to receive any Perfon that defires it, and makes credible Profeffion of Christianity, into their Society, having judged his Profeffion credible, and declared him in their Judgment fit for Chriftian Communion. But it would lead me too far from my present Defign to infift upon particular Proof of these Things, which has been often done, and which is now the pretty general Opinion of Men that are not attached to any particular Party, but give themselves Leave to think freely, and follow the Dictates of Reason and Revelation.

SECT. III. The Ordinances of the Gofpel must be administered in a Church with Decency, and Honour, and fpiritual Advan→ tage: But the whole Body of the Church cannot thus adminifter them; therefore it is neceffary that these Concerns be committed to fuch Perfons as are peculiarly fitted for those Administrations by Knowledge and Prudence, and all proper Talents; and the Church ought to be furnished with fuch Officers who should be chofen and folemnly fet apart, devoted and ordained to this Work. The particular Forms of their Choice and Ordination do not enter into the prefent Argument.

The Business of receiving Members into the Communion of the Church, and the forbidding or excluding of them is a Matter

of

of as ferious Importance as the Administration of other Christian Ordinances; and oftentimes it is attended with great Difficulty. A whole Affembly of Men cannot be fuppofed to manage this Affair altogether with Decency and Regularity, and without Confufion: Therefore it is abundantly convenient (if not neceffary) to commit the first and fpecial Care of these Matters alfo to particular Perfons of human and divine Knowledge fuperior to the reft; Perfons of great Skill in the Things of God, in ferious Religion, and in the Affairs and Tempers of Men, qualified with due Zeal for the Honour and Purity of the Ordinances and Churches of Chrift, and filled with great Tenderness and Compaffion to the Souls of Men; Perfons of good Judgment and Difcretion, of great Meeknefs, Condefcenfion and Charity, that if poffible they may not give Occafion to the Church to exclude any of the Sheep of Chrift from the vifible Fold, nor admit unclean Animals into the Flock.

The chief Officers of a particular Church, whether they be called Biskops, Minifters, Prefbyters, or Elders, Paftors, Guides, Leaders, Governors or Rulers, &c. are the proper Perfons to have the first Overfight and chief Care of this Matter; and in our Churches it is committed chiefly to them, to take Account of the Profeffion of Chriftianity made by Perfons defiring Communion,

to

to give fome general Notices of it to the Church, or a more particular Narrative where it is defired; and to receive them to Communion either with the explicit and formal Vote of all the Congregation, or only by their implicit and filent Confent.

But if it happen that there is but one Minister or Presbyter in that Church, or if the Minifters are young Men of fmall Experience in the World, it is ufual and proper that fome of the eldest, gravest and wisest Members be deputed by the Church to join with and affift the Minifters in the Care and Management of this Affair.

Those Perfons who have been chofen by the Church, and have been folemnly devoted by the Church, and have also folemnly devoted themselves to that Office or Service, have been usually called ruling Elders. And fuch Officers have been supposed to be defcribed in thofe Words of St. Paul to Timothy, 1 Tim. i. 17. Let the Elders that rule well be counted worthy of double Honour, i. e. Refpect and Maintenance: But especially if they are alfo Preachers as well as Rulers, if they labour in the Word and Doctrine. These are fuppofed to be called Governments, 1 Cor. xii. 28. and Rom. xii. 8. He that ruleth. But if such Perfons are but appointed to affist a Minifter, especially one who is young and unexperienced in the Government of the Church, I will never quarrel with any Man, whether

whether he will call it a divine Order, or meerly prudential, fince the Scripture has not determined this Matter with uncontested Evidence.

These Ministers, Officers and Perfons fo deputed by the Church, are therefore the firft proper Judges of the Credibility of any Perfon profeffing the Chriftian Faith, and defiring Communion with that Church; for these are fuppofed to be qualified above others with Chriftian Knowledge and Wifdom, and they are alfo appointed by the Church to the Care and Conduct thereof.

Yet in this Cafe they are not fo abfolute and fupreme, but that the Congregation must fome Way or other approve of their Judgement, either by an explicit Vote, or at leaft by a filent Confent, before the proposed Communicant is received to the Communion of the Church; for it is ftill the Confent of the Church that must make him a Member of it. Or the Congregation may for juft Reasons difallow of their Judgement in particular Cafes; and if they proceed obftinately to mifmanage their Affairs of this kind, and especially in notorious Inftances, and make the Terms of Admiffion larger or narrower than Christ has appointed, or if they notoriously misapply the right Rules of Admiffion or Exclufion to wrong Perfons, that Church or Society may reverse their Sentence, and act according to their own Judge

ment,

ment, and if it be needful may also call them to an Account for it, and affume the Judgement, Exclufion and Admiffion of Communicants intirely and immediately into their own Hands; till they fhall chufe other Officers who fhall prefide in this Affair, and exercise this Power more agreeably to thofe facred Rules and Terms of Communion which that Society believes to be the Will of Chrift in his Word.

SECT. IV. This Conduct of Affairs feems to be founded on the very Nature of religious Societies, and the common Light of Reason; and it seems alfo to be much countenanced by a Variety of Scriptures in the New Teftament, where the Directions of the Apostle concerning the receiving and excluding of Members are addreffed to the Churches of Chrift, at Rome, at Corinth, at Theffalonica, &c. I might multiply Quotations to this Purpose, Rom. xv. 7. Receive ye one another, as Chrift alfo received us to the Glory of God. Rom. xvi. 1, 2. I commend unto you Phebe our Sifter, That ye

receive her in the Lord as becometh Saints, I Cor. v. 4, In the Name of our Lord Jefus Chrift when ye are gathered together, and my Spirit with the Power of our Lord Jefus Chrift to deliver fuch a one unto Satan, &c. Ver. 7. Purge ye out therefore the old Leaven. Ver. 13. Put away from among your