38

6

A 6^th way of church communion is, in case of need to minister

reliefe and succour, one unto another, either of able members

to furnish them w^th officers, or of outward support to the

necessityes of poorer churches, as did the churches of the

gentiles contribute liberally to the poore Saints at Jerusalem.

When a company of beleevers purpose to gather into church=

fellowship, it is requisite for their safer proceeding, and the

maintayning of the communion of churches, that they signifye

their intent to the neighbo^r churches, walking according

to the order of the Gospell, and desyre their presence and

help, and right hand of fellowshippe, w^ch they ought readily to

give unto them, when there is no just cause of excepting

ag^t their pceedings.

Besides these severall ways of communicacion there is also

a way of propagacion of churches. When a church shall

grow too numerous, so as all the congregacion can not heare

the voice of their ministers, ‘tis a way and fit season to pro=

pagate one church out of another, by sending for the such of

their members as are willing to remoove, and to excuse

some such officers to them, as may enter w^th them into church=

state amongst themselves. As Bees when the hyve is too

full issue forth by swarmes, and are gathered into other hyves,

so the churches of ch^t may do the same upon the like necessity,

and therein hold forth to them the right hand of fellowshippe,

both in their gathering into a church, and in the ordinacion

of their officers.

¶ Chapt. 16. of Synods.

Synods orderly assembled & rightly pceeding according to

the patterne Act.15. We acknowledge as the ordinance of

ch^t; and though not absolutely necessary to the being, yet

many tymes though the iniquity of men & perversenesse of

tymes necessary to the welbeing of churches, for the establishm^t