A30136:155
A confession of my faith and a reason of my practice
A confession of my faith and a reason of my practice, or, With who, and who not, I can hold church-fellowship, or the communion of saints
London: printed for Francis Smith, 1672
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Vain man! Think not by the straightness of thine order, in outward and bodily conformity, to outward and shadowish circumstances, that thy peace is maintained with God; for peace with God is by Faith in the blood of his cross; who hath born the reproaches of you both. Wherefore he that hath communion with God for Christs sake, is as good and as worthy of the communion of Saints as thy self. He erreth in a circumstance, thou errest in a substance; who must bear these errors? Upon whom must these reproaches fall? Phil. 1.10. Some of the things of God that are excellent have not been approved by some of the Saints: What then? Must these for this be cast out of the Church? No, these reproaches by which the wisdom of heaven is reproached ⟨p. 92⟩have fallen upon me, saith Christ. But to return; God hath received him, Christ hath received him, therefore do you receive him. There is more solidity in this argument, then if all the Churches of God had received him. This receiving then, because it is set an example to the Church is such as must needs be visible to them; and it best described by that word which discovereth the visible Saint: Who so therefore you can by the word, judge a visible Saint, one that walketh with God; you may judge by the self same word that God hath received him. Now him that God receiveth and holdeth communion with, him you should receive and hold communion with. Will any say we cannot believe that God hath received any but such as are Baptized? I will not suppose a Brother so stupefied; and therefore to that I will not answer.
Vain man! Think not by the streightness of thine order, in outward and bodily conformity, to outward and shadowish circumstances, that thy peace is maintained with God; for peace with God is by Faith in the blood of his cross; who hath born the reproaches of you both. Wherefore he that hath communion with God for Christs sake, is as good and as worthy of the communion of Saints as thy self. He erreth in a circumstance, thou errest in a substance; who must bear these errors? Upon whom must these reproaches fall? Phil. 1.10. Some of the things of God that are excellent have not been approved by some of the Saints: What then? Must these for this be cast out of the Church? No, these reproaches by which the wisedom of heaven is reproached