Church concord

7. Or if any of you shall refuse to meet in constant Synods, yet do this much at least: Let your Churches and ours be so far Consociate as to Own each other for true Churches, (though we take the Liberty to disown any notable Distemper that we may see each other guilty of), and let Communicatory Letters be necessary for any that be received from one Church to another, unless in special cases: And deny not to appear at least on such an extraordinary occasion at a Synod, to satisfy the Churches when you are accused.

7. Or if any of you shall refuse to meet in constant Synods, yet do this much at least: Let your Churches and ours be so far Consociate as to Own each other for true Churches, (though we take the Liberty to disown any notable Distemper that we may see each other guilty of), and let Communicatory Letters be necessary for any that be received from one Church to another, unless in special cases: And deny not to appear at least on such an extraordinary occasion at a Synod, to satisfie the Churches when you are accused.

8. And let us agree on such Rules for the peaceable management of our remaining Differences, as are necessary to the Security of the common Truths, and the common cause of Christianity and Piety which we own, that we hinder not God's Work, and harden not the Ungodly, and weaken not each others hands, and prove not at last the unwise Destroyers of the Church, and Betrayers of the Gospel and our Liberties to the Enemies, by our obstinate Divisions and Contentions. If the worst be supposed of a resolved distance (which we dare not be so uncharitable as to suppose) we may yet expect an Agreement to such terms as are here after offered to the Anabaptists.

If yet it be insisted on by any, that [by holding Communion with us in Synods, and being there responsible for offences, you shall be proceeded against to a Non-Communion]: I further answer, 1. Will you choose a Non-Communion to escape it? yea, to escape a possibility of it? And shall it be by your own act and guilt, lest it should be by other mens? 2. Again, I tell you, they can declare their avoiding your Communion whether you Associate or not: And will have the more occasion, when you wilfully divide and refuse to be responsible, than when you live among them as Brethren in Charitable Correspondencies and Communion, and walk in order. And there will be far more probability that things will be carried on against you in their Synods, in your absence, than in your presence, when you speak for your selves. 3. They will allow you in any of the ten fore-allowed Cases to take Members out of other Parishes and Churches, and also out of all those Parishes that have no tolerable Pastors, or where the People have any warrantable cause to depart; yea, in case the person will but remove his Habitation, they will not contend (though he do it causelessly.) (And surely the Public Order and Peace of the Churches, is of greater moment than the Riches and worldly Accommodations of a particular man: and therefore in most cases reason it self will tell us that it is fitter such incur some incommodity by removing their Habitations, than that the Church incur damage by their breaking Order, and crossing all the Scripture Presidents, where men were ever Members of the Church that was in the Places where they lived, or next to them, and there none but Heretics had Antichurches, or separated Assemblies). Moreover, if you do disorderly receive any Members out of other Churches, the Brethren associated may by Evidence of Reason satisfy and reduce you; If they do not so, they will understand on what account you do it; and so if it be but on some tolerable Mistake or Infirmity, they will be satisfied in the disowning your Sin, without disowning your Communion. But if it be on an intolerable ground, and