Irenicum to the Lover of Truth and Peace, Chapter 25
CHAP. XXV.
The ſixt Dividing Practice,The 6. dividing practice. the giving Characterizing names to men, names of Diviſion.
THis is an old continued practice of the Devill, he hath gained much by it, and therefore is loath to leave it: The Orthodox of old were called Cornelians, Cyrillians, by the followers of Novatus and Neſtorius, Nullum criminis nomen niſi nominis crimen. Tertul. Apo.in time of Reformation Lutherans, Zuinglians, Huſſites, Calviniſts, Hugonots. Tertullian ſayes in his Apology for the Chriſtians of his time, their crime that they are perſecuted for, hath no name, that for which they are hated and perſecuted is the crime of their name; ſuch men are cryed out of under ſuch a name, but when things come to be examined, their name is all their crime.
And among other that of Schiſmaticke is not onelyonly a charactiſing, but a ſtigmatizing name, whereby of old and lately many have had a brand of reproach upon them, which upon examination will be found to be as it is applyed by many, nothing but a ſcaring word, taken up by ſuch who underſtand little what Schiſme is; I ſhall therefore endeavour to open this briefly. The word Schiſme comes of the Greeke foreign, to rend, from thence foreign, Sciſura, a rent; It is amongſt Divines a Tecnologicall terme. Schiſme in the Church, is much like to what Sedition is in the State: When the Church grew up to the ſtate and outward glory of an earthly Kingdome, much uſe was made of this terme, as a brand upon thoſe who would not ſubject to the yoakes of them who loved preheminence in the Church.
But the true nature of Schiſme is this, An uncharitable, unjuſt, raſh, violent breaking from union with the Church, or the Members of it.
The Church is that from which the rent is: Hereſie divides from the head, Schiſme from the body, Apoſtacy from both. This rent is either from the whole Church, or ſome part, if from the whole, it is Donatiſme: Donatus denyed any to be of the body of Chriſt, to be beleevers, to be ſuch as could be ſaved, except that company that joyned with him, and with thoſe in his way. This is clear from the whole diſcourſe of Auguſtine againſt him, in that Tract De unitate Eccleſiae. Wherefore thoſe who cenſure ſuch as deny communion with ſome particular Congregations, as Donatiſts, diſcover either ignorance or malice, if not both. Yet Schiſme may be, though the rent be but from ſome part of the Church, but this muſt needs ſuppoſe union with that part: now there may be a twofold union with the ſeverall parts of the Church, either that which all who are to be accounted Chriſtians have with them as they are of the ſame body Catholick; or that which is by agreement to grow up together into a ſpeciall fellowſhip. The rending from any of theſe unions in ſuch a way as before was mentioned, is Schiſme. If we ſeperate from, or refuſe that communion with ſuch as are to be accounted Chriſtians, that is due to all Chriſtians, this is the more groſſe Schiſme. Or if we thus breake off that communion which is by ſpeciall agreement, which may be either when Chriſtians joyne together in a private way for mutuall edification and comfort: or when they ſo joyn together as to make up a diſtinct ſpirituall corporation, to ſet up the publick ordinances of Chriſt, which the Scripture calls a Church: Now though there may be Schiſme in the breaking the former, yet the cenſure of Schiſme is eſpecially applyed to the undue breaking off communion in the latter.
Now this implyes an union by a Church agreement; where there never was ſuch an agreement, there cannot be the guilt of this Schiſme. Although they who dwell within ſuch a perambulation, ſuch a compaſſe of ground, ſhould not joyne in ſome ordinances with ſome within that compaſſe, whatſoever offence there may be againſt ſome civill conſtitution, yet the guilt of Schiſme they doe not contract upon themſelves, for that union they never had cannot be broke.
But you will ſay, Yes, they are Schiſmaticks, though they were never ſo united, becauſe they were bound to unite thus, and they have not.
It muſt be granted that CHRIST by what he ordered the Apoſtles to doe,Anſw. would have all Chriſtians dwelling together, ſo far as they can, to unite into a body, but there is no ſuch order of Chriſt, that all that dwell on the one ſide of the ſtreet ſhould be of one body, and all on the other of another body: if they be more then can joyn into one ſpirituall corporation, they are bound to joyne into ſeverall, ſo as they may beſt, to their own and other Churches edification, and if they ſhould fail in this, not joyning in the beſt way that poſſible might be, their ſin is againſt that edification that Chriſt requires, but not therefore the ſin of Schiſme. Who ever they were that bounded Pariſhes, ſurely they did not ſo bound them to the greateſt edification of the Church that poſſible might be, and yet who will ſay they were therefore Schiſmaticks? But ſuppoſe you have joyned with any company of Saints in a ſpirituall corporation, if you now ſhall uncharitably, unjuſtly, raſhly, and violently break from communion with them, then you contract the guilt of Schiſme upon you.
Firſt, the ſepartion muſt be from want of charity. By faith eſpecially we are united to Chriſt our head, and by charity to one another. If a man appeares departing from any fundamentall Article of our faith which joyned him to his Head, he is to bee judged an Heretick. So by his appearing to depart from that love by which he was joyned in communion with the members,Schiſmatis peocatum ſpeciale vitium eſt, charitati oppoſitum. Aquin. 2. 2 q. 29. Art. 1. concluſ. he is to be judged a Schiſmatick. If his departure proceeds from his love of God, his love to his Saints, and his owne ſoule, yea his love to that very Church from whence he departs, as ſometimes it may, witneſſing in a gratious way againſt evill in it, he is farre from the guilt of Schiſme.Schiſmatici diſciſſionibus iniquis a fraterna charitate diſſiliunt. Aug. lib de Fide & Symbolo, cap. 10.
If you ſay, love is a ſecret thing, we cannot judge of what is in the heart.
We cannot judge of it while it is in the heart, but when it appeares we may. You may know whether this or other principles act men or no by their behaviour in their breaking off communion. Where this is not, bitcerneſſe, pride ſelfe-ends, will ſoone appear, and carry them beyond thoſe principles themſelves profeſſe they goe upon.Anſw.
Secondly, If the cauſe of leaving communion be juſt, then thoſe who give this cauſe are the Schiſmaticks, not thoſe who withdraw upon it. Thus the Governours of the Church may be the Schiſmaticks, and a private member withdrawing may be free. Suarez a great Jeſuite, in his diſputation De Schiſmate, ſayes in ſome caſes the Pope may be a Schiſmatick.
If Governours ſhall enjoyne any thing upon the Church, or any member, that is ſinne, or if they ſhall mingle evill in the publick worſhip, ſo that there can be no joyning with their worſhip, but there muſt be likewiſe a joyning with ſinne, in this caſe if any withdraw from them,Culpam ſchiſmatis non debere conferri in eos qui deſertores deſerunt, ſed in ipſos deſertores qui Chriſtum & antiquam fidem deſerum erant, Voet. deſper. cauſa papatus, lib. 3. ſect. 3. they are the Schiſmaticks, not thoſe who withdraw, they are fugati, not fugitivi. The blame of Schiſme, ſayes learned Vo…tius, muſt not be upon thoſe who forſake ſuch as have forſaken Chriſt and the ancient faith; but upon thoſe who have thus forſaken Chriſt and his truth.
When the ſecond Councell of Nice ſet up Image-worſhip, many thouſands could not yeeld to it, but were forced to withdraw, who was the Schiſmaticall party there, but the Synod and thoſe who joyned with it?
Yea further, if they impoſe that which is not neceſſary, (though in it ſelfe not ſinful) and will not beare with the weakneſſes of ſuch as thinke it to be evill; if upon that they be forced to withdraw; in this the Governours are the Schiſmaticks alſo; the cauſe of the rent is in them, they ought in ſuch things to beare the weakneſſes of their Brethren, and not imperiouſly to require of them thoſe things that there is no neceſſity of. If ſuch things be ſinne to their Brethrens conſciences, if they will ſtand upon it to enjoyne them, they lay a neceſſity upon them to withdraw from them. God will not lay the Indictment of Schiſme thus, Such a one departed from the communion of ſuch a Church, becauſe he would not doe what was lawfull to be done; but thus, You impoſed that upon your Brother which there was no neceſſity of, and would not forbeare him in what I would have you forbeare him, but cauſed him by your imperiouſneſſe and ſtiffeneſſe, to depart from communion with you. It is true, ſayes God, the thing might have been done, but it was not neceſſary, it was out of conſcience to me that they forbore, the weakneſſe is theirs, but the Schiſme is yours.Anſw.
This hath beene generally received (though it be very falſe) that if a man departs from a Church becauſe he refuſeth to joyn with it in that which is not in it ſelfe evill, that this mans departure is Schiſmaticall: Certainly no; Grant there is a weakneſſe in his conſcience, and ſo a ſinne, he ſhould informe his conſcience better, but cannot; and this inability is not without ſinne, yet this ariſes not to that height of ſinne, as to make that (which (ſuppoſing him to be in this condition) is better for him to doe then not to doe) to become Schiſme; eſpecially if he be willing to hold communion with that Church ſtill in all acts of worſhip, wherein he can joyne without ſinning againſt his conſcience, and continues brotherly love to them as Saints in all the expreſſions thereof, as he is able.
The firſt great Schiſme in the Church, that was cauſed by the Governours of it, was that which Victor Biſhop of Rome, and thoſe who joyned with him cauſed, by that imperious way of enjoyning Easter to be kept at ſuch a time which you have mentioned, pag. 15, 16, 17. The ſtory of which you have in Euſebius, lib. 5. cap. 23. Thoſe who denyed not the lawfulneſſe of keeping Easter, yet have generally accuſed Victor, and ſuch who ſo violently urged this upon the Churches as the cauſe of the Schiſme, not ſuch who did not conforme to what was enjoyned them, becauſe the thing was not neceſſary, and there ſhould have beene a forbearance in it: No Governour ought to urge ſuch unneceſſary things which are but under ſuſpition by tender conſciences, if they do, the Schiſme is juſtly charged upon them.
Thirdly, where a man cannot have his ſoule edified in ſome Ordinances and truths of great moment, which that Church whereof he now is ſhall deny, and is in great danger of being ſeduced to evill, he may depart from that Church to another, if he does it orderly, and not be guilty at all of Schiſme, love to God and his owne ſoule is the cauſe of this, not want of love to his Brethren.
It is a good ſpeech I finde Chillingworth hath, what the goodneſſe of the man was I know not, but in that Treatiſe of his, The Religion of Proteſtants a ſafe way, Cap. 5. Part. 1. Sect. 61. anſwering that plea of his adverſary againſt Proteſtants, that communion with a Church not erring in fundamentals, upon pretence of erring in other matters, muſt not be forſaken, he hath this excellent ſaying: If I did not finde in my ſelfe a love and deſire of all profitable truth; if I did not put away idleneſſe, and prejudice, and worldly affections, and ſo examine to the bottome all my opinions of divine matters, being prepared in minde to follow God, and God onelyonly which way ſoever he ſhall lead me; if I did not hope that I either doe or endeavour to doe theſe things, certainely I ſhould have little hope of obtaining ſalvation.
When I conſider of theſe cauſes of departing from a particular Church, that ſpeech of Tertullian concerning a Martyr comes into my minde, Non poena ſed cauſa facit Martyrem, Not the puniſhment but the cauſe makes a Martyr. So, Non dec…ſſio ſed cauſa facit Schiſmaticum, Not the departing, but the cauſe makes a Schiſmatick. Aquinas ſhewing that wherein the vitiouſneſſe of Schiſme lyes, Sicut in rebus naturalibus id quod eſt per accidens non conſtituit ſpeciem; ita in rebus moralibus, id quod est intentum. Quod ſequitur praeter intentionem, est quaſi per accidens, & ideo peccatum ſchiſmatick proprie est speciale peccatum, ex eo quod intendit ſe ab unitate ſeparare quam charitas facit, & ideo proprie Schiſmatici dicuntur qui propria sponte & intentione ſe ab unitate Eccleſiae ſeparant. Aquinas 2da. 2dae. Queſt. 39. Art. 1. C.ſayes, As in naturall things that which is by accident does not conſtitute the species, ſo in morall, not that which is beſide the intention for that is accidentall: therefore, ſayes he, the ſin of Schiſme is in that it intends to ſeparate from that unity which charity makes, and therefore Schiſmaticks are properly thoſe who of their own accord and intention doe ſeparate themſelves from the unity of the Church.
The next thing conſiderable in the deſcription of Schiſme; is the raſhneſſe of the ſeparation: though the cauſe of ſeparating be juſt, yet the manner of it may be ſchiſmaticall, if done raſhly or violently. Thoſe who are joyned in communion with others, when they differ from thoſe with whom they have communion, they are bound to examine, try, to make uſe of all meanes they can to ſatisfie their conſciences in things they ſcruple: and if they cannot, yet before they breake off communion they are bound to ſeek by all means they can for a redreſs of thoſe things which after moſt ſerious examination appeare evill to them, they are bound to wait with much forbearance, and longſuffering. And at laſt if there be a neceſſity of departing, they muſt not rend away with violence, but ſhew themſelves willing and ready in the ſpirit of love and meekneſſe to open their cauſe, to ſhew their reaſons to the Church why they cannot continue in that communion with them they formerly had, and deſire that they may peaceably and lovingly depart, ſeeing they cannot with peace of their conſcience and love to their ſoules continue with them, and that they may joyne with ſome other Church, where they may enjoy peace and further edification.
Surely here is no Schiſme, this is no rending away, here is no violence uſed, here is onelyonly a loving and peaceable ſeceſſion; notwithſtanding this, were it not the pride, envy and frowardneſſe of mens ſpirits, much love and peace might continue amongſt Chriſtians and Churches: True indeed, if men can beare no contradiction, no kinde of blame of their wayes, there muſt needs be trouble; but then thoſe who doe contradict or blame, though they be in the wrong, yet if it be through weakneſſe, and carryed with meekneſſe, they are not ſo much the cauſe of the trouble, as thoſe who cannot beare this weakneſſe of their Brethren without frowardneſſe and contention.
There are other names of diviſion; the name of Puritan, what a divider hath it been? but that ſeeing it ſelf ready to dye, divided it ſelf into two, Round head and Independent; theſe are now the opprobrious, diſcriminating, ſcornfull names of diviſion amongſt us: For the firſt, there is ſo much folly and abſurdity in it, that ſurely it will ſoone vaniſh of it ſelfe if you contemne it; it is too low and contemptible for a Pulpit, or a Pen to meddle with: But the other carries in the face of it an open defiance to all kind of government, a monſtrous kind of liberty for men to live as they liſt, and to be accountable to none, whatſoever they hold or doe: Certainly ſuch kinde of people as theſe, are not to be ſuffered; ſhall I ſay in any Chriſtian ſociety? no not in any humane ſociety; if there be any ſuch people as theſe, they are one of the moſt monſtrous kinde of people that ever lived upon the face of the earth: How many runne away with the word, and cry out of men and their wayes under this name which they know not? How farre thoſe who are for the Congregationable way, are from ſuch an uncontroulable liberty, hath beene ſhewne, Chap. 7. Pag. 41. I ſhall adde this one thing, of all kinde of governments in the Church, that which hath this name faſtened upon it is moſt oppoſite to the name of any in that ſenſe it is ordinarily taken, for there is no Church-government that holds forth more means to reduce from errour, or any miſcarriage, then this doth; examine it with the Prelaticall or Presbyteriall Government, and you ſhall find it; for firſt, in the Prelaticall Government, if once the Prelates determine any caſe, you muſt there reſt, there is no Church helpe for you, except you will ſay it is in a Convocation, where we know they ruled both in the choyce of members, and ordering all things as they liſt. In the Presbyteriall way, if ſo many aſſociated Elders determine any caſe, it muſt in them receive the finall determination, you muſt reſt in it, although the greater part of the Churches, and the greater number of Elders in a Kingdome ſhould be of another minde; for if you riſe to a Nationall Aſſembly, there are not the twentieth part of Elders of the Kingdome in it: But thoſe who men call Independents ſay, that if any thing be done by them that is offenſive, not only thoſe aſſociated Elders, but all or any Elders or Churches whatſoever may require account, may in the name of Chriſt doe all in effect, for the reducing of them, that thoſe aſſociated Elders can doe, ſtill remembring that Church-power in one or the other, goes no further then mens conſciences; if men wil not conſcientiouſly regard what is done to reduce them from evill, there is no help within the Church, but to appeale to CHRIST; as for the externall helpe by the Magiſtrate, that concernes not the controverſie about Church-government, and yet for ſubjection to that Ordinance of God, the principles and profeſſion of thoſe you call Independents leave as much to the Magiſtrate, as the principle or profeſſion of thoſe who are Preſbyteriall doe, if not more. Tolle …am nominis crimen & nihil reſtat niſi criminis nomen; Now take away the crime of the name, and there remaines nothing but the name of a crime.