B20736:277
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 5
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.
3. A third ground of our practise in this point is taken from the case of public offence, which we conceive ought to be removed from all such as are to partake together at the Lords Table; so we deal with the members of our own Church, and so we deal with the ⟨p. 79⟩members of neighbour Churches in this Country: None of them are received unto the Lords Table with us, whilst they lie under the guilt of any public scandal before the face of the Church: For it is our Saviours direction, that if a man bring his gift to the Altar, and there remembers that his brother hath ought against him, he should there leave his gift, and go first to be reconciled to his brother, and then come and offer his gift, Mat. 5.23, 24. If this be a rule for a mans own private direction, in case of private offences, it will be a rule also for a whole Church to direct an offending brother to do the like in case of a public offence: We do therefore direct both the brethren of our own Church, and of any other Church in this Country, that if they present themselves to communion with us at the Lords Table, they should first remove such public offence, as either themselves or the Church from whence they come, do lie under, before the Lord, and us;1 that according to the figure in the law of the Passover, no leaven must be found amongst us when we come to sit down at the Lords Table together.
3. A third ground of our practise in this point is taken from the case of publick offence, which we conceive ought to be removed from all such as are to partake together at the Lords Table; so we deale with the members of our own Church, and so wee deale with the ⟨p. 79⟩members of neighbour Churches in this Countrey: None of them are received unto the Lords Table with us, whilest they lie under the guilt of any publick scandall before the face of the Church: For it is our Saviours direction, that if a man bring his gift to the Altar, and there remembers that his brother hath ought against him, he should there leave his gift, and goe first to be reconciled to his brother, and then come and offer his gift,