A helpe to Christian fellowship: or, A discourse tending to the advancement and spirituall improvement of holy societie.: Wherein the practise of it is commended, 1. In the communicating or imparting of their gifts and graces. 2. In their walking together in the ordinances of Christ. 3. In a mutuall serviceablenesse to one another. The particular graces necessary to the qualifying of Christians for it, are propounded. And an invitation unto it is urged by some motives from the benefit and pleasantnesse thereof. Applied to these times for the strengthening of mens hands in the happy work of reformation. By Samuel Torshell. Imprimatur, Charles Herle.

TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL. M^ris IANE DONE OF Vtkinton in Cheshire.

THis which I have digested into the forme of a small Treatise, was the substance of two Ser∣mons, which I preached, both at Istleworth, and at Christ-Church, London; upon, Act. 2.42. They continued stedfastly in the Apostles doctrine and in fellowship. Where I observed the effect of S^t Peters Sermon, the conversion of many, who gladly receiving the word, and being baptised, were added to the Church: And the conversation of believers in those holy primitive times, that they maintained a sweet and happy fellowship each with other.

Diverse godly friends judged those notes to be of use, and fit to be communicated in these unquiet and quarrelling times, wherein we are in danger to lose holinesse as well as peace. And I have published them, partly to satisfie their desire and frequent demanding of them to the presse; and in part to answer a dept that I saw my self in, being ingaged by a promise I made upon occasion of relating the fruitfull societie of some select and judicious private Christians,

whom I mention in the end of the fourteenth Chapter of the first Booke of my Hypocrite. I had it in my thoughts, to have examined and made a judgement upon a designe of Isaack Comenius' (as I take it) for an universall Christian Colledge, but doubting lest that would appeare like Sir Thomas More's Vtopia, or my Lord Verulam's Atlantis, I layd aside that businesse, and have fitted this in a plaine way and in plaine language, to the apprehension and for the use even of the meanest capacities. I have not illustrated it with Histories and examples, as I might have done, and as I have done my Hypocrite, but only layd out the generall rules for practise, without ornament.

But such as it is, I have inscribed it to your Name, for two reasons.

1. Because you are and have been long an eminent ex∣ample of that which the Treatise commends. I know you will neither be afraid nor ashamed to owne that course of Religion and Societie now, which you were not afraid to practise, nor ashamed to countenance heretofore, when the times were suspitious of all the meetings of godly professors, and threatned and raged against them. The honour of your zeale, courage, constancie and diligence in this way, shall re∣maine upon you, beyond that of your extraction from so antient and well known a family. It is your praise, that you have in great part learned, what I am teaching unto others.

2. But seeing I could have sound out many other Names, of men yea and women, of meane and of Noble qua∣lity too, that are very eminent, and shine in the holinesse and usefulnesse of their lives; I have therefore another reason why I inscribe this to yours; Namely to leave a testimony of the sincere and great respect, I beare and have ever borne to you, since I had the happinesse to have acquaintance with your gifts and graces. That storme which hath forced

you from your habitation, having driven me also to seeke refuge in these more safe coverts, I know not how it may please God to dispose of me, or where my poore service may be imployed. Wheresoever therefore I sit downe, (if a sitting downe may be expected in so great a commo∣tion and hurle of things) I resolved to leave a publike te∣stimony in your hand, how deare my Bunburie (ah deso∣lated Bunburie, often, often warned,) How deare your Che∣shire, (mine too I may call it in some respect, as having spent a full third part of my life in it.) And how deare your religious family and all our Christian neighbourhood, are unto my thoughts.

S. T.