Baxter - BX5207 B3 A2 1696

Numb. 1V. ,,flPP ELVDIX 71 Were wicked Perfecutors, and theSadduces hereticks or worfe, he lent Yudas as an Apoltle, when he knew him to be a Theifor a Devil. The Apoltles neither feparated nor allowed Separation from fuck Churches as Corinth, Gallatia, Epbefus, Smyrna, Sardis, Laodicea, &r. defiled with odious Crimes and Errors ; thoughGod command them to reform. IV. Becaufe herebythey tempt Men to infidelity, when they hear that Chrift bath no greatera Body and Church than they with which Men maylawfully com- municate; and rob him of almoft his Kingdom: V. By falle accufihg the Prayers of almoft all Chrill's Church, and renouncing Communion with them, they forfeit their Interelt in the Benefit of their Prayers, and of the Communion of Saints. VI. Who but Satan would have all the People of England and all Nations to live without any publick Church-worlhip, till they can have better than loch as is in our Parifh- Churches ; as ifnone were better. VIL With whom would thefe Men have held Communion if they had lived id any Age till two hundredYears ago ? when as far as ever I could find, there was not oneCongregation of Chriftians or Hereticks in all the World that was againfl Forms of Worlhip, or Bithops, or all Ceremonies; let them name one ifthey can, what then will they fay to the Queftion,Where was your (slew) Church before the two la! Ages? Had Chrilt noChurch for One Thoufand Two Hundred Years in all the World, that a Chriftian ought to join with in local Communion ? Did Chrift difown them all, and yet was he their Head, and they his Body ? Or are the Men as much !rider than Chrift, as the Pharifees were about his Converte and the Sabbath ? VIII. They condemn themfelves by their own Pradice, while Come of then cry down Communion with impofed Forms of Liturgy.; they fing Pfalms impofed by the Pallor or Clerk, whichare the chief part of impofed Liturgies : They fing them in newVerson, Metre, and Tunes, different from the Apolles Churches (and yet better for us) t Theyufe impofed Tranlations of the Scripture: The Pa- !or impofeth his Words of Prayer, as a Forme which the People muft all join with t This is but a different Mode of Liturgies. IX. Charity (or Chriftian Love) and Unity are the great vital Graces of the Chriftian Church : And oh, how wofully do thefe Men violate and defiroy it? when, as is Paid, they renounce Communion for a Thoufand or Twelve Hundred Years at teal, with all known Churches on Earth, as unlawful in point of local Prefence. z. They bind all Chriftians that will' hear them, to do the like to this Day, to almoft all the Churches on Earth. 3. Their Principles andReafons make it sinful to have Communicated with the Reformers, the We/denfes, Wickliffe, Lathers Melanctbon, Zwinglia,, Calvin, Buser, and the rel. q,. And they condemn Com- munion with the Martyrs, both under heathens, and of later Times, whomadeor Valued andufed Liturgies. q. They condemn local Communion with all the late and former holy excellent Bittops and Conformils ; fach as Archbithops Parker, Grindall, Abbot, Ufber, &c. Bittops, Hal, Morton, Pilkinton, Downame,. Dammam', and many fuoh: All that glorious Tribe of Conformifis; Pre/on, Sibbs, Bolton, A'áately , Crook, Je. Donna= Stoughton, &c. Oh, how great a Number and how excellent, almoft matchlels Men ? Almol all the late Weflminfler Affen- bly. 6. And all the excellent old Nonconformils that were againft Separation ; Dearing, Greenbam, Perkins, Bays, Reignolds, Dal Hielderfbam, Bradfhaw, Ball, and Multitudes of fuch of greatel Piety and Parts. q. All, or near all the Re- formed Churches, 8. All themeer Independants that were againft their Separati- on ; fuch as Dr. The. Goodwin aforefaid, andmany of hisMind. g. Yea, theycon- demn the Old Brownifls, who Printed their Profeffton of Communion with many Parifh-Churches, and with Liturgies. io. And they utterly condemn all local Communion with the meer Nonconformifts of this Age, who offered Terms of Concord inLiturgy and Epifòopacy, r66í. None ofall thefe are good enough for thefeMen (efpecially their Women and Lads) to have any prefent Communion with. Do

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