THE PURITY OF Gospel Communion OR Grounds and Reasons FOR SEPARATION From Persons of Corrupt Manners c. WHen the Lord of old brought up the Children of Israel out of the Land of Egypt he separated them from other Nations to be his People in a peculiar Covenant and by his Laws he sanctified them from all Uncleanness Lev. 11.25 Lev. 5.2 3. Ch. 11.24 c. Numb 19.11 13. Deut. 23.10 to 19. insomuch that whoso bore the Carkass of any unclean Beast he was to wash his Cloaths and be unclean until the Even And whoso touched the Body of a Dead Man purified not himself he defiled the Tabernacle of the Lord that Soal was to be cut off from Israel because the Water of Separation was not sprinkled upon him Exod. 12.19 Lev. 22.3 to 8. Numb 15.30 31. And whosoever eat the Passover with unleavened Bread or went unto the Holy things having his uncleanness upon him that Soul was to be cut off from the Congregation of Israel and from the presence of the Lord. And the Soul that dispised the Word of the Lord and brake his Commandments that Soul was utterly to be cut off his Iniquity should be upon him Now those Separations and these and many other legal cleansings were shadows of Gospel things whereby the Purity of the New Testament Church was set forth And to the end it should be a Royal Priesthood 1 Pet. 2.9 an Holy Nation a peculiar People to shew forth the Praises of him who hath called us out of darkness into his marvellous Light He hath left us Holy Laws for the Government of his Church 1 Cor. 5.6 7. Gal. 5.9 and for the purging out of the old leaven of Unrighteousness for a little leaven leaveneth the whole Lump as it consequently follows that such who bear with Sin in one cannot avoid bearing it in another and by opening of this Sluce a Flood of Sin and Iniquity will quickly sweep away the beauty of a Gospel Church and turn the noble Vine that was planted wholly a right seed Jer. 2.21 into the degenerate plant of a strange Vine to the dishonour of God the reproach of true Religion the stumbling of weak Christians and the hardning of one another in their Sins and Disobedience against the most Soveraign Majesty of Heaven and Earth To prevent which evils I shall therefore Treat of the way and means appointed by Christ who loved the Church Eph. 1.4 Ch. 5.25 26 27. Tit. 2.14 and gave himself for it That he might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of Water by the Word That he might present it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that we should be holy and without blame before him in Love And in order thereunto I shall here Premise that forasmuch as the Church of Christ is said to be the pillar and ground of Truth And that it is Gods building 1 Tim. 3.15 1 Cor. 3.9 Heb. 8.5 1 Pet. 2.4 5. Eph. 2.20 21 22. Ch. 4.4 5. Judge 20. It cannot be so unless it be erected according to the Pattern shewed in the Holy Mount and recorded for the Example of after Ages That every stone should be a lively Stone by Regeneration built up together a spiritual house in one most Holy Faith for as there is one Body and one Spirit so there is one Faith And it is the Duty of every Christian to help build up Gods spiritual Temple according to the pure Primitive and Apostolical Pattern and to this end they should come out from among them and be separate 2 Cor. 6.16 17. and joyn themselves to such a Congregation of Believers where they may continue together in the Apostles Doctrine and Fellowship tho' not personally with them and in breaking of Bread and in Prayers For the Church of Christ should not be a mixed Building tho' on Christ the true Foundation as the Apostle warneth us saying Ye are Gods building 1 Cor. 3.9 10 11. according to the Grace of God which is given unto me as a wise Master-builder I have laid the Foundation and another buildeth thereon but let every Man take heed how he buildeth thereupon for other Foundation can no man lay then that is laid which is Jesus Christ Now if any man build upon this Foundation Gold silver precious stones wood hay stubble Every mans work shall be made manifest and the fire shall try every mans work of what sort it is If any mans work abide which he hath built thereupon he shall receive a reward If any mans work shall be burnt he shall suffer loss So that the Gospel Church is not to be formed of such mixed and combustible matter as men please Rev. 1.20 1 Pet. 1.7 Exod. 25.81 Rev. 3.18 but of pure Gold yea of such as is tryed in the Fire But to proceed First I shall prove that it is the Duty of a Church of Christ to withdraw their Communion from yea and to purge out those Persons that are without Repentance for it guilty of corrupt Manners or evil Actions 1 Cor. 5.1 to 6. 1 Tim. 1.20 and that not only for committing the grosser sort of Sins as Fornication or incestuous Marriages Blasphemy or other notorious Evil but for smaller offences And first our Lord hath commanded us saying Math. 18.15 16 17. If thy Brother shall trespass against thee go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone If he shall hear thee thou hast gained thy Brother But if he will not hear thee then take with thee one or two more that in the Mouth of two or three Witnesses every Word may be established And if he shall neglect to hear them tell it unto the Church but if he neglect to hear the Church let him be unto thee as an Heathen Man and a Publican To which I shall only here say that as this trespass mentioned in the Text must be some breach of the Moral Law Mat. 7.12 in not doing to others as we would that others should do to us because it is a trespass against a Brother So it is plain that for such a cause of doing wrong if satisfaction be not given by Repentance the offender should be unto us as an Heathen Man and a Publican with whom it was not lawful to hold any Church Communion unless they were converted 2. It is said 2 Thes 3.6 Now we command you Brethren in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ that ye withdraw your selves from every Brother that walketh disorderly and not after the Traditions which he received of us Here we have a general command to withdraw from all disorderly Persons which because I design to open it more at large in some following part of this Treatise I shall at present only note this Scripture as a positive Law to preserve the Purity of Church Communion and the Words of our Lord before recited are for the same end
them To whom I have this to say 1. That I think we may fairly gather from what they have published with their Confession of Faith of the Institution and Order of Churches that they do not admit any unbaptized Christians to their Communion at the Lord's Table for in Article the seventh speaking of a particular Church gathered and compleated according to the Mind of Christ In Article the eighth they say The Members of those Churches are Saints by Calling visibly manifesting and evidencing their Obedience unto that call of Christ who being further known to each other by their Confession of the Faith wrought in them by the Power of God do willingly Consent to walk together according to the appointment of Christ giving up themselves to the Lord and to one another by the Will of God in professed Subjection to the Ordinances of the Gospel So then if the Members of a compleat Church do willingly consent to walk together in professed Subjection to the Ordinances of the Gospel none that do not subject themselves to the Ordinance of Baptism in their Sence can be orderly admitted by them as compleatly quallified to their full Communion and so if they will not hold Communion with such unbaptized Persons they do not hold it as some of them pretend with Christians meerly as such but only with such Christians which are qualified with Water-Baptism to receive the Lords Supper But 2. If they own that our baptizing Persons on Confession of Faith by way of dipping is also right Baptism according to Gospel-Rule and so for this Reason they can freely hold their Communion with us Yet this is no Corrector that their Charity is more universal then ours because then they receive us not meerly on the account of their Charity but as Christians sitly qualified with Water-Baptism But the Case is different respecting us for seeing we deny their Infant-sprinkling to be true Baptism or to be of God and so they being to us as unbaptized Persons our having sull Communion with them would be not only contrary to the Light of our own Consciences but witnessed against by their practice of sprinkling for Baptism as a qualification to full Communion And therefore we have equal Reason to say that our refusing Church-Communion with them is not for want of Charity towards them as Christians any more then it is for want of it in themselves to other Christians that are not sprinkled or any ways baptized if they refuse Communion with them as some have done in their private Conference according to what is gathered as their Mind in Print before So that I see no Reason why our Brethren should in the least be offended at us for keeping our selves from their Communion when otherwise so far as I can perceive their Practice as well as our own Consciences would condemn us for so doing 3. Our aforesaid Brethren of the Independant Churches however some of their Members have in their private Converse reflected on us have fairly granted See their 28 Article of the Institution of Churches at the end of the Congregational Confession of Faith that a Person where he cannot continue in any Church without his Sin may depart from the Communion of one Church to another For they say Persons that are joined in Church-fellowship ought not lightly or without just cause to withdraw themselves from the Communion of the Church whereunto they are so joined Nevertheless where any Person cannot continue in any Church without his Sin either for want of the Administration of any Ordinances instituted by Christ or by his being deprived of his due Priviledges or compelled to any thing in Practice not warranted by the Word or in case of Persecution or upon the account of Conveniency of Habitation he consulting with the Church or the Officer or Officers thereof may peaceably depart from the Communion of the Church wherewith he hath so walked to join himself with some other Church where he may enjoy the Ordinances in the Purity of the same for his Edification and Consolation Now seeing they grant that we may leave our Communion with a Church to join our selves with some other Church where we may enjoy the Ordinances in the Purity of the same then none of them ought to blame us for not holding our full Communion with them as if they were the standard of Truth who we believe are not in the compleat Order and true Administration of all Gospel Ordinances Seeing we walk by their Rule of Communion according to our Consciences tho' we have not the same Light to walk with them 2. For any of our Baptized Brethren to plead for mixed Communion from the Obligation of universal Charity for Christians as they are such does rather betray their want of real Love Gal. 5.22 1 Joh. 4.19 for that is a Fruit of the Holy Spirit flowing first from the Faith we have in the Love of God to us which is the cause of Love in us to him 1 Joh. 5.1 and so to our Brethren which are begotten of him and then our universal Love to Christians depending on our Love to God it must consist with sincere Obedience to his Will so far as we are inlightned For this is the Love of God Joh. 14.21 23. 1 Joh. 5.2 3. that we keep his Commandments and his Commandments are not grievous And by this we know that we Love the Children of God when we Love God and keep his Commandments And therefore whatsoever Love is pretended which is inconsistent with sincere Obedience to Christ 't is rather to be suspected than counted real But in Charity I must conclude it is not for want of Love to the Institutions of Christ but for want of Light that you plead for Communion at the Lords Table with unbaptized Christians However you do thereby virtually deny your own Baptism to be essentially necessary to a regular Gospel-Church and make void that Holy Ordinance of Christ which in Obedience to him you have subjected to Besides why may you not then also say that you ought in Charity to Christians meerly as such altho' they be not yet baptized to call any gifted Christian to administer the Ordinances of Preaching Prayer and breaking Bread in the Church and in Charity to those Members that walk disorderly and break the Commandments of Christ forbear the Execution of his Ordinance of withdrawing your Church-Communion from them because you believe them still to be real Christians as if we could not Love Mens Persons unless we favour their Sins and thereby perhaps through the neglect of our Duty to them harden their Hearts therein And so under the Notion of Christian Charity the true Order of a Gospel-Church may be quite destroyed VII Object But some may think I open the door of the Church too wide and give too great incouragement for Persons to wander from Church to Church or to leave their present Communion to imbody themselves into a distinct Church-state Answer 1.
Matter which is already Printed among us in Mr. Keaches Book intitled the Breach Repaired and of several Queries made upon it in my Reply to him with some Additions to them To proceed therefore I shall premise some particular things in Mr. Keaches Gold Refined or Treatise of Baptism Page 181 182. where he saith thus Let me conclude all with one Use of Caution to my Brethren that are Baptized as Believers and yet take Liberty to walk in Communion with such Churches as dissent from them in respect of this Ordinance and sprinkle Babes I am more concerned about you than any other People because you seem to pull down with one Hand that which you build with the other ought you not to follow the best and highest Reformation and clearest discovery of God and to be in the most perfect and compleat Order of the Gospel you are able to arrive to the Knowledge of is not Truth and Righteousness to be joined with Peace and Love Nay and doth not my Love run out to our Brethren in a cleaner Channel than yours And in his Treatise of Laying on of Hands Page 99. he hath these Words Can we comfortably have Communion with such that oppose a Holy Oracle or Command of God Ought not Communion to flow from Christian Union especially in all fundamental Principles of Church-Constitution Ought we not in these things to be agreed before we can in an orderly way sit down together But notwithstanding Mr. Benjamin Keach thus refuseth Communion with those that are not under Believers-Baptism See my Ep. to my Reply to Mr. Keach's Breach Repaired p. 10 c. and laying on of Hands yet in his general Epistle to his pretended Answer to my Appendix Page 9. he saith We do not say our dissatisfied Brethren shall sing with us or we will have no fellowship with them No God forbid we should impose on their Consciences We do not look upon Singing c. an Essential of Communion it is not for the being but for the Comfort and well being of the Church To which I there Reply to Mr. Keach Let me ask you in your own Words See his darkness c. Vanquished or Truth in its Primitive Purity p. 96. Why should you have a greater esteem for one than for another Institution If it be as you say that your way of Singing is a Gospel-Ordinance for the Practice of the Church Is there any Church Ordinance of Divine Worship that is not essential to her orderly being as well as for her Comfort and well Being Who gave you Power to dispence with any one Ordinance more than others And in Page 13. of my Epistle I farther tell Mr. Keach that there are divers things that I and others cannot reconcile to the Word of God and his confused Principles of Communion some of which I offer to his Consideration by way of Query 1. Whether it be lawful for a Christian to withdraw or remove his Communion at the Lords Table from a Church that practiseth any one Ordinance of Divine Worship or of Church-Constitution in a false Manner to join with a Church that is more pure And whether it is his Duty if enlightned therein so to do 2. Whether there is any Liberty given in the Word of God for a Christian to have Communion with a Church that practiseth any one Ordinance of Gospel-Worship or of Church-Constitution in a false Manner more than of any other such Ordinances so performed and if there be which it is or which they are and where the allowance is given 3. Whether thanking and praising of God be as much an Ordinance and of as high a Nature as Prayer to him 4. Whether the Mode of Singing the Praises of God be also as much an Ordinance and of as high a Nature as Prayer 5. Why it is not as unlawful to have Communion with a Church that practiseth Singing the Praises of God in a false Manner as with a Church that performeth Prayer in a false Manner 6. Seeing you have made a Common Praise-Book so I call it wherein you say is contained some hundred of Sacred Hymns out of which as I hear is sometimes read and sang an Hymn in your Congregation for publick Worship So if another Ministring Brother of your own or of another Congregation in full Communion with you at the Lords Table should also make prestinted set Forms of Prayer and read them or say them in the Church for publick Worship I Query Whether you would nevertheless hold and continue your full Communion with such a Person or Church as so useth such humane prestinted Forms of Prayer 7. Whether it be not a worshipping of God in a false Manner and so unlawful and a Sin for any of our Brethren alone by themselves to pray in their own or anothers set humane prestinted form of Words and if it can be proved against him that he useth such private Prayers Whether the Church should still hold their full Communion with him without Repentance for it 8. Whether it be not unlawful for any of our Churches to hold full Communion with a Brother at the Lords Table who sometimes useth to pray with another different People in a false Manner in a set humane prestinted form of Words and if this be unlawful whether it is not equally unlawful for a Church to hold such Communion with a Brother who tho' he cannot practice Singing the Praises of God in as false a Manner in his own Church yet he sometimes as falsely singeth in other Congregations 9. Whether the Mode of Singing an Hymn is a piece of Worship Essential to the Regular and Compleat Administration of the Lords Supper If our Singers deny this why do so many of them make such a stir about it and commend that practice of Singing See the Reply to Mr. Steed's Epist pag. 8.40 41 45 47 49. as they boldly say from the Example of Christ and his Disciples as a perfect Pattern and Rule for us to follow And if they believe in their Consciences that the Mode of Singing an Hymn is so Essential to that Ordinance How can any of those Gospel-Ministers as I have heard say administer the Lords Supper without it and contrary to the Light of their own Consciences dispense with that which belongs as they believe to Christs Ordinance as if they choose to please Men rather than God in his Worship I have added the more Queries because such stating of the matter divers ways will lay a greater Necessity on any who may pretend to answer them either to discover the Discord and Confusion of their Principles of Communion and the natural tendency of them or to unmasque the farther designs of those that are apostatizing from the true Worship of God Thirdly I shall here humbly present my Advice to some of our Baptized Churches And 1. To those whose sixed Pastours and Ministers differ from their Churches in some Principles Essential either to the true Manner of
praising God in publick Worship or to the Regular Constitution of a Gospel-Church my humble Advice to you is That notwithstanding if they rightly administer all Gospel-Ordinances according to the Principles of their Churches for the present necessity you continue as you are And as their Office is to watch over you in the Lord Heb. 13.17 1 Thes 5.12 so your Duty is to obey them so far as they rule by the Laws of Christ and to continue your Affections and abound in Love to them and all the Saints But yet if they put such different and erroneous Principles in practice and thereby interrupt the pure Communion of their Churches contrary to their Faith and settled Order or go about to disturb your Peace with any of them then as ye are bound to follow your Pastours and Ministers only so far as they are followers of Christ and his Apostles 1 Cor. 11.1 Phil. 3.17 so it is your Duty to use all Diligence to preserve the Peace and right Constitution of your Churches against their Innovations and rather than to have your Communion corrupted by them you are to part with them and all things else tho' never so near and dear to you 2. To those Churches which are destitute of a settled Pastour I shall offer this to your serious Consideration That it is a weak Imagination to think that honest and sincere hearted Ministers tho' naturally of a mild and peaceable Temper will not labour to promote the practice of those things in their Churches which they believe to be the Will of God for if they are faithful Men they will do it in Obedience to Christs Commission wherein they are required to teach all Nations whatsoever he hath commanded them Math. 28.20 And therefore if you expect that such a Minister as you design to call to settle with you will not for the sake of some in the Church who differ from him declare and promote according to his Conscience the practice of all things which God requires you have equal Reason to expect that for the sake of those Persons he will not be faithful to his Principles and then how can any think he will be faithful to his Church or any thing else he takes in hand any farther than it suits with his private interest so that whatever Love Peace and Union a Church may propose to themselves under the care of such a fixed Pastour as differs in his Principles from it in any Essentials of a Regular Church viz. Either in Doctrinals to Salvation Practicals in Divine Worship or in Administrations of Gospel-Ordinances such a Church does only delude themselves with an Expectation of that which they lay a Foundation to destroy for if such a Pastour be faithful to his Principles it being irrational to conceive that a whole Church will be for altering their former Settlement of Communion they will then find that his differing Principles will breed Division among them and so destroy the bond of Peace and Love which they promised to themselves from the peaceable Temper of such a Pastour And instead thereof those faithful Members that are still for their former Settlement may fall into a Labyrinth of Troubles and if they are the smaller part of the Church the others will be apt to count them the disturbers of its Peace and perhaps when it is too late to recover the Truth and Purity of Gospel-Worship and Communion that was once among them they will mourn under their Troubles and Temptations and for their weakness in choosing or accepting of such a Pastour as thereby to betray the Trust committed to them by Jesus Christ so far as to loose of those things he hath wrought among them insomuch as respecting their publick Trust of the Gospel 2 John 8. as Members of a visible Church of Christ they will come so short of holding fast that which they have received Rev. 3.11 that no Man take their Crown as that they cannot give so good an account of their Stewardship as that evil Servant did Math. 25 25 26. who rendred again what he had received of his Lord. Therefore knowing the aptness of many People to follow others Examples from their Affections to them more than from the real Judgment and Understanding they have of their Principles and considering the experience some have had of the restless endeavours of their Ministers to leaven their Churches with those Principles wherein they differ from them and the Obligation of Conscience they are under according to their Light to declare the whole Counsel of God to the People under their care Acts 20.26 27. I conclude it highly concerns those Churches that have yet their choice to make for the Ministration of Gospel-Ordinances to seek for such Persons as are one with them in the Unity of the Faith and of the Knowledge of Gospel-Institutions For whatsoever Affections you may have to any Person yet above all things you ought to be faithful to the Truth as ye have received it in your Consciences and not by any means to be led aside to betray the Purity of the Gospel committed to your Trust so far as to putit into the Power of any Person to be continually working perhaps while you and others are lull'd asleep in the pretended Bed of Charity the overthrow and confusion of any essential part of the Religion you profess Besides a Pastour should be qualified according to the Word of God which saith A Bishop must be blameless as the Steward of God holding fast the faithful Word as he hath been taught that he may be able by sound Doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gain-sayers Tit. 1.7 9 c. For there are many unruly and vain-talkers and Deceivers especially they of the Circumcision Whose Mouths must be stopped Now consider that one great qualification of an Elder is to be able to stop the Mouths of Gain-sayers And therefore none who differ from their Church in any essential Principles of her Communion are fit for the Office of an Elder in it for such a one in the Matters of difference is principled rather to gain-say the Church than other Persons that oppose the Faith or Practice of it Moreover the Zeal of others which are for the common way of Singing should provoke us to promote the pure Interest of Christ among our Churches for they have used diligence to improve the Benesit of the publick Fund for Learning of such young Brethren the Knowledge of the Tongues the better to sit them for the Gospel Ministry who have sucked in that apostatizing Principle of Singing and I have been told that some of them have gone to School to learn it by Art in and about Bristol or the Western parts of this Land and if I am not misinformed there were eight in number for common set form singing two of which were advanced by more private means then the publick Fund and Mr. Keach has pleaded so much for Art in
Manner of Conversation 1 Cor. 10.32 and to give none offence neither to the Jews nor to the Gentiles nor to the Church of God But as the Apostle saith whatsoever things are true Phil. 4.8 honest just pure lovely of good report if there be any Virtue and if there be any Praise think on these things Now from these Scriptures we may conclude that tho' our present excessive fashions are not all expresly forbidden yet if any kind of adornings are prohibited and if those Texts were written for our Instruction as I think none can doubt thereof or be so bold to deny it that have any Sence of true Religion then surely they require all the Saints both Men and Women at least to abstain from all those excesses in Apparel which are not of good report among sober Men and whoever putteth on such Attire or Ornaments of Apparel as are not of good honest and modest report they are guilty of breaking the Commandments of Christ and so are to be dealt withal by the Church as disorderly Persons who bring a scandal upon their Holy Profession Besides it is not only a grief for sober Christians to see such Pride of Spirit appearing in their Communion but it s also a stumbling to others which are well inclined to walk in the ways of the Lord with them as I have found by my own experience For when I was first awakened to seek the Lord and the good of my Soul the extravagant Dresses of some Professors among whom I heard the Gospel preached occasioned me to think there was the less Religion in them and that they looked not as if they were Christs People and for this cause alone I having then no Light in Gospel-Ordinances of Communion I departed to another Church which appeared more like sober Christians and there I have continued about five and twenty years And considering the Scripture saith the Lord hateth a proud look And God resisteth the proud Prov. 6.16 17. Jam. 4.6 1 Pet. 5.5 Math. 16.24 Rom. 6.4 but giveth Grace unto the Humble And that the Commandments of Christ require our Conformity in all things suitable to his Name and Truth and those Holy and Self-denying Principles we profess how can such excesses in Apparel which even gives their Profession the Lie consist with their sincere Obedience to him Jam. 2.18 How do they shew their Holy Faith therein by their Works but rather as it is said of her that liveth in Pleasure that she is dead while she liveth Gal. 6.7 Be not deceived God is not mocked for whatsoever a Man soweth that shall he also reap For he that soweth to his Flesh shall of the Flesh reap Corruption but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap Life Everlasting To conclude our Baptized Churches that are for particular Election and final Perseverance in the same Faith and Order of the Gospel in full Communion together they nor many others have not any Reason to reflect on the true design of this Treatise or on the Matters contained therein as any ways tending to the Interruption of our Peace on the settled Principles of our Churches but to the purging out the leaven of unrighteousness that may be found among them nor can any Person in our Communion appear against the plain Contents of this Treatise but they must at the same time appear for and Countenance such sinful Manners Erroneous Doctrine false Worship and corrupt Administration of Gospel-Ordinances as the Word of God and the general Profession of our Churches does plainly witness against and consequently they will apparently shew themselves opposers of Reformation or such as labour to weaken and confound the Baptist Churches and our pure Religion Yea farther if corrupt Manners which is manifestly sinful by the Moral Law of God or such Erroneous Doctrine false Worship or irregular Administrations of Gospel Ordinances as are prohibited our Communion by the Holy Scriptures should be knowingly suffered therein it is a visible Mark of Degeneration and thereby the Church partakes of the Sins of particular Members Lev. 19.17 Thou shalt not hate thy Brother in thine Heart thou shalt in any wise rebuket thy Neighbour and not suffer Sin upon him Or as it is in our Margin that thou bare not Sin for him And Paul saith to Timothy Lay Hands suddenly on no Man 1 Tim. 5.22 neither be partakers of other Mens Sins keep thy self Pure Besides it is shewed before what warrant and command we have in the New Testament for withdrawing our Communion in the aforesaid Cases of Sin and from disorderly Persons And therefore when a Church persisteth in a wilful neglect of this Duty she brings her self under the guilt of Sin for breaking of Christs Commandment but in Case this were faithfully performed yet the Church should still endeavour 2 Thes 3.14 15. Tit. 3.10 by due admonishing of such Offenders to reduce them to their Obedience and if no Repentance be found Gal. 5.12 1 Cor. 5.4 5. 1 Tim. 1.20 she ought to proceed to a farther Act of Authority and cut them wholly off from her fellowship But if any plead that so strict a Discipline as hath been argued for in this Treatise cannot be duely observed without indangering their Church-state It deserves our Noting either as a Carnal Reflection on the Holy and Righteous Precepts of Christ and on his Wisdom as not prescribing such Laws which conduceth most to the Glory of God and the good of his People here on Earth or it is a sign that such a Church has been so long in the neglect of their Duty towards Christ and one another and are so far degenerated in their Spirits as that they seem to be past recovery And if this be the State of some who perhaps may have as high a Conceit of themselves as the Church of the Laodiceans had and say Rev. 3.17 18 19. I am Rich and increased with Goods and have need of nothing and knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked Christ counselleth such to buy of him Gold tried in the Fire that thou mayest be rich and white Raiment that thou mayest be Cloathed and that the shame of thy Nakedness do not appear and anoint thine Eyes with Eye-Salve that thou mayest see And saith our Lord As many as I love I rebuke and chasten Be zealous therefore and repent least he come and fight against thee with the Sword of his Mouth Behold Rev. 2.16 saith he I stand at the Door and knock If any Man hear my Voice and open the Door I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with me Be not afraid therefore to go about this good work of Reformation do thy Duty and leave the success to God whose Blessing you may expect and whose awful presence may so far attend the Authority of Christ by which you Act as to stop the Mouth of carnal Reasonings insomuch that instead of indangering the loss of your Church-state Math. 16.18 Jam. 4.8 9 10. you may rather expect and find the Lord will strengthen establish and settle it on the Rock of Ages against which the Gates of Hell shall not prevail To close Altho' I have used the Word withdraw in the Case of a Private Members removing Communion from a Church which may not be done in so solemn a Manner as when a Church withdraws her Communion from a Member because this is done by an Act of Duty and Authority given to the Body and the other is done as an Act of Liberty and Duty pertaining to a Member and warranted by the Scriptures as hath been shewed yet the Word withdraw being it self of a harmless and indifferent Signification it cannot be excepted against unless it be for want of other Matters to Cavil at However I have also this to say that the Word with-draw was thought proper to be used in the same Case in the Congregationals twenty eighth Article of the Institution of Churches before recited FINIS ADVERTISEMENTS THere is Published by the same Author a Book Intitled Truth soberly Defended in a serious Reply to Mr. B. Keach's Book called The Breach Repaired in Gods Worship c. As also a Vindication of a Book Intitled Prelimited Forms of Praising God vocally Sung by all the Church together proved to be no Gospel-Ordinance with a Narrative wherein is detected Mr. Keach's Abuses under the Hands of several Elders and other Brethren By Isaac Marlow Price bound 1 s. There is likewise Published a Treatise of the Holy Trin unity Asserting the Deity of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit in the Unity of Essence with God the Father By I Marlow Price bound 9 d. Moreover there is Published A Tract on the Sabbath day wherein the keeping of the First-day of the Week a Sabbath is justified by a Divine Command and a Double Example contained in the Old and New Testament c. By Isaac Marlow Price 1 s.