Irenicum, to the lovers of truth and peace heart-divisions opened in the causes and…

In these latter sorts of circumstances we must also distinguish. There are some that must of necessity be determined, as time and place; it is therefore necessary, there should be an uniformity in these, in all the members of every society respectively, that they agree to meet in the same place, at the same time, natural necessity requires this: but natural necessity requires not the binding of several Churches to Uniformity in things of this kind. The urging Uniformity beyond the rule in such things, hath in all ages caused woeful divisions in the Church. Eusebius tells of Victor, Bishop of Rome, about two hundred years after Christ, broke off communion ⟨p. 16⟩from all the Churches of Asia, for not keeping Easter the same time he did. The controversy was not about Easter, but only about uniformity in the time. Never hath there been greater breaches of unity in the Church, then by violent urging Uniformity.

In these latter sorts of circumstances we must also distinguish. There are some that must of necessity be determined, as time and place; it is therefore necessary, there should be an uniformity in these, in all the members of every society respectively, that they agree to meet in the same place, at the same time, naturall necessity requires this: but naturall necessity requires not the binding of severall Churches to Uniformity in things of this kind. The urging Uniformity beyond the rule in such things, hath in all ages caused wofull divisions in the Church. Eusebius tells of Victor, Bishop of Rome, about two hundred yeares after Christ, broke off communion ⟨p. 16⟩from all the Churches of Asia, for not keeping Easter the same time he did. The controversie was not about Easter, but onely about uniformity in the time. Never hath there been greater breaches of unity in the Church, then by violent urging Uniformity.

But further; there are other natural civill circumstances, which need not at all be determined; though there be a liberty and variety in them, yet order and edification is not hereby hindered. As for instance, In hearing the word, one stands, as Constantine was wont constantly to do; another sits; one is uncovered, another is covered; one hath one kind of garment, another, another; yet no rules of modesty or gravity are broken. Now if any power should violently urge uniformity in such like circumstances, and not leave them as Christ hath done, here they make the necessity of uniformity a dividing principle, upon these four grounds.