Five disputations of church-government and worship

Sect. 55. But yet quoad debitum it is the Churches duty (except in Cases of Necessity) to disown such intruders, and to suspect and suspend obedience, to those that indirectly enter, (by a few ignorant, or schismatical Ordainers, refusing the trial of the unanimous abler Orthodox Ministry) till they have either persuaded the man to procure their Approbation, or have themselves sought the Judgement of the said United Ministers concerning him. And seeing all the Churches of Christ should be linked and jointed together, and hold communion and correspondency, according to their capacities, the Members of a particular Church are bound in reason, and to ⟨p. 270⟩those ends, to advise in such suspicious cases with neighbour Churches, and not to receive a Pastor that comes in by way of Discord, or that neglecteth or refuseth the concordant way. For he that entereth in a divisive way, is like to govern them accordingly, and still to shun the Communion of the Brethren.

Sect. 55. But yet quoad debitum it is the Churches duty (except in Cases of Necessity) to disown such intruders, and to suspect and suspend obedience, to those that indirectly enter, (by a few ignorant, or schismatical Ordainers, refusing the tryal of the unanimous abler Orthodox Ministry) till they have either perswaded the man to procure their Approbation, or have themselves sought the Judgement of the said United Ministers concerning him. And seeing all the Churches of Christ should be linkt and jointed together, and hold communion and correspondency, according to their capacities, the Members of a particular Church are bound in reason, and to ⟨p. 270⟩those ends, to advise in such suspicious cases with neighbour Churches, and not to receive a Pastor that comes in by way of Discord, or that neglecteth or refuseth the concordant way. For he that entreth in a divisive way, is like to govern them accordingly, and still to shun the Communion of the Brethren.

Sect. 56. This Cyprian fully shows in the fore-mentioned Ep. 68. p, 201. persuading the people to shun the unworthy though they were Ordained by Bishops, adding [Ordinari nonnunquam indignos, non secundum Dei voluntatem, sed secundum humanam praesumptionem; & haec Deo displicere, quae non veniant ex legitima & justa Ordinatione, Deus ipse manifestat, &c. —] Necessity may justify some things that otherwise would be irregularities: but when [Per urbes singulas (that is, in every Church) Ordinati sint Episcopi, in aetate antiqui, in fide integri, in pressura probati, in persecutione proscripti, ille super os creare alios pseudo-Episcopos audeat] this is a fact that the people should disown. And [Qui neque unitatem spiritus nec conjunctionem pacis observat, & se ab Ecclesiae vinculo, atque à Sacerdtum collegio separat, Episcopo nec potestatem potest habere, nec honorem, qui Episcopatus nec unitatem voluit tenere, nec pacem. Cyprian Epist. 52. ad Antonian.