heresy, deposed in the synod of Antioch; and though this was laid open in the eye of the world, as being most ready at hand, with the greatest ease charged upon every man, and with greatest difficulty acquitted by any man; yet there were other suspicions raised upon him privately, or, at least, talked of ex post facto, and pretended as causes of his deprivation, lest the sentence should seem too hard for the first offence. And yet, what they were, no man could tell, saith the story. But it is observable what Socrates saith, as an excuse for such proceedings, "It is the manner among the bishops, when they accuse them that are deposed, they call them wicked, but they publish not the actions of their impiety."-It might possibly be that the bishops did it in tenderness of their reputation, but yet hardly; for to punish a person publicly and highly, is a certain declaring the person punished guilty of a high crime, and then to conceal the fault, upon pretence to preserve his reputation, leaves every man at liberty to conjecture what he pleaseth; who possibly will believe it worse than it is, inasmuch as they think his judges so charitable as therefore to conceal the fault, lest the publishing of it should be his greatest punishment, and the scandal greater than his deprivation. However this course, if it were just in any, was unsafe in all; for it might undo more than it could preserve, and, therefore, is of more danger than it can be of charity. It is, therefore, too probable that the matter was not very fair; for, in public sentences, the acts ought to be public, but that they rather pretend heresy to bring their ends about, shows how easy it is to impute that crime, and how forward they were to do it: and that they might, and did then, as easily call heretic as afterward, when Vigilius was condemned of heresy, for saying there were antipodes; or as the friars of late did, who suspected Greek and Hebrew of heresy, and called their professors heretics, and had like to have put Terence and Demosthenes into the Index Expurgatorius; sure enough they railed at them pro concione, therefore because they understood them not, and had reason to believe they would accidentally be enemies to their reputation among the people.

By this instance, which was a while after the Nicene council, where the acts of the church were regular, judicial, and orderly, we may guess at the sentences passed upon heresy, at such times and in such cases, when their process was more private, and their acts more tumultuary, their information less certain, and, therefore, their mistakes more easy and frequent. And it is remarkable, in the case of the heresy of Montanus, the scene of whose heresy lay within the first three hundred years, though it was represented in the catalogues afterwards, and possibly the mistake concerning it is to be put upon the score of Epiphanius, by whom Montanus and his followers were put into the catalogue of heretics, for commanding abstinence from meats, as if they were unclean, and of themselves unlawful. Now the truth was, Montanus said no such thing; but commanded frequent abstinence, enjoined dry diet, and an ascetic table, not for conscience' sake, but for discipline; and yet because he did this with too much rigour and strictness of mandate, the primitive church disliked it in him, as being too near their error, who, by a judicial superstition, abstained from meats as from uncleanness. This, by the way, will much concern them who place too much sanctity in such rites and acts of discipline; for it is an eternal rule, and of never-failing truth, that such abstinences, if they be obtruded as acts of original immediate duty and sanctity, are unlawful and supersti

tious; if they be for discipline, they may be good, but of no great profit : it is that "neglecting of the body" which, St Paul says, profited but little; and just in the same degree, the primitive church esteemed them; for they therefore reprehended Montanus, for urging such abstinences with too much earnestness, though but in the way of discipline; for that it was no more, Tertullian, who was himself a Montanist and knew best the opinions of his own sect, testifies; and yet Epiphanius, reporting the errors of Montanus, commends that which Montanus truly and really taught, and which the primitive church condemned in him; and, therefore, represents that heresy to another sense, and affixes that to Montanus, which Epiphanius believed a heresy, and yet, which Montanus did not teach. also, among many other things, lessens my opinion very much of the integrity or discretion of the old catalogues of heretics, and much abates my confidence towards them.

And this

And now that I have mentioned them casually, in passing by, I shall give a short account of them; for men are much mistaken; some in their opinions concerning the truth of them, as believing them to be all true; some concerning their purpose, as thinking them sufficient, not only to condemn all those opinions, there called heretical, but to be a precedent to all ages of the church, to be free and forward in calling heretic. But he that considers the catalogues themselves, as they are collected by Epiphanius, Philastrius, and St Austin, shall find that many are reckoned for heretics, for opinions in matters disputable, and undetermined, and of no consequence; and in these catalogues of heretics there are men numbered for heretics, who, by every side respectively, are acquitted; so that there is no company of men in the world that admit these catalogues as good records, or sufficient sentences of condemnation. For the churches of the reformation, I am certain, they acquit Aerius, for denying prayer for the dead, and the Eustathians, for denying invocation of saints. And I am partly of opinion, that the church of Rome is not willing to call the Collyridians heretics, for offering a cake to the Virgin Mary, unless she also will run the hazard of the same sentence, for offering candles to her and that they will be glad, with St Austin, to excuse the Tertullianists, for picturing God in a visible corporeal representment. And yet these sects are put in the black book by Epiphanius, and St Austin, and Isidore respectively. I remember also, that the Osseni are called heretics, because they refused to worship towards the east; and yet, in that dissent, I find not the malignity of a heresy, nor any thing against an article of faith or good manners; and it being only in circumstance, it were hard, if they were otherwise pious men and true believers, to send them to hell for such a trifle. The Parermeneutæ refused to follow other men's dictates like sheep, but would expound Scripture according to the best evidence themselves could find, and yet were called heretics, whether they expounded true or no. The Pauliciani, for being offended at crosses, -the Proclians, for saying, in a regenerate man all his sins were not quite dead, but only curbed and assuaged,-were called heretics, and so condemned, for ought I know, for affirming that which all pious men feel, in themselves, to be too true. And he that will consider how numerous the catalogues are, and to what a volume they are come in their last collections, to no less than five hundred and twenty (for so many heresies and heretics are reckoned by Prateolus), may think, that if a retrenchment were justly

made of truths, and all impertinences, and all opinions, either still disputable, or less considerable, the number would much decrease; and, therefore, that the catalogues are much amiss, and the name heretic is made a bugbear to affright people from their belief, or to discountenance the persons of men, and disrepute them, that their schools may be empty, and their disciples few.

So that I shall not need to instance how that some men were called heretics by Philastrius, for rejecting the translation of the Seventy, and following the bible of Aquila, wherein the great faults mentioned by Philastrius, are, that he translates XTO OV, not the Christ,' but the anointed of God,' and instead of Emanuel,' writes God with us.' Such another was the heresy of the Quartodecimani; for the Easterlings were all proclaimed heretics, for keeping Easter after the manner of the East; and as Socrates and Nicephorus report, the bishop of Rome was very forward to excommunicate all the bishops of the Lesser Asia, for observing the feast according to the tradition of their ancestors, though they did it modestly, quietly, and without faction; and although they pretended, and were as well able to prove their tradition from St John, of so observing it, as the Western church could prove the tradition derivative from St Peter and St Paul. If such things as these make up the catalogues of heretics (as we see they did), their accounts differ from the precedents they ought to have followed, that is, the censures apostolical, and, therefore, are unsafe precedents for us; and unless they took the liberty of using the word heresy, in a lower sense than the world now doth, since the councils have been forward in pronouncing anathema, and took it only for a distinct sense, and a differing persuasion in matters of opinion and minute articles, we cannot excuse the persons of the men: but if they intended the crime of heresy against those opinions, as they laid them down in their catalogues, that crime, I say, which is a work of the flesh, which excludes from the kingdom of heaven, all that I shall say against them, is, that the causeless curse shall return empty; and no man is damned the sooner, because his enemy cries thou cursed,' and they that were the judges and accusers, might err as well as the persons accused, and might need as charitable a construction of their opinions and practices as the other. And of this we are sure, they had no warrant from any rule of Scripture, or practice apostolical, for driving so furiously and hastily, in such decretory sentences. But I am willing rather to believe their sense of the word 'heresy' was more gentle than with us it is; and for that they might have warrant from Scripture.

But by the way, I observe, that although these catalogues are a great instance to show, that they whose age and spirits were far distant from the apostles, had also other judgments concerning faith and heresy than the apostles had, and the ages apostolical; yet, these catalogues, although they are reports of heresies, in the second and third ages, are not to be put upon the account of those ages, nor to be reckoned as an instance of their judgment, which, although it was in some degrees more culpable than that of their predecessors, yet in respect of the following ages, it was innocent and modest. But these catalogues I speak of, were set down according to the sense of the then present ages, in which as they, in all probability, did differ from the apprehensions of the former centuries, so it is certain, there were differing leanings, other fancies, divers representments and judgments of men depending upon circumstances, which the first ages

knew, and the following ages did not; and, therefore, the catalogues were drawn with some truth, but less certainty, as appears in their differing about the authors of some heresies; several opinions imputed to the same, and some put in the roll of heretics by one, which the other left out; which, to me, is an argument, that the collectors were determined, not by the sense and sentence of the three first ages, but by themselves, and some circuinstances about them, which to reckon for heretics, which not. And that they themselves were the prime judges, or perhaps some in their own age, together with them; but there was not any sufficient external judicatory competent to declare heresy, that, by any public or sufficient sentence or act of court, had furnished them with warrant for their catalogues. And, therefore, they are no argument sufficient, that the first ages of the church, which certainly were the best, did much recede from that which I showed to be the sense of the Scripture, and the practice of the apostles: they all contented themselves with the apostles' creed, as the rule of the faith; and, therefore, were not forward to judge of heresy but by analogy to their rule of faith. And these catalogues, made after these ages, are not sufficient arguments that they did otherwise; but rather of the weakness of some persons, or of the spirit and genius of the age in which the compilers lived; in which the device of calling all differing opinions by the name of heresies, might grow to be a design to serve ends, and to promote interests, as often as an act of zeal and just indignation against evil persons, destroyers of the faith, and corrupters of manners.

For, whatever private men's opinions were, yet, till the Nicene council, the rule of faith was entire in the apostles' creed; and provided they retained that, they easily broke not the unity of faith, however differing opinions might possibly commence in such things, in which a liberty were better suffered, than prohibited with a breach of charity. And this appears exactly in the question between St Cyprian of Carthage, and Stephen, bishop of Rome; in which one instance, it is easy to see what was lawful and safe for a wise and good man; and yet how others began, even then, to be abused by that temptation, which since hath invaded all Christendom. St Cyprian rebaptized heretics, and thought he was bound so to do; calls a synod in Africa, as being metropolitan, and confirms his opinion by the consent of his suffragans and brethren, but still with so much modesty, that if any man was of another opinion, he judged him not, but gave him that liberty that he desired himself. Stephen, bishop of Rome, grows angry, excommunicates the bishops of Asia and Africa, that in divers synods had consented to rebaptization,-and without peace, and without charity, condemns them for heretics. Indeed, here was the rarest mixture and conjunction of unlikelihoods that I have observed. Here was an error of opinion, with much modesty and sweetness of temper, on one side; and on the other, an over active and impetuous zeal to attest a truth. It uses not to be so; for error usually is supported with confidence, and truth suppressed and discountenanced by indifferency. But that it might appear that the error was not the sin, but the uncharitableness, Stephen was accounted a zealous and furious person; and St Cyprian, though deceived, yet a very good man, and of great sanctity.

The sum is this: St Cyprian did right in a wrong cause, as it hath been since judged; and Stephen did ill in a good cause. As far then as piety and charity are to be preferred before a true opinion, so far is St Cyprian's prac

tice a better precedent for us, and example of primitive sanctity, than the zeal and indiscretion of Stephen. St Cyprian had not learned to forbid to any one a liberty of prophesying or interpretation, if he transgressed not the foundation of faith, and the creed of the apostles.

THE MIXTURE OF SIMPLICITY AND OBSCURITY IN HOLY WRIT.

GOD, who disposes of all things sweetly, and according to the nature and capacity of things and persons, had made those only necessary, which he had taken care should be sufficiently propounded to all persons, of whom he required the explicit belief. And, therefore, all the articles of faith are clearly and plainly set down in Scripture; and the Gospel is not hid except to those which are lost.

But, besides these things, which are so plainly set down, some for doctrine,' as St Paul says, that is, for articles and foundation of faith; some for instruction, some for reproof, some for comfort, that is, in matters practical and speculative, of several tempers and constitutions;-there are innumerable places, containing in them great mysteries, but yet either so inwrapped with a cloud, or so darkened with umbrages, or heightened with expressions, or so covered with allegories and garments of rhetoric, so profound in the matter, or so altered or made intricate in the manner, in the clothing, and in the dressing, that God may seem to have left them as trials of our industry, and arguments of our imperfections, and incentives to the longings after heaven, and the clearest revelations of eternity, and as occasions and opportunities of our mutual charity and toleration to each other, and humility in ourselves, rather than the repositories of faith, and furniture of creeds, and articles of belief.

ON THE AUTHORITY OF COUNCILS TO DETERMINE
CONTROVERSIES.

BUT since we are all this while in uncertainty, it is necessary that we should address ourselves somewhere, where we may rest the sole of our foot: and nature, Scripture, and experience, teach the world, in matters of question, to submit to some final sentence. For it is not reason that controversies should continue, till the erring person shall be willing to condemn himself; and the Spirit of God hath directed us by that great question at Jerusalem, to address ourselves to the church, that in a plenary council and assembly, she may synodically determine controversies. So that if a general council have determined a question, or expounded Scripture, we may no more disbelieve the decree, than the Spirit of God himself who speaks in them. And indeed, if all assemblies of bishops were like that first, and all bishops were of the same spirit of which the apostles were, I should obey their decree with the same religion as I do them whose preface was, it hath seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us,' and I doubt not but our bles