the preceptive or penal part though it justifies me before the Law R. B. What if the Creed or Lords Prayer were too rigorously imposed J. O. If the thing be my duty in obedience to a just and Supream Law I am not to neglect it because an Inferiour Governour too rigorously imposeth it 1. Such a rigorous imposition hurts me not in that which I take to be duty to do whether that Imposition be or no. 2. Christ never annexeth too severe Penalties to any of his Laws 3. If man undertake to annex too rigorous Punishments or unsuitable ones it hinders not me in my Duty to Christ As if a Magistrate make Whipping or Hanging the Penalty of not receiving the Sacrament in such a time If I upon Examination of my self and the Rule apprehend it my duty in Obedience to Christ I will do it but not in respect to Mans Laws But if the Subordinate Law-maker alter the Nature and Circumstances of the Supream the Law is another thing and my Obedience justifies the power of the Law-maker and the goodness of the Law in the Mandatory part Again good things by a lawful Authority may be too rigorously imposed and the Law may be unjust in the Penalty though the Mandatory part be good which injustice is the sin of the Law-givers loss and wrong of the Transgressor because he suffers beyond the Merit of his Transgression but this hinders not me from my Duty neither doth this rigorous Imposition hurt me so long as I stand in obligation and practice of my duty by another Righteous Law which requires the same thing If Christ commands me to say the Lords Prayer and annexeth no corporal punishment I will do it If Mans Law saith I shall be hang'd if I do not do it I do the Action by vertue of Christ's Law But let such Law makers look to it that annex Corporal Penalties to Laws of his Institution the Cries of them upon which they are Executed will be loud in Christs Ear. Manuscript This Corjunction by C mmunion by the Worship of the Liturgy is a Symbol Pledge and Token of â—n Ecclesâ—astical Incorporation with the Church of England in its present Constitution it is so in the Law of the Land it is so in the Canons of the Church it is so in the common understanding of all men and by these Rules must our Vnderstanding and Practice be judged and not be any Reserves of our own which neither God nor good men will allow of Wherefâ—re R. B. To the third Premise I answer The Church of England is an Ambiguous word 1. As it signifies a part of the Universal Church agreeing in Faith one God and all Essentials J. O. So any Church may be as well as it any particular Congregation this is no distinguishing Character but is ambiguous too R. B. 2. As it is a Christian Kingdom under one King J. O. A Church in a sence is a Christian Kingdom i. e. a Royal Nation under Christ their King But there 's no such Gospel Church in your sence for there was neither Christian Kingdom nor King in the Apostles days R. B. As it is a Confedracy of many Churches to keep concord in lawful Circumstantials as well as Integrals J. O. This will not tell us yet what the Church of England is 1. A confederacy of Churches is by No-body call'd a Church in your sence of a Church the Scripture no where calls a confedracy of Churches a Church nor doth any that call the Church of England â— Church owning it so to be in its professed Constitution mean thereby a confederation of Churches 2. National Churches may be a confederation of Churches and such confederation in lawful circumstantials as well as integrals will make a Church I know not why we may not have a Catholick Visible Church Organized if this be a due acceptation of a Church R. B. If any Church go beyond these bounds and upon good pretences shall agree upon any Error or Evil it is a mistake to hold that all that incorporate with them in the three aforesaid lawful respects do therefore confederate with them in their Error This is your Fourth Error J. O. That 's â—our Error 1. In Arithmetick it s but the third by your own mark 2. In Logick for what â—ounds have you set These three things are but general Descriptions of a Church at most Here 's no definition in any or all of them of any particular Church and that is setting of â—ounds when I difference and describe a Species or Individual under its next Genus by its particular form or proper adjunct we spâ—ak of a particular Church so bounded The Church of England is so according to its present constitution by Establishing Laws in its actual form of Officers Members particular Worship and power as an Organized individual Church National Church is not the next Genus of the Church of England but remote National Church is the next Genus Now I say upon whatever pretences a particular Church calls and professeth it self a Church as the conditions of their Communion if you joyn with them upon those conditions pretended and professed that is a Token of your Ecclesiastical Incorporation in the said Church in its present constitution the Church and all others looks upon you as an Actual Member let the conditions be Error or no Error The Question is not so much now whether the terms be Error or not but whether your joyning upon the terms required is not your Ecclesiastical Incorporation with them And then if the terms be erroneous and sinful whether you do not joyn in the Error and professedly allow it by your practice R. B. I will give you a general instance and a particular one 1. You cann't name me one combined company of Churches from the Apostles dayes till now that had no Error J. O. You might as well have said any one Church for we speak of a particular Church not of combined Churches but suppose as you say If that Combination be an Error or an Error be the condition of the Combination then my coming upon that condition is an Error and an Incorporation into that combination so as to make me Confederate in that Error R. B. The Independents gathered a Synâ—d at the Savoy and there among their Doctrinals or Articles of Faith laid down two points Expresly contrary to Scripture 1. That it is not Faith but Christs Righteousness that we are justified by whereas it is both and the Scripture often saith the contrary J. O. It is a strange thing that any man should take upon him such Magisterial Dictatorship in matters of Religion to insinuate Error into Mens Minds and unjust accusations of others For 1. When the Scripture speaks of Justification by Faith doth any sound Divines or Christians understand it of the Act of believing but that the object of Faith that Justifies is the Righteousness of Faith our own Righteousness or Christs Righteousness but this dispute is not
A Theological Dialogue Containing the DEFENCE and JUSTIFICATION OF Dr. John Owen FROM THE FORTY TWO ERRORS Charged upon him by Mr. Richard Baxter In a certain MANUSCRIPT ABOUT Communion in Lyturgical Worship Hebr. 11.5 By Faith Abel obtained a witness that he was righteous God testifying of his gifts and by it being dead yet speaketh 1 Cor. 4.3 4. With me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you or of mans judgment He that judgeth me is the Lord. LONDON Printed for the Author 1684. A THEOLOGICAL DIALOGUE CONTAINING Dr. Iohn Owen's DEFENCE AND JUSTIFICATION AGAINST Mr. Richard Baxter's CHARGE c. J. O. SIR you say That there is a certain Manuscript come to your hand which is famed to be Dr Owen's but received by you from a private hand which you publish taking it for granted so to be add his Name to it and expose it to Publick View and charge the said Dr. Owen with forty two Errors therein contained It is not yet proved by you to be his and therefore whether its reasonable for you to charge him with forty two Errors if you had found them in the said Manuscript let the World judge But whether the charge of such Errors on the said Manuscript be just give us leave to Examine by our Ensuing Conference And seeing by a continued Prosopopeia you direct your Discourse Charges Reproofs and Admonitions to me as if I were personally present or at least living in the Body who you know departed this Life some months since Take it not amiss if I treat you in the like nature and think it as feasible for a dead man to speak in the Ears of the Living as for the Living to speak in the Ears of the Dead I suppose if that Manuscript were mine some or other of the Congregation to which I was Pastor might come to me with this Case of Conscience Sir Is it lawful for us who are Members of a Congregation of Faithful People according to Article 19. of the Church of England for to joyn now as things are in their present Circumstances in the Publick Worship by the Liturgy And that it was Answered Manuscript It is not lawful for us to go to and joyn in Publick Worship by the Common Prayer because that Worship in it self according to the Rule of the Gospel is unlawful Now I pray Sir what Resolution would you give of this Case R. B. I say It is not only lawful but a Duty for those that cannot have better Publick Church-Worship without more hurt than benefit and are near a competent Parish Minister to go to and joyn in Publick Worship performed according to the Liturgy and in Sacramental Communion and for those that can have better to joyn sometimes with such Parish-Churches when their forbearance scandalously seemeth to signifie that they take such Communion for unlawful and so would tempt others to the same Accusation and Uncharitable Separation J. O. Sir Your Resolution seems to me very long and upon so many Suppositions that its very ambiguous and doth very scarcely if at all reach the Enquiry here made For 1. We ask for our selves who are Actual Members of a Voluntary Church whether we may joyn in such Communion spoken of when we are as we apprehend of a Society and have a Publick Worship more agreeable to the mind of Christ and our own Edification and do you judge whether that be better or no for us 2. What you mean by a competent Ministry we know not one man judges a man a Competent yea able and profitable Minister which another doth not who must be a binding Judge to me in this case Must I walk by my own Judgment for Edification or by another Mans 3. Doth nearness to a Competent Minister make it my duty to joyn in all the Publick Worship of that Church of which he is Minister You say If I cann't have better But if I have and can by going further what then And for those that can have better to joyn sometimes in such Parish-Churches but then not alwayes and to leave their aforesaid Communion as unlawful whereas our said Parish-Churches require us so to do prosecuting us by Laws wherever they find us assembled You say it must be when our forbearance scandalously seemeth to signifie that we take such Communion for unlawful Who shall be judge of this Doth my Actual Non-communion with any Church scandalously reflect upon its Constitution if I walk in Communion with a Church which I judge to be a Church of Christ Must I go by the conduct of every peevish man or Church that will say so If a Church of Baptists in the same Parish with me will say so must I therefore joyn with them upon their unalterable terms which I am not satisfyed in Again what if I do take such Communion for unlawful upon grounds satisfactory to my self am I bound to-slight those grounds because somebody saith my forbearance hath a Scandalous Signification Likewise if my Separation be in duty to wards God and my own Soul it 's not uncharitable to any Man neither do I tempt any man by walking therein to uncharitableness or any Accusation thereof Manuscript Something must be premised to the Confirmation of this Position J. O. These are the things that we premise and therefore should be agreed upon on both sides pro concessis before we go to prove the Position laid down by the following Twelve Arguments Manusc 1. The whole System of Liturgical Worship with all its inseparable Dependencies are intended for as such it is Established by Law and not in any part of it only as such it is required that we receive it and attend unto it It is not in our power it is not left to our judgment or liberty to close with or make use of any part of it as we shall think fit There are in the Mass-Book many Prayers directed to God only by Jesus Christ yet it is not lawful for us thereon to go to Mass under a pretence only of joyning in such lawful Prayers As we must not offer their Drink-Offerings of Blood so we must not take up their Names in our Lips Psal 16 4. have no Communion with them R. B. To the first I answer 1. If he will include all that is in the Liturgy the Nonconformists confess that there is something in it which they differ from as unjustifiable and so there is in all mens Worship of God J. O. We say The whole System our meaning is plain the totum as it stands constituted in all its integral parts When I speak of John or Thomas c. I speak not of a Finger or a Leg if I do I say the Finger or Leg of such an one So we speak not of those things that you will call faulty and unjustifyable as it may be a Surplice or Cross c. but of the whole Liturgy-Worship as Establish'd R. B. He intimateth that it is not in cur power to
our present Province The Articles of the Savoy-Confession saith God freely justifieth us Not by imputing Faith it self the Act of believing c. Will you say That God imputes the Act of believing for Righteousness in Justification of a Sinner before God If you will there 's more good Protestants will condemn this as your Error then will say there is any Error in that Article of the Savoy-Confession I am sure we have Scripture enough against you but this is one of your Arminian Errors R. B. That Christs Righteousness imputed is our sole Righteousness whereas the Scripture doth name also our inherent and practical Righteousness J. O. Why do you not speak out now but intimate an Error Doth the Scripture name inherent Righteousness for Justification I know what you would be at you are for your Evâ—ngelical Works to come in Cheek by Jole with the imputed Righteousness of Christ for Justification and you are inforced â—o it because you will bring in the To Credere one may as well come in as the other And in this Doctrine I must tell you you have laid â—he fairest Bridg for Popery to come in that ever any Protestant Divine hath done this hundred years And that 's your Popish Error I will reherse the Savoy-Confession in its own words which is taken verbatim almost if not quite from the Assembly's so that you charge the latter in charging the former Savoy-Confess of Justification Chap. 2. Those whom God effectually calleth he also freely justifieth not by infusing Righteousness into them but by pardoning their Sins and by accounting and accepting their persons as righteous not for any thing wrought in them or done by them but for Christs sake alone not by imputing Faith it self the Act of Believing or any other Evangelical Obedience to them as their Righteousness but by imputing Christs Active Obedience unto the whole Law and Passive Obedience in his death for their whole and sole Righteousness they receiving and resting on him and his Righteousness by Faith which Faith they have not of themseves it is the Gift of God This Article we stand by and will defend against all men that shall oppose it as erroneous R. B. I asked some yet living why they consented to these and did not rather expound the Scripture then deny it And they said that it was Dr. Owens doing Now doth it follow that every one that there confederated with you owned these Errors J. O. If the bringing in this Article of Faith was Dr. Owens doing as you say you were told I am not ashamed of it 2. He did no more in this and the other than was the Act of the whole Convention 3. If any of the Members that were there were dissatisfied in the truth of it why did they not protest against it But if it were an Error all that acted silently by implicit consent were confederate if it were a confederation in the Error and there was nothing of this kind done but by most Voices which made every man concerned that entered not his particular Dissent R B. The Churches of Helvetia they are commonly such as we call Erastian for no Discipline but the Magistrates are all that confederate with them as Churches guilty of this Error J. O. They are so for subjection to such discipline is the Condition of their Communion and therefore they that are joyned upon those terms are guilty of their Error R. B. But I further distinguish between the many Parish-Churches and the Diocesan and the Church of England as constituted of such Diocesan Churches J. O. You may as well distinguish between the many particular men and Homo and Animal R. B. The Old Nonconformists commonly owned the Parish-Churches and the Church of England made up of such but not the Diocesan J. O. You and they might as well own the Church of England in the form and constitution as it is Established as the Parishes to be particular Gospel-Churches and the Aggregatum of them to make up a Conglomorate Church there is as much ground for one as for the other Methinks a Conglobate Church makes a more firm and solid Body being made of several Orbs subordinately inwraping and infolding one another Now it must needs follow that where a Church is thus constituted that you cann't take out from such a Body any middle subordinate Coat but you must make Schism of the whole and to come into the Communion of the Chuâ—ch of England which is such a conglobate Church with a denial iâ—â—our heart or mouth of a Diocesan Church is to come with Schism in your heart and mouth splitting a Church in order to Communion yea a denial of the very Establishment of that Church yea the very Pastoral standing of the constituted Pastor to whose Church you joyn for the Diocesan Bishop by the constitution is the Pastor of that Parish in which you joyn the Parson or Vicar is but his Curate or Vmbra Now to say you joyn with a quatenus and own not the very constitution and standing of the Church with which you joyn in the sence the Church asserts it is the greatest Equivocation in practice that is You joyn with them quatenus Congregational Churches such they disown as an Association of Presbyterian Churches which they disown you disown the Diocesan Bishop for your Pastor which he saith he is you say he is a Presbyterian Superintendent he saith he is none Is not this high imposing to come to Communion with a Church upon the terms of your quaterus As if I should get upon a Cow and ride it with Whip and Spur and say I ride it quatenus Equus and enter into the Society of a parcel of Pedlars and Tinkers and say I confederated with them quatenus Merchants The meaning is by a reserve you can joyn visibly with one Church and be a Communicate with another sort of Church at the same time Well the Old Nonconformists nor you are to be no Presidents to us in this case We will not injure any Church so as to impose upon them terms of Communion as we would have none impose upon us So far as the old Nonconformists and the old Reforming Conformists went forward with Reformation to bring the Church out of the Wilderness we honour them but when they turn back again and entice the people so to do we are afraid to tempt God in that manner for we have seen what God did with his people in the Wilderness of old which things were written for our Ensample upon whom the Ends of the World are come 1 Cor. 10. R. B. Also it 's a mistake to say That Communion by the Liturgy is a Symbol and Pledge of the foresaid Incorporation in the Church of England in its present constitution it is only a part of the Communion commanded but no such Symbol And here 's two Errors J. O. An Incorporation into a Species is an Incorporation into the Genus that which is Incorporated into the Species of
Homo and therefore receives that true denomination is Incorporated into the Genus Animal Or take the Church as an Integrum that which is incorporated into an integâ—al part is incorporated into the Integrum communion with the Integrum is per partes and such incorporation into any of the Parts is an evidencing Pledge which is a Symbol of Communion with the whole as by a Turf you take possession of an Estate in Land and by the delivery of a Key and entring the House you take possession i. e. These are Symbols or Pledges of your being instated in the whole R. B. For first the Rulers openly declare that they take multitudes to be none of their Church who joyn in the Liturgy J. O. That 's false Where do any Rulers by any Law declare so And if any say so it 's only concerning such as yield not to their required terms of Communion in joyning with the Worship of the Liturgy as the Establishing Law requires and will you joyn Communion with a Church whose Officers plainly declare that you are none of their Church whilst you Communicate Surely you either strangely impose upon them to communicate being a declared non-Non-Member or they are pitiful Church-Rulers that look no stricter to their Communicants but whose will may break in upon them So that here 's a Church in Communion with those that are declaredly none of its Communion and Members and non-Non-Members in Communion and Non-Communion with a Church and no Church This is a very pretty Riddle R. B. And it is Subscribing Declaring and Swearing Obedience which is the Symbol J. O. Of what Of Lay-Communion You should speak out your Sentences and not squeez off a piece Are any of those required of Lay-Communicants Nay are they not of another Nature qualifications of actual Communicants for Office-Power I wonder that grave men and Divines will dare to Equivocate so Is not Baptism according to the Liturgy a Symbol of Incorporation into the Church of England Confirmation another Receiving the Lords Supper another Symbol ordinary Attendence on the Service c. R. B. Yea they Excommunicate many that come to the Liturgy-Service J. O. For what For Bastardy Whoring Swearing Drunkenness these should for all their coming to the Liturgy be Excommunicated But why do they Excommunicate them Is it not because they look upon them as incorporated Members before Excommunication It were Nonsence for a Church to Excommunicate a declared non-Non-Member And are not Excommunicate Persons kept from coming to the Communion by the Liturgy So that it 's apparent Communion in the Liturgy is the Symbol yea door of in-let to and out-let from incorporation with the Church R. B. And many come to it who openly disown the Diocesan present Constitution so did the old Nonconformists and many Forreigners French and Dutch J. O. Your Self for Example the chief Head of that Trimming Sect whose practice condemns their declared Opinion and that your Rulers know or else would not connive at such a scandalous sort of communicants that deny the professed standing and form of a Diocesan Church whilst they have communion wiâ—h it and say they communicate with it quâ—tenus a Presbyteriâ—n Association of Churches Those old Nonconformists that did so are no Presidents to us If they halâ—ed and were lame must we be so Such Communicants are not acceptable to any Church and I know what Church would never admit them were it not to punish and expose them and their Profession as ridiculous and inconsistent with it self And as for French and Dutch what are they to us or any other any more than they follow Christ And if the Church do not do their duty towards disorderly communicants let them look to it it 's none of our fault R. B. If one may joyn in Communion of Worship with a Presbyterian Independant or Anabaptist Church without owning the Errors of their Constitution then so we may with a Parish Church But c. J. O. And a Diocesan too you should say for in joyning with one you joyn with the other as such And I will tell you if they make their Errors the condition of your communion you cannot joyn in communion c. without owning their Errors Suppose a Presbyterian Church makes worshiping according o the Directory the condition of their Communion and I look upon this as their Error or that it is a false Rule of Worship do not I in joyning in Communion by the Directory own their Error So Baptists making Re-baptizing the condition of communion with them and I look upon it as a sin do not I own their Error by joyning wiâ—h them on this condition and so grosly condemn my self and commit a known sin yea 't is no better than a presumptuous Sin R. B. You mi take when you say it is by the Law of the Land J. O. I admirâ— you can say it when I know you cann't but be better acquâ—inted with the Laws then so You should have instanced in some part or clause that had excepted some Communicants from being reckoned of that Church They would thank you for it that they might not be liable to Excommunication All that are liable to a Church-Excommunication when they have offended are declared Members of the Church But all Communicants â—nd Native Inhabitants are so therefore the Law hath excepted none R. B. You mistake again when you say it is so by the Canons J. O. Is it possible you can charge such things for mistakes doth not the 22â—h Canon require every Parishioner that is a Lay Person to communicate thrice every year Is not that for a Symbol of their Incorporation with the Church of England which is affirmed to be a true Apostolick Church Can. 3. Can. 14 89. and how comes it to pass that the Churcâ— hath power of Excommunicating any person but by vertue of Incorporation which she hath by the same Law He that is not in the Church how comes he to be cast out And how was it that he is esteemed one Is it not by vertue of the Church Canon or Rubrick Is he not by communion in the Sacrament of Baptism made a Member Is not that communion of the Liturgy So for Confirmation or other Liturgical Worship that are made necessâ—ry conditions of communion are they not Symbols of their Ecclesiastical Incorpor tion the neglect whereof is punished with Excommunication And likewise those that do not submit to the things therein commanded not to be admitted to the Communion of the Sacramâ—nts and therefore to be reckoned as no Members Can 27. Scâ—ismâ—ticks not to be admitted to the Communion No Mininister when he celebrateth the Communion shall wittingly administer to â—y â—â—t to such as kneel under pâ—in of Suspension nor under the liâ—e pâ—in to 〈◊〉 that refuse to be present at Publick Prayer accordinâ— to the Oâ—ders of the Church of England R. B. I formerly instanced in one of the sharpest Nonconformists oâ—â— Mr. Humpney Feu of Coventry who would say aloud
Amen to all he Common Prayer save that for the Bishops by which all thâ—â—e know his miâ—d whether it were â—ight or wrong I now determine 〈◊〉 So here are tâ—ree more of your Mistakes Mâ—rk'd 7 8 9 Errors J. O. Iâ—â—his the onlâ— proof you bring of your charge of three Errors â—hâ—â— olâ— Mr. â—â—uâ—pâ—â—â— F n would not say Amen to the Prayers for the Bishops and you do noâ— determine it Right or wrong And yet his practice or rather offensive forbearance is proof enough of three Errors in the Manuscript Is not this an admirable way of Reasoning I had thought Errors in Divinity had been to have been proved from the Word of God and not from the sullen practices of an half-pac'd doting Nonconformist which you know not whether it be Right or Wrong surely Wrong for Mr. Fen he ought to have pray'd for his Pastor R. B. You make all other Reserves of our own to be allowed neither by God nor good men And this mark'd for two Errors X XI J. O. The Words are By this Rule must our Profession and Practice be judged that is by their agreement or non-agreement with the Churches Rule of Worship The common understanding of all both Conformists and Dissenters is That any man that holds communion with the Church in the Worship of the Lyturgy doth give to the world an Evidencing Token of his Incorporation with the Church of England in its present constitution and so did Mr. Fen for all his refusal of his Amen for the Bishops and such Reserves as those are not allowed by God or by good men For a man to joyn in communion with a Church and have a reserve that it is not such a Church as they profess themselves to be that the Pastor is no Pastor and not fit so much as to pray'd for that 's a sweet church-Church-member R. B. Here are two mistakes 1. God makes it our great duty to hold Communion with most or all the Churches on Earth with these Reserves i. e. to own them in all that is good and disown all their evil though the Laws command the owning of them Without this Reserve I would not joyn with yours or any Church on Earth J. O. And with this Reserve you may hold Communion with the Church of Rome and you may keep any company of any sort This Principle smells very strong of I know what I know also who can swear any Faith or Allegiance never intending to keep one word of it and call it good Divinity it 's all salved well enough hwit a Reserve yea and can do any evil actions and it 's all well enough if there is a good meaning and a reserve This I think you call Mental Separation elsewhere it is an admirable Panacaea for a man to carry about in his pocket now-a-days But I pray will it serve in all cases of Church-Communion when you know of Sin that will certainly be committed in the Worship before you come to it and that you must practically by visible participation have Communion in that Sin or Error will a Reserve preserve you from the guilt of that Sin That which you speak of is another thing all Administrators and Churches are liable to Errors but we speak of Errors in the Rule of Worship and the conditions of Communion fore-known fore-judg'd by you will God or good men allow of such We speak not of the ordinary personal failings of men could you by vertue of this Reserve submit to Re-baptizâ—tion the condition of their Church Communion And many Instances might be given of the like Nature R. B. And it is an immodest Error to say that none are good men that are not of your mind J. O. It 's an immodest false thing if you affirm that ever Dr. O. said so or that there is any such thing in the Manuscript Manuscript He that joyns in the Worship of the Common Prayer doth by his Practice make Profession that it is the true Worship of God accepted with him approved of him and wholly agreeable to his mind and will To do it with other Reserves is Hypocrisie and worse then the thing it sâ—lf without them Happy is he that condemneth not himself in the thing which he alloweth Rom. 14.12 R. B. This is the 12th Mistake and one that hath dreadful consequents 1. It contradicteth the Express Profession of the Communicants who openly tell the World That they take not the Lyturgy to be wholly agreeable to Gods mind and will and you are not to feign a Profession of men contrary to their open Protestation J. O. If men apparâ—ntly prâ—ctice contrary to their Protestation I call that and all men do Profession and I feign it not If men profess that the revealed mind and will of God is the only unerring Rule of Worship with their Tongues and yet in practice submit to and joyn in Communion with a Worship which they openly declare to be by a false and Erring Rule they make their Profession contradict their Profession For they that cann't justifie a Rule as wholly agreeable to the mind and will of God and declare that it is not so and yet worship God according thereunto do practice contrary to their declared Profession This we stand to as Truth and will never be baffied to the Worlds End R. B. It is most direful to your own Separating Followers who by this are supposed to profess all your Worship to be agreeable to Gods mind and will And so all the honest well-meaning People are made guilty of all the Errors which you put into your Worship J. O. That Spirit of bitterness that appears here in this undertaking of yours as many other things of the like Nature little becomes a Minister of Christ and one that in effect hath sometimes writ himself Our Brother and Companion in Tribulation and in the Kingdom and Patience of Jesus Christ I could speak much of my mind to you upon this Subject but for some Reasons I only hint as Verbum Sapienti how sharp many of your Invectives have been in the Hearts and Spirits of Christ's Members 1. For your putting the title so often of Separatists Separating followers dividing Separatists upon those who are tender of the Honour of God in the Purity of his Ordinances you do but therein Espouse the Quarrel the Beast hath had with the Woman ever since she came into the Wilderness in laying all manner of Reproaches upon her Seed as well as Sufferings for hiding her self from his Abominations and keeping their Garments undesiled by false Worship The day will come that you will see those standing upon Mâ—unt Zion singing the Song of Moses and the Lamb to be Separating followers not of me but of the Lamb. 2. We endeavour to teach those people you so contemptibly mention That God is to be Worshipped by a Rule wholly agreeable to his mind and will yea and a perfect and unerring Rule not of mans making and unagreeable to Gods mind and