Roman-Catholick doctrines no novelties, or, An answer to Dr. Pierce's court-sermon, miscall'd The primitive rule of Reformation by S.C. a Roman-Catholick.

CHAP. XIX. (Book 19)

Of SCHISM. The unpardon∣ableness of that Crime, ac∣knowledged by Antiquity, &c. No cause or pretence can ex∣cuse it.

1. HAving followed the Doctor through all his vainly preten∣ded Novelties of Doctrine: We are at last arrived to the most concerning Point of all, Schism: Most concerning certainly; for there is not any one of the fore-mentio∣ned Doctrines, which in themselves consi∣dered, would absolutely destroy Souls, though they erred about them; But Schism alone, whatsoever Error of Do∣ctrine, yea though no Error of Doctrine, were either indeed, or pretended to be a cause of it, will be inevitably damning to every Soul guilty of it; which damnation neither rectitude of Faith, nor any good Works, nor even Martyrdom it self will be

able to prevent.* 1.1 For this cause, (sayes St. Augustine) our Christian Creed concludes with the Articles touching the Church, be∣cause if any one be found separated from her, he shall be excluded out of the number of God's Children: neither shall he have God for his Father, who will not have the Church for his Mother. It will nothing profit such an one that he hath been Orthodox in belief, done so many good works, &c.

2. This is a Truth generally testified by the ancient Doctors of God's Church, and not at all questioned by the more sober Writers of the English Church who have written of Schism, &c. They all are rea∣dy, in words at least, to say with St. Denys of Alexandria,* 1.2 That we ought rather to en∣dure any torments, then consent to the division of God's Church, since the Martyrdom to which we expose our selves by hindring a di∣vision of the Church, is no less glorious, then that which is suffer'd for refusing to sacrific•• to Idols.* 1.3 And with St. Pacian, Though (the Schismatick) Novatian hath been put to death (for the Faith) yet he hath not been crown'd: Why not crown'd? Because he dy'd out of the peace, concord and Communio•• of the Church, separated from that comm•••• Mother, of whom, who ever will be a Marly•• must be a Member.* 1.4 And with St. Iren••us, There cann••t possibly be made any Reforma∣tion of such importance, as the mischief 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Schism is pernicious, &c.

3. But I do not find that Protestant Do∣ctors have endeavour'd to penetrate into the true grounds, why, above almost all o∣ther sins a Christian is capable of com∣mitting, Schism, that is the setting up an Altar against an Altar, or the relinquishing the external Communion of the Church, the making Collects or Assemblies without, yea against the consent of Bishops or Church Governours, &c. should be a sin so unpardonable, that no ignorance (un∣less supposed such as is invincible; which I fear much fewer then is ordinarily ima∣gined, of those, who have any liberal Education can pretend to, in that great evidence and light which they have of the continued succession, unity of Do∣ctrine, perfect obedience to their spiritual Superiours, penances, and retirements from the world, and several other signal marks of the One, Holy, Catholick, Apo∣stolick Church) no ignorance, I say, no sur∣reption, provocation, &c. can excuse it. Some may be more deeply guilty, and ob∣noxious to a heavier damnation then o∣thers, as Ring-leaders more then followers; but damnation is by the Fathers generally denounced as the portion of all.

4. The true Reason whereof may be de∣duced from the example of all other Go∣vernments whatsoever. The greatest of∣fence a Subject can commit against Mo∣narchy,

is an actual attempt, or rather the attempt executed, by which Monarchy is disolved: Inwardly to condemn the Laws of such a Government, to entertain Princi∣ples, which if put in practise, would with∣draw Subjects from their due Obedience, is an offence of an high nature, but the actual cantonising of a Kingdom, and the raising in it Courts, or Iudicatories inde∣pendent on, and opposite to the Common Tribunal of the Country, is the utmost of all crimes: both the Seducers and Seduced are not only deprived of the priviledges belonging to good Subjects, but pursued by Arms as the worst of all enemies.

5. It is so in God's Church; The main thing our Creed teaches us to believe of it, is its unity, without which it is not a Church: Now if Vnity, then Order, then Subordination of Governours, &c. what therefore is the great sin against this fun∣damental constitution of the Church, but Schism? a dissolving the Communion and connexion that the members of this great Body have among themselves, and with re∣lation to the whole? We all willingly ac∣knowledge, that the great sin of the Sy∣nagogue, the sin that fill'd up the measur•• of the crimes of the Iews, was their mur∣dering our Lord.* 1.5 Now sayes St. Chrysostom, We shall not merit and incur••d less cruel pu∣nishment, if we divide the unity and plenitu••

of the Church (the mystical Body of our Lord) then those have done which pierced, mangled and tore his own Body.* 1.6 And the ve∣ry like expression hath St. Cyprian.

6. There are very few Heresies (that is, only such Errors as are formally de∣structive to those very few verities or Ar∣ticles of Faith, without an explicite be∣lief whereof no man can be saved) which do in themselves, simply, as false opini∣ons, universally destroy Salvation: In∣deed, if they have the formality of Heresie joyned to them, and be maintained with a knowledge that they are contrary to the sence and authority of the Church, then they have involved in them something of Schism, or at least they are in an immedi∣ate disposition to Schism, and in that re∣gard all Heresies, though in Points of them∣selves less important, are damnative. But Schism alone, though there be no Heresie joyned with it, immediately divides from the Body of Christ, and consequently from Christ himself.

7. But may not ignorance excuse the guilt of Schism? No: on the contrary in some re∣gard it aggravates it. For though Pride and Malice be far greater in the Leading Schismaticks, persons of wit and learning: yet ignorant souls and ideots seem more to contradict human reason; because the

more ignorant they ought to know they are, and being confessedly no Pastors, the more ought they to submit their judg∣ments to Authority, and consequently the preferring their own conduct; or the conduct and direction of particular men or Churches, before the universal Authori∣ty of the Church, the excommunicating (as it were) the whole Church of God, the esteeming all Christians, both Pastors and Flocks, as Heathens and Publicans, is a presumption so contrary to human nature and reason, that their want of learning is that which will most condemn them. I speak not now of persons absolutely ideots, who scarce know there are any other Pa∣stors, or any other Church then their own, who pretend not at all to pass their judgements on other Religions; but know only what their Pastors teach them, having no ability, by reason of their condition, to examine Scriptures and Churches: For such no doubt, may by their simplicity and absolute invincible ignorance, escape the malignity of Schism. But I speak of inferiour Tradesmen, of Gentlemen and Gentlewomen, who have a capacity of be∣ing rightly instructed, and better inform∣ed of that spiritual authority to which they owe their subjection, and yet who, by their own perversness, become trouble•• of the Church, and who, because they ca••

read the Scriptures, take upon them to judge of the sence of them, both for themselves and their Pastors, &c. Such as these no doubt have drunk in the very gall of Schism, by usurping an authority, which express Scripture sayes belongs on∣ly to Pastors.

8. Some learned persons (particularly Doctor Steward) attribute much to the temper of the English Church, which he sayes is like St. Cyprians, Neminem con∣demantes, aut a communione separantes: and this alone they suppose will exempt Protestants (as it did St. Cyprian) from the imputation and penalty of Schism, to which other violent Calvinistical Congre∣gations are more obnoxious. But the case is not the same: This indeed did exempt St. Cyprian, because as St. Augustin sayes, the Church had not then decided the dis∣pute, to whose decision St. Cyprian would certainly have submitted. The case of Protestants is evidently different. If a Province in England had withdrawn it self from the publick civil authority, would this excuse serve them to say,

We do not intend to quarrel with those that conti∣nue in obedience to the King, we mean nei∣ther him nor them any harm, they shall be welcom to come among us, if they will, we will be good friends, we will not meddle with their doings: But we will be govern'd only

by our own Laws and Magistrates

&c? I believe not: Their civility in their rebel∣lion, will not change the Title of their crime, nor free them from the punishment due to it: it may perhaps qualifie the Prin∣ces resentment; but the civillest Treason is Treason.

9. Being to examine the Doctor's Plea, touching the Point of Schism, I thought requisite to premise this consideration of its heynousness, that both he and my self also, should consider it as the most impor∣tant of all other, in which the least mistake will prove mortal. I will add a bold word, and undertake to justifie it: Though it were far more probable that the Catholick Church had been guilty of Innovation in all the Points mentioned by the Doctor: yet since by the Protestants confession those Points are not fundamental, their voluntary separating themselves from her Commu∣nion, will be in God's esteem very Schism.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Aug. de Symb. ad Carech. l. 4. c. 10.
• * 1.2

  Euseb. Hist. Eccl. lib. 6.
• * 1.3

  Pacian ad Sympr. Epist. 2.
• * 1.4

  Iren. l. 4. c. 62.
• * 1.5

  Chrysost. ad Eph. hom. 11.
• * 1.6

  Cypr. de unit. Eccles.