Confirmation and restoration the necessary means of reformation, and reconciliation; for the healing of…Confirmation and restauration the necessary means of reformation, and reconciliation; for the healing of…

8. But the greatest mischief that troubleth me to think of, is this; that by this hastening and admitting all the unprepared into the Number of Adult-Christians, and members of the Church; we do either put a necessity upon our selves to throw away Church-discipline, or else to be most probably the damnation of our peoples Souls, and make them desperate, and almost past all hope, or remedy. I must confess, that what I am saying now, I was not sensible of, till lately that experience made me sensible: While I meddled not with Public reproofs or censures, I disputed of these things, without that experience, which I now find is one of the greatest helps to resolve such doubts; which makes me bold to tell the Church, that the Practice of so much Discipline as we are agreed in, is a likelier way, to bring us all to agreement in the rest, then all our Disputings will do without it: And that I resolve hereafter, to take that man for an incompetent Judge, and unmeet Disputer about Church-discipline, that never exercised it, or lived where it was exercised: And I shall hereafter suspect their judgments, and be almost as loath to follow such, as to follow a swimmer, that never was before in the water, ⟨p. 173⟩or a Pilot that was never before at sea; or a Soldier that never saw wars before, but have only learned their skill by the Book. Our case stands thus: If we take all our Parishes according to the old Church-constitution, to be particular Churches, and all the Parishiones to be members, then either we must exercise the Discipline which Christ hath commanded, or not. If not, then we disobey our Lord and Master, and own such a Church, as is utterly uncapable of Church-ends, and consequently of the essence, seeing that it is a Relative being. For it's supposed that it is not for any unusual accident, that we cannot exercise this Discipline, but from the very Church constitution, or incapacity of the matter. And then 1. We shall be Traitors to Christ, under the name of Pastors, if we will wilfully cast out his Ministerial, Kingly Government. 2. We shall betray the Church to licentiousness. And 3. We shall set up a new Church-way, which is contrary, to that which hath been practised in all ages, from the Apostles days, till Impiety had overspread the Christian world.

8. But the greatest mischief that troubleth me to think of, is this; that by this hastening and admitting all the unprepared into the Number of Adult-Christians, and members of the Church; we do either put a necessity upon our selves to throw away Church-discipline, or else to be most probably the damnation of our peoples Souls, and make them desperate, and almost past all hope, or remedy. I must confess, that what I am saying now, I was not sensible of, till lately that experience made me sensible: While I medled not with Publike reproofs or censures, I disputed of these things, without that experience, which I now find is one of the greatest helps to resolve such doubts; which makes me bold to tell the Church, that the Practice of so much Discipline as we are agreed in, is a likelyer way, to bring us all to agreement in the rest, then all our Disputings will do without it: And that I resolve hereafter, to take that man for an incompetent Judge, and unmeet Disputer about Church-discipline, that never exercised it, or lived where it was exercised: And I shall hereafter suspect their judgments, and be almost as loath to follow such, as to follow a swimmer, that never was before in the water,