_Direct._ XI. Understand what it is that maketh you partakers of the sins of a church, or any member of it, lest you think you are bound to separate from them in good, as well as in evil. Many fly from the public assemblies, lest they partake of the sins of those that are there present. Certainly nothing but consent (direct or indirect) can make their faults to become yours. And therefore nothing which signifieth not some such consent should be on that account avoided. 1. If you by word, or subscription, or furtherance, own any man's sin, you directly consent to it. 2. If you neglect any duty which lieth upon you for the cure of his sin, you indirectly consent; for you consent that he shall rather continue in his sin, than you will do your part to help him out of it. Consider therefore how far you are bound to reprove any sin, or to use any other means for the reformation of it, whether it be in the pastor or the people; and if you neglect any such means, your way is to reform your own neglect, and do your duty, and not to separate from the church, before you have done your duty to reform it. But if you have done all that is your part, then the sin is none of yours, though you remain there present. [Sidenote: Whether presence be not a consent to sin.] It is a turbulent fancy and disquieting error of some people, to think that their presence in the assembly, and continuance with the church, doth make them guilty of the personal faults of those they join with: if so, who would ever join with any assembly in the world? _Quest._ But what if they be gross and scandalous sinners that are members of the church? _Answ._ If you be wanting in your duty to reform it, it is your sin; but if bare presence made their sins to be ours, it would also make all the sins of the assembly ours; but no word of God doth intimate any such thing. Paul never told the churches of Galatia and Corinth so, that had so many defiled members. _Quest._ But what if they are sins committed in the open assembly, even by the minister himself in his praying, preaching, and other administrations? and what if all this be imposed on him by a law, and so I am certain beforehand that I must join with that which is unwarrantable in God's worship? _Answ._ The next direction containeth those distinctions that are necessary to the answer of this. _Direct._ XII. Distinguish carefully, 1. Between a minister's personal faults and his ministerial faults. 2. Between his tolerable weaknesses and his intolerable insufficiencies. 3. And between the work of the minister and of the congregation. And then you will see your doubt resolved in these following propositions.