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…

1. From the power requisite to the administration of the Sacraments, viz. to administer a Sacrament, is not an act of Christian liberty, that every Christian may dispense to whom he please, but an act of power, which Christ hath given to them who are called to be Ministers of the Word, and by them to be dispensed unto the Church, whereof the Holy Ghost hath made them over-seers. They then over whom we have no ministerial power, unto them we may not dispense an act of power; but they who are Members of no Church, we have no ministerial power over them; and they who are Members of other Churches (not of our own) we have no power over them, further then they are recommended to us from their own Churches, either by Letters, or by word of mouth, and such are all the members of the Churches in this Country, ⟨p. 77⟩whom we do admit to communion with us at the Lords Table.

1. From the power requisite to the administration of the Sacraments, viz. to administer a Sacrament, is not an act of Christian libertie, that every Christian may dispense to whom he please, but an act of power, which Christ hath given to them who are called to be Ministers of the Word, and by them to be dispensed unto the Church, whereof the Holy Ghost hath made them over-seers. They then over whom wee have no ministeriall power, unto them wee may not dispense an act of power; but they who are Members of no Church, wee have no ministeriall power over them; and they who are Members of other Churches (not of our own) wee have no power over them, further then they are recommended to us from their own Churches, either by Letters, or by word of mouth, and such are all the members of the Churches in this Countrey, ⟨p. 77⟩whom wee doe admit to communion with us at the Lords Table.

But now for our Brethren, who come out of England, many of them are altogether unknown to us; and those who are well known, (and it may be also well approved) yet they bring no Letters of recommendations to us from those Churches who had interest in them, and power over them. And besides, we know that those who have been members of any parish Church in England, when once they remove their dwelling out of that Parish, they are accounted as no longer members of that Church; so that they come over to us as members of no particular Church at all, either in old England or in new; and so they are under the power of no Church, either there or here; how then can we dispense an act of power to them, over whom we have no power at all, either commended to us by themselves, or by the Churches from whence they came? Would it be thought reasonable, in case that any of our Country-men coming over to us, should fall into drunkenness, or whoredom, or other scandalous crimes, if the Church where he sojourneth amongst, should proceed to excommunicate him for the same? were it not an act, Coram non judice? might he not demand justly, by what authority we cast him out of our Communion, who was never yet entered into our Communion? This may therefore yield us a just defence.