profes- sion ; and I know not who can be so proper to judge as those persons with whom communion is desired. This is not a matter transacted merely between a minister and a single christian, for the Lord's-supper is not to be administered but in a community, as 1 Cor. xi. 20, 21, 33. The church must come together to one place, and theymast tarry forone another. Theremust bethere- fore the consent of the community or society, to admit aperson to share hi and partake of the sacred things in communion with therm. This ordinance of Christ represents the communion of his members in one body, by the one bread, and one cup; 1 Cor. .x. 16, 17. And the duties of church-fellowship, to which we then engage ourselves, are mutual duties between a community or society of christians, therefore there must be a consent on both sides ; and as a person must judge concerning the society, whe- ther he will join himself to them, so the society must judge con- cerning him, whether they think him fit to be received as one of them. It is into union with that society that the person proposing himself is to be admitted, either in a constant or occasional way ; and they give him the leave and privilege of becoming a partner with them, or a member of their body ; and surely the light of nature tells us, that evetty voluntary society must judge who shall be members of their society, and enjoy fellowship with them in their peculiar privileges. It must be confessed indeed, that where this, voluntary so- ciety professes a subjection to the will and law of any sovereign or superior power, and this sovereign has given them a rule whereby they are bound to admit persons into their society, in this case, their own mere arbitrary will and pleasure cannot vio- late or neglect this rule without guilt ; nor can they appoint any new rules and make them necessary termsand conditions of such admission: And this is the case of all ehristian churches. For though they are so many voluntary societies, yet Christ their common Lord and sovereign has appointed the general rule of admittingmembers intohis churches, viz. that " all suchshall be admitted who make a credible profession of christianity." But wheresoever there is sucha superior acknowledged-rule given to direct in this affair, still the society itself must judge concerning the true sense and just application of this' rule to
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