The Fourth and laft Obfervation the Author makes, is (as he expreffes himself ) "That "tho' it be a point of great Nicety to judge

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of Herefy in particular Inftances, the Per"fons who come nearest the Character of the "old Heretics are violent Party-Men, who con"fine Christianity to their own Faction, and "excommunicate all that take the liberty to differ from them; the rigid Impofers of hu"man Schemes of Doctrine and Modes of Worship, as effential Branches of Religion, "and Laws binding Confcience: thefe, I fay, " are most like the Heretics condemned in "Scripture, notwithstanding their Infolence "and Prefumption.- -A turbulent, factious, "and perfecuting Spirit is one of the furest "Marks of Herefy. And when the Substance "of Religion is placed in trifling Speculations, "which have no manner of Connection with "Virtue and Morality, in abftrufe incompre

henfible Mysteries, or in outward Shew and "Ceremony, we may certainly conclude, that "if this does not proceed from a very weak "Head, it must fpring from a dishonest Heart."

Mr. Fofter having confidered and explained the Nature of Herefy, proceeds, in the following Discourse, to treat of Schifm, its almoft infeparable Companion, upon 1 Cor. xii. 25. That there fhould be no Schifm in the Body, but that the Members fhould have the fame care one for another. He firft obferves, how ftrange it muft seem to every one who is acquainted with the mild and amiable Spirit of Chriftianity, that the Profeffors of a Religion, which fo ftrictly injoins Gentleness, Moderation, and univerfal Charity, fhould be fo forward to divide and crumble into Parties, and oppofe one another

with fo much Rage and Violence. But yet the Matter of Fact is unconteftable: Selfishness, Pride, the Defire of Dominion, a tyrannical expofing Spirit, and fometimes, perhaps, mere Prejudice void of any direct ill Defign, have occafioned as great and dangerous Factions in the Church, as were ever fomented by the fame bad Causes, against the Security and Peace of civil Government. The Chriftian Society has been split into infinite Divifions and Subdivifions, of feparate and inconfiftent Interefts, excommunicating, reviling, and almost always, when they had it in their power, perfecuting each other.

AND what is ftill more furprizing, is, that almost all the Schifms and Disturbances that have happened in the Chriftian World, have been about mere Trifles; Things of very little confequence to true Chriftianity, and oftentimes repugnant and difhonourable to it: fuch as Submiffion to ecclefiaftical Authority, the Belief of Myfteries of which we have no Ideas, and Conformity to Rites and Ceremonies of human Inftitution, which ferve but to encumber and debafe the rational Worfhip of the Deity, and render it weak and fuperftitious. Thus we find, that very foon after the apoftolic Age, a little infignificant and 'fenfelefs Controverfy about the Day of keeping Eafter, occafioned a terrible Confufion and Schifm in the Chriftian Church; the Western Churches feparating, and renouncing Communion with the Eastern, for several Years together. To avoid fuch a pernicious. Behaviour, it will be of equal advantage to us to form right Notions of Schifm, as of Herefy. Therefore, Mr. Fofler begins with explaining

plaining the meaning of the Word, and the nature of that Crime.

SCHISM, in its original Signification, is no more than a Rent, or a Divifion. Accordingly, in all the Paffages of the New-Teftament, except the Text, where the Words, gique and giouala are used, they are thus rendered by our Tranflators. (See among the rest, Matt. xi. 16. John vii. 43.) So that the word Schifm, as well as Herefy, is used in an indifferent Senfe, and the Lawfulness of it is intirely to be determined by Circumstances. But as common use, in our own Language, always affixes to it an Idea of Guilt, therefore the Author endeavours to ftate the true No

tion of it under that Character. "In general,

then, fays he, there can be no fuch thing as

Schifm, but in Cafes where there is an Ob"ligation to Unity and Communion; fo that in "order to define the Nature of it justly, we "muft find out fome Centre of Union, which " is common to all Chriftians. And this muft "be either Uniformity of Sentiments in Mat"ters of fpeculative Belief, or in external Modes "of Worship and Discipline; or elfe, if it be "unreasonable to expect either of these, the "only Centre of Unity that remains is Cha"rity and mutual Forbearance, notwithstanding "leffer Differences, where is an Affent to all the "neceffary Principles of Chriftian Faith, and "the Profeffion of Chriftianity is prov'd to be "fincere by a regular and virtuous Life."

Ir it be asked, what these necessary Principles of Chriftian Faith are? Mr. Fofter answers, in a marginal Note, that unless we will leave room for multiplying Articles of Faith infinitely, they can be no other than what are ex

prefsly

prefsly required to be believed, in order to our obtaining the Christian Salvation. And of this kind, fays he, we find nothing in the whole New Teftament, but that fingle Article, that Jefus is the Chrift, the Son of God; including in it the belief of his Miracles and Refurrection, and the extraordinary Powers communicated to the Apostles, which are the standing Evidence. of the Truth of the Gospel. And this he fupports by two Paffages in St. John's first Epistle, Chap. iv. 15. v. i. So that, according to him, every one that affents to this fundamental Truth, and fincerely endeavours to understand the Revelation, and act conformably to it, must be a true Chriftian, and intitled to the Friendship and Communion of Christians; and to deny him this Privilege on whimsical Notions of the Importance, or Neceffity of particular Schemes, not expressly warranted or fupported by Scripture, is unjuft, anti-christian, and fchifmatical.

BUT, to return, the Author fhews first, that as for Uniformity of Sentiment in Matters of Speculative Belief, that can never be the common Center of Christian Unity, because it is in the Nature of Things impoffible. For in order to this, all Mankind must have exactly the fame Strength of Understanding, the fame Advantages, the fame Manner of Education, the fame Paffions, Prejudices and Interefts; but as there is an almost infinite Variety in all these refpects, Differences of Opinion will neceffarily arife. Befides, if all Chriftians must concur in the fame way of thinking about Religion; whofe Opinion fhall prevail, and be made the public Standard? Are the Majority to decide for us? But how fhall we determine, without collecting

a

る

collecting the Vote of every Individual, who are the Majority? And who can do this? Suppofe we could, are the Majority always in the right? Or muft we for the fake of Uniformity profefs (believe, we cannot) against known Truth and Reafon? This is deftructive of Chriftianity itself.

BUT if Uniformity of Opinion cannot be secured in this Way, fhall we not be govern'd by the most learned and pious Chriftians? No, because who are really the most learned and pious, will be matter of endless Difpute, and can never be certainly fixed. Or if it could, there is ftill this Objection against admitting their Judgment as a decifive Rule, that they are fallible as well as others. Muft we then give up the Direction of our Faith to our Spiritual Inftructors, the Governors of the Church? This will leave us in equal Confufion and Uncertainty, as it is but too plain from a conftant Experience. Or finally, muft we submit to the Religion of the civil Magiftrate? But, exactly the fame Confequences will follow from it; befides, fuch an Uniformity of Opinion under one Government will prove of equal, nay, of much greater Service to Mahometanifm, and Heathenifm, than to the Caufe of Chriftianity. It appears then from what has been faid, that to endeavour to bring all Chriftians to the fame Sentiments in Matters of Religion, is, as the Author expreffes himself, " an abfurd romantic

Scheme, and reprefents Christianity as no"thing else but outward Formality, Artifice, and Craft, or a mere piece of State-Conve"nience and Policy."

THE fame may be faid of Uniformity in external Modes of Worship and Difcipline. For