Of Schism, Chapter 9
CHAP. IX. The Second ſpecies of this Schiſme examined, as it is an offence againſt external peace, or Communion Eccleſiaſtical.
§. 1.This Church free from breach of Communion Eccleſiaſtical. NOW for the ſecond branch of this ſecond ſort of Schiſm, as it is an offence againſt external peace or communion Eccleſiaſtical. This cannot with any colour be charged on us,As appears by ſix Conſiderations. of whom theſe 6 things are manifeſt, and that by the tenure of our Reformation, 1.The firſt. that we have alwaies retained the form of Government ▪ in, and under which the Apoſtles founded Eccleſiaſtical aſſemblies, or Communion, viz: that of the Biſhop, and his inferiour officers in every Church, and ſo in that reſpect are, in Ignatius his phraſe foreign, within the altar, have no part of that breach of Eccleſiaſtical communion upon us, which conſiſts in caſting out that order. 2.The ſecond. That as we maintain that Order, ſo we regularly ſubmit to the exerciſe of it, acknowledge the due authority of theſe Governors, profeſs Canonical obedience to them, ſubmit to their Cenſures, and Decrees, and give our ſelves up to be ruled by them in all things that belong to their cognizance ſecundum Deum, according to God. 3.The third. That the circumſtances which are neceſſary to the foreign the aſſembling our ſelves together for the publick worſhip, whether 1. that of place, (our Churches conſecrated to thoſe offices) or 2. that of time, (the Lords day, and other primitive feſtivals, and Faſts, and, in their degree, every day of the week) or 3. that of forms of Prayer, and Praiſes, celebration of Sacraments, and ſacramentals, Preaching, Catechizing, &c. or 4. that of Ceremonies, ſuch as the practiſe of the Primitive Church hath ſent down recommended to us; or laſtly, that of Diſcipline to binde all theſe performances upon every member of the Church in his office, or place, are all entered into our Confeſſions, ſetled by Article, as part of our eſtabliſhment, and ſo the want of either, or all of thoſe are not imputable to our Reformation.
§. 2. The fourth.Fourthly, That in every of theſe three, whatſoever the Romaniſt requires us to adde farther to that which we voluntarily, and profeſſedly receive, (1. the ſupreme, tranſcendent, monarchick power of the Pope, 2. the acknowledgment of, and obedience to his ſupremacy, 3. the uſe of more ceremonies, feſtivals, &c.) is uſurpation, or impoſition of the preſent Romaniſts, abſolutely without Authority, or Precedent from the antient, Primitive Church, from whom we are ſo unwilling to divide in any thing, that we chooſe a conformity with them, rather then with any later modell, and if by receding from the Ordo Romanus in any particular, we doe not approve our ſelves to come neerer to the firſt, and pureſt times, it is the avow'd Profeſſion of our Church, the wiſh, and purpoſe of it, which I may juſtly ſtyle part of our eſtabliſhment, to reduce, and reſtore that, (whatſover it is) which is moſt pure, and Primitive in ſtead of it.
§. 3. The fift.Fiftly, That as we exclude no Chriſtian from our communion, that will either filially, or fraternally embrace it with us, being ready to admit any to our aſſemblies, that acknowledge the Foundation laid by Chriſt, and his Apoſtles, ſo we as earneſtly deſire to be admitted to the like freedome of external Communion with all the members of all other Chriſtian Churches, as oft as occaſion makes us capable of that bleſſing of the one heart, and one lip, and would moſt willingly, by the uſe of the antient method of literae Communicatoriae, maintain this Communion with thoſe, with whom we cannot corporally aſſemble, and particularly with thoſe which live in obedience to the Church of Rome.
§. 4. The ſixt.Sixtly, that the onelyonly hindrances that interpoſe and obſtruct this deſired freedome of external Communion, are wholly imputable to the Romaniſts.
§. 5. Firſt, their excommunicating, and ſeparating from their aſſemblies all that maintain communion with the Church of England, which we know was done by Bull from the Pope about the tenth year of Q. Elizabeth (before which time thoſe Engliſh, which had not joyned in our Reformation, might, and did come to our aſſemblies, and were never after rejected by us, but upon their avowed contumacie againſt the orders of our Church, which conſequently brought the cenſures on them) and to that it is viſibly conſequent, that we that were caſt out, cannot be ſaid to ſeparate, as in the former part of this diſcourſe hath been demonſtrated.
§. 6. Secondly, their impoſing ſuch conditions on their Communion (belief of doctrines, and approbation of practiſes, which we neither believe, nor approve of, and are ready to conteſt and maintain our Negatives, by grounds that all good Chriſtians ought to be concluded by) that we cannot without ſinning, or ſeeming to ſin againſt conſcience, without wilfull falling on one ſide, or diſſembling and unſound confeſſion on the other ſide, or at leaſt the ſcandal of one of theſe, accept of their communion upon ſuch conditions, as hath formerly been demonſtrated alſo.
§. 7. A conſideration concerning our Church.And in this matter it were very well worthy our conſidering, how farre the Articles of our Church of England proceed in accord with the preſent Roman doctrines and practiſes, and in what particulars foreign, we cannot perſwade our ſelves to conſent to them, and then to offer it to the Ʋmpirage of any rational arbitrator, whether we that unfeignedly profeſſe to believe ſo much and no more, nor to be convinced by all the reaſons, and authorities, proofs from Scripture, or the firſt Chriſtian writers, (thoſe of the firſt three hundred years) or the four General Councels) produced by them (being in full inclination and deſire of minde, ready to ſubmit upon conviction) are in any reaſon, or equity, or according to any example, or precept of Chriſt, or his Apoſtles, or the antient, Primitive Church, to be required to offer violence to our mindes, and to make an unſound profeſſion, or elſe (for that one guilt of not doing ſo) to be rejected as hereticks, and denied the benefit of Chriſtian Communion, which we heartily deſire to extend and propagate to them which deny it to us. All this thus put together, and applied to this preſent matter will certainly vindicate us from all appearance of guilt of this ſecond branch of the ſecond ſort of Schiſme.