but modes and circumstances of action made necessary to the Jewish worshippers, ordained to be holy, and converted into religious ceremonies.

Under the New Testament the ceremonies distinct from natural religion, whether real actions or mere modes and circumstances of action, are few and easy, such as the washing with water and baptism, and eating bread and wine at the supper of the Lord, to which we may add the observation of the first day of the week in memory of our risen Saviour. Any of the circumstances or modes of action which belong to these religious rites, which are not determined by scripture, and are not necessary to be determined one way in order to social worship, must be left indifferent to every worshipper, according as his conscience or his conveniency shall direct. I know not any text where God has given any man, or set of men, any power to impose on others. See these things happily set forth at large in Doctor Calamy's excellent discourse, called an "Introduction to the Second Part of Moderate Non-conformity;" of which I am informed, that Mr. Locke himself should say upon the perusal of it, that while the protestant dissenters kept close to these principles, they would sufficiently maintain their ground, and justify their separation from any established national church, if that church should assume an authority to impose things which ought to be left indifferent.

Surely the fourteenth chapter of the Romans lays a foundation for this christian liberty, and forbids to impose on conscience the observation of meats or days, and in general all impositions of this kind. The apostle, while he handles this subject, had no order to impose or forbid these practices on the Romans, to whom he wrote. He leaves every man to use his own liberty in the gospel, nor to be entangled with any fresh yokes of bondage; Gal. v. 1. supposing always that the light of nature and common reason will keep all sober christians within the bounds of human decency, common prudence, and civility; and that a preference be given to such modes, and gestures, and seasons, which seem to be patronized by the examples mentioned in scripture.

The custom also of the holiest and purest churches may have some influence to direct our practice, in such affairs of small importance where we cannot find any other rule of determination, either from the light of nature or scripture. The apostle Paul seems to give this advice to the Corinthians in the business of wearing the hair long or short; 1 Cor. xi. 14, 15. For after he had offered some reason on one side from the mere light of nature and decency, he adds, verse 16. that if any man seem to be contentious, that is, be not satisfied with my arguments, and persist in contending about this matter, we have no such customs, nor the churches of God: 'That is, let him be determined by the custom

of us the apostles, and of other christian churches; let him not affect a singularity in things of less moment, nor give offence to the generality of the most serious and pious professors of the same faith in such little things as these are.

But if any man, or any society of men, shall assume so much to themselves, as to pretend a divine authority to confine other churches and christians to a most exquisite uniformity in every punctilio that relates to religion and circumstances of worship, even in things which God has not appointed, they throw us back again into a sort of Judaism, and make and impose new yokes of bondage; they pretend to bind what Christ has made free, and seem to usurp his prerogative: A pretence to such power appears to me to be the very spring and spirit of antichristianism; there is the foundation for papacy laid, though it has not arisen yet to an universal supremacy, to an infallible chair, and a triple crown.

All christians are bound by the New Testament to worship one God, even God the Father who dwells in heaven, in the name of one Mediator, Jesus Christ, by the aids or operations of one Spirit, they are bound to be baptized into these names, and to remember the death of Christ in the holy supper, to trust in the promises of the gospel, and to practise the precepts of it in an uniform life of holiness. This is evident and certain, and perhaps this may be thought almost sufficient to maintain the unity of the christian church. But still let it be observed, that where christians are fallen into very different opinions in any important matters of doctrine or duty, or where their sentiments are so extremely divided, and perhaps contrary to each other in matters of worship and order, that they cannot agree and join in the same forms and modes of divine service, or where they have not charity enough to bear with each other's differences in things of less moment, they ought not to force themselves, nor to be forced into one society or church; but they should join themselves to such distinct societies as are nearest of their own mind; for their edification in faith, holiness and love, is one great and chief end of church-fellowship.

Though the men of Israel were bound by law to join three times a year to worship God who dwelt in the temple or tabernacle by the appointed sacrifices of the passover, pentecost, &c. yet they were not bound by any law of God to attend that synagogue which was nearest to their own dwelling, where prayer and praise was performed, and instructions and exhortations given to the people. Herein they had, or they should have had, liberty to chuse their fellow-worshippers and the synagogue where they would worship, if they had any scruple upon their consciences about the practice of that which was nearest to them. And the same liberty belongs to christians in every age and nation.

To force all christians into the same church, whose understandings and opinions point different ways, and to bind them together in an outward form of fellowship with their minds so much divided, is the way to increase their differences, to kindle their fire with more fierceness, and awaken their wrath to a higher degree, till they grow mad against each other and ruin the church. It is like tying Sampson's foxes together by the tail with firebrands between them, while their heads stand contrary ways, and then inclosing them all with a strong fence in one field: There they will unavoidably snarl and rage against one another; they will draw different ways, and diffuse their fire and wrath till they have burnt up the field, and destroyed a lovely harvest.

THE

TERMS OF CHRISTIAN COMMUNION,

Humbly proposed to the Churches of Christ, with an Attempt towards the Solution of various Questions and Cases of Conscience, arising from the Subject.

QUESTION I-What is Christian Communion? And what are are the general and agreed Terms of it?

CHRISTIAN communion in the sense of scripture, is that communion or fellowship which christians have with God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, or with one another; and both are joined together by the apostle John; 1 John i. 3. That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship, or communion with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.

This communion or fellowship in the spiritual and invisible part of it consists in a participation of the favour of God, the spiritual benefits of Christ, and the invisible and everlasting blessings of the gospel. But this is not our present subject of discourse. The visible fellowship or communion that christians have with each other, cousists chiefly in the participation of the spiritual ordinances of the gospel, and mutual assistances for the good of each other.

"The special ordinances of the gospel are chiefly these two, baptism and the Lord's-supper." Baptism is an ordinance ap pointed by Christ, for our entrance into the visible church; and when once performed is never to be repeated. The Lord'ssupper is an ordinance appointed by Christ after we are entered into the church, for the assistance and increase of our faith and hope, our comfort and holiness; and ought to be as often repeated

as christians have proper opportunity: It represents our communion with the Lord Jesus Christ in his death, and the benefits which are derived from it, such as the pardon of sin through his sacrifice of atonement, &c. and it represents also our communion with one another in those benefits, or our joint participation thereof, according to the apostle's description of it; 1 Cor. x. 16, 17. The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? We are all partakers of that one bread.

The other parts, privileges, or offices of christian communion, shall be mentioned, when there is need of it, in distinguishing constant and occasional communion. Now among all the ordinances of worship it is in our partaking of these two, viz. baptism and the Lord's-supper, that special christian communion' chiefly consists. But when we use the words christian communion, we have most frequently a regard to the Lord's-supper, because our communion with one another, and joint participation of the blessings of the gospel, is most plainly represented thereby; and by the frequent repetition of it, our christian communion or holy fellowship is maintained in a more explicit and honourable manner. Having considered briefly the nature of christian communion, we must enquire now into the general terms of it.

As in order to hold an inward and spiritual communion with Christ and his people, we must be sincere believers, or real christians; so every person seeking visible communion with the church of Christ should satisfy his own conscience with nothing short of real christianity: But christians and churches not being able to search the heart as Christ and conscience can, the term of our visible communion with christians is a credible profession of real christianity, or a professed subjection to the gospel of Christ, as the apostle expresses it; 2 Cor. ix. 13. that is, such an outward profession of inward and hearty christianity, as gives just and credible evidence that this profession is sincere, and that the person thus professing is a hearty christian; Rom. x. 9, 10. If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thy heart, that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. If a man profess christianity in any manner or form of profession soever, and yet make it plainly and openly appear by other parts of his conduct, that his profession is not sincere and hearty, he has no right to salvation according to this text, and has always been deemed unworthy of christian communion in all the scripture history, and in the best and purest ages of the church. Those that profess they know God, but in works deny him, are to be counted, abominable among all christians; Tit. i. 16.

It is not therefore real and inward christianity in the heart that can give any man a right to communion in outward ordi

nances, unless it be professed in a credible manner to the world; nor can the want of such real and inward religion exclude any person from communion while he makes such a credible profession, for God only is the judge of hearts, and not man, we must act according to outward appearances: There will be hypocrites in the church of Christ in this world, and there is no help for it: The wheat and tares will grow together in the same field till the time of harvest; Mat. xiii. 30. The day of judgment is the only time to decide the matter completely, and distinguish hypocrites for ever from real christians; and therefore all that have the credible form and appearance of christianity, must be admitted into the Church of Christ on earth. This is the common sentiment and practice of all the reformed churches," that a credible profession is the general term of communion," though they differ about some particular circumstances of this profession that go to make up the credibility of it. These things are so generally acknowledged by the most and best of writers of our day, that I shall not stay here to prove them, and my business in this discourse is with those christians that allow and acknowledge what I have already said.

Now a credible profession of christianity implies these two things: First, that the matter professed be of such a nature, and declared in such a manner, as may render the profession credible : and, secondly, there must also be some person or persons to whom that profession must appear credible, and who must be judges of the credibility of it. I shall begin with the last of these and dispatch it soon, because I mention it only as a needful introduction to the chief questions relating to the particular terms of christian communion.

QUEST. II.-Who are the proper Judges of the Credibility of our Profession?

Sect I. Jesus Christ in his word is the supreme Judge of what is truth, and what is duty; what sort of persons ought to be admitted to christian communion, and who should be forbid. But as he is absent from us, and speaks not but by his word, and his word does not apply its own rules to particular persons, John, Thomas, William, &c. in every age and nation there is a necessity that some persons must judge and determine whether John, Thomas, William, &c. have these characters of worthy communicants, which Christ has appointed in his word.

Every man for himself must use his own best judgment in searching his heart, and trying himself by the word of God, whether he has complied with the terms of salvation, and he must judge for himself too whether it be his duty to propose himself to christian communion: But no man must determine for