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A42125
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An answer to some queries concerning schism, toleration, &c. in a letter to a friend ...
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Gandy, Henry, 1649-1734.
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Wing G197; ESTC R8150
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AN ANSWER TO SOME QUERIES CONCERNING SCHISM TOLERATION c. IN A LETTER To a Friend It was not long since that the Sins of Rebellion and Sacrilege were so Successful that they did not only cast off their old Names but commenc'd Vertues and it was dangerous to discourse whether there were such Sins or no Prosperous Wickedness has never wanted its Apologists who know how to call Evil Good and Good Evil. The case is almost the same concerning the Sin of Schism and Separation Long 's Epist to the Brethren before the Character of a Separatist An Vniversal Toleration is that Trojan Horse which brings in our Enemies without being seen and which after a long Seige they hope to bring in at last under the pretence of setting our Gates wide enough open to let in all our Friends Still Misch of Separation p. 58. I beseech you Brethren mark them who cause Divisions and Offences contrary to the Doctrine which ye have learned and avoid them Rom. 16. 17. London Printed in the Year MDCC AN ANSWER TO SOME QUERIES CONCERNING SCHISM TOLERATION c. In a LETTER to a Friend SIR I Receiv'd your Letter with some Queries but I cannot imagine what made you pitch upon me when you are acquainted with so many Learned men to Answer ' em But to let you see how willing I am to give you the best Satisfaction that I can I have here sent you the Opinions of some of our most Celebrated Episcopal Divines that out of them you may frame Answers to all your Queries And if you are not Satisfied with what I have Collected out of 'em you may have recourse to their Books your self If you say that the Authors I have quoted are but Private men and their Writings of no Authority I must Answer that most of their Books have past an Imprimatur or which by some is look'd upon as Tantamont The Approbation of the London Divines If you say further That their Practices have in some Cases contradicted their Principles I must say that that is nothing to me Let them look to that If their Principles be Sound and Orthodox that 's all that I desire let them Answer for their Practices As for the Preliminary Questions I have likewise taken the Answers to them out of the same Writers as you 'll find upon the perusal The first Question that you propose is this What is meant by the Church But before a distinct Answer can be given you must know that the word Church has various significations Sometimes 't is taken for the Place where people Assemble and sometimes for the People assembled Sometimes for the Whole Church including the Church Triumphant which is in Heaven as well as the Church Art 19. Militant or the Visible Church here on Earth Sometimes for the Catholick Church Representative or a General Council Sometimes for the Catholick Church Diffusive or the Whole Body of Christians Sometimes for the Church Vniversal Sometimes for a Particular Church c. Q. What is meant by the Church in General or the Catholick Church A. The Church Ecclesia among Christians in the largest use Dr. Loyd ' s Serm. on Acts 2. 42. of the word is the whole Multitude of Believers joyn'd together in One Body or Society under One Head Jesus Christ Or The Catholick Church is the Whole Church of Christ spread Bramhal's Just Vind. p. 23. abroad thro' the whole World Or The Vniversal Church is the Company of Christians Knit together Id. by the Profession of the same Faith and the Communion of the same Sacraments under the Government of Lawful Pastors By Catholick Church is meant the whole number of Christians Disc concerning the Cath. Ch. p. 2. in all Ages and Places admitted into the Church by Baptism and gather'd into Particular Churches under their respective Pastors and Bishops United to one another and to Christ their Head by the Profession of one Faith or Religion Q. What is meant by a Particular Church A. By a Particular Church is meant a Number of Men professing Vindic. of Ch. Eng. from Sch. p. 10. Christianity form'd into a Society under Lawful Governours and govern'd by such Laws and Rules as are not different from but Agreable to the Laws of the Catholick Church Q. What is meant by a National Church A. The whole Body of Christians in a Nation consisting of Stil unreason of Separ p. 299. the Pastors and People agreeing in that Faith Government and Worship which are Establisht by the Law of the Realm Q. What is meant by a Representative National Church A. The Representative Church of a Nation is the Bishops and Id. p. 300. Presbyters of the Church meeting together according to the Laws of the Realm to consult and advise about Matters of Religion Q. What is meant by the Church of England A. The Church of England is a Society of People which in Stil Misc of Separ p. 19. this Nation are united under the same Profession of Faith the same Laws of Government and Rules of Divine worship Or By the Church of England I understand that Body of Men Faith and Prac. of Ch. Eng. man c. 1. who as to Church Affairs are united together under the same Principal Church Officers the Bishops Priests and Deacons and Communicate with them and with one another in all Religious Offices according to the Liturgy and Orders of our Church Profess the Christian Faith according to the Ancient Creeds and the 39 Articles and are govern'd according to the Canons and Laws of this Church Or The Church of England is a Community consisting of profess'd Doct. of Sch. p. 42. Christians united in the same Government Doctrin and Worship according to the 39 Articles and Homilies Her Liturgy Canons and Laws and divided into Parochial Assemblies for the more Convenient worshipping of God Q. What is meant by a Diocesan Church A. The Notion of a Church by the ancient Canons was Stil Misch of Separ p. 29. the same with that of a Diocess or such a number of Christians as were under the Inspection of a Bishop Or A Church is the Body of Christians contain'd in a City and Thorndike's Weights and Measures p. 39. the Territory of it for the Government of such a one the respective Authority of the Apostles convey'd by the Overt Act of their Ordination was visibly vested in a Bishop in a number of Presbyters for his advice and assistance and in Deacons attending upon them and upon the executing their Orders Q. What is meant by a Parochial Church A. A Parochial Church is a Company of Christians united under the care of a Pastor in subordination to the Bishop of the Diocess Q. Wherein consists the Unity of the Church A. Ecclesiastical Unity consists in preserving all those Relations Ham. of Schism p. 508. wherein each member of the whole Church of Christ is concern'd one towards another and this Unity is either of
Christ has but One Church out of which Salvation is not ordinarily to be had then all Christians are obliged as they tender the Salvation of their Souls to keep intire Communion with that One Church and not to run for fear Worldly interest or wantonness from the Church to the Conventicle and from the Conventicle back again to the Church 2. That if neither Prayers Preaching nor Sacraments have any Efficacy or Virtue unless administred in the Vnity of the Church Nay if they are pernicious and Execrable it behoves all Dissenters to forsake and renounce all their Schismatical Meetings and to reconcile themselves to the Church 3. That if those only who thro Ignorance and prejudice or the like Communicate with Schismaticks may and that by Gods Extraordinary Mercy too be sav'd then those who are guilty of Wilful Schism or wantonly gad from the Church to Schismatical Conventicles and are therefore really members of no Church are in a desperate Condition SIR According to my promise I have given you the Opinions of some of our Eminent Episcopal Divines upon all your Queries and could have added many more if needful and upon the whole you will find that they are fully agreed that those who forsake either the Communion of Lawful and Canonical Bishops and set up others in Opposition to them or wholly reject the Order are notwithstanding any Dispensation Exemption Toleration or even Legal Establishment Compleat Schismaticks To conclude Communion is the Strength and ground of all Society whether Sacred or Civil whoever therefore they be that offend against Long 's Answer to Hale p. 84. this Common Society and Friendliness of men and Cause Separation and Breach among them if it be in Civil occasions are guilty of Sedition or Rebellion if it be by occasion of Ecclesiastical Differences they are guilty of Schism Therefore let you and I and all Good Christians and Loyal Subjects pray as our Church in her Litany directs from all Sedition privy Conspiracy and Rebellion from all false Doctrine Heresy and Schism Good Lord deliver us And Let us beseech Almighty God that he would be pleas'd to bring into the way of Truth all Such as have err'd and are deceiv'd to strengthen such as do stand to comfort and help the weak-hearted to raise up them that fall and finally to beat down Satan the Author and Abetter of Schism and Rebellion under our feet I am SIR Yours c. Postscript SIR UPon the Review I find my self oblig'd to beg your pardon for two things The one for not Answering your Queries in the same Order as you propos'd them and for adding one or two of my own The other for making my References so very short ` As for the First I shall presume upon your pardon because it was done with a good design viz. to make the whole more clear and intelligible As for the other I think I have aton'd by sending you together with the Abbreviations the Titles at length of most of the Books the Booksellers Names the Years when Printed and the Authors Names where they are set to the Books and where they are not the Names of the suppos'd Authors in Crotchets as you 'll see by the following Catalogue Feild of the Ch. Of the Church five Books by Richard Feild c. the Fol. â— 2d Edition at Oxford imprinted by William Turner c. 1628. Ham. of Sch. The 2d Vol. of the Works of the Reverend and Learned H. Hammond D. D. the 2d Edition London printed for R. Royston and R. Davis in Oxford 1684. Bishop Lon. Try A true Narative of all the proceedings against the Ld. Bp. of London in the Council Chamber at Whitehall by the Lords Commissioners appointed by his Majesty to inspect Ecclesiastical affairs London Printed and are to be sold by Randal Taylor near Stationer's-Hall 1689. Dr. Lloyd's Serm. on Act. 2. 42. A Sermon preach'd before the King Quarto at Whitehall Nov. 24. 1678. by William Lloyd D. D. and Dean of Bangor and Chaplain c. London printed for H. Brome 1679. Still Misc Separ The Mischief of Separation a Sermon preach'd at Guildhall Chapel May 2. 1680 before the Lord Mayor by Ed. Stillingfleet D. D. Dean of St. Paul's c. London printed for H. Mortlock at the Phoenix in St. Paul's Church-Yard c. 1680. Stil unreason Separ The Unreasonableness of Separation or an impartial account of the History Nature and Pleas of the present Separation c. by Edward Stillingfleet D. D. Dean of St. Paul's c. London printed for H. Mortlock 1681. Differ Case The Difference of the case between the Separation of Protestants from the Church of Rome and the Separation of Dissenters from c. by Dr. Claget London printed for Tho. Basset and Fincham Gardiner 1683. Prot. Resol Faith Protestant Resolution of Faith in Answer to three Questions c. by Dr. Sherlock London printed 1685. Ans to the Kgs. Paps An Answer to some Papers lately printed concerning the Authority of the Cath. Church in matters of Faith and Reformation of the Church of England by Dr. Stillingfleet London printed for R. Chiswell 1686. Vind. of Ans to the Kgs. Paps A Vindication of the Answer to some late Papers concerning the Unity and Authority of the Cath. Church and the Reformation of the Church of England by Ed. Stillingfleet D. D. London printed for R. Chiswell 1687. Apologet. Vind. Ch. Eng. An Apologetical Vindication of the Church of England in Answer to those who reproach her with the English Heresies and Schisms or suspect her not to be a Catholick Church upon their account by Geo. Hicks D. D. London printed for Walter Ketilby 1687. Vindic. Ch. Eng. from Sch. A Vindication of the Church of England from the foul Aspersions of Schism and Heresy unjustly cast upon her by the Church of Rome pt 1st by Mr. Altham London printed for Luke Meredith 1687. Plain fam Disc A plain and Familiar Discourse by way of Dialogue betwixt a Minister and his Parishioner concerning the Cath. Church in three parts c. by a Divine of the Church of England Dr. Freeman London printed for R. Clavel and B. Took 1687. Ans to Reas and Author An Answer to a Book entitul'd Reason and Authority or the Motives of a Late Protestants Reconciliation to the Cath. Church c. in a Letter to a Freind by Dr. Bainbrigg London printed for Brab Aylmer 1687. Animadvers 8 Thes Animadversions on the Eight Thes laid down and the Inferences deduc'd from them in a Discourse entitul'd Church Government Part 5. lately printed at Oxford by Mr. Atterbury Oxford printed at the Theatre Anno. 1687. Reflect Hist pt Ch. Govern Reflections on the Historical part of Ch. Government part 5. by Mr. Smadge Oxford printed at the Theatre Anno. 1687. Reform justif The Reformation of the Church of England justify'd according to the Canons of the Council of Nice and other General Councils and the Tradition of the Cath. Church being