the World over, with which we must Communicate; and therefore we have nothing else to do, but to judge, whether that part of the Church, wherein we live, be fo Sound and Orthodox, that we may Communicate with it according to the Principles of Catholick Communion; and if it be, we are bound to Communicate with it, under Peril of Schism from the Catholick Church, if we do not.

4. From hence we may plainly learn the true notion of a Separate Communion, and Separate Church. For fome Men feem to be greatly fenfible of the fin and mischief of Schifm and Separation, but then they use great art, fo to confound the notion of Separation, as that neither they themselves, nor any one elfe, fhall ever be able to understand what it is, whereas if they will allow, that there is, or ever can be, any fuch thing as Separation from the Church, it is as eafie to underftand, what Separation is, as what it is for a memAber to be divided from the Body.

For if there be but one Church, and one Communion, of which all true Chriftians, and Chriftian Churches, are, or ought to be members, then those Churches, which are not members of each other, are Separate Churches. It is not enough indeed to prove a Separation, that two Congregations meet in feveral places for Worship, for this is done by all the Parish Churches of England, who are in the fame Communion, but yet hold diftinct and Separate Affemblies, as to Local Separation. Nor is it fufficient to prove, that there is no Separation, because these differing Churches agree in all the Articles of Faith, and effentials of worship; For thus the Novatians and Donatifts did, who yet were Schifmaticks from the Catholick Church. But where there are two -Churches, which are not members of each other, D 2

there

there is a Schifm,tho they agree in every thing else, but in one Communion; and where Churches own each others Communion, as members of the fame Body, there is no Schifm,though they are as diftant from each other in place, as East and Weft.

And it is as eafie to understand, what it is for two Churches to be members of each other; but to make this as plain, as I can, and as far, as it is poffible, to prevent all Evafions, and Subterfuges, I fhall lay down fome few rules according to the Principles of Catholick Communion, whereby we may certainly know, what Churches are in Communion with each other, and which are Separate and Schifmatical Conventicles.

1. There must be but one Church, in one place, according to that Ancient Rule of the Catholick Church, that there must be but one Bishop in a City ; and this was observed in the Apoftolical times, that in the greatest and most Populous Cities, and where there were the greatest number of Converts, yet there was but one Church, fuch as Jerufalem, Antioch Ephefus, &c. this is acknowledged by the Independents themselves, who endeavour hence to prove, that there were no more Chriftians in any of those Cities, than could meet together in one place for Acts of Worship, which is a mighty groundless Surmife, and not much for the credit of the Chriftian Church, as has been often fhewn by learned Men, both Epifcopal and Presbyterian Divines.

And there is an evident reason, why this should be fo, because there is no other Rule of Catholick Communion for private Chriftians, but to Communicate in all Religious Offices, and all Acts of Government and Difcipline, with thofe Chriftians, with whom' they live; for to renounce the ordinary Communion of any Christians, or true Christian Church, is to di

vide the Unity and Communion of the Church, and to withdraw our felves from ordinary Communion with the Church, in which we live, into distinct and Separate Societies for Worship, is to renounce their Communion; and when there is not a neceffary cause for it, is a Schifinatical Separation.

So that diftinct and particular Churches, which are in Communion with each other, must have their distinct bounds and limits, as every member has its Natural and proper place and fituation in the Body. But when there is one Church within the Bowels of another, a new Church gathered out of a Church already constituted; and formed into a diftinct and Separate Society, this divides Chriftian Communion, and is a notorious Schifm. These Churches cannot be members of each other, because they ought to be but one Church, and therefore to form and gather a new Church, is to divide and Separate the members of the fame Church from each other.

This is the plain cafe of the Presbyterian and Independent Churches, and those other Conventicles of Sectaries, which are among us; they are Churches in a Church, Churches formed out of the National Church, by which means Chriftians, who live together, refufe to Worship God in the fame Affemblies, and have bitter Envyings and Contentions, for the Honour and Purity of their feveral Churches.

If all Chriftians are members of the one Body of Christ, nothing can justifie the distinction of Chriftians into feveral Churches, but only fuch a distance of place, as makes it neceffary and expedient to put them under the Conduct and Government of feveral Bishops, for the great Edification of the Church, in the more cafie and regular Administration of Difcipline, and all holy Offices; and therefore nothing can justifie

the

the gathering of a Church out of a Christian Church, and dividing Neighbour Christians into distinct Com

munions.

Churches at a distance may be distinct Churches under their distinct Bifhops, but yet in the fame Communion; but diftin&t Churches in the fame place can never be of the fame Communion, for then they would Naturally Unite and Cement into one. There must either be Antibishops, or Schifmatical Presbyters, fet up in oppofition to their Bifhops, under different and oppofite Rules of Worship and Difcipline, which makes them Rival and oppofite Churches, not members of each other. From hence I think, it plainly appears, that all Separation from a Church, wherein we live, unless there be neceffary reasons for it, is Schifm and we cannot juftifie fuch diftinct Churches within one another, from the examples of other diftin&t Churches, whofe bounds, and limits, and jurisdiction also, are distinct and feparate.

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2. It is plain, thofe are Separate Churches, which divide from the Communion of any Church, from any diflike of its Doctrine, Government, or Worship, for in this cafe, it is plain, they leave the Church, and form themselves into a new Church, out of the Communion of the Church, from whence they went, because they did not think it fafe to continue one Body with it.

This has often made me wonder, what those Men mean, who take all occafions to quarrel at our Conftitution, and affign a great many reasons, why they cannot Communicate with us, and yet at the fame time will not own, that they have made any Separation from us. What middle ftate now fhall we find for thefe Men, who will neither continue in the Church, nor allow themselves to be out of it?

1

It is poffible for two particular Churches to be inCommunion with each other, and yet not Actually to Communicate together, because distance of place will not permit it; but for two Churches to renounce each others Communion, or at least to withdraw ordinary Communion from each other, from a profeffed diflike, and yet still to continue in a state of Communion with one another, is a down right contradiction. To be in Communion is to be members of the fame Body and Society, and he that can prove, and he that can believe, two oppofite Societies, founded upon contrary principles, and Acting by contrary Rules, and purfuing contrary ends, to the Ruin and Subverfion of each other, to be the fame Body, and the fame Society, are very wonderful Men to me.

3. Those are Separate Churches, who do not own : each others members, as their own Actual Communion during our refidence in any certain place, must be confined to that particular Church, in which we live, if it be a found part of the Christian Church; but Church-membership is not confined to any particular Church. I am no otherwife a member of any particular Church, then I am of the Univerfal Church, which gives me a right of Membership and Communion in all the particular Churches of the World. Now I would ask whether every Baptized Chriftian, who by Baptifm is made a member of the Catholick Church, and has not forfeited this right by a Scandalous life, be ipfo facto a member of an Independent Church; if he be not (as it is plain, by the conftitution of Independency, he is not, for Independent Church-membership is not founded on Baptifm, but on a particular Church-Covenant;) then Independency is a Separate Communion from the Catholick Church; for the members of the Catholick Church

are