IV. In these cases following separation is our duty and not a sin. 1. The church's separation from the unbelieving world is a necessary duty: for what is a church, but a society dedicated or sanctified to God, by separation from the rest of the world? 2 Cor. vi. 17, 18, "Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." The church is a holy people, and therefore a separated people.[144]
2. If a church apostatize and forsake the faith, or if they turn notoriously heretical, denying openly any one essential article of the faith, and this not only by an undiscerned consequence, but directly in express terms or sense, it is our duty to deny to hold communion with such apostates or heretics; for it is their separating from Christ that is the sinful separation, and maketh it necessary to us to separate from them. But this is no excuse to any church or person, that shall falsely accuse any other church or person of heresy, (because of some forced or disowned consequences of his doctrine,) and then separate from them when they have thus injured them by their calumnies or censures.
3. We are not bound to own that as a church which maketh not a visible profession of faith and holiness; that is, if the pastors and a sufficient number of the flock make not this profession. For as the pastor and flock are the constituent parts of the church, politically considered, so profession of faith and holiness is the essential qualification of the members. If either pastors or people want this profession, it is no political church; but if the people profess true religion, and have no pastors, it is a community of believers, or a church unorganized, and as such to be acknowledged.
4. If any shall unlawfully constitute a new political church form, by making new constitutive officers to be its visible head, which Christ never appointed, we are not to hold communion with the church in its devised form or polity; though we may hold communion with the members of it considered as christians and members of the universal church. Mark well, that I do not say that every new devised officer disobligeth us from such communion, but such as I describe; which I shall fullier open.
[Sidenote: Whether any form of church government be of divine appointment; and whether man may appoint any other?]
_Quest._ May not men place new officers in the church; and new forms of government which God never instituted? Or is there any form and officers of divine institution?