234 4ut de fatuis verginibua es gut de pruden- tibw,f de fa- tuis Con2r:g1- ÿio tibi neceff:4- ria eft, fi de prudentibus tu g ngregationi Corruption in d;fcipsine hardly admits of feparation The Old and New Covenant. Chap.3 i . gions fake would retire her felfe to a folitary life the was told ; if fife were bad,the needed the City to better her;, if good, the City needed her :. fo we may fay to thefe perfons either they (land in need of the Church , or the neceffi- ties of the Church call for their help and affrffance, 7. The fame that I have faid of corruption in converfation, I may affirme of neglehs in difcipline. Reverend Mafter Lotton judges,that ,he many notorious fcandalouu Terfons, that Were found in the Church of ifrael , did onely argue the neg- lecd of Church- difcipline, in the toleration of fetch pub`ick fcan- dals in the Church. Helineffe of Church - members pag. 2 r. And }et none of the Prophets or men of God (who could not be ignorant of the Churches duty, and their fin in . fuch neglets) ever made attempt of getting up purer fe- lea Churches, or node feparation from that which was . in this fort(as is faid)faulty. All was not right in exercife of difcipline, in the Churches planted by the Apofiles fome are cenfured as foully faulty. 1 he Church of Co inth, t Cor. 5. 2. The Church of Smyrna, Rev. 2, 14. The Church. of ? hyatira,Revel. 2, 20, Neither could the Church of Sar- dis be free,feeing that the greateft part,as it appears, wer openly bad, there being but few that had not defiled their garments, Revel. 3.4. And yet nothing heard by way of advifc for any to make feparation , nor reproofe for their;. holding up communion, nor any one inftance of a fepa- ratift given..Thofe that for many yeares together,during the Reigne of the three laft Princes, deny ed to come up to a. full conformity to this Church, had alow opinion of the difcipline then exercifed, of which they have left: behinde them large evidences , yet how tender were they of the Churches honour to keep Chrìftians in Communion? How zealous were they againft feparation?- As may ap- peare in the labours of Mailer `Parker, (though diftafted by him that prefaced before his work of Ecclefiaftical Po- licy) of Matter Taget, Mailer Bafl,,Mafter Brightman laid_ us low enough, when.he did not onely parallel us with luke- warme Laodicea ; but made that Church the type, and us the ant cÿpe;.our ftate as,weftood at that time by reafon of our difcipline,(according to him) being rather aimed at by Jefus:.,
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