PAR T II, ReverendMr. Richard Baiter. 439 therein you cannot avoid them. The Churches of Corinth , Galatia, Epbefu,, Spr- dra, Laalicea, Thiatyra, &c. had foul Corruptions, and are commanded to exe- cute Difcipline on the Members; but no Members commanded to forfake the Churches, but the contrary. As to Cyyprian's words, it's true, that a People that care for their Souls muff depart from an Heretical or utterly intolerable Miniffer, as they that love their Lives will do from a Phyfician that would kill them t But there is a great deal of difference between Petfonal Fault,, and Mie ifterial Faults, (as between a Drunkard and an Heretick), and between a tolerable minifleriál Fault ( as all imperfect Men are guiltyof in their fev$ral meafures ) and an intolerable one : and between the Defertion of a whole Congregation, and of the leffer part, when the reff will not forfake the Minifter. I deny not but you are bound to forbear committing the care and guidance of your Souls to a Manwhole Minifferial Faults are intolerable. And fuch are, I. The utterly Ignorant and Infufficient ; z. The Preachers of Herefie, or Doftrinecontrary to the neceffary Points of Religion; ;. And thole that let themlelves to preach downGodlittefs, or preach for a wick- ed Life, ( if any fach there be ) : But you mull remember how in their Factious Zeal, all Partiesor Sets of rate among us, were wont to preach againft one aim- Cher, and yet that was not taken for preaching againft Godlinefs, though the Perfons were never fo godly that they preached againft. And as you recount all that mayaggavate their fin, fo youmuff in julice remember all that may exte- nuate it : Remember therefore, r. Thatfor the Common Prayer and Ceremonies and Prelacy , multitudes of worthy holy Men conformed to them heretofore, from whom you would not have fepttrated ; fach as Dr. Preen, Dr. Sibb,, Dr.Tay- loe, Dr. Staugbton, Mr. Gattaker, and molt ( by far) of the late Synod at WefE- minfe'er: And for the reft of the Conformity, rememberthe Matter and the Temp- ration: For the Matter, it is muchabout Political Things, where it is no wonder' ifDivines on either fide are ignorant or erroneous : and if they be unacquainted with the Power of Kings and Parliaments, when Lawyers and Parliaments them- felves ale difagreed about them. And for the Temptation, remember that fuch hor- rid Mlfcarriages, as the the Rebelliouspulling downof Kingand Parliament, kil- ling the one, and calling out and imprifoning the Members of theother, and the attempting the taking down of all the Miniftry, and the ruining of all Order by armed Sectaries, with the multitude-of Sets that fwarm'd among us, I fay thefe Effets, with the King's miraculous Relocation, and the ruine of fuch an Army without one drop of Blood, are things that might eafrly draw Men to judge that the Covenant was but a League for the promoting of an unlawful War,and there- fore is utterly null : And fpecially it concerneth you to remember, that it was the Independents that firft taught them the nullity or non-obligation of the Covenant, calling it a ceafed League, and an Almanach out of date, which they were forced to do that they might violate it: And yet you do not now call them Perjured, and aggravate their Sin, and fay, They kill'd the King and conqueredScotland, when they had fworn the contrary in the Covenant : Nor do you feparate from them on this account: Nay, it is molly the Independents that are now for Separation from the Prelatils as Perjured, who went before them in the nullifying of this Vow. 4. We diffwade you not from worlhipping of God with the bell you have, fo you will but remember,that Love and Concord and honourable Solemnity are con- fiderable Ingredients to make up thebeft : and that it is not belt to fpend theLord's Days inno Church-worfhip at all, but meerly with a few that are met occafional- ly, becaufe you cannot worfhiphim publickly as you would ; and that that may be the belt which youhave liberty to perform, which is not the belt which you could do if you had liberty. 5. And though the Churches be too much undifciplined, and allCommunicate, fo are the Reformed Churches of Helvetia , which are numbered with the belt, where Difciplinenever was feu up. In Conclufion, He that feparateth from one Church, fora Caufe common to almól all the Churches in the World, dothgo too near a Separating from all the Churches in the World : But fo it is here': For almolt all the Churches in the World have worfe Minifters and worfe Mem- bers, and as bad a form or way of Worfhip as thefe in England : And it is a terri- ble thing to think of Separating from all or molt óh the Univerfal ChurchofChrift on Earth. 4436.
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