A seasonable testimony to good order in the churches of the faithful. Particularly declaring…

FROM whence, it will follow That if any of our Churches presume to Transact their more Weighty Affairs, and such as are of a Common Concern to the Churches in their Neighbourhood, with a Contempt of such Councils of them as ought to be advised withal; or, if they shall upon grievous Differences arisen among them, refuse the Advice of ⟨p. 16⟩those who urge them to make use of the Remedy, which the want of Light & Peace among them calleth for: and much more, if they shall proceed in Matters after the Neighbouring Churches have signified, that they cannot countenance their proceedings; those Churches will be far from Expressing the Wisdom which is with the well-advised; and will greatly Sin against the Second and Third Commandment; and will practically go too far towards Excluding themselves from Communion with the Churches of the Faithful. Indeed, the more Councils & Synods are disregarded & slighted, so much the more disorder and confusion will (we fear) grow & prevail in all the Churches in the Country; which GOD of His Infinite Mercy prevent.

IV. CONCERNING the Case of Reinstalling a Translated Pastor, which may also call for some Consideration; we need only Report, what has been the Practice, of our Churches, in those very Few Examples, that have been most generally approved of. The Pastor having been (with the Advice of a Council) Regularly Released, and then Dismissed, from the Church where to he has been Related, the Church, whereto he has been upon a Translation, ⟨p. 17⟩have sent unto the Neighbour Churches, to come and countenance his Instalment, as they do for an ordinary Ordination. The Instalment has been with all the Circumstances & Solemnities of an Ordination. Only, the Imposition of Hands, (which formerly was Renewed on such Occasions; Not as a Re-Ordination to the Ministry, but as a Designation to the Charge of the Particular Flock:) has been laid aside of Latter time, in a Compliance with the Conscientious Indisposition to it, in some worthy Ministers arriving from Foreign Parts among us, and invited into the Pastoral Care of our Churches. But yet a Charge has been used to be given by the Moderator, for the faithful Discharge of his Ministry, in this Place; and suitable Prayers accompanied it; unto which has been added, The Right Hand of Fellowship, from the Churches. And indeed, All such Things ought for ever to be done Decently and in Order. And as we hear, Unbiased Strangers coming among us, have sometimes confessed, That the most Solemn Actions they have ever seen in their Lives, have been the Ordinations in the Churches of New-England; so we cannot but wish, that they may never lose any thing of their Solemnity.