no being made so we know not how c. shew us then what office of Love is incumbent on us that we do not perform His arguing is not distinct having not tot told us what he means by a National Church If he take it as he seems to do for the Hierarchical Church with National Officers with subordinations c. I would say It s certain himself was once of that National Church a member of it perhaps zealous of Episcopacy and an exact observer of its Canons So that if that National Church be proved as it is by some attempted to be a Church of Christs institution he cannot be excused from Schism in separating from it For though they cannot charge him as now of that Church both it being abolished and himself changed into another way yet they may say he was not long since a member of that National Church But if he take National Church as the Churches were in the Nation all professing the same truth and exercising the same substantial worship as the most Orthodox understood England to be a National Church he must either acknowledge himself to be still a member of this National Church as he does pag. 224. or else renounce communion with her also as no Church or Churches of Christ which whether he does or no comes after to be considered § 20 For the other horn of his Dilemma If they are and must be of this National Church c. what duty of Love is there which they owe to it and do not perform Seeing he makes the challenge and professes that if it can be shewn he will address himself to it I shal take the pains to inform him fully before we have done only now considering what he saies here Do we not saies he joyn in external acts of worship in peace with the whole Church p. 67. Call the whole Church together try what we will do Is not all this aequivocally spoken In what external acts of worship do they joyn with us as a Church Do they not disown us as no Churches and our Ministers as no Ministers admit none to worship with them but confederat members When they sometimes preach in our Congregations or hear us preach do they not count themselves to us and us to themselves as gifted brethren only but no Ministers And what means he by the whole Church or how can it be called together unless he mean his own Church or Churches How then do they joyn in every Congregation in the Nation When though they presume to preach in our Churches to steal away our people from us their own people will seldome or never come into our Congregations to hear unless some of them preach Ad populum phaleras And as for their joyning in peace with the whole Church it is a Blind for they separate themselves with some of our members from our Churches to the great discouragement of the Ministers and greater disturbance of the whole and all the Churches of the Nation § 21 The Counsel that he gives to members of particular Churches pag. 70 who have voluntarily given up themselves to walk in them according to the appointment of Jesus Christ I fear extends no further than to his formed and confederate Churches That they would be careful to prevent causeless differences in their own meetings or among themselves which if they do let them all say what they will they are no Schismaticks For as for our particular Congregations they scarce account them Churches though most of the members of them have voluntarily given up themselves explicitely or implicitely as New England men confesse to walk in them according to the appointment of Jesus Christ And if they grant ours to be true Churches they must necessarily acknowledge those who first raised causeless differences in them now foment them by separation from them to be Schismaticks by his own description Yea so much worse than those Corinthians whose case he exemplifies if so be they did not upon their differences separate into parties and Churches which he denies but we conceive they did and these both raise differences and then separate from our Churches into several combinations and one sayes I am of Pauls Congregation and another I am of Apollo's I speak this in a figure as Paul did 1 Cor. 4.6 He can easily apply it CHAP. III. Causeless Separation from a true Church is Schism § 1 HE now fearing this or the like Objection as obvious to be made by every man That if Schism be onâ—y amongst the members of one Church pag. 72. then the separation of any man or men from a true Church or one Church from another is not Schism which is contrary to the judgement of most Christians Divines and Churches he hopes to help himself by his old definition of Schism in the Scripture precise description of it as he limited above And peremptorily denies that in that sense there is any relinquishment departure pag. 73. or separation from any Church or Churches mentioned or intimated in the Scripture which is or is called Schism or agreeth with the description by them given us of that term But to this I have many things to say 1. That precise signification of the word and description of the thing is before disproved The word properly signifies a separation of a Body into parts and is applyed both to political and Ecclesiastical Bodies in the Scripture as was proved above 2. Supposing that to be the onely sense mentioned in the case of the Corinthians which is denyed and disproved yet may another sense be intimated in Scripture and deduced by regular and rationall consequence The word signifying indefinitely seperation either in opinion or parts is it not a faire consequence If seperation in judgement in a Church be a Schism much more upon that difference to separate from a Church into another against the Church 3. St. John blames some for separating from the Church 1 Joh. 2.19 they went out from us c as is the manner of Schismaticall and Hereticall Spirits being obstinate in their opinions and opposed by the Church they stay not till they are cast out but go out and become the head of a faction against the Church as histories do abundantly manifest 4. His own places brought for instances of blameable separation from a Church do all or some minde the nature of Schism as precedaneous to that separation therefore this sense is intimated in the Scripture we shall consider them in order § 2 1. The first produced is Heb. 10.25 not forsaking the Assembling of our selves together as some do He renders the words for his own advantage not wholly deserting the Assembling of our selves c and makes it to be Apostacie from the faith p. 74. and thereupon upon forsaking the Assemblies would any man call these Schismaticks sayes hee He formerly glossed this text of neglecting the publick Assemblyes onely see Appendix §. 14. He makes the
in opinion onely or into Parties also one part separating from another And that the rather because the latter is the ordinary issue or consequence of the former See Act. 19.9 There was but one assembly at the first in the Synagogue But when divers spake evill of that way before the multitude Paul departed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and separated the Disciples c. § 3 It is true that in the Ecclesiasticall sense the word is not to be found used p. 25. but in 1 Cor. 1.10 11.18 c only in the case of differences amongst the Corinthians I heare that there are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 among you which what they were will presently come to be considered when we have heard what he accounts in generall the constant use of the word To denote differences of mind and judgment with troubles ensuing thereon p. 25. amongst men met in some one Assembly about the the compassing of a common end and designe But that this is a forestalling of the Readers judgment by a meer begging of the question hath in part been proved even from the Scripture it selfe where it is used for separation into parties upon those differences of mind and judgment in the politicall use of the word and why it may not be so used in the Ecclesiasticall sense I see yet no reason especially when the proper use of it is to signifie a breach of union or a separation of a naturall body into severall parts two or more And I have cause to suspect that he sticks so hard upon this notion not so much to confute that charge of Schism upon us by the Romanists as to ward off the same charge upon himselfe and his partie as we shall shew hereafter But granting him this notion of Schisme for a while this is the way as on the one hand to free all Church separation from Schisme with respect to one another so on the other to make all particular Churches more or lesse Schismaticall For what one Congregation almost is there in the world where there are not differences of judgments whence ensue many troubles about the compassing of one common end and designe I doubt whether his own be free therefrom Yet he askes confidently below p. 63. Have we any differences and contentions in our Assemblies Doe we not worship God without disputes and divisions It s happie with them if it be so For let most of the Assemblyes of severall sorts and sects be visited and it will be visible enough that in their prophecyings as they call them there are differences of mind enow and troubles more than a good many with wranglings and janglings and sometimes railing and reviings good store that a man might upon this one principle of his besides other venture to call them Schismaticall Conventicles rather then Churches of Christ And why not as well as Paul charges that famous Church of Corinth with the crime of Schism for the same or like disorders p. 27. They had sayes our Authour differences amongst themselves about unnecessary things on these they engaged into disputes and sidings even in their solemne Assemblyes probably much vain jangling alienation of affections exasperation of spirits with a neglect of due offices of love c. This was their Schism c. That the Apostle charges this upon them is true but was this all were there not divisions into parties as well as in judgement we shall consider that ere long For the present I say difference in judgment Separation may proceed from Schism p. 194. was the ready way to difference in and alienation of affections and that to exasperation of Spirits and that to neglect of due offices of love c and at last ere long to Separation of Societies And he sayes well The Apostle would have them joyned together p. 28. not only in the same Church-order and fellowship but also in onenesse of mind and judgment which if they were not Schisms would be amongst them and upon those separation into severall assemblyes as we see at this day to a lamentation Difference in some one point of doctrine worship or discipline hath broken the Church into many fractions almost as many as men But I shall observe his observations upon these Divisions amongst the Corinthians § 4 1. Observe sayes hee That the thing mentioned p. 29. is entirely in one Church no mention of one Church divided against another or separated from another or others the crime lyes wholy within one Church that met together for the worship of God c This it seemes is a matter of great concernment to be granted or denyed In so much that he professes p. 30. That unlesse men will condescend so to state it upon the evidence tendered he shall not hope to prevaile much in the processe of this discourse This then being the foundation of that great Fabrick of Schism as he calls it it had need bee bottomed better than upon his own bare Affirmation which is all we yet have for it without any proofe For this end I shall take his first observation into particular consideration 1. That the divisions mentioned were in one Church is ambiguously spoken for it may be taken either for the collection of severall Assemblyes in Corinth where there were multitudes of Christians which are sometimes called the Church yea a particular Church with respect to the Catholick or other National Churches So himselfe speaks of those Patriarchs so called how many or how few soever they were p. 121. they were particular Churches Or else that the Saints at Corinth were at this time but one particular congregation meeting all in one place In this latter sense its evident the Reverend Doctor takes it but in so doing he beggs the question and consents not with himselfe For he had said before they had disputings and sidings in their solemne Assemblyes p. 27. not one but many Assemblyes And the Divines of the Assembly have made it more than probable that the multitude of Christians of Corinth were too many to meet in one place and yet may be said to meet together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not jointly but severally in their particular places of meeting As the Congregations of London may be said to meet together on the Lords Day not conjunctim but divisim 2. That it was amongst the members of one particular Church is gratis dictum For that all the Christians in Corinth and about it were called one Church collectively is evident chap. 1. v. 2. To the Church of God at Corinth And that there were more particular Churches there or thereabouts than one is also evident both by Rom. 16.7 The Church at Cenchrea a particular Church distinct from that at Corinth and also by 1 Cor. 14.34 Let your women keep silence in the Churches one and yet many Churches at Corinth 3. This is also presumed but not proved That the crime of Schism was charged on them onely within
they had the happynesse and honour to revive it Macte virtute § 9 2. Those last words of his were the answer to his 2d question How then is it possible that any such Church should be raised anew To which he gives that answer I say the Catholick Church mystical c. And to make it good he proceeds further to say Christ hath promised That where two or three are gathered together in his name he will be in the midst of them But I pray to whom was this promise made was it not to his Officers the Apostles in their consultations or Church-determinations Or grant it made to Believers is it not as true of them that are out of his Church-fellowship When two or three Christians accidentally meet together and pray c. Is not Christ also in the midst of them Yea grant him his own sense what then It is now supposed with some hope to have it granted that the Scripture being the power of God to salvation hath a sufficient efficacy in it self for the conversion of Souls All this is granted what God may do by his extraordinary power we determine not but this is ordinarily done by preaching and those Preachers in Office Rom. 10.14 But go on It is not impossible that though all Church state should cease in any place and yet the Scripture by the providence of God be there in the hand of individuals two or three should be called converted and regenerated by it This also may be supposed though I believe he cannot exemplifie such a case The question only would be if some Heathens should find the Scriptures how they should understand either the Original Languages without a Teacher or a miracle or the sense of them without a guide as the Eunuch said to Philip But suppose all they are converted by the Scriptures alone What then p. 213. He asks whether these converted persons may not possibly come together in the name of Jesus No doubt they may if they were 20. or 40. of them But can their assembling together make them a Church How can that be before they are baptized See Confess of 7. Anabap. Churches Art 34. A Church is a company of baptized persons and how baptized without a Minister Shall they be Se-baptists or baptize one another I suppose our Author is not yet come to this But he says May they not upon his command and in expectation of his promise so come together with resolution to do his will and exhort one another thereto Truly to use his own words I believe they may in what part of the world soever their Lot is fallen Where then lyes the difficulty In this whether being come together in the name of Christ they may do what he hath commanded them or no whether they may exhort and stir up one another to do the will of Christ No there is no difficulty but duty in all this But here lies the difficulty which his new notion or his haste made him forget How these persons can come to be a Church before they are baptized and how they can be baptized without a Minister Were not men prejudiced or prepossessed with some Anabaptistical fancy So were the Indians Socrat. Hist l. 1. c. 15. 16. converted by lay-men as called here would be the difficulty of the business The Iberians if stories say true were converted by a Christian woman and by a miracle but surely she could not baptize them therefore they sent for some Ministers to baptize and to put them into Church Order § 10 It was the Soul-sick fancy of our late Seekers that had lost all Religion that all true Church state was lost in all the world as well as in England and our Author thinks little less till the form of his own Churches was found and therefore they expected some extraordinary Officers to raise it up from the dead which was to looke for a miracle And in the case propounded of two or three converted by the Scripture alone in a remote corner of the world I would gladly know how a Church can be begun without a miracle For though a company of baptized persons might in an extraordinary case chuse themselves Officers prima vice and so make a Church yet unbaptized persons converted cannot make a Church till they be baptized and who shall baptize them without a miracle unless providence send them a Minister to do it For true Believers or Professors of the faith quà such cannot make a particular Church their own first principle of a particular Church must be baptized persons and how they can come to be such without a Minister without a miracle I cannot yet see This is the bottome of the Seekers now turn'd into Quakers All Church state it lost and no recovery of it without new Revelation and so they fancy the Spirit to be given to them to begin a new Church And in our brethrens new Church way had their people renounced their baptism as Anabaptists have done as they themselves have renounced their Ministry I would be informed whether they could ever have made a Church of unbaptized persons without a Minister without a miracle and then whether they must not turn either Anabaptists or Quakers See Confess of 7. Churches Art 41. The person dispencing Baptism is a disciple not tyed to a Church Officer either making Baptism administrable by any brother that hath the boldness to take it up or expect new Revelations of the indwelling Spirit and so become extraordinary Officers This and more that might be said imports for ought I see that there shall never cease to be a Church or Churches wherein some instituted Ordinances shall be preserved though covered over with much corruption those particularly of the Ministry and Baptism or else the Church-state being once lost and perished can never be restored without a miracle When Judah was carryed away captive to Babylon with all her Priests and Levites and all the materialls of their National Church-state the Temple destroyed c. It may seem that their whole Church-state was ceased as to their Ceremonial worship for 70 years together It might be asked How then it was possible to revive that lost Church-state without a miracle The answer may be That God preserved the seed of that Church at Babylon partly in preserving the people there a remnant of his circumcised people partly in reserving the holy vessels useful for their worship and partly in keeping the Line and Genealogy of the priesthood entire so that when all these were brought back to Jerusalem they had no need of a miracle to revive their Church-state or to build a new Temple but only to purge and repair the old and to set up the instituted services in their power and purity The application is so easy that the Reader will outrun me So when Antichrist had usurped tyrannically like another Nebuchadnezer over all Churches ruind particular Churches corrupted the Ordinances of Christ World worship
one parties keeping its station and the other coming over wholly unto them The one partie are got so high that they will not come down to the other the other are so strongly convinced of the errour of their Independent way thâ—t they may not cannot come up to them In what a sad condâ—tâ—on is poor England the while like to be torne in pieces by her own Children § 17 I shall adde something of the next Section whereupon having a mutuall diffidence in each other they grow weary of all endeavours to be carryed on joyntly in this kind And this is like to be the state of things untill another Spirit be powred out on the professours of Christianitie than that wherewith at present they seeme mostly to be acted Now the God of grace and peace powre out that other good Spirit upon this Church and Nation before they be utterly destroyed § 18 But is there no Balme in Gilead no hopefull way of Reconciliation Yes he tells us The only way remaining to be fixed on whilst our divisions continue is to enquire wherein the guilt of them doth consist and who is justly charged therewith in speciall what is and who is guiltie of the sinne of Schism And this will we also do if God permit § 19 Much hath been written upon this subject of Schisme by very learned men who rather as he sayes endeavoured to convince their Adversaries the Romanists of the insufficiencie of their charge of the Church of England to be Schismaticks in separating from them than rightly and cleerly to state the thing or matter contended about which latter seems to me very strange For how could they remove the charge of Schism and not sufficiently declare what Schism is wherein they and their Adversaries agreed But our Reverend Doctor had a double designe in this undertaking 1. To shew us a new way of his own to dispell that charge by giving us a new Definition of Schism not known or made use of in former times 2. Thereby to remove the charge of Schism from himself and his partie for so he sayes here and hereafter The present concernment of some fearing God lying beyond what other men have undertaken somthing may be farther added as to the satisfaction of the consciences of men unjustly accused of this crime which is my aime What satisfaction he can give us and the world in this undertaking we shall by his good leave take notice of Only premising this that I intend not to deale with whole Chapter and Section as hitherto I have done consenting with him in his Removall of that part of the charge of Schism which is common to him with us and onely observe how he will free himselfe from that part of it which concerns himself and his partie CHAP. II. Of the Nature of Schism in Scripture § 1 THis reverend and learned Authour as appeares from his pag. 16. Sect. 16. of the first Chapter undertakes to answer a Popish charge of Schism upon the Church of England directed to both the Vniversities And in his vindication of our Church as was expected carries on the debate so farre as not only to vindicate himselfe and his partie from the like charge by some at home but also as many wise men think to unchurch his mother the Church of England and to find or leave no Churches here but his own as the Donatists of old did That this is the result of his discourse if not the designe will appeare before we have done But we shall attend at present to the method of his proceeding who thus begins The thing whereof we treat being a disorder in the instituted worship of God P. 21. I suppose it a modest request to desire that we may abide solely to that discoverie and description which is made of it in Scripture that that alone shall be esteemed Schism which is there so called or hath the entire nature of that which is there so called It is they say an ill signe or omen to stumble at the threshold in going out The first part of these words is very ambiguous and may have a double sense either that Schism is to be found in matter of instituted worship only or only in the dâ—fferences made in the time of celebrating instituted worship and neither of these is true or yet proved and so a meer begging of the question Yet both of these are asserted by him hereafter the first Sect 23. the latter Sect. 9. of which more when we come at them In the meane time we assert the contrary That as there may be Schism in the Church about other matters besides instituted worship so there may also be Schism in other places and times than those of celebrating worship For the second part of the words which is a Request it shall by me be readily granted That we abide solely to that discovery and description which is made of it in scripture that that alone be esteemed Schism which is there so called or which hath the entire nature of that which is there so called That is that only shall be esteemed Schism which is either expresly in Scripture so called or in aequivalent words or may be deduced thence by regular and rational consequence as he said above chap. 1. § 3 p. 23. § 2 What the Scripture use and notion of the word is is then first to be enquired It is taken there either in the prime and proper sense with respect to bodyes naturall for a seperation into parts or as he expresses it p. 24. an interruption of continuitie by an external power a division of parts before continued the places are cited by himselfe Math. 9.16 Math 27.51 the vaile of the Temple was rent from the top to the bottome into 2 parts Or in the metaphoricall sense from bodyes naturall to bodyes civill or ecclesiasticall In a civill body Joh. 7.43 There was a Schisme or division among the people So Act. 14.4 the multitude of the cittie was divided that was not only in their opinions and judgments but also into parts or parties for so it s added 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and some were with the Jewes and some with the Apostles So Act 23.7 the multitude was divided some following one some another of their leaders in that dissension which is the reverend Doctors own glosse Thus also it is expressed in his Testimonie in the margine The Inhabitants of Rome p. 24. were parted into two parts and no more agreed among themselves and there was a great Schism They were divided not only in their judgments but in their societies also into two parties This then being the notion and nature of it in the naturall and politicall sense it might easily slip into the like in its Ecclesiasticall use to signifie not only a difference in Judgment but a separation into parties also As the Assembly may be Civill or Ecclesiasticall so there may be a twofold Schism in each differing only gradually either a divâ—sion
and never scrupled it to be rebaptized why not Ordination also without a new Ordination They received not baptism from them as if instituted by Antichrist but as an Ordinance of Christ They baptized not as Antichristian not as Bishops or Romish Priests but as Presbyters in whose hands we say Ordination also is Onely since we have taken away those humane Additions which they had sinfully introduced into the Ordinances of Christ The Scriptures are not the Inheritance of Rome but Priviledges for all the people of God where ever they find them and therefore we deny we received them from Rome any more than the Jews received the Golden vessells from Babylon because they were sent by the hands of Cyrus It s false then that Ordination is pleaded from the Authority of the Church of Rome p. 199. as such Nor doth the granting true Ordination as also true baptism to the Church of Rome prove that it is a true Church This he sayes he understands not They who ordained had no power so to do but as they were officers of that Church as such they did it and if others had ordained who were not officers of that Church all will confesse that action to be null Do but change the scene to baptism and heare what he will say They who baptized had no power so to do but as officers of that Church as such they did it both which must be denyed See Apol. against Brown Sect. 27. or he must deny his baptism They did it as Officers not as Officers of that Church that Papall Antichristian Hierarchy And if others had baptised ordained who were not Officers of that Church or they as Officers but not as Officers of that Church which is as a scab upon the hand no rationall man hitherto hath asserted that action to be null This is no such dark passage that the Doctour cannot see one step before him unlesse his new light hath dazled his eyes that he cannot see Wood for Trees which before he fell into this way he saw so many learned and pious men walk in before him For our parts See p. 199 But they who will not be contented c. we professe that in his way of personall qualifications and acceptation of the people to make a man without Ordination a Minister the passages in Scripture or Church stories are so darke that wee cannot see one step before us But this hath sufficiently by others been discussed CHAP. VII Of the particular Church and its Union § 1 VVE are now come to the last Acception of a Church as it frequently signifies a particular Church p. 202. though all the places produced by the Doctor do not I think prove that sense But I shall not contend about it That the Church of Hierusalem was called one Church is true but that those many thousands could meet in one Congregation in one place is nothing probable it possible But take his definition of a particular instituted Church It is a Societie of men called by the word to the obedience of the Faith in Christ and joynt performance of the worship of God in the same Individuall Ordiances according to the order by Christ prescribed In this definition there are some things to be considered 1. The definition of a particular Church by him given will be applicable and is by himselfe or others of his side applyed to the three severall notions of a Church or the Church in those severall notions 1. To the Catholick invisible Church It is a Societie of men called out of the World D. Ames The Church in generall is a societie of men called out of the world p. 64 s 2. by the Word to the obedience of the faith in Christ and joynt performance of the worship of God in the same Individuall Ordinances according to the order by Christ prescribed This is all of it true of the invisible Church they are called which will be the onely exception to the joynt performance of the worship of God in the same specificall and where its possible individuall Ordinances And all the members thereof ordinarily being of some particular Church it s both possible and necessary to joyne in that performance 2. The same may be said of the Catholick visible Church It is a Societie of men called out of the World by the Word c So himselfe describes it It is a collection of all that are duely called Christians in respect of their profession p. 113. and before that p. 112. All Professors of the Gospell throughout the World called to the knowledge of Christ by the Word do make up and constitute his visible Kingdome by their professed subjection to him which subjection hath reference to the commands of Christ to worship him in the same specificall Ordinances indefinitely and in the same Individualls where they are administred And the members of this Church living ordinarily in some particular Church its possible and necessary for them also to joyne in that performance And this is as much is the members of a particular Church are bound to no man being bound to what is to him impossible and it often happening by absence sicknesse or otherwise that it is not possible for them to joyne in that worship 3. That it is the definition of a particular Church we also grant as understood afore 4. But we shall adde by way of improvement that such societies are all our particular Congregations Societies of men called out of the world by the word c holding parallel in every particular with his definition and why we should not be esteemed and called Churches as well as theirs I am to learne the reason What exception may be made we shall heare an one § 2 2. The Order prescribed by Christ is not that all Christians must be of the same Individuall particular congregation but of this or that as is most convenient for them by their habitations Supposing severall meetings or Congregations in Jerusalem one of Paul another of Apollo c no man was obliged by any order from Christ to be of Pauls Congregation or of anothers so he joyned himselfe to one for the participation of the same Ordinances And when a Christian did joyne himselfe to this or that Congregation he did not explicitely enter into a Covenant Every belie is obliged to joyne himselfe to some one of those Churches that therein he may abide in doctrine and fellowship and breaking of bread and prayer p. 206. to live and dye in this Congregation but thought himselfe bound to be of one by the obligation of his membership in the Catholike Church with a libertie reserved to remove to another if he saw just reason as our Authour will confesse anone Whence it is evident that from the beginning of Christianity there was no such explicite covenanting or as some speake marrying of the Minister and people or of people one to another that they might not depart without leave but as they had
maintaining those differences is a worse Schism and then upon those dâ—fferences to depart and break the Church inâ—o pieces is Schism in the highest degree and admits of all his own aggravations given above and is an he nous sinne 2. One Church refusing to hold that communion with another which ought to be between them p. 218. is no Schism properly so called Besides what hath been said above that one Church may raise differences in and with another Church which hath the nature of Schism I adde that theâ—e words are aequivocall for they holding all Churches to be Independent they must hold consequentially there is not necessarily any communion between thâ—m as Churches but as to particular members of the Catholike Church the refusing to hold communion with another Church can be no Schism because they owe no communion to one another at least of divine institution but of mere prudence as was newly said But seeing as I proved there ought to be a communion between all particular Churches not onely in profession of the same Faith but also in the same specificall and where it is possible numericall worship the refusing to hold this union and communion in doctrine or worship hath the nature and well deserves the name of Schism 3. If that departure of any man or men be done without strife variance judging and condemning of others it cannot be evill but from circumstances c This is as much as to say that departure which is not evill is not evill For Schism in its nature signifies or presupposes variance strife and divisions before the parting and is commonly attended with judging and condemning of others both persons and Churches as experience tells us at this day The very separation from a Church to set up another Church is a reall judging and condemning of the Church from whence they separated Is it not the practise of all Separatists to judge and condemne all our Churches as Antichristian or none to asperse us as no Ministers but Priests c Is it not the designe of his book to prove if he could and condemne us as no Churches Let the world be judge for unlesse this be proved he can never justifie his separation either therefore he must prove us to be no Churches of Christs institution and that he owes us no communion nor hath broken any union of Christs appointment which he shall never be able to prove or else he had need put himselfe not upon the Justice but on the largest mercy of his Judges CHAP. VIII Independentism a great Schism § 1 In his vindicatâ—on of himselfe and partie from the charge of Schism by Episcopall men he first layes down their Indâ—cement to which how he hath answered and acquitted himselfe let them if they please consider I shall onely take notice by the way of some things tending to the issue of the debate between us and him and that very briefly He first consideâ—s in what sense the Church of England may be taken As 1. The people of God his elect c in this Nation may though improperly be called the Church of England But why not a properly as all true beleivers in the world may be and are by him called the Catholike Church The World and a Nation differ but as greater and lâ—sser as a part and the whole and a particular Church is but a part of the Catholike and so as properly called a Church In this sense sayes he it is the desire of our souls to be and abâ—de members of the Church of England to keep with it the unitie of the Spirit in the bond of peace But unlesse he think there are no members of this Church in England but those that are of his formed particular Churches I fear he will be found to break the Union that ought to be between them And indeed it seems by their gathering the Saints of the first magnitude they intend to have none but such of their Churches which is as much as they can to make the invisible Church to be visible on earth He speaks something suspitiously this way p. 90. The Elect and the Church are the same persons under several considerations and therefore even a particular Church on the account of its participation of the nature of the Catholick is called the elect 1 Pet. 5.13 And yet he speaks of some parts of the body uncomely p. 215. which who they be in his Church I know not They leave those to us to clouth and beautifie and then they may admit them into their elected Congregations But he says If we have grieved p. 223. offended troubled the least member of his Church so that he may justly take offence at any of our wayes we profess our readiness to lie at his foot for reconciliation c. This strengthens the suspicion of what I said For unless he take us all for Reprobates we have and do profess our selves and we think justly offended at their wayes and how ready they have been to give us satisfaction let the world judge The rest that follows is spoken with equal confidence and truth If we love not all the members of this Church rejoyce not with them c. but I forbear He deludes us when he saies if we do not these things Let us be esteemed the vilest Schismaticks that ever lived on the face of the earth For if we prove all or some of these to be false yet he accounts none of them to be Schismatical whatever they may be else § 2 2. In this sense also we profess our selves members of the Church of England p. 224. as professing and adhering to the doctrine of Faith in the unity of it which was here established declared by Lawes Confessions Protestations c. Will he undertake this for all the Independent Churches in England Are not many of them grossly Apostatiz'd from the professed doctrine of this Church and so Heretical But were it true which he says for himself they may be excused from being Heretical but they may yet be Schismatical in denying communion in matter of worship For the worship of God was as well declared professed protested as the Doctrine They hold communion with us in profession of the same Faith but not in the observance of the same worship yet are the Ordinances of worship as pure with us as with them or let them prove our failings and we promise a Reformation In this sense they are neither children nor members of the Church of England And this is the wonder That professing they received their regeneration and new birth p. 225. by the preaching of the word and the saving truths thereof with the seal of it in their Baptism they should now separate from us not only in that Ordinance of the Lords Supper but also in the preaching of the Word and Baptism Could they make use of our preaching and Baptism for their regeneration and not of the other Sacrament and the same preaching for their