with the Catholick Church, but by communicating with fome Part of it: And there is no communicating with any Part of it, but that under which we live, or where we have our Refidence.

Well, but it may be faid, that there may be feveral diftinct Churches in the Place where we live. There may be the. fixed Regular Affemblies of the National Church; and there may be feparate Congregations; both which are, or pretend to be Parts, of the Catholick Church; fo that it may be all one as to our communicating with that, which of these we join with, fuppofing we join but with one of them; and confequently, there is no Neceffity from that Principle, that we should hold Communion with the Publick Assemblies of the National Church.

But as to this, I defire it may be confidered, that That which lays an Obligation up-. on us to join in Communion with the Church, (to wit, our being Members of that one Body of Christ) doth alfo lay an Obligation upon us, as much as in us lies, to preserve the Unity of that Body, (for this both the Fundamental Laws of Society, and the exprefs Precepts of Christianity, do require of every Member:) But now to make a Rent in, or feparate from any Part of the Body of Chrift, with which we may lawfully communicate (and fuch we now fuppofe the Established Assemblies of the Nation to be) is directly contrary to the preferving the Unity of that Body: And therefore, certainly, fuch a Rent or Separation, must

be

be unlawful. And if fo, then it must be unlawful also 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 those Congregations that have. withdrawn themselves from them; for to do this, would be to join in Society with Separatifts, would be a partaking of their Sin, and a Breach of the Apostle's Precept, of avoiding those that caufe Divifions, Rom. 16.

17.

The Third Propofition is, That the being a Member of any Church, doth oblige a Man to submit 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 fuppofe 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 Instances she 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 neceffary 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 Provision 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 Prefervation 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 these Things, all That, at leaft, must be supposed to be lodged in the Church, that is to fay, in Those 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, Orders, and Ceremonies as fhe fhall eftablish, for

the

the more Solemn, Regular, Decent, and Conve nient Administration of Religious Affairs. And if it be questioned, whether her Appointments 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 fuppofed to have, otherwise She will not be enabled to make Provifion for the first Thing whereon her Welfare doth depend, viz. the Performance of God's Worship 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 Preservation, viz. maintaining herself in Peace and Unity.

But here it may be taken notice, that this Power of ending Controverfies, which we afcribe to the Church, doth not imply 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 an Authority over our Practices, that he can

A

oblige us to fubmit fo far to her Definitions, as not to act any thing contrary to them. 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 caufe 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 Herefies, and embroiled in infinite Quarrels and Controverfies, to the Destruction of her publick Peace.

The Fourth Propofition is, That we can have no juft 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 it 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.