A friendly trial of the grounds tending to separation in a plain and modest…A friendly triall of the grounds tending to separation in a plain and modest…

and they so attended that branch of the society or church, that their care and oversight reached to the whole. And out of doubt this form or kind of a visible and ministerial church is much nearer to the patterns and precedents set by the apostles in the first plantation of Christian churches then that two three or few believers, uniting themselves in covenant, should be reputed the only visible and ministerial church, independent, from whom the officers should, as their servants, derive their authority. This kind or form of a visible church is so far from being the only lawful and allowed form of a church in scripture, as if we speak of a church complete in respect of the inward substance and external order, furnished for all duties and offices required of the church, it is not so much as warranted in scripture. To the constitution of a visible distinct society or church there is required, First, an entire profession of one and the same faith and holiness, entire in all fundamental articles of faith to be believed as necessary to salvation, and main precepts and moral laws for practice to be acknowledged. A lively operative faith maketh a man a true member of the church invisible; and the profession of faith and holiness, a member of the church visible. Profession of Divine verities revealed in Christ, whom only the companies and societies of Christians acknowledge to be the Son of God and Saviour of the world, doth distinguish Christians from Jews. The ⟨p. 303⟩entire profession of faith, according to the rule left by Christ and his first disciples and scholars the holy apostles, doth separate the multitude of night-believing Christians, which is the sound part of the Christian church, from all seduced heretical combinations. Secondly, there is required an union and communion in the true worship of God, and ordinances belonging thereunto, appointed of God himself, sc. prayer, administration of the sacraments, and dispensation of the word. But the time may fall out, that the preaching of the word may be omitted, and reading or meditation may possess the place thereof, nay, mere desire conjoined with manifold sighs. So the administration of the sacraments may be left off, as it was in the church of the Israelites for the space of forty years in the wilderness.

and they so attended that branch of the society or church, that their care and oversight reached to the whole. And out of doubt this form or kind of a visible and ministeriall church is much nearer to the patterns and precedents set by the apostles in the first plantation of Christian churches then that two three or few believers, uniting themselves in covenant, should be reputed the onely visible and ministeriall church, independent, from whom the officers should, as their servants, derive their authority. This kind or form of a visible church is so farre from being the onely lawfull and allowed form of a church in scripture, as if we speak of a church complete in respect of the inward substance and externall order, furnished for all duties and offices required of the church, it is not so much as warranted in scripture. To the constitution of a visible distinct society or church there is required, First, an intire profession of one and the same faith and holynesse, intire in all fundamentall articles of faith to be believed as necessary to salvation, and main precepts and morall laws for practice to be acknowledged. A lively operative faith maketh a man a true member of the church invisible; and the profession of faith and holynesse, a member of the church visible. Profession of Divine verities revealed in Christ, whom onely the companies and societies of Christians acknowledge to be the Sonne of God and Saviour of the world, doth distinguish Christians from Jews. The