with all the Laws and Constitutions of our admirable Government both in Church and State is absolutely necessary not only for our own sakes but the Peace and Preservation of the whole Body 2. 'T is a strange Mistake then which some have run upon that nothing is to be admitted in our Publick Worship and Ecclesiastical Discipline and Politie of our Church but what is plainly exprest in the Holy Scriptures hereby excluding all human Laws and Constitutions in Matters and Things indisserent Which wild Hypothesis has been the Original of all those untenable Opinions now on foot and the very most of our unchristian Divisions which have almost torn in pieces our Church are owing to this unreasonable and groundless Conjecture Whereas on the contrary the Writers of the greatest Note and Eminence amongst our Brethren of the Non-conformity are forced to acknowledge that there are many Circumstances in the Public Service of God and the Government of the Church which must be regulated and order'd according to the Light of Nature and Laws of Christian Prudence as the holy Apostle directs in those general Rules Let all things be done decently in order and for Edification And do also confess that even in their own Assemblies and we know it to be true and certain there are many such Circumstances for which they have no express Rule in Scripture but do use them prudentially for the Honour and Interest of Religion and the Order Uniformity of Gods Worship Besides 't is observable that the Holy Scriptures treat chiefly of the Essentials of Faith and Worship and only mention the Governours and Government of the Church with some general Rules as before for the ordering of its Politie and Discipline Insomuch that many Persons of great Learning and Judgment are of opinion that there 's no one Set-Form of Government for the Christian Church to be found in the whole Bible but must be left to our Governours to order and appoint according to the Rules and Dictates of sound Judgment and Discretion Which the Learned and Judicious Hooker gives a most admirable Account of in his Ecclesiast Polit. Nor can this in the least impeach as some have vainly objected the Sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures or the Fidelity of Christ in not leaving a perfect Model of Church Government behind him For we have seen already that the Holy Scriptures were primarily intended to instruct us in the Fundamentals of Faith and Christian Morality and speak only overtly of Church Discipline and Government And for the Fidelity of Christ herein 't is plain that the Church in our Saviours Time was in her Minority which must afterwards by degrees grow up to a state of greater Liberty and Perfection What others have urged from the Form of Church Government under the Jewish Oeconomie concludes nothing For the Jews lived all under one Politie and in one Nation whereas Christianity is dispersed all over the World under many disserent Civil Governments and therefore the Circumstances of Religious Worship and Church Discipline must be suited to the State and Condition of different People within their several Jurisdictions as may appear most just and reasonable to the Judgments and Discretion of their lawful Governours Therefore 3. Tho every Person be obliged to hate and flie from Idolatry Heresie c. yet none should be affrighted from his Duty with meer Buggs and Scar-crows or the empty Appearances of Error without sufficient Grounds For tho our Liturgy and Set-Forms of Worship have been extreamly cavil'd at by some of our Adversaries yet 't is evident that neither the Prophets of old nor our Saviour and his Apostles nor the Primitive Fathers did ever find fault with the Stated Methods and Forms of Prayer but did practise and appoint 'em themselves and highly encourag'd them in others For there are many Set-Forms of Prayer Benedictions and Thanksgivings in the Writings of the Prophets our Saviour composed a Form of Prayer to be used by his Apostles and Followers tho they were doubtless as able to pray by the Spirit as the most Seraphick Enthusiast which Method also was observed by John the Baptist for the direction and assistance of his Disciples in God's Worship All which Stated Forms became Patterns and Presidents to the Churches of Christ in after Ages who had all their several Liturgies as we have nor is there any thing in our Service Book which is contrary to but most exactly conformable to those Rules 4. Let not the bare Pretence then of some small Errors in and about the Circumstances of Publick Worship prevail with any Man to separate from the Communion of his National Church seeing there have been and are as many and probably greater Errors in all the Churches of Christ in all Ages of the Gospel For tho our Blessed Saviour promis'd that the Gates of Hell should not prevail against the Vniversal Church that he will be with her to the end of the World send his Spirit to lead her into all Truth and abide with her for ever yet these Promises do only respect the Fundamental Doctrins of the Catholic and Universal Church of Christ or a People professing the Truth however they may err as all of them do in Opinions not essential to Religion And seeing every particular Church may be guilty of some Errors and Mistakes in outward Circumstances of Religion therefore fore he that will separate upon this Account can scarce hold Communion with any National Church upon Earth And those fickle and fanciful Persons might have had the same Plea to have separated from the Christian Church in the time of the Apostles that they have now from Us Nor is there any one that understands the State of our Church but will readily acknowledge that our Orders of Bishops Priests and Deacons and Set Form of Worship and Discipline are if not of Apostolical yet of Primitive Institution 5. No meer Inconveniences or circumstantial Errors or Defects and those only alledged not proved against Us can justifie or excuse a Departure from Us since I have made it fully evident that our Church holds and maintains all the Essentials both of Faith and of Worship For we have seen already that all Men are oblig'd to conform themselves to the Constitutions of their National Church tho some of the external Modes Forms be inconvenient disorderly and defective rather than not be of any Church at all And what they cannot reform without disturbing the Peace of the Church 't is their Duty to tolerate seeing there 's no National and Particular Church in the World as we have already observed whose Constitutions and Government are absolutely perfect Therefore 6. Those Persons are extreamly to blame that require greater Purity in Gods Public Worship than the Holy Scriptures have commanded or our Blessed Saviour and his Apostles or the Primitive Orthodox Fathers have recommended to Posterity And tho there were some things amiss in the outward Rules and Laws of Worship and Government Yet
administred according to our Blessed Saviours own Institution We worship God viz. the One Divine Essence and Trinity of Persons in Spirit and Truth in and thro' Christ without the Mediation of Saints and Angels We hope for and believe the Remission of Sins and Salvation of our Souls and Bodies by the Merits of Christ alone thro' the Mercies of God and upon the condition of a sincere and unseigned Repentance Which Repentance in the Judgment of our Church implies a true Sight and Confession of hearty arrow for and the hatred and forsaking of all our former Sins with a stedfast Resolution never to return to them again with any consent delight or approbation and the use of all possible Endeavours to put these Resolutions in practice even to our Lives End So that if we shall at any time fall into the commission of the least Sin or the neglect of any Duty either wilfully or by infirmity and surprize we do again seriously and solemnly renew our Repentance and are never at peace with our Selves and in our Consciences till we be again reconciled unto God or our Neighbour whom we have offended And this we do as well after as before our Conversion not daring to continue in any one sin unrepented of unreformed When we have thus renounced and abandon'd Sin the World and the Devil as our deadly Enemies we think our selves further oblig'd to magnifie and adorn our Profession by the Works and Fruits of Piety and true Holiness Justice and Charity Purity and Sobriety Tit. 2.12 and to perform all and every one of these Duties both to God and Man without Partiality without Hypocrisie This is a short Specimen of the Doctrin and Fundamentals of our Religion which in all and every particular are warranted and recommended to Us by God's infallible Word and the concurrent Suffrages and Confessions of all the Churches of Christ in the Primitive and Purest Ages of the Gospel And as the Doctrin of our Church is Sound and Orthodox so Secondly Our Worship and Discipline is truly Antient and Apostolical For there 's not one single Passage in our Liturgy and Church Service and Circumstantials of Worship our most rigid Adversaries being Judges that is either Anti-Scriptural or Sinful but do all very much conduce to Decency Order Vniformity and the Edification of its Members All which I could easily make appear to you by an Induction of Particulars insomuch that there 's not one National Church under the Cope of Heaven that 's more Orthodox than Ours in Her whole Worship and Politie Consult and examine our Liturgy Articles Homilies Canons and Constitutions Ceremonies c. and there you 'l find a truly Primitive and Apostolical Spirit in the disposition of the several Parts for the Honour and Glory of God and Advancement of his true Religion and Worship amongst Vs And for a further Testimony hereof and your own particular Satisfaction read when you can have the convenience of those Books and leisure to read 'em Hookers Ecclesiastical Politie Dr. Comber's large Volume on our Church Liturgy and Dr. Falkner's Libertas Ecclesiastica which Triumvirate are sufficiently able to answer all the Doubts and Scruples of any unbiast and unprejudiced Reader Besides I can give you a Catalogue of such Books when you please to command it as have treated so learnedly judiciously and convincingly of the Religion of the Church of England in all the Points of Faith Worship and Discipline as will furnish you with such Reasons and Arguments as neither Papist nor Phanatick were ever yet able to answer Let your Religion then and that Church into which you were admitted and initiated by Baptism and in whose Communion you have been hitherto educated be as dear to you as your Estate and Life Remit nothing of your Love and Affection Zeal and Courage to defend it when you are thereunto lawfully called For the Doctrin and Worship of our Church has been transmitted to Us by our pious Ancestors with all the Sanctions both of divine and humane Authority and as sure as there is a God the Religion which you profess came down from Heaven For the everlasting Prince of Peace has consign'd and confirm'd it to Us by the Effusion of his own precious Blood and the Suffrage of many Saints and Martyrs in this Kingdom so that you have not the least reason to scruple your Compliance with and Conformity to it If therefore an Angel or Devil or any ill Men should at any time suggest the contrary to you have no Communication with him but reject him as an utter Enemy and Impostor And when you have more leisure opportunity and experience your Curiosity may lead you to read over and consider the Canons and Constitutions of the Greek and Latin Churches wherein you 'l find the true State of Things and Times the Beginnings Proceedings Increases Encounters Yieldings and Restaurations of the Gospel and what the Primitive Fathers did and suffer'd for the propagation of the Christian Religion and the interest of the Church And herein you 'l also see the Conformity of our Church of England Men since the beginning of the Reformation to the Primitive Pattern And when you have thus made some considerable Progress in inquiring into the Fundamentals and Superstructures of our Religion you 'l be better able to judge of the Opinions and Errors of those that differ from Us. But till you have more time and convenience to inform your self as to the Particulars I shall present you Secondly With a true and brief Account of Popery or the Doctrin and Practices of the Church of Rome as to those Particulars wherein they differ from the Church of England For which cause we are forced to separate from them since we cannot communicate with them without sin nor have we departed further from 'em than they have departed from Themselves and the Truth Now for Method's sake we shall consider also First The Principles or Doctrin And Secondly The Practices of the pretended Catholicks of the Romish Church Whereby 't will evidently appear that Popery if rightly understood is no such beautiful and charming Object as to allure any Man of Reason and Conscience to fall in love with it And First For the Principles of Popery and we are obliged to call them so because they are so esteem'd and accounted by their own Church For since their Council of Trent no Man can properly be admitted into the Romish Communion however in Popish Countries but shall be censured and condemned as a damn'd Heretick unless he believes as followeth viz. That a Mortal Man as the Pope in Cathedra or as some say with his Council of Cardinals is infallible knows all things and can err in nothing that he directs informs animates and commands both in Earth and Purgatory expounds Scripture forgives Sins canonizeth Saints creates new Articles of Faith and in all these and many other of the same Stamp and Character is as absolute and infallible as his Maker But
not indulge your self in any one Lust neither commit the least sin with delight and approbation because even those which we think are the smallest will prove Decoy's and Incentives to greater vain and sinful Thoughts proceeding to Words and Words to Deeds So that in this Progress of Wickedness a Man knows not where to stop till he has plunged himself into the most dangerous and irreparable Mischiefs And then on the other hand for your Positive Duties you should always propose God's Glory the happiness of your self and others as the End and his infallible Word and the Dictates of sober Reason as the Rule and Standard to govern all your Affairs by For without this your best Endeavours will prove either unprofitable or sinful Whereas if you observe this Method and your Intentions be sincere tho you fail in many Instances of Duty and unwillingly fall into some Sins and Errors yet God will be gracious in not imputing them and pass Judgment upon you according to the general Frame and Tendency of your Life if you do not wilfully and wickedly continue in any known Sin or the neglect of any known Duty 'T is observable hence what Obligations you lie under to avoid the most accursed and tempting Company of profane Swearers gluttonous Persons Wine-Bibbers unchast Men and Women c. I have singled out those Vices on purpose which are most incident to Youth and given you the most seasonable Advice I can think of to vanquish and overcome them Reject therefore every Temptation to sin and wickedness in the first Assault and the Conquest will be easie and certain Lament and deplore your past Failings and humbly beg the assistance of God's Grace and Spirit that you may be more watchful over your self and ways for the future Now the best and most certain Means to avoid greater Sins is to make Conscience of the less For the least Sin is damnable in the sight of God and when the work of Regeneration is wrought in you beware of Relapsing consider the dangers of habitual Sin and Apostasie from Grace and exert all your Endeavours to live in the exercise of a Conscience void of offence both towards God and Man For so the whole Time of your short aboad in this World will be pleasant and comfortable and your Death happy There are some other little things I desire to note to you before I leave this Point And First Beware of Swimming which you 'l probably be allured to in those Low Countries the most being dexterous in that Art For tho it may save a Mans Life in case of necessity yet a vain Currosity herein may expose you to the greatest Dangers and Hazards Therefore if you should attempt it for your Pleasure exceed not your own Depth and in seeking to save another have a care you drown not your self Secondly Your Gesture and Deportment should neither be light nor insolent nor wanton For the Life and Soul of true Honour is in generous Qualities and a modest and affable Carriage but yet with a comely regard to your self and such as becomes a Gentleman whose Mind is furnished with worthy and generous Spirits But in this Point as in his abstinence from the Vices and practice of all the Vertues hitherto recommended you have an admirable Pattern in your dear and worthy Father almost beyond Example whose temper and sweetness of Disposition has deservedly recommended him to the Favour and made him honourable and respected amongst all Persons of all Ranks and Conditions Yet be careful to avoid the other Extreme of affected Easiness or Compliance lest your good Disposition should be imposed upon by others Deceit and your own too much Credulity For too much Familiarity and Fawning is always rewarded either with Flattery or Contempt Thirdly What concerns your Bodily Deportment Wrestling Fencing and other Feats of Arms and Military Skill and how far all or any of these are expedient or necessary to be understood or practised I must leave to your self and better Judgments for Advice and Direction for these are not my Province What other Vertues or Vices may occur in your Conversation with others which my designed Brevity and the Occasion I write upon have persuaded me to omit you should note and observe them and make that use of them at least to improve and correct your own For what you dislike or admire in others study and endeavour to avoid the Evil and strive to imitate what is vertuous and commendable And when you have seriously consider'd all those several Rules and Arguments which under this Head do concern your Manners and Deportment you 'l be pleas'd to go one step farther to the last Branch of this faithful and friendly Advice which will have a more peculiar Respect to your Religion The End of the Second Part. ADVICE TO A YOUNG GENTLEMAN Of an Honourable FAMILY Now in His TRAVELS Beyond the SEA'S c. PART III. Of RELIGION THE Business of Religion is the grand Concernment that all of us are sent into the World to mind and our eternal Happiness or Misery depends on the right knowing and acknowledging of God or mistakes about it We had need therefore be very accurate in the choice of that Religion we intend to live and die in and venture our eternal Salvation upon Now there are many Opinions in the World concerning Religion and we may be easily imposed on and deluded if we make not a prudent and wise Choice I shall not trouble you with an account of Heathenism Mahometanism and Judaism For these are all false Religions and contrary to the whole scope and design of the Gospel which being without the Lines of Christian Communication we leave 'em to themselves and the righteous Judgment of God. We Christians know no other way to Salvation but One and that 's by Faith in Christ Jesus and therefore we think our selves obliged to believe the Principles of Christianity with all our Hearts and live according to them For there 's no other name under Heaven whereby we can expect or hope for Salvation but the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ Acts 4.12 Yet there are many Differences not only Circumstantial but Fundamental even amongst those that are called Christians which disturb the Peace of the Church and ruine the Souls of many private Persons as will appear more fully afterwards But 't is more immediately my Design to recommend to you and inforce the Belief and Practice of the truly Primitive and Reformed Religion as now solemnly and publickly profess'd and by Law establish'd in the Church of England I have not the least cause to doubt or suspect but that your Parents did seriously weigh and consider when they sent you abroad the Minority of your Age and Judgment which yet without your own extraordinary care and caution may hurry you unawares into the peril of Miscarriage For alas how many young Gentlemen have lost their Hopes and themselves in Foreign Adventures and return'd home as empty
be continually upon your Watch that you may return with the same Soul and same Body you carried from hence and all the Tempers and Dispositions of both And for this End endeavor throughly to understand and then live up to the Principles and Rules of that Religion you have hitherto profess'd This will prove the best Antidote against that destructive Poison which might otherwise taint and infect both your Intellectuals and Morals and not only destroy the Christian but even the Man or rational part within you Let me advise you still more particularly not so much as to lend an Ear to hear nor a Tongue to discourse with those inchanting Syrens be afraid of their seeming Favours whose Errand is Deceit and under the pretence of Kindness and Respect will wound you to the very Heart Look not upon the pompous Ceremonies and costly Ornaments of that Religion wherein all things are outwardly glorious and pleasant to the Eye but keep close to innocent Truth and let your Soul be always deeply affected with that Worship whose Majesty is in the Heart not in the Face which we profess with the greatest comfort and satisfaction and may we ever do so in the Communion of the best of Churches Thus we have seen at length that the Errors and Superstitions of the Church of Rome wherein they differ from Us are Fundamental Points both of Faith and Worship Therefore have no communication with those of that Way unless it be where civil Relations and Offices of Humanity and Charity require your compliance Now to conclude this Point all the Members of the Church of England are called Protestants a Name common to Us with our Brethren of the Reformed Churches beyond Sea and so indeed we are For we do solemnly protest against the Popish Universal Hierarchy Infallible Judgment Dispensations with the Laws of God and Sins of Men Oral Traditions and other Sacriledges disposing of Kingdoms deposing and Murdering of Princes the Merit of Good Works in our Conversion the Priests pretended Power of transubstantiating Bread and Wine into the Body and Blood of Christ the Sacrifice of the Mass Adoration of the Hostie Images Relicks Prayers to Saints and Angels Power of Indulgences Doctrin of Purgatory necessity of Auricular Confession Prohibition of Priests Marriages Pilgrimages Prayers in an unknown Tongue multitude of Sacraments Penances Miracles and Indian Wonders and pretences of curing the Deaf Dumb Blind Lame and raising the Dead Equivocations mental Reservations pious Frauds legendary Fables devilish Incantations sacred yet diabolical Magick and all their other Delusions and Fopperies as damnable and anti-christian You 'l be pleased Sir to join with me in this Protestation the very naming whereof tho I cannot now insist upon all the Particulars might almost induce you to it and let all true hearted and reformed Protestants both here and every where say Amen There are also several other Religious Sects or rather Hereticks which do err from the Foundation and the true Faith Such are the Anti-Trinitarians Arians Socinians c. who deny the Doctrin of the Holy Trinity the Divinity of Christ and the Holy Ghost and our Saviours Satisfaction All which being excommunicated by Us you must avoid them as the Pests and Enemies of our Religion and have no Intercourse nor Communion with them There 's another silly Sect called Quakers a People so far fallen from Christianity that they do scarce retain any one Article of the true Faith slight and reject all the Ordinances of the Gospel and extol the Light within them above the Holy Scriptures as the only sufficient Rule they are obliged to walk by I only tell you in short what Quakerism is and shall need to say no more of it being there 's so little Temptation to that Opinion Thus much by way of Digression My method leads me Thirdly To consider those Pretensions Reasons and Arguments which our Brethren of the Non-conformity have urged in defence of their Separation from Us. But to do them all the Justice imaginable I must note to you in the first place That those called Antinomians Anabaptists Independants and Presbyterians do hold the Foundation tho they differ from Us in some Opinions not essential to Salvation and notwithstanding their uncharitableness to Us we account them Christians and Brethren as holding the Essentials of Christianity tho they build upon a weak Foundation And seeing Providence has led you into those Countries for the present where you cannot worship God according to your own Way the Church of England both in her Judgment and Practice allows you to communicate with those Sister-Churches of the Reformation to whom we have always given the right Hand of Fellowship tho there be some circumstantial Differences between Them and Us. But You 'l probably meet with some in your Travels as well as in our own Nation who will be very forward to find Faults with and censure our Liturgy and Discipline as we have many of that capricious Humour amongst Us tho they scarce understand it Therefore for the further Confirmation and Establishment of your own Judgment herein and that you may be better fortified with Reasons and Arguments to vindicate our Church and clear those Objections which may be urged against her We shall consider First The most material Objections which have been formed against our Liturgy and Church Politie both at home and abroad Secondly We shall draw some rational Inferences from those Answers and Solutions for your further satisfaction And Thirdly Lay down some Rules by way of caution which I hope may secure you and by your Influence many others from a groundless Separation Of these distinctly And First All the Scruples of our Non-conforming Brethren against our Discipline and Set Form of Worship are reducible to and comprehended under these two Objections And 1. They charge Us with Popery which we abhor as much if not more than they do because say they our Form of Common Prayer by Law establisht is taken out of the Popish Mass-Book that they are Popish Prayers and much of our Discipline and many of our Ceremonies are now used in the Church of Rome Which Objection at the first appearance seems to be very harsh and has so affrighted some weak yet well-meaning Christians that they dare scarce come near Us but hold off and separate from our Communion To which I Answer This Objection is so far from being of any force against Us that it do's very much approve and justifie the singular Moderation of the Church of England as most willing and desirous to communicate with the Papists in all Things wherein we can do it lawfully and with a safe Conscience Besides those Divines who compiled our Liturgy were all Men of extraordinary Parts Piety and Learning and several of them died Martyrs for our Religion Nor have our dissenting Brethren the least colour of Reason to brand our Church Service with savouring too much of Popery seeing the Papists always have and ever had our
Worship in the greatest detestation and abhorrence because they know 't is impossible that Popery should ever return upon Us or be establisht again in England while our Common-Prayer-Book is kept unaltered For the whole Form of our Worship is point blank contrary to Image-Worship praying to Angels and Saints Propitiatory Sacrifice Doctrin of their Sacraments Transubstantiation c. And this is the true Reason why they do so mortally hate both Vs and our Religion And again those Prayers in our Liturgy which were taken out of the Mass-Book are many of them the Collects and Devotions of the Antient Fathers which were in use before ever Popery was known in the World which being purged from the Popish Superstition by our Reformers are now lawfully used by the Church of England according to their Original Institution Insomuch that those who cavil at our Service because some part of it is used by the Papists may as well find fault with the Epistles and Gospels Psalms Chapters Creeds Commandments Lords Prayer c. these being also in the Papists Mass-Book Having fully cleared this first Objection we pass to the 2. And they charge Us again with many Corruptions Additions Defects and circumstantial Errors in our Set Form of Worship and Discipline for they have no Objections against our Doctrin and Fundamentals and for those seeming Reasons they think themselves obliged to withdraw and separate from our Communion Answer This may seem to be a weighty Objection at the first sight and the most plead it being joined with the former which we have answered to the full as the Cause why they think and speak so hardly of our Church and desert our Communion But they might be persuaded to alter their Opinion if laying aside all Prejudice they would but seriously and impartially consider these few Things And 1. 'T is a true and undoubted Maxim that all Persons are obliged to hold Communion with the National and Establish'd Church where they live and must by no means separate from it tho there be some circumstantial Additions Errors and Defects in its external Worship Politie or Discipline For 't is plain that the Prophets and People of God did not separate from but held Communion with the Jews in their Publick Worship tho there were very many and great Defects and Corruptions c. both in their Doctrin and Practice This is clear in many Instances For the solemn Ordinances of God as Circumcision and the Passover were for a long time a-wanting and such Monuments of Idolatry were set up as not only the People thereby became superstitious and immoral but even the Priests also as Eli's two Sons c. brought a Scandal upon their Religion Were not these greater Faults than any of our fiercest Adversaries can charge upon us And yet for all that we sind not one President of so much as any single Person that departed from their Communion 2. At the time of our B. Saviours coming into the World the Jewish Worship was exceedingly corrupted with the Leaven of the Pharisees the Heresie of the Sadduces who denied the Immortality of the Soul and the Resurrection of the Body Besides the whole Service of God was intolerably prophaned the Temple polluted Religion subverted Judgment and the Love of God trampled upon and neglected many needless and superstitious Ceremonies interlarded with their Worship the People addicted to all manner of Wickedness and even the Priests themselves very heterodox and dissolute both in their Faith and Manners And yet at that time we find several religious Persons both Men and Women with great Zeal and Devotion worshiping God in the Temple as Zachary and Simeon Hannah and Elizabeth c. And our Blessed Saviour himself was by his pious Parents presented in the Temple according to the Custom and Law of Moses He afterwards kept the Passover and all the Festivals of the Jewish Church frequented and taught daily in the Temple in their Synagogues gave Honour and Reverence and paid Tribute to their Rulers nor did he ever desert their Communion till he was forced to retire to save his own Life So that he thought it necessary and so did those other Votaries to join in Gods Publick Worship notwithstanding those great Errors and Defects which thanks be to God are not chargeable upon Us. But 3. There were many Errors and Defects both in the Doctrin and Practice of the then slourishing Churches of Corinth Galatia c. and yet the Apostle S. Paul was so far from encouraging a Schism in and Separation from the Communion of those Churches that he threatens those Persons with the severest Punishments who were the Instruments in fomenting and promoting those Animosities and Divisions Nor is there any one Instance or President in the whole Scripture to warrant our departure from any Church that is Sound and Orthodox in her Principles however erroneous and corrupt in the Politie and Circumstantials of Divine Worship We might hereunto add 4. The concurrent Judgments and Opinions of the most Eminent and Reformed Divines beyond Sea who have unanimously declared their Dislike of a Separation from our Communion as Calvin Bullinger Bucer and many others And tho they dissented from Us in lesser Things yet held Communion and Correspondence with our Church Church-men as may appear by their several Letters to our Reformers and would have been glad if their Circumstances would have allowed our Form of Church Politie and deservedly preferr'd it to any Church Government in the World. But to argue yet more closely 5. If any will refuse our Communion and separate from Us because there are some pretended Errors in the Discipline and Circumstantials of our Worship which yet none have ever been able to prove against Us they 'l be obliged upon the same score to withdraw their Communion from all the Churches in Christendom For what Church Government shall they be ever able to assign that 's so pure and sincere as to be wholly exempted from Circumstantial Errors and Defects And were there not more Faults in the Worship of the Primitive Churches for the five first Centuries than are at present in Ours Are there no Errors in the Worship Constitutions and Ecclesiastical Government of Geneva and Amsterdam I 'm sure many of their Learned Divines have ingenuously acknowledg'd that all things were not according to their Desire and yet did not think it Prudence to alter the Government for the sake of some small Errors In short our Dissenting Brethren must either disclaim these Conceits or turn Hermits and Anchorets live in a Cell or Wilderness and even depart from themselves who as I could easily shew them are guilty of as many if not more and greater Faults and Errors in their little Assemblies than can be justly charged upon Vs or the Liturgy and Government of the Church of England Whither would not these wild and extravagant Fancies carry any Man that shall give way to them So that they must either prove their own Churches