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.

CHAP. I. The entrance into the discourse. The Subject propounded and commended. The necessity, usefulnesse and antiquity of Fellowship.

THE wonderfull advantage which might be made of Fellowship in gifts and graces, is greatly negle∣cted by unwise and improvident Christians; so that the comfort, use and gaine of Societie, as it might respect soul-trade and thriving, is lost. In other things men have been wise to lesser and inferior pur∣poses, and have improved that naturall quality of sociablenesse, to the mutuall strengthning, assistance and help of one another. Hence Countries have drawne themselves into Associations for security and common defence; Cities and Townes have procured themselves to be made Corporations, for the better and more

orderly managing of their publick affaires; Mysteries of Trades and Manufactures have distinguisht themselves into Companies. And those cunning Merchants of Rome who put a cheate upon the world under pretence of Religion, have notably maintain'd and kept up their Trade by devising so many severall Orders, Frater∣nities or Brotherhoods, as that they might share among themselves the gaines and profits arising out of blind and seduced people.

In all ages, men have understood the usefulnesse of these Com∣binations; which I take to be the meaning of that observation of the antient Sages, That one man is no man, and, That, all men make up but one man. Which agreeth with that of the Apostle, We being many are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another: And with that which he speaketh more expresly in another place; As the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ: for by one Spirit we are all baptised into one body, and have been all made to drinke into one Spirit: for the body is not one member, but many. He doth not say, All the members are of one body, but more significantly and fully to our purpose, that they are one body. And such a body, Believers, not only are by union with Christ, but also ought to be by communion and fel∣lowship with Christ, and with one another. Which fellowship, the primitive Christians did excellently maintaine; Concerning which S^t Luke gives a cleare testimony, That such who gladly received the word, and being baptised, were added to the Church, Continued stedfastly in the Apostles doctrine, and in fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. For so I reade the words, (not as the Syriac, Ambrose, and the vulgar Latine render them, That they continued in the Apostles doctrine and in the communion of breaking bread; but) as the parts are distinct in the Greeke Text, They continued with much patience, resolu∣tion and care, and with much fervor and courage; 1. In the Apostles doctrine; in the profession of that faith which they had received from the preaching and ministery of the Apostles. 2. And in fellowship, being all begorten by the same word, and kept to∣gether by the power of it, closing with it, and finding the sweet∣nesse and use of it walking by it. 3. And in the breaking of bread, keeping up the constant and daily use of that ordinance which

Christ had made for a memoriall of himself till his comming again. 4. And in prayer, weekly, daily, solemnly, occasionally meeting together before God with their supplications.

This was the conversation of beleevers at Hierusalem, they sweetly conversed together, chearfully and friendly entertained one another, and walked fruitfully in all the ordinances of Christ. Neither was the conversation of other Churches, unlike to theirs, for to instance this point in the beleevers of Thessalanica, it seems they preserved so sweet and so holy a correspondency, that as touch∣ing brotherly love, S^t Paul saith, he need not write unto them.

Oh, that among the Christians of this age there were no need to write of this thing! but now, when the path which the old be∣lievers trod, is so over-grown, that the track and print of their footsteps is almost worne out; Now, when scarce a shadow of Communion is left among professors, it is needfull to write of such a subject.

This then is the point, which I would a little pursue, That Believers (as they have, so they ought to) have followship one with another.

Notes

• The necessity of Christian Fellowship.
• The useful∣nesse of it.
• Ʋnus bomo nul∣lus homo: om∣nes homines u num hominem const ituunt. Rom. 12 5. 1 Cor. 12 12, 13, 14.
• The Antiqui∣ty of it.
• Acts 2.41.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• 1 Thes. 4.9.