Times a Christian Travelling into any remote parts of the World was intitled to the Rights of Hospitality amongst other Christians Rights which anciently were held Great and Sacred and in times of Persecution were very useful and necessary He need but produce the usual Testimonials by which he might be known to be a Christian and to have liv'd in Conformity with the Church from whence he came and he was to be receiv'd and entertain'd by the Faithful in all places with such Tenderness and Liberality as if he had been a Guest of the most intimate Friendship and long Acquaintance A thing that Julian the Apostate could not see without Envy and Admiration If a Christian suffer'd Want other Christians were to consider him and provide for him as one that was of the Houshold of Faith or of the same Family with themselves And whether he was a Hebrew or Greek or of what Nation soever he was it was the same thing he was not to be neglected in such Ministrations It was also the same whether he was of this particular Church or another for if one Church was in Distress and not sufficient for the Maintenance of its own Poor others were obliged to assist it out of their Collections still remembring that as they were of the same Body so they were also Members one of another Lucian in his usual way scoffing at the Christians represents them flocking to his Peregrinus in Prison moving every Stone that they might free him performing diligently for him all Offices of Kindness and sending Messengers to him joyntly from the Cities of Asia to support and comfort him under his Sufferings It is incredible says he what Expedition they shew when such a thing is publickly known But to be short they spare nothing on such Occasions And whosoever is meant by this Peregrinus the truth is that if a Christian Brother was in Distress they gave him what Assistance they were able if he was Imprison'd or in Chains for Righteousness sake they were not asham'd of his Bonds but openly own'd his Cause and chearfully Ministred to his Necessities even when it expos'd them to the greatest Dangers This they did not as a Matter of choice which they might have omitted but as a necessary Duty and they did it so often and that without any regard to nearness of Blood or Habitation in the Sufferers that their Union was Visible to the Eye of the World and the Heathens who were astonish'd at it did then make no doubt whatever Men do now but that they were of the same Community It is farther observable that their contributing to the support of one another is never in the Epistles of the New Testament call'd A giving of Alms but Communion or Communication And I take the reason of it to be this That the Faithful had thus far at least all things in Common that the Wants of some were to be supply'd out of the Plenty of others as out of a Common Stock or Treasury in which they had a share as being Members of the same Society 2. The Faithful have every where a just Title to all the Common Ordinances and Priviledges of Christianity For instance Are they here admitted to Visible Communion in Publick Acts of Worship So they ought to be if they come to the remotest Churches upon Earth St. Peter said of the Gentile Converts Can any Man forbid Water that these should not be Baptized And so may we say concerning those who are Baptized and have done nothing to deserve Excommunication Can any Man forbid them the Publick Prayers that they should not put up their Requests joyntly with other Christians in any part of the World Can any Man forbid them to partake of the Lord's Supper when their demand of it is regular Now as St. Paul when he pleaded at Jerusalem that he was a Roman gave a sufficient Indication if it had not been otherwise known that he was within the Bounds of the Roman Empire So if a true Christian in all Churches where-ever he comes hath a Right to Communion with them and may plead that Right 't is manifest that they all make up but One Vniversal Church and are Members of One Body Diogenes the Cynick refus'd to be admitted into some of the Heathen Mysteries because in order to it he must have been made a Citizen of Athens which did not seem agreeable with his Profession of being a Citizen of the World And indeed if a Christian could only partake of the Holy Mystery as the Lord's Supper is sometimes call'd in a particular Congregation I know not how it could be said That he were a Member of the Catholick Church or that in strictness of Speech there is any such thing But since in all the Nations under Heaven where Christianity is establish'd he hath a Right to Communicate at the Lord's Table as well as in other parts of Worship this is a plain Argument that the Christian Society is the same every where and is not to be multiplied according to the Number of the Places where it is dispers'd Jesus Christ hath broken down the Wall of Partition which was between the Jews and Gentiles and permits not any thing amongst his Followers like the distinction which there was between the Proselytes and the Native Israelites There is nothing in his Gospel like that Inscription which forbad the Aliens to enter into the Inner Court of the Temple nor doth he esteem any to be such that submit themselves to his Discipline He gathers his Subjects out of all Nations governs them by the same Laws and gives them the same Charter the Benefit of which they may alike enjoy in Samaria or Jerusalem or in any other place as well as either This shews that living in a way suitable to the Dignity of their Profession they are in all places of the same Community And according to St. Peter where he speaks of them as distinct from the World and with respect to it They are a Chosen Generation a Royal Priesthood an Holy Nation a Peculiar People the People of God as Israel was formerly the Lot of his Inheritance 3. Any of the Faithful that are personally qualified to bear an Office in the Christian Church are capable of it or of being Ordain'd to it in all Churches and this also proves That they are all United in One Community The Cumani and others were but imperfectly United to the Romans when they could only serve in the Roman Armies but might have no Command in them and neither had any Voice in the Choice of Magistrates nor might themselves be chosen But according to Aristotle it is a principal Mark of a Citizen that he doth or may partake of the Judicature and Government of the City And since every Christian who is otherwise fit for it proceeding regularly may be advanced to a Sacred Function in any Country where
A DISCOURSE OF Schism Address'd to Those DISSENTERS WHO Conform'd before the Toleration and have since withdrawn themselves from the Communion of the Church of England By ROBERT BVRSCOVGH M. A. LONDON Printed for Tho. Bennet at the Half-moon in St. Paul's Church-yard And Charles Yeo Bookseller in Exeter 1699. A DISCOURSE OF Schism Address'd to those Dissenters who Conform'd before the Toleration and have since withdrawn Themselves from the Communion of the Church of ENGLAND The INTRODVCTION HAVING Compos'd this Discourse with a Design to do you what good I am able I may reasonably desire that you would afford it an Impartial and Candid Perusal and read it with a Resolution not to condemn any thing in it without a due Examination This indeed is more than I can expect from those amongst You who are byass'd with Prejudice or mov'd with a false Zeal or a Worldly Interest But there are many of You whom I consider under another Character and who I believe may be ready to abandon their Mistakes upon better Information You may remember who it was that said That which I see not teach thou me if I have done iniquity I will do no more And if you think it no Reproach to follow so laudable an Example but are willing to receive Instruction I assure my self that what I shall here offer to You may contribute something to your Satisfaction You are like to find nothing here that may give you any just cause of Offence Nothing but what proceeds from a Spirit of Charity And if this instead of convincing You should only raise Your Indignation I shall be sorry for Your sakes and yet have no cause to repent that I have endeavour'd with Meekness to bring you into the Right Way And I hope that GOD who knows the Sincerity of my Intentions and measures them not by the Event will graciously accept of them Upon what Terms the Rigid Separatists receiv'd You again as Members of their Congregations I know not But since they have been wont to accuse our way of Worship in the Churches of Popery and Antichristianism of Idolatry and Superstition they must needs look on You that once Conform'd as Partakers then in the same Crimes And if You resolve to do the like again upon the like or other Occasions they cannot but esteem You as Persons that would reconcile Christ and Belial or that make it an Indifferent thing either to come out of Babylon or to remain in it And according to their own Principles they may fitly speak to You in these Words of Elijah How long halt ye between two Opinions If the Lord be God follow him but if Baal then follow him If You will vindicate Your own Proceedings You are as much concern'd as the Conformists themselves to refute the Charge and Answer the Objections of those Men against our Liturgy and Ceremonies But that Work is well done already by Dr. Falkner and Others to whom I refer the Inquisitive Reader My Business at present is chiefly with You who think you may lawfully Conform with us and yet have deserted our Communion A thing indeed that is very agreeable to Flesh and Blood and which may make several Turns of Affairs more easy to You But Wise and Good Men would suspect an Opinion and Practice which are so much on the side of the World and not like the Truth the worse because of the Disadvantages that sometimes may attend it It is to lead you to the Truth from which You seem to be at a great Distance that I publish this TREATISE of SCHISM In which I consider Your Case and bring it to a fair Tryal But to prepare my way for this I thought it requisite to say something of Church-union of which Schism is a Breach For these two things being compar'd together may give some light to one another SECT I. THAT all Christians ought to be United together is very plain from the Holy Scriptures and it is a Matter of such Importance that we find our Blessed Saviour repeating the same Petition four several times within the compass of three Verses that his Followers might be One It is also observable that He pray'd That they might be made Perfect in One that they might be One as the Father and Himself are One. And nothing less can be understood by these Words than that He was desirous they should be One in the highest and strictest manner of which they were capable or that was possible for a Society of Men. St. Paul describes the Christian Church as a Building fitly fram'd together growing into a holy Temple in the Lord And as a Body fitly joyn'd together and compacted by that which every Joynt supplieth He saith also to the Ephesians and in them to all the Professors of Christianity I beseech you that ye walk worthy of the Vocation wherewith ye are called with all lowliness and meekness with long suffering forbearing one another in love endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace There is One Body and One Spirit even as ye are called in One Hope of your Calling One Lord One Faith One Baptism One God and Father of all who is above all and through all and in you all The same Apostle writes thus to the Philippians If there be 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 How pathetick how moving is his Language here How admirably does it set forth the great care and concern of his Soul for those things which are the matter of his Exhortation I must transcribe a great part of his Epistles should I produce all that they afford pertinent to my present Purpose But you grant I suppose in general that the Unity of the Church ought to be preserv'd and all the Question being wherein it does consist or in what things it ought to be maintain'd To this I answer That all Christians ought to be United I. in Faith II. in Love III. in Outward Worship and Communion I shall but just touch on the two former of these but more largely insist on the last in which the Controversy between us is chiefly concern'd I. All Christians ought to be United in the same Faith For there is but One Faith and we are obliged to contend earnestly for the Faith which was Once deliver'd to the Saints The Christian Doctrine is not calculated only for some particular Times and Places nor is it to be vary'd by them but ought to be kept entire and free from impure mixtures And when it is so it must needs be the same in all Places and upon all Occasions the same in all the Climates under Heaven and under Persecuting Tyrants the same as under Nursing Fathers and Mothers the same in the Heart and the same in
Establishment of Separate Churches under their proper Pastors in the same City Yet do I not reject this Opinion merely because it hath no good Foundation I shall produce such Arguments against it as being duly consider'd may help to determine this Controversie 1. My first Argument is taken from the Design of Christ for that was to Unite both Jews and Gentiles in one Body and to make of the Two one New Man And accordingly he made of Both One People prescrib'd to them the same Law and confer'd on them Equal Priviledges It is not therefore to be imagin'd that the Jewish Converts were to be drawn out from amongst the Believers of the Gentiles and gather'd into Churches apart by themselves Churches that excluded all Christians from their Communion who submitted not to the Law of Moses For this had been to Divide those whom our Lord had made One and to revive the Enmity which he had slain It had been to treat those as Forreigners whom he would have to be Fellow-Citizens and to expel them as Aliens who are his Domesticks and of the Houshold of Faith It had been to cast those out as Ismaelites whom he had call'd to be Heirs of Promise and to rebuild the Wall of Partition which he had broken down 2. According to the Mind of Christ St. Paul labour'd to restore Peace and Conformity between the Judaizers and other Christians that they might live together as Members one of another And to this purpose when some believed that they might eat all things and others being Weak did eat Herbs he shews that this difference should be no cause of a Breach of Communion amongst them For says he to the Strong who were apt to despise others Him that is weak in Faith receive to you Rom. 14. 1. That is notwithstanding the Scruples of such a Person about Meats and Drinks and other things of that nature admit him into the Congregation as a Brother He is not fit indeed to hear doubtful Disputations or to be engaged in them but he ought to joyn with you in the Publick Worship The Apostle himself leads us to this Interpretation in the following Chapter where having put up his Request for those that Dissented about the Mosaical Rites that they might with one Mind and one Mouth glorifie God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ he presently addresses his Discourse to them and says Wherefore receive ye one another For what end was it that they must receive one another He himself has given a sufficient intimation of it It was that they might glorifie God with one Mind and with one Mouth The thing then requir'd of them was that both the Weak and Strong both the Jewish and Gentile Converts should meet together in the same Assemblies and unanimously joyn in the same Prayers and Praises as if they had been Animated by one Soul 3. However the Apostle us'd great Tenderness towards the Dissenting Parties whether they understood their Christian Liberty and did eat things forbidden by the Mosaical Law or whether they did not Yet when the Judaizers withdrew themselves from the Communion of those that would not come up to their Rigours and labour'd to seduce as many as they could into the way of Separation he then treated them in another Style He represented them as Persons that corrupted the Gospel and pronounced an Anathema against them Speaking of them to the Philippians he says Beware of those Dogs beware of Evil-workers beware of the Concision that is of those that cut the Church in pieces And to the Romans he says I beseech you Brethren mark them which cause Divisions and Offences contrary to the Doctrine which ye have learn'd and avoid them So far was this Apostle from approving or allowing of their Separate Congregations 4. We may gain farther Light into this Matter and what I have said of it may be confirm'd from a Remarkable Transaction which the same Apostle relates in these words When Peter says he was come to Antioch I withstood him to the Face because he was to be blam'd For before certain came from James he did eaâ— with the Gentiles but when they were come he withdrew and Separated himself fearing them which were of the Circumcision And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their Dissimulation But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the Truth of the Gospel I said unto Peter before them all If thou being a Jew livest after the manner of the Gentiles and not as do the Jews why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews From hence it is plain 1. That Peter liv'd at Antioch after the manner of the Believing Gentiles using the same Christian Liberty as they did and not withdrawing himself from them before the Judaizers came thither from Jerusalem 2. When he struck in with the Judaizers it is not to be imagin'd that they had alter'd his Judgment or that he had received any new Illumination to direct him but the Change he shew'd proceeded from his Fear a Fear as we may well suppose that if he yielded not to those Obstinate Men they would renounce the Christian Faith 3. The Jewish Converts at Antioch were not of a distinct Church by themselves separate from the Gentiles Certainly they were not so before the coming of the Zealots with whom they comply'd not out of Conscience but Dissimulation 4. With their Dissimulation Barnabas was carried away and this intimates that his Concurrence with the Dividers was a new thing to him or a departure from his former practice Upon the whole he and the rest whom he follow'd in this Action may seem to have had a good intention which was not to provoke those of the Circumcision but to do what they were able to preserve them from Apostacy Yet in their Conduct there was more of the Policy of the World than of true Christian Wisdom and Sincerity Wherefore St. Paul seeing that they walked not uprightly according to the Truth of the Gospel withstood Peter to the Face because he was to be blam'd and reprov'd him before all that they might see their Error who had been drawn into it by his Example And if Paul was so much against Separation when St. Peter himself was at the Head of it and when Barnabas an Apostle also together with the Multitude was engaged in it if he oppos'd it when it came with so strong a Torrent doubtless he resisted it with like Courage wherever he met it in any part of the World 5. The Jewish and Gentile Christians together at Antioch are stiled a Church and so are they that resided at Rome But to call them so if in the same City they had been divided into several Independent Congregations is not agreeable to the Language of that Age. Nor could they with any propriety of Speech be mention'd as one Society or Body if they were
were guilty of great Immoralities for it would be easie for them to recriminate and the truth is there have been and are on both sides great Numbers of Men notoriously Vicious but we must leave them to bear their own burthen Offences will come and such there were in the Apostles Days in the Churches at Corinth and Philippi in the Churches of the Galatians and in all the Seven Churches of Asia Yet on that occasion no allowance was given to any of the Faithful to withdraw themselves from the Publick Assemblies It is therefore to be suppos'd that you can prove some very hainous thing not only against particular Persons who profess themselves Conformists but against the Conforming Churches as such some great thing for which they ought to be forsaken or you are very injurious to them in your desertion of them For by this you do what in you lies to dishonour them and to fix a publick Disgrace or Infamy upon them in the Eye of the World It is now your Business to exalt the Societies with which you are at present in Communion as well as to depress those which you have deserted a thing very usual in such cases But that you may state the Account aright when you are comparing the Old Churches with the New as they are call'd you ought carefully to examine whether the last be Churches in reality or in Name only Whether any of your Pastors have Right to exercise their Office in the Separate Way and whether the far greater part of them are not meer Usurpers that have no just Title to the Ministry and the Administration of the Sacraments All these are things of great weight and what I said before may help you in your Enquiries into them and convince you if you please to consider it attentively that you have been mistaken about them and that where you thought your selves safe you are in great danger You have seen some of the sad effects of your Separation upon a Pretence of joyning with a better People Yet I have the Charity to believe that you expected much good Fruit from it But had you consulted Mr. Baxter he would have instructed you better for he says That to Reform the Church by dividing it is no wiser than to cut out the Liver or Spleen or Gall to cleanse them from the Filth that doth obstruct them and hinder them in their Office You may indeed thus cleanse them but it will be a Mortal Cure As he that should divide the Kingdom into two Kingdoms dissolveth the old Kingdom or part of it at least to erect two new ones So he that would divide the Catholick Church into two must thereby destroy it if he could succeed or destroy that part which divideth it self from the rest Can a Member live that is cut off from the Body or a Branch that is separated from the Tree And to these Questions I shall leave you to reply III. It hath been said That the Way of the Separatists conduces more to your Edification and that if you would provide what is best for your Bodies you ought more especially to do so for your Souls That you are more Edified by the Dissenting Ministers than by the Conforming Clergy and think it requisite to be Hearers of those by whom you profit most And this I confess is Popular and affords a very ready Answer such as it is to the strongest Arguments that can be produced against you But that you may not be too confident of it the Assembly of Divines tell you that the gathering of Churches out of Churches hath no footsteps in Scripture is contrary to Apostolical Practice is the scattering of Churches the Daughter of Schism the Mother of Confusion but the Step-Mother to Edification Mr. Baxter also says That Divisions among Christians do greatly hinder the Edification of the Members of the Church While they are possess'd of Envyings and Distast of one another they lose all the benefit of each others Gifts and of that Holy Communion which they should have with one another And they are possess'd with that Zeal and Wisdom which James calleth Earthly Sensual and Devilish which corrupteth all their Affections and turneth their Food to the Nourishment of their Disease and maheth their very Worshipping of God to become the increase of their Sin Where Divisions and Contentions are the Members that should grow up in Humility Meekness Self-denial Holiness and Love do grow in Pride and perverse Disputings and passionate Strivings and envious Wranglings The Spirit of God departeth from them and an Evil Spirit of Malice and Vexation taketh place though in their Passion they know not what Spirit they are of Whereas if they be of one Mind and live in Peace the God of Love and Peace will be with them To speak more distinctly to this Matter I shall enquire I. What is the True Notion of Edification II. What you understand by it and whether you rightly judge how it is best promoted III. Whether according to your sense of it it be a good Rule that you may or ought to follow those Teachers by whom you can most be Edified IV. Whether this may justifie your present Separation I. I am first to enquire What is the True Notion of Edification And to clear this it is to be consider'd that the word which is Literally render'd Building is often in the Holy Scripture applied to Spiritual Matters and being taken in a good Sense as commonly it is it signifies the Advancement of Persons in some Spiritual Good And to Edifie them is to do that Work of Charity whereby we become beneficial to their Souls Knowledge puffeth saith the Apostle but Charity Edifieth 1 Cor. 8. 1. Comfort your selves together and Edifie one another 1 Thes 5. 11. Let no corrupt Communication proceed out of your Mouth but that which is good to the use of Edifying that it may minister Grace to the Hearers Ephes 4. 29. Let us follow after things which make for Peace and things wherewith one may Edifie another Rom. 14. 19. Let every one please his Neighbour for his good to Edification Rom. 15. 2. In which places it is the Edifying of our Neighbours that is required of us and that of our selves is never enjoyn'd under this Expression nor can it well be sought but in conjunction with the Publick good 'T is true St. Paul tells us That he that speaketh in an unknown Tongue Edifieth himself 1 Cor. 14. 4. But this is mention'd but as a mean use of his Gift and one that Prophefied and instructed others was for this reason prefer'd before him For says the Apostle Greater is he that Prophesieth than he that speaketh with Tongues except he Interpret that the Church may receive Edifying 1 Cor. 14. 5. It is certain that the Business of Edification duly managed hath a principal regard to the Church And by how much more any thing is beneficial to that by so much more it ought to be
blasphemed and danger accrues to your selves It hath been found by experience that when there was the greatest Vnion amongst the Faithful it rais'd in those that were without a very high esteem of Christianity and strongly invited them to embrace it But when Schism prevail'd it furnished the Adversaries of the Truth with Exceptions against it and made them obstinate in their Errors This Effect as I shall shew it hath had upon Jews Heathens and Mahometans 1. To begin with the Jews They argue from the Divisions amongst the Christians that the Messiah is not yet come For say they Was it not foretold by the Prophets that in his Days and amongst his Followers there should be Unity and Concord but how is this accomplish'd amongst those that believe in Jesus Where is their Unanimity and Harmony of Affections Where is their Mutual Love and the promised Peace Are they not broken into many Sects Are they not ready to devour one another To this indeed we may reply That Jesus Christ did break down the Wall of Partition that was between the Jews and Gentiles and gathering a People out of both he hath reconcil'd them in One Body That when great Multitudes were converted to Him whatever they might be before They were of One Heart and One Soul That when the Number of Christians was mightily increas'd over the World the Heathens said of them with Admiration See how they mutually Love one another That the Doctrine of Jesus Christ disposes all that receive it heartily to be of this Temper and to â—ollow after the Things which make for Peace and that all his Genuine Disciples do 〈◊〉 of whom the Predictions are to be unâ—derstood And this I take to be a very sufficient Answer to the Objection yet it can hardly be hoped that any great regard will be paid to it when the Schism amongst the Professors of Christianity so powerfully strike upon the Senses of the Adversaries and turn their Eyes another way 2. The Divisions amongst Christians have made the Heathens more obstinate in their Errors and been a great Scandal to them From hence it is that they who most violently oppos'd the Gospel have been encouraged and animated in their Enmity against it And others that had something of Inclination to it have been made averse from it The Unbelieving Greek says St. Chrysostom comes to us thus he pleads I would be a Christian but I know not to which Party I should joyn my self For there is â—uch Contention and Sedition and many Tumults amongst you Which Opinion then shall I prefer Which shall I chuse When every one saith The Truth is on my side There is no great strength in such Exceptions yet they are obvious and popular and with many they have been of greater force than the clearest Demonstrations 3. As for the Mahometans we are inform'd by a Person of great Worth who lived among them That to divide the Christians hath always been the Master-piece of the Turkish Policy and this Disunion amongst them hath avail'd the Ottoman Interest more than their Swords and confirm'd their Obstinacy in Religion with a Miracle as if the Division of Christian Princes had been an effect of their Prayers and a concession of Divine Providence to their daily Petitions Mr. Baxter also tells us That doubtless the Divisions of the Christian World have done more to hinder the Conversion of Infidels and keep the Heathen and Mahometan World in their damnable Ignorance and Delusions than all our power is able to undo and have produced such Desolations of the Church of Christ and such a plentiful Harvest and Kingdom for the Devil as every tender Christian Heart is bound to lament with Tears of bitterness If it must be continues he that such Offences shall come yet woe to those by whom they come II. Divisions amongst the Reformed have brought a Reproach upon the Reformation and hindred the Progress of it Camden informs us that when the Sectaries in the Reign of Queen Elizabeth made an open Separation The Papist thereupon clapped their Hands and suggesting that there was no Vnity in the Church of England they draw many to their Party By this means we have been on the losing Hand and this way they have gain'd more Proselytes than by all their Books of Controversie You have been often told how their Agents have been employ'd to refine the Protestants to teach them a more Spiritual Way of Praying than that of a Liturgy and to free them from all Smacks of Ceremonies It being held meritorious by the Managers of this Affair if under any shape they could from a Party that would help to ruine our Constitution But in the late Times the Men of this Character had the Confidence to lay aside their Disguise and disdaining to act any longer behind the Curtain they did their Work openly and in the Face of the Sun And what Assistance you gave them in it was visible to all the World This I write not to insult over you but in great Pity to raise your Indignation against Schism which engaged you in a shameful Confederacy It was Schism that made you and other Dissenters before you the Instruments of the open Enemies of our Reformation And Schism if you persist in it will detain you in their Service Whether you intend it or not you will be digging in their Mines or building up their shattered Walls And by your Hands they will carry on their Designs with hopes of Success which they despair of accomplishing by their own III. Church-Divisions have given occasion to the spreading of many detestable Errors in Matters of Religion They are apt to unsettle the Minds of 〈◊〉 and prâ—pare them for Changes We may gather from the Words of St. Paul Ephes 4. 12 13 14. that they who forsake the Officers which Christ hath given for the perfecting or â—joying together of the Saints They that are not compacted in his Mystical Body but broken off from it are as Children tossed to and fro by the Sleight of Men â—word cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive Such Deceivers are then most busie to exercise their Arts when they are remov'n whose watchful Eye should discover their Impostures and who are appointed for that purpose And thus when the Bishops and the Clergy that adher'd to them were laid aside in this Nation False Teachers did boldly shew their Heads and made a Prey of very many Salmasius himself complains That Innumerable Sects which before were condemn'd to Hell and lurked in Darkness did then break out all on a sudden and appear'd in an open Day And this was the cause that he alter'd his Judgment about Episcopal Government against which he had written with great Zeal and concluded that in England especially it ought to have been continu'd This is the Testimony of a Forreigner but our Natives speak to the same purpose Mr. Pagit makes a heavy Lamentation That the
and Sects did but vent their Malice against the best Christians under those Names But since then I have seen what Love-killing Principles have done I have long stood by while Churches have been divided and sub-divided One Congregation of the Division labouring to make the other Contemptible and Odious and this call'd the Preaching of the Truth and the purer Worshipping of God Charity being expell'd it is succeeded by Envy and Strife by Confusion and every Evil Work A false Zeal usurps the place of true Piety and often pushes Men on to the greatest Enormities and Acts of Cruelty This effect it hath often had amongst Christians and in the Days of the Emperour Julian when they were much divided it transported many of them into such Rage against one another that the Apostate was in hopes the Church would perish by their Mutual Animosities and Contentions 5. Schism weakens the Ecclesiastical Discipline which was design'd for the Punishment of Offences and which put a powerful Restraint on Wickedness when it remain'd in its full Vigour But when it is broken it is rendred impracticable or ceases to be a Terrour to Evil-doers For as the Jews who would not be prevailed with to live according to the Law of Moses deserted Jerusalem and resorted to the Temple which Sanballet had built at Garizin so when a Church is divided into opposite Communities Offenders that would not be endur'd in one fly to another for Refuge And then they are like to have no great regard for an Excommunication when it dismisses them from one to another Society which will hardly fail to call it self the purer of the two or to pretend to better means of Edification It may be thought that a Party being Separated from the Church upon a pretence of greater Purity would not receive into their Communion other Deserters who are Notorious for their Immorality But this has been contradicted by frequent Experience and particularly it was so in the case of Novatianus and his Followers For however they profess'd a very rigorous strictness yet they receiv'd into their Society Novatus a Man of contrary Principles and loose Morals But that was no Matter as long as he serv'd their Designs They could connive at his former Crimes when he was engaged with them in Schism and Communication of Guilt had made them One 6. Schism hinders and sometimes frustrates the Endeavours of the Pastors of the Church for the Suppression of Vice and the Advancement of Piety and renders their Condition like that of the Jews when they were Rebuilding the Walls of Jerusalem and held a Weapon in one Hand whilst they Wrought in the Work with the other They cannot lay out their whole Strength against the Immoralities of the Times and for the promoting of Holiness when they are diverted from it by a necessary Defence of their own Constitution In this Defence they must expect to suffer many Reproaches from the Seditious who when they have least to say for their cause are usually most forward to cast Aspersions on the Pastors and People which they have deserted that it may not be thought it was for nothing that they made a Separation But the Pastors of the Church commonly bear the greatest share of this as well as other Persecutions And then if the Calumny with which they are loaded is believed it does infinite Mischief It renders their Persons despicable and their Ministry useless It makes their Reproofs of Sin appear ridiculous and be they innocent as they will the imputation of Wickedness which is fastned on them gives encouragement to those that are under the Guilt of real Crimes and becomes an Inlet to all Debauchery The CONCLVSION I Have now gone over the Things which I design'd to treat of And if you have well consider'd what has been said perhaps you may see cause to say to one another in the Words of Mr. Baxter Alas dear Brother that we should not yet know that our own Vncharitable Divisions Alienations and Separations are a Crying Sin Yea the Crying Sin as well as the Vncharitableness and Hurtfulness of others Alas will God leave us also even to the Obdurateness of Pharaoh Is there not Crying Sin with us What have we done to Christ's Kingdom to this Kingdom to our own Friends Dead and Alive to our selves and alas to our Enemies by our Divisions And do we not feel it Do we not know it Is it to us even to us a Crime intolerable to call us to Repentance Woe to us Into what Hardheartedness have we sinned our selves Yea that we should continue in the Sin and passionately defend it But to Sum up all Would you bring the Kingdom of Christ to Desolation or are you willing to see the Ruine of his House Would you hinder the Unbelieving World from receiving the Gospel or would you harden them in their Insidelity Would you blast the Honour of our English Reformation and give Prosâ—lytes to the Church of Rome Would you occasion the spreading of many false and damnable Doctrines which cast Reproach on the Christian Name and are pernicious to the Souls of Men Would you keep open a free passage for all Iniquity and encourage Vice to appear abroad in great Pomp without Shame or Fear Schism is the direct way to all this and the Means which you have chosen answer the Ends which you have in view But would you rather see the Kingdom of Christ in a flourishing Condition and the House increase Strength and Splendour which he hath built with so much care and cost Would you be instrumental to the Conversion of Unbelievers or would you have them brought from Darkness to Light and from the Power of Satan unto God Would you defeat the Designs of the Factors for the Church of Rome who have been so busie in inflaming our Differences and so ready to make their Advantage of them Would you hinder the progress of Error or do what is proper to stop the Mouths of its Advocates Would you help to stem the Torrent of Profaneness and drive it backwards And would you see the open Enemies of Religion forced into their lurking holes or flying into their Retreats of Darkness Would you do what is highly beneficial to others as well as Glorious and Happy for your selves Your way is to return to the Vnity of the Church which you have forsaken And if that be so as I really think it is my Endeavours to bring you into it will need no Apology FINIS ERRATA PAge 10. in the Margent for 1 Cor. 10. 1. read 1. 10. for Galat. 5. 3. r. 5. 13. and for Revel 12. 17. r. 2. 17. P. 13. Marg. l. 6. r. Octavio P. 19. l. 9. for 2. r. 3. and l. 22. r. their fall P. 20. l. 16. r. had been P. 21. Marg. l. 1. r. Coteler P. 31. Marg. l. 1. r. Revel 21. 1 10. P. 32. l. 8. dele and. P. 48. Marg. l. 4. r. Reines P. 52. Marg. l. 4. r. Act.