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on us to perform towards them) may come to fee their fin, repent, and do their firft works, that God and we may again receive them.

4. Yet the goodness of any, as to the main, is no warrant for any to hold communion with them, or attend upon their teachings; There are Brethren that walk diforderly, whom 'tis the duty of Saints to feparate from: that the very beft of the Minifters of England do fo, will not be denied.. The Incestuous perfon, I Cor. 5. was, as to the main, for ought I know, a good man; yet were not the Saints at Cerinth to hold communion with him, till upon his repentance he was again received, 2 Cor.2.6.

5. 'Tis utterly unlawful to communicate with a devised Ministry, upon what pretext foever.

6. So is it for any to partake in other mens fins (as hath been proved): but every ufurped Ministry is the fin of him (though never fo holy a perfon) that exercifeth it.

Object. 7.

But many Learned and Good men (and fuch as in confcience could not conform to the Ceremonies of the Church of England) have in dayes paft (and do now) bear the prefent Minifters thereof.

To which we answer,

1. That the greatest Scholars, and moft accomplished for humane Wifdom, Parts, yea vifible Holiness, have not been alwayes on the Lords fide, following him in paths of his own appointment; but many times have been found the greatest Perfecutors and Oppofers of Chrift; the moft ftupendously ignorant of the Will of God in respect of the Truth, and Work of their Generation, of any persons in the world: Witness the Scribes and Pharifees, the Learned Rab bies, and Profound Doctors of that day, with what virulency did. they oppofe Chrift and the Doctrine of the Goipel preached by him?

2. That perfons of as great Holinefs, and renown for Learning, and all manner of Accomplishments, as learned Ainsworth, Cotton, &c. have been and are of the fame apprehenfion with us in this matter: Not to mention the Reformed Churches, who generally renounce the Ministry of the Church of England, not admitting any by vertue of it to the charge of fouls (as they speak.)

But 3. To the Law and to the Teftimony, Ifa, 8, 20. if they speak not according to this Rule, though Angels for knowledge and holi

nefs,

nefs, they are not to be received, or heeded: One word from the Lord is of more weight to hearts made truly tender, than the Example of an hundred Profeffors can be 'tis poffible thefe may erre be yea and way; but fa cannot the Truth of God,which is alwayes the fame, and will abide fo for ever,

4. The Apoftle hath long fince determined this cafe, 1 Cor.11.1. Be ye follamers of me as I am of Chrift: So far as Saints follow Chrift, I may and ought to follow them, but no further: So that the Learning, Parts, of Holiness of any that attend upon the prefent Ministers of England, is no warrant for me fo to do; nor will ever be a fatiffactory answer to that enquiry, who bath required these things at your bands? Object. 8.

But the Magistrate commands us, and ought we not to obey MagiAirates?

Answer.

1. That Magiftrates have no power to command in matters of inftituted Worthip, where Chrift is filent, or to govern in his Church, is affirmed by many..

2. The Commands of Magistrates, when contrary to the Will and Way of Chrift, are not to be fubjected to. This cafe is long fince ftated and refolved by the Apoftle (Acts 4. 19, 20. and f. 29.) and Spirit of the Lord, breathing long before in his renouned Witnesses, Dan. 3. 16, 17. and 6. 10. nor is it denied by any that are sober, or juditious. Whether the hearing of the prefent Minifters of England be contrary to the Word of God, the Will and Way of Chrift, we leave, from what hath been offered, to the confiderate Reader to judge; And shall onely adde what was long fince afferted by Auguftine in this matter, who was herein fully of the fame mind with us; Sed timeo inquies no offendas Majorem, time prorfus, ne offendas Majorem, & non offendes Deum. Quid enim times ne offendas Majorem? Vide ne forfan major fit ifto quem times offendere. Majorem certe noli offendere quis eft inquies Major eo qui me genuit aan ille qui Teipfum creavit ? - qui enim refistit Poteftati, Dei Ordina tioni refiftit: fed quid fi illud jubeat quod non debes facere? - timendo pofteftatem ipfos humanarum rerum gradus advertite: fi aliquid jusserit Curator, nonne faciendum est & tam et fi contra Proconful jubear, at non

August. de Verb. Domini, Serm. 6.

utique contemnis poteftatem, fed eligis Majori fervire, nec hinc debet Minor irafci, fi Major pralata est. Rurfum fi aliquid ipfe Proconful jubeat, & aliud jubeat_Imperator, numquid dubitatur in illo contemptu, illi effe ferviendum? Ergo fi aliud Imperator, & aliud Deus, quid judicatis? folve tributum, est mihi in obfequio, reclè! Sed non in Idolio, in Idolio prohibet, quis prohibet? Major Poteftas. Da veniam! tu can cerum, ille gehennam minatur. He tells us plainly that such as fear to offend their Superiours, fhould much more fear to offend God, who is greater than all. The Emperours and Monarchs of the VVorld threaten us with a Prifon if we difobey them; the LORD threatens us with Hell, upon our difobedience of Him.

Object. 9.

But the Minifters of England are true Gospel-Minifters, for they convert fouls; which the Apoftle makes the Seal of his Miniftry or Apoftleship: Therefore it is lawful to hear them. To this we say,

That the Minifters of England are true Gofpel-Minifters, is absolutely denied by us; what is offered in this Objection, proves nothing.

1. Paul makes not the Converfion of the Church of Corinth, fingly, a fufficient Demonftration, or convincing Argument of his Apoftleship; he only useth it, as what was most likely to win, and work upon their affections, who upon other accounts could not but know that he was an Apoftle of the Lord Jesus.

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2. Converfion of fouls is no Argument, either of a lawful Call to an Apostleship, or Miniftry of Chrift: For, 1. Many have converted fouls, that were not Apoftles, as ordinary Minifters. 2. The Lord hath used private Brethren, Women, yea, fome remarkable Providences, as inftruments in his hand for the converfion of many fouls; yet who will fay that private Brethren, Women, or Divine Providences are Apoftles or Minifters of the Lord Jefus. But 3dly, fhould it be granted, that Converfion of Souls is an Argument of a lawful Miniftry, where are the Churches, nay where are the particular perfons converted by them? we have not heard of any, nor will it be an eafie task for the Objectors to produce inftances in this matter.

Object. 10.

But our Minifters are removed, and we know not where to go to hear;

?

would

would you have us fit at home idle? we cannot fo spend the Lord's day. Answer.

To which we would humbly offer a few things:

1. That though we are not against any Ordinance of Jefus Chrift, yet we are afraid that thofe poor fouls, that know not how to spend the Lord's day without hearing, do too much idolize that Ordinance of God, and never knew what it was to spend that day with him.

2. You need not fit at home; if you are enquiring after God,and communion with his People, you may foon hear of fome one or other of the Affemblies of the Saints, whither you may repair to wait upon the Lord with them.

3. But thirdly, VVere it, or should it be otherwife; Yet better be idle, than do worfe; better do nothing, than fin against God, encourage others in their evil deeds, pollute and wound thy own foul, grieve the Saints, ftumble and harden the wicked, and cause them to blafpheme God, his Name, Sanctuary, and fuch as dwell there-> in. But,

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4. There is no neceffity of being idle; If thou knoweft not where to hear on that day, haft thou no work to do fave that? 1. Art fure that God, and Chrift, and Eternal Glory are thy portion and inheri tance? Thou walkeft in the Light of Affurance, or thou dost not? if thou doft, is one day in feven too much to spend in the folemn admiration of Grace, that ever fo vile a creature as thou, fhould be accounted worthy of fuch unexpreffible kindness and glory? what, O what will Eternity be then? If thou doft not, are not thefe worthy of thy utmoft diligence to get Affurance of? What, ftand idle, and an Intereft in God, Chrift, and Eternal Glory to make fure of! 2. Art thou fufficiently acquainted with thine own heart? doft know fo much of thy felf as thou needeft to know? or judgest thou this to be a work that requires not thy utmoft diligence and attendance? 3. Haft thou no fin to be mortified, no want to be fupplied, no grace to be quickned and strengthned in thee? 4. Haft thou as much communion with God as thou defireft? halt heard as often from him by the teachings of the Spirit (the incomparably and infinitely beft Teacher) as thou doft with? or doft think that God will not manifeft himself to, and teach in a corner, a poor foul that's there waiting for him alone, because there be no Affemblies of Saints he knows of, to whom he might joyn himself, and he dares not have

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communion with Adulterers ? If thou haft not fellowship with God thou defireft, and teachings from him, (as who hath) ftir up thy felf to lay hold on God, groan, and cry after him, till he hath brought thee into his Chambers, and afforded thee richer difplayes of his Glory. 5. Art thou altogether ready trimmed (without more ado) for the Coming and Kingdom of Chrift Jefus ? what should I mention those important duties of reading the Scriptures, meditation on them, &c. haft thou all this to do, and much more that might be added, and yet nothing to do on the Lord's day? Set about thefe things in good earnest, & when thou liveft in the Light of Affurance, without the leaft doubt or clouding, when thou art fufficiently ac quainted with thine own heart, the V Vill and Scriptures of the Lord; when thou haft as much communion with God in retirement as thou defireft, and teachings from his Spirit; when thou haft no fin to be, mortified, nor grace to be quickned and ftrengthned; when thou art quite ready for the day of Chrift, and needeft no further fittings, we fhall confider what may further be faid to this Objection; but till then it cannot be pleaded, when fouls have all this work to do, that they must fit at home idle, if they go not to hear the Preachers of this day. But thus far of the Objections that are by fome made against the Affertion of the Unlawfulness of attending upon the prefent Minifters of England; which are all of any moment we have yet met with what of weight is in them, must be left to the judgment of the Chriftian Reader to determine.

We shall add no more but this, That we have spoken our judge-, ment and conscience herein, as in fincerity, in the fight of God; with what meeknefs, Chriftian tenderness, and fear of giving any just offence to the truly Confcientious, he knows. The fole of our aim in the whole, is, That Chrift may be glorified in the recovery of any poor Lamb, that is turned afide to the flocks of the Companions in this cloudy and dark day; that others that have hitherto kept themfelves from Idols might be further established in the Will of God,and Atrengthned to follow Chrift in his temptations, that they may inherit that Kingdom and Glory, prepared for them before the foundation of the world: May we but in the leaft contribute, by Divine Bleifing, hereunto, what-ever becomes of thefe Papers, or how ever they be by. others accounted of, we have our end, and fhall reft fatisfied..

FINIS.

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