What Separation if lmvful, or a dtUy. §. 35 . 10. If a true Chu~ch will obllinately deny her members th~ ufe of a.nY. one <;Jrdinance of God, as Preaching, or Readmg Scnpture, or Prayer, or Pratfe, or Dtfc1phne, wh1lc: lt rctamcth all the refi though we may not feparate frem this Church as no·Church ( which yet in the cafe of total re– jedion of Prayer or Prai[e, is veryquefiionable at lea.fi ) yet if we have opport"wity, we mull re~ move our llllllil communion to a more tdifying Church, that ufeth all the publick Ordinances of God: unlefs the public~ good forbid , or fome great impediment, or contrary duty be our excufe. 737 9· 36. 1 I• If a trueChurch will not cafi out ·any impenitent, notorious fc1ndalous finncr, though 1 J~hn to. n: 1am not to feparate from the Church, yet I am bound to avoid private familiarity with fuch a perfon, 1 Ttm. 3·1'· that he may be a01amed, and that I partake not of his fin. R(:m. 1 :- 1 7· §• 3,7· 12. As the Church hath diverfity of members, fome more holy, and fome lefs, and fome of 1 or. ·It.. whofe tincerity we have fmall hope, fame that are more honourable, and fome lefs; feme that walk Mu.1 ~.'1-1 , 30: blamelcfly and fame that work iniquity : So Minifiers and private members, are bound to difference )er. 1~. 19. between them accordingly, and to honour and love fvme far above mhers, whom yet we may not ex... 1 C~r. u.. :l~; communicate: And this is no iinful reparation. Si• §• 3 s. 1 3. If th< Church that I live and communicate with, do hold any tolerable error, I may differ therein from the Church, Without a culpable fcparat10n. Umon wuh the Church may be con .. tinued with all the diverfities before mentioned D. 3• §.to. §. 39 • I 4• Io cafe of perfecution in one Church or City, when the fcrvants ofChrill do ftye to ano– ther ( havjngno fpccial reafon to forbidit,) this is nofinful feparation, lvlatth. I O· 23· §. 4o. I 5· If th< publick fervice of the Church require a MiniHer or a private Chrillian to remove to another Church , if it be done deliberately and upon good advice , it is no finful fepuation. ~· 41 • 1 d. If a Lawful Prince or Magifirate command us to remove our habitation, or command a Minifter from one Church to another, when it is not notorioufly to the detriment of the common in– tcrefi ofReligion, it is no finful feparation to obey the Magifirate. §. 42 • '7· If a poor Chrifiian that hath a due and tender care of his ralvation, do find that un– der one Minificr his foul dcclineth and groweth dead, and under another that is more found, and clear, and lively he is much edified to a holy and heavenly frame and I ife, and if hereupon, prefer– ring his falvation before all things he remove: to that Church and Minifier where he is ·mofi edifieds without unchurching the other by his cenfures, this is no finful reparation, but a preferring the One thi11g netdfol before all. 9· 43· IS. If one part of the Church have leifure, opportunity, caufe and earnefi defires to meet oftcr for the edifying of their fouls, and redetming their time, than the poorer, labouring, or care– lefs and lefs zealous part will meet, in any fit place, under the overlight and conduct of their Pa– fiors, and not in oppofition to the more publick full alfemblies, as they did, Al1s r 2. I2· to pray for Prur at the houfe ofMary, where many were gsthered together praying; and Atls 10. 1, &c. this is no finful fepantion. ~· 44· I9• If amans own outward aff.sirs require him to remove his habitation from one City or Countrey to another, and there be no greater matter to prohibite it, fle may lawfully remove his local communion from the Church, that he before lived with to that which refideth in the place hc: goeth to·: For with diftant Churches and Chrifiians I can have none but Mental Communion or by di– fiant means (as writing, meffengers, &c.); It is only with pre[tnt Chrijlians that I can have local per:{onal communion. 9· 45· 2o.lt is poffible in fame cafes that a man may live long without local per[onal communion with any Chriftians or Church at all, and yet not be guilty of finful fcparation.. As the Kings Em.. baffadour or Agent in a Land of Infidels, or fome Traveller, Merchants, 1-'actors, or fuch as go to convert the Infidels, or thofe that arc banifbed or imprifoned. In all thcfe twenty cafes, fome kind of reparation may be lawful. §. 46. 2 r. One more I may add, which is, when the Temples are fo fmall, and the Congregati– ons fo great, that there js no room to hear and joyn in the publick Worfhip : or when the Church is 10 excdlively great, as to be uncapable of the propor ends of the fociety ; in this cafe to divide or withdraw, is 110 finful feparation: When one Hive will not hold the Bees, the fwarm mufi feek them– fclves another, without the injary of the refi. By all this you may perceive, that finful feparation is firfl in a cenforiuKI :mcharitable mind, 'ondernning Churches,Minificrs and '\Vorfhip caufelcfiy, as unfit for them to have communion with: And Secondly, it is in the perfonal fcparation which is made in purfuance of this cenfure: But not in any local removal that is made on orher lawful grounds. ~· 47· Dire&. 4· V•derjland and confider wtU the ReajQHI why Chrijl fo frequently and earnrjlly Dirt/1. '1-1 ' · preffttb Concord on his Church, and why be fo vehemently forbiddtth DivifiJ}ns. Obferve how mueb · ·' the Scripture jpeakpb to this purpofi, and upon wh-. weighty Reafo•s· Here are four things difiinctly to be reprefented to your fcrious confideration. t. How roomy, plain and urgent are the Texts that fpeak for Vnity, and condemn Divijion. 2. The great Be~efiu of Concord. 3• And the mifchiefs of Difcord and Divijion1 in the Church. · 4· And the Aggravations of the fin. · §. 48. I. A true Chrifiian that hateth fornication, drunkcnnefs, lying, perjury , becaufe they are forbidden in the Word of God, will hate Divijion1 alfo when he well obferveth how frequent· ly and vehemently they arc forbidden , and Concord highly commended and commanded. Bbbbb 2 ' ]oqR
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