19.42 pag. 24 25. The Mortification of our Lust and Passion living a life of Spiritual Purity and Devotion Self-denial and Meekness Justice and Charity Peaceableness and Patience Sobriety and Chastity and a trusting in the Merits of Christ for pardon of our Sins and acceptance of our imperfect Righteousness these are the substantials of our Religion about which all wise and good men are Agreed however we differ about other Matters Difference of Case between Separation of Protestants from Rome and the Separation of Dissenters pag. 69. As for the Dissenters meth nks it should not be hard to disswade the most of them from breaking the Communion of the Church any longer with which they agree in the Substance of Faith and Worship Mr. Wake 's Sermon on Rom. 15.5 6 7. pag. 16 17. Our differences do not at all concern the Foundations either of Faith or Worship and are therefore such in which good men if they be otherwise diligent and sincere in their enquiry may differ without any prejudice to themselves or any just reflection upon the truth of their common profession To conclude this Head Bish Reynold's Br. Reconcil p. 7. Why should not the many Truths wherein we agree teach us to join in Love which is a Christian Duty rather than the few opinions in which we dis-agree cause breach in affection which at best is but an human Infirmity That the Creed contains all Truths necessary to Salvation IN the Common Prayer at the Visitation of the Sick the Minister by the Churches order saith thus to the Sick I shall rehearse to you the Articles of our Christian Faith that you may know whether you do beleive as a Christian man should or no. And so Bishop Tailor on the Credenda in the Holy Catholick Church The Creed which whosoever beleives is a Catholick and a Christian but he that beleiveth it not is neither In Baptism according to the Church of England The question put to the person to be baptized dost thou beleive in God the Father and so to the end of the Creed And will thou be Baptized into this Faith And in the Church Catechism That in our Vow at Baptism we promised to believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith And in the beginning of the Reformation it was agreed upon that the Bishops and Preachers ought to instruct the people according to the Scripture the Three Creeds and the four first General Councels The Fathers are cited by the Reverend Bishops in testimony that the Creed contains all Truths necessary to Salvation as by Arch-Bishop Laud against Fisher Bishop Taylors Ductor Dub. and Bishop Bramhal especially Tertullian Clemens Romanus Ambrose Augustine c. who made the Creed to be the only standing immoveable and irreformable Rule of Faith the sum of the whole Catholick Faith the Key of the Christian Faith the rule and square of the Apostical Sermons i. e. after the making of it wherein the Apostles have collected into one breviary all the points of the Catholick Faith which are diffused throughout all the Scriptures The Creed is one perfect collection and sum plain short and full that the plainness might help the weakness of the Hearers the shortness their Memory the Fulness their Instruction The General Councel of Ephesus did forbid all men to exact any more of a Christian at his Baptismal profession and again the same Councel That it should be lawful for no man to publish or compose another Faith or Creed then that which was defined by the Nicene Councel and that whosoever should dare to compose or offer any such to any persons willing to be converted from Paganism Judaism or Heresie if they should be Bishops or Clergy-men should be deposed if Lay-men Anathematised i. e. Accursed with Excommunication It was the Universal practice of the Primitive Church Credisne at Baptism On Palm-Sunday the Christian converts from Heathenism as yet under Catechizing petitioned for Baptism and from that day forward had some assigned to expound the Creed unto them whereof they were to make solemn profession at Baptism All the Divines of the Reformed Church confessedly and generally own this Truth that the Creed contains all Truths necessary to Salvation Bishop Halls Works p. 637. 'T is not Cassander's Speech only but every wise and honest man's the Creed is the common cognizance of our Faith surely saith he Theodoret when he would allay the bitter contentions of those antient Christians of Antioch writes thus both parts made one and the same confession of their Faith for both maintained the Creed of the Nicene Councel and blames the Romanists that the confession of the same Creed is not sufficient with them for peace Item Resolution of Practical Cases of Conscience Case 5. Dec. 3 d. If there were not some special Truths the belief whereof makes and distinguishes a Christian the authors of the Creed Apostolick besides the other symbols received anciently in the Church were much deceived in their aim Doctor Potters Answer to Charity Mistaken p. 221. How can it be necessary for any Christian to have more in his Creed than the Apostles had in the Church of their time may the Church of after ages make the way to Heaven narrower than our Saviour left it c. The Apostles profess they revealed to the Church the whole Councel of God keeping back nothing needful for our Salvation What Tyranny then is it to impose any new matters on the Faith of Christians especially as the late Popes have done under that high commanding Form Qui non crediderit aut fecerit damnabitur Bishop Tailor Coll. of Discourses p. 524. It is a strange Boldness in the Church of Rome first to add Twelve new Articles to the Apostles Creed and then to add the appendix of Athanasius this is the Catholick Faith without which no man can be saved For I demand can any man say and justifie that the Apostles did deny Communion to any man that believed the Apostles Creed and lived a good Life Let them remember Pope Pelagius who when the Bishops of Istria deserted his Communion in causa trium Capitulorum he gave them an account of his Faith by recitation of the Creed and by attesting the Four General Councels and is confident upon this that de fidei firmitate nulla poterit esse questio vel suspicio generari Bishop Usher In those Propositions which without all controversie are universally received in the whole Christian World i. e. Articles of the Creed so much Truth is contained as being joyned with an holy obedience may be sufficient to bring a man unto Everlasting Salvation and that as many as walk according to this Rule peace shall be upon them Upon which saith Doctor Chillingworth this is a great and as good as Truth and as necessary for these miserable Times as can be uttered Hookers Eccles Polit. p. 266. We have received from the Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ that brief confession of Faith which hath been always a
pertained only unto a mans friends Christ gave this Godly law of Charity a true and clear interpretation that we ought to love every man both friend and foe adding thereto the Commodity to be the Children of our heavenly Father and this we shall be sure of saith Christ if we love every man without exception Conformists Plea for Nonconformists Part 4. pag. 106. The salutations of the Holy Apostles expressed their largeness and their Catholick love to the Corinthians among whom were great divisions to the Galatians and Colossians among whom were some very Erroneous so did their Benedictions peace be to Brethren and Love c. And Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus in sincerity Eph. 6.23 and verse 2. Bishop Davenants Letter to Duraeus Whether we will or no it s necessary that we all own Christ as our elder Brother and joyn in strict and Brotherly Communion with all that are his Brethren Moreover all must confesse true and genuine Charity is as necessary to the Salvation of all the Members of the Christan Churches as the true and entire profession of Saving faith Christ having made this love the Cognizance Whereby to discriminate his disciples and those who falsely professe his name he puts this question Whether it be safe Pious or suitable to the duty of Christian Churches not to stretch forth the right hand of Brotherly affection to those Churches which though they differ and in some lesser matters err may notwithstanding be Christs Martyrs and our holy Brethren Mr. Thomas Pierce on St. John the 13.35 Our love must be so extensive that it must reach even to all not only to our fellow-disciples but to all men living upon earth it must reach even to our enemies not onely to those without the pale of the Church who do us little or no hurt even Jews Turks Infidels and Hereticks for whom we pray once in a year in our English Liturgy but to our Crueller enemies within the Church P. 414. item 282. Whom our Lord hath enjoyned us not onely to forgive but pray for to love their souls to pray for their repentance and desire they may be sharers of immortality and blisse of which we shall not have the lesse but rather the more for having sharers and tells us on St. John 13.35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples c Love to Christians as Christians is as the badge and Cognizance the testimony and proof of our real discipleship under Christ and the firmest bond to hold us together in peace and love not so much that we are of one Countrey but that we are of one Christ or to expresse it with St. Paul that we have but One Faith One Baptism Doct. Hammonds Pract. Catechism under meekness to continue constant to the doctrine of the Catholick Church and maintain the inward Communion that of Charity with all the true Church of God wheresoever they are and with particular Churches so far as to embrace them with the armes of Christian Charity to joyn even with the erroneous Churches so far as they are not erroneous Separating onely from their Corruptions Idem on first Epist of St. John 3.14 We know that we are regenerate Christians by our Chariry to other men which he that hath not is clearly an unregenerate unchristian person Idem the first Epist St. John 4.7 And evidence of our being from God is Charity to our fellow Christians for that is most strictly commanded and exemplified to us from God and no practice renders us so like to Gods example and so concordant to his precepts as the sincere exercise of this duty Dr. Barrow ' s. Vnity of the Church annexed to his Treatise against the Popes Supremacy P. 36. The genuine meaning of that article Catholick Church may reasonably be deemed this that we professe our adhering to the body of Christians which diffused over the World doth retain the faith taught the Discipline settled the practises appointed by our Lord and Saviour and his Apostles that we maintain general Charity towards all good Christians that we are ready to entertain Communion in holy offices with all such Item on Rom 12.18 pag. 230 231. Serm. 3. pursue peace with all without any exception with men of all Nations Jewes and Greeks and Barbarians of all Sects and Religions persecuteing Jews and Idolatrous Heathens as at that time men of all judgments and perswasions Neither is there any evading our obligation to this duty by pretending of others that they entertain opinions irreconcileably contrary to ours that they adhere to Sects and Parties which we dislike and disavow that they are not so vertuous so Religious so Holy as they should be or at least not in such a mannner as we would have them Bishop Saundersons Sermon 3. Ad Aulam sect 39. Here is that evil partiality we are to take heed of when we restrain the Brotherhood or Neighbour to some one party or society in the Church such as we think good of and exclude the rest as if they had no part or fellowship in this Brotherhood nor consequently any right to that special affection where with we are to love the Brethren which partiailty hath indeed been the very bane of the Churches unity and peace and the chief Cause both of the beginning and of the Continuance of most of the Schisms under which Christendom hath groaned from time to time Englands Black Tribunal p. 222. As I am a Member of this Church so I am a Member of the Holy Catholick Church as I hold Communion with so I love and honour all Christians in the World that love the same Lord Jesus in sincerity and call on his name agreeing with those Truths that are absolutely necessary and clearly demonstrated in the Word of God though in charity dissenting from some others that are not necessary Dr. Hewyt's Speech at the Scaffold Dr. Alestrey's Sermon p. 168. Our Saviours addition Matth. 5.44 saith that we must love our Enemies The Christians hath no Canaanites as Deut. 7. but the most profligate Adversaries of his Religion he must love and pray for them although they persecute him which makes appear it doth at least include enemies of Religion for persecutions seldom were upon any other ground And Christ hath proved that the Samaritan he whom the Disciples would consume that Schismatick and rejector of Christ is yet our Neighbour Luke 10. and therefore him also we must love and pray for Item p. 322. Serm. 18. There is no sort of men nor any man whom it is lawful for a Christian not to love and all the reasons urged here by our Saviour do prove that all mankind whether good or bad is the object of a Christians love Mr. Kettlewells measures of Christian Obedience Edit 2. ch 3. l. 7. p. 133 and 134. It is not either distance of Countrey nor contrariety of interest no nor what is most of all presumed to exempt us from the obligations of this duty
you could not perswade them to assent to what you say c. you must be as Charitable in your judgment as you believe God will prove favourable in his Final Sentence Pag. 19. and 22. Love and Truth in two Modest and Peaceable Letters from a quiet Conformable Citizen of London pag. 39. Almighty God hath appointed me to live in an Age in which contention increases and Charity decays And its certain that variety of Opinions and Controversies in Religion declare difficulty to know them truly but my Comfort is that there is so much Religion without Controversie as by the true Practice of what is so my Soul may be saved The Conformists Declare that the several Sects of Protestants are agreed in the Main BIshop Jewels Defence of the Apology pag. 740. We say that we agree among our selves touching the whole judgment and chief substance of Christian Religion and with one Mouth and with one Spirit do worship God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Or King James the First his Instructions to his Son We all God be praised do agree in the grounds of Religion Bishop Andrews Sermons Edit 3. pag. 18 19. And without controversie great is the mistery of Godliness c. We see in our days how men languish about some points which they would have thought to be great and great Controversies there be and great Books of Controversies about them yet Blessed be God that hath left us some Misteries clear and without controversie this here a Mistery a great one Religion hath no greater yet manifest and in Confesso with all Christians A way of peace then there shall be in the midst of a World of Controversies in which way of peace even all parts shall agree Bishop William Barlow in his Defence of the Articles of the Protestant Religion against Wright 's Articles Objecting the irreconcileable Jars between the Protestants of the Church of England and the Puritans in the Essential points of Faith Answereth pag. 20. or 21. The Jars between us though unkind yet not in this kind only for Ceremonies External no points Substantial Doctor Crakanthorp in his Defensio Eccl. Anglicanae chap. 33. Sect. 15. Puritanum qui Hereticus sit tu opinor in Angliâ neminem unquam conspexisti cum illis quos tu puritanos vocas non est nobis de fide aut fidei Dogmatelis ulla de Ritibus illi Disciplinâ Ecclesiae nostrae contendunt In fide consensus in Ritibus solum Disciplinâ dissentimus Bishop George Carlton 's Answer to Montagues Appeal first Edit pag. 5. It was then in Qu. Eliz. Reign the open Confession both of the Bishops and of the Puritans that both parts embraced a mutual consent in Doctrine only the difference was in matters of Inconformity Pag. 78. To that passage in Montagues Appeal Pag. 28. Just your Puritan Doctrine He Answers A Puritan Doctrine is a strange thing because it hath been confessed on both sides that protestants and and puritans have held the same Doctrines without variance What is your end in this but to make Divisions where there were none Bishop Hall's Apol. against the Brownists Edit 1610. Sect. 56. pag. 138. So hath their i. e. Nonconformists Moderation opposed some Appendancies that they have both acknowledged and defended the substance with equal vehemence to your opposition Hooker 's Eccles Polity L. 3. Sect. 1. With Rome we do not communicate concerning sundry her gross and grievous abominations yet touching those main parts of Christian Truths wherein they constantly still persist we gladly acknowledge them to be of the Family of Jesus Christ and our hearty prayer to Almighty God is that being conjoyned so far forth with them they may at length if it be his Will so yield and reform themselves that no distraction remain in any thing but that we may all with one heart and voice glorifie God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ whose Church we are Mr. Hierons Sermons pag. 500. God be praised the Foundation of Religion is on both sides held and taught sincerely Mr. Sprints Cassand Anglicanum Epist to the Reader In the Foundation we all agree Time and Day will try the Hay and Stubble from the Gold and Silver 1 Cor. 3.11 12. c. Mr. Vertues Plea for Peace pag. 44. The differences among us are only in superstructures and less principal Truths whilest in the Main and Fundamental points of our Religion we have God be thanked a firm Concord as may appear by the Harmony of Confessions Doctor Featly his Roma ruens pag. 22. Differences among us in Matters of Faith necessary to Salvation there are not our Controversies are de Fimbriis non de Textu of the Lace and Fringe of Ceremonies Mr. Pygots Sermon 2 Sam. 2.26 pag. 46. When the Gospel of Truth hath been preached amongst us now upwards Fourscore years do we stick at Pilates Question What is Truth John 18.38 Beloved for the substance of our Religion I say with St. Paul If an Angel from Heaven shall preach any other Gospel or discover any other Fundamental Truths to us then what we have received let him be accursed And if this unhappy difference be about Circumstances and Ceremonies God grant that whilst we are so earliest in contention about niceties and shadows we do not lose the Substance Glanvel 's Cath. Charity pag. 2. It 's very strange that Christians should be so at odds whose Religion is Peace and Love and the reasons of whose Differences are so small in proportion to the degree of their Animosities Our God is one and we have the one common Saviour we profess one Gospel and believe the same Creeds we have the same Sacraments and the same Fundamental Ordinances and since we are agreed in these what is there left that is worth the heat of a Dispute Dr. Stillingfleet Dean of St. Pauls Epist Dedic before the Mischief of Separation That there is an Agreement in Doctrine and the substantial parts of Worship is acknowledged in our Case And pag. 13. The people apprehend the differences to be much greater than the Teachers will allow when they are put to declare their Minds and our common Enemies take as much advantages from our differences as if they were really far greater than they are Conformists Plea for the Non conformists Part 3. pag. 75. Indeed the Separation with which the Nonconformists are charged is not as Separation from a Church but as Separation in a Church fundamentally and essentially the same but differing in Mode and Accidents which must needs be the lowest kind of difference For the Conformists and Non-conformists are all one in Christ agreeing in all the parts of Christian Catholick Communion with us Mr. Kidder 's Serm. on 1 Pet. 3.11 The things in which we all agree these things are many and of great weight what we differ about bears no proportion to those things which we are agreed in Mr. Hancock 's Sermon on Luk.
wickedness 2. None but peccator gravis scandalosus Why should a man proceed to violent remedies when a gentle application will make the cure Therefore the Fathers in the Council of Worms in Can. 2. Decreed Nullus Sacerdotum c. no Priest shall excommunicate any man sound in the Faith for small and light causes but only for some very grievous fault according to the practice of the Fathers St. Leo in the 93. Epist forbade Let not the Communion be easily or lightly denied to any Christian nor at the pleasure of every angry Priest It was a worthy cause of complaint in St. Leo to consider that this evil was done for so little things and therefore if the Church do Excommunicate him whose Actions or Words though faulty yet can consist with the state of a good man and do not destroy the Love of God the Censure was too heavy as to the External and false as to the Internal Communion For the man is not fallen from God but doth communicate with the head and continue to receive of the Spirit of Christ 3. Neither is this sufficient a scandalous sin alone is not enough for Excommunication is the last remedy Omnia prius tentanda When nothing else will do it then is this to be used for his amendment Bishop Usher 's Directions concerning Liturgy and Episcopal Government That none might be excommunicated but by the Bishop himself with the consent of the Pastor in those Parishes the Delinquent dwells and that for heinous and scandalous Crimes joyned with obstinacy and wilful contempt Idem In his Body of Divinity Bishop Pearson on the Creed pag. 350. By great and scandalous offences by incorrigible mis-demeanors we my incur the Censure of the Church of God and while we are shut out thence we stand excluded out of Heaven Item Doctor More 's Mistery of Godliness 14. chap. That none are to be excluded from Communion that profess the belief of the Holy Scripture and the Creed unless they stand guilty for some gross and scandalous sins and do persist therein impenitent and unreclaim'd Item The Judgment of the Church being nothing else but an effective and terrible Declaration of the Judgment of God must not be exterminating and Final for things of little concernment but according to the Mercy which we hope for Again If the Church kills on Earth i. e. Excommunicates and God saves in Heaven its clear she hath not used her power aright Whoever deserves Excommunication deserves Damnation pag. 530. in Collection of Discourse Polemical and Moral In the Commination The persons coming under the Discipline of the Church said to be such as stood convict of Notorious Sin And further the Wrath of God which obstinate sinners through the stubbornness of their Hearts have heaped unto themselves which despised the Goodness Patience and Long-sufferance of God when he called them continually to Repentance c. And the Curses therein are denounced against wilful and open Evil Livers Article 33. of the Church of England That person which by open denunciation of the Church is rightly cut off that is Excommunicate c. On which Mr. Rogers Exposition reckons two sorts of men to be rightly Excommunicated whereof the one pervert the sound Doctrine of the Truth as did Hymeneus and Philetus the Resurrection the other sort such as be defiled with notorious wickedness Bishop Jewel 's Defence of the Apol. pag. 140. The Minister we say shutteth up the gate of the Kingdom of Heaven against unbelieving and stubborn persons denouncing unto them Gods Vengeance and Everlasting punishment or else quite shutting them out of the Bosom of the Church by open Excommunication Item pag. 146. That the wicked and wilful and such as would not believe c. Item Reply to Harding pag. 32. Persons Excommunicate upon great and notorious Crimes could not be suffered to communicate with the rest of the Faithful Item pag. 88. The apparent wicked and ungodly were removed from the Congregation Bishop Andrew 's Latter Sermons pag. 32. It hath ever been held good Divinity that the Church from Christ received power to censure and separate wilful offenders Item pag. 55. Speaking of the same power given to Edification and not to Destruction I say not first and principally to Destruction nor of any save only of the wilful and impenitent Sinner Item Bishop Andrew 's Sermons Edit 3. pag. 727. Then is not every Error repugnant to Gods Grace God is able to pardon and not impute Error in Opinion as well as Error in Practice did not the High Priest offer as well for the Errors as the Transgressions of the people This only we are to look to that with St. Peter we be not wilful if there come a clear comperi as ready to relent in the one as to repent of the other Archbishop Laud cited in Dr. Puller 's Moderation of the Church of England pag. 391. The Church of England is not such a shrew to her children as to deny her Blessing or denounce an Anathema against them if some peaceably dissent in Points remoter from the Foundation Bishop Davenant 's Letter to Duraeus The Apostles Creed saith he and the Articles therein contained he that believeth and endeavours to lead a Life conformable to the commands of Christ is not to be blotted out of the Roul of Christians nor expelled from Communion with other Members of any Christian Church whatsoever Item That Church doth too much please it self which rejects others in which neither Tyranny nor Idolatry nor Deadly Heresie is found as men unworthy of Communion with her for some Infirmity of Understanding the Fathers of the Ancient Church did not so Why should men be more rigid than God Why should any Error exclude any man from the Churches communion which will not deprive him of Eternal Salvation Dr. Chill chap. 4. Sect. 40. of his Book Doctor Chillingw chap. 4. Sect. 13. What Man or Church believes the Creed and all the evident consequences of it if also he believe the Scripture sincerely and heartily cannot possibly be in any Error of simple belief offensive unto God nor deserve for any such Error to be deprived of his Life or cut off from the Churches communion and hope of Salvation Sir Francis Bacon In his Advertisement of the controversies of the Church of England and of his works pag. 138. pag. 192. Of the abuse of Excommunication vide c. Hooker 's Discourse of Justification pag. 54. If was a perilous Error that the Galatians held about Justification yet so far was St. Paul from striking their Names out of Christ's Book that he commandeth others to receive them i. e. to have communion with them with singular Humanity use them as Brethren he knew mans imbecility had a feeling of our blindness which are Mortal Men how great it is The Judgment of the Professors of Divinity in the Vniversity of Aberdeen mentioned pag. 707 is not unsuitable to this Subject That the condition of that Church is
worse and incomparably more lamentable that is so swelled and puft up with the splendour of its Golden Edifice upon the Foundation or of its Orthodoxy that neglecting Charity and Equanimity and trampling on the Law of Christ fastidiously rejects and Anathematizeth other Churches Orthodox in the Foundation and willing to maintain place with it than is the condition of those Churches who though they are infirm in Faith inferiour in knowledge do yet hold in the Foundation maintain inviolable Charity and after the Example of Blessed Cyprian do neither judge nor separate from Communion those who think otherwise than themselves Dr. Casaubon 's Necessity of Reformation pag. 142. cited by Dr. Puller 's Moderation c. pag. 436. Were there nothing else objected to Papists but this one thing their uncharitable proscribing and Excommunicating all Christians in all parts of the World as in the Council of Trent imposing her Doctrines which were but disputable before to be de fide with an Anathema to such as thought of them otherwise who are not of their Communion and obliging all that adhere unto them to profess the same I should think that one thing a just ground of Separation or forsaking their Communion Dr. Steward 's Englands Case pag. 26. When Men cast out of the Church Catholick and so damn to Hell all those that hold not their Opinions this St. Augustine oft-times calls Schism in the Donatists I could name you those who are guilty of this but I am sure our dear Mother is not who hath been so mild to those who have most highly opposed her Dr. Hammond's Pract. Catech. Vpon Blessed are the Peace-makers We are not to think our own Opinions in Religion such as are not of Faith of such importance as to deny Communion or Salvation to those who differ from us Item of Schism pag. 165. and pag. 166. That as we exclude no Christian from our Communion that will either Filially and Fraternally embrace it with us being ready to admit any to our Assemblies that acknowledge the Foundation laid by Christ and his Apostles so we as earnestly desire to be admitted to the like Freedom of External Communion with all the Members of all other Christian Churches as often as occasion makes us capable of that Blessing And pag. 5. Tell us the Governours of the Church use to inflict that punishment of Excommunication on the most scandalous Sinner And pag. 15. Calls it that very condition into which the Adulterer and obstinate offender is cast by the Censures of the Church Hammond of the Keys chap. 5. Sect. 18. The more shame for the over-easie denouncers of that censure that inflict it for every trivial commission without consideration whether or no repented of or that use this Sovereign Recipe unadvisedly for any other end than Reforming the Profane Dr. Puller 's Moderation of the Church of England pag. 366. It is evident that the Divine Moderation of our Church considers the frame of Man and the uncertainty difficulty and imperfection of Humane Knowledge the weakness and variety of Humane Understandings she alloweth much to the force of Prejudice Education and the power and artifice of Seducers Our Church makes a great reserve of Dispensation to persons of Modest Humble Docible and peaceable Spirits and proportions her Censures to the degrees of Malice and the Unchristian Temper which appears in Offenders Dr. Cumber on the Common-Prayer in the Commination Discipline with-held in favour of Dissenters least the imposing it there should make this Holy Means of Reformation despised rather than obeyed Item pag. 369. Dr. Puller Wherefore the Institution of a Christian Man made by Cranmer saith the Bishops are not bound so precisely but they may attemper and forbear the execution of their Jurisdiction when by so doing the cure of the offenders and the tranquility of the Church may be furthered Item pag. 35. According to Equity our Church desires all her Laws may be Interpreted Benignius Leges interpretandae sunt c. She admits of a Mitigation of a rigid Sentence And pag. 11. Disposeth them where the Laws press too hard upon particular persons to relax the Rigour of them Pag. 370. Wherefore those who in Execution of the Church Discipline abuse the most excellent Temper of the Church in the constitution of her Laws under the pretence of Ecclesiastical Authority verily they most of all deserve the Churches Rod and the dire point of her Anathema Let it be considered said Bishop Tailor Ductor Dub. L. 3. pag. 259. How Great a reproach it is to Ecclesiastical Discipline if it be made to Minister to Covetousness and to the needs of Proctors and Advocates Bishop Bramhall pag. 14. Vindicat. of the Church To exclude none from Catholick communion and hope of Salvation either Eastern or Western or Southern or Northern Christians which profess the Faith of the Apostles and Primitive Fathers established in the first General Councils and comprehended in the Apostolick Nicene and Athanasian Creeds and lastly to hold an Actual External Communion with them in votis in our desires and to endeavour it by all lawful means Item pag. 17. There is not the like necessity of communicating in all Externals there is not so great conformity to be expected in ceremonies as in the Essentials of Sacraments Bishop Bilson of Subjection Part 2. pag. 223. Ed t. 4. It is a most pernitious sancy to think that divers Nations and Countries differing by Customs Laws and Manners so they hold one and the same Rule of Faith in the Bond of Peace cannot be parts of the Catholick Church Communicant one with another The Communion of Saints standeth not in External Rights Customs and Manners but in believing the same truth tasting of the same grace resting on the same Hope calling on the same God rejoycing in the same Spirit whereby they be sealed sanctified and preserved unto the day of Redemption Causes of Decay of Christian Piety pag. 285. As Christ when he forewarned his Disciples of the ensuing persecution tells them not only they should be killed but they should be put out of the Synagogue so now as if Christians were emulous of every branch of Jewish Cruelty we transcribe that part of the Copy too and either by causeless Excommunicating others or separating our selves we deny the benefit of Publick Communion to each other Item pag. 280. Every Petty difference c. pag. 287. Would we indeed comport with the Example of those happy Times of the Primitive Church we should have prayed for the Conversion of Dissenters not laid Anathema's upon them and prayed for their confusion Item In his whole Duty of Man If one that holds all necessary Christian Truths happen yet to be in some Error we are not for this to despise his Person or forsake his Communion Bishop Reynold 's Brotherly Agreement In the case of unavoidable Differences amongst good Men there ought to be mutual Charity c. not to judge despise reject insult over one another not to