an apparent Succeffion, as it is at this day with out any alteration fave for the better, who allo had the fame Ordination and Call to the Miniftry as we at this day have, and who lived and died in the fame Places and Dignities as are now in our Church's Conftitution; nay even fealed the fame Religion that we profefs with their Blood, and who is he that will doubt their most eminent Piety, who reformed and fettled the Church of England in its whole frame as it is?

*

Nor will there be many that will question the godliness of thofe Learned Divines in the Reformed Churches abroad, who have on all occafions given moft honourable Teftimonies of the Established Church as most found and orthodox*, feverely cenfuring all Separation from it, who alfo in all their Churches observe, use and enjoyn the fame or equivalent Ceremonies, Rules and Customs in their Worship and Government, as the Diffenters quarrel with in ours, to all whom I need not fear to leave the very Flower of our Separate Minifters in a Clafs, much in. feriour for either Learning or Godliness; and it is a very reafonable Question, Whether fuch

Calvin's Inftit. 1. 4. c. I. n. 9. and Sect. 10, 12, 13. Beza Ep. 24. p. 128. Caufabon's Epistle to K. James. Grotius ad Boatfaer. Ep. 61. Lud. Capellus's Harmony of Confeffions:

And in Dr. Stillingfleet's Mischief of Separati on. Monfieurs L'Moyne's, Claude's, Daille's Letters, with Mr. Durel's Reform Church's Worship and Government.

great

great Divines as these, with abundance more, be more likely to be deceived than the diffenting Teachers, educated (most of them) in a Nonconformist, new-fet up Academy, fent out thence as able enough for the great Work of the Minitry in a Conventicle, in much less time than is required for commencing Graduates in either of our famous Univerfities; and methinks it should very much abate of the Peoples esteem of the Authority or Infallibility of the most eminent Diffenters at this day, when they confider of their scandalous Apoltacy from the Principles and Practices of the moft learned, fober and godly amongst the Non-conformifts before them, who never denied the Church of England's being a true Church, and always pronounced Separation from a true and orthodox Church to be a Sin, wilful, dangerous and damnable. I may even inftance in a whole Body of them together, viz. the Affembly of Divines at Westminster, A. D. 1648. in their Annotations and Confeffion of Faith and Prayers of Accommodation to the Independents; and if I must name particular famous Men of that perfuafion, I know there are few bookish Separatifts, who can hear of Perkins, Prefton, Dod, Hilder/ham, Ball or Edwards, with divers others, without pleasure, all which continued in this Church's Communion in their times, notwithstanding fome fcruples and diffatisfiednels,defiring and endeavouring a further Reformation thereof, who allo protefted, preached and printed with the greateft zeal against Separation and Separate Meetings as a deteftable Schifm: And were none of thefe truly godly? In

deed

deed, to be fure, much to be preferred before any of them, who have now broken out into that open Separation which thefe their fore-fathers abhorred.

But further I need not go than them of the prefent Age, and amongst them I know Mr. Baxter's Books are in divers Country-mens hands, wherein is abundantly fufficient (what a pity it is that he was moftwhat inconfiftent with himfelf) to justify the Church of EngLand as a good and found Church; and, (to mention no more) it will be a wonder if any that attends and understands what he reads in his Poor-mans Familybook, in his Cure of Church-Divifions, and in his Defence of the Cure, and at all values his Authority, can think it fafe for him to forfake his Parish Church for a Conventicle: All which yet I intend for no more than an Argument to fuch unthinking Per fons as go to Separate Meetings out of an high Opinion of the great godliness of the Teachers there, and their Followers.

* See Mr. Aihdon's Toleration difapproved by 20 Presby terian Di vines; and Mr. Bennet's late Book of Schifm, wherein he proves the finfulness of Separation by 80 of them within thefe 6 or 7 years laft past, with variety of their Authors, pag.

ult.

But I have a much more noble Design in this Difcourfe than this, which is to inform Mens Judgments in the true reafon of the thing: and this I have with God's gracious affiftance endeavoured by Answers proper to several gradual

Que

Questions collected out of one of the late London Pieces, intituled (A Refolution of fome Cafes of Confcience which refpect Church-communion, printed 1683) with many proper and profitable Additions and Improvements, in a method adapted to any ordinary Capacity. At first I only defigned to difperfe fome Copies in my own Parith, but finding the tranfcribing them would be an intolerable fatigue, I thought good to procure an Impreffion, that (if it be poffible) all may have the benefit of the Antidote that are not in love with the Poison: And if any Parishi oner of mine, or if any other precious Soul reap any faving benefit by this my care and pains, it fhall be my Joy and my Crown, but let God have all the Glory.

POSTSCRIPT.

the Reader will please to read the Contents in the latter end, there he may fee the whole draught of this Difcourfe at one view, which will be to him very profitable, and give him better fatisfaction in the Difcourfe it felf when he perufeth it.

Catho

Anfwer. A Church is commonly defined to be the Company or Society of the Faithful, and, according to the Notation of the Greek word, of called ones, fuch as are called from the Reft of the World to Faith and Repentance by the Gofpel. -All tuch called ones are incorporated into a Holy Society by a Divine Covenant that unites them to God, and to one another, fo as to become a B

peculiar