Of Church-members their removall from one Church to another, & of letters to recomendation & dismission.
CHurch-members may not remove or
depart from the Church, & so one from another as they
please, nor without just & weighty cause but ought to live &
dwell together: (1) for as much as they
are comanded, not to forsake the assembling of themselves
together. Such departure tends to the dissolution & ruine
of the body: as the pulling of stones, & peeces of timber from
the building, & of members from the naturall body, tend to the
destruction of the whole.
2 It is therfore the duty of Church-members, in such times &
places when counsell as may be had, to consult with the Church
wherof the are members, (2) about their
removall, that accordingly they have their approbation,
may be incouraged, or otherwise desist. They who are joyned with
consent, should not depart without consent, except forced
therunto.
3 If a members departure be manifestly unsafe, and
sinfull, the church may not consent therunto: for in so doing,
they should not act in faith: (3) &
should pertake with him in his sinn. If the case be doubtfull &
the person not to be so perswaded, it seemth best to leave the
matter unto God, & not forcibly to detayn him.
4 Just reasos for a mebers removal of himselfe for
the church are, I If a man canot continue without partakig in
sinn. II In case of personall persecution (4), when all are scattered. III In case of
real, & not only pretended, want (5) of competent subsistence, a door being
opened for a better supply in another place, together with the
means of spirituall edification. In these, or like cases, a
member may lawfully remove, & the church cannot lawfully detayne
him.
5 To seperate from a Church, eyther out of
contempt of their holy fellowship, or out of
covetousness, (6), or for greater
inlargements with just greife to the church; or out of
schisme, or want of love; & out of a spirit of
contention (7) in respect of some
unkindness, or some evill only conceived, (8) [20] or indeed, in the Church (9) which might & should be tolerated &
healed with a spirit of meekness, (10)
& of which evill the church is not yet covinced, (though perhaps
himselfe bee) nor admonished: for these or the like reasons to
withdraw from publick comunion, in word, or seales, or censures,
is unlawfull & sinfull.
6 Such members as have orderly removed (11) their habitation ought to joyn
themselves unto the church in order, where they doe inhabit if it
may bee: otherwise, they can meyther perform the dutyes, not
receive the priviledges of members; such an example tolerated in
some, is apt to corrupt others; which if many should follow,
would threaten the dissolution & confusion of churches, (12) contrary to the Scriptures.
7 Order requires, (13) that a member
thus removing, have letters testimonial; & of dismission
from the church whereof he yet is, unto the church wherunto he
desireth to be joyned, lest the church should be deluded; that
the church may not receive him in faith; & not be corrupted by
receiving deceivers, & false brethren. Untill the person
dismissed be received into another church, he ceaseth
not by his letters of dismission to be a member of the church
wherof he was. The church canot make a member no member but y
excomunication.
8 If a member be called to remove (14)
only for a time, where a Church is, letters of
Recommendation are requisite, (15) & sufficient for comunion with that
church, in the ordinances, & in their watch: as Phoebe, a servat
of the church at Cenchrea, had letters writte for her to the
church of Rome, that shee might be received, as becometh saints.
9 Such letters of Recommendation & dismission were
written for Apollos: For Marcus to the Colosias; for Phoebe to
the Romaes; (16) for sudry others to
other churches, & the Apostle telleth us, that some persons, not
sufficiently known otherwise, have special need of such letters
,though he for his part had no need therof. (17) The use of them is to be a benefit,
& to help to the party, for whom they are writte; and for the
furthering of his receiving amongst the Saints in the place
wherto he goeth; & the due satisfaction of them in their
receiving of him.
1. Hebr. 10 25
2. Prov. 11. 16.
3. Rom 14. 23. I Rom 5. 22. Acts 21.14.
4. Ephe. 5. 11. Acts 9. 25. & ver 29. 30 chap 8. 1
5. Nehe. 13 20
6. 2 Tim 4. 10
7. Rom 17. 17
8. Jude. 19.
9. Esh [Eph] 4. 2. 3
10. Coll 3. 13. Gala 6. 1, 2
11. Isay 56. 8 Acts 9. 26
12. I Cor 14. 33
13. Acts 18. 27
14. Rom 16. 1, 2
15. 2 Cor. 3. 1
16. Acts. 18. 27 Coll. 4. 10 Rom. 16. 1
17. 2 Cor. 3. 1