efta

Care, may come and make known their Neceffities, and receive Help, whether by Counsel or Supply, according to their refpective Needs. This doth not at all contradict the Principle of being led inwardly and blished by the Apoftle. immediately by the Spirit; elfe how came the Apoftle in that Day of the powerful pouring forth of the Spirit of God, to fet apart Men for this Purpose ? Sure, this was not to lead them from their inward Guide; yea, of the contrary it is exprefly faid, Look ye out among you seven Men of boneft Report, full of the Holy Ghoft, and Wisdom, whom we may appoint over this Rufinefs. Sure, they were not to undertake a Business being full of the Holy Ghoft, which might import a Contradiction to their being led by ! it: So we fee, it is both fit and fuitable to the Apoftles Doctrine, to have Meetings about Business. Now if any should be fo whimsical or conceited, as to fcruple their being at fet Places and Times, though these be nothing relative to the effential Parts, but only Circumftances relating to the Conveniency of our Perfons, which we muft have Regard to, fo long as we are cloathed with Flesh and Blood: And fuch Notionifts, as are against this godly Care, work far more in their vain Imaginations, than they reduce to Practice; being like unto fuch, of whom the Apostle James teftified, who content themselves with faying to the naked, be cloathed; and to the hungry, be fed; while they offer not in the leaft to minifter to them those Things which are needful for cloathing and feeding of them. Yet fhall we not fcruple to make it appear, that it is not without very good Ground, that we both appoint Places and Times. And first, as to the Place, I fay as before, it is with our Bodies conveniwe must meet, as well as with our Spirits; and fo ent Places of Neceffity we must convey our Bodies unto one Place, that we may speak and act in thofe Things we meet for: And that must be in fome certain Place, where all muft know where to find it; hav

to meet in.

-And

appointed,

ing herein a Regard to the Conveniencies and Oc, cafions of fuch as meet. Were it fit, that those of the Church of Corinth fhould go do their Business at Antioch, or the Church of Jerusalem at Rome ? Nay furely, God hath not given us our Reasons to no Purpofe; but that we should make Use of them for his Glory, and the Good of our Brethren; yet always in Subjection to his Power and Spirit. And therefore we have Refpect to these Things in the appointing of our Meetings, and do it not without a Regard to the Lord, but in a Senfe of his Fear, And fo the like as to Times, which is no contradicting of the inward Leading of the Spirit. Elfe how came the Apostle to appoint a Time to the Corinthi convenient ans in their Contributions, defiring them, 1 Cor. xvi. fet Times 2. To lay by them in Store upon the first Day of the Week, yea, faith he, not that he gave the fame Order to the Church of Galatia. I know not, how any in Reafon can quarrel about fet Times for outward Bufinefs, it being done in a Subjection to God's Will, as all Things ought to be: Or elfe, how can fuch, as fo do, but quarrel with the Apoftle for this Impofition, at that Rate, upon the Churches of Corinth and Galatia? We appoint no fet Times for the Performance of the Worship of God, fo as to appoint Men to preach and pray at fuch fet Times; though we appoint Times to meet together in the Name of the Lord, that we may feel his Prefence, and he may move in and through whom he pleafeth with out Limitation. Which Practice of meeting toge ther we are greatly encouraged to by the Promise of Continu Chrift, and our own bleffed Experience; and also faid Prac. we are feverely prohibited to lay it afide by the holy Apoftle; and alfo on the other Hand by the fad Experience of fuch, as by Negligence or Prejudice forfake the Affemblies of God's People; upon many of which is already fulfilled, and upon others daily fulfilling the Judgments threatened upon fuch Tranf greffors: Read Heb. x. from Verfe 23, to the End,

Reafons

for the

ance of our

tice.

where

where that Duty is fo feriously exhorted to, and the Contempt of it reckoned a wilful Sin, almoft, if not altogether unpardonable; yea, a treading under Foot the Son of God, and a doing Despite to the Spirit of Grace; which is fulfilled in our Day, and proves the lamentable Fruits of fuch as have fo backflidden among us. And therefore having fo much good and real Ground for what we do herein, together with the Approbation and Encouragement of Chrift and his Apoftles, both by Command and Practice, we can, as that both the Alpha and Omega, the Foundation and Cap-ftone required, faithfully affirm in good Confcience, that God hath led us by his Spirit, both to appoint Places and Times, where we may fee the Faces one of another; and to take Care one for another, provoking one another to Love and good Works. And our Faith and Confidence herein cannot be staggered by a meer Denial in our Oppofers, which no Man of Confcience and Reafon will fay it ought; feeing the Thing itself hath fuch a folid and real Caufe and Foundation, fo good and fuitable a Pattern and Example, and that it is conftantly confirmed to us, both by the Teftimony of God's Spirit in our Hearts, and by the good Fruits and Effects which we daily reap thereby, as a Seal and Confirmation, that God is well pleafed therewith, and approveth us in it.

Having thus far proceeded to fhew, that there ought to be Order and Government among the People of God; and that that, which we plead for is, that there may be certain Meetings fet apart for that End: It is next to be confidered, in what Cafes, and how far it may extend.

The Occa. fion of

thofe Meet.

Bufinefs.

SECTION V.

In what Cafes, and how far, this Government extends. And first, as to Outwards and Temporals.

I

Shall begin with that, which gave the first Rise for this Order among the Apostles; and I do ings about verily believe, might have been among the first Occafions that gave the like among us, and that is, the Care, of the Poor, of Widows, and Orphans. Love and Compaffion are the great, yea, and the chiefeft Marks of Chriftianity: Hereby fhall it be known, faith Chrift, that ye are my Difciples, if ye love one another. And James the Apoftle places Reli1. To take gion herein in the firft Place; Pure Religion, faith Care for he, and undefiled before God and the Father, is, to Widows' vifit the Fatherless and Widows in their Afflictions, and Or- &c. For this then, as one main End, do we meet phans.

the Poor,

together, that Enquiry may be made, if there be any Poor of the Houfhold of Faith, that need, that they may be fupplied; that the Widows may be taken Care of; that the Orphans and Fatherlefs may be bred up and educated. Who will be fo unchriftian, as to reprove this good Order and Government, and to fay it is needlefs? But if any will thus object, May not the Spirit lead every one of you to give to them that need? What needs meeting about it, and fuch Formalities?

I answer, the Spirit of God leads us fo to do; what can they fay to the contrary? Nor is this a Practice any Ways inconfiftent with being inwardly and immediately led by the Spirit; for the Spirit of God doth now, as well as in the Days of Old, lead his People into thofe Things which are orderly, and of a good Report; for he is the God of Order, and

not

not of Confusion: And therefore the holy Apoftles The Example of the judged it no Inconfiftency with their being led by Apefiles. the Spirit to appoint Men full of the Holy Ghoft and of Wisdom, over the Business of the Poor. Now if to be full of the Holy Ghost be a Qualifi, cation needful for this Imployment, furely, the Nature of their Imployment was not to render this fo needful a Qualification useless and ineffectual, as if they were not to be led by it.

Moreover we fee, though they were at that Time all filled with the Spirit, yet there was fomething. wanting before this good Order was established. There was a Murmuring that fome Widows were neglected in the daily Miniftration; and we must not fuppofe, the Apostles went about to remedy this Evil, that was creeping into the Church, without the Counsel of God by his Spirit, or that this Remedy they were led to, was ftepping into Apoftacy; neither can it be fo faid of us, we proceeding upon the like Occafion.

tions for

If then it be thus needful and fuitable to the Gof- Contribupel, to relieve the Neceffities of the Poor, that as the Poor. there was no Beggar to be among Ifrael of Old, so far lefs now: Muft there not be Meetings to appoint Contribution, in order to the performing these Things? Which is no other, but the giving of a general Intimation what the Needs are; that every one, as God moves their Hearts, and hath profpered them, without Impofition, Force or Limitation, may give towards the fe needful Ufes. In which Cafe thefe Murmurers at our good Order in fuch Matters, may well think ftrange at the Apostle: How preffingly, how earneftly doth he reiterate his Defires and Provocations, fo to fpeak, in this refpect, to the Corinthians, 1 Cor. xvi. 2. and the viiith and ixth Chapters of the 2d Epiftle through

out.

Now though he teftifies to them elsewhere, that they are the Temples of the Holy Ghost, and that the

Spirit