ftian Moderation, and the Communion of Saints. Quid dignum tanto ferat hic Promiffor hiatu ? If the Book it felf had been truly answerable to the Title, I should have efteemed it as a Jewel in these divided troublesome times, and have had the Author in no fmall Veneration; but, alas, Falfhood is forc'd to hang out Truth's Colours, and the fouleft things ftand in need of being covered with the fairest pretences. It is reported of the Hyena, that the hides her Head, that the Beasts being attempted to approach near her to behold her beautiful Skin, fhe may leap on them, and feize them for her Prey: And fo here, one thing is pretended, another intended; and therefore beware, latet anguis in berba: For if that may be called an Hiftory of Schifm, which gives neither a fair account of the Principles and Diforderliness of Schifmaticks, nor of the Judgment and Practice of the Church, in reference to them, but lightly glides over Matters, the Author taking only what he thinks makes for his purpofe, and modelling that alfo to his pleafure; then this may be called a Hiftory, which fome will think they may modeftly call a Mifrepresentation. It must be confeft, that it is bort, if we confider the variety of Sects it pretends to account for: and yet is too long, unless it had been better. For a little is too much, when it is artificially fitted to deceive. This relates to the Matter of his Book, the Defign of it (if you can believe him) is to Promote Chriftian Moderation, and the Communion of Saints. Now this his Chriftian Moderation is fuch an Unconcernedness for the Religion a Man profeffes, that he can approve of what he diflikes, and be hail fellow well met with those, whom in his real Thoughts he condemns. And his Communion of Saints is the running the Rounds through all the feveral Communions, that call

B. 4

them

themfelves Proteftant, be they never fo perverfe, filly or ridiculous. The Lord deliver me from the new Notions of these fruitful times; for, till of late, I never heard that the Communion of Schimaticks was the Communion of Saints. If his Book had the Title it deferves, it might have been this, or to this effect: A Sham-Hiftory of Schifm, for the promoting Confufion in Church and State, and the deftroying all Rules of Chriftian Communion. The Truth of which will appear from the Confideration of his Book, which I shall now enter upon,

The State of the Cafe confidered, §. 1. The unwarrantable Defign of that Author, 2. He avoids the main Queftion, and for what reafon, 3. Two Affertions maintained by him in the negative against all the Ancient Fathers, 4. His Pretence confuted, 5, A faying big with falfe and malicious Infinuations, 6. The Plea of Impofitions confidered, 7. Of Things doubtful, 8. Of Matters needlefs, 9, 10. The Cafe of the turn'd-out Minifters by the Bar. At, 11. Difobedience to Laws, how far damnable, 12. The Opinions of Dr. Stillingfleet, Dr. Owen, and Mr. Baxter, concerning the Schifm, 13. Of the Rule, whereby to judge of Schifm, 14. His Army-argument, 15, Of Uniformity in Worship, 16. A frivolous Inftance from Papifts, 17. His Notion of Schifm examined, and Bp. Sheldon vindicated, 18. Authority juftified against his Fears and Jealoufies, 19. Whether Perfons guilty of Schifm are Schif maticks, 20. His Notion of Schifm confidered, 21. Concerning damnable Schifm, and who

guilty,

guilty, 22. Contradictory to himself, 23. A false Charge, 24.

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(1.) THE prefent business of this Author (tho I think it only preparatory to a farther defign) is not to ftate Matters right, but confound them; that he may lofe his Reader in a Labyrinth, and make him renounce all steady Principles, and fet up for an indifferency in the affair of Religion: To this end he is fo full of doublings and turnings, faying and unfaying, that I fhall be forc'd to follow him a Wildgoose-Chase, and of neceffity must make a rambling Argument of it; though I hope to make fome amends for it in the close. He begins with a Charge upon other Men: It is faid (faith he) by divers among us, that Schifm is as damning as Murther or Adultery; that they who die in it, cannot be faved; that it's a fin to worship to God with fuch at any time: And they apply this to the Proteftant Diffenters in England, &c. And then adds, That this is induftrionfly inftilled into the Minds of People, &c. (p. 1.) I wish it had been fo: For it might have prevented much of that mifery we now labour under, and those mischiefs which are like to enfue. For what more Chriftian Courfe can be taken to prevail with Men (as holy Scripture directs) to mind and speak the fame thing? What better way to preferve the Peace and Unity of the Church, and to procure fincere Love and Affection among Chriftians, than to make them fenfible of the malignancy and danger of the Sin of Schifm? But Schifm is a Darling, and it will be fcandalous to fpeak against it. For he tells us, That these Affertions feem very falfe to many wife and good Men, and a great means to binder the power of true Religion, &c; (p. 1.) Thus, when they want better Arguments, we are popt i'th' Mouth at every turn with the

Names

Names of Great and Good Men, or Wife and Good Men. The Sectaries never fail to have their own good Word; they will even out-do him that faid to his Neighbour, Stand off, for I am bolier than thou. For they will fcarce allow any other but themfelves to have any Holinefs at all. But were not St. Ignatius, St. Clemens Romanus, St. Cyprian, and other bleffed Fathers of the Primitive Times, who couragioufly propagated the Chriftian Religion in their Lives, and fealed the Faith with their Blood in their Deaths, as wife and good Men, as our upfart Presbyterians and Independents, or a Mongrel fort of Lukewarm Doctors, who upon occafion can be of this, that, or any Religion whatfoever? And I am fure thofe holy Fathers have faid as fevere things against Schifm and Schifinaticks, as any that are here objected to us: And if we muft be led by wife and good Men, I think it is no great queftion, which we should rather follow. And fuch is the force of Truth, that even Mr. Tallents himfelf, (forgetting himself and his Caufe) as tender as he is of Schifm, hath in this very Book given it as hard words as thofe he complains of, as fhall appear in due place. I cannot understand how Peace and Unity, upon good grounds, and according to the meafures left us by the Primitive Christians, should either hinder the power of true Religion, or weaken the Church and Civil Government ; but that it is rather Unchristian Divifions, and the fierce bickering of Parties amongst themselves, that fets the Hearts of People against each other, and provokes God's fore Judgments. To prevent this, he declines the good old Way as unjust and infufficient, and fets up for a new Project, to cure Schifm by not regarding it. But this, if it were not unwarrantable in it felf, would not do for other reafons. For all thofe who were firm to, and fincere in their way, would grow jealous,

that

that by this means they should be represented as indifferent or regardless to all others; and this would make them ftand up for themselves more zealously, and enrage them against these Men of unreasonable Charity, who would render their Profeffion needlefs or precarious: And fo instead of curing any of the old Schifms, we fhould have a new Sect of Latitudinarian Schifmaticks. But this is his way, and we muft try what he will make of it.

(2.) I could easily agree with him in his Inference, That if Schifm in whomfoever it is, be as great a Sin as Murther or Adultery, then they that live in it, whether Conformists or Nonconformists, are in a state of Damnation, and none may worship God with them. But that which he principally aims at in this, and feems tacitly to fuppofe, is, That Schifin is not fo great a Sin, nor fo damnable, but that Men may unconcernedly worship God with them: This I cannot comply with, For (not to Reafon the Cafe at prefent) I cannot think fo highly of Mr. Tallents's liberal Judgment, as for that to condemn all the firft and pureft Ages of Chriftianity, which had quite ano ther Opinion of Schifm than he would recommend For you will fcarce find, that they wrote and acted against any Sin with more vehemency; and that because they accounted none more dangerous to the Souls of Chriftians in particular, or to the Church in general.

to us.

(3.) He tells us, That he will not difcufs this, whether the Diffenters be guilty of Schifm; for that bath been largely done by many. If fo many have done it, his Work would have been the easier for fuch Helps, and at this time, and in this cafe, it feems neceffary, That that matter fhould have been firft difcufs'd. For to what purpose fhould we fpend our Breath in enquiring concerning the

Nature