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cause_n	church_n	just_a	separation_n	3,507	5	10.7526	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A81501	The Discipline and order of particular churches, no novelty. Proved from Scripture, reason, autiquity, and the most eminent modern divines. Or, A discourse of the church, in a scripture notion, with her extent, power and practice, tending to moderate the minds of men, toward dissenters in matters ecclesiastical, and to acquit such from the charge of innovation, faction, separation, schism, and breach of union and peace in the church, who cannot conform in many things to the rules, canons, and practices of others. / By a Lover of truth, peace, unity, and order.	Lover of truth, peace, unity, and order.	1675 (1675)	Wing D1558A; ESTC R174652	61,995	98

absolute or of their denying their profession of Jesus Christ or of withdrawing from the Congregation or Society to which they were regularly joyned without just cause refusing to walk in such a Church of Christ in the orderly participation of ordinances and to submit to the laws of Christ exercised therein Or they must find a fourth Church described in Scripture or in the Apostles dayes and shew such a one now from which a man may be said in a proper sence to separate also prove what act it is that makes a separation from that Church And that these persons are guilty of separation thence by such an Act or else they cannot rationally conclude any of these to be separatists or scismaticks in any sence at all If they can do neither of these they will see cause to be angry no longer But it is possible they may alledge against some of these that they have separated from the particular Congregations whereto sometimes they were joyned therefore are they seperatists For Answ first Then it must be proved that they were regularly joyned to that Congregation that is by a voluntary Act of theirs in understanding which is proved by some expresse desire in him that joynes and an actuall admission by the Society to which he is joyned For a man may ignorantly sit down at a Sacrament in these Churches where no order is observed to prevent that confusion as in Most Parish Churches yet this makes not a regular joyning nor him a fixed member of that Church or Society a heathen may do this besides this is not consisting with the nature of a regular Society of rationall men much less of Christians where must be a consideration or compact between all the parties obliged yea further if a man be made of such a parish by the law of the land and bound by the Law joyn with the same Parish as a Church and be one of the members thereof This cannot be a regular joyning him to this Church neither without his own voluntary Act For by the Law of Nature and the law of God men are left free to joyn themselves to what Congregation or Society they pleased Amos 3.3 How can two walk together except they be agreed And it is against both these yea against the very nature and well being of such Societies to force men to be of this or that Society against their own minds and without the free consent of the Society it self yet this was the case of most we presume who withdrew from parish Churches and Societies either they did never by any act desire a regular admittance or did the Society ever in truth make any Actuall admission only sate down at a Sacrament or they were made of the Society by a Law neither of which can be made out to be such a regular joyning to that Society as to d●nominate any such person to be a Schismatick or Seperatist for leaving them and joyning himself to any other Besides should we grant that they were regularly joyned and so actuall members of this or that Church yet if they remove to another Church if the Church of England be but true to their own Principles and own their common practices See Mr. Vines upon the Sacrament p. 266. he saith as we may remove for health c. so for more fruitful Ordinances as regular the guilt of separation cannot lye in this neither for they allow a man to leave one parish and go to another for conveniency of Habitation Ayre Trade c. Bodily advantages and then joyn with the other Parish Church as a member there and leave the first yea and that without acquainting the first Church whereof he was a Member with his intentions and for this he shall be no Separatist so that from this it 's clear that separation lyes not barely in this that men leave one Congregation or Society and joyn themselves to another And wee think it may easily be granted that if outward concernments be enough to acquit a man from the guilt of separation on such an account and warrant his remove from one Church to another much more may Soul concernment justifie a leaving of one Church and adjoyning to another Yet further we hope none will deny but that there may be just cause for withdrawing from some Societies and whether this might not fall in for a sufficient plea for many to clear themselves by from any crime upon the account of withdrawing from the Society where once they were and joyning to another Mr. Stillingfleet in his said Irenicum p. 117. 118. 120. agrees thus much That where any Churches retaining purity of doctrine do require the owning of and conforming to any unlawful or suspected practice men may lawfully deny conformity to and communion with that Church in such things Hales of Schisme p. 8. without incurring the guilt of Scisme and gives this reason for it If our separation from the Church of Rome was therefore lawfull because she required unlawfull things as Conditions of her Communion Then wherever such things are required by any Church Non-communion with that Church in those things will be lawfull too And where saith he Non-communion is lawfull there can be no Schisme in it If that justified our withdrawing from the Church of Rome Mr. Raynolds conference with Hart p. 666. 667. will it not saith he justifie mens Non-conformity in things supposed by them to be unlawfull And again our best Writers against the Papists lay the imputation of Schisme not upon these who withdraw Communion but upon those who require such things whereby they did rather eject men out of their Communion than the others separate from them And he quotes Mr. Hales of Schisme to prove fully The refusal of Communion in case any unnecessary things suspected by some and held unlawfull by others be made Conditions of Communion to be Lawfull and Duty c. Now it may be this might be the case of every one who hath withdrawn Communion from parishes that many things are required there whithout a Conformity to which no communion can be had with them That these required things are in the judgment of those who thus withdraw unnecessary useless unlawfull or suspected at least And then this will upon the same grounds acquit every such one who have withdrawn from the Charge of Scisme And though Mr. Stillingfleet seems a little in the 117. p. of the said Book to mince it in these words I say not that men may proceed to erecting of new Churches Yet he in his Book called a Rational Account c. p 332. seems to own such a thing when he pleads against Rome and justifies Protestants separations These are his words Suppose all the particular men I converse with were Leprous my associating my self with them doth not imply any separation from the Communion of all mankind but that I am loth to be infected as they are Therefore I withdraw till I can meet with

of the Churches were chosen by the Churches or else how in any tolerable sense can they be said to be the Church in either of the two first Descriptions And then surely it will follow That all the Power that by the Scripture is placed in the Church of God as such as to the Execution thereof is derived upon the particular Churches Societies or Congregations for the management of Church-matters within themselves as to Meeting the Ordering of Circumstances of Worship casting out of Offenders choosing Officers Ordering things indifferent c. according to the Laws of Christ given us in Precept or Example of Scripture and practice of purest times and the determination of these things is given to each Church the same Power by the same Rule The Magdeburg Divines Singulae Ecclesiae parem habebant c. Cent. 2. Cap. 7. Col. 134 135. Says That every Church hath a like Power of Teaching Gods Word Administring Sacraments Excommunicating and absolving Sinners of calling and choosing her Ministers and for just cause again to depose them to Exercise the Ceremonies received from the Apostles and also for the cause of Edification appoint New ones this they prove by many Authors And Bishop Jewel in his Epistle to the Council of Trent agrees to this in these words We know saith he there that the Spirit of God is not tyed to places nor to numbers of Men tell it to the Church saith Christ not to the whole Church spread over the whole Earth saith the Bishop but to a particular Church which may easily meet in one place Wheresoever saith Christ two or three are gathered together in my Name Mr. Vines upon the Sacrament p. 166. agrees this there I am in the midst of them When Paul saith the Bishop would Reform the Church of Corinth and the Galatians he did not command them to expect a general Council but only wrote to them That what error soever or Vice was amongst them themselves should presently cut it off Hist Concil Trident. p. 860. English Translation And in the same Council it was alledged against Episcopal Assemblies Naz. ad Procop. Epist 42. out of Gregory Nazianz. That Contention hath been always increased by Episcopal Assemblies The same Hist Lib. 7. p. 706. That these particular Churches or Societies were made up of Professing Believers Voluntarily joyning themselves together and that it was each Believers Liberty to joyn himself to what Society Church or Number of Christians he pleased or was most convenient for him And that it was the Churches power to admit such who desired so to joyn unto them And that this Liberty continued to particular Churches and Christians many hundred years See Justice Hubbard in the Case between Colt and the Bish of Coventry and Litchfield we think none can deny if they do let them shew a President Authoritative against it Thus it was in the beginning The Disciples were all together in Solomons Porch and of the rest durst no man to joyn himself to them but the People magnified them Acts 5.12 13. So Acts 9.26 Saul assayed to joyn himself with the Church in Jerusalem who being satisfied about him received him Nothing of any Law of God or the Church in those days nor in some Ages after to confine Men to joyn themselves to or continue with this or that particular Church or Society or to this or that Church so and so formed and Governed No nor can we find any such Law made by any of the first Christian Emperors but still left free It was thus alledged at the Council of Trent That the Division of Parishes was first made by the People when a certain number of Inhabitants having received the Faith built a Temple for the Exercise of their Religion hired a Priest and did constitute a Church which by the Neighbours was called a Parish and when the Numbers were increased if one Church and Priest were not sufficient those who were most remote did build a Church beside and fit themselves better Hist Conc. Trident. Lib. 6. p. 498. And Mr. Stillingfleet in his Irenicum affirms That Men are not bound by the Law of Nature to associate themselves with any but whom they shall think fit And that every one entring into a Society should consent and submit unto the Rules of it which saith he at mens first entring into the Society of a Church was requisite to be done by the express and explicite consent of the parties themselves being capable c. And for Children he saith That it is highly rational that when they come to Age they should explicitly declare their own voluntary consent to submit to the Laws of Christ and conform themselves to the Profession of Christianity which saith he might be a probable way and certainly most agreeable both to Reason and Scripture to advance the Credit of Christianity once more in the World c. That one great cause of the flourishing of Religion in the Primitive times was certainly the strictness used by them in their admission of Members into their Church-Societies These are Mr. Stillingfleets own words see them in p. 132. 134. And as to the Churches admittance of Members and of such as joyn themselves the same Stillingfleet saith in the same Book p. 134 135. That none were admitted but such into whose Lives and Carriages they had enquired to discern their seriousness in their professions of Christianity and find true Repentance and Reformation of Life a profession of Faith and answerable Life to the Gospel without which it was not Lawful to admit them and this he proves there by Origen Justin Martyr c. And as to an explicit Covenant by such he saith That if by an Explicit Covenant be meant a real consideration between those who joyn themselves together in Gospel-Ordinances in Order to their being a Church he koweth none will question it that knoweth what it is that maketh a Society to be so which is such a real consideration with one another Again That though every Christian be bound to joyn with some Society or Church yet not being determined by Scripture to what particular Church they should joyn therefore saith he for Christians better understanding what their mutual Duty is one to another who is their Pastor to whom they owe the Relation of Members That there should be some significant Declaration either by their Words or Actions of their willingness to joyn with such a particular Society in Gospel-Ordinances Mr. Vines upon the Sacrament p. 322 323 324. This he grants to be necessary too And further That when Churches are over-run with Looseness Ignorance and Prophaneness this is useful saith he if not necessary Yea that at all times it seems the most likely way to advance the Practice Power and Purity of Religion See it more at large p. 138. 140. If it be Objected That though the Law of God or Nature hath not yet that there are Laws of Men that do determine the

he tells this Church in general that they did affect Eusebius and would have Elected him to be their Bishop and then he perswades them to choose another seeing all did not agree therefore saith he not Lawful because saith he he that is Elected to a Bishoprick by the general Suffrage of Wise men assembled to deliberate thereof ought by Gods Law to enjoy it This is Recorded in Eusebius of the Life of Constantine Lib. 3. cap. 58. p. 52. Yea the great Nicene Councel agree it in these words expressed in Socrat. Lib. 1. cap. 6. p. 225. Speaking about some who might be in a Capacity of being made Ministers they say if they be found worthy and the People choose them they may Succeed the Deceased c. Yet further it 's manifest by the same History That where any one Congregation did divide into two Bodies each apart chose their own Bishops for themselves as in the Case of the Church of Antioch Socrat. Lib. 5. Cap. 9. p. 343. Lib. 4. cap. 1. p. 316. So in many other Cases when those of the true Faith had Bishops imposed upon them by the Arrians they divided themselves from the Arrians and chose to themselves Bishops and Assembled alone And it is observable That all these Bishops thus chosen and appointed of the People of these particular Churches were still acknowledged as Lawful Bishops by all and in all the Councels mentioned in those Histories Nor do we find the least Objection any where Recorded in those days against such who came thus to this Office as being unlawfully called To this Practice of the particular Churches and their Right thereto the Fathers give in their Testimonies also a touch of them therefore Tertul. in his Apol. to the Gent. Cap. 39. p. 137. English Translation saith That in these Assemblies there are Bishops that preside they are approved of by the Suffrage of them whom they ought to conduct So saith many others Possidon in vita Aug. Cap. 4. Leo. 1. Epist 95. quoted by the Magdeburg Divines Cent. 2. cap. 7. col 134 135. Cent. 1. Lib. 1. cap. 4. col 179. Cent. 3. cap. 6. col 146 147. The Roman Presbiters in their Epistle to Cyrian affirm that every Church hath a like Power of Choosing Calling and Ordaining Ministers and for just cause again to depose them Cyprian Lib. 1. Epist 4. Aug. Epist 100. Cyprian Epist 68. And Cyprian himself saith That the right of choosing such as are fit and refusing the unworthy belong to the People and whole Church and that by Divine Authority And that the Officers and People did consult about it with common consent And for these things he is quoted by the Magdeburg Writers Cent. 3. cap. 7. col 153.173 174 175. Cap. 6. col 135 136.146 and also that the People did consider the Life and Manners of the Persons to be chosen and judge and much more to this purpose in those places before John Ferus a Fryer in his Comment upon Act. 11. and Magdeburg Cent. 5. cap. 6. col 178 179 180. Now we shall add a few Testimonies and Judgments of latter Ages and of Men otherwise differing The Papists themselves at the Councel of Trent acknowledged that this was the usual Practice of the Church of God for 800 Years together after Christ for the particular Churches to choose their own Ministers and they then affirmed that there were remaining at that day the Records thereof at Rome and they then and there desired that those Records might be destroyed lest Luther who maintained this Right to the People should make use of them to bring in the Custom into the Church again And they there also acknowledge that this was taken from the Church by the Authority of a Council only who made a Decree against it See the Conference of Rayno'ds Hart c. 6. p. 223. Hart saith out of Genebrard that Clemens took not the Bishoprick by the Councel of the Lord least the Example of taking it by nomi●ation of Peter should pass to posterity and derogate from the free providence of the Church in choosing of her own Bishop Geneb●ard Chronolg l. 3. in Lin. See more l. 4. Seculo 11. Cited in the same Confer Cap. 7. l ●76 Concil Trident. in English Lib 7. p. 590 591.598 See more of the same Council Lib. 8. p. 725. And he that wrote this History complains against Rome about this in these words The Church of Rome grant not the People the Election of their Ministers which certainly saith he was an Apostolical Institution continued more than 800 Years Concil Trident. Lib. 2. p. 163. Bishop Jewel in his Reply to Mr. Harding p. 230. Saith out of Cyprian Lib. 1. Epist 4. That the Bishoprick was bestowed upon Sabinus by the consent and voices of the whole Brother-hood of that Church to which he was to be Bishop He there saith that Honorius the Emperour Writing to Boneface doth agree him to be Bishop whom some of the Clergy and whole Brother-hood shall choose And the Bishop himself then there affirms from hence that every particular Church is called the whole Church And after in p. 282. The Bishop affirms that Cyprian in the same place saith That the People being Obedient to Gods Law have Power especially to choose worthy or refuse unworthy Priests Mr. Stillingfleet in his Irenicum p. 306. quotes Tertul. Exhort Castil c. 7. for these words That all the difference between the Ministers and People comes from the Churches Authority and again p. 416. himself saith That Episcopal men will hardly find any evidence in Scripture or the Practice of the Apostles for Churches consisting of many fixed Congregations for Worship under the Charge of one man nor in the Primitive Church for the Ordination of Bishops without the preceding Election of the Clergy and at least consent and approbation of the People so much he allows there and something more in p. 339. where he useth these words speaking of Elders now the voyce of the People which was used in the Primitive times is grown out of use c. by which he confesseth it to be the Primitive Practice But Mr. Stillingfleet having as he saith been at the pains to transcribe some of Bishop Cranmer's words they will serve well here and we shall again transcribe so much of them as speaks to this particular See them in the same Irenicum p. 391 392. They are these That in the Apostles time when there were no Christian Princes by whose Authority Ministers of Gods Word might be appointed nor sins be corrected by the Sword there was no Remedy then for correction of Vice or appointment of Ministers but only the consent of Christian Multitude amongst themselves by an uniform consent to follow the Advice and perswasion of such Persons whom God had most endued with the Spirit of Wisdom and Councel c. Sometimes the Apostles and others unto whom God had given abundance of his Spirit sent or appointed Ministers of Gods

doctrine And we find the seven Churches in As●● acting thus and not one blamed for the neglect 〈◊〉 another in this matter nor one commended for th● good in another but each Church for it self Perg●mus blamed for having such amongst them that he● the doctrine of Balaam Thyatira for suffering th● woman Jezebel to teach and seduce c. The Churc● of Ephesus commended for trying the false Ap●stles Magdib Cent 1. l. 2. cap 7. Col. 522. Rev. 2.2.14 15 20. which clearly shewe● that these Churches had no dependency one of an●ther but each had power both to try false teacher and to have cast them out not to have suffered the● amongst them and the not doing it or the d●ing of it accordingly is taken notice of by th● Lord Jesus Christ as a neglect or a work of ea●● Church as particularly and alone concerned and 〈◊〉 the whole body of each Church as is evident 〈◊〉 those places and these words there used in th● close of what was written to each Church He● what the Spirit saith to the Churches not to th● Officers or particular Persons offending or Bishop but the whole and they blamed for suffering su●● Persons amongst them That those Churches we● but particular Societies or single Congregation● and the things spoken are spoken to the whole bod● of each Church Ambrosius Ausbertius Perkin● and Brightman affirm And also Dr. Tulke Tydal and the Old Translators call them seven Co●gregations Ephesus one and that said to be b● one Flock Acts 20. For at this time were m●titudes of Jews and Heathens in this City Ye● ●en Polycarp their Bishop was called out to suffer ●●re were but few Christians in that City as Eu●ius History tells us The Presbyterian Divines ●ree this See Smect p. 40 41 43. Tertul. also tells us That in these Congregati●s these things were done In these Assemblies ●●ith he we make Exhortations and Threatnings 〈◊〉 Divine Censures that banisheth Sinners and ex●deth them from our Communion We Judge ●●m saith he with very great Circumspection ●cause we know that God is in the midst of us ●d knows what we do Apol. Cap. 39. p. 137. 〈◊〉 this the Magdeburg Century Writers fully ●ree And also sets forth the manner how the Con●egations did it Cent. 1. Lib. 1. Cap. 4. col 158. ●b 2. Cap. 4. Col. 358 359. Cap. 6. Col. 498. ●●d again they prove this from Augustine Cent. ● Cap. 4. Col. 380 381 382 383 384. And ●ain they say from Ambrose ad Valentinianum ●peratorem That those Churches had this Pow● and none else and this ought to be done openly the Congregation the People being present Cent. ● cap. 7. col 500 501. And that in the Epistle the Roman Presbyters to Cyprian it is affirmed at the Presbyters Deacons and Lay-People ●re wont to be together in Councel and to speak ●d confer their own sence and mind in these things those days Cent. 3. cap. 7. col 176.152 153. ●●d that Cyprian himself saith That as the Peo●e and whole Church hath Power to choose their ●●n Ministers So if the Bishops did fall into He●ie they were deposed by the Clergy and Peo●e and they appoint another And that it was ●t Lawful for the Bishop to do any thing herein ●thout the Peoples Councels Cent. 3. cap. 7. col 173 174 175 176. And again they say that Origen did rebuke the Pride of some Priests those days who did despise the Counsels of t● Inferior Priests and Lay-Men Cent. 3. cap. 7. c● 151 152 153. Many more Testimonies might 〈◊〉 offered for the proof hereof in those days no● denying it or practising otherwise for many Ag● And Mr. Stillingfleet Mr. Vines upon the Sacrament P. 129 173 194 195 196. agrees all this f●lly And also saith That God gave this great Charter to the Church not the Emperor and that God gave it to them as a Church in the same Irenicum p. 4● saith as to a Power arising from mutual compa● and consent of Parties he acknowledgeth a Pow● to bind all included under that Compact Not 〈◊〉 virtue of any supreme binding Power in them b● from the free consent of the Parties submitting sai● he which he saith there is most agreeable to th● Nature of Church-Power being not Coersive b● Directive and then he avers That such was t● Confederate Discipline of the Primitive Church b●fore they had any Christian Magistrate From whic● words of his may be gathered That there was 〈◊〉 Agreement amongst Christians of each Society 〈◊〉 Congregation to submit to the Laws of Christ f●● he saith none can be bound but those that consen● and it canno tbe supposed that such a confederatio● or Agreement can be well made amongst more tha● can conveniently meet in one place as a Churc● that all are bound who do thus Confederate or joy themselves together in a Society and that this Society and Church by virtue of this Confederatio● as a Church hath Power in this case to deal wi●● as many as do come amongst them and consen● Especially since he hath in the same Book p. 13● agreed that a real confederation ought to be b●tween those who joyn themselvas together in Go●pel-Ordinances in Order to their being a Church and saith that none will deny this who know what it is that makes a Society to be so which is ●●ch a real confederation with one another And ●●terwards p. 148 149. to the matters in hand more ●xpresly he saith these things That the Jews being ●●e Church of God secluded Men from their So●eties which saith he may be looked upon not 〈◊〉 a civil but a Sacred Action and that they had ●●is Power of Excommunication and for the Chri●●ian Church he saith the practice of Discipline ●pon Offenders was never questioned c. That ●ence saith he we gather in that it hath been the ●ractice of Societies constituted for the Worship ●f God to call Offenders to an account for their Of●ences and if upon Examination they are found ●uilty to exclude them their Societies and that it 〈◊〉 the dictate of the Law of Nature That every Offender against the Laws of a Societie must give ●n account of his actions to the Rulers of the So●iety and submit to the censures inflicted on him ●rom all which sayings of his this will follow That every particular Church or Society joyning ●ogether by a Confederation amongst themselves ●ave this Power within themselves to call Offenders ●o an account and to seclude them their Society if ●here be just cause found Yet take one place more ●f him and then we shall leave this as undenyable it is in p. 228 229. where he saith It must in rea●on be supposed that all Matters of the Nature of ●candal to the Church must be decided there Mat. ●8 And there he Argues the Lawfulness of Ex●ommunication in Christian Churches and adds ●his For if every Person saith he might with●raw from the Society of such a one as continued ●efractory in

Church and if not then it may be believed that they will say be it far from us to determine in such cases for others or to desire our determinations should be imposed upon others And then we are confident the Magistrate will be farther from Challenging any right to determine of those things nor will he undertake to impose by Law upon the Churches but it hath been common amongst Church men to deal subtilly in these things first themselves determine and set down Rules in these cases and tender them to the Magistrate to confirm by Laws as those things which are necessary to the ends aforesaid And then when they are established by Law and they themselves cannot justifie many or any of them to be necessary or any way answering the ends proposed They presently lay the charge upon the Magistrates and say it s commanded and we must obey being by virtue of his Law bound in Conscience so to do Certainly let us not deceive our selves God is not mocked Christ hath pronounced a wo against them by whom offences come The excuse of the Magistrates commanding it will not serve their turn when our Lord comes to judge in Righteousness Yet there are some who are highly offended against such who walk after the Rules herein before set down as near as they can and fear to erre from it as that way of worship and managing of Church affairs which they judge according to Gods word to be Christ's mind they should walk by and as that in which the Churches in the Primitive and best ages walked and which also hath been by many learned and Godly men in all ages since held to be the true way And these offended ones generally conclude against such that they are Separatists from the Church Schismaticks Factious c. for so doing the old Callumnies cast upon the Apostles and other Saints in former ages and by Papists upon Protestants in latter ages and their way called Heresie and evil spoken of as Act. 24 c. 25. c. 28. Though in Truth these offended ones understand not in this case what they say or whereof they affirm either it is pure ignorance in such not understanding what a Church is from which properly a Separation may be said to be made or in which a man may be said to be guilty of making a Schisme or what Act it is that may properly be called a separation from or constitute a man a Schismatick in such a Church or else ignorance that is wilful arising from interest that blinds them These do just as the Presbyterian Ministers once said in Smect p. 58. 59. take it in their own words These do as the Papists dazle the Eyes and astonish the senses of poor People with the Glorious name of the Church c. This is the Gorgons-Head as Doctor White said which inchanted them they call say they for obedience to the Church c. no mention of God and Scripture If we say these Divines there question what is meant by the Church of England they storm as he that holdeth by an unjust Tytle will not suffer the Tytle to be questioned they say these men sometimes make the Convocation the Church excluding both Presbiters and people as not worthy to be reckoned of the Church sometimes the bounds of the Kingdome is the Church If so say they why not England Scotland and Ireland one Church being under one Monarch Thus they contend and know not upon what foundation but having heard of the name of the Church and found Ordinances and Formes of worship amongst them and Discipline used according to humane Laws and Constitutions here they go and never so much as enquire or put it to the question whether they are agreeable to Scripture or Rules prescribed by God And then they take it for granted presently that such who do not in these matters as they do are Separatists and Schismaticks and deserve punishment as rashly as the two Disciples did in another case Luke 9. who would have fire from heaven upon the Samaritanes but they knew not what Spirit they were of as Christ told them they never considered upon what ground they desired such a thing whether it were Christ mind or not that it should be so And as Augustine quoted by Mr. Stillingfleet in his aforesaid Book p. 61.62 complained of men in his dayes about Ceremonies who contended highly yet had no ground for it but this as his words are because it had been the custom of their Country or because they have found them in another Church c. they think that nothing is right and Lawful but what they do themselves And as Bishop Jewel in his Reply before cited said of many Hereticks That they had nothing to plead but that they were born lived in and received of their Fathers what they did practise upon some such poor grounds as these doth the ignorance of men work thus to abuse their brethren And that it may so appear Let such persons be perswaded to weigh the premises well in the fear of God and take these conclusions with him First that such who continue in the Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ and thus hold Union with the Head of the Church according to John 15.4 5. continue in and do not separate from the Catholick Church the body of our Lord Jesus Christ the first Church in this discourse described for there is no other Union between the members of this Church as such but this their being by one Faith united to one Head and from thence animated by one Spirit and such who so continue cannot be called Schismaticks in this Church To this Doctor Carleton agrees in his aforesaid Book p. 6 7 8 9 10. c. 2dly That such who continue to make a profession of the Faith of our Lord Jesus and do not openly deny him in their works do still abide in the visible body of Jesus Christ The Church 2dly above described and cannot be said to separate from this Church or be guilty of Schisme here for this profession is the only thing wherein the unity of the whole visible Church lyeth And thus Mr. Stillingfleet in his Book called a Rational Account c. p. 331. saith That there is no separation from the whole Church but in such things wherein the unity of the whole lyeth For separation saith he is a violation of some union 3dly That such who continue to walk in and with any visible Company Congregation or particular Church on earth holding the true faith in the orderly participation of Ordinances in man-as the Scripture directs and in subjection to Christs Lawes given to be executed therein as such a Church the Church 3dly above described he cannot be said to separate from or be guilty of schisme in this Church Now then if these offended ones will justifie their charge against such who do not in Church affaires as they do It is necessary they prove such whom they thus accuse guilty either of infidelity