shall receive everlasting life and then added This is the Sum of my Faith other additaments which Ignorance and Corruption have superinduc'd into Christianity I simply refuse beseeching God to Purge his Church c. And in the simplicity of this Faith saith the Author he liv'd and dy'd Rex arbitratur rerum absolute necessariarum ad salutem non Magnum esse Numerum nullam ad Concordiam breviorem viam fore quà m si diligenter separentur Necessaria à non Necessariis â—t de Necessariis conveniat omnis opera insumatur In non Necessariis libertati Christianae locus detur Simpliciter Necessaria Rex uppeâ—â—at quae vel expresse Verbum Dei praecipit credenda faciendare vel ex Verbo Dei necessariâ consequentiâ Verus Ecclesia elicuit Si haec diffinctio adhiberetur at Jus Divinum à Positivo seu Ecclesiastico candide separetur non videtur de Necessariis longa contentio futura King James Isaac Casaub in Epistola ad Card Peron Regis Jac. nomine scripta a much Greater Person before him by the Pen of Isaac Casaubon spake the same that the things absolutely necessary to Salvation are but few Mr. Chillingworth a Person of Note whose Book against Knot was Licens'd by the Professors of Divinity at Oxford sets that Passage in the Front of it The Prot. Relig. a safe way to Salvation at Oxford 1638. §. 30. §. 43. and in his Epistle to the King calls it a Blessed Doctrine and in his Preface saith All things necessary to Salvation are evidently contain'd in the Scripture and that there 's no Conclusion in the whole Fabrick of his Discourse that is not naturally deducible out of it And that he that believes the Scripture sincerely and endeavours to believe it in the true sence cannot possibly be a Heretick and if no more than this was requir'd of any Man to make him capable of Christian Communion then all Men so qualified tho' different in Opinion be of necessity one in Communion And Men shall find this not only a better but the only means to suppress Heresie and restore Unity And in his Answer to Knot 's Preface §. 12. that to say that Christians of different Persuasions and Communions such as hold all those things that are simply necessary to Salvation may obtain Pardon for the Errors wherein they die ignorantly by a general Repentance is so far from being a ground of Atheism as Knot said that to say the contrary is to cross in Diameter a main Article of our Creed and to overthrow the Gospel of Christ Dr. Stillingfleet having Cited with applause Irenicum ann 1662. Part 1. Ch. 6. §. 6. a large Passage of Mr. Hales concerning Schism saith The Primitive Church was very large in their Foundation and proposed only the main Truths in great simplicity and charg'd not People with loads of Articles as in latter Ages and much less would burthen Men with imposing doubtful Practices upon them as a ground of Church Communion St. Augustin saying the Rule of Faith is common or fit both for the Weak and Strong And he goes upon this Principle in his Defence of Arch-Bishop Laud's Book Multitudes of places to this effect might be Cited out of Dr. Owen Mr. Baxter and many other of the Non-Conformists as would it hurt Kings or Souls to have all Christians hold their Unity and Communion just on the terms they did under St. Peter and St. Paul c. The Nature of Religion in 3 Discourses put out by Mr. R. Baxter Anno 1684. Our Famous and Judicious Judge Hales to add no more says Religion is plain and easie to be known is best in its Simplicity and Purity but is hard to be kept from Corruption by additions which choak and stifle it This is done by the Subtleties of the Schools by turning Religion into Politick Contrivances for Wealth and Power and by Contests about Church-Government and Ceremonies so as to lay the weight of Religion on them c. To this are added the Testimonies of Sir Francis Bacon and of Dr. Isaac Barrow Many sayings that pass current amongst all Attest this as in necessariis Unitas in Adiaphoris libertas in Utrisque Charitas c. But it 's needless to add more Scriptures Reasons or Authorities for this It 's certain therefore that all that believe the great necessary Truths hold Christ the Head and obey His Great Commands are true Members of Christs Universal Church and shall be Saved though they be Ignorant or Erronious in many Useful things For their Works may be burnt and they suffer loss but they shall be Saved yet so as by Fire And those that would Build the Church of God indeed and thereby do good to the World must keep their Eyes strongly fixed on this large Foundation of it in Faith and Love because the Blindness of many which yet goes under the Name of Zeal and Knowledg is such that instead of it they have laid Narrow and False Ones some by adding many things as Necessary that are not found in Scripture or are contrary to it or but their Nice Disputes of things mentioned in it and others by Imposing many Useful Truths as Necessary and Excluding all that own them not And this main Truth may be greatly abused as it hath been * As the Naked Gospel seems to do while it pretends to enlarge Charity and explode Imposition Some its like may press it to make the Foundations so large as to set up a new Heathenism and make Christ our Saviour in effect needless or to lay aside many excellent Truths now owned among us and privily to bring in damnable Heresies that overthrow the Foundation But we are firmly to cleave to it because it 's a most certain Truth and of the greatest Consequence if well minded to build up the Church of God For From hence it plainly follows First That if all who Believe and Obey the Necessary Truths of the Gospel are Members of the Universal Church of God then no Particular Churches may require such Persons to profess and own divers other Useful Truths to the end they may be received into Communion with them Many believe they may and ought to propose many Profitable Truths to such as Necessary Conditions of their Communion with them and will bring many Plausible reasons for it But it 's clear by the former Principle they may not For if they be true Members of Christ's Church though they do not know or own those Truths why should those Truths be pressed upon them to make them Members of such a Church or Churches in Particular Part 1. Ch. 2. § 3.4.5 c. Shall they Exclude those that Christ receives This is Evil and causes great Divisions Dr. Stillingfleet in his Defence of Arch Bishop Laud builds much on this that only the Truths that are necessary to be believed in order to Salvation are necessary to believed as to Church Communion Ob.
Mercy though we press after all Truth make us large and wise in both and to Practise this which hath been owned by many but observed by few Thirdly Hence it follows that the true Unity of the Church lies not in Uniformity as many through Custom or Interest strongly imagine For the true Unity of Christians lies in their Hearts and Souls the multitude of the Believers were of one Heart and Soul and all that believe and obey the Great things of Christ Acts 4.32 are truly United to him and to each other tho' they differ in useful things taught by Christ and much more if in unnecessary things impos'd only by Men And the Apostles pressed not Uniformity in outward Rites but this inward Unity one Spirit one Lord one Faith one Baptism one God and Father of all who is above all Eph. 4.4 5 6. John 17.21 and through all and in you all And Christ our Lord whose Prayers were always heard prayed that his Followers might be one which was never granted if their Oneness lie in outward Uniformity 'T were well if only some Fops said there can be no Unity without Uniformity in lesser Things Many Great and Worthy Persons stick too much in that Conceit notwithstanding the Clear Demonstration to the contrary But Unity in them is none of the Fundamentals nor hath Christ laid our Unity on them which are so many that Men would never agree in them Besides many Churches that had true Unity had divers Forms of outward Administrations and so may have yet Socr. l. 5. c. 2â— Soz. l. 7. c. 29. Spond anno 633. n. 10. and Uniformity in Worship was but late brought in In Spain not 'till the year 633 in the Fourth Council of Toledo and in many Kingdoms to this day and among the Romanists themselves there are varieties of Rites and Customs tho' they agree in the main and divers Orders of their Religious to whom People of all sorts resort are exempted from the Bishops Further People may have great Uniformity and no Unity They may sit together in the same Church say the same words and use the same gestures and yet have their hearts full of Malice and Enmity and usually the bitterest Enemies of true Religion and Godliness are most earnest for a Unity in needless Ceremonies and formalities It sticks much with many that there can be no Decency or Order without Uniformity in Ceremonies 1 Cor. 14.33.40 and that those who obey them not are Contentious and go against the Custom of the Churches of God But this cannot prevail against a clear Demonstration It 's certain all things must be done Decently and in Order Nature teaches this tho' St. Paul had not mention'd it But cannot things be so done without a great many needless Commands of Men Cannot Baptism be decently and in order Administred without the sign of the Cross or the Lord's Supper without Kneeling or a Surplice What if some will stand with their faces towards the East some otherwise and most with their Eyes towards the Minister that Officiates Luke 4.20 as Nature seems to teach All sorts are for Order and Decency and Believe God is not the Author of Confusion but of Peace But it 's said they that obey not such Orders are Contentious and go against the Custom of the Churches of God 1 Cor. 11.5.13.16 Not so but they that needlesly impose them are Contentious and go against the Custom of the Apostle and the best Churches that impos'd no such things And the Custom there mention'd for Women to have their Faces not their Heads only covered was a laudable thing in the Judgment of all and the contrary to it seem'd then to be even against Nature as well as against the Mind of the Apostle * Tertul. de veland virginibus c. 17. quae si fuerit in pectore cognoscetur in capite faeminarum And if any of the things pressed now by some were of that Nature they would be very Contentious that would not obey them And therefore all true Protestants at home and abroad for to be sure they hold the Fundamentals are one and have a true Unity tho' otherwise they differ in many things and to their shame quarrel too Which is a wonderous Comfort to all good Men that bewail these Contentions and labour to have them more United Fourthly It follows hence plainly that none may endeavour by Craft or Force to Root out and Destroy those that Build on the large and true Foundation if they err in useful Truths or will not joyn with them in the solemn Worship of God or at least not constantly but only some times And they sin yet more that set themselves chiefly to destroy those that seem most seriously to Build on the true Foundation of Faith and Holiness For if such be true Christians and Members of Christs Universal Church and ought to be Cherished and Received into Particular Churches without having other useful Truths much less unnecessary things imposed on them then for certain they may not be destroyed by Vexations Fines Imprisonments Dragoonings or Death Those that are true Christians by Profession much more if in reality though they Err are to be cherished by Particular Churches and not to be so used Especially when our Holy Religion is not to be Propagated by Force or Violence nor even Hereticks and Schismaticks as many hold are to be proceeded against in that manner but only by Spiritual Censures and Weapons Fifthly It follows hence That this and other Nations cannot be happy unless we Build on larger Foundations than we have done and more than most of the Lutherans or Calvinists and others of the Reformation have hitherto done The Misery of these parts of the World formerly and to this day comes in a great measure by going against this plain Truth All generally run upon this that there can be no Union or Quiet unless we agree almost in all useful Truths taught by Christ nay and in all things too appointed only by Men And the hands of many who have Eminently owned this great Truth have been chief in this Trespass as King James Arch Bishop Laud and others The Romanists have mightily darkned and opposed this great Truth and few of us are yet throughly freed from those Principles wherewith they have long corrupted the World And Dr. Henry Moore spake not much amiss though he was sharply Censured for it by Dr. Beaumont when he said His Apollogy added to his Mystery of Iniquity 1664. our Church is not quite emerged out of the general Apostacy and that the Reformers having separated from the great Babylon have Built less and more tolerable ones but not to be tolerated for ever And it will be the glorious Work of great Princes to cause the Publick Constitutions about Religion in their Dominions to be large and good and such as a great Part of the Holiest and best Christians may not be Excluded and Trampled upon but
taken in and Encouraged But because all lies not on those that have Power to impose but much also upon Private Christians Sixthly Hence also it follows plainly That Persons and Churches that are better than others are to own others if Built on the true Foundation for true Christians and Churches and those that are worse than others are to own those for true Christians and Churches that are better than they and to love them as such Some perhaps will say yes if they be in different Kingdoms but not if they be in the same But why not though in the same Kingdom Who made the distinction Seventhly That Persons and Churches Built upon the large and true Foundation of Faith and Love are to strive to hold Communion one with another The stronger and better with those that are weaker and the weaker with those that are better It 's a great Errour to think we may separate for every cause as the Jews did in their Divorces and that there 's no true way of Reforming but by Separateing Therefore they do ill that will not Communicate with Churches where they lawfully may at least sometimes and they do yet worse that will hold no Communion with the best Churches where the best Doctrine Worship and Spiritual helps for Souls are Eighthly That Persons and Churches that own others for true Churches may be oblig'd not to hold Communion with them in the Publick Worship of God at least not constantly Not at all because such Churches may practice things that are unlawful and make them the Conditions of their Communion or Persons may think such things unlawful which are not and while their Errour continues they cannot joyn with them without going against their Conscience Not constantly because such Churches may use many needless inconvenient and suspicious things tho' they that dissent will not say they are absolutely unlawful or may stick in their weaker beginnings or go backward and deny them the use of those Spiritual means which Christ hath given for the promoting their Salvation Ninthly That there may be true Christian Love between those who do not hold Publick Communion with one another because they may both be built on the true Foundation of Faith and Love And it 's a fond imagination to which yet many are too subject to think that those that will not joyn with them cannot love them or that we must needs want love to those we cannot joyn with To think so is a great mistake See Dr. Owen of Evangelical Love disown'd by all Sober Persons and a cursed Root of bitterness and I fear defiles many 'T is a sad thing to see this in so many and is a sign that most build their Religion more upon lesser things wherein the Life of it lies not than on those main things wherein it lies If any say this will cast out Discipline and many choice Truths of Christ and introduce Erroneous Rotten Doctrines I say it will not for tho' People that are weak and disorder'd may be true Christians and Churches it hinders not but that others may and ought to seek after Discipline and Truth and grow in the ways of God And they do ill whoever they are that shall hinder this And a great part of the Evil and Misery of the World lies here To clear these Things yet more fully If the Church of God be built upon such a large Foundation it plainly follows First That they Err greatly that make every useful Truth to be a Fundamental one and they much more that make their Great Errours to be of the Foundation on which the Church is built The Romanists do so by their Creed of the Council of Trent affirming none can be Saved that own it not And they also that set up Opinions of their own to be Fundamental as those do that hold Diocesan Episcopacy and Ordination by it so necessary that there can be no true Church nor Sacraments nor Salvation in an ordinary way without it and whoever else among us that make any of their Opinions so absolutely necessary Secondly They Err greatly that hold all great Errors to be Damnable Heresies and all sinful Divisions to be Damnable Schisms Thirdly They Err greatly that say People are Baptiz'd into a Particular Church or Party and that therefore they forsake their Baptism if at any time they cease to Worship God with that Church or joyn with any other For we are all Baptiz'd into the Faith of Christ admitted into the Universal Church that 's built on this large Foundation and by one Spirit Baptized into one Body 1 Cor. 12.13 But are there any that say so I wish there were not Fourthly From hence it follows that it 's a Great Sin to confine the Church of God to any one Party of Christians whatsoever and cast off others from belonging to it Many are much inclin'd to impropriate Christ to their Party Mead on Ezek. 37. v. 19. as it 's said the Donatists of old did but we must not Unsaint the whole World to Consecrate our own way and they Err greatly that set up particular Churches in opposition to others and so as to disown other particular Churches that are true parts of the Universal Many are apt to destroy God's Invisible Church by their Disputes about the Visible which was appointed for the good of it and to destroy many particular Visible Churches by their strange Notions of Particular or National Churches Fifthly that those of the Church of England that will never joyn in Worship with the Dissenters on the one hand and those Dissenters on the other hand that will never joyn with them act against the plain light of this great Truth And thus many that differ most in other things agree in this Dividing Principle and are great hinderers of the Peace and Edification of the Church amongst us The Non-Conformists are accused that they perswade People not to go to the Publick Churches This is very untrue of most of them But it 's most certain that abundance of the Conformists make it their work to dissuade People from going to hear the Non-Conformists tho' unblameable in their Life and Doctrine and followers of Peace with them They do it publickly with much vehemence in their Sermons and privately in their Discourses Some of them say if any do they renounce their Baptismal Covenant some on their Death-Bed have solemnly engag'd some of their Relations never to hear any of the Dissenters and some of them have Preach'd in great Auditories that a Heathen may be Saved but that a Non-Conformist cannot not to mention other things And who then are the People that seek for Peace and who violently oppose it Sixthly Hence it follows not That If we may joyn with a Church sometimes we are bound to do so always Many build much upon this and that People sin greatly if they do not But this is a great Mistake For it follows not that what we may do sometimes we must