Whet/Jer pre{ence make the Mi11ijlers Jills to be otm ! preacheth fuch errour as fubvcrteth either ~ai1b or (j_odtinc{t; and doih more harm in the Church, than Go<d. 3· It be fo deprave Gods publiCk Worfh•p as to defiroy rhe Jubjlance of it, and make it mt.Jcccptable, and offer up apubJick.. [!llfo-worfhip to God, which .he difowncth in 1he very matur of it. As if he pur up bia[pheamy. tor pr~ife and p~aytr, or cornmi~ Jd,l<ltry, or {(r up 'New SacrP.. mmtJ, and guide the people thus m pubhck Wor£h1p. As the Paptlls Prielis do that adore bread with Divine \Vor(hip, and pray to the dead, and offer real Sacrific:es fer them, &c. Such Jrorjhip is nor to be joyned in. 4· Or if they impofc any aqual fin up~:m the pe?pk: As.in their Rcfponds to fpeak any .{.1/{hood, o~ tO adore '.be bread, or the like : Thdc faults d1fcharge us from being prefent with (uch PaHors at fuch 'Worfiup. But btfidts thcfc there are many Minilterial faults which war~ ranr notour feparation. As, J· The inrcrnal vices of the Pallors mind, rhoughmanifeficd in their Miniflrarion : As fc me tolerable crrours of judgement; or envy and petti01 oppofition to others. P!d. r. 1 5· Some iJZdttd prcaciJ Cbrijl: of tJZZ:Y and jlrife, and fome nf good wiU: The oHe preach ChriJf of conttmio11, not fmccrely, [upp'ifiHg :u add affliiliOJt to my bondJ ; but tht othtr nf love,&~.:. Here is au odious vier in rhe pubhck Minillry, even an c:ndt:avour to mcrea[c 1he futferings of the Apofile: ytr j.t was lawful to hear fuch prcachtlS:, though not t~ p~dtr. them b.cfore .bttter: Moll [ea 1 among ChriHi.~.ns are poffefftd with a ung of envy and unc114nrablcnefs agamfr d1ffcnters ; which ufc:rh w break forth in tht:ir pre!ching and praying: and yer it is lawful to joyn with fuch. 2. It is not unlawful to joyn with a Minilter that hath many defects and infirmities in his Minifirarion or man– ner of Wmfhip. As if he preach .wi~h fome ignor~nce, diforder, unfit expreflions or gefiures, un· meet repetitions; or if he do the hke m Pr3ytr or 10 the ~acramenu, purdng fomcthing Iafi that fhould be tirfr, and leaving out fomcrhing that 010uld be fa~d, or praying coldly and formally: Thefc and fuch like arc faults which we 010uld do our bdt to reform ; and we fhould not prefer fuch a Minillry before a better: but it is lawfUl and a ducy to joyn with fuch 1 when we have no better. For all men are imperft'ct, and therefore the manner of Worfi1ip as performed by them will be im– perfect : Imperfect men cannot be perfect: in their Minifirations: We mu{l joyn wirh a defective and imperfeCt mode of Worfl,ipl or joyn with none on earrh: And we mull perfOrm fucb mr none our (elves. Which of you da.re fay that in your private prayers, you have no difordcr, vain repetiti– ons, llHnefs or JtftCts? 3· lr is not unlawful to joyn with a Miniller that hath Come mattri 11 1 trrour or untruth in his preaching or praying) fu be it We be not C<~llcd ro approve it, or make it ours, a11d fo it be not perriicious and deftru6tiv.: to the ends. of his Minifiry. 1-,or all men have fome errour, and they that bavr them mly be expected fomettme to vent them. And it is nor our prcfence that is any fignilication of our coufent to theit millakes. If we run away from all that vent any untruth or mifiakc in publick or private Worfhip, we fhall fcarce know what Church or pcrfon we m•y hold Communion with : The Reafon of this followerh. §. 93· 3· The fm[t of the Church and aU itt members ~to be judged of by their publick. prof<ffi· oHJ, and 1fnt by j~tcb WtJrds of a l;Linijler which tJre hi.r own, and nn:tr bad their coM{ent. I am by Profcffion aChrijfia11, and the $cripture is the Proflffid Rttle of my Religion : And wh(n I go to the Affemblies, I profefs to WmChip God according to that Rult: I profcCs my felf a hearer of aMi– nifler of the Gofpel, that is to Preach the Word of Gdd, ar:d that bath promifed in his Ordina.rion [nut rf the boly Scripturu to iJ:jlru{i tht people committrd to hH cburge, nnd to te.Jcb nothing ( -J! re– quiredof muffity to c.ttrnal f alvation) but th.a wbick hcfo:~U be pcrfw~drd may be concludtd andproved by the ScriptHre ]Th1s he profdfed when he was ordamcd, and I profds by my prcfcnce only w hear fuch a P;eachcr of the Gofpcl, and Worfhip God with him in thofc Ordinances of \VorO)ipl which ·God hath appointed. If now rh is man !hall drop in any rniftake in Preaching, or modifie his prayers or adminifirations arnifs, a11d do his part weakly aud diforderly, the hearers are no way ouihy of it by their ptefencc. For if 1 mull run away from Gods publick wodhip becaufe of mens ~it-performance, 1. I {hoald joyn with none on Earth (For a fmall fin may no more be wilfully done or owned than a greater.) 2· And then an91her manJ wuJk,.ncfi may difobligc: me and difcharge me from my duty. To order and word his Prdjer.1 and Prtaching aright, is part of the Minifters own work, znd not the peoples: And if he do i~ weU, it is 110 commmd~tion to me that am prcfenr, bur to himfelf: And therefore if he do it ami[s, 1t is no fa!llt of mim or difpraife eo me, but to hirnfelf. If the Common-Council ofLondon, or the Court of Aldermen agree to Pc:~iricm the King for the Re· _ ncwing Qf their Charier, and commit the cxprcffing Qf their requdJ: to their Rtcmder, in their prefence: If he Petition for fomething elfc inltead ol that which he was intrufied with, and fo be– tray them in the fiebjlance of his bufinc!s, they are openly to contradia him and difown his treachery or millake: But if he ddiver the fame Petition which he undertook, with fiammcring, diklfder, dcf(divenefs, and perhaps forne mixture of untruths in his additional reafons and difcomfe, this is his failing in the perfonal performance of his duty, and no way imputable to them that fcnr him, and arc prefcnt with him, rhough ( in moddly) they are filent and fpeak not to difown it ; For how can it be their fault thac a mm is wanting in bis perfonal fufficicncy and duty: ( unlefs it be that they chofc not a better. ). And whether he fpcak ex tempore or more delibcracdy, in a written form or wirhour, in words that other men uughr him, or wrote for him, or in words of his own devifing, it altereth nonheir cafe. oh .. Ofim9· .94· Obj. But if a man fail through wea/znfji i11 hil ownptr/orm~ncr, I lznow not of tbllt be– pofed dtfetlive fore ha~td : Bm if hi-1 faulty manner of pr.1ying be preforibed and impofld 011 hinJ by a Law, then I J<!:~rp Lturgieh it before band, and ~berefore amguilty vf it.
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