The Unreasonableness of Separation, Part 2 · Section 27
Sect. 27. But I shall not send him so far back as St. Cyprian, and St. Augustin, for better instruction in this matter; but I shall refer him to one whose Writings I perceive he is better acquainted with, even Mr. Baxter. Who hath very well, in several Books, set forth the great Mischief of Divisions, and Separations. He doth not look upon them as petty and inconsiderable inconveniencies, little troubles to the Church,Cure of Divisions, Direct. 7. Defence of the Cure, p. 3. the effects of levity, and volubility of Mens Minds; but he quotes above Forty places of Scripture against them, and saith, That the World, the Flesh, and the Devil are the causes from whence they come; that they are as much the Works of the Flesh, as Adulteries, Fornications, &c. that contentious dividers are carnal Men, and have not the Spirit; that Divisions are the Wounding,Christian Dire…tory, p. 739, &c. nay the Killing of the Church, as much as lieth in the Dividers; and that to Reform the Church, by dividing it, is no wiser, than to cut out the Liver, or Spleen, or Gall to cleanse them from the filth that both obstruct them, and hinder them in their Office: that Divisions are the deformities of the Church, the lamentation of Friends, and the scorn of Enemies: the dishonor of Christ and the Gospel: the great hindrance of the Conversion and Salvation of the World, and of the Edification of the Members of the Church: That they fill the Church with sins of a most odious nature; they cherish Pride, and Malice, and Belying others (the three great Sins of the Devil) as naturally as dead flesh breedeth Worms. In a word, the Scripture telleth us, that where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. (And, is not this a lamentable way of Reformation of some imaginary, or lesser evils) Yet farther, he saith, They are uneasie to the persons themselves, and rob them of the sweetest part of Religion; they lead directly to Apostacy from the Faith, and shake States and Kingdoms, having a lamentable influence on the Civil Peace. Is all this nothing but the natural effect of the levity or volubility of Peoples Minds?M…schief of Impos. Sect. 1. This learned Author begins his Book with a very starched relation of his admirable Reading, That in his time he hath read an Elegant Oration in praise of a Quartan Ague; another upon the Gout, a third upon Folly; but there wants one yet in the praise of Schism; and I never met with one that doth offer fairer toward it, than he doth. For he not only excuses it, from the natural cause of it, and the small trouble that attends it; but he implies it to be the consequence of Mens using their Reason, and not being made Bruits to be managed with a strong bit and bridle. But Mr. Baxter will teach him another Lesson; for, he saith, that Schism is a sin against so many,Christian Directory, p. 741. and clear, and vehement words of the Holy Ghost, that it is utterly without excuse; Whoredoms, and Treason, and Perjury are not oftner forbidden in the Gospel, than this: that it is contrary to the very design of Christ in our Redemption, which was, to reconcile us all to God, and to unite and centre us all in him: that, it is contrary to the design of the Spirit of Grace, and to the very nature of Christianity it self: that it is a sin against the nearest bonds of our highest Relations to each other; that it is either a dividing Christ, or robbing him of a great part of his inheritance: and neither of these is a little sin: that it is accompanied with Self-ignorance, and Pride, and great unthankfulness to God: that Church-dividers are the most successful servants of the Devil, being enemies to Christ in his Family and Livery: and that they serve the Devil more effectually than open enemies: that Schism is a sin which contradicteth all Gods Ordinances and Means of Grace, which are purposely to procure and maintain the Vnity of his Church. That it is a sin against as great and lamentable experiences, as almost any sin can be: and this is a heinous aggravation of it, that it is commonly justified, and n…t repented of by those that commit it; and it is yet the more heinous, `that it is commonly father'd upon God: Lastly, that it is most unlike the Heavenly State, and in some regard worse than the Kingdom of the Devil, for he would not destroy it by dividing it against it self. Remember now, saith he, that Schism, and making Parties and Divisions in the Church, is not so small a Sin, as many take it for. I conclude this, with his Admonition to Bag shaw, upon his lessening the Sin of Separation. Alass, dear Brother, that after so many years Silencing and Affliction,Defence of his Cure, 2 Except. p, 6. after Flames and Plagues, and Dreadful Iudgments, after Twenty years Practice of the Sin it self, and when we are buried in the Ruines which it caused, we should not yet know, that our own Vncharitable Divisions, Alienations, and Separations are a Crying Sin! Yea, the Crying Sin; as well as the Vncharitableness and Hurtfulness of others. Alass! Will God leave us also, even us, to the Obdurateness of Pharaoh? Doth not Iudgment begin with us? Is there not Crying Sin with us? What have we done to Christ's Kingdom, to this Kingdom, to our Friends (dead and alive) to our selves, and (alass) to our Enemies, by our Divisions. And, Do we not feel it? Do we not know it? Is it to us, even to us, a Crime intolerable to call us to Repentance? Woe to us! Into what Hard-heartedness have we sinned our selves? Yea, that we should continue, and Passionately defend it! When will God give us Repentance unto Life?
Let Mr. A. read these Passages over Seriously, and then consider, Whether he can go on to Excuse, and Palliate the SIN of SCHISM.
But it may be said, That Mr. A. speaks all this Comparatively, with enslaving our Iudgments and Consciences to others, which he calls an Enormous and Monstrous Principle; and he saith, This is a Medicine worse than the Poyson, even as 'tis much better to have a Rational Soul, though subject to Mistakes, than the Soul of a Brute, which may be managed as you will, with a strong bit and bridle. To make it plain, that he makes little, or nothing of the Sin of Separation, we must attend to the Argument he was to Answer; which was, That if it be lawful to Separate on a pretence of greater purity, where there is an Agreement in Doctrine, and the substantial parts of Worship, as is agreed in our Case, then a bare difference of Opinion, as to some circumstances of Worship, and the best Constitution of Churches, will be sufficient Ground to break Communion, and to set up new Churches; which considering the great variety of Mens fancies about these matters, is to make an infinite Divisibility in Churches, without any possible stop to farther Separation. Where we see plainly the inconvenience urged is endless Separation: Doth he set any kind of bounds to it? No; but only talkes of inconsiderable and petty inconveniencies, and some little trouble that may arise to a Church from the levity and volubility of Mens Minds, i. e. let Men Separate as long as they will▪ …his is the worst of it; and he must grant, that though Separation be endless, there is no harm in it. But he that could find out a medium between Circumstances of Worship, and Substantials; can find out none between endless Separation, and the enslaving Mens Iudgments and Consciences: for he supposes, one of the two must of necessity be: Which is plain giving up the Cause to the Papists. For this is their Argument, Either we must give up our Iudgments and Consciences to the Conduct of our Guides, or there will be endless Separation. He grants the consequence, and cries, What then? It is nothing but the levity and volubility of Mens Minds, and this is much rather to be chosen, than the other. But any sound Protestant that understands the State of the Controversie between us and them (as this Author apparently doth not) will presently deny the Consequence: because a prudent and due submission in lawful things lies between Tyranny over Mens Consciences, and endless Separation. But he knows no Medium between being tied Neck and Heels together, and leaping over Hedge and Ditch, being kept within no bounds. And what ignorance or malice is it to suppose, that our Church brings in that enormous and monstrous Principle, of enslaving Mens Iudgments and Consciences, forcing them to surrender their Reasons to naked Will and Pleasure? and if he doth not suppose it, his Discourse is frivolous and imperti…t. For, a due submission to the Rules of our established Church, without any force on the Consciences of Men, as to the Infallibility of Guides, or necessity of the things themselves; will put a sufficient stop to Separation; which must be endless on my Adversaries suppositions.