And that he who is understandingly a sacramental covenanter with God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, was ever taken for a visible christian. And therefore baptism was called our christening; and the baptized taken for christians, before they knew the controversies of _this_ church, or _that_: and that the competent, explicit understanding of the creed, the Lord's prayer, and decalogue, was ever taken for a competent understanding of the sacramental covenant, and more. And that he that implicitly receiveth the commonly received canonical Scripture, as God's word, (though he understand no more than as followeth,) and that explicitly understandeth the creed, Lord's prayer, and decalogue, and receiveth them, and consenteth to the sacramental covenant, always was accounted, and is still to be accounted, a christian. On these terms, therefore, the peace-makers will resolve to endeavour the union of the churches.
10. Therefore they will pare off, and cast away, (as the greatest enemy to unity,) all those unnecessary controversies, or things doubtful, which christians (yea, or divines) were never agreed in, and which never were the happy and successful means or terms of any extensive concord; and which have long been tried to be the great occasions of all the scruples, and contentions, and divisions, and woeful consequents in the churches. And they will once more say, "IT SEEMETH GOOD TO THE HOLY GHOST, AND TO US, TO LAY UPON YOU NO GREATER BURDEN THAN THESE NECESSARY THINGS," Acts xv. 28. All christians shall, in general, receive the canonical Scripture as God's word; and more particularly, the creed, Lord's prayer, and decalogue, as the summary of necessaries; and shall profess, with competent understanding of it, their consent to the sacramental covenant; and vow and devote themselves therein to God. And this shall be all the title, which they shall be forced to show, for their visible church communion. And though a higher measure of the understanding of the same principles and rules, shall be required in teachers, than in the flock; and accordingly, the ordainers shall try their understandings, together with their utterance and ministerial readiness of parts; yet shall the teachers themselves be (ordinarily) forced to no other subscriptions, professions, or oaths, (besides their civil allegiance,) than to assent and consent to all aforesaid; and to promise ministerial fidelity in their places. All councils, called general or provincial, canons, decretals, articles, formulas, rubrics, &c. shall be reserved to their proper use; but be no more used for insnaring and dividing subscriptions, professions, or oaths; or made the engines to tear the churches.