to favour. Dr. Owen indeed was more firm to the Party and Business he was brought up for, than Francifcus è Sanità Clarà, alias Chriftopher Davenport, who was originally defigned for the fame purpose; but not to concern our felves, how far Intereft, joyned to long-rooted Prejudice, may prevail with an haughty Man, his Judgment can be no more valuable than his Reafons, which is not my present business to confider, nor need I, for others have already done it. As for Mr. Baxter, it matters not much on which fide he was; for his Practice and his Writings were a Riddle, and heap of Contradictions: And be it fo, that he charged the Schifm on the High Oppofers, yet he was not fo ftiff, or fettled in his Opinion, but that he might have been prevailed with to lay it to the Diffenters. For he made great Friends and earnest Suit for the Rectory of Chifelkurft in Kent (which happened to be void about the time of the Fire of London) and that he might obtain it, made repeated Promifes of full and conftant Conformity; but it being difpofed of to another, he kept his old Poft: And what fuch a Man's Judgment is to be accounted of in this cafe, let any Man judge. But however the determination of the Matter lies not upon what thefe or other Men Thought, but upon the Merits of the Caufe, of which our Author feems to think very meanly, as if these great Men, and all thefe Parties, had all this while fo fiercely contended about a Matter of Nothing. For when he faith they fo lay the Schifin, he puts in this reserve, if there be one; by which he feems to fhew himself doubtful, whether there be any fuch thing amongst us at prefent as a Schifm; and indeed, if he could be conftant to himfelf, he makes it his bufinefs to fhuffle it to and fro, till he has loft it.

(14.) Qur

(14.) Our Author might have known (and doubtlefs did, though he thought it not convenient to acknowledge it) that though Mr. Hales, with a fcornful diffenting Zeal, once called Schifm à Theological Scarecrow, yet he became of another Mind, and return'd from it into the Bofom of the Church. However, I am glad that at prefent he feems not willing to have it fo meanly thought of; and though he hath faid nothing to the purpose all this while towards the proof of his Affertion, yet now he seems to prepare for it, to which end he lays down this Pofition: It is certain the holy Scripture is the only fure and perfect Rule whereby we are to judge of Schifm. If it be fo, to what purpose then do you run away from it, to give us a rambling History through fo many Centuries? Why did you not ftand to that Rule? I am as willing as your felf to acknowledge holy Scripture to be a perfect Rule, and I think I have proved it to be fo against the Romanifts; but then it is fo in its kind, and for which it was intended ; it doth not fupercede the use of other Rules, which are helpful in themselves, and fubfervient to it. It neither teacheth us Grammar, nor Logick, nor the like; it commands and forbids, but rarely gives us definitions of things, but fuppofes us to have known them, or may learn them otherways. As for Inftance, The Scripture faith, Thou shalt not fleal: But Mens Titles to their Eftates are not to be found in Scripture, but it fuppofeth Property to fettled by reasonable and equitable Humane Eftablifhments, which this Scripture-Law confirms. If a Rogue fhould rob Mr. Tallents of his Plate or Money, and upon complaint he were put to it to make out his Right to them only by Scripture, exclufive of all other Proof, I am afraid he would be caft, and fo receive a double Injury. If He mane Laws were fet afide, and Men fhould adC 4

vance

vance Mr. Hobbs's State of Nature in their room, and make all things common, notwithstanding this fcriptural Probition, it would be a difficult thing to inake out fuch a thing as Theft; and fo we might fend away this Sin after fome others, to the great comfort of High-way-men and Housebreakers, Lifters and Pickpockets, and the rest of that precious Crew, which already too much abound amongst us. Scripture doth not make ufelefs all Arts and Sciences, and Legal Eftablishments, but where they properly take place, ferves it felf of them. We might have known what was Schifm, and felt it in the fad Effects of it, though the Scripture had never mentioned it; but feeing Scripture condemns it as an heinous Sin, we ought to be careful, that we be in no wife guilty of it, though it be not there nicely defined. And indeed, though the Scripture by way of prevention doth forbid and condemn all Schifm, yet whilft the Apoftles liv'd (from whom we received the Scriptures) by reafon of their extraordinary Gifts, and fuper-eminent Power, which extended to all, and was acknowledged by all, it was scarce poffible that fuch a Schifin fhould arife, as we are now contending about; if there were any fuch thing, the Cafe of Diotrepbes feems to me to come the neareft to it. But though we are not in hafte to exclude all other helps, yet we are willing thus far to go along with our Author, in giving Scripture the preference in this and the like cafes, and are ready to be determined by it; nor do I doubt, but it will furnish us with fufficient Matter for our purpofe, as we fhall have occafion to difcourfe it with him.

(15.) In the very next Paragraph our Author leaves the Rule of Scripture, to follow the Law of Arms. And I think he could not have ftumbled upon a more unlucky Simitude for his purpose,

than

than to alledge, That Order in a Church, as well as in a Kingdom or Army, is useful and necessary. For if his beloved Diffenters were brought under Military Difcipline, it would certainly teach them better Manners, and greater Obfervance of their Superiors. I muft confefs, that Soldiers are apt to be more boyfterous and rude, than most Men can approve of, or than I believe our Author will commend; but Difobedience to their Commanders is always feverely punished, and often inexpiable, And if fuch ftrict Rules be by his own Confeffion neceffary for the Management and Government of an Army, is it not an excellent Argument to prove, that all Diforderlinefs ought to be allowed in the Armies of the Living God, the Church Militant, and that all Men there may bid defiance to the Commands of their lawful Superiors, and do as they lift? Is there no hope of taking a Town, or winning a Battel, unless fuch ftrict Order be kept? And do we think to conquer our Corruptions, and gain Heaven by being Mafters of Mifrule? Our Author fhould have faid nothing of this, but Men fometimes forget themselves.

(16.) He acknowledgeth the force of this Rea fon to be fo great, that it prevails with many confiderable Ferfons, who like the Diffenters well, to ftick conftantly to the established Church. And fo it doth with many, who whether they like the Churchmen well or not, to ftick conftantly to their own Conventicles; and whatever are their Errors otherways, according to their Principles fo far they feem to be in the right; For Communion ought to be entire and the fame. But what a rare thing is a quick Invention? He hath found out a Trick to evade all this. For (faith he, p.6.). things may be done decently and in order, where there is not Uniformity, but a great variety in leffer things, &c. As for Uniformity in every thing,

even to the leaft Punctilio, I do not think that it was ever expected, defired, or fo much as thought of; and if he thinks there can be Decency and Order without any Uniformity, I defire him to expound his Riddle. But the true Question is, Whether or no there fhall be fuch an Uniformity as is prefcribed by our Lawful Superiors for Decency and Order? And if this must not be, I cannot fee how there can be any Order or Decency in the Worship, or how it is confiftent with any Authority in Governors. For of neceffity fome things muft be determined, and if that muft be left to the Mob, in all likelihood they will be fo far from agreement, that greater Confufions and more Quarrels will daily arife; befides that, by this means all Authority of Superiors ceafeth.

(17.) So defperately in love with his Variety, or rather Confufion, is our Author, that he cannot forbear to bring the Example of Papifts to justifie his Diffenters. What a horrid Outcry against Popery had been raised, if any of us had done the like? The very Papifts (faith he) amidst all their Impofitions, feem to have a careful Eye to that, in allowing fo many Religious Orders, though much differing from each other. I think his variety of Sets, and their many Religious Orders, may in fome refpect be well joined together. For they promote the fame mifchievous defign, though by different means. However his Inftance will not ferve his purpose, but rather make against him, For all thofe Religious Orders are allow ed by their Ecclefiaftical Superiors; and tho' they are bound to certain Religious Exercifes, and lie under certain Restraints, yet they are all of the fame Communion, and pay the ftricteft Obedience to their Governors. If his Diffenters fhould do the like, they would lofe their Name, and the Quarrel would be at an end. If they would become

of