Anf. Not if he will walk by either Scripture-
Precept or Prefident, or by true Reafon, or by the
true Rules of Catholick-unity and Church-commu-
nion. The Presbyterians fcandalous changeable-
nefs herein, fome of them making it now a part of
a Catholick-fpirit to do fo, that is, to communicate
freely with all parties, which implies it to be a
fort of Schifm to refufe Communion with any Schif-
matical Brotherhood.
This is contrary to the Scriptures, being a hal-
ting betwixt God and Baal, a wavering, a dou-
ble-mindedness and a ferving of two contrary Ma.
fters, contrary to the true Principles of Catholick
unity and Church-communion; as for Exam-
ple, To the true Notion of Church-membership as
to a particular Church: To the connexion betwixt
Church membership and Church-communion, fince
Church-communion belongs to a Church-member,
and is a confequent of Church-membership: To
true Reason, the true cafe betwixt the Established
Church and Separate Churches, fhewing that they
both cannot be in the right, fo that unconftant Com-
municants must of neceffity fin in one of the Com-
munions. It makes Men Members of two oppofite
Bodies, and contrary to themselves, and fo Schif
maticks in one or other of the Communions, and it
is inconfiftent with that near Relation that is be-
twixt a Minifter and his People. The conclufion
is, If Schifm be no fin, then let Men go on in this
courfe, but if it be indeed a damnable fin, then let
them beware.
Quest. 17. May not Men go to Separate Meet-
ing's in hopes of having purer Ordinances, or Ordi-
hances more purely adminiftred than they can bave
them in the Church of Englands publick Affem-
blies?
Anf. No purer Ordinances can be defired than those
of Chrift's own Inftitution, and them without any mix-
ture of human Inventions, and those are to be had in
the Church of England's Affemblies.
When all is faid, the Vertue and Efficacy of Divine
Ordinances is to be ascribed to their Inftitutions and
to God's Bleffings, and they who afcribe it to this or that
mode of Administration are in danger of Superftition.
Queft. 18. May not Men go where they think they
can edifie beft? Why may not Men go to Separate
Meetings for better Edification?
Anf. The Peace and Unity of the Church is of too
great value to hang on fo loose a Principle or Rule as
this, for Men to go whither they think good, for better
edifying opens a door to endless Divifions.
The true Scripture-notion of Edification relates pri-
marily to the Church as an Houfe or Building, and can-
not be had by Divifions and Separations, for they fhake
and pull down, but cannot build up. Unity, Love and
Charity are proper to edifie; as for particular Chriftian's
edifying, they must be fubordinate to, and ruled by the
Churches edifying.
Four Inftances of Chriftian's edifying in the Scrip-
tures, in Knowledge, in Godliness, in ftrong Refoluti.
ons, with fervent Affections to all Goodness, and in com-
fort, fo as to be quit of all Dbouts. And in two Words,
A Man is truly edified when he becomes either wifser or
better, and increaseth in all Vertue and Grace as well
as in Knowledge, not in Knowledge only, as they under-
ftand it commonly who pretend to edifie beft in Sepa-
rate Meetings.
There is no reason for any ones hopes to be better
edified in any of these Inftances in Separate Meetings
than in the Churches: as for the Separate Teachers,
they do not truly preach to Peoples Edification more than
the Church's Minifters.
But be they (Suppose) the most excellent Preachers,
yet Mens edifying depends not on the Preacher's Gifts
or Excellencies, but the Co-operation of God's Spirit
and his Blefing, of which there is no promife in the way
of Schifm or Separation, or otherwife than in the
Churches Unity and Communiɔn.
As for the People, it is not really true that they edi-
fiebetter in any of those instances in any of the separate
Meetings, but they ufually find another, even the worst
fort of edifying by it. The Edification of particular Chri-
ftians relates to the Churches edifying, and therefore
must be in its Unity. Indeed God fets the greatest
value on his Churches edifying in Unity, even more
than any private Chriftians improvements. No edify-
ing like that in Charity, and Schifm is the highest
breach of Charity.
And yet, fuppofe a better edifying in Separate Meet-
ings, yet is this none of thofe reasons that warrant a
Separation, and no Man can without fin break out of
the Church's Unity for better edifying. For,
. It is as much the fundamental Law of Chrift's
Church as of all other Societies, that the publick good
be preferred before any particular Chriftian's private
advantage, and therefore all means of Edification must
give way, and be fubordinate to the Peace and Unity
of the Church.
2. Such as go to Separate Meetings for better edify-
ing, muft of necefity fall under the heavy guilt of Schilm.
3. This courfe of forfaking the Church for better edi-
fying, is in the Church as finful and as foolish as Sediti-
on or Rebellion for redreffing Grievances is in the state.
4. It perverts all means of Edification, and frustrates
God's end in them all; for they are in God's intentions
to keep out Schifm, and to be fubfervient to the Church's
Peace and Unity. All Church Officers are to design and
endeavour this. Minifters are both Church-members,
and alfo Joynts to unite and compact all the Parts of
the Body, fo that one Minister's Gifts excelling anothers
fhould by no means occafion Divifions or Separations;
and for the People, for them to go whether they fanfie
they can edifie most, perverts those means God gives
to edifie.
Queft. 19. Doth that communicating with the Eta-
blished Church, which profeffed Separatists who have
quite left it, and have fixed themselves in a Separate
Meeting, perform when it may ferve a turn, to qualifie
them for fome gainful, honourable, or authoritative
Place or Office in the State, which of late fome call
Occafional-communion, come up to, or answer any of the
right Rules or Meafures of Catholick-unity or Church-
communion?
Anf. Such communicating of them that are fix'd
Members of a Separate Meeting is a bare-faced Hypo-
crifie and a grofs Abuse of the Church The very flating
the Cafe fhews this. Besides,
1. The diftin&tion of Conftant and Occafional-commu-
nion (as explained) is perfe&ily Novel, unknown to the
Primitive Fathers or Churches
2. It accords with no found Rule of Catholick-unity
or Church-communion, as appears in feveral inftances,
particularly, Occafional-communion must be as abfurd
as to speak of Occafional-membership.
3. The Distinction hath no Foundation in, no Warrant
from the Holy Scriptures, but is contrary to them. They
give no liberty to hold Occasional-communion with that
Church with which Men are not satisfied to communi-
cate conftantly.
4. Who fo do it are felf condemned, for either they
fin in not communicating constantly, or they fin in com-
municating fo much as occafionally.
Now many of the common Peoples practising this Di-
ftin&tion, though they know it n't, occafions the next
Question.
Queft. 20. Can thofe Perfons be thought to do, as
they ought as Church-members, and as to the maintain-
ing of Catholick-unity and Church-communion, who go
to the Church and alfo to Separate Meetings indifferent-
ly and promiscuously as fome accidental occafion prompts
them?
Anf. In no wife as the cafe is put no not neither
when they go more conftantly to the Church, and only
Sometimes to the Meeting, wh' yet will be loth to be
accounted other than Members of the Church of Eng-
land.
This will be ftill more plain by the Answer to the next
Question.
Queft. 21. What is to be thought of two diftin&
Churches in the fame Place or Parish? May not good
Chriftians living where they are, communicate lawfully
fometimes with the one, while he communicates conftant-
ly with the other, either as he hath occafion to draw
him to either of them, or as he affects the one better
than the other?
Anf. The only finlefs Occafional communicating is
that with another Orthodox Church, where a Man is
by his occafion or by accident: But for two diftin&
Churches in one place, they are oppofite Churches and
oppofite Bodies, and if a Man go conftantly to the one,
and occafionally to the other, or fometimes to the other,
he must be guilty either of Schifm, or at least of abet-
ting of, and partaking with Schifm in the one of them.
A Conftant Communion is doubtless every Chriftian's
Duty with the Orthodox Church he lives in.
But to obviate fome Objections follow two other Que-
ftions.
Queft. 22. Is there no good fenfe wherein a Chrifti-
an may be faid to be a Member of a particular Church,
confidered as diftinet from other particular Churches,
and what is that fenfe?
ADf. A baptized Perfon, or a Chriftian being pri-
marily a Member of the Catholick Church, is a Mem-
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