A confession of my faith and a reason of my practice

Name: A confession of my faith and a reason of my practice
Author: John Bunyan

A confession of my faith and a reason of my practice, or, With who, and who not, I can hold church-fellowship, or the communion of saints

John Bunyan 1628–1688London: printed for Francis Smith, 1672

[10], 130 p. · 23k words · Wing B5506 · ESTC R36326

Title page typeset from the transcription.

A Confession of my Faith; and a reason of my practice in worship, &c. › A reason of my Practise in Worship,

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.

[ Earlier:200–215 of 218

:200p. 124

I now come to a short Application.

:201p. 124–125

I, Keep a strict separation, I pray you, from communion with the open profane; and let no man use his liberty in Church relation, as an occasion to the flesh; but in Love serve one another; Looking diligently least any root of bitterness (any poisonfull herb. Deut. 29.18.) springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled And let those that before were reasons for my separation; be motives to you maintain the like: and remember that when men have said what they can for a sinful ⟨p. 125⟩mixture in the worship of God, the arm of the Lord is made bare against it.

I, Keep a strict separation, I pray you, from communion with the open prophane; and let no man use his liberty in Church relation, as an occasion to the flesh; but in Love serve one another; Looking diligently least any root of bitterness (any poisonfull herb. Deut. 29.18.) springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled And let those that before were reasons for my separation; be motives to you maintain the like: and remember that when men have said what they can for a sinfull ⟨p. 125⟩mixture in the worship of God, the arm of the Lord is made bare against it.

:202p. 125–126¶2

2. In the midst of your zeal for the Lord, remember that the visible Saint is his; and is privileged in all those spiritual things, that you have in the word, and live in the practise of, and that he is to partake thereof, according to his light therein. Quarrel not with him about things that are circumstantial; but receive him in the Lord as becometh Saints; if he will not have communion with you, the neglect is his, not yours. But saith the open profane; Why cannot we be reckoned Saints also? We have been Christened, we go to Church, we take the Communion. Poor People! This will not do; for so long as in Life and Conversation you appear to be open profane; we cannot unless we sin, receive you into our fellowship:

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