be equally engaged in the Schism yet you may safely upon your occasions communicate with either so be you flatter neither in their Schism For why might it not be lawful to go to Church with the Donatist or to celebrate Easter with the Quartodeciman if occasion so require since neither Nature nor Religion nor Reason doth suggest any thing to the contrary For in all publick Meetings pretending Holiness so there be nothing done but what true Devotion and Piety brook why may not I be present in them and use communication with them Nay what if those to whose care the execution of the publick Service is committed do something either unseemly or suspicious or peradventure unlawful what if the garments they wear be censured as nay indeed be superstitious what if the Gesture of adoration be used at the Altar as now we have learned to speak What if the Homilist or Preacher deliver any Doctrine of the truth of which we are not well perswaded a thing which very often falls out yet for all this we may not separate except we be constrained personally to bear a part in them our selves The Priests under Eli had so ill demeaned themselves about the daily Sacrifice that the Scripture tells us they made it to stink yet the People refused not to come to the Tabernacle nor to bring their Sacrifice to the Priest For in these Schisms which concern Fact nothing can be a just cause of refusal of Communion but only to require the execution of some unlawful or suspected act For not only in Reason but in Religion too that Maxim admits of no release Cautissimi cujusque Praeceptum quod dubitas ne feceris Long it was ere the Church fell upon Schism upon this occasion though of late it hath had very many for until the second Council of Nice in which concilable Superstition and Ignorance did conspire I say untill that Rout did set up Image-worship there was not any remarkable Schism upon just occasion of Fact All the rest of Schisms of that kind were but Wantonness this was truly serious In this the Schismatical Party was the Synod it self and such as conspired with it For concerning the use of Images in Sacris First It is ackowledged by all That it is not a thing necessary Secondly It is by most suspected Thirdly it is by many held utterly unlawful Can then the enjoyning of the practice of such a thing be ought else but abuse Or can the refusal of Communion here be thought any other thing than duty Here or upon the like occasion to separate may peradventure bring personal trouble and danger against which it concerns every honest Man to have Pectus benè praeparatum further harm it cannot do So that in these cases you cannot be to seek what to think or what you have to do Come we then to consider a little of the second sort of Schism arising upon occasion of variety of opinion It hath been the common disease of Christians from the beginning not to content themselves with that measure of Faith which God and Scriptures have expresly afforded us but out of a vain desire to know more than is revealed they have attempted to discuss things of which we can have no light neither from Reason nor Revelation neither have they rested here but upon pretence of Church-authority which is none or Tradition which for the most part is but figment they have peremptorily concluded and confidently imposed upon others a necessity of entertaining Conclusions of that nature and to strengthen themselves have broken out into Divisions and Factions opposing Man to Man Synod to Synod till the Peace of the Church vanished without all possibility of recall Hence arose those ancient and many separations amongst Christians occasioned by Arrianism Eutychianism Nestorianism Photinianism Sabellianism and many more both ancient and in our time all which indeed are but names of Schism howsoever in the common Language of the Fathers they were called Heresies For Heresie is an act of the Will not of Reason and is indeed a Lye not a mistake Else how could that known speech of Austine go for true Errare possum Haereticus esse nolo Indeed Manichaeism Valentianism Marcionism Mahometanism are truly and properly Heresies For we know that the Authors of them received them not but minted them themselves and so knew that which they taught to be a Lye But can any Man avouch that Arrius and Nostorius and others that taught erroneously concerning the Trinity or the Person of our Saviour did maliciously invent what they taught and not rather fall upon it by erorr and mistake Till that be done and that upon good Evidence we will think no worse of all Parties than needs we must and take these Rents in the Church to be at the worst but Schisms upon matter of Opinion In which case what we are to do is not a point of any great depth of understanding to discover so be Distemper and Partiality do not intervene I do not yet see that Opinionum Varietas Opinontium Unitas are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or that Men of different opininions in Christian Religion may not hold communion in Sacris and both go to one Church Why may I not go if occasion require to and Arrian Church so there be no Arrianism exprest in their Liturgy And were Liturgies and publick Forms of Service so framed as that they admitted not of particular and private fancies but contained only such things as in which all Christians do agree Schisms on Opinion were utterly vanished For consider of all the Liturgies that are or ever have been and remove from them whatsoever is scandalous to any Party and leave nothing but what all agree on and the event shall be that the Publick Service and Honour of God shall no ways suffer Whereas to load our Publick Forms with the Private Fancies upon which we differ is the most sovereign way to perpetuate Schism unto the Worlds end Prayer Confession Thanksgiving Reading of Scriptures Exposition of Scripture Administration of Sacraments in the plainest and simplest manner were matter enough to furnish out a sufficient Liturgy though nothing either of private Opinion or of Church Pomp of Garments of prescribed Gestures of Imagery of Musick of matter concerning the Dead of many superfluities which creep into the Churches under the name of Order and Decency did interpose it self For to charge Churches Liturgies with things unnecessary was the first beginning of all superstition and when scruples of Conscience began to be made or pretended then Schisms began to break in If the spiritual Guides and Fathers of the Church would be a little sparing of incumbring Churches with superfluities and not over rigid either in reviving obsolete Customs or imposing new there were far less danger of Schism or Superstition and all the inconvenience were likely to ensue would be but this they should in so doing yield a little to the imbecilities of Inferiors a thing
think no sin to be little which in Men spiritually sick is Error saluberrimus and you can never err For natural Physick is only Physick but spiritual Physick is both Physick and Diet and may be indifferently administred both to the sick and the sound Repentance perchance only excepted of which upon occasion assure your self can hardly take too much What reason now can you give me why you should desire to dive into any Man's Breast scire Secreta Domûs Except it be that which follows in the next Verse indè teneri as I must confess I suspect it is The truth is some mistaken Customs of the ancient Church the craft and power of the Clergy the simplicity and ignorance of the Laity these begat the Tragelaphus of which we now speak It may be you take the practice of the ancient Church and the Point of Excomunication to make somewhat for you When those Cards shall come to be play'd though that of Church-custom is not greatly material which way soever it looks I believe you will not find the Game you look for Indeed I was once minded to have considered something of that But I think you look for a Letter not for a Book and I perceive my self already to have gone beyond the compass of a Letter Another Parley therefore if you please shall put an end to those and other Scruples if any do arise And for the present give I pray you a little respite unto Yours J. H. From my Study this 8 Day of March 1637. A TRACT Concerning SCHISM Heresie and Schism as they are in common use are two Theological 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or scare-crows which they who uphold a Party in Religion use to fright away such as making inquiry into it are ready to relinquish and oppose it if it appear either erroneous or suspicious For as Plutarch reports of a Painter who having unskilfully painted a Cock chased away all Cocks and Hens that so the imperfection of Art might not appear by comparison with Nature so Men willing for ends to admit of no fancy but their own endeavour to hinder an inquiry into it by way of comparison of somewhat with it peradventure truer that so the deformity of their own might not appear But howsoever in the common manage Heresie and Schism are but ridiculous Terms yet the things in themselves are of very considerable moment the one offending against Truth the other against Charity and therefore both deadly where they are not by imputation but in deed It is then a matter of no small importance truly to descry the nature of them that so they may fear who are guilty of them and they on the contrary strengthen themselves who through the iniquity of Men and times are injuriously charged with them Schism for of Heresie we shall not now treat except it be by accident and that by occasion of a general mistake spread throughout all the writings of the Ancients in which their names are familiarly confounded Schism I say upon the very sound of the word imports Division Division is not but where Communion is or ought to be Now Communion is the strength and ground of all Society whether Sacred or Civil Whosoever therefore they be that offend against this common Society and Friendliness of Men and cause separation and breach among them If it be in civil occasions are guilty of Sedition or Rebellion if it be by occasion of Ecclesiastical difference they are guilty of Schism So that Schism is an Ecclesiastical Sedition as Sedition is a lay-Lay-Schism Yet the great benefit of Communion notwithstanding in regard of divers distempers Men are subject to Dissension and Disunion are often necessary For when either false or uncertain Conclusions are obtruded for Truth and Acts either unlawful or ministring just scruple are required of us to be perform'd in these cases Consent were conspiracy and open Contestation is not Faction or Schism but due Christian Animosity For the further opening therefore of the nature of Schism something must be added by way of difference to distinguish it from necessary Separation and that is that the causes upon which Division is attempted proceed not from Passion or Distemper or from Ambition or Avarice or such other Ends as humane folly is apt to pursue but from well weighed and necessary Reasons and that when all other means having been tryed nothing will serve to save us from guilt of Conscience but open Separation So that Schism if we would define it is nothing else but an unnecessary Separation of Christians from that part of the visible Church of which they were once Members Now as in Mutinies and Civil Dissensions there are two Attendants in ordinary belonging unto them one the choice of one Elector or Guide in place of the General or ordinary Governour to rule and guide the other the appointing of some publick place or Rendezvous where publick Meetings must be celebrated So in Church-Dissensions and Quarrels two Appurtenances there are which serve to make a Schism compleat First The choice of a Bishop in opposition to the former a thing very frequent amongst the Ancients and which many times was both the cause and effect of Schism Secondly The erecting of a new Church and Oratory for the Dividing-party to meet in publickly For till this be done the Schism is but yet in the Womb. In that late famous Controversy in Holland De Praedestinatione Auxiliis as long as the disagreeing Parties went no further than Disputes and Pen-combats the Schism was all that while unhatched but as soon as one Party swept an old Cloyster and by a pretty Art suddenly made it a Church by putting a new pulpit in it for the separating Party there to meet now what before was a Controversy became a formal Schism To know no more than this if you take it to be true had been enough to direct how you are to judge and what to think of Schism and Shismaticks yet because in the Ancients by whom many Men are more affrighted than hurt much is said and many fearful Dooms are pronounced in this case will we descend a little to consider of Schisms as it were by way of Story and that partly further to open that which we have said in general by instancing in particulars and partly to disabuse those who reverencing Antiquity more than needs have suffered themselves to be scared with imputation of Schism above due measure for what the Ancients spake by way of censure of Schism in general is most true for they saw and it is no great matter to see so much that unadvisedly and upon fancy to break the knot of Union betwixt Man and Man especially amongst Christians upon whom above all other kind of Men the tye of Love and Communion doth most especially rest was a Crime hardly pardonable and that nothing Absolves a Man from the guilt of it but true and unpretended Conscience yet when they came to pronounce of Schisms in
particular whether it were because of their own interests or that they saw not the Truth or for what other cause God only doth know their Judgments many times to speak most gently are justly to be suspected Which that you may see we will range all Schism into two ranks For there is a Schism in which only one Party is the Schismatick for where cause of Schism is necessary there not he that separates but he that occasions the separation is the Schismatick Secondly There is a Schism wherein both Parties are the Schismaticks For where the occasion of separation is unnecessary neither side can be excused from the guilt of Schism But you will ask Who shall be the Judge what is necessary Indeed that is a Question which hath been often made but I think scarcely ever truly answered not because it is a Point of great depth or difficulty truly to assoil it but because the true solution carries fire in the tail of it For it bringeth with it a piece of Doctrine which is seldom pleasing to Superiours To you for the present this shall suffice If so be you be Animo defoecato if you have cleared your self from froath and grounds if neither sloth nor fears nor ambition nor any tempting Spirits of that nature abuse you for these and such as these are the true Impediments why both that and other Questions of the like danger are not truly answered if all this be and yet you see not how to frame your resolution and settle your self for that doubt I will say no more of you than was said of Papias St. John's own Scholar you are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 your abilities are not so good as I presumed But to go on with what I intended and from which that interloping Question diverted me that you may the better judge of the nature of Schisms by their occasions you shall find that all Schisms have crept into the Church by one of these three ways either upon matter of Fact or matter of Opinion or point of Ambition For the first I call that matter of Fact when something is required to be done by us which either we know or strongly suspect to be unlawful So the first notable Schism of which we read in the Church contained in it matter of fact for it being upon Error taken for necessary that an Easter must be kept and upon worse than Error if I may so speak for it was no less than a point of Judaism forced upon the Church upon worse than Error I say thought further necessary that the ground for the time of our keeping that Feast must be the rule left by Moses to the Jews there arose a stout Question Whether we were to celebrate with the Jews on the 14th Moon or the Sunday following This matter though most unnecessary most vain yet caused as great a Combustion as ever was in the Church the West separating and refusing Communion with the East for many years together In this fantastical Hurry I cannot see but all the World were Schismaticks neither can any thing excuse them from that imputation excepting only this that we charitably suppose that all Parties out of Conscience did what they did A thing which befel them through the ignorance of their Guides for I will not say their malice and that through the just judgment of God because through sloth and blind obedience Men examined not the things which they were taught but like Beasts of Burden patiently couched down and indifferently underwent whatsoever their Superiours laid upon them By the way by this you may plainly see the danger of our appeal unto Antiquity for resolution in controverted points of Faith and how small relief we are to expect from thence For if the discretion of the chiefest Guides and Directors of the Church did in a Point so trivial so inconsiderable so mainly fail them as not to see the Truth in a Subject wherein it is the greatest Marvel how they could avoid the sight of it can we without imputation of extreme grosness and folly think so poor-spirited Persons competent Judges of the Questions now on foot betwixt the Churches Pardon me I know not what Temptation drew that Note from me The next Schism which had in it matter of fact is that of the Donatist who was perswaded at least so he pretended that it was unlawful to converse or communicate in holy Duties with Men stained with any notorious Sin For howsoever Austin and others do specify only the Thurificati Traditores and Libellatici and the like as if he separated only from those whom he found to be such yet by necessary proportion he must refer to all notorious Sinners Upon this he taught that in all places where good and bad were mixt together there could be no Church by reason of Pollution evaporating as it were from Sinners which blasted righteous Persons who conversed with them and made all unclean On this ground separating himself from all whom he list to suspect he gave out that the Church was no where to be found but in him and his Associates as being the only Men among whom wicked Persons found no shelter and by consequence the only clean and unpolluted Company and therefore the only Church Against this Saint Augustine laid down this Conclusion Unitatem Ecclesiae per totum orbem dispersae propter nonnullorum peccata non esse deserendam which is indeed the whole sum of that Father's Disputation against the Donatist Now in one part of this Controversie betwixt St. Augustine and the Donatist there is one thing is very remarkable The Truth was there where it was by meer chance and might have been on either side any Reasons brought by either Party notwithstanding For though it were de facto false that pars Donati shut up in Africk was the only Orthodox Party yet it might have been true notwithstanding any thing St. Augustine brings to confute it and on the contrary though it were de facto true that the part of Christians dispersed over the Earth were Orthodox yet it might have been false notwithstanding any thing St. Augustine brings to confirm it For where or amongst whom or amongst how many the Church shall be or is is a thing indifferent it may be in any Number more or less it may be in any Place Country or Nation it may be in All and for ought I know it may be in none without any prejudice to the definition of the Church or the Truth of the Gospel North or South many or few dispersed in many places or confined to one none of these either prove or disprove a Church Now this Schism and likewise the former to a wise Man that well understands the matter in Controversie may afford perchance matter of pity to see Men so strangely distracted upon fancy but of doubt or trouble what to do it can yield none For though in this Schism the Donatist be the Schismatick and in the former both Parties