Directions for weak distempered Christians, to grow up to a confirmed state of grace…

The confirmed Christian can difference between the strong and weak, the sound and unsound members of the Church, without dismembering any, and without unwarrantable separations from any. He will worship God in the purest manner he can; and locally join with those Assemblies, where all things considered, he may most honour God, and receive most edification; and will not sin for communion with any: He will sufficiently difference between a holy orderly Assembly, and a corrupt disordered one; and between an able faithful Pastor, and an ignorant or worldly hireling: And he desireth that the Pastors of the Church may make that due separation by the holy Discipline of Christ, which may prevent the peoples disorderly separation. But for all this, he will not deny his presence upon just occasion to any Christian Congregation that worshipeth God in truth, though with many modal imperfections, so be it they impose no sin upon him as necessary to his communion with them. Nor will he deny the spiritual communion of faith and Love to those that he holdeth not local communion with: He knoweth that all our worship of God is sinfully imperfect; ⟨p. 132⟩and that it is a dividing principle to hold, that we may join with none that worship God in a faulty manner: for then we must join with none on earth: He knoweth that his presence in the worship of God, is no sign of his approbation of all the failings of Pastors or people in their personal or modal imperfections; as long as he joineth not in a worship so corrupt as to be it self unacceptable to God. While men who are all imperfect and corrupt are the worshippers, the manner of their worship will be such as they, in some degree imperfect and corrupt. The solid Christian hath his eye upon all the Churches in the world, in the determining of such questions: He considereth what worship is offered to God in the Churches of the several parties of Christians, the Greeks, Armenians, Abassines, Lutherans, &c. as well as what is done in the Country where he liveth: and he considereth whether God disown and reject the worship of almost all the Churches in the world, or not: For he dare no further reject them than God rejecteth them: nor will he voluntarily separate from those Assemblies where the presence of Christ, in his Spirit and acceptance, yet remaineth.

The confirmed Christian can difference between the strong and weak, the sound and unsound members of the Church, without dismembring any, and without unwarrantable separations from any. He will worship God in the purest manner he can; and locally joyn with those Assemblies, where all things considered, he may most honour God, and receive most edification; and will not sin for communion with any: He will sufficiently difference between a holy orderly Assembly, and a corrupt disordered one; and between an able faithfull Pastor, and an ignorant or worldly hireling: And he desireth that the Pastors of the Church may make that due separation by the holy Discipline of Christ, which may prevent the peoples disorderly separation. But for all this, he will not deny his presence upon just occasion to any Christian Congregation that worshipeth God in truth, though with many modal imperfections, so be it they impose no sin upon him as necessary to his communion with them. Nor will he deny the spiritual communion of faith and Love to those that he holdeth not local communion with: He knoweth that all our worship of God is sinfully imperfect;