Irenicum, to the lovers of truth and peace heart-divisions opened in the causes and…

Fourthly, If things were in that ordered and settled way, as §4they ought, there ought to be no gathering of any new Churches without consulting and advising with neighbour Churches, Christ would have all Churches unite themselves, and have conjunction one with another, being all of the same body of Christ: If then there be to be raised a new Sister Church, that expects and is to desire the benefit of Communion with the rest, there is all the reason in the world that the help, advice, and assistance of the other Churches should be made use of in the raising and ordering this Church that they are thus to own in the way of communion with them to whom they are to give the right hand of fellowship.

Fourthly, If things were in that ordered and settled way, as §4they ought, there ought to be no gathering of any new Churches without consulting and advising with neighbour Churches, Christ would have all Churches unite themselves, and have conjunction one with another, being all of the same body of Christ: If then there be to be raised a new Sister Church, that expects and is to desire the benefit of Communion with the rest, there is all the reason in the world that the helpe, advice, and assistance of the other Churches should be made use of in the raising and ordering this Church that they are thus to owne in the way of communion with them to whom they are to give the right hand of fellowship.

Fifthly, All believers who live in a place together, ought §5so far as they can, join into one Church, though they be of different judgements and tempers, what ever things they differ in, yet if they may stand with grace they can have no encouragement ⟨p. 164⟩from the examples of any of the Churches, we read of in Scripture, for them to divide themselves into little pieces. The way of Christ all along in Scripture is, that all the Saints in such a place, who are not more then can join in one, should join together and make but one Church; certainly this is more for the honour of Christs Body then the division of Saints in the same place into several little societies, Christ stands much upon the union of his Saints in one, in all ways, by all means that may be.