A friendly trial of the grounds tending to separation in a plain and modest…A friendly triall of the grounds tending to separation in a plain and modest…

These observations rightly applied do manifestly overthrow what hath been and is by others objected against communion with us in the worship of God.¹ For if it was absolutely necessary that the Messiah should be born in the true church, wherein he might have communion, then a church corrupted in officers and offices, doctrine, worship and manners, may be a true church, wherewith the faithful may hold communion without sin; or at least the faithful may lie hid in such a corrupt society, and hold communion with them in the exercises of religion without sin. And if the Jews had not power to cast out an offender, the material part of that church was not visible Saints, whom God was pleased to take into covenant, but the whole body of the Jewish nation, ignorant; impenitent, profane, obstinate, even all that were not cut off by bodily death; the sacraments must not be dispensed according to the promise made to the faithful and their seed, but promiscuously to all that came of the loins of Jacob according to the flesh; the faithful might and ought to have communion, as one body, with the wicked and profane, who remain in unbelief, and both ⟨p. 209⟩revile and persecute the truth; Then a company of impenitent sinners might and did remain the true church, being to the judgement of men irrecoverable, then such as are altogether averse to the end of their holy calling, may be received into covenant; and though the society be never so much soured with the unclean conversation of the ungodly, yet the faithful may dip in their meal, and live in that society without fear of pollution, dishonour to God, encouragement to the wicked, or scandal to the brethren. And what then is become of the heaps of quotations whereby they would prove that the members of the church must be holy, visible saints, a people converted, in covenant, separated to the Lord, and that the church is only true whiles it continueth such, and false when it degenerateth from this disposition?

These observations rightly applyed do manifestly overthrow what hath been and is by others objected against communion with us in the worship of God.¹ For if it was absolutely necessary that the Messias should be born in the true church, wherein he might have communion, then a church corrupted in officers and offices, doctrine, worship and manners, may be a true church, wherewith the faithfull may hold communion without sin; or at least the faithfull may lie hid in such a corrupt society, and hold communion with them in the exercises of religion without sin. And if the Jews had not power to cast out an offender, the materiall part of that church was not visible Saints, whom God was pleased to take into covenant, but the whole body of the Jewish nation, ignorant; impenitent, prophane, obstinate, even all that were not cut off by bodily death; the sacraments must not be dispensed according to the promise made to the faithfull and their seed, but promiscuously to all that came of the loins of Jacob according to the flesh; the faithfull might and ought to have communion, as one body, with the wicked and prophane, who remain in unbelief, and both