that he is the infinite and eternal Gop, the fame in effence and nature with the Father and Holy Spirit, but diftinct in perfon. GoD is one, can be but one; but in the eternal Godhead three perfons fubfift, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one.

Dewi. How did he, being the eternal Son of God, hecome man?

Uniawn. By affuming not a human perfon, but a human nature into perfonal union with himself, and fo every way appeared to be fuch an High Prieft as became us.

Dewi, But in confeffing and ferving this glorious MESSIAH, you must expect tribulation; and how do you f expect to go through?

Uniawin. Only in the ftrength of the Holy Spirit, the comforter and fanctifier of the church; the spirit of prayer, of faith, of power, of love, and a found mind,

Dewi. Brethren, if you have any thing elfe upon your minds to afk our friend before he withdraws, I beg you would ufe freedom.-But nothing being afked, he was defired to withdraw.-Whereupon Dewi defired the brethren that had been deputed to acquaint themselves as much as poffible with his faith and experience, to give a brief account of what they knew thereof. They anfwered, that all the things he mentioned in the church, he had more than once declared to them, and other things of weight: that they had prayed with him, and had prevailed upon him to pray with them, they thought in a favoury, humble, judicious manner. & Then Dewi faid to the church: Brethren, if, after what you have heard of Uniawn's faith and experience, you judge him to be a converted perfon, and believer in CHRIST, fignify it by lifting your hands. Which they unanimously did. Dewi now defired to know, what account they could give to the church of his walk and converfation? They answered, that they had made as diligent an enquiry as they could, and found nothing but what was agreeable to the profeffion he made; but faid they, his own brother Cyfiawn is prefent, if you please to afk him. Then faid Dewi, brother Cyfiawn, you are defired to give the church your thoughts upon his converfation. Cyfiawn replied, that he knew nothing fince 'GOD began the work upon him, but what was agreeable to the gospel.

Upon this, Dewi faid to the church: Brethren, if upon 'what you have heard of Uniawn's faith, experience and con verfation, you do as a church of CHRIST, judge it your pre

fent duty to receive him into fellowship, as a church member, fignify it by lifting up your hands. Which they unanimously did.

'Whereupon he was called in; and unto him Dewi faid, this church of CHRIST hath confidered the account you gave 'of God's work upon your foul, and the account given of 'your conversation, and have judged it our duty to testify our love to you in the LORD, and receive you into fellowship with 'us. Wherefore if you do in this affembly, folemnly give up 'yourself to the eternal GOD in CHRIST, as your GOD, re'ceive CHRIST as your Priest, Prophet and King, and give up 'yourself unto us as a church, promifing in the ftrength of the 'Lord to walk with us, in the performance of all duties incumbent on a church-member; fignify it by lifting up your 'right hand. Which he did. Then faid Dewi, we also as a church of CHRIST (the church ftanding while he fpoke) promife in the fame ftrength of our LORD to perform all re'iative duties towards you as a member of us; and fo in the name of this church of CHRIST, I do receive you, and give you the right hand of fellowship: and may this entrance of yours into the vifible kingdom of heaven, in this world, be 'attended with a mighty bleffing. Amen.'

Friendly. I thank you for this regular and engaging account of the manner of the primitive church receiving members; I with there was the fame care and order in every church of CHRIST now. But should a member of one of them be dif pofed to join another, may they orderly receive fuch an one? Truth. Yes, upon a due difmiffion and recommendation from the church of which fuch perfon may be a member, to any other who hold the fame faith and order from whence any member comes, may receive them: in this cafe the Elder may admit fuch an one in the LORD, provided the church confent. Thus by acting agreeable to the word of God, they maintain the union of the fpirit in the bond of peace.

Friendly. But fometimes a church is diffolved through the fewness of number, or divifion; how muft a perfon act who has been a member before?

Truth. If there be no church to difmifs him, he must for the fatisfaction of the church to whom he would willingly join, give in his experience, and enter as at first; because there is no one to grant him a difiniffion, neither any to lay claim to him, therefore they have liberty to receive him, and the perfon likewife freedom to join himself, 1 Cor. xiv. 26. Let all

things be done to edifying. ver. 33. For God is not the author of confufion but of peace, as in all the churches of the faints.

Friendly. But may not a member orderly remove from one church to another?

Truth. Yes, when his fituation by providence, in order for his regular participation of the Lord's Supper, and enjoying church-fellowship with the people of GoD makes it necellary. In this cafe he may either perfonally before the church, or of the Elder, or by a letter of requeft, defire a difiniffion, and then fixing upon the church to whom he is willing to join, the Elder of the church to which he belongs is to write a letter of recommendation, fuch as he thinks the conduct of the member to be difmiffed will bear; which letter is fent to the church he intends to remove to, that they may receive fuch an one in the LORD, to watch over, exhort, or admonifh as they fhall fee occafion, Rom. xvi. 1, 2. I commend unto you Phebe, our fifter, which is a fervant of the church which is at Cenchrea; that ye receive her in the Lord as becometh Saints.

Friendly. What is tranfient communion?

Truth. Tranfient fellowship with the church is, when one defires to enjoy communion with the church in the place where providence has caft him for a time; and this privilege any member has a right to enjoy, upon having a teftimonial letter from the Elders of that church which he hath joined, directed to the church he intends to hold communion with; which letters commonly contain a fatisfaction that fuch an one walks worthy of his profeffion, and is in full communion. They are alfo figned by the members, or at least by the Pastor and Elders; but there is no occafion for this when the church and members are fo near as to be well known.

Friendly. But may not a member remove his communion, without asking leave, and join to another church?

Truth. Such a procedure is neither orderly nor honourable; a perfon thus acting ought not to be received by another church, as he may with juftice be faid, to run away from the church to which he stood related. In families or civil focieties, fuch behaviour would be highly cenfured, how much more fhould it be discountenanced in the facred fociety of God's houfe? The confequences of fuch a diforderly withdrawment is very bad, as it deftroys the relation that fubfifts between Paftor and people; for, if one take leave to withdraw, why may not all? And if this liberty be allowed to the flock, why not to the Paftor? Such proceedings. would breed great confufion in the churches, in which every thing ought to be done decently and

in order, Phil. i. 27. Only let your converfation be as becometh the gospel of Chrift, that whether I come and fee, or else be absent, I might hear of your affairs, that ye ftand fast in one fpirit, with one mind, firiving together for the faith of the gospel. To what purpose does the church enter into an agreement and covenant, if it is not binding and engaging to each member? acting otherwife, is defpifing the government of the church, and the rule of Gop's word, Acts ii. 42. And they abided ftedfastly in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship, in breaking of bread and in prayer; therefore for a member to withdraw himself from that to which he ftands related, is ftealing, or at least affuming to himself that power which belongs to the whole church; according to this rule, why may not a perfon as well come into the church, as go out when he pleases? notwithstanding this, the church is not a prifon, neither is it an out-house, but an habitation of God through the fpirit; the beauty of which building is to be preferved, and not fuffered to drop and decay for want of care and due order.

It is very injudicious in any church to receive any one as a member who has fo irregularly withdrawn himself, as fuch practices can tend to nothing less than the confufion and deftruction of particular churches, being like leaks in a fhip, which will certainly fink it, if not fpeedily put a stop to. It likewife tends to anarchy, for by putting an arbitrary power in every member, it breaks the bonds of love, and will certainly cause great heart-burnings and animofities among the churches. Lastly, It is a ftrong argument that the perfon who either does, or intends fo to rend himself from the church, to which he ftands related as a member, has fome guilt upon him, which he is not willing to acknowledge.

Friendly. But fuppofe a member afks his difmiffion, and gives his reafons for fuch requeft, and yet the church denies him one; how must he then proceed?

Truth. The church ought to hear calmly his reasons, to weigh and ponder upon them in the fpirit of love, and if his defires are just and valid, then he ought to have his difmiffion, But if they fee no juft reafon why his request should be granted, then they ought in a tender manner, to ufe all means to convince him, that it is his duty to continue, and abide with them; but if after all lawful perfuafions have been used, he be bent upon going, then it is the duty of the church, for their edification and peace, to grant him his defire, though his reafons may not appear fo fatisfactory as they might wish.

Frindly. Has a church power to fet a member at liberty to join when and where he pleases?

Truth. No; for fuch a proceeding would be making him a member of no church. It is not in the nature of difmiffion, to set a person at liberty from any church, but to recommend fuch an one to the care of a fifter church; acting otherwife would be expofing the perfon to great temptations of continuing careless about church communion, or obferving a regular walk before GOD and man. Such liberties have been attended with great backflidings, and difhonour to the profeffion they have made; nay, there is no rule for fuch a proceeding, and therefore ought not to be defired by any member, nor practifed by any church, I Cor. xiv. 26. Let all things be done to edifying:

Indeed there may be very juft reasons, at fome particular times, why a church may refufe to give a difmiffion, viz. when a member is under cenfure for an offence, or admonition to any duty; at fuch times the admonished member ought not to afk any difmiffion, neither can the church orderly grant

one:

But here let me observe to you, that a church ought not by any means, to deny an orderly member a difmiffion when defired, provided there are just reafons for it, especially when Providence has fixed the abode of fuch requesting member more convenient to join with any other; a denial in fuch a cafe, would be exercifing an arbitrary authority over him, when nothing ought to be done, but with meeknefs and love. Otherwife, it might caufe prejudice in the perfon, tempt him to withdraw diforderly; and this at once would cut off union and communion, which ought always to fubfift among churches. For if the LORD removes a member by his provi dence, thould not the church follow the LORD with fteps of love, in affording liberty to a brother or fifter, to enjoy communion with GOD in his ordinances where he has fettled them? A denial in fuch a cafe as this, would not only he hard and unkind, but really unjust, and not doing to others as we would they fhould do unto us.

Friendly. But fuppofing a member defires a difmiffion to a church in the fame town or city where he is joined as a member, how muft the church act in such a cafe?

Truth. This is a critical cafe, and herein I would advise every church member to be cautious how they act, left they, by their requeft grieve their Paftor, who has fed them with knowledge and understanding in the things of GOD: yet if they find another's ministry is more blessed to them; that it is