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1. The true Church is to preserve it self distinct from the world:* 1.1 and is neither to mingle it self with the world, nor to suffer the world to mingle it self with it. For if the Church and the world, be mingled together in one Society, the same common Laws, will no more agree to them, who are of such different natures, princi∣ples and ends, then the same common Laws, will agree, to light and darkness, life and death, sin and righteousness, flesh and spirit.
For the true Church are a spiritual people, being born of god, and so they worship God in the Spirit, according to the law of the Spirit of life, that was in Christ, and is in them: but the carnal Church, is of the world, and only savours the world, and so will have a worldly Religion, Forms, Orders, Government, and all worldly as it self is. Now whilst these two are mingled toge∣ther, what peace can there be? for what fellowship hath righteous∣ness with unrighteousness, and light with darkness, and Christ with the Devil? And so what agreement have Believers with un∣believers, or the true Church with the world? Wherefore it is not the way of Peace, to mingle the Church and the world, but to separate them, and to keep them distinct; that those that are of one nature and spirit, may be of one communion among them∣selves: and this way of Peace God himself teacheth us by Paul, 2 Cor. 6. 17. saying Come out from among them my people, and be ye separate: for to separate the Church from the world in its commu∣nion of Saints, is the only way to preserve peace in both; seeing the Church will best agree with it self. and the world with it self.
The Church is to keep it self distinct from the world.