Judgment of many who were Assembled by Mutual Agreement for the Administration of Discipline than that the great Benefit of Synods should be lost But when 〈◊〉 began to make himself a Bishop of Bishops When he took it upon him to be their Judge and to exercise a Jurisdiction over them this gave a new Turn to the Affairs of the Church and alter'd them much for the worse It made a mighty Breach upon the Antient Discipliâ—â— and was the Foundation of the Papul 〈◊〉 I have suppos'd all along that however a Bishop is by his Office a Pastor of the Catholick Church yet it is but some part of it that is allotted to his special care as it was most expedient for the benefit of the Whole But the further Consideration of this Matter being of great use it may be requâ—â—â—â—e to trace it to the beginning and to observe that the Apostles who of all the Officers of Christ were most at liberty being sent to Disciple all Nations might all have gone to one Nation and leâ—t others destitute of help But to prevent this they distributed their Work in such a manner as might be most for the Publick Good and best answer the Ends of their Commission I need not inquire what Countries or Cities fell to the Charge of this or that Apostle And indeed our Knowledge of that is very imperfect But this you find in Scripture that St. Paul with whom the other Apostles doubtless agreed would not build upon anothers Foundation He would not stretch himself beyond his Measure nor boast in another Man's Line of things made ready to his Hand As the Apostles employ'd themselves with great Prudence to carry on the Work of Conversion so they dispos'd and settled things in an excellent order and some Light it may give into them that when there is mention in Scripture of a Province or Country where the Gospel was received we read of the Churches of it Thus we read of the Churches of Jâ—dea of the Churches of Macedonia of the Churches of Galatia and of the Churches of Asia These several Churches then were distinct Societies under their proper Governours who yet were United in such a manner as I have describ'd and the nearer they liv'd to one another the better opportunity they had of meeting together for mutual Advice and Assistance and for the Decision of Ecclesiastical Matters But when the Discourse is of the Christians of a City which is to be understood as taking in its Territory then the Style is alter'd and we read of the Church in Jerusalem in Antioch in Corinth of the Church in Pergamus in Thyatira in Sardis in Philadelphia of the Ephesine Church of the Church of â—â—â—â—â—naeans of the Laodiceans and of the Thessalonians If you will but be at the pains to consult the places to which I have refer'd you you will certainly find the Matter as I have related it And from hence the Presbyterians strongly argue That how great soever the Number of Christians was in any City and notwithstanding they made up many Congregations as they needs must in some of the Cities yet they were constantly call'd a Church as being under the same particular Government I differ from them in this That I believe the Government was Episcopal For as there is mention of Seven Churches of Asia so there were just so many Angels or Supream Pastors of those Churches and the like may be said of others But this I have more fully handled in another Treatise to which I have refer'd you before for satisfaction 'T is true the extent of Diocesses is not always the same nor is there any certain Rule for it in the Holy Scripture but since it appears necessary from the Scripture and the Nature of the thing that some limits be fixed and since the Diocesan and Parochial Divisions in this Kingdom are confirm'd by all the Authority that the Church and 〈◊〉 could give them Private Persons â—â—ght to submit to it For however there may be some inequality in such Distributions that being hardly avoidable no Disturbances ought to be rais'd about them it being certain that such Inconveniences can never be mended by Confusion II. The Faithful People under their Lawful Pastors make up One Body This may be gather'd from what went 〈◊〉 but I shall farther make it evident 1. From their Duty 2. From their Rights From both it will be manifest that they are Fellow-Citizens or Visible Members of the same Community I. To begin with their Duty 1. They are obliged as you have seen to Honour 〈◊〉 Obey their Spiritual Rulers to adhere to those that are over them in the Lord and hereby they maintain an Union with all other Pastors of the Church that are One in Government For if they are One with any of those that are One amongst themselves they must needs be all One 〈◊〉 2. It is their Duty to joyn together in Publick Acts of Worship with that Company of Christians which they find Established under a Lawful Pastor where they reside which may happen to be in England or America or at different times in the most distant places as they remove from one to another And from hence it appears that all those Companies make but One Society or Catholick Church and are Members of it For otherwise by passing from one Country to another and consequently from the Congregation to another a Person would lose his former Title and Benefit of being a Visible Member of Christ and his Church and gain others in their stead and this might happen as often as he changed Climates But this is too absurd to need a Consutation II. That the Faithful make up One Body appears from their Rights which are the same every where In one sense they aâ—â— every where Strangers on Earth but in another they are at Home in all Places The Priviledges which belong to them as Christians are the same in every Country and they may as justly challenge them as the Natives of it Some Cities who were associated together did so value themselves for it and receiv'd such mutual Benefits and Honours from their Concord and from their being of One Community that they express'd these things upon their Coins and other Monuments of Antiquity which are yet remaining But the Vnity of the Christian Church is of greater extent and takes in the Faithful of all Nations This Vnity is founded on a Divine Institution and the Baptismal Covenant in which they are all alike engaged and not on a Formal Positive League amongst themselves Nor does it so much resemble the Union of the Confederate Cities as that of a City in its self which may consist of many Corporations For all the Members of it are Fellow-Citizens and as such they have the same Prerogatives in all the parts of the World But more particularly 1. According to Scripture and the Sence of the Primitive
Times a Christian Travelling into any remote parts of the World was intitled to the Rights of Hospitality amongst other Christians Rights which anciently were held Great and Sacred and in times of Persecution were very useful and necessary He need but produce the usual Testimonials by which he might be known to be a Christian and to have liv'd in Conformity with the Church from whence he came and he was to be receiv'd and entertain'd by the Faithful in all places with such Tenderness and Liberality as if he had been a Guest of the most intimate Friendship and long Acquaintance A thing that Julian the Apostate could not see without Envy and Admiration If a Christian suffer'd Want other Christians were to consider him and provide for him as one that was of the Houshold of Faith or of the same Family with themselves And whether he was a Hebrew or Greek or of what Nation soever he was it was the same thing he was not to be neglected in such Ministrations It was also the same whether he was of this particular Church or another for if one Church was in Distress and not sufficient for the Maintenance of its own Poor others were obliged to assist it out of their Collections still remembring that as they were of the same Body so they were also Members one of another Lucian in his usual way scoffing at the Christians represents them flocking to his Peregrinus in Prison moving every Stone that they might free him performing diligently for him all Offices of Kindness and sending Messengers to him joyntly from the Cities of Asia to support and comfort him under his Sufferings It is incredible says he what Expedition they shew when such a thing is publickly known But to be short they spare nothing on such Occasions And whosoever is meant by this Peregrinus the truth is that if a Christian Brother was in Distress they gave him what Assistance they were able if he was Imprison'd or in Chains for Righteousness sake they were not asham'd of his Bonds but openly own'd his Cause and chearfully Ministred to his Necessities even when it expos'd them to the greatest Dangers This they did not as a Matter of choice which they might have omitted but as a necessary Duty and they did it so often and that without any regard to nearness of Blood or Habitation in the Sufferers that their Union was Visible to the Eye of the World and the Heathens who were astonish'd at it did then make no doubt whatever Men do now but that they were of the same Community It is farther observable that their contributing to the support of one another is never in the Epistles of the New Testament call'd A giving of Alms but Communion or Communication And I take the reason of it to be this That the Faithful had thus far at least all things in Common that the Wants of some were to be supply'd out of the Plenty of others as out of a Common Stock or Treasury in which they had a share as being Members of the same Society 2. The Faithful have every where a just Title to all the Common Ordinances and Priviledges of Christianity For instance Are they here admitted to Visible Communion in Publick Acts of Worship So they ought to be if they come to the remotest Churches upon Earth St. Peter said of the Gentile Converts Can any Man forbid Water that these should not be Baptized And so may we say concerning those who are Baptized and have done nothing to deserve Excommunication Can any Man forbid them the Publick Prayers that they should not put up their Requests joyntly with other Christians in any part of the World Can any Man forbid them to partake of the Lord's Supper when their demand of it is regular Now as St. Paul when he pleaded at Jerusalem that he was a Roman gave a sufficient Indication if it had not been otherwise known that he was within the Bounds of the Roman Empire So if a true Christian in all Churches where-ever he comes hath a Right to Communion with them and may plead that Right 't is manifest that they all make up but One Vniversal Church and are Members of One Body Diogenes the Cynick refus'd to be admitted into some of the Heathen Mysteries because in order to it he must have been made a Citizen of Athens which did not seem agreeable with his Profession of being a Citizen of the World And indeed if a Christian could only partake of the Holy Mystery as the Lord's Supper is sometimes call'd in a particular Congregation I know not how it could be said That he were a Member of the Catholick Church or that in strictness of Speech there is any such thing But since in all the Nations under Heaven where Christianity is establish'd he hath a Right to Communicate at the Lord's Table as well as in other parts of Worship this is a plain Argument that the Christian Society is the same every where and is not to be multiplied according to the Number of the Places where it is dispers'd Jesus Christ hath broken down the Wall of Partition which was between the Jews and Gentiles and permits not any thing amongst his Followers like the distinction which there was between the Proselytes and the Native Israelites There is nothing in his Gospel like that Inscription which forbad the Aliens to enter into the Inner Court of the Temple nor doth he esteem any to be such that submit themselves to his Discipline He gathers his Subjects out of all Nations governs them by the same Laws and gives them the same Charter the Benefit of which they may alike enjoy in Samaria or Jerusalem or in any other place as well as either This shews that living in a way suitable to the Dignity of their Profession they are in all places of the same Community And according to St. Peter where he speaks of them as distinct from the World and with respect to it They are a Chosen Generation a Royal Priesthood an Holy Nation a Peculiar People the People of God as Israel was formerly the Lot of his Inheritance 3. Any of the Faithful that are personally qualified to bear an Office in the Christian Church are capable of it or of being Ordain'd to it in all Churches and this also proves That they are all United in One Community The Cumani and others were but imperfectly United to the Romans when they could only serve in the Roman Armies but might have no Command in them and neither had any Voice in the Choice of Magistrates nor might themselves be chosen But according to Aristotle it is a principal Mark of a Citizen that he doth or may partake of the Judicature and Government of the City And since every Christian who is otherwise fit for it proceeding regularly may be advanced to a Sacred Function in any Country where
he revolted from his Superiors and he was divided says the Chaldee Paraphrast or he divided himself that is he became a Separatist that he might make himself the Head of a Party and drew such vast Numbers after him that Josephus speaking of their Conspiracy thus represents it We have not known says he such a Sedition either among Greeks or Barbarians Korah pretended to have a great concern for the Liberties of the People and that he might gain the Priesthood to himself suggested that it was a Grievance to the Nation But God that knew his Hypocrisie and the Schismatical and Seditious Temper both of him and his Confederates made both of them Monuments of his Indignation By an early and dreadful Judgment on these Offenders he confirm'd his own Institution and he commanded that broad Plates for the covering of the Ark should be made of their Censers that in succeeding Times others might remember what these Men suffer'd and be mindful that no Stranger who was not of the Seed of Aaron might come near to offer Incense before the Lord lest they should be as Korah and his Company It is plain that not only the Leaders of the Faction but their Followers also were involv'd in the same Ruine And this being written for our instruction it may teach us to avoid such Practices as brought upon them so terrible a Judgment lest as some have done even in the Times of the Gospel we also Perish in the gain-saying of Korah 'T is true an end is put to the Aaronical Priesthood but Christ who is the Head of the Church hath his Representatives on Earth for the Government of it and to despise them is to despise him To usurp their Authority is to invade his Prerogative And if we are not Principals in such Actions against him but yet support and assist those that are so we partake with them in grievous Sins You your selves must needs see if you will judge impartially what intolerable Presumption it is not only to expel the Stewards of his Houshold but to substitute others in their places and new-model his Family Not only to affront and reject his Ambassadors but to assign him others whom he hath not sent Not only to lay aside his Officers as unfit to Govern but to appoint him such as have no Commission from him Such Proceedings manifestly tend to the Destruction of his Visible Kingdom and the Persons guilty of them do in effect declare That they will not have him to Reign over them Aristotle argues That when the Form of the Government of a City is changed the City it self ceases to be the same that it was before And whatever Exceptions this may be liable to as being affirm'd of a Secular Community it may be truly said of Ecclesiastical Societies That when they have Excluded their Lawful Pastors and advanced others into their places who have no Right to the Ministry they cannot remain the same under such Alterations They are no longer the Churches of Christ nor are their Teachers the Ministers of Christ They may deceive Men indeed by acting under a False Character but God will not be mocked He will not be impos'd on by the Boldness and Juggles of his feigned Stewards or by the Pageantry of his pretended Ambassadors It was for such and their Confederates that he created a New thing causing the Earth to open her Mouth and swallow them up And however such Instances of his Anger are not repeated yet this that I have mention'd ought to be a lasting Terrour to those that without a Lawful Call take to themselves the Honour of Priesthood or are Associates in such Profanations SECT III. I AM now come to your Case and give me leave to tell you that it very nearly concerns you to enquire I. Whether you have not contracted the Guilt of Schism in your Separation from the Church of England II. Whether you have not increased this Guilt by setting up Opposite Churches and Officers or joyning with them III. Whether your Pastors have any just Title to the Ministry I. It concerns you to enquire whether you have not contracted the Guilt of Schism by your Separation from the Church of England Was your Communion with it lately Lawful and have any New Terms been added to make it cease to be so Or was Conformity then a Duty and is it now become a Sin It is not long since we took sweet Counsel together and walked to the House of God as Friends With many of you we did partake of the Lord's Supper and thereby solemnly testified That we were all as One Bread all Members of the same Body And hath any just cause been given you of breaking off your selves from it Are you not Self-condemn'd by such contrary Practices Or can the Divisions which you have made proceed from that One Spirit whose Unity is to be kept in the Bond of Peace Deal but impartially with your selves in considering what I have offer'd to your Thoughts and I doubt not but you will be convinced that you have broken that Bond and that your present Separation is a Schism if ever there was any such thing in the World II. You may enquire whether you have not added to your Sin by setting up Opposite Churches and Officers or joyning with them and whether this hath not more alienated your Minds from those whom you had unjustly forsaken This I suppose is generally your Case and from hence it is that in abundance of Towns in this Kingdom we hear of an Old Church and a New Church the latter labouring to establish it self on the Ruines of the former But do you find any such Language or any such thing in Scripture Have not the Presbyterians inform'd you right That however there were such great Numbers of Christians in one City as made up many Congregations yet they were all One Church and are constantly call'd a Church because they were all under One Government What Right can you then have to establish Independent Congregations or to set up one Congregation against another in the same City Is not this a plain Breach of the Apostolical Rule And must it not be pernicious to Christ's Visible Kingdom If some part of the Christians in a City may shake off the Authority of their Lawful Pastors and form themselves into an Independent Body under their proper Officers may not a third Body in like manner be form'd out of that and out of the third fourth and so on And would there be any end of Confusions at this rate Would such a Practice be tolerable any where Or would it not be destructive of any Society whatsoever Deal 〈◊〉 now with your Consciences and reflect I pray you on what has been said with the same freedom of thought as if you had not been at all concern'd in the Controversie and I am persuaded you will be convinced that it is not unjustly that you have been charged with a high degree
any thing that can make it innocent 1. We are therefore to enquire in the first place whether your Separation before you Conform'd was not Sinful and this may easily be resolv'd for it is clear from what went before that it was causeless and consequently Schismatical Perhaps it may be objected That many of you had never been Members of the Church of England and therefore could not be Deserters of it But to this I reply That if you only joyn'd with the Society that made the Revolt from it you were Partakers in the Offence They that went before you were as a corrupt Fountain and you 〈◊〉 the Streams that issued from it and the fame malignant Quality hath tainted both The Conformists in the Reign of Queen Elizabeth might say of the Brownists or your first Separatists as St. Cyprian did of the Novatians We departed not from them but they departed from us And to you that by Education were brought into the Community of those that Divided the Church we may say as Optatas did to the Donatists Your Ancestors committed that Crime and you labour to walk in their wicked Steps that what your Predecessors had done in the matter of Schism you may appear long since to have acted and still to act They in their Days did break the Peace and you do now banish Vnity To your Parents and your selves these Words may fitly be applied If the Blind lead the Blind they both fell into the Ditch When Manasses the Brother of Jaddus withdrew himself from Jerusalem and officiated as High-priest in the Temple as Garizin which was Built for him by Sanbaâ—et both he and they of his own Nation that concur'd with him acted what was highly criminal But the Matter did not â—â—st here for their Posterity grievously offended in keeping up the Defection which their Predecessors had begun and their Cause was condemn'd upon a fair Tryal before Ptolemaeus Philometer And thus not only they that are first in a Schism but their Followers and such as come into it in succeeding times contract the guilt of it The new Members that are added to the former Schismaticks are together with them of One Body as they that from time to time are added to the Church are of another One thing on which the Dispute between the Advocates for the Temple at Jerusalem and for that at Garizin did mainly turn was the Question on which side was the Ancient Succession of Priests but this was easily determin'd for the former And now if the whole Issue of the Controversiae between the Conformists and Dissenters were put upon this Whether of them have the best Title to a Succession of Lawful Pastors it would not be difficult to decide it For you grant I suppose and it is otherwise evident that such a Succession is continued with us But it appears from what has been said that in your way of Separation you neither had nor can have any such thing Indeed many of the Separatists had Episeopal Ordination but some of them renounced it and as in Mockery Ordain'd one another Others made no such Abdication as the former yet withdrawing themselves from their Bishops they exercis'd their Office in such a manner as is directly against their own Solemn Promise and Sacramental Engagement But none of them had power to constitute other Presbyters or in the Language of Epiphanius to give Fathers to the Church As for the rest of your Teachers they are meer Laymen and act under a false Character in Matters of the highest importance to the Souls of Men. So that you could be Followers of none of the Dissenting Guides without Schism and a breach of Obedience where it was due but with some of them you could not Communicate without bearing a part in their Impostures 2. If your former Separation was Sinful your Return to it must be Sinful also It must be so in a higher degree because a Relapse into Sin after Reformation is a greater Offence than the first Commission of it It had been better therefore that you had not known the way of Peace than after you had experience of it to forsake it Better that you had not come into the Unity of the Church than to break it again You are now become more inexcusable than you were before and thus far your latter end is worse than your beginning 3. If your Separation was otherwise Sinful the Law hath not alter'd 〈◊〉 Case or done any thing that can makâ—â— it Innocent I need say nothing of the Toleration which was granted to you by the Dispensing Power and drew you into the Snare For I suppose you ground your present Liberty on the Act of Parliament But if you 〈◊〉 not within the Intent of that Act it leaves you where it found you and can aâ—ford nothing for your Justification The Act it self will best satisfie you of this and upon perusal of it you will find that it was only design'd to give ease to Tender Consciences but yours are not of that Number Indeed we cannot penetrate into your Hearts but Charity obliges us to believe that you did not come to our Churches with Doubts and Fears upon you that your Conformity was unlawful but were generally well assur'd that it was consistent with your Duty and agreeable to the Holy Scriptures But this is the very thing which cuts you off from the Indulgence which you claim by the Law That being design'd only for Perâ—â—ns of another Character But what hath the Law done for the Scrupulous Hath it approv'd their several ways or set them all in the right That cannot be for they are inconsistent and contradict one another It only tolerates them and we may tolerate Pain and Sickness and other Evils from which we have a great aversion But they remain Evils still and so must Church-Divisions under any Dispensation whatsoever The Law says this for the Scrupulous that upon the Conditions to be performed by them they shall not be liable to any Pains Penalties or Forfeitures laid on them by some former Acts nor shall they be Prosecuted in any Ecclesiastical Court for their Nonconforming to the Church of England But this can never justifie their Nonconformity For if the Punishments against profaning the Lord's Day and common Swearing and other things of that Nature were taken off they would still be criminal as they were before and the like may be said of Schism As long as it is condemn'd in Scripture no humane Allowance or Permission can make it Lawful If Heresie and Schism were enjoyn'd by a Law which is more than an Allowance or Toleration of them they would not be freed from their Malignity or cease to be Sinful But to the Imposers of things so contrary to Divine Revelation and Institution we should have reason to say Whether it be right in the Sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God judge ye I am far from derogating from the Authority of
her Head and Face were cover'd in sign of her Subjection And if the Church had Power to lay aside such Rites so it hath power also to appoint others of the like Nature and is obliged to do so upon emergent occasions as Christian Prudence may direct Particular Ceremonies are liable to such alterations that when they have been expressive of respect in one Age or Country they become Instances of the contrary in another But there are Rules about them that are constant and certain in all Times and Places 1. It is certain that the Publick Worship of God ought to be celebrated with such Ceremonies as are suitable to the Dignity and Solemnity of the Work and agreeable to the general directions of the Holy Scripture 2. According to the Holy Scripture the Ceremonies that are us'd in the Church ought to be expressive of some Duty So were they that I produced from Scripture such were also the smiting on the Breast the lifting up the Hands in Prayer Kneeling on the same occasion and the putting on some New Garment at the time of Baptism All which things are recommended or alluded to as things approved in Scripture And one of these was a visible sign of Contrition and Indignation against Sin another of the elevation of the Mind to Heaven the third of Humiliation the fourth of putting on Christ or the New Man This may shew how weak the Objection is against our Rites that they are Symbolical for if they were otherwise they would be disagreeble to the Holy Scripture and signifying nothing they would be good for nothing but were fit to be rejected as useless and impertinent 3. The Holy Scripture directs us in general to do all things decently and in order To distinguish between our own Houses and the Churches of God To glorifie him with our Bodies as well as our Spirits and particularly it requires us to Worship and fall down and kneel before the Lord our Maker 4. That External Rites be significant and decent there ought to be some Conformity between them and the End for which they were appointed Yet for those that use them it is not always necessary to know the reasonableness of their Instituion They may take an Oath safely by kissing the Book who know nothing of the Original of that Ceremony nor are satisfied of the fitness of it Whatsoever it had at first Custome hath now impress'd a fitness on it and it signifies a Solemn Appeal to God the Searcher of Hearts as much as Words could do and is by the Law prefer'd before them 5. The significancy of Ceremonies and the Measures of Decency are to be taken from Custome which gives Rules not only for speaking but also for Actions Habits and Gestures Thus as by Custome the putting off the Hat bowing and kneeling are Marks of Reverence amongst Men so they are in our Addresses to God Indeed the Uncovering of the Head was formerly a Badge of Authority But Custome hath quite alter'd that signification and yet hath made it fit to be retain'd for another and I think you have no exception against our using of it at present as a sign of our Veneration and Subjection to the Almighty 6. The more early that a Ceremony was us'd and the longer it hath remain'd the more universally it hath been receiv'd and approv'd especially by good Men and the greater good it is expressive of the fitter it is for continuance And this may be said for the Sign of the Cross which hath been much oppos'd by the Separatists That in the next Age after the Apostles if not in their Days it was every where in use amongst the Christians who testified by it to the World that they were not asham'd of the Cross of Christ but rather gloried in it and were ready to suffer for it So that it was a compendious Confession of their Faith or a Visible Creed in which they declar'd to the Eye the same Truth and their Resolution to adhere to it that by Words they profess'd to the Ear. And if this last way ought to be approved the other may not be condemn'd nor was it by any but the Infidels or open Enemies of the Gospel From the Primitive Church it was transmitted down to our own and being freed by our Reformers from the Abuses which Superstition had added to it by the way it is prescrib'd in our Liturgy in the Office of Baptism as signifying the Dedication of the Baptized to him that Died on the Cross for them We have good reason therefore not to lay aside a Ceremony that is come to us thus recommended and is so suitable to the end for which it was employ'd As for those that cast it out as an Idol they must excuse us that we cannot comply with them in reproaching as Idolaters innumerable Saints and Martyrs that are now with God And that being no Enemies to the Cross of Christ we do not abhor the Sign of it 7. It follows from what went before that when things indifferent are against Custome they are also against Decency and to be avoided For a Man to wear Long Hair had no Moral Evil in it nor had the Scripture decided any thing about it yet the Apostle condemn'd it as shameful and against the Dictate of Nature Not as if it was forbidden by any Law of Nature strictly so call'd but the meaning is it was against Custome which is a Law in such cases It is no small matter then to oppose the Customs that have been universally receiv'd and long continued in the Churches as the Separatists have done whilst they have been labouring to advance their own Discipline which till of late was never heard of in any part of the World Charity would teach them not to behave themselves so unseemly But if they will not learn that Lesson nor cease to be Contentious but obtrude on us their own Novelties it may be sufficient for us to say That we have no such Customs neither the Churches of God 8. It also follows from what was said before that things which according to Custome are signs of Irreverence amongst Men are marks of Prophaneness and Contempt when they are us'd towards the Almighty If ye offer the Blind for Sacrifice is it not Evil And if ye offer the Lame and Sick is it not Evil Offer it now to thy Governour will he be pleased with thee or accept thy Person Saith the Lord Amighty Mal. 1. 8. And this may afford us very useful Advice for from hence it is clear that if we rudely rush into his presence without any thing of Ceremony if we refuse him all outward Respect when he speaks to us in the Assemblies of his People and will not bow the Knee when we put up our Prayers to him but call on him in the same Posture as we would talk to our Servants we affront him in such a Behaviour as we would not offer to our Governour and
Wolves who were wont to lie in the Woods were come out into the Sheepfold and did roar in the Holy Congregation And by another we are told That the Discipline of the Church was laid in her Grave and that the Putredinous Vermine of bold Schismaticks and Frantick Sectaries gloried in her Ashes Mr. Edwards declares That this Land was become in many places a Chaos a Babel another Amsterdam yea worse and beyond that And he says That more Damnable Doctrines Heresies and Blasphemies had been of late vented than in Fourscore Years before He also says to the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament You have cast out Bishops and their Officers and we have many that cast down to the Ground all Ministers in all the Reformed Churches You have cast out Ceremonies as the Cross in Baptism kneeling at the Lord's Supper and we have many that have cast out Sacraments Baptism and the Lords Supper You have put down the Saints Days and we have many that make nothing of the Lord's Day Mr. Edwards in the compass of a few Pages reckons up a vast Number of Heretical and Blasphemous Tenets published within the space of four Years And he says That Things grew every Day worse and worse and that it was hard to conceive them to be as bad as they were This Edwards is one that was not likely to be partial on the side of Prelacy For he tells the Lords and Commons Assembled in Parliament That With Choice and Judgment he had Imbarkt Himself with Wife Children Estate and all that was dear to him to sink or perish or come safe to Land with them And that he had done this in the most doubtful and difficult Times and in a malignant place amongst Courtiers IV. Church-Divisions have greatly encouraged Immorality And this Effect they had visibly in this Nation in the Times of the great Confusion The Disorders that were then introduced in Matters Ecclesiastical were attended with others in Things of Morality And if we may believe the Nonconformists themselves the many Heresies which were spread abroad were accompanied with a great Corruption of Manners over the Kingdom On which Occasion the Assembly of Divines said The Lord hath strangely made way for Vnion by the bitter woful and unutterable Fruits of our Divisions which have almost destroyed not only the Ministry but even the very Heart and Life of Religion and Godliness Others also of the Presbyterians crying out against the horrible Wickedness which did then abound ascrib'd the Growth of it to the Increase of the Sectaries as They call'd them But we may justly reckon the Accusers in that Number and leave a great share of the Matter in charge with them who by revolting from their Superiors and deserting their Lawful Pastors did break down the Fences and open a Passage to all Iniquity To come nearer to the present Time It is Notorious that since the last opening of your Meetings by the Toleration Impiety hath been gathering Strength and Profaneness hath made such Progress that it is become too hard for all our Laws It is not doubted but some New Law is wanting to suppress it And if that be obtain'd it may be fear'd that the Success would not answer our Desires as long as the Schism remains which is at the Root of this Evil and is the great cause why Immorality hath so much spread it self and boldly shew'd its Head in defiance of all Authority But what Affinity is there between Schism and Immorality or how is the last of these a Consequence of the former To which I answer 1. That Schism is a Means of depraving the Conscience 2. It inclines Men to Infidelity 3. It brings Religion into Contempt 4. It is destructive of Charity 5. It weakens the Ecclesiastical Discipline which was design'd for the Punishment of Offences 6. It hinders and sometimes frustrates the Endeavours of the Pastors of the Church for the Suppression of Vice and the Advancement of Piety 1. Schism is a means of depraving the Conscience and consequently of promoting Immorality For being the occasion of spreading of Errors which are inconsistent with Holiness the Practice which is govern'd by them when they have perverted the Judgment must be so too And when Men have been taught to call Good Evil and Evil Good their Actions will be suitable to those Instructions We are inform'd by Thucydides That in the Times of Sedition in Greece the Signification of Words was alter'd So that a Brutish Hardiness was accounted True-hearted Courage Provident Deliberation a decent Fearfulness Prudence a pretence for Cowardice In short says the Historian for Persons to be of a Kindred was not so near as to be of a Society on which account they were ready to undertake any thing without making any Disputes about it And thus when the Church has been divided the Dividers have changed the Names of Things And what in other cases they would have approv'd they suffer not to pass without a sharp Censure when it is against their Faction and what they would otherwise have condemn'd as a hainous Crime they consecrate into a Duty or an Act of Worship when it is done by themselves and for the Interest of their Party 2. Schism inclines Men to Infidelity and by degrees leads them to it Dr. Owen confesses That it constantly grows to farther Evil in some to Apostacy it self In some it hath this effect That they embrace one Errour or Evil Practice after another and being unstable and prepar'd for all Changes they usually grow worse and worse Thus some from declaiming against the Common-prayer Book as an Idol came to call the Holy Scripture a Golden Calf And many who have been accustomed to shift their Principles upon any New Occasion have turn'd Scepticks or Atheists at last and renouncing the fear of Deity have lived without God in the World 3. Schism brings Religion into Contempt and exposes it to derision The Doctor of the Gentiles saith If an Heathen come in and hear you speak with several Tongues will he not say that you are mad And certainly it is little better when Atheists and profane Persons do hear of so many discordant and contrary Opinions in Religion It doth avert them from the Church and make them sit down in the Chair of the Scorners These are the Words of the Lord Bacon And they have been confirm'd by sad Experience 4. Schism is destructive of Charity And from hence it is that Persons who provoked one another to Love and to good Works when they remain'd in the same Communion being divided have rejoyced in Evil and triumph'd in the Falls of one another Mr. Baxter tells us That he had great Opportunity in his Time to see the working of the Mystery of Iniquity against Christian Love and to see in what manner Christ's House and Kingdom is Edified by Divisions And says he of himself I thought once that all that talk about Schism