Having thus in two Questions premifed in general what were Reasonable to expect from every Man in the Separation.

1. That whoever is Actually Separated without seriously weighing, or rightly understanding what the juft proper grounds of Separation are, fhould return to the Unity of the Church.

2. That every Man ought to be pos feffed with fuch a Meek, Lowly and Teachable Temper, as may render him capable and defirous of Information. I come now to confider the Point a little more closely and particularly.

You will not hold Communion with us. Why? Because there are Corruptions in our Church, though I know not what they be, I will for this time fuppose fo; Will ye then hold Communion with no Church but what is utterly free from all Corruptions and Errors? How unpracticable a Principle is this? What Instances can we find of Churches Conftituted even in Apoftolical and Primitive Times, who were utterly exempt from all Errors and Corruption? Examine the Scripture, confider the Churches at Jerufalem, at Antioch, at Rome, at Corinth, and all those of Afia, and fee whether

even in the Apostles times there were not manifest Errors crept in? It is easie to judge, how inconfiftent a Principle, this is, if we confider the unavoidable frailties of Humane Nature, from which Governours are not utterly exempt, much less private Men: Or if we confi der, that the Interefts of the World do almost neceffarily and unavoidable mix themselves with the Affairs of Religion, as far as concerns Circumstantials in Church-Government: And this I think were no hard Task for me to fhew by a particular Survey of the Constituti on and Government of moft, if not all the Reformed Churches this day in Chriftendom. Nor was this Truth ever more apparently difcernable than in Presbytery and Independency in this Kingdom, when they had the Affiftance of the then prevailing fecular Power.

2. Confider, how Fatal as well as Impracticable a principle this is? For this pretence of feeking for a pure Church, void of Spot or Wrinkle, has carried Men through a Succeffion or defcent of Sects, and left them at laft in the Dreggs and Lees of all Sects, Quakers, Ranters and Atheists. That we may there

fore

fore be safe in the Communion of any Church it will be fufficient,

1. That the Errors and Corruptions in it be not fuch as are Repugnant to the Fundamentals of Faith, the Effentials of Government, and the Rule of good Life.

2. If the Errors or Corruptions be of an inferiour Nature, it will be abundantly enough to fecure us in the Communion of that Church, if we can Communicate with that Church, without Communicating with its Errors; without being compelled to declare our affent to any thing, we reckon a falfehood, or practifing any thing we account a Corrupti

on. As to the

1. I think no Man at this time of day charges our Church with any Error Contradictory to Fundamentals, or deftructive of good manners, As to the

2. Suppofing our Errors of an inferiour Nature, let us confider how far the People may Communicate with us, without Communicating in these Errors; fuppose there were an Error in some Circumftantials of our Government, what evil Effect can that have upon the People in our Communion? Can the Word Preached become ineffectual, or D

the

the Sacraments of our Church Unhallowed? because that Man, who Preaches the one, or Adminifters the other, is not ordain'd by a College of meer Presbyters; what if our Church Difcipline be not executed with ftrictness ? This may be a perfonal Error at any time in the Governours, but not in the Conftitution of our Church; this kind of Liberty may be indeed very Mischievous to the Vicious, but the good are both a Law and Difcipline to themselves. 'Tis true it may be both a trouble and offence to fincere Chriftians, that the Loofe and Wicked are not reftrain'd and punish'd, but I cannot poffibly fee, how the fin of another can Wound or Defile my Confcience; or how a good Man becomes Guilty by living in the Neighbour-hood or Family of a bad one. You know that in the twelve Disciples there was one Devil. John 6. 70. That our Saviour has exprefly liken'd the Church or Kingdom of God to a Net that enclosed both the good and bad Fish.

Matth. 13. 47. To a Field wherein the Wheat and the Tares grew up together, and were not to be feparated till the harvest, i. e. till the final Judg ment, v. 25. I do not urge thefe places

for

for a toleration of Loofe and Wicked Men in our Church or any other, he that thinks we have need of fuch a defence is utterly ignorant of the Conftitution and sense of our Church. We admit indeed all forts to the hearing the Word, and we fhould cross the defign of our Saviour if we did otherwife, who came to call Sinners, not the Righte ous to Repentance, but we reject all from the Sacrament who can be manifeftly convicted of any thing that does incapacitate them for it: Let any Man read our Rubrick and Canons relating to this Matter beginning at the 109, and if he be not obftinately prejudic'd he will confess that our Church is fo far from approving Vice or Impiety in its members, that it has taken all the care that can reasonably be defir'd to purge our Communion of all things that might give any Scandal or Offence. So then they that dislike the Government of our Church, may Lawfully join in our Affemblies, fince they can Communicate in the one without Communicating at all in the Errors of the other.

Let us come now to Rites and Cere monies. Why fhould thefe keep People from joyning with us in our Publick Affem

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