The True Way of Concord of All the Christian Churches, Part 3 · Chapter 2
CHAP. II.
The true Preventions and Remedies of Schiſm.
Sect. I. TO tell men what ſhould be done for Unity, and Peace, and for Salvation, is far eaſier than to bring men to the Practice of it. And as it is hard to prevail even with one man, for all the Requiſites hereto, ſo if moſt of the Chriſtian World were ſo happy as to be thus qualified, yet as one diſeaſed part doth trouble and endanger the whole body, ſo the reſt of the world by their badneſs would keep up common diſquietments and troubles; ſo that it is no more a perfect Concord, than perfect Knowledge and Holineſs, which we can hope for in this World.
Sect. II. 1. It is preſuppoſed, that Chriſt the great Peace-maker hath done much (and moſt) to this work already. He hath reconciled us to God; he hath made himſelf the Center of our Unity: He hath given us ſound Doctrine to lead us out of dividing Darkneſs: He hath made us ſuch juſt and holy Laws, as all tend to Unity, Love and Peace: He hath left us his own perfect and imitable example: He hath preſcribed the juſt terms of our Unity and Peace: He hath made Love, and Meekneſs, and forbearing, and forgiving, and all healing Principles and Practices, the Conditions of his Promiſes, and the great Duties and Marks of his Diſciples: He hath diſgraced and ſtrictly forbidden all dividing qualities and actions; all uncharitableneſs, cenſuring, wrath, malice, envy, backbiting, evil-ſpeaking, diſcord, contention, revenge, &c. He hath threatned to ſhut out the guilty from his Kingdom: He hath inſtituted Church-diſcipline to ſhut them out of his Church till they repent: He poured out the Spirit of Love and Concord, miraculouſly at firſt on his Diſciples, making them of one heart and mind, even to a voluntary Community of their goods: He prayed that they all might be One in him: He hath appointed his Miniſters to preach up Love, Concord and Peace throughout the world: He hath inſtituted particular Churches for the exerciſe of Love, Concord and holy Communion: He giveth to all true Chriſtians the Spirit of Love and Peace, and every one hath ſo much of theſe (as a new Nature) as they have of his Spirit and ſaving Grace. All this and more hath Chriſt done himſelf for his Peoples Unity, Love and Peace.
Sect. III. 2. Under Chriſt the chief Inſtruments of Concord muſt be the faithful Miniſters of Chriſt, whoſe duty hereto I have before deſcribed. Particularly, 1. They muſt be men of more eminent knowledge and gifts than the higher ſort of the Flock: or elſe if the People once perceive that they are equal to them, they will deſpiſe them, and turn Preachers, and ſet up for themſelves: 2. And then ſuch Miniſters being not able to deal with Sectaries and Hereticks, will betray the Cauſe of God, and the adverſaries will carry away the Hearers: And it will be eaſie to bring ſuch perſons into Contempt, and then the Truth will ſuffer with them: God fitteth men to do the work that he will bleſs them in: Not that every Congregation muſt needs have ſuch an eminent man; for a great Light will ſhine to other Pariſhes, and an able man in one Pariſh may be ready to help the next, and to confute Gainſayers, and may keep up the Credit of the Miniſtry: But it is ſuch that muſt preſerve the Unity and Concord of Believers, and preſerve the Church from Schiſm.
Sect. IV. 2. And if Miniſters do not alſo live in holineſs, juſtice, charity, free from fleſhly luſts and pleaſures, and unſpotted of the world, as freer than other men from a proud, a worldly and a covetous mind, dividers will deſpiſe them, and ignorant people will ſuſpect the Cauſe for their ſakes, and many unſetled well-meaning perſons will fall from them, and turn to them that they think live a more ſtrict and pious, and humble and charitable life. The Miniſters Life as well as Doctrine is needful to remedy Schiſm. As men fly from a Carrion or a ſtinking place in the houſe, ſo will the people from Prieſts of a corrupt Converſation.
Sect. V. 3. And it is neceſſary, 1. That a Preacher be skilled in the particular Controverſies that the Church is in danger of: 2. And that he skilfully, zealouſly and frequently preach up the neceſſity and excellency of Unity, Love and Peace, and the ſin and danger of the contraries: That men may by right Reaſon and the Fear of God, be taught to make as much Conſcience of theſe as they do of other great Duties and Sins, and may not be without preſerving Fear.
Sect. VI. 4. And it is ſpecially neceſſary, that a Preacher know how to deal with the Perſons as well as with the Cauſe: and that is not to rail at them, and render them ſhamefull and odious whom he would win, nor publickly to expoſe them to contempt, much leſs to ſlander, abuſe or oppreſs them; But with Evidence managed with meekneſs, love and tenderneſs to convince them, and make them feel that all cometh for their own good, from unfeigned Love; as Muſculus won the Anabaptiſts by feeding and relieving them in Priſon, till they ſought to him for inſtruction, and were diſpoſed to hear it. Nature flyeth from hurtful things and perſons: Had the Enmity been put at firſt between the Woman and the Serpent, Eve had not been ſo eaſily ſeduced. Too many Biſhops and Preachers go about to cure Schiſm as a man would bring Birds to the Net, or Fiſhes to the Bait, by ſhouting and throwing Stones at them; or as one would get the ſwarm of Bees into the Hive by beating them; or as one that would get a Wife by deriding and railing at her; or as a Phyſician that would get practice by mocking his Patients inſtead of medicining them. Men know better than ſo, how to bring an Oxe to the Yoak, or a Horſe or Dog to hand, or to tame any Bird or Beaſt that is wild and frightful. It's true, that as a Malefactor is hanged for the good of the Common-wealth rather than his own, ſo a deſperate ſeducing Heretick or Divider may be juſtly rendered as contemptible as he deſerveth, to keep others from being deceived by him: But all that we hope to win muſt be otherwiſe uſed. Reproach and diſgrace maketh the Medicine ſo bitter (which ſhould be ſugared) that with one of many it will not go down. Scorn and reviling is the way to drive them further from us.
Sect. VII. 5. And Miniſters Patience with tolerable Diſſenters, while they worſhip God with ſome difference from them, in their own Aſſemblies, is a neceſſary prevention of worſer Schiſm. Thus ſome peaceable Biſhops kept peace and love with the Novatians, when others by contrary means made more Schiſms; (As Epiphanius ſaith Audius by intemperate fooliſh oppoſition was driven from the Church:) What hurt will it do me, to let people hear another Teacher, whom they preferre before me, and can more profit by? If I am for Organs, for Images, for Croſsing, &c. what hurt is it to let others meet and worſhip God without them? But when Preachers have not perſonal worth to keep up their Reputation, and then rail at thoſe that do not value them, they do but make themſelves more vile: And when they are ſo proud, that if people leave them, and preferre another, they cannot bear it, but think to remedy it by making odious or vilifying thoſe that undervalue them, they do but as all proud men do, even croſs and more debaſe themſelves, and make that a Schiſm which was but a perſonal neglect.
Sect. VIII. 3. And the Chriſtian Magiſtrate muſt be a principal Inſtrument of remedying Schiſm. And very much may he doe by wiſdom, moderation and right means, which I have mentioned before; when wrong wayes do but increaſe the Schiſm.
Sect. IX. 4. And the ancient and wiſeſt ſort of good Chriſtians muſt be great Inſtruments herein; They muſt be Examples to the Younger of Love, Peace and Concord: They muſt oft tell them how good and amiable a thing it is for Brethren to dwell and meet together in Unity, and open the ſin and danger of Diviſion. Age, Grace and Experience mellow and ſweeten the Spirits of ripe Chriſtians, when the Young are green and harſh and ſowre.
Sect. X. But among all theſe there are ſome men in all Ages, whom God ſtirreth up to a ſpecial zeal for Chriſtian Concord; And though the ſtate of the place and times which they live in, or their own weakneſs, may make ſome of them propoſe ſome terms which in better times would be unreaſonable (as Eraſmus, Caſſander, Wicelius, and others did) yet it is that healing Spirit that muſt be a prime mover in all the work, if ever Concord be obtained: Such have been Mel…ncton, Muſculus, Bucholzer, Junius, Job. Ger. V…ſſius, Camero, Ludovicus Capellus, Placaeus, Teſtardus, Am… raldus, Blondell, Dallaeus, the Breme and Britiſh Divines at Dort, and by their means, the Decrees of the Synod are Pacificatory; Calixtus and his Aſſociates Johan. Bergius, Conrad. Bergius, Ludov. Crocius, Iſelburge, Archbiſhop Uſher, Biſhop Hall, Biſhop Davenant, Dr. Ward, Dr. Preſton, Mr. Whately, Mr. Fenner, Chillingworth, and many more: But before all, John Dury and Mr. Le Blanke. As ſome men that ſtudy the Revelations or Chronologie, or Genealogies, &c. are readier in thoſe particular Subjects, than other men though of greater parts; ſo they that ſtudy the Churches peace, and the Concord of differing Chriſtians, uſually are fitter for that work than others.
Sect. XI. There is one ſort of men that have written many things excellently for Peace, even the Socinians, who being Hereticks, have thereby done much harm. Divers of them have laid down in general thoſe Rules and Terms which might much have furthered the Churches Peace, if the ſame things had been written by men of Name and Reputation. What Acontius was, or what Rupertus Meldenius was, I am not ſure; ſome ſay they were Socinians, and ſome deny it: But I am ſure, if they were heretical, their excellent Precepts for Love and Peace may riſe up in judgment againſt Orthodox Perſecutors, Schiſmaticks, and Revilers: Many that are known to be Socinians, have written much for peace; and Satan hath made great advantage of it, to bring all earneſt motions for peace into ſuſpicion: ſo that a man can now ſcarce write for the retreat of Church-warriours, and for the quenching of our conſuming flames, but he is preſently ſuſpected to be guilty of ſome Hereſie, and to have ſpecially need of Charity or toleration himſelf; Like the Fox, that having loſt his Tail, would have all Foxes tails cut off. Or if it be about any point that Papiſts are concerned in, that a man calleth men from erroneous Extremes, to Truth and Peace, he is preſently ſuſpected to be of the mind of Caſſander, Wicelius, Grotius, or ſuch as they: Even Jacob Behmens writing ſo much for Love, and againſt Wrath, hath made ſome ſuſpect a Treatiſe that is written for any extenſive Chriſtian Love: Could Satan but engage a man of ill fame to preach and write fervently for any fundamentall point of Religion, I am afraid with many it would make it ſuſpected.
Sect. XII. It is alſo of great moment for the preventing or remedying of Schiſm, to chooſe a ſit ſeaſon to manage the remedies. Were not men very proud and ſelfiſh, the fitteſt ſeaſon would be times of Civil peace and proſperity: And indeed a common peace of many Countreys will hardly be well proſecuted in any other times; becauſe it needeth ſedate minds, and quiet entercourſe, and friendly communication; which warrs and exaſperations are againſt: Nor is it a fit time to heal a particular perſon, when he is fined, impriſoned, perſecuted, or oppreſſed: For his ſenſe and paſsion will ſtop his ears, and drive him further from thoſe that he ſuffers by: (ſo far are they miſtaken who take violence and ſeverity to be the way). But yet Pr… ſperity hath greater hinderances of Love and Peace than Sufferings: for then uſually the lovers of the World (called in Scripture the Enemies of God) as they ſtrive moſt for wealth and power, do obtain it; and being made Lords and Prelates, they think there is no ſure and honourable Peace, but by all mens ſubmiſsion to their wills and dictates: Pride never knoweth the way of Peace, but truſteth to inſulting paſsionate violence, which cureth Schiſm, as Brandy will do a burning Feaver: which may rarely be lodged in ſuch frigid matter as may accidentally cure it, which ordinarily would kill: And a Schiſmatick may be ſuch a timerous worldling, as that ſuffering may drive him into outward complyance: But Conſcience ſo reſpecteth God, as to count man and all that he can do as nothing. Religion is a worſhipping and obeying God as God: and whoever preferreth any mans Power or Intereſt before him, ſo far hath no true Religion at all.
But if a ſufferer be to be cured, it muſt not be by him by whom he ſuffereth, but by another that pitieth him and lamenteth his ſufferings. But uſually Pride and carnal Confidence in Proſperity hinder men from that condeſcenſion and moderation which is abſolutely neceſſary to Love and Peace: Wantonneſs and Contention are the uſual fruits of greatneſs, fullneſs and worldly eaſe: ſo that Civil Peace and Religious are too often ſtrangers; and being dryed in the Sun-ſhine we are crumbled to duſt. And it is Gods ordinary way to caſt contentious Wranglers into the Furnace, and melt them till they may be caſt into one mold: Ridley and Hooper were reconciled in Priſon. When men that fell out are all taken Captives by a common Enemy, they are ſooner reconciled. When men all ſuffer for the ſame common Cauſe, and are together in Gaols, or Baniſhment, or reproach, then go trie whether they will hearken to peace. It was the great ſhame of the Engliſh Fugitives in Qu. Maries dayes to fall out at Frankford in their Exile. In a word, both Proſperity and Adverſity have their proper helps and hinderances of Concord; but uſually, times of common Civil Peace, are the hopefulleſt times to treat for a common Religious peace; but for ſmaller quarrelling parties, common ſuffering is a better time.
Sect. XIII. Whoever will be the Inſtruments of healing Schiſms, muſt neceſſarily preſerve his Reputation with thoſe that he would heal, or at leaſt with the common ſort of religious perſons: For if once he be commonly ill ſpoken of, the beſt things which he ſaith, will be deſpiſed: If he be a Prince, if he be commonly reputed a ſound and a good man, all that he doth will have a good interpretation: But if he be taken either for an enemy to Piety, or to the Doctrine which prevaileth, all that he doth will be ſuſpected for acts of malice. Conſtantius is praiſed by Hilary himſelf and many others, for a man of laudable diſpoſition and converſation; and yet his being for the Arians, made all ill taken that he did, and he did much that deſerved it: Theodoſius junior and Anaſtaſius were very pious Emperours, and great lovers of Peace, and ſtrenuouſly laboured to have kept the Biſhops from Schiſm and Church-warrs; but being ſuppoſed to favour moſt that party which the others called Hereticks, all that they did was ill interpreted, and ſuſpected to be in favour to the Hereticks. It is therefore very neceſſary that a Peace-making Prince be down-right honeſt and impartial, and ſhew himſelf conſcionable in all his Actions, and a lover of Mankind, and injurious to none, but a ſpecial favourer of the good, and an enemy to Wickedneſs, Debauchery and Malignity in all. For this will make people love and truſt him, without which nothing will be done.
And what I ſay of Princes, I muſt ſay of Paſtors and Preachers: If a man be never ſo zealous for Concord, if he be commonly ſuppoſed to be an ignorant man, or a wicked man, or an unconſcionable crafty Politician, or a Heretick, or dangerouſly erroneous, or one that is partial, or hath any ill Principles or Deſigns, or a Perſecutor, or whimſical Fanatick, all his Endeavours are like to do but little good: The general love and honour that Arch-biſhop Uſher, Biſhop Davenant, Dr. Preſton, Mr. Gataker, Mr. Fenner, Mr. Watton, Dr. Stoughton, &c. had with all ſorts of ſober men in England, made thoſe conciliatory, moderating Principles to be regarded, which from other men have been received with ſuſpicion, if not contempt and ſcorn.
Sect. XIV. Were there no more ſaid of all this ſubject but that of Rupertus Meldenius cited by Conradus Bergius, it might end all Schiſms if well underſtood and uſed, viz. Si in NECESSARIIS ſit UNITAS, in NON-NECESSARIIS LIBERTAS, in UTRISQUE CHARITAS, optimo certe loco eſſent res noſtrae. Unity in things neceſſary, Liberty in things unneceſſary, and Charity in both, would do all our work.
Sect. XV. Or briefly, all muſt be done, 1. By the LIGHT of Reaſon and Sacred Truth adapted to the Underſtandings of the people, and ſeaſonably propoſed with good advantage to convince them. 2. By the LOVE of Paſtors, Rulers and Diſſenters, heaping coals of Fire on their heads. 3. By the POWER of Magiſtrates, encouraging men of Truth, Piety and peace, and reſtraining men from propagating intolerable Errors, and all ſorts from violating the Laws of Humanity, Chriſtian Sobriety and Charity, and the publick peace, and not permitting them on pretence of Religion openly to revile and abuſe each other, ſo as to keep up mutual hatred and diabolical Calumny, and by licentious tongues to wrong each other.
Theſe few things would better heal the Churches, than all the violent and compound Medicines which worldly Jug…ers and unskilful Mountebanks have long tryed in vain.