Apology for the Reformed Churches, Chapter 6
CHAP. VI. That our Separation ariſeth not from particular matters of fact or private opinion, but from ſuch things as are believed generally by all the Romane Church, and ſo that it is not like to the ſchiſme of the Donatiſts.
I Might yet alledge many other differences: but this little may ſuffice, to let you ſee, what are the main reaſons which oblige us to ſeparate from Rome. Whence it appears, how unjuſt a compariſon it is (that I ſay not impertinent and ſilly) which ſome make of our Separation to that of the Donatiſts. For they pretended not to find any thing in the doctrine of the Catholick Church from whence they ſeparated, which was contrary to their belief. Both the one and the other taught the ſame faith, read the ſame books, exerciſed the ſame ſervices. The Donatiſt entring with the Catholicks found nothing either in their belief or diſcipline, which he had not ſeen and learn'd in his own. But as for us, 'tis impoſſible that we ſhould enter into the Communion of the Church of Rome, without ſwearing to many doctrines which we formerly never learn'd in the ſchole of the Scriptures; without receiving Sacraments which are utterly unknown to us; without bowing our knees before images which is abſolutely forbidden; without adoring a thing for God whoſe Deitie we know not; without acknowledging him to be the Head and Huſband of the Church whom we know to be but a mortall man; without ſubjecting thoſe conſciences to an humane, which are taught and wont to ſubmit unto none but a divine Authority. And as for that which the Donatiſts alledge, That Felix the Ordainer of Cecilian Biſhop of Carthage did in former times deliver up the Holy Scriptures to the Pagans, during the perſecution, though it had been true (as indeed it was not; the Catholicks having clearly juſtified their innocence in this point by many irrefragable teſtimonies) ſuppoſing, I ſay, it had been true, that he had committed this fault, who ſeeth not, that this is not a cauſe in nature like to thoſe for which we make our ſeparation? For this was a matter of fact and not a doctrine, a fact of one man, that is of Felix alone, and not of the whole body of the African Church; So that it ſhould have given the Donatiſts no occaſion or cauſe of ſeparating from Cecilian, much leſſe any juſt cauſe of breaking communion with all Africk. For ſuppoſe that Felix the Ordainer of Cecilian had committed this fault, yet 'tis cleare, That he did not teach or think that it was lawfull for him to deliver the H. Scriptures up to Infidels; but on the contrary, by denying that he committed it, and ſtanding upon his defence as he did, he confeſſed plainly by conſequence, that it was a fault. The Donatiſts then might have continued in that communion without any way ſtaining either their Creed or their manners, without being forced either to do or believe any thing againſt their conſciences. But for all that, ſuppoſing (which yet is manifeſtly falſe) that Cecilian had defended, and preach'd publickly in his pulpit, That it was permitted Chriſtians in times of perſecution, to deliver up the books of HOLY WRIT to the enemies of the Church; and ſuppoſing again (which 'tis not fit now to examine) that this errour were pernicious, and inconſiſtent with a true faith, I cannot diſcern how the Donatiſts had any juſt cauſe of avoiding the communion of the ſucceſſours of Cecilian or other Biſhops of Africk, who unanimouſly held, taught, and preached that to commit ſuch a fault was a weakneſſe unbefitting the ſoul of a Chriſtian, and made all ſuch ſubmit to the rigours of Eccleſiaſticall diſcipline whom they found guilty of it. This crime (or what ever you will imagine it) was onelyonly Felix's, or perhaps Cecilians; but not any mans elſe: The whole Church had no ſhare in it: ſo that it was an intolerable piece of injuſtice, a ſtrange pride, and mad fantaſticalnes, to abhorre a whole Church for the errours of offences of one particular man. I would to God the caſe between the Romane Church and us had been the like! That we had ſeen nothing deplorable but onelyonly the faults of her Pastours, and the diſorders of her manners! or That ſuch of her doctrines which we cannot receive, had been the thoughts of ſome particular men onelyonly! Had there been nothing elſe we ſhould have lived ſtill together. Our Fathers would never have ſeparated from Her Communion; or if ſome ſtrange paſſion, which we dream not of, had precipitated them into a rupture and ſchiſme like that of the Donatiſts; We do in our Conſciences proteſt, that we would have been afraid to follow their errour, and that we would have loſt no time of uniting our ſelves with them, from whom we had been ſo imprudently ſeparated. For we cannot but confeſſe, That 'tis a piece of very high injuſtice to impute the faults of men to their profeſſion, and to accuſe their Religion of thoſe extravagancies which they commit, eſpecially if againſt it. In ſuch a caſe we ſhould queſtionleſſe practiſe the doctrine of our Saviour, ſpeaking of them who ſit in Moſes chair; Matt. xxiii. 3. All thoſe things which they bid you obſerve, thoſe obſerve and do; but do not after their works. The Church wherein they live is not guilty of their errour, eſpecially when it highly (and oft out of the mouthes of thoſe very men) condemneth the faults and diſorders of their lives. The Church may ſay to ſuch fugitives, The faults of my children are no fit reaſon to induce you to abhorre Me. Live in my communion you may, and not be obliged to communicate with their wicked deeds. Thoſe very men who are thus wicked ſhould drive you from the vice, in ſtead of bringing you to it: for, if you mark it, They carry preſervatives in their mouthes againſt the poiſons of their manners. But, alas! 'Twas not this that drove us from the Church of Rome. 'Twas not the fall of one Felix, nor the weakneſſe of ſome Cecilians, 'twas not the covetouſneſſe of her Prelates, the licenciouſneſſe of her Monks, the filthineſſe of her Court, the exceſſe and abuſe of her Sovereigne Pontifes. For though ſhe ſuffered theſe diſorders with too much indulgence, yet ſhe neither doth command them, nor openly approve of them. Though ſhe very gently tolerate ſuch as were debauched or vicious, yet ſhe did not force any to be ſo. No man was for entring into her communion conſtrained to be a ſlave to any of thoſe vices which bore ſway in the midſt of her. No, a man might have lived within it, and yet addicted himſelf to honeſty and goodneſſe: And as yet corruption had not gained ſo farre, as that ill manners were authorized by publick laws. But on the contrary during the worſt of times, though her voice was weak and languiſhing, yet ſhe made ſome noiſe againſt the impietie of the age. And oftentimes thoſe very men that gave ill example in their lives preached againſt it and decryed it horribly in the pulpit. That which hath pulled us from her communion is her doctrine, and not her actions; that which ſhe commands, and not that which ſhe ſuffers; that which ſhe requires of us all, and not that which ſhe tolerates in ſome others; the articles of her faith, and not the faults of her life. For the adoration of the Euchariſt, invocation of Saints, veneration of images, and thoſe other articles which we rehearſed before, are not ſuch things as ſhe onelyonly tolerates as bad, or excuſeth as doubtfull; but beliefs which ſhe commendeth as true, and obſervations which ſhe commandeth as uſefull and neceſſary to ſalvation. Nor doth ſhe onelyonly practiſe them in the houſe and privately, but likewiſe preach them in the Temple, as perpetuall parts of her Faith. So that if we continue in her communion, we muſt needs make profeſſion of believing them, that is, make our ſelves guilty of an horrible hypocriſie, confeſſing with our mouth what we do not believe with our heart. Now if theſe were onelyonly the opinions of ſome one of her Doctours, if it were onelyonly ſome one Divine that were to be blamed, and the reſt of their. Church diſavowed theſe things; we ſhould not for ſuch a matter make any ſcruple of communicating with Her; acknowledging ingenuouſly, That 'tis an unreaſonable thing to impute the opinions (and ſo the faults) of a few particular men to a whole entire body. Since we ſee it often happens, that they who live in the Communion of a Church, are neither in whole nor in part of the ſame belief with that Church. Thus formerly among the Jewes, The ſect of the Sadducees had their doctrines apart, and the Phariſees had likewiſe theirs. And for a mans being a Jew, he was not at all obliged to embrace or hold preciſely the opinions either of the one, or of the other ſect. And at this very day in the Church of Rome (whence we departed) the order of the Dominicans hath ſome opinions proper to themſelves, and the Franciſcans have others, and ſo likewiſe the Jeſuits others, peculiar to their reſpective Orders. If therefore there were in the midſt of Her, onelyonly ſome one ſocietie of men that held affirmatively thoſe things which we cannot believe, and others lived at liberty either to receive or reject them, In this caſe I confeſſe, that it were very difficult to excuſe our Separation, ſince the Communion with that body whence we have departed doth not oblige us preciſely to any points contrary to our conſciences, But who knows not that thoſe Articles which we cannot receive, are publick not private Doctrines, common to the whole Church of Rome, and not peculiar to the Pope and his party? eſtabliſhed authentickly in her Generall Councels, by the ſuffrages of the Deputies of all the Churches in the world that live in her Communion? Articles, to the belief and obſervation, whereof, ſhe obligeth all ſorts of perſons whatſoever, Clergy and Laity, Monks and Seculars, Men and Women, little and great? anathematizing all as Hereticks, who teach or believe otherwiſe; and beſides the thunderbolts of the Church (excommunications) making uſe of fire and ſword and what elſe they can againſt them, where ever ſhe hath power.
Thus it appears, that our cauſe is no whit like that of the Donatiſts, our Separation ariſing from publick and univerſall Doctrines of the Church of Rome, whereas Theirs had no foundation or reaſon, but onelyonly a pretended act of one particular man, neither confeſſed nor proved.
The African Church (whoſe communion they fled from) preſented them nothing in her Creeds and Service, which was contrary to their faith; whereas Rome (whence we are departed) will conſtrain us to think and do ſeverall things, that directly overthrow the doctrines, which we in our ſouls and conſciences believe.