ad.

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

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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:

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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 mau 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 le must judge for himself too whether it be his duty to propose himself to christian communion: But no man must determine for

himself whether he shall be received to communion with others, and partake of their sacreds. No man can impose himself upon a church, merely because he thinks himself qualified: This would lay all the garden of Christ waste again, throw down all the fences, and reduce it to a mere wilderness: This supposition is too wild to be admitted.

If therefore a credible profession of christianity be the term of communion appointed by Christ in his word, there must be some present and living judges of the credibility of this profession; and I know not who can be so proper to judge as those persons with whom communion is desired. This is not a matter transacted merely between a minister and a single christian, for the Lord's-supper is not to be administered but in a community, as 1 Cor. xi. 20, 21, 33. The church must come together to one place, and they must tarry for one another. There must be therefore the consent of the community or society, to admit a person to share in and partake of the sacred things in communion with them. This ordinance of Christ represents the communion of his members in one body, by the one bread, and one cup; 1 Cor. x. 16, 17. And the duties of church-fellowship, to which we then engage ourselves, are mutual duties between a community or society of christians, therefore there must be a consent on both sides; and as a person must judge concerning the society, whether he will join himself to them, so the society must judge concerning him, whether they think him fit to be received as one of then. It is into union with that society that the person proposing himself is to be admitted, either in a constant or occasional way; and they give him the leave and privilege of becoming a partner with them, or a member of their body; and surely the light of nature tells us, that every voluntary society must judge who shall be members of their society, and enjoy fellowship with them in their peculiar privileges.

It must be confessed indeed, that where this voluntary society professes a subjection to the will and law of any sovereign or superior power, and this sovereign has given them a rule whereby they are bound to admit persons into their society, in this case, their own mere arbitrary will and pleasure cannot violate or neglect this rule without guilt; nor can they appoint any new rules and make them necessary terms and conditions of such admission: And this is the case of all christian churches. For though they are so many voluntary societies, yet Christ their common Lord and sovereign has appointed the general rule of admitting members into his churches, viz. that "all such shall be admitted who make a credible profession of christianity."

But wheresoever there is such a superior acknowledged rule given to direct in this affair, still the society itself must judge concerning the true sense and just application of this rule to

particular cases. It is this society that will suffer reproach, and bear the trouble of it, if a person admitted, prove scandalous and unworthy; and it is but reasonable therefore that they should determine whether he be a person fit and worthy to come among them or no; but still according to the rules of Christ, so far as they can understand his meaning. And as this is the voice and language of common reason, so it is also the appointment of Christ in his word, and this was the practice of the primitive times, as I shall shew hereafter. The society ought surely to have the saine liberty which the proposed person has, and if he has liberty to judge whether he should seek communion with them, they ought to have liberty to judge whether they should receive him. Each has a right to judge of the sense and application of the rules of scripture to direct their own actions.

Now since there can be no regular or proper christian_com→ munion held and maintained but in and with a church of Christ, we must enquire into the nature of the christian church to find out which are the persons in, or of this church, that must judge and declare others fit for communion with it.

Sect. II. The church of Christ is either visible or invisible. The invisible church includes all the real saints that are in heaven or on earth. But our question has not to do with the church in this sense. The whole visible church of Christ upon earth, consists of all those persons in the world that make a visible and credible profession of the christian religion, however scattered through all nations, and whether joined together by mutual agreement in particular societies, or not. The New Testament sometimes useth the word church in this sense; Mat. xvi. 18. 1 Cor. xii. 28. and other places; and it is in this sense when a person is baptized, he is said to be received into the christian church, for hereby he becomes a member of the catholic church visible on earth.

But all this vast scattered multitude can never maintain and perform acts of christian communion together in the Lord'ssupper, which is the other chief ordinance of special communion: Nor indeed can they keep up the public honour of God, a public profession of the name of Christ, nor the duties of public worship, without their being divided into particular societies, which agree at stated times and seasons to come together to one place, as the apostle expresses it, for purposes of christian worship; 1 Cor. xi. 18, 20. and xiv. 23.

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Such a society or congregation of persons, both men and women, making a credible profession of christianity, and united by mutual agreement or consent to meet together usually at the same time and place for the performance of christian worship,' is a church of Christ; and this is the clearest and plainest notion that I can frame of a particular church of Christ, according to

the language of the holy scripture, consult the book of Acts, consult the sacred epistles, where the word church is used at least forty or fifty times in this sense.

I will not deny but the word church, even where it does not signify the catholic church, visible or invisible, may in some few places he used for a larger number of christians than could meet in one place, as the church of Jerusalem in the very beginning of christianity, while christians multiplied faster than they could be well formed into regular distinct societies; yet even in some of those places perhaps it includes no more than did meet for some special purpose. See Acts xi. 22. and xv. 22. The word church may also in a few other places be used for a smaller collection of christians, that might occasionally meet, or perhaps dwell together, as the church in the house of Aquilla and Priscilla; 1 Cor. xvi. 19. and in the house of Philemon; Philem. verse 2. But the most common acceptation of the word church, where it signifies a visible company of christians, implies such a number, as met usually by common consent in one place for christian communion, in stated and solemn ordinances of worship, and especially the Lord's-supper, as in the forecited texts of the epistle to the Corinthians and many others. This is the church. that is described in the nineteenth article of the church of England, viz. "A congregation of faithful men in which the pure word of God is preached, and the sacraments be duly ministered, according to Christ's ordinances, in all those things that of necessity are requisite to the same."

Yet let it be noted here, that such a society as this may be properly called a church, when their preachers, ministers, or all their officers are dead, or even before they have any minister, or any officers fixed amongst them; and without doubt they have power to receive any person that desires it, and makes a credible profession of christianity, into their society, having judged his profession credible, and declared him in their judgment fit for christian communion. But it would lead me too far from my present design to insist 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 gospel must be administered in the church with decency, and honour, and spiritual advantage: But the whole body of the church cannot thus administer them; therefore it is necessary that these concerns be committed to such persons as are peculiarly fitted for those administrations by knowledge and prudence, and all proper talents; and the church ought to be furnished with such officers who should be ghosen and solemnly set apart, devoted and ordained