Baxters Narrative of His Life and Times, Part 2 · Section 7
An Offer of Christian fraternal Communion to the Brethren that are against, or doubtful about, Baptizing Infants of Believers.
IT is our exceeding Joy that we have all one God, one Saviour, one Spirit, one Faith, and one Baptismal Covenant, one Rule of Faith and Life, one End and Hope, and are Members of one Catholick Church, and agree about God's Worship in the most and greatest parts: And it is our Grief, and the Matter of our great Humiliation, that we can come no nearer, and that by the Remnants of our Differences, the Wicked are so hardened, the Weak offended, our Charity hindered, our holy Communion and mutual Edification disturbed, our Minds discomposed, and the Gospel, the Catholick Church, and our Saviour dishonoured. Lamenting this with the rest of our Unhappiness while we are in the Flesh, and absent from the Lord the Centre of Perfect Unity and Concord, and knowing it to be our Duty to walk by the same Rule, and mind the same things so far as we have attained, and being taught of God to love one another, and observing how frequently and urgently Brotherly Love, and Forbearance, and the Unity and Concord of Christians, is prest in the holy Scriptures, and Uncharitableness and Divisions condemned, that as far as may be, we may promote our Common Ends of Christianity, and with one Mind and Mouth may glorifie God, We whose Names are under-written do make this following Offer of Communion.
1. To all those that joyn with us in the foregoing Profession of the Christian Faith, and have been Baptized since their Infant-Baptism, as thinking it unlawful or insufficient, we offer free Communion in our particular Churches, with leave to Enter your dissent from our Infant-Baptism into the Church-Register or Records, so be it you will thence-forth walk in that Love and Holiness, and that Obedience to the faithful Overseers of the Flock, and that Concord and Brotherly Communion with the Church, as is required in the holy Scriptures (according to your power), and will resist Uncharitableness, Discord and Divisions, and joyn with us in our Common Work for the Common Ends.
2. To all those that joyn with us in the foregoing Profession of Faith, though they have been baptized since their Infant-Baptism, or think that Baptism unlawful, and dare not hold Local Communion with us in our particular Churches, we yet offer, that we may at that distance that our Infirmities have set us, maintain unfeigned Brotherly Love, and acknowledge our several Churches for Christian Congregations, and hold a Correspondency by Delegates or other convenient Means, for the strengthening of each other; and observe the Rules exprest in the following Offer.
3. To all those that joyn with us in the foregoing Profession of Christianity, and yet, through their dissent from our Baptizing the Infants of Believers, dare not hold Local Communion with us, nor yet acknowledge our Churches to be true Instituted Particular Churches, we yet offer, 1. That we may acknowledge each other for Members of Christ, (supposing the foresaid Profession of Christianity to be solemnly and credibly made) and Members of the Church Universal. 2. And that we may converse in the World together in a faithful Observance of these following Rules.
1. That we addict our selves heartily to the promoting and exercising of Brotherly Love towards one another, and take heed of all things contrary thereto in Word and Deed.
2. That we addict our selves to preserve the Unity of the Church Catholick, and Concord of true Christians, and the Common Interest of the Godly, and to farther the Cause of Christ in the World, and take heed of so managing our different Opinions as may be a hinderance to these.
3. That we study and addict our selves to promote the Conversion of ignorant ungodly People, and the building up of the Weak, and that we take great heed, lest in the managing of our different Opinions, or opposing one another, we should hinder these Works, hardening the Wicked, and offending the Weak.
4. That we always in our esteem and industry prefer the greater common Truths that we are all agreed in, before the lesser Points that we differ in: And that we take heed of so managing our Differences, publickly or privately, as may tend to hinder the Reception or Success of those greater common Truths in which we are agreed.
5. That we publish our Agreements, and profess our Christian Love, and Resolutions for Peace in our several Congregations, and profess there our joynt disowning and detestation of all Errours, Heresies, and Ungodliness, contrary to the Profession wherein we are agreed.
6. That we will not preach publickly for our differing Opinions in each others Congregations without the Pastor's consent, nor privately to speak for them, as is like to tend to the hinderance of God's greater Work in that Place, nor hold any private Assemblies in one anothers Parishes, which shall be more to the distracting of each others Societies, than for common Christian Edification.
7. That in our Preaching and Conference, we will allow the greater and common Truths such a proportion of our Time and Zeal and Speech, as the Nature, Necessity, and Number doth require, and not lay out inordinately such an undue proportion of Zeal and Time and Speech for our different Opinions, as shall be injurious to those Truths.
8. That we will avoid in Publick and Private all unbrotherly, scornful, reproachful Speeches of each other; especially before ungodly People: And that we will not to them dishonour one anothers Ministry, so as may hinder their profiting by it, but will rebuke all such ungodly Persons that we hear reproaching the Ministers or Brethren of either part.
9. That we will not receive into any of our Churches, any Scandalous Persons that fly from the Discipline of other Churches, and pretend a Change of Opinion to cloak their Scandals, but will impartially hear what Accusations shall be sent in against them, and proceed accordingly.
10. That we will upon any Defamations, or Accusations, or Rumours of Injury against one another, or of violating our Profession by contrary Doctrine, or breaking this Agreement, be responsible to each other as Brethren, and will forbear divulging private or uncertain Faults, or censuring or reproaching one another, till we have either conferred together to give and receive Satisfaction, and duly admonished each other, or tendered such Conferences and Admonitions seasonably, till we see they are wilfully rejected.
OFFERERS, Richard Baxter Pastor of the Church at Kiderminster. &c. &c. &c.