case much rather than those which tend to aggravate a matter Charity thinketh not evil is not easily provoked beareth all things believeth all things hopeth all things endureth all things and by these means charitable men have hold of others and keep them from flying out unless of very bad minds and ill tempers The truth is Charity is that to Catholick Communion which the Soul is to the natural body the life and spirit of it that preserves it in a healthful condition but so far as Charity is wanting in Communion so far that Communion is sickly and languishing and void of its true spirit and life 2. The other Bond by which Christians are bound up together in one Catholick Communion is the bond of peace Ephes 4.3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace So that we see Peace is the bond by which the Unity of the Spirit is kept Now this Vnity of the Spirit is that oneness of mind and oneness of practice which holy men inspired by the Spirit have taught all Christians to observe in reference to Faith Worship and Love that is that they should be all of one and the same Faith use the same Worship and have the same love to one another which are the same things in which the Communion of the Catholick Church from the beginning of it did consist as I have already shewed When St. Paul beseecheth the Christians in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ that they would all speak the same thing and that there might be no divisions among them but that they would be perfectly joyned together in the same mind and in the same judgment he doth not say in reference to what 1 Cor. 1.10 But it is to be supposed that they readily understood his Exhortation to refer to these great Articles of Christianity The like we have in Phil. 2.1 2. save that love is there particularly instanced in If there be therefore any consolation in Christ if any comfort of love if any fellowship of the Spirit if any bowels and mercies fulfil ye my joy that ye be like minded having the same love being of one accord of one mind The Unity of the Spirit then is the Unity of Christians in those things in which they have Communion or their Unity in Communion and this is we see to be kept or preserved by the bond of peace Now this peace consisteth chiefly in Christians avoiding differences among themselves as much as in them lies But if differences do arise then this peace consisteth in such gentleness moderation and calmness of behaviour in Christians one towards another as by reason whereof their Christian Converse is not interrupted nor their Communion disturbed their differences notwithstanding It is true indeed in this imperfect state it cannot be but that there will be difference of opinion among Christians about lesser things not essential to Communion especially concerning such circumstantial matters as are left undetermined in Scripture except only by general rule For considering that more Christians are weake than those that are strong and less spiritual both in point of knowledge and in the graces of Humility Meekness and Charity and more unmortified in self-will and self-conceit it cannot be otherwise but that there will be differences among Christians But yet if the greater the wiser and the better sort of Christians do not slight and despise those that differ from them through weakness of judgment or prejudice of education nor violently oppose them but patiently bear with them and wisely insinuate to them by degrees those things which may help them and by condescension become all things to them for their good so far as innocently they can peace may very well be preserved among them which otherwise differ in many things Not but that offences will come when the best men have done the best they can to prevent it for this will fall out so long as there are those among Christians whose Lusts and Passions are unmortified But I am shewing how the Unity of the Spirit may be kept in the bond of peace among them that differ in mind and opinion about circumstantial matters and that they may converse very lovingly together where unmortified Lusts and Passions do not prevail notwithstanding such difference The wise and good carriage of good men towards those that differ will have a great influence upon them if not presently to reconcile them in opinion yet to charm them into a peaceable demeanour if they be not men of ill temper God himself makes allowances unto men that differ conscienciously about lesser things and not out of affectation though they err in judgment so long as their error proceeds not from a corrupt will or pride of mind Rom. 14. and good men so far as they are partakers of a divine nature will do so too And such differences are very consistent with Catholick Communion in peace and love So that it is not so much mens differing in opinion about circumstantial matters in Religion that breaks Peace destroys Charity and disturbs the Communion of the Church but mens unruly Lusts and Passions of pride envy and ill will which take the advantage thence to vent themselves against one another in irregular practices From whence come wars and brawlings among you Come they not hence even of your lusts that war in your members Jam. 4.1 Tho Christians then may differ in opinion in some lesser things yet so long as they agree in the substance of Faith and Worship and so long as they manage themselves in their differences so as that peace is not broken by any irregular or troublesome behaviour their Communion in Faith Worship and Fellowship or mutual love cannot suffer much by such differences For Peace and Charity support each other and propagate each other And the Apostle does very well therefore couple them together in his Exhortation Col. 3.14 15. Above all these things put on Charity which is the bond of perfectness and let the peace of God rule in your hearts to which ye are called in one body The Peace here meant to which Christians are called by being united in one body is peaceable living one with another 3. Besides the bond of Charity and the bond of Peace there is a third thing very necessary to the Unity and peaceable Communion in the Church and that is prudent and moderate Government The peace and purity of the Church are two great ends of the Government in it both which conduce very much to the comfortable Communion of the Church and to the Christians Unanimity in it In reference to which Moderation is very necessary in respect of the external manner and circumstances of Worship as namely that the terms of Communion therein be made as easie as will well consist with publick edification and comely order For when they are so men will have no tolerable pretense upon account of conscience to refuse Communion with the Church therein But otherwise some
or their doing more to accomplish it than the Law or Government under which they are allows them For otherwise it is not seditious I conceive for men to endeavour to get any thing amiss in the Government to be altered in a regular way that is in such a way as the Government or publick Constitution allows I need not say how much the two bonds the one of Peace the other of Charity is broken by this sort of Division which is accompanied either with Faction or Sedition nor how great the Schism is that is made thereby But this is certain that a Division of this kind cannot be without much envying and strife and where these are there is confusion and every evil work as St. James hath told us Chap. 3.16 4. Another sort of division in the Church is that which is made by an unjust Separation of one part of the Catholick Church from another in the business of their Communion in their solemn Worship And this is a division of a very high nature indeed especially when it is accompanied with the third sort of Division before insisted on For if such a Division be unjustly made it is point blank contrary to the Unity of the Spirit that is contrary to the Unity of Communion among Christians which was taught and practised by men inspired by the Spirit in reference both to solemn Worship and Christian Fellowship as has been formerly explained By such a Division the Churches peace is broken with a high hand great offence being thereby taken at others and cause of offence given to them and a wide gap opened for debate strife contention and confusion to enter in to a dreadful destruction of Charity the spirit and life of Christianity without which Faith it self is dead and all other religious performances little available It concerns us greatly therefore and some men more especially very diligently to inquire how far the Divisions and Separations that do abound in our days and in this Nation are unjustly or justly made To do which I do not know a more compendious way than to enquire into the nature of our National Constitution about Gods publick Worship and the power of giving being to it and how far we are obliged to observe it That such National Constitutions as have been made in several Nations for reformation from Popery and for the establishing of the Reformed Religion and Worship in the room of it since the beginning of the Reformation has been so far approved of by God as that he does reckon and esteem those Nations his Kingdoms upon that account I have found as I conceive in our twelfth Inquiry Which with what else is there produced and argued for the usefulness of such National Constitutions I take to be ground sufficient to authorize a National authority in such an undertaking Now when ever the forming of such National Constitution is undertaken by them to whom it does belong they must needs find that tho the Essentials and substance of all divine Worship is expresly and particularly set down in Scripture yet there are several Circumstances and Accidents of Worship which pertain to the external administration of the substance which are not otherwise determined in Scripture than by general Rules as that Edification Order and Decency be always observed in the choice of such things as are not particularly determined and set down in Scripture Such are those I instanced in in another of our Inquiries concerning Prayer tho all the substantial parts of it are determined in Scripture yet we are no where limited to pray with a set Form nor without one to use or not to use Book-prayer to kneel or to stand in Praying nor directed whether in the Publick Worship there shall be several distinct and short Prayers used for several things or whether all Prayer matter fit for a publick Assembly shall be comprised in one or more longer Prayers And the like may be said touching several external Circumstances that are to be used in all other parts of Publick Worship This being the case it will necessarily fall under the consideration of those who are imployed in the forming a publick Constitution for Worship which of these will tend most to the Peace Unity and Edisication of the Church and to Decency and Order whether to leave all aside termined Circumstances of Worship to every ones choice who are to administer the holy things or in these things to chuse for them and to determine by an Ecclesiastical Constitution what shall be observed Suppose we then that upon serious consideration and consultation they come to be fully persuaded in their own minds that to leave all both Ministers and People to their own choice in such undetermined Circumstances in Gods Publick Worship would tend to great Division Disorder and Confusion as it did in the late times of general Liberty and that then we should have one opposing another in their different ways and making of Parties one against another to endless branglements and to the eating out the heart and life of true Religion And suppose also that upon such considerations as these they come to a resolution to determine all undetermined Circumstances of Publick Worship by the use of a Liturgy except only what is to be performed in the Pulpit as that which tends most in their Judgment to Peace Unity Edification Order and Decency And when they have gone thus far in general they will necessarily be led to proceed in the next place to the choice of particular Circumstances of administration of the several parts of Publick Worship In which it is to be presumed they govern themselves according to the best of their understanding by those general Rules which direct all things to be done for Edification Order and Decency And when they have done so and brought things to the best issue they could yet considering that all men and the best of men are fallible it is not unlikely but that they may be mistaken in some things and that such and such a Circumstance or Mode of administration of Worship would have better and more fully agreed with the general Rules than those they have made choice of But yet if their failings and and mistakes therein do not extend to the corrupting of Gods Worship in the Essence or substance of it but only to the ordering of some less useful Circumstances to be observed in the external manner of performance of that Worship there will be no just cause of separating from Communion in it upon that account For those who separate from Communion in the Worship which is every Lords day performed in our Parochial Assemblies according to our Liturgy are obliged to prove one of these two things against it if they would justifie their separation from it Either first that the Worship is corrupt in the Essence or substance of it or secondly that the faults or defects in the External manner of performance of it are such as do fall short of and
the God of love and peace shall be with you saith St. Paul 2 Cor. 13.11 While the Catholick Church is of one mind in the great things of Christian Religion and being so do live in peace and not unpeaceably contend fall out and divide about lesser things such as for which God perhaps doth neither esteem or disesteem men he who is the God of love and peace will be with them to bless them with his presence with spiritual blessings especially And as the presence of the soul in the body enlivens it with natural life by virtue whereof the several Members perform their several functions proper to each of them respectively even so the presence of the holy Spirit in the body of Christ the Church does animate it with spiritual life and does so influence and actuate the several Members of it as that by virtue thereof they all perform their several Christian offices proper to each for the common good of the whole But then this vital power of acting spiritually is conveyed by the Spirit to each of the Members as they are in Vnion and communion with the whole and so as one Member is made a Channel of this conveyance to another and each enabled to contribute its part to the common good of the whole Thus Col. 2.19 where St. Paul mentioning the Head of the Church saith from which all the body by joynts and bonds having nourishment ministred and knit together increaseth with the increase of God This spiritual nourishment of the body flows from Christ the Head we see as having obtained it by his Mediation but then it is the great Office-work of the holy Spirit to apply the benesits obtained by Christ to the several members of his body by working and increasing grace and comfort in them He shall glorifie me for he shall receive of mine and shew it unto you saith our Saviour speaking of the Holy Ghost Joh. 16.14 And this conveyance of nourishment from the Head to the Members by the Holy Spirit is made by the union of the parts as knit together by joynts and bands by which Union one member is made a Channel of conveyance of nourishment to another and in this way the whole body increaseth with the increase of God This being so a disunion of the parts or members must needs obstruct this spiritual nourishment and hinder the growth of the body To the same effect is that parallel place Ephes 4.15 16. Speaking the truth in love may grow up into him in all things which is the head even Christ from whom the whole body fitly joyned together and compacted by that which every joynt supplieth according to the effectual working of the measure of every part maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of it self in love This increase of the body to the edifying it self in love is made we see both by the parts of the body being joyned together and also by that which every joynt supplyeth being so compacted Thus we see how the increase of the Church in spiritual strength depends upon Gods special presence and assistance and how the enjoyment of that presence depends upon the peaceable agreement and mutual love of the parts of which the Church doth consist And if so then unpeaceableness discord and strife contention and dividing into Parties in the Church must necessarily tend to deprive her of that special presence and divine assistance of the holy Spirit without which Christians cannot thrive and increase in true goodness and for want of which they will rather decline and go backward Tho the God of peace and of love will be with his People while they are so of one mind in the Essentials of Christianity as upon that account to live in peace and Christian Communion one with another notwithstanding their differing in some lesser things which will always be found in the best estate of the Church which can be expected here on earth yet there is no reason to expect he will be so with them when they do not so live in peace tho they should otherwise be of one mind in the fundamental Doctrines of Christianity and all the substantial parts of Worship The holy Spirit may indeed dispense gifts of Knowledge and Utterance and the like which are common to bad men as well as good such as these he may bestow upon Christians even while they are in disorder and unpeaceable division But as for those fruits of the Spirit which constitute men truly good such as love joy peace long-suffering gentleness goodness and meekness Gal. 5.22 the having of these and mens being of an unpeaceable temper and in a state of discord and division are I fear inconsistent for these are contrary one to another Tho St. Paul acknowledged those of the Church of Corinth to be enriched with all utterance and all knowledge Chap. 1 5. yet in Chap. 3.1 he tells them that he could not speak unto them as unto spiritual but as unto carnal even as to babes in Christ and for this reason as it follows in ver 3. because there was among them envying strife and division Ye are yet carnal saith he for whereas there is among you envying and strife and divisions are ye not carnal and walk as men that is as other men which were no Christians They might indeed know and believe and talk otherwise and better than those that were out of the Church but their walking and living was but as theirs while envying strife and division was found with them For these are of those works of the flesh of which St. Paul saith that those which do such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God Gal. 5.20 21. And if Christians would but examine and judge of themselves by these Scripture measures it would make them on all hands one side as well as another to be as much afraid to do any thing to disturb the peace of the Church or to be guilty of envying strife and division in it as they would be to find themselves but in a carnal state and of being shut out of the Kingdom of heaven And as for those who are guilty of these things in these sad times wherein envying strife and division do abound it is hugely necessary that as they love their own souls they would without delay repent and get out of such a state and not flatter and deceive themselves with an opinion of their good and safe condition upon account of their being otherwise Orthodox and Religious so long as they indulge themselves in such a state QUERY XIV What is the nature of Schism From what hath been discoursed touching the nature of Catholick Communion and the means of preserving it we may be able to make a judgment of the nature of Schism what it is and who are guilty of it For if Catholick Communion stands in the Unity of the Spirit or Christians Unity in their Communion in the Doctrine of Faith in things necessary to Salvation and in the