the i..Chap.oj the<R,evel. , .i6' were both hercricks and hypocrits:and yet we mull: remember, chat liuing atnong:thcn,, a:nd beholding their wicked conucrfation,we mull notapprooue oftheir vngodlines, but be gric1 ucd for the fame, as riglacous Lo·t·\\'as for the' abhominations of Sodomc; 1. Pet. z. 7· Fur– ther, if it fall otit by the negligence of the go– ucmours; that cuill men De admitted ro the Sa– cramc:nts;we mufi norforrhcircompany rcfu(e to communicate: for our Sauiour Chri!t liuing among the Iewc:s, communicat~d whh rh~m in their Sacraments a.nd fcrOice of the TemJ5lc,. though many ofthem wer.c notorious bo~h for wicked life and falfc dot!nnc.The rcafon IS ,for th3t another mans c:uil confcicncc doth not de– file our good confciencc : but we may keepc a good confcicnce in that adion wherein the wicked is defiled. Now though we may thus conucrfc v·:irh cui!I mcnJ yet thcfe two caucats muA: be obfcrucd 1 I. To hauc no priuatc com• pany with known and open euill pcrfons. This Paul cxprdfcly forbiddcth, faying,Ihau<writ• ten vntoyou, thatyou-compani~ not tog~zh~r : that is,in priuate and famili:\r mannc:r.I I. We mull not fhcw fpcciall familiaritic to euill pcrfons, God will not take the wicked by the hand, lob 8.10. and we lhould betollowers of God. Therefore S. lohn faith, If a•J man comevnto }_Oil jfntl. hring ,ot this doflrs~c,r~ceiuehim not into houft,n<ither bidhim GodJPmle, :.Ioh.t o.whiCh mull be vnderllood offpeciall familiaritie :for thereby we doe- not onc.l}: performc outward dutie to the pcrfon, but alto giuc coumcnancc to their finnc:s: which in any cafe we mufi not doe. And thus we fee how to conucrfe with cuillmen. Hereby all thofe ore iullly blamed which fit thcmfdues for the humors and difpoGtions of all comp•nies. This ought not to be. Ifany be knowne.to be openly wicked, either for life or opinions, we mufi not kecpe priuatc companic with them,or affoard them our fpcciall familia– rity;but by withdrawing our fdues from them, cafe vs offuch burdens. Our ~auiourChrill hauing commended this Church for hlrfeucritie again(lthe wicked, in that fhe could not endure them, cloth prooue the fame to be true by two arguments. The firA: whereof is contained in thdC words, And haft u·amin<d them, &c. to the ende of the third verfc. The fccond,in the6. v~rfe. Forthe firfl, it is t:tkc:n from the lharpc and round de3Jing of this Church againfl cui11 men; and it hatb two parts. Firll,hcr difcoue1 ie offalfc A– po£\les, And haff •x•mined thun. which f"J thry ar< Apoftl.s, and Ar< not, and haft found th<m liars. Secondly, her oppoGng her fclfc a– gainO: them, htcing dl(coucred, in the third vcrfe, Thou haft f1Jrr<d, and haff p•<tience, &c. In their Jifcoucric of thefc falfc Apolllcs note two fpeciall points: firll, that God hath giucn to particular Churches the fpirit of dif– cr-rning. Thisappe~reth by fundde teEHm.onics A f of Scripture' I. Cor.2, l5. Tb~ jptr/r:Ml/}}.. !h, ! I tl~ar t.s ~h~ wh:ch tS ~ndH!d wtrh Godt ho!; ff'ti 11, 1 di{ctacth 1tllrhmgs. And ~ Pom/ afi'mncrh, Tho.:: 1 1 -: J Cuf.d ) the faahfu'l CounthLan:; did dt[ccrnc •\1t: tot<.h Jy. iJodie: lhat Is ,fee and pur a great dtffen un: bt.ii I twecnc the bread and wfnc in that Sacramt nr.f I ami odH.'r comrnon bread and .,.vine : which not)ethatwantthcfpdtcfGod C\tl dot. A.: . gainc;hc biddeth them bpt·oof!f thf'mfd~t!'! whc,: 1 ~ liCr>U3: th~rrhry6~ iutht{atthorn.,t: to f:incvstovn.:j J· dcrfiand, that the}' h<1d a~1ft uf difccrning, whereby rh(y did knOwc thcit o\-vnC dbtC'; whether they were vndcr the {urJ"(., or \'r.der grace. AndS,/ohll _l>ld_dt-th theChuHh Cl?'/( e dot4.1j th~ JPirirs: that is, thofc d6CtdnC§ which men B pretending the giirs of the fpirir, did trach.l AnJ in this plac<this ChUrches dtfcouerin£ of falli: Apollles, dedarcth phinly,that f11cc harlr a git( to diiCerne who be feot bfGod ttl teach' hi• church, and who.not. And hence the godly' I learned in the cJ:tiltch arc faid tobak:hnr ft•" [u r.w~cifod t() dt[cern~horhgoodandrui/1, Hebr. 5·'4· And in this rcgard,thc Churches 9f G od differ from all Qthcr c-ompai1ics ofincn.For vn ..· ldfe men be of Gods Church, they \'\'O.nt thisgift ofdifCerning fpiritUatl things th<lt diffcr,:~s· true Apol!ks and falfe, good and bad, tiutf1 and falfhood,&c, . . Hence we may gmhfr 1 thdt th~ Church of Tl vfo· God hath 3 gift. to _difcernc v.:h. ich is 3 true I 'Jt e. Church; and whteh IS not: for the Church carr dilccrne whether a ma·n be·a true flpolllc, or C not, and by the fame gift it may, dlfcerne th~ !late of any particular Church. Whence alfo it followeth, thot wc may caGly ii:cwhethenh~ Church of England be a true Church, or not : It plcafcth fome to c~ll it inter quellion, os it nowH:andeth; and thcyauoucb, That itisna Church of God, thactherc are no true: Mfni .. fiers,no true preaching, or right adminifirati.. on ofthe Sacramc:uts in it;and th:it thcfe things with vs arc illufions ofSathan,and our Church· his fynagogue.But that ours is atrue Church of' God, is thus prooued. Th< Cliurchl"S ofGer• manic:, Frauncc, Scotl:tnd, and ltalie, that hauc rcceiued the Gof£cl, are the churches of God: and they haue the gift of difcerning which is a D true Church of God, and which is not. Now they giue the right hands of fellowfhip vnto 'VS, and rcucrence our Church as the church of God. To "-"hof~ tdHmonie wee mufl rather cleaue, then td the opinion of 3 fcwe priuate men, and fo tcfoluc our felucs, that we arc the true Church ofGod. Secondly, hence we .maygather, that tfle church ofGod hath agift to difcern< Scripture from that which is no Scripture. The Papills fay the church indccdc hath this gift: but it is by cottnfell and commiilion from the church of Rome~ which is a mecrc forg.erte. Fort he church of Ephcfus, which could difcerne of falfe Apolllcs, could no d·oubt by the fame gift difcerne of the bookes of God,and that.,.. ith– out cou:lfcll from the churc\i ofi\oroe.: for at ___ ,thi;
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