An answer to Dr. Stillingfleet's Mischief of separation being a letter written out of…An ansvver to Dr. Stillingfleet's Mischief of separation being a letter written out of…

We are to attend chiefly to what he says in reference to the Lay-people, and shall consider, 1. How severe he is towards them; and 2. How well consistent he is therein with himself.

1. His severity towards those of us in respect of what we practice, who put ourselves under the pastoral care of other than the Parochial Ministers is to be seen in what he proposes to himself to evince, P. 20. viz. That our proceeding to the forming of separate Congregations, i. e. under other Teachers, and by other Rules, than what the established Religion allows, is the present case of separation which he intends to consider, and to make the sinfulness and mischief of it appear. He doth you see in short, absolutely pronounce our practice in this case to be sinful and mischievous.

1. His severity towards those of us in respect of what we practice, who put ourselves under the pastoral care of other than the Parochial Ministers is to be seen in what he proposes to himself to evince, P. 20. viz. That our proceeding to the forming of separate Congregations, i. e. under other Teachers, and by other Rules, than what the established Religion allows, is the present case of separation which he intends to consider, and to make the sinfulnefs and mischief of it appear. He doth you see in short, absolutely pronounce our practice in this case to be sinful and mischievous.

Now it is hence also to be collected, how hard things he would have us suffer upon supposition of our only remaining unsatisfied to join ourselves into the Parochial Communion. He doth not indeed bespeak for us Gibbets, Whipping-posts, or Dungeons. Nor (directly) any thing grievous to our Flesh. But to such as consider themselves to have souls made for an everlasting state, the doom which his words imply, in the mentioned place, cannot be thought gentle. Which that you may apprehend the more distinctly; observe that he hath nothing to say against our bare suspending Communion in some particular Rites which we modestly scruple, while we use it in what we judge lawful, p. 20. (whereas p. 37. he supposing us generally to judge it unlawful to join in the Public Assemblies) to which purpose he also speaks in his late Dialogues p. 171. and 172. (giving his Antagonist an account of what he had said in his Irenicum to the matter now in discourse) viz. That some scrupulous and conscientious men, after all endeavours used to satisfy themselves, may remain unsatisfied as to the lawfulness of some imposed Rites, but dare not proceed to positive separation