Schismatick And consequently all Societies of Christians who withdraw themselves from the Government of their Bishops who are the Apostles Successors and from communicating with those Presbyters lawfully set over them by Episcopal Ordination and Institution and frame themselves into any other kind of Government are guilty of Schism This 〈◊〉 the true formal Notion of Schism in the sense of the Fathers in the â—tive Church Of which more anon This Church so constituted and established to continue to the end of the â—orld from its Universallity was by the Primitive Fathers called the Catholick Church and from its Unity the Communion of Saints Which is now to be considered What this Union and Communion of Saints is appears by Holy Scripture St. John 13. v. 35. By this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples if ye have love one for another Love is the Badge of a Disciple of Christ and Member of the Catholick Church but there must be more in the command to the Disciples to love one another than commonly the acceptation Love hath for the Christian Religion enjoyns Love and Charity to all men To Love our Enemies to pray for them that hate us and to do good to them that despitefully use us and persecute us is the command of our Blessed Saviour and Gal. 6. v. 10. As we have therefore opertunity let us do good unto all men So that this Love which one Disciple is to have for another must be such as distinguisheth Chrstians from all other men Now what can that be but to love one another as members of the same Body whereof Christ is the Head and what can that be but to live in Christian Communion and Fellowship one with another Iâ— cannot be the bare loving one another for there are some who are not Christians who are so bountiful and loving towards all men that if this were the only Charactâ—ristical mark of a Christian they would and must pass for Christians without believing in Christ And who seeth not that Pyrats and Robbers and the vilest of men love one another So that it is as before is said not the bare loving one another by which men are known to be Christians but the being admitted by Baptism into the Society of the Christian Church and loving one another in the Communion of that Church this is that which makes true Christian Charity Saint Paul commands 1 Cor. 12.25 26. that there be no Schism in the Body but the Members should have the same care one for another and whether one Member suffers all the Members suffer with it or one Member be honored all the Members rejoyce with it now ye are the Body of Christ and Members in particular Christians to love one another is to love like Members of the same Body to preserve the Body from all Rents and Schisms and to maintain Sympathy and Chriâ—â—â— Charity in the Communion of Christs Body whereof we are all Mâ—â—bers So that Christian Charity unites us to Christs Body and nothinâ—â— Christian Love and Charity that doth not unite us in one Body 〈◊〉 one Communion that is one external visible Communion of the Christian Church Thus you see that by the words Christian Love and Charity so much used in Scripture must be understood the Communion of Saints and that out of the Communion of Saints there can be no Christian Charity And so is the same thing meant expressed by other words namely Brotherly Love Rom. 10.12 and by the name Brethren Heb. 13. v. 1. Let brotherly Love continue This term Brother was given to none but those who liv'd in Communion with the Church not the Gnosticks who seperated from it under pretence of greater Knowledge nor any who separate upon any pretence whatsoever And aâ—ter the Apostles the Primitive Church did confine the Christian Brother-hood to the Communion of the Church all the Precepts relating to Brotherly Love either in the Evangelists or Apostles suppose Christians to be Members of the Mystical Body of Christ that is his Câ—urch and to be all United there in full Communion and this is what tâ—e â—postle means to have no Schism in the Body out of all which it appears Fiâ—thly to assent to and believe all the Articles of Faith contained in the Apoâ—â—les Nicene and Saint Athanasius's Creed allow'd and receiv'd in the Primitive Church to pertake all of the same Table where we aâ— pertake of the same Body which was broken for us and of the same Blood which was shed for us and to joyn all in the same holy Prayers and Supplications Intercessions and giving of thanks made as the Aposâ—le expresâ—ly commands for all men to be Subject and Obedient to ouâ— Spiritual Rulers and Governors who have derived their Power and Authority â—rom the Apostles by a due succession to this present Age in all things pertaining to Godly Life Decency and Order as the Catholicks did in the Primitive times this is true Christian Charity in the Language of the Scriptures and this is the Communion of Saints To hold Communion in the Articles of Faith only or what you call Fundamentals without any visible Sign of being in Communion with some Church that is a true Member of the Catholick Church is not sufficient to make a Catholick or one in the Communion of Saints though without such a Communion of Faith it is imposible to be so Corah and his Company were of the same Creed with Moses and Aaron yet were Schismatical wretches and were punished with a Vengeance The Donâ—tiâ—â—s whom you acknowledge to be Scismaticks held the Fundamentals of Religion but their separate Communion from the Catholick Church upon pretence of greater purity excluding all other Churches as not Catâ—o ick this made 'em Schismaticks in the judgment of the Fathers in the Catholick Church at that time So that all particular Churches who agree with the Primitive Catholick Church in all the Articles of Faith and in the external visible Worship and Service of God are true Members of the Catholick Church and in the Communion of Saints and no other The Church of England then having from the first planting of the Gospel here retained the Apostolick power of Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction and Ordaining Priests by an unterrupted Succession of Arch Bishops and Bishops in the right line from the Apostles to this present time and agreeing with and no way repugnant to the Primitive Catholick Church in Doctrin Discipline and Worship is truly a Member of the Universal Catholick Church out of which there is no Communion of Saints The necessary consequence whereof is that they who live within the Jurisdiction of the Church of England and refuse Communion with her in the external visible Worship and Service of God do exclude themselves from being Members of the Catholick Church or in the Communion of Saints and are consequently guilty of Schism The reason is plain because there is no other way for any to hold Communion with the Universal Catholick Church but
the prime addit on of these gifts and graces that are among you is this that ye all teach the same Doctrine and nourish Charity and Vnity that there be no divisions in the Churches but that ye be compacted and Vnited as Members of the same Body in the same belief and affection Is not this quite different from your Exposition you take off the force and efficacy of the Apostle's Exhortation to Unity purposly to excuse your Schism is any thing more demonstrative in the World than that your practice is quite contrary to this Exhortation who have set up a Communion separate from the Church of God establish'd in this Kingdom both by Divine and Civil Sanction You are unlucky in your Exposition very wide from the mark and it can never fare otherwise with you while you live in Schism it being the Nature of Schism to hurry men into a thousand errors Again in the former Paragraph That ye all speak the same things viz. In the Fundamental Doctrines of Christianity for say you in little things it can never be made a duty to be of the same Opinion since it is morally impossible I must here say again what I have said that different Opinions in meer Notions and Speculations or any differing Opinions that break not Communion are not here meant for so men may differ and not be guilty of Schism But if you mean by morally impossible that it is impossible for Christians to be perfectly joyned together in the same mind and in the same Judgment as the Apostles exhorts so as to maintain Unity and prevent Schism in the Church either the Apostles Exhortation is to no pâ—â—pose and effect or your insinuation very vain You go on that ye be perfectly joyned together with the same mind and in the same â—udgment which say you must be understood of a serious endeavour afâ—â—r it for otherwise a perfect conjunction must be reserved for a world of â—verlasting perfection Sir are you so self dignify'd to use your own words as to be a Teachâ—r of Saints and know not that a perfect Conjunction in the Catholick Church and Communion of Saints is required of all those who are to â—â—â—e to the world of everlasting perfection Your 11 12 and 13 pages are filled with an Enquiry of the Corinâ—hians miscariâ—ge you say that Clemens Romanâ—s in his famous Epistle to â—e â—â—rinthians stiâ—l calls Schisms contentions which I believe is true For â—chism is the Mother of Contention You find that the Corinthians were divided in their Opinions about â—heir Ministers one cries I am of Paâ—l as more Edifying another cries am of Apollos and another I am of Câ—phas this you say did not make â—he Schism for say you Why might not each go where he might be most ediâ—â—d but you say the Schism was in that they Sacrificed Christian Love and â—harity and after you say a great deal to little purpose For It s very plain the Corinthians were accused of that you call Schism â—areâ—y for preferring or admiring one Minister above another though â—dification was the pretence and not for breach of Communion for with â—hichsoever they Communicated it was one and the same Communion â—r Saint Paul and Christ were not divided nor were either of the other â—ivided from Christ their Communion was the same though their Cures â—ere several so that there was no reason as you impertinently say to siâ—ence any of them for in them there was no Schism nor any blame â—ut say you the wâ—y of Curing this Schism was not to silence Apollos and â—ephas that they might all be of Paul and here you make St. Paul some â—art of amends for your former Scandalous Exposition in saying that he â—refered Souls Sâ—lvation before his own Credit How impertinently do you say the way to Cure this Schism was not to â—lence Apollos c. As if to silence you that your followers may come â—o Church were as illegal as to have silenced them Sir there is a vast â—ifference between you and they who are Pastors and Ministers of Christ â—â—ey are the Stewards of the Mysteries of God and the Ministers of Reâ—onciliation and are made so by Apostolical Power of them our Blessed â—aviour saith St. John 10. v. 2 thus He that entreth in by the door is the Shepherd of the Sheep but such as you who climb up some other way our Saviour in the 1 v. calls a Thief and a Robber Had Apollos and Cephas been as disorderly and Schismatical as you St. Paul would in all probability have exercised his Apostolical Power and have silenced them as the Cure and it is more than probable that the Schism which you maintain would receive a Cure were you and all such silenced and supprest In your Recipe for the Cure of Schism one Ingredient is That they walk all the same way though they trace different paths your falacy and equivocation in this is very visible for here is nothing like a different path it is all one way and one path they were all United in the same Communion But you cunningly insinuate this merely to delude the ignorant and undiscerning by perswading them that your Conventicle is the same way with the Church only as you call it a different path which is no other than Schismatical meeting So your cure of Schism is to continue in Schism You are a rare Spiritual Phisitian And then to bring up the rear you have this rare Inference viz. It appears that narrow Spiritedness which is a very improper expression which confines Religion and the Church to our way and party whatever it is to thâ— condemning of others that differ from us in little things is the bain of thâ— Christian Church And to make this as true as the Gospel you set down a Latin Proverb hinc illae lachrymae Sir Religion is the bond of Unity did you ever know Religion with out Bounds and Rules for all of that Religion to be confined to even to a Punctilio and is it narrow Spiritedness to observe those Rules and tâ— be confin'd within the Bounds of Religion is it a Schismaticating Principle to make a true Judgement of Schism which you call an Arch-Rebeâ— in Christs Kingdom and censure them who are Guilty of it Have not all they of your Conventiling Communion Rules given them though of your own parties making by which they are confin'd to yours and distinguishable from all other different Communions If you or any other of the Presbyterian Communion come to London or any other parâ— of this Kingdom do not you hold exactly the same way of Worship aâ— you have here sure you cannot deny this and is not this to confinâ— your Sect to your own way and Communion Why then do you reproachfully call this narrow Spiritedness in others and practice it your selves You say condemning of others that differ in little things is the great Schismaticating principle which hath been so much the bane of the Christian Church
not assume that without Divine Authority and when you can make as signal a proof that your Authority is Divine we will no more blame you for Exercising in your Stable then Moses did them for Prophesying in the Camp In Page 8. you say I cannot believe that the greatest Worshipers of the Diana of their own Opinions will be so sottish as to brand those for Schismaticks who in every punctilio of Opinion are not exactly of the same Standard with themselves Whâ—m you mean by the greatest Worshipers of the Diana of their own Opinions I take not upon me to tell but if by that saucy Language you mean the Bishops and the other inferior Clergy of the English Church I can answer for them that if the punctilios of Opinions you mean do not cause a Seperate Communion they will never censure that for Schism â—t is not Opinions differing in little things as you call 'em but the erronious and sinful Opinions that tend to Seperation from a truly Catholick Church that they of our Church to use your words brand with Schism men may differ in Opinion in speculative things and be Innocent but Opinions that break the Communion of Saints are Schism Pardon me if I give you a pleasant Instance your Father's Opinion was that it was best to put you to be a Lawyers or an Attorney's Clerk as I have heard my Uncle who was in loco parentis my Guardian his Opinion was that it was best to put me an Aprentice to a Mercer here were different Opinions or Apprehensions but no Schism In your Ninth Page you put a fair Question enough to make the World believe you to be a man of great sincerity viz. Whether a diversity or sepâ—ration of â—ommunion be the foâ—malis ratio of Schism I affirm and have prov'd it is but you answer it with great partiality making a most unnatural Exposition of the Apostles words that can be 1 Cor. 1 10. Page 10. I beseech you Brethren that there be no divisions among you which you rightly say is in the Margin Schisms and pretend upon Enquiry to find what the Schism is by the next following Exhortation of the Apostle That ye all speak the same thinâ—s which you expound viz. In the Fundamental Doctrines of Christianity for in little things it can never be made a duty to be of the same Opinion since it is mâ—râ—lly impossible And you name Estius but do not make him vouch for your Exposition if his Exposition agrees with yours which I rather think it does not it cannot be the Apostles meaning for you say Observe he does not oblige us to think the same things i. e. In your preaching and converâ—e speak of thâ—se things only wherein you are agreed and fâ—r those things whereâ—n you differ do not fall out and fight about them but love one another notwithstanding To this I Answer St. Paul is mightily obliged to you for this Exposition you say he doth not oblige us to think the same things but though your thoughts â—e diverse yet speak the same things what is this but that men may think one thing and speak another this does not agree with the sincerity of Saint Paul for this is down right Hypocrisie and Knavery I can make nothing else oâ—'t But you think to make it Orthodox by an i. e. In your preaching and converse speak those things only wherein you are agreed c. This Doctrine were it known would reconcile the World this would merit a Dispensation at Rome you may be admitted there upon these terms if in your Preaching and Converse you will speak of nothing but wherein you are all agreed The Pope they say is commonly an old â—ivil Gentleman and this new Doctrine of yours tending so much to Peace and to the stoping of the mouths of Hereticks who are apt to â—peak of things wherein they are not all agreed would move him to think of some preferment for you But if they at Rome should prove so inhumanely morose and sullen as to make your Journey thither unfortunate â—his Doctrine cannot fail of entertainment at Constantinople the Merchants who trade thither will assure you that the Mahomitans are very obliging to all those who preach and say nothing in converse but wherein all are agreed and you being withal a great abhorrer of Popish delusions they will nemine contradicente heartily agree with you therein and you being a Minister too as you say in your Enquiry page 27. And as such abliged to preach and to trade with that Talent you have received or you say there will be an uncomfortable account shortly especially say you if we look abroad and consider how the apparent necessities of precious Souls calls for our utmost diligence Sir there are abroad at Constantinople abundance of precious Souls who want your diligence Now you who say nothing in your preaching and converse but wherein all are agreed will oblige 'em to hear you and so you will gain an oppertunity to preach your great Gospel Truths to 'em among whom there 's nothing so much wanting one Voyage of you and all your Brethren with your Talents thither could not fail of great improvement that place totally wanting you and we having not nere so great occasion or necessity for you here it would look like a real sence of your Duty if you would Imbark thither to take care of the many precious Souls there who are like to miscary for want of you And pray consider our Church-men are so invincibly lazy they 'l never undertake it and if some of them should have the Courage alas they are so dull it would be to no purpose You are much more qualify'd for it who by Inspiration hold forth with such life and vigour so much more powerful that the success could not fail in you and beside all this there is no reason to fear that one Soul here would perish by your absence This Doctine of yours justly deserves this Harangue But does not this Exposition of yours barr all reasoning and lessen the use and power of preaching one main end and design whereof is to convince men of error and so to Unite their minds and affections by Uniting their Judgments and Understanding you say not one word of Union and Communion which is most strictly enjoyned in every Sentence in the Exhortation That there be no Divisions or Schisms which by the other Sentences the Apostle tells 'em how to prevent viz. that you all speak the same things that ye be perfectly joyn'd together in the same mind and in the same judgment now it 's impossible for people that speak the same things and are perfectly joyn'd together in the same mind and in the same judgment to have any Divisions or Schisms That learned and pious Doctor in our Church Doctor Hammond Familiar in Fathers and Councils hath this Paraphrase upon this Text That therefore which I first exhort you to and that with all earnestness as possible as