66 be L I F E of the Part III. To your Third Qu. t. I füppofe you obferve that what I fay about Separation, is hot' under the third Head (of the Concordof Neiglbour Churches ï but under the fecond Head of the Concord of Members in the fame particular Churches) andwere you not heretofore at Agreementin your own Churches? And is it not theDuty and lnterefl of your ownChurches to keep Unity, and that theMembers feparate not unjuftly whether you agree with other Churches or not? a. Either what I fay aboat Separation is that which weare all ( now Uniting ) agreed in, or not : If it be, it honoureth our Brethren to profeti it, and canbe no Reproach or Offence to them to declare it : If any have finnedagainft their own prefent Judgment, I hope they are not fo Impenitent, as to delireus to forbear agreeing with their ownYudgments, becaufe it is againft their formerfins. And here is no Word faid Hiftorically toupbraid any with thefe Sins at all. But if we are not all agreed thus far againft Separation, I delire you to name theTerms which we agree not in, and thenwe !hall fee whether we may leavethem out, or whether it render our Concord defperate and impoffiblc (ofwhich anon.) To yourFourth Qu. The Yealou¡r'es and Errors of thefe Times do make it necelfary to our Peace, to make forte Profeffionof our Judgment about Magiftracy ; and I think there is nothing queftionable in this. 1' am fire there is nothing butwhat many of the Congregational-Party do allow ; butif you come to Particulars, I !hall confider of them again. The particular Exceptions which you Obliterate not your felves are but theft. r. To Q: Prop. 9. Whether I mean prefcribed Forms, andHomilies, and Habits, by the Terms [what Words to ufe in Preaching and Prayer &c.] Anfm. Thatwhich I fay as plain as I can is, r. That a determination fuch Circumftances is not a finful Addition to God's Word, norwill allow the People therefore to avoid the ChurchesCommunion. z. That it belongs to the Paftor'sOffice to determine thetd (what Wdrds he (hall Preach and Pray in, crc.) Therefore you have no taufe toask my meaning about impaling upon him, but only.whether he may fo far impofe upon the Flock, as to ufe His own Words in Preaching, Prayer, &c. 3. That yet if thePaltor determine theft Circumftances äeftrn lively, the Peoplehave their Remedy. And is not thisenough ? Why muff Itell you whether you may read a Sermon (orHomi- ly) of your own Writing, or another Man's unto the People ? Or if youdo, whe- ther they molt feparate? Or elfe if you read a Prayer, des. Either you deter- mine thefe things to the Churches hurt, or not? If not, why Ihould they blame you, or Separate ? If,you do, theyhavetheir Remedy. But whether you do or not I now decide not. If we meddle with all fuch Particulars, we ¡hall never agree: more than thefe mull be left to liberty. You think our Particulars are too many already, and would you have more? And if the Controverfiesofthe Times will tempt any to Expound our General Terms of Agreement amifs, we muff not go fromGenerals for that. To the TenthProp. You fay there is fomething that will admit ofa farther Con= Tideration : Whereupon I confideredit, and have added [Suppling it be apublickPro- feffon of ClrriJtianity which is made : ] Betauft,' though the Peopleare not bound to try thePerfons before-hand, that are fo to be received to Communion, yet theymay ordinarily expo&, that when they are admitted, their Profeffionbe publick, or made known to the Church, whichI imply'dbefore. And now, Sir, I pray give me leave to fpeak fome-what freely to theCaufe it felf, (allbring you I lhall patiently, if not thankfully receive as freeLanguage from you or others.) Ilhall t. mention whatit isthat we have to do;and 2. what Reafons we have for doing it. Onr Buhnefs is to heal Church-Divifions, andHeart-Divif:ons ; therefore youmuff give us leave to faymuch againft Divifionoor Separations which areunjuJt, becaufe this is our and and all the rat is but themeans ; and if you would have us leave out that, it is all one as to fay [Let us agree tohaveno Agreement or Vnity ;] or [we will be healed, fo we may continue to be. unhealed ; ] or, [do but excufe usfrom Con- cord,
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