the world So is this Uniformity in actions of Worship also necessarily included in this Apostolical Exhortation to speak the same things and that there be no divisions amongst us Indeed this would be a perfect and blessed Unity for all these three to meet together unity in judgment unanimity of loving affection and uniformity in action and this perfection ought to be both in all our aims and endeavours but if while we faithfully endeavour it in our several places we cannot through our own weakness or others waywardness attain to the full perfection hereof yet pulchrum erit in secundis tertiis ve it will be our comfort and commendation to labour and attain so much after it as possibly we can and therefore nevertheless whereunto we have attained Phil 3.16 let us mind the same things Let us labour after this unity of judgment affection and action I beseech you Brethren by the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ that ye all speak the same thing and that there be no divisions amongst you but that ye strive perfectly to be joyned together in the same mind and in the same judgment To quicken you hereunto this being so needful a duty and we all so dull unto it let me offer these following forceable Motives to your serious consideration 1. The seasonableness of the Exhortation for are not these the last and worst days the dregs and Lees of times of which our Saviour prophecied when Christian Love should grow cold which is the Bond of Peace and Satan knowing his time but short should double his diligence in sowing his Tares of cursed contentions in Gods Fold Heb. 10.24 25. â—ude v. 11. the proud and malicious hearts of men being too fruitful soils thereof and of which the Apostle prophesieth and Saint Jude Read the places and see if the men of this Age be not therein exactly described Alas when was the Christian World ever more out of quiet when was Gods Church ever more dangerously rent and torn when was Schismes and Separations ever more greedily and dangerously made and prosecuted when was Gods Church on Earth more Militant or had more Enemies forreign abroad intestine at home more Satanical spirits to hate it more Lucians to scoff at it more Rabshekah's to rail on it or Balaam's to curse it when were there more Atheists to scoff at Religion Ridemur decathimmur saith Tert. more Hereticks to reproach revile and slander it more Schismaticks studying divisions affecting parties carrying up-sides and factions and being out of danger of the Kings Laws and contemning the Churches pious Edicts and Censures like unnatural Children rending and tearing their Mothers Bowels Inimici Domesticiâ— Behold the Churches Foes are those of her own Family Rom. 3.17 her Sons disturb her peace and the way thereof they will not know Mistake me not my design is not to rail or reflect on any sort of men but only to warn you as a faithful Watchman to take heed of these deceitful ways and the very design of this Complaint and Lamentation that there should be such Troublers of Israel abounding amongst us is only to shew the Exhortation in the Text as necessary so seasonable even that we all hearken after the things that make for peace to speak the same things and to avoid if it be possible these divisions amongst us So from the seasonableness pass we 2. To the reasonableness of the Exhortation also and that in almost infinite respects 1. Listen to Gods Commands search the Scriptures Brethren and find any duty if you can more peremptorily commanded more highly commended by the Holy Ghost more frequently pressed by the Prophets and Apostles than this How often doth the Gospel of Peace call upon us to follow peace with all men Eph. 5.16 Heb. 12.14 if it be possible and as much as lyeth in us to live peaceably with all men How much more with Brethren 2 Cor. 13.11 2 Cor. 13.14 2 Tim. 2.23 men of the same Nation and Church and Faith and Religion with our selves for to such it is written Be of one mind live in peace follow Righteousness Faith Charity and Peace with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart It were endless to give you all the strict Commands of the Gospel to this purpose without obedience to which we are not real but nominal servants of Jesus Christ unless we study Unity and be careful to maintain peace and love and speak the same things and avoid divisions and those that cause them the World may question our Christianity which will further appear in all the following considerations whilst we look upon God whom we pretend to serve and worship 2. It is the Apostles Argument amongst many others Eph. 4.1 2. I the Prisoner of the Lord beseech you that you walk worthy of the Calling wherewith ye are called How With all lowliness and meekness and long-suffering endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace For saith he there is one Body one Spirit one Hope one Lord one God and Father of all There is but one God and great reason then we should endeavour unity and unanimity and uniformity in the worship and service of this one God Those that have several Gods may well have several ways and several forms to worship them as the Marriners in Jonah called every one upon his God When several Gods are afoot all Games must go forward but now we all profess but one God unchangeably one the Maker of Heaven and Earth the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and he is always of one mind he is not for one thing sometimes and another thing other times like a distempered Stomack but God is still of one and the same mind and therefore that which pleaseth him at one time the same words and things if they proceed from the same heart must needs find the same acceptance always No marvel if dissentions arise amongst wicked ones betwixt Abimelech and the men of Shechem seeing they serve divers Masters have several lusts one raigning in this another in that man all commanding contrary things but shall not Christians speak the same things without divisions that all serve one Lord and that one being so far from commanding any thing that may occasion discord that his very livâ—â—â— is the Badge and Cognizance of Love and Peace More particularly being we profess to worship the Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity let us consider each Person in the Blessed Trinity 1. God the Father he is one there is one Father of all If God be our Father Eph. 4.6 then are we all Brethren to each other If a man coming into his Neighbours house by chance should find them all together by the ears would he not think them disorderly and ill-governed children how much more if they should be observed to be ever and anon snarling and quarrelling one with another and beating and kicking one another Here Joseph
unto you Pharisees saith Christ for ye tithe Mint and Rue and all manner of Herbs and pass over judgement and the love of God these ought you to have done and not to leave the other undone Well if men will submit to the word of God the antidote against this strange partiality in the matter instanced of Christian union and concord is easily provided there being almost innumerable rules and precepts in the Scriptures to convince us of it Amongst which this Text is as full as any Now I beseech you Brethren by the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ that ye all speak the same thing and that there â—e no divisions amongst you but that ye be perfectly joyned together in the same mind and in the same judgement Thus St. Paul wrote with his Brother Sosthenes to the Church of God which was at Corinth nor wrote he so to them onely but b verse 2. with them to all that in every place call upon the name of the Lord Jesus both theirs and ours The words then are spoken to us also and all Believers in all places to the Worlds end Now the Apostle intending to condemn many vices in these Corinthians that he might not seem to do it out of malice or spleen or envy he begins first with a true commendation of their gifts and vertues that they were inriched in all knowledg and in all utterance that they came behind others in no gift c verse 7. But alas as knowledge is apt to pusse us up so these Corinthians began in their pride to divide themselves from each other So that d verse 12. one cryed I am for Paul another I am for Apollo and a third I am for Cephas therefore to make way for a sharp reproof hereof the Apostle brings in this grave obtestation in the text Now I beseech you saith he though I might be bold in Christ to enjoyn and command yet for love sake I rather beseech you I beseech you Brethren I do it in the bowels and affections of a brother Nay and by the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ that is by the power and authority of Christ and for the honour and glory of Christ I Paul so speak as if Christ himself did speak unto you For alas how the name of God and how the Doctrine of Christ is blasphemed through your divisions he that runs may read it and therefore for his sake I beseech you By the Name of our Lord that is by vertue of that commission and authority I have received from him who is our Lord and if he be our Lord where is his honour and in the Name of our Lord Jesus he who is your Saviour and as you hope for Salvation by him Our Lord Jesus Christ he that is the anoynted of God anoynted to be our Prophet Priest and King every word in the obtestation hath a sufficient weight to awaken us to attend it What even this exhortation I beseech you Brethren by that Name of our Lord Jesus Christ that ye all speak the same thing and that there be no divisions amongst you but that ye perfectly be joyned together in the same mind and in the same judgement It is a strange kind of earnestness and importunity the Apostle useth as elsewhere so here in this matter He was deeply sensible of the evil of divisions how they prejudice Gods truth for whilest they that profess it cannot agree in it the Fool is ready to scoff at it and to say in heart there is no God and how they endanger the Church and weaken it no engine that Satan and Anti-christ can use more than this the cutting of it into shreds like the Levites Concubine the blowing of the Coals of contention in it yea how they endanger the Souls of men by separating them from the Church and so from Christ who is the head thereof The Apostle was deeply sensible of the evil of divisions and therefore is strangely and more than ordinarily importunate in this Exhortation ushering it in with manifold obtestations See Phil. 2.1 2 If there be any consolation in Christ if any comfort in love if any fellowship of the Spirit if any compassion and mercy fulfil my joy that you be like minded having the same love being of one accord of one mind Ephes 4.1 I the Prisoner of the Lord beseech you that you walk worthy of that vocation wherewith you are called with all lowlyness and meekness with long-suffering forbearing one another in love endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace Rom. 16.17 18 Now I beseech you Brethren mark them that cause divisions among you and avoid them for they serve not our Lord Jesus But to name no more this in the Text is full enough Now I beseech you Brethren by the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ that you all speak the same thing c. that there be no divisions among you Which words being apparently an exhortation must be handled in such method as best sutes with the nature thereof 1. I must explain and propound it 2. I must enforce and urge it by explication I shall lay open the nature and extent of the objectum quod or duty to which we are exhorted And then for the enforcing of it I shall press sundry powerful motives upon your Consciences to engage you to endeavour to practise it and lay down wholesome rules and directions for the better performing it if the Lord inable me the time permit and your christian patience give encouragement 1. To propound the Exhortation I need not at all insist upon the words they are so plain and intelligible in themselves that being read they may as easily be understood and to offer to give any sense of them particularly one by one might render them more dark and obscure Let it suffice to tell you that the matter of duty in them contained is the unity of the Church and the concord of Christians An universal accord amongst them is to be endeavoured so far as is possible in judgment affection and action this is the sum and substance of the Text. 1. The Exhortation is to an unity in judgement so the Apostle expresly prescribes it in the latter words that ye be perfectly joyned together in the same mind and the same judgment It is a thing much to be desired and by all good means to be endeavoured that according to our Churches prayer God would give to all Nations Unity Peace and Concord but especially that all that do profess his holy Name may also agree in the truth of his holy Word at least in the main and most substantial truths thereof and so that they may be perfectly joyned together in the same mind and in the same judgement But if this cannot be hoped for and attained in this life yet 2. That we must be sure of to endeavour to preserve an unanimity in heart and affection Desired it must be but hoped for it cannot
to be admitted to be his worshippers who together with the Jewes should worship him in spirit and truth and this the Prophet Malachy foretold q Mal. 1.11 from the rising of the Sun to the going down of the Sam saith the Lord my name is great among the Gentiles and in every place incense shall be offered in my name All this then shews the vanity of the Popish Pilgrimages to this or that place as being more holy or to pray before this or that Saint or Image or relike or tuteler God thereof Since all such difference of place is abolished by Christ So that wheresoever we be with Jeremiah in the Pit or Daniel in the Lions denn Job on the dung-hil Hezekiah in his bed the three Children in the Furnace sonah in the Whales belly with Christ in the Mountain in the Desert in the Garden on the House top or on the Sea snore with Paul in the Prison we may call upon God and he will hear us thus on the one side we must hold this fast against the Papists that all distinction of places is abolished So that Christians may lawfully and acceptably worship God when and where their covenants direct them Yet on the other hand be not deceived as if there was no authority or excellency of some places for solemn Assemblies for publique worship still under the Gospel above others 2. Though the ceremonial holiness be extinct yet are there some places holy as separate and dedicate from a common to holy uses though our Temples be not as the Temple of Jerusalem was parts of our worship of God nor tipes of Christ body nor are we bound to set our faces towards them when we pray yet is it written r Esa 56.2 my house shall be called the house of prayer to all nations The Saints meeting and Assembling there to pray makes it be called the house of prayer so the Assembly Sanctifies the place and not the place the Assembly as the Temple did seeing as I said before we are body as well as spirit therefore very light of Nature teacheth us that convenient places for Assembling for publique worship are necessary and those places capacious for many that must joyn therein And although in case of Persecution of Religion the meanest place is acceptable yet when God is pleased to give his Church Kings to be nursing fathers to allow publique places consecrated for publique worship with what thankfulness then should we repair to them which many of our Christian Brethren in the world would purchase with their whole estates and dearest blood When God give rest and quietness to his Church from the ten famous Persecutions wherein they were glad to Assemble not in the fittest but safest places perhaps in Dens and Caves of the earth I say when God gave her rest from them then did they immediately erect Oratories for publique prayers not sumptuous and stately which could not then be possible by reason of the Churches poverty nor plausible in respect to the worlds envie but after when God was pleased to convert Kings to the Faith then was Temples and Churches presently built and in building them no cost was spared and nothing counted to dear that was spent about them Sacrilegious wretches are not in these times more desirous to pull down than those devout professors of Christianity was to set up Churches Thus did popular consent and the Magistrates civil Sanction design these places for publique worship seperating them unto it and prevailing custome hath styled them Churches Nay so did S. Paul himself s 1 Cor 11.18.20.22 and 34 compared what is it then but arrant madness and sottish Ignorance in our Quakers to boast so much of the ligbt within them and yet to be in such darkness It s contrary to the very light of nature to decry and forsake the places set a part for religious worship the necessity whereof for publique Assemblies is so evident even by natural light How much better did the poor Heathens improve their natural dictates than these pretenders to the light within who from the sight of the necessity of some convenient place for publique worship invented their Groves and Oratories and Temples for the service of their Idol Gods so then from all these considerations Gods own setting a part places for publique Assemblies under the law and before it his approving those that his people did set a part the authority that such places have by the very light of nature as well as by Scripture and the practice of the universal Church though without placeing any ceremonial holiness in them I conclude that Divine worship may be truly Publique which as publique is so acceptable unto God there is requisite as publique persons Ministers and People to Assemble in it so also a publique place consecrated for the same from which excellent consideration ascend we to an higher which is in the very Text. Prop. 7. The most Solemn and publique Assemblies of the Church in these publique places are greatly to be esteemed and constantly to be frequented of all the faithful members of the same in the negative not forsaking must needs be implyed the affirmative to frequent them It is a truth this evidently following from those I have delivered For if God is to be worshipped by all rationall beings and that must needs be in some place in respect of our bodily parts and that more publique it is done the better it is and that it be publiquely done it is necessary there be an Assembly of Minister and People Pastor and Flock in a publique place then is it evidently necessary that such assemblies be frequented by all in order to the discharge of this debt of nature the Worship of God Indeed to this we are obliged 1. By selfe interest because of the great blessing we may justly look for from God upon his Ordinances in the publique assemblies and that more than in any private meetings whatsoever for to the Church assemblies is that rightly applyed t Psa 87.2 the Lord loves the gates of Zion above all the habitations of Jacob u Mat. 7.7 The whole â—uty of man That special part of divine worship Prayer is compared to seeking a thing lost and knocking at a gate we desire to enter into and sure when many seek a thing together there is more hope of their finding it when many knock together at heaven-gates they will be sooner heard Hence Gods people to shew an extraordinary desire to prevail with God in their prayers upon extraordinary occasions they was wont to be extraordinary careful that their Assemblies might be as publique as might be w Joel 2.15 Blow the trumpet in Zion sanctisie a Fast call a solemn Assembly x verse 16. Gather the people Assemble the children As if he should say leave none out So Jehoshaphat y 2 Chr. 203. Proclaimed a Fast throughout all Judab z verse 13. all Judah stood before the Lord
thou must answer for it and be judged by it at the last day That for the first motive for this forsaking the assemblies which you see is groundlesse the prejudice men have to their Pastor concerning his life Obj. 2. Concerning his opinion For so will some say would you have us bound to hear him who is popishly affected or the next door strict in the Law too canonical nay we fear superstitious and so may mix the childrens bread with poyson and mislead us out of the right way is it not dangerous to hear him Answ To this I oppose these considerations was not Elias Jeremy John Baptist Saint Paul and our blessed Saviour who spake as never man spake accounted pestilent fellows ring leaders of Sects troublers of State Deceivers of the people how should these instances warn you of slandering your Pastor causelesly or concluding him erronious upon the malicious hear sayes or surmises of those that are not able to judge of the doctrine whether it be of God or no. Yet suppose he be erronious then must you consider of what Nature his error is for though all truths be pretious yet are truths of different natures some essential fundamental points de Fide of the faith once delivered to the Saints some circumstantial ceremonial indifferent some are perspicuously revealed in the Scriptures wherein errors are damnable some are more darkly revealed of which wise and holy men in all ages have doubted now if it be onely in circumstantial and less necessary truths wherein you dislike your Pastors opinions then must not this difference of opinion beget in you any heart burning or alienation of affection though you do discentire think diversly yet ought you not discordare disagree they that unwillingly differ in judgment ought yet to be one in heart The Spirit of God is promised to lead all his chosen into all necessary truths but not to all less essential disscâ—ntions have in all ages been between great Clerks and holy Saints contentions have even through Satans crast been cherished in the Church they are apt to disagree on earth that shall meet in the same heaven What remaines then but that love be still kept on foot and we all endeavour to avoid bitterness of contention about these things to follow the truth in love As in building Solomons Temple there was no noise heard of Ax or hammer f 2 Kings 6.7 So in the spiritual building of the Church we should not let any sound of contention be heard among us such is the duty of both Pastor and people especially it is the peoples duty to be so a ware of Satans stratagems which is to divide them from their Pastor if it be possible as not to entertain any needless jealousies or evil surmisings judge cautiously of your minister if possible Search the Scriptures as the Bereans did to see if what he delivers be agreeable to Gods word and if you find of a truth that he and you differ in opinion in things less necessary and material your care must be to pare the Apple and leave the worm and that which is eaten by it take the good and leave the bad which directions being sound and wholesome if they be observed it will naturally follow that this is no sufficient ground neither for any to leave our Church assemblies for any prejudice men have against their Pastors opinion Obj. 3 The third prejudice is against their gifts alass will some say our Minister though he be good and orthodox yet is hê a very mean preacher he is no Body for gifts where such or such come in comparisons His knowledge shallow how can he inlighten us he is no Orator how can he work on our affections or perswade us what good can we expect from his dry sapless weak Sermons or why should we be bound to hear him when we may have better by whom we may profit more to this I oppose these considerations Answ 1. There may be in Ministers great difference of gifts without any in equality at all for which the one should be preferred before the other For he who is inferior to him thou admires in one kind may excell in another perhaps in a kind more useful and benefical The gifts of God to his Church are dispenced in a marvellous great variety so that there are scarce any two ministers but they differ in their gifts g Cor. 12.14 There are diversity of gifts but the same Spirit In the Body natural the eye seeth better but the tongue uttereth better if the whole body were eye what would it do for a tongue Saint Paul had more learning and knowledge h 1 Cor. 11. being at Lystra stiled for his utterance Mercury or chief speaker i Acts 14.11 yet was not of that excellent presence as other Apostles were Barnabas in comforting the afflicted excelled him being therefore stiled the son of Consolation k Acts. 4.36 John Baptist was excellent in terrifying secure sinners l Luk. 12.17 he came in the spirit and power of Elias but our Saviour was milder not breaking the bruised reed nor quenching the smoking flax m Mat. 12.20 In liklyhood Peter did in some gifts excell the rest to whom Christ gave in special charge to feed his Lambs n Joh. 21.15 Yet in powerful reproving of sin and denouncing Gods judgments James and John excelled him being therefore styled Boanerges Sons of thunder so in the great diversity of his gifts that is amongst ministers yet each of them excelleth in their kind one may have deeper matter another a more eloquent mouth one may be sweeter in comfort another more powerful in reproof one may be graceful in pulpit another in private conference one may be excellent in interpreting to increase knowledge another in application to breed good affections in men o 1 Cor. 12.8 To one is given a word of wisdome by the Spirit to another the utterance of knowledge by the same Spirit one may excel in this gift another in that none in all Now 2. Consider this is the Lords doing for the beauty and benefit of his Church their different education dilligence or industry is not all the cause of this diversity of gifts though it be one Gods gift being now to be acquired in the use of these means whence St. Pauls injunction to Timothy p Tim. 4. â—3 give attendance to reading c. But it comes chiefly from Gods free disposition who distributed to every man severally as he will q 1 Cor. 12.11 And this 3. Makes much for Gods glory and the benefit and beauty of his Church For Gods glory for the greatness of his wisdom and freedome of his grace shineth in this difference perspicuously and for the Churches beauty and benefit for flowers of divers bigness for colour and smell do adorn a feild exceedingly with it's party coloured coat difference of voice base treble tenor and counter tenor and difserence of strings in an
not only loved the wayes of covetousness but ensnared the people in uncleannesses and upon those in the Gospel that made Gods house a house of Merchandize and so a den of thieves So that another ground and reason of mens forsaking and propagating separations from our publick assemblies Covetousness selfe interest I 'le name a 5. Even Idleness and this both spiritual and natural spiritual for because many men will take no paines in the practise of the duties of godliness which might well imploy mens whole lives therefore they fall into nice and new opin ions to imploy their active mindes So spiritual Idleness in things in which they should be imployed makes men curious and curiosity contentious The zeal of practise of humility and patience and self denyal and mortifying the flesh with the affections and lusts and renouncing the world and the other parts of real goodness this zeal grows cold and so that of disputes gets and gathers heat and vigor A lass our good works in this age fall short of the first Christians and then no wonder that our controversies exceeds theirs because we spend not our time in the one which is irksome to flesh and blood and therefore we imploy it in hammering and forging the other Pharaoh understood this well though he applyed it ill when he thought the Israelites proposals of travelling into the wilderness to their divotions was the effect of their idleness and so increast their taskes as the properest way to divert their design and as spiritual Idleness so also natural is often the cause of division For as experience sheweth such men as desert or neglect their secular callings are most apt to run after new teachers and with the widowes that neglected their office of Ministration to be busibodies and in many families the she-zealots neglecting their proper business the guiding of the house have therefore run into conventicles and upon them have seducers acted their designs most leading captive silly women to become duck coyes to whole families besides these there are another sort of Idle persons to that can sit at home lurke by their fire sides when they should be in Gods house and though they have little or nothing to hinder them from attending his ordinance yet any pretence a showr of rain a sore finger an Aking head a thin blast of weather will serve the turn to divert them O that such would remember Hezekiahs example who with in three dayes after he had been sick of a most painful and mortal disease went into the Temple a Esa 38.22 And the woman that on the sabbath resorted to the Synagogue though she had a spirit of infirmity eighteen yeares b Luk. 13.10 â—1 Alass the cause is mens hearts are dead and void of grace and the love of God and his word and so they find little comfort they take no delight in his publick worship and therefore are glad of an excuse David loved Gods tabernacle well For his heart and his flesh rejoyced for the living God c Psa 84.12 Those that tast how sweet the Lord is will desire the sincere milk of this word d 1 Pet. 2.2 3 O thou that art so careless whether ever thou appear in the assemblies of Gods Church in this life thou hast cause to fear thou shall never stand in the congregation of the righteous in the life to come e Psa 1.5 That 's a fifth cause of mens forsakeing or absenting from the assemblies as the manner of many is 6. There is a sixth which I will name because I will miss none and but name it because I have spoken in effect to it before The manner of some is to forsake them upon pretence they can spend their time and serve God as well pray and read good books at home as in the Church of God But God loves the gates of Sion more then all the dwellings of Jacob f Psal 87.2 David sure being both a prophet and a King could serve God as well in private as any pretenders and he had both a prophet and a Priest with him in his Banishment yet did he for all that long for the publick worship of God bewailed the want of it exceedingly g Psal 84.3 But I have fully shown you before the excellency and acceptableness of publick worship perfoâ—rmed by Godly ministers together with his people in a publick place above any private whatsoever that 's a sufficient consideration to convince them of sin that forsake the assemblies upon this account as the manner of some is Thus have I now both discovered the evident duty of all Christians and their obligation to frequent the publick assemblies in order to the publick worship of God and the sin of those men that either upon pretence of corruptions in the Church though they acknowledg it Orthodox and right in the substantials of religion or of some faults in the ministers life or opinion or gifts or carriage but in truth out of malice or hatred against him or out of pride or curiosity or Idleness or upon pretence they can as well serve God at home do neglect or forsake the publique assemblies Now what remaines but a word of exhortation to all that have an ear to hear what Gods Spirit saith unto the Churches and members of them 1. I beseech you Beloved in the Lord to learn to lay to heart your obligation to attend upon Church Assemblies and beware of those that endeavour the divisions of the Church or to divide and separate you from it It 's the Apostles own earnest exhortation g Rom. 16 17. now I beseech you brethren mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the Doctrine which you have learned and avoid them They are no lovers of your souls as they pretend they are no servants of God for your good they are no fit guides for salvation that for things meerly external adiaphorous indifferent matters of meer order or decency separate themselves from the society of a true Church and would have you so to do As if a furious brainsick sailor should upon every occasion of anger or discontent cast himself overboard presuming to be safe enough out of the ship the ordinary road way of Gods saving any soul is in the unity of the Church And that is in a conjunction of them to some visible ordinary congregation according to that h Act. 2.47 the Lord added to the Church such as should be saved but exceruntè nobis they who go out from amongst us because they was never of us as to their hearts I will not presume to judge them as to their final state yet this I 'le say that the Church being the Spouse of Christ and Schism and Heresie being a work of the Flesh an effect of so bad causes as I have shown you fully ranked by the Apostle with fornication and drunkenness and adultery and the like I would not dye in their state for all the