Church concord

I advise all sober Persons to be no Members of any such Church, as will engage them to have no Communion with any others, but to be as guilty of Separation a• they are themselves.

I mean, that you make not or perform any such wicked Covenant or Condition of Communion with them, though their Leader should seem the most Zealous and Devout: To renounce Communion with all the Church of Christ, save such à Schismatical Sect, yea, or with all that have not purer Worship than our Liturgy, or that are not purer Churches, is a Sin so heinous, as should deter you from it. Though better be to be preferred, renounce not Communion with all that have not better, lest yours prove worse. Had not the Public Churchmen been guilty of Schismatical Separation, calling men from all Churches and Worship save their own, and appropriating all Church Title and Communion to themselves, they had been more blameless than they are. But while some silence, and others separate, Concord is banished more and more.

I mean, that you make not or perform any such wicked Covenant or Condition of Communion with them, though their Leader should seem the most Zealous and Devout: To renounce Communion with all the Church of Christ, save such à Schismatical Sect, yea, or with all that have not purer Worship than our Liturgy, or that are not purer Churches, is a Sin so heinous, as should deter you from it. Though better be to be preferred, renounce not Communion with all that have not better, lest yours prove worse. Had not the Publick Churchmen been guilty of Schismatical Separation, calling men from all Churches and Worship save their own, and appropriating all Church Title and Communion to themselves, they had been more blameless than they are. But while some silence, and others separate, Concord is banished more and more.

And if the Imposing Party well consider this late Agreement, they will find that there is nothing in, it that may make them think, that the same men will be averse, to any just terms of a further Agreement, with those that have been their Ejecters. They have agreed to take no Members out of any of your true Pastoral consenting Churches, without a just hearing and satisfactory Reasons to them. But I hope you take not all your Parishioners, even Atheists, Papists and Infidels for your Church Members; No yet all your Auditors and Catechumens, but only your Communicants: And is it not better that they be Members of Nonconformists Churches than of none? I have elsewhere cited you the Canons of a Council decreeing, That if the Bishop of the place convert not any Heathens or Unbelievers, and another convert them, they shall be his Flock that did convert them, (in my Hist. of Councils.)