背景出自艾萨克牛顿的"7 statements on religion"
1 That religion & Philosophy are to be preserved distinct. We are not to introduce divine revelations into Philosophy, nor philosophical opinions into religion.
2 Men are not to be deprived of communion without violating the conditions upon which they were admitted into communion.
2 That Religion & polity 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 those which in the primitive Church were taught the Chatechumeni in orde in order to baptism & imposition of hand, vizt repentance & abstinence from dead works, & a practical beleif in God one God one Lord & the H Iesus Christ & in the Holy Ghost.
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 with the works wch accompany such worship: & 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 as being contrary to the love of our neighbour. 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 communion by imposit of some particular Church by the impos governours thereof upon these conditions, we are not to be deprived of that communion without breach of those conditions.
6 By communion I understand a fellowship in the worship of that Church so as to joyn wth them in their publick prayers praises thanksgivings & in receivin the Eucharist, & by excommunication a deprivation of that communion.
7 This communion men are admitted into by appro Order of the board of the governours of that Church & the Order uses to be declared by the President of the board & the declaration uses to be accompanied by a cemony wth some ceremony accompanying ye 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.
