Now in this Senfe Herefy is the fame Thing with that which we call Schifm; and in this Sense I do verily believe St. Paul meant it in the Text I am now upon. That he did fo, will appear to any one who will look two Verfes backwards, and obferve how the Text comes in. In the 17th Verse of this Chapter St. Paul tells the Corinthians, that he had one Thing to declare to them, for which he was far from praising them: and that was, that they came together not for the better, but for the worse. Now what that was which rendered their Affemblies fo unprofitable, or rather fo prejudicial to them, he tells them in the 18th Verfe; For, fays he, when ye come together in the Church, I hear that there be Divifions among you : [The original Words are, I hear there be gouara. Schifms among you :] and, fays he, I partly believe it; and then he gives the Reafon why he is fo inclinable to believe this of them in the Words of my Text, For, fays he, there must be Herefies among you. So that it is evident that what he called Schifms or Divifions in the former Verfe, he calls Herefies in the following Verfe, and confequently that he meant the fame Thing by both thofe Words. It is wholly indifferent to my prefent Bufinefs in which of these two Senfes the Words of my Text be interpreted. I fhall in what I have further to fay have refpect to both; only before I proceed, I would make a Reflection upon this Notion of Herefy, as I did upon the former. According to the Senfe I have now given of the Text, every one who makes Divifions, every one that causeth Schifms, is guilty of Herefy. This is true, and let thofe who are concerned in it look to it. It muft be acknowledged, that as Chriftianity now ftands in the World, nay as it hath stood for feveral Ages, there have been, and are a great many Divifions and Schifms in the Church. They who are united in one common Faith, are not united in one common Communion, as the primitive Churches were, That is indeed the Infelicity and Mifery of Christendom; and all good Men do fadly lament it. But Woe be to them by whom this Offence cometh! There are who call us Schifmaticks, becaufe we are now in a State of Separation from the Church of Rome upon account of our Reformation. But we are fure we do not deferve that Name. If indeed it did appear either that that Church was the only Catholick Church, out of which there is no Salvation; or that we had departed farther from that Church, or any Church, than we are convinced they have departed from the primitive Rule of Chrift and his Apoftles; or that what was done in our Reformation, was done without lawful and fufficient Authority; or that at this Day we refufe Communion with any, or with all the Churches in the World, upon fuch . Terms Terms as either the Laws of Chrift will allow us, or the primitive Churches would have fubmitted to; I fay, if any of these Things could be made out against us, there would be fome Colour to accufe us of Schifm from the Catholick Church for adhering to our Reformation. But fince it may be made evident that the quite contrary to all thefe Things is true; fince it may be made evident that the Roman Church is but a particular Church, and that we in this Nation have within ourselves as full and as independant Authority to reform Abuses in Doctrine and Worship, as fhe or any other Church hath; and fince it and fince it may be made evident that nothing was done in our Reformation but by lawful and good Authority, and that we have in no Inftance departed from the Catholick Church, no nor from the Roman, fave where their Terms of Communion were inconfiftent with our Duty to God; and that we are at this Day ready to join in Communion with all the Churches in the World, upon the primitive Catholick Terms: I fay, this being our Cafe, it is as impoffible we fhould be guilty of Schifm in adhering to our Reformation, as it is we should be guilty of Heresy, when we own all Catholick Doctrines. Having thus given an Account of Herefy, both as it fignifies a Departure from Faith, and a Departure from Ecclefiaftical Com munion, munion, I now come, in the IId Place, to give fome Account of St. Paul's Propofition, that there must be Herefies, take that Word in which of the two Senfes you please. St. Paul fays, that there must be Hereftes; that is to fay, it cannot be avoided, but that there will be Errors and Mistakes in Matters of Faith; there will be Sects, and Parties, and Factions in Religion; nay, it cannot be avoided, but there will be fuch Men as will endeavour to bring in dangerous Acts 20. Doctrines into the Church. I know, fays V. 29, 30. St. Paul in another Place, that grievous Wolves fball enter in among you, not sparing the Flock, and of yourselves fhall Men arife Speaking perverfe Things to draw away the Difciples after them. And this indeed is no more than what our Saviour had told us beMatt.18.7 fore; Wo, fays he, unto the World becaufe of Offences, for it must needs be that Offences come. Aválan yag 5w, there is a Neceffity Luk.17.1.for it; or, as St. Luke expreffes it, 'AvvdexΤον ἐςι μὴ ἐλθεῖν ; It is impoffible but offences will come. Now certainly among thofe Offences which our Saviour fpeaks of, Herefies and Schifms were not the leaft. But it will be asked, Why muft there be Herefies and Schifms? Whence doth the Neceffity of them arife? I anfwer, It doth arife from the prefent corrupt Frame of human Nature, and the Conftitution of Things in this World. To fay that there will always be Herefies and Schifms, is no more than than to say that there will always be in the World fome Men who will be fo knavish, as for worldly Ends, to endeavour to seduce others from the Ways of Truth and Peace; and that there will be others fo foolish as to be feduced by them. Hence it is that all Herefies and Schifms do arife; and till it pleafe God to keep Sin and Folly out of the World, and by an over-ruling Hand to preferve Men from abufing that natural Liberty he hath given them; I fay, till God doth this, it cannot be expected that the Church fhould be free from thefe Things. It is not for want of a plain Rule to know our Duty, that any Man becomes either a Heretick or Schifmatick, nor is it his own venturing to make a Judgment of that Rule which makes him fo. For as the Rule of Religion is infinitely plain in all neceffary Points, (and as for unneceffary ones it is not a Farthing matter how much Men differ about them, fo long as they do not break Charity and the Churches Peace upon account thereof) I fay, as the Rule of Religion is infinitely plain in all neceffary Matters; fo when all is done every Man muft judge for himself as to the Meaning of that Rule. But here is the Thing: It is the want of Honefty and Virtue, it is Vice and Sin, it is Pride or Ambition, or Envy or Difcontent; it is the Love of the World, and the Defire of ferving fome fecular Intereft; I fay, thefe are the Things that make an Heretick ; thefe |