Minifter, or the receiving a Member to constant Communion, &c. if it were poffible, I would obtain an univerfal Concurrence of all the Church; for it would be better (if fuch a Thing could be so managed, as) that no old Member of the Church be made uneafy by receiving a new one; much lefs fhould a Church, that will act with Prudence, admit a new Member contrary to the Sentiments of their Minifter, or give Occafion of Grief to him, as I have before hinted. But furely, I would never determine the Affair only by a Majority of one or two Voices; for this will be. in Danger of giving fo great an Uneafiness to a confiderable Number of the Church, (tho' they happen to be the minor Part,) that oftentimes it will adminifter Occafion for Strife, Divifion, and Separation.

There is one Piece of Prudence that we may learn from our greateft Enemies, the Pope, and the Conclave of Cardinals; who, in the Election of a new Pope, never appoint the Perfon but by the Vote of two Thirds of the College of Cardinals; that in an Affair of fuch Importance, there may be no dangerous Contention of Parties after the Perfon is elected. And I should think this fo valuable a Rule of Prudence in the facred Affairs of a Church of Chrift, that no Matter of Moment should ever be determined, unless two Thirds or more of the Congregation agree to it. And indeed, if there be a firm Oppofition made, but by two or three confiderable K 3 Members,

Members, against the Admiffion of any new Communicant, I would not be hafty to admit the Perfon, but rather perfwade him to delay, or to feek Communion elsewhere, than endanger the Peace of a whole Church.

I defire it may be noted here, that I have only delivered my private Opinion concerning the diftinct Power of Elders, Minifters, and Votes of the People, in Admiffion of Members to the Communion of the Church: But whether the Power of receiving or excluding be vefted entirely in the People, or in the Minifter, or in both together; whether by a Majority of Votes, or univerfal Confent of a particular Church, it equally ferves the Purpose of my Argument in most of the following Questions upon this Subject.

I put in this Note only to fecure my Readers against any Prejudice or hafty Judgement against the following Parts of the Book, tho' they should happen to differ from me in the prefent Question.

QUEST

QUESTION III.

What are the particular Terms of Chriftian Communion? Or, What Things are neceffary to make the Profeffion of Christianity credible?

H

SECTION I.

AVING inquired who are the Persons that muft judge of the Credibility of our Profeffion in order to Chriftian Communion, we proceed next to inquire, What Things go to make up a credible Profeffion; and we must take great Care in this Matter not to make new Terms and Conditions of our own, which Christ the Lord and King of his Church has not made; nor to infift upon any Thing as neceffary to render a Profession, credible, which may not be fairly deduced from the Rules and Examples recorded in the New Testament, and the Application of them to our present Age, a.ording to the different K 4 Circum

Circumftances of Times, Places, and Per

fons.

It must be granted that there are several Parts of neceffary Conduct in Chriftian Churches and facred Ordinances, that arise from the very Nature and Reason of Things, from the very Being of Societies, and from the Circumftances of all human Affairs; and we must not expect that all thefe should be dictated by divine Revelation, and written down with all their minute Particulars in exprefs Words of Scripture. It would be endlefs for the facred Writers to have attempted it, and most unreasonable for us to expect it: For the Light of Nature and Reason is given us by God himself for our Direction, as well as the Light of Revelation; and whatsoever Rules may be drawn by plain Reasoning, and by eafy and neceffary Inference from the Comparison of Scripture-times with our own, may and ought to be esteemed a Part of our Direction in thefe Affairs, as well as the exprefs Words of Scripture; for Scripture itself often gives us but very fhort and imperfect Hints of the whole Process of civil or ecclefiaftical Tranfactions. This fhall be more fully made to appear, when I come to anfwer an Objection raised from primitive Practice.

After a diligent Search into the holy Scripture, and careful Obfervation of Chriftian Churches and their Affairs, these three Things

appear

appear to me to be neceffary, at least in our Times, to make a Profeffion of Chriftianity fufficiently credible for Chriftian Communion.

First, A Confeffion of all the neceffary Articles of Christian Religion.

Secondly, A profeffed Subjection to all the neceffary Rules of Chriftian Duty.

Thirdly, Such a blameless and holy Practice in Life, as may make the Profeffion of the Lips appear, in the common Judgement of Men, to be the fincere Sense of the Heart.

Note, under the firft Head, I fay, a Confeffion of all the necessary Articles of Chriftian Religion, rather than the Chriftian Faith, that I may plainly include the practical Articles of Repentance and new Obedience, &c. as well as the doctrinal ones.

Reason and Revelation, Nature and Scripture, feem to make these three Things neceffary to a credible Profeffion of Chriftianity.

For if a Man makes never fo fair an Appearance of Chriftian Duties in his Practice, yet if in Words he refufe to profess the Christian Faith, or deny any neceffary Doctrine or Duty of it, he is not worthy of Chriftian Communion.

Or if a Man give never fo good an Account of his Knowledge and Belief of all the Articles