And Firſt, As there is an Unity in general, which ought to be maintained by all Chriſtian Churches throughout the World, they being all reconciled to God in One Body, Eph. 2.16. 1 Cor, 12.13. and Baptized into One Body, and made to drink into One Spirit, and being called One Body, 1 Cor. 10.17. 1 Cor. 12.2 • . whereof our Lord is the Head, Eph. 4.15, 16. from whom the whole Body fitly joyned together, and compacted by that which every Joynt ſupplyeth, according to the effectual working in the meaſure of every part, maketh encreaſe of the Body, unto the edifying of it ſelf in love. So there may be a Breach made of this Unity by any particular Church, and thereby whole Churches may become Schiſmatical. Whole Churches in reſpect of the whole Body of Chriſtians, have ſuch Relation, as ſingle Members have, with Regard to any particular Church: They therefore, as well as ſingle Members of particular Churches, may fall into Schiſm, when either in expreſs Terms, or by neceſſary conſequence, they break off their Communion and Friendly Correſpondence with the reſt; which may be done ſeveral ways, 1. By profeſſing a different Faith: Or, 2. Different Agenda or Morals. 3. By different Church-Government; either as to the Species or kind of Government, or as to the manner of exerciſing of it.

1. They may become guilty of Schiſm, by profeſſing a different Faith, or appointing different Creeds in any Material Point from other Churches: For Chriſtian Communion doth not require, but forbid us to have Fellowſhip with thoſe who do not hold the Truth, as to the Subſtantials of Chriſtian Religion. The Body of Chriſt hath but One Faith; and conſidering that the main Points of Faith have ſuch Influence upon our Lives and Actions, and are of ſo high importance to every one of us, we ought to Contend earneſtly for the Faith which was once delivered to the Saints, Jud. 3. and to withdraw our ſelves from thoſe who teach otherwiſe, 1 Tim. 6.5. and conſent not to wholeſome words, even the words of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, 1 Tim. 6.3. and to the Doctrine which is according to Godlineſs. Not but that Chriſtians may differ, and diſpute, and err about Matters of leſs Moment, or ways of explaining the True Faith not ſo clearly delivered, without either actually ſeparating themſelves from the Church, or deſerving to be cut off from it, except they do oblige Men to concur with them, and to profeſs a Belief of their Errors: For then we may, and ought to depart from them; it being not lawful for any one, to profeſs he believes that to be true, which at the ſame time he takes to be an Error, even in a matter of the ſmalleſt moment.

2. They may become guilty of Schiſm, by making wrong Profeſſions de Agendis, or concerning Morals: For none ought to concur with any Man, or any number of Men, in that which is immoral. Concord is only commendable in that which is good, not in that which is evil. To profeſs an Immorality, is not only to do an immoral thing, (the profeſſion of it being a ſinful Act) but it is worſe than doing the ſame immoral thing that is agreeable to ſuch Profeſſion: It is a ſin committed with deliberation, greater than commonly precedes the Act of Sin; it makes us perſevere and continue in ſin; it tends to the ſeducing and deſtroying others in a more eminent degree than the Act. If any Man therefore ſhall teach Doctrines manifeſtly contradictory to any part of the Moral Law; if a Man ſays, inſtead of, Honour thy Father and Mother, Thou ſhalt not honour thy Father or thy Mother: Inſtead of, Let every ſoul be ſubject to the Higher Powers; Let ſome men not be ſubject to the Higher Powers, and maintains this Doctrine in Oppoſition to the Members of his own or other Churches, he is a Schiſmatick. But he that allows of thoſe Precepts, and knows not who is his King, or who is his Father, is miſtaken in the Perſon, not in the Commandment; or at moſt, he is only miſtaken about the Laws of the Land, which (tho' they do oblige in Conſcience when known, yet) it is not every Man's buſineſs, nor doth lye in every Man's power perfectly to underſtand: And an Error in theſe, does not always imply a miſunderſtanding the Commandments of God. He that errs in Explication of ſome Moral Points; as, in ſhewing, How a Man muſt honour his King or his Father, or in ſetting the Bounds and Meaſures of Obedience to them; or in ſuch a matter as I am now about, in ſtating the Caſe of Schiſm, is not preſently to be eſteemed guilty of Schiſm: For a Miſtake, though profeſſed in Matters leſs principal, either of Faith or Morals, unleſs it makes void the general Commandment, or ſome plain Article of Faith, will not make a Man a Schiſmatick. If it did, conſidering how little ſome do underſtand how to explain the Articles of their Faith, how apt thoſe that have a competent underſtanding of them; are to differ in their manner of explaining them, how various Mens Notions are about ſeveral Points of Caſuiſtical Divinity, and Commentaries on Morals contained in the Commandments; and how difficult it is to ſuppoſe, that Men will be agreed in every Circumſtance of them, the Church would always abound with Schiſmaticks, and there would be no remedy for it: Such things therefore are to be born with in all Communions, as being unavoidable in this Life, where we are ſubject to Errors, and our Knowledge is only in part; unleſs the Doctrines be of very ill and dangerous conſequence, obſtinately taught, and earneſtly preſs'd upon us, and our Concurrence required in them, as a Condition of Communion.

But what ſhall be interpreted Concurrence? He that hears a Man preach falſe Doctrine in the Church, or read an Homily, wherein ſomething is ſaid againſt his Opinion; or he that hears ſomething in the Common-Prayers, or in the Pulpit-prayer before Sermon, which by reaſon of ſome Circumſtances he does diſlike, cannot be ſaid to concur in all Doctrines ſo taught, or in all Prayers ſo put up: And therefore, it is not a ſufficient Cauſe to make a ſeparate Congregation, that we diſlike the Title given to the King, or any other Perſon there mentioned; nor are theſe immoral things in their own nature, but on the account of Circumſtances of Mens doing them againſt their Conſciences, &c. And indeed, I do thus far agree with our new Separatiſts, That whoſoever thinks the King to be an Unjuſt Poſſeſſor, and to keep the Rightful One out of the Throne, ought not to be ſo much as preſent at our Publick Faſts, Thankſgivings, &c. whilſt he continues under that Error, becauſe no Man ought to act againſt his Conſcience: But even ſuch an one hath not ſufficient reaſon to forſake our Communion altogether, unleſs he be forced to give conſent to ſomething that he thinks unlawful, offered up in the Publick Prayers, which a Man's bare preſence doth not always imply: For then almoſt all thoſe things that I excluded in the beginning of this Diſcourſe, would produce a Schiſm. We ſhall not have a Diſpute about a Prince's Title, a Civil War, or War with a Foreign Nation, or ſo much as a Suit of Law, or Quarrel with our Neighbour, or a Deſign thwarting his in the common Tranſactions of Human Life; but there will follow alſo among us different Apprehenſions and Opinions concerning the juſtice or injuſtice of them; and conſequently, concerning certain paſſages in our Publick Prayers which relate to them; and thereupon we may think it unlawful to ſay ſome words, or at leaſt to take them in the ſame ſenſe that others commonly do, and ſo make a Schiſm: And when there is a Diviſion of the Church, whereby New Paſtors and Governors are introduced, and lay claim to the ſame Dioceſes or Pariſhes, how ſhall it be reconciled, although the Differences that occaſioned it ſhould be brought to an end? How many would our Diviſions be, if all the Factions that ever were in the State, ſhould have made a Schiſm in the Church alſo? But theſe indeed are Matters which are not ſimply immoral in their own nature, but only by reaſon of Circumſtances relating to particular Perſons; neither do they tend to the Overthrow of the Churches Faith or Morals; nor are they of long continuance; but as particular Perſons or their circumſtances alter, ceaſe of themſelves. And therefore ſuch Prayers, if not very many and frequent, ought to be tolerated, even by thoſe by whom they may not be ſaid, to avoid a greater Evil, viz. The Deſtruction of the Church, and laſting Depravation of Piety and good Morals, the natural conſequences of Separations made from the Church upon the account of them.

Much leſs may we ſeparate our ſelves from all thoſe who are any way guilty of immoral Actions, as ſome The Novatians, Donariſts, &c. Schiſmaticks pretended to do of old: But I think we have had none ſuch among us of late, unleſs they may be eſteemed of this Number, who hold themſelves obliged to ſeparate from us, onlySee the Unreaſonableneſs of the new Separation, p. 1. becauſe we have taken Oaths which they account unlawful. A Separation from all bad Men, is not only unreaſonable, but in this Life, impoſſible. Hence the Church of Chriſt is compared in H. Scripture to a Floor, Mat. 3.12. on which is Wheat and Chaff; Luc. 3.17. to a Net, which receives Fiſhes good and bad; to a Marriage Feaſt, Mat. 13.47, 48 to which many are called, but few of them are choſen; to a Fold, having in it both Sheep and Goats; Mat. 22.14. to a Great Houſe, wherein are not only Veſſels of Gold and of Silver, Mat. 25.32, 33. but alſo of Wood and of Earth; and ſome to Honour, 2 Tim. 2.20. and ſome to Diſhonour: Wherefore we may not pretend to ſeparate our ſelves from all thoſe that do immoral things; for then, as the Apoſtle ſays, We muſt needs go out of the world. 1 Cor. 5.10. Nor if Men do ſuch things, muſt they thereupon be accounted Schiſmaticks, or to have departed from the outward Communion of the Church? But if they make them Terms of Communion, or perſiſt ſo long in them, as to give a juſt occaſion of Church-Cenſures upon them, and wilfully remain under thoſe Cenſures.

Laſtly, by Agenda, or Morals, I would not be underſtood, to mean that only which is obligatory in its own nature, but that alſo which obligeth on the account of Divine Inſtitution, as the Sacraments; by diminiſhing from which, or adding to them, Men break the Unity of the Church of God, and make it unlawful for others to joyn with them. They treſpaſs indeed againſt Faith and Morals alſo, taking away from Men the Seals of God's Covenant, the Tokens of his Favour, the Pawns and Pledges of the Performance of his Promiſes, appointed by himſelf for the quickening of our Faith, and ſacrilegiouſly robbing God of the principal and moſt memorable Part of his Worſhip, whereby we declare in moſt Solemn Manner, a Belief of his Promiſes, and vow Obedience to his Commands, whereby we put on the Badges and diſtinguiſhing Marks of our Chriſtian Calling. Theſe are therefore the ſtricteſt and higheſt Bands of Union, from which St. Paul in divers places infers the Unity of the Church: We being many, are one Body and one Bread; for we are all partakers of that one Bread, 1 Cor. 10.17. And again, By one Spirit we are all baptized into one Body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be Bond or Free, and have all been made to drink into one Spirit, I Cor. 12.13.

And both theſe kinds of Schiſm; namely, ſuch as are conſtituted by profeſſing Errors in Faith or Morals, do imply Hereſie alſo, and may be called by either Name, according to our different Conſideration of them; as they do imply falſe Doctrine in Matters neceſſary to Salvation, obſtinately perſiſted in, Hereſie; as the are accompanyed with Separation from the Church, or do give a juſt Cauſe of Separation, Schiſm. Hereſie and Schiſm are ſeldom long aſunder. There are few Hereticks but will endeavour by ſeparate Congregations to propagate their Hereſie; or Schiſmaticks, but will frame to themſeves ſome New Doctrine, the better to juſtifie their Separation from the Church, as On. Tit. 3. St. Jerom obſerved. The Apoſtle ſeems to uſe both theſe Words in the ſame Senſe, 1 Cor. 11.18, 19. I hear that there be Diviſions (the Word is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ,) among you; and I partly believe it, for there muſt be alſo Hereſies among you, &c, And certainly every Heretick, openly profeſſing and maintaining his Hereſie, whether he is able to get a ſeparate Congregation or not, may be called a Schiſmatick; and a Schiſmatick perſiſting in his Schiſm, will be very apt to fall into Hereſie, according to the forecited Paſſage of St. Jerom.

3. Whole Churches, as well as ſingle Perſons, may incur the Guilt of Schiſm, by their differences about Church-Government; ſometimes as to the Species or kind of Government, and ſometimes as to the manner of exerciſing it.

Sometimes by a different Species or kind of Government: As for Inſtance; When they do recede from Epiſcopacy, and break wilfully the Line of Apoſtolical Succeſſion: For in ſo doing, they cauſe probably great Diſorders within themſelves, and in other Churches alſo, by looſing the Bands of Union among themſelves, and hindering good Correſpondence with other Churches, by taking away the chief Pillars and Supporters of that Correſpondence, and tacitly diſappointing their ſort of Government, tempting ſome of them to diſlike it, and to endeavour a Change for that which is likely to prove much worſe inſtead of it, as on many other accounts ſo particularly, becauſe it hath not the Examples of the beſt and pureſt Ages to maintain it. But tho' Churches may ſometimes be Schiſmatical on this account, yet they are not always ſo in this Caſe: For there may be a juſt Cauſe of breaking off that outward Succeſſion, where the Profeſſion of the true Chriſtian Faith, and of good Morals, muſt be otherwiſe utterly wanting; the preſervation of which, is declared in the Holy Scriptures neceſſary to Salvation, not the manner of Government ſo declared; conſequently, this cannot be equally neceſſary to all People. This, in caſe of a general Corruption, or ſometimes on the Account of the Members of the Church being diſperſed abroad, perhaps cannot be had: And muſt Men Continue in ſuch Corruption, for fear of breaking off Succeſſion? Or fall into a ſtate of Damnation, for not being able to preſerve it? What Uncertainties will ſome Mens Doctrine make all the Advantages we can receive from Chriſtianity, and finally our Salvation to depend upon? Sometimes on the Goodneſs of a a King's, ſometimes of a Biſhop's Title, and ſometimes on the Regularity of Succeſſion. How unreaſonably are Men condemned, whom God hath not condemned, and declared to be in the ſtate of thoſe that never heard of Chriſt, even although they do perform all the Goſpel Conditions? Only becauſe they have not among them a certain Order, which is not abſolutely neceſſary to the Being, — What hath periſhed of the Outward From or Body of Government, being loſt without any fault or guilt of theirs, (their Infelicity, which they could not prevent, and not their Crime voluntarily brought upon themſelves:) This ſure will never be look'd on by God as any dangerous want of Order, or as that which ſhall be any way chargeable upon them. Order is required to the Well-being, not neceſſary abſolutely to the Being of a Church; and orderleſs or ſecret Society of Brethren, may be a Church ſtill, as any number of Converts in a City, before the Apoſtle, which was gone to ſome other City, had yet placed any Governour over them. Dr. Hammond's Second Defence of the Treatiſe of Schiſm, Ch. 6. S. 11. but only to the Well-being of the Church. It is no where commanded, although it ſeems indeed to the approved of by our bleſſed Saviour in the Apocalypſe • Rev. ch. 2., and is plainly enough made out to have been inſtituted by the Apoſtles, and hath been found by Experience a very ſtrong Band of Union, in reſpect of the Univerſal Church, and particular ones too, where it hath had its juſt Authority: Not but that the Succeſſion in ſome places hath failed, or been interrupted, (I do not except the Church of Rome it ſelf, which doth boaſt ſo much of it) and may fail again; or we may depart from it when it cannot conſiſt with Succeſſion of true Faith and good Morals, without an utter and irrecoverable loſs of the Advantages of the Chriſtian Religion, the Church of Chriſt, or the ordinary hopes of Salvation. And although no Man ought to aſſume to himſelf a Power of Governing the Church of God, but ſtay till it is regularly conferr'd upon him; yet, where there is a general Deficiency and Apoſtacy from the Profeſſion of the true Faith and ſound Morals, and they who are to confer this Right, are themſelves corrupted alſo, and will not give this Power to any that are willing to reform it; in ſuch extraordinary caſes of general Apoſtacy, (which, how far it may poſſibly reach, I will not here diſpute) Perſons, Prieſts at leaſt, who have Gifts and Abilities for it, have a ſufficient Call to interpoſe themſelves, and are not to be blamed, but highly commended for making uſe of it.

Sometimes again, there may be a Schiſm made by the ill Exerciſe of Church-Government; by a Churches refuſing to hold Communion with the reſt, or unjuſtly cenſuring and excommunicating them, or diſobeying General Councils, the Repreſentatives of the whole Church, in matters which they have a lawful Power to determine; by uſurping too great Authority over the reſt; by aſſuming the Name of Catholick to it ſelf, in oppoſition to all other Churches; by making ſuch unreaſonable Terms of Communion, as that others ſhall not be able to communicate with it; by encouraging and upholding Perſons excommunicated, or deſervedly declared Schiſmaticks by other Churches; by wilfully continuing in Faults, and under juſt Excommunication incurred thereupon; by refuſing to keep friendly Correſpondence with other Churches, as in Communicatory Letters, (which are in order to the well governing of the Church) and the like.

And it is about the Exerciſe of Church-Government, that Schiſm is generally converſant: All Schiſms of particular Members of the Church, conſidered as diſtinct from Hereſies, are about Church-Government; and commonly about the Exerciſe of it, being occaſioned either, 1. By Superiors contending for Power; or, 2. Miſemploying their Power; or, 3. By Inferiors Diſobedience to the Power.

1. By Superiors, Civil or Eccleſiaſtical, contending for Power: The Civil Governors uſurping that which belongs to the Eccleſiaſtical, or the Eccleſiaſtical that which belongs to the Civil, or the Eccleſiaſtical Governors contending with one another; For the Contention of Civil Governors, conſidered only as ſuch, i. e. about their own Rights and Titles, will not conſtitute a Schiſm, nor give a juſt occaſion for a Separation; although ſome have lately, as it ſeems, taken occaſion to make a Schiſm on the account thereof, whoſe Principles are partly conſidered in that which went before, and will be farther in that which follows, according as they ſhall be found under their proper Heads.

1. It may be committed by Civil Governors, invading the Power and Authority of the Eccleſiaſtical: For although it be true, that every one of the Clergy is ſubject to the Civil Governors; I mean, to that one or more Perſons in whom the Supreme Power is lodged: Yet there are ſome parts of their Office, which no King or Prince can aſſume to himſelf; as The Power of the Keys, the Power of Ordination, of adminiſtring the Sacraments, of officiating as Prieſts in the Publick Worſhip of God, and other ſuch like; which if they undertake without being lawfully called thereunto of God, they are guilty (among other ſins) of the ſin of Schiſm; and we may ſay unto them, as the Prieſts did to Ʋzziah, when he went to burn Incenſe upon the Altar; It appertaineth not unto thee, Uzziah, to burn Incenſe unto the Lord, but to the Prieſts the Sons of Aaron, that are conſecrated to burn incenſe, 2 Cor. 26.18.

II. There is a Schiſm made when Eccleſiaſtical Governors deny the Authority of the Supreme Civil Powers; for they have the care of the Church alſo, being Cuſtodes utriuſ que Tabulae, and appointed to be nurſing Fathers of the Church. Our Obligation to every Human Law is derived from the Divine; and ſeeing Religion is the ſupport of all Government, and the foundation of all Juſtice Quod in Religionem Divinam committitur in omnium fertur injuriam, l. 4. • de Hereticis. and Peace, it cannot but belong to their care. They therefore that ſhall deny them that Power, which is annexed to their Imperial Dignity; To reform Abuſes in the Worſhip of God, and in the Clergy; to conſtitute Biſhops and Paſtors; on occaſion, to depoſe or deprive them; to call together and to preſide in Councils; to diſpenſe with their Canons, to reſcind or alter them as they ſee a juſt occaſion: All which things Chriſtian Kings have done, and that upon good grounds. If theſe are indeed the Powers of the Sovereign, as it may be proved You may ſee all this very well proved in Grotius, de imperio Summarum Poteſtatum circa Sacra. And good part of it is owned by the Author of Chriſtian Communion, p. 26, 27.29. and elſewhere. they are, then, they who deny them theſe Powers, and aſſume the ſame to themſelves, are Schiſmaticks: Such are therefore the Papiſts, who by virtue of their Ordination, pretend to be gotten out of the power of Princes, and independent on them; yea, to be above them, and to govern them in temporalibus in ordine ad ſpirituale bonum, Bellarminus de Rom. Pont, lib. 5. cap. 6. Papa potest mutare regna, & uni auferre, at que alteri conferre, tanquam ſummus Princeps ſpiritualis, ſi id neceſſarium ſit ad animarum ſalutem. ibid. by which Claim they ſhew the unreaſonableneſs of all the reſt, in effect confeſſing that to the right management of the Spiritual, there is a neceſſity of an over-ruling Temporal Power, which they would therefore get unto themſelves.

III. Eccleſiaſtical Governors become Schiſmaticks, by contending for Power among themſelves: As for Example; When one Biſhop lays claim to the Dioceſe of another, ſetting up himſelf, or ſuffering others to ſet him up an Anti-Biſhop, erecting Altar againſt Altar, according to the ancient Phraſe. And in ſome Elections indeed it hath been difficult to know who was the Anti Biſhop; and the Emperor upon ſuch an occaſion, hath cauſed The Caſe of Bonifacius and En •• lius, Baron. Ann. 419. §. 15. both of the Contenders to depart out of the City; yea, after having called a Synod

Henricus Secundus in italiam cum magno exercitu veniens, habitâ Synedo, cum Benedictum nonum, Sylveſtrum tertium Gregorium ſextum tanquam tria teterrima menſtra abdicare ſe inagiſtratu coegiſſet, Syndegerum Bambergenſem-Epiſcopum, cui Clementi ſecundo appellatio fuit Pontificem creat. Platina de vitis Pontif. 155. Pont.

Clemens Secundus, Syndegerus antea vocatus, Bambergenſis Epiſcopus in Synodo Pontifex creatur, annuente Henrico Secundo vel impo • ante, &. co •• n • e potius. • •• m 156. Pont.