not supposing that he undertakes and performs the profession of a Christian renounces the Article of his Creed concerning one baptisme to remission of sins But the being of Gods visible Church consisteth in that Unity which ariseth upon the agreement of all Christians to hold communion in the visible Offices of Gods service And therefore though it be an Article of our Creed to believe one Catholick Church yet can it not concern the Salvation of every particular Christian to understand the nature of that Society or Corporation which the bond of this Unity createth Nay even they who are best seen in that Government by which this Unity is preserved may well fail in comprehending the reason thereof by reflecting their discourse upon it In the mean time it is necessary for all that believe their Creed to think themselves tied by this Article to maintain the Unity of the Church according to their estate That is for every ones part not to be accessory to any Schism that dissolveth it And therefore to deny the crime of Schism is to deny this Article The consequence of this observation will be the difference which the Church hath reason to use in reconciling parties at distance from it to the unity thereof according to the difference of those pretenses upon which they are at distance For those who have only disputed against the being of the Church upon misunderstanding the right of secular Power which they think the being of the Church inconsistent with shall be sufficiently reunited to the Church by conforming to the Law by which the Church is and was and may be established For that there ought to be provision against such disputes for the future it concernes not me to give warning Only where willfullness hath proceeded so farre in maintaining a false position as to make no bones of denying Christianity and teaching Atheism by obliging to renounce Christ if the Soveraign command it it concerneth the Christianity of the Nation to see reparation made But where the Hereticall positions mentioned afore have notoriously been maintained especially where Congregations have been framed and used for the exercise of Religion upon pretense of them there will it be absolutely necessary that they be expressly renounced and disclaimed either by persons in particular or in Body by Congregations To this head I reduce all Anabaptists and Congregations of Anabaptists Those of the fift Monarchy and Congregations of the fifth Monarchy Quakers and Congregations of Quakers Nay all Independent Congregations in my opinion ought to be reduced under this measure Not only because their profession is grounded upon the denial of one visible Church But because they suppose themselves Children of God and indowed with his Spirit before they be members of Gods Church That is setting aside their Baptism and the Covenant which is solemnly inacted by it between God and each soul And though I do referre my self to the wisdom of Superiors in what form this reconciliation be solemnized yet I must express my opinion thus far that there can be none so fit as that which the wisdom of the Catholick Church from the beginning hath allwayes frequented By granting them the blessing of the Church with Imposition of hands renouncing for their part their severall Sects and errors That is by the prayers of the Church for the spirit of God to rest upon them who have barred their baptism to give it by opposing the peace of the Church which now they retire unto For how shall the unity of the Church be secured but by declaring them who violate the same accursed of God Nor let it be thought that our Sectaries of their own accord retiring themselves unto the Communion of this Church it will be requisite for the Church to admit them without taking notice of any thing that hath passed For neither is it to be presumed that they who have made their own wills their Law for so many yeares will so much as profess conformity to the Rule of the Church And if they did profess it there is no reason to think that they should stand to it having a dispensation dormant of the Spirit to stand to their profession as the interest of their faction shall require So their coming to Church would be only an advantage for them to infect others And how should that Communion be counted a Church which intertains Hereticks as Hereticks and Schismaticks as Schismaticks that is without renouncing positions destructive to the Faith without obliging themselves for the future to hold Unity with the Church Certainly there is no just answer for this if the Church of Rome should object it for the reason why they refuse to hold communion with us Certainly S. Augustine when he was charged by the Donatists that the Church received their Apostates without rebaptizing them and in their respective Orders could have had no answer if he had not had this That the Church received them not as Donatists but as converted from being Donatists they not refusing to profess so much Certainly it may be and perhaps is justifiable for the Secular power to grant them the exercise of their Religion in private places of their own providing under such moderate penalties as the disobeying of the Laws of a mans Countrey might require For persecution to death for that cause the whole Reformation condemneth in the Church of Rome And I conceive there is no reason for that which will not condemn persecution to banishment But this would require the like moderation to be extended to Recusants of the Church of Rome True it is in mine opinion those Papists that think themselves tied by the Bull of Pius V. against Queen Elizabeth or that they may be tied by the like Acts of his Successors against hers are justly lyable to the utmost of penalties as professed enemies to their Countrey But besides that it is manifest that all Papists are not of that opinion which the said Bull presupposeth The State may easier he secured of Papists against all such power in the Pope than of our Sectaries against that dispensation to their Allegiance which the pretense of Gods Spirit may import when they please And whereas it is manifest that many Papists hold against those equivocations and reservations which destroy all considence of the Soveraign in his Subjects allegiance How shall a State be secured against that infamous falsehood of the late Usurper in any man that pretends Gods Spirit upon his terms which I mentioned afore Besides the Recusants being for the most part of the good Families of the Nation will take it for a part of their Nobility freely to professe themselves in their Religion if they understand themselves whereas the Sectaries being people of mean quality for the most part cannot be presumed to stand upon their reputation so much So if they cannot be tolerated in the exercise of their Religion it must be provided upon what terms they may be received by the Church And by that which
THE DUE WAY OF COMPOSING The differences on FOOT Preserving the CHURCH According to the opinion of HERBERT THORNDIKE LONDON Printed by A. Warren for John Martin James Allestry and Thomas Dicas at the Bell in St. Paul's Church-yard MDCLX I Have found my self obliged by that horrible confusion in Religion which the late Warre had introduced to declare the utmost of mine opinion concerning the whole point of Religion upon which the Western Church stands divided into so many parties And now finding no cause to repent me of doing it can find no cause why I should not declare the consequence of it in setling of that which remains of our differences For middle waies to so good an end are now acceptable meerly as middle waies and tending to drive a bargain without pretending that they ought to be admitted How much more an expedient pretending necessity from reasons extant in publick and not contradicted The chief ground that I suppose here because I have proved it at large is the meaning of that Article of our Creed which professeth one Catholick Church For either it signifies nothing or it signifies that God hath founded one Visible Church That is that he hath obliged all Churches and all Christians of whom all Churches consist to hold visible communion with the whole Church in the visible offices of Gods publick service and therefore I am satisfied that the differences upon which we are divided cannot be justly setled upon any terms which any part of the whole Church shall have just cause to refuse as inconsistent with the unity of the whole Church For in that case we must needs become Schismaticks by setling our selves upon such Laws under which any Church may refuse to communicate with us because it is bound to communicate with the whole Church True it is that the foundation of the Church upon these terms will presuppose the intire profession of Christianity whether concerning Faith or manners For otherwise how should those offices in which all the Church is to communicate be counted the service of God according to Christianity And this profession is the condition upon the undergoing whereof all men by being baptized and made Christians are also admitted to communion with the Church as members of it But nothing can make it visible to the common reason of all men what communion they are to resort unto for their Salvation but the visible Communion of all parts of the Church which having been maintained for divers ages of the Church is now visibly interrupted by the Reformation and before by the breach between the Greek and Latin Church and therefore though it be visible to reason rightly informed what communion a man is to imbrace for his Salvation yet it is not now visible to the common reason of all men that seek it If this be true then no power of the Church can extend to farre as to make any thing a part of the common Christianity which was not so from the beginning but it must needs extend so farre as to limit and determine all matters in difference so as the preservation of Unity may require And therefore the Unity of all parts supposing the profession of Christianity whole and intire we shall justly be chargeable with the crime of Heresie if we admit them to our communion who openly disclaim the Faith of the whole Church or any part of it For those men have been and are justly counted Hereticks as to the Church that communicate with those who profess Heresie though no Hereticks as to God as not believing it themselves But the unity of all parts being subordinate and and of inferiour consideration to the Unity of the whole we shall justly be chargeable with the crime of Schisme if we seek unity within our selves by abrogating the Laws of the whole as not obliged to hold communion with it I confess I am convicted that as things stand we are not to expect any reason from the Church of Rome and those who hold communion with it in restoring the unity of the Church upon such Laws as shall render the means of Salvation visible to all that use them as they ought And this and only this I hold to be the due ground upon which we are inabled to provide an establishment of Unity in Religion among our selves as heretofore a Reformation in Religion for our selves without concurrence of the whole But if we should think our selves at large to conclude our selves without respect to the Faith and Laws of the whole Church we may easily bring upon our selves a just imputation of Hereticks for communicating with Hereticks but a juster of Schismaticks if we abrogate the Laws of the whole Church to obtain Unity among our selves as declaring thereby that we are not content to hold unity with the whole unless a part may give Law to the whole So farre am I from that madness which hath had a hand in all our miseries of thinking the right measure of Reformation to stand in going as far as it is possible from the Church of Rome For were it evidenced as it neither is nor ever will be evidenced that the Pope is Antichrist and all Papists by their profession Idolaters yet must we either rase the Article of one Catholick Church out of our Creed or confess that the Pope can neither be Antichrist nor the Papists Idolaters for or by any thing vvhich is common to them vvith the vvhole Church I knovv some vvill think it strange that the Pope should excommunicate us on Maundy-Thursdays that vve should svvear in the Oath of Supremacy that no forreign Prelate hath or ought to have any Jurisdiction or Authority Ecclesiastical in this Kingdom and yet vve be subject to do such Acts for vvhich the Church of Rome may justly renounce communion vvith us But the vvord ought in that Oath is Indicative and not Potential not deberet but debet For it vvere a contradiction for the Church of England to pray for the Catholick Church and the unity thereof and yet renounce the Jurisdiction of the whole Church and the General Councile thereof over it self King James of excellent memory acknowledgeth the Pope to be Patriarch of the west that is Head of the general Council of the Western Churches And the right R. Father in God Thomas L. B. of Winchester under Q. Elizabeth in his answer to the Seminaries Apology being demanded why we own him not so in effect answereth bluntly but truely because he is not content with the right of a Patriarch For should he disclaim the pretence of dissolving the bond of Allegiance should he retire to the Priviledge of a Patriarch in seeing the Canons executed the schisme would lye at our door if we should refuse it Now if they curse us while we pray for the unity of the whole Church is it not the case of the Catholicks with the Donatists For these rebaptized them whom those had baptized whited over the inside of their Churches when they
course be taken that all Christians may frequent that which shall appear to be indeed the service of God instead of the Masse Let no Preachers flatter themselves with an opinion that they shall ever make Christians so perfectly Jewes as to perswade them to dress no meat on the Sundayes If Servants must stay at home to dress meat on Sundayes and for other occasions they must stay at home besides that will not the way to repair that breach be to injoyne several Assemblies in all Parish Churches upon all Sunday mornings that several Persons of several Estates and qualities may have opportunity to attend the publick service of God at several hours of the same Sundayes and Holy-dayes For though I understand very well that this would impose upon the Church that is upon my hrethren of the Clergie a greater burthen than an afternoons meal of a Sermon which all men know is furnished of the cold meat of the forenoon yet I would have the Word cleared of this imposture that reigneth that two Sermons every Sunday is the due way of keeping the Sabbath among Christians or of advancing Gods publick service I will not here dispute that the Lent-Fast was instituted by the Apostles But this I maintain to be evident that the Fast afore the Resurrection of Christ is and was as antient as the Feast of his Resurrection and that more antient than the keeping of all Lords dayes in the year being meerly the reflection of that one all the weeks of the yeaar Nor will any man that knows what he sayes ever question that the inlarging of it to forty dayes is a just Law voluntarily undertaken by the whole Church not to be condemned without the like mark of Schisme For since the World is come into the Church is there not manifest reason that more time should be taken for the expiating of more sins which are the sins of more people to prepare as well the Elder to renew their Christianity by communicating at Easter as the yonger to be confirmed and come first to the Communion at Easter now they are baptized Infants Which in former ages was the time of their first coming to Baptism As for the Wednsdayes and Fridayes if we shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven unless our Righteousness exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharises And if it be evident as evident it is that the Scribes and Pharises prescribed Mundayes and Thursdayes for dayes of less solemne Assemblies then the Sabbath How shall we enter into the Kingdom of Heaven if in despite of the whole Church which hath hitherto used Wednesdayes and Fridayes in lieu of Mundayes and Thursdays used by the Synagogues we void the Law of England by which they are in force Of the Ceremonies the same is to be understood Not because it can be within the compass of common reason to imagine that the same Ceremonies have continued from the time that the Church was persecuted into holes and caves of the Earth to this time in which the question is of setling Christianity by the Law of this Kingdom It were want of common understanding to think that the same could serve But because so few and so innocent as we use cannot be condemned without condemning not only Gods whole Church but also Gods antient people who will evidently be found in the same cause One thing hath been cast forth in barre to all this which we must not swallow whole unless we mean to impose upon our selves It is the pretense of complying with the Reformed Churches For it is evident that there are four forms of Reformation extant One according to Luther another according to Calvine the third is that of the Church of England and in the last place though first for time because least known and protected by no Soveraign I name that of the Union in Bohemia For we are to know that the followers of John Husse having sent Deputies to the Council of Basil they accorded to reunite the Nation upon four Articles The chief whereof was the Communion in both kinds They that stood to the accord are to this day called thereupon Calixtin or sub utraque in Latine But another part of those that were at distance thinking themselves betrayed by their Deputies in that accord proceeded to settle themselves in a form of Religion and the service of God by that which they held the pure truth of God in all points that had been disputed The Emperour Ferdinand I. King of Bohemia having subdued his subjects there that rose with the Protestants in Germany cast a good part of these out of the Country who finding shelter in Polonia and Prussia there planted and propagated their form till the troubles of our time when by the Emperours victory in Bohemia and the late troubles in Poland they seem to be at a loweble though they impute it to the decay of their first discipline They that would reform the Church of England professing already that Reformation which it found best will they not first show us reason why we are to leave Luther for Calvine For if they mean his form when they talk of conforming us to the reformed Churches because of the Scotts Presbyteries they must have better arguments then either the learning or the Christianity of the Scottish Presbyterians will yeild to perswade us They say those that framed the Reformation in England beeing bred under Melancthon among the Lutheranes followed them much an end in the order and form which they prescribed But is that any reason for any change before it appear which is in the right I freely profess I find Melancthon the better learned and the more Christian spirit But the Church of England which in divers points differeth from both why should it be thought to follow either for any reason but as either agrees with the Catholick Church And for that I prefer the Unity of Bohemia before both For they had the rule of Vincentius given them to take their measure by the consent of the Catholick Church and these things which have allwayes and every where been professed and practised in it And had they done nothing but what is justifiable by that Rule I should not blame them for that which I blame in them most But where they agree not with Luther and Calvine wherein do they not agree with the Church of England In particular they sent all over the World to inform themselves of a visible succession of Bishops whose profession was such that they might derive the Ordination of Bishops for their Churches from their hands They took the superstitions of the Greekes to be such that they could not own it from them In that I think they were in the wrong For I doubt not the Greekes would have granted them Ordination onely under the profession of the Catholick Church and that had been enough But thinking themselves in a strait of necessity they chose twelve by lots And hearing that the Waldenses lived in