none may take the Power of from any Ministers nor alter the species or integrity of the Office by setting up any such Superious as shall deprive them of that which Christ hath instituted or arrogating the like uncalled But as in worship so in Order and Church Government there are undetermined accidents As to choose the time and place of Synods to preside and moderate and such like And these the Churches by agreement or the Magistrate may assign to some above the rest And if the Magistrate affix Baronies Honours Revenues or his own due Civil forcing Power and make the same Men Magistrates and Ministers whether we think it prudent and well done or not we must honour and obey them XVIII Some call these humane Accidental Orders forms of Church Government and affirm as Bishop Reignolds did and Dr. Stillingfleet in his Irenicon and many excellent men by him cited that no form of Church Government is of Divine Command Which is true of all this second sort of Government which is but Accidental aud humane but not at all of the first sort which is Divine and Essential to Christ himself first and to Pastors as such by his appointment so that the essential Government of the Universal Church by Christ and of each particular Church by Pastors specified by him if not of Supervisors of many as succeeding Apostles and Evangelists in their Ordinary work are of unalterable Divine right But the humane forms are alterable Such I account 1. The Presidency and Moderatorship and accidental Government of one Bishop in a single Church over the other Presbyters Deacons c. 2. The accidental Government of a Diocesan as an Archbishop over these lowest Bishops and Churches 3. And the Superiority of Metropolitans and Patriarchs over them so it be but in such Accidentals and within the same Empire not imposing a forreign Jurisdiction These tota specie differ from the Divine Offices XIX All these single Church being parts of the Universal are less noble than the whole and are to do all that they do as members in Union with the Whole and to do all as Acts of Communion with them XX. The General precepts of doing all to Edification Concord Peace Order c. oblige all the Churches to hold such correspondencies as are needful to these Ends And Synods are one special means which should be used as far and oft as the Ends require And if National Metropolitans and Patriarchs order such Synods I am not one that will disobey them But if on these pretences any would make Synods more necessary than they are and use them as Governours by Legislation and Judgement over the Particular Bishops by the use of the Church Keyes and will affixe to them or Metropolitans besides an Agreeing Power and the said Government in Accidentals a proper Church Government by making and unmaking Ministers or Christians excommunicating and absolving as Rulers by the said Keyes it may be a duty to disown such usurpations As the King would disown an Assembly of Princes any where met that would claim a Proper Government of him and his Kingdom Thô it were much to be wisht that all Christian Princes would hold such Assemblies for the Concord and Peace of Christendom XXI The Essentials of Faith Hope and Loving Practice essentiate the Church objectively And these are all summarily contained in the Baptismal Covenant explained in the Creed Lords Prayer and Decalouge and all with much more even Integrals and needful Accidentals in the Sacred Scriptures which taking in the Law of Nature are Gods Universal Law XXII There is no Church on Earth so sound and Orthodox as to want no Integral part of Christian Religion Proved There is no man on Earth much less any multitude so sound as to want no Integral part But all Churches consist only of Men And therefore if all the Men be so far defective all the Churches are so It is not their Objective Religion Generally and implicitely received that I mean but their Subjective Religion and their explicite reception of the Objective The Scripture is our perfect Objective Religion in it self and as an Object proposed and in general and implicitely we all receive it But as a man may say I believe all that 's in the Scripture and yet be ignorant of the very Essentials in it so a man may explicitely know and believe all the Essentials and more and yet be ignorant of many Integrals All things in Scripture proposed to our Faith Hope and Practice are the Integrals of our Religion But no Christian understandeth all these proposals or words of Scripture Therefore no Christian explicitely believeth them all or practiceth all To hold the contrary is to hold that some Church is perfect in Understanding Faith Hope and Practice without Ignorance Errour or Sin that is not to know what a man or a Christian on Earth is XXIII Much less do all Churches agree in unnecessary indifferent accidents nor ever did nor ever will or can do XXIV The measuring out Churches by limits of Ground Parochial or Diocesan is a meer humane ordering of a mutable accident and no Divine Determination And if all were taken for Church members-because they dwell in those precincts it were wicked But if it be but all in those precincts that are qualified Consenters it is usually a convenient measure But such as in many Cases must be broken XXV If a Church with Faithful Pastors be well setled in a place first where there are not more than should make up that one Church it is not meet for any there to gather a distinct Church thô of the same Faith without such weighty reason as will prove it necessary or like to do more good than hurt 1. Because Love inclineth to the greatest Union 2. Because a Great Church is more strong and honourable than a small if the number be not so great as to hinder the Ends. 3. And the Ancient Churches kept this Union XXVI If Magistrates make such Laws about Church Accidents as tend to further the Churches welfare or are so pretended and not against it we must obey them But if they wiil either invade Christs Autherity or cross it by making Laws against his or such as are proper to his Prerogative to make or invade the Pastors Office and the Churches proper right given by Christ or determine Accidents to the Destruction of the Substance the Church Doctrine Worship or Ends these bind the Consciences of none to Obedience but Christ must be obeyed and we must patiently suffer XXVII Self-interest Self-Government and Family-Government are all antecedent to Publick Government which Ruleth them for the Common good but hath no Authority to destroy them No King or Prelate can bind a man to do that which would damn his Soul nor to omit that which is needful to his Salvation All power is for Edification They are Gods Ministers for God XXVIII As it belongs to self-government to choose our own Dyet and Cloaths and Wives
some separation that is not so bad as Murder and methinks the Doctor should forgive it for the success for the Parish hereupon resolved to pull down the Church and build it new a far better Fabrick where the Dr. now Preacheth and it drove me away that I preacht there no more Whether this new Church built where the old one had possession before be not a Schismatical Separatist I leave to him LII 2. Local Separation without Mental can make no culpable Schism for Nil nisi Voluntarium est morale if a man be imprisoned or be sick and cannot come to the Church it is innocent Separation I have been at no Church this half year much against my will O that God would heal me of this Separation LIII 3. If it must be mental Separation that must be culpable then it is diversified according to the mental degree and kind and no man separateth from the universal Church who separateth not from somewhat essential to it to separate from its Integrals or Accidents may be culpable but it 's no Separation from the Church no more than every breach of the Law is a Separation from the Kingdom LIV. 4. Some separate as to place locally and not mentally some mentally and not locally and some both He that daily observeth the outward Communion of the Church and yet taketh it for no Church or denyeth its Faith Hope or essential Duty separateth indeed All those men that live unbelievingly atheistically wickedly that in their converse prate against the Scripture and immortality of the Soul and that hate and persecute serious Godliness are damnably separated from Christ and therefore from the Catholick Church and are so to be esteemed so far as this is known thô when it is unknown the Church can take no notice of it LV. 5. It being only Humane Laws and Circumstantial Conveniences that make it unmeet to have divers Churches Bishops living promiscuously in the same Parishes Cities Dioceses or Nations where Laws and circumstances allow it it is no unlawful seperation LVI 6. He that liveth in forreign Lands Christian Mahometan or Heathen where various Churches live promiscuously Greeks Armenians Protestants Papists c. is no Schismatick if he choose which he thinks best and be absent locally from the rest condemning them no further than they deserve LVII 7. He that removeth into another Diocess or Parish for his worldly interest seperateth without fault from the Church he was in LVIII 8. It is a lawful separation to remove ones dwelling because the Minister is ignorant unskilful or otherwise bad and this for the better edification of his Soul and the use and help of a more able faithful Minister even Law and Custome and reason do allow it LIX 9. Thô the Canon 57. and 28. forbid Ministers oft to give the Sacrament to Strangers that come out of other Parishes even where no Preaching is yet those many sober People that use this in London are not taken to be Schismaticks as bad as Murders Many that are esteemed the most sober religious Conformists do ordinarily goe from their own Parish Churches some in Martins and St. Giles's Parish c. for want of room and some for more Edification to Dr. Tillotson Dr. Stillingfleet Dr. Burnet Dr. Fowler Mr. Gifford Mr. Durham Mr. Hornech and such others and communicate with them and thô these are called by the late Catholicks by the Name of Dangerous Trimmers I think even Dr. Sherlock will think it more pardonable than Murder if they come to him LX. 10. If the King and Law should restore the antient order that every City that is every great incorporate Town in England should have a Bishop yea or every great Parish and that the Diocesans should be their Arch-Bishops and our new Catholicks should tell the King and Parliament that they are hereby unchristened Schismaticks as dangerous as Adulterers of Murderers for gathering Churches within a Church I would not believe them LXI 11. If e.g. at Frankford Zurick Lubeck Hamburgh c. a Church is settled in the Lutheran way and another in the Bochemian way described by Lasitius and Commenius which is a conjunction of Episcopacy Presbytery and Independency or a Church that had no Liturgy or none but that which the French Protestants and Dutch have would it be damning Schism for such as Cox and Horne at Frankford to set up an Episcopal Church in the English mode and with their Liturgy and so far to separate from the rest LXII 12. If it be true that John Maior Fordon and others say that Presbytery was the Government of the Church of Scotland before Episcopacy was brought in was the introduction of Episcopacy by Palladius a damning Schism by separating from the former or a Reformation is just Reformation Schism LXIII 13. When the Church first set up Patriarchs Metropolitans General Councils Monasteries Parish Churches distinct from Cathedrals Organs New Liturgies and multitudes of Ceremonies this was a departing or separating from the contrary Church way which was there before was it therefore Schism LXIV 14. When Socrates tells us of some Countreys that had Bishops in the Countrey Villages like our Parishes was it a damning Schism to separate from this custome by decreeing that even small Cities should have no Bishops Ne vilescat nomen Episcopi or when the Chorepiscopi were put down where they had been LXV 15. If a man separate not from any thing essential to the Church of England he separateth not from that Church though he refuse that which is its Accidents or some Integral parts We are charg'd with separating from the Church of England as if it were a matter of fact beyond dispute and scorn'd for denying it even by them that will not tell us what they mean by the Church of England or by Separation By the Church of England we mean the Christian Kingdom of England or all the Christians in England as living in one land under One Christian King who Governeth them by the Sword which includeth their Concord among themselves in true Christianity we are Christians we profess agreement in Christianity with all Christians we are under the same King as they are and profess subjection and take the same Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy yea we are not charged with differing in any thing called Doctrinal from their Thirty Nine Articles but we disown certain late Covenants and Oaths which are not Twenty three Years old and the Subscription to one Canon about the Innocency of all in their Liturgy now either these new Oaths Covenants and Canon Liturgy and Ceremonies are essential to the Church of England or not If yea then 1. It 's a poor humane Church made by them that made these Oaths Liturgy and Ceremonies 2. And then it 's a new upstart Church and no man can answer the Papists where it was before Luther or before Henry 8. yea if its essentials were made by this King and Parliament 1662. then the present Church is no
them that lately Confessed themselves Papists the People that find by experience what the man is are not damned Schismaticks for not taking him for their Pastor or for going from him If Godfrey Goodman Bishop of Gloucester was a Papist did he separate from Christ that separated from the Diocesan Church of Gloucester while he was an Essential part Or that did not implicitely trust all the Priests that he ordained LXXIV 24. If in a Cathedral Church one withdraw from their Service because of their difference in singing Ceremonies c. from the Parish Churches thô it be the Bishops Church that he separateth from it is not as a Church nor from any thing essential to it e. g. Miles Smyth Bishop of Gloucester the famous Hebrician and chief in our Bibles Translation declared and performed it that he would never come more to his Cathedral because the Dean in Lauds time kept up the Altar Qu. Whether he separated from himself or his Church Vbi Episcopus ibi Ecclesia Who were the Separatists They that followed the Bishop or they that separated from him and kept to the Caâ—â—â—â—hedral The same I say of Williams Bishop of Lincoln that wrote against Altars LXXV 25. If faithful Pastors and People are setled in concord and the higher Powers make a Law to depose and eject them without just cause as Multitudes were in many Emperours dayes and Multitudes by the Interim in Germany in Charles the fifths time and Multitudes in the Palatinate by Ludovicus and in too many other Countreys those that leave the Temples and Tythes to the Magistrate but cleave to their old Pastors in forbidden meetings called Conventicles supposing the Pastoral Relation not dissolved as the Joannites clave to Chrysostom do not thereby separate from the Catholick Church Had the Power been lawful that set up another way when Dr. Gunning kept up his Meetings at Exeter House it had not been a Separation from Christ that he then made LXXVI 26. If the Law command all to take one man for his Pastor and a Parent command his Child or a Husband his Wife to take another and not that and the Child or Wife know not which should be obeyed and whether the choice belong more to the Domestick or the Publick Government it is not a separating from Christ which way ever such an one shall go LXXVII 27. Yea if I should think that self-Interest and self-Government bind me rather to choose a Pastor for my self than to stand to such a choice by Prince Patron or Prelate which I think intolerable as well as against their will I may choose a Wife or a Physician or a Tutor or a Book or my daily food this is not separating from the Universal Church LXXVIII 28. If owning the same Diocesan make them of one Church who differ more than Nonconformists and Conformists do then owning the same Christ Faith Scripture c. maketh them of one Catholick Church who differ less But c. Jesuites Dominicans Jansenists and all the Sects of Papists are taken for one Church because they own the Pope and Councils In England the Diocesan Conformists are taken for one Church thô some of them are as much for a Foreign Jurisdiction as Arch-bishop Laud Arch-bishop Bromhall Bishop Gunnings Chaplain Dr. Saywell Mr. Thorndike Dr. Heylin and many more have manifested in their words and writings And some that subscribe the Articles of General Councils erring in Faith and against Heathens Salvation and against free will and for Justification by Faith only c. do shew that they differ in the Doctrines of Religion unless the sound or syllables be its Religion while one and another take the words in contrary sences Some are for Diocesans being a distinct Order from Presbyters some as Vsher and many such deny it Some hold them to be of Divine Right and some but of humane some think the King must choose them some rather the Clergy and People some hold them Independent others rather subject to the Arch-bishops and Convocation some think all that bear Office in their Church Government are lawful others think Lay-Civilians Government by the Keyes unlawful and so are ipso facto excommunicate by their own Canons some that promise Canonical Obedience to their Ordinary take the Judges of the Ecclesiastical Courts for their Ordinaries and others only the Bishops some think they are sworn to obey their Ordinaries if they rule according to the Canons and so to pronounce all Excommunicate that the Canon excommunicates if commanded Others think otherwise that they are judges themselves whether the Canons command licita honesta some take the Pope to be Antichrist and the Church of Rome no true Church others think otherwise Many more Arminian and other such differences there are and yet all of one Church both Catholick National Diocesan and Parochial oft Much more are those Nonconformists that differ from the Church in nothing but what the Imposers call Indifferent LXXIX 29. If one that prayeth in the Litany against false Doctrine and Schism and readeth the Conformists telling him of the danger of it should verily think that Dr. S. printeth and preacheth false Doctrine and such as plainly tendeth to serve Satan against Christian Love and Peace and to the most Schismatical dividing and damning of Christians should hereupon separate from him for fear of Schism and false Doctrine and go to a safer Pastor I think it were not to separate from Christ LXXX 30. If a Bishop in any Diocess in London should openly write or plead for a Foreign Jurisdiction and we are told that none are true Ministers that depend not obediently on the Bishop he that for fear of the Law or of Personal or common perjury should separate from that Bishop and his numerical Diocesan Church doth thereby neither separate from the Catholick Church nor from the Church of England As if the Kings Army should have a Colonel that declared himself an obliged Subject to the King of France and bound to obey him the Regiment may forsake that Colonel Yea if the General of the Kings Army should give up himself in subjection to the Enemy or a Foreign Power and say I will take a Commission from the Turk and my Officers shall only obey me and the Soldiers obey them were not this an Army of Traytors or Rebels though none but the General took a Commission from the Enemy So if the Bishops should all take Commissions from the Pope or declare themselves Subjects to a Forreign Jurisdiction it were no separating from Christ to separate from them all in Loyalty to Christ and to avoid National perjury and Schism LXXXI 31. If a man think that he is bound to use all Christs instituted means of Salvation and live in a Church that wilfully omitteth any one of them e. g. either Infant baptism or singing Psalms or Praying or Preaching or the Lords Supper or all Personal care and discipline to exclude the grosly intolerable to resolve the doubting
This is Lawful by the General Law but not particularly Instituted by God 20. Professing Signs in our Covenantings with God and Confessing of our Religion are left to be chosen onely by the General Laws of Edification and Order When a Nation or Church or Person renew their Covenant with God and their Confession of Faith it may be done when the Ruler demandeth their consent either by word or by subscribing or by lifting up the hand or by standing up or by bowing the Head for these are all or most found in Scripture instances yea sometimes they fell by Prostration to the Ground yea and so they oft did in receiving a Charge or Message from God by his Ministers I will add no more Instances These are enough If yet it be said That none of these be acts of Worship I again Answer 1. Then do not by Slander call them so and say still that Man's inventing or using these is using false Worship If they be no Worship they are no false Worship Confess then that it 's but a bare name that you charged with Idolatry for its onely such things as these that we would add 2. But de nomine If an Action done directly to honour God be to be called Worship some of these at least may be called Secondary subordinate Worship But if you appropriate the Name to Gods stated Ordinances these must not be called Worship but the manner order circumstances or accidents of Worship But call them what you will they are but what God alloweth and the General of them he commandeth I need not say much to his Applicatory Words 1. To return from Separation to Love and Union is as fitly called a Returning to their Vomit as returning from Drunkenness and Fornication to Sobriety and Chastity may be so called Repentance is casting up our Sin 2. The Names of bowing to Baal Dan and Bethel Babylon Idols c. are as easily used by Quakers Ranters Familists c. against all God's Church and Worship And they were worn so thread-bare by the railing Separatists then called Brownists against the Old Learned Godly Nonconformists that they turned to the Speakers reproach And I suppose he knoweth that the Scots were called as bad and worse by the Army that conquered them in 1650 c. 3. That sitting or drinking with the superstitious in arts of religicus adoration is a sign of defection This would make all Backsliders Who so sit and drink with him and such as he who is so superstitious as to turn sin into duty and duty into sin and falsly father Laws on God Yea that is worse than superstitious as is after manifested 2. Superstition is an offering somewhat as pleasing to God which is not pleasing to him All Christians havesome degree of this in Matter or Manner for we know but in part and prophesie in part c. And so no Christians must joyn with others But must they not give over all Religious Duty themselves seeing their own defects more defile them than other mens 3. Christ doth not disown all imperfect worship that hath some Superstition And we must receive one another as Christ receiveth us 4. It was Superstitious persons that Paul commandeth Christians to receive to Communion Rom. 14. 5. Thus he condemneth the Apostles and the Churches then and the Scripture it self 6. It is dreadful revolting to choose rather forbearance of all Church Communion than to Communicate with our Parish Churches when better cannot be had and men are not forced to any sin themselves And he that will communicate with none that sin in Preaching Prayer Sacraments shall communicate with none 7. It is a gross Service of Satan and Popery to fight against Love and Unity and bring all the Publick Assemblies under disgrace as unlawful that Popery may take possession unresisted 4. His words of silly Sheep bleating after any Shepherd c. are but a Net to catch silly Souls It 's the common Trap of the Papists to put ignorant people to prove the Calling of the Ministers or forsake them They that preach the Gospel and do the Office tho faultily and are in possession have a Calling sufficient to justifie the. Hearers when it may not be enough to justifie themselves A better Call than the High Priests that Christ did send men to 5. As to the Argument of Scandal It is of dreadful weight to deter a tender Consience as from conforming to sin so from his groundless Separation and war against Unity and Love 6. That God saith such Means shall not profit yea curseth it is a slander against God and Scripture and all the Church on Earth that 's known by perverting and misapplying the Text. I shall now better prove the lawfulness of using such things as these than he hath proved it unlawful 1. That which no Low of God or valid Law of Man forbids is not unlawful but the use of the things forementioned no Law of God or valid Law of Man forbids Therefore the use of the things forementioned is not unlawful He that will say that there is any such Law must shew that Law and prove his Affirmative But let him take heed of adding to God's law A false Prophet that fathered a false Message from God was an heinous sinner Is it not worse falsly to father a Law on him Perhaps they will say that God forbids adding or diminishing I answer He doth so Therefore let them take heed of it who say his Law forbids that which it never forbad but in general commandeth If we must not add to the Laws of the Land yet the Bookbinder that covereth them and the Lawyers and Judges that expound them do not add thereby to the Law When the Hearers bowed and prostrated themselves in reverence to God they did not by this add to the Law nor yet when they made a Vow uncommanded or a Free-Will-Offering And I think it was no sinful addition to the Law for the Publican to smite his Breast and look downward and when Jeremy said No man smiteth on his thigh and saith what evil have I done The meaning is not No man idolatrously giveth God false worship And I think that they that rent their clothes to express their repentance did not add to God's Word nor yet do it as necessary worship tho Joel says Rent your hearts and not your garments Some Object That Christ's sitting at the Sacramental Supper is a Law to us forbidding any other gesture But this Author professeth that all the actions of Christ or his Apostles are not Laws binding us to do the like If they be we break many such Laws as when we do not eat a full Meal before the Sacrament when we do it not without women only to a Family or to Twelve only to Teachers in an upper Reom in an Inn or Private House and that we do not lie along leaning as they did especially when we take it not at Supper-time and turn the Lord's Supper to a
If there be but one Church and one Communion of which all true Christians are members c. p. 23. I am no otherwise a member of any particular Church than I am of the Vniversal p. 40. It 's a schismatical Notion of membership that divides the Christian Church into distinct memberships and therefore into the distinct Bodyes And. p. 19. and often he saith those Churches which are not members of each other are separate Churches and Schismaticks A. I had hoped that no man but Mr. Cheny had talkt at this rate I. It 's agreed on that there is but one Universal Church The contrary is a Contradiction 2. It is agreed that there is no lawful particular Church which is not a part of the Universal 3. That whoever hath just Union and Communion with a true particular Church hath Union and Communion with the Universal 4. That all men in their Worship of God should accordingly perform it and do all that they do as Men in that Relation to the Universal Church None of this is controverted II. But I had hoped never to have heard any but Seekers say that there are not many lawful particular Churches distinct from the whole and from one another though not disjunct in the Common Essentials For the proof of the contrary 1. I begin with that which I expect should be most powerful The mans own after-Confessions to which he is oft brought Pag. 8. Distance of Place and the necessities and conveniences of Worship and Discipline has divided the Church into several parts and members and Particular Churches c. So pag. 14. pag. 19. All Christian Churches ought to be members of one More fully p. 20 21. This is ad hominem Yea and Nay is his Resolution 2. But I 'le bring other Arguments that prevail more with me The Sacred Scriptures oft tell us of many Churches therefore there are many Act. 9. 31. The Churches had rest and 15. 4. Confirming the Churches 16. 5. So were the Churches established in the Faith Rom. 16. 4. All the Churches of the Gentiles So ver 16. 1 Cor. 7. 17. So ordain I in all Churches 11. 16. Neither the Churches of God have such Custom 14. 33. As in all the Churches of the Saints 34. Let your Women keep silence in the Churches So 16. 1. 19. 2 Cor. 8. 1. The Grace of God bestowed on the Churches of Macedonia 18. Whose Praise is in the Gospel through all the Churches So 19. 23 24. and 11. 8. 28. The care of all the Churches 12. 13. Inferior to the other Churches Gal. 1. 2 22. 1 Thes 2. 14. 2 Thes 1. 4. Rev. 1. 4. To the seven Churches ver 11. 20. Angels and Candlesticks of the seven Churches And 2. 7 11 17 29. and 3. 6 13 22 23. and 22. 16. His Concordance might have shew'd him all these in order Phil. 4. 15. No Church communicated with me concerning giving and receiving but ye only The dispute now must be whether the Apostles or this Resolver be to be believed They say there are many Churches parts of One he saith There is but one and it 's Schismatical to divide it into distinct memberships or Bodyes c. It 's no Schisme here to say I am for Paul and the Holy Scripture Let who will believe the contradictor 3. My next Argument is this Where there are many Political Societies consisting of Christian Pastors and People professedly associated for the ordinary Exercise of those Relations as such in holy Communion in Christian Doctrine Worship Order and Conversation for Edification in true Faith Hope Love and Obedience and the Glorifying of God therein There are many distinct true Churches parts of the Church Universal But on Earth there are many such Societyes c. Ergo c. Either the controversie is De re or de nomine for we called Separatists use to separate these 1. If de re Let the existence of the thing defined be tryed by Scripture Reason and common Experience 2. If de nomine Forma quae dat esse dat Nomen Here is the true specifick form which is found in many single Churches ergo the Name of such single or individual Churches is due to them 4. Again ad hominem from the consequences 1. If there be not many single Churches in the Universal then there are not many Patriarchal National Provincial Metropolitical Diocesan or Parochial Churches For non entium non datur numerus Many nothings is a contradiction Multae sunt ergo sunt Ab est tertij adjecti ad est secundi valet argumentum But if there be not many then 1. All the Parish Churches in England being but one and not many a Patron can have right to present to no one as a Church more than to another 2. Then the Parson Vicar or Curate is no more the Parson of one Church than of another nor bound to no more Care and Duty for there is but one 3. Then no one is bound to go to one Parish Church more than another for there is but one 4. Then the Temple and Tithes belong no more to one than another 5. Then no Bishop is the proper Bishop of one Diocesan Church more than of another 6. Then all the revenues of the Bishop of London are no more appropriate to one Church than to another 7. Then you owe no more Obedience to the Bishops of one Diocesan Church than another 8. Then you make the King no more Head or Governour of the Church of England than of another 9. Then a Diocesan oweth no Reverence to a Metropolitane Chruch if there be none such 10. Then many Churches cannot have Communion nor send Bishops to Councils if there be not many 11. And the charge of Separation from a Church that is no Church is a contradiction 5. I adde from Parity of Reason if many distinct subordinate Societies may make one Civil Body Politick so they may one Universal Church But the Antecedent is undoubted If it be Learnedly said with Mr. Cheny that one whole cannot be Part of another whole One may attain the perfection by that time he hath worn the Breeches but a few years to know that a whole Family may be part of a whole Village and a whole Vicinage be part of a whole City and a whole Colledge be part of a whole University and a whole City part of a whole Kingdom and a whole Kingdom part of the whole Earth And if it be objected that the Names of the whole and parts are here divers but a Church and a Church are the same Name I Answer at the same age one may learn that the same Name proveth not the sameness of the things Named and that ex penuria nominum the Genus and Species the Totum and Parts have oft equivocally the same Name with the Addition of just Notes of distinction Sometimes an Academy of many School is called Schola and so are the single Schools therein The City of London is
But the formal individuating difference is their nearest Relation to their several Pastors as several Kingdoms Cities Schools are numerically distinct by their distinct Kings Maiors School-masters so are several Churches ejusdem speciei 1. Thess 5. 12 13. Know those that are among you and over you in the Lord and esteem them highly in love for their Works sake As every mans Wife Children and Servants must be used for the common good and yet are not common one mans Wife and Children are not anothers So the Bishop of London of Oxford c. must govern his Church for the good of the Universal but he is not the Bishop of Gloucester Norwich Paris Rome These are differences enow to constitute a numerical difference of Churches Paul distinguisheth the Bishops of Philippi Ephesus c. from others Do you yet see no Priviledges that one hath Proper and not common to all none that make a difference in specie but both â—â—â—â—umerical and gradual 1. All Churches have not Bishop Jewel Bishop Andrews Doctor Stillingfleet Doctor Sherlock to be their Teachers Air Churches be not taught all that 's in this Resolver 2. All Churches have not men of the same soundness nor excellency of Parts It was once taken for lawful to account them specially worthy of double honour who laboured in the Word and Doctrine and to esteem men for their works sake Paul saith of Timothy I have no man like minded If those that heard not a Sermon in many years differed not from your Congregation why do you preach I am reproached in Print for telling the world this notorious truth That I lived till ten years old where four men four years hired successively were Readers and School-masters two Preached as it was called once a Month the other two never Two drank themselves to beggery After I lived where many Parishes about us had no Preachers The Parish that I lived in had a Church with a Vicar that never preached and a Chappel with a Parson eighty years old that had two Livings twenty Miles distant and never preacht His Son a Reader and Stage-player was sometime his Curate His Grand-son my School-master his Curate next that never preacht in his life but drunk himself to beggery One year a Taylor read the Scripture and the old man the best of them all said the Commmon-Prayer without book for want of sight The next year a poor Thresher read the Scripture After that a Neighbours Son my Master was Curate who never preacht but once and that when he was drunk in my hearing on Mat. 25. Come ye Blessed and go ye Cursed the saddest Sermon that ever I heard These things were no rarities Now my assertion is That the Church that had such as Austin Chrysostome Jewel Andrews and such worthy men as London now hath many had Priviledges distinct from these and many the like that I was in If you say that every Bishop and Preacher is as much the Bishop and Preacher to all other single Churches as to that which is his Title then 1. He must be condemned for not teaching them all 2. Then he may claim maintenance from them all 3. Then he may intrude into any mans Charge 4. Then no Church is unchurcht for want of a Bishop for any one Bishop is Bishop to every Church in the World and so ubi Episcopus ibi Ecclesia signifieth but that Church and Bishop are on the same Earth and Ecclesia est Plebs Episcopo adunata may be verified if there be but one in the World 5. And so Mr. Dodwell and such are self-confuted before you are aware Geneva Holland and all Presbyterians are true Churches for they have all Bishops e.g. The Bishop of London is Bishop to them all For if one man be no more a Member of one single Church than of another and so no more a Subject to one Bishop than to another then one Bishop is no more Pastor of one Church than of another 7. And how can you magnifie the Church of England for a Wise Learned Pious Clergy above other Churches if all Priviledges be common and they have no proper Pastors of their own 8. Do you think that the Church e. g. Of Hippo that was in Austins dayes was the same numerical single Church with that which is there now were there any or with the Diocesan Church of London if not then at least distance of time and change of Persons maketh divers Particular Churches and it 's no more against the unity of the Church Universal to have divers particular Churches in it in the same Age than in divers Ages In short Diversity of matter and form maketh a numerical Diversity as of Natural so of Politick Bodies of the same species But the Churches of Ephesus Smyrna Thyatira Philadelphia c. were of divers matter and form numerically Ergo they were divers Political Churches Sure God doth not commend Laodicea for Philadelphia's Church Virtues nor condemn the Church of Philadelphia for the other Churches Sins And if the Angels be Bishops why are some Bishops praised as the Bishops of such Churches and the Bishops of other Churches threatned But I confess this is a ready way to end the Controversies between the Bishops of several Churches which shall be greatest if they be all but one But I hope that when the Bishop of Rome and his Church was corrupted it is not true that every Bishop and Church fell with him or with any that hath turned to Mahumetanism To be no longer on this which I thought no Prelatist would ever have put me on if these men speak not notoriously against Scripture against the constant Language of Canons and Fathers Historians and Lawyers and all Antiquity and all Christian Countreys and Divines yea even those that at Trent would have had only the Pope to be of immediate Divine Right then I know not any thing by Reading And if poor Nonconformists must be put to defend themselves against such singularities and be Schismaticks unless they will differ from all the Christian World of all Ages there is no Remedy § 7. But p. 5 6. he tells us that a Church is made by a Divine Covenant God only can constitute a Church Such Persons if there be any so absurd are not worth disputing with who dare affirm the Church to be an humane Creature or the invention of men And no Church can depend on humane Contracts for then a Church would be a humane Creature and Constitution whereas a Church can be founded only on a Divine Covenant 1. Who would think but this man were a Nonconformist that talks so like them e. g. Amesius in Medul Theol. against humane Church Forms But what then will Bishop Bilson and almost all other Bishops and Christians be thought of who affirm Patriarchal and Metropolitical Churches and many of the Diocesane to be but humane Constitutions and Inventions And if these be not worth the disputing with it seems that you differ from them
Gods Word to deny Church Communion in the Sacrament to all that dare not take it kneeling for fear thô mistaken of breaking the second Commandment by Symbolizing with Idolaters that are seeking to reduce the Nation to their Sin and that live round about us 8. All are excommunicate that say it is against Scripture to pronounce all saved that are buryed except the unbaptized self-murderers and the excommunicate while thousands of Sadducees Hobbists Infidels Papists Perjured Adulterers Drunkards c. dwell among us 9. By the fifth Canon all are ipso facto excommunicate that say Any of the Armies are in any part erroneous or such as they perhaps as doubters may not with a good Conscience subscribe to and cousequently all the aforesaid Conformists that think the sence erroneous while they subscribe those words and snall affirm e. g. that Canons are made necessary to Salvation thô the matter cannot be proved by Scripture contrary to Art 6. Those that contrary to Art 8. say any thing in Athanasius Creed may not be subscribed Such as Bishop Taylour that against Art 9. deny Original Sin Those that say contrary to Art 10. that the Word no Power excludeth Common natural Power or maketh Nature to be Grace Those that write against our being accounted righteous only for Christs merits and say that another subordinate Righteousness is named many hundred times in Scripture contrary to Art 11. Those that contrary to Art 13. say that works done before the Inspiration of the Spirit may make men meet to receive Grace Those that with Dr. Hammond write for works that are not commanded but counselled and Free-will-offerings contrary to Art 14. All they that take Infants and new baptized Persons to have no sin contrary to Art 15. All that say that after we have received the H. Ghost we cannot depart from Grace given contrary to Art 16. Those that deny the Doctrine of Election in Art 17. Those that say any on Earth may be saved by diligent living according to the light of Nature without knowing the name of Christ contrary to Art 18. Those that contrary to Art 19. reject that Description of a visible Church which reacheth to such as our Resolver damneth All that contrary to Art 20. say that the Church may not enforce any thing to be believed for necessity to Salvation besides the Scripture even those that say it 's necessary to Salvation by avoiding Schism to believe that all imposed Tyths Covenants Practices and Ceremonies are not sin All that contrary to Art 21. say that General or other Councils may be gathered without the command and will of Princes and deny they may erre and things ordained by them as necessary to Salvation have neither Strength nor Authority unless it may be declared that they are taken out of Holy Scripture Those that deny Art 23. that those are lawfully called and sent into the Ministry who have publick Authority given them in the Congregation to call and send Ministers into the Lords Vineyard are chosen and called hereto for want of Canonical Succession Those that contrary to Art 24. would have Gods Worship performed to them that understand not the language to avoid the Schism of having many Churches in a City Those that take Confirmation or Penance or the other three for Sacraments of the Gospel contrary to Art 25. Those that contrary to Art 26. would not have it believed to be the Peoples duty who know the Offences of Bad Ministers to accuse them All that contrary to Art 27. are against Infant Baptism as agreeable to Christs Institution All that contrary to Art 28. say the Body of Christ is given and taken and eaten in the Sacrament otherwise than in a Spiritual manner by Faith All that say that in some wise the wicked are Partakers of Christ in the Sacrament contrary to Art 29. All that contrary to Art 30. say There is other satisfaction for Sin besides Christs Blood All that say that Men justly Excommunicate may be reconciled and received by the multitude without open penance which is ordinary contrary to Art 33. All that contrary to Art 34. think that a General Council may ordain such Traditions or Ceremonies as shall in all places be one or the like and that every Particular or National Church may not abolish those Ceremonies or Rites which the General Council or Colledge ordained Many things in the Book of Homilies especially against peril of Idolatry are blamed by many Conformists contrary to Art 35. All that contrary to Art 36. say that the Book of Ordination wants some things necessary All that contrary to Art 37. think that Pope or foreign Bishops have any Jurisdiction by right in this Land And all that by mistake say the King hath not chief Power in all his Dominions meaning in France of which he professeth to be King and we so call him even in our Prayers to God All that say contrary to Art 38. that it is not their Duty liberally to give Alms according to their ability All that contrary to Art 39 think men in conforming may swear upon trust of their Superiours words without judgment and true understanding of Justice and Truth Aâ—â—â—â—l these are already ipso facto Excommunicated by this one Canon and if they elsewhere worship God are called Separatists and Schismaticks in danger of Damnation as Adulterers and Murtherers are And how greaâ—â—â—â— a number are these 10. All are ipso facto Excommunicate by the sixth Canon who affirm that the Rites and Ceremonies of the Church of England by Law established are superstitious or such as now commanded men who are zealously and godly affected may not with a good Conscience APPROVE use and subscribe as occasion requireth That is all that thus mistake kneeling at the Sacrament on the reasons aforenamed to be against the second Commandment or that judge so of the Surplice or that think the Gross as described by the Canon and Liturgy hath all the Essentials of a humane unlawful Sacrament of the Covenant of Grace And all that are against the Rites of Godfathers that never owned the Child as theirs to be the only Sponsors in its Name and to Vow its Christian Education when I never knew one living that so much as made the Parents believe that he intended it And all that think the words of the Liturgy making Imposition of hands an assuring sign of Gods Gracious acceptance make Confirmation a humane unlawful Sacrament and say so All these are cut off 11. By Canon seventh all are ipso facto excommunicate that affirm that the Government of the Church of England under his Majesty by Arch-Bishops Bishops Deans Archdeacons and THE REST THAT BEAR OFFICE in the same is repugnant to Gods word that is all Bishops Ministers Noblemen Gentlemen or People that say that it is against Gods word for Lay Civilians or Chancellours to govern by the Church Keyes excommunicate or absolve And all that think it unlawful for Surrogates that are not
to the Church 35. By Canon fourty ninth no Person not Licensed as a Preacher may in his Cure or elsewhere expound any Scripture or Matter or Doctrine but onely shall study to read plainly the Homilies So that all Ministers before Licence to preach all School-masters all Parents or Masters that do expound to their Schollars Children or Servants the meaning of Baptism or of any Article of the Creed any Petition of the Lords Prayer any one of the Ten Commandments to fit them for Confirmation or Salvation otherwise than by plain reading the Homilies or Church Catechism doth disobey the Law of the Church And so do all Tutors in the Universities that expound any Scripture matter or Doctrine to their Pupils before they are examined or approved by the Bishop or any Judge on the Bench or Justice that presumeth to do it to the hearers or any Friend or Neighbour in discourse For it is No Person whatsoever not examined and approved by the Bishop of the Diocess How few in England separate not from the Church as far as this disobedience amounts to If by no Persons be meant only no Ministers it 's hard enough that Ministers may not be allowed out of the Church what Lay-men are allowed 36. All those that deny not the validity of Baptism or the Lords Supper when they are done by an unpreaching Minister but yet think that a man utterly unable to Teach otherwise than by Reading may not lawfully be encouraged in so high a function any more than a man in Physick or School-teaching that hath not necessary skill or is utterly illiterate and thinks it a sin to consent to take such an Ignorant fellow for the Pastor of his Soul if he can have better If this man I say go to the next Parish Church for Sacraments he is to be suspended first and next excommunicate Specially if he should judge that Ignorant Reader no true Minister for want of necessary capacity 37. Surplices Hoods and Tippets are made the matter of Obedience Canon fifty eighth 38. By Canon thirty eighth no Minister must refuse or delay to Christen any Child without exception according to the form of the Common Prayer that 's brought to Church to him on Sundaies or Holy-daies though the Parents be both Jewes or Heathens or Atheists or Sadducees The Minister must be suspended that refuseth it 39. The seventy first Canon suspendeth all Ministers that Preach in any private house except to the sick or impotenti n time of necessity By which had Paul here preached publickly and from house to house or Timothy in season and out of season as dreadfully adjured or Christ preacht as he oft did they must be suspended And every Minister that preacheth to his Family And no doubt repeating his Sermon is preaching the same again 40. All Ministers must be suspended and then excommunicate that without the Bishops Licence appoint or keep any solemn Fasts publickly or in private houses other than by Law appointed or be wittingly present at any Though it were in time of Plague or when divers of his Neighbours are sick or troubled in Conscience or in preparation to a Sacrament or on some great occasion in Noble-mens Houses and Chappels He is not to be trusted to fast and pray with his own Flock or Friends or come among them lest being excommunicate he be a damn'd Schismatick The same prohibition is for holding meetings for Sermons called Exercises Which Arch-Bishop Grindall was zealous to set up Q. Was he then a Schismatick or is the damning dangerous Engine made since 41. By Canon seventy third if any Ministers meet in any privat ehouse as many did by consent in 1660. and 1661. to do any thing that any way tends to impeach the Common Prayer or any part of the Government and Discipline e. g. to Petition King or Parliament for the least Reformation of it he is excommunicate ipso facto 42. Canon seventy fourth brings all Ministers apparel under Church Laws for the Shape 43. Canon seventy sixth Excommunicateth all that voluntarily relinquish their Ministry and use themselves as a Lay-men And man having free will that is done voluntarily which is done in Obedience to mens command And yet we are ruined in the World if we will not leave our Ministry at their Command 44. It 's tedious to go over all the rest I end at the end of them Canon 139. excommunicateth all them that affirm that the Synod is not the true Church of England by Representation that is 1. All that take it for the Church real and not Representative lest they make the diffused Church People and all to be Chief Church-governours while Convocations govern but as their Representatives 2. All that say that it is only the Bishops and not the Presbyters in Convocation that are the Governing Canon-making Church 3. All that say that the Clergy represent not King Nobles parliaments Laiety and that these are true parts of the Church of England All these are ipso facto excommunicate 45. The 140. Canon Excommunicateth them that deny the Canons obligation of absent Dissenters which yet even many Papists deny of Councils Canons 46. The last Canon Excommunicateth all that contemn these Canons as taking them to be the work of a Company of Persons that conspired against Religious Godly men All this huge Catalogue are here excommunicate 47. If any part of all this be Schism Mr. Dodwell ad this man seem to teach Separation from the Church of England Or if the late silencing hunting and ruining of two thousand Ministers were Schism and as bad as Bishop Taylor in Duct Dubit Mr. Hales of Eaton Chillingworth c. say of the like then these men make all the Church of England to be in as damnable a State as Adulterers and Murderers Yea they make all damnable Schismaticks that hold Communion with the Church of England for that is their Sentence on them that communicate with Schismaticks viz. that they are guilty of their Schism 48. They unchurch and damn the Churches of Corinth Galatia Laodicea Ephesus Smyrna c. in the Apostles dayes For the Scripture tells us of many guilty of Schism in all these and yet the rest communicated with them for the Scripture speaks more of Schism in a Chruch than of Schism or Separation from a Church Rom. 16. 17. 1 Cor. 1. 10. 3. 3. 11. 18. Mat. 12 25. Luke 12. 52 53. I Cor. 12. 25. Jam. 3. 15 16. And yet no one was commanded to separate from those Churches no not from those that had Heresies among them such as denyed the Resurrection and taught Fornication and eating things offered to Idols that were drunk at the Sacrament or Love-Feasts nor those that had Jewish Schismaticks who talkt like ours Act. 15. Except ye be circumcised and keep the Law of Moses ye cannot be saved The Churches were not all unchurcht and damn'd that communicated with such Yea Peter was guilty of encouraging them in Schism that
instituted by a fixing Law 2. It is deceit not to distinguish these different things 3. The charge of false Worship unexplained is meer deceit 1. Worship is so far false as it is contrary to the Rule Every Sermon Prayer or Sacrament which we administer hath faultiness and sin and is so far false Worship 2. But Worship offered God on pretence that he instituted it when he did not or that Man hath authority to command the like is yet worse false Worship 3. And the worship of false Gods or Idols is yet worse than that and abhorred of God 4. His making all faulty circumstances such as he nameth to be Idolatry because false as he calls it is yet more sinful and of mischievous importance 5. So is it to make the Churches Idols Temples where they do kneel at the Sacrament and use the Liturgy 6. So is it to feign falsly that God calleth men to come out from such and be separate because he calleth them out of Babylon falsly adding to the Laws of God 7. By his Doctrine he maketh Christ an Idolater which Imention with horror For he 1. used Circumstances riot instituted before or by himself He preached on a Mountain in a Ship c. not commanded He commended Mary for anointing him washing his Feet with Tears wiping them with her Hair not instituted in particular He commended the Publican for smitinig on his breast standing far off not looking to Heaven without particular Command His Custom was to go to the Synagogue-worship He from his childhood performed Temple-Duties and Service He commanded the Lepers cleansed to go to the Priests and offer their due and his Disciples to hear the Scribes and Pharisees in Moses Chair c. And yet 1. The High Priests were not of Aaron's line according to Institution 2. They bought the Office of Heathen Romans 3. They had it not for life according to institution 4. Doctrine Worship Discipline and Manners were heinously corrupted so that the Hearers were to beware of the Leaven of their Doctrine and not to imitate their lives 4. They were bitter enemies of Christ and Persecutors yet Christ never bid his Disciples to separate from any thing but their errors but saith They shall cast you out of the synagogues And doubtless Christ committed no sin nor can we be so holy as he 8. He condemneth Abraham and all the Jewish Church of old that used such things that were not instituted in Worship as is before mentioned in swearing c. 9. He maketh the Apostles Idolatrous that used the like 10. He maketh the Primitive Churches Idolatrous and the Scriptures to approve it For they used such uninstituted things yea the Romans were guilty of differences in God's Service and despising and judging each other for them The Corinthians were Carnal in making Parties and Divisions they defrauded each other and went to Law before Heathens They had Fornicators Judaizing envious Slanderers of Paul Heretical deniers of the Resurrection such as eat in Idols Temples or of their Sacrifices Were drunk at or before the Sacrament The Galatians are yet sharplier charged Almost all the Seven Churches Rom. 2. and 3. had Nicholaitans or Jezabels Doctrine which God hated and no Christian is called to separate from the Communion of any one of all these but commanded to amend and live in Unity without divison 11. He condemneth as Idolaters all the Churches on Earth for Six Hundred if not One Thousand Years after the Apostles not One Church Christian or Heretick as far as any History tells us that I have found did ever deny such things as he calls False Worship or Idolatry They all â—ent further than our Parish Churches do At Baptism they used the White Garment tasting Milk and Honey Chrisme or anointing the Forehead Crossing they adored onely Standing and not Kneeling every Lords Day all as significant Ceremonies No one Church or Person is said to scruple these I think they did not well but God rejected not their Worship 12. He maketh all or near all the Churches on Earth Idolaters at this day All on Earth save the Protestants are far grosser in their Liturgies and Ceremonies than the English Of the Protesants Sweden Denmark Saxony and all the Lutherans have Liturgies Crossing Ceremonies Church-Images Consubstantiation The Helvetians are such as are called Erastians making the Magistrate the onely Ruler and Sacraments common Geneva and France yea and Helland have their Liturgies and some Rites 13. He condemneth Presbyterians Independents Anabaptists and all Dissenters that are here called Protestants For they have al1 many of the foresaid uninstituted things They put off the Hat in Church at Prayer They stand up at the Blessing they use uncommanded gestures at Sacrament they use Psalm-versions Metres Tunes Scripture-Translations Divisions into Chapter and Verse never instituted particularly The Scots used a Governement by Classes National Assemblies of various Elders ruling by Vote instead of meer consulting for Concord uncommanded 14. I humbly propose it to consideration Whether by consequence which he seeth not nor owneth do not deny Christ and all the Gospel and work of mans redemption I challenge him to name me one Church on Earth for many hundred years after the Apostles that had not that which he calls false Worship and Idolatry Suppose this were but in a few Ages as the second third or fourth Century Then a Temple of Idols and Company of Idolaters is no true Church And if at any time there was no Church there was no Head of the Church No Kingdom no King No Wife no Husband that is no Christ How much more if he make all or near all the Church Idolaters to this day and himself with the rest 15. If it be a heinious sin to bear false Witness against a Neighbour or to slander one man what is it to slander and back-bite all the Church on Earth and Christ himself 16. Is it not a work of Satan to destroy Love and to render almost all Christians odious And doth not he do so that calleth them Idolaters Is not this Preaching men into the hatred of each other Do we owe no Love to any Christians but such as is due to Idolaters Is not the fruit of the Spirit otherwise described 17. Doth he not deny that Communion of the Saints which is an Article of the Creed and tempt weak Christians into sinful Separations Divisions Slanders Judgings Murmurings Envies which are the fruits of the flesh 18. Doth not this directly destroy the Church by Dissolution When there is none to be owned or joyned with that hath not somewhat which he calleth false worship And is not separating the Materials destroying the house 19. Doth he not directly rush into the Sin which he condemneth adding to God's Laws and saying he forbids what he forbids not yea fathering on him Laws more rigorous than the Jewish as disowning Christ's Church as Idolators and false Worshippers 20. I add such wofully harden men in that which they themselves suffer by and which they call enmity and persecution and make more Conformists while they deny it than R. B. whom he frivolously talketh of ever did except it be a Conformity to Truth and Goodness For when men read and hear others confidently rage against Truth and Duty by rash presumptuous ignorance they judge of all our dissent by this And while many run into this Guilt it seems to justify their Afflicters And it tempteth weak Persons to suffer for sinful separation as evil doers thinking it is for Truth Oh with what grief will understanding men see Christians together as in a state of enmity by mistakes To see some at once require from others things good and necessary things Lawful but unnecessary things necessary in their Genus but not this more than that and some things sinful as if they were all almost alike To see those whose Senses are not exercised to discern things that differ misled by the words and reverence of men to swallow some Sins as excellent Duties and fly from things Lawful yea oft from great Duties as odious Sins and suffer rejoyeingly for sinning against God and condemning all that sin not as they do yea even all or almost all the Churches on Earth yea and calling them Idolaters for being wiser and better than they who alas do in all things shew themselves to be ignorant Babes and who speak evil of that which they understand not And then to see others revile and hate and ruin these mistaking Christians by a far more dangerous mistake as if Religious fear of Sin were an unsufferable thing and such were intollerable Hypocrites and Conscience were a disgraceful thing and as if themselves and all Mankind were not liable to worser Errors than to take some lawful things for Sin when they see unlawful things stand near them or among them But of all this I have oft spoken and now only say again That if those justly called Separatists and who think Parish Communion under honest Ministers to be idolatry or unlawful will but without prejudice read what is written to prove it lawful by the old Godly Judicious Non-Conformisits especially Ball 's Trial of Separation Mr. Hildersham Mr. Bradshaw Dr. Ames Mr. Cartwright Mr. Gifford Mr. John Paget Mr. Brightman Mr. Rathband c. they will need no more to save them from this scandalous Schism But if Peter withdraw or separate from the Gentiles for fear of offending the Jewish Christians and Barnabas be led away with the Dissimulation Paul must oppose it to their Faces And I that have seen what the Spirit of Division hath done and read that God never blest unnecessary separation will imitate Paul And if this World be uncurable the Lord prepare me for that World where Love and Unity have no Enemies FINIS