Communion is of the fame Nature, that is, I Communicate as a member of the Church, and it is Impoffible, I fhould Communicate otherwife; for I have no right to Communion, but as a member, and nothing I can do, can be an Act of Communion, if I be not, and do not own my felf to be a member.

And yet this is the occafion of this mistake about Fixt and Occafional Communion; that according to the Laws of our Church, which are founded on great and wife reafons, and indeed according to the Laws of Catholick Communion, every Christian is bound to Communicate with that part of the Church, where in he lives; now Men may have Houfes in different Parishes, or diftinct Dioceffes, or may Travel into other parts of the Country, and Communicate with the Churches, which they find in those places, where they are, or they may fometimes go to Prayers, or hear a Sermon, or receive the Lords Supper at another Parish-Church; now our ordinary Com munion with thofe Churches, where our conftant Abode is, may be called conftant Communion, and our Communion with thofe Churches, which we accidentally vifit, and Communicate with, may be called occafional Communion; and all this without Schifm, because we ftill Communicate, either with the fame National Church, or (which is often the cafe of Travellers) with fome other found part of the Catholick Church, of which we are alfo members, and fo ftill keep in the fame Communion, and Communicate with no Churches, but thofe, of which we own our selves. members; as being all in the fame Communion; as being either fincere members of the National or Catholick Church.

4

2

From hence our Diffenters Conclude, that their Communion with an Independent, or Presbyterian,

Church,

Church, of which they profefs themselves fixt members, is as conftant with their occafional Communion with the Church of England, when to ferve fome present turn, they hear the Prayers, and receive the Sacraments with us; as our fixt Communion with our Parish-Churches is, with our occasional Communion, with other Parish-Churches; which no Body accounts Schifm, tho when it is too frequent and caufelefs, it is a great diforder.

But the difference between these two is vaftly great, for in the Firft cafe, we only Communicate with fuch Churches, which are all in Communion with each other, and therefore he, who is a member of one, is a member of them all, and Communicates with them, wherever he is, as a member. But he, who is a a fixt member of a Presbyterian, or Independent Church, cannot Communicate fo much as occafionally, with the Church of England, as a member, becaufe he is a member not only of another particular but of a feparate Church; and it is impoffible for any Man, who is one with himself, to be a member of two feparate Churches, and whatever Acts of Worfhip we joyn in with other Churches, of which we are no members, they are not properly Acts of Com

munion.

Having thus premifed the explication of these terms, what is meant by Church, and what is meant by Church-Communion, and what is meant by Fixt or Conftant, and occafional Communion, the right underftanding of these things, will make it very eafie to refolve thofe cafes, which Immediately refpect Church-Communion,and I fhall Inftance in these three.

1. Whether Communion with fome Church or other, especially when the Church is divided into fo many Sects and Parties, be a neceflary Duty, incumbent on all Chriftians.

2. Whe

2. Whether constant Communion with that Church, with which occafional Communion is Lawful, be a neceffary Duty.

3: Whether it be Lawful for the fame perfon, to Communicate with two separate Churches.

Cafe 1. Whether Communion with fome Church Cafe 1. orther, especially when the Church is divided into fo many Sects and Parties, be a neceffary Duty incumbent on all Chriftians.

Now methinks the refolution of this is as plain, as whether it be neceffary for every Man to be a Chriftian. For every Chriftian is Baptized into the Communion of the Church, and must continue a Member of the Church, till he renounce his Membership by Schifm, or Infidelity, or be caft out of the Church by Ecclefiaftical cenfures.

Baptifm incorporates us into the Chriftian Church, that is, makes us Members of the Body of Christ, which is his Church and is frequently fo called in Scripture. For there is but one Body and one Spirit, Eph. Eph. 5. 23: 4. 4. one Chriftian Church, which is animated and 4-12. governed by the one Spirit of Chrift. And we are all Baptized into this one Body. For as the Body is one,and Col: 1. 18. bath many Members, and all the members of that one Body, being many, are one Body, fo also is Christ,that is, the Chriftian Church, which is the Body of Chrift, of which he is the Head; for by one Spirit we are all Bapti- 1 Cor. 12, 12, zed into one Body, whether we be fews or Gentiles, whe- 13. ther we be bond or Free, and are all made to drink into one Spirit; for the body is not one member, but many.

Now I have already proved, that Church Commu nion is nothing else, but Church-Membership, to be in Communion with the Church, and to be a mem ber of the Church, fignifying the fame thing. And I think, I need not prove, that to be in a state of Com.

munion contains both a right, and an Obligation to Actual Communion. He, who is a member of the Church, may Challenge all the Priviledges of a member, among which Actual Communion is none of the leaft; to be admitted to all the Acts and Of fices of Chriftian-Communion, to the Communion of Prayers and Sacraments, and all other Christian Duties, which no Man who is not a member of the Church, has any right to. And he who is a member, is bound to perform all thofe Duties and Offices, which are Effential to Church Communion, and therefore is bound to Communicate with the Church in Religious Affemblies, to joyn in Prayers and Sacraments, to attend publick Instructions, and to live like a member of the Church.

But to put this past all doubt, that external and actual Communion is an effential Duty of a Church-member, I fhall offer these plain proofs of it.

1. That Baptifm makes us Members of the visible Church of Chrift, but there can be no visible Church without vifible Communion, and therefore every vifible Member, by vertue of his Membership, is bound to external and visible Communion, when it may be had.

2. This is effential to the notion of a Church, as it is a Body and Society of Christians. For all Bodies and Societies of Men are Instituted for the fake of fome common Duties and Offices to be performed by the Members of it. A Body of Men is a Community, and it is a strange kind of Community, in which every Member may act by it felf, without any. Communication with other Members of the fame Body. And yet fuch a kind of Body as this, the Chriftian Church is, if it be not an effential Duty of every Member, to. live in the exercise of visible Communion with the

Church,

Church, when he can. For there is the fame Law for all Members, and either all or none, are bound to a&tual Communion.

But this is more abfurd still, when we confider, that the Church is fuch a Body, as confifts of variety of Members, of different Offices and Officers, which are of no use without actual and vifible Communion of all its Members.

To what purpose did Chrift appoint such variety of Ministers in his Church, Apostles, Prophets, Evange- Eph. 4. 11, 12. lifts, Paftors, and Teachers, for the perfecting of the Saints, for the work of the Ministry, for the edifying of the Body of Chrift; to what purpose has he inftituted a standing Miniftry in his Church,to offer up the Prayers of the Faithful to God, to inftruct, exhort, reprove, and adminster the Chriftian Sacraments, if private Christians are not bound to maintain Communion with them, in all Religious Offices ?

3. Nay the Nature of Chriftian Worship obliges us to Church-Communion. I fuppofe, no Man will deny, but that every Chriftian is bound to Worship God according to our Saviours Institution: and what that is, we cannot learn better, than from the Example of the Primitive Chriftians, of whom St. Luke gives us this account, that they continued Stedfast in the A&s 2. 41. Apoftles Doctrine, and Worship, and in breaking of Bread, and in Prayers.

That which makes any thing in a Strict sense, an Act of Church-Communion is, that it is performed in the Fellowship of the Apostles, or in Communion with the Bishops and Minifters of the Church; They are appointed to Offer up the Prayers of Chriftians to God in his Name; and therefore tho the private devotions of Chriftians are acceptable to God, as the Prayers of Church-Members, yet none but publick Prayers, F which