Ecclesia enucleata: The temple opened: Or, A clear demonstration of the true gospel-church in its nature and consitution, according to the true doctrine and practice of Christ and his apostles. By I.C.

CHAP. XI. The Conclusion.

BEing not minded to enlarge this discourse any further at this time, I shall only lay down a few Corolary Assertions briefly to obviate some objections that may rise in some mens minds against what hath been spoken, which we shall be ready to defend, if occasion requires.

1. That that only is a true consti∣tuted Church of Christ, which is a house of Gods Building; it's not mans fancy or pretentions, that renders any thing so.

2. That a Christians actual Com∣munion with any one true Visible

Church of Christ, makes him a Member in Communion with all the Churches of Christ; though he doth not at present, nor hath occasion to communicate with any Congregated Body, besides what he is actually and immediately in Communion with.

3. Hence barely Non-Commu∣nion as to immediate Participation in Ordinances with this or that Church, doth not Unchurch them, (as some men phrase it) i. e. con∣demn their standing, neither is it any part of Schism or cul∣pable Separation.

4. There is a Separation that is absolutely necessary to every True Visible Church of Christ, there can be none without it, and it is the duty of True Churches and Mem∣bers to practice it.

5. This Separation is from the World, Flesh and Devil, and there∣fore from all the children of these,

and from all false Churches what∣soever.

6. That all Antichristian Chur∣ches, as well as absolutely Heathen, are Idol-temples, and therefore Communion with them is fellow∣ship with Belial and his Idols, 1 Cor. 6.

7. That Christ hath had his true Worshippers and Churches during the whole time of the Antichristi∣an Reign and Rage, but in a Wil∣derness, especially as to Visible Form and Constitution; yea trod∣den down by the Gentiles for the most part; preserved notwithstand∣ing by Christ in some times and places in its essential mystical state, at least without any visible lustre in Externals, as the Church of Old in Egypt and Babylon; in other times and places he hath secured them in some retirements, so far as to have opportunity to erect Tabernacles of true Gospel constitutions in

form and fashion as he primitively appointed.

8. And thus the true Churches of Christ hath stood during the time of the Womans militating in the Wilderness, under its several Scatterings, Deformations and Re∣formations, under which God hath owned them all the dayes of their wanderings in the Wilderness.

9. God hath had his degrees of Reformation and Purity of his Church, especially during the last part of the Beasts Reign, and that all such degrees have been progres∣ses in Separation, as to Purity of Ordinances and Worship, till at last there shall be a perfect full and clear Redemption of Zion from all her Captivity in this Spiritual E∣gypt and Babylon.

10. Schism is a thing talked more of then understood; we only affirm this concerning it, 1. That Sepa∣ration from a manifestly false

Church is no Schism. 2. Non-com∣munion with a suspected Church, is no Schism, but a duty. 3. That all Schism spoken of in Scripture, is actually and immediately in some particular Congregation, being a Visible Politick Body; and those there mentioned are not all ampu∣tations, or rentings asunder; most of them are but divisions in some matters of judgment and affection, without a destruction of the whole as in the Church of Corinth, though there may be some tendency there∣unto.

11. Manifest Corruptions in Worship persisted in, especially if such as are taken up again, after they have been abundantly wit∣nessed against, and purged out by former degrees of Reformation, are to be separated from, and wit∣nessed against, and such Churches as maintain them: Yea, such Separation is so far from a just

charge of Schism, that it is a ne∣cessary Duty of all those whose Minds and Consciences are infor∣med in the truth of the Gospel.