The Unreasonableness of Separation, Part 2 · Section 25
Sect. 25. (3.) This will justifie the ancient Schisms which have been always condemn'd in the Christian Church. For setting aside the Ceremonies (of which already) and the use of the Liturgy and Holy-days (which is common to our Church with all other Christian Churches, for many hundred years before the great degeneracy of the Roman Church; and are continued by an Vniversal consent in all parts of the Christian World) the other Reasons for Separation are such, which will justifie the greatest Schismaticks that ever were in the Christian Church,Vindication of Non-conf…rmists, p. 13. 36. viz. Want of Evangelical Church-Discipline, and due means of Edification, and depriving the People of their Liberty of choosing their own Pastors, whereby they are deprived also of all use of their light and knowledge of the Gospel, in providing for their own Edification. For, What gave occasion to the Novatian Schism, which began so soon, and spread so far, and continued so long, but the pretence of the want of Evangelical Church-Discipline, and better means of Edification, and humoring the People in the choice of their own Pastors?
There were Two things the Novatians chiefly insisted on, as to Evangelical Discipline.
1. The Power of the Keys.
2. The Purity of the Church.
1. As to the Power of the Keys, they said, That Christ had never given it absolutely to his Church, but under certain restrictions, which if Men exceeded, the Church had no Power to release them: and that was especially in the case of denial of Christ before Men, when Men fell in time of Persecution.
2. The Churches Purity ought to be preserved, by keeping such who had thus fallen from ever being receiv'd into communion again. Cyprian. ad Anton. Ep. 52. n. 13.They did not deny that God might pardon such upon Repentance, but they said, the Church could not. And this they pleaded, would tend very much to the Edification of Christians, and would make them more watchful over themselves, when they saw no hopes of recovering the Churches Communion, if they once fell from it. Add to this, that Novatus, or Novatianus (for the Greeks confounded their Names) in his Epistle to Dionysius of Alexandria, Euseb. l. 6. c. 45.saith, That he was forced to do what he did, by the importunity of the Brethren, who out of their zeal for the Purity of the Ecclesiastical Discipline, would not comply with the looser part which joyned with Cornelius, Pacian. Epist. 3. ad Sempron.and therefore chose him to be their Bishop. And so much appears by Pacianus, that Novatus coming from Carthage to Rome▪ makes a party there for Novatia…us in opposition to Cornelius, which consisted chiefly of those who had stood firmest in the Persecution; in their Name he Writes to Novatianus, declaring, That he was chosen by the zealous Party at Rome, whereas Cornelius had admitted the lapsed to Communion, and consequently corrupted the Discipline of the Christian Church.
Here we have a concurrence of Dr. O's Pleas, Zeal for Reformation of Discipline, the greater Edification of the People, and the asserting their Right in choosing such a Pastor as was not likely to promote their Edification. But notwithstanding these fair pretences, Cyprian. Ep…st. 51, 52. … unit. Eccl. de latsis. Euseb. l. 6. c. 45.the making a Separation in the Church, was every where condemned as a great Sin; as appears by St. Cyprian, Dionysius of Alexandria, Theodoret, Epiphanius, and others. Dionysius tells the Author of the Schism,Theod. haeret, fab, l 3. 5. Epiph. haer. 59. that he had better have suffer'd any thing, than thus to have made a Rent in the Church: and it was as glorious a Martyrdom to die to prevent a Schism, as to avoid Idolatry, and he thinks it a much greater thing; the one being a Martyrdom for the Church, the other only for ones own Soul. St. Cyprian charges those who were guilty of this Schism with Pride and Arrogance, and doing unspeakable mischief to the Church, by breaking the Peace of it: and will hardly allow those to be Christians who lived in such a Schism: when as Epiphanius observes, Cyprian. de Vnit. Eccl. n. 11, 12, &c.they still pleaded they had the same Faith with the Catholick Church; and yet St. Cyprian will not allow that to be true Faith which hath not charity; and saith, That there can be no true charity, where Men do thus break in pieces the Vnity of the Church.
The Meletians in Aegypt agreed with the Catholick Christians in the Substantials of Religion,Epiph. haer. 68. holding the same Faith with them, as Epiphanius relates the Story; and their Schism began too about preserving the Discipline of the Church, and the best means for the Edification of the People. They allowed a Restitution for the lapsed to the Communion of the Church, but after a very severe Discipline, and an utter incapacity of those in Orders as to any parts of their Functions. But Peter Bishop of Alexandria thought the milder way the better; whereupon a Separation followed: and the Meletians had distinct Churches; which they called, The Churches of the Martyrs. This Schism grew to that height, that they would not pray together in Prison, nor in the Quarries whither they were sent. Meletius being a Bishop was deposed by Peter of Alexandria,Theod. l. 1. c. 9. but he went on still to promote the course of Separation in Thebais, and other parts of Egypt, upon which the Council of Nice, in their Synodical Epistle, deprived him of all Episcopal Power, and the People that adhered to him, of the Power of choosing their own Pastors (or rather of proposing the names of those who were to be ordained.) And so, according to Dr. O. they had just cause to continue their Separation still, although it were condemned by the Council of Nice.
Audaeus began his Schism out of a mighty zeal for the Discipline of the Church, Epiph. haer. 70.and a great freedom which he used in reproving the faults of the Bishops and Clergy; but meeting with ill usage, he withdrew from the Churches communion, with his Disciples, although he still retained the same Faith, and agreed in the Substantials of Religion with the best Christians; Sect. 15.but forbore all communion with them; which Epiphanius accounts foreign, the most dreadful thing in the World: and yet upon Dr. O's Principles of Separation, they did a very commendable thing as long as their design was to restore the Churches Discipline, and to consult their own greater Edification.
The followers of Eustathius Sebastenus are on this account likewise excused, who withdrew from the publick Congregations on a pretence of greater sanctity and purity in Paphlagonia, and stand condemned in several Canons of the Council at Gangrae; so are those mention'd and condemn'd in the Councils of Constantinople and Carthage; and the Separation of Felicissimus and his Brethren from St. Cyprian; all which are set down together in my Sermon, but are gently passed over by Dr. O. and Mr. B. and the rest of their Adversaries.
Only one saith, Rector of Sutton, &c. p. 42.That the Errors of the followers of Eustathius Sebastenus, both in Opinion and Practise, were very gross, which the Council takes notice of and condemns. Yet, as gross as they were, there was a pretence of greater Sanctity and Purity in them. For their abstaining from Marriage, and peculiarity of Habits, and Separate Meetings, were all carried on with the same Pretence.
To proceed then. On the same accounts the Donatists will be vindicated in the main grounds of their Schism, although they were mistaken in the matter of fact concerning Coecilian; for their great pretence was to preserve the purity of the Churches Discipline, as may at large be seen in Optatus, and St. Augustin; and yet they frequently, and deliberately call it, a most Damnable and Sacrilegious Schism.
The Luciferians pretended such a zeal for the true Faith, and the Discipline of the Church, that the only pretence for their Schism was, that they could not communicate with those who had subscribed to Arianism, or received Ordination from Ari…n Bishops; as may be seen at large in the Book of Marcellinus and Faustinus. And they joyned with the party of Vrsinus at Rome against that of Damasus, and complained, they were deprived of the liberty of choosing their own Pastors.
So that upon these grounds, there hath scarce been any considerable Schism in the Christian Church, but may be justified upon Dr. Owens Reasons for Separation from our Church.