A briefe narration of some church courses held in opinion and practise in the churches lately erected in New England.: Collected out of sundry of their own printed papers and manuscripts with other good intelligences. Together with some short hints (given by the way) of their correspondence with the like tenents and practises of the separatists churches. And some short animadversions upon some principall passages for the benefit of the vulgar reader. Presented to publike view for the good of the church of God by W. R.

CHAP. VII.

Of Church membership and admission of more members into the Church thus constituted and erected.

1. ALL men are bound, say they, to becomed 1.1 setled mem∣bers of such a particular Church, as is before descri∣bed; And whosoever doth not, (if possibly he can) sinneth. And whether he can or no, yet he remaines for the time without the visible Church of Christ (for which they fre∣quently alleadge 1 Cor. 5.12.) and in that estate uncapable of anye 1.2 Church ordinance or priviledge, though he be not only baptized, but also truly converted, yea, eminent in the profession of faith, and practise of holinesse, even unto mar∣tyrdome it selfe. Ans. to 32. q. p. 11, 30, 38. | D. ag. P. p. 4. R. M. to E. B. p. 6. Nay, he is accounted as one that despi∣seth Church-fellowship, and so unworthy of it, yea, wicked and prophane. Apol. p. 25, 26, 27, 34. Ans. to 9. Pos. p. 69, 62. Ans. to 32. q. p. 11, 12, 21. | J. W. ans. to 10. quest.

Rob. justif. p. 56, 71, 85, 86.

2. Persons admitted are either infants, or such as are of age.

3. When any person of age is to be admitted, he is first to desire and seeke it in this or that particular Church. And therefore to make his desire knowne to the Church by some of the Elders, or members of the same R. M. to W. R. | J. M. to R. M. | J. W. to T. S. | Ans. to 32. q. p. 8.

4. Which said Elders or others doef 1.3 first privately exa∣mine

him, touching his knowledge in the Doctrine of faith, and the truth of his conversion, as is before shewed. H. W. to M^r B. | J. W. to T. S. | E. C. to R. C. | J. M. to R. M. Apol. p. 3, 4.

5. If the examiners (upon this triall) conceive him not fit to enter into Church fellowship, then he is there stayed without any further proceeding. J. M. to R. M.

6. If they find him fit, (according to the fitnesse mentio∣ned CHAP. 3.) then they propound the man and his motion to the Church, who are then desired to inquire further of him for their better satisfaction. And if any of them doe or shall (by such inquirie) know any thing justly to hinder his admission, to declare it before he be admitted. J. W. to T. S. E. C. to R. C.

7. After this a day is appointed (usually on the Sabbath) and when other publike worship is ended, the said party is called forth, and there makesg 1.4 publike Profession of his Faith, and declareth the manner of his conversion; which (by such as can) is done in a continued speech of their own; by others (not so well able) in making answers to questions propounded to them cocerning the same. Apol. p. 3, 4. wher∣with if any of the companie be not satisfied, his admission is stayed for the time, till all things be cleared, and all objecti∣ons answered. And then by consent of the Church, he enters into Church-covenant with them, and so is admitted in the same manner as the rest were at the first constitution of the Church. R. M. to W. R. | H. W. to M^r B. | E. C. to R. C. J. M. to R. M. | J. W. to T. S.

8. After the party is so admitted, the Minister or some one or more of the members of that Church, in name of the rest, do give him the right hand of fellowship; and do like∣wise

repromise to performe all Church duties to him, con∣tained in the same covenant, as unto the rest of her members, J. W. to T. S.

9. Thus for admission of persons of age. Now for in∣fants they account them in the same estate with their next parents: For if either of their next naturall parents be now, or (being deceased) died a member of some such particular societie, as aforesaid, then are their children also accounted members, and so baptized, if they were not baptized before?h 1.5 But if neither of them have been, or having been formerly, if at the present (being alive) neither of them be a member; then their infants (as themselves) are accounted to be with∣out the visible Church. In the same estate with the chil∣dren of Turkes and Heathens, Aliens from the Common∣wealth of Israel, and so uncapable of Baptisme, or any other Church priviledge whatsoever: yea, though the Grand∣father be a member or (perhaps) a Minister of that Church; or though one or more of the next parents being no mem∣bers be eminently and famously Godly, and will undertake to educate their children in the true faith and Feare of God; And neither wilfully, nor negligently omit to joyne them∣selves to such a Church, but abstaine only out of want of sic opportunitie to doe it, or out of tendernesse of Conscience, as scrupling some things in their way, yet for all this, their in∣fants shall not be admitted to Baptisme; as not being with∣in, but without the Church. M^r M. Ans. to 9. Pos. 61, 62, 63, &c. Ans. to 32. q. p. 20, 21. Apol. p. 29.

Notes

• d 1.1

  What if it bee (though possible) yet for the present very inconvenient, and dis∣commodious, may they not delay a while? No, say they; yet because that might seeme harsh and hea∣vie, therfore to ingage the more, and with∣all to make the in∣gagement the more easie, they allow some to be admitted as members transient, for the time onely. Apol. p. 20, 27. But why may not this fa∣vour be allowed to all as well as to some? Also how doth this agree with the tenour of the covenant that limits no time? and with the sense of it, that (as they conceive) obligeth all the members to aske and take counsell of the Church, and not to remove without their consent as is both before and after said?
• e 1.2

  Yet sometimes themselves consesse that men converted have right to the Sacraments, and Church priviledges in their state, as beleevers and men con∣verted: If there were any that could administer the same unto the…… which ordinary Ministers cannot do, say they, whose power reacheth only to church members. These things do not cohere.
• f 1.3

  If the man be not otherwise wel known and approved, he is not admitted to this first triall, till he have lived some good space amongst them, that they may observe his con∣versation, whatsoever testimoniall he have.
• g 1.4

  If the party be a wo∣man, or otherwise weake in or pression, some tell us, that the body of the Church meets more privately in the week day, to re∣ceive satisfaction tou∣ching them. E. C. to R. C. But if all the Church meet then, how is it more pri∣vate? If but some on∣ly, how shall the rest (by their tenent) ju∣dicially consent to that which they doe not know? And for delegation or representation they will by no meanes allow these. Some∣times they say their confessions are taken privately by the examiners, and by them only related in publike to the Church, and so their own publike professions and declarations are spared, as Master H. to S. A. intimates. But how doth this agree with the Apostles rule, Doe nothing par∣tially, 1 Tim. 5.21. If it be needfull that all the Church heare une man relate his conversion, why should they not heare ••ll? And if the examiners may be trusted with examining of some, why not of all the rest also?
• h 1.5

  Cold comfort to Christian parents (not of their way) and cold charitie to their in∣fants.