CXLV expository sermons upon the whole 17th chapter of the Gospel according to St.…

The first is, A rigid, imperious and tyrannical commanding of an uniformity and approbation in every punctilio, and minute particular: So that no dissent or liberty shall be allowed to a man, though humble and peaceable, earnestly desiring to find out the truth. This tyranny came into the Church betimes; What a large breach did Victor Bishop of Rome make in the Church about the determinate time of keeping of Easter, whom Irenaeus did gravely oppose? Certainly, the Apostle Rom. 14. in matters of less concernment, where men may erre salvâ fide, or when men build only hay and stubble, not laying other foundations, doth there command a charitable carriage between the strong Christian, and the weak. It's true, the least truth of Christ is precious, and we are not to deny it; but yet it is not violently to be obtruded, unless where there is eternal damnation inevitable, if that truth be not received. Our Saviour speaks excellently to that, Matth. 9.17. If new wine be put into old bottles, the bottles break; while men impose opinions or practices of less consequence, upon a people not prepared, in stead of unity, they make many fractions, yet this way of unity hath much infested the Church, and especially when men have been in power. They have pressed unity not so much out of love to Christ, as thereby to keep up their interest: As Musculus observeth of the soldiers, that would not have Christs coat divided, every one hoping thereby to have it all. Thus when Luther reformed, nothing was more ordinarily preached by the Papists then the inconsutilis tunica, the seamless coat of Christ, which made Luther call them Inconsutilistae and Tunicastri. Now all this endeavour to have such an uniformity, was not out of love to Christs Church, but their own power; and therefore they were afraid of divisions, lest they should overthrow their kingdom. Certainly to such austere and severe imposers; That of Austin is often to be re-minded, Saeviunt illi, qui nesciunt, &c. let them rage and persecute, who know not with what prayers and tears it is given to understand, but a little of Gods truth, yet this political way of unity hath been long in the Church, Aut subscribe, aut discede, was a speech of old in the Church.

The first is, A rigid, imperious and tyrannical commanding of an uniformity and approbation in every punctilio, and minute particular: So that no dissent or liberty shall be allowed to a man, though humble and peaceable, earnestly desiring to finde out the truth. This tyranny came into the Church betimes; What a large breach did Victor Bishop of Rome make in the Church about the determinate time of keeping of Easter, whom Irenaeus did gravely oppose? Certainly, the Apostle