43. I. Were this True, you might communicate with Arians, Socinians, Papifts, Jews,Turks, Deifts, &c. For none of thefe but have fomething wherein they agree with Catholick Chriftians, in their Worthip. All of them own One God: All of them put up fome Lawful Addreffes to Him. This is, indeed to lay a Foundation for Catholick Communion: But then 'tis fuch a Catholick Communion as has always been abhorred by all Catholick Chriftians, and defervedly; For it ftrikes at the very Root of that which our Lord and his Apoftles have determined to be True Catholick Chriftian Communion. Your Pofition, then, is notorioufly falfe. Indeed.

44. II. Nothing more certain than that, as Communion with Hereticks involves in the Guilt of Herefy, and Communion with Turks, in the Guilt of Turcifm; So Communion with Schifmaticks, involves in the Guilt of Schifm. You your felf, I hope, after you have thought on it, will readily allow that between Communion with a particular Church continuing in the Unity of the Catholick Church, even tho' she may have fome Corrupted Members, Members deferving to be cut off, and Communion with a Schifmatical Church, a Church which has cut it felf off from the Communion of the Catholick Church, there are very many, very confiderable Differences. 'Tis very poffible, nay very ordinary for Perfons who are not fincere Chriftians, who deferve not, the Name of Pure Members, to be permitted to live in the Communion of a Church from which it were

Sin

Sinful to feparate. Your Candour, I am confident, cannot allow you to fay, That never a Worldly-Minded, never a Carnal, never an Hypocritical Perfon joyns with you in your Publick Affemblies, nor Participates of your Sacraments. Our Bleffed Lord hath told us, Matth. 13. 24, &c. That there will be Tares amongst the Wheat; Bad Men, Members of the Vifible Church: Nay, that 'tis neither proper nor expedient for the Governours of his Church, always to make a critical Se paration of the Good from the Bad. Agreeably, he very well knew that in his own Family there was one very corrupt Member, Judas, yet he did not cut him off. Ananias, Saphira, Alexander, Hymenaus, Demas, &c. were very far from being pure Members; yet in those days, no Man Dream'd that their Impurity was more than Perfonal: That it infected the whole Societies whereof they were Members. The fame may be faid of those whom the Apoftle, Phil. 1. 15. 16. fays, that they Preach'd Chrift, of Envy and Strife, of Contention and not Sincerely. In the Church of Corinth there were Divifions, Emulations, Contentions, Quarrels, Scandalous Law-fuits, many Practices very far from being the genuine Fruits of the Spirit; very much short of the true Genius of Pure Chriftianity. Nay, a Wickednefs abominable to the very Heathens was conniv'd at. An inceftuous Perfon was allow'd to Affemble with them. Yet very far is St. Paul from condemning their Communion, or allowing People on thefe

accounts

accounts to feparate from it. To make a Communion Lawful, therefore, 'tis not always neceffary (tho' always moft defirable) that all who are of it be Sincere, Pure, Uncorrupted Chriftians. To make this a Term of Communion was a Stretch of the Donatifts, very frequently and very keenly condemn'd by St. Auguftine, always rejected by the Catholick Church. You, if you are a Prefbyterian, are bound by Principle to reject it. At least, about half a Century ago, the Writers of your Party did generally reject it, when 'twas urged by, the Independents. This is certain, that by the Principles of the Catholick Church, tho' there may be corrupted Menibers in a Particular Church, yet, if the Principle of her Unity is Sound,and She continues in the Unity of the Catholick Church, her Communion is a lawful Communion. They are not the Affections of every particular Member, but the Affections of the Head, the Source of Vital Influences to the whole Body, which affect the Body. Now, by the fame Principles, every Communion with a Schifinatical Church must be an Infectious Communion; because 'tis a Communion with an Head infected with the dreadful Leprofy of Schifm. In thort,

45. By the Principles of our Chriftian Philofophy, ToCommunicate with any Church is to become One with it: And to become One with it muft neceffarily infer a Participation of its Affections or Qualities. By confequence, no communicating with a Schifmatical Church, and withal continuing uninfected with Schifini St. Paul has many Reasonings fairly applica~ G

ble to this Purpofe. Thus, know ye not (fays he, 1 Cor. 6. 16,17) that he which is joyned to an Harlot, is One Body, but be that is joyn'd to the Lord is One Spirit? Now, what Analogy can make him who is joyn'd to an Harlot, One Body with that Harlot, which will not equally make him who communicates, and fo becomes One Body with Schifinaticks, a Schif matick? Again, This of becoming One with thofe with whom we Communicate, and by Confequence, of Participating of their Affections, is the very Hinge of all his Reafoning. II Cor. 6. 14. &c. Be ye not unequally yoked with Unbelievers: For what Fellowship hath Righteousness with Unrighteoufnefs? And what Communion bath Light with Darkness? And what concord hath Chrift with Belial? Or, what part hath be that believeth with an Infidel? And, what Agreement bath the Temple of God with Idols ? For ye are the Temple of the Living God, as God hath Jaid, I will dwell in them, and walk in them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my People. Wherefore come ye out from among them, and be ye feparate, faith the Lord, and touch not the Unclean thing, and I will receive you, &c. How obvious is it to Reafon after the fame manner and upon the fame Foot againft holding Communion with Schifmaticks? This is certain, the Antients (as hereafter we may obferve) Did ufe this fame Paffage againft communicating with either Hereticks or Schif maticks. Once more, confider the fame Apoftles Reafoning, I Cor. 10. 15. &c. againft being prefent at, and Participating of the Saerifices that by the Gentiles were offered to

Idols.

Idols. First, v. 16, 17. He lays this down as a Poftulate, that we become One with those with whom we communicate.TheCup of Bleffing which we Blefs, Is it not the Communion of the Blood of Chrift? The Bread which we break, Is it not the Communion of the Body of Chrift? For we being Many areOne Bread,andOne Body, for we are all Partakers of that One Bread. Then, on this Poftulate he reasons thus,(v. 20, 21.) The things which the Gentiles Sacrifice,they Sacrifice to Devils,and not to God: And I would not that ye fhould have Fellowfhip (become one) with Devils: ye cannot Drink the Cup of the Lord, and the Cup of Devils: ye cannot be Partakers of the Lord's Table, and the Table of Devils. As if he had faid, Our Lord can never be One with Devils. Therefore those who are One with Him must not make themfelves One with Devils. And what can be more demonftrative, than, on the fame Fundamental Principles, to reafon thus, The Catholick Church is but One; and 'tis One with Chrift; 'Tis United to him as its Head: Therefore Catholick Chriftians, muft not communicate with thofe who are feparated from the Catholick Church. To communicate with them wou'd be to communicate with those who are not One with Chrift. To communicate with them would be to Forfake Chrift (by confequence, to be involv'd in a moft crimson Guilt.) For Chrift cannot be One with thofe who are feparated from Him: And all thofe are feparated from him, who are feparated from his One Body. By this time, Sir, you may have reafon to confider whether you Reafen'd folidly for holding Communion with Schif maticks.

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