deal with the weaker as Aliens but as Brethren not to proceed presently unto Separation Rejection Anathematization but to restore those that are overtaken with an Error in the spirit of Meekness Dr. Alestry Serm. 9. pag. 170. Censuring the abuse of Excommunication If they be not so happy as to be Orthodox sending them down to Hell directly Dr. Barrow In his Vnity of the Church Speaking of the Roman Churches If Churches do maintain impious Errors if they do prescribe naughty practices if they do reject communion and peace upon reasonable Tearms if they vent unjust and uncharitable censures c. If they damn and persecute all that refuse to be their Subjects in such cases we may Reject such Churches as Heretical or Schismatical or wickedly uncharitable and unjust in their proceedings Dr. More in his Pref. to the Mistery of Godliness pag. 19 The Object of Church discipline ought to contain nothing but the indisputable Truths of our Religion namely the generally acknowledged Articles of the Christian Faith and plain indispensable Duties of Life for these are such as deserve to be held up with all possible care and strictness Other things so gently recommended that no conscientious man may be pinched by them Dr. Stillingfleet 's Preface to Irenicum What possible Reason can be assigned why such things should not be sufficient for communion with a Church which are sufficient for Eternal Salvatition And certainly those things are sufficient for that which are laid down as necessary Duty 's of Christianity by our Lord and Saviour in his Word Dr. Cave 's Gospel preached to the Romans Serm. 4. pag. 89. God be thanked such is the present Moderation of our Churches Ecclesiastical constitutions our penalties are not for Destruction but for correction and amendment we punish none for their bare opinions and readily embrace every Returning Penitent Item pag. 87. We must above all things put on Charity and when we come to reprove rebuke and to inflict Spiritual Censures and Punishments we must distinguish as tenderly as we can between the wilful and the weak the obstinate and the Ignorant the obstinate we must endeavour to save with Fear plucking them out of the Fire with them we must be more sharp and severe in our Admonitions and Threatnings But on the weak we must have Compassion who may be supposed to Err through simplicity or the fervors of Devotion and ought to be treated with a fatherly Tenderness for to be restored if possible conformable unto the Doctrine of St. Paul to Timothy with the Spirit of meekness Stop to the Course of Separation The just Reasons of Excommunication are the same all over the World which is obstinate persisting in great Transgressions of the general Precepts of the Gospel At the end of the Book Vnion of the Catholick Church pag. 10. Every difference in Judgment when no violence is offered to the Catholick Faith and Unity must not break this Communion according to that profession of St. Cyprian judging no man nor excluding him from the Right of Communion if he think otherwise where the dispute was thought of no mean concernment Which St. Augustine often alledgeth against the Donatists and condemns Victor pag. 11th who was hastening to Excommunicate the Asian Churches for their difference in Celebration of Easter True State of the Primitive Church Be charitable to the weak proceed not so severely against them in your Courts of Judicature but Remember what St. Paul says Col. 2. in respect of Ceremonies Let no man judge you c. Will you in respect of such shadows judge Excommunicate Sentence to Everlasting Flames the Soul that holds of the Body of Christ believes all his Holy Gospel accords with you in one Faith one Baptisme c. Will you condemn such an one to Eternal Death God Forbid Conformists Plea for the Nonconformists Part 4. pag. 101. We can represent and inveigh against Schism as the sin against the Holy Ghost A Sin unto Death indeed in some sence because it is so contrary to Charity and Peace and destructive of the Life of Saints which doth much consist in their Communion But were we impartial we should as warmly admonish our own hearts to take heed of Schismatical Passions and excommunicate them from within us as admonish and cast out others that differ from us Idem pag. 20. We are forward to blame the more rigid sort of Separatists for not coming to our Worship and why are we so rigid as to forbear all Christian Communion with them as if Christianity were all lost among them I do declare that I hold Mental Communion with all the Holy Brethren and am prepared for Local and External Communion with them in all Christian Duties and Ordinances Dr. Hammond 's Annotations on the New Testament Rom. 14.17 18. Christianity consists not in such External Matters as Meats but in the practice of Christian Vertues such are Mercifulness and Peaceableness c. not dividing and hating and Excommunicating one another and 14. chap. ver 13. And therefore let this Fault be mended do not any longer Censure and seperate from one anothers Communion for such things as these Doctor Hammond of Schism p. 16. Because the Governours being men may possibly Err and consequently censure and Excommunicate the innocent its possible the person excluded may be innocent he that is Excommunicate unjustly cannot be rendred criminous by that misfortune p. 17. he cites Photius Patriarch of Constantinople the Excommunication of the Jewish Sanhedrim sent out against Christs Disciples brought them so much nearer to their Lord and Master and Alien'd the Jews themselves removed them so much the farther from the Kingdom of Heaven and so doth all unjust Excommunication unite us to the Apostles by this Conformity with and participation of their sufferings Bishop Jewels defence of the Apol. p. 583. Brings in St. Augustine saying Quid obest homini What is a man the worse if the ignorance of a man strike him out of the Book of the Church if ill conscience strike him not out of the Book of Life In this case St. Augustine saith it cometh sometime to pass Vt plurimae sint foris oves intus Lupi That there be many Sheep without the Church and many Wolves within And in your own Law Mr. Harding it is written thus Qui illicite alium Excom c. He that unlawfully Excommunicates another condemneth himself and not another That our Love must be Catholick HOmily of Christian Love and Charity p. 36. Charity is to love every man good and evil friend and foe and whatsoever Cause be given to the Contrary yet nevertheless to bear good will and heart to every man to use our-selves well unto them as well in Words and countenances as in all other Acts and deeds for so Christ himself taught and so also he performed indeed and for as much as the Pharisees with their false glosses had Corrupted this love of our neighbour teaching that this love and Charity
former sort escaped notwithstanding their profaneness and debauchery but the latter though sound in the same Faith with us and much unblameable in their lives have fallen under the heaviest censures of the Church Further this Toleration hath taken away the scurvyness of the Church-Wardens Oath which in a strict sense of the words if no latitude could be allowed or mitigations of it called for a Presentment of Dissenters without any favour or difference between the weak and the wilful Which because of the ill consequence which too often followed Excommunication and Imprisonment many Church-Wardens were more backward and averse unto Their Consciences would not suffer them to work such evil and trouble to their Christian Brethren Fellow Protestants Loving Neighbours for some small difference not destructive of their Salvation And if we do not like every thing that is in the Act of Toleration best as if any unordained men be allowed Preachers or Teachers of any Congregation if I am not misinformed scarce any setled constant Preachers even among the Independents and Anabaptists but what are Ordained by laying on of Hands Fasting and Prayer the guilt will be to themselves and their hearers c. and not to us Mr. Mason hath proved in his excellent Defence of the Ordination of Ministers beyond the Seas that Ordination by Presbyters is valid See more in Iren. 2d part ch 8. Bishop Jewel Downam Alley Pilkington Bridges Bilson Andrews Davenant Prideaux Usher Dr. Field Nowel Saravia c. And in the Conformist Plea for Non-Conformists part 2d p. 36. and 37. and 50. Those that have the internal call of knowledge and piety are not to be reckoned as Laymen but next to Presbyters As Abbot Bucer and Bishop Jewel Bilson Dr. Benefield c. If we can but bear and forbear with one another in love notwithstanding the diversity of our Judgments we may live happily and hope to see good days Men will now be free from the many fears and jealousies which made them sit uneasie under former Princes and not to enjoy themselves so comfortably when they were so often in danger upon their difference in Religion It is not so long since that almost all Sects were jealous one of another the Church of England of the Church of Rome and her designs and of the Dissenters least they for present ease and Toleration in their Religion should have given away the Test the common security of the Protestant Religion And the Dissenters seemed to be afraid of both of the severities which they had felt from the Church of England and its penal Laws and of greater from the Church of Rome if she got uppermost and to have the power in her own hands And all this because our love was grown cold and our spirits hot with such a zeal got among us which like wild-sire threatned to consume us and our Religion both But sure St. Paul was not mistaken when he called love a more excellent way that love which worketh no ill to its Neighbour Job 6.8 9. And O that I might have my request That God would grant me the thing that I long for even that it would please God to take away the occasions of our unChristian divisions and animosities As he hath begun the work that so it may be continued and ended in him creating peace out of that Chaos of confusion into which we have fallen that Christians as brethren may dwell together in Vnity and Christianity again become lovely to those that are without who used to say of the Primitive Christians vide ut Christiani amant see how these Christians love one another And though to be of one mind and of one judgment is rather to be wished then hoped for in our days yet to be of one heart why should it be thought a thing incredible or impossible I am sure Christs Commandments are not grievous and his command is plain and peremptory for it A new commandment give I unto you John 13.34 to love one another It was put to me at my Ordination in these words or to this effect Will you promote Love and Concord among all Christian people but especially those of your Charge My Answer was I will do so by the help of God And I trust I have done so herein And since the most effectual means for love and peace is as full an Vnion as we can attain unto lessening our differences and enlarging our Communion as much as may be And since as Mr. Wake on Rom. 15 5 6 7. p. 31. Never certainly was there a time since our Divisions first began in which we had greater reason to consider of an Union or I hope a fairer opportunity to promise our selves an accomplishment of it saith he Let us all be as careful to improve it as I am perswaded we have all of us not only seem'd to desire but indeed earnestly long'd for it And I hope my Fathers will shew themselves Patres Patriae by their Fatherly care and concern for the Churches good and peace and will not think it too much for so great and good a work as an happy re-Union which as Mr. De L' Angle in his Letter to his Lordship the Bishop of London Will rejoyce Men and Angels and bring down a thousand blessings of Heaven and Earth upon those that shall contribute the most unto it Vnreason of Sep. p. 424. to part with a Ceremony to alter an expression or two in the Common-Prayers and to do somewhat more for peace now that there is a time for such a thing And surely there is no such wide breach and great a difference but that there might be a closing if we did but heartily desire it and each side would yield somewhat for peace sake And as our Church hath yielded to accept of a subscription to the thirty six Articles leaving out those in controversie she shows thereby that she knows how to yield in other things in case it will attain the end and our dissenting Brethren in any considerable number can be perswaded to return into the Communion of our Church God who is the Authour of Peace and Lover of Concord make us all in love with Peace that we may be followers of these burning and shining lights guiding our feet into the way of peace 2 Cor. 13.11 That the God of Love and Peace may be with us For which I shall never cease to intercede at the Throne of Grace as A Friend of Peace R. C. A Copy of Verses made by the Author of the Collections CHerubims and Seraphims the Host of Love And Numbers numberless of Saints above Free from strife which wretched Mortals below Ever contending to their sorrow know Exalt ye Loves praise make it heard on high All our life we strive and last struggling dye Ah Jesu's Spouse Christian call'd of old By Sectarian names now manifold Wedded to Peter and the Vatican Become Calvinist else a Lutheran One Church of the East t' other of the West Divisions have
19.42 pag. 24 25. The Mortification of our Lust and Passion living a life of Spiritual Purity and Devotion Self-denial and Meekness Justice and Charity Peaceableness and Patience Sobriety and Chastity and a trusting in the Merits of Christ for pardon of our Sins and acceptance of our imperfect Righteousness these are the substantials of our Religion about which all wise and good men are Agreed however we differ about other Matters Difference of Case between Separation of Protestants from Rome and the Separation of Dissenters pag. 69. As for the Dissenters meth nks it should not be hard to disswade the most of them from breaking the Communion of the Church any longer with which they agree in the Substance of Faith and Worship Mr. Wake 's Sermon on Rom. 15.5 6 7. pag. 16 17. Our differences do not at all concern the Foundations either of Faith or Worship and are therefore such in which good men if they be otherwise diligent and sincere in their enquiry may differ without any prejudice to themselves or any just reflection upon the truth of their common profession To conclude this Head Bish Reynold's Br. Reconcil p. 7. Why should not the many Truths wherein we agree teach us to join in Love which is a Christian Duty rather than the few opinions in which we dis-agree cause breach in affection which at best is but an human Infirmity That the Creed contains all Truths necessary to Salvation IN the Common Prayer at the Visitation of the Sick the Minister by the Churches order saith thus to the Sick I shall rehearse to you the Articles of our Christian Faith that you may know whether you do beleive as a Christian man should or no. And so Bishop Tailor on the Credenda in the Holy Catholick Church The Creed which whosoever beleives is a Catholick and a Christian but he that beleiveth it not is neither In Baptism according to the Church of England The question put to the person to be baptized dost thou beleive in God the Father and so to the end of the Creed And will thou be Baptized into this Faith And in the Church Catechism That in our Vow at Baptism we promised to believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith And in the beginning of the Reformation it was agreed upon that the Bishops and Preachers ought to instruct the people according to the Scripture the Three Creeds and the four first General Councels The Fathers are cited by the Reverend Bishops in testimony that the Creed contains all Truths necessary to Salvation as by Arch-Bishop Laud against Fisher Bishop Taylors Ductor Dub. and Bishop Bramhal especially Tertullian Clemens Romanus Ambrose Augustine c. who made the Creed to be the only standing immoveable and irreformable Rule of Faith the sum of the whole Catholick Faith the Key of the Christian Faith the rule and square of the Apostical Sermons i. e. after the making of it wherein the Apostles have collected into one breviary all the points of the Catholick Faith which are diffused throughout all the Scriptures The Creed is one perfect collection and sum plain short and full that the plainness might help the weakness of the Hearers the shortness their Memory the Fulness their Instruction The General Councel of Ephesus did forbid all men to exact any more of a Christian at his Baptismal profession and again the same Councel That it should be lawful for no man to publish or compose another Faith or Creed then that which was defined by the Nicene Councel and that whosoever should dare to compose or offer any such to any persons willing to be converted from Paganism Judaism or Heresie if they should be Bishops or Clergy-men should be deposed if Lay-men Anathematised i. e. Accursed with Excommunication It was the Universal practice of the Primitive Church Credisne at Baptism On Palm-Sunday the Christian converts from Heathenism as yet under Catechizing petitioned for Baptism and from that day forward had some assigned to expound the Creed unto them whereof they were to make solemn profession at Baptism All the Divines of the Reformed Church confessedly and generally own this Truth that the Creed contains all Truths necessary to Salvation Bishop Halls Works p. 637. 'T is not Cassander's Speech only but every wise and honest man's the Creed is the common cognizance of our Faith surely saith he Theodoret when he would allay the bitter contentions of those antient Christians of Antioch writes thus both parts made one and the same confession of their Faith for both maintained the Creed of the Nicene Councel and blames the Romanists that the confession of the same Creed is not sufficient with them for peace Item Resolution of Practical Cases of Conscience Case 5. Dec. 3 d. If there were not some special Truths the belief whereof makes and distinguishes a Christian the authors of the Creed Apostolick besides the other symbols received anciently in the Church were much deceived in their aim Doctor Potters Answer to Charity Mistaken p. 221. How can it be necessary for any Christian to have more in his Creed than the Apostles had in the Church of their time may the Church of after ages make the way to Heaven narrower than our Saviour left it c. The Apostles profess they revealed to the Church the whole Councel of God keeping back nothing needful for our Salvation What Tyranny then is it to impose any new matters on the Faith of Christians especially as the late Popes have done under that high commanding Form Qui non crediderit aut fecerit damnabitur Bishop Tailor Coll. of Discourses p. 524. It is a strange Boldness in the Church of Rome first to add Twelve new Articles to the Apostles Creed and then to add the appendix of Athanasius this is the Catholick Faith without which no man can be saved For I demand can any man say and justifie that the Apostles did deny Communion to any man that believed the Apostles Creed and lived a good Life Let them remember Pope Pelagius who when the Bishops of Istria deserted his Communion in causa trium Capitulorum he gave them an account of his Faith by recitation of the Creed and by attesting the Four General Councels and is confident upon this that de fidei firmitate nulla poterit esse questio vel suspicio generari Bishop Usher In those Propositions which without all controversie are universally received in the whole Christian World i. e. Articles of the Creed so much Truth is contained as being joyned with an holy obedience may be sufficient to bring a man unto Everlasting Salvation and that as many as walk according to this Rule peace shall be upon them Upon which saith Doctor Chillingworth this is a great and as good as Truth and as necessary for these miserable Times as can be uttered Hookers Eccles Polit. p. 266. We have received from the Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ that brief confession of Faith which hath been always a
in the Service already established by Act of Parliament in this Kingdom he intends that all other Protestants behaving themselves peaceably in and towards the Civil Government shall have the free exercise of their Religion in their own way Item to the Prince of Wales The charitable connivance and Christian Toleration often dissipates their strength whom rougher opposition fortifies Dr. Hammond 's Sermons pag. 72. I am confident there were no such way of designing a prosperous flourishing durable Kingdom as to found its Polity upon Gospel Principles and maintain it by the Gospel Spirit id est of Love and Meekness I have Authority to think that was the meaning of the Prophesie of Christs turning Swords into Plough-shares c. Advice to the Church of England Roman Catholicks and Protestant Dissenters tells us pag. 23. Dr. Hammond left it to the Witnesses of his End as his dying Counsel to the Church of England that they displaced no man out of the Universities or present Church but that by Love and an Holy Life they should prevail upon those in possession then to come into their Church Which he had as he tells us from an eminent hand in Oxford a year or two after the Doctors Death Mr. Hales of Erring Christians pag. 26. Edit 2. The Christians were called Christiani from a word signifying benignity and sweetness What reason is there why that should not be one of the chiefest notes of the Church of Christ which did so especially characterize a Christian man except there were a decay of it at this day in the Church Georgius a Factious Bishop of Alexandria is said oblitus professionis suae quae nil nisi justum suadet bene Quite besides his profession whose especial notes were Gentleness and Equity in the sense of the Heathen Ammianus Marcellinus King Charles the Second in a Declaration from Breda was for Liberty to Tender Consciences and sayes that no man shall be disquieted for Differences in Opinion in Matters of Religion which do not disturb the Peace of the Kingdom pag. 5. and 18. This Declaration his Majesty afterwards May 8. 1661. tearms a Promise solemnly made This Declaration or Promise he tells both Houses July 8 1661. that so oft as he comes to them he mentions his Declaration from Breda that himself as well as they might mind it In his Majesties Declaration of Decemb. 26 1662. He tells us that he remembers the very words of the Promises from Breda that concern'd Liberty of Conscience and the confirmations he hath made of them since upon several Occasions and that he is still firm in Resolution of performing them to the full He tells what hindered But it must not be wondered at since that Parliament to which those promises were made in relation to an Act never thought fit to offer us any to that purpose His Majesty publickly declared his avowed readiness in his Proclamation July 16. 1669. to indulge Tender Consciences Bishop Bramhall 's Just Vindication c. pag. 279. Men may vary in their Judgments and yet preserve Christian Unity and Charity in their Affections one towards another so as Errours be not destructive to Fundamental Articles Bishop Gauden of slight Healing pag. 102. That Lenitive of Equanimity Forbearance and Moderation in respect of Conscientious Dissenters from the publick Consent Customs and Constitutions in the Church which Christian Charity requires and publick peace with safety may bear Idem pag. 93. Scandalous for any to plead that they may have Liberty or Toleration for that which by publique Advice and upon due search is found to be such as is prone to endanger or disorder and infect the whole Bishop Reynold 's Brotherly Reconciliation pag. 19. In this case of unavoidable differences among good men there ought to be Mutual Charity Meekness Moderation Tolerance Humanity used Idem pag. 25. Brings in a saying of Mr. Calvin such a man saith he is a sincere Minister of Christ a godly and a moderate Man therefore though he dissent from us I will not cease to love him still Bishop Taylor 's Collection of Discourses pag. 603. To refuse our Charity to those who have the same Faith because they have not all our Opinions and believe not every thing necessary which we over-value is Impious and Schismatical and to this sense is that of St. Paul If I had all Faith and have not Charity I am nothing c. Idem If men please what-ever advantages would be consequent to an Unity of perswasion may be supplied by a charitable compliance and mutual permission of Opinion prescribed us by the Lawes of Christianity Idem Epist before Lib. of Proph. in Collection of Discourses c. I thought it might not misbecome my duty and endeavours to plead for Peace and Charity and Forgiveness and Permissions mutual And in Defence of that Piece in the Second Edition Now I have done all that I can do onely I cannot repent me of speaking Truth or doing Charity I Answer whatsoever is against the Foundation of Faith I or contrary to good Life and the Lawes of Obedience or destructive to humane Societies and the publick and just interests of Bodies Politick is out of the limits of my Question for Toleration Idem I think I have spoken reason in my Book and examined it with all the severity that I have I writ this because I thought it was necessary and seasonable and charitable and agreeable to the great precepts and design of Christianity consonant to the practice of the Apostles and of the best Ages of the Church and of the nature of the thing Bishop Hacket 's Sermon on Acts 5.39 p. 22. An Unanimity of Opinions is not necessary to Friendships saith Aristotle very well Dear Friends may retain the sweetness of love together and yet vary in some conclusion of Judgments a little more may be granted that each may be earnest to win the other to assent Idem pag. 25. But if sundry shapes and appearances of reason will not suffer us all to enjoy the same Knowledge and the same Conscience yet let us Dissent as Brethren and not as Enemies Bishop Saunderson 's Serm. 9. ad Aulam Sect. 23. We see Philosophers Lawyers and Physitians confuting one anothers Opinions in great Volumes and we allow it in them but difference in Opinions is more tolerable in Divinity by how much the things about which we are conversant are of a more sublime mysterious and of an incomprehensible Nature than are those of other Sciences Bishop Wilkins Sermons on Rom. 14. p. 57. There are several Truths which are not of so great consequence as Unity Peace and Charity and therefore in such things there ought to be a mutual forbearance towards one another Idem Sermon 13. It is no difficult matter for men to be fair and kind and moderate towards such as are of the same way and agree with them in the main Idem pag 413. 414. This vertue Moderation will be very advantageous to the peace