Without this the Great ends and Proposals of so pure and holy a Religion cannot be accomplisht and therefore whatever Indulgences or Exemptions the Christian Magistrate may rightfully grant to Erroneous Judgments or Consciences acted with simplicity and a pious Disposition he cannot upon the Laws and Oeconomy of the Gospel or any Authority deriv'd to him from thence rightfully give a Positive establishment within the Districts of the same Government to two Opposite Communions or Altars of worship especially when one of them is founded in a Revolt from a Pure and Orthodox National Church This is the very reverse to a Protector and Defender of the True Religion So great a Sin did the Ancient Fathers account Schism before Apologet Vind. of Ch. Eng. p. 92. the happy Union of the Church and Empire when the Meetings of the Schismaticks were as much Tolerated by the State as the Meetings of the Catholicks and upon the same principle Donatism and Arianism were accounted as damnable sins every jot under the Reigns of those Emperours who granted Toleration to them as under the Reigns of those who made Laws against them Nay all the Laws which Constantius and Valens made in favour of Arianism and for the Establishment of it did not alter its damnable nature in the judgment of the Catholicks neither indeed is the obliquity of Schism alterable by Humane Laws and Constitutions as being a Transgression of a Divine Positive Law which God hath made for the preservation of the Body Politick of his Church to which Schism is as destructive in its Nature as Rebellion is to the State Q. Whether Persecution or Force will Excuse from Schism A. If the Church of England be a truely Catholick Church Id. p. 91. as the Divines of all Reformed Churches abroad will tell them the Dissenters She is then they must be guilty of Schism which is a Separation without a just Cause from the Church as a Church without any regard to the State For Schism or Separation without a just Cause is a pure Spiritual Crime and was reckon'd a Damnable sin before the Church Christian was united to the Empire as also in those unhappy Intervals of Persecution when the Church and Empire were disunited again For Example it was a damnable sin when St. Paul charg'd the Ephesians to keep the Unity of the Spirit c. It was a damnable Sin when he told the Corinthians That they were all Baptiz'd by one Spirit into one Body and that as the Natural Body was made one by the Union of many Members in it so also was the Body meaning the Body Politick of Christ It was a damnable Sin when St. Ignatius taught the Churches that nothing should be done without the leave of â—â—e Bishop or in opposition to him and that that was only a valid Eucharist which was administred by him or by one licens'd and appointed by him And that Makers of Schism could not inherit the Kingdom of God It was a damnable sin when St. Cyprian call'd private Meetings in Opposition to the publick Conventicles of the Devil and said that private Altars were no Altars and that if a Schismatick should die for Christ he could be no Martyr nor have any right to the Crown of Martyrdom for which he alledges the words of the Apostles Tho I give my Body to be burnt and have not Charity it profits Nothing c. When great Exigencies force men to do any thing which otherwise Id. p. 51. they would not do they are said to do it unwillingly and to act against their Judgments and Inclinations and particularly when for fear of ruining and Exterminating Penalties which humanly speaking are intolerable men conform to any Religion which otherwise they would disown tho as to outward Conformity and Communion they are of it yet they are not for it in their hearts I Confess men ought to endure any thing rather than to conform to any Religion which they believe to be false or subscribe to any Confession which they believe not to be true but yet we see the Frailty of humane Nature is such that extream severity will make them comply against their Wills with a Religion they certainly know and firmly believe to be false No humane Law can make that Lawful which God has forbidden Vind. Ans to the Kgs. Papers p. 98. Id. p. 106. nor that Vnlawful which he has Commanded No Church in the World can lay an obligation upon a Man to be dishonest that is to profess one thing and do another which is Dissimulation and Hypocrisie And no Church can oblige a Man to believe what is False or do what is Vnlawful rather than do either he must forsake the Communion of that Church Touching the Worship of God since the Divine Establishment of Falkner's Christian Loyalty p. 40. the publick Christian Service is contain'd in the Gospel no Authority upon earth hath any right to prohibit this And those Christians who rightly Worship God in the true Catholick Communion according to the Apostolical and Primitive Church have a right to hold such Assemblies for the Christian Worship as appear useful for the Churches good tho this should be against the Interdict of the Civil Power Seeing Church Communion is a Duty laid upon us by God it plainly Blackall Serm. p. 17. follows That no Humane Authority can release us from our Obligation to it Sometimes Persecution it self is the most prolifick Soil for the Letter about Regulating the Press p. 14. Thorndi Rt. Ch. 1. 5. True Religion to shoot forth and flourish in Christianity had not only its first Foundation in it but we are assur'd received great Increases from it The primitive Christians frequented the service of God when they were in danger of the Laws because that which the Laws forbad was their Assemblies The main point of that Charter which makes the Church a Id. p. 6. Society is the Right of Assembling and holding such Assemblies without warrant against all Law of the world that forbids it The Christian indeed is obnoxious to the power of the Prince Reflections on the Hist pt of Church-Governt p. 50. Id. ibid. Thorndi Rt. of the Ch. p. 233. but Christianity is without the reach of his Sword Passive Obedience is our principle and if this renders the Legal Establishment of our Religion more obnoxious to the pleasure of the Civil Magistrate yet it better secures our Common Christianity The Head of every State is so absolute over the Persons that make the Church that the Independent power thereof in Church matters will enable it to do nothing against but suffer all things from the Sovereign And yet so absolute and depending on God alone is the Church in Church Matters that if a Sovereign professing Christianity should not only forbid the profession of that Faith or the exercise of those Ordinances which God has requir'd to be serv'd with but even the Exercise of that Ecclesiastical Power
of Right by the meer consent of the Church which by the precedent Ordination was Conferr'd only in point of Fact being a meer Nullity in point of Right It hath been often practis'd by the Church to receive Id. of Forb p. 69. not only Schismaticks but even Hereticks also that is Such as had receiv'd orders of those that parted from the Church upon an Error of Faith in their respective Orders But always upon Condition of Renouncing the Cause of their Division whereupon they were to receive the Blessing of the Church by prayer with Imposition of hands The reason was because neither is Baptism in Schism effectual to Salvation nor Ordination in Schism effectual to Grace by Ministry of any Office in Schism But being Renounc'd there remains no cause why their Ministry should not be effectual to their People Their Baptism and their Ministry to their own Salvation supposing it sincerely renounc'd Therefore the reason why they who are Ordain'd by Presbyters cannot be receiv'd in their respective Orders is peremptory Because the Schism Consisting in ordaining against Authority cannot be renounc'd unless the Ordination be voided For so long as the Ministry may be Rev. of Mr. M. Hs. New Notion of Schism p. 47. Usurp'd upon such Ordination so long is the Schism on foot I can see no reason why the line of Ordination may not pass thro a Schismatical Church for altho by Schism people are out of the Church and while they Continue so cannot enjoy the benefit either of Ordination or Sacraments yet to say that both are absolutely destroy'd and Nullifi'd so that a Schismatick loses the Chracters and can neither be a Christian nor a Bishop i e not the subject of Apostolical power till he be again Baptiz'd and Ordain'd is an Assertion beyond all that I could ever yet meet with The Meletians were Schismaticks and yet those ordain'd by Meletius were receiv'd into places where others dyed c. I think that Orders and Regularity of Episcopal Succession Ans to Sev. capt Queries p. 19. will suffice to make them Lawful Bishops who for corrupting the Doctrin of the Church shall not be allow'd to be Good ones Q. Whether Toleration will excuse from Schism A. An Act of Parliament would deliver the Dissenters from Vind. Def. of Dr. St. p. 457. Temporal Punishments and might deliver them from the Sin of Disobedience to Civil Governours But the guilt of Schism will remain still unless he Mr. H. thinks the Donatists were not Schismaticks when Julian the Apostate with an uniting design granted a General Toleration So that this project may secure the Estates but cannot secure the Souls of Dissenters Schism will damn men tho they should get it establisht by Act of Parliament There is nothing more or less in a Toleration than a Suspensiou Norris Charge of Sch. p. 26. of the Penal part of the Law This is all that it Can do and perhaps more than it ought For I believe there ought to be no such thing as a Toleration and that 't is more than either the Church or State can Rightfully grant We do not derive the Grounds of Obligation to Ecclesiastick Id. p. 80. Communion from the Authority of the Civil Law tho' that must be allow'd to add a considerable weight to the Obligation but also and chiefly from that of the Divine Law which I conceive to be as positive and express in requiring Unity and Conformity of Worship as in requiring any Religious Worship at all No License given no Toleration granted no Exemption from Blackhalls Serm. on Jo. 6. 66. p. 14. Temporal Penalties in case of Separation allow'd by men is sufficient to excuse from the guilt of Schism those that Separate from the True Christian Church whereof they were Members or to render their Schism no sin Human Lawgivers may give leave to their Subjects to be of any Id. p. 15. Religion or to be of no Religion but if they do they can't make it Lawful in it self either to be Atheists or to profess a false Religion or to forsake the Communion of the True Church for to believe a God and to worship publickly and to worship him in the Assemblies of the Faithful are Duties that are laid upon us by a higher than any humane Authority and therefore no humane Authority can discharge us from them The Law can take away and discharge us from no Obligation but that which its self laid on us so that all the meaning of the largest and most unlimited Toleration that the Law can grant is no more than this viz a Declaration that Men shall not be liable to any Temporal Mulcts or Penalties or be any ways punish'd by the Civil Power upon the account of any Differences in Religion or for being of no Religion at all but if antecedently to the establishment of any Church by the Civil Power and if antecedently to the enacting any Penal Laws to oblige men to hold its Communion it was Schism to separate without cause from that Christian Church whereof we were Members and such Schismatical Separation was a Sin before God then so it will be still notwithstanding any License or Toleration that can be granted by the Secular Power Toleration is not only a means to encourage those that are already Saywel of Vnity p. 137. engag'd in Schism to continue so but by experience is found the most effectual way to multiply new Swarms of Schismaticks c. When a particular Church enjoys a Civil Establishment it receives Letter about Regulating the Press p. 22. as it were a new Authority in as much as it becomes a Civil Right or Property So that unless its Constitution is Materially vicious and sinful it s a high piece of Injustice to destroy or infringe any of its Establish'd Rights or Immunities But yet since the Magistrate is only the Guardian not the Founder of a National Church its Original Authority resting on certain positive Laws and Sanctions enjoyn'd by a Power Superior to that of the Magistrate even that of God Himself wherever a Church in any Province or Nation professeth the True Religion by an Orthodox Faith and a pure worship under Lawful Church Governours and Pastors that is the True National Church in opposition to all Dissenting Sects and Parties tho' it wants the Authority of a Civil Establishment It is indisputably evident that the Christian Church is one Society Id. p. 16. or Body of Men united to CHRIST and each other in certain External as well as Internal and Spiritual Bonds of Union It s certain one great design of Christianity is Vnity or to range Id. p. 23. all the Parts and Members of the Church of CHRIST into an Holy Building and therefore if the Magistrate is Constituted a Guardian of the True Religion all his offices of Succour and Protection must be directed to this end I mean the Bonds of Catholick Vnity throughout his whole Dominions
Momentous particulars 1. It was a Primitive and Fundamental Power and Duty of See Municipium Ecclesiasticum printed 1697. Bishops to convene in Synods without restriction 2ly All Ecclesiastical Rights are so Spiritual that they cannot be by Allowance and Approbation of God or his Church vested in any one in form of a Temporal Right but only on this Condition that the parties intrusted with them continue in the Unity of the Catholick Church and their own Provincial Bishops as Prelates of it having immediate care of their Souls What Princes have no Rightful Authority to do that they may Municipium Eccl. p. 100. irresistibly do upon an uncontroulable Domination and Impunity Upon which when they presume to repress our Rights and Liberties if it be in matters Necessary they are to be disobeyed in Fact and submitted to as to their Legal Processes without resistance The Church is Subject to all Common-Wealths where it is Thornd prim Ch. gov p. 89. maintain'd in Temporal matters In those which concern the Soul whom shall we think our Lord leaveth her in charge with but those whom he trusteth with the Keys of his House Our Church acknowledges the King to be Supreme in all Causes Ans to several Capt. Qu. p. 36. and over all Persons Ecclesiastical viz. that no Quality in the Church nor Cause of the Church exempts a Subject from the Secular Laws and the Sword of Justice which may be very true as it undoubtedly is yet all manner of Obedience in Religious matters shall not presently become due to the King For when Sovereigns require the Subjects to do things contrary to Religion if their Subjects give but one manner of Obedience to their Laws which goes with us under the Name of Passive Obedience it saves at once their Acknowledgment of the Sovereigns Supremacy over them and of Gods Supremacy over all So that we are not oblig'd by our Oath to become Calvinists c. nor in a word to be of the King's Religion but to submit to his Authority let his Religion be what it will c. If by the Parliaments changing the Church of England you mean Id. p. 25. that Parliaments can make the Religion profess'd by the Church of England to become a false Religion when their Inclinations are once vary'd from us then I tell you that the Church of England is not changeable by English Parliaments nor by all the Powers of the Earth for this matter is fix'd to their hands and can never be unfixt to the end of the World No Ordinance of Secular State can deprive our Church of its Hill's Cath. Bal. p. 99. essential Rights given us from God but only lay Temporal Punishments on us for the use of them without their permission Which if it be absolutely necessary for us at any time to do in Opposition to the State Our Ecclesiastical Acts are not Null but valid to all effects Purely Ecclesiastical and we can but suffer and despise the Penalty The Romanists triumph that we have no Power to meet in Id. p. 122 Convocation without Royal Licence nor at Liberty when there to dispute one Question without the Kings Allowance nor are our Conclusions valid without the King's Ratification whether Catholick Heretick Heathen Turk or Jew on pain of hampering by Praemunire's c. But here it is to be remember'd that these are Impositions of the State for which the Church is not bound to advocate if they are Persecutions but if men would be just they would pass the most favourable interpretations on publick Sanctions and herein conclude that these Statutes were intended not for Persecution but for Caution only against those extravagancies which the Church had abus'd its freedom to the Kings always graciously promising us on request opportunity to Convene and discuss our Matters as to us shall seem Convenient that we might have no cause to think that their Laws are intended for Persecution And for the Kings Ratification it is justly necessary not meerly to an Ecclesiastical effect but that our Censures for breach of these Canons may be seconded upon the Contumacious by the Writ De Excommunicato Capiendo c. It being no reason that the King should be the Churches Hackney without any consent of his own But if any Prince should Pervert these advantages to a Persecution we must then do our duty and fear no Sufferings We hold our Benefices by humane Right our Offices of Priests Bramhal Vindic. Ord. p. 77. and Bishops by Divine Right and Humane Right But put the case we did hold our Bishopricks only by Humane Right is it one of your cases of Conscience that a Sovereign Prince may justly take away from his Subjects any thing which they hold by Humane Right If one man take from another that which he holds justly by the Law of Man he is a Thief and a Robber by the Law of God The substance of what has been said upon these two last Queries amounts to this 1. That Toleration may excuse a Schismatick from the Penalty but not from the guilt of Schism 2. That Communicating with Schismaticks because Tolerated makes the crime less dangerous but not less sinful 3. That tho' Persecution or extreme Severity in Governours may make some men thro' humane frailty to comply with a Schismatical Church yet that will not excuse them from Schism in the sight of God because they ought to obey God rather than Man 4. That tho' the Prince be Supreme in Ecclesiastical Causes yet he cannot alter Religion at his pleasure or injoyn a Sinful Worship and if he do's 't is no Sin but a duty to disobey him 5. The Bishops and Governors of the Church in such a case are bound to defend the Rights of the Church against him as the Primitive Christians did against the Heathen Emperours 6. That all even Kings are liable to Church Censures Q. Whether a Prince being Excommunicated by the Church may be Resisted Depos'd or Murder'd by his Subjects A. It is contrary to the nature of Excommunication tho' in the Falkner Christian Loyalty p. 316. highest degree that any person and especially a Sovereign Prince should thereby lose those Temporal Rights which are not founded in their relation to the Church Indeed in Christian Kingdoms there are ordinarily some Temporal Penalties and abatement of Legal Privileges inflicted upon the persons Excommunicate But this is not the natural Effect of that sentence but is added thereto by the Civil Government and Sovereignty under which such persons do live And therefore no such thing can take place with respect to Sovereign Princes who have no Temporal Superiour to annex this as a Penalty Sovereign Princes are not liable to the Sentence of Excommunication Id. 318. in the same manner with Christian Subjects A Sovereign is capable of losing and forfeiting his relation to the Society of the Christian Church as well as other persons because as Mr. Thorndike Rt. of the Ch.