4. There was not yet, nor in an hundred and fifty years after, the least mention or intimation, of any Schism in a dissent from any humanely invented Rules or Canons, for Order, Government or Worship in any Church, or Religious Ceremonies imposed on the Practise of any in divine Service, that is on any Church, or any of the Members of it. There is not the least Rumour of any such things in primitive Antiquity, no Instance to be given of any man charged with Schism for a Dissent from such a Rule. Any such Rule, and any Ecclesiastical Censure upon it, is apocryphal, not only unto the Scripture, but unto that which I call primitive Antiquity. The first Attempt of any thing in this kind, was in reference unto the time and day of the Observation of Easter. This was the first Instance among Christians of an endeavour to impose the Observation of humane or Church Constitutions or groundless Traditions, on any Churches or Persons in them. And whereas that ⟨p. 235⟩which was called a Schism between the Churches of Italy and Asia or some of them, did ensue thereon; we have a most illustrious Testimony from the best, the Wisest, and the Holyest of that Age, (for Irenaeus in France, and Polycrates in Asia, were not alone herein.) that the blame of all that Division and Schism was to be charged on them, who attempted to deprive the Churches of their Liberty, and impose on them a necessity of the Observation of the Time and Season which they had determined on: After a Rebuke was given unto the Attempt of the Judaizing Christians, to impose the Observation of Mosaical Ceremonies, from the pretence of their divine Institution, on the Churches of the Gentiles, by the Apostles themselves; this was the Original of all endeavours, to impose humane Constitutions for which there was no such Pretence, upon the Practise of any. And as it was an Original not unmeet for the beginning and foundation of such Impositions, being in a matter of no Use unto the Edification of the Church; so it received such a solemn Rebuke at its first entrance and Attempt, that had it not been for the Ignorance, Pride, Interest and Superstition of some in the following Ages, it had perished without Imitation. The Account hereof is given in Eusebius, lib. 5. cap. 21, 22, 33;
4. There was not yet, nor in an hundred and fifty years after, the least mention or intimation, of any Schisme in a dissent from any humanely invented Rules or Canons, for Order, Government or Worship in any Church, or Religious Ceremonies imposed on the Practise of any in divine Service, that is on any Church, or any of the Members of it. There is not the least Rumour of any such things in primitive Antiquity, no Instance to be given of any man charged with Schisme for a Dissent from such a Rule. Any such Rule, and any Ecclesiastical Censure upon it, is apocriphal, not only unto the Scripture, but unto that which I call primitive Antiquity. The first Attempt of any thing in this kind, was in reference unto the time and day of the Observation of Easter. This was the first Instance among Christians of an endeavour to impose the Observation of humane or Church Constitutions or groundless Traditions, on any Churches or Persons in them. And whereas that ⟨p. 235⟩which was called a Schisme between the Churches of Italy and Asia or some of them, did ensue thereon; we have a most illustrious Testimony from the best, the Wisest, and the Holyest of that Age, (for Irenaeus in France, and Polycrates in Asia, were not alone herein.) that the blame of all that Division and Schisme was to be charged on them, who attempted to deprive the Churches of their Liberty, and impose on them a necessity of the Observation of the Time and Season which they had determined on: After a Rebuke was given unto the Attempt of the Judaizing Christians, to impose the Observation of Mosaical Ceremonies, from the pretence of their divine Institution, on the Churches of the Gentiles, by the Apostles themselves; this was the Original of all endeavours, to impose humane Constitutions for which there was no such Pretence, upon the Practise of any. And as it was an Original not unmeet for the beginning and foundation of such Impositions, being in a matter of no Ʋse unto the Edification of the Church; so it received such a solemne Rebuke at its first entrance and Attempt, that had it not been for the Ignorance, Pride, Interest and Superstition of some in the following Ages, it had perished without Imitation. The Account hereof is given in Eusebius, lib. 5. cap. 21, 22, 33;
