Defense of Non-Conformity, Part 2
PART II.
IN the Second Part of his Book, the Learned Dr. enquireth into the nature of the Separation. (I wish he had taken as much pains to find out the true Cause of it, and to get that removed); where he considereth the several Principles, on which he alledgeth, That the several sorts of Dissenters do proceed in their separating from the Church. I am not obliged, nor shall I endeavour to defend all these; the owners of them not agreeing among themselves, let every one stand up for his own Principle. But there is one general Principle that I think Non-conformists agree in, That the Church of England imposeth some unlawful Terms of Communion, and because of not submitting to these, she excludeth the Dissenters from her Communion; and being thus excluded, they think it their duty to worship God apart by themselves, when they are not suffered to do it with the Church without Sin. If any do add to this other Principles, I leave the defence of them to their Authors. This is to be further opened in the Third Part; where the Dr. examineth the several Pleas for Separation. He is pleased to take a great deal of pains to refute some things, as insufficient Grounds for Separation; which some Dissenters have mentioned in their Books, as additional motives; there being other sufficient Reasons for Non-communion which never any of them owned, as the sole ground of their practice, or a sufficient Reason for not joining with the Church by it self. This is to set up a man of Straw, that he may get a Victory by bearing him down. Instances enough of this kind will occurr in our progress. I shall consider what is argumentative against the Principle already mentioned, that I hold.