ciently evident without many express instances. The enquiry of a church into the conversation of the person who desires its communion, may be adjusted and regulated under these four heads, viz. whether he be sober, just, and good, as well as religious. So much of these four characters as lie within the public observation of the world, are necessary in order to become a member of the church.

1. Whether he be sober and temperate in some good measure; free from the vices of drunkenness, uncleanness, violent wrath, railing, revenge, &c. for otherwise it is plain he cannot belong to Christ, they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its affections and lusts; Gal. v. 23. and the foregoing scriptures I have cited run much upon this point.

2. Whether he be just and honest among his neighbours, a man of fair dealing, faithful to his word, sincere and without hypocrisy in the common affairs of life; for if a person be of a designing, tricking and deceitful temper and carriage among men, how can we trust his profession in the things of God? Or receive it as credible? Besides, the unjust are expressly excluded the kingdom of God; 1 Cor. vi. 8. And all liars shall have their part in the burning lake; Rev. xxi. 8.

3. Whether he be good, kind, charitable? Whether he hath that love to his neighbour which is the fulfilling of the duties, of the second table; Rom. xiii. 8, 9. Whatsoever we profess of faith, yet without love we are nothing; 1 Cor. xiii. 2. and it may be enquired too what love he has to fellow-christians, for it is an appointed mark of the disciples of Christ; John xiii. 35. Hereby shall all men know ye are my disciples if ye love one another. If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: He that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? 1 John iv. 20. Without love, and particularly to fellow-christians, he can never be fit for such a holy fellowship, which is to be managed all in love, and whereof love is one of the greatest duties.

4. Whether he be religious and godly? Though inward piety is chiefly to be known to men by the profession of the mouth, and the two foregoing general heads in some measure answer this end, yet there should be some appearances of piety also in our conversation in the world, in order to give us a full right to christian communion. In such an enquiry as this, at least it must be found that such a person is not a scoffer at religion, that he does not make a jest of things sacred, that he uses the name of God with reverence in common conversation, that he speaks honourably of Christ, his gospel, and his ordinances upon every just occasion, and that he frequents some places of religious worship; for we are to look diligently that there be no profane person in our churches, as well as no fornicator; Heb. xii.

15. Thus I have given a particular account of those three things that join to make up the credibility of our profession, in order to be regularly admitted to the communion of a christian church.

SECT. V.-Objection. But why must there be so many things required to make a profession of christianity credible in our day, beyond what was required in the primitive times? Then they only confessed Christ to be the Messiah, the Son of God, or that he was raised from the dead in order to baptism and admission into the church. So it was when many thousands were added to the church in one day; so the eunuch when Philip baptized him; Acts viii. 37. So the jailor and Lydia; Acts xvi. 15, 35. and many others; or at most, their present works were thought sufficient to confirm their confessions; Acts xix. 18. Many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds, without long enquiries into the whole of their faith, or the course of their conversation.

ANSWER I. The account that the scripture gives of these transactions is very short, yet sufficient to inform us that there was more discourse on both sides, in order to the baptizing their converts, than is expressly written down; for even the confessions that Lydia and the jailor made are not written, but it is said in general, they believed; therefore we are not to take it for granted there was nothing else required, because the scripture in those places mentions no more than a word or two of short confession.

ANSWER II. In several places where such transactions are recorded in scripture, there is no mention of their works or conversation at all; and surely no minister or church in our day would imagine, that a mere confession, that Jesus is the Christ, without any further enquiry either after knowledge, faith, or works, is sufficient ground for admission to sacred ordinances; for then we must take in almost whole nations. Besides, if a man did make such a profession, that Christ was the Son of God, and his conversation were blameless to outward appearance; yet who of our ministers, or which of our churches would receive him without some further enquiry into his knowledge of God and Christ, and the gospel? Therefore it is sufficiently plain, by the acknowledgment and practice of those who make this objection, that they themselves do not think it necessary to confine their enquiries only to such a single sentence of profession as the scripture-history expresses, and seek no further..

ANSWER III. It is suficiently evident to me, that the fundamental or necessary articles of religion are not the same in all ages and places; but more or less kuowledge is necessary, in order to salvation, according to the degrees of divine revela tion in several nations or ages. The belief of the crucifixion

and resurrection of Christ was not fundamental in Christ's own life-time; for when he spake of his own death, Peter replied, 'far be it from thee, Lord; Mat. xvi. 22. This shall not be unto thee: And the rest of the apostles knew not certainly that Christ should rise from the dead, for some doubted even after his resurrection; Mat. xxviii. 17. Yet they were the chief of the church of Christ upon earth at that time. So in the very first promulgation of the gospel, before judaism was quite destroyed, the apostles themselves had not so full a knowledge of christianity as they afterwards, by degrees, received from the instructions of the blessed Spirit. Many passages of scripture discover this, as Acts x. 14-17. and xv. 7-30. and Gal. ii. 2-14. At this time there was scarce any thing of the New Testament written; and though the evidences of the christian religion were great, yet the opportunities of a large and extensive knowledge were exceeding few and small among the common converts, if compared with our age: Therefore the Messiahship of Christ, his death, and resurrection, and exaltation, with a very few alterations from natural or Jewish religion, seem to be the chief things then necessary to believe in order to salvation, or to profess in order to communion.

But when in process of time the Jewish economy was divinely destroyed, christianity grown to its full perfection, the canon of scripture completed, and several christian truths and duties more plainly and expressly revealed, it may be well supposed that where this canon of scripture is freely published, God may require something more of christian knowledge in order to salvation, than in the very first years of the gospel. I speak this last proposition but modestly, and as a probable opinion; but if this be true, then it clearly follows that there are more things necessary to make a profession of christianity credible at this day in most places of England, than were necessary even in Judea in the first years of christianity.

ANSW. IV. If the essentials of any doctrine were perfectly the same in all ages, yet the credibility of its profession is exceeding different, according to different circumstances of time, place and persons. Where hardships and sufferings attend the professors of any religion, a very slight profession of it will persuade me that a man understands it, and is very sincere in it; because he exposes himself to suffering by this means: But where there is full liberty given, or especially if external advantages attend it, there every one will be ready to profess, though he has little knowledge or sincerity. Those first times of the gospel, were times of reproach and persecution: the sect of christians was every where spoken against, and death and dangers attended it on all sides. Now to confess the name of Christ, taidat the reproaches of the world, against the opposition of

the wise and the foolish, the Jews and the Greeks, the threatening of kings, and the violence of the people, was a more powerful and evident proof of the truth of their faith, than if they had made long speeches, and had the testimony of a continued blameless conversation in a land and age of christians. Surely that confession, which was sufficient for martyrdom, if their enemies knew it; must be sufficient for communion, when made known to the church. But in our age and nation where christianity is the profession of the time and the country, a mere acknowledgment of the name, or death and resurrection of Christ, is not sufficient to prove us knowing or sincere christians; and there ought to be so much larger a confession, and so many credible circumstances attending it, before we can reasonably, or upon just grounds, believe a man to be a true christian. All these requirements which I have before mentioned being put together, do not amount to so credible a profession, as for a man to say boldly this one sentence, "I am a christian," in the face of death and martyrdom.

ANSW. V. I might add also in the last place, that a great number of the conversions of the primitive christians, were so sudden and surprizing by the extraordinary effusion of the Holy Spirit, that the very miracle of their conversion did sufficiently answer the end of a large and particular confession. The work of God on the souls of men was sometimes in an instant, and they were made believers, out of unbelievers, at once; the Spirit fell on them while they heard the word; and when they who just before professed Judaism or heathenism, and neither knew nor loved Jesus Christ, confessed his name and his religion at once; the wonderful change was evident to all, and they had no long accounts to give either of their faith or conversion, their knowledge or conversation; nor was it required, because the miracle itself made their profession sufficiently credible. Besides, spiritual gifts were conferred on multitudes in that day as soon as they were converted, and gave sufficient evidence for acceptance unto baptism, as Acts x. 44, 46, 47. While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. Then answered Peter, can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost, as well as we? He that well considers all these things, and sets the affairs of the primitive times in a duc light, and thus compares them with our own, will see plainly that something more is necessary to make a profession of christianity credible in our day, than was needful in the first age of the church. And yet still we may be said to follow the rules and examples of scripture, while we require nothing more in order to communion than what is necessary to make our profession credible; for so much of this has

been always required even in scripture-times, and the word of God and the very nature of things seem to demand it.

QUEST. IV. What is a Church-covenant? And whether it be necessary to Christian Communion?

Besides the things that have been already mentioned, as included in a credible profession of christianity, it is worth our enquiry, whether any solemn covenant be needful in order to communion? Now to answer this question we must distinguish between that communion which is fixed and constant in one church, or that which is only occasional. By fixed, constant, and complete communion, I mean the joining myself to a particular church, so as to become a complete member of that religious society, engaging to perform at appointed times and places, my most usual public worship with that society rather than with others, to assist in all services necessary to support that society, and partake of all the privileges of it for mutual edification and comfort, and to maintain the public honour of Christ in the world.

By occasional communion, I understand a mere participation of the general and special ordinances of the gospel with a particular church for a time, under the general character and claim of christianity, and so far as occasions of providence may make it convenient and desirable. But not to become properly a member of that particular society, nor to be interested in the affairs, regulation or management of it. Now for this occasional communion, there is no necessity that every such communicant should enter solemnly into a covenant or agreement with that particular church, any farther than only to partake of those special ordinances for a season in a decent and regular way. It is sufficient for this sort of communion, that a person make such a credible profession of christianity as has been before described, or that be be recommended by some other church, or the elders thereof, before whom he has made such a credible profession: or that it be some way ascertained to the church whose communion he desires, that he has done it.

But where fixed and complete fellowship with a particular society is desired, the very nature of things seems to require it, that there should be such a mutual agreement among the persons that intend to practise this constant communion. This is part of the second thing requisite to make our profession credible, viz. a professed subjection to all the necessary duties of christianity, as will plainly appear by what follows:

A church is composed of such persons as agree to worship and walk together in all the ordinances of Christ, viz. to attend on the ministry or preaching of the word, on praying to God to