The word Unus equivocal 44. Whether we may call all those Bishops who causelesly break Vnity No Catholick Bishops 44. More of Catholick Vnity of Bishops His Opinion of the Original of Arch-Bishops 46. His charge of Knavery and blind Fury managed by more and more confusion 47. He denieth the Church to have any one constitutive Regent Head when it is essential to Christ to be such and the Church to have such He confesseth that the Church is no Politiâ—al Society as headed by men 48. Whether Civil and Church Policy be not the same in genere 49. What Principles of Politicks the Dr. should have learnt in his Youth Nine Points which he should have been taught p. 51 52. Dr. Parker's Doctrine The Defenders dâ—shonouring Dr. Stillingfleet as if he denied Christ to be a constitutive Regent Head of the Church Visible as such p. 53. How far Christ is such a Visible Head 52. Whether all causeless Separation from any part of the Church on account of Accidents or by Opinions cut off men from the whole Church with more of his errors confuted to p. 56. The Contents of the Fourth Part. The Reasons of my own Communion with Parish-Churches QU. 1. Whether men should be compelled to Communion with any Church by corporal Penalties plainly answered p. 1 2. Qu. 2. Whether they who consent to communicate with some Church may choose their own Pastor or Company or may by force be confined to their Parish-Priest and Church 3. Qu. 3. For what Reasons I and such others do hear in and communicate with the Parish-Churches And whether so to do be a sin or a duty or a thing indifferent 6. The true case and extent of my Iudgment herein 8 11. Twenty Four Reasons of my Iudgment and Practice which have still seemed unresistible to my conscience 12. The Iudgment both of the old Nonconformists and the old Separatists for it in their own words 18 19. Many Objections answered 24. Why I yielded to mens importunity to publish these Reasons at this time 26. The Contents of the Fifth Part being an Account why the Twelve Arguments said to be Dr. I. O's do not change my Judgment MY Position and premised History of the matter of Fact p. 1. Dr. O's Premises considered p. 6. Many mistakes therein manifested 11. His First Argument from the want of Institution examined 12. His Second Argument 18. His Third Argument p. 30. And so to the Twelfth Forty Errors proved in them at least His laying the stress of his condemnation not of ours only but of all Liturgick Forms on the ill effects of them constrained me in faithfulness to the present endangered minds of Readers and also to my own conscience to say so much of the ill effects of Separation on the other side as I know will be censured by many But as I have oft done it before in my Treatise of Baptism my Gildas Salvianus my Key for Catholicks Admonition to Mr. Bagshaw c. I judg it made necessary on this occasion to repeat so much as have done THE PREFACE DID not the Thoughts of a better promised World afford me Comfort and Relief the Thoughts of the Case of this so much forsaken Earth would break my Heart my Faith and Hope To see so much of Earth yet Unchristian and so few of the Christian Nations either in Knowledge Love or Holiness answering their Holy Profession but damning one another and more themselves And to see how great a hand the Clergy of almost all Churches have in this by notorious implacable Contention and to see how little hope there is of a Remedy If Princes and Patrons chuse Wise Holy Peaceable Men in England will they do so in France Flanders Spain and other Popish Lands And either there they will expect the same Royal Power make the Pope and his Agents the Electors which is worse And with such the Love of Money Vain-glory and Self-opinion Worldliness Pride and Ignorant Error will keep up Envy Strife and Persecution Confusion and every Evil Work O how sad is the Case of the Laity that must hear Men pretending to great Learning and Authority with raging Confidence damning the Opinions and Persons of each others and calling to Princes to destroy those that they cannot convince and that will not take them for their Masters pretending that subjection to them and all their ensnaring Laws is necessary Communion And with such Confidence do they Write and Talk that it must be very expert and setled Christians that can tell who is in the Right but the Crowd believe them that have most Interest in them or that speak the last word or that have greatest Power There is but one way possible to cure all this besides wise and godly Princes which all Peace-makers have still agreed on Even to Unite in the Divine Authority and Primitive Simplicity of Doctrine Worship and Discipline and to bear with others in smaller Matters Supposing the Determination of such mutable Circumstances which belong to each Minister his Place Christ hath promised Salvation to all that practically so agree He hath commanded them all to Love one another even as themselves and to receive one another as Christ received us Baptism devoting us to the Father Son and holy Ghost then made men Christians and Catholicks The Creed the Lords Prayer Ten Commandments were thought a sufficient Test as to the Orthodox Exposition of the Baptismal Covenant Upon these Terms the Church Formed into Pastors and Flocks lived in Loving Communion in the Lords Supper and in holy Doctrine Prayers Praises and doing good to all they could The Kingdom that is the Church of God and Christs Reign therein consisteth not in Ceremonies and lesser things but in Righteousness Peace and Joy in the holy Ghost The Unity necessary hereunto was that described Ephes. 4.3 4 5. One Body One Spirit One Hope One Lord One Faith One Baptism One God and Father of all And the keeping of this Unity was in the Bond of Peace with all lowliness and meekness with long suffering forbearing one another in Love v. 2 3. These Terms were made for our Love and Communion by Christ the Maker of the Church the Author and Perfecter of our Faiih These Terms are few sure plain possible as Christs Yoke is easie and his burden light and his Commands not grievous These Terms all Christians are actually agreed and united in He knows not Mankind that doth not know That the ignorance weakness and badness of Man is such as that it is impossible that all good Christians should unite otherwise upon things hard dark doubtful and numerous The Primitive Simplicity Purity and Love are the only Terms of Universal Concord in the Church on Earth But now by Preachers with wordy confidence these only healing terms are accused as the way of the most damning Schism O the subtilty of the Serpent that beguiled Eve O the folly of Men that will be thus drawn away from the simplicity of Christ by takeng
say Rom. 14.17 18. That Idolaters were acceptable to God or approved of men or Rom. 15. or bid them receive Idolaters as Christ received us He regulateth their Church-Meetings How many shall speak at a Meeting and by what course and order and that women shall be vailed and not men and that they salute each other with an holy Kiss c. not by a Law that setleth the Particulars but by the General Law of doing all in order and to edification and pleadeth not Institution but the Custom of the Churches which is alterable as the signification of such acts are And St. Iames will have the Elders anoint the sick with Oyl for recovery which yet bindeth not us The Papists use this as an Institution as they do imposition of hands in Confirmation They say in Ordination Receive the Holy Ghost and breathe on the Person They wash the feet of one another in imitation of Christ And yet these men condemn them in this as superstitious for imitating Christ and his Apostles and Scripture-Examples and cry down Popery and at the same time call us Idolaters for going beyond Scripture-institution The same I say of their keeping Lent in imitation of Christ's forty days fast c. Is it Idolatry both to follow and not to follow Scripture-Examples To all the rest I add one Instance more Swearing by appeal to God is a most solemn act of worship but the sign of taking an Oath is left free to convenient choice Abraham's Servant did it by putting his hand under his thigh Was this a common Law or Institution Others did it otherwise We do it by laying our hand on the Book and kissing it These are neither sinful additions or Idolatry The Memorial of God's Works and Mens Covenants were kept sometime by pitching Stones sometime by Pillars sometime by set days as the Feast of Purim sometime by laying up the Ensigns as Goliah's Sword c. And all these lawful and no Idoâ—latry IV. Lastly I will unveil these mens Doctrine of Separation and then judg whether it be the Doctrine of Christ which is a Law of Love and Union and Peace or the Wisdom from above which is first pure then peaceable gentle c. 1. â—t is false that all such Secondary Medal Worship is unlawful which is not instituted by a fixing Law 2. It is deceit not to distinguish these different things 3. The charge of false Worship unexplained is meer deceit 1. Worship is so far false as it is contrary to the Rule Every Sermon Prayer or Sacrament which we administer hath faultiness and sin and is so far false Worship 2. But Worship offered God on pretence that he instituted it when he did not or that Man hath authority to command the like is yet worse false Worship 3. And the worship of false Gods or Idols is yet worse than that and abhorred of God 4. His making all faulty circumstances such as he nameth to be Idolatry because false as he calls it is yet more sinful and of mischievous importance 5. So is it to make the Churches Idâ—ls Temples where they do kneel at the Sacrament and use the Liturgy 6. So is it to feign falsly that God calleth men to come out from such and be separate because he calleth them out of Babylon falsly adding to the Laws of God 7. By his Doctrine he maketh Christ an Idolater which I mention with horror For he 1. used Circumstances not instituted before or by himself He preached on a Mountain in a Ship c. not commanded He commended Mary for anointing him washing his Feet with Tears wiping them with her Hair not instituted in particular He commended the Publican for smiting on his breast standing far off not looking to Heaven without particular command His Custom was to go to the Synagogue-worship He from his childhood performed Temple-Duties and Service He commanded the Lepers cleansed to go to the Priests and offer their due and his Disciples to hear the Scribes and Pharisees in Moses Chair c. And yet 1. The High Priests were not of Aaron's line according to Institution 2. They bought the Office of Heathen Romans 3. They had it not for life according to institution 4. Doctrine Worship Discipline and Manners were heinously corrupted so that the Hearers were to beware of the Leaven of their Doctrine and not to imitate their lives 4. They were bitter enemies of Christ and Persecutors yet Christ never bid his Disciples to separate from any thing but their errors but saith They shall cast you out of the synagogues And doubtless Christ committed no sin nor can we be so holy as he 8. He condemneth Abraham and all the Iewish Church of old that used such things that were not instituted in Worship as is before mentioned in swearing c. 9. He maketh the Apostles Idolatrous that used the like 10. He maketh the Primitive Churches Idolatrous and the Scriptures to approve it For they used such uninstituted things yea the Romans were guilty of differences in God's Service and despising and judging each other for them The Corinthians were Carnal in making Parties and Divisions they defrauded each other and went to Law before Heathens They had Fornicators Judaizing envious Slanderers of Paul Heretical deniers of the Resurrection such as eat in Idols Temples or of their Sacrifices Were drunk at or before the Sacrament The Galatians are yet sharplier charged Almost all the Seven Churches Rom. 2. and 3. had Nicholaitans or Iezabels Doctrine which God hated and no Christian is called to separate from the Communion of any one of all these but commanded to amend and live in Unity without division 11. He condemneth as Idolaters all the Churches on Earth for Six Hundred if not One Thousand Years after the Apostles not One Church Christian or Heretick as far as any History tells us that I have found did ever deny such things as he calls False Worship or Idolatry They all went further than our Parish Churches do At Baptism they used the White Garment tasting Milk and Honey Chrisme or anointing the Forehead Crossing they adored onely Standing and not Kneeling every Lords Day all as significant Ceremonies No one Church or Person is said to scruple these I think they did not well but God rejected not their Worship 12. He maketh all or near all the Churches on Earth Idolaters at this day All on Earth save the Protestants are far grosser in their Liturgies and Ceremonies than the English Of the 〈◊〉 Sweden Denmark Saxony and all the Lutherans have Liturgieâ— Crossing Ceremonies Church-Images Consubstantiation The Helvetians are such as are called Erastians making the Magistrate the onely Ruler and Sacraments common Geneva and France yea and Hâ—lland have their Liturgies and some Rites 13. He condemneth Presbyterians Independents Anabaptists and all Dissenters that are here called Protestants For they have all many of the foresaid uninstituted things They put off the Hat in Church at Prayer They stand up at the
I durst no longer see Thousands of good Christians misguided into mistakes and like to be ruined for them and hereby hardening their Persecutors rejoycing the Papists who joyn with them in Separation reducing the Protestant Religion into corners and giving it up as publick to we may know whom censuring one another and dividing on these mistakes and fathering all this on God I say I durst not stand by in silence to see all this no more than to see men drowning or the City on fire without endeavouring to save men It is an exceeding great quiet to my Conscience under all the Confusions and Divisions that have befallâ—n us that in 1660 and 1661. I plainly and earnestly foretold the King and Bishops of them and did my best to have prevented them And the Author that I deal with necessitateth me to recite the late fruits of Separation in pulling down all Governments casting out all the Ministers in Wales and were near casting down those of England with Tythes and Universities persecuting and killing godly men and fathering all on God and now flying from the Bishops when they had opened them the door to return He layeth his main Cause on the ill fruits of Liturgies which indeed are rather the fruits of Pride and Malignity and constraineth me to shew the fruits of Separation I dare not bury that in silence which God so dreadfully disowned by their own dissâ—lution without any blood and that when multitudes are running into the old error by mistaking the Iudgment of the Nonconforming Ministers thinking that they took that for unlawful which they did not and condemning all the excellent old Nonconformists and Conformists and almost all the Churches on Earth Let wiser men deal wiselier I use the best wisdom that I have It 's true that abundance of good people fear and distaste Communion in the Liturgy What wonder when such Reasonings as these Twelve Arguments which how gross soever poor people have not the skill to answer perswade them it is false Worship and heinous sin and say others Idolatry They are conquered as the Mexicans were by the Spaniards by the frightful roaring of their Cannons the Militia used Acts 15.1 2. Ye cannot be saved and as the Pope conquered Kings and Kingdoms by threatning to keep them out of Heaven Even as since men tell me that they medicate their Wines with Arsenick and Mercury I am afraid to drink them which before I feared not so are honest souls affrightned from Liturgies and Communion How much in them I dissent from my self I have openly intimated to the World But he that will joyn in no good that is mixt by men with faultiness and evil must separate from all the World and all from him But how will he separate from himself England in her Articles and Ordination professeth to cleave to Scripture-sufficiency as being the Protestant Religion I go to joyn in this profest Religion If the Speaker of any side add any unwarrantable passages by book or without book let him answer for them I own them not Did my presence own all that I hear I would joyn with no man living The Lord fit us for a wiser and more loving World The Twelve Arguments said to be Dr. Owens impartially considered D. O. Posit It is not Lawful for us to go to and joyn in Publick Worship by the Common Prayer because that Worship it self according to the Rule of the Gospel is not Lawful 1. Ans. I Shall use the same Method that he hath used and first give you my Positions and then the supposed Matter of Fact and then consider his Arguments Posit It is not only Lawful but a Duty for those that cannot have better publick Church-worship without more hurt than benefit and are near a competent Parish Minister to go to and joyn in Publick Worship performed according to the Liturgie and in Sacramental Communion And for those that can have better to joyn sometime with such Parish Churches when their forbearance scandalously seemeth to signifie that they take such Communion for unlawful and so would tempt others to the same Accusation and uncharitable Separation The History of the Matter of Fact must be premised for the right deciding of the Case which is as followeth 1. God hath commanded us to Preach Pray Praise him and Administer his Sacraments and Discipline and hath told us what Doctrine we must preach what things we must pray and give thanks for and what Sacraments and Discipline we must Administer But he hath not told us in what Words we must do these nor in what Posture nor in what particular Method nor whether we must use oftest the same words or various nor whether they shall be before prepared or spoken immediately without preparation of words nor whether written or remembred nor whether prepared and composed by our selves or by others with such like 2. God prescribed divers Forms of Prayer Confession and Praise to the Iews in Moses Law and a Prophetical Song which they were all to learn Deut. 32. 3. The Psalms were a chief part of the Iews Liturgie in which there are many Forms of Prayer and Praise some made by David some by Asaph some by others and some in or after the Captivity no one knoweth by whom And those Psalms were not in Metre and sung in Tunes like ours now but loâ—dly said over 4. Iohn taught his Disciples to pray not only as to the Matter but as to the Words and so did Christ his Disciples at their Request who had not then the after-pouring out of the Spirit nay knew not that Christ must die for Sin rise and reign in Heaven c. and he said When ye pay say Our Father c. tho not tying them only to these words yet giving them a Form of Words to be used as they had occasion as well as a perfect Directory for Method 5. Christ himself joyned with the Iews in Synagogues and Temple when they used Forms and so did the Apostles and never blamed them for the use of such Forms 6. Christ prescribed a Form of Words in Baptism and in the Administration of the Lords Supper and used a Hymn in Form 7. There are divers Forms of Prayer and Thanksgiving in the New Testament in Luke 1. 2. and the Acts and Pauls Epistles and the Revelations which its Lawful and Laudable to use 8. We are commanded to use Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs which are Forms of Prayer and Praise and was not then in Rhime And it was not every one in the Church that composed these Extempâ—re but some made them for the rest to use And if none Impose them by Office Authority or Perswasion the Churches will never use the same Christians in the primitive ages of the Church were known to the Heathen by their constant use of such Hymns sung to Christ and of Christ. 9. The Churches from Christs time to this had a Creed or Form of sound Words or necessary Articles of Faith
Kingdom under one King 3. And as it is a Confederacy of many Churches to keep Concord in lawful Circumstantials as well as Integrals In all these sences it is a lawful Association 4. But if any Church go beyond these bounds and on good pretences shall agree upon any error or evil it is a mistake to hold That all that incorporate with them in the Three foresaid lawful respects do therefore confederate with them in their error IV. Error This is your Fourth Error I will give you a general Instance and a particular one 1. You cannot name me one combined company of Churches from the Apostles days till now that had no error You take Episcopacy to be an error in the very constitution Name one Church from the 3 d or 4 th Century for a thousand years that was without it either Catholicks or Hereticks that were indeed a Church And must Christians have forborn associating with any of them Or might not own the good in their Associations without owning the evil 2. The Independents gathered a Synod at the Savoy and there among their Doctrinals or Articles of Faith laid down Two Points expresly contrary to Scripture 1. That it is not Faith but Christ's Righteousness that we are justified by when as it is both and the Scripture often saith the contrary 2. That Christ's Righteousness imputed is our sâ—le Righteousness Whereas the Scripture doth many hundred times name also our inherent and practical Righteousness I asked some yet living why they consented to these and did not rather expound the Scripture than deny it And they said That it was Dr O's doing Now doth it follow that every one that there conâ—ederated with you owned these errors The Churches of Helvetia are a very honourable part of the Reformed Churches They are commonly such as we call Erastian for no Discipline but the Magistrates Are ail that confederate with them as Churches guilty of this error 2. But I further distinguish between the many Parish-Churches and the Diocesan and the Church of England as constituted of such Diocesan Churches The Old Nonconformists commonly owned the Parish-Churches and the Church of England as made up of such but not the Diocesan This they openly professed It is therefore another of your Mistakes that owning the Parish-Churches and Worship is an owning of the present Diocesan Constitution Also it is your Mistake to say That Communion by the Liturgy is the Symbol and Pledg of the foresaid Incorporation in the Church of England in its present constitution V. Error It is only a part of the Communion commanded but no such Symbol VI. Error For 1. The Rulers openly declare that they take multitudes to be none of their Church who joyn in the Liturgy And it is subscribing declaring and swearing Obedience which is the Symbol yea they excommunicate many that come to the Liturgy-Service 2. And many come to it who openly disown the Diocesan present constitution So did as I said the Old Nonconformists and many Forreigners French Dutch c. that come over hither 3. If one may joyn in Communion of Worship with a Presbyterian Independent or Anabaptist-Church without owning the Errors of their constitution then so one may with a Parish-Church But c. You mistake when you say It is so by the Law of the Land You mistake again when you say it is so by the Canon You mistake again when you say It is so in the common understanding of all I formerly instanced in one of the sharpest Nonconformists Old Mr. Humphrey Fen of Coventry who would say aloud Amen to all the Common-Prayer save that for the Bishops by which all there knew his mind Whether it were right or wrong VII VIII IX Error I now determine not So here are Three more of your Mistakes 4. You make all other reserves of our own to be allowed neither by God or good men Here are two more mistakes 1. God maketh it our great duty to hold Communion with most X.XI. Error or almost all Churches on Earth with such reserves that is to own them in all that is good and disown all their evil tho their Laws command the owning of them without this reserve I would not joyn with yours or any Church on Earth that is If my Communion were an owning of all their faultiness 2. And it 's an immodest Error to say That none are good men that in this are not of your mind Is there any spotless Church on Earth or must we renounce the Communion with them all or reserve exception against their faults and misperformances D. O. 4. He that joyns in the Worship of the Common-Prayer doth by his practice make Profession That it is the true Worship of God accepted with him approved of him and wholly agreeable to his Mind and Will To do it with other reserves is hypocrisie and worse than the thing it self without them Happy is he that condemneth not himself in the thing which he alloweth Rom. 14 12. § 5. THis is your twelfth mistake and one that hath dreadful consequents 1. It contradicteth the express Profession of the Communicants who openly tell the World That they take not all in the Liturgy XII Error to be wholly agreeable to Gods Mind and Will And you are not to feign a Profession of men contrary to their open Protestation 2. It is most direful to your own separating followers who by this are supposed to profess all your Worship to be wholly agreeable to Gods Mind and Will And so the honest well-meaning people are made guilty of all the Errors which you put into your Worship 3. It is contrary to your own former Profession That you could in charity communicate with Presbyterians or Anabaptists c. And so you approved of all the Errors of their Worship 4. It maketh it a down right Sin to communicate with any Church on Earth For all have their faults and errors even in Worship which you feign all that Communicate with them to justifie as wholly agreeable to Gods Will And to justifie Sin and teach men so to do and to father it on God are sad Aggravations such shall be called least in the Kingdom of God By this rule you would have separated from every Church on Earth that we have notice of for a thousand years yea and to this day and is not that near separating from Christ And when no man knoweth before you speak in prayer what you will say How shall any man that joyneth with you koow but he may be guilty of your Sin at the next Sentence 5. It is a breach of the ninth Commandment thus to charge all the Ancient Churches and Reformers and the Noncoformists with hypocrisie and worse than open sinning who have all communicated on the contrary Supposition 6. It is no friendly act to the Church to lay down such a Principle of perpetual Separation and condemning each others Communion and so to make the Communion and
Blessing they use uncommanded gestures at Sacrament they use Psalm-versions Metres Tunes Scripture-Translations Divisions into Chapter and Verse never instituted particularly The Scots used a Government by Classes National Assemblies of various Elders ruling by Vote instead of meer consulting for Concord uncommanded 14. I humbly propose it to consideration Whether by consequence which he seeth not nor owneth he do not deny Christ and all the Gospel and work of mans redemption I challenge him to name me one Church on Earth for many hundred years after the Apostles that had not that which he calls false Worship and Idolatry Suppose this were but in a few Ages as the second third or fourth Century Then a Temple of Idols and Company of Idolaters is no true Church And if at any time there was no Church there was no Head of the Church No Kingdom no King No Wife no Husband that is no Christ. How much more if he make all or near all the Church Idolaters to this day and himself with the rest 15. If it be a heinious sin to bear false Witness against a Neighbour or to slander one man what is it to slander and back-bite all the Church on Earth and Christ himself 16. Is it not a work of Satan to destroy Love and to render almost all Christians odious And doth not he do so that calleth them Idolaters Is not this Preaching men into the hatred of each other Do we owe no Love to any Christians but such as is due to Idolaters Is not the fruit of the Spirit otherwise described 17. Doth he not deny that Communion of the Saints which is an Article of the Creed and tempt weak Christians into sinful Separations Divisions Slanders Judgings Murmurings Envies which are the fruits of the flesh 18. Doth not this directly destroy the Church by Dissolution When there is none to be owned or joyned with that hath not somewhat which he calleth false worship And is not separating the Materials destroying the house 19. Doth he not directly rush into the Sin which he condemneth adding to God's Laws and saying he forbids what he forbids not yea fathering on him Laws more rigorous than the Jewish as disowning Christ's Church as Idolators and false Worshippers 20. I add such wofully harden men in that which they themselves suffer by and which they call enmity and persecution and make more Conformists while they deny it than R. B. whom he frivolously talketh of ever did except it be a Conformity to Truth and Goodness For when men read and hear others confidently rage against Truth and Duty by rash presumptuous ignorance they judge of all our dissent by this And while many run into this Guilt it seems to justify their Afflicters And it tempteth weak Persons to suffer for sinful separation as evil doâ—rs thinking it is for Truth Oh with what grief will understanding men see Christians together as in a state of enmity by mistakes To see some at once require from others things good and necessâ—ry things Lawful but unnecessary things necessary in their Genus but not this more than that and some things sinful as if they were all almost alike To see those whose Senses are not exercised to discern things that differ misled by the words and reverence of men to swallow some Sins as excellent Duties and fly from things Lawful yea oft from great Duties as odious Sins and suffer rejoycingly for sinning against God and condemning all that sin not as they do yea even all or almost all the Churches on Earth yea and calling them Idolaters for being wiser and better than they who alas do in all things shew themselves to be ignorant Babes and who speak evil of that which they understand not And then to see others revile and hate and ruin these mistaking Christians by a far more dangerous mistake as if Religious fear of Sin were an unsufferable thing and such were intollerable Hypocrites and Conscience were a disgraceful thing and as if themselves and all Mankind were not liable to worser Errors than to take some lawful things for Sin when they see unlawful things stand near them or among them But of all this I have oft spoken and now only say again That iâ— those justly called Separatists and who think Parish Communion under honest Ministers to be Idolatry or unlawful will but without prejudice read what is written to prove it lawful by the old Godly Judicious Non-Conformists especially Iohn Ball 's Trial of Separation Mr. Hildersham Mr. Bradshaw Dr. Ames Mr. Cartwright Mr. Gifford Mr. Iohn Paget Mr. Brightman Mr. Râ—thband c. they will need no more to save them from this scandalous Schism But if Peter withdraw or separate from the Gentiles for fear of offending the Jewish Christians and Barnabas be led away with the Dissimulation Paul must oppose it to their Faces And I that have seen what the Spirit of Division hath done and read that God never blest unnecessary separation will imitate Paul And if this World be uncurable the Lord prepare me for that World where Love and Unity have no Enemies FINIS A Survey of the Reply to Mr. Humphrey and my Self called A Vindication c. of Dr. Stillingfleet § 1. HAving lately read six or seven Casuists that perswaded Men to Communion with the Parish Churches I found in them many sober discourses worthy to be read by those that are inclined to a faulty alienation and I perswaded some such to read them as being obliged to hear what both sides can say if they will escape partiality and error Though I find very few such Writers that seem to be acquainted with the true case of Non-Conformists but much strangers to it while they disswade men from it But some of them I found are not content to perswade men to Communion with their Party to which they find it advantageous to appropriate the name of The Church of England unjustly unless they also perswade them from Communion with all others in the land that be not of their Mind and Party And they conclude 1. If it be lawful to hear and Communicate with us once it is lawful to do it constantly 2. And if it be lawful to Communicate with us it is unlawful to Communicate with the Non-conformists § 2. One would think this task should signifie gross Schism in these men as well as in other Sects that say We are the only true Church and it 's unlawful to Communicate with any but us So did the Donatists and most Sects of old and every Sect usually that got uppermost by the Emperors countenance called themselves the Catholick Church and their Communion the Catholick and only lawful Communion So did the Arians and so did the Acacians and Semi-arians and so did the Nestorians a little while and the Eutychians long and so did the Monothelites and the Phantasiasts and the Image-adorers and such like And so do the Papists and some say That some Anabaptists have come to that but I