The point of CHURCH-UNITY AND SCHISM Discuss'd BY A NONCONFORMIST With respect to the Church-Divisions IN ENGLAND LONDON Printed for Thomas Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns at the Lower end of Cheapside 1679. THE CONTENTS CHAP. I. Of the Church and its Polity WHat the Church is both in its invisible and visible state The state of the Church Catholick The state of particular Churches and their Pastors Elders or Bishops Of the partition of Churches by local bounds Of the Interests of Bishops or Pastors in any assigned circuit of Ground Of the association or combination of Churches Of a National Church Of the Interest of Civil Magistrates in the state of the Church Of a Diocese and a Diocesan Bishop Of exercising the Ministery without Subordination to a Diocesan Bishop No human power may prejudice Christs Interest in his Ministers or People All have a judgment of Discretion about their own acts CHAP. II. Of true Church-Unity The names of Unity and Schism should be rightly applied True Church-Unity is the Unity of the Spirit what is included therein True Unity is primarily of the Church in its mystical secondarily in its visible state Holy love is the Life and Soul of this Unity Church-Unity considered in three points 1. In the essentials and all weighty matters of Christian Faith and Life 2. In the essentials and integrals of Church-state 3. In the accidentals of Religion The different value of these different points of Unity The Rule of Unity is Gods Word Of the Scriptures sufficiency as a Rule thereof Of things left to human determination with the Pastors and Magistrates Interest therein The Rulers Wisdom in setling the right bounds of Unity The burden of things unnecessary not to be laid on the Churches Unity of external order is subservient to Faith and Holiness CHAP. III. Of Schism truly so called Schism is the violation of the Unity of the Spirit Separation and Schism are not of equal extent The violation of holy Love is the root of Schism Schism lies primarily in a breach made upon the Unity of the Church as mystical and secondarily as visible The highest point of Schism against the Church as visible is that which is about the essentials and weighty matters of Christian Faith and Life How both Persons and Churches may be guilty of it The next point of Schism is about the essentials and integrals of Church state This may be either against the Catholick or a particular Church Instances of both kinds The lowest point of Schism is about the accidentals of Religion How any are guilty or not guilty in this point A preposterous valuation made of the aforesaid different points tends to Schism The setting of other bounds of Unity than Gods word allows is to make a breach upon it Terms of Unity may be allowed of God as to the Submitters when they are not allowed as to the Imposers The danger of acting against conscience rationally doubting T is a false Unity that is set up to the hindrance of Faith and Holiness and not to adhere to it is no Schism but Duty Instances hereof Of the right of drawing together into new Congregations on such occasion What endeavour of Reformation is unlawfull to Subjects A difference between inimical separation and amicable necessary Segregation The objected inconveniences against the amicable Segregation answered The import of the Text Rom. 16. 17. opened CHAP. IV. Of the Schisms that were in the more ancient times of the Church and the different case of the Nonconformists in these times Of the Donatists Of the Novatians Whether the case of the present Nonconformists be the same with the case of these or any others anciently reputed Schismaticks The case of such Nonconformists as be more remote from accomodation with the Established Order The case of such of them as be more disposed to accommodation An Answer to objections against relaxing the terms of Conformity Of diverse other remarkable Schisms in the ancient times and the Nonconformists case different from theirs An appeal to Antiquity and to our Superiors CHAP. V. Of making a right estimate of the guilt of Schism and something more of the right way to Unity The great abuse of the name Schism and the bad consequence thereof The degree of the Schism to be duely considered for making an equal judgment of the guilt thereof Examples of Schismatical animosities in Worthies of ancient times Charity in censuring thence inferred True Unity is founded in true Holiness and promoted by impartiality and equity towards all real Christians and by the due exercise of true Church-Discipline and by removing the snares of Division and as by the equity and charity of Superiors so by the humility and due submission of Inferiors A Question considered about the warrantableness of submission to things not in themselves unlawfull but inexpedient Errata PAg. 2. lin 2. r. regeneration p. 12. l. 8. r. without ib. l. 16. r. and in p. 22. l. 6. r. due extent p. 25. l. 14. r. account of accidental p. 32. l. 16. r. injured Christians as are p. 33. l. 25. r. Segregation p. 42. l. 27. r. renouncing p. 47. l. 21. r. deposed The point of CHURCH-UNITY AND SCHISM Discuss'd CHAP. I. Of the Church and its Polity THe Church is a Spiritual Common-wealth which according to its primary and invisible State is a Society of regenerate Persons who are joyned to the Lord Christ their Head and one to another as fellow Members by a mystical Union through the Holy Spirit and are justified Sanctified and adopted to the inheritance of Eternal Life but according to its secondary and visible state it is a Society of Persons professing Christianity or Regeration and externally joyned to Christ and to one another by the Symbals of that Profession and made partakers of the external priviledges thereunto belonging There is one Catholick Church which according to the invisible Form is the whole company of true Believers throughout the World and according to its visible Form is the whole company of visible Believers throughout the World or Believers according to human judgment This Church hath one Head and Supream Lord even Christ and one Charter and System of Laws the Word of God and Members that are free Denizons of the whole Society and one Form of Admission or solemn Initiation for its Members and one kind of Ministery and Ecclesiastical Power This Church hath not the power of its own Fundamental Constitution or of the Laws and Officers and Administrations intrinsecally belonging to it but hath received all these from Christ its Head King and Lawgiver and is limited by him in them all Nevertheless it hath according to the capacity of its acting that is according to its several parts a power of making Secondary Laws or Canons either to impress the Laws of Christ upon its Members or to regulate circumstantials and accidentals in Religion by determining things necessary in genere not determined of Christ in specie As the
Scripture sets forth one Catholick Church so also many particular Churches as so many Political Societies distinct from each other yet all compacted together as parts of that one ample Society the Catholick Church Each of these particular Churches have their proper Elder or Elders Pastor or Pastors having authority of teaching and ruling them in Christs name An Ecclesiastical Order of Presbyters or Elders that are not Bishops is not found in holy Scripture For all Presbyters or Elders being of a sacred Order in the Gospel Church that are any where mentioned in Scripture are therein set forth as Bishops truly and properly so called and are no where set forth as less than Bishops These Elders or Bishops are Personally to Superintend all their Flock and there is no grant from Christ to discharge the same by Delegates or Substitutes A distinction between Bishops and Presbyters and a Superiority of the former over the latter was after the Scripture times anciently and generally received in the Christian Church Yet it was not a diversity of Orders or Offices essentially different but of degrees in the same Office the essential nature whereof is in both The Bishop of the first Ages was a Bishop not of a multitude of Churches but of one stated Ecclesiastical Society or single Church whereof he was an immediate Pastor and he performed the work of a Bishop or immediate Pastor towards them all in his own Person and not by Delegates and Substitutes and he governed not alone but in conjunction with the Presbyters of his Church he being the President Though several Cities in the same Kingdom have their different municipal Laws and Priviledges according to the diversity of their Charters yet particular Churches have no Divine Laws and Priviledges diverse from each other but the same in common to them all because they have all the same Charter in specie from Christ. Therefore each of them have the same power of Government within themselves And the qualifications requisite to make men Members or Ministers of the Universal Church do according to Christs Law sufficiently qualifie them to be Members or Ministers of any particular Church to which they have a due and orderly call Local presential Communion in Gods Ordinances being a main end of erecting particular Churches they should in all reason consist of Persons who by their cohabitation in a vicinity are capable of such Communion and there may not be a greater local distancâ— of the Persons than can stand with it A Bishops Church was anciently made up of the Christians of a City or Town and the adjacent Villages who might and did Personally meet together both for Worship and Discipline All Christians of the same local Precinct are most conveniently brought into one and the same stated Church that â—here might be the greatest Union among them and that the occasion of straggling and running into several Parties might be avoided Yet this local partâ—â—ion of Churches is not of absolute necessity aâ—d invariable but if there be some insuperable impediment thereof the partition must be made as the state of things will admit No Bishop or Pastor can by Divine right or warrant claim any assigned circuit of Ground as his propriety for Ecclesiastical Government as a Prince claims certain Territories as his propriety for Civil Government so that no other Bishop or Pastor may without his Licence do the work of the Ministery in any case whatsoever within that Circuit It is not the conjunction of a Bishop or Pastor with the generallity or the greater number of the People that of it self declares the only rightfull Pastor or true Church within this or that Circuit For many causes may require and justifie the being of other Churches therein Seeing particular Churches are so many integral parts of the Catholick Church and stand in need of each others help in things that concern them joyntly and severally and they have all an influence on each other the Law of Nature leads them to Associations or Combinations greater and lesser according to their capacities And the orderly state that is requisite in all Associations doth naturally require some regular Subordination in the several parts thereof either in way of proper authority or of mutual agreement And the Associated Churches and particular Members therein are naturally bound to maintain the orderly state of the whole Association and to comply with the Rules thereof when they are not repugnant to the Word of God A Bishop or Pastor and the People adhering to him are not declared to be the only true Church and Pastor within such a Precinct by their conjunction with the largest Combination of Bishops or Pastors and their Churches For the greater number of Bishops may in such manner err in their Constitutions as to make rightly informed Persons uncapable of their Combination A National Church is not a particular Church properly so called but a Combination or Coagmentation of particular Churches united under one Civil Supream either Personal as in a Monarchy or Collective as in a Republick And the true notion thereof lies not in any Combination purely Ecclesiastical and Intrinsecal but Civil and Extrinsecal as of so many Churches that are collected under one that hath the Civil Supremacy over them The National Church of England truly denotes all the Churches in England united under one Supream Civil Church-Governour the Kings Majesty Civil Magistrates as such are no Constitutive parts of the Church The Christian Church stood for several Centuries without the support of their authority But Supream Magistrates have a Civil Supremacy in all Ecclesiastical matters and a political extrinsecal Episcopacy over all the Pastors of the Churches in their Dominions and may compell them to the performance of their Duties and punish them for negligence and mal-Administration and they may reform the Churches when they stand in need of Reformation The possession of the Tithes and Temples doth not of it self declare the true Pastor and Church nor doth the Privation thereof declare no Pastor and no Church For these are disposed of by the secular power which of it self can neither make nor make void a Pastor or Church A Diocess is a collective body of many Parishes under the Government of one Diocesan If the several Parishes be so many particular Churches and if their proper and immediate Presbyters be of the same order with those which in Scripture are mentioned by that name and were no other than Bishops or Pastors then a Diocess is not a particulaâ— Church but a Combination of Churches anâ— the Diocesan is a Bishop of Bishops or Governour over many Churches and their iâ—mediate Bishops If the Parishes be not a knowledged to be Churches nor their Presbyters to be realy Bishops or Pastors but the Diocess be held to be the lowest Political Church and the Diocesan to be a Bishop of the lowest rank and the sole Bishop or Pastor of all the included Parishes I confess I have no knowledge of the Divine
right of such a Church or Bishop or of any precept or precedent thereof in Scripture For every particular Church mentioned in Scripture was but one distinct stated Society having its own proper and immediate Bishop or Bishops Elder or Elders Pastor or Pastors who did Personally and immediately Superintend over the whole Flock which ordinarily held either at once together or by turns Personal present Communion with each other in Gods Worship But a Diocess consists of several stated Societies to wit the Parishes which are Constituted severally of a proper and immediate Presbyter or Elder having cure of Souls and commonly called a Rector and the People which are his proper and immediate charge or cure And the People of the Diocess do not live under the Personal and immediate oversight of their Diocesan but under his Delegates and Substitutes Nor do they ordinarily hold Personal present Communion with each other in Gods Worship either at once together or by turns Nevertheless which way soever a Diocess be considered I have nothing to object against submission to the Government of the Diocesan as an Ecclesiastical Officer established by the Law of the Land under the Kings Supremacy There is nothing in the nature of the Office of Presbyterate which according to the Scripture is a Pastoral Office that shews it ought to be exercised no otherwise than in Subordination to a Diocesan Bishop Christ who is the Author and only proper giver of all Spiritual Authority in the Church hath not so limited the said Office and men cannot by any act of theirs enlarge or lessen it as to its nature or essential state or define it otherwise than it is stated of Christ in his word No power Ecclesiastical or Civil can discharge any Minister of Christ from the exercise of his Ministery in those circumstances wherein Christ commands him to exercise it nor any Christians from those duties of Religion to which the Command of Christ obligeth them As the Magistrate is to judge what Laws touching Religion are fit for him to enact and execute so the Ministers of Christ are to use a judgment of discretion about their own Pastoral acts and all Christians are to do the same about their own acts of Church-Communion The too common abuse of the judgment of discretion cannot abrogate the right use thereof it being so necessary that without it men cannot act as men nor offer to God a reasonable Service CHAP. II. Of true Church-Unity WHen the names of Unity and Schism are by partiality and selfishness commonly and grosly abused and misapplied the nature of the things to which those names do of right belong ought to be diligently inquired into and clearly and distinctly laid open For a groundwork in this inquiry I fix upon two very noted texts of Scripture The one is Eph. 4. 3. Indeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace The other is Rom. 16. 17. Mark them that cause Divisions and Offences contrary to the Doctrine that ye have learned and avoid them The former guides us to the knowledge of true Church-unity and the latter shews us the true nature of Schism By the former of these Texts all Christians are obliged to maintain that Spiritual Unity which they have one with another under Christ their Head by the Holy Ghost in all due acts of holy Communion in Peace and Concord Several important things are here to be taken notice of 1. There is a Spiritual unity between all Christians in the form of one mystical Body as there is a natural unity between all the members of the natural Body The members being many are one body and members one of another 2. This Unity is under Christ as the Head of it What the head is to the natural Body that is Christ and much more to his mystical Body the Church 3. This Unity of Christians one with another under Christ is by the Holy Ghost and therefore called the Unity of the Spirit The Spirit of Christ the Head doth seize upon and reside in all the Faithfull by which they become Christs mystical Body and are joyned one to another as fellow-members 4. This Unity of the Spirit among Christians is witnessed maintained and strengthened by their holy communion of Love and Peace one with another but is darkened weakened and lessened by their uncharitable Dissentions Hence it is evident that the Unity here commended is primarily that of the Church in its internal and invisible State or the Union and Communion of Saints having in themselves the Spirit and Life and Power of Christianity T is the unity of the Spirit we are charged to keep in the bond of Peace But concord in any external order with a vital Union with Christ and holy Souls his living members is not the unity of the Spirit which is to partake of the same new Nature and Divine Life Secondarily it is the Unity of the Church in its external and visible State which is consequent and subservient to the internal and stands in the profession and appearance of it in the professed observation of the duties arising from it Where there is not a credible Profession of Faith unfeigned and true Holiness there is not so much as the external and visible Unity of the Spirit Therefore a sensual Earthly generation of men who are apparently lead by the Spirit of the World and not by the Spirit that is of God have little cause to glory in their adhering to an external Church order whatsoever it be Holy love which is unselfed and impartial is the Life and Soul of this unity without which it is but a dead thing as the Body without the Soul is dead And this love is the bond of perfectness that Cement that holds altogether in this mystical Society For this being seated in the several members disposeth them to look not to their own things but also to the things of others and not to the undue advancement of a Party but to the common good of the whole Body Whosoever wants this love hath no vital Union with Christ and the Church and no part in the Communion of Saints The Church is much more ennobled strengthened and every way blessed by the Communion of holy love among all its living members or real Christians than by an outside uniformity in the minute circumstances or accidental modes of Religion By this love it is more beautifull and lovely in the eyes of all intelligent beholders than by outward pomp and ornament or any worldly splendor The Unity of the Church as visible whether Catholick or particular may be consâ—dered in a three-fold respect or in three very different points The first and chief point thereof is in the essentials and all weighty matters of Christian Faith and Life The second and next in account is in the essentials and integrals of Church state that is in the Christian Church-Worship Ministery and Discipline considered as of Christs institution and abstracted from all things
superadded by men The third and lowest point is in those extrinsecal and accidental Forms and Orders of Religion which are necessary in genere but left in specie to human determination Of these several points of Unity there is to be a different valuation according to their different value Our first and chief regard is due to the first and chief point which respects Christian Faith and Life The next regard is due to that which is next in value that which respects the very constitution or frame of a Church And regard is to be had of that also which respects the accidentals of Religion yet in its due place and not before things of greater weight and worth Things are of a very different nature and importance to the Churches good Estate and a greater or lesser stress must be laid upon Unity in them as the things themselves are of greater or lesser moment The Rule or Law of Church Unity is not the will of man but the will of God Whosoever keeps that Unity which hath Gods word for its Rule keeps the Unity of the Spirit And whosoever boasts of a Unity that is not squared by this Rule his boasting is but vain An Hypothesis that nothing in the Service of God is lawfull but what is expresly prescribed in Scripture is by some falsly ascribed to a sort of men who earnestly contend for the Scriptures sufficiency and perfection for the regulating of Divine Worship and the whole state of Religion God in his Word hath prescribed all those parts of his Worship that are necessary to be performed to him He hath likewise therein instituted those Officers that are to be the Administrators of his publick Worship in Church Assemblies and hath defined the authority and duty of those Officers and all the essentials and integrals of Church state As for the circumstantials and accidentals belonging to all the things aforesaid he hath laid down general Rules for the regulation thereof the particulars being both needless and impossible to be enumerated and defined In this point God hath declared his mind Deut. 4. 2. Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you neither shall ye diminish ought from it Deut. 12. 32. What soever thing I command you observe to do it Thou shalt not add thereto nor diminish from it The prohibition is not meerly of altering the Rule Gods written Word by addition or diminution but of doing more or less than the Rule required as the precept is not of preserving the Rule but of observing what is commanded in it Such human institutions in Divine Worship as be in meer subserviency to Divine institutions for the necessary and convenient modifying and ordering thereof are not properly additions to Gods commandments For they are of things which are not of the same nature end and use with the things which God hath commanded but of meer circumstantials and accidentals belonging to those things And these circumstantials are in genere necessary to the performance of Divine Institutions and are generally commanded in the Word though not in particular but are to be determined in specie by those to whom the power of such determination belongs They that assert and stand to this only Rule provide best for the Unity of Religion and the Peace of the Church For they are ready to reject whatsoever they find contrary to this Rule they are more easily kept within the bounds of acceptable Worship and all warrantable obedience they lay the greatest weight on things of the greatest worth and moment they carefully regard all Divine institutions and whatsoever God hath commanded and they maintain Love and Peace and mutual forbearance towards one another in the more inconsiderable diversities of Opinion and Practice Those things that are left to human determination the Pastors Bishops or Elders did anciently determine for their own particular Churches And indeed it is very reasonable and naturally convenient that they who are the Administrators of Divine institutions and have the conduct of the People in Divine Worship and know best what is most expedient for their own Society should be intrusted with the determination of necessary circumstances within their own Sphere But forasmuch as the Supream Magistrate is intrusted of God with the care of Religion within his Dominions and hath a Civil Supremacy in Eclesiastical affairs and a great concern in the orderly management of publick Assemblies he is authorized of God to oversee the determinations and actings of Ecclesiastical Persons and may assume to himself the determination of the aforesaid circumstantials for the honour of God the Churches edification and the publick Peace keeping within the general rules prescribed in Gods Word For the maintaining of Church-Unity that is according to Gods word it is the part of Subjects to submit to what their Governours have determined so far as their submission is allowable by the said rule and it is the part of Governours to consider well the warrantableness of their determinations More especially their wisdom and care is much required in settling the right bounds of Unity In this regard the terms of admission to the Communion and Ministery of the Church must be no other than what the declared will of God hath made the terms of those priviâ—edges and which will shut out none whom God hath qualified for and called to the same The setting of other boundaries besides the iniquity thereof will inevitably cause divisions The Apostles Elders and Brethren assembled at Jerusalem Acts 15. 28. writing to the blieving Gentiles declare It seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things From which it is evidently inferred that the burden of things unnecessary ought not to be laid on the Churches The things injoyned by that Assembly were antecedently to their Decree either necessary in themselves or in their consequents according to the state of things in those times and places And whatsoever is made the matter of a strict injunction especially a condition of Church Communion and Priviledges ought to have some kind of necessity in it antecedent to its imposition Symbolical Rites or Ceremonies instituted by man to signifie Grace or Duty are none of those things which being necessary in general are left to human determination for this or that kind thereof They have no necessary Subserviency to Divine institutions they are no parts of that necessary decency and order in Divine Worship without which the Service would be undecent And indeed they are not necessary to be instituted or rigidly urged in any time or place whatsoever The being and well being of anâ— rightly constituted Church of Christ ma◠〈◊〉 without them St. Paul resolves upon the cases of using or refusing of meats and the observance or non-observance of days which God had neither commanded nor forbidden and of eating of those meats which had been offered in Sacrifice to Idols Rom. 14. and 1 Cor. 8. That no man put a
into destructive error and practice Wherefore the Text is ill applied to the rigorous condemnation of honest and peaceable men that dissent only in some accidental or â—nferior points of Religion for which the Apostle forbids Christians to despise or judge one â—nother Yet not only false Teachers but all â—chismaticks are here condemned under this deâ—â—ription viz. those that cause Divisions and Offences And though they be not direct opâ—osers of sound Doctrine yet being Dividers 〈◊〉 Disturbers they practice contrary to the â—octrine of Christ which teacheth Unity â—ove and Peace But still it must be observed â—â—at the reality of Schism lies not in being divided or disordered but in causing the division or disturbance or in a voluntary violation of or departing from true Church-Unity They that cause Divisions are not excused from Schism by the support of Secular Power nor are others convicted of it meerly by the want of that Support The Magistrates power in Sacred things is accumulative not destructive oâ— diminitive to the rights of Christs Ministers and People It takes not from them any thing that Christ hath granted them but gives them a better capacity to make use thereof CHAP. IV. Of the Schisms that were in the morâ— ancient times of the Church and thâ— different case of the Nonconformistâ— in these times OF those parties which were anciently râ—upted Schismaticks as violating the Unâ—ty of the Church yet not Hereticks as dâ—nying any Fundamental point of the Chrisâ—â—an Faith the Novatians and Donatists are the chiefest note Forasmuch as both theâ— are looked upon as the greatest instances Schism it may be requisite for me to considâ—â— the true state of their separation from the main body of the Christian Church passing by accidental matters and insisting on the merits of their cause according to their main Principles and Practices As concerning the Donatists the breach made by them had this rise Donatus with â—is Complices vehemently opposed Cecilianus who had been chosen Bishop of Carthage in design to thrust him out of his Bishoprick They accuse him of being ordained by one that had been a Proditor and of having admitted into Ecclesiastical Office one that was guilty of the like fault This Cause was by the Emperor Constantine's appointment heard before several Councils and many Judges The Accusers still fail in their Proofs of the â—hings objected Cecilianus is acquitted and confirmed in his Office The Party of Donatus failing in their design were carried in a boundless rage of opposition to a total and â—rreclaimable Separation from all the Churches â—hat were not of their Faction and became very numerous upon a pretence of shunning â—he contagion of the wicked in the Communion of the Sacraments Their principles were that the Church of Christ was no where â—o be found but among themselves in a corner of Africa also that true Baptism was not Administred but in their Sect. Likewise they proceeded to great tumult and violence and rapine And a sort of them called Circumcelliones gloried in a furious kind of Martyrdom partly by forcing others to kill them and partly by killing themselves The Novatians took their name and beginning from Novatus a Presbyter first at Carthage afterwards at Rome who held that they who lapsed in times of Persecution unto the denying of Christ were not to be readmitted unto the Communion of the Church though they repented and submitted to the Ecclesiastical Discipline of Pennance He separated from the Roman Church and was made a Bishop by Bishops of his own judgment in opposition to Cornelius Bishop of Rome Cyprian gives a very bad character of him aâ— a turbulent arrogant and avaritious Person But of what Spirit soever he was his Judgment and Canon was received among many that were of stricter lives and he himself iâ— reported to have suffered death in the persecution under Valerian At the Council of Nice Acesius Bishop oâ— the Novatians being asked by Constantine whether he assented to the same Faith witâ— the Council and to the observation of Easteâ— as was there derceed answered that he full assented to both Then being again askeâ— by the Emperor why he separated from thâ— Communion he recited for himself things done in the Reign of Decius and the exquisite observation of a certain severe Canon that they who after Baptism had fallen into that kind of sin which the Scripture calls a sin unto death ought not to be partakers of the Divine mysteries but to be exhorted to repentance and to expect the hope of remission not from the Priest but from God who hath power to forgive By this it appears that the Novatians did not deny the Salvability of the lapsed or others that had fallen into a sin unto death but only refused to admit them to Sacerdotal Absolution and Church-Communion And thus they made a very unwarrantable separation grounded upon an unjust rigor of very bad consequence Nevertheless their error was no other than what holy and good men might be ensnared â—n by the appearance of a greater detestation of â—in and its tendency to prevent the lapse of Christians into Idolatry and to make them more resolved for Martyrdom And by as â—redible History as any we have of the anâ—ient times they are reported to have had among them men eminently Pious and some â—amous for Miracles They unmovably adâ—ered to the Homousian Faith and for the maintenance of it together with the Orthodox â—uffered dreadfull Persecutions They had some Bishops remarkable for Wisdom an Godliness and such as were consulted with by some of the chief of the Catholick Bishops and that with good success for support of the Common Faith against the Arrians and such like Hereticks Under a certain Persecution wherein they were Companions of the self same suffering it is said that the Catholicks and Novatians had Prayers together in the Novations Churches and that in those timeâ— they were almost united if the Novations had not utterly refused that they might keep up their old institutes yet they bare such good will one to another that they would die one for another These and many other things of like nature are reported of them by Socrates whom some indeed suspect to have been addicted to them yet upon no other ground but because he gives them their due upon evident proof And besides what he hath reported Sosomen thus testifies of them L. 2. C. 30. That when other Sects expired the Novatians because they had good men for the Leaders of their way and because they defended the same Doctrine with the Catholick Church were very numerous from the beginning and so continued and suffered not much dammage by Constantines Law for suppressing of Sects And Acesius their Bishop being much favoured by the Emperor for the integrity of his life greatly advantaged his Church Also L. 4. C. 19. He reports the great amity that was between them and the Catholicks in a time of common Persecution Whether the case of the Dissenters from the
Uniformity now required be in point of Schism of the same or like reason with the above mentioned or any other anciently reputed Schismaticks is now to be considered And it is the case of those that dissent not in the substance of Religion but only in things pertaining to the Ecclesiastical Polity or external Order in the Church that it here taken into consideration Of these some being persuaded of the necessity of their own Church-Order desire to remain as they are in their severed Societies yet they do not nullify the legal Churches or Ministery or the dispensation of the Word Sacraments and Prayer therein performed Others being satisfied in the constitution of Parochial Churches and in the substance of the Established Form of Worship would gladly embrace a freedom of Communicating and Administring therein upon the removal of some bars that lie against them and which they think may well be removed Thereupon they seek an Accommodation and Union by a sufficient comprehensiveness in the publick constitution and withall a reasonable indulgence towards those Brethren who for the straightness of their judgments cannot be comprehended Neither Party of the Dissenters here described can be charged with any thing like the Donatistical fury before expressed If Austin sought the suppression of that Sect by the secular power in regard of the horrible outrages committed by them it cannot reasonably be urged for a precedent as it hath been by some for the suppression of men Sober and Peaceable and sound in the main points of Christian Faith and Life Nor can either Party of us be charged with that intolerable presumption and arrogance of the Donatists in confining the Flock of Christ to their own Party or the disannulling and utter denouncing of all Churches besides their own Nor is the ground of our dissatisfaction like theirs which began in a quarrel against a particular Bishop and was maintained by animosity against those that would not condemn him It is well known that another manner of account is to be given of our Dissents If it be objected that those Dissenters whose principles bind them up to persevere in their severed Societies seem in this respect to be as the Novatians who would not admit a re-Union with the other Churches it may be answered for them that reasons have been offered in the foregoing parts of this Discourse for indulgence to conscientious People who are intangled by the narrowness of their principles touching Church-Order Besides they do not stand off upon so harsh and rigorous a point as the Novatians did viz. The utter repelling of the lapsed though penitent from the Communion of the Church And they have ordinarily communion in the Word and Prayer with Congregations that are not of their Church way and occasionally in the Sacrament with those Congregations where they apprehend a care of the exercise of Discipline Nor may they be judged so irreconcilable to the Established Order but that the holy lives of those in the publick Ministery and their lively Preaching and a greater care of true and real Church-Discipline might do much to their recovery In the mean time why may not these be upon as good terms under the present Government as the Novatians were under the Government of their times Church History reports that they were cruelly Persecuted by the Arrian Emperours and Bishops and that they had great indulgence under Orthodox Emperours and with many Catholick Bishops and Patriarchs whose prudent and moderate Government did best provide for the Peace of their Churches But those Orthodox Bishops who took from them their Churches and Estates were chiefly either such as took to themselves a Secular Power and ruled imperiously and with violence or such as with their zeal had more of wrath and rashness than of meekness and prudence This can be easily proved in the particular instances if need were But this is not the case of all Nonconformists For part of them and upon good experiment made they may be found the greater part do not seek to abide in a severed State but desire a Union It is well known they are as sensible of the evil of Schism and as Studious of the Churches Peace and Concord as any others And though they have not the same latitude of judgment with others in some points yet they have a right Catholick Spirit to promote the common Interest of Religion and more especially the Protestant Reformation and dread the weakning and shattering of it by needless Divisions and are ready to go as far as conscience will allow in compliance with the injunctions of Rulers But they are cast and kept out of the Established Order by the injunction of some terms which in regard of their present judgment they can not comply with but under the guilt of so great a sin as dissembling in the matter of Religion Touching Church-Government they admit the Episcopacy that was of ancient Ecclesiastical custom in the time of Ignatius yea or of Cyprian Bishop Usher's model of Government by Bishops and Arch-bishops with their Presbyters was by some of them presented to the Kings Majesty for a ground-work of Accommodation They acknowledge the Kings Ecclesiastical Supremacy according to the Oath in that case required His Majesty in his gracious Declaration concerning Ecclesiastical Affairs gives a Testimony concerning the Ministers that attended him in Holland in these words viz. To our great satisfaction and comfort We found them Persons full of affection to Us and of zeal to the Peace of Church and State and neither Enemies as they had been given out to be to Episcopacy or Liturgy but modestly to desire such alterations in either as without shaking foundations might best allay the present Distempers They are ready to engage that they will not disturb the Peace of the Church nor indeavour any point of alteration in its Government by Rebellious Seditions or any unlawfull ways Those points of Conformity wherein they are dissatisfied are but some accidentals of Religion and external modes and the Declarations and Subscriptions importing an allowance of all and every thing contained in the Liturgy And they think that these points are not so necessary in themselves or in their consequents but they are very dispensable as the Wisdom of Governours shall see cause If it be objected that if any thing should be yielded to them there would be no end of their cravings that which I have to say is That reasonable men will be satisfied with reasonable concessions and if Subjects know not what is fit for them to ask Governours know what is fit for them to give By granting the desired relaxation the Church would not as some alledge be self-condemned as confessing the unlawfulness of her injunctions or as justifying the Opinions of the Dissenters For it can signifie from her no more than either her indulgence to the weak or her moderation in things less necessary and more controverted which would not turn to her reproach but to her greater justification I have
such Persons have fallen as were otherwise worthily esteemed in the Church Cyril with the greater number of Bishops in the Ephesine Council too rashly deposed John of Antioch and his Party of Bishops upon a quarrel that arose between them And John with his Adherents returning to Antioch did more rashly depose Cyril and his Party and yet both Parties were Orthodox and in the issue joyned in the Condemnation of Nestorius But the most remarkable instance in this kind is the disorderly and injurious proceeding of so venerable a Person as Epiphanius against so worthy a Person as Chrysostom to which he was stirred up by the instigation of that incendiary Theophilus of Alexandria The said Epiphanius goes to Constantinople and in the Church without the City held a sacred Communion and Ordained a Deacon and when he had entred the City in a publick Church he read the Decree made by himself and some others in the condemnation of Origens Books and excommunicated Dioscurus and his Brethren called the long Monks worthy and Orthodox men persecuted by the Anthromorphites And all this he did without and against the consent of Chrysostom the Bishop of the Place and in contempt of him I may further instance in the long continued division between Paulinus and Meletius with their Parties at Antioch though both of them were of the Nicene Faith likewise in the long continued Separation made from the Church of Constantinople by the followers of Chrysostom after his banishment because they were exasperated by the injuries done to their worthy Patriarch These weaknesses in good men of old times I observe not to dishonour them but that we may be thereby warned to be more charitable and less censorious towards one another in case of the like weaknesses and disorders and to be sollicitous to maintain Peace and to prevent discord among all those that are united in the substantials of Christian Faith and Practice and for this end to be more carefull in avoiding unreasonable oppositions unwarrantable impositions and all causless exasperations True Holiness is the basis of true Unity For by it the Faithfull cleave to God and one to another in him and for him and are inclined to receive one another on those terms on which God hath received them all And by it they are turned from that dividing selfishness which draws men into several or opposite ways according to their several or opposite ends Let not a carnal wordly Interest in a Church state be set up against Holiness and Unity Let the increase and peace of the Church visible be sought in order to the increase and peace of the mystical Let no one Party be lifted up against the common Peace of sound Believers and let not any part of the legitimate Children of Christs Family be ejected or harassed upon the instigation of others but let the Stewards in the Family carry it equally and so gratifie one part in their desired Orders that the other part be not oppressed Let not them be still vexed who would be glad of tolerable terms with their Brethren In Church-Governours let the power of doing good be enlarged and the power of doing hurt restrained as much as will stand with the necessary ends of Government Let the Discipline of the Church commend it self to the consciences of men Let the edge of it be turned the right way and its vigor be put forth not about little formalities but the great and weighty matters of Religion Zeal in substantials and charitable forbearance in circumstantials is the way to gain upon the hearts of those that understand the true ends of Church-government and what it is to be Religious indeed Let the occasions of stumbling and snares of division be taken out of the way and let controverted unnecessaries be left at liberty Discord will be inevitable where the terms of concord remain a difficulty insuperable The Conscientious that are willing to bid high for Peace cannot resign their consciences to the wills of men and humility and soberness doth not oblige them to act contrary to their own judgments out of reverence to their Superiors they cannot help themselves but their Superiors may T is the Spirit of Antichrist that is fierce and violent but the Spirit of Christ is dovelike meek and harmless and that Spirit inclines to deal tenderly with the consciences of Inferiours Tenderness of conscience is not to be despised or exposed to scorn because some may falsly pretend to it The Head of the Church and Saviour of the Body is compassionate towards his Members and he hath said Whoso shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me it were better for him that a milstone were hanged about his neck and that he were drowned in the depth of the Sea As the way of unity lies much in the wisdom equity and charity of Superiours so in the humility and due submission of Inferiours in their ready closing with what is commendable in the publick constitutions in their bearing with what is tolerable in making the best improvement of what is therein improvable for their own and others Edification in a word in denying no compliance which piety towards God and charity towards men doth not forbid Matters of publick injunction which Inferiors stick at may be considered by them either as in themselves unlawfull or as inexpedient Now it is not only or chiefly the inexpediency of things commanded but the supposed unlawfulness of divers of those things that the Nonconformists generally stick at whereof they are ready to render a particular account when it will be admitted Howbeit a question may arise about the warrantableness of submission to things not in themselves unlawfull but inexpedient especially in respect of scandal the solution whereof may be requisite for the clearing of our way in such things Upon this question it may be noted That in those cases wherein there is no right of commanding there is no due of obedience Nevertheless things unwarrantably commanded are sometimes warrantably observed though not in obedience yet in prudence as to procure Peace and to shew a readiness to all possible compliance with Superiors Moreover Rulers have no authority to command that which in it self is not unlawfull when Christian charity forbids to do it in the present circumstances by reason of evil consequents For all authority is given for Edification and not for Destruction Likewise our Christian liberty includes no Licence to do that act at the command of Rulers the doing of which in regard of circumstances is uncharitable But here it must be considered how far the law of charity doth extend in this case and when it doth or doth not forbid my observance of what the Ruler hath unwarrantably because uncharitably commanded True charity doth not wholly destroy Christian Liberty though it regulates the use thereof and it doth not extend it so far one way as to destroy it self another way If I am bound up from doing every indifferent thing at