Seven Statements on Religion

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1 That religion & Philosophy are to be preserved distinct. We are not to introduce divine revelations into Philosophy, nor philosophical opinions into religion.

2|3| Men are not to be deprived of communion without violating the conditions upon which they were admitted into communion.

2 That Religion & polity \or the laws of God & the laws of man/ are to be kept distinct. We are not make the commandements of men a part of the laws of God

4 The conditions or articles of communion are \all/ those which in the primitive Church were taught the Chatechumeni in orde in order to baptism & imposition of hand, viz^t [to forsake the Devil & all his works, & \to/ abstein from the lusts of the flesh, the lusts of the eye & the pride] repentance & abstinence from dead works, & a practical beleif in God one God \the father in/ one Lord & the H Iesus Christ & in the Holy Ghost

5 By dead works repentance & abstinence from dead works we are to understand |j| the forsking {sic} the Devil & his works, that is, the worshipping fals Gods & Idols & all the works accompanying such worship, & 2^dly abstin{illeg}|en|ce from the lusts of the flesh the lusts of the eye & the pride of life, that is from evil concupiscence, covetousness ab & ambition.

5 By dead works we are to understand Idolatry, inordinate lusts of the flesh, covetousness & ambition. We are to forsake the Devil & his works that is fals gods & idols &|w|ith the works w^ch accompany such worship \as being contrary to the love of God/: & we are to refrain from the lust of the flesh the lust of the eye & the pride of life.|,| For if a that is from inordinate desires of the flesh, & from covetousness & ambition [ffor if any man love the world the love of God \the father/ is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye & the pride of life is not of the father but is of the world &c.] as being contrary to the love of our neighbour. |And we are|    6 By to beleive aright in one God the father & one Lord Christ & in the Holy Ghost & be baptized in their name & to love our neighbour as our selves, & being admitted into \the/ communion by imposit of some particular Church by the impos governours thereof {illeg} upon these conditions, we are not to be deprived of that communion {illeg} without breach of those conditions.

6 By communion I understand a {p} fellowship in the worship of that Church so as to joyn w^th them in their publick prayers praises thanksgivings & in receivin \celebrating/ the Eucharist, & by excommunication a deprivation of that communion. T

7 This communion men are \to be/ admitted into \or deprived of/ by appro Order of the board of the governours of that Church & the Order uses \is properly to {sic}/ to be declared by the President of the board & the declaration uses to be accompanied by a cemony {sic} \& the Declaration may be accompanied/ w^th some ceremony accompanying y^e declaration, as of imposition of hands by the president in cases of admission or readmission, or of swinging down a torch in cases of excommunication. And this confir cer The Declaration by imposition of 8 hands is a Iewish ceremony. We call it confirmation, meaning a confirmation of what was done by the Godfathers in baptizing the Infant.

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