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

First, He that is not at all able to do the essential ⟨p. 203⟩works of the Ministry, that is, to teach the people the Christian faith, and a holy life, and to pray and praise God with them, and administer the Sacraments, and in some measure oversee the manners of the flock, is no Minister, nor to be owned: For he wanteth the essential qualifications: As an illiterate man can be no Schoolmaster, nor he a Physician, a Pilot, an Architect, who is utterly ignorant of their work.

Secondly, he that preacheth Heresy, that is, denieth any essential point of Christianity or Godliness, after the first and second admonition is to be avoided.

Secondly, he that preacheth Heresie, that is, denieth any essential point of Christianity or Godliness, after the first and second admonition is to be avoided.

Thirdly, he that in his application, endeavoureth to disgrace a Godly life, and to dissuade the people from it, on false pretences, and encourage them to a life of wickedness, is a traitor to Christ, and not to be owned in the Ministry. In a word, Any one whose Ministry is such, as tendeth to destruction more than to edification and to do more harm then good. But then remember, that it is not partiality and passion that must here be judge: Nor is every one an opposer of Godliness, who opposeth the errors of a party, or the faults or follies of godly men.

Thirdly, he that in his application, endeavoureth to disgrace a Godly life, and to disswade the people from it, on false pretenses, and encourage them to a life of wickedness, is a traytor to Christ, and not to be owned in the Ministery. In a word, Any one whose Ministery is such, as tendeth to destruction more than to edification and to do more harm then good. But then remember, that it is not partiality and passion that must here be judge: Nor is every one an opposer of Godliness, who opposeth the errours of a party, or the faults or follies of godly men.