be unlawful. And if fo, then it must be unlawful alfo to join with any Congregation of Men among us that have made fuch a Rent or Separation.

So that let our Pretences be what they will, fo long as the fixed regular Affemblies of the Nation wherein we live, do truly belong to the Catholick Church, and we can lawfully join with them, it is certain we are bound fo to do, and not to join with thofe Congregations that have withdrawn themfelves from them; for to do this, would be to join in Society with Separa tifts, would be a partaking of their Sin, and a Breach of the Apostle's Precept, of avoiding thofe that caufe Divifions, Rom. 16. 17.

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The Third Propofitionis, That the being a Member of any Church, doth oblige a Man to fubmit to all the Laws and Conftitutions of that

Church.

This Propofition is in the General fo unqueftionable, that no fober Man will deny it. And indeed, it is the Bafis upon which all Societies are founded, and by which they do fubfift. For to fuppofe a Society, and yet to fuppofe the Members of it not under an Obligation to obey its Laws and Government, is to make Ropes of Sand; to suppose a Body without Sinews and Ligaments, to hold its Parts together.

So that all the Question here, is, concerning the Nature and Extent of the Church's Power over her Members, how far, and in what Inftances fhe hath Authority to oblige them? Which is a Question not difficult to be anfwered, if Men would come to it without Paffion and Prejudice.

For

For it must be acknowledged, in the First Place, that the Church muft, as all other Societies, be intrufted with, at least fo much Power over her Subjects, as is necessary for the fecuring her own Welfare and Prefervation: For to think otherwife, is to fuppofe God to have founded a Church, and intended the Wellbeing and Continuance of it, which are Things that every one muft grant; and yet to fuppofe, that he hath denied her the Ufe of the Means, without which that Well-being and Continuance cannot be attained; which is monftrous and contradictious.

Farthermore, it must be granted, that the Welfare and Prefervation of the Church, cannot be fecured but upon thefe Two Suppofitions, First, That Provifion be made for the due and orderly Performance of the Worship of God, Secondly, That there be Means of maintaining Peace and Unity amongst its Members. This latter is neceffary to the Welfare and Prefervu tion of a Church as a Society, the former is neceffary to it as a Religious Society,.

Now then this being admitted, it follows in the General, that whatever Power over her Subjects is neceffary in order to either of thefe Things, all That, at leaft, muft be fuppofed to be lodged in the Church, that is to fay, in Thofe that have the Government of it.

So that from hence it is plain, in the First Place, that the Church hath Power fo far to reftrain the Exercise of her Subjects Liberty, as to oblige them to all fuch Laws, Rules, Crders, and Ceremonies as the fhall establish, for

the

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the more Solemn, Regular, Decent, and Convenient Administration of Religious Affairs. And if it be queftioned, whether her Appointment's do indeed conduce to that End, of That She herself is to be the Judge; Her Members being no farther concerned therein, than only, before they obey her Impofitions, to fee, that they be not repugnant to the known Laws of God. This Power the Church must be fupposed to have, otherwise She will not be enabled to make Provifion for the Firft Thing whereon her Welfare doth depend, viz. the Performance of God's Worfhip and Service in a due and orderly Manner.

Secondly, from hence alfo it is plain, that the Church must be furnished with a Power to end and determine Controverfies of Religion that arife among its Members: that is to fay, to give fuch an Authoritative Decifion of them, as that all Parties are bound to acquiefce in it For without this, fhe would be defective in the Second Thing required to her Welfare and Prefervation, viz. maintaining herfelf in Peace and Unity.

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But here it may be taken notice, that this Power of ending Controverfies, which we any Authority over our Judgments, or that, in Virtue thereof, fhe can oblige us to give an inward Affent to her Determinations, any farther than fhe gives us Evidence for the Truth of them (which is that extravagant Power the Church of Rome doth challenge to herself : but only in Authority over our Practice, that he can

afcribe to the Church, doth not implich we

oblige us to fubmit fo far to her Definitions, as not to act any thing contrary to them. A Power, in the former Senfe, is not neceffary to the Church's Peace, and the Reason is, Because our Judgments and Opinions, so long as we keep them to ourselves, cannot poffibly, cause any Disturbance in, or do any Injury to, Society: But a Power in the latter Senfe, is abfolutely neceffary; for if Men may be allowed to vent and publish whatever Fancies come into their Head, and the Church have no Authority to impofe Silence upon them, it cannot be avoided, but fhe will be over-run with Herefes, and embroiled in infinite Quarrels and Controverfies, to the Deftruction of her publick Peace.

The Fourth Propofition is, That we can have no just Cause of withdrawing our Communion from the Church whereof we are Members, but when we cannot communicate with it without the Commiffion of a Sin.

For if we are bound to communicate with the Church when we can lawfully do fo, as hath been before proved; it is plain, we are bound fo long to continue our Communion with the Church, till it be unlawful to continue in it any longer: But it cannot be unlawful to continue in her Communion, 'till fhe require fomething as a Condition of her Communion, that is a Sin.

So that there are but Two Cafes, wherein it can be lawful to withdraw our Communion from a Church, because there are but Two Cafes, wherein Communion with her can be finful.

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finful. One is, when the Church requires of us, as a Condition of her Communion, an Acknowledgment and Profeffion of that for a Truth, which is an Error. The other is, when the Church requires of us, as a Condition of her Communion, the joining with her in fome Practices which are against the Laws of God. In thefe Two Cafes, to withdraw our Obedience to the Church, is fo far from being a Sin, that it is a neceffary Duty; because we have an Obligation to the Laws of God, antecedent to that we have to thofe of the Church; and we are bound to obey thefe no farther than they are confonant or agreeable to those.

But now from this Difcourfe it will appear, how infufficient those Caufes, how unwarrantable those Grounds, are, upon which many among us have proceeded to Separation from our Church.

For, First, If what I have laid down be true, it cannot be true, that unfcriptural Impofitions are a warrantable Caufe of Separation from a Church; fuppofing that by unfcriptural, be meant no more than only what is neither commanded nor forbid in the Scriptures. For the Actions required by thefe unfcriptural Impofitions, are either in themselves lawful to be done, or not lawful to be done. If they be in themselves unlawful to be done, then they do not fall under that Notion of unfcriptural we here fpeak of; they are downright Sins, and fo either particularly, or in the general, forbid in the Scripture. If they be in themselves lawful to be done, then it cannot be imagined

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