13. Where the churches are so great as to need, (as most will do,) and so happy as to obtain, many faithful presbyters or pastors, whether they shall live together in a single college life, or married, and at a distance; and whether one as the chief, or bishop, shall be president, and have a negative voice, or all be equal in a concordant guidance of the flocks; shall be left to the choice and liberty of the several churches, by mutual consent of pastors, and people, and magistrates, to do and vary, as their several states and exigences shall require: and shall neither be called antichristian or odious tyranny on the one side, nor made of necessity to the church's communion or peace on the other, as long as the true pastoral or episcopal office is exercised in every particular church.
14. Neither magistrates nor other bishops shall make the bishop's or pastor's sermons and prayers for him; but leave it as the work of the speaker's office, to word his own sermons and prayers; and to choose a set form or no set form, the same or various, as the case requireth: yet so as to be responsible (as after) for all abuses and mal-administrations, and not suffered to deprave God's worship, by confusion or hurtful errors, or passionate and perverse expressions; but to be assisted and directed to use his office in the most edifying ways, by such kind of helps as his personal weaknesses shall require. And where set forms are used, none shall quarrel with them as unlawful.
15. None of the people shall have the high privileges of church communion and sacraments bestowed on them, against their wills; no more than a man impenitent and unwilling, shall be ministerially absolved from the guilt of sin. For every sacramental administration, whether of baptism, or of the body and blood of Christ, is as full an act of ministerial absolution as any pastor can perform: and what he doth to particular persons upon their penitence after a lapse, that the pastor doth to the whole church at the Lord's supper. And as consent is made by Christ the condition of pardon and covenant benefits, which no non-consenter hath a title to; so therefore professed consent is necessary to the sacramental collation or investiture: and those that are but constrained by the apparent danger of a fine or gaols, are not to be accounted voluntary consenters by the church; when the Lord of the church will account none for consenters, that will not forsake all, and endure fines and gaols, rather than to be deprived of the benefits of mystical and visible church communion. The magistrate therefore will wisely, and moderately, bring all the people to hear that which is necessary to their good; but will not by penalties force the unwilling to receive either absolutions or communion with the church, in its special privileges. But if the baptized refuse church communion afterwards, they lamentably punish themselves; and if it be found meet to declare them excommunicate, it will be a terrible penalty, sufficient to its proper use.