Richard Baxters answer to Dr. Edward Stillingfleet's charge of separation containing, I. some queries…

So that I am no more acquainted by your Words what you mean by a whole Church, than if you had said nothing. There is a whole Dioces•• Church, and a whole Parish Church, as well as a whole National Church: And what the Power is, and what the Rule of Order must be, whether the Laws of Princes or Prelates, and whether about Essential, or Integrals, or Accidents, and what Accidents, whether all; or many, or few, and which, that must make a Church to be One whole Church, you never tell us. An Infidel Prince or a Heretic Prince may give the same ⟨p. 33⟩Rule of Order to his Christian Subjects in a whole Kingdom; Is he therefore the constitutive Church-Head? Or will you say, as your Mr. Rich. Hooker doth, That if he be the Head of a Christian Church, it is necessary that he be a Christian? To tell us of [Common Ties and Rules of Order] and never tell us what those Ties and Rules are, may serve your Ends, but not my Edification.

So that I am no more acquainted by your Words what you mean by a whole Church, than if you had said nothing. There is a whole Dioces•• Church, and a whole Parish Church, as well as a whole National Church: And what the Power is, and what the Rule of Order must be, whether the Laws of Princes or Prelates, and whether about Essential, or Integrals, or Accidents, and what Accidents, whether all; or many, or few, and which, that must make a Church to be One whole Church, you never tell us. An Infidel Prince or a Heretick Prince may give the same ⟨p. 33⟩Rule of Order to his Christian Subjects in a whole Kingdom; Is he therefore the constitutive Church-Head? Or will you say, as your Mr. Rich. Hooker doth, That if he be the Head of a Christian Church, it is necessary that he be a Christian? To tell us of [Common Ties and Rules of Order] and never tell us what those Ties and Rules are, may serve your Ends, but not my Edification.

§. 17. But I remember your Irenicum learnedly maintaineth, that God hath instituted no one Form of Church-Government as necessary: And if so, then not a National Church-Form. And is it not a whole Church, if it be without a Form, which not God but Man is the Author of? Then God made or instituted no such thing as a whole Church. Then it is a humane Creature. Then why may not Man make yet more Forms; and multiply, and make and unmake, as he seeth cause; and several Countries have several Forms. And, forma dat nomen & esse: And if God made not any whole Church, we should be acquainted who they be (that were not a Church) that had Power to make the first Church-Form? and who hath the Power ever since? and how it is proved? and how it cometh to be any great matter to separate from a Church-Form which God never made? and whether humane Church-Forms be not essential and constitutive Causes of the Churches; and whether every commanded Oath, Subscription, Declaration, Office or Ceremony, be an essential part of this Church-Form? And there be as many Church-Forms and Species, as there be Orders, Liturgies and Ceremonies. And all these Differences in the same Kingdom constitute so many Schisms and Separations.