THE PRESENTMENT OF A schismatic.  
By the Right Reverend Father In GOD, THOMAS, LORD BISHOP of Durham.  
In his Sermon Preached at the cathedral CHURCH of Saint Paul's the 19 of June 1642.  
Labour ET CONSTANTIA   printer's or publisher's device 
LONDON, Printed by T. Badger, for R. Whitaker, and S. Broun, and are to be sold in Saint Paul's churchyard. M. DC. XLII.   
1 CORINTHIANS 11.16. 
But if any Man seem to be contentious we have no such custom neither the Churches of God.  
THe sound (Beloved in Christ Jesus) I say the very sound of these two words which you have heard, Contentions and Churches; can tell you of the consonancy which is between this Text, and these our times of Contentions and distractions in our Church, which will more manifestly appear in the discussing the Text itself, which consisteth of these two parts.  
The first is the presentment of a schismatic, in these words [If any seem to be Contentious.]  
The second, of a Renouncement and rejecting of him in the next words [We have no such custom, nor the Churches of God.]  
In the first place we are to learn the Presentment, [If any] doth the Apostle doubt hereof? He showeth in the former Chapters that he had information thereof, and doth he now question it? Let us consult with himself in the 18 verse, 
Verse 18.  where speaking of that his intelligence, saying [I hear there are schisms among you] addeth, saying [and I partly believe it.] O that we could believe our contentions but in part: Next [If any] saith he, naming none, nor will I: No nor yet will I aim at any one; however: [If any] saith the Apostle, he is absolute, he will not spare any one; There is no respect of persons with God; and so it ought to be with the Ministers of God: But we shall see our schismatic in the next words, If any seem to be Contentious. Behold the Man, it is the contentious Man; who will be far more visible in the Greek, {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}, signifying a contentious Man: And which is more, there is in it both {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}, a Lover, and {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} in the end observed by the Grecians, to give this Emphasis to such words, as to import a delight of doing: And now you have the full face of this schismatic, that he is one that delightfully loveth Contentions: nevertheless, because one may see the face of another, and yet not discern the linaments and figurature, except he take an exact view. So here will it be hard for us to mark the right properties of this kind of man, without some description, setting out his Characters even to the life; to this purpose we have brought you one, as exact as either wit could invent, or art express; borrowed from St Augustine, which for the excellence thereof 
* Calvin. Institut. lib. 4. c. 1. §. 16. ex August. lib. 3. contra Parm. Illi filii mali qui non odio iniquitatem alienarum sed stud●o contentionum suarum infirmas plebes, jactantia sui nominis ir●etitas, vel totas trabere, vel ce●te devidere affectant, superbia, tumidi, pervicatia vefani, calumniis insidiosi, sed●tionibus tumulenti, quine luce veritatis carere osiendantur umbram rigidae severitatis ostend●ntes ad sacrilegiem Schismatis & occasionem praecisionis.  Master Calvin translated into his Institutions the which I am now to deliver to you paraphrastically.  
First, this Contentious Man, saith he, maketh ostentation of his own worthiness; his Character here itself conceitedness, rank poison at the first, 
Prov. 24.12.  as Solomon in his Wisdom thought of it: Seest thou one conceited in himself (saith he) there is more hope of a fool than of him: especially if it be of the worthiness of his own wisdom: And if he be given to Ostentation, then sure he will seek our some company among whom he may boast it: That is the next carrying people after him (saith Augustin) alluding to the words of Christ, concerning like contentious, drawing disciples after them, this Character is popular ambition, that that company may be dependent upon them, and then it is odds he will carry and draw them from the Church, which is specified in the next words. Affecting Divisions: This Character is black malice, affecting divisions, that is, delighting in divisions, even for divisions sake, as much as to cut off the Limbs of a Man, only to cut them off: And when this division is wrought, what will this boaster think of himself trow ye; It is told us, He swelleth with Pride, You have his Character named, it is swelling Pride. And no marvel, for when this ostentator shall look behind him and see, as a Leader, what Troops of People he carrieth, or, as a Rabbi, what number of Disciples he draweth behind him: Is it any wonder that being cried up by their acclamation, their breath should be a full jail (He hoisting up his topsail) to carry him, he knoweth not himself whether, being now destitute both of the helm of discretion, and Anchor of moderation, as will now appear by his other Characters, in respect both of Church and State: Church how? He is deceitfully slanderous: You see the Character is lying deceitfully: And so it must needs be; for doth any separate themselves from any Church, but will cast dirt with their heels upon the face of that Church by imputations (albeit never so false) against their general conversation, as profane, their Doctrine erroneous, their worship as Superstitious, or Idolatrous, whereof we shall have occasion to speak hereafter. Nor shall the civil estate escape them. Therefore doth Auguistin note them to be treacherously seditious: Germany gave the world sufficient Arguments hereof, by the miserable combustions raised by the anabaptistical faction among them: And something I could say concerning the same among us; If the report of Pamphlets were worthy the Pulpit: only this one thing, which I have read in divers of their printed Books; that in their invective against Church Government and Service, they excite their Auditors by such Texts of Scripture as speak directly of massacring: One I have yet in memory, the words of Jeremiah, Cursed is he that doth the work of the Lord negligently, where immediately followeth, And cursed be he that keepeth back his sword from blood: whereby was meant the vengeance which God would have executed upon Moab, as if they who are now Thorns in the Eyes of States, would afterward prove Goads in their sides: But can any imagine how these contentious ones can presume to show their faces in broiling the world in this manner? Be it known unto you that however ostentative such Men are, yet they disguise themselves, as the same Father will have us observe. lest they may seem (saith he) to be destitute of the light of Truth. Destitute then they were of Truth, which is the Character of Ignorance, although they would not seem to be such; next they arrogate to themselves the shadow of Austerity▪ Not true austerity, but a shadow of it, which is a Character of hypocrisy? The devil himself could not deceive Men coming (as I may so say) in his own likeness, and not putting upon himself the semblance of an angel of Light. And notwithstanding all this, his Austerity is but a a shadow, Why so? Because it is not substantial in them; for what is the substance of a Christian, is it not Charity? If I give my body to be burnt, and have no Love, I am nothing: 
1 Cor. 15.  If I give all my goods to the poor, and have not Charity, I am nothing. So that these men having but a shadow of goodness, they themselves are transparent; so that a Man (in respect of Charity) may look thorough them, and then their Character must be just nothing, otherwise our Apostle will give them a proper one: where he saith of such contentious spirits, Whilst you have schisms are you not {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}, carnal? When therefore we are to discern of these, we are not to regard there outwards; because their Austerity is but a pretended singularity of Devotion in themselves, and tigidity against others, which how spiritual soever it may seem to be, yet it may be carnal: For Pride and Envy are Notionals; and yet by the Apostle are listed among the Fruits of the Flesh, 
Gal. 5.20.  which are the corrupt Acts proceeding from the rational power of Man, even as heresy itself is there termed, which beside attribute Sacrilegious what the appetite of schismatics hath always been this way is notorious, whereof somewhat hereafter. I have reserved for the last place a Character which maketh his case most desperate, called by Auusten maddish obstinacy, of which kind Augustin himself had full experience, when he said Convincere eos possum, convertere non possum, convince them I can, although I cannot convert them, which is not to persuade them, although they be persuaded, Aristotle his sothisters just whose scope in all Disputes was not verity but victory, especially by holding there one conclusion  
And no● that we have so full a presentment of this {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}, what shall we do with him? What, but send him to receive his doom from the Apostle in his next words in the second part of this Text.  
We have no such custom nor the Churches of God.  
As much as to say, that the schismatic by raising contentions in the Church, he is an adversary both to the apostolical Order, and also to the custom of all Churches of God: And therefore he justly incurreth that judgement from God, which he is liable unto: In a word, these contentions being rise in the Church of Corinth, the scope of the Apostle herein was to preserve the reputation and dignity of this Church.  
I must first being with this scope of the Apostle, who finding these contentious persons seeking division in this Church will have them know that departing from it, was to depart from the Church of God; but stay a little, could the Church of Corinth be accounted then the Church of God? Did S. Paul think so; Nay, did he not reprehend some in that Church for their impetuous transferring of their civil jars, and suits of Law unto the Courts of Infidels? 1 Cor. 6, 7. Others for their wicked connivance and indulgence towards the incestuous, 1 Cor. 8.5. Others for their vile profanations in the sacred Assemblies, 1 Cor. 11.32. Yea and other some for heresy to boot, 1 Cor. 15 Now is there any schismatic, yea or not schismatic almost who at the first hearing of thus much would not judge this Corinth, to have been a synagogue of Satan, rather than so much as to carry the title of a Church, what would our Apostle have said to this objection if he had been now a live; verily the same which he said in the inscription of this his Epistle to the Corinthians, when he wrote thus, Paul an Apostle of Jesus Christ to the Church of God (where) in Corinth: Corinth therefore was then the Church of God.  
Hereby we have this doctrinal point, 
use.  to wit that we are not to depart from any Church of Christ, for any scandal given unto us by any members and professors therein, but either for extreme errors of Doctrine, or godless practices as being professed by it. You have heard of the resemblances which have been made of God's Church, as namely that it is compared unto a Field, wherein are sown Tares as well as wheat; to a Net, wherein are contained dead fish as well as living; and to a Fould, having in it Goats as well as Sheep: Yet is not the Field to be spoiled because of the Tares, nor the Net to be rent, because of the dead Fish; nor the Fould to be broken, because of the Goats. But the example of Christ may be our best direction, who since his ascension into Heaven, sent his Messages to the seven Angels of the seven Churches in Asia, charging five of them with their several faults, Apo. 2. & 3. Saying, I have something against thee: And I have something against thee, and thee: And in each of these every Something was a crime of a large size. These Angels by Antiquity were termed Bishops, albeit ill Bishops, now let us see the process of Christ against them, doth he deprive them at the first; No, but gives them their particular admonitions, denouncing their removal, except they should Repent. Nor doth he threaten the Innocents together with the Delinquents: much less doth he denounce eradication of the Office, because of their abuse of it; no, but by reprehending their vices only, he thereby justifieth their Offices. As we read of the Lord of the unjust Steward in the gospel, he said to him, because of his injustice, Thou shalt be no longer Steward: Out with the unjust Steward then; but will the Lord therefore have no Steward and abolish all Steward-ship ever after? There was no such meaning, neither had Christ here: Because the other two good Angels were still continued and conserved. In a word, I should but ask any of these refractories, wherein all their reading of the book of God, from the beginning of Genesis, unto the end of the Apocalips, they ever found a free and visible Church, wherein there was not a mixture of Godly and Wicked professors.  
Now that we have vindicated this Church of Corinth, you will expect (I suppose) how we shall defend our own Corinth, the Church of England. This must be our next endeavour, by returning to our Text again.  

We have not such custom, nor the Churches of God.  
Which words we say, did consequently infer both a confutation of the errors of schismatics and likewise a condemnation of their practice; we begin with our confutation.  
But first, we must understand their criminations against our Church, the principal are these; her Constitutions, Episcopacy, Ceremonies and Liturgies: The Imputations they lay upon her in these respects are towfold, one is the unlawfulness of them, as being no matters indifferent, the other is their other viciousnesses, as being either Popish Superstitious or Idolatrous respectively.  
Against the first, we shall answer by way of appeal, as our Apostle instructeth, namely, unto the custom of the Apostles themselves, or of other the acknowledged Churches of God.  
Are Constitutions unlawful? We appeal to the Apostles and there Constitutions against eating of strangled or blood, Act. 15. and for brevity sake, we challenge all our opposites, to bring us the example of any one public peaceable constituted Church in all the Christian World, wherein there were not enacted Constitutions to regulate the Churches by; and we shall as easily return unto them a perfect body of a Man without joints or sinews; we shall not except herein the Church of God at Geneva: 
Beza Epist. 8. & 44.  Beza a famous Pastor in that Church, wished that, They who oppose the Constitutions of the Church might be punished as the enemies to the Church.  
Secondly, Episcopacy had the next Crimination, of which I shall not say many words, but yet much, for we (for the lawfulness thereof) dare appeal unto the Apostles institution of it, to Christ his approbation already spoken off, to the universal practice thereof throughout the whole Christian world, as Jerome speak, even the compass and breadth of Christianity, for this time as also for its length in the continuance of it universally, until this last Age: We add (for the justification of the same lawfulness) to the judgement of all Protestant Churches of former times.  
Thirdly, concerning the lawfulness of significant Ceremonies, likewise we appeal to this our Apostle, who saith here against the schismatics, We have no such custom: You need not turn many leaves to find his judgement, it is expressly set down in the 14 and 15 Verses, immediately before this Text as an occasion thereof, requiring that The Man should be uncovered, in the Assembly for Divine service, to represent his sovereignty over his wife; The Woman to be uncovered, betoking her subjection to her Husband, both these Ceremonies significant, and used in the public worship of God; shall any say this was by an extraordinary apostolical authority, and therefore not appliable in this point to after Churches: Then was the the angel of the Church of Geneva out when he inferred from this Text, a confutation of such refractories then, as we do against the zealots of our times; saying, (They are the words of Calvin) Tales sunt illi qui bonos ac utiles Ecclesiae ritus covellunt: Such are they (saith he) who abolish the good and useful rites of the Church. Beside that the Apostle hath prescribed rules for regulating the Ceremonies of the Church, one whereof is Edification, and what is edificant the same is also significant: whereunto we say, all the chief Protestant Divines of several Churches have subscribed.  
One word of the by, What if the uncovering of our Heads (as then) were continued in our Church still, could it be called an Innovation, which is not now invented, or Popish, which rather should be an exprobration to Papists, to see our devout and reverend comportement, at the hearing of Embassages from Christ.  
Lastly our Liturgy, because a set form of Prayer is fall'n into their crimination; as though we might not appeal herein to our Saviour Christ, delivering the the Apostles that set form, which we call the Lord's Prayer, saying, Pray you thus our Father, &c. 
Math. 6.9.  Yea (say they) it is said, Pray Thus, not pray This, that is, to make it a pattern for oath Prayers, and not to be used as a Prayer itself, we desire that S. Luke may moderate the matter, who related Christ's Words in this manner, viz. When you Pray say, Our Father, &c. 
Luke 11. 2●.  And is not there that [Our Father, This,] which now they were commanded to pray? Again although it were a form for other Prayers, yet this hindereth not but it may be our Prayer too: The standing measure of the Land for proportioning all other like measures for grain, May, notwithstanding, be measured by. It must be some new conceit sure, which hath engendered this Innovation, They think perhaps that the command, being Pray Thus or This, in our former sense, would exclude all other forms of Prayer excepting This, which scruple ariseth from an inconsideration, not to observe that Christ his Answer was directed to the intention of the Apostles, then desiring to have a prefixed form of Prayer of Christ his own conception, as John's Disciples had from their Master: The sense than is, When you shall use a Prayer of mine own prescription, Pray thus, so that this kind of direction for that one form can be no exclusion of all other: He that taketh from his friend own hand a special token of Remembrance in his absence, is not thereby forbid to make use of other Memorandums, which he might have had otherwise.  
One thing more would be demanded of them, to wit: when ever they knew in all their Reading any Divine that made this gloss upon that Text, as to say These words, Pray Thus, import as much as to have said, Pray not This Prayer.  
Easie it were to mention the Greek and Latin Liturgies of the ancient Churches, I rather shall instance in one, which may be satisfactory in itself: The Emperor Trajan appointed Pliny to be one of the Inquisitors to search out the behaviours of Christians, especially when they were exercised in their Religious Assemblies and Devotions, and to certify: His certificate was this, The Christians (saith he) assembling in private places, among other Prayers, have one for your highness, Praying God to grant you long life, a faithful Senate, a strong Army, and a Peaceable People: These was the Collect of those Saints and Martyrs, to avow their Allegiance unto those Emperors albeit heathenish. I have done with the first imputation against these particulars, touching the simple unlawfulness of them.  
The second criminations, I told you, was against their pretended viciousness, judging two of them Popish, two superstitious, and two Idolatrous; In all which accusations, we find that Character visible which Augustine noted then in his schismatics, when he called them slanderous: as first for calling our Constitutions, concerning Doctrine, Popish; notwithstanding they manifoldly and manifestly make against both Pope and popery; And shall Episcopacy be also called Popish without a slander seeing, that the Pope himself will be ready herein to give the schismatic the lie, telling that he doth allow for Popish Bishop, none but such as shall have immediate dependence upon himself, their Pope, by acknowledging him the universal Bishop of all Bishops: A transcendent title which all our Bishops since the Reformation, have utterly abhorred, and have abandoned h●s whole papal jurisdiction, all of them even unto death, and some also by their death and martyrdom.  
Secondly, superstitiousness the next crimination, and is one degree above Popish, because we cannot say that every Popish act is superstitious, this they impute to our liturgy and Ceremonies; Let us pity their ignorance, who never yet knew what formal superstition meant; let them then learn it? A superstitious act (say we) is that which is founded upon a superstitious opinions. It was not merely the Pharises often washing, but their opinion of some especial purgation thereby, which Christ reprehended in them; nor was it the having of an altar for which St. Paul reproved the Athenians, when he called them superstitious Aols 17. but the opinion of honouring a God thereby, they knew not whom: And is it not in our Law to hold it no felony or treason which is not done in a felonious or traitorous intention? Let us but opening our eyes, and we shall easily see their slanderous lying also, for behold our Church in her service book, doth make known to all the world that she doth detest the superstition of the Romish Ceremonies, by condemning their superstitious opinions. First, in making them necessary parts of God's worship. Secondly, in ascribing an efficacious sanctity unto them: Thirdly, by arrogating a meritorious condignity from them unto themselves. Yea and besides she instructeth her Reader that she hath professedly purged her liturgy of all those Lees and dregs of superstitious opinion of Papists; which makes this their slander far more slanderous.  
Yet notwithstanding they persist in condemning the said Ceremonies as having been either used or abused in Popery, still bewraying their ignorances, for even this our Apostle did make use of the saying of Poets, Menander Aratus, and Epimenides, all Heathens; And shall therefore such Divine sentences be called Heathenish. I cannot omit, the piece of Prayer in our liturgy, which is: That God will accept of our bounden duty not weighing our merits, but pardoning our offences; the same hath been continually used in the Romish mass, beseeching God that he would admit of them and their devotions, Non tanquam aestimater meriti, sed tanquam veniae largitor, Not as an esteemer of merit, but as a giver of pardon; wherein the Romish, will they, nill they disclaim all conceit of merit in their public liturgy, which is a condignity of a work by the exact Law of Gods; justice deserving an eternal reward, which merit notwithstanding they maintain in their new Romish Creed, and books of controversies as an Article of their faith; howbeit, This sentence was that which brought the great Cardinal Bellarmine upon his knees: when after his long and large dispute about justification by perfection of works; he was enforced at last to cast Anchor absolutely upon the mercies of God, as (for so he saith) Tutissimum, The most safe refuge of man's soul; this being granted, the same sentence serveth us, both for a testification of this our saving truth to ourselves, as also for a confutation of the Popish error of merits, which is a judging out of his own mouth: we demand then? aught our Church to have used this sentence or not? if so, then is not this prayer therefore to be called Popish, because used in Popery, but ought she not? Then do they fondly affirm she ought not use a form of prayer, which is both wholesome for him that prayeth, and useful to convince the Romish Church of Error in her superstitious opinion of merit; But our Saviour hath taught us a more Divine lesson, saying; 
Matth. 11.  Wisdom is justified of her Children: to let us understand, that truth is truth wheresoever it soundeth, even as a pearl is a pearl of price, although it be taken out of the head of a toad: I have insisted on this point, because it may justify our whole Liturgy against the censuring of a rite Popish for that it was used in that popish Church.  
But there next blow is harder, condemning such rites, because abused by Papist●, albeit not ignorant that herein we can justly appeal not only to the custom of ancient Churches of Christ, but even to their own schismatical assemblies, for the Primitive Fathers, at the first dawing of public peace in the Church, began to convert the Temples of Pagans, (although they had been the brothel houses of devils) into the Houses of God consecreated to his worship; And our opposites themselves can sometimes be contented to use these Churches wherein was professed and practised that Popish Liturgy, which they (and justly) inveighed against as indeed Idolatrous, which is the blackest brand that can be put upon any worshippers: and which these opposites cast upon our Church as their last filth and dung.  
This they do because of two kind of kneelings, one at the administration of the holy Communion, the other of bowing at the hearing of the name of Jesus: To the first our answer is, that Papists will not approach to our Sacraments; Or if any do, yet it is in opinion that our consecration doth not operate their feigned transubstantiation, and also the professed Protestants, believing that there is therein no corporal presence of Christ, cannot adore that as Christ which they know is not Christ, and therefore can as impossible be Idolatrous, as the Papists in the worshipping their breaden God, cannot possibly but be, our reason is that that was an Article of Faith in the Primitive Churches of God, whereunto we may justly appeal in a doctrine never to be repealed.  
It is this: That it is impossible for any Creature to be in two places at once, not excepting the sacred body of Christ, which their Catholic doctrine they professed for two causes, one to avouch the prerogative of God, to whom the existence in diverse places at one time is properly essential: and this they grounded upon that divine foundation the Scripture of God, psalm 39.6. wherein the Psalmist in professing the deity of the spirit of God, saith, Whether shall I go from thy spirit, if I go up to Heaven, thou art there, if down to Hell, thou art there also, and if to the outermost part of the Sea, thither shall thy hand lead me: The Argument thus: The spirit of God is here, and there, and yonder, therefore it is in diverse places at one time, and consequently GOD, because by the same essential property, he is as well in three Millians of places, and indeed everywhere as he is in any three or two: and this they confirm by two circumstances.  
First, that the spirit of God was at one time in diverse Prophets, Jeremy in Judea, Daniel in Babylon, Ezechiel in Chobar, this in the Old Testament, accordingly in the New, the same spirit of God, at one and the same time, was in the Apostles, when they were dispersed in diverse nations in the world for preaching the gospel of Christ.  
There second reason of this their dispute was to preserve the integrity of the body and humanity of Christ. According to that caution of Augustine, Cavendum est, ut ita divinitatem Christi astruamus, ne humanitatem ejus auferamus. We are so to defend the divine nature of Christ, that we destroy not his bodily and human nature.  
And therefore they distinguish both natures (in respect of local existence) arguing thus. Although the Deity be in Heaven, yet is it then on Earth also, and if on Earth, than is it in Heaven; but the human Nature of Christ, if it be on Earth, it is not in Heaven, and when in Heaven, than is it not on Earth; This was the Catholic Faith in those perfects and purest times of Christianity; and that this was believed of them as an Article of Faith is as plain: Because they maintained that Truth against the heretics of their time, who impugned the essential properties of Christ's body, with one Article of ancient Faith doth strangle more all the virall parts of the Romish mass worship.  
When we speak of impossibility of this or that, you are not to imagine that we thereby derogate any thing from the Omnipotence of God: God forbid, no, but that which we say of Impossibility, is truly for the dignifying of his Power; as when we say of the God of Truth; It is Impossible that he should lie, Heb. 17. or for the Lord of Life, and in himself immortal, that he should die.  
I would not have brought disputes into the Pulpit, if the importunity of this our unseasonable Season had not exacted it of me.  
The next and last brand falleth upon the Reverence given to Christ at the hearing of the name of him our Saviour Jesus, and therefore Jesus, because our Saviour, which they call (O black tongue) Idolatrous; Beloved Brethren, I appeal to every Conscience of Man when I hear mention of my Saviour, my heart is inwardly lift up to reverence the person of Christ in my soul, now on the Throne of Majesty; shall it not then be lawful for me to express the same praise of him, which my body, who hath redeemed me both body and soul for his praise. But reasons will not down with these men, except such as may seem to be Divine: We shall offer them not an only seeming, but even a convincing reason from God himself, who to preserve his people from Idolatry, lest they might make any Image of him (the high way to an Idolatrous worship) commanded them to remember, that when he manifested his presence among them, you saw no shape (said he,) how then did they perceive his presence? he tells them, you heard only a voice: as if God had said unto them, pinge sonum: Let your painter's picture a voice, or any man adore a voice if he can, how impossible this is: you may know by this my every voice, which while I utter, is transient, past and flown, before you can fasten your thoughts upon it, and yet in despite of truth itself, they will have us Idolaters.  
Before I can end the point of kneeling, I cannot silence my grief, to see all gesture of kneeling almost shut out of the Church; And yet we all know that kneeling in prayer time was the Decorum practised by Patriarchs, Prophets, Apostles, and Christ himself; now what gout it is that hindereth, whether of pride, or laziness or perverseness, I know not, This I know, that take away the outward form of Devotion, the inward will sooner cool: hitherto we have been exercised in the first consequence of this Text, which is, the confutation of the errors of the schismatical faction: Our second remaineth, which is the condemnation of their practices, yet before I can enter upon it, I would gladly be understood concerning the premises, namely that I have not so pleaded for Ceremonies and Litturgy as to prejudice the wisdom of them, who by just ecclesiastical Order shall so regulate these matters, as may be most conducible for peace unanimity and uniformity in the Church. In the interim, it cannot be offensive that the Child after so much vile ugly aspersions cast upon our Mother, should vindicate her honour, by whom, through the blessing and mercy of GOD; he hath his soul's spiritual birth and breeding.  
And now I hasten to our last passage whereunto we have been induced by the same Text.   

We have no such custom, nor the Churches of God.  
These words necessarily implying that they who are contentious against the customs of the Apostles, and Churches of God, do by their separation from her, make themselves adversaries against the Church, against her members, against God and against their own souls these four. For the Church is thereby left to a vexatious destruction, breach of Christian liberty, load of infamy, and lurch of spiritual maintenance as much as can possibly be wrought.  
First, The very separation itself is to the Church as a rupture in the body of Man; which did make Chrysostom to burst out into this hyperbole. These that raise contentions in the Church, are worse than they who pierced the sides of Christ: In which figure there is this truth, That Christ, who gave his natural body for His mystical body, which is his Church, will require a severe account of them who shall rent the peace of the Church.  
The liberty of the Church (by the confession of all Christian Churches, none excepted) is a power in God's Church to order things indifferent according to the apostolical rules, of decency, 
1 Cor. 14.  order and edification, whereupon we make bold to call these contentious men, for their contrary opinion of judging this liberty of God's Church unlawful, superstitions: strange will some say: They who inveigh against superstitions so bitterly, and in that pretence fall into separation from the Church, to be termed superstitious.  
Yes Beloved, and we need not to strain a gnat in proving it: That Admirable Man of God, and Pastor in the Church of God in Geneva, whom without preface of honour, I cannot name, to wit Calv. upon the words of deuteronomy, wherein God's People were forbid to make any compacts with the Heathen: which (being no moral but only a judicial Law, and therefore was not to be exacted now of Christians) reflecting upon the liberty of Christians in their use of ecclesiastical rites, gave this caution, that none urge to vehemently this against Ceremonies according unto the Apostles doctrine; wherein condemning them who took away the Christian liberty of eating meats by these and their contrary prescripts, eat not, taste not, handle not: 
Col. 2:  which is all one with move not, read not, and other cases of indifferency: Are not then these men fit objectors of superstition against the church's Ordinances, who are themselves so grossly superstitious, pardon us, for who is their in these times that will not stand zealously upon his right of liberty.  
Infamy is (after mortal) the most grievoust of persecutions which they have multiplyd outrageously by their infamously famous Libels and Pamphlets; beside the slanders which, as have been alleged, by imputing Idolatry the vilest of Adulteries unto her, as if cursed children should call their mother whore: whereas our Apostle held it necessary to admonish all Christians to take heed they give no scandal to the Church of God, 1 Cor. 10. be this spoken to the Sectarists who make themselves scandalous against the Church, rather than endure any the least of this which they call the scandals in the Church.  
The injuries to the members of the Church are the next mischiefs of separation: the first is the breach of unity: 
Ephes. 4.4.  O how many obligations did our Apostle put upon his Ephesians for preserving of unity in the Church; the first is because it is one body; second one spirit, which is the spirit of Union: third one hope of our calling: that is to say the hope of one heavenly inheritance; after followeth one Lord; which is our Head Christ, and one faith, the soul of our souls, and one baptism, the seal of the said Faith, and last and chiefest one Father of all who above all things, delighteth in the unanimity of his Children; for take away unity, and all Sympathy is dissolved, which is a compassionate assertion one to each other, which the Apostles showeth in his comparison betwixt the Church of God and man's body, wherein the Members do mutually rejoice and green at the joy or grief of each other, in so much as, if the he'll be pricked the tongue cries I am hurt, and every part of the body if it were a tongue would cry the same, I am hurt, this is called the sympathy of the members of the body: but when Members are dislocated and disjoined then mutual affection is deadened; and where Sympathy ceaseth, fare well all Charity, which necessarily seperateth itself together with the separation; now, I beseech you, losses of unity, Sympathy and Charity are not these injuries? And commonly all these spring from one root envy.  
For ecclesiastical records tell us that the original of schisms hath been that he who (according to the first Character of the contentious person) did make ostentation of his own worthiness and found not respect from governors in the Church; did thereupon pick quarrels with her in one pretence or other, even as Aerius the Head of a faction, because he could not obtain to be made Bishop, was the first that spoke against the degree of Episcopacy itself; But yet there was peradventure some title of worthiness of learning in such kind of men in ancient times: But what now? Our Apostle, according to the former comparison of members of the Church and parts of man's natural body, wishing the contentation of every part, and to avoid envy; The hand (saith he) will not say because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; meaning every part of the body contenteth itself with the natural Order it hath in the body, else their would be a dissolution of the whole body: But in these times the hand and foot both mutiny cause they are not eyes and except our cobblers and Weavers be allowed for Ministers, they will acknowledge no head nor member; how these should receive so much toleration anywhere within this Church I know not, except men thought themselves worthy to be led with blind guides: when as there might be as true doctrine some time expected from Bedlam, whereof some examples might be given, if such Doctrines were not fitter for a Stage than a Pulpit.  
But to speak one word of them who arrogat the spirit themselves by their extemporal faculty which they brag of; and enveighing against Popery: notwithstanding make themselves Popish, yea very Popes, for this is the excellency which the Pope of Rome boasteth of, that he is the supreme and sole infallible judge in matters of Doctrine; a privilege thus expressed by the Jesuite Valentianus: Papa sive diligentium adhibuerit, sive non adhibuerit tamen infalibiter judicat; that is, whensoever the Pope determineth any doctrine, his judgement is infallible, whether he use diligence to try the Truth or not, which is flatly the heresy of enthusiastics.  
As for the impiety against God, it is evident in this that the Churches, wherein schism is made, are called the Churches of God; And the God of these Churches is called the God of Peace; and so styled by Saint Paul almost in every Epistle, a●Romans 15.13. in his blessing to them, The God of Peace be with you all, 2 Cor. 13.11. He joineth blessing and admonition together: Live in Peace and the God of Love and Peace be with you, Phil. 4.7. He prayeth, That their hearts and minds may be possessed with God's peace: 2 Thess. 3.16. His Prayer to the Thessalonians is That God would give them peace, {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} always and by all means: Peace is a jewel. But to what end is this? even to know that he that is enemy to the Peace of God is also enemy to the God of peace. For 1 Cor. 14.33. For God is not the God {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}, that is, of tumultuousness confusedness: but of peace as in all the Churches of the Saints.  
Sacrilege was the last Character wherewith Augustine deciphered this contentious man; And sacrilege being a depriving the Ministers of God of their due. God by the Prophet accounteth it a Robery to himself. But is it possible that devout men, who are so great enemies to Idolatry, and assume to be above all others spiritual, should become Sacrilegious. The Apostle showeth this was no news in his days, Rom 2.22. Thou that abhorrest idols, Committest thou sacrilege. Match we now an Idolatrous, and a Sacrilegious Man together, as the Apostle doth here, and the Sacrilegious will think that the Idolatrous is far more execrable than he himself can be. This Text which I have alleged will say no: for doubtless Saint Paul the most excellent disputant that hath been known, knew his logic, in reasoning, for when he condemn, the Sacrilegious Jew in comparison of the Idolatrous gentle, it must be held either (as the school speaketh) an argument ab aequali: that is, thou Sacrileger, art as ill as the Idolater is: or else a minori: thou art worst, wherefore how ever these contentious men may mask themselves, under the vizard of Religion and Austerity in abhorring popery, superstition, or Idolatry, yet are they in one respect far worse than the other, in as much as experience of all times hath proved that the Idolater was always a Reverencer of some deity, nor ever was a Superstitious Atheist heard of, although contrarily when hath been of any Atheist who was not Sacrilegious, that is, a rober of God's right.  
Seeing now that contentiousness for separation is every way so pernicious: how shall the Separatist satisfy himself? shall he think to make a Church of his own which shall be a Church of God, let us try this, 1 Cor. 12.27. speaking of this Church of God at Corinth, 
1 Cor. 12.27.  he saith, You are the body of Christ, and Members of your part: Wherein we are two have to considerations of the Church of Corinth, one as it was a particular Church, and compared with that which is called the Catholic and universal Church of Christ: And so it is but a Member thereof. Secondly, as it is compared with its own Members, so is it The body of Christ in itself; whence it followeth that Members broken from this Church of God in Corinth did thereby divide themselves from God himself: Cyprian and Augustine had to deal with such contentious persons in their times, and either of them proclaimed this saying: None can have God for his Father, who hath not the Church for his Mother; meaning them who were separated from their own Churches: The Papists you know arrogate this saying to the Church and Pope of Rome, but vainly, because Cyprian at this time was at difference with Stephen the then POPE and contemned his excommunication, and Augustine was one of them, who withstood the Pope's usurpation of appeals to Rome.  
It is time to conclude, the contentious men being Authors of too many miseries, the greatest mischief will be against their own souls, because whosoever by contention maketh himself an adversary to the Church of the God of Peace, doth therein make the God of Peace of the Church an Adversary to himself and what must his reward then be but here sorrow and anguish of soul, and in the end, endless woe: As for you (Beloved in Christ Jesus) be you exhorted in the words of our Apostle, 1 Cor. 1.10. I exhort you, Brethren, by the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you speak one thing, and that there be no divisions among you, be perfect in one mind and in one judgement.  
All Glory be to God, &c.   
FINIS.