puto verisimile arbitramur till he came in with a scio And though I know not as much as Gregory this I may presume to know the place in Saint Paul wracked so often to confesse a purgatory may be applyable to it being a building of hay and stubble and have the charity to believe the foundation laid in Christ faith in him and love of him the ground-work though in the superstructure may be some light aery phantasms stubble and straw which in the day of tryall shall vanish yet he shall be saved so as by fire through or out of fire drosse vanishes but gold shall abide the fiery tryall in the day of the Lord. Sect. 27. Rogula fidei una omnino est sola illa immobilis irreformabilis according to Tertullian and if your Occham is to be credited nec tota Ecclesia nec concilium generale nec summus Pontâ—fex potest facere articuluÌ„qui non fuit articulus c. Therefore if any thing be fundamentall after the Church defines it must be fundamentall before for deductions are not prime and native principles nor superstructures foundations that which is a foundation to all cannot vary to different Christians in regard of it selfe for then it could not be a common rule to any nor could the souls of men acquiesce on a tottering foundation a trice foundation as common to all must be firm unto all in which sense the articles of Christian Faith are fundamentall and not what men please to define for as Irenaeus quum enim una eadem fides sit neque is qui multum de ipsà dicere potest plus quam oportet dicit nec qui parum ipsam minuit if every thing defin'd by the Church be fundamentall in the faith the Churches definition would be the Church-foundation and so by consequence the the Church could lay her own foundation and the Church have an absolute and perfect being before her foundation laid If the too preposterous zeal of the Roman Church since she grew to her in controlable greatnesse had not rashly determined those things to be matter of belief which for many centuries pass'd onely for pious opinions Christendom might have serv'd God in an holy fire of zeal and spirituall fervency which now sacrifices myriads of souls to Belial in the flames of contention what a sight is it to see writers committed together by the ears for trifling ceremonies and beggarly distinctions tanquam pro aris focis incens'd none are affrighted at their noises and loud brayings under Asses skins scioli and smatterers in Divinity onely busie in the skirts and outsides of learning and yet will admit no salvation but by a compliance with their vertiginous pates wise men should know as the body hath certain diseases that are with lesse evill tolerated then remov'd as to cure a Leprosie with the blood of a child so it is better a triviall error should dilate it self then children of the Church should perish while some error may be disseminated with lesse inconvenience then discover'd the use which wise men should make of other mens lapses is to avoid a precipice and the advantage pious men should make of these great flaws in Christianity is not to joyn with them that make them nor to help to dislocate these main bones in the body which disjoynted cannot be set Sect 28. The uncharitable dealings of Christians with Christians cannot induce me to bee uncharitable to any I must believe with St. Hierom Haeretici fiunt non quod Scripturas contemnunt sed quod non intelligunt it is ignorance and not the contempt is the cause of most if not all of our separations The Sheba's of separation all the Trumpeters of sedition may alarm the rabble that brainless horse to battel to trample down order and break the rankes discipline with a separate your selves from Idols curse you Meroz curse you bitterly What society hath light with darknesse Come out of Babylon my people with a hundred such places of Scripture rack'd and by an invention witty in cruelty tortur'd to confesse something may patronize their black designes wringing blood even out of the Gospell of peace Which have as little relation to Christian societies as a Lo here is Christ Lo there go not out after them rack'd so frequently to confesse them Antichrists who correspond not to the whimzies of every phanatique denoting such as Judas Theudas Arthronges and Barchosba Impostors who pretended to be Messiasses sent for the delivery of the Jews out of the hands of the Romans and if it was possible would deceive the Elect the Jewish Christians which are forewarn'd but as the Calvinists it is impossible for them to be deceived who are the Elect and as the Romanist who are in their Church the treasury of all truth cannot be deceived But if the Elect can scarce be saved what shall become of the ungodly if the Christian Jew who washed with Christs blood speaks better things then that of Abels what will become of them against whom it cries worse then that did against Cain while they themselves could cry Let it be upon us and ours if the Elect as the Papist the Catholick with all his indulgengencies masses rosaries and abstinences can scarce be saved what will become of those who are out of the Communicative line of Gods mercy his Ark City our holy Apostolick and Catholick Church If the Elect as Fiduciaries they that can believe they shall bee saved can scarce believe it so strongly but that an intervening scruple of an obstreperous Conscience may damn them what will become of a Papist who believes in a God of wood a God of bread who saies wee can have no assurance since by faith we are saved thus the stream of life is made the puddle of phanatick interpretations while all like the Tyrant who fitted wretches to his bed hack maim and mutilate or stretch and tenter the Scripture to adequate them to inhumane purposes and Heaven it selfe must admit no room beyond the capacities of their empty noddles Vain fuellers fit onely to feed the flames of contention out of whose embers are even rais'd combusti Sect. 29 Though Heaven gates be narrow I cannot believe them so strait as most sects would make them should I not believe one lie with the Fiduciary or many with the Pontifician not easily induc'd to believe heaven the purchase of fonder imaginations Charity would perswade me it is even a receptacle to those whose uncharitable opinions have mutually condemned and secluded each the other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The practice of our lives not tongues must make us Christians wee must be rather so by entring into imitation of Celestiall virtues then curious inquiries May we flourish in verity which is the root in humility which is the flower and well doing which is the fruit of the tree of life Sect. 30. Those aëry mysteries which have unhinged so many Cardinall heads shall not extend my Pericranium
There can be no cause to make a schisme or separation from the whole Church for the whole Church cannot universally erre in faith for if it could it would cease to be holy neither can all the members of the militant Church erre either in the whole or an Article of faith if they could there could be no union betwixt the head and members and so no body no Church The Church of the Elect is in the Church of them that are called and the invisible Church in the visible or else the invisible Church is tyed to no duty of Christianity for all such duties are required of the Church and performed as 't is visible and consequently if the whole Church of the Elect cannot erre in fundamentalls the whole visible Church cannot erre in which the Elect is 'T is manifest out of Saint Austin ipsa est Ecclesia quae intra sagenam dominicam cum malis piscibus natat grana sunt inter illam paleam quandâ— area cum videretur tota palea putabatur There are bad fish in the net of the Lord from which there must be ever a separation in heart and manners but a corporall separation must be expected at the sea-shore in the end of the world And as the spirit of a man doth not quicken any member of the body but as it is united to it so neither doth the Spirit of God any member of the Church but being united in the bond of peace Sect. 73. I have weakened the lights of my body to introduce knowledge by by these windowes of my soule lost my selfe to finde others to magnifie my age I will not boast I have outlived Emperours Popes If he lives only long who lives well I am the shortest liver I have served twice Jacobs time to a more deceitfull Master then Laban an impious world young in years old in folly a Labyrinth riddle bubble nothing The reward of Jacobs servitude was blessed mine cursed could produce only spotted actions checquer'd with the guilt of my own black imaginations who have been carried about with the air of my own phancy that I might not be transported with the wind of every phanaticks error discompos'd my fortune to settle my mind Amicus Plato amicus Socrates sed Magis amâ—ca veritas If truth be not more my friend then any one my memory can challenge a familiar acquaintance with I may modestly presume my selfe destitute of any while I have moved upon quick-silver and wheâ—l'd upon the incertainties of giddy chance a Polypire Ephorine and Philaetic become all with all not that I might gain others with the Apostle or gain of others wiâ—h the world but gain my selfe And though this itch of my curiosity may produce bad blood by exasperating malignant humours yet I shall skin my own sores over by so good a conversation and by no rash exposures of aliene sores to the ayre I shall endanger the wranckling of any into male-content I shall not relinquish my part in our elder Brothers legacy the love that Christ bequeath'd us for the greatest of Mundan inheritances for if my barns were full my soul could not take her ease should I disease my brother I might fear with a Thou fool hac nocte in the night of error illuminated by no beam of Gods grace and mercy from a darker action to be cast into a darker dungeon for having no mercy on him for whom the light in darknesse rose I would snatch a Brother out of the fire with fear and trembling and not commit to flames with rigour and malice The Spanish devotion shall prescribe no rule to mine who hang'd up thirteen Indians to the honour of Christ and his twelve Apostles Sect. 74. I am not of the Tyrants minde oderint dum metuant as I would incurre no mans hate so I would lend an occasion to no mans fear since invention witty in cruelty should not wrack a confession that may prejudice another I would not endanger a Priests life to save mine own Bellum cum vitiis Pax cum hominibus is my motto I hate no Sect but pray for all that like Sampsons Foxes divided by the heads they may not be tyed together by the tails in the country they reside to raise a combustion or Snake-like return a sting for entertainment and can wonder that the twilight of nature and noctiluce of reason in Heathens should out-shine the Sun-beams of the Gospell in Christians while History presents us with an Aristodes a Phocion and Themistcoles who though their bodies suffered by an Ostracism would not exile out of their minds that piety which was due even to an ingratefull Country One asked What he would wish to his country for their ingratitude answered Never to want an Aristides The second commanded his sons to forget their Fathers injuries and the third dyed rather then he would revenge his own and could wish the Athenian Legislator might even prescribe a Law to Christians who for blindnesse returned light who instead of retaliating the losse of an eye administred light to the Author by opening the eyes of his understanding Sect. 75. I would convince by reason make no conviction by Law make a confiscation of error not goods though I seek not their goods but the good of their souls Persecution is a seeds-time of error as well as of truth The Norfolk Arian could laugh at the stake and though none can dye well who live not so no one can live so ill as cannot dye desperately The old Roman humour of braving death sleeps not with Paganisme Rome hath still her Scaevola's dare court the flames and have a hand in every combustion no part of the earth can make a breach for which they can want a Curtius who to make it up will not ingulph himselfe in misery Some with Augustus can die in a complement more with Tiberius in dissimilation No Priest but Galba-like will offer his neck with a feri si ere sit populi Romani while with Vespasian they can smile with an ut puto Deus fio A Garnet may be Sainted even for a powder plot And some resembling Otho's friends wil die for society while they like him murder themselves under pretence of being publick victims Sect. 76. I would bring tears to quench rather then fewell to the flames not cause others to be disembowelled but could even disbowell my selfe by an inviscerate dilection Show excrementatam liquidiora tam crassiora non solùm pectoris sed religionis anatomiam To reclaim these Traitors to reason who believe heaven can side with factions and omniscience cannot discover these disguises of charity He who commands us to let our light so shine before men that they may glorifie our heavenly Father commands us not to light men for his glory And though he whom we must pattern was a light in darknesse in usum nocturni luminis Nero like non proponit cremandos Christianos These fires may show hell flames but to show a way
wouldst thou deny me that in my Empire thou admirest in a Garden am not I Emperor of them all Sect. 36. I can joyn prayers with a Papist if his be offensive to God mine may bee pleasing can hear a French Hugonot with his hat on uncover'd receive with a Dutchman kneeling while he uses the irreverence of his breech yet separated in my charity from neither nor would I be in my mode rather then scandalize any it is no lesse then phrensey for the misposition of a trencher to refuse a banquet or be ingrateful to an Host. Nay I could take an Host with a Romanist as well as a Wafer with a Calvinist If he believes a reall body I believe not lesse in energy a Communion of the body and blood of Christ a participation by every reception of his merits and passion and the virtues really communicated to a worthy receiver Sect. 2. It hath been ever thought convenient saith Saint Gregory that there should bee in unitate fideid versa Consuetudo that eating of meaâ—s offer'd to Idols totally restrained the Churches of Syria and Cilicia seem'd permitted to the Church of Corinth if no man challeng'd it and that which was urg'd upon the Corâ—nthians was not impos'd upon the Galatians to show every one is oblig'd to observe the rites of his own Church lest they come under the Anathema of contentious and turbulent yet this inhibited not that Saint Paul might become all to all that he might gain some and who will gain any to Christianity must not play at petty games in Religion adhere to Bonatus his humor confine truth to places as if she loved corners or as if the Church which resembles the Moon could like Mahomets Moon be brought down to show tricks in a sleeve the good Monica Saint Austines Mother who bath'd the Leprosie of her Son in a Jordan of tears ut non potuit perire tantarum lachrymarum filius was content to relinquish her African customes at Milan They who have gigg'd to Geneva for platforms and Rome for Trinchets have brought home matter to fewel-contention none to kindle zeal May none follow exotick forms here a Spanish garb is ridiculous with us and the English mode reputed an affront in Spain No wise man will be angry if in his travells he meets modes not corresponding with his humour and he is mad who returning will keep none company without they pluck down their house and rebuild them to the modell of his phancy who taylor-like travells to dresse Apes Sect 38. The Religion of our Souls must imitate the reason of our bodies which in the processe of years may evolve and explicate their numbers but the bodies are one and the same there is nothing produc'd in the maturity of age which did not latitate in the minority of children yet who would endeavour to fit the clothes and shooes of puerility to a gygantick foot or body The apparell of Christs Spouse is her rites time and place may produce as great a variety in her fashions as in the worlds garb of clothes and modes of the world though some may adorn more none alters the constitution of the body it would be a mad humour in the Spaniard to commence a quarrell because the shorter wiskers of another Nation upbraided his mustachio's Or the French with the Spanish 'cause the constancy of their habits might seem in derision of their levity or both with a Nation which was servile to the phancy of neither Those great Calciners of Religion and reducers to the Primitive patterns need nothing above their own examples to condemn them They must joyn with the Levellers in a Communion baptize in Rivers with the Anabaptist make life a pennilesse pererration with the Franciscan may spend both oyl and labour dawb but not cure bodies like the Apostles have regard to washing of feet yet continually be defiled in their waies Confine themselves to Sandals say who use shooes are shod with iniquity and walk in the footsteps of the ungodly since they recede from the primitive pattern and call this recession Apostacy or lean upon one the other at the Lords Supper and lie down at the Table and take it after Supper The same things are not decent at all times babes milk is unfit for ripeâ—age and the nurses Gibrish an undecent cialect for a Tutor the stones of the foundation unfit for roof or walls Our Master builder Christ employed tongues Prophets Prophetesses Evangelists his not still employing bids us acquiesce while his silence exacts ours which not assented to introduces nothing but a profitlesse clamour causelesse malice and endlesse contention The Apostles which were forbid to carry mony in their girdles had afterward a Judas with a bag and the prohibition of clubs and staves was not so strict a rule but that a Peter was found with a sword Howsoever the Novati an Bishops â—rr'd they could not erre in the Canon of indifferency for if Anselm is to be believ'd the multitude of ceremonies is so farre from infringing as they commend the unity of the Church while all believe in one Christ. In the Primitive Church somefasted one day some two some more other forty howers computing day and night In Italy some abstain'd forty daies others us'd abstinence twenty others seven daies in relation to the creation and some forty houres in relation to the forty daies our Saviour fasted And if Socrates is to be believed nor Gospels nor Apostles impos'd observation of daies but the liberty was referred to the Church The Church of Rome and the African distributed Sacramentall bread the Alexandrian Church permitted the people to take it Africk and Rome mixt wine with water and colder Regions drank it pure See the contentions about Easter till the Roman victor overcame all but never could subdue the opinion of a proud Prelate and a disturber of the Churches tranquillity Some lifted up their hands to heaven as if they intended a pious violence some their feet quast in coelum podibus ire others threw themselves prostrate as if they intended a rebound some cast their eyes up as if through those windowes they would let our their souls unto their Redeemer some fix'd their eyes upon the ground by contemplation of earth to have an introspection into their own unworthinesse some beat their breasts as if they would dislodge sin and open a dore to their hearts for the King of glory to enter Since the love of God is linked with our neighbour he who uncharitably condemns him may lose the link of his own salvation May none that pretend to the name of Christians through the faintnesse of the constitution of their Religion moulder into sects or through the brittlenesse of their phancies crumble into division and then like a heard of silly animals make a noise and please themselves with the noise they make yet know no reason why they make it But