The true and only way of concord of all the Christian churches the desirableness…

§. 16. And if any pretend to it, they must be such as lived before Christ had any Evangelical Church (that is, of the same species as hath been since the institution of Christian baptism) or such as have lived only since. The former came not in as competitors: The latter were too late to be the do••s of that which was done before. Union is essential to the Church in general: The necessary terms of Union are essential to it in specie as the Christian Church: For necessarium est sine quo res esse non potest: It's no Christian Church, without the necessary terms of Church union. And therefore before those terms were first made or instituted, there was no Church of that species: and after there was such a Church, and consequently such terms of its Union, none could make them, they being made before.

If any that came after did or shall hereafter attempt to make such terms, it must be new ones, and not the same that constituted the first Church: and then their Church will be new, and not of the same species as the first. Indeed God did make new Laws of Administration, and so may a Kingdom, without changing the constitution: but not new constituting terms: Governing Laws which follow the Constitution, are not to make the Kingdom a Kingdom, or the Church a Church: but to preserve the Church and its order, and promote its welfare: ⟨p. 105⟩and the Oath of Allegiance maketh a man a Subject, without subscribing to the Governing Laws: But as a Subject he consenteth to live under those Laws: and if he break them, he is punishable according to them, and for breaking some of them, may be cut off: and for some crimes a man may be excommunicate.

But yet excommunication must be distinguished: That which totally cuts a man off from the Church, must be but a sentence upon proof that he hath first morally cut off himself: Lesser crimes must be punished with the lesser excommunication, which is but a suspension, and that which Paul speaketh of,