Page:Description of the true nature of schism.pdf/5

 mentions only the seventh Direction; but, in  to understand it, 'tis necessary that I first transribe their sixth, viz.. " At Family-worship, a special Care is to be had, that each Family keep by themselves: Neither requiring, inviting, nor admitting Persons from diverse Families; unless it be those who are lodged with them, or, at Meal, or otherwise with them upon some lawful Occasion." Then the seventh Article mentioned by our Author, "Whatsoever hath been the Effects and Fruits of Meetings of Persons of diverse Families, in the Times of Corruption or Trouble (in which Cases many Things are commendable, which otherwise are not tolerable) yet, when God hath blessed us with Peace and Purity of the Gospel, such Meetings of Persons of diverse Families (except in Cases mentioned in these Directions) are to be disapproved, as tending to the Hindrance of the religious Exercise of each Family by itself, to the Prejudice of the publick Ministry, &c." Our Author gives it as his Opinion, that in the above Direction that Assembly declared against Fellowship meetings for Prayer and Christian . I know not by what Spirit our Author is led his Manner of Writing; there cannot be a more unjust Charge laid, against an Assembly than this that is  against the excellent Directions that this Assembly  for private and secret Worship. Any who is not may see from the above Articles, that the Direction here given by the. Assembly is. That each Family itself should keep up the Worship of God; and that which is condemned is, the Meeting of Persons of diverse families together, to the Hindrance of the religious Exercise of each Family by itself and this is what they had  Reason to condemn, as having a Tendency to all  bad Effects that they mention. Our Author tells us from Guthrie in his Memoirs, That the above Act or Conclusion was unanimously gone into by several eminent Ministers, some of whom he mentions, who met