With such, and with all that have reigning in them, the Generous and Catholic Spirit of Christianity (whereof One has given us this true Portraiture, C'est Esprit universel, qui ne connoist point touts ces Distinctions Charnelles, Lesquelles divisent aujourd hu• tant des petits Esprits dans le Monde, (A Catholic Spirit which is above the carnal Distinctions, ⟨p. 3⟩that make such Divisions at this Day, among the Narrow Souls of the World] it will be far from any Prejudice, but, we are well assured, it will be very grateful unto them, to understand, That the Differences between PRESBYTERIAN and CONGREGATIONAL, seem hardly to be known in this Country Tho' the Discipline Recommended by the SYNODS of these Churches, be that which we call CONGREGATIONAL, yet it is their Desire and Study, that a Good Man, who long since wrote an Unio Reformantium, should not be mistaken, when he said, The Congregational are a Choice, if not the Best part, of the Presbyterians. Reforming Presbyterians retiring sometimes from England, and Scotland, and Ireland hither, have been as heartily esteemed and embraced here, as any of the Pastors born and bred in the Land; and as the Churches of New-England have imposed nothing on them, that they could conscientiously have any Scruple of; (Especially not Re-Ordination:) thus they have not only conformed unto the Customs of the Churches, but have even made Conscience of doing so. Yea, Tho' the Churches of New-England cannot admit of many things, which they reckon Deformities retained in the Church of England, according to its present Canonical Constitution, yet they cannot see, why they may not claim to be Real, and even some of the Soundest Parts of the True Church of England, according to the Intention of the first Reformers. And therefore in an Address of the New-English Ministers, unto the Earl of Bellomont, when he was Governor of New-England, they not only asserted this People ⟨p. 4⟩to be, A Nation of Nonconformists, which those in Scotland, justly look upon as their UNITED BRETHREN; but also declared, their Churches to be those wherein the Pure Doctrine in the famous Articles of the Church of England, is owned and preached with all possible Purity, and the Primitive Discipline, which even the Liturgy of the Church of England wishes to see restored; is practised.
With such, and with all that have reigning in them, the Generous and Catholick Spirit of Christianity (whereof One has given us this true Pourtraiture, C'est Esprit universel, qui ne connoist point toutes ces Distinctions Charnelles, Lesquelles divisent aujourd hu• tant des petits Esprits dans le Monde, (A Catholic Spirit which is above the carnal Distinctions, ⟨p. 3⟩that make such Divisions at this Day, among the Narrow Souls of the World] it will be far from any Prejudice, but, we are well assured, it will be very grateful unto them, to understand, That the Differences between PRESBYTERIAN and CONGREGATIONAL, seem hardly to be known in this Country Tho' the Discipline Recommended by the SYNODS of these Churches, be that which we call CONGREGATIONAL, yet it is their Desire and Study, that a Good Man, who long since wrote an Unio Reformantium, should not be mistaken, when he said, The Congregational are a Choice, if not the Best part, of the Presbyterians. Reforming Presbyterians retiring sometimes from England, and Scotland, and Ireland hither, have been as heartily esteemed and embraced here, as any of the Pastors born and bred in the Land; and as the Churches of New-England have imposed nothing on them, that they could conscienciously have any Scruple of; (Especially not Re-Ordination:) thus they have not only conformed unto the Customs of the Churches, but have even made Conscience of doing so. Yea, Tho' the Churches of New-England cannot admit of many things, which they reckon Deformities retained in the Church of England, according to its present Canonical Constitution, yet they cannot see, why they may not claim to be Real, and even some of the Soundest Parts of the True Church of England, according to the Intention of the first Reformers. And therefore in an Address of the New-English Ministers, unto the Earl of Bellomont, when he was Governour of New-England, they not only asserted this People ⟨p. 4⟩to be, A Nation of Nonconformists, which those in Scotland, justly look upon as their UNITED BRETHREN; but also declared, their Churches to be those wherein the Pure Doctrine in the famous Articles of the Church of England, is owned and preached with all possible Purity, and the Primitive Discipline, which even the Liturgy of the Church of England wishes to see restored; is practised.
