The Brother thus dismissed to another Church, bringeth his Letters to the Elder of that Church, who reading them before the Church, demandeth the Churches consent for his acceptance. If he be well known and approved of them, they express their consent, either by lifting up of hands, or by silence: but if the man be wholly unknown, and doubted of by them, though they reserve due honour to the testimony of the Church which sent them, yet for as much as Churches may err sometimes, as well in judgement of persons, as of doctrines; (Hanc veniam perimusque damusque vicissim) we take liberty to take some trial of his spirit and gifts, and then either upon his just approbation of him, we receive him, or if we see just occasion of offence in him, we return him with the cause back again to his own Church, who receiveth him again into her own fellowship, and takes care for his healing; for we look at our Church-Covenant, as an everlasting Covenant, Jer. 50.51. And therefore though it may be translated or resigned from one Church to another, as Gods hand shall direct, yet it is not to be rejected or violated by us, but only by the members cutting off himself from the fellowship of the Church by such demerit, as exposeth him to the just censure of Excommunication. But if a member be importunately desirous to remove wholly from ⟨p. 105⟩the Church where he is unto another, and yet the grounds of his removal favour of nothing, but levity, or covetousness, or schism, or the like, according to their Covenant of brotherly love, and faithfulness; the brethren of his own Church labour to convince him of his sinful weakness, herein to dissuade him from his purpose, to which counsel, God usually toweth his heart to stoop and submit: But if after all their dissuasions, they shall see the bent of his spirit unremovably set upon removal; in such a case, if his sin be not apparent, and his danger imminent, they use indulgence towards him, as not willing to make the Church of God a prison to any man. But when men thus depart, God usually followeth them with a bitter curse:
The Brother thus dismissed to another Church, bringeth his Letters to the Elder of that Church, who reading them before the Church, demandeth the Churches consent for his acceptance. If he be well knowne and approved of them, they expresse their consent, either by lifting up of hands, or by silence: but if the man be wholly unknowne, and doubted of by them, though they reserve due honour to the testimony of the Church which sent them, yet for as much as Churches may erre sometimes, as well in judgement of persons, as of doctrines; (Hanc veniam perimusque damusque vicissim) wee take libertie to take some tryall of his spirit and gifts, and then either upon his just approbation of him, wee receive him, or if wee see just occasion of offence in him, wee returne him with the cause back againe to his owne Church, who receiveth him againe into her own fellowship, and takes care for his healing; for wee look at our Church-Covenant, as an everlasting Covenant, Jer. 50.51. And therefore though it may be translated or resigned from one Church to another, as Gods hand shall direct, yet it is not to be rejected or violated by us, but onely by the members cutting off himselfe from the fellowship of the Church by such demerit, as exposeth him to the just censure of Excommunication. But if a member be importunately desirous to remove wholly from ⟨p. 105⟩the Church where he is unto another, and yet the grounds of his removall favour of nothing, but levitie, or covetousnesse, or schisme, or the like, according to their Covenant of brotherly love, and faithfulnesse; the brethren of his own Church labour to convince him of his sinfull weaknesse, herein to disswade him from his purpose, to which counsell, God usually toweth his heart to stoop and submit: But if after all their disswasions, they shall see the bent of his spirit unremovably set upon removall; in such a case, if his sinne be not apparent, and his danger imminent, they use indulgence towards him, as not willing to make the Church of God a prison to any man. But when men thus depart, God usually followeth them with a bitter curse:
