Ratio disciplinae fratrum Nov-Anglorum. A faithful account of the discipline professed and practised; in…

Name: Ratio disciplinae fratrum Nov-Anglorum. A faithful account of the discipline professed and practised; in…
Author: Cotton Mather

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]

Cotton Mather 1663–1728Boston: printed for S. Gerrish, 1726

[2], iv, 10, 207, [5] p. ; 18 cm. (8vo) · 57k words · Evans 2775

Title page typeset from the transcription.

We Proceed unto the Methods and Customs, IN THE CHURCHES OF New-Eng… › Article 8: ARTICLE VIII. The DISCIPLINE with which the Churches are kept in their Faith and Order.

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.

[ Earlier:373–388 of 557

:373p. 141–142

If one under the Covenant and Government of the Church, fall into a Scandalous Transgression against ⟨p. 142⟩the Laws of our Holy Redeemer, and the Transgression be at once, and at first a Matter of public Fame, the Pastor upon the Cry, reckons it his Duty to Enquire into it, and bring it immediately under an Ecclesiastical Cognizance.

If one under the Covenant and Government of the Church, fall into a Scandalous Transgressun against ⟨p. 142⟩the Laws of our Holy Redeemer, and the Transgression be at once, and at first a Matter of publick Fame, the Pastor upon the Cry, reckons it his Duty to Enquire into it, and bring it immediately under an Ecclesiastical Cognizance.

:374p. 142–143

In the Primitive Churches, we find not only Schism, Idolatry, Heresy, Covetousness, Gluttony, Drunkenness, Fornication, and Adultery, expressly among Censurable Evils, [Quaere, How did they convict any Man of Covetousness; a Fault which ordinarily no Man ever thinks himself guilty of!] but also as Origen writes, All other Sins whatsoever. Cyprian therefore tells us, That not only, Gravissima et extrema Delicta, Grosser Offences, but also, Minora Delicta, lesser ones, were Censured among them. The Churches of New-England have no express and agreed Catalogue of the Crimes, that shall expose to Censures, except what is in the Bible it self: But the Rule which they profess, is, That an Ecclesiastical Animadversion belongs to such plain Trespasses against the Rules of a Godly, and a Sober, and a Righteous Life, as we may justly Judge, that a Person under our Measures of Illumination cannot obstinately persist in, without forfeiting an Interest in the Kingdom of GOD. Such Opinions, and such Practices, as it may be our Duty to believe Consistent with true PIETY, the Censures of the Churches do not animadvert upon. The Evangelical Church State, being in some sort the Kingdom of Heaven, the Churches of New-England endeavour to make theirs a Visible Sermon to the World, upon the Requisites of Mens being received into Heaven at the last. As in their Admissions they study Practically to

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