The Unreasonableness of Separation, Part 2 · Section 26
Sect. 26. (4.) Another Argument against this course of Separation, is, That these grounds will make Separation endless. Which is, to suppose all the Exhortations of Scripture to Peace and Vnity among Christians, to signifie nothing. For nothing being more contrary to Vnity than Division and Separation; if there be no bounds set, but what the fancies of Men dictate to them, be sufficient Grounds to justifie Division and Separation; any People may break Communion with a Church, and set up a new one, when they think fit; which will leave the Christian Church in a remediless condition against those who break its Peace and Communion. Cotton's Answer to R. Williams p. 121.It being a true saying of Mr. Cottons of New-England, That they that separate from their Brethren farther than they have just Cause, shall at length find cause (or at lest think they have found cause) just enough to separate one from another. I never heard, saith he, of any instance to the contrary, either in England, or Holland. The substance of this I had objected before in the Preface to my Sermon; Mischief of Imposit. in the Preface.To which Mr. A. Replies after this manner; That though some petty and inconsiderable inconveniencies, some little trouble may arise to a Church from the levity and volubility of Mens Minds; yet this is no Reason why they should enslave their Iudgments or Consciences to others. And Is this all the Antidote against the Mischief of Separation? Is it a Sin, to break the Churches Communion, or, Is it not? If it be a Sin in some cases, but not in others; Why do you not shew us what those cases are; and that it is a sinful Separation in other cases, but not in them? But to talk of small inconveniencies by the levity of Peoples minds, is Childish trifling, and not Answering. Is Schism indeed become such an inconsiderable and petty inconvenience? Is this an Answer becoming a Christian, To swell every small imposition into a huge insupportable Mountain, and to make themselves lie groaning under the weight of a Ceremony or two, as though their very heart-strings were cracking, and as if Nero had begun a fresh Persecution; and at the same time to lessen the guilt of Division and Separation, as though it were nothing but a little wantonness in the Lambs of their Flocks, frisking up and down from one Pasture to another; some small and inconsiderable inconveniencies may happen by it, but not worth speaking of; and it is pity they should be deprived of their pleasure for it? What a rare Advocate had this Man been for the Novatians, Donati…ts, Luciferians, or what Schismaticks soever rent the Church in pieces in former times? And supposing St. Cyprian, and St. Augustine, and other great opposers of the antient Schisms, to be met together, we may gather from these words, and the Principles of Separation, which he lays down, after what manner he would accost them.
Alass (saith he) What do you mean, Cyprian, and Austin, and other Reverend Fathers, to talk with so much severity and sharpness against separation from the communion of the Church, as though it were such a damnable sin, such a sacrilegious impiety, such a horrid wickedness? Will you make no allowance to the levity and volubility of Mens Minds? What! you would have Men enslave their Iudgments and consciences to others, would you? you would have us be meer Brutes to be managed by your Bit and Bridle? If the Novatians do think your Discipline too loose, Why should not they joyn together for stricter? If Felicissimus and his Brethren dislike some things in the Church of Carthage, Why may not they go to the Mountains for separate Meetings? If the good People were imposed upon against their Wills in the choice of Cornelius, Why may not they choose Novatian for their Pastor? What a stir do you Cyprian make in your Epistles about keeping the Peace of the Church, and submitting to your Rules of Discipline? As though there were not more mischief in your imposing, than in the Peoples separating. And as for you, Augustin, Who can with patience read your long and fierce Declamations, against the sober Donatists? For, there were mad hare-brained Fanaticks, called Circumcellians, who were troubled with more than ordinary levity and volubility, running from place to place, and taking away other Mens lives, and their own too, out of pure zeal; These I grant have an extraordinary Worm, which ought to be picked out in time; but for the rest of the Brethren that only separate on the account of impurity which they apprehend in your Church, Why should you be so severe against them? Why do you so often cry out of the sacrilegiousness of this Schism? we know no other sacriledge, but the sacrilegious desertion of our Ministery, in obedience to the Laws; this is a Sacriledge we often talk of, and tell the People, it is far worse than robbing Church-Plate, considering what precious Gifts we have.Aug. c. Ep. Parmen. l. 1. c. 7. l. 2. c. 1, 3, 11. l. 3. c. 1. But for the Sacriledge of Schism, that we can never understand; although I perceive you have it over and over; besides many other hard words,De bapt. c. Donat. l. 2. c. Crescon. l. 2. c. 14. wherein you would seem to make it the greatest of all Wickedness; and you say, That God punished it more severely than Idolatry; since those who were guilty of the latter, were to be destroyed by the Sword, but Schismaticks were swallowed up of the Earth; Aug. Ep. 43. & 51.as Corah, and his Company. Whereas we that have greater light, look upon Separation but as an effect of the levity and volubility of Mens Minds, and though some little trouble may come to the Church by it, yet it is far better than submission to others impositions. And is not this an intolerable imposition, for you to force these honest Donatists to Communicate in a corrupt and impure Church, as they do believe yours to be? When the Cause was strictly examined at Carthage, Col… at. 3. Carthag. n. 258.What was it their Party pleaded for, but Purity of Discipline, and that the Church was defiled for want of it? and therefore they were forced to Separate, for greater Purity of Ordinances. And, Is this the Damnable, Devillish, Sacrilegious Schism you talk of? Methinks you should consider better the Mischief of your Impositions, when you require Communion so strictly with you, or else they must presently be Separatists and Schismaticks. I pray Sirs have a little patience with me; if I do not fetch off my good friends the Donatists in this matter, we will all be content to be called Schismaticks, Mischief of Imposi…ions in the Preface.as well as they. For if our Principles do clear our selves, I am sure they will do as good a turn for them. Now, the main Principles of our present Separation are these.
(1▪) That every particular Church, upon a due ballance of all circumstances, has an inherent right to choose its own Pastor, and every particular Christian the same Power to choose his own Church. I say not to mischoose, do you mark me, but, a power to choose; not to choose any, but one that may best advance their own Edification; at lest that no Pastor be forced upon a Church, no Church obtruded on a single Christian without their own consent. Now I pray consider, Why might not Lucilla, and Donatus, and Botrus, and Celeustus, with their Party among the People at Carthage, choose Majorinus for their Pastor; although the rest had chosen Caecilian? For they were not well satisfied with Mensurius his Predecessor, whom they suspected for a Traditor; but when they had their liberty to choose, Why should they be debarred of their inherent right of choosing their own Pastor? Why should Caecilian be obtruded upon them? Why should not they choose one, who would best advance their Edification? For Caecilian was at lest under suspicion of compliance in time of Persecution; and therefore for my part, upon our Principles, I think the Donatists very free from the charge of Schism.
(2.) That it is the duty of every Christian to Worship God, not only in purity of heart, but according to the purity of Gospel-Administrations. Now observe, that there was nothing the Donatists pleaded so much, and so vehemently for, as the purity of Gospel-Administrations. This was that which Parmenian, Petilian, and the rest still contended for, as appears by the Plea they put in for themselves in the last Conference at Carthage. We are they (say they) that have suffer'd persecution for maintaining the Purity of the Church,Collat. 3. Carthag. n. 258. this hundred years, because we would not comply with their corruptions, we have been turned out of our Churches, and been sent to Prison, and had our Goods taken from us, and some of our Brethren have been killed, and others hardly used for so good a Cause; And, Can such Men as you condemn them for a horrible Schism? I tell you, they are as Innocent as our selves, for they went upon the same grounds.
(3.) That every Christian is obliged to live in the use of all God's Ordinances and Commandments. Now, Is not Discipline one of God's Ordinances? And, Do we not make want of Discipline, one of the Reasons of our Separation? And therefore the Donatists were very honest Men, for they were just of our mind. And these being the chief grounds we go upon, we cannot but in Brotherly kindness speak this in vindication of them, against your unreasonable severity. I know you tell them often, There will be no end of Separation upon these terms; for why might not Maximia…us do the same by Primianus, that Majorinus did by Caecilian? and so make frustum de frusto, by which they did minuta…im concidere,Aug … …6. cut the Church into so many little pieces,C. Parmen. l. 1. c. 5. l. 2. c. 18. that could never be joyned together again: But, let me tell you, that the force of your Argument comes to this, That Men may choose one Pastor to day, and another to morrow, and a third the next; and so turn round till they are giddy, and run …hemselves out of breath in a wild Goose chase, till they sit down and rest in Irreligion and Atheism. And is this all? (these are his own words.) The Apostle commands us to prove all things (What! By running from one Communion to another?) M…t we needs therefore never hold fast that which is good? unsetled heads, and unsetled hearts will be …ndring; let them go, 'tis a good riddance of them … they be obstinate; but where this humor has destroyed one Church, this rigorous forcing of Pastors on the People (as Caecilian on the People of Carthage) has divided and destroyed hundreds.
Thus far the Advocate-General for Schismaticks.
Judge now, Reader, whether the Causes of the present Separation, as they are laid down by my Adversary, do not equally defend the Donatists in their Schism; and his making so light a matter of Schisms doth not give encouragement to Men to make more.