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    unable to make their psonall relacion in publike, it is

    sufficient, that the Elders having recd private Satisfaction

    make relacion thereof in publike before the church, they

    testifying their assents thereunto, this being the way that

    herein tendeth most to Edificacion. But where psons are

    of better abilityes, there it is most expedient that

    they make their relacions & confessions psonally, wth their

    owne mouth, as david professeth of himselfe Psal.66.16.

    5

      A psonall & publike confession of and declaring of

    Gods maner of working upon the soule, is both lawfull,

    expedient, & usefull in sundry respects, & upon sundry

    grounds. Those 3000 Act.2. before they were admitted

    by the Apostles, did manifest(a) that they were pricked

    in their hearts, at Peters sermon, togeathr wth their

    earnest desyre to be delivered from their sinnes, wch

    now wounded their consciences, & their ready receiving

    of the word of promise, & Exhortacion. Wee are to be

    ready to render a reason of the hope that is in us, to

    every one that asketh(b); therefore we must be able

    & ready upon any just occasion to declare & shew or

    Repentance for sinne, Faith unfayned, & effectuall

    calling, because these are the reason of a well=

    grounded hope(c). The psalmist had not hidden Gods

    righteousnesse from ye great Congregacion(d).  (a)Act.2.37,41.

    (b) 1 Pet.3.15.  (c) Heb.11.1. Eph.1.18.  (d) psal.40.10.

    6

      This pfession of faith & Repentance, as it must be

    made by such at their Admission, as were never in

    church society before, so nothing hindreth but the same may

    be also pfourmed by such as have bene formerly members

    of some other church, and the church to wch they were

    joynd themselves as members may lawfully require the

    same. Those 3000 wch made their confession Act.2. were

    members of ye church of the Jewes before: So were

    they that were baptized by John, math.3.5,6. Churches may

    err in their Admissions; and psons regularly admitted

    may fall into offence afterward(a). Othrwise, if churches