Five disputations of church-government and worship

We are for Bishops in every Church; And for Order sake, we would have one to be the chief. We dislike those that disobey them in lawful things, as well as you. But let them have a flock that is capable of their personal Government, and then we shall be ready to rebuke all those that separate from them, when we can say as Cyprian (Epist. 69. ad Pupian.) [Omnis Ecclesiae populus collectus est, & adunatus, in individua concordia sibi junctus. Soli illi foris remanserint, qui etsi intus essent, ejiciendi fuerant —Qui cum Episcopo non est, in Ecclesia non est (that is, in that particular Church.) Cyprian had a people that could all meet together to consult or consent at least about the Communion or Excommunication of th• members. Epist. 55. Cornel. he tells Cornelius how hard the people were to admit the lapsed or scandalous upon their return if the manifestation of repentance were not full. The Church with whom the person had Communion, was then it that had a Bishop, and was no greater then to be capable of the Cognizance of his cause, and of receiving satisfaction by his personal penitence.

Brethren! (for so I will presume to call you, whether you will or not) Some experience hath persuaded me, that if we had honestly and faithfully joined in the practice of so much of Discipline, as all our principles require, it would have helped us to that experimental knowledge (by the blessing ⟨image 100⟩of God) which would have brought us nearer even in our Principles, then our idle Disputations, separated from practice will ever do. As Augustine saith of the disputes de causa mali (Lib. de utilitat. Credendi, cap. 18.) Dumb nimis quaerunt unde sit malum, nihil reperiunt n•si malum] so I may say of these disputes, while we thus dispute about the causes of disorder and division, we find nothing but disorder and division.

Brethren! (for so I will presume to call you, whether you will or not) Some experience hath perswaded me, that if we had honestly and faithfully joyned in the practice of so much of Discipline, as all our principles require, it would have helped us to that experimental knowledge (by the blessing