I am loth to cite them § 32. X. The next lamentable Schism and Cursing arose from the Decree of the Constantinopolitan Council de tribus capitulis The Cursing one another for owning or not owning the Council of Chalcedon still continuing and Learned Theodoret with Theodore of Mopsuest and Ibas having been formerly by Dioscorus Ephesine Council condemned and deposed as Nestorian hereticks and the Council of Chalcedon having restored them upon their just subscriptions a crafty Eutychian perswaded the Emperour that he might reconcile all the Eutychians to the Council of Chalcedon if he would but condemn some ill words in the writings of these three Bishops which the Emperour called a General Council together presently to do The one half the Bishops absent thought this was a condemning in part of the Chalcedon Council And Vigilius Bishop of Rome being then at Constantinople refused to subscribe and after excommunicated Menna the Patriarch The Emperour caused him to be dragg'd through the streets by a rope to reconcile him The flames of the Church were by this Council much increased and by condemning three dead mens writings the living were more engaged in a doleful war At last Pope Vigilius consented to the Council whereupon a great part even of the Western Churches and Italy separated from and renounced the Pope and chose them another Patriarch at Aquileia to be their chief Church-Ruler in his stead And this continued about an hundred years till Sergius reconciled them so far was the universal Church even then from taking the Pope or Church of Rome for the Head or any essential part of the Church-Universal And all this was about the Exposition of some doubtful words in three mens writings And can any sober man now think that the right or wrong Exposition of every mans or those three mens writings was a thing that salvation lyeth on or that these are the terms of Christianity and Church-membership § 33. It would be but matter of shame and sorrow to go on and add the later and more shameful instances of Anathematizing especially about Images several Emperours and Councils hereticating each other What an Engine the Pope and Prelates made Cursing men from Christ to get dominion over Emperours and Kings to subdue Kingdoms and to turn Love and peace into wrath and wars and bloodshed and pernicious divisions To recite their damning of Loyalty under the name of the Henrician heresie their damning all that about Transubstantiation renounced not the belief of all their senses and rational perception of sensate things and that renounced not also the belief of all the sound mens senses in the world and consequently the belief of God as he is the God of Nature making his revelation to our understandings by our senses making it necessary to salvation to take God for the deceiver of the senses or apprehensions by sensation of all the world How they have decreed the burning or exterminating of all others that do not thus believe Transubstantiation and deposing temporal Lords that will not exterminate them and absolving their Subjects from their Oaths and Allegiance and giving their dominions to others Did I but recite to you how ridiculously they hereticated Gilbert Porretane and some other learned men and how such exposed the Councils of Bishops to scorn by detecting their ignorance by some questions which they could not answer should I tell you what work their long and numerous Schisms and two or three Popes at once made for the great Councils of Constance and Basil and also what work those Councils made themselves it might melt the heart of a lover of Christianity into grief and tears § 34. I conclude this that the hereticating and Cursing men for doubtful words or want of skill in aptness of expressions yea or for errours which consist with saving faith in Christ is so far from being a means of the Churches good that it hath been the grand engine of Satan to exercise Tyranny excite hatred and Schism and Rebellions and do most lamentable mischiefs in the world and therefore carefully to be avoided § 35. II. And what I have said of words I may partly say of actions Anathematizing men for doubtful actions or for such faults as consist with true Christianity and continued subjection to Jesus Christ is a sinful Church-dividing means § 36. More particularly I shall shew after in the third part of this book that it is not all the same things that make a man uncapable of present Communion in this or that single or particular Church or in a compound Church Diocesane Metropolitane Provincial or National or Imperial which make him uncapable of continuing in the Universal Church Much less doth every continued disobedience to a Bishops or Councils Canons or Commands make him Excommunicable from the Church Universal § 37. But most abominable was it in the Roman Popes and Prelates to shut up all Churches interdict whole Kingdoms and excommunicate the innocent people because a King displeased them or denyed them subjection or obedience And as old Robert Grosthead Bishop of Lincoln in his Epistle to Pope Innocent IV. recorded by Matth. Paris truly tells them It is the work of Satan and next Antichristianity one of the greatest sins in all the world thus to silence Christs Ministers and hinder the preaching of the Word of God and the exercise of his publick Worship Which it concerneth all unjust Silencers to consider § 38. But yet somewhat more tyrannical and abominable is it for one man the Bishop of Rome to damn all the Church of Christ on earth that will not be his Subjects as the Vicar-General of Christ and own his Usurpation and so to cut off and damn the far greatest part of the Christian world But the best is procul à Jove procul à fulmine the remote Churches feel it not and do but deride it and to the nearer parts his thunderbolt doth not kill all so many nor kindle so many fagots as once it did nor is any one ever the more condemned by God for such Papal condemnations § 39. But when I speak of particular Church-Communion I shall shew that there is some lawful suspension called by some the Minor excommunication which cuts not a man off from Communion with any Church much less from the universal or from Christ § 40. Not approving of or practising a doubtful or indifferent humane form of Liturgy or ceremony or circumstance or mode is no just cause of cutting off a man from the Universal Church Because notwithstanding that he may be a true Christian and a member of Christ and his Church and therefore must not falsly be declared to be none § 41. Not taking this or that man to be ones Bishop or Pastor who is obtruded yea or justly set over that Church nor yet particular acts of disobedience to him meerly as such are no good proofs that a man is no true Christian or member of Christ and his Church and therefore are no just cause
Parish but not out of the Diocese nor separateth from his Diocesan doth not separate from that particular Church as they esteem it Sect. XXV 9. If the Temples and Tythes be given to a Priest or Bishop not lawfully called nor consented to by the Flocks and another be lawfully called whom the Magistrate casteth out of the Temples and Tythes or denyeth them to him it is the Peoples duty to adhere to the Pastor that is justly called And it is not alwayes a duty to adhere to him whom the Magistrate imposeth nor a sin to withdraw from him The Churches met against the Magistrates will above three hundred years Sect. XXVI 10. If a lawfull Bishop or Pastor be set over the Flocks and either Magistrate or Synod unjustly depose him because he refuseth some heresie or sin and set up another in his stead especially one justly suspected of unsoundness the People are not hereby disobliged from their first Pastor nor obliged to the latter But yet if the latter be tolerable the Magistrates Countenance may be so great an advantage to the one and disadvantage to the other especially in case of Persecution as may make it their duty in point of Prudence for the first Pastor and People to consent to the Change And the same is to be said of the abusive deposition by a Synod Sect. XXVII 11. If the Parish Minister be lawfully called and the Pishop not so he that separateth only from the Diocesan and not from that Parish-Church is not guilty of Schism The same I say of separating from an unlawfull Arch-Bishop or Metropolitan Sect. XXVIII 12. If the species of the Office Church-Policie or Form be unlawfull it is a duty to separate from that species On which account we separate from the Papal Church the species of an Universal Church as Headed by one Man without Christs Institution being unlawfull though we separate from no Material part of Christs own universal Church as such and so related And as the Mass Sacrifice seemeth to be of another species than Christs Sacrament so the Mass-Priest seemeth to be a new species of Office and unlawfull The case of Patriarks and other Church-Offices and Forms of mans invention is after to be spoken of Sect. XXIX 8. There is a great deal of difference between the several local separations of men according to their several reasons and mutual separations No meer local separation without the mental is Schism or sin A man can be but in one place at once and is locally separate or absent from all Churches in the World save one Sect. XXX He that separateth from a true Church accusing it to be no true Church caeteris paribus is of the highest degree of Separation except that which is from all or from many And he that separateth as falsly accusing the Doctrine Worship Discipline or Conversation of the Church to be such as that a good Christian may not lawfully hold Communion with them therefore is in the next degree of Schism But he that withdraweth from one Church only for a greater convenience or profit or for purer Doctrine Worship Discipline or Practice in another is guilty either of no Schism if he have just cause or of little if he have not just cause while he no further accuseth the Church Sect. XXXI To separate unwarrantably from a pure and sound Church is a worse Schism caeteris paribus than to separate from an impure unsound maculated and undisciplined Church And to separate from many caeteris paribus is worse than from one Sect. XXXII If the Magistrate cast true Pastors and Churches out of his favour and out of the Temples and Tythes and forbid their Meetings and persecute them unjustly it is schismatical in any to call these men Schismaticks and to deny Communion with them as holding and calling them unlawful Conventicks as long as it is not so To separate from a prohibited Church may be Schism as well as from an allowed one when it is unjust Sect. XXXIII 9. To separate in mind from the Doctrine of Faith or in heart from the Love of Truth Worship or Brethren is dangerous mental Schism in those that ordinarily assemble with them Sect. XXXIV And all dividing Opinions and Doctrines and Practices tending to open Schism are schismatical according to their degree such are false accusing thoughts of the Churches Doctrine the Ministers Preaching the Churches Worship Order or Government or of the persons of the Pastors or the People Sect. XXXV 10. Secret ignorance or unbelief of necessary things is inconsistent with that internal union that maketh the Church Mystical Negatives may be Schism as well as Positives Sect. XXXVI 11. It is also internal Schism when men hate or love not Gods Word and Worship and the Communion of Saints and the Servants of God but love Pleasures Sin Deceivers and Dividers better Sect. XXXVII 12. Censuring reviling slandering defaming Rulers Teachers or People or other Churches of Christ by tongue or writing in Pulpits or in common talk especially by published false Invectives is Schismatical Of which many Controvertists and Disputants are guilty and many that reproach oppressed Churches and Persons are schismatical in calling others Schismaticks and Hereticks Sect. XXXVIII 13. Printing preaching or publishing Heresies or any false dividing doctrines is in its degree schismatical Sect. XXXIX 14. Making ones self uncapable of Communion and doing that which deserveth Excommunication is a rending ones self morally and by merit from the Church Sect. XL. 15. Causeless renouncing Communion with true Churches especially also setting up Anti-churches unwarrantably against them is Schism according to the degrees before described yea to hold Churches in other Countreys uncapable of Communion and unjustly condemn them as Hereticks is Schism Sect. XLI 16. The more men draw with them into Schism the more caeteris paribus it is aggravated And the Leaders and zealous Promoters are most guilty Sect. XLII 17. It is aggravated Schism to oppose Reconcilers or the healing Doctrines and Practices that are the proper means of unity and to reproach vilifie or resist them Sect. XLIII 18. The greatest and commonest Schism is by Dividing Laws and Canons which causelesly silence Ministers scatter Flocks and Decree the unjust Excommunication of Christians and deny Communion to those that yield not to sinfull or unnecessary ill-made terms of Communion And Persecution and Excommunications in the executing of such Laws are Schism in its virulent exercise Sect. XLIV 19. It is therefore schismatical to deny necessary toleration of Dissenters and Liberty for such to worship God in several places who by unavoidable difference of judgement in things tolerable cannot without violence to their Consciences meet in the same place For instance suppose the Parish-Churches have the use of Organs and some cannot be perswaded but it â—s sin As the rest will not be deprived of the Musick â—for their sakes so it is unjust and schismatical that they should be denyed leave to worship God elsewhere without
below him to be the Informing soul of the world yet is he more than such a soul to it of Him and through Him and to Him are all things who is All things in all things above all and through all and in us all as is aforesaid and being more intimate to all things as their proper form is the first Vniting principle of all being as he is the first Cause and the End of all And yet it is Above the Creatures to be accounted parts of God for they are not his Constitutive parts who is most simple but slow from him by his Causal efflux and so are by many not falsly called Vna emanatio Divina or a continued effect of one Divine creative or efficient Volition All One as In and Of and To One God and as compaginated among themselves and yet Many by wonderful incomprehensible diversities Ab uno Omnia 28. God is said to be More One with some Creatures than with others as he operateth more excellent effects in one than in others and as he is related to those effects but not as his essence is Nearer to One than to another 29. Accordingly his Vnion with the Intellectual Spirits and souls of men is said to be nearer than with Bodies and his Communion answerably But that is because they are the Nobler product of his Creating or efficient Power and Will 30. And so he is said to be more Vnited to holy souls than to the unholy to the Glorified than to the dammed Because he maketh them Better and communicateth to them more of his Glory and the effects of his Power Wisdom and Love As the Sun is more United to a burning-glass or to a place where it shineth brightly or to some excellent plant which it quickneth than to others 31. Accordingly we must conceive of that Vnion before mentioned Thes 10. of Christ with Believers here and with the glorified hereafter as to his Divine Nature which may well be called mystical and is of late become the subject of some mens contentious opposition and is matter of difficult enquiry to the wisest And yet it is hard to say that in all their hot opposition any sober men are in this disagreed For 1. it is by such commonly confessed that the Spirit of Christ doth operate more excellent effects on believers than on others and on the Blessed than on the damned even making them liker unto God 2. And that this Holy spirit is by Covenant related to them to operate for the future more constantly and eminently in them than in others 3. And that this Spirit proceedeth and is sent from the Father and the Son to do these works 4. And that Christ is Related to each Believing and each Glorifyed soul as one in Covenant self-obliged or a Promiser thus by his Spirit to operate on them 5. And that he is thus Related to the whole Church or society of such persons whereof each Individual is a part So that all this set together telleth us that every Believing and every Glorifyed soul is said to be United to Christ in all these several conjunct respects as to his Godhead 1. In that he eminently operateth Grace and Glory in them that is Holy Life Light and Love by the Holy Ghost And this he doth as God doth all things per essentiam and not as distant by an intermediate Vertue which is neither Creator nor Creature As the very Sun-beams touch the illuminated and heated object 2. By a moral-relative Union by Covenant to that individual person to do such things upon him As husband and wife are United by Covenant for certain uses 3. By a Political Relative Vnion as that person is a member of the Church or Political body to which Christ is United by Promise as aforesaid who denieth any of this and who affecteth more 32. And then our Vnion with Christs humane nature besides the General and special Logical Vnion as he is a Creature a Man of the same Nature with us can be of no Higher or Nearer a sort But differeth from the former so far as the Operations and Relation of a Created Medium differ from those of the Creator That is 1. The humane nature is honoured and used by the Divine as a second cause of the foresaid effects of Grace and Glory on us 2. The humane Nature being of the same species with ours is by a Law obligation and consent related to each Believer and to all the Church as the Root and chief Medium Administrator and Communicator of this Grace and Glory and so as our Relative Head in the foresaid Moral and Political sense communicating those Real Benefits 3. And Christ in his Humanity is the Authorised Lord and Governour of all inferiour means and causes by which and Grace and Glory is conveyed to us as of Angels Ministers Word Sacraments changing Providences c. 4. But whether his own Humane Soul per essentiam immediatam attingentiam do operate on all holy souls and so be Physically also Vnited to them as the Sun is to the quickened plants or animals I told you before I know not yet but hope ere long to know 33. Christs Divine Nature is United to his humane in a peculiar sort as it is not to any other creature But it is not by any change of the Divine but by that peculiar possessing operation and Relation which no other created being doth partake of and which no mortal can comprehend of which I have said more elsewhere 34. All Creatures as such are United in God as the Root or first cause of Nature All Believers and Saints are United in Christ as the Head of the Church as aforesaid and in the Holy spirit as the principle of their sanctification 35. The Political Relative Union of such Saints among themselves is intelligible and sure as having One God one Head one Holy spirit But as I said before how and how far their very substance is One by an Unity analogous to Physical Continuity like the solar Light c. and how far and how they are substantially divers and how and how far the spirit of Holiness doth in a peculiar manner Unite the substances of Holy souls among themselves by Analogie to the Illuminated Air c. and how all souls and Angels are individuate and distinguished I say again is past our reach 36. Seeing Vnion is so naturally desired as Perfection by all creatures known to us it is great mordinateness and folly to fear lest death will by too near an Union end our individuation 37. And as things sensible are the first known by man in flesh and we see that among them Union destroyeth no part of their substance but a sand or Atom is the same thing in Union with others as it would be if separate or solitary and a drop of water hath as true and much existing substance in the Ocean as in its separate state and so of a particle of Air we have reason to
Presbyters chose the Bishop and the Bishop and people consenting chose the Presbyters III. The Magistrate was judge whom he would countenance or tolerate But Gods Law was the Rule which all these were to observe in judging § †But all men are corrupt and some more than others And they like those best that are likest themselves or at least most agreeable to their interest and desires This chain hath been long broken sometimes the Bishop of Rome hath claimed the choice of Bishops and given the Bishops the choice of the Presbyters sometime he hath given the people the choice of their Bishops but claimed to himself the power of investing and instituting them Sometime Emperours and Kings have used this investing power leaving still the people to choose In England now the King really chooseth all Bishops commending them to the Dean and Chapter pro formâ And the Bishop only chooseth whom he will ordain a Minister in specie And one called the Patron chooseth who shall be the Parish Priest and the Bishop must institute and induct him but according to the Law and the choosing and consenting liberty is wholly taken from the people § 5. 1. How the Popes formerly chose and yet choose where it is in their power I need not tell them that know history and the world nor yet what Presbyters such Bishops chose nor is it any wonder that such choosers served their own interest nor that the chosen serve it 2. How Princes and Patrons and Prelates have chosen history tells us And Christ who saith How hard it is for the Rich to enter into the Kingdom of heaven teacheth us to expect that ordinarily Rich men should not be the best to speak softly And the Rich will rule and will choose according to their interests and their appetites 3. And when the people had their choice in some places they chose hereticks or ignorant men In other places they chose vitious men In most places they followed the Court or Great men whenever they interposed and too often divided from each other by disagreement or caused tumults in the choice And then what wonder if the sacred office was corrupted to the doleful detriment and danger of the Churches when the choosers were but such as these § 6. The things necessary to the sacred Ministry Bishops or Presbyters are I. Either to the Being II. Or to the Well-being III. Or to the Exercise § 7. I. To the Being are Necessary I. A true efficient cause II. The true constitutive causes III. A due Terminus or End § 8. I. The true efficient cause here is necessary to the effect it being the Fundamentum of the Relation And this is 1. Primary or Principal which is Jesus Christ the Lord Redeemer and the Churches King and Head 2. Instrumental and that is The Law of Christ which is as a Charter to the Church first telling the Choosers and receiver what to do and then Giving the Power and Imposing the Obligation on the person chosen consenting and ordained § 9. II. The necessary Constitutive Causes are I. Matter or the subject II. The necessary Disposition of that Matter III. The form as in Physical beings it is so so Relations have somewhat answerable § 10. I. The Subject or Matter is A Man II. The necessary Disposition is 1. That it be a Male and not a Woman 2. That he have the use of Reason or natural wit and speech 3. That he be a Christian 4. That he have necessary abilities for the essentials of the office-work And those are 1. The understanding at least of the Essentials of Religion and Ministry 2. A Will to perform the work of the Ministry 3. Ability of utterance to do it and all the necessary executive power § 11. III. The Form of the Office is 1. In general AUTHORITY and OBLIGATION conjunct 2. In special Authority to perform the Office-work and obligation to perform it Which work is 1. To be a Teacher under Christ the chief Teacher 2. To be a Priest or Intercessor to guide the Church in worship and speak in their name and on their behalf to God and intercede for them and as from God to administer his Seals or Sacraments 3. To Rule the Church and particular Believers in things spiritual not by force or sword but by opening and directive applying Gods Word and exercising the Church Keyes as Judges who is to be received or cast out loosed or bound according to the Word of God The Form consisteth of these parts § 12. III. The End or Terminus of the Sacred Office that is of the Authority and Obligation is 1. Proximately the Work to be done 2. the necessary objects of that work 1. Particular persons 1. Infidels and ungodly men to be converted 2. Christians and godly men to be edified 2. Societies 1. The Churchâ—Universal to be increased and edified 2. Particular Churches to be taught and guided and led in worship and discipline 3. The necessary effects here named to be intended All that I have named and no more is necessary to the Being § 13. About all these there are divers errours brought in by the arrogance and ignorance of men which hinder the concord and peace of Christians And I. About the Efficient Cause Too many falsly perswade the world that the ORDAINERS are the efficient Causes of the Power or Office yea that their Intention can alter the species instituted by Christ in the conveyance of it to this or that person As if when Christ and his Apostles have described the office in its parts and commanded that a Bishop or Presbyter be chosen and ordained to such particular work and ends an Ordainer might now give him half this power without the rest And when he maketh Bishops or Presbyters they shall have no more power than the Ordainer was willing or intended or did particularly express Than which nothing is more false For it is Gods Law that is the specifier and donation and the Ordainer doth but ministerially invest and deliver possession of what the Law gave and commanded him to deliver The Kings Law or Charter giveth power to the Citizens to choose a Major and describeth all his power and work and ordereth the Recorder to Swear him and deliver him the insignia Here now 1. The Electors do but determine of the person to receive the power but do not at all give it 2. The King by his Charter as the instrument giveth it It results hence as every Jus à titulo seu fundamento juris 3. The Recorder only Ministerially delivereth possession by investiture Now if the Recorder or Choosers shall say We choose you or deliver you power as Major according to the Kings Charter but you shall have but so much less than the Charter giveth this diminution is a nullity For they have no power to choose another kind of Major than that described in the Charter nor to make his power more or less but he may exercise what the Charter
office Now what is necessary to the well being And indeed though the Essential Unity of the Church lye not upon this yet the Peace and Concord of it doth and that so much as that no other means without this will attain it And the want of what is necessary ad bene esse in the Ministry and Bishops is it that hath caused the common calamities § 35. And I. Nothing is more wanting hereto than better qualifications in the persons 1. That there be a strong wit and good acquired gifts of knowledge and a strong and lively faith from Divine illumination and good acquaintance with the Oracles of God A Pastor or Teacher should not only know the essentials of Christianity which every Christian knoweth but also the Integrals and many Accidents And both essentials and integrals should be known by him by a more clear distinct and orderly understanding not only above the vulgus sâ—delium common Christians but above the better sort of the flock And some store of natural and common knowledge called Learning is needful hereunto But especially more illumination faith and holy wisdom and skilfulness in matter sencâ— and method of the word of God § 36. Where Gods Word is not by the Teacher clearly understood and firmly believed and he is not well acquainted with the work of his office it is not any formalities of Ordination consent or Titles that use to make up these defects as to the success To say what God can do is little to this business He can make an Ass to preach to Balaam He can work by fools and ignorant men and hereticks But Scripture and all the common experience of ages assureth us that it is not his ordinary way and that he rarely blesseth such with great success but worketh according to the qualifications of the Instrument and the Receivers And let a mans tiâ—les and ordination be what they will weak men will do weakly and ignorant men will do ignorantly and erring men will do erroneously and the Gospel will be wronged the people will be hurt or losers and enemies will deride and scorn § 37. When Aristotle saith that Wise men are by Nature to Rule and fools and ignorant persons to be ruled he meant not I suppose that this gave wise men formal Power but that this was the materiae dispositio receptiva as Gold and Silver are to be the Kings Coyn but are not so quâ talia so only wise Christians are receptive matter of Ministerial power and the wiser the better And when one appeareth to be of eminent wisdom above all the rest caeteris paribus the ordainers and people are directed and bound by God to choose that man And what scruples soever rise about his Ordination usually God worketh by excellent worthy men and as light cannot be hid so holy wisdom will be known and valued § 38. 2. But LOVE or HOLINESS is necessary ad bene esse as well as wisdom Heat causeth heat And we have need of sacred Heat as well as of Light Love kindleth love A Pastor should excel the Flock in Love to God to Christ to Holiness to Gods word and work and to all the peoples souls and should speak all from the Zeal of Love As the Nurses milk should have the warmth of Nature Cold heartless preachers usually reach not the heart and have but coldâ— and small success Here also God worketh usually according to the means And how can he be taken for a sound Believer of so great over-whelming things as we have to speak of that speaketh only of them sleepily and coldly § 39. 3. And as wisdom and zealous Love so executive Activity but especially Taking utterance is necessary to the well-being of the sacred-office and the success Though it be not the tricks of vain humane art and affectation which must do our work yet is it a free and moving utterance of holy wisdom faith and Love And words are not all Holy example of living in blamelesness justice humility self-denyal meekness and patience must be our work And diligence in doing all the good we can What examples are there this day among us of one or two holy humble meek and patient and unwearied labourers even in a silenced suffering and low condition men of no extraordinary parts but with ordinary parts of extraordinary labour and patience that whole Countreys have cause to bless God for I will venture to name three such 1. Mr. John Eliots in New England that hath translated all the Bible into that most barbarous language preached to the Indians about forty years and gathered divers Churches among them And verily I would the Jesuites had never done worse work than what they did with several Fryars in Congo China Japan c. which is their greatest honour 2. Mr. John Dury I hear yet living who hath these fifty years or near been employed in reconciling the Lutheran and Calvinist Protestants not without success as Helmstadt Breme Hassia and other places know Though much more might have been expected if the wars of Princes and the obstinacy of contentious Divines had not hindred 3. Our Mr. Thomas Gouge an ejected silenced Minister who hath set up about fourscore Schools in Wales for thousands of Scholars given away many thousand books to them relieved many poor honest ejected Ministers got the Bible the Practice of Piety the Whole Duty of Man printed in Welsh and visiteth the Counties there though aged once a year Gods work must be done as our trade and business and not on the by as taking up the place and time which mens fleshly and worldly interest and work can spare Had the Church such men enow as I have described and as some have been such as Cyprian Nazianzene Basil Chrysostom Atticus Proclus Hierom Augustine Ambrose Martin Salvian c. and such as Melancthon Bucholtzer Bucer Phagius Musculus Martyr Calvin Beza Vrsine Olevian Paraeus Camero Placeus Molineus Dallaeus Blondel Chamier Sadeel Le Blank c. and such as we have had many in England Jewel Grindal Field Reignolds Vsher Morton Hall Davenant Chillingworth Hildersham Dod Ball Bradshaw Gataker c. and such as yet through Gods great mercy we have many I say had the world enow such as these the light would scatter the dismal darkness and they would carry on Christs interest in the Churches against the opposition of Usurpers hereticks and contenders For even a few such have broke through armies of Philistines to fetch men the sacred waters of life And it is not scruples and quarrels about their ordinations or such like as would frustrate their endeavours § 40. II. It is greatly needful to the well-being of the Ministry and the success that Doctrine be kept sound And therefore 1. That the Christian simplicity be retained and many subtile and curious decisions be not made necessary A few great necessary certain truths are easilier preserved than multitudes of uncertain controverted niceties 2. It is needful that such as are ordained
and English Kings will see what ado Kings had to keep the Bishops and Priests from filthy fornication and utter corruption of their function § 4. 4. Obj. But if Princes meddle with Pastors Preachers and Religion when far more of them are bad than good and erroneous than in the right it must follow that more good will be hindered by them than evil and in most places the best will be persecuted by them and the worst approved and preferred Answ 1. And was it not so and worse under the Popes and their Prelates Let their own historians judge 2. Nay it hath been ill Clergy men that have instigated Princes to do most of the chief to the Church that they have done 3. This tells us the calamitous case of mankind but not at all how to help it 4. This argument should urge Princes to amend but not to neglect their duty for fear of doing it amiss By the like argument in Moscovy they have put down preaching saying Most will preach amiss And others put down all praying save the reading of imposed words saying that most else will pray amiss And so these would restrain Princes from Governing Bishops and Preachers and matters Ecclesiastical saying Else they will do most amiss 5. But it is supposed that Princes have their Councils And as they consult with Lawyers in matters of Law and with Souldiers in matters of War and with Physicions in matters of that profession so they will consult with Divines as they are called in matters of Divinity and Religion § 5. Obj. 5. But Religion is to be perswaded and not forced which will but make hypocrites Ans We cannot force men to know or believe and we ought not to force them to lie But they may be restrained from doing notorious mischief and constrained to hear that they may learn § 6. Obj. 6. But that which you think wrong seemeth right to them and every mans Conscience is his Law and he must obey it and whatsoever is not of faith is sin Ans 1. None but the Atheist or irreligious take all Religion to be uncertain Man is naturally Animal religiosum made to serve God in order to future happiness And Religion were no Religion if a man could have no satisfactory notice of its truth 2. No mans Conscience is his Law no more than it is the Law of the land It is but as his eye in reading it a discerner of the Law And mistake is not discerning 3. No man ought to take evil for good nor to do evil because he thinketh it good but first to use means for information and then to judge better and then to do better 4. Though whatever is not of saith is sin yet whatever is of errour is of sin too and not of faith And we are not for forcing men against their conscience to any thing unnecessary or any thing which they are uncapable of but for restraining them from that mischief which an erring judgement leaveth them to and putting them on necessary duty which they can do should they not be forced to feed their children if their Consciences be against it Or to pay their debts or their taxes tythes and other dues § 7. Obj. 7. On the other side some and more will say that any toleration of diversity in Religion especially of Assemblies is contrary to the unity and harmony which should be among Christians and will cherish heart-burnings and cause differences in the State and foment seditions and rebellious no discord having worse effects than those about religion Answ 1. To tell us that men are dark and selfish and proud and passionate and therefore contentious and that this is the calamity that sin hath brought on all the world is but to tell us what we all must know But what 's that to the Cure All sin and all discord is contrary to our desired concord and is our reproach But shall no sinners therefore be endured Ye suffer fools gladly saith St. Paul seeing you yourselves are wise 2. Will your way of violence make this better or far worse Will men that really have any religion forsake it for fear of any thing that you can do against them It is not Religion if it set not God above man When they suffer by you will they like you or your opinions the better for hurting them or the worse If ever you let them out of prison will they not come out more alienated by exasperation If you force the timerous or hypocrites to dissemble to save the flesh will they not hate you and your doctrine the more as that which soul and body are both oppressed by And will not their sufferings move compassion in the people and your cruelty alienate those that else would never have forsaken you what a shameful thing is it to hear and read mens tragical outcries against necessary toleration which Christianity and humanity plead for while they are the causes of that which they exclaim against and are furiously making it tenfold worse If diversity in Religion be such an evil cause it not by your unnecessary Laws and Canons and making engines to tear the Church in pieces which by the ancient simplicity and commanded mutual forbearance would live in such a measure of Love and Peace as may be here expected Are men liker to hate you or to plot rebellions for being gently used as men or cruelly like slaves or dogs Nay slaves are freemen in comparison of those that are dissenters from the Pope if he get them in his power Though it be but for refusing to deny belief to all mens senses and consequently to Gods natural revelation If you can cure all mens errours do it but begin at home But killing is not curing in the sense of wise Physicions or Patients Your way cureth errour as the man that was angry with the Looking-glass for shewing him his ugly face did cure it by breaking it into twenty pieces and then it shewed him twenty ugly faces for one There are no tolerated sorts among us here that are more accused by all for seditiousness and rebellion when they once got some seeming strength than the Anabaptists and the people called the fifth Monarchy men But have they ever even at Munster made any such horrid slaughters in the world as the great enemies of Toleration have done Did they ever murder 200000 people that lived peaceably at once as the Frish Papists did Or forty thousand if not as some say twice as many as they did at the French Massacre Or so many thousands if not millions say some as were kill'd of the Albigenses and Waldenses in France Piedmont Italy Germany c. Or did they ever use Christians as the Inquisition hath done Or did they ever use Emperors as Henry the fourth and fifth and Frederick were used Or kill two Kings successively as Henry the third and Henry the fourth of France were killed Nay did ever the Novatians yea or the furious Prelatical Donatists make
such bloody work as hath been made by Bishops Councils and Emperors for the suppressing of dissenters What hath been done at Alexandria Antioch Constantinople Jerusalem Rome I have elsewhere shewed The late publisher of his travels in Egypt Vaneslup a Roman they say a Jesuite tells us that Egypt is deprived of her ancient sort of inhabitants destroyed for following Dioscorus and that Justinian killed no less than two hundred thousand of them I believe not his number But if this be true the tyrannical hereticaters are the Pikes in the pond and a far more bloody and devouring sort of men than most of those that they destroy as intolerable 3. But it is not yet divers Religions that is the subject in dispute every different opinion or practice or diversity in some small point in Religion is not a divers Religion He knoweth not what Religion is that thinketh that there are as many different Religions as there are controversies among religious persons In a word Bear a little or you must bear more § 8. Obj. 8. But the tolerated will seduce the ignorant and poison Souls And therefore are no more to be tolerated than murderers souls being more precious than bodies Answ 1. Who have poisoned the Church and souls with more errors and more palpable than the Papists who are most against Toleration 2. The meerly Tolerated being discountenanced by Authority have less advantage to deceive men than the Approved if as erroneous 3. We plead for restraining men from poisoning souls by dangerous doctrines and not for tolerating that But every dissenter or mistaking person is not such a poisoner of souls 4. The Tolerated speaking in publick are more responsible and more easily convicted of their fault than those that do it secretly where there are no witnesses And this your violence cannot hinder 5. As their errors will be openly known so you have advantage openly to confute them and to keep the people right § 9. Obj. 9. But dissenting teachers will unsay what the Approved Teachers say and hinder their work and steal the hearts of the people from them and make their calling bur densome to them Answ 1. They are to be restrained from preaching against any great sure necessary doctrine or practice 2. Christ never sent out his Ministers with a supposition that none should contradict them but with that light and strength which which was to overcome contradiction Do you so debase and disgrace your selves and your religion as to think or say that it cannot prosper if any be but suffered to speak against you 3. Doth the work of Christ afford you no more comfort than shall leave you thus burdened if any will but gainsay you How unlike Christs Ministers or Christians do you speak 4. Have not you that have sound doctrine Gods promise the Rulers countenance maintenance and honour much more to support you than they that are supposed to have none of these 5. If you tolerate not their open preaching their secret endeavours and your seeming cruelty together will alienate more from you and make you not only neglected but abhorred § 10. Obj. 10. The number of the erroneous will increase by a toleration Answ And the number of the ungodly that will say swear or do any thing for worldly respects will increase by your mistaken way of suppressing them 2. It is better that tolerated honest Christians erring in tolerable cases do increase than that they be banished or destroyed and a worldly Ministry thereby lift up abhorred by the religious and heading the malignant and prophane against all serious piety 3. Violence and Tyranny against good men for tolerable error hath already increased that same error more than wiser means would have done and hath introduced worse 4. We have found where I lived in Worcestershire and the neighbouring Counties Warwickshire Staffordshire and Shropshire in the late times of liberty in Religion that an unanimous humble able diligent Ministry frequently and lovingly consulting and all agreeing did more effectually suppress heresie error and schism than violence ever did or would have done The next Parish to me had a grave learned sober Anabaptist B. of D. that had great advantages and yet almost all our flocks were kept from the infection In my own Charge a great Parish of many thousand souls where I was above 14. years we had no one separate assembly nor one sectary that I remember save two or three apostate Infidels or Socinians and two or three Papists A faithful agreeing Ministry with the advantage of a good cause we found sufficient to shame all the Sectaries and frustrate most of their endeavours and to keep the people unanimous and right § 11. Obj. 11. If every one that will may set up for a preacher and gather a congregation or if the ignorant people shall all choose their own Teachers we shall have ignorance error and confusion Answ 1. I told you that every one that will may not turn preacher The Tolerated are to pass their proper tryal as well as the Approved before they receive their Toleration 2. The Churches commonly chose their own Bishops or Pastors for near a thousand years after Christ or had a Negative consenting voice at least And many Canons did confirm it yea and decrees of the Popes themselves yea when the Popes and Emperours in Germany the Henries c. strove about the investing power it was yet granted that the people should have their electing or free conrsenting power continued And no man can be really their Pastor till they consent And your contrary course will make worse work 3. Our way is of all other the safest Two or three locks keep the Churches treasure safest We say none shall be approved but by three parties consent nor Tolerated but by two or three The Ordainers are to consent to him as a Minister and the people as their Minister and the Magistrate as a Tolerated Minister or if any unordained be tolerated which I determine not at least the People and the Ruler must consent and that upon a just testimonial of his ability Piety and fitness for such toleration 4. And yet we speak this but of Pastors not denying but Teachers and Catechizers may be imposed on children infidels and others that are not in Communion with any particular Church § 12. Obj. 12. You would have the Church Articles at least for the Tolerated in Scripture phrase And what 's the phrase without the right sence How easily may Hereticks creep in under such phrases as several men put several sences on Answ 1. Is there not Truth enough in all the Bible in intelligible words necessary to salvation and Church Communion Is the Scripture as insufficient as the Papists make it without their supplemental Traditions or Decrees And had not the Holy Ghost skill to speak even things necessary in tolerable intelligible phrase who are they that are wiser to reform it 2. Almost all words are ambiguous and may be diversly understood your own
renounce all doctrines and practices of Rebellion sedition or Schism I believe not that subjects may take up Arms or use any force or conspiracy to violate the Rights Authority or Persons of those in supreme Power over them I believe not that by any Laws of God or Man the Bishop of Rome hath the right of Governing all the world or all Christian Kings and Kingdomes nor the King or Kingdome of England in particular in matters secular or religious Nor that it is the duty of this Kingdome or the King to subject themselves unto him and obey him Nor that the said Bishop of Rome hath any true authority or right to impose oaths on Kings or other temporal Lords or otherwise oblige them to judge their subjects to be Hereticks who deny the Popes universal Supremacy over all the Churches on earth or who deny that the universal Church hath any Visible Head but Christ or who believe that the truly consecrated Bread and Wine in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper remain true Bread and Wine after the Consecration or that believe they are not to be adored as their God nor the Wine to be denyed to the Laity communicating Nor may the Pope oblige Kings or any others to exterminate burn or kill or punish any such as hereticks nor excommunicate Kings or temporal Lords for not doing it nor depose them being excommunicated nor give their Kingdomes or Dominions to others nor authorize any to kill them or to raise arms against them and to invade their Countreys by hostility Nor hath he right or authority to forbid Kingdomes or Countreys the publick celebration of Gods worship or holy Christian Communion Nor to oblige any Rulers or others to destroy any as Hereticks or judge them such because they are so judged by the Pope or Councils And I believe not that the Clergy are exempted from obedience to the Secular Powers or from being judged and punished by them by any Laws of God or any valid Laws of man not made or consented to by the said Powers And I unfeignedly believe that if any Pope or Council how great soever do decree or assert any of these things which I have hereby renounced and disclaimed or shall hereafter decree or assert any of them they err and sin against God in so doing and are not to be believed therein nor do oblige any thereby to obey them And all this I profess as in the sight of God my Judge without fraud or dissimulation in the sincerity of my heart THe errours which men should be restrained from preaching or propagating are innumerable and not necessary to be all put into a subscribed or professed renunication so they be actually forborn I will recite part of a Catalogue of false and doubtful dangerous points not fit to be published by preachers I. Of the nature and acts of God 1. The God is corporeal or material 2. That God is essentially only in Heaven or in some finite space 3. That God hath parts and is divisible 4. That God hath the parts or shape of humane bodies head face eyes hands feet c. properly so called 5. That God is the Universe or whole world or that he is meerly or properly the soul of the world as his body and so but a part of the world 6. That God or any essential of God is really new changeable or finite 7. The God can suffer hurt or hath proper real grief and passion 8. That God knoweth not all that hath been is or will be and all that is intelligible 9. That Gods own essential perfection goodness and love is not the ultimate and chief object of mans love to be loved chiefly for himself as most amiable and above our selves and all things created but that he is only or chiefly to be loved as our Benefactor or as good to the creature And so that man is Gods end and his own chief and ultimate end and not God mans chief and ultimate end 10. That God is the first and chief or any proper cause of sin or that God doth by efficient premotion as the first cause predetermine every mans mind will tongue and members to every forbidden act that is done as it is determined to and specifyed by the object with all its forbidden circumstances and modes and so to every lie perjury hatred of God and goodness murder c. that is committed 11. That God ruleth the world only as an engine by physical motion and doth not rule any free agents by moral means as precepts prohibitions promises c. in any acts saving as these are parts of his physically necessitating motion 12. That God may or ever doth lie or by his inspiration or his works of nature or providence necessitate innocent persons de facto or oblige any as a duty to believe that which is false 13. That God hath so committed the affairs of this world to Angels or any creatures or natural means as not to mind them or particularly govern and dispose of them himself 14. That God is essentially or virtually absent from the effects which he causeth 15. That God hath not power to do any more or otherwise than he doth though he would 16. That Gods will is not the fountain and the measure of all created good or that things are not good because they are willed by God 17. That Gods proper and absolute will desire and decree may be disappointed and not come to pass 18. That somewhat of or in the creature may be a true or proper cause of somewhat not only relative but real in God or make a real change on God 19. That God hath no vindictive or punishing and no rewarding justice 20. That God may be formally conceived of and comprehended by man and not only known analogically and as in a glass II. Of the Blessed Divine Trinity 1. That there are three Gods or three divine essences or substances 2. That the Trinity are but Three Names of God or three relations of him to the creature 3. That they are Three parts of God 4. That the three Persons are one God only in specie as Abraham Isaac and Jacob are One man because they have but one humane sort of nature 5. That one person in the Trinity is in time or dignity before or after other or greater or less than other 6. That in the Trinity there are three Fathers three Sons or three Holy Ghosts 7. That the doctrine of the Trinity is contradictory or impossible to be true 8. That it is unnecessary to be believed or preached 9. That there are no Impressions or notes of the Trinity on the soul of man or any other known works of God 10. That the works of Creation Redemption or Sanctification are no more eminently or otherwise ascribed in Scripture to any one Person in the Trinity than to the other That Creation is no otherwise ascribed to the Father than to the Son and Holy Ghost nor Redemption to the Son than to
Spirit and sufficient Rule 23. That men must believe the Scripture without reason for their believing it or must believe it to be Gods word without seeking any proof that it is his word 24. That it is meritorious to believe the Scripture to be Gods word without knowing any proof or reason of it this being an infused faith and proof making it but acquired 25. That we must believe Gods word no further than we have evidence of truth from the nature of the matter revealed 26. That Mahomet is the Paraclet promised by Christ V. Of the Creation 1. That this world was from eternity and not made in time 2. That an evil God made this earth or a middle God between the perfect God and the evil one As old Hereticks variously spake 3. Or that such an evil or middle God made the body of man 4. Or that such an evil or middle agent made the woman 5. That God made sin and death and disorder before sin deserved them 6. That when God had made this world he left it to the Government of certain Angels who fell and necessitated man to fall 7. That the World is Gods body and he the Soul of it and no more 8. That the world came by chance or by a fortuitous conflux of atomes and was not made by Gods wise and powerful word or action 9. That there is nothing in the world but matter and motion and the various shapes of matter caused by motion or at least nothing but God and matter and motion and its modal effects 10. That the world is Infinite as being made by that infinite God who made it as great and good as he was able and therefore infinite in his own similitude VI. Of Angels and Spirits and Heaven 1. That men can certainly tell the space number and order of all the celestial regions orbs or spaces and the number of Angels or when the first were made 2. That this world or earth was made by Angels only 3. That the fallen Angels were necessitated by God to sin and to tempt man 4. That God hath so left to Angels the Government of this world as not to govern it himself save by such leaving all to their free contingent action 5. That all that which scripture ascribeth to the Holy Ghost is done only by Angels 6. That we may know which are our Guardian Angels 7. That men may choose their own guardian Angels or spirits 8. That we must pray to Angels though we see them not or have no special notice when they hear us 9. That Angels lusted after women and begat Giants of them before the deluge 10. That they fight with each other for the government of the Kingdoms of this world even the good Angels among themselves VII Of Man as man in his nature and first state 1. That mans soul is God or part of God 2. Or is only a part or act of an universal soul of the world and is no singular or individual substance in each one 3. That the soul is but a quality motion or action of a higher agent 4. That the soul is mortal and dieth with the body being either annihilated or asleep or sunk into a meer potentia or hath no knowledge will sense or action or is swallowed up in the universal soul so as to lose its proper or numerical existence 5. That mans soul is of the same species as the bruits 6. That mans spirit only is immortal and continueth after death but not his soul 7. That mans soul or spirit was from eternity 8. That it was made before this earth and sinned in a former body and was thrust for punishment into this body and world 9. That the souls departed of men are sent back into beasts or at least into other men and so are oft born 10. That mens souls are fallen Angels 11. That Adams soul was made first male and female before it was incorporate 12. That Adams body was the cloathing that God made him after he sinned having no body before 13. That neither soul nor body was made after Gods image as Epiphanius ill affirmeth 14. That mans Vital faculty Intellect and Will are but accidents of his soul 15. That the soul is moved but as an engine by an extrinsick cause and hath not any Essential self-moving form or power 16. That no man can do more or less or otherwise than he doth because God as the first mover necessitateth all his actions 17. That the will hath no habits but a meer power and liberty 18. That Adam and Eve had no holiness or holy inclination to love God as God and to obey him but a meer neutral possibility 19. That Adam had not help or strength sufcient or necessary power to have forborn his first sin 20. That man was made only to be an inhabitant of earth as Angels are of heaven and is not capable of an higher habitation VIII Of sin Original and subsequent 1. That God is as much the Cause of all sin as he is of darkness and such other privations and that he made Adam sin or that he irresistibly predetermineth every ones will to every forbidden act which it doth 2. That the Devil irresistibly necessitated Adam to sin and so some superior cause did the Devils 3. That sin is not only the occasion of much good but a proper cause and as such is decreed willed and caused by God 4. That God made a Covenant with Adam that if he sinned all that came of him should be reputed sinners farther than they were really seminally in him and by natural in-being and derivation were partakers of his guilt and corruptions and so that God made them sinners by his arbitrary imputation when naturally they were not so 5. That Original sin necessitateth every sin of omission or act which ever after followeth in the world 6. That sin being a meer privation all are by nature deprived of all moral good and so all are equally evil and as bad as those in hell notwithstanding any thing that the Redeemer hath done to prevent it 7. That infants have no Original sin no guilt of Adams sin and no sinful pravity of nature 8. That Infants have no participation of guilt of any nearer parents sin but Adams only and God doth not inflict any punishment on children for their fathers sin because of their derived guilt by nature 9. That therefore Infants have no need of a Saviour to suffer for their sin nor of a pardon 10. That Infants need not the Holy Ghost to sanctifie them by killing any sinful pravity or inclination in them 11. That sin was not the cause of death 12. That sin deserveth not hell or an everlasting punishment IX Of Redemption and the Covenant of grace made to Adam and Noah 1. That God made no promise Covenant or gift of grace to Adam after his fall 2. That God made the Covenant of grace only to Adam and the elect and not to all mankind in him
renounced by Ministers but to lie before the Church Rulers to tell them what to forbid Ministers to preach and moderately and wisely to rebuke or restrain the offenders as wisdome shall direct them according to the quality of the persons and the offence and their frequency obstinacy or impenitency in offending Not that every one should be ejected or silenced that holdeth or preacheth any one such errour but only those who consideratis considerandis are found to do more harm than good The Third Part OF SCHISM OR The False Dividing Terms and Means OF UNITY and PEACE CHAP. I. What Schism is and what are its Causes and Effects Sect. I. SCHISM or Divisions among Christians is by the Common Confession of all Christians a sin against God and a dishonour and hurt and danger to the Church but especially to the guilty But what it is and who are the guilty men are not so much agreed on Each Party laying it upon the other and one taking that for Damnable Schism which another taketh for his greatest Duty And while the guilty are no better known the Division is continued and few repent Sect. II. SCHISM or Division or Rents among Christians is considerable I. As to the Agents when it is by 1. Many 2. Few 1. The Pastors or Rulers 2. The People either 1. The Learned 2. The Ignorant II. The Terminus as it is dividing 1. In a Church and not from it 1. From their Government 1. Of one 2. Of More 1. Few 2. Many 1. Sound 2. Unsound 3. From the Universal Church 2. Communion 2. From a Church III. The Act As 1. In kind 2. In degree which both are either 1. Inward 1. Of Mind 1. Dividing Opinions 1. Of Doctrines 1. Of Faith 2. Practice 1. Worship 2. Conversation 2. Of Persons by consent 2. Ignorance of necessary means of Unity 2. Of will and passion 1. Wrath and uncharitableness 1. To things 2. Persons 2. Love to 1. Division 2. Dividers 2. Outward by 1. Words 1. Of Persons 1. Single 1. Rulers 2. People 2. Collective the Church 2. Things of 1. Doctrine 2. Practice 1. Towards God 2. Towards Men 2. Deeds 1. Separating 1. Morally by merit 2. Actually 2. Promoting Schism 1. Drawing Others 2. Resisting 1. Uniting Persons 2. Uniting Means Doctrine Acts IV. The Effects 1. On Christians 1. Single 1. The Dividers 2. Others viz. 1. Pastors 2. People 1. Weak 2. Strong 2. Collective 1. That Church 2. Other Churches 1. Church 2. State 3. Families 2. On those without 1. Unbelievers 2. Enemies All these things should here distinctly be considered A large Scheme of the Causes Nature and Effects of Schism and Contentions with the Remedies c. I have prefixed to my Book called Catholick Theology Sect. III. Of all the sins that men charge on one another there is none used by Accusers more partially and less regardably than the charge of Heresie and Schism the words usually signifying no more but that the accused differ in judgment from the accusers and are not so obedient to them in matters of Religion as they expect Insomuch that whoever can but get uppermost or get the major Vote doth usually make it his advantage to call himself Orthodox and Catholick and all Dissenters Hereticks and Schismaticks By which means Heresie and Schism are greatly promoted while many that else would hate and oppose them are tempted by this usage to take the words to be but proud mens reproach of the innocent Sect. IV. The full opening of all the parts of Schism will be a work so long as may tire the Reader I will therefore first give some notice of them transiently and briefly and then examine some things that are by others supposed to be the Causes and shew how uncapable divers means are of being terms of real Union and Concord which some men venditate as the only or necessary terms Sect. V. 1. A Schism made by Many is in some repects worse than by Few and in some not all so bad The sins of many hath more guilt than of one Their ill success is like to be greater Those will fall in with the multitude who would despise a singular tempter The Donatists prevailed in Africa by their number It seemeth by their Bishops in their Councils that they were the greater part It is not impossible for the far greater number to be the Schismaticks But yet the guilt of singularity is more upon a single Separatist or few that dare separate from the whole or most of the Churches Sect. VI. 2. The Bishops and Pastors are liable to the sin of Schism as well as the ignorant people Yea as Mutinies seldom happen in an Army at least to any great danger unless they be headed by some Commander so seldom hath there been any Heresie or Schism in the Church of which some Bishops have not been the Leaders or Chief Promoters since Bishops were great in the world at least and before they or some Elders were the Chief To instance in Paulus Samosit Apollinarius Novatus and his followers Maximinus and the Donatists Nestorius Dioscorus Severus and the multitudes more which Church-History mentioneth and which made up the Councils at Ephes 2. Arrinene Sinnium Milan divers at Constantinople Alexandria and multitudes more would be but to suppose my Reader a stranger to such History which here I must not do for then I cannot expect that he should take my word Sect. VII It is a far greater sin in Bishops and Pastors to be Schismaticks than in the People because they are supposed to know more the Good of Concord and the Means and the Mischiefs of Schism and the Causes and Remedies And it is their Office to be the Preachers of Unity and Peace and to save the People from the temptations which would draw them into such guilt Sect. VIII Bishops and Pastors have greater temptations to Schism than the People and therefore have been so frequent in the guilt especially Pride and Covetousness in them hath stronger Faith And 1. Striving who shall be Greatest and have Rule 2. Who shall be thought Wisest and most Orthodox have been the cause of most of the Schisms in the world And 3. Sometimes especially with the Presbyters and People it hath been who shall be thought the Best and Holiest persons But the two former have done much more than this Goodness being that which corrupt nature doth not so much contend for or the reputation of Holiness as for Greatness and Wisdom the commoner baits of Pride Therefore Controversies and Power and Riches have been the usual matters of Dissension Sect. IX 3. True Learning tendeth to prevent and end Controversies which Ignorance cherisheth as it did with the Egyptian Monks that turned Anthropomorphites But a smattering in Learning which amounts not to solidity and a settled mind is the common cause of Heresies and Schism while praters must needs be taken for wise and to know more than others while they know nothing as they ought to know
Gates And it is a greater wonder that Parents and Children should through so many Generations and Countries have so unerring surâ— a memory And it is strange how their own Commentators come to differ about the sense of Thousands of Texts of Scripture if the Churches Tradition have publickly and notoriously delivered down the meaning of them If not how Councils come to be the infallible Commentators and Declarers of the Sense of Scriptures But if really such men believe themselves it will be long before either by fraud or force they can make all others believe such things Sect. IX Gods wisdom appointed a few great and necessary things to be the terms of the Churches Unity and Love but Ignorance and Pride by pretences of Enmity to Error and Heresie have plagued and torn the Churches by Decrees and Canons and led us into a Labyrinth so that men know not where they are nor what to hold nor what the Christian Religion is nor who are Orthodox and who are not so great a work it is to understand such Voluminous Councils and then to be sure that they are all right even when they condemn and damn each other That which hath been the chief Cause and Engine of Division will never become the means or terms of the Unity or Concord of all the Churches But such are the multitude of unnecessary uncertain humane Decrees Laws and Canons of Faith and Religion whatever the proud and ignorant say to the contrary CHAP. VIII The Vniversal Church will never Vnite by receiving all that is now received by Greeks Latines Armenians Abassines Lutherans Calvinists Diocesane Presbyterians Independants Erastians Anabaptists or in full Conformity to any of the present Parties which addeth to the Primitive Simplicity in her terms of Communion or Concord Sect. I. I Must expect that the Evil Spirit which hath long torn the Church and made multitudes tear themselves and foam out Reproach yea and Blood against each other will presently meet the very Title of this Chapter with a charge of Pride against the Writer and say What are you that you should know more than all the Churches in the World And preâ—ume to charge them all with so great Error as not to know the terms of Christian Concord nor the way of Universal Peace But I answer 1. Is the Church now United in any of these terms or ways Are they all Papists Are they all of the Greek Church or Armenian Abassine c Are they all Lutherans or Calvinists c If not why should you conclude that ever they will be Or that any of these are congruous terms of Concord and that the same that doth not heal will heal them Will not Christians be the same as now Sect. II. They never were United on any of these terms I have proved that they were never all Papists And it will be easily granted of the rest that they were never all Greeks Lutherans c. And that which never did unite the Church never will do Sect. III. If you think all must be united in any of these wayes which of them is it And why that rather than any of the rest 1. Must they all be of the Greek opinions You see that the Papists condemn them for Schismaticks And other Churches lament their manifold Corruptions And the Eastern Countries long since divided from them We have here in London a Greek Church new built and Tolerated and their work is done so ignorantly and unreverently that they have usually not twice the number of the officiating or present Priests who join with them 2. Must they all be Papists Never was more Policy and Cruelty used to propagate and prop up any Church under Heaven and yet they cannot prevail for Universal Subjection Nay many Kingdoms and Countries are fallen from them while they used such means to keep them insomuch that by many of the soundest Churches they are taken for no better than Antichristian Hereticks And even the Greek Church separateth from them and pronounceth them Schijmaticks and Excommunicates them every year And they can never obliterate the History of their horrid Schisms and Usurpations and inhumane Butcheries which will alienate many from them Will all the world ever agree to the Dominion of one Usurper Will they all believe the Monster of Transubstantiation Will they all agree That all the Senses of all men are deceived who think that they see and taste Bread and Wine and there is none And that it is necessary to Salvation to renounce all our Senses and the Scripture that oft calls it Bread after the Consecration 1 Cor. 11. Will all agree That God who cannot lie by Supernatural Revelation is the Father of all the lies to Sense that perceive real Bread and Wine and deceiveth them all by his Natural Revelation Will all men believe That every lying fornicating proud and covetous Priest even many Thousands of them can work Miracles at their pleasures every day in the week by making Bread no Bread and turning it into Flesh and 〈◊〉 And that there are visible Accidents without a Subject even a round nothing a white nothing a sweet nothing c. And that there are no substantial sâ—â—ns in that Sacrament of the thing signified And that Christs true Flesh was broken and his Blood shed by himself in the Sacrament before it was broken and shed on the Cross And that two General Councils who decree as de Fide that Christ hath not now Flesh in Heaven hath yet heavenly Flesh in the Sacrament I know that Augustine retracted somewhat as an oversight that looked that way But two General Councils that at Constantinople called the 7th General by some and that at Nice 2d which damned one another about Images yet agreed in this That Christ hath not Flesh in Heaven The words are Bin. p. 378. defin 7. Siauis non confessus fuerit Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum post Assumptionem animatae rationalis intelleâ—â—â—â— carnis simul sedere cum Deo â—atre atque ita quique rursus venturum cum Paternâ Majestate judicaturum vâ—vos mortuos non amplius quidem Carnem neque incorporeum tamen ut videatur ab iâ—s a quibus conpunctus est maneat Deus extra crassitudinem Carnis Anathema And in this they say that the Constantin Council which they are condemning was in the right so that they anathematize the Church of Rome which think that Christ hath Flesh in Heaven and in the Eucharist which they deny yet saying that he hath a Body And let those that would pervert the word Crassitudinem note that he doth not distinguish of Christs flesh and ours as two sorts and say extra carnem Crassam but deny him to have flesh and say extra crassitudinem carnis as an essential property of flesh And one of these Councils the Papists own Will all Christians agree that every Priest must first make his God and then eat him or that he must communicate alone without communion
Clergy And must hearken to wise pious considerate peaceable and experienced Counsellors and avoid the examples both of Rehoboam and of Jeroboam and be neither an Oppressor nor a Corrupter § XV. And to conclude good and wise men may well know their duty whom to silence and eject and whom to tolerate if they are but true to God by this one Rule They may by hearing all the case and knowledge of the Persons discern whether that mans Preaching consideratis considerandis is clearly like to do more good or harm and do accordingly But then they must not judge of good and harm by carnal sinful lusts and interests and by the counsels of selfish partial men but by wise and just reason guided by the Word of God § XVI And in all doubtful Cases choose the safer side and when the danger of overdoing is the greater as in case of Persecution rather do too little than too much And prefer not Ceremonies before Substance nor tything Mint Annise and Cummin before Love Truth and Judgment and the great things of the Law And be sure that you learn what this meaneth I will have mercy and not sacrifice that you may not condemn or accuse the Guiltless CHAP. XV. The Catholick Church will never unite in a Reception and Subscription to every Word Verse or Book of the Holy Scripture as it is in any one Translation or any one Copy in the Original now known § I. THis needeth no other proof than the reason of the thing and common experience 1. All Translations are the work of imperfect fallible men we have none made by the Spirit as working infallibly in the Apostles unless as some think the Greek of St. Matthews Gospel be a Translation The pretences of Inspiration of the Seventy two that are said to be the Authors of that Greek Translation of the Old Testament is not yet agreed on in the Church nor whether it was more than the Pentateuch which they Translated The Authority and Reasons of Hierome still much prevail Sect. II. And the Vulgar Latine most valued by the Papists is yet so much matter of Controversie between them that when Sixtus Quintus had stablished a corrected Edition Clement the 8th altered it in many hundred places after Sect. III. And all Protestants acknowledge the imperfection of all their own Translations English Dutch French c. And in the same Church of England we have the publick prescribed Use of two different Translations of the Psalms one sometime directly contrary to the other as Yea and Nay and one leaving a whole Verse which the other hath Sect. IV. And we know of no man that pretendeth to be sure that he hath a Copy of the Hebrew and Greek Text which he is certain is perfectly agreeable to the autography or first draught And the multitude of various Readings put us out of all hope of ever having certainly so perfect a Copy All therefore have the marks of humane frailty which cannot be denied Sect. V. And no wise and good man should deliberately deny this and so justifie falsly every humane slip But yet there is no such difference among Copies or Translations as should any way shake our foundations or any point necessary to salvation doth depend upon For in all such points they all agree Sect. VI. Object But if Copies and Translations differ and err how can we make them our rule of judgment Answ I say again They agree in as many things as we need them for as a Rule of Judgment And where they differ it being in words of no such use and moment that hindereth not our being Ruled by them where they agree The Kings Laws may be written in divers Languages for divers Countries of his Subjects And verbal differences may be no hinderance to their regulating use no more than the King himself doth lose his authority if his hair turn white Sect. VIII Object 2. But what then must all subscribe to if not to all the Bible Have you any other measure or test Answ We must subscribe That we believe all Gods Word to be true and all the true Canon of Scripture to be his Word and that we will faithfully endeavor to discern all the Canon And we must expresly subscribe to the Essentials of Christianity of which before and after Sect. VIII It was a considerable time before many Churches received the Epistle of James the 2d of Peter that to the Hebrews the Revelation c. And no doubt they were nevertheless true Christians And if now any believe all the Essentials of Religion and should doubt only whether the Canticles or the Epistle to â—iâ—â—mon or the two last of John or that of Jude were Canonical he might for all that be a true Christian and more meet to be a Bishop than Synesius was before he believed the Resurrection or Neclarâ—us before he was baptized c. Sect. IX The Churches are not fully agreed to this day about the Canonical Books of Scripture more than the Papists call some Books Canonical which we call Apocryphal And it is said that the Abassines and Syrians have divers not only as Ecclesiastical but as Canonical which we have not nor know not of Though we have good cause to judge best of our own received number by the proof well produced by Bishop Consins and many others yet have we no cause to unchurch all Churches that differ from us Sect. X. No Church therefore ought to cast out all Ministers that doubt of some words in any Translation or Copy or of some Verse Chapter or Book who hold the main and all the necessary Doctrines No such Test was imposed on the primitive Christians And it 's sad to hear the report that even the sound and humble Churches of Helvetia should lately make it necessary to the Ministery to subscribe to the antiquity of the Hebrew points though it may be a true and useful Assertion CHAP. XVI The Catholick Church will never unite in the subscribing to any mens whole Commentaries on the Bible § I. THis is yet more evident than the former 1. They do not at this day nor ever did agree in any mens Commentary They have great respect to the Commentaries of some of the Ancients and others but subscribe them not as infallible Though the Trent Oath of Pope Pius swear men not to expound the Scriptures otherwise than according to the agreeing Exposition of the Fathers it is well known 1. That they never told and proved to us who are to be taken for Fathers and who not 2. It 's known that few of them have written large Commentaries and fewer on all the Bible if any 3. That they oft differ among themselves 4. And the best have confessed their own Errors 5. And more have been found erroneous by others and are by us at this day 6. Yea they have cast out and condemned one another as the Case of Nazianzene Epiphanius Chrysostom Theophilus Alexand. Cyril and Theodoret and many
to sentence or declare him none For the sentence must be true Many things in such cases may cause a man to err which do not unchristen him or cut him off from Christ § 42. The disowning and refusing some humane forms of Profession of faith called Creeds or some doubtful though lawful subscriptions promises declarations Covenants or oaths much less false ones are no just causes of Excommunicating that man who professeth all the essentials of Christianity and whatever is necessary to salvation § 43. The condemning of some such humane Creeds Articles Forms Covenants promises or oaths though unjustly is no just cause of such excommunication because all men being known to be fallible a good Christian may mistake another mans or many mens words And the misunderstanding of a man or many men may stand with Christianity piety and salvation § 44. It is not all that maketh a man uncapable of local Communion with this or that particular Church which unchristeneth him or maketh him uncapable of continuing in the Church-universal as shall be after proved § 45. Nay a man may be a Christian in the Universal Church who is a member of no particular Church as is before shewed As 1. some newly Baptized as the Eunuch Act. 8. 2. Some Christians that live among Infidels where is no Pastor or Church As if one were now Converted in any Heathen Land or cast there after or called as an Embassador or Merchant to live there 3. Some poor vagrant persons that have no dwelling as Pedlars Tinkers and such others that go from place to place and some others § 46. Therefore if a man should so far err as to think that he were not bound to be a member of some particular Church it may consist with his being a member of the Universal Church § 47. Some few brethren called Independents think that none are members of the Church-Universal but those that are members of some particular Church But it is but few of them and they are mistaken As Corporations are the most regular parts of the Kingdom but not the whole Kingdom so particular Churches are the most regular parts of the universal Church but not the whole as hath been proved by instances § 48. Yea though we need lay no stress on this I doubt not but in cases of necessity an open profession of Christianity and entring into the Covenant of God doth make a man a Christian even without baptism it self As if a Bible or good book or speech convert a man among Infidels where there is no one to baptize him St. Peter saith It is not the outward washing that saveth but the answer of a good Conscience to God in the holy Covenant And it is a dishonourable doctrine against God and Christianity to say that God layeth his love and mans salvation so much on a Ceremony as to damn or deny an upright holy soul for want of it or to give grace to none but by that Ceremony though it be of Gods institution I am sure St. Paul saith Else were your Children unclean but now are they holy 1 Cor. 7. 14. And if Holy before baptism because the Parents are so and do devote them to God and God accepts them then baptism doth but solemnize this dedication and invest them It is the solemn Covenanting with God that is the chief part of baptism and is it which the ancient Churches meant when they pleaded for the necessity of baptism to salvation Though it is no doubt a duty where it may be had and the thing signified is necessary to salvation § 49. The Keyes of Admission and exclusion as to the Church universal and salvation are not given absolutely to the Pastors but only to exercise on qualified persons And every man herein hath more power as to his own entrance or ejection than the Pastors have They do but judge a man to be what he is according to Christs Law and not what he is not no man can make a man a Christian without himself nor unchristian him without himself nor can all men and devils do so much to it as himself God hath not put our salvation or damnation so much in any ones power as our own § 50. A false and unjust sentence of excommunication doth no more to damn a man than a false absolution doth to save him But till the falshood is known others for order sake must avoid the person if it be done by a just power and not notoriously abused to the subversion of order or the Church otherwise not But the injured person is still a member of the Catholick Church And is not disobliged from his Communion with it and publick worshipping of God because a Pastor unjustly forbiddeth him Though he must give all due satisfaction and seek his right in a regular way CHAP. V. III. What are the terms necessary to the Office and Exercise of the Sacred Ministry § 1. THe Schisms in the Church are far more among the Clergy than the people and have been mostly exercised by Bishops militating against each other and anathematizing each other as hereticks or as not submitting to the challengers of superiour jurisdiction Or else in the Bishops silencing Christs Ministers for not obeying them as they expect HARD WORDS for want of an equal skill in speaking and JURISDICTION or superiority through pride and a carnal mind contended for by the Clergy against each other have torn the Church and confounded States and been the shame of Christianity in the eyes of Infidels and brought us to the low and broken state that we are in § 2. The great cause of all this hath been the introduction of ignorant or bad men into the sacred Pastoral Office And the remedy doth not yet seem very hopeful to us And operari sequitur esse As the man is so will he do A good tree will bring forth good fruit and è contra An ignorant man will err An erring man will do evil and not repent none will do more mischief against the Churches peace than an erring Ruler that Can do it and thinketh that he Ought to do it worldly men will prefer their worldly interest before the interest of Christianity and mens souls The carnal mind is not subject to the Law of God nor while such can be But the Proud while they will not obey God will rage against the best that obey not them Read Church-History and you 'll see it proved § 3. Such as the choosers are such ordinarily the chosen are like to be God and the ancient Churches set three locks to this door for the safety of the Church that so great a matter should not be disposed of without a manifold consent 1. The person to be Ordained and the Ordainers were made the Judges who should be a Minister of Christ in the Church-Universal as being qualified by God thereto II. The People and the Ordainers were to choose or consent who should be their Pastors in particular The people and the