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Diffenters no Schifmaticks.

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Second Letter

то

Mr. Robert Burscough,

About his

Difcourfe of SCHISM.

Being a Reply to

His Pretended Vindication thereof.

WHEREIN

Catholick Unity is confidered, the Diffenters further cleared from the Charge of Schifm, the Ordination of their Minifters again juftified, and the Cafe about Ceremonies and Separation more fully argued.

By the fame Hand.

Veritas Victrix.

If Phaetons drive the Chariot of the Sun, the World
will be foon on Fire: I mean fuch in the Church,
whofe Brains, like the Unicorns, run out into the
length of the Horn: Such who have more Fury than
Zeal, and yet more Zeal than Knowledge or Mode-
ration. Stillingf. Iren. p. 47.

LONDON, Printed for . Robinson, at the
Golden Lion in St. Paul's Church-yard, 1702.

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JAN

20 FEB 1928

A Second Letter to Mr. Robert Burscough, in Vindication of the Fire, &c.

I

SIR,

A Preface to Mr. R. B.

Have read what you call a Vindication of a Dif courfe of Schifm, which was addrefs'd to the Dif fenters, who conform'd before the Toleration, and have fince withdrawn themselves from the Communion of the Church of England, in Answer to a Letter lately published against it: Wherein you have done much more than enough to fhew the World your Refentment of it; and am forry to find you in a Tranfport fo unbecoming that Character of Moderation and Learning you would pretend to, and the more because I have been the Occasion of it; but how justly, is what muft now be examin'd and confider'd.

At what time your Difcourfe of Schifm began to appear in open light in 1699, I cannot tell, but it was at till February 1700, that it was brought to my hand, when I was earnestly defir'd to make fome Reply to it, which, when I had read it, I was prevail'd with, to take the few spare hours I had to do. But finding that in it which David complain'd of in another cafe, Pfal. 55. 21. The words of his Mouth were smoother than butter, but War was in his heart; his words were fofter than Oyl, yet were they drawn Swords. I therefore thought it my A 2

Duty

Duty to endeavour to prevent the Mischief it might poffibly do to fome, who are more easily influenc'd by the Air of Flattering and Deceitful Words, than by the power of forcible Arguments. And your way of Addreffing your Difcourfe to the Multitude. of Diffenters, who conform'd before the Toleration, &c. gave me the proper occafion of putting my Letter into that Form, as written in the Names of those whom you had addrefs'd, and to which it seem'd not fo agreeable to fet a fingle Names tho' I could not hope by this means to conceal my felf, as you opprobriously fuggeft.

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If you found my Stile in that Letter too pungent, I must confefs, that no Man is apt to be fo fenfible of the Sharpness of his own Teeth, as he that is bitten by them, and which you have reason to believe, is as much your own Cafe as mine: But if you confider the Provocation you had given, you will find very little reafon you had to be offended at it. The declar'd Design of your Difcourfe was, to convert us to your Party, i. e. to what you call the Church of England,on a Specious pretence of Charity to our Souls, wherein if you prevail'd not (as you were not like to do with many of us) you were. pleas'd to tell us in plain terms, that we were guilty of fuch a Schifm, that, perfifting in it, we can do nothing that can qualify us for Communion with any part of the Catholick Church, and therefore in that ftate must be excluded from the Whole. And if we are not of the Body, (as you would have us believe you have prov'd) you do not fee how we

Difc. of Schifm,

P. 73.

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can be united to the Head. From an AIlufion of St. Cyprian, you conclude us under an impoffibility of Salvation. For if a Perfon could efcape, who was out of the Ark of Noah, then hall one efcape alfo who is out of the Church: By which you must mean your Church

Page 74.

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Ibid.

Page 77,

78. 82,

&c.

of England, and out of it too, juft as we are out of it, by our Nonconformity to its Ceremonies, and External Modes of Difcipline and Worfhip, or elfe you do but trifle with us. From Ig natius, you tell us, We are depriv'd of the bread of God; and that thofe that follow us fhall not inherit the Kingdom of God. That our fetting up Oppofite Churches and Officers is Impious, Adulterous, and Sacrilegious, and that we are berein guilty of the Sin of Korah and his Complices. That our Paftors have no juft Title to the Miniftry; but are Sacrilegious Intruders, Seducers of the People, and no better than Thieves and Murderers; which is the main business of your Third Section. Yea, that they mock God to ferve their own Tarns: They profane the Sacred Function, and make a trifle of the Sin: They are Troublers of the People, and the Subverters of Souls: They are plain Impoftors, and Vfurpers

of the Broad Seal of Heaven: The Disturbers Ibid. of all Right, and the Phaetons that burn up P. 110. the Spiritual World. They intrude themselves into a Trust which was not committed to them, and therefore to be reck'ned amongst thofe that are branded as profligately wicked, and guilty of impudent Falfification. And did you not all along throughout your Difcourfe, reprefent us as fome of the worst of Criminals, not worthy nor fit to be tollerated, and load us with all the blackeft aggravations that you found the fouleft guilt of Schifm, either by the Fathers or any Others, charged with, beyond what is pleasant or needful for me to recite, while your own Writings ftand as the Open Records of it. By all which you feem'd to go about to terrify, rather than to perfwade us into Conformity. And now, Sir, you having thus endeavour'd to fire the Houfe upon us, is it juft or reasonable for you to blame me for the beat that your own Flames had rais'd? 1 confefs I am not Stoick enough to be

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