The nonconformists plea for peace, or, An account of their judgment in certain things…

Ans. By making these six the sufficient proof of Parish Churches, our friend unhappily would consequently unchurch them all: For if this were all, certainly they were none at all. For all these (which he maketh more than they are) are but the dispositio materiae, antecedent to any reception of the form, 1. For all that he inferreth or can infer from them all is obligation to consent and to other duties after consent. But obligation maketh not the relation of a member: All that are obliged to be Christians are not Christians: All that are obliged to be Pastors are not Pastors: Nor all that are obliged to consent first and to do the duty of Pastors ⟨p. 306⟩after: Even as all that are obliged to consent to be subjects, Husbands, Wives, Masters, Servants, Tutors, Scholars, &c. are not such: If mere obligation serve to one relation, why not to others? 2. Else a man might be a true Pastor unchosen, unordained and against his will. For he may by his qualifications be obliged to be ordained and to become a Pastor. 3. And so the people may be the flock of one that was obliged to be their Pastor, when another is set over them and in possession, because it was the first that was obliged, and they to choose him: And so utter Confusion will come in: And if a man can prove that another mans wife and servant was obliged to be his, he may take them as his indeed. 3. By this rule all the Papists, Seekers, Quakers, &c. that renounce our Churches, should yet be members of them, because they live in the Parish, and are commanded to be members: Which who believeth? 4. A member of a Church hath right to Communion and Ministerial vigilancie and help: But so hath not every baptized person that is commanded to be a member, and obeyeth not that command. If a man say to a Pastor, I will be none of your flock, or Church, but yet I require you to do the office of a Pastor to me, though I renounce your relation to me, and the people to use me as a member of the flock, because I am commanded to be a member, this were a strange claim. 5. If this did hold, then no man that liveth in the Parish could be a proper separatist, so as to break off himself from that Church, nor become a member of another, unless he apostatized from Christ: For he would be still under the Magistrates Command and obligation: But the consequent is absurd:

Ans. By making these six the sufficient proof of Parish Churches, our friend unhappily would consequently unchurch them all: For if this were all, certainly they were none at all. For all these (which he maketh more than they are) are but the dispositio materiae, antecedent to any reception of the form, 1. For all that he inferreth or can infer from them all is obligation to consent and to other duties after consent. But obligation maketh not the relation of a member: All that are obliged to be Christians are not Christians: All that are obliged to be Pastors are not Pastors: Nor all that are obliged to consent first and to do the duty of Pastors