Human governments are of God's appointment. 824 A reason of my practice in worship.

L. With whom I dare not hold church communion. 1. With them that profess not faith and holiness, excluding a real saint if he be not visible by profession, and including even the secret hypocrite if he be hid by a credible profession. (a) Because God hath from the beginning made this distinction. He banished Cain. When seed of Seth commixed in worship, he sent Noah to preach against it, and because they would not cease, sent the flood to destroy them; and so in many other instances. (b) Because it is so commanded in the Scriptures, especially in connection with the ancient Church. (e) Because such is the example of the New Testament churches, they being made up of the "called of Christ"-those who have drank into his Spirit-those in whom is Godthe partakers of the joy of the gospel-the inwardly circumcised-the turned from idols-the body of Christ. (d) Because separation from the world is the duty and privilege of the Church. (e) Because union with the world is incongruous, as the ploughing of the ox and the ass together. (f) Because such union is pernicious and destructive, as is shown especially in the history of Israel. (g) Because it provoketh God to severe judgments. The objection considered that there have always been the openly profane in the Church 825-828

.L. With whom I dare to hold church communion. Preliminary observations. There are but two ordinances in the Christian Church - Baptism and the Lord's Supper. Not fundamental nor essential to Christian communion. To ascribe to them an undue importance is to commit idolatry with God's own institutions. Answer. I dare have church communion with men of faith and holiness who give a faithful and credible relation thereof, corroborated by the testimony of others to their consistent lives. This is the rule of church fellowship and the only initiating ordinance, and corresponds with circumcision under the ancient dispensation, being the circumcision of the heart. Question. Should they not be received to church fellowship through water baptism as the initiating ordinance? Answer. Baptism was administered in time past upon conversion, but, unlike circumcision, it is not an initiating ordinance. 1. None are debarred or cut off from the Church for want of it. John, the great baptizer, gathered no Church, The eunuch, Cornelius, the Antioch converts, and Lydia were received into no Church by their baptism, for if they were, they must have joined some particular Church, since no other is visible. Question. Why were they baptized, then? Ans. To strengthen their own faith. Question. By what rule then would you admit to the Church? Ans. By the word of faith-i. e., by faith uttered in the life, through obedience to the royal law. The ten commandments should be made the test of faith. Objection. Yet in all cases water baptism should precede church membership. Ans.

It has done so as a matter of fact, but it need not as a matter of necessity. Moreover, there is no proof that any were refused admission to the Church who were in doubt about baptism. There is, in fact, no proof that all communicants were baptized. Three texts on this point. Pages 828-832

The author now admits, for argument's sake, that baptism is the initiatory ordinance of the Church, according to the common belief, but even on that ground affirms that a believing man may be received without it. 1. Because he has something better than baptism-he has faith; and having this, you have no right to exclude him from the Church because he does not agree with your opinion about baptism. 2. Because they who are "baptized by one Spirit into one body" have "one baptism," and that is all which is essential in the case. 3. Because all such have the doctrine of baptism, though they come short in the practice. 4. Because God holds communion with them. 5. Because failure in such an outward ordinance does not unchristian us. 6. Because edification is of more concern than agreement in externals. Scripture authorities for this view. 7. Because love is worth more than baptism. 8. Attempts to exclude from communion on higher grounds than this are condemned by the Bible. 9. This exclusion is an attempt to exclude from the birth-right to which these non-conforming Christians are born of God. 10. It shows contempt; it implies the existence of some great iniquity in them. The absurdity of hearing them preach, and joining with them in prayer, while yet excluding them from the communion. Objection. Would you then hold communion wito a Roman Catholic? Yes, if he be a visible sain' as before defined. But suppose he retains hi connection with that Church? That is impossible if he desires to join a Christian Church. But suppose he retains some of the errors of that Church? If they are fundamental errors, such as eat out the very life of religion, exclude him as not a visible saint, but if otherwise, receive him. But this is receiving for opinion's sake, which you condemn. No, because it is an opinion which is a test of Christian character, not an opinion in lesser matters............................. 832-839 Practical application of the whole....................... 840 Differences in Judgment about Water Baptism no Bar to Communion. To communicate with Saints, as Saints, proved lawful, in answer to a book written by the Baptists, and published by Mr. T. P. and Mr. W. K., entitled "Some Serious Reflections on that part of Mr. Bunyan's Confession of Faith touching Church Communion with Unbaptized Believers;" wherein their objections and arguments are answered, and the doctrine of Communion still asserted and vindicated. Here is also Mr. Henry Jesse's judgment in the case, fully declaring the doctrine 1 have asserted.

To the Reader....... ...... 841 This is a polemic treatise, written in answer to an opponent, and largely made up of exposures of supposed misconception of the views of the former treatise. It is valuable, not so much for any views additional to those advanced in the "Reasons for my Practice," as for giving an additional exposition of those view............ 842-869 Mr. Henry Jesse's essay is an exegetical discussion of certain passages bearing upon the questionsuch as, "Him that is weak in the faith receive

ye" (Rom. xiv. 1), and the clause, "one baptism." Eph. iv. 5....... Pages 869-875 Peaceable Principles and True, or a Brief Answer to Mr. Danvers' and Mr. Paul's books against my Confession of Faith, and Differences in Judgment about Water Baptism no Bar to Communion; wherein their Scriptureless notions are overthrown and my peaceable principles still maintained.

This is also a controversial treatise, farther explaining and emphasizing the principles enunciated in "Reasons of my Practice in Worship."

The conclusion

877-885 885-887

Questions about the Nature and Perpetuity of the Seventh-Day Sabbath, and proof that the First Day of the Week is the true Christian Sabbath.

In the introduction the author takes the ground that while a sabbath-a day devoted to religious duties and worship-is moral, and so permanently obligatory, the particular day to be observed is a matter of special enactment... 889, 890 Argument. The seventh-day sabbath is not made known by the light of nature, but only a sabbath. 891, 892 It was not enjoined by any positive precept from Adam to Moses... ........ 892-895 The Gentiles were not included with the Jews in the Mosaic command............ 895, 896 It fell with the other Jewish rites, and was not ... 896-900 afterward improved by the apostles.. The first day of the week is the time fixed upon in the New Testament as the day of public worship. 900-916

Mr. Bunyan's Last Sermon, Preached July, 1688, on the text from John i. 13: "Which were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of 917-920 man, but of God...

Divine Emblems, or Temporal Things Spiritualized-
fitted for the use of boys and girls.
To the Reader......

Upon the lark and the fowler..............
Meditations upon an egg.........
Upon the flint in the water..........
Upon the fish in the water......
Upon the swallow..........
Upon the bee.........

Upon overmuch niceness.
Meditations upon a candle.
Upon the sacraments.......

Upon the sun's reflection upon the clouds in
a fair morning.

The sinner and the spider..
Of the mole in the ground..
Of the cuckoo............................

Of the boy and the butterfly.
Of the fly at the candle......
On the rising of the sun.........

1001, 1002 1003

1003, 1004

1004

1004

1004

1001

1004

1005

1005

1005, 1008

1006-1008

1008

1008

1009

1009

Upon the promising fruitfulness of a tree.. 1009, 1010 Upon the thief.........

1009

1010

1011

1011

Upon the horse and his rider.

Upon a penny loaf....

1011, 1012

1012

Of the Trinity and a Christian: how a Young or Shaken Christian should demean himself under the weighty thoughts of the doctrine of the Trinity or Plurality of Persons in the eternal Godhead..................... 921, 922

Of the Law and a Christian....

Instruction for the Ignorant; being a Salve to Cure that great want of Knowledge in both Old and Young: prepared and presented to them in a plain and easy Dialogue, fitted to the capacity of the weakest.

To the Church of Christ in and about Bedford... 925 This is a statement of theological doctrines in the form of a catechism........

926-943

Of Justification by an Imputed Righteousness, or no Way to Heaven but by Jesus Christ.

The boy and watchmaker.

On the cackling of a hen.

Upon a snail...

Upon a skilful player on an instrument... Of man by nature..........

Upon the disobedient child.

Upon a sheet of white paper. Upon the frog.......

2 Men are justified while sinners in themselves. 947-964

On the barren fig tree in God's vineyard............ 1014 1014, 1015 On the going down of the sun....... ......................