Refutation of the Errors Toleration Erastianism Independency and Separation, Part · Section 5

Refutation of the Errors Toleration Erastianism Independency and Separation · Part · Section 5

p. 191SECT: V. A SHORT REFUTATION OF THE ERROR OF Separation.

Head I. Shewing what is required for making one a Member of the Visible Church.

WE have gone through these Controversies, which are about the Government of the Church: We are now to refute some dangerous Errors of Doctrine. And first, We shall begin with the Error of Separation.

p. 192The Errors of Separatists are many, but we shall only engage with two Heads of them, which are the main. The first is That which they teach concerning the Constitution of the Visible Church; Or who it is that should be received Members of Christs visible Body. The second is That which they hold to be the duty of every sincere Christian, viz. That when they spy any corruption in a Church wherein they are Members, as if Persons Scandalous be admitted to the Lords Supper (seeing they ought all to be Gracious who come there) Then (say they) It is their duty to keep back from the Communion; and not only so, but to quite That Church, and set up a new Church of Their own. We shall begin first with that Doctrine that concerns the Constitution of Visible Churches. And therein we shall follow our usual Order: First, Clear the Question. Secondly, Bring Arguments for the Truth. Thirdly, Answer those they bring against the Truth. And Fourthly, Apply the whole to some Use.

I. First, For clearing of the Question, ye would know what Church it is concerning which the Controversy is. First, It is not that place where Gods people meet to go about Gods publick Worship, (such as this House we now are in, which is called the Church by a Figure, improperly) But it is the People gathered together in it; which People are really and properly the Church; although the House be so called, because it contains them, by an usual Figure. The Church that we are to dispute of, is made up of Men and Women: And not p. 193that which is built of Timber and Stone. Secondly, The Controversy betwixt Us and Them is not concerning the Invisible Church, that is called the Church of the First-born, Those who by vertue of their Effectual Calling are united to Jesus Christ the Head, are living Members of His Mystical Body, and draw Spiritual Influence from him. Concerning the Church taken in this Sense, There is no Controversy betwixt Us and the Separatists, but that the Members of this Church are only made up of Believers, are all gracious, because this Church is Christs Mystical Body, a Royal Priest-hood, the Lambs Wife, all fair, undefiled▪ &c. Thirdly, The Question Then is concerning the Church Visible, which is, a Company of Men and Women, who have according to the Tenor of Gods Covenant with the Visible Church an Outward Ecclesiastical (which is in its kind a real) Right to enjoy the Outward Priviledges of the Children of God.

This being the Church about which the Controversy betwixt Us and the Separatists is, We shall speak a litle to clear what is meaned by it; And First, The Church is called Visible, not because the Members of it may be seen: For in that respect the Church Invisible, the Church of Believers, may be called Visible; For the Members of it being believing Men and Women, may be seen also: But the difference betwixt the Churches in those two Senses, is taken from that which makes one to be a Member of the one Church, as it differs from that which makes one a Member of the other. That which makes One man a p. 194Member of the Invisible Church, is True Grace, sincere Faith, inward Marks thereof: Now Grace is a thing that cannot be seen by another certainly: Its true there are outward effects of it; but they are such, that a Hypocrite may have the counterfeit of them, so as the one cannot be discerned from the other by a Beholder. The nature of Grace is only known Infallibly and certainly to God; And therefore This Church is called Invisible. Again that which makes a Man or Woman a Member of the Visible Church is something that may be seen▪ something that may be judged of, by those who have Power to receive Members into the Church, and cast them out from it. Secondly, We said that this Visible Church is a Company or Society of Men and Women, that have an Ecclesiastical Right to enjoy the Outward Priviledges of the Sons of God. For understanding what is meaned by enjoying of Outward Priviledges, we shall show you That there are Outward Priviledges, and Inward Priviledges of those who are the Sons of God. Inward Priviledges are Jesus Christ himself; a Right to him, a saving Right to the Covenant of Grace, and Life Eternal; These are the Inward Priviledges of the Sons of God: And only Believers have right to those: Painted Hypocrites have no right to them. But Secondly, There are Outward Priviledges of the Sons of God; such as these, To be ordinary Hearers of the Word Preached: To be taken a care of by Jesus Christ his Servants: To have liberty to come to the Sacraments: These are Outward Priviledges, p. 195And these are Priviledges that a Member of the Visible Church hath a right to. We said they had an Ecclesiastical Right or a Church Right to them: That is, such a Right as gives Warrand to the Church for receiving them to enjoy these Priviledges, and yet possibly they have not a Right to them before God: As for Example, when there is a painted Hypocrite in a Congregation, who makes Conscience seemingly to use the Means: That man hath an Ecclesiastical Right to come to a Communion; such a Right as may Warrand the Minister for admitting of him, although he have not a Right to come before God; God will challenge the Hypocrite for coming, and not the Minister for suffering him to come. Yet we are still to consider that tho' this Ecclesiestical Right be not Saving, yet it is Real in its kind, being founded upon Gods Covenant with the Visible Church, and his Ordinance of admitting such therein. Now ye may know somewhat by this, what we mean by an Ecclesiastical Right, it's That which gives warrand to Church Officers to admit a man to enjoy these Outward Priviledges: And so ye may know what we mean by the Visible Church whereof we Dispute.

There are several differences betwixt Us and the Separatists, Concerning the Visible Church. First, They affirm That there is no Visible Church on Earth; But a single Congregation; As many as may meet in one place. This we refuted in the former Controversie; by shewing That in the Church of Jerusalem there were far moe than could meet in p. 196one single Congregation; yea many particular Congregations; And yet are called but One Church. Secondly, They differ much from us, as also from the Truth, concerning the power They give to this Visible Church, They give them the full power of Church Government, and that Independently from any Chuch power on earth: This difference also we spoke of in the preceeding Debate; And so we shall stand now no longer upon it. Thirdly, We differ concerning That which gives a Being to the Church Visible; They say, To make a Society of People a Visible Church, so as to have right to partake of the Priviledges there of, It is requisite that all the Members of that Society Swear a Covenant one to another, wherein they bind themselves to submit one to another in the Lord, to walk in all the Ordinances of God, and not to leave that Society till liberty be given them by the rest: So that tho a man should be never so truely Godly and Gracious, yet if he take not such a Covenant, and if he Swear not such an Oath, He is without the Visible Church, He is in the state of a …agan, to live and to die without any Church Ordinance.

The Judgement of our Church, and that of Truth herein is this, That wherever a man comes out of one Particular Congregation (which we call a Paroch) to another, By his so doing he comes under a duty and Obligation, which he is bound to before God, and the Congregation also, to discharge himself in; Namely all the Duties pertaining to a Member of that Particular Congregation or Paroch to which p. 197he comes, Although he Swear not such an Oath. We say, Secondly, he may also Swear to do these Duties. But Thirdly, To bind this on all the Consciences of the Members of the Church, to take such an Oath, so as if they take it not They are not Church Members; We say, It is Will Worship not commanded by God, either by Practice or Precept, in Old or New Testament. We might easily prove that Jesus Christ never took This way to gather a Visible Church.

But the main difference is the Fourth, and that is Concerning those who are to be kept or received Members of the Church Visible; Or who they are that have right to these Outward Priviledges we spoke of: That which they hold in this Point is, That they would have all Visible Churches disolved, and then Churches gathered out of these, wherein none are to be received or admitted to partake of Church Priviledges, so as to be under the care of Ministers, Admitted to the Sacraments &c. but those who have evident positive signes of Grace, and these not only evident to the Minister and a few moe, but to all the Members of the Congregation, so that every one in the Congregation must be convinced, so far as men can attain unto, that he hath Grace, or else he is no Member of the Visible Church; by which Rule they model Congregations; But there was never a Congregation since Christ was on the earth so constitute, except Their Own; For according to this Rule they will cast out the Two Part, and of some Congregations, leave Ten Parts and take p. 198but the Eleventh, leaving all the rest as Pagans, without Baptising their Children, or admitting themselves to any Church Priviledge: This is what They hold. As for the Judgment of our Church, and that which is according to the Word, take those Assertions.

First, We hold that every man indeed that is a Member of the Visible Church ought to have Grace; so that he sins against God and his own Soul if he have it not; And all the priviledges he enjoyes will do him no good without it. We say in this respect, all the Members of the Church ought to have Grace; But to say, That they so ought to have Grace, that none of them must be admitted to be a Member of the Church Visible without it, This we deny: It is ill reasoning from unanswerableness to an obligation to a forfaulture of Priviledges: For every man that is a Magistrate ought to have Grace; so as he sins against God if he have it not; yet a man may be a lawful Magistrate, and have the Priviledges of a Magistrate, although he have not Grace. Secondly, We do willingly grant that in the Constitution of our Church, and admitting of People to the Lords Table: Our Practice comes far short of the Rule; There is not that care taken to purge out scandalous persons as should be, Our practice is indeed short of the Rule; But Our Rule which we shall hold out (as we shall prove) is Good. To know then what is the Rule according to which we should admit men to be Members of the Church. First, There are some who are admitted to some Priviledges only, and not to all; as to Baptism: And p. 199these are Members of the Church Incompleatly, They are Members, but not so fully; And those are, Infants that are born within the Church Visible; They are Members, although not to be admitted to the Lords Supper. Now betwixt Us and the Separatists herein, to wit, whether Infants should be Baptized, there is no difference. Secondly, There are some who are admitted to all Priviledges of the Visible Church; And those are Members Compleatly and fully: And concerning those the dispute is: Who are those that ought to be admitted to all the common Priviledges of the Visible Church? They mantain (as we heard) that none should be admitted but those that can give evident Signs of Grace to the satisfaction of the Consciences of all within the Church. We hold First, that if it be known that Men be Baptized. And Secondly, If they be free of Scandal. And Thirdly, If they submit themselves to the Doctrine of the Gospel, and have some competent knowledge of the Grounds of the Christian Religion, If these things I say be in a man, We hold that he is to be received, although he cannot give evident signes of the reality of the Grace of God in him to All. And this is the Controversie.

II. Now we come to prove that which we hold by Arguments. The first is John the Baptist did not follow this Rule of Theirs in receiving Members to the Church, and therefore it is not the right Rule: That John the Baptist did not follow this Rule will appear, if we consider Luke 3. Wherein consider, Who it was whom John Baptized v, 21. Now when p. 200all the People were Baptized, &c. It was all the People. Consider Secondly, What he requires of this People before he Baptize them, We shall find in the preceeding words that he seeks no more than that they would be convinced that they were wrong before. And Secondly, Profess an earnest desire to amend. So we find in v, 10. And the People asked him, saying, what shall we do? And the publicans in the 12. v, do the same, who yet were but Course Men. And in the 14 v, The souldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, what shall we do? Now these Questions import this much, That they were convinced they were wrong, and professed at least a desire to become better; And accordingly John instructs them, thus and thus ye shall do; And without more ado in v, 21. He Baptizes them. Now it is not possible that John could have got positive signes from every one of them to convince him that they had real Grace; Far less That every one of the multitude could have been perswaded in Conscience of the reality of Grace in each other; And therefore the Rule of admiting men to be Members of the Visible Church cannot be this, That every one to be admitted should have evident signes of Grace, satisfactory to the Consciences of all: John sought not this of those whom he received, It's true he fals very sharply on the Scribes Matth. 3, v, 7—O generations of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come. But it is as true, when he hath rebuked them, as ill as they were before, seing now they professed a desire to amend, he Baptizes them in v, 11. I indeed p. 201Baptise you with water &c The same (You) whom he spoke to in v. 7. As is clear from the Connexion of every Verse. If it be Objected that they were not received to be Members of the Church, although they were Baptized. We shall once for all clear that Baptism sealeth up a mans right of Membership in the Church Visible. We find this from the Apostles Practice Act: 2. 41. Where the Way is how they received men to be Church Members, it is said They were Baptized &c. And those who were Baptized are said to be added to them and added to the Church v, last, So in Act. 8, 38. The Eunuch was received by Baptism to be a Member of the Visible Church. So Saul Act: 9. 18. And Lydia Act. 16, 15. Secondly, Circumcision was a seal of the Jews right of Membership in the Visible Church under the Old Testament, And therefore Baptism is a seal of our right to be Members of the Visible Church under the New; For Baptism in the New Testament is come in the same place with Circumcision in the Old Testament. This is for our first Argument.

The second Argument is taken from the practice of the Apostles, And it is this, The Apostles went not by that method of our Opposits in admitting Members of the Visible Church, This was not the Rule They followed: Therefore it is not the right one. We clear this was not the Rule which they followed from Act. 2. 41. Where in one day there are three thousand added to the Church. Now surely none can imagine that it was possible that every one of these p. 202Three thousand could be perswaded in conscience of the regeneration of one another. It is true Peter binds on them to Repent; But it is as true that on their desire to be admitted to be Members of the Visible Church, and some evidence of their conviction, he receives them; Although there were many of them did not even this much in sincerity. For Anamas and Saphira were but Hypocrits; So no more is required of Simon Magus Act. 8. 13. And so of Demas, who afterwards forsook Paul. Yea if we look to the Rule which Christ walked by, He sought no more but a profession to follow him, and He sought no more of Judas, to make him not only a Member of His Society, but an Apostle and Minister; Christ knew him well enough to be a Hypocrite: And yet upon his professed desire to follow him, admits him to his Company, yea makes him a Minister: So that this Rule which Separatists so much cry up, was neither followed by Jesus Christ nor his Apostles.

The Third Argument we bring is this, There was never a Church before or since Christs dayes whose Members, All of them, could give evident signes of Grace to each other; And therefore it cannot be a Rule of Gods appointing, That the Church Visible must be made up of only such. We prove the Antecedent; Sure the Church of Israel in Moses time was not such, every Member was not such a Visible Saint, so as he was known to be Gracious; For sayeth Moses Deut. 29. 4. Yet the Lord hath not given you an heart to perceive, &c. and oftimes they are p. 203upbraided as stiff-necked. Secondly, We must suppose the purest Churches comming nearest the Rule, to have been in the Apostles dayes, and yet the Members of those Churches were not of this kind. So the Church of Corinth was a Church that the Apostles themselves planted and Preached to, and yet we shall find many in this Church who were so far from giving evident signes of Grace one to another, That there were many there Scismaticks 1 Cor: 6. Many there Fornicators that Paul writes against: There were many there Drunkards, yea and drunk about the time of the Lords Supper. And those he reproves 1 Cor: 11. Yea there were some there who denyed some of the fundamental Points of the Christian Religion as the Resurrection: As appears from Chap: 15. So this Church of Corinth, was not such. Secondly, The seven Churches of Asia spoken of Revel: 2. 3. were Churches that had the Candlestick among them, Churches that were in Christs hand, that he took a care of, and yet they were not such, as every Member of those Churches had real signes of Grace, otherwise the Spirit of God would not have said so often, If any man have ears to hear &c. If he had not supposed that there had been in them blind, obdurate, carnal hearers. Thirdly, The same may be said of the Churches of Rome, Galatia, Thessalonica, and of all the Churches that ever we hear or read of since Christs days, never one of them was such: And therefore we may safely conclude that this Rule of Theirs cannot be Right, seing neither Christ nor his Apostles nor the Church in any Age did follow it.

p. 204We bring a Fourth Argument and it is this: That cannot be a right Rule of gathering Churches, that would hold out a number of Gracious Souls from being Members: But, this Rule of Theirs would do so: Therefore, it cannot be the right Rule. For the first part of our Argument none will doubt of it. And Secondly, That this Rule of Theirs would hold out many truly Gracious, we prove it: For first there are many that have Grace, that for want of parts they cannot express the thing they have, they are so far from giving evidences of Grace to others, that they cannot satisfy themselves; Some so Proud, some so Passionate, so Worldly, so Talkative, so Imprudent, that it will be hard for any to satisfy themselves that there is Grace in them. Thirdly, The way of some is so hid, or rather Gods way in them so hid, that for any thing People can see in them, they are nothing different from Natural Civilians, and yet many of such will make clear and satisfying discoverys of Gods Grace in them at their death: The work of Grace then appearing that was long under ground. And now according to this Rule of Theirs, these are all to be holden out of the Visible Church, and put in the place of Pagans; And so That cannot be Christs Rule.

Our fifth Argument to prove the point is this, That cannot be a Rule of admitting Members to the Church Visible, which puts the Church in perpetual danger of Renting: But, this Rule of Theirs puts the Church in a perpetual danger of being Rent: Therefore, it cannot be the right Rule. p. 225We shall clear that this Rule of Theirs puts the Church in a perpetual hazard of being Rent: For there are some more easy to be satisfied of the signes of Grace than others, so That which will be a lawful Church to one, will not be so to others. Secondly, There are some that in progress of time will grow more strick in searching: Hence that which was a true Church to him the last year, will be no Church to him this: And so this Rule of Theirs keeps the Church in a continual hazard of being Rent, of Separating after Separating, while they cast off all. This hath made the most part of all Their Churches rent, and one part to Excommunicate another. Yea hence many of that Way cast off all Churches at last, and turn Seekers; Cast off all Serving God with others, all use of publick means, only serving God apart and by themselves alone; Because they cannot be sure enough that any others have Grace but only themselves.

There is a Sixth Argument taken from the similitudes and comparisons under which the Church Visible is holden forth in Scripture; which similitudes do shew there is not That strictness required in admitting Members to the Visible Church as the Separatists judge; It's compared to a Draught net cast into the Sea, that gathereth fishes good and bad Matth: 13. Secondly, To a Field wherein is Wheat and Tares, ibid. Thirdly, It is compared Matth: 22. to a Table of Guests, where there are some with, and some without a Wedding Garment. Fourthly, It is compared to a House wherein are Vessels of p. 206Honour and Dishonour; and to a Fold of Sheep, and Goats; And in every Church there are many Called but few Chosen: Now how shall Tares, chaff, Goats, &c. give convincing signes of that which they have not: Certainly these Similitudes seem to speak, That there needs not so much Waling or Picking out, in admitting Members to the Visible Church, providing they be free of Scandals; Once take them in, and and then let the Word work on them; This great Waleing and Separation will be when the Net comes to the shoar, when the great Harvest comes, when the Sheep and Goats are severed. This much for Arguments for the Truth.

III. We shall in the next answer Their Objections, whereby they labor to prove, that the Church Visible should only be made up of such Church members as can give satisfactory Signs of Grace to each other.

Obj. 1. Their first Objection (which is the most specious) is taken from these Glorious s…ies given to the Church in Scripture. They are called Saints; a chaste …rgine spoused to Christ; Sons and Daughters of the Lord Almighty; and Christs mystical Body, whose Members are all Gracious: Now, say they, seing the Church hath these Stiles in Scripture, Should any be joyned to the Church, but such, who to the uttermost of our discerning have Grace? For answer, If this Argument conclude any thing, it will conclude that none should be Members of the Visible Church, but those who have Real Grace; for none is a partaker of Christs… Mystical Body, the Lambs Wife &c. But such only p. 207Now this, our Opposites themselves will not affirm, They grant there may be painted Hypocrites in the Church, and the Scripture saith the same; for Ananias and Saphira, Judas, and Simon Magus, were such; and so these places of Scripture, if they prove any thing, will prove more than They will grant. But to answer directly, ye would know that in the Church Visible there is a Company of Good and Bad, sincere Christians, and painted Hypocrites: Now the Scripture speaks of them sometimes according to the Better Part, and sometimes according to the Worse Part; where it speaks of them according to the Better Part, it speaks so of them as if there were not One Evil Man among them all, hence are these Stiles, The Lambs Wise, Sons and Daughters of the Almighty, Called to be Saints, &c. They are so according to the Better Part. Again when it speaks of the Visible Church according to the Worse Part, it gives such names as if there were not One Good Man among them all; it calls them Stif-necked, a Rebelious house, Children that are Corrupters; Now, As it were ill Argued, to conclude from these places where such stiles are given to the Church, that every one within the Church were Corrupters, Stif-necked, &c. and not one seeking God: For there he gives them those Stiles from the Evil Part among them: So it is also ill argued from these places where the Scripture calls them the Lambs Wife, Sons and Daughters of the Almighty, &c. That they were All of them so; And we shall clear it more fully from the Church of Corinth, 2 Cor, 6, 18. They get many Glorious stiles, They are called p. 208The Sons and Daughters of the Almighty, they are called A chast Virgin, &c. 2 Cor, 11, 2. Now there were many Schismaticks among them, some denying the Resurrection, some Vilifying Pauls Doctrine, Many who were Contentious, Drunkards, Fornicators; so that these Stiles cannot be Verified of the Members of the whole Church, but only of the Better Part that was among them: even as men speaking of an Heap of Chaff and Corn, will call it An Heap of Corn; Not that there is nothing but Corn in it, but because the Corn is the Best Part: And so the Church Visible (wherein is a mixed Company) is denominated from the Better Part sometimes in Scripture, and called Sons and Daughters of the Lord Almighty; and sometimes from the Worse Part, and called Stiff-necked, &c.

Obj. II Their second Objection is taken from Act, 2. 47. Where it is said—And the Lord added unto the Church daily such as should be saved. Say they, God added no other to the Church but such as would be saved, therefore we should adde no others. For Answer, If any thing follow from this, it would follow that none should be added to the Church but these who are Believers really, for no other will be saved: But this is against themselves: And therefore our second Answer is this, That the meaning of the words must be, That He had a chief care of adding those to the Church who were to be Saved: But it is not said that He added no other; for the same Chapter sayes, He added moe; v, 41, whole three Thousand were added, and yet all those were not to p. 209be saved; For there were Ananias and Saphira, and doubtless many other Hypocrites among them.

Obj. III. The third Objection is taken from Matth, 22. 12. In the Parable concerning the Kings Banquet, where he bids his Servants go and invite to the Marriage, and finding One wanting the Wedding Garment (says he)—Friend, how camest thou in hither, not having a Wedding Garment? Now (say They) this is a reproof to those who admitted him to this Priviledge. We Answer, This is quite contrair to the scope of the Parable, if we look to the command v, 9, Goe ye therefore into the high-ways, &c. They are commanded to invite all, and to hold out none for want of the Wedding-Garment; For that being Inward is only discernable by God. Indeed this Parable will shew this much, That Ministers may admit People to Communions, and yet Christ will come with an after search, and find many there whom he will cast, that Ministers have admitted: Ye ought not to think that every man that comes through a Ministers Tryal is in a good state; The place says, That Christ found One wanting the Wedding Garment; But it sayes not That Ministers should let none come but those that had the Wedding Garment; And to shew that this is the scope of the Parable, see v, 14. There it is said, For many are called, but few are chosen.

Ob. IV: Their fourth Objection is taken from Rev. 2. 4, 5. The Lord speaking there to the Church of Ephesus, sayeth, Nevertheless, I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love Remember p. 210therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and and do the first works, or else I will come vntounto thee quickly, and will remove thy Candelstick out of his place, &c. From whence They argue thus: None are to be admitted to the Church who will ruin the Church But, all those who cannot convincingly prove their Regeneration, will ruin the Church: Therefore they ought not to be admitted. We Answer, That the last part of their Argument is false: For there are many Gracious Persons keeping their first love, who yet can neither satisfy themselves nor others in the Truth of their Regeneration, and that will not ruin the Church. Secondly, We Answer, To the first part of their Argument, where they say that every one who hath not real Grace will ruin the Church: It is not universally true, for then there should be no Hypocrites in the Church at all, neither known nor unknown, for Hypocrites can do no other thing but that which is tending to the ruin of the Church; Now themselves will not say That all Hypocrites are debarred; For they admit some such; and Scripture saith the contrair in the admission of Annanias and Saphira: And so some must be admitted, who, If God look not more to his own mercy than to their me…t, and more to the respect he hath to others than to them, can do nothing but ruin the Church.

Obj. V. Their last Objection is taken from 2 Tim: 3. 5. Having a forme of Go…liness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. Therefore none are to be admitted but those who can give satisfactory p. 211signes of their Regeneration. For Answer: It is a gross mistake; For if we look to the place, Those who have only a forme of Godliness, he tells what they are, High-minded &c. v, 4. And in the 6 v, Subtile Hereticks who lead away the simple. Now we say none such ought to be admitted, for those are Scandalous: But what they say doth not follow; For many cannot give satisfactory Signes of their Regeneration, who yet are not Gross Livers, nor Scandalous, nor seduceing Hereticks; And so not of the number of those from whom Paul bids Turn away. And thus we have Answered the strongest of their Objections.

IV. Use. I. This Doctrine being thus cleared, ye ought not to look on what our Opposites hold in this Point as a matter of small moment, neither ought ye to suffer your selves to be deceived with the pretence of strictness with which they cover it. It is a Doctrine that hath fearful Consequences: For by this, the third part of the best Churches that ever were, shall be put in no better case than Pagans themselves, to live without all ordinances, their Children without Baptism: And this will hold off many who have true Grace; for how many are there (even of those) who cannot give convincing signs of Grace, either to themselves or others. By this Rule mens Consciences shall still be held in an Uncertainty, whether they may stay members of such a Church or not; because they can hardly be satisfied, whether all in it have convincing signs of Grace or not. Now the Judgment of our Opposits p. 212is, that if the Rule be not keeped Conscientiously, Christians ought to Separate. By this Rule an insupportable Burthen is put on Christians, not only to examine themselves, but also the inward state of others: By this Rule, all the Churches that ever were in the dayes of the Prophets, Christs, Apostles, or in the Primitive Times, have been in the mist; all living and dying without the Visible Church, and so without Baptism, and so as Pagans. As also this shew of strictness beyond whatever God hath commanded, doth ever end in looseness, as appears by the Separatists present practise; for, what ever they speak against the looseness of other Churches, that we are but a mixture of Drunkards and loose prophane Livers; yet there is as great looseness in their own Churches as in any other, for they make no scruple to admit Hereticks, Covetous Vain, Proud Boasters, almost of all sorts, if so be they agree with them in Principles against Presbyterians. This Rule puts men in an overweening conceit of themselves; others are nothing to them, all are unclean or at best but civil, natural, moral Men; but they are the Godly, Saints, and what not? Now that Doctrine which in its natural Consequence puts People to overvalue themseves and undervalue others, is certainly not of God. This rule of theirs makes way for infinite Janglings, and carrying on of self interests, under pretence of Holiness; for when the Rule is, That which every particular man thinks Signs of Grace, Such is the Corruption of the best, that it will not be applyed to all alike; To some they will be too strict, to others more lax, as p. 213affection caries; Untill at last they think all good enough, who are for Their Way; And all others, but Natural, Worldly, and Carnal, who are not so. I may say that this hath been one of the most unhappy Doctrines that ever the Devil hatched; For it is that whereby Sathan hath carried on his design mainly these years by past; Many such Deceivers crying up strictness, whereby they have made themselves to be respected by some, and terrible to others, while under this pretence, they have born down Christ, Truth, and Holiness. I speak not this to countenance Looseness nor to give a dash to holy Strictness; It is our sin (and we are plagued for it) that we have not walked according to our Rule? Yet I love no further Strictness than what Christ Commands, Let us stretch out our Arms to invite sinners, to give Outward Obedience; and then when they are in, let us Hew them with the Word and Discipline▪ This was Christs way, And his Apostles way, as we have proved: So when Separatists say to you, That there are such sinful mixtures in your Churches, that an honest man is polluted to come among them; And so it is better to stay in your Chambers with a few of a gracious temper, and let the rest run to the Devil; Tell them, Christ and his Apostles made no such separation; And ye desire to be no stricter than They were: Only this is not to plead for our coming short of Christs Rule in our practise; That Scandals are too easily past; That so many Ignorants are admitted to the Lords Table, is our sin, and so not to be pleaded for. This for the first Head of Separation.

p. 214Head II. No Separation from a True Church, or Gods worship in the Church, because of the sins of Fellow-worshipers.

WE are now to speak of the Second Head, Concerning Separation from true Churches, and the true worship of God in them, because of the sins of Fellow-worshipers.

I. That which our Adversaries hold concerning this, is, That the presence of wicked men at Ordinances do defile the Ordinances to the Godly: Therefore, say they, where ever there is any corruption in a Church, or where prophane or wicked men are suffered to be in it, The Godly are bound to abstain from the Lords Table, and not to communicate with the mixed multitude; And because they hold it is not Lawful for any to live in any Church, where they cannot enjoy the whole Ordinances of God: Therefore they maintain that the Godly are bound to Separate from That Church, and to make up a Church of their Own, by gathering p. 215out so many of the Godly that are in it, as they can get, and make a little Congregation of their own, choosing any of them to be a Minister, and some one or two to be Elders, And so they set up a Church against a Church, a Church in the Bosome of a Church.

This is not a new Error, It troubled the Church of Christ long since, in the Fourth Century or somthing more than Three hundred years after Christ: The Donatists, a kind of Hereticks arose and troubled the Church for a long time, and did teach the same very thing; Against whom the Godly Fathers of the Church in that time did write: Yet because this Error was carried on with a shew of Holiness and Strictness more than ordinary, It took such deep rooting in the mindes of some well minding People (some of them at least) that it could not be driven out by force of Argument, till the Lord did leave the mantainers of this Error to fall into other vile abominations, for all their pretence of Strictness; Which made all others to loath them: And before it could be gotten rooted out of the minds of men, It troubled the Church almost 100. years together. The same is the Errour which we have now to Refute.

That ye may know what is the Doctrine of Our Church, that we are sworn to, And which is grounded on the Word, in this particular, Take it up thus; First, We hold that the Church should be reformed from all corruptions, And that wicked Scandalous men should be casten out of the Church, at least debarred p. 216from the Lords Table: This we hold, and herein there is no difference betwixt Us and the Separatists: But the Question is, When the Church Officers do not their duty (as often it falls out) what through negligence, and what through other corruptions, and what through a base want of courage; so that sometimes the Rule is not put in practice; By which means all wicked men are not kept back from the Ordinance of the Lords Table; And some corruptions are tollerated: The Question (I say) is, what the Godly should do in that Case? And concerning this we hold, First, That in such a Case, it is lawful for a Godly Person to remove his dwelling, and go dwell in another Congregation, where he may have the Ordinances more purely Administrated; There is no tye laid on him, for binding him to remain constantly where he is, if he may conveniently remove. Secondly, We hold that if he cannot conveniently remove from that Congregation; he may remain a Member of it without sin, although he know there be several things which God is angry with in it, providing he keep his own hands clean of these. Thirdly, We hold that as long as the Godly man stayeth in that Congregation where there are abuses of that kind tollerated, he is bound according to his place to endeavour the remedy of them, he is bound, according to Christs Rule to admonish these who are Wicked and Scandalous; and if his admonition do no good, he is bound to delate them to the Eldership that they may be Censured: If they be Censured, It is well, he p. 217hath gained his point: But if they be not Censured, Or not so fully as he would, he is to regrate the matter to God and mourn for it. But Fourthly, We hold, that so long as he stayes in that Congregation, he is not bound to keep back from Gods Worship, As from the Lords Table, or from any part of service in it self lawful, because there are wicked men joyning with him in it: Far less is he to make a Rent in the Congregation or to draw away a number with him, to set up a little Church for themselves. And this is now the Question we are to debate about. The Separatists say, He is bound to keep back from the Communion; If any be admitted to it who is prophane or wicked; And that lest he be defiled with them. We say, if the Worship and service be lawful and pure in it self, He sins in keeping back from it, notwithstanding that others joyn with him in it, whom the Church Officers should keep back. We grant indeed, when the service is not pure and lawful in its self; As for example, when Communion cannot be had except the People Kneel, And so worship the Bread: In that case, every man is bound to keep back, that would keep himself free of sin; Not because there are wicked men going to the Table; But because the Ordinance is gone about in a sinful way. But our Question is Concerning Worship in it self lawful; That is to say, when a Communion is Administrated by a Minister Lawfully Called; When that Table Gesture, which Christ himself used, is keeped at it; When in all other things done according to his command; p. 218What Godly Persons should do in that case, when Scandalous Persons one or moe are suffered to come to the Table: We hold, That notwithstanding of their being there, he is bound to come foreward; And the wicked man's being there defiles only the Worship to himself, and not to those, who come in honesty. This much for the state of the Question.

II. Having cleared the Question, we come to Our Arguments for the Truth; viz. That the presence of wicked men does not defile the Worship of those that are Godly: And that the Godly should not keep back from lawful Commanded Duties, because wicked men have their hands at them.

Arg I. Our First, Argument is taken from the Church of the Jews in Christs time; Any who know the History of the Gospel, know that it was a very corrupt Church, in Christ time, in Doctrine and manners; Their Preachers the Scribes and Pharisees were debauched Persons; They perverted the Law, the blind led the blind: And when the Preachers were such, ye may judge what the People were; And yet we find that Christ and his Apostles did joyn with them in the lawful Worship, For First, Christ himself came yearly up to the Feast at Jerusalem. Secondly, He is so far from commanding his Apostles, and those who believed in him, to keep back from the Ordinary Worship, because of wicked men among them, That upon the contrair he forbids them to stumble at any thing of that kind; And commands them to come to the lawful Worship: p. 219as Matth: 23. 1. 2. Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples, Saying, The scribes &c. Which is as if he had said do not keep back from the lawful Worship, because they are but Godless men that go about it; What they Preach according to the word, do that, and for Their wicked life follow them not in it.

Arg: II. Our Second Argument is taken from the Church in the Old Testament: We find, for the most part, many Corrupters and Graceless men that were Members of that Church; Both of the Preachers, and People; And yet we never find that the Godly did loath the Lawful Worship or keep back from it because of that: Yea we find, The Lord commands them to joyn in the lawful Worship; And when they would Separate, He reproves them for it. We shall make this appear from Three or Four Times of the Church of the Old Testament. The First is, Moses Time; There was a great mixture of prophane men in the Church at that Time; As ye will find Deut: 32. (only remember this all along that the Point we are speaking to, is not to plead for keeping prophane men in the Church; We shew those should be removed; But the Question is, when they are keeped in, what the Godly should do in that Case; If they should turn back and leave that Church) I say we find, Deut: 32. the Church at that time, for the most part, was not very sound, They corrupted themselves, Their spots were not the spots of Children; yet we never read that Moses and the Godly did withdraw from the Commanded Worship, p. 220because such were at it; yea, on the contrair, we find them joyning with them, Deut: 29. Moses enters into a Covenant with them, Preaches to them, Prayes for them: Yea Deut: 1…. 6. 7. 8. The Lord commands the People to come up to the Publick Worship, in the place where he should choose to place his name, and go about the lawful Commanded Duties: Tho (doubtles) there would be many wicked men among them. The Second Time of the Church in the Old Testament, which we take to prove the Point is, in Joshua's time; there were then great mixtures of wicked men among them; As appears from Joshua 24. 14. 23. He bids them put away the Strange Gods, So there were numbers of them corrupt in the way of Worship, and yet we find in the same Chapter v, 23. That Joshua conveens them altogether to a Solemn piece of Worship, and enters into a Covenant with God, and Preaches to them on that Subject: Now surely Joshua would not have done this, if so be the presence of wicked men did defile the Worship to the Godly: And if it had been a sin in the Godly to stay with the wicked when about Worship. The Third Time is in Elijah's time, 1 Kings 18. We find at that time there were some Godly, Seven Thousand that had not bowed their Knee to Baal; We find also an Atheistical Multitude in verse 29. The Body of the People Halting betwixt God and Baal; They would neither say that God was their God, nor that Baal was their God; and yet Elijah called All together to a solemn Worship, a solemn Sacrifice; That is gone p. 221about verse 36. And there was Preaching and Praying to that purpose. Now surely, If so be the presence of that Godless Multitude, which Elijah could not get reformed in a hast, had prophaned the Worship to the seven thousand Godly, Elijah would never have been accessory to that sin: A Fourth Time is from Solomons time to Hezekiah's: There was great Corruption tollerated in the Church then; As Worshipping God in the High-places, as is clear through the whole Tract of the History of that time; And there was much Prophanity of Life in that time; which also appears from the frequent Sermons of the Prophets to that purpose; And yet we never read that the Prophets did separate from the lawful Worship, because of that mixture in the Church: Yea on the contrary we read they did joyn with them in every Lawful Duty, 2 Chron. 15. Asa gathers all together, and enters into a Covenant with them: Isaias, Jeremiah, and the rest Preaches to them, Prayes with them. Now if the presence of Wicked Men had polluted the Service to them, then Isaias his Preaching and Praying, and joyning with the People in Worship should have been defiled to Him. A Fifth Instance is taken from 1 Samuel 2. 16. Eli's Sons the Priests were Prophane men: whereupon the Godly began to abhor the Worship; And so it is said in verse 17. Wherefore the sin of the young Men was very great before the Lord, for Men abhorred the Offering of the Lord. And to speak the Truth, It was little wonder they did so: For in verse 22. We find the Priests were so Godless that they did p. 222ly with Women that Assembled at the doors of the Tabernacle of the Congregation: Little wonder then that the Godly did loath and withdraw: But does the Lord approve of Their withdrawing, notwithstanding of that reason? No, We see in verse 24. Where Eli the Prophet speaks to his Sons, sayes he, Nay my Sons: For it is no good report that I hear; ye make the Lords People to transgress: Their abhoring the offering of the Lord because of wicked men that had their hands at it, is called (a transgressing) ye make the Lords people to transgress. From all which it is clear. That the presence of wicked men doth not defile the Worship to the Godly, providing they come honestly themselves: And that therefore the wickeds presence should not keep them away.

There is an Exception which our Opposits have against this Argument: And it is taken from the State of the Church in the Old Testament; They say, That to separate from the Church in the Old Testament was impossible, there being no other Church to joyn with; The Service was then annexed to the Temple; And so the Case of the Church under the Old Testament, was far different from the Case under the New. We might answer several things unto this: As First, If so be that the presence of wicked men doth defile the Worship to the Godly, then the Godly had been bound to withdraw from the Church, even under the Old Testament, although there had been no other Church to joyn with: Better to be out of the Church Visible than to be in it, if we must sin by abiding in it. p. 223But to answer more briefly, we shall find Instances in the New Testament that make Separation unlawful, as well as in the Old, which Instances shall make up our Third Argument.

Arg, III. Our Third Argument. In the Church of Corinth there was a Prophane Multitude, 1 Cor, 3, 4. We find there were Schismaticks in it. Chap, v. v, 1. We find Incests were Tollerated, Chap. 6 v, 1. We find there were men of Contentious Spirits, going to Law before Infidels. Yea in that Chapter, We find there were some pleading the Lawfulness of Fornicatio…; And Chap, 11. We find there were Drunkards among them; And such Drunkenness as was most abominable; For some came Drunk to the Lords Table, v, 21. And Chap, 15. We find there were some infected with a dangerous Heresy The denying of the Resurrection. And so a number of very offensive things were among them, But after all, the Apostle. Tho he reproves them very sharply yet he no where sayes, Ye that are Godly stay away from joyning in Worship, because of such mens joyning; But on the contrair he approves their coming together to go about the Ordinances, Only reproving the wrong way they came in. So Chap, 11. v, 18. First of all when ye come together in the Church I hear there be divisions among you. And v, 20. When you come together therefore unto one place, &c. He doth not reprove their coming together, but suppones it as a thing Lawful, only he reproves them for their Divisions. So in the Church of Galatia, There was much corruption among them, they were Bewitched p. 224with Heretical Doctrine O Foolish Galatians who hath Bewitched you, &c. Cap, 3. v, 1, They had begun in the Spirit but were like to end in the Flesh, v, 3. In the Church of Ephesus were many who had fallen away from their first Love, Revel, 2, 1. The Church of Sardis, Revel: 3, 1. Did Tollerate prophane persons such as defiled their Garments; And yet we never read the Spirit of God commanding to Separat from worship because of them: Indeed he reproves them sharply for their Corruption; For their falling away from their first love, For Their Tollerating Prophane wicked men; But he sayes not All ye that are Godly turn your backs upon that Church; Make up a new Church of your Own; But directly approves their joyning together in what was right. So it is clear that Separation from the Ordinances is no more to be Tollerated under the New Testament than it was under the Old.

Arg: IV. Our Fourth Argument to prove the point is this: The Sins of wicked Men only defile the Worship to themselves: Therefore, not to others. We shall find for this two places of Scripture: Matth. 22. In the Parable of the Guests coming into the Kings Supper, there is one that wants a Wedding Garmant verse 12. The Master of the Feast finds him out, and sayes, Friend, How comest Thou hither, And he was found Speechless. The Master of the Feast sayes not All ye Guests are defiled because this man sits with you; As should have been said If his presence had defiled the Worship to them: But only he reproves the Man himself; The p. 225sin is thine, and thou shall bear the blame of it. The Second place is, 1 Cor. 11. 29. He that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself: He sayes not, He eateth and drinketh Damnation to all, but to himself. It would necessarily follow according to this Doctrine, that he did eat Judgment to all, If so be the presence of the wicked Man did defile the Ordinance, or make it sinful to the rest that Communicate with him: And therefore in the preceeeding words it is said, Let a man examine himself, &c. He sayes not when ye are coming to the Table, Let everyone of you examine your Neighbour, Which would necessarily follow, If the presence of the Wicked Man did defile the Ordinance to the rest, but all he sayes is, Let every one examine himself, &c. It's true the permitting of a wicked person to come to the Communion is the sin of the Church Guides, but it is not the sin of Fellow Communicants, seeing he is admitted to Communicate with them: For He only defiles the Worship to Himself.

Arg. V. Our last Argument to prove this Point is, That from this Doctrine of our Opposits, it would follow; That the Dignity and Worth of Ordinances did depend on Instruments, or upon those that are partakers of the Ordinance, If so be that the sins of the Instruments, or of Fellow-Worshipers did defile the Worship: Now this is most absurd; The Dignity of Ordinances depends on him whose they are: The Word of God, however Preached, Is His Word; Its true we are ready to cast at the Word because of Instruments: But whoever he be p. 226that Preaches, The Word is the Word of God, and worthy to be received: And so the Sacraments, Whoever they be that joyn with Me in them, lose not their worth and efficacy to Me, who am seeking Christ in them, though worthless men have their hand at them: And the reason is, I do not Communicate with them in what they do wrong, Let God and Them reckon for that; The root of my Communion is Christ; In so far as They lay hold on Christ, I Communicate with them; In so far as they do otherwise, I do not. The wicked man professes Communion with Christ, and Seals up an Outward Fellowship with the Visible Church: I Communicate with him in That: But in so far as he doth this Hypocritically, I do in as far separate from him. And this much for the Arguments Confirming the Truth. That the presence of Wicked men doth desile the Ordinances to none but to Themselves.

III. In the next place we come to bring to the touch-stone the Arguments they use against the Truth, we shall shortly propound the most plausible of them and take them off.

Obj: 1: The First Objection is grounded on the 2 Cor. 6 17. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate &c. This is the stongest of their Arguments: The Lord commands the Corinthians to come from among them and Separate; And therefore (say they) when there are wicked men coming together with the Godly, the Godly ought to separate from them. But to shew you the vanity of the Argument we p. 227shall Answer it by reading out the rest of the verse; For it is clear what the Apostle aims at—Be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing &c. He bids them only Separate from Sinful Actions, and not from Lawful Duties. That ye may see yet further the vanity of this Reason, Know, It was the custom in the Church of Corinth 1 Cor. 10. When Idolaters would invite some of their Christian neighbours, they would go with them, and eat with them at their Idol Feasts, and they thought they might lawfully do it, because they knew their Idols were not true Gods, and so by their eating they intended no worship to the Idol, as these Idolaters did who did eat with them, but did it only to satisfy their hunger and keep up common Friendship: Now Paul discharges them from this kind of Communion, and this is it he points at here, Be separate, Do not meddle with their Idol Feasts because it was indeed Communion with them in their Idolatry: And so it doth not follow, because Paul bids the Corinthians be separate from Heathens, in doing a thing sinful, That therefore he forbids Christians to joyn in a lawful Worship with the Church of Christ.

Obj. II. Their Second Objection is taken from Rev: 18, 4. And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, come out of her, my People, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her Plagues. But this place is pitifully misapplyed to the purpose; For its evident that the Apostle John is there speaking of whoorish Rome, and is commanding all Gods People to Separate from the Antichristian Church; Now let any judge p. 228if that be not loose Reasoning, We are commanded to Separate from Rome, who hath overturned the foundation of Religion, Worships the Creature instead of the Creator, therefore we are to Separate from Christs true and Purest Churches and Gods Worship in them, If so be prophane men be keeped in them: It is a senseless Consequence.

Obj. III. Their Third Objection against the Truth is taken from 1 Cor: …. 11. But now I have written unto you not to keep company &c. Say they, We are forbidden to eat our ordinary meat with wicked men, and far more we are forbidden to eat at the Lords Table with them. To this we Answer, That indeed it is the shame of Christian Churches, and our sin, that Scandalous and Ignorant Persons are admitted to the Lords Table; But when they are admitted partly through the neglect of Ministers, and partly through abounding corruptions, It doth not follow that every private Christian is to cast himself out of the Church, because wicked men are admitted. As to this place here spoken of, Its true every tender Christian is forbidden to use Familiar Society with Fornicators, But it is not simply forbidden, as if it were unlawful at all times to eat with them; For even Paul himself eats with Heathens Act: 27. 35. So the thing here forbidden is, That the Lords People should not use intimat Society with wicked men; yet so as when they cannot get it eschewed, It is lawful both to eat and drink with them; As put the case we could not get it otherwise, it were lawfu… for us to eat with them following Pauls practice p. 229And so it follows in the matter of the Lords Table, If it be in Ministers power to hold them back, if they do it, it is well; If not, it doth not follow, that private Christians who have no power to debarr them, and so cannot get eating with them eschewed, without neglecting of a duty, are bound to Separate.

Obj. IV. Their Fourth Objection is from 1 Cor: 5. 6— Know ye not that a litle leaven leaveneth the whole lump? Scandalous men infect the Church; And the Church being infected, infects the Worship; and so if I come to the Worship it is infected to me, and I do sin. Now this is a Consequence far from Pauls words, a litle leaven, sayes he, leaveneth &c. Therefore cast out the Incestous man. But he doth not say, If he be not put out; cast out your selves. As for that they say that prophane men infect the Worship, It is without ground: Its true prophane men oftimes infect these among whom they live; But they do not infect the worship: For the way that prophane men infect these among whom they live, is not Physical, As the Pest infects every thing it toucheth; but they infect by their evil example: And so a prophane man may infect another man, but by his evil example cannot infect the Worship, because the Worship is not carried away with evil example, as a man is: And so if I can keep my self from following their example, the worship is pure and clean to me.

Obj. V. Their last Objection is (say they My coming to the Table with them is a countenancing of them p. 230in their profanation of the holy things: So I partake with them in their sins, & say Amen to what they do: And therefore better for me to withdraw. We Answer, this is a plausible Argument to deter People that are tender, but when tryed, it will be found weak; For if so be this Argument do hold for Separating from the Lords Table, it will conclude also that we should not hear Preaching with them for our hearing Preaching with them is a countenancing of them, as well as our coming to the Sacrament with them; And the wicked man profaneth the holy things in the one, as well as in the other? And by this it should follow that Jesus Christ should have been polluted; which were Blasphemy to speak, by His Preaching to Prophane multitudes; For in That He countenanced them. Therefore Secondly, For a more full Answer we say, Worshipping with them is not a consenting to their sin, except it were in our power to hold them out, but not otherwise; Thou doest say Amen to what they do profess, that They are serving God, doing the commanded Duty; But not to Their Hypocritical Way in doing of It: Did Christ say Amen to the Pharisees way of Hearing although He Preached to Them: So neither doest thou: But as is already said Thou approves of Them in so far as They do the Commanded Duty; But that it is done Impenitently, Thou by Thy joyning in the Worship approves it not. This for their Objections.

IV. For Use, Our first is this: To regrate that there is so much occasion given to this Error in the p. 231Churches of Christ, We may regrate that there are so many of the Members of the Church Prophane and Wicked; And that People walk not like Their Holy Calling; We may regrate that the Officers of the Church, Ministers, and Elders, do not Purge out Scandalous Persons, Do not Labour to find Them and Censure Them, and debarr Them from Communions; But most of all it is to be regrated, That many of those, who should Purge out others, Their Life is such that They deserve to be Purged out as Scandalous Themselves: For this cause it is that the Lord threatens to Rent the Church; And if He should let men arise among our selves, under pretence of Pious strictness, to cast at Our Worship, We behoved to say, Just is the Lord: Although on the other hand it is no excuse, but a fearful sin to Them, who by Their carriage Rent and undoe the Church, because of some Corruptions that are in it.

Use II. The Second Use is, That ye would, not think all alike Guilty that may encline to this Error of Separating from Lawful Worship, because of wicked Men's being admitted to it. It's true there may be some Piously strict, that upon the one hand, loath at that which is Good, when they cannot get it but in wicked Mens company, And upon the other hand, because they cannot live without the Ordinances, therefore They encline to make up a Litle Church of Good Men of Their Own choise: By which means the Devil takes advantage of Their zeal to make them dishonour God by runing to the other extreme: Now although the Humour of such p. 232should not be given way to, yet those who encline this way from a desire of strictness are much to be Pitied. But on the other hand, we are not to think so of the Ring-leaders of this Error; It hath been found by experience that such have been more carried on by a conceit of their Own Holiness, than any true Love to Holiness it self; It hath been usually found in Heady men who had a mind to make a Rupture in t…e Church, that this has been the Method they used to walke in, To cry up Holiness in themselves, and to cry down all who differed from them, as untender: That so they might carry all with them at last; At least to Rent and divide the Church: To such we will say nothing, but Christs Curse, and the Churches for Renting her bowels, will fall on Them.

But unto the other we will speak something, that is, To those who are piously Strict and really loath at the good Service of God, because such Persons are at it who should not be there. To those I shall say; First, Know what it your Duty. And Secondly, What is not your Duty in reference to Prophane Men; Ofttimes we mistake our Duty and leap over it, to what is not our Duty: Now your Duty in reference to prophane Men, Is not to take your hands from the Ordinance, because Their hands are at it; To turn your backs on your Duty because Prophane Men join with you in it; It will be but a small excuse to pretend when God reckons with you, when the Lord will say, What made you neglect such a Duty? to say. Lord I grant it was my Duty, but I could not, because such Men were at it: Therefore ye should know p. 233your Duty in reference to those, and it is this, In the place where ye live, when ye see a fault committed, ye should tell the guilty persons of it; If the Fault be open, and a Fault ye can get proven, ye ought to delate it to those who have power to Censure them, If so be they may be gained by this mean; Or if not, ye have done your Duty: Or if the Church do their Duty in casting out the Obstinate, then ye have your intent: But if so be that notwithstanding ye have done your Duty, yet the Church do not Theirs, in purging the House of God: In this case, ye are to regrate the matter to God, to mourn for it, ye are to testify that ye do not approve their way, and in so doing ye have done your Duty, and may have peace: For the presence of the wicked Man makes not the work sinful in it self to you, He eats and drinks Damnation to himself, And not to you; His presence doth not make the Worship sinful to thee; And so it looses thee not from they obligation to join in the Worship: For if that were true, That the presence of wicked Men did defile the Worship to Thee, then Christians would be in a very hard condition: For there was never a Church so pure, but there were some admitted to it, whom a Man truly tender would think should not be there; There was never a Church so pure but a tender Man zealously strict would find some to challenge; And so according to that Doctrine there should be no Church that a tender Christian could joyn with; And so he should be forced to serve God apart and by himself alone: And this hath been the Separatists way, They have Separated p. 234from one Church to another, till at last they could get none to join with; And so turned Seekers, that is, A Sect who think there are None they can join with; And therefore, they cast off all Publick Duties, and serve God by themselves alone; Because they can see none so Holy as themselves. And therefore ye would suspect Zeal when joyned with Error; And fear Error most when it is covered over with Zeal: For Error is never so dangerous, as when it gets on the mask of Zeal, It being then most cruel and most impudent: People then have no will to medle with it, lest they should seem to be Enemies to True Piety; And therefore because it is suffered and born with, it turns impudent until it undo all.

I only give One word to guard this, and so I shall end. There is not one Error that we refute, but if not guarded, Prophane Men may abuse it, and so may they This, to cast at those who are piously strict, though in an orderly way: And therefore, We say it is every Christians Duty to walk tenderly, and to be so strict towards others, as God requires of him. The thing we have Refuted as an Error is only this, That because a Man cannot get all Duties gone about by All, so strictly as God commands; That therefore he will Separate from altogether: But withal we did show, That not only a Man should be strict on himself (where right strictness will alwayes begin) but also do what in him lyes, according to his Duty and Calling, That the Ordinances of God may be keeped pure by others.

FINIS.