To the extent possible under law, the Text Creation Partnership has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above, according to the terms of the CC0 1.0 Public Domain Dedication (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/). This waiver does not extend to any page images or other supplementary files associated with this work, which may be protected by copyright or other license restrictions. Please go to http://www.textcreationpartnership.org/ for more information.
1. The Association should be only of free Persons: therefore we shall not consent to joyn with any (specially with women) but such as are free to dispose of themselves this way, either by their owne right, as being under no Parents or Tutors to whom they are accountable of their actions: or by the full consent of freinds that may pretend to have some right to oversee them, and con∣troll their proceedings.
2. Those that associat should not come to∣gether to live an easie life without all cares; but their whole aime should be, to advance the life of Christianity in themselves and others, with all diligence.
3. The way of 〈…〉〈…〉 the Societie, of staying in it, and of going out of it, should be free: only at the coming in, and going out; the expresse motives should be declared for which the Association is taken up, or left off; that all things may be done openly and to edi∣fication, as it becometh the Children of light.
4. The form of the Societie should consist in the cohabitation of those that are associated in one house, for the joint exercise of daily worshipping of God, for the furtherāce of pro∣fitable employments by mutuall concurrence, for the comfort of Table-communion, and for mutuall assistance in necessary consultations.
As concerning the place of cohabita∣tion, it may easily be found when the number and names are known, of those that will asso∣ciat.
The daily worshipping of God should be performed in Prayers, Meditations, and Con∣ferences about the word of God: whereof, the exercises ought to bee regulated in Privat and Public, jointly & severally, according to the capacity and free willing inclinations of those that shall engage to entertaine the same.
〈◊〉〈◊〉 furtherance of profitable employments should be partly for the improvement of Ra∣tionality, Discretion and Prudency, to ma∣nage Rightly the affaires wherin every one by his calling is bound to do service unto others. Partly for the improvement of handy-works and tradings proper to either sex, which may become a relief to the poore; according to the proportion which every one shall be willing to enlarge himself in.
For the enioyment of Table-Societie; there should be a certain rate set down for dyet and other things; and a Steward appointed who should have the care of providing all things according to the rates appointed; who should give in his accounts weekly and monethly of all his disbursments.
The mutuall assistance to be given in neces∣sary consultations should respect three things: First, the matters of spirituall concernment in common; Secondly, the matters of com∣mon outward concernment; and Thirdly, the matters of particular concernment whether Spirituall or Bodily.
Concerning all matters of common con∣cernment, whether spirituall or outward; there should be of course some set times appointed, wherin, first, the spirituall state of the Socie∣tie, and then the outward affaires, should be taken into consideration.
As for the spirituall state; matters of commō edification are to be minded therein, as the fruit of that watchfulness which Christians ought to have over each other in the common profession of the name of Christ.
As for the outward affaires; all orders tending to regulate the same should be setled by mutuall and free consent: concerning which, this fundamentall Rule is to be obser∣ved: that, nothing is to be counted a matter of common concernment, but that wherein every one doth knowingly and judiciously professe himself to be concerned freely and willingly.
Concerning matters of particular concern∣ment; any time should be free for those that stand in need of Councell, to call the rest of their Associats, either all or some, to give them assistance there 〈◊〉〈◊〉▪
If these Generall Rule•• ••e first assented unto by those who are willing to ••••gage in such a way; the particulars may be afterward set downe to be ratified by common consent, concerning the exercises of daily worship, me∣ditation and conferences how to advance 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Christianity in each other thereby, and con∣cerning the course of their daily employments in other things.