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

Accordingly, Stated Councils being proposed, the Meeting whereof once in a Year was judged little enough; it was now also further proposed, That the Association whereto the Pastors of such a Council belonged, may direct when there should be judged an Occasion for this Council, (or what Part of it they should think enough) to convene upon an Emergency. And, that the Determinations of the Councils thus provided for the Necessities of the Churches, were to be looked upon as Decisive; except aggrieved Churches or Persons have Weighty Reasons to the contrary. But, ⟨p. 184⟩that in such Cases there should be a further Hearing; And that the Council for that further Hearing should consist of Pastors and Churches more for Number than the former; and such as might be directed and convened by the Ministers of any Association, that should be near to that, whereto those of the former Council belonged; unto which the Aggrieved were accordingly to apply themselves, and in this Way to expect a final Issue.

Such Proposals as these found in one of the New-English Colonies a more general Reception (and even a Countenance from the Civil Government) than in the Rest. In the other, there were some very considerable Persons among the Ministers, as well as of the Brethren, who thought the Liberties of particular Churches to be in danger of being too much limited and infringed in them. And in a Deference to these Good Men, the Proposals were never prosecuted, beyond the Bounds of mere Proposals. Accordingly the Churches go on in the Methods of which an Account was given, before the Introducing of these Proposals. And Humane Prudence being obliged thus to keep the Stops where it is, the SPIRIT of our SAVIOUR, so descends with His Operations, that Councils rarely miss of their desired Efficacy.

Such Proposals as these found in one of the New-English Colonies a more general Reception (and even a Countenance from the Civil Government) than in the Rest. In the other, there were some very considerable Persons among the Ministers, as well as of the Brethren, who thought the Liberties of particular Churches to be in danger of being too much limited and infringed in them. And in a Deference to these Good Men, the Proposals were never prosecuted, beyond the Bounds of meer Proposals. Accordingly the Churches go on in the Methods of which an Account was given, before the Introducing of these Proposals. And Humane Prudence being obliged thus to keep the Stops where it is, the SPIRIT of our SAVIOUR, so descends with His Operations, that Councils rarely miss of their desired Efficacy.