Of national churches their description, institution, use, preservation, danger, maladies and cure, partly applied…

§ 12. But if on pretence of Concord or Confederacy, yea or Laws, any would tyrannically impose sinful things, or else make things lawful so much more necessary than in themselves they are, as to become the necessary Conditions of Union or Communion, excommunicating, persecuting, or unchurching all that differ from them, and appropriating National Church Membership only to those that obey such ensnaring Canons or Agreements; It is not lawful to own or countenance such Usurpation and Tyranny, nor to deny those that they deny or condemn, to be true parts of the National Church: It being only Concord in things essential that is necessary to the Essence, and Concord in parts integral that is necessary to Integrity, and Concord in convenient Accidents that is necessary to the accidental Comeliness of the Church. And contrarily, Concord against Essentials nullifieth a Church, and Discord against Essentials nullifieth a Member; and want of Integrals rendereth it maimed; and want of due Accidents uncomely; and ill Accidents (in Concord or Discord,) partly scabbed and less beautiful.

§ 13. I earnestly entreat therefore all sober Christians to take heed lest the secret desire of seeming more pious or tender conscienced than other godly people, and of getting applause for such tenderness, and of being reputed stricter than others, should tempt ⟨p. 36⟩them into opinions or practices of unnecessary distance, singularity and division. Pride is a deep rooted sin in Nature; and it maketh our reputation with the stricter people, oft to become a selfish Interest, as strong as riches and worldly preferments are with the looser sort of men: And it maketh it to such as hard to undergo the sharp censures of the censorious, and to bear the imputation of want of Piety and Conscience, as to undergo imprisonment and want. And hereby, young ignorant Apprentice Lads and Women, being usually the most censorious, such become the real Governors of their Pastors, and of the Church; especially if Persecution also cast them for a livelihood on the Peoples Charity: And so it seemeth to make it the Controversy, whether the Churches and Pastors should be governed by Bishops, or by censorious Women and Boys. Satan hath more Baits to angle with than one; and more than one way of deceiving. Those that are above the sordid bait of riches or preferment, or great mens favour, may yet be overcome by the over-valuing the love and praise of a Sect, or of mistaken religious persons; especially in a time when the Clergy is grown infamous and contemptible by ignorance, worldliness, or malignity, and it is become a disgrace to be numbered with them.