Reliquiæ Baxterianæ, or, Mr. Richard Baxters narrative of the most memorable passages of his…

(This is that Dr. Warmestry, who, when I was silenced by Bishop Morley, and he made Dean of Worcester, came purposely to my Flock, to preach those vehement tedious Invectives of which more hereafter.)

31. In our Association we agreed upon a Monthly Meeting at certain Market-Towns for Conference about such Cases of Discipline as required Consultation ⟨p. 150⟩and Consent: Accordingly at Evesham and Kidderminster they were constantly kept up: In the Town where I lived we had once a Month a Meeting of Three Justices of the Peace (who lived with us) and three or four Ministers (for so many we were in the Parish, my self and Assistants) and three or four Deacons, and twenty of the ancient and godly Men of the Congregation, who pretended to no Office, as Lay-Elders, but only met as the Trustees of the whole Church, to be present and secure their Liberties; and do that which any of the Church might do; and they were chosen once a year hereunto (as^* Grotius de Imperio sum […] adviseth); because all the People could not have leisure to meet so oft, to debate things which required their Consent: At this meeting we admonished those that remained impenitent in any scandalous Sin, after more private Admonition before two or three; and we did with all possible tenderness persuade them to repentance, and labour to convince them of their Sin and danger; and pray with them if they consented: And if they could not be prevailed with to repent, we required them to meet before all the Ministers at the other monthly Meeting, which was always the next Day after this parochial Meeting. There we renewed our Admonitions and Exhortations, and some Ministers of other Parishes laboured to set it home, that the Offender might not think it was only the Opinion of the Pastor of the Place, and that he did it out of ill Will or Partiality. If he yielded penitently to confess his Sin and promise Amendment (more or less publicly according to the Nature of the Scandal) we then joined in Prayer for his true Repentance and Forgiveness, and exhorted him farther to his Duty for the future: But if he still continued obstinately impenitent, by the Consent of all, he was by the Pastor of the Place to be publicly admonished and prayed for by that Church, usually three several days together; and if still he remained Impenitent, the Church was required to avoid him, as a Person unfit for their Communion; as is more fully opened in the Articles of our Agreement.