A26897:300
Church concord
Church concord containing I. a dissuasive from unnecessary division and separation, and the real concord of the moderate independents with the Presbyterians, instanced in ten seeming differences, II. by Richard Baxter.Church concord containing I. a disswasive from unnecessary division and separation, and the real concord of the moderate independents with the Presbyterians, instanced in ten seeming differences, II. by Richard Baxter.
London: printed for Tho. Parkhurst, 1691
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
But because it is not to be expected that we should all be acquainted with the qualifications, consent or practice of the people in all the Parishes of the Land, nor of the Ministers call; it is not therefore to be expected that we be made Judges of the state of all Parishes, nor that we put our judgment of all, or any of them by Name, into our Form of Concord. But if practically any of us shall either slander any particular Church to be No Church, or shall use ⟨p. 58⟩it as no Church, the case must be heard and judged of in our Churches and Associations.
10. We are Agreed that no Member should forsake a Church and be received into another, without sufficient Reason to be given to the Church that he forsaketh; if they require it: And that much less should any part of a Church make an unnecessary Separation from the rest, and become a distinct Church by themselves: And we are Agreed that private Antichurches, (I mean, separated Assemblies set up against the public Assemblies, and as Rivals drawing persons to themselves and keeping up Faction, and Contention in the place) should be carefully avoided by us all; unless there were a certain Necessity of such Separations. We are Agreed also that no public Pastors or Churches should refuse the Communion of any of their Neighbours, that are [Credible Professors of Faith and Repentance, and Holiness of Life;] much less should they cast off the greatest part of their Parishes that are such! And yet we are Agreed that there are several cases in which Persons may withdraw from Churches; or for those of one Parish to join with a Church in another Parish; though the bounds of our Habitations are usually meet to be observed for the bounding of our Churches (not that all in the Parish be therefore of the Church, but that ordinarily none be of the Church that is not in the Parish.)
10. We are Agreed that no Member should forsake a Church and be received into another, without sufficient Reason to be given to the Church that he forsaketh; if they require it: And that much less should any part of a Church make an unnecessary Separation from the rest, and become a distinct Church by themselves: And we are Agreed that private Antichurches, (I mean, separated Assemblies set up against the publick Assemblies, and as Rivals drawing persons to themselves and keeping up Faction, and Contention in the place) should be carefully avoided by us all; unless there were a certain Necessity of such Separations. We are Agreed also that no publick Pastors or Churches should refuse the Communion of any of their Neighbours, that are [Credible Professors of Faith and Repentance, and Holiness of Life;] much less should they cast off the greatest part of their Parishes that are such! And yet we are Agreed that there are several cases in which Persons may withdraw from Churches; or for those of one Parish to join with a Church in another Parish; though the bounds of our Habitations are usually meet to be observed for the bounding of our Churches (not that all in the Parish be therefore of the Church, but that ordinarily none be of the Church that is not in the Parish.)