of his will and pleasure, if I now obey I am in danger to edifie him,to ftrengthen him in his finne; he challenges this authority, and I feeme to yeeld it to him, certainly he is ftrengthned in it by my fubjection, except I doe this at leaft profeffe againft any fuch authority of man granted by Jefus Christ.

But fay fome, If you take from Governours power to command things indifferent, you take away all their power; for things neceffary are required without them, and things finfull they may not command.

Surely this conceit comes rather from tradition then from due Answ confideration; for it is not power enough to fee to the keeping of the commands of God,that the Ordinances be kept pure,that there be justice between man and man, to reward those which doe well, and to punish the evill doers.

Yet thus farre must be granted to the Officers of the Church, they have authority from Chrift to declare dogmatically, when a thing in it felfe indifferent, yet by reason of fome circumftances, comes to be a duty,and this is to be regarded more then the declaration of any private brother or brethren, for they doe it by way of office in the name of Chrift. This we finde A&ts 15. the Apostles and Elders fent their Decrees, foyμara nexequŝóa, their dogmaticall determinations about fome things in themfelves indifferent, but as cloathed with those circumftances they call them things neceffary; they determine them to be done from the reafon of the things, not from their authority; thofe things were duties before they decreed them, and had been, had they never decreed them. Even forbearing the eating of blood was a duty in case of offence, though their decree had never been, and otherwise it was no duty, notwithstanding their Decree,for afterward Paul fayes, that whatsoever is fold in the fhambles, they might eate ofit, asking no queftion for confcience fake, and every creature of God is good,if it be received with thankf giving. Thus we have feen what the bounds are which God hath set to men in authority, or at leaft the controverfie about them: Let them be carefull to keep within their bounds, as they are fet to keep others within theirs: by this, Church and State, may enjoy much peace.

The 4. Dividing pra&ice,

CHA P. XXIII.

The fourth dividing practise, Gathering of Churches diforderly.

T

His is cryed out of as the greateft dividing practice of all: You may fpeak of this or that to be dividing amongst us, fay fome, but above all things, this Gathering of Churches is the great divider amongst us..

To this I fhall speak in thefe fix things.

First, it is not abfolutely unlawfull for a Church to be gatheAlioquin Cbri- red out of a Church. Voetius that learned Profeffor of Vtretcht, ftiani collecti ex answering fanfenius, pleading against us for feperating from Fudak di- the Romish Church, which was the most ancient and famous Church: No, fayes he,it is not abfolutely evill to feperate from fuch a Church, for then the Chriftians gathering themselves out of the Jewish Church were Schifmaticks, which is false.

vulfi ab eorum Ecclefia antiquifima celeberrima effent fchifmatici, Voet. Delpe ra a caula pa patus, l. 3.fect.

Two caufes for

which a man

may feperate

from a visible Church.

Doctor fuckfon, a Prelaticall man, in the 14. Chapter of his Treatife of the Church, gives two reasons which he sayes are juft and neceffary, for which men (whether few or many) may and ought to feperate themfelves from any vifible Church. First, because they are urged or constrained to professe or beleeve, fome points of dottrine, or to adventure upon some practices which are contrary to the rule of Faith or love of God. Second, in cafe they are utterly deprived of freedome of Confcience in profeffing what they inwardly beleeve, or bereft of fome other meanes, either altogeiber necessary, or most expedient to falvation. For which lat ter he quotes, 1 Cor.7.23. Te are bought with a price, bee not je fervants of men. Although (fayes he) we were perfwaded that We could communicate with fuck a (hurch, without evident danger of damnation, Jet inafmuch as We cannot communicate with it проп any better termes, then legall fervants or bondflaves doe with their Mafters, we are bound in conscience and religions difcretion, when lawfull occafions and opportunities ore offered, to use our liberty, and so fecke our freedome rather then to live in bondage.

This doctrine was allowed of in the Bishops times.Now fuppofe upon these two grounds there be a withdrawing from a Church, Chrift does no where require his people to live without

Ordinances all their dayes, rather then they fhould joyne themselves together into another body.

Secondly, yet where thefe caufes are not, but men may com municate without finne, profeffing the truth, and enjoy all ordinances, as the freemen of Chrift. Men must not feperate from a Church,though there be corruption in it,to gather into a new Church which may be more pure, and in fome refpects more comfortable. First, because we never finde the Saints in Scrip ture feperating or raising Churches in fuch a cafe:and fecondly, There would be no continuance in Church fellowship, if this were admitted: for what Church is fo pure, and hath all things fo comfortable,but within a while another Church will be more pure, and fome things will be more comfortable there? The generall peace of the Church fhould be more regarded by us, then fome comfortable accommodations to our felves.

Thirdly, Although you cannot for the prefent communicate with the Church, in which you are, without finne, or bondage, yet you are not presently to withdraw, to gather into another, or to joyne with another, you are bound to give fo much refpect to the Church, as to continue with much long-fuffering,to feeke the good of that Church,to remove the finne that is upon it, with all good meanes you can. You muft beare much with a brother, much more with a Church

Fourthly, If things were in that ordered and fettled way, as they ought,there ought to be no gathering of any new Churches without confulting and advifing with neighbour Churches, Chrift would have all Churches unite themfelves, and have conjunction one with another,being albof the fame body of Chrift: If then there be to be raised a new Sifter Church, that expects and is to defire the benefit of Communion with the reft,there is all the reason in the world that the helpe, advice, and affiftance of the other Churches fhould be made ufe of in the raifing and ordering this Church that they are thus to owne in the way of communion with them to whom they are to give the right hand of fellowship. loi sulbs

Fifthly, All beleevers who live in a place together, ought fo far as they can, joyne into one Church, though they be of dif ferent judgements and tempers, whatever things they differ in yet if they may sandwich grace they can havẻ nó encourage

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ment

4.

ment from the examples of any of the Churches, we read of in Scripture, for them to divide themselves into little pieces. The way of Chrift all along in Scripture is, that all the Saints in fuch a place, who are not more then can joyne in one, fhould joyne together and make but one Church; certainly this is more for the honour of Chrifts Body then the divifion of Saints in the fame place into feverall little focieties, Chrift ftands much upon the union of his Saints in one, in all wayes, by all meanes that may be.

Sixtly, as things are yet with us, there is no fuch great reafon of that outcry there is amongst us against gathering of Churches as fo great a dividing practice as, many feeme to

make it.

How can this practise be so very offensive, when almost all of you thinke it lawfull for a man for any commodiousneffe to remove from that Church of which now he is, to joyne with another, fobeit he will remove his dwelling?

But thefe do not fet up new Churches.

If a company of men who have eftates, fhould not be fatisfied with that Miniftery that belongs to that company that now they are joyned with, and fhould buy a piece of ground clofe to the place where they were, and build upon it, and have leave of the State to make a new Parifh of thofe dwellings they build; who would blame them for gathering a Church thus? Hence it is apparent, that withdrawing from our Churches, and gathering others, is not according to the judgements of our Brethren againft any Church Principle; the offence that is, is onely against some civill conftitution.

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Secondly, this thing in effect hath been ordinarily practiced heretofore without any offence to the godly; yea, and is ftill practiced without any complaint: Hath it not beene and is it not still ordinary for many not to communicate in the Parishes where they live ? nor commonly to heare there, but from all parts of the City to come to fome Parishes where they conceive the best Minifters to be, and there to heare and communicate, and this in a conftant way, and that with allowance to the maintenance of fuch Minifters? yea, and thus the Husband goes one way, and the Wife another, and yet none offen ded it may be the Gentleman can content himselfe with his

Parish

Parish-Church, but his wife or Lady is not satisfied, but must go elfewhere.

If it be faid, But this was in a time when things were in great confufion, not fo reformed as now they are, and we hope may further be.

Then it is not howfoever fimply unlawfull.

2. It continues fo ftill in many places of this City.

3. When you have reformed further, it may be mens confciences will bee further fatisfied; you may reforme so farre as you may prevent much of what you now complaine fo much of.

But though they came for their prefent reliefe, yet they did not binde themselves one to another by Covenant, fo as men now doe.

Anst. I.

If those who came conftantly to your Miniftry and Sacra- Answ ments had profeffed their willingneffe to joyne with you in all the Ordinances of Chrift fo farre as they knew, and to walke accordingly, you might the more comfortably have adminiftred ordinances to them, but offenfive to you it could not have been. But their Covenant bindes them fo, that they cannot returne back againe, whatsoever reformation there bé.

Doe you pray for and endeavour the putting on Reformation to the uttermoft, and then fee what they will doe; they have not yet declared themfelves, that they hold themselves fo joyned by any Covenant, that they may not joyne with you; that what releife they have had for the prefent time, or what agreement there hath been amongst themselves, fhould hinder them from falling into that way all along held forth in Scripture namely, for all the Saints that live together, to joyne in one, fo farre as poffible they can.

But thefe who gather Churches thus, looke upon all others who are not in that way as Heathens; and what divifion must this needs make?

Object.

Answe

If this were fo, it were a fad dividing practice indeed; wick- Answ. ed men cannot endure to be thus judged of, to be cast out as unworthy of Church-fellowship, much leffe can the Saints bee able to beare it, it must needes go neerer to their hearts. Aben Ezra fayes, the Ammonites and Moabites burnt the bookes of the Law, because of that place, Deut. 23. 3. An Ammonite or Moabite

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