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A34541 The point of church-unity and schism discuss'd by a nonconformist, with respect to the church-divisions in England. Corbet, John, 1620-1680. 1679 (1679) Wing C6260; ESTC R37663 30,758 79

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stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his Brothers way The Command here given extends to Pastors and Governours as well as to other Christians and is to be observed in acts of Governments as well as in other acts St. Paul was a Church Governour and of high authority yet he would not use his own liberty in eating Flesh much less would he impose in things unnecessary to make his Brother to offend In the cases aforementioned there was a greater appearance of reason for despising censuring or offending others than there can be for some impositions now in question among us viz. on the one side a fear of partaking in Idolatry or of eating meats that God had forbidden or of neglecting days that God had commanded as they thought on the other side a fear of being driven from the Christian Liberty and of restoring the Ceremonial Law Nevertheless the Apostle gives a severe charge against censuring despising or offending others of different Persuasions in those cases And if it were a Sin to censure or despise one another much more is it a Sin to shut out of the Communion or Ministery of the Church for such matters The word of God which is the Rule of Church-Unity evidently shews that the unity of external order must always be Subservient to Faith and Holiness and may be required no further than is consistent with the Churches Peace and Edification The Churches true Interest lies in the increase of regenerate Christians who are her true and living Members and in their mutual love peace and concord in receiving one another upon those terms which Christ hath made the bond of this Union The true Church Unity is comprized by the Apostle in these following Unities One Body one Spirit one Hope One Lord one Faith one Baptism one God But there is nothing said of one ritual or set Form of Sacred Office one policy or model of Rules and Orders that are but circumstantial and accidental in a Church state and very various and alterable while the Church abides the same CHAP. III. Of Schism truly so called HEre I lay down general positions abou● Schism without making application thereof Whether these positions be right or wrong Gods Word will shew and who are or are not concerned in them the state of things will shew Schism is a violation of the Unity of the Spirit or of that Church-Unity which is of Gods making or approving This Definition I ground on the afore-cited Text Mark them that cause Divisions and Offences contrary to the Doctrine that ye have learned Separation and Schism are not of equal extent There may be a Separation or Secession where there is no Schism For Schism is always a Sin but Separation may be a Duty as the Separation of the Protestants from the Church of Rome Moreover there may be Schism where there is no Separation The violation of Unity or the causing of Divisions may be not only by withdrawing but by any causing of others to withdraw from the Communion of the Church or by the undue casting or keeping of others out of the Church or by making of any breaches in Religion contrary to the Unity of the Spirit By looking back to the nature and rule and requisites of true Church-Unity we shall understand the true nature and the several kinds ●nd degrees of Schism As holy love is the life and Soul of Church-Unity so that aversation and opposition which contrary to love is that which animates the sin of Schism and is as it were the heart root of it Whosoever maintains love and makes no breach therein and whose dissenting or withdrawing from a Church is no other than what may stand with love in its extent is no Schismatick The Unity of the Spirit being primarily that of the Church as mystically the breach thereof lies primarily in being destitute of the Spirit and Life Spiritual much more in being opposite thereunto under the shew of Christianity also in the languishing or lessening of Spiritual Life especially of the acts of holy love The Unity of the Spirit being secondarily that of the Church as visible in its external state and the first and chiefest point thereo● being in the essentials and weighty matters of Christian Faith and Life the highest violation thereof and the chiefest point of Schism lies in denying or enormously violating th● said essentials or weighty matters And it directly a violation of the Unity of the Catholick Church and not of particular Churches only Not only particular Persons but Churches yea a large combination of Churches bearing the Christian name may in their Doctrine Worship and other avowed Practice greatly violate the essentials or very weighty matters of Christian Faith and Life and be found guilty of the most enormous breach of Unity It is no Schism to withdraw or depart from any the largest combination or collective body of Churches though for their amplitude they presume to stile their combination the Catholick Church that maintain and avow any Doctrine or Practice which directly or by near and palpable consequence overthrows the said essentials The next point of external Unity being about the essentials and integrals of Church state the Sacraments and other publick Worship the Ministery and Discipline of the Church considered as of Christs institution the next chief point of Schism is the breach hereof And this may be either against the Catholick or a particular Church Of such Schism against the state of the Catholick Church there are these instances 1. When any one part of professed Christians how numerous soever combined by any other terms of Catholick Unity than what Christ hath made account themselves the only Catholick Church excluding all Persons and Churches that are not of their combination 2. When a false Catholick Unity is devised or contended for viz. a devised Unity of Government for the Catholick Church un●er one terrene Head personal or collective ●●uming a proper governing power over all Christians upon the face of the whole Earth 3. When there is an utter disowning of most of the true visible Churches in the World as having no true Church state no not the essentials thereof and an utter breaking off from communion with them accordingly Of Schism against a particular Church in point of its Church state there be these instances 1. The renouncing of a true Church as no Church although it be much corrupted much more if it be a purer Church though somewhat faulty 2. An utter refusing of all acts of communion with a true Church when we may have communion with it either in whole or in part without our personal sin of commission or omission 3. The causing of any Divisions or Distempers in the state or frame of a true Church contrary to the Unity of the Spirit But it is no Schism to disown a corrupt frame of Polity supervenient to the essentials and integrals of Church state in any particular Church or combination of Churches like a leprosie in the Body
The point of CHURCH-UNITY AND SCHISM Discuss'd BY A NONCONFORMIST With respect to the Church-Divisions IN ENGLAND LONDON Printed for Thomas Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns at the Lower end of Cheapside 1679. THE CONTENTS CHAP. I. Of the Church and its Polity WHat the Church is both in its invisible and visible state The state of the Church Catholick The state of particular Churches and their Pastors Elders or Bishops Of the partition of Churches by local bounds Of the Interests of Bishops or Pastors in any assigned circuit of Ground Of the association or combination of Churches Of a National Church Of the Interest of Civil Magistrates in the state of the Church Of a Diocese and a Diocesan Bishop Of exercising the Ministery without Subordination to a Diocesan Bishop No human power may prejudice Christs Interest in his Ministers or People All have a judgment of Discretion about their own acts CHAP. II. Of true Church-Unity The names of Unity and Schism should be rightly applied True Church-Unity is the Unity of the Spirit what is included therein True Unity is primarily of the Church in its mystical secondarily in its visible state Holy love is the Life and Soul of this Unity Church-Unity considered in three points 1. In the essentials and all weighty matters of Christian Faith and Life 2. In the essentials and integrals of Church-state 3. In the accidentals of Religion The different value of these different points of Unity The Rule of Unity is Gods Word Of the Scriptures sufficiency as a Rule thereof Of things left to human determination with the Pastors and Magistrates Interest therein The Rulers Wisdom in setling the right bounds of Unity The burden of things unnecessary not to be laid on the Churches Unity of external order is subservient to Faith and Holiness CHAP. III. Of Schism truly so called Schism is the violation of the Unity of the Spirit Separation and Schism are not of equal extent The violation of holy Love is the root of Schism Schism lies primarily in a breach made upon the Unity of the Church as mystical and secondarily as visible The highest point of Schism against the Church as visible is that which is about the essentials and weighty matters of Christian Faith and Life How both Persons and Churches may be guilty of it The next point of Schism is about the essentials and integrals of Church state This may be either against the Catholick or a particular Church Instances of both kinds The lowest point of Schism is about the accidentals of Religion How any are guilty or not guilty in this point A preposterous valuation made of the aforesaid different points tends to Schism The setting of other bounds of Unity than Gods word allows is to make a breach upon it Terms of Unity may be allowed of God as to the Submitters when they are not allowed as to the Imposers The danger of acting against conscience rationally doubting T is a false Unity that is set up to the hindrance of Faith and Holiness and not to adhere to it is no Schism but Duty Instances hereof Of the right of drawing together into new Congregations on such occasion What endeavour of Reformation is unlawfull to Subjects A difference between inimical separation and amicable necessary Segregation The objected inconveniences against the amicable Segregation answered The import of the Text Rom. 16. 17. opened CHAP. IV. Of the Schisms that were in the more ancient times of the Church and the different case of the Nonconformists in these times Of the Donatists Of the Novatians Whether the case of the present Nonconformists be the same with the case of these or any others anciently reputed Schismaticks The case of such Nonconformists as be more remote from accomodation with the Established Order The case of such of them as be more disposed to accommodation An Answer to objections against relaxing the terms of Conformity Of diverse other remarkable Schisms in the ancient times and the Nonconformists case different from theirs An appeal to Antiquity and to our Superiors CHAP. V. Of making a right estimate of the guilt of Schism and something more of the right way to Unity The great abuse of the name Schism and the bad consequence thereof The degree of the Schism to be duely considered for making an equal judgment of the guilt thereof Examples of Schismatical animosities in Worthies of ancient times Charity in censuring thence inferred True Unity is founded in true Holiness and promoted by impartiality and equity towards all real Christians and by the due exercise of true Church-Discipline and by removing the snares of Division and as by the equity and charity of Superiors so by the humility and due submission of Inferiors A Question considered about the warrantableness of submission to things not in themselves unlawfull but inexpedient Errata PAg. 2. lin 2. r. regeneration p. 12. l. 8. r. without ib. l. 16. r. and in p. 22. l. 6. r. due extent p. 25. l. 14. r. account of accidental p. 32. l. 16. r. injured Christians as are p. 33. l. 25. r. Segregation p. 42. l. 27. r. renouncing p. 47. l. 21. r. deposed The point of CHURCH-UNITY AND SCHISM Discuss'd CHAP. I. Of the Church and its Polity THe Church is a Spiritual Common-wealth which according to its primary and invisible State is a Society of regenerate Persons who are joyned to the Lord Christ their Head and one to another as fellow Members by a mystical Union through the Holy Spirit and are justified Sanctified and adopted to the inheritance of Eternal Life but according to its secondary and visible state it is a Society of Persons professing Christianity or Regeration and externally joyned to Christ and to one another by the Symbals of that Profession and made partakers of the external priviledges thereunto belonging There is one Catholick Church which according to the invisible Form is the whole company of true Believers throughout the World and according to its visible Form is the whole company of visible Believers throughout the World or Believers according to human judgment This Church hath one Head and Supream Lord even Christ and one Charter and System of Laws the Word of God and Members that are free Denizons of the whole Society and one Form of Admission or solemn Initiation for its Members and one kind of Ministery and Ecclesiastical Power This Church hath not the power of its own Fundamental Constitution or of the Laws and Officers and Administrations intrinsecally belonging to it but hath received all these from Christ its Head King and Lawgiver and is limited by him in them all Nevertheless it hath according to the capacity of its acting that is according to its several parts a power of making Secondary Laws or Canons either to impress the Laws of Christ upon its Members or to regulate circumstantials and accidentals in Religion by determining things necessary in genere not determined of Christ in specie As the