Five disputations of church-government and worship

Sect. 22. 16. By this means all Impiety would be cherished and let loose. When once the mouths of Ministers were stopped, the mouth of the swearer, and curser, and railer, and scorner at Godliness would be open: and so would be the mouth of the drunkard and glutton. If all that can be done, be so much too little, as experience tells us, what a case would the Nations be in, and how would iniquity abound, if Ministers were cast out?

Sect. 23. 17. Yea it might endanger the Churches, by the introduction of Infidelity or Heathenism it self. For nothing is more natural as it were, to corrupted man: and if once the Ministry be taken down, and they have none, or those that are next to none, Infidelity and Atheism will soon spring up: And it will be a more dangerous sort of Infidelity, then is among many of the open Infidels, because it would be palliated with the name of Christianity, and leave men further from conviction, then some that never heard of Christ.

Sect. 24. 18. And it is a temptation to Infidelity and Contempt of the Church and Ministry, when men shall •ee that one party of Christians doth thus unchurch another. They will think that they may boldly say that of us, which we say of the another; one party unchurcheth all the Papists: these that we are now speaking to, do unchurch all the Protestant Churches ⟨p. 248⟩that are not Prelatical. The Papists unchurch all but themselves, and so among them, they leave Christ but a very small part of his inheritance.

Sect. 24. 18. And it is a temptation to Infidelity and Contempt of the Church and Ministrie, when men shall •ee that one party of Christians doth thus unchurch another. They will think that they may boldly say that of us, which we say of the another; one party unchurcheth all the Papists: these that we are now speaking to, do unchurch all the Protestant Churches