188 The L IFE of the L, I B. I, Lib. Ç. p. 86. Denigoe opa 'gai baptifma guafiJibenter duplicare contenditi,, fi dati,al.. rerum baptifma, date alteram fidem ; fi elate, alteram Fidem, d alteram Cbriflum : Si dati, alternum Chriflum elate plterum Deum. Deus Urine ell: De Uno Dea Unua eFl Cbrifue;: Qai rebaptizatur jam Cbriflianur fueret :.Quomodo dice Fatal iterumCbri- fCana, ? Lib. q. p. 76. Si' ta non vi, effe Frater, ego effe inepto Impiva, fi ele nomine, iflc recuero. Vid. Lib. r. Fol. r. g 46. Before this I had occafion to make a more particular tryal for Union with the Independent Brethren. I knew Mr. Phil. Nyehad very great power with them, and he being in the Country, Idefired him to giveme in Writing all thole things whichof necellity mull be granted them by the Presbyterians, in order toConcord and Conjun &ion in the fame Affociations and Communion : He referred me to the Debates in the Affembly at Weftminller which are in print : I urged him to give then, me under his Hand, which at that time hedid not, but the next Year L prevailed with hit, and he wrote down there two as fufficient Conceflions to our defired End:,[ The flrft was, that they might have Liberty to take Church - Members out of other Parifhes. And the fecond, that they might haveall Church Power within themfelves, in theirfeveral Congregations.] I asked him, if I ac- commodated there in both thefe, whether reallythey would unite with us as afore- faid. And he told use that they would: Whereupon I drew up this Form of Agreement following, which I thought granted them both thefe : But fo as that they Ihould be Members of confiant Affociations, and meet with us in our Sy- nods ; and, that they fhould do thisnot as fubje& to the Government of thofe3y- nods, but as ufng them for Concord betweenthe Churches, and fo take their Re- folutions not as Laws, but as Agreements : And that before they took any Mem- ber out of any other Parifia, it Ihould be debated in fach Affemblies or Synods, and there it Ihould be tryed whether the Perron had fufficient Caufe to withdraw his Communion from the Parifh of whichhe was a Member : And if the Caufe were juit he might he allowed but if the Caufe were heretical or truly Schifma. tical they Ihould hear what the Synod could fay againll it : and if they judg'd the Error tdllerable they would tollerate it, if their Reafons could not fatisfie; if they judgedit intollerable, the warfe could be but our difowning the Fall, and again re- ceding fromtheir Communion. He told me that it would call a Starr on them to be as it were excommunicated by us, that were the greater Number. I told him, t. That it was not likely that Men who fo much defired their Communion, would excommunicate them for the very fame things, which we knew they held before wedeified it. z. That whether they afrociatedwith us or not, wecould publifh and praólice Non-communion with them on the fame Caufes : And it waslikelier to be avoided if they would be prefent with us, and plead their own Caufe. 3. That a flared Alienation or L1ivifon fhould not be keptup, for fear of a pofll- ble removal again of Tome one Perlon. Neu ;hß told me that the'Point of Ordination wasnot yet accommodated, which hecomprifèd under [ Church-PowerJ. I offered him that if any of their Pa- rlors died or removed, if the fucceeding Pallor were ordained either by any re- mainingPallor of that Church, or by any Parlors of other Churches, of their own Party or the other, we would hold Communion with them as Pallors. He denied to yield to this, and required, that if neither any Pallor of their own Church, or any other ordained them they might be held as Paftora. I told him, t. He knew that was againit the Judgment ofthofe that they were toagree with. z. That Mr. Norton and others of their own way confers, that it is lawful for Pa- flors of another Church to lay on Hands in their Ordination; and why fhould he not yield for Peace in a Point, which they confeffed lawful ; as long as they are tasssis obliged thereby -toacknowledge any Subjettian to any other Church, but might receive:44a t seir ownGrounds. ;. Or if they would notyield to this at all, we raighe;laae 'Ccenttmrion. with them as Chrilhaw, without acknowledging them fpa Pgiìòr5 But upon this .he receded, andcame no nearer to any Agreement withus. In this Imerval I wrote tahito the following Letter.
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