4-38 The LIF E of the LIB. L ß 434. I confers force of thofe that were for Separation. from the Parilh Chur. ches fpake fo plaulbly, that it wasno wonderthat molt of the Religious fort fol- lowed them. They faid that I. We have butlately fworn in the Covenant againft Superftition, and for a Re-. formation: and (hall we all fo foon return to Liturgies andCeremonies, e¢c. at the Will of Man? 2. As Conformity, :fo Separation, is now another thing than it was when the old Non-conformilts wrote againft the Brawnif o, the Churches being far more polluted. 3. We are commanded to avoid them that walk diferderly, and not to bid them goodJIeed that bringFalk Dohkrine, and not to eatwith them,d'e. AndCyprian faith, That it belongeth to the People to avoid a bad Pallor, and that if they do is not, they mutt not think themfelves innocent, though Synods cart them not out. And what fin, fay they, can bemore heinous, than to break their Vows with God fo folemnly, and in filch dreadful Expreftions, made? and to Subfcribe under their Hands, That neither Princenor People in Three Kingdoms, ought to reformfilch a corrupted undifciplin'd Church , no not though they have Sworn to endeavour it ? and not only to bePerjured themfelves, but to juftifie Three Kingdoms in the Guilt of Perjury ; to difhonour our Nation before all the World, and teach them to name it Infela Perfidorum, the Perjured Ißand: To declare openly for the abfolute Slavery of the Kingdoms, whole Liberty their Anceftors preferred before their Lives ; declaring that it is not lawful by Arms to fave my Purfe or Throat from Thieves, ifthey fay they have the King's Commiffion for it ! or thew it : ToAf- fent and Confent unfeignedly to all the Corruptions impaled on them ! To make all this a Minillerial Sin, by Publifhingor Reading it before all the Congregation : To turn to all this unfaithfully, without ever Debating the Cafe with the ableft that differed from them ; or elfe going on when they were Silenced in Con- ference , and had nothing to fay ! Are thefe men for us to hold Communion with gr God will be worthipped with the beff,and curfech them that offer him theblind and lame, when they have better in their Flocks. ç. The Churches are not only undifciplined, but the Pallors by Subfcription juffifie ir, and cmrqppel by cruel Perfecution all Men to Communicate with them thrice a year, bodtr'the Good againft their Confciences, and the Bad againft the Word of God, to their Condemnation : And Ihall we Communicate with filch? § 4;5. To thefe fad and heavy Accufations we anfwered, a. TheCovenant bound us to our belt to reform: but did not bind us to fin, that is, toforfake all Chriftian Churches among us, and all Publick Worship, when we cannot reform as we delire. As I am bound to amend all the Diforders and Faults of my own Prayers, but not to give over praying till I can amend them. Nay, the Covenant bindeth us to come to the Affemblies, in that it bindeth as againft Schi(in, Prophanenefs, andwhatfoever is againft foundDodrine and Godli- ñefs. z. I ¿ nfefs that Conformity is not the fame thing as it was in the Browns/It time : But yet the Difference is not (o great as to make Separation lawful now , which was Unlawful then. In one great Point the Cafe of the Church was worfe then, than it is now: in that the multitude of the Peoplebeing new turned from Popery by the bare Will of the Queen and Parliament , were far more ignorant than now they are ; when the Golpel bath made the People much more under- Banding and reformed ; infomuch that in fotne ( few) great Towns and Pa- ri(lres, aconftderable pare of the People, are zealousProfeffors of Religion that daily worthip God in their Families. 3. There is a great dealof Difference between God's Commands to a Church to calf out and avoid particular Sinners by way of Difciplinary Reformation, and a particular erforis avoiding whole Churches, and that before the Neighbouring Churches have in any Synod declared them unfit for our Communion : The for- mer may be found, but any Command for the latter you will hardly find in Scrip- ture ; but contrarily it was the praetice of Schifmaticks and Hereticks : For how c at you proceed in Chrill's method of Admonition with filch whole Churches ? Af kart, till they are notorioufly Here3ical, or intolerably corrupt and obffinate therein
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