N02341:358
Ratio disciplinae fratrum Nov-Anglorum. A faithful account of the discipline professed and practised; in…
Ratio disciplinae fratrum Nov-Anglorum. A faithful account of the discipline professed and practised; in the churches of New-England. : With interspersed and instructive reflections on the discipline of the primitive churches. : [Seven lines from Ezekiel]
Boston: printed for S. Gerrish, 1726
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
§. 1. THE Question has been considered in the Churches of New-England, Whether the Pastor of a Church may not occasionally dispense the Seals of the Covenant in another Church, upon the Peoples Desiring of it?
And it has been very publicly and practically answered, That they may.
And it has been very publickly and practically answered, That they may.
As a Minister of the Gospel, or one solemnly set apart for Evangelical Administrations, does retain his Character, when preaching in other Congregations, besides that which is his immediate Charge: The Words of Dr. Owen are certainly to be allowed of; Although' we have no Concern in the Figment of an Indelible Character accompanying Sacred Orders, yet we do not think, that the Pastoral Office is such a Thing as a Man must leave behind him every time he goeth from Home: For my own part, if I did not think my self bound to preach as a Minister Authorized in all Places, and on all Occasions, ⟨p. 135⟩when I am called thereunto, I think, I should never Preach any more in this World: — So, 'tis no where scrupled, that a Pastor of a Church, may administer the Special and Sealing Ordinances, to the Members of another Church, coming to occasional Communion with him in his own; and if they should All of them (even their whole Church) so come to him, he will not refuse them. Certainly then, he may as well go to that other Church, and administer the Sacred Ordinances to them in the Place where they assemble, if it be desired from him: It appears not, why the Presence of his own Flock should be necessary to Legitimate such an Administration? Why, any more than the Presence of the whole Flock to which any particular Member belongs, to whom he occasionally administers the Seals, when he comes to him in a Transient Way for it? The Consent and Request of the Persons concerned, Pro hac Vice, sufficiently enables him. The Churches of New-England herein differ from the Rigid Separatists, your Can and Company; and it is expressly provided in their Platform, That Churches may lend a Minister to supply the Place of an Absent or a Sick Minister of another Church for a needful Season.