AN ANSWER TO SOME QUERIES CONCERNING SCHISM TOLERATION c. IN A LETTER To a Friend It was not long since that the Sins of Rebellion and Sacrilege were so Successful that they did not only cast off their old Names but commenc'd Vertues and it was dangerous to discourse whether there were such Sins or no Prosperous Wickedness has never wanted its Apologists who know how to call Evil Good and Good Evil. The case is almost the same concerning the Sin of Schism and Separation Long 's Epist to the Brethren before the Character of a Separatist An Vniversal Toleration is that Trojan Horse which brings in our Enemies without being seen and which after a long Seige they hope to bring in at last under the pretence of setting our Gates wide enough open to let in all our Friends Still Misch of Separation p. 58. I beseech you Brethren mark them who cause Divisions and Offences contrary to the Doctrine which ye have learned and avoid them Rom. 16. 17. London Printed in the Year MDCC AN ANSWER TO SOME QUERIES CONCERNING SCHISM TOLERATION c. In a LETTER to a Friend SIR I Receiv'd your Letter with some Queries but I cannot imagine what made you pitch upon me when you are acquainted with so many Learned men to Answer ' em But to let you see how willing I am to give you the best Satisfaction that I can I have here sent you the Opinions of some of our most Celebrated Episcopal Divines that out of them you may frame Answers to all your Queries And if you are not Satisfied with what I have Collected out of 'em you may have recourse to their Books your self If you say that the Authors I have quoted are but Private men and their Writings of no Authority I must Answer that most of their Books have past an Imprimatur or which by some is look'd upon as Tantamont The Approbation of the London Divines If you say further That their Practices have in some Cases contradicted their Principles I must say that that is nothing to me Let them look to that If their Principles be Sound and Orthodox that 's all that I desire let them Answer for their Practices As for the Preliminary Questions I have likewise taken the Answers to them out of the same Writers as you 'll find upon the perusal The first Question that you propose is this What is meant by the Church But before a distinct Answer can be given you must know that the word Church has various significations Sometimes 't is taken for the Place where people Assemble and sometimes for the People assembled Sometimes for the Whole Church including the Church Triumphant which is in Heaven as well as the Church Art 19. Militant or the Visible Church here on Earth Sometimes for the Catholick Church Representative or a General Council Sometimes for the Catholick Church Diffusive or the Whole Body of Christians Sometimes for the Church Vniversal Sometimes for a Particular Church c. Q. What is meant by the Church in General or the Catholick Church A. The Church Ecclesia among Christians in the largest use Dr. Loyd ' s Serm. on Acts 2. 42. of the word is the whole Multitude of Believers joyn'd together in One Body or Society under One Head Jesus Christ Or The Catholick Church is the Whole Church of Christ spread Bramhal's Just Vind. p. 23. abroad thro' the whole World Or The Vniversal Church is the Company of Christians Knit together Id. by the Profession of the same Faith and the Communion of the same Sacraments under the Government of Lawful Pastors By Catholick Church is meant the whole number of Christians Disc concerning the Cath. Ch. p. 2. in all Ages and Places admitted into the Church by Baptism and gather'd into Particular Churches under their respective Pastors and Bishops United to one another and to Christ their Head by the Profession of one Faith or Religion Q. What is meant by a Particular Church A. By a Particular Church is meant a Number of Men professing Vindic. of Ch. Eng. from Sch. p. 10. Christianity form'd into a Society under Lawful Governours and govern'd by such Laws and Rules as are not different from but Agreable to the Laws of the Catholick Church Q. What is meant by a National Church A. The whole Body of Christians in a Nation consisting of Stil unreason of Separ p. 299. the Pastors and People agreeing in that Faith Government and Worship which are Establisht by the Law of the Realm Q. What is meant by a Representative National Church A. The Representative Church of a Nation is the Bishops and Id. p. 300. Presbyters of the Church meeting together according to the Laws of the Realm to consult and advise about Matters of Religion Q. What is meant by the Church of England A. The Church of England is a Society of People which in Stil Misc of Separ p. 19. this Nation are united under the same Profession of Faith the same Laws of Government and Rules of Divine worship Or By the Church of England I understand that Body of Men Faith and Prac. of Ch. Eng. man c. 1. who as to Church Affairs are united together under the same Principal Church Officers the Bishops Priests and Deacons and Communicate with them and with one another in all Religious Offices according to the Liturgy and Orders of our Church Profess the Christian Faith according to the Ancient Creeds and the 39 Articles and are govern'd according to the Canons and Laws of this Church Or The Church of England is a Community consisting of profess'd Doct. of Sch. p. 42. Christians united in the same Government Doctrin and Worship according to the 39 Articles and Homilies Her Liturgy Canons and Laws and divided into Parochial Assemblies for the more Convenient worshipping of God Q. What is meant by a Diocesan Church A. The Notion of a Church by the ancient Canons was Stil Misch of Separ p. 29. the same with that of a Diocess or such a number of Christians as were under the Inspection of a Bishop Or A Church is the Body of Christians contain'd in a City and Thorndike's Weights and Measures p. 39. the Territory of it for the Government of such a one the respective Authority of the Apostles convey'd by the Overt Act of their Ordination was visibly vested in a Bishop in a number of Presbyters for his advice and assistance and in Deacons attending upon them and upon the executing their Orders Q. What is meant by a Parochial Church A. A Parochial Church is a Company of Christians united under the care of a Pastor in subordination to the Bishop of the Diocess Q. Wherein consists the Unity of the Church A. Ecclesiastical Unity consists in preserving all those Relations Ham. of Schism p. 508. wherein each member of the whole Church of Christ is concern'd one towards another and this Unity is either of
obstinate refusal to obey the Imposition of Lawful Bishops Id. p. 381. and Pastors makes Men Schismaticks Whosoever is a Member of any particular Church and refuses Vind. Ch. of Eng. from Sch. p. 22. Thorndike of forbear p. 15. all due Obedience to the Pastors and Governors thereof doth thereby contract the guilt of Schism As it is Heresy to depart from the Faith which they The Apostles Preached so is it Schism to depart from the Authority which they left in the Church till the Worlds end Whoever by virtue of any Authority under Heaven shall Usurp Ecclesiastical Id. Rights of the Ch. p. 278. Power shall Usurp the Succession of the Apostles and take it from them that Rightfully stand possest of it upon pretence of Governing the Church by such Laws as he is really perswaded but falsely to be commanded the Church by our Lord and his Apostles this whosoever shall do or be accessary to is guilty of Schism Suppose a Prosperous Usurper in this Kingdom had gain'd Vind. Ans to the Kings Papers p. 23. a considerable interest in it and challeng'd a Title to the whole and therefore requir'd of all the Kings Subjects within his power to own him to be Rightful King Upon this many of them are forc'd to withdraw because they will not own his Title Is this an Act of Rebellion and not rather of true Loyalty Schism in the Church is like Rebellion in the State There are some things immediately necessary to the Salvation Thorndike's Right of the Church p. 276. of particular Christians whether concerning Faith or Good Manners and there are other things necessary to the publick Order and Peace of the Church that by it Christians may be edify'd in all matters of the first kind The denying any point of the first kind may for distinction sake be call'd Heresie when a man is resolute and obstinate in it But in the other kind it is not false opinion that makes a man a Schismatick till he agree to destroy the Unity of the Church for it It can scarce fall out indeed that any man proceed to destroy the Unity of the Church without some false opinion in Christianity Yet it is not the opinion but the Destroying of a true or erecting of a false Power in the Church that makes Schism Whatever discouragments the Clergy have found they still Faith and Pract. Ch. Eng. Man c. 7. Preach up and perswade Loyalty to the King and by the Doctrine of Passive Obedience to Temporal Authority keep People from Rebellion notwithstanding they have been so often jeer'd and abus'd with it But yet out of modesty seldom insist on the Obedience that is due to the Church and Ecclesiastical Authority tho' there is as much obedience due to Her as even to the Church of Rome from her members Cath. Bal. p. 62. As the Faith which we have in the Principles of Christianity is the foundation of all Christian Graces in the Soul and the inner dispensation of Eternal life so is Episcopacy the Foundation of all visible Union and Government in the Ecclesiastical Body insomuch that were there no one Bishop left in the world the Integrity at least if not the very Essence of the Church would be destroy'd The summ of what has been cited upon this Query amounts to this viz. 1st That if any Church makes the terms of Her Communion sinful by framing new Articles of Faith or by imposing false Doctrines for true or by corrupting Divine Worship by Wicked Idolatrous or Blasphemous Prayers then she is Schismatical and those that Separate from her truly Catholick But if she imposes no false Doctrines nor no new Articles of Faith and enjoyns nothing in the service of God but what is innocent decent and tending to Edification then those that Separate from her are a Schismatical and she a Catholick Church 2ly If any Church disobey the Lawful Commands of their Spiritual Governors or throw off their Rightful and Canonical Bishops and Communicate with the Vsurpers and Intruders into their Sees they are Schismaticks 3ly If any wholly reject Episcopacy they destroy the very Foundation of Christian Vnity Q. Suppose there be more Bishops than one in a Diocess with which of them must the People Communicate A. Almost all Heresies and Schisms that have distracted the Vindic. of Prim. Ch. p. 308. Church have been no other than so many Defections of the discontented part of the Clergy and the more Pragmatical part of the Layety from their Rightful Bishop Non aliunde Haereses obortae Cypr. Ep. 55. sunt aut nata sunt Schismata quam inde quod Sacerdoti non obtemperatur Schisms and Heresies spring from no other cause than Disobedience to the Bishop Inde Haereses obortae sunt dum Episcopus Ep. 69. qui unus est Contemnitur All the disturbance of the Church is purely for want of observing that Precept of the Apostle Obey them that have the rule over you and submit your selves for they watch for your Souls as they that must give account i. e. Obey those that are Rightfully over you and submit to them not choosing your selves new Teachers and running after your own fancy which Ignatius seems to paraphrase as he is cited by Antiochus Let Ep. ad Smyrn the People assemble where the Bishop is present the Sheep ought not to go wandring whither they please but as the Shepherd leads them The People ought to follow the Directions of their Bishop and conclude what he orders to be most pleasing to God No City how great soever had more than one Bishop This Id. p. 502 is so well known that it would be great impertinence to go about to prove it by Instances and besides the Bishops of most Cities if not all had a considerable Territory belonging to their Jurisdiction which was commonly the Country lying round about their City In great Cities there was one chief Ecclesiastical Governor called Saywel of Vnits p. 43. Bishop to which all both Priests and People were subject and 't was Schism and no Communion to do any thing without his Allowance and Direction It was an inviolable Rule among them the Africans that Vnreason Separ p. 245. there was to be but one Bishop in a City tho' the City were never so large or the Christians never so many One of the greatest and most pernicious Schisms that ever Id. p. 240. happen'd might have been prevented if they had yielded to more Bishops than one in a City and that was the Schism of the Donatists The Novatian Schism began at Rome upon the like occasion To set up one Bishop against another is to set up Altar against Id. 249. Altar as that Phrase is commonly us'd in St. Cyprian and St. Austin Our Author Mr. Hales proves the Donatists in two lines to Long 's Ans to Hales of Sch. p. 107. be compleat Schismaticks 1st For choosing a Bishop in Opposition
to a former 2ly For erecting new places for the dividing party to meet in publickly He Mr. Hales says truly that all Meetings upon unnecessary Id. p. 180. occasions of Separation are to be stil'd Conventicles so that in this sense a Conventicle is nothing else but a Congregation of Schismaticks and he had before determin'd them to be Schismaticks that do choose a Bishop in Opposition to the former and that do erect a New Church and Oratory for the dividing party to meet in publickly The Laws and Customs of all Churches do condemn it for Saywel of Vn 193. Schismatical for a man to come into another Ministers charge c. The summ of what is cited on this Query is this that there ought to be but one Bishop in a Diocess or City that they that set up a Bishop in opposition to the Rightful Bishop and make separate Meetings setting up Altar against Altar are Schismaticks and therefore those that would avoid the guilt of Schism must constantly Communicate with the First and Rightful Bishop but never with the Intruder or his Adherents Q. Are the People that Communicate with Schismatical Bishops and Presbyters guilty of Schism A. A Schismatick is an impious Son which having contemn'd Ham. of Schism out of Ignatius the Bishops and forsaken the Priests of God dares constitute another Altar The Schismaticks are they that having left their Bishop set Doctr. of Schism p. 45. up for themselves abroad another false Bishop and all their Adherents are involv'd in the same guilt who joyn with the Schismaticks against their Bishops An essential part of our Communion with our Bishop Def. of Dr. St. p. 471. is to live in Communion only of those Presbyters who live in Communion of their Bishop that is who officiate by his Authority and are subject to his Directions and Orders This was a standing rule in Ignatius his time as is evident from his Epistles that Presbyters must do nothing in the Church but by the Bishop's consent or order and those who do are Schismaticks and those people who adhere to them in it partake in the guilt of their Schism c. 'T is notorious in all the Histories and Canons of the Church Saywel of Vnity p. 393. that never any more than One Bishop at a time was allowed in any of those great Cities Jerusalem Alexandria c. And if a Schismatick did sometimes creep in as the Novatians and Donatists did in troublesome times they were always condemn'd by the Church which did constantly maintain There ought to be but One Bishop in a City or Diocess and all Priests and Lay Persons ought to be govern'd by him To assemble and celebrate the Eucharist besides the Bishop's Thornd Prim. Gov. Ch. p. 117. appointment was then in St. Ignatius his time the due mark of a Schismatick If the Church unites upon Schismatical Principles whatever Sherl Ans to Anonym the Bishop does in pursuance of such Principles is the Act of the Church and if the Bishops be Schismaticks the Church is so too The Church is by St. Cyprian defin'd to be a People united to St. Cyprian their own Bishop and a Flock adhering to their own Pastor whence you may know the Bishop always to be in the Church and the Church to go along with the Bishop if therefore the Bishop be a Schismatick so must all the Flock that Communicate with him If any Presbyter contemning his own Bishop shall make a Long 's Ch. Sep. p. 85. Separate Congregation and erect another Altar his own Bishop not being condemn'd of any Irreligion or Injustice let him be depos'd as one that is Ambitious and a Tyrannical person and in like manner all that Adhere to him and let the Lay People be Excommunicated after the Bishops third Admonition He who submits to or complies with the manager of a Schism Falkner's Christian Loyalty p. 272. in his prosecution thereof doth involve himself in the same crime Q. If a Bishop or other Clergy man be guilty of any Offence by whom is he to be Try'd and Punish'd A. Touching the Depriving or Degrading of Bishops Presbyters Field of the Ch. p. 512. and Deacons the ancient Canon requires the Concurrence and consent of 3 Bishops for the Censuring and Depriving of a Deacon of 6 for the Depriving of a Presbyter and of 12 for the Censuring Judging and Deposing of a Bishop If a Bishop be Convicted of Heresy or Schism or some great Vind. of Def. p. 128. Wickedness and Injustice his Colleagues that is Bishops may Depose him and forbid his People to Communicate with him and Ordain another in his stead For one particular Primate or Metropolitan to censure any Hills Cath. Balance p. 86. Bishop by himself or to be uncapable of censure in his own Provincial Synods hath no Precedent in the primest and purest Antiquity The Canon Apostolical 33 directing That every Bishop of every Nation give deference to him that is Chief among them and to esteem him as their Head and to do nothing extraordinary without his Cognisance but every one only to do those things which are expedient to his own Diocess and to the Country under him And so neither must the Capital Bishop do any thing without the consent of them all for thus there will be an Vnanimity and God will be glorify'd thro' the Lord in the Holy Spirit Bishops had over their Presbyters and People Supreme Power Faith and Pract. Ch. Eng. m. cap. 1. under Christ as to Church affairs and Accountable only to Christ and to a Council of their fellow Bishops often Meeting and Consulting together for the good of the whole A Bishop of the Church of England by all the Law in the Christian Bishop of Lond. Tryal p. 6. Church in all ages and by the particular Law of this Land in case of offence is to be Try'd by his Metropolitan and Suffragans The Bishop of London's Council urged in behalf of the Bishop Id. for not suspending Dr. S. without a Legal process That absolute Suspension supposes a proof of the Crime c. Id. and That where there is an absolute Suspension there ought to be Citation Form of Proceeding Judgment and Decree and that to Act otherwise is contrary to the Laws of God of Nature of all Nations in all Ages and was never known in the World My Lord I Always have and shall count it my duty to obey the K. in whatever Id. Bp. of London's Letter to my Lord Sanderland he Commands me c. But in this I humbly conceive I am oblig'd to proceed according to Law and therefore 't is impossible for me to comply because tho' His Majesty Commands me only to Execute His Pleasure yet in the capacity I am to do it I must Act as a Judge and your Lordship knows no Judge Condemns any Man before he have knowledge of his Cause and have cited
being Traiterous and paying Homage to an Usurper doth annul the Right and Title of the Lawful Prince The Church of England Bishops are guilty of no Schism from the Church of Rome their order is undoubted and their Succession Reform Justify'd p. 29. uninterrupted and so their Title and Authority is as firm and unquestionable as any upon earth and they must be Schismaticks before God and the Catholick Church that do not submit to them and joyn in their Communion in all Lawful things If we look over the ancient Canons of the Church we shall find two things very plain in them 1 That the Notion of a Church was the same with that of a Mischief Separ p. 29. Can. Nic. Can. 6. 15. 16. Constan c. 6. Chalced. 17 20 26. Antioch c. 2. Codex Eccl. Affric c. 53. c. 55. Conc. Gang. c. 6. Conc. Constan c. 6. Conc. Carthag c. 10 11. St. Cypri Ep. 40. 42. Theod. Eccl. Hist l. 1. c. 22. 1. 2. c. 24. c. 17. Vincent c. 16. Diocess or such a Number of Christians as were under the Inspection of a Bishop Or 2ly That those Presbyters who rejected the Authority of their Bishop or affected Separate Meetings where no fault could be found with the Doctrine of a Church were condemn'd of Schism So the followers of Eustathius Sebastenus who withdrew from the publick Congregations on pretence of greater Sanctity and Purity in Paphlagonia were condemn'd by the Council at Gangrae So were those who Separated from their Bishops tho' otherwise never so Orthodox by the Council at Constantinople and the Council at Carthage wherein before S. Cyprian had so justly Complain'd of the Schism of Felicissimus and his Brethren who on pretence of some disorders in the Church of Carthage had withdrawn to the Mountains and there laid the foundation of the Novatian Schism But when false Doctrine was imposed on Churches as by the Arian Bishops at Antioch then the people were excused in their Separation So at Rome when Felix was made Bishop and at Sirmium when Photinus publish'd his Heresie but I do not remember one instance in Antiquity wherein Separation from Orthodox Bishops and setting up Meetings without their Authority and against their consent was acquitted from the Sin of Schism The substance of what is contain'd in the Answer to this Query amounts to this viz. 1. That K. Edward's Bishops were True and Canonical Bishops And the Popish Bishops in Q. Mary's days Intruders 2. That those that adhered to K. Edward's Bishops in Queen Mary's days altho' depriv'd were the True Church and Consequently those that forsook their Communion were the Schismaticks Q. Whether a Particular Church suppose the Roman being Schismatical yet keeping possession of all the Churches may be said to Separate A. Yes For Private Meetings in such a case commence Churches Hales and the Churches become Conventicles according to the Definition given of a Conventicle above viz. That a Conventicle is nothing else but a Congregation of Schismaticks If Rome has by the many Additions c. err'd she may be said Ans to Reason and Authority p. 66. to have left and gone from or be separated from that First Holy Catholick and Apostolick Church without making an open Schism or Schismatical Separation So far then as any Church now in being shall depart from the Doctrine of the Ancient Catholick Church and profess great and many errors and broach new Doctrines unknown to the Primitive Churches and lay mighty stresses upon them so as to make them necessary for Communion here and to Salvation hereafter such a Church may be said to Depart or Separate it self from that Ancient One Holy Catholick and Apostolick Church It is true That they who first desert and forsake the Communion Bramhal Just Vind. p. 10. of their Christian Brethren are Schismaticks but there is a Moral Defection as well as a Local In a word he that forsakes the Assemblies of Catholick Christians is a Schismatick not he that goes not to a Church for where-ever Christians tho' in a Den or Cave of the Earth worship God in the Unity of the Church there is the Church of God Q. Are the Dissenters Schismaticks A. Yes doubtless For they not only set up separate Meetings in opposition to Bishops but renounce all Episcopal Authority and Usurp the Power of Ordination which did always belong to the Order of Bishops As for the Government of the Church we are assur'd partly Letter concerning the necessity of Regulat the Press p. 18. from Scripture and partly from the Earliest Antiquity That the Order of Bishops and Metropolitans rests upon Apostolical Institution Both Timothy and Titus in the judgment of the most Learned Presbyterians were Superiour to the rest of the Clergy within their Districts at least in Jurisdiction if not Order The Bishop presided over a City and the adjacent Villages Id. p. 19 and Territories where a Temporal Magistrate was likewise plac'd As the Metropolis of every Province had its Proconsul in the State so it had its Archbishop or Metropolitan in the Church And when the Government of Patriarchs prevail'd it was form'd after the same Model either in Imitation of the Vicars or Lieutenants that presided over a Diocess composed of several Provinces or at least in Imitation of the Praetorian Prefects that had several Dioceses under their Jurisdiction All those that set up Altar against Altar and hold Separate Saywel of Vnity p. 318. Congregations contrary to the Law of this Church are to be held as Schismaticks and were condemn'd for such by the ancient General and Particular Councils and all the Catholick Fathers and Martyrs and thought not sit to be receiv'd into Christian Communion or accounted lively members of the Catholick Church As 't is a high crime to Affront a Judge duly Commissionated Id. 395. so it is no less than Rebellion for an able Lawyer without a Commission to assume to himself the Office and Authority of a Judge And why it should be in Temporal Judges and not in Spiritual appointed by God as the Bishops are in the opinion of this Lord Chief Justice Hales I cannot see I am sure 't was ever thought so by all sober Christians till our unhappy Rebellion nurs'd People up in Schism and Disobedience Were it Episcopacy but an Human Ordinance of yesterday Thorndike prim Gov. of Chs. p. 197. establish'd by due course of right let me be bold to say that if Aerius withdrew his Submission to it he must come within Epiphanius's list of Hereticks not understanding an Heretick in St. Augustin's sense to be none but he that will not believe some point of Doctrine necessary as the means of Salvation to be believ'd but according to the latitude of the Word taking all to be Hereticks that make Sects and Assemble themselves a part besides the Church of God Lawfully Settled As for Episcopal Ordination that was accounted as necessary in the primitive Church to