Golpel 12enqsiora. 109 them out, fuck as creep in unawares fhould be kept out. Ma. ny cryout, they will not have communion with any Church , becaufe there are fome wicked men in it ; and others fay , while there is aChurch on Earth, the tares will be among the corn, and chaff will be among the wheat :. be not deceived , I know none in the world that does think there is any Con- gregation fo pure, but that tome ungodly one may creep in- to it : but confider, to have forne evil ones in the Church is one thing, and the Church to have power to cart them out, that is another thing 'tis true, they will creep into the Church, but when they are crept in, and appear to be ungod- lyones, we mutt do our duty ; tell them of their faults, and if theywill not hear us, . we muff tell it to the Church and ifthe Church have power and will not deal with them , it need not at all hinder our communicating with them : but here lies the cafe, Whether we fhould- withdraw, becaufe e- vil ones are among them? or, Whether we can joyn with that Church wherein there is no power to keep them out, and after they are crept in to caft them out ? they will creep into the Church, they came in unawares ; but the ftate of the Church fhould be fuch, that they fhould fuffer no evil men to come in, and if they do come in, it is unawares to the Church, by making a Profeffion of Religion ; for the Church can go no further than what does outwardly appear unto them : ifmenmake a Profeffion of Religion, and have a converfation agreeable to it, the Church cango nofurther ; but for a Church to admit all,if they be no fwearers, no adulterers , or grofs livers in anyother fin, although they make no Profef- fion ; nay,ifthey dobut hire a Houfe in the Parith, it is enough to make them members of theChurch, and when they are in, there is no power to caft themout ; and ifa power heretof ire , the remedy was worfe than the difeafe ; it was fuch a power as was never ordained of God : Whether we fhould joyn with fuch a Church or no ; or whether we fhould withdraw , be- caufe there is fome evil ones among them is qu-2ffi bnuble ?: furely none can imagine there fhouldbe fuch a pure Church in the world, as that thereefhoul htazch tares admit of none But if there be a power in P 3y but
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