Selected quad for the lemma: book_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A55303
|
A discourse of schism by that learned gentleman Edward Polhill, Esq. ...
|
Polhill, Edward, 1622-1694?
|
1694
(1694)
|
Wing P2752; ESTC R3219
|
41,361
|
113
|
Ministerii he hath ordained the perfect means of teaching the Church and all other means are as none at all The Cross not teaching under him teacheth not truly and being none of his means hath none of his blessing If the Cross might be a true Teacher then the standing Images of Christ might be so too which though called by the Papists Lay-mens Books do yet but make men forget God Again the Sign of the Cross looks very like a Sacrament Baptism is a Symbol of our Christian Profession so is the Cross Baptism hath a word annexed to it I baptize thee in the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost So hath the Cross We sign this Child with the Sign of the Cross in token that he shall not be ashamed to confess the faith of Christ crucified Baptism points out Christ crucified so doth the Cross Baptism enters the baptized into the Church so doth the Cross We receive this Child into the Congregation of Christ's flock and sign him with the sign of the Cross As Baptism admits into the Church Catholick so the Cross admits into a particular Church Baptism dedicates the Infant unto Christ so the Cross dedicates him to the service of him that died on the Cross Can. 30. And what now is wanting to make it a Sacrament It is not vehicalum gratiae It 's very true it is not Neither can any Human Invention be such It therefore looks as like a Sacrament as any Human thing can do no such thing being capable of conveying Grace unto men In the next place the Ceremonies of our Church may be considered as terms of Communion with it That is there must be a Surplice or no preaching a Cross or no baptizing a kneeling posture or no Lord's Supper These things though they are very light to the Conformists are not so to the Nonconformists I shall therefore consider them in some particulars 1st The Ceremonies thus taken do seem to intrench upon the Kingly Office of Christ He is the one Lord and Lawgiver of his Church 'T is his Royal Prerogative to institute Sacraments This is confessed by the Papists themselves Pars 3. Q. 72. Art 1. Aquinas relating that some held their Sacrament of Confirmation was instituted in some Council and that others held it was instituted by the Apostles saith this cannot be because to institute a new Sacrament pertinet ad potestatem excellentiae appertains to the power of excellency which is in Christ alone De Sac. l. 1. c. 23. Bellarmin proves that Christ is the only Author of Sacraments It is a flower of his Crown to institute Ordinances no man may take this glory from him The Apostles the highest Officers in the Church were not Lords of it but Ministers and Stewards under Christ 1 Cor. 4.1 to do his pleasure They taught only what he commanded them Matt. 28.20 St. Paul preached 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nothing without Scripture Act. 26.22 He would not go beyond his Commission Tom. 2. fol. 722. Non debent Episcopi saith the Excellent Whitaker suas traditiones aut leges aut contra aut extra aut praeter Evangelium obtrudere The Bishops ought not to obtrude their Traditions or Laws either against or without or besides the Gospel That Gospel which is the Law of Christ is the Canon that must rule all their Canons Christ hath the full Royal Power the Church hath only a limited Power from him Christ may make Laws of Institution the Church can only make Laws of Execution or Disposition such as tend to the right and orderly disposing of those Ordinances which were instituted by Christ In legibus Ecclesiasticis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tantum spectatur Whit. Tom. 2.721 The Apostles did not institute any thing of Worship or Ordinances But they did take care that the Ordinances should be used in a way suitable to their dignity These things being so the only Question is Whether the Church hath any Patent or Commission from Christ to institute or impose mystical Ceremonies as terms of Communion In answer to this I take it the Church hath no such Power or Commission The Pattern of Christ and the Apostles is more to me than all the Human Wisdom in the world It is the observation of St. Austin That Chrst's Yoke being easy Aust Epist 118. he did Sacramentis numero paucissimis observatione facillimis significatione praestantissimis societatem novi populi colligare Tie together the Society of a new People with Sacraments few in number easy in observation and excellent in signification And who would depart from this simplicity I am sure the Apostles did not They delivered only that which they received of the Lord 1 Cor 11.23 De Or. Err. lib. 2. c. 5. Hoc fidei illorum er at officii saith Bullinger This was their faith and duty They did believe saith the same Author that Christ was the wisdom of God ne in mentem ipsorum venit it came not into their minds to add Ceremonies to Christ's Institutions The Primitive Christians continued stedfastly in the Apostles Doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and prayer Acts 2.42 There was nothing but the pure Institutions of Christ not an additional Ceremony to be seen among them Nay in Justin Martyr's time Apol. 2. we find the Lord's Supper used in pure simplicity and why should we make our additions to the Sacraments St. Cyprian contra Aquarios Epist 63. expresses himself notably touching the Lord's Supper Ab Evangelicis Praeceptis omnino recedendum non est We must not depart from the Evangelical Precepts And a little after Non nisi Christus sequendus est solus Christus audiendus est Christ only is to be followed Christ alone to be heard Again Human Ceremonies are not congruous to the pure light of the Gospel Tom. 7. fol. 727. Num Divinae Figurae sublatae sunt ut Humanae succederent saith Learned Whitaker Were the Divine Figures taken away that Human might succeed If the Divine Shadows under the Law did all vanish before the Sun the pure and Evangelical Light may Humane Vmbra's come and overcloud it Surely it cannot be It was the saying of a great Doctor once in the Church of England That in the morning of the Law the shadows were larger than the body and it will be a sign of the evening and sun-set of Religion if these shadows shall be stretcht out again and outreach the body If the Church may institute or impose two or three Ceremonies it may do more and more till men under the pressure cry out Epist 119. as St. Austin did Tolerabilior sit conditio Judaeorum The condition of the Jews would be more tolerable than that of Christians Moreover none but God alone can institute a Ceremony to signify a mystery in Religion he only hath authority over Religion he only can bind the Conscience he only can illustrate the mind he only can give a
thought otherwise from the right of Communion That Error of Rebaptization De Bapt. cont Don. l. 1. c. ult which in the Donatists was as St. Austin speaks Fuligo in tartareâ faeditate the smoak of their hellish filthiness was in St. Cyprian but naevus in candore sanctae Animae a freckle in the candor of an holy Soul and the reason was because St. Cyprian had what they had not Charitatis ubera the breasts of Charity to cover his Defects In respect of this Charity Bishop Davenant saith Sentent de Pace 112. Melius de Ecclesiâ meruit errans Cyprianus quam Stephanus Romanus recte sentiens Ecclesias quantum in se fuit Schismatico Spiritu dilacerans Cyprian erring deserved better of the Church than Stephen Bishop of Rome rightly thinking but by a Schismatical Spirit as much as he could renting the Churches Charity is a great thing and I hope it may be found among the Nonconformists they leave the Church neminem judicantes judging none of their Conforming Brethren the breasts of their Charity may cover some defects I hope therefore Schism in this respect cannot be charged upon them I am sure Charity is in all good men Conforming or Nonconforming but if we compare Parties together that Party which binds burthens on Conscience and leaves them there seems to me to have less of Charity than that which shrinks and withdraws the Shoulder from them 3dly Schismatical Separation issues out of pride and contempt The Donatists thought themselves the only men they boasted as if their Communion were the only Communion Si nostra communio est Ecclesia vestra non est Aug. de Bapt. cont Don. l. 1. c. 11. as if their Baptism were the only Baptism Vos dicitis in nobis Baptismum non esse Aust contr Cresc l. 4. cap. 62. But do the Nonconformists separate thus Do they say that they only are the Church or that they only have the Ordinances Do they despise their Conforming Brethren or lift up themselves above them No surely they desire to be but as Brethren and that one Brother might not Lord it over another When our Divines charge the Monasteries as Schismatical because they have separate Meetings and Ordinances Bellarmin answers thus De Not. Eccl. l. 4. c. 10. Soli Schismatici sunt qui ita erigunt altare proprium ut altare aliorum prophanum censeant They only are Schismaticks who so set up their own Altar that they esteem the Altar of others prophane It is indeed one thing to have distinct Meetings for Worship and another to have opposite ones The Nonconformists have Meetings of their own but without the contempt of others The Jews say he that contemns the Solemn Assemblies of the Church hath no part in Seculo futuro But where the distinct Meetings are without contempt there I suppose it is not to be called Schism Here that may take place he that is not against the Church is for it A candid Charity interprets all to the best 4thly Schismatical Separation is ordinarily if not always attended with some Error or other Schisma in Haeresim eructat The Novatians Donatists Luciferians had their propria Dogmata their proper Errors Their Separations were to set up their Errors their Errors under pretence of Truth were to justify their Separations Hence St. Cyprian saith that the Schismaticks are De Unit. Eccl. Pestes lues Fidei corrumpendae veritatis artifices the Pests and Plagues of the Faith the Artists in corrupting Truth But as for the Nonconformists what new Doctrine do they bring what Error do they propagate what deadly poison is under their Lips Do they not fully and firmly adhere to the Church as Optatus speaks in una Fide in one Faith Whit. de Not Eccl. cap. 8. are they not joined together ut in manu digiti as the fingers in the hand pointing out the same pure Doctrine Bishop Abbot in his Book De gratiâ perseverantiâ tells us of some Corrupters Prasat ad Lect. Qui veteres haereses denuo in Scenam producunt Pelagianâ lue correpti Gratiae Divinae vim nervosque succidunt Who bring up the old Heresies upon the stage and having caught the Pelagian Pestilence cut asunder the strength and nerves of Divine Grace Not only some of our men but Foreigners too have taken notice that the Plague of Socinianism hath been creeping in among us Upon the 8th Article Mr. Rogers upon the Articles of our Church tells us that he heard a great Learned man speaking of Zanchy's Book De tribus Elohim call him a Fool and an Ass Arnoldus in his Book against the Racovian Catechism Praef. ad Lect. takes notice of the Socinian Heresy creeping up among us But do the Nonconformists propagate these Errors Do they spread abroad the poison Do they not steddily stick to the true pure Doctrine of our Church And is not conformity in Doctrine much more than conformity in Ceremonies Surely it is It seems therefore hard to charge Schism upon them He indeed goes out of the Church who goes out not in Body but in Faith Hence it was the judgment of Gersom Ger. de Eccles cap. 6. sect 3. That in a simple Schism without any depraved Doctrine added to it when it is doubtful by whom the Schism is made till it be lawfully determined those that are Followers in it do belong to the Church 5thly Schismatical Separation is a breach of some Sacred Vnity The Schismatick adheres to the Church in part but withal he breaks in part He adheres in part De Bapt. cont Don. l. 1. c. 1. or else he would be an Apostate Thus St. Austin saith of the Donatists In quo nobiscum sentiunt in co nobiscum sunt In what they think with us in that they are with us Thus when the Donatists asked whether their Baptism did generate Sons to God If it did not generate why doth not the Catholick Church rebaptize them but if it do generate then ours say the Donatists is the Church St. Austin makes this answer De Bapt. cont Don. l. 1. c. 10. That the Church of the Donatists doth generate Vnde conjuncta est non unde Separata est Separata est à vinculo Charitatis sed adjuncta est in uno Baptismate It generates as it is joined to the Church Catholick not as it is separated from it It is separated from the bond of Charity but it is joined in one Baptism Thus the Donatists were â—oined to the Church in part Again The Schismatick though he adhere to the Church in part yet withal he breaks in part or else he could be no Schismatick Thus St. Austin saith of the Donatists De Bapt. contr Don. l. 1. c. 1. In eo à nobis recesserunt in quo à nobis dissentiunt In that they are departed from us in which they dissent from us When Cresconius urged for the Donatists that there was