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an invifible feparation to God; stand in an invifible relation to him as his peculiar people, in diftinction from others; have an invisible adoption into the number of his children; and an invifible, vital and permanent union to, and communion with Christ. Thus they have an invifible federal holiness, on which account they are termed true or real faints in the most important sense. But as their faintship is invifible, it gives them no right according to gospel rule to any external church privileges. These pertain to the external administration of the covenant, and are granted only to vifible faints.

Now all the fubjects of this invifible, relative or federal holiness, have also an inherent holiness, which is inward and invifible. Their hearts are purified from the defilement of fin: They are fanctified thro' the truth; and fo they are fpiritually clean, through the word which Chrift has fpoken to them, and the renewing of the holy fpirit dwelling in them. On this accouut alfo they are termed true faints, by way of difcrimination from others who are also ftiled faints, and are truly fuch in fome fenfe; though not in the most important fenfe, as I fhall now proceed to thew. For,

There is alfo a vifible holiness or faintship, and that both relative and inherent, which belongs to those who are so in covenant as to be entitled to thofe external privileges which are granted to regular and rightful members of inftituted churches. Some who are not inwardly fanctified, are yet fo far in covenant, that they are rightful members of the vifible church, as all but the Anibaptifts must grant. Now fuch are vifibly and externally called, and feparated by and to God from the rest of the world; openly and profeffedly dedicated to him, they avouching him to be their God and themselves to be his people. And they are fo far owned by God, that he calls them his people; externally adopts them; puts his name upon them; endows them with special privileges; gives them his word and ordinances; all outward means adapted to perfuade and win their hearts to love and fear him, and keep his commandments. Now fuch ftand in a special relation to God as his visible covenant people. On this account they are termed holy, as being the subjects of an external federal holiness. In this fenfe the congregation of Ifrael are termed an holy people, to whom pertained the adoption and the covenants. And inftituted churches are composed of visible saints. And the children of believers are all federally holy.

This external vifible holiness is not merely a fhew and appearance of fomething whofe exiftence is doubtful; but it is real in its kind; though it be of a different kind from that which arifes from an invifible and faving relation to God. And the

fcripture

fcripture speaks of fome kind of relative union which even barren branches have to Chrift the true vine, though it be not vital and permanent.

There is also what may be termed an external inherent holiness, confifting in a profeffion and converfation conformed visibly to the gospel. Of this the Apoftle must be understood to speak when he tells the Theffalonians, Ye are witneffes, and God alfo how holily and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you who believe. For they could be only witneffes of that external holiness which was vifible in his converfation. There is an out

ward cleanness of the hands, as well as an inward purity of the heart.

Now they who profess faith and confent to the gospel covenant without known hypocrify, and behave externally, agreeably to the rules of the gospel, are vifible faints; and have I conceive, an intereft in the covenant not only visibly, i. e. feemingly and in the account of men, but are truly in it in the fight of God, so far that they have a covenant right of admiffion and access to the outward ordinances which Chrift has instituted and given to his vifible churches. This external holiness is the condition or qualification to which the covenant connects a right to these privileges. A visible faint is as truly a member of the vifible church, and has a divine right to the visible privileges granted exclufively to it, as an inward faint is a member of the myftical church, and has a divine right to the invifible grace and bleffings granted exclufively to it. But these things may hereafter be further difcuffed.

Will any fay, that the Apostles did verily believe all the members of chriftian churches whom they ftile faints, to be inward faints? That the Apostle Paul, when he fays that the children of believers are holy, did pofitively believe that all such children were, and always to the end of the world would be inwardly fanctified from the womb? That Peter, when he told the Jews at the feaft of Pentecoft that the promife was to them and their children, and afterward told a multitude gathered about them that they were children of the covenant, did really believe that they were all fo in covenant as actually to partake of the faving grace and bleffings of it? I, for my part, cannot think that any will fay fo. If not, I would afk again, whether the Apoftles would call thofe faints, and tell them that the promise of the covenant belonged to them, whom yet they did not believe to be holy in any fenfe, or to have any real interest in the covenant.

After all, this difpute feems to be in a great measure about words. For let it be fuppofed that the myftical church is the one only church acknowledged in fcripture. That there is but one fort of faints there fpoken of, even faints in heart; that these

only

only are really in and under the covenant; and that focieties of profeffed chriftians are termed churches only because they appear like, and fo are prefumed to be of the church myftical. When we have thus adjusted our ideas and ftile conformably to this fuppofition, then we may go on further, and fay that according to the gospel rule the outward ordinances are not given to the real church, and to real faints, as fuch, but that all and only those who are visibly outwardly and feemingly faints and of the church have a right and warrant to come and be admitted. That it is not holiness, or an interest in the covenant, but the credible figns thereof, which qualify for this privilege. Thus the qualifications for chriftian communion will remain the fame as before. Vifible churches will still be composed of the same characters: Seeming faints and churches, will have a divine right to the fame privileges, as if they were fuppofed to be really faints, and churches, and under the external administration of the covenant as before explained. What then is gained by ftating things in this manner. Nothing of any importance, that I can fee. Only we have laid ourselves under a neceffity of putting a strained interpretation on many expreffions of fcripture, to make them comport with our scheme.

CHA P. III.

The RIGHTS and PRIVILEGES of CHURCH
MEMBERS explained and diftinguished.

SECTION I.

The fubject opened. Explanations and Distinctions relative to the Privileges and Rights of Church Members.—Several Questions or Cafes Stated.

THE

HE enquiry concerning a right to the privileges of communion with an instituted chriftian church has, not without reason, engaged the serious attention of many chriftians. And notwithstanding what has been offered on the subject, it has been thought by fome that further fearchings and discoveries were wanted.

That

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That this enquiry may be purfued to advantage, the first thing to be attempted is, that the subject be opened, by a juft explanation of the rights and privileges in queftion, and of several terms, phrafes and diftinctions which occur in difcourfes on this fubject, or which we may hereafter bave occafion, to make use of.

Communion with an inftituted church in the use of gospel ordinances, if taken in its full amplitude and extent, is a complication of feveral duties and privileges; fome of which are in their nature fo diftinct, that they may fubfift separate and apart from the reft. A perfon may be interested in the covenant, a rightful member of the church, have a right to fome of its peculiar privileges, but not to all. He may be a proper fubject, qualified according to the rule of the gofpel to come, and be admitted to communion in fome special ordinances, but not in all. Yea, he may have a right to attend the administration of an ordinance, and yet not be entitled to the whole benefit and privilege of it.

All who are in covenant, and of the inftituted church, have a right to peculiar privileges; particularly to the ordinances appropriated to the church. But it is to be remembered that this privilege has two parts or branches. The outward part belongs to all rightful members in various degrees, according to their several capacities and qualifications. And they are to have external communion with each other, as there is occafion, in a joint use of outward ordinances, with other tokens and expreffions of brotherly relation and affection mutually given and received. But the privilege of the ordinances has also an inward part, an invisible grace, virtue and bleffing in their outward administration and use. And chriftians have invifible communion in joint exercises of fpiritual worship, and cordial charity towards each other; and in jointly partaking of the bleffings of divine grace conveyed in and by the outward use of ordinances to those who worthily attend upon them.

It is alfo to be noted, that though all members of an instituted church are proper fubjects of external communion, yet all fuch are not entitled to all the privileges of full communion. The minor children of church members are also members; and are accordingly to be baptifed; and the church is to exprefs their chriftian charity towards them by receiving them as belonging to Chrift, interested in the covenant, as the children of God, at least by external adoption, as federally holy, and as thofe concerning whom there are special reasons to hope that they either are, or will be inwardly fanctified. They are the fpecial objects of the inspection, prayers and benedictions of the church; and care is to be taken

that they be brought up in the nurture and admonition of the

Lord.

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Lord. And as they advance to adult age, they have the fpecial privilege of being under the watch and difcipline of the church and the difpenfation of the word and ordinances of God. This right of membership, with the external privileges thereto annexed, belongs to the children of all members who are not fo fcandalous as juftly to forfeit, and lose their standing in the church.*

But infant members, are not qualified, and have not a right to come, and be admitted to the Lord's fupper, and the fpecial privileges of full communion. And this too, I conceive, may be the cafe with fome adult members. They may labour under fo much ignorance and mistake, particularly as to the nature and defign of this ordinance and the qualifications for it, as that they cannot come to it without wounding their confcience. They may think that none can warrantably come, unless they have more certain evidence of inward fanctification than they have yet attained to. -Mistakes like this have probably kept many back, whose right of membership was unquestionable; who abide in a credible profeffion of the christian religion, joined with an unblameable converfation, and are hopefully perfons of chriftian piety. While one is under a mistake of this kind, he cannot in faith take the standing and privileges of a member in full communion; how much foever his profeffion and practice may commend him to the charity of others; and how good reasons foever he may have of the hope that is in him. And I find no warrant in the gospel to excommunicate a rightful church member, a ferious and credible profeffor of an unblameable life, because he has not fuch undoubting confidence in his own fitnefs to come to the table of the Lord, as he perhaps through mistake thinks would be neceffary to warrant his fo doing. Such therefore muft, I think, be allowed to be rightful members, and as fuch entitled to special church privileges; though the fcruples, doubts and mistakes they labour under unfit them for the privilege of full communion. Therefore though we have no concern with the half-way covenant, which

fome

Some have thought that no adult perfons are to be accounted church members unless they come into full communion. But our churches have always been generally of a different judgment; admitting thofe who profefs faith, and a confent to the covenant, to fome privileges of external communion for themselves and children, though they thould not come to the Lord's fupper. The reafons on which their judgment and practice are grounded may be seen in the result of the synod at Boston in the year 1662. Which are more largely difcuffed and defended by Mr. John Allen, Mr. Richard Mather, Mr. Jonathan Mitchel. Whole arguments I think have never been well anfwered, and I fee not how they can be.

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