the Profession of all Christians for as we ought to think so we are oblig'd to speak the same thing II. They ought all to be United or as St. Paul speaks knit together in Love Notwithstanding they are call'd to Liberty yet they are bound to serve one another by Love to be kindly affectionate to one another in Brotherly Love and in honour to prefer one another A New Commandment says our Saviour Christ I give unto you that ye love one another And whether he calls this Commandment New because of its Excellence as the word is thought to signify where we read of a New Name and a New Song or whether He styles it so because He requires it in greater measure than formerly urging his Followers by his own Example when He was about to suffer Death for them to Love one another as he had Loved them manifest it is that the thing which He here enjoyns is most acceptable to Him But there is something more to be understood by these words than is commonly apprehended which is That our Lord having before taught his Disciples to love their Neighbour and even their Enemies He now gives them a New Commandment to love one another as they were his Disciples He had before instructed them to love all Mankind but now it was matter of a New and a Distinct Precept that they should love one another with a higher degree of Affection as being Fellow-Christians and testifie it all possible ways even to the hazard of their Lives Our Lord did not pray for the World as he did for those that were given Him out of the World Nor is it his Will that we should be alike affected to both We must exercise Charity towards all but with a particular regard to the Members of his Church As we have opportunity we must do good to all Men but especially to them who are of the houshold of Faith III. They ought to be United in Outward Worship and Communion And to this they are obliged both by their Faith and Love it being one of the Fruits which both ought to bring forth as worthy of them and which they must produce if they are sincere 1. Faith ought to shew forth it self in Good Works of which one is the Maintenance of Christian Concord And this is so much the Effect of it or hath such Connexion with it that the Christians Church is represented in Scripture as a Houshold of Faith They also that liv'd in full Communion with the Church are by the Ancients call'd the Faithful and distinguish'd by that Title from the Penitents the Hearers and Others who did in some degree belong to it but not being compleat Members of it they were not admitted to all the Prayers nor to the Lord's Table 2. The Love of the Faithful being duly exercis'd supposes them to live in Outward Communion and keeps them in it It is the Duty of every one of them to Love the Brotherhood and of them all to Love as Brethren That is they must Love as Persons that are Visibly of the same Family or Society under the same Lord. Thus is the title of Brethren to be understood in many places of Scripture and in an Apology of Justin Martyr as also in other Writings of the Fathers it is apply'd as a Name of Distinction to such as were perfect Communicants But not to insist upon the Limitation of it to that sense certain it is that the word was of such frequent use amongst Christians who signified by it their Spiritual Affinity or the near Relation which they stood in to one another that they were much noted and variously censur'd for it by their Enemies Lucian says their Law-giver perswaded them That they were all Brethren And Caecilius suggests that by some secret Marks they knew one another to be of the Fraternity Calumnies and Invectives may be grounded on some Truth or be mingled with it and the Truth is our Saviour said to his Followers By this shall all Men know that ye are my Disciples if ye have Love one to another And this could not be a meer inward Love for that was not capable of being a Publick Badge of their Profession Nor could it be such a Love as would permit them to be broken into various Sects and Factions For it could not be gather'd from thence that they had the same Teacher But then only could they demonstrate to the World by their Practice that they were under the Discipline of the same Master in matters of Religion when dispers'd as they were over the face of the Earth they frequented Assemblies that were held in his Name every where professing the same Faith and Communicating in the Ordinances which were of his Institution When He pray'd that they might be One it was for this purpose that the World might believe that the Father had sent Him But the World would have discover'd no such thing if they had been divided into many Parties not enduring to have Communion with one another The World would then have been ready to conclude that if they had the same Instructer he had taught them different Religions or given them contrary Precepts and consequently that He was inconsistent with Himself and not much to be regarded But when they liv'd as Members of the same Body making it manifest that they were affected towards one another with the tenderest Charity and unanimously joyning together in the same Acts of Worship they then took the most proper way to raise in the Adversaries an Esteem of Christianity and to convince them that the Author of it who had such an Influence on the Conversation of his Proselytes was from Heaven For my part I see not what just cause there can be that they should be Divided in Worship who are united in Faith and Love On the contrary it seems to me most reasonable and I am sure it is agreeable to Scripture that they who are of one Soul should be of One Body that they who are obliged to be of the Same Heart and Mind should Speak and Do the Same things and so keep the Vnity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace To confirm this and to proceed in what I design'd I shall prove that the Church is a Visible and Regular Society and then shew that however it be dispers'd in the World it is one Political Body And if I make these things clear it will be easy to infer from thence that our Communion with it ought to be Visible and Regular or suitable to our Station and that the Unity of the Whole as well as of every part ought to be asserted and preserv'd I. The Church is a Visible Society and Persons are admitted into it continued in it expell'd from it and restor'd to it in a Visible manner Such things being openly transacted in this as in other Communities 1. Persons are Visibly admitted into the Church by Baptism
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
he is a Stranger as well as if he were a Native of it From hence it follows that both Strangers and Natives are alike of the same Political Body And this reasoning must be good if Aristotle had the true Notion of a City who is generally allow'd to write of such things with great exactness What hath been said sufficiently shews how the Catholick Church however dispers'd is One But it will appear with the greater force If you please to compare it with the Case of Independent and Separate Societies in which you find nothing like it You may bear Office in one of these Societies but have no Title to it nor have any of your Acts esteem'd valid in another You may be Members of one and justly excluded from another You may enjoy the Priviledges of one and want those of another You may be banish'd from one and made Denizons of another Acts of State bind only the Subjects of the State and oblige not Forreigners that are under another Dominion But this demonstrates the Vnity of the Catholick Church that what is done by one Governour or Bishop is valid amongst all the rest and taht a private Christian who hath an Obligation on him and a Right to an actual and full Communion with a particular Church hath the like with all other Churches where he happens to reside Having prov'd that the Vniversal Church is One Body I shall only add what gives us great encouragement to preserve the Unity of it and affords us a most delightful Contemplation that it is now the same Body that it was from the Beginning For as a City may remain the same for a Thousand Years or even to the End of the World and is therefore said by some Ancient Writers to be Immortal So is the Church the same that it was from the first Foundation of it And from hence it is that if we Communicate with those who derive their Ministry by Succession from the Apostles and with such Professors of Christianity as adhere to that Ministry we do it vertually or by Interpretation with the Apostles themselves and with the Saints Confessors and Martyrs that rest from their Labours and are now in Happiness waiting for a Glorious Resurrection To this effect Tertullian says That from the Apostolical Churches all other Churches borrowed the Branch of Faith and Seeds of Doctrine and from them it is daily that Churches become such and so are esteem'd Apostolical as being the Off-spring of the Apostolical Churches Every thing must be reckon'd with its Original and therefore so many Great Churches are as the One First Church constituted by the Apostles and from which all are descended So all are First and Apostolical whilst they alike approve the Vnity Whilst there is amongst them the Communication of Peace the Title of Brotherhood the Covenant of Hospitality the Rights of which nothing preserves but the Tradition of the same Sacrament or Mystery But this is not all For being in Communion with the Apostles we are so with the Father and the Son That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you says St. John that you also may have Fellowship with us and truly our Fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ The Father will take care of us as his Peculiar People and the Son will Influence and Govern us as our Head a Head that hath such a Tenderness for his Church that he is represented in Scripture as making up One Person with it For says the Apostle as the Body is One and hath many Members and all the Members of that One Body being many are One Body So also is Christ And being of his Church we are assur'd that he will nourish and cherish us as Members of his Body of his Flesh and of his Bones SECT II. VVE have seen that all Christians ought to be United in Faith Love and in Outward Worship and Communion And if you grant this you must also acknowledge that a Breach of Union in any of these things where-ever the fault is must needs be sinful For it is plain I. That if there be but One Faith delivered to the Saints for which they must earnestly contend they grievously offend who add New Articles to it or take away from it such as are already reveald or otherwise deprave it by a mixture of Falshood And so far as they do so we ought to depart from them and not betray or deny the Truth in compliance with them II. If all the Faithful must be firmly link'd together in Love this must condemn all Discord and Malice all Envying and Strife amongst them as being directly against the Spirit of Charity And indeed where these things are there is Confusion and every Evil Work III. If all the Faithful are obliged to live in Outward Communion as Visible Members of the same Body then such a Division in the Body as is a Breach of that Communion must be Criminal a thing I know that many of you are unwilling to hear of But Mr. Baxter has suggested a reason of it which I hope does not reach you all Whence is it says he but for want of Self-denial that Men that know that Whoredom and Drunkenness and These are Sins can be ignorant in the midst of Light that Discord and Church-Divisions are Sins And that they hear him with Heart-rising Enmity or Suspicion that doth declaim against them As if Vniting were become the Work of Satan and Dividing were become the Work of Christ These Words I would recommend to your serious Thoughts and being now come to that which is the chief Subject of our Debate I desire you sincerely to consider that not only Modern Writers but the Fathers who were no Parties in our present Controversies speak of Schism as a most horrid Crime St. Optatus mentions it as a mighty Wickedness and argues that it is worse than Murder and Idolatry And St. Chrysostom affirms That nothing equally provokes God as the Division of his Church He makes it equal to the Crucifying of Christ Which he says was for the good of the World however not intended but this continues he affords no Benefit but the greatest Mischief To mention no more at this time St. Irenaeus says That God will judge the Schismaticks who having not the Love of God but being intent on their own Profit rather than the Peace of the Church for small Matters or for any divide the Great and Glorious Body of Christ and do what in them lies to kill it speaking Peace but making War straining indeed at a Gnat and swallowing a Camel You need not think it strange that these Excellent Men who had seen the sad Effects of Church-Divisions express'd such an Abhorrence of them St. Paul himself reckons Seditions and Heresies with Adultery Fornication Vncleanness Lasciviousness Idolatry Withchcraft and other Works of the Flesh of which he says That they that practise such
esteem'd Forasmuch says the Apostle as ye are zealous of Spiritual Gifts seek that ye may excel to the Edifying of the Church 1 Cor. 14. 12. There is no doubt to be made but the use of this Word Edification is taken from another Metaphor which signifies the Church For the Church being in Scripture call'd a House and the Members of it being said to be Living Stones the adding to it such Materials and the polishing and perfecting those that are in it are the Edification of it This House is already built and established upon the Foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Jesus Christ himself being the chief Corner-stone But it is not as yet finish'd nor will it compleatly be so till the end of the World And we shall be reckon'd amongst the Builders or Edifiers of it if we repair its Breaches if we enlarge it or raise it higher or contribute any thing to its strength or splendor That is if we bring new Proselytes into the Church or confirm those that are in it if we are instrumental in the Conversion of some or in advancing any in Knowledge and Piety in Faith and Practice Without Practice there is no true Edification but all that are duly exercis'd in Holiness are perfected by it and others are invited and drawn into the Church by their Example The Churches says St. Luke had rest throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria and were Edified and walking in the fear of the Lord and the comfort of the Holy Ghost were multiplied Acts 9. 31. The Church in many respects may be compar'd to a House but more especially for the Vnity and Order of Building But on both these I have treated before and what I shall add will only be farther to explain what is meant by Edification and to remove the Mistakes about it 1. Vnity is required in this Spiritual House and all the parts of it ought to be compacted like those of an Artificial Building or a Natural Body The more they are so the better they are prepar'd for Edification and Improvement in things Divine They are call'd to Peace in One Body and being knit together in it they increase with the Increase of God Coloss 2. 19. As Divisions are the cause of Weakness and Deformity in this Body so on the contrary Vnion helps to strengthen and adorn it Thus when the Schism which I mention'd before was broken out amongst the Corinthians The Vile or Ignoble on that occasion rose up against the Honourable Persons of no Reputation against those that were highly esteem'd the Foolish against the Wise and Young Men against the Aged For which cause Justice and Peace were far from them Every one did forsake the Fear of God and in his Faith became blind None of them lived according to the Rule of his Precepts or walked worthy of Christ But they all followed their own depraved Lusts having taken up an Unjust and Impious Envy by which Death entred into the World This is the Account that Clemens Romanus gives of them But he also acquaints us that when they were United Their Piety was wonderful their Hospitality magnificent and their Knowledge perfect That they were all of an humble Mind boasting of nothing more willing to be subject than to govern and to give rather than receive That they were content with the Portion which God had allotted to them and carefully attending to his Word That they had Hearts enlarged with Mercy and that before their Eyes they had the Sufferings of Christ That a profound and advantageous Peace being given to them they had an insatiable desire of doing good and that then there was upon them all a plentiful Effusion of the Holy Spirit That being fill'd with Holy Purposes they did with chearfulness and a pious Confidence stretch forth their Hands to Almighty God beseeching him to be merciful to them if unwillingly they sinned against Him That their care was Day and Night for the whole Brotherhood that through the Mercy of God and a Good Conscience the Elect might be saved That they were Sincere and Inoffensive and forgetful of Injuries and that all Sedition and all Schism was then abominable to them That they lamented the Faults of their Neighbours and esteem'd the Wants of Others as their Own That they were firm and steady in doing good and forward to every good Work That they were adorn'd with a Conversation altogether Vertuous and Venerable and did all things in the fear of God whose Commandments were written upon the Tables of their Heart By this and many other Examples it appears that the Unity of the Christians is highly beneficial to them And we may add That it also promotes the Edification of the Church by the strong Inducement it affords to those that are without to embrace the Christian Faith and become Members of the same Community They will see says Mr. Baxter that the Design and Doctrine of Christianity is good and excellent beseeming God and desirable to Man when they see it does produce such good Effects as the Love and Vnity and Concord of Manknd And it is an exceeding great and powerful help to the Conversion of the World in this respect because it is a thing so conspicuous in their sight and so intelligible to them and so approved by them They are little wrought on by the Doctrine of Christ alone because it is visible or audible but to few and understood by fewer and containeth many things which Nature doth distaste But the Holy Concord of Believers is a thing that they are more able to discern and judge of and do more generally approve The HOLY CONCORD of Christians must be the CONVERSION of the Unbelieving World if God have so great a Mercy for the World which is a Consideration that should not only deter us from Division but make us zealously study and labour with all our Interest and Might for the healing of the Lamentable Divisions amongst Christians if we have the Hearts of Christians and any sense of the Interest of Christ 2. The Church resembles a House in Order And Order is to be observ'd in all our Endeavours for the Edification of it This Living Building resting upon Christ and being fitly framed together groweth unto One Holy Temple in the Lord. And as an Organical Body being fitly joyned together and computed by every Ministring Joynt supplying something according to its Power in proportion to the other parts it increaseth to the Edifying of it self in Love Mr. Baxter says very well That Enemies both Spiritual and Corporal are deterred from assaulting the Church or any of its Members while they see us walk in our Military Vnity and Order In this posture every Man is a Blessing and Defence unto his Neighbour As every Soldier hath the benefit of all the Conduct Wisdom and Valour of the whole Army while he keepeth in his place so every weak Christian hath the use and