do this good office and that because God would have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth This was that which our Lord said to Peter When thou art converted strengthen thy Brethren and if those who are not thoroughly confirmed in the Truth are to be farther instructed there is the same reason for endeavouring to recover those that are quite out of the way Therefore if any of our Friends and Acquaintance or others whom at any time we have a good opportunity of instructing remain under those errours that we have forsaken and have discerned good cause to forsake we must remember that though it was chiefly by the grace and disposal of God that we came to a right understanding yet it was also by humane means by conversing with others or by reading their Books And therefore we should take our selves to be fit Instruments under God for the reducing of them by desiring them earnestly either to hear what we have learned from others or to read those Books by which we have been convinced And we should be the more earnestly engaged in this charity because those whom we may prevail withal will thereby be engaged to help others also and by this means our diligence and charity will be blessed with the good success of propagating the knowledge of Truth so far that we shall not be able to see to the end of it If therefore thou art convinced that thy former Perswasions were erroneous and thy Practices grounded upon them unjustifiable be not ashamed to confess thy mistake but shew thy self glad that thou art now better informed and go to thy Friend and tell him that thou art fully perswaded thy was has been wrong all this while and shew him these Arguments that have set thee right that he as well as thy self may rejoyce in the discovery of the Truth and have the same reason to bless God that thou hast Now when we are thus resolved let us by no means forget in what manner we are to apply our selves to our mistaken Brother for his information i. e. in meekness of wisdom in the spirit of meekness without railing and bitterness though we should meet with unhandsome opposition remembring that we our selves not long since were under the same mistakes and had the like fondness for those erroneous Opinions which we would now rescue our Brother from If he does not take information and receive instruction as fast as we did we must not presently grow into passion for some mens prejudices are greater and stronger than others and all men have not the same capacity of understanding and quickness of apprehension and therefore more time is to be allowed and more patience is to be used for the recovery of one man than may be needful in the case of another And because nothing puts a slow or a prejudiced man more backward than rough and bitter discourse therefore more meekness and gentleness and patience is requisite in dealing with him than if we had to do with one of better wit or less prejudice When we would bring a man to the Truth we must avoid all things that will be sure to drive him at a farther distance from it as clamour fierceness and railing will certainly do For this carriage does but harden the obstinate and confound the simple 3. When we are convinced of the Truth as we must not be ashamed so neither must we be afraid to own it but constantly adhere to it by professing it and practising according to it whatever we lose or suffer for so doing For otherwise we are convinced to no other purpose than the increasing of our guilt for he that knows his Masters will and doth it not shall be beaten with many stripes If therefore thou hast hitherto been a Papist but art now convinced of the impious Doctrines and Practices of the Church of Rome or a Dissenter but art now satisfied that there is no just ground for separation from the Church of England be not afraid of the Reproaches and Accusations of those whose errours thou hast left no not though your dependance be in a great measure upon them or your expectations of worldly advantage from them be never so great Consider that thy salvation lies at stake and that the question is whether Gods love is not to be preferred before their favour and that you are now to shew that you do not love the praise of men more than the praise of God Tell them that you will be still glad of their friendship but that you cannot purchase it at so dear a rate as to sin against God for it either by renouncing that which you are throughly convinced is Gods Truth or by going contrary to a Conscience well informed of your duty Let them know that you have been at a great deal of pains to discover the truth in these matters and more than they have been at that you value that knowledge of your duty to which the Grace and Providence of God hath led you at a more just rate than to sacrifice it to every worldly interest and that the industry you have used to inform your self aright would turn to a very evil account if after all you should play the Hypocrite When we have the Truth our loins must be girt about with it we must love it heartily profess it sincerely and contend for it earnestly and practise it honestly When we have bought the Truth by diligent and impartial enquiry we we must not sell it for the gain of worldly Wealth or Honour or any other secular advantage no not for the safety of our lives The sum of all is this Prove all things hold fast that which is good FINIS A Catalogue of several Tracts written by some Divines in and about the City of London for the satisfaction of the Protestant Dissenters 1. A Perswasive to Communion with the Church of England 2. A Resolution of some Cases of Conscience which respect Church-Communion 3. A Letter to Anonymus in answer to his three Letters to Dr. Sherlock about Church-Communion 4. The Case of Lay-Communion 5. The Case of mixt Communion Whether it be Lawful to Separate from a Church upon the account of promiscuous Congregations and mixt Communions 6. The Case of Indifferent things used in the Worship of God proposed and Stated 7. A Vindication of it 8. A Discourse of Conscience 9. A Discourse about a Scrupulous Conscience 10. Some Considerations about the Case of Scandal or giving Offence to Weak Brethren 11. Certain Cases of Conscience resolved concerning the Lawfulness of joyning with Forms of Prayer in Publick Worship In two Parts 12. An Answer to the Dissenters Objections against the Common Prayers and some other parts of Divine Service prescribed in the Liturgy of the Church of England 13. The Resolution of this Case of Conscience Whether the Church of Englands Symbolizing so far as it doth with the Church of Rome makes it unlawful to hold Communion with the Church of England 14. A Defence of it 15. The Case of Infant-Baptism in Five Questions 16. The Case of the Cross in Baptism 17. A Perswasive to frequent Communion in the Holy Sacrament of the Lords Supper 18. The Case of Kneeling at the Holy Sacrament stated and resolved In two Parts 29. A Discourse about Edification 20. A Discourse of Profiting by Sermons and of going to hear where men think they can profit most 21. An Argument to Union taken from the true Interest of those Dissenters in England who profess and call themselves Protestants 22. A serious Exhortation with some important Advices relating to the late Cases about Conformity recommended to the present Dissenters from the Church of England Against Popery these 1. A Discourse about the charge of Novelty upon the Reformed Church of England made by the Papists asking of us the Question Where was our Religion before Luther 2. Discourse about Tradition shewing what is meant by it and what Tradition is to be received and what Tradition is to be rejected 3. The difference of the Case between the Separation of Protestants from the Church of Rome and the Separation of Dissenters from the Church of England 4. The Protestant Resolution of Faith 5. A Discourse concerning a Guide in matters of Faith 6. A Discourse concerning Invocation of Saints 7. A Discourse concerning the Unity of the Catholick Church maintained in the Church of England 8. A Discourse of Auricular Confession 9. A Discourse against Transubstantiation A Catalogue of some Books printed for T. BASSET SPeed's Maps and Geography of Great Britain and Ireland and of foreign parts Hooker's Ecclesiastical Politie Guillim's Heraldry Bishop Sanderson's Sermons Mezaray's History of France Dr. Howell's History of the World In 2 Vol. Dr. Littleton's Dictionary Compleat Clerk Dr. Sherlock's Sermon on the Discovery of the Plot. Medicina Curiosa Miege's French Dictionary Willis's London Tract of Physick Bishop Wilkin's Sermons Principle and duty of Natural Religion Bishop Land's Devotions ☞ All the Works newly printed of Doctor JOHN LIGHTFOOT in two Volumes in folio Illustrated with Maps and several Tables to the Whole with some things never before printed Phil. 2. 12. 1 Cor. 12. 24. 1 Cor 4. 7. Rom. 12. 2. Discourse about Tradition shewing c. Abridgment of Christian Doctrine printed at Doway
wrong way while they never use that liberty of examining the grounds of their Perswasion to which the Church so vehemently perswades them by her Ministers If it be urged that when a man sets himself with honesty and diligence to examine the Case of Communion with the Chnrch and doth all that he can to inform himself aright in this matter but cannot be satisfied that he may lawfully conform and this through mere weakness of understanding it is not reasonable that he should suffer any thing for that It may be said on the other side that there are many more who fail of understanding their duty in this kind for want of examination and inquiry and through the prevalency of Prejudice and passion than there are of those who continue erroneously perswaded through mere weakness of understanding But as for those who in perfect weakness remain unconvinced if I may suppose any such I wish the Laws could distinguish them from the rest and that they could be known by some visible characters that they might be exempted from undergoing any penalties But since this cannot be it must be endured that a few or none in comparison come to have hard measure by means of that which is necessary for the common and publick good § 4. Having premised thus much concerning this subject I shall proceed in this method following I. To consider in what cases we are to enquire most of all into the Truth II. To shew how or by what Rules or Tests we are to try and examine Opinions in Religion III. How we ought to be disposed and qualified that our Inquiries may be profitable and successful IV. To lay down some Motives whereby to perswade men to such Inquiry and examination V. To consider what becomes us and is our duty after the discovery and knowledge of the Truth I. I shall consider in what cases we ought to be most careful in making inquiries after the Truth lest we be imposed upon or mistaken All inquiries about Religion are either concerning the truth of Religion in the general or supposing the existence and providence of God which is the true Religion whether the Pagan or the Jewish or the Mahometan or the Christian or the truth of the Christian Religion being granted what Communion of men professing Christianity is to be chosen for instance whether the Church of Rome or the Church of England or the Communion of the Dissenters who separate from this Church But now all things are not alike needful to be proved or are equally proper matters of inqniry For 1. Every man is not bound to know all the false ways of Religion that are in the World and therefore not to try and examine every one of them It is sufficient for most men that they well consider the Faith and Profession to which they have been educated that if it be the Truth they may be well-grounded in it if it be false that they may upon good reason depart from it 2. Things that are self-evident need not to be examined for no Argument can make them plainer to us than they are already We may without any hesitation assent to such Principles as these That God cannot lie That men ought to observe fidelity and justice to one another and the like If there were not some Principles that needed no proving it were impossible to prove any thing and the more plain any thing is in it self the less need there is to examine it If I am told that white is black I shall not go about to disprove it because the thing is evidently false of it self and I can use no Argument that can make the matter plainer than it was at first In like manner if any man pretends that there is no difference between Vice and Virtue but in name and that all things are equally lawful this shall not put me to the trouble of examining the thing because 't is contrary to the common sense of mankind And for this reason any man is to be excused that dismisses the Doctrine of Transubstantiation without taking much pains about it because upon a very little consideration there appears so many gross contradictions and inconsistencies in it that I can have no greater reason to believe any thing is true than I have to believe that is false 3. Some things are hardly worth the examining and it signifies little or nothing to understand the right side of the Question If the Doctrine of the immaculate conception of the Virgin Mary were true yet it were not worth a quarter of the pains they have taken about it in the Church of Rome It is by no means true that an infallible living Judge is necessary upon Earth and that for the deciding of all Controversies in Religion since all such Controversies are not necessary to be decided some of them being of so little concern to us that it is no great matter if they remain Controversies to the Worlds end But we ought to use our Reason as well as we can to find out the truth in all those cases wherein it will be dangerous to be deceived and therefore in these four First When any man or company of men would gain us over to their way by lofty and extraordinary Pretences Secondly When Doctrines are propounded to us with considerable Authority which seem to encourage licentiousness and to render all care of living well needless Thirdly When we are tempted to separate from the Communion of the establish'd Church where we live or if we are in a state of Separation from it Fourthly When Opinions in Religion are propounded to us by those that would get us to yield up our Judgments wholly unto them and do what they can to keep us from examining them A prudent man would examine in all these cases First When men make extraordinary Pretences The reasonableness of which I have already shewn with reference to that Pretence of the Church of Rome to Infallibility And the like is to be said of those that pretend to work Miracles or that talk of immediate Revelations of knowing the Truth by Inspiration and of more than ordinary Illuminations For it is not onely a childish thing to be frighted with big words from looking what is under them but a very dangerous sort of cowardize to be afraid of calling those things into question which are set off with such highflown Pretences For from hence it has come to pass that Superstition and Idolatry Enthusiasms and Impostures have prevailed so much in the World It is somewhat strange that we should believe men the more for that very reason upon which we should believe them less that is for magnifying themselves And yet if this had not been common Mahomet had not imposed upon so great a part of the World nor the Church of Rome upon so great a part of Christendom nor our Enthusiasts upon so many People in England as they have I would not be backward to give that man a hearing that
pretends to great things in teaching Religion but then I should be something forward to give him a tryal too for otherwise I might encourage a very impudent Hypocrite to be more impudent still and to play upon my easiness till I had swallowed all the foolish and damnable Opinions which he would have me believe for his own advantage Secondly When we meet with Doctrines that seem to strike at the foundations of Morality and good living we are to examine them too before we yield our assent though they be recommended by men of name and authority For the end of divine truth is a good and holy life and therefore I should suspect that to be false Doctrine which in my judgment either takes away the necessity of Piety and Virtue or discourages men from endeavouring to attain them For instance I find this Doctrine maintained by some men of great note That God hath from all eternity absolutely chosen some men to salvation and reprobated the rest without respect to any personal qualifications Now if this be true I cannot see for my life how the obtaining of eternal happiness and the avoiding of damnation depends upon any care of mine or upon any thing that I can do since every mans state is absolutely over-ruled by predestination and an irreversible decree so that let me do what I please all that I can do for another world will be but lost labour and might as well be spared But if I am sensible of this it is but reasonable that I should not rely upon the credit of the Author or of the Preacher for so perilous a Doctrine but because it is pretended to be grounded upon the ninth Chapter to the Romans I should go to the Apostle my self and carefully inquire into his meaning in that place by the best Rules of interpretation that I can learn And whoever goes thus impartially to work will find that the Apostle in that place was discoursing of another Question and indeed upon a subject that has nothing to do with this Question of absolute Election or Reprobation of the persons of men and that though the words sound that way to a man that is already prepossess'd yet the meaning of them is nothing to the purpose Suspicion of Doctrines when it is grounded upon so good a reason as we are now speaking of should cause inquiry and then that inquiry will discover on which side the truth lies He that would be a Libertine and live as he lists may be pleased when he meets with any pretended Doctrine of Religion that will excuse a wicked life or discourage Virtue and holiness and therefore it is likely that he will rest satisfied and examine no farther But an honest mind will not let a man deceive himself in this manner but if it does not cause him to reject such Opinions as soon as ever he has well satisfied himself of their consequences it will at least keep him from admitting them till he has tried them every way that he can Thirdly We ought also to be very well satisfied and that upon much consideration of the matter before we separate from the Communion of the Church where we live For whatever some men may think of it this is a business of so weighty a nature and consequence that it is not to be resolved upon or continued in till we are sure we are in the right and that upon most plain and evident reasons And if there be any case in which a Christian ought not to go rashly to work this is one And therefore it is greatly to be lamented that so many amongst us pretending to the power of Godliness should make so light a matter as they plainly do of running into separate Congregations it being very notorious when one discourses the point with them that they never enquired why the Church-Assemblies were to be forsaken and what it is in the establish'd Forms of Worship or in the Terms of our Communion that makes it needful for an honest and wise Christian to depart from it And this is an Argument that they take it to be a matter of very little consequence for otherwise they would have applied themselves with more diligence to weigh it in all the particulars that belong to it And therefore I shall offer some Reasons in behalf of such inconsiderate People to convince them how bold and dangerous a thing it is to separate from this Church of England unless they were fully satisfied upon mature examination that there are just and necessary causes for separation such namely as will make them sinners against God if they do not separate 1. If without just cause I separate from this Church I do wilfully reject the great blessings and advantages of Communion with it and must be answerable to God for slighting that merciful providence of his through which I happened to be born and bred in a place where I might enjoy the benefits of Church-Communion without venturing at any disorderly and sinful practice for them Surely it is no small blessing if my lot has been cast where so great a blessing did as it were lie in wait for me where the true Christian Doctrine and way of Worship was recommended to me by publick Authority and establish'd by Law and Custom and defended to my hand by clear and strong Arguments If this be our Case in the Church of England then my separation from her I say it again makes me guilty of a stupid and ungrateful contempt of Gods exceeding mercies in disposing my condition in this World so to my advantage that I was born baptized and bred in a place where the Truth invited me and was ready to receive me before I made one step towards a search after her Indeed to be baptized within the Communion of a particular Church and to have been born and to live under that Authority which requires me to keep close to it is of it self no sufficient reason why we should continue to be of it but it is a mighty reason why we should examine things carefully before we leave it or take up a resolution never to return to it if we have left it already because if there be no just reason for separation we shall have the more to answer to God For it is a great fault to neglect searching after the Truth in matters of this concern even when it lies a great way off from a man but it is much more inexcusable to reject it when it lies at our doors 2. I had need be very careful and impartial in this case since if the reasons upon which I separate be not really weighty and substantial I am at once guilty of throwing off that subordination and subjection to the Pastors and Guides of the Church which the Christian Profession requires and of contemning the lawful commands of my Superiours in the State contrary to the Rule of the Gospel which obliges me to submit to their Ordinances I should not easily be
while they perceive it not it is by no means reasonable that the State under which we live should leave us lawless and free from all obligation of temporal Penalties what Religion we profess and what Communion we observe For the most dangerous Pretence for the â—â—â—rying on of seditious and rebellious designes against the Government is that of Religion And a few men that mean nothing but their own greatness and power shall be able to manage the Zeal of a superstitious Multitude against the Government for their own private ends while they scorn the superstition of their Followers and perhaps all pretence to Religion in their own hearts And therefore it concerns the Government to take care that the true Religion be protected by the Laws and then to provide by the most prudent methods that no other be professed in the Commonwealth If it be said that the end of all liberty to inquire and judge for our selves is destroyed if at last we must conform to the Laws or be punished for our refusal The contrary will be easily shewn to any one who believes that we are infinitly more concerned what will become of us in the life to come than in our present fortunes For suppose that they are Errours which Authority requires us to profess and that they are unlawful things which it requires us to do in Divine Service and that by a due and diligent examination of things I come to know this do I get nothing by my enquiry but the severity of those humane Laws that are against me Do not I obtain the comforts of a good Conscience in having honestly endeavoured to know the truth and in doing what I thereupon knew to be my duty If I do hereby obtain Gods Favour at present and shall obtain Gods Rewards in a better life is not this worth all my care and sincerity though I should get nothing by it in this World but Trouble and Persecution So that it is worth the while to examine the Doctrine imposed upon me by Authority though I know before-hand that be it right or wrong I must be punished by man if I receive it not True Religion and our observation to profess Gods Truth and to do his Will stands indeed upon the Authority of God and the Evidence of divine Revelation but nevertheless the profession thereof ought to be encouraged and protected by the Powers of the World and by consequence all false Religions should be discountenanced and the profession of them made uneasie by their Laws Scripture and Reason teach us that they no less than Parents should use that Authority for God which they have received from him But if they for want of sincere tryal and examination do themselves establish Iniquity or Heresie by a Law and turn the edge of their Power against the true Religion they must answer it to God at the day of Judgment who hath shewed them as well as others what is good and what he required of them In the mean while Persecution distinguishes between the Sincere and the Hypocrite and as the insincere study how to perplex the Truth and to avoid the convictions that are upon their minds and to reconcile their Apostacy to their Credit and Consciences so the honest inquire into the grounds of their Faith more diligently and being desirous to strengthen themselves under Sufferings by a full assurance that they suffer for Righteousness sake they search into all the grounds of their Perswasion more narrowly than if they had never come under this temptation and by this means the true Doctrine comes to be propounded to the World with the advantage of stronger Arguments and those better managed than if it had never met with opposition But if the true Faith and Worship be establish'd by Law and the Penalties of Nonconformity be strictly required this is so far from hindring men from enquiring that it lays an obligation upon a great many to consider things impartially who otherwise would never have looked but upon one side of the Question I mean all those whom either Wantonness and Self-conceit or Faction and Worldly Interest or the undue admiration of mens persons and the like would have held under a constant prejudice against Reason and Truth A carnal Argument for a good Cause is very often a wholsom means to remove a carnal prejudice against it And the Authority of the Magistrate can hardly be better used in matters of Religion than to make such a difference between the Observers of the Ecclesiastical Laws and the Dissenters from them that it shall be very hard for any man to lie under a Worldly Temptation to dissent sufficient to recompence the damage he must undergo This will make a great many impartial in weighing the Objections against Conformity with the Arguments and Answers on the other side and by degrees bring them to the knowledge of the Truth and at length to a sincere love of it It is a false Maxime That Force in matters of Religion makes Hypocrites but not true Converts For sometimes it cures Hypocrisie very often Ignorance and Partiality and that is a good degree towards Conversion And yet this will not justifie the putting of men to death for mere difference in Religion The least degree of severity which will do the business is great enough The Supreme Powers should consider their Subjects in these cases as a wise and good Father would consider his own Children who if he had power of life and death over them would not kill his misbelieving Son and yet would try to reduce him by Worldly Discipline and drive him to consideration by the sensible effects of his Displeasure The moderation of the English Laws for Uniformity is visible to all disinteressed persons and though the unevenness of their execution hath rendred them less effectual yet there are several who have cause to bless God for being compelled to come to our Churches and to consider the Terms of our Communion with some impartiality whereas if there had been an absolute Toleration their Ignorance and Prejudices might have led them they know not whither The Church of England causeth the Scriptures to be publickly read and puts them into the Peoples hands and desires nothing more than that every one would diligently and impartially consider the cases between her and those that separate from her And it is no absurd thing to say that this liberty of Judgment which she allows is consistent with the English Laws that require conformity of all since if it had not been for those Laws some men had never attained to liberty of Judgment but had still been held in bondage to their Prejudices and Errours 〈…〉 that they make the greatest noise for liberty of practice according to their Judgment who have made little or no use of their Judgment in distinguishing between good and bad true and false They demand one liberty while they make no use of another the liberty of being undisturbed and licentious in a
led to a Practice where there is danger of such a complicated sin 3. I am to consider that differences in Religion and Worship do dangerously affect the Peace of Kingdoms and all other Societies especially where the interests of Church and State are so mixed and interwoven together as they are in England They that agree in Religion are the most likely to be at peace and to agree together in other things But it seldom happens that they maintain hearty correspondence in any thing who are of opposite Communions in the service of God When the Unity of the Church is broken there is a foundation laid of those uncharitable censures and animosities which for the most part end in violence and bloudshed very often to the dissolation of Kingdoms and Nations It were easie to put this out of question by several instances of the sad experience which Christendom hath had of it But the late and sad Example hereof at home is enough to make all others needless for our conviction The Rebellion here was supported by nothing more than by difference about Religion This was the principal cause that brought together so many People against the King and that inslamed them with anger and resolution to venture all till they had secured the King and enslaved the Kingdom I need not say for sure every body must be sensible of that how diversity of Religions weaken the Government and render a People unable to do well for themselves to oppose foreign Enemies and to use the most likely opportunities for the common safety and prosperity Therefore in love to our Country and for the sake of Peace at home and of success in all just Enterprizes abroad we should be very backward to violate the present Constitution of the Church and to unsettle the state of Religion and never separate from the establish'd Communion till we find our selves forced to it by Reasons so plain and weighty that there is no avoiding of it if we would keep our selves honest men and good Christians 4. The setting of a bad example to others should in this case be most considered For if where a necessary Reformation in things of Religion is made by just Authority or a lawful separation made by private persons from a Communion polluted with unlawful conditions it is yet very hard to keep the Example from being abused by others in reforming or separating without any such cause and will still be of worse consequence to set an example of wanton and unjustifiable separation for this is so plain a contempt of Authority Order and Unity that others will be afraid to subdivide into more Parties as Self-conceit Ambition or Revenge or the like evil dispositions shall prompt them 5. If separation should not be made but with very great caution for fear of incurring the guilt of Schism by a causeless and unlawful departure from the Assemblies of the Church and setting up other Assemblies in opposition to them This in the judgment of the ancient Christians was no less than for a man to cut himself off from the Catholick Church of Christ and if the body of Christ be but one as the Scripture plainly tells us he that divides himself from any particular Church that is a Member of this Body divides himself from the whole Body And therefore Schismaticks were not accounted by the Ancients to be within the Church although they retained the profession of the Common Faith And surely a man would well advise with himself about an action whereby he may be in danger of putting himself into that condition The Vnity of Christians in one Body and Communion was instituted by our Lord for very great and weighty reasons and particularly for the securing of Brotherly kindness amongst his Disciples who being Members of the Body of Christ should therefore love and care for one another more than other men are wont to do and for the retaining of Professors within the Rules of a true Christian life from which if they should break away by any scandalous practice they were to be punished for it by the shame of being turned out of the Communion of the Church and by the loss of the great advantages thereof But it is evident that they who are guilty of dividing the Communion of Christians and setting up one Communion in opposition to another without necessary cause do what in them lies to render this provision for the maintenance of Charity and purity of Manners amongst Believers altogether ineffectual And we see by experience that hatred and ill will and looseness of life gains ground more by the Schisms that are amongst Christians than by any thing else and no wonder since men that are of different and opposite Communions do not use to love one another and vicious persons do not value the Communion of a true Church nor care if for their ill manners they be turned out of it when they can take Sanctuary in a pretended Church of another Communion that makes as loud a claim to all the Priviledges of a Chruch-Society as that Church can do from which they have divided themselves Which things being considered we are not to wonder that in St. Cyprian's time Schism was accounted no less but rather a greater fault than to sacrifice to Idols for the avoiding of persecution For though Idolatry simply considered be in it self worse yet Schism in its consequences is more pernicious He that is the Head of a Schism does more mischief to the Church than if he turned a Pagan or a Mahometan The conclusion from hence is this That it concerns every man that separates himself from an established Church it concerns him I say as much as his Soul is worth to look to it that the cause of his separation be just and necessary and such as will throw the guilt of Schism upon that Church from which he separates But alas how few are they that examine the reasons upon which they have broken away from the Church of England How many that when they are pressed in good earnest can say no more for themselves than that they have better preaching and more spiritual praying elsewhere than in our Parish-Churches How will they abuse our Prayers and call them Porridge and such other vile names who never in all their lives so much as read them and are not ashamed to own that they have not They call the Bishops Antichristian and the Rites and Ceremonies of the Church Idolatrous or Superstitious who yet never well considered what Antichrist means what is Idolatry or Superstition who have little or nothing to say if they be asked what evil is in Bishops in Liturgies and in the Rites of our Worship How many others are there who read the Books written to defend the separation but will not vouchsafe so much as to look upon any one that is published in behalf of the Communion of our Church God of his mercy give a better Spirit to such people and Repentance to those that