Catholic Communion Defended Against Both Extremes, Title page – To the reader
Catholick Communion Defended against both Extreams: AND UNNECESSARY DIVISION Confuted, by Reasons against both the Active and Passive ways of SEPARATION: Occasioned by the Racks and Reproaches of One sort, and the Impatience and Censoriousness of the other; and the Erroneous, tho Confident Writings of Both. And written in Compassion of a Distracted, Self-tearing People, tho with little hope of any great success. In FIVE PARTS:
I. The Dangerous Schismatick; on the Three Cases about Church-Communion.
II. Animadversions on part of Mr. RAPHSON's Book.
III. A Survey of the Unreasonable Defender of Dr. STILLINGFLEET, for Separation, pretending to oppose it.
IV. Reasons of the Authors censured Communion with the Parish-Churches.
V. The Reasons why Dr. I. O's. Twelve Arguments change not his Judgment.
By RICHARD BAXTER, a Lover of Love and Peace; and by defending them, displeasing those that labour to destroy them.
Rom. 15. 7.
Receive ye one another as Christ also received us, to the glory of God.
Rom. 12. 18.
If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.
Psal. 18. 26, 27.
With the froward thou wilt shew thy self froward (or wrestle): For thou wilt save the afflicted people, but wilt bring down high looks.
LONDON: Printed for Tho. Parkhurst, at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapside, near Mercers-Chappel. 1684.
TO THE READER.
IT'S known that Christ suffered between Two Malefactors, reputed by his Persecutors the greatest of the Three: One of them was penitent, and justified Christ, and reproved the other, who reproached, even dying, him that should have been taken for his only Hope. Ignatius compared the Teeth of the Lions, to the Milstones, which must grind him to be Bread for his Fathers use. The two Extreams have been at this unhappy Dividing-work, since the Christian Church began to prosper: Diotrephes, and the Jewish Imposers on the one side, and the Self-conceited separating Sects on the other, were used by Satan to fight against Saving Truth and Love. They were foretold by Paul, Acts 20. both that grievous Wolves should enter, and devour the Flocks; and that of their own selves should men arise, to speak perverse things, and draw away Disciples after them. But when Christian Power had lent one Party the Sword, or made it the Executioner of Clergy-wrath, the Church hath ever since between two Milstones, been ground to Meal. There hath indeed be…n much Differences in their dividing ways. The upper Milstone hath still been violently active: The nether Milstone thought it self innocent, because it was passive. Even before the Church-Tympanites, many score several Sects rose up, that had their several Societies, separating from the rest, on pretence of greater Orthodoxness and Piety. No two of the Contraries could be in the Right; much less all: Therefore all, or all save one, did separate for Error. But as Luther saith (De Conciliis) these Divisions were but a Play (as at Foot-ball) in comparison of the Strages, or bloudy destructive Divisions which were made by Patriarchs and Councils of advanced Prelates. If under Heathens, the Novations sprung up from a Strife, to have their Captain the great Bishop of Rome; and the Donanists from a Strife, to have their Captain the great Bishop of Carthage, and so many other Sects; What wonder, if the Strife of Patriarchs, Metropolitans and Councils, when they were like great Secular Princes, did cut all the Churches into those Shred… or Schisms, which have continued it's Diseases and Reproach these 1200, if not 1300. years, to this day, unhealed, and unlikely to be healed; four of these Patriarchs condemning Rome, and the Roman Fifth condemning them: As it was said …f Saul and David, The Under sects and Schisms have killed their thousands, and the Uppermost Patriarchal, Conciliary, Tyrannical Schisms, their ten thousands.
Alas, to what a horrid degree of Pravity is Humane Nature fallen! What a scandalous Temptation give Men to the Bruitists, who prefer the Bruits, yea, the wildest before M…n? When even the Learned sort, who think themselves so fit to guide all the rest, that none is worthy to Preach Christs Gospel, who dissent from their prescribed Opinions and Ceremonies, are yet unable after 1200. years experience of the Churches, to understand that the terms and ways which have hitherto distracted and torn them, and to this day made them the scorn of the Infidels, and like the Sherds of a broken Pot, are not the only ways and terms of Catholick Union and Communion; which, if any deny, he is unworthy to live in Christian Society. Lord! is there no hope, that the World, at least the Learned part, may be healed of this self-laceration and distraction. If there be no Love and Peace but in Heaven, and with the few that the World abhorreth, O cause us all that are fervent Lovers of Love and Peace, to be more weaned from this earthly Nest of Wasps, and to love and long for the World where Love and Peace are perfected.
I have seen Canons which have ipso facto excommunicated Men (how wise, how holy, how useful, and how many soever) that do but affirm any things in their Church-Offices, Liturgies, Words and Ceremonies, to be at all repugnant to the Word of God; and at once oblige Men to subscribe to an Article, That not only they, but General Councils are fallible. So that I stand amazed to think what Spirit made such Canons, and what such Men thought of themselves, and of Humane Nature, and of the History of all former Ages of the Churches. If they must be acknowledged fallible, and yet all cut off from Christ or from the Church, who say they have any Error, so much as in the said Offices, Forms, Words or Ceremonies, sure they suppose that some miraculouus Power so wonderfully over-ruled fallible Men, and therefore should shew us miracles to convince us. For my part, I am far from believing, that I am so secured from Error; and therefore only say, Tho I be an unfit Iudge of my Superiors Acts, I would not for all the Riches on Earth, be charged at Gods judgment with the guilt of making and justifying such Canons; much less, with all the Consequents of their Executions.
And because I am unwilling to be guilty of any dividing-errors on the other side, I have here impartially confuted them; telling those that would not have the Authors, or their former Actions so much remembred and blamed as I have done, That God is against their carnal Policies; and that it neither hath prospered, nor will do: And that when Men justifie Sin, or lay it upon God, he will with disdain cast it back upon them. As I thank God, who kept the main Body of the Religious Persons innocent, from the crimes of a few tumified Sectarian Soldiers, who by advantage subdued all the rest, (tho Malignity would ruine them by a false Accusation of such a Guilt), so I will not so much as by Silence, encourage that false Malignant Accusation, nor leave the sober godly People of the Land, under the intimated Suppositions, That they Consented to the Subversion of Civil or Ecclesiastical Order and Governmenment, when they were trod down, and suffered for their Dissent.
But in all Ages and Nations, the Churches that were under the grinding Dividers, have laid more of the blame on the upper Milstone than on the lower; Action and Violence making their Part more notable; bearing more easily the censures and words of such as think Losers may have leave to talk, than the Stings, Swords and Flames of the elder Sons of Abaddon Apollyon. And indeed, in all Ages, the lower Party have been less averse to Peace and Reconciliation; but whoever have got uppermost into uncontroulable Clergy-Domination, have usually disdained and abhorred the Peace-makers. It was King James his wisdom to make Beati Pacifici, his Motto; and the Disposition and Counsels that are contrary to it, will prove pernicious folly at last. But we have a greater Doctor and Exemplar, even our Saviour and final Iudge, who (while some repraoch such, and talk and write to bring men from Love, to hate each other), hath said, what in despight of malice he will make good [Blessed are the Peace-makers, for they shall be called the Children of God, Matth. 5.9].