B20736:222
The way of the churches of Christ in New-England, or, The way of churches…The vvay of the churches of Christ in New-England, or, The vvay of churches…
The way of the churches of Christ in New-England, or, The way of churches walking in brotherly equality, or co-ordination, without subjection of one church to another measured and examined bight golden reed of the sanctuary, containing a full declaration of the church-way in all particulars / by Mr. J. Cotton ...The vvay of the churches of Christ in New-England, or, The vvay of churches walking in brotherly equalitie, or co-ordination, without subjection of one church to another measured and examined bythe golden reed of the sanctuary, containing a full declaration of the church-way in all particulars / by Mr. J. Cotton ...
London: printed by Matthew Simmons, 1645
THE Way of the Churches of Christ in NEW-ENGLAND, Measured by the G… › Chapter 4 › Section 1
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.
SECT. I.
The Church being gathered and furnished with able helps, Officers and Brethren, they proceed to the administration of all the public Ordinances in public Assemblies, especially on every Lords day; wherein our principal care and desire is to administer and partake in all, and no more then all, the ordinances of Christ himself, and in all those (so far as the Lord hath lent us light) in their native purity and simplicity, without any dressing or painting of humane inventions. For as the first Commandment requireth us to worship him with his own only true worship, as he hath appointed in his Word, without adding ought thereto, or taking ought therefrom, Isa. 29.13. Deut. 12.32. So we believe it to be unlawful for any Church to take upon them to observe, much less for the Officers of their own or other Churches to impose upon them any institutions of their own (whether in doctrine, or worship, or government, but what the Lord hath appointed in his Word.
THe Church being gathered and furnished with able helps, Officers and Brethren, they proceed to the administration of all the publick Ordinances in publick Assemblies, especially on every Lords day; wherein our principall care and desire is to administer and partake in all, and no more then all, the ordinances of Christ himselfe, and in all those (so farre as the Lord hath lent us light) in their native puritie and simplicitie, without any dressing or painting of humane inventions. For as the first Commandement requireth us to worship him with his owne onely true worship, as he hath appointed in his Word, without adding ought thereto, or taking ought therefrom,