A26897:338
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.
9. The General Command (in Nature and Scripture) that all be done to Edification, decently and in order, do require the Church with Prudence to determine of such undetermined Circumstances, Modes and Orders, as fall under those Generals: As what Translation of the Scriptures to use; what Metre of the Psalms; what Tunes; whether to divide the Scriptures into Chapters and Verses; what Chapters to read; what Psalms to Sing, and when and how many: what particular Method to use in Preaching; and what words: what helps for Memory? whether written Notes? in length or briefly? At what Hour to begin: How long to Preach and Pray: In what words to Pray. In what decent habit, and in what gesture to Preach or Sing God's Praises, &c. what Utensils to use, as Pulpit, Font, Table, Cloth, Cups, &c. In what Place, &c. In all which the Pastors are the Guides by Office, and in many the Agents: And it is no sinful Will-worship or adding to the Word of God, to determine in such cases: And they that will not stand to such Determinations cannot be Members of their Flocks: As if any will not meet at that time, or place where the Church doth meet, or will not use the same Psalms, or Translations, or hear the Pastor in such a Method, or with such Notes, &c. he thereby refuseth the Communion of that Church; which must have some determinate time and place, &c. But yet the Pastors Power being for Edification, and not for Destruction, he must take the Peoples consent in all, so far as the Churches good requireth it, to their Edification and Peace, and guide them as a Father by Love, and in Humility as the Servant of all, and not as Lording it over the Flock: And if his Determination should be so perverse as to be destructive of the Church or of the Worship of God, the people must seek the due Remedy (of which more anon).
10. As the Keys of the Church are committed by Christ to the Pastors, for intromission, Guidance and Sentential Excommunication, that is, for the Government of the Church; so the People must not usurp any part of their office: They are not obliged to try the Faith or Holiness of such as are to be Baptized, or such as are to be received into their Public Communion; but may rest in the Pastors Judgment, whose office it is to try them: supposing still ⟨p. 65⟩