norant, or Scandalous foever they be. Who are the Schifmaticks then, they that receive the wrong, or they that offer it? Thofe that are without Cause caft out, or thofe that do fo caft and keep them out? So that if the Novatians, the Donatifts, the Papifts, were juftly condemn'd for Schifma ticks, lo are you who deal with us after the fame manner. Polh. Difc. of &c. 4. Those who fet up Conditions of Communion of their own devifing, which is not a Unity of God's making, but of their own, these are the Schifmaticks. "Who will have a Surplice, "or no Preaching; a Crofs, or no "Baptizing; a Kneeling Pofture, or "no Lord's-Supper. But he that makes the first Inclosure of the Common, fays the Learned Bishop Stillingfleet, makes the Schifm. "Where any "Errour or Doubtful Point of Doctrine is requir'd "to be believ'd and practiced, as the neceffary Conditions of Communion with a Church, it "makes with-drawment from it to be fo far ne 66 ceffary, because we cannot therein Communicate "with it, without Sin. For Men not to forfake "the belief of Errours, fuppofing them to be fuch, "is impoffible; and not to forfake the Practice and "Profeffion of them, upon fuch belief, were the higheft Hypocrify, and to do fo, and not to for"fake the Communion of the Church, where these (6 are own'd, were apparently Contradictions "Thofe that require unlawful and unneceffary Con"ditions of Communion, muft take the Imputation "of Schifm upon themselves, by making Separation "from them juft and neceffary. So fays Bishop Stillingfleet, out of Mr. Chillingworth. "So that, (as Mr. Chillingworth there goes on) "either "you must free your Church from the requiring "the belief of any Errour, Damnable,or not Damn N 4 Chilingw. Anf. to the Pref. p. 16, 17. 66 able; P. 117. able; or whether you will or no, must free us from Schifm. And in the First Preface Preface, to the Author of Charity Maintain'd, fpeakSect.34. ing to the Papift, fays thus, That not "Proteftants for Rejecting, but the Church of Rome for Impofing upon the Faith of Christians, Doctrines unwritten and unneceffary, and for difturbing the Churches Peace, and dividing Unity for fuch Matters, is in a high degree Prefumptuous and Schifmatical. And what he fays of the Church of Rome, is altogether as true of any other Church, that doth the fame thing. But fuch are fome of the Articles of the Doctrine of the Church of England, particularly those that refpect Rites and Ceremonies, and which are not only Dogmatical, but Practical. Again, fays that Reverend Stilling.Iren. Prelate, 'Where any Church,retaining Purity of Doctrine, doth require the owning of, and conforming to any ⚫ unlawful, or fufpected Practice, Men may lawfully deny Conformity to, and Communion with that Church in fuch things, without incurring the Guilt of Schifm. Did that juftifie our withdrawing from them, i. e. the Church of Rome, because they requir'd things unlawful, as Conditions of Communion, and will not the fame juftifie other Mens Nonconformity in things supposed by them unlawful? Again, If it be faid, that Men are bound to be rul'd by their Governours, in determining what things are Lawful, and what not: "To this it is anfwered, No true Proteftant can "Swear blind Obedience to Church-Governours in all things. It is the highest ufurpation to rob Men of the Liberty of their Judgments. That which we plead for against the Papifts is, That all Men have Eyes in their Heads as well as the Pope, that every one hath a judicium private dif cretionis, which is the Rule of Practice as to him felf felf; And tho' we freely allow a Ministerial Power under Chrift in the Governours of the Church, yet that extends not to an Obligation upon Men,to go against the Dictates of their own Reason and Confcience. I then enquire who must be Judge, what things are Lawful in this Cafe, what not? If the Governours, then the Power will be Abfolute; for to be fure, what they command, they will fay is Lawful, either in it felf, or as they command it. If every Private Perfon will judge what is Lawful, and what not, which is commanded, (as, when all is faid, every Man will be his own judge in this cafe, in things concerning his own Welfare,) then is he no further bound to obey, than he judgeth the thing to be Lawful which is commanded. The Plea of an "Erroneous Confcience takes not off the Obligation 'to follow the Dictates of it; for as he is bound to lay it down, fuppofing it to be Erroneous, fo he is bound not to go against it, while it is not laid 'down. In thofe Schifms which concern Fact, fays the Learned and Judicious Mr. Hales, "nothing can be a juft caufe of refufing Hales Schif Communion, but only the requiring p. 8. the execution of fome Unlawful, or Sufpected Act; For not only in Reason, but in Religion too, that Maxim admits of no release, Cautiffimi cujufq; præceptum quod dubitas ne feceris.. "And then he inftances in the Schifm about ImageWorship, determined by the Second Council of Nice, in which he pronounceth the Schifmatical Party to be the Synod it felf; and that, 1. Because it is acknowledg'd by all to be a thing unneceffary. 2. It is by most Suspected. 3. It is by many held Unlawful. And then as for Schism, as it is a breach of Chriftian Love and Charity, and confequently of the Peace and quiet of the Church,it muft in the Suffrage of of all the World, Jye at your Doors, who are the Firft Aggreffors,not only in Imposing these Burdens upon us, but in Condemning and Reviling us as Schifmaticks, and perfecuting us, as you did while it was in your Power, for no other Caufe, but for our not complying with you, against the invincible Sentiments of our own Confciences: Let the Guilt of the Schifms you complain of, lye on their Heads that have caused them, and then you may declaim against it, till you are weary. But to heal all thefe Breaches, and to restore and preferve the Peace of the Church, if there may yet be any hope, I know no properer Remedy than what that Learned and ReveIren.p.62,&c. rend Prelate in his Irenicum hath pro pos'd. 1. That nothing be impos'd as neceffary, but what is clearly reveal'd in the Word of God. 2. That nothing be requir'd or determin'd, but what is fufficiently known to be Indifferent in its own Nature, and that both in the Senfe of the Primitive and of the Reformed Churches. 3. That whatever is thus determined, be in order only to a due Performance of what is in general requir'd in the Word of God, and not to be look'd on as any part of Divine Worship or Service. 4. That no Sanctions be made, nor Mults or Penalties inflicted on fuch, who only diffent from the use of fome things, whofe Lawfulness they at prefent fcruple, till fufficient Time and Means be used for their Information of the Nature and Indifferency of the things, that it may be feen whether it be out of willful Contempt and Obftinacy of Spirit, or only Weakness of Confcience, and diffatisfaction concerning the things themselves, that they difobey. 5. That Religion be not clog'd with Ceremonies, which do but eat out the Heart, Heat, Life and Vigour of Chriflianity. And And according to the Judicious Chillingworth; Let all Men believe the Scripture, and that only, and endeavour to believe it in the true Senfe, and require C . Chill.Pref. no more of others; and they fhall find this not only a better, but the only means to fupprefs Herefie, and restore Unity. For he that believes the Scripture fincerely, and endeavours to believe it in the true Senfe,cannot poffibly be an Heretick. And if no more than this were requir'd of any Man, to make him capable of the Churches ComF munion, then all Men, fo qualify'd, tho' they were different in Opinion, yet notwithstanding any fuch Difference, must be of neceffity One in ⚫ Communion. To which I will now add but this one more, That Indifferent things, that is, which are fo both in their Nature and Ufe, be left, both as to fudgment and Practice,in their Indifferency. As that fierce Contention about the May-pole was calmly and prudently decided, to the Content of both the Contending Parties. Those that are for a May-pole, fhall have a May-pole, and those that are for no May-pole, fhall have no May-pole. This I think would do much better Service, than any Attempts you have hitherto made towards it, and wherein if you judge it fit to perfevere, I promise you (as perhaps you will think it to be but good Manners in me) to give you the laft word, who am Feb. 26. 170. SIR, Your Humble Servant S. S. Some |