A survey of the summe of church-discipline. Wherein the vvay of the churches of New-England is warranted out of the vvord, and all exceptions of weight, which are made against it, answered : whereby also it will appear to the judicious reader, that something more must be said, then yet hath been, before their principles can be shaken, or they should be unsetled in their practice. / By Tho. Hooker, late pastor of the church at Hartford upon Connecticott in N.E.

I. What he must doe.

This Deacon being the steward or Treasurer of the Church, the thing for which he is mainly to be imployed, as for which he was ordained, it is, for the husbanding of the estate and temporalls of the Church, as may be every way most behovefull for the be∣nefit of the body, according to the rules of the Gospel. And this his service will shew it self in three things.

1. He must addresse himself with much observance to re∣ceive those provisions, which shall, or ought to be commited

to his trust. I say, due observance in gathering in the state of the Church.

1. It is for him to inform himself by advice and counsell from the body, what every mans free-wil-offering should be in making provisions for supplies & paiments of the Congregati∣on. For though the Church-contribution be a free-will offer∣ing, in regard it should willingly and wi h a ready heart be tendred unto God: yet neither in the old Testament, nor un∣der the new, the thing it self, nor yet the measure was left to a mans own dispose or libertie. Compare Deut. 16.10. with Levit. 22.18, 19. If God hath blessed a man with so many Oxen, he must not offer so many Goats.

Vpon this information and direction given by the Body,

2. He must observe, whether each member performe this his due and dutie: and in case he shall faile he is to admonish him, as swerving from a rule: and in case he reform not, he must follow the action against him, by the rule of our Savi∣our provided in that behalf, and bring him to the censure of the Church.

3. What is not offered or given, but promised, he must give attendance with the first to require it, that thus being ob∣servant to gather in the stock and provision of the Church, he may not be to seek; nor succour may be wanting, when sup∣ply should be tendered.