time, which in the next place he defcribes in a Tranflation of St. Cyprian's words, we may with fhame enough own to be too much like our prefent Cafe; but I think it a bad Reafon to prove, that therefore we ought to cherish and encourage thofe Errors, Herefies and Schifms, which in a great measure make it fo.

(2.) He comes on now with his Hiftory of Schifm, and all along as he reckons them, at every turn the Burthen of the Song is, are thefe damn'd? Or muft these be damn'd? Now Damnation is a terrible word, and therefore before I come to Particulars, I must crave leave to premise two Diftinctions. 1st, Between those that are Schifmaticks, and thofe that are not. For he makes many Schif maticks, which are not fo. And there is no reason in the World to damn them for his giving them an ill name, which they do not deferve. 2dly, Between the Dead and the Living. As for the Dead, what have we to do with them? Their Errors juftly condemn'd by the Church, we ought still to condemn, and not to promote or encourage a Succeffion of thofe Errors, which were the caufe of fo great Troubles, and will ever be fo, whereever they are. But as for their Perfons, they are gone from us, and must stand or fall by the Judgment of God. We may not certainly know, whether they died penitent or impenitent; and therefore it becomes not us peremptorily to determine of their Salvation or Damnation: Neither do they now belong to us; and therefore we ought not to take the Judgment out of God's hand. But how uncertain foever their State may be, quoad nos, we may certainly judge of their Errors, and ought to avoid them. For the uncertainty of their State ought not to be made an encouragement to follow them in their Sin, but rather the contrary. As for the Living, it is certain they are not damn'd

yet,

yet, but that hinders not but that they may be in a damnable Condition. And therefore it would be a very uncharitable, cruel and wicked part in us to fow Pillows under their Elbows, and encourage them in their Sin, that they may run the hazard of Damnation for it. It ill becomes Minifters, and indeed any Chriftians whatsoever, to become Advocates for Wickedness, and Promoters of Broils; but they ought rather to represent their Sin to them as odious and as dangerous as may be, that they may be convinc'd of it, and forfake it; that fo these unchriftian Feuds may have an end, which will never cease, while thefe Schifms are maintained. This might ferve for an Answer to his whole Hiftory: But because he seems to va lue himself upon this, as if his great Strength lay herein, I fhall now defcend to the Particulars; tho' it is fomewhat an unreasonable talk to be obliged to answer every one of fuch a tedious long ftring of Queftions, when this general Answer might be fufficient to fhew the impertinency of them.

(3.) The firft is a fwinger: In all Ages (faith he, p. 26.) there have been fome who have caufed Divifions in Churches, more or lefs, or have Separated from Churches, and been call'd Schifmaticks; but were they all damn'd? And I might as well put the Queftion, Were they all fav'd? God only knows how it is with them: But this Queftion is uncapable of any certain Anfwer from Man. I do not pretend to give an account of what hath been done by all particular Perfons in all Ages; the knowledge of their Condition is fo remote from us, and various Degrees and Circumftances might fo alter the feveral Cafes, that no general Anfwer can fuit them all. Nor is the Question any thing to the purpose: For whether they were damn'd or fav'd, it follows not; but that thofe, who now caufe fuch turbulent Schifins, and abet them, may

be

be guilty of damnable Sin, and confequently in a damnable Condition; and therefore to warn them to get out of it is true Chriftian Charity, left in the end they should be damm'd indeed.

(4.) We are oblig'd to him, that he will not mention the Schifms in the Old Teftament; for then, after his way of making Schifmaticks, I know not when we fhould have done. Yet he cannot pafs by that notorious one of the Pharifees and Sadducees? But these were rather different Fations than Communions, as himself in effect confeffeth, when he tells us, that they worshipp'd in the fame Temple. But be they what they will, he tells us from Fofephus, That John Hyrcanus kill'd many of the Pharifees, and his Son Alexander Jannæus many thoufands of them, but that Alexandra his Widow seeing the Pharifees in greater efteem with the People, join'd with them, and by degrees kill'd the chief Sad:lucees; and then puts the Question, Were all or one part of thefe damn'd? A fhort Anfwer may ferve to this. For whether they were Schifmaticks or not, it is certain they were Murtherers; and if neither Schifm, nor Murther, nor both together, can make up a damnable Sin, it is not a Pin matter, which of the. Sins is the greater or the lefs, which was the thing in difpute. It will be an eafie matter to be Saints, if at this rate we can difpute away our Sins.

(5.) The Old Teftament hath done him fmall fervice; let us now fee, whether he hath any better fuccefs under the New. And here he faith, (p. 27.) A beginning of thefe Evils was feen even in our Lord's own little Family; and to prove this, he cites thofe places of Scripture, which mention a dispute or ftrife among them, which should be the greatest: That it was fo, is very true; but I cannot imagine how he could think it any thing to his purpose to bring it. in here, fince in the fame Breath he confeffeth, that

it was far from rifing up to a Schifm; and feeing our bleffed Saviour reproved them for this, I think it is fair warning to us, not only to avoid Schifin it felf, but even the leaft matters that have a tendency to it; but then this makes but a bad Argument in defence of Schifm. Indeed he himself confefseth, that these things were written to teach us, to look well to our felves, to reprefs fuch Evils, and be tender to one another: But at this time, and in his fenfe, these things are ill put together; for to be fo tender of Schifmaticks, as to encourage and plead for them, is not the way to reprefs fuch Evils. I wish they were reprefs'd, but it will ne ver be done this way.

(6.) To as little purpofe is his Inftance of the murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, becaufe their Widows were neglected in the daily miniftration, (Acts 6. 1.) Here was complaint of a Neglect, and it was prefently amended. Was here any forfaking of the Communion? And if fuch care was taken to prevent the Scandal of leffer Faults, how much greater care ought to be taken to prevent the greater Crime of Schifm, which fwells Men's Hearts with Wrath and Malice, and tears the Church in pieces? What he farther faith concerning the Jews contending with Peter, might as well have been let alone: For, did that rife to a Schifm? And if it had, it had been worfe, But the cafe was thus: It was not then well underftood, that the Wall of Partition was broken down, and the Gentiles to be admitted into the Peculium; and therefore the Jews thought that none were to be received but as formerly, upon the Terms prefcribed by the Law of Mofes, and to convince them of this mistake, grounded upon the Mofaical Law, there was need of no less than a Miracle, viz. The defcent of the Holy Ghoft upon the Believing Gentiles, which Peter had no fooner related, but

they

they did not only reft fatisfied, but also glorified God, (Acts 11.48.) Doth not this make an excel lent Plea for Schifm? The Contention with Paul and Barnabas at Antioch was upon the very fame account; and was determined by the Apostles at Ferufalem to prevent Schifm; and therefore is very unhappily drawn in by our Author to patronize Schifm. It is indeed true, which he faith, That thofe that are Chief in the Church are to condefcend far, as Peter and Paul did, for the prevention or cure of Schifm, (p. 28.) But muft they condefcend to the Deftruction of the Church? Muft they be always condefcending to Perfons that will never be fatisfied? If the Rulers ought to do much, muft others do nothing? Or to what purpose shall Rulers do any thing, if no body will obey them? Or if it be told the Shepherd, that he ought to take care of the Flock, will it be a good Argument, that therefore he ought to let the Sheep wander whither they will, and ftray away till they are loft?

(7.) He feemeth to confess, that all this is little to the purpose: For why elfe doth he now talk of coming to real Schifm, but that what he had before difcourfed on was not fo? And he faith, That in the Church of Corinth there was one;

there were Contentions, Envyings, Strife, Divifions or Schifms among them: And then, faith he, were they that were guilty of them damm'd? (p. 28.) But in none of thofe places cited in his Margin, is Schifm mentioned, except in one, (1 Cor. 11. 18.) where the Apoftle relates what was told him of them, that there were, giouala, Schifms among them; and his answer is, ugs TI wisd'w, I believe it in part; i. e. that though there be not a formal Schifm, yet there was that which did fomewhat partake of the nature of it, and had a strong tendency to it. For Faction was very near of kin

to