40. Perhaps (fay you p. 5. 1. 2.) Some think the Lord's Prayer is too commonly omitted. Pray, Sir, who are thofe fome who perhaps think fo? To be fure not We of the Epifcopal Perfwafion; we do All think fo, without any perhaps. 'Tis plain then, that you meant fome of your own Party: Now I afk, do not thofe of your Party who think it too commonly Omitted, yet Omit it? Do they ufe it? But what reafon can be affign'd for their Omitting it, when yet they think it too commonly Omitted? What better, or rather what other than this, that its being faid by fome few, while the greater part are againft the faying of it, would be an Infringement of the Negative Uniformity of Worship required by the aforementioned Article?

My Sence of what you have return'd to the 4th Argument, you may have by the next Occafion. I am, &c.

Fan. 1. 1704.

LET

1.

LETTER. III.

SIR,

"M

Y Fourth Argument for juftifying our refufing to hold Communion in Worship with you, even tho' your Ordinations were Valid, was, That you are in a State of Schifm. I propos'd it briefly indeed; yet, as I thought, plainly enough, but it does not appear by. your Vindication, that you have been fenfible of the Force of it; and therefore I shall now give it more fully. I fhall proceed by thefe fteps.

I. I fhall fhew what I mean by Schifm.

II. I fhall fhew that Schifmaticks, by being fuch, are cut off from the only falutary vifible Communion, the One Communion of the One visible Body of Chrift, and fo are not to be Communicated with.

III. I fhall lay before you the Grounds on which I charge you with the Guilt of Schifm. And

IV. As I have occafion, I fhall confider what you have faid to the Argument. These Things I fhall Difcourfe as calmly and as clearly as I can. I begin,

2. I. With the Firft, which is to fhew what I mean by Schifm. While I was writing my firft Paper, I did not think this very needful; one of your Reputation and Standing, I thought, could not but be acquainted with the common Notion of it. Now I have a double Provocation to infift a little on it: For, 1. You complain that I neither gave a. Defcription of Schifm, nor told what Kind of Schifm I charged your Party with, p. 6. 1. 21, 22. And 2. The Account you have given P. 7. of the Various Acceptations, and Kinds and Ways (as you call them) of Schifm, is fuch (not for the Sublimity of Thought, but for the obfcurity and indiftinctness of Delivery) that I doubt if any One of Twenty of your own Party comprehends it. "Schifin (fay you) as 'tis contradiftinguished from Herefie, is a Diffolution or a Breach of "that Union that ought to be amongst Chriftians, confenting together in the fame "Faith: And this is either in the Church,

ત્

I Cor. 1. 10, II. Chap. 3. beg. or from it. "Heb. 10. 25, 26. And that either from the "Catholick Church, or from a particular; Negative or Pofitive. See Cameron de Schif

mate; Rafh, and on light occafion, or an "unjuft occafion, in whole or in part; fee "alfo Amefus, Caf. de Schif. p. 307. where "there is a rejecting of all Communion, or

Partial, fo far as Communion cannot be kept "without Sin: Thus it may be either from "Worship, or but in Government only; fo that ye may fee that Schifm is a breaking of

CC comTM

e commanded Union, or of that ChurchUnion which is of God's making. So you. And what the wifer is an ordinary (I may fay, any) Reader for all this? This I fay, obliges me to try if I can give a diftincter Notion of Schifm, by deducing it from its proper Principles. To which purpofe I confider,

3. I. That the True Vifible- Church of Chrift is but One; Chrift can have but One Catholick Church,not many CatholickChurches: This might be copioufly prov❜d from Scripture, but 'tis needlefs; you are oblig'd to own it by your own Confeffion of Faith, Chap. 25. §. 2, 3, 4. Indeed 'tis an Article of our Common Creed, I believe the Holy Catholick Church; or, as 'tis more fully worded by the fecond General Council, I believe One Holy Catholick and Apoftolick Church. In fhort, The True Vifible Church of Chrift can be but One, because Chrift is but One: One Chrift can be but One Head, and One Head can have but One Body; He can be but One Hufband, and fo can have but One Spoufe; he is but One Chief Corner-ftone, and fo can be fufficient but for One Building; he is but One Mediator, and he is this One Mediator of but One Covenant; there is but One Common Charter, and One Body of Laws given to all Chriftians; All Chriftians therefore muft make but One Society, One Holy Corporation: It is One and the fame Spirit that quickens all Chriftians, all Chriftians therefore must be Members of the fame Body; all Chriftians

are

are called by One General Vocation, One Common Invitation to participate of the fame Promises, to be Inhabitants of the fame Celeftial Paradife; and they are All called and invited on the fame Terms. There is but One Baptifm, and because there is but One, he that is Baptized in any the most Particular Church, if the adheres to the One. Catholick Church, has a Title to all the Privileges of the One Church Catholick. A Bishop or a Prefbyter duly Ordain'd any where, in any Particular Church, needs no New Ordination any other where, in any other Particular Church; but without another. Ordination he may Exercife his Office every where, in every Particular Church. To be in Communion with any Particular Church which is in Communion with the Catholick Church, is to be in Communion with the whole Catholick Church; and to be Excom. municated or Cut off from any Particular Church which is in Communion with the Catholick Church, is to be cut off from the Communion of the whole Church Catholick: All these were uncontroverted Propofitions, in the Primitive Times; (as I fhall fully prove, if you put me to it) and they are as incontrovertible now, as they were then.

4. II. 'Tis eafy to comprehend how Hundreds, Thousands, Millions of Particular Churches may be United and Combined into One. Church Catholick. Such a vaft Body as the One True Catholick Vifible Church of Chrift is, cannot Subfift, cannot be Digested, or Or

dered,'