The cure of church-divisions, or, Directions for weak Christians to keep them from being…

DIRECT. XVI.

Though the profession of Christianity which entitleth men to Church-communion, must be credible: yet remember that there are divers Degrees of credibility; and that every Profession which is not proved false is credible in such a degree as must be accepted by the Church.

Though the profession of Christianity which entituleth men to Church-communion, must be credible: yet remember that there are divers Degrees of credibility; and that every Profession which is not proved false is credible in such a degree as must be accepted by the Church.

Profession of Christianity is every mans Church-title. No man is to prove the sincerity of his own profession; nor may the Church require such proof at his hands; For how can a man prove to another the sincerity of his own heart? But the fuller testimony he giveth of it, the better it is: And therefore none should refuse to make his own profession, as fully credible to the Church as he is able, no• is the Church to be blamed for enquiring after the fullest credibility, so be it they do it but ad melius esse, and not ad esse; not laying his title upon it, nor refusing him for want of it. But every profession as such is credible in some degree, which is not disproved. Because men are under God, the only competent judges of their own hearts: And the belief of one another is the ground of humane converse: And it is an injury to any man to account him a liar, without sufficient proof. He that will disprove a mans profession, must prove first, that he doth not tolerably understand what he saith; secondly, or that he speaketh not seriously, but in jest; or not voluntarily,