I may, besides my own inclination, drink a single glass of Wine out of Civility to one person, or of Water, to another, when I am not, for any mans pleasure, to destroy my health by tying my self to drink nothing else. And whatever Christian condescendingness, and goodness of temper may prompt a man to, who makes not what others do, but what they ought to do his rule and measure: They have least reason to expect much compliance from others, who bind themselves up within their own party, are enwrapped as Leviathan in his Scales, call themselves the Church (as many say here is Christ, and there is Christ) and call all men Separatists that will not be of their Church. And perhaps they assume, ⟨p. 52⟩and appropriate the name with no more pretence or colour, and with no better-sense, than if an humorsome company of men, should distinguish themselves from others, by wearing a blue or a yellow girdle, and call themselves mankind! Do not too many in our days distinguish their Church and Christian Communion, by things no more belonging to a Church, or to Christianity, than a girdle of this or that colour to humane Nature? And which no more qualify for Christian Society, than that doth for human? If however, an ingenuous, free spirited man, out of respect to his present company, or for any other valuable reason, should in such a case put on a blue girdle, I shall find no fault with him. But if any should go about to pinch him too close with it, so as would be inconvenient to his ease and health, or oblige him to protest against the true humanity of all that neglect it. I doubt not he would throw it away with scorn. Much less would he be a confederate with them that use it, if they professedly combine for the destruction of the rest of mankind that use it not, when many of them that refuse it apprehend it a real grievance. Especially, when they that would impose it, live, with many of the rest, under the Government of a just and sovereign Prince, from whom they have no Charter for their imposition, but who hath declared he will not have his subjects so imposed upon.
In sum, we are all indispensably obliged by our Lord Jesus Christ, the sovereign Prince and Ruler of his Church, to the substance of all Christian Ordinances. As to uninstituted modes thereof, we are free. And they that understand their liberty, may use or not use them as is more for their own, and the common good.
I may, besides my own inclination, drink a single glass of Wine out of Civility to one person, or of Water, to another, when I am not, for any mans pleasure, to destroy my health by tying my self to drink nothing else. And whatever Christian condescendingness, and goodness of temper may prompt a man to, who makes not what others do, but what they ought to do his rule and measure: They have least reason to expect much compliance from others, who bind themselves up within their own party, are enwrapt as Leviathan in his Scales, call themselves the Church (as many say here is Christ, and there is Christ) and call all men Separatists that will not be of their Church. And perhaps they assume, ⟨p. 52⟩and appropriate the name with no more pretence or colour, and with no better-sense, than if an humorsom company of men, should distinguish themselve from others, by wearing a blue or a yellow girdle, and call themselves mankind! Do not too many in our daies distinguish their Church and Christian Communion, by things no more belonging to a Church, or to Christianity, than a girdle of this or that colour to humane Nature? And which no more qualify for Christian Society, than that doth for human? If however, an ingenuous, free spirited man, out of respect to his present company, or for any other valuable reason, should in such a case put on a blue girdle, I shall find no fault with him. But if any should go about to pinch him too close with it, so as would be inconvenient to his ease and health, or oblige him to protest against the true humanity of all that neglect it. I doubt not he would throw it away with scorn. Much less would he be a consederate with them that use it, if they professedly combine for the destruction of the rest of mankind that use it not, when many of them that refuse it apprehend it a real grievance. Especially, when they that would impose it, live, with many of the rest, under the Government of a just and sovereign Prince, from whom they have no Charter for their imposition, but who hath declared he will not have his subjects so impos'd upon.
In sum, we are all indispensably oblig'd by our Lord Jesus Christ, the sovereign Prince and Ruler of his Church, to the substance of all Christian Ordinances. As to uninstituted modes thereof, we are free. And they that understand their liberty, may use or not use them as is more for their own, and the common good.
