The order of the Gospel, professed and practised by the churches of Christ in…

Answ. It is so. See Act. 18▪ 27. Rom. 16.1, 2 That this was an usual Practice in the Churches in the Apostolical Times, is plain from 1 Cor. 16.3. and 3.1. Col. 4 10, 11.3 Job. 3.8, 9, 10. This practice was continued in the Churches after the Apostolical Times. Polycarp in his Epistle to the Church at Philippi recommends Crescens with his Sister to their Communion, testifying that their Conversation had been blameless. The Greek Churches called such Letters as the Scriptures do Systatick Epistles or Letters of Recommendation. ⟨p. 110⟩In the Latin Churches they were called Literae Communicatoriae. Tertullian calls them Literas pacis. That in the Primitive Times such Letters were in use may be seen in ^(s)Baronius. And that something of this nature was practised in the Fourth Century is manifest from a decree of the first Council in Carthage ^(t)That no one shall Communicate in another Church without a Letter from the Bishop of his own Church. Nazianzene in one of his Orations against Julian the Apostate speaks of these Letters And several Ancient Synods make mention both of Literal Commendatitiae, and Literae dimisseriae And some of the Protestant Reformed Churches practice as the Churches of New England do as to th•• matter. So in ^(u)France. And in Holland several of their Synods have Commended this practice of the Churches, that when persons remove from one Church to another in order to their partaking at the Lords Table, they should bring Letters Testimonial with them. Some of their greatest Divines have written in Defence of it. Dr Hornbeck