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Show t.Mafter John ,Cottons .Anfwer warrantable and finfull, hedoeforbeare the fame in his own pra: 8:ife, and diffw•de others from the fame by his doctrine and ex-ample. - Tnirdly,An Ecclefiaflicall feparation, that when a man cannot continue in fellowrhip with fuch a Church , but that he rhall be compelled to the pra8:ifeoffome finne, or of neceffitie to commu• nicate with the finnes of others, then (after all good means ufed in vaine, to redreffe thofe evils) meekly to feparate and withdra~ himfelfe from fellowfhip with them in Church-Communion as one that cannot enjoy the good which Is found amongll: th;m without partaking in fundry evils that cleave to them. ' Thus farre l have confidered the grounds and Principles ofRe· formation, ( of which the Examiner fpeaketh) and doe finde that they doe necelfarily conclude, a feparation ofholy from unholy thps f.irre. But I confeffe, l have not confidered , nor can I finde ou· ' ·by any further due confideration, that the principles and gn unds of R:eformation doe necelfarily conclude a feparation from the Engltfh Churches, as falfe Churches, from their Mini· fiery, as a f~lfe Miniflery, from their worfhip as a falfe worrhip, from all thetr profelfoi'S', as from no vifible Saincs.Nor can I findc th•t they ~oe either neceffarily or probably conclude,a feparatio~ from hean_ng the word preached by godly Miniflers in the Parilh· Churches 1!' England : Nor can I finde, that the building of our Churches m thefe ends of the world, u the raifing up of a [quare h.oufi upon ~be ~ele of a Ship, unleffe it be the Arke of Noah ; for aS· the foules m the Arke were faved from water ; fo we finde by eX• perience,and good evidence from the word, that the Lord blelfeth our Church- Communion and adminill:ratlons with foule-faving efficJcy, through his grace in Chrill:. Thirdly, The third particular,which the Examiner faith I have not duely confidered, is, The multiturlu of holy and f•ithfu/J ,:,n and· "'"'!'~n, who h~ve R'itm.ffid ~his tmth from ~eenc MMics dJyet, by R'rrtmg, dijput mg, and fujfermg, farre above what the Non· conformijls have done, &c. Reply. This particular hath been confide red above in Anfwer to Chapter 23. Fourthly, The fourth particular, which he defireth might be b.mer confidered, Is our own praliife,.Qnd profeffion. Our praf1iji,in conjlituting to Mafler Roger Williams. ------ lonjlituting o11r Churches of none but god!J per[ons ,and tmiting them in· to a body by "oluntary mtauaO Covenant, and adding rzone to them, but perfons carefitUy '':"mined and app~oved, and elllering_ by WJY of confeffi· on, both of their Jwna, and ofthm fa tth. Ourpra{J.fi alfo, m P•ppref fi11g other Englifh, wbe h•ve a~ tempted to fit up a Congt<gallon tn a P a• rijhionaU way. Ottr profeJJion tn the late Anfwer we gave to many worlhy ptrJons, (whom yet w~ ac:ount godly Mi11ijlers and people) that ~e could net permit them to ltve Jn the fome Common-wealth together wuh Uf, if they (boultJ fit up any other Church and Worjhip, then what our [elves praf1ife. • . • . Reply. 1. Our pra8:ifc 10 the confluunng and ordermg our own Churches here, holdeth forth, what matte r,and forme, and order of the Church we doe beleeve to be molt ag.-eeable to the patterne . fet before us i~ the Gofpel of Chri!1. And our not receiving all commers unto the Communion of the Lords Table, and other parte ofChurch· fellowfhip, (Caving onely, unto the pub lick hearIng of the Word, and prefence at other duties) it argueth_indeed, that fuch perfons, either thinke themfelves unfic matertalls for Church· fellowfhip, (and fo they never offer themfelves to ~s ) ?r elfe that we onr !elves conceive them to be as ll:ones ll:andmg 10 need of a liule more hewing and fquaring, before they belayed, as living {_\ones in the w•lls of the Lords houfe. All_ which amount· eth onely to this, That we doe confider and bewatle the deftCI:s of the Churches of England , in receiving il\norant and fcand•lous perfons to all the Jibertie~ of the Lc ,rds Table_, an~ ~f his h~ufe, as other wayes. Butit doth not at allargue(nettherti tt our rnmde it fhould argue) their Churches, and wor!hip, and Miniflery,and members, (hould all of them be feparated from as falfe , or none at all. Our practiCe in fuppreffing fuch as have ~ttempted to f~t up a Parifhion•ll way,.l never heard of !itch a thmg here. to t!liS d•Y· And if any fuch thing were done, before n~y commg tnto the Countrey, l do not thinke it wa_:; gppe l,ly forctble compulfion,but by rationall convi{.l:ion . · l. . But as fo r our profenlon , tb ;v; wee fh ould anfam m;ny worthy Mi,.ijlers and people in England! that w_ce co11ld n~t pemm tbem to live ill tiJ< [.me Common-we.!l·th wtth U< , if tiJ') varzedj,-om l;t. I have cleared it above (in Anfwer to Chapt.J I· ) to be a n~to- Sf 2 n ous |