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. II. The main point confirmed. The Relations of Believers. The Description of Holy fellow∣ship. The Subject of it.

THat Believers ought to have fellowship one with another; hath a full proofe thorough the Scripture. Such are the Cur∣taines of the Tabernacle, that must be coupled together. They are the costly stones of the Temple, which must hold up one ano∣ther, as in an arched building fitly framed together. They are the holy Hicrusalem, a City compact together. Or if we respect clo∣ser expressions; They are all of a family, The Household of faith. They are all of a body. A body fitly joyned together, and com∣pacted by that which every joynt supplieth. They are all of a blood and kindred, Bretheren and sisters; for Christ is not ashamed to

call them brethren. It was a part, and is a fruit of Christs prayer, I pray for them which shall believe on me thorough the word, That they all may be one, as thou Father, art in me, and I in thee; that they may be one, even as we are one. It was the delight and lon∣ging of such as had the Spirit of Christ. S^t Paul professeth so much to the Romanes: I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spirituall gift, to the end you may be established, and I may be comforted together with you, by the mutuall faith both of you and me. And why else was it, that he so abundantly indeavoured to see the faces of the Thessalonians, with so great desire; but that he might joy and rejoyce in them, and with them, as his crowne in the fruit of his ministery? In a word, let me name those argu∣ments, which the Apostle hath laid up in one heape: There is one body, and one spirit, and one hope, one Lord, one faith, one bap∣tisme, one God and Father of all: All having a joynt influence upon our indeavour to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace.

I will not insist farther upon the proofe, the point being pra∣cticall and undeniable, it will be rather necessary to cleare and open what this fellowship is; and what is requisite unto it.

I speake not here of the fellowship which we have with the Fa∣ther, and with his sonne Jesais Christ; Nor of that communion which is had with the Spirit of the Father. But of the fellowship which Believers ought to have among themselves. And of this also, in a generall consideration only: not applying it to the contro∣versie now under debate about the fellowship of Churches; nor limiting it to that Communion and Relation between Pastors and their Congregations. But intending to open what that trade of commerce is, which Christians of all sorts and conditions ought to maintain and drive.

Give me leave therefore, according to the Notion in which I use it, to propound this Description. That

The fellowship of Believers, is a mutuall serviceablenesse, and an exchanging of the gifts and graces, of such as are joyned together in heart mind and affection, holding hands, and wal∣king together in the ordinances of Christ.

I consider in this description, the Subject of this fellowship, and the exercising of it.

1. The Subject of it. Such as are of the body of Christ, one with

the Father and with Christ; of the multitude of them that believe, of the household of faith, or, according to the tearmes of the de∣scription, such as are joyned together in heart, mind and affection, being made one with Christ, are at an agreement among them∣selves, being borne of the same immortall seed, nourished by the same breasts, called by the same word, gladly receiving it, and continuing stedfastly in it, interessed in the like pretious faith, and ruled and guided by the same Spirit. These are the subject of this fellowship, none else are truely capable of it: Profane spirited men, no nor hypocrites neither, though they croud in sometimes and take up roome, cannot, may not be acquainted with these joyes. Such Canaanites are Merchants of this world, they have nothing to doe in the house of the Lord of Hosts. These gates are to be open only, to the righteous nation which keepeth the truth, that they may enter in: for this way, is called the way of holinesse, the un∣cleane shall not passe over it. No bastard, no Gibeonite, no stran∣ger, no blemisht one, is capable of entrance into this sacred Tem∣ple of believing fellowship. None but sonnes and daughters of the Almighty, citizens of the new Hierusalem, free denizons of the glorious corporation of Believers, are the right subject; for such only have the spirit of Communion, which unites the mem∣bers of the Church, as the Phylosophers say, There is a soul of the world which holds together the parts of it. The same spirit, the same faith, the same heart mind and affections, are the sinewes, muscles and ligaments, which keep this body from loosening and falling asunder. I commended the Primitive times, and they had this spirit of communion; the hundred and twenty, that were at Hierusalem, continued with one accord in prayer and supplica∣tion. And I commended S^t Pauls longing after such society, and he had the spirit of communion, Who is weake, saith he, and I am not weake? who is offended, and I burne not? And this mind he would have to be in all Christians, Rejoyce with them that doe rejoyce, and weep with them that weep, be of the same mind one toward another.

Notes

• The Relations of Believers. Exod. 26.3, 6. Ephes. 2.21, 22.
• Gal. 6.10. Ephes 4.16. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Hebr. 2.11.
• Joh. 17.20, 21, 22.
• Rom. 1.11, 2
• 1 Thes. 2.17, 19.
• Ephes. 4.3, 4, 5, 6.
• 1 Joh. 1.3.
• The D••scrip∣tion of Christi∣an tellowship.
• The Subject of it.
• Zach. 14 2••. Isa. 26.2. Isa. 35.8.
• Acts 1.14.
• 2 Cor. 11.29.
• Rom. 12.