An account of the life and death of Mr. Philip Henry, minister of the…

In the Association of the Ministers it was referred to Mr. Henry to draw up that part of their Agreement which concerned the Worship of God, which task he performed to their Satisfaction: his Preface to what he drew up begins thus: Though the main of our Desires and Endeavours be after Unity in the greater things of God; yet we judge Uniformity in the Circumstances of Worship, a thing not to be altogether neglected by us, not only in regard of that influence, which external visible Order hath upon the Beauty and Comeliness of the Churches of Christ; but also; as it hath a Direct Tendency to the strengthening of our Hands in Ministerial Services, and withal to the removing of those Prejudices which many People have conceived even against Religion and Worship itself. We bless God from our very Souls, for that whereunto we have already attained; and yet we hope some further thing may be done, in reference to our closer walking, by the same Rule, and minding the same things. The word of God is the Rule which we desire and resolve to walk by in the Administration of Ordinances; and for those things wherein the Word is silent, we think we may and ought to have recourse to Christian Prudence, and the Practise of the Reformed Churches, agreeing with the general Rules of the Word: And therefore we have had (as we think we ought) in our present Agreement, a special Eye to the Directory, &c.

In the Association of the Ministers it was referred to Mr. Henry to draw up that part of their Agreement which concerned the Worship of God, which task he performed to their Satisfaction: his Preface to what he drew up begins thus: Though the main of our Desires and Endeavours be after Unity in the greater things of God; yet we judge Uniformity in the Circumstances of Worship, a thing not to be altogether neglected by us, not only in regard of that influence, which external visible Order hath upon the Beauty and Comliness of the Churches of Christ; but also; as it hath a Direct Tendency to the strenthning of our Hands in Ministerial Services, and withal to the removing of those Prejudices which many People have conceiv'd even against Religion and Worship itself. We bless God from our very Souls, for that whereunto we have already attained; and yet we hope some further thing may be done, in reference to our closer walking, by the same Rule, and minding the same things. The word of God is the Rule which we desire and resolve to walk by in the Administration of Ordinances; and for those things wherein the Word is silent, we think we may and ought to have recourse to Christian Prudence, and the Practise of the Reformed Churches, agreeing with the general Rules of the Word: And therefore we have had (as we think we ought) in our present Agreement, a special Eye to the Directory, &c.