18. 21.

port a Chriftian much what it is, nor who is chargeable with it; yet fince this Theological Scarecrow has frighted men mightily of late, it may poffibly be of fome fervice to fee whether the Diffenters are not inditable of the Schifm of the Modern English Divines. Schifm in their opinion is an unneceffary Separation from a lawful Eftablish'd Church. 'Tis plain that this is no Scripture Notion of Schifm; for 1 Cor. 11. the Corinthians were guilty of Schifm, when they were gather'd together. But be it a definition of what it will, when 'tis understood,it will be at the fame time understood, that the Diffenters are not included in it. (1.) Separation in this definition can't mean meerly a Local one: for then every Congregation wou'd be Schifmatical, fince'tis locally feparated from another. (2.) Neither can it mean bare NonCommunion; for then a Man, who never communicated with any Church but his Parish one, wou'd be a Schifmatick: whereas it wou'd be very ftrange, that a Man fhou'd be a Schifmatick for communicating with the Congregation, which he is oblig'd to communicate with, by the Rules of the Church. (3.) Nor can it mean a bare Dif ference in Worship or Jurifdiction: For then either ParishChurches, and Churches fubject to Epifcopal Jurifdiction, or Cathedrals and Exemptions must be Schifmatical Churches; for Cathedrals and Parish Churches have many differences in their manner of Worship; and Exemptions are not subject to the Epifcopal Jurifdiction that others are. (4.) Nor can it mean bare Non-Communion founded on this difference, for then a Man living in a Parifh, exempted from Epifcopal Jurifdiction, or that always worfhips in a Cathedral, and never communicated with any other, which a Man may do and remain a good Churchman, must be a Schifmatick. And if it did mean a bare Non-Communion founded on this difference, the Occafional Conformists cou'd not be included, because they do fometimes join in Communion with the Church; whom

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I suppose the Framers of this Definition don't defign to excufe. (5.) Nor can it mean an avow'd abftinence from Communion, founded upon a difference in Worship or Jurifdiction (which I believe is the common Acceptation of the word) any more than a bare Non-Communion founded on that difference. For if it did, a Parishioner of an exempted Parish, who liking the Difcipline and the Preaching of the Minifter in that Parish better than in any other, and who fhou'd upon that account never communicate with any other Parish-Church, would be a Schifmatick: Which cannot be granted any more, than that a Man fhou'd be à Schifmatick, for communicating conftantly with his Parish Church. So that there is no sense of Separation, by which many Members being in fole and conftant Communion with the Church of England will not be Schifmaticks, as well as Diffenters. And for this Reason I can't fee, that the Schifm of the Diffenters can be properly included, under the general notion of Separation.

Neither can I fee, that when 'tis reftrain'd to an Unneceffary Separation from a lawful Eftablish'd Church, it will defcribe the Diffenters Schifm any better; fince then it will neither exclude all Churchmen, nor comprize all Diffenters. In order to fhew this, we'l confider the other parts of the Definition. By an Unneceffary Separation is meant a Separation, that is not made upon the account of fome finful Terms of Communion. Well, be it fo. All Diffenters think an entire Communion with the Church wou'd be to them upon finful Conditions: For it wou'd, in their Opinion, be upon Condition of being Partys to finful Impofitions, Corruptions and faulty Defects, and of lefs Edification. And the fame Scripture that commands us to be Holy, commands us to grow in Holiness, exprefs'd there by its Parts, Grace, and the Knowledg of Jefus Chrift. And the Command that en

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joins

a Pet.3.18.

joins us the End, enjoins us the Means that we think neceffary to that End. And by confequence it wou'd be finful in a Diffenter, who thinks other Chriftian Affemblys more likely to forward his fpiritual Improvements than the Church, to communicate with her. All Diffenters agree in these Principles, tho they differ in applying 'em. Some being of Opinion, that the confequence of these Principles is, that fo much as Occafional and Partial Com munion with the Church is unlawful, because they think, even that is making themselves Partys to the Faults of the Church: Whilft others think, for the Reasons alledg'd before, that 'tis only Conftant and Total Communion that can abet 'em ; and upon that account,the only Communion whofe Conditions are unlawful.

And by this it appears, that all Separation from a Lawful Church is not Schifm: Since better Edification is a Rea, fon for Separation, as well as avoiding Communion with a false Church; and that a good Chriftian may separate not only from a falfe Church, but from an ill Conftitution of a found one. And therefore whilft the Definition stands as it does, it is a Contradiction to it felf; fince there may be a neceffary Separation from a lawful Church, which the Definition implicitly denys. So that, if the other parts of it were juft, it cou'd not agree with the thing it defin'd,unless to Lawful be added the best conftituted. And unless it run thus, that Schifm is an unneceffary Separation from a Lawful and the best conftiruted Establish'd Church; and then the Diffenters are not concern'd in it..

And as by omitting this the Definition is defective,fo the laft word,viz. Establifb'd, is fuperfluous, and makes the Definition redundant. By an Establish'd Church is meant one that has certain Privileges granted it under the Sanction of human Laws. Now this Establishment may indeed give Privileges to the Church, but can never make it a True one, or give it a good Conftitution: And it may

make

make it penal for me to feparate from it, but it can't make it finful. For the Magiftrate has no Commiffion to give Laws to the Church, nor has the Church any Power to make any nor does Chrift's Laws want any human Sanction, nor can the Society receive any Benefit by it. How therefore an Establishment of the Church makes it Schifm for a Man to feparate from it, I confefs is not plain to me, unless the neglect of a Magiftrates Command in things which he has no Authority to command, be the thing that's meant by Schifm.

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And indeed if Schifm be an unneceffary Separation from an Establish'd Church, as well as a lawful one, there cou'd be no Schifm before Conftantine's time (above 300 years after there were Chriftian Churches) fince before that time the Lawful Church had no Eltablishment. But putting the Cafe, that not complying with the Laws which the Magiftrate has made concerning the Church be Schifm; then as before thofe Laws were made, there cou'd be no Schifm: fo neither can they be guilty of it, for whose Benefit thofe Laws are difpens'd with And therefore fince the Act of Toleration has difpens'd with all thofe penal Laws, that were in force to the Diffenters, they can't now be Schifmaticks according to this notion of Schifm. Nay fince the Act of Toleration has not only exempted the Diffenters from the force of the penal Laws, but has given 'em certain Immunitys and Privileges; I know no reason why the Churches of the Diffenters may not be faid to be eftablifh'd by the Act of Toleration, as well as the Church of England by the Act of Uniformity; unless the many Privileges the Church has by the one, and the few the Diffenters enjoy by the other,can make the dif- Peace and ference. At least, I don't fee why this mayn't be afferted, Onion, or a Defence of if we may rely upon the Authority of Sir H's Defender, Sir H. M's who, upon another occafion, fays, that where two Forms Treatise on the Occafioof Worship are establish'd by the original Conftitution, nat Bill,

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nei- p. 5. §. 4.

neither can be faid to be Diffenters from the Establishment. By this time, I hope, the Meaning and the Im propriety of this Definition is fufficiently understood: and how unapplicable it is to the Separation of the Diffenters. Since Schifm is not included in Separation; nor is the Separation of the Diffenters unneceffary; nor a Separation from a lawful Church always finful; and that as there may be a Schifm from a lawful Church that has no Eftablishment, fo there may be a Separation from a lawful eftablish'd Church, where there's no Schifm. la 4 But if Schifm did confift in a Separation from a lawful establish'd Church, they are not the Separatifts who feparate, because that lawful Church has fomething they think unlawful, or which they suspect to be fo; or at least not only they: But they are the Separatifts, who force the others to feparate by their Impofitions, who make things neceffary which they acknowledg to be indifferent, and which they know others fcruple as unlawful; and who continue without fome other things, which they own to be very defirable. For then the former are debar'd, and don't debar themselves; they are excluded, but don't fe parate; and are driven from the Communion of the latter, but don't leave it. He wou'd be thought mad, if he were in good earnest, who fhou'd fix Rules of Conversation, which he own'd were not neceffary to regulate it, and which he knew I wou'd not comply with; and fhou'd afterwards cry out upon me for an ill bred Man, because I wou'd not make one of the Company: And He wou'd be thought the ill bred Man, and guilty of an impertinent Sarcafm, if he were in Jeft. So that 'tis to be hop'd, that no Body that is either a Friend to the Truth or to the Church, will for the future use a Definition, that may be of fome fervice indeed to the Diffenters, but can never help to support the Church, nor to give us the true notion of Schifm.

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