Catholic communion defended against both extremes, and unnecessary division confuted in five parts ...…Catholick communion defended against both extreams, and unnecessary division confuted in five parts ...…

IV. I do it very much to avoid the scandal of seeming to judge Parish Communion an unlawful thing, and seeming to separate from them on that account. That they err who judge it so unlawful, I am satisfied: And that scandal is a great Sin, the second Commandment, and Christ's dreadful threatening of the scandalous, and Paul's abhorrence of it, satisfies me. The second Commandment forbids Corporal Scandalous seeming to be Idolaters (what ever the Heart be:) And I must not seem to unchurch or sinfully censure, what ever be in my Thoughts. I know it is no such Scandal, that I go not here to the Greek Church, to the French Church, or the Dutch Church. For no man hath any reason to interpret it to signify, that I separate from their Communion as unlawful: But there is great reason to interpret my total avoiding the Parish Churches, to signify that I judge it unlawful to Communicate with them, as is evident in these Particulars.

IV. I do it very much to avoid the scandal of seeming to judge Parish Communion an unlawful thing, and seeming to separate from them on that account. That they err who judge it so unlawful, I am satisfyed: And that scandal is a great Sin, the second Commandment, and Christ's dreadful threatning of the scandalous, and Paul's abhorrence of it, satisfies me. The second Commandment forbids Corporal Scandalous seeming to be Idolaters (what ever the Heart be:) And I must not seem to unchurch ot sinfully censure, what ever be in my Thoughts. I know it is no such Scandal, that I go not here to the Greek Church, to the French Church, or the Dutch Church. For no man hath any reason to interpret it to signifie, that I separate from their Communion as unlawful: But there is great reason to interpret my total avoiding the Parish Churches, to signifie that I judge it unlawful to Communicate with them, as is evident in these Particulars.

1. There are divers Nonconforming Separatists, who have lately written to prove it unlawful.