68 yI P P E N D r X Nulrlb. 1V. g. Churches may be called True, I. In their Conffitutions: Or 2. In their Ad miniftration. Ours in England, as afore defcribed, are true in their Conflitution: But in the Adminiftration fome are excellent, forne are laudable, Come are tolera- ble, and perhaps fome have Miniffersintolerable; as theParfonsdiffer. 4. The Society called the Church of England hathPaftors of feveral Minds; moft I hope, hold all that is Effential to Chriftianïty, Miniffry and Communion: But fome late Innovators and Corruptors, feem to deny fomewhat Effential to particular Churches and Miniffry ; but theme impeach no Mens Minifiry but their own; againft theft I wrote in myTreaties of Epifcopacy. 5. Diftinguifh between the Office as inftituted by Chrift, and owned, y the Church of England, and the Exercife of the Office, as reftrained and hindre,d by Canons and by Laws, the Parifh Miniffers and Churches are true Miniffers and Chutches as defcribedby Ordination, and the Church Doftrine, but many Canons and tome Laws dolefully fetter them, and hinder the Exercifèof their Office on pretence of governing them; but neither do nor can defiroy the Effence of the Office it felf: The Miniffers have all effential Qualifications and the Content of the People (thoughnot the firft Choice) and the People are profeffed Chriflians. 6. A Pacifia and a Parifh-Church are not the fame, all are not of the Church (bat are in the Parifh ; there are three forts of the Parifh, r. Communicants, and thofe are the Church. a. Meer Hearers and Catechical Perlons, and theft are Candidates. 3. Aliens, Atheifts, Infidels and Papifts, Hereticks, Men of no Church or other Churches ; Parifh,Churches as combined parts of a Chriftian Kingdom, or National Church thus diffinguifhed from Aliens, Auditors, and not only tolerated , but orderly combined, maintained, encouraged, are the moft re- gular Churches agreeable to Scripture, Reafon, and Antiquity. Queft. 3. Suppofe the Parifh'Churches fhould be no true Churches, is it deflradere, to par- ticular Churches to join with the Pariflo- Affemblies ? Anfw. No ; who candream that Families, and Neighbours, and occafional Meet- ings maynot WorlhipGod; or, that fach Worfhip deftroys , Churches. . Did Cor- nelìur's Meeting, Ails s 8. or thofeAll, 12. ra. or thefe that Able 20. prayed at an Oratory, nor the Water defiroy the Church ? a. Occalion Communicants are not bound to try the Call of the Miniffers where they come, and have no Vote butto take them according to vifibleProfef ion and Poífeflion, and if the Miniffers fhould prove uncalled, the Lofs would be to themfelves, and not to the Faithful that are blamelefs and have right tothe Childrens Bread, though a Judas or a Pharifee di- ftribute it. But the Separatiffs ObjeEt, that pretended Churches which are not true, are worfethan occafional Aflemblies that pretend it not. Anfw. r. whether they are worfe or better, is nothing to this Qeftion of deftroying Churches. 2. The-liken they are to true Churches, the liker they are to be better than thofe that are unlike them. 3. The Officiating of a true Miniffer may make that a true tempo- rary Church, which is not a confiant Celled Church. 4. It is far liker that many feparating Congregations will prove no true lawful Churches, for want of true Mi- oilers, and other Caufes; and yet it will not follow that all that join with them defiroy true Churches; ifor Tomeunder Government may do it blamelefry ; and they that do it finfully may yet own true Churches, every Sin deftroys not other Churches. F. Ids a Dutyfor Members of a Church to get what good they can by all Chrifìians, whether they be regular Churchesor not. Quell: 4. Suppofe the Parifb.Affemblies to be particular Churches, are the Corruptions in, them fogreat as that we mufffeparate from them, or would it not be Schifmfo to do? Anfw. There are many forts of Separation: It is Schifirt to call them (no true Churches of Chrilt) or (fach as it is not lawful to hold Communion with) and to feparate on that account, and this I have oft proved in Print fo fully, that I mull not now repeat it. But there are many Occafions which may warrant and nedeffitate a meer local Separation, as I have fully proved in many Treatifes ; as if any Sin be impofed and Communion denied to thofe that will not Sin, thole Men do not feparate, but are driven outby Separatifts or Tyrants, andmuff not give over all Church Worfhip ofGod becaufe Tyrants forbid it them. Many other Inftances of lawful local Sepa- ration, 1,have publifhed, which I cannot findany have confuted, no, nordenyed. ,Quert. F. Whether there are not in congregational Churches much things which are not plàinly inflituted in Scripture ? Anfw. Congregational is a forty Word as here ufed in diflinetion from Parillt- Churches, PariitrChurches are Congregational, they confilt of Paftors and Chri- . ftian
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