Truft, when it does not take heed to the Miniftry it is charged with, and which it hath received of the Lord, to fulfil it. And as for what the Primitive Church did in remitting Difcipline, and abating the dftrictnefs thereof in fome particular Cafes, we do not find it was done, but only when there was an urgent neceffity forcing thereunto, for the avoiding some great Mifchief, as when there was fear of Schifm, or Faction, or fome Mutiny against the Church's Authority from the multitude of Offenders. Befides, the Church, when it thus condescended to abate the strictness of its Penance, and give admiffion to its Communion without it, could not reasonably be understood to intend by the grant of its Communion to warrant forgiveness of Sins to thofe whom the fo received, any further than that difpofition of Mind, which the Parties themselves knew that they returned with, might warrant it. For it being evident that the Church waved the Rule by which it was wont, and according to which in the due and Regular Exercife of its Ministry, it ought to proceed; the Charge of making good that difpofition which qualifieth before God for the Communion of the Church, did in that refpect devolve upon the Con fcience of them that impofed the Ne

ceffity

ceffity upon the Church to wave its wholfome Rules of Difcipline. Moreover, though the Primitive Church in particular cafes of neceffity did this to preferve the Being of the Church, which is ever of more moment than the Discipline thereof; yet afterwards the ftrictness of its Difcipline was in all refpects restored and acted to its proper Ends. So that the Primitive Church never thought it felf to have Power to lay aside the Ordi nance of Chrift; but on the contrary, that as the Laws of our Lord and his Apostles were always an acknowledged Rule to the Church for its Government, fo the Difcipline of their appointment must be brought to effect by the Church at all times. An exception to a Rule is always looked on as à confirmation of the Rule in all cafes not excepted. Therefore the Primitive Church keeping always a ftrict Discipline, and not abating thereof in any cafe, till fatisfied of the Sinners Repentance, but only in a few cafes that were extraordinary, wherein there was a fort of Force and Neceffity upon the Church to do otherwise; Thefe extraordinary cafes can never be pleaded for a ground of Power in the prefent Church to lay aside or let fall the Discipline which the Church ever stood charged to administer for the Intreft of Christians.

ty;

ty; but rather as they were Extraordinary, there is the greater reafon thence to conclude, that the prefent Church cannot be at Liberty to depart from the Example of the Primitive Church in this particular, but is more strictly bound to have regard to that Difcipline which is of the appointment of our Bleffed Lord and his Apoftles, and which the Primitive Church we must fuppofe thought it felf obliged to observe, for that it did obferve it always with great ftrictness, preferving by strict Canons even a Severity of Difcipline for feveral Ages. As therefore it is a great mistake to think that the example of the Primitive, Church, which abated of the strictness of Difcipline in fome extraordinary Cafes, will justify our prefent Remifsnefs in it fo I fear it will be found upon examination, that the common Plea for this Remifsnefs, which is,the broken and divided State of the Church, though it hath too much in it to the Prejudice of the Chriftian Religion, hath very little in it to excuse those that are intrusted by the Church with the Ministry of its Difcipline, for not doing and discharging their Duty in the Miniftration thereof. For though I will not fay pofitively and abfolutely that the bringing a few Souls by this Difcipline to Repen8

tance

tance and to the Practice of Piety and Virtue, is of greater fervice to God and to the Christian Religion, than the gaining of hundreds that are vicious to the fide of the established Church, and to a Profeffion of Communion with it; because the gaining of them to that Communion may be a means of their being gained over afterwards to true Christianity and to the Practice thereof; yet fuppofing them to continue vicious in the Communion of the Church, this must be faid and allowed, though thofe Hundreds were Thousands. And our having had too long and great Experience, that the Number of true Chriftians hath not increased among us, how much foever the Number of Profelytes to the Party of the Church may, fhould make those, methinks, who have the care of the Church upon them and the Charge of its Ministry,concerned and folicitous to employ and exercise their Miniftry to the utmost of their Ability for the making those good Chriftians that are already within the Church, as well as for making Profelytes to it: The one being little to the purpose of men's Salvation, while there is no care taken of the other, or indeed not a due Care. I take it alfo to be a vain fear, that the Reftoring of Difcipline in the Church

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Church would leffen its Interest in the Kingdom, or give to the Schifms that are on foot an advantage as to number; for it will not be denied I prefume, that Schif maticks have taken advantage from the Remifsnefs of our Discipline, or from that at least which is the confequence of that Remifsnefs, the fcandalous Lives of Profeffors among us, to draw off many well i meaning Chriftians from the prefent eftablished Church: And it is reafonable to think that when it shall be seen that the Ministry of the Church and the Discipline thereof are exercised and acted rightly and zealously to the known ends of their Appointment by Chrift Jefus, namely, the Converfion of Sinners to Repentance, the Edification of them that do believe, and the Inftruction and Conduct of them in Righteousness and Godliness; those I well meaning Chriftians, now mifled, may be then brought back into the Church, with many more who are Humble and Peaceable and Pious. When alfo the Lives of Christians who make up the Church fhall become more Exemplary for Piety and Goodness, and it fhall be visible that the Discipline of the Church contributeth chiefly to their being fo; it cannot but be thought that fuch an Exemplary Conver S 2 fation

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