For the former, it is certain that heresies and schisms are of all others the greatest scandals; yea, more than corruption of manners. For as in the natural body a wound or solution of continuity is worse than a corrupt humour, so in the spiritual. So that nothing doth so much keep men out of the church, and drive men out of the church, as breach of unity. And therefore whensoever it cometh to that pass that one saith, Ecce in deserto [Behold, he is in the desert], another saith, Ecce in penetralibus [Behold he is in the inner chambers]; that is, when some men seek Christ in the conventicles of heretics, and others in an outward face of a church, that voice had need continually to sound in men's ears, Nolite exire — Go not out.
The Doctor of the Gentiles [St Paul] (the propriety of whose vocation drew him to have a special care of those without) saith, If an heathen come in and hear you speak with several tongues, will he not say that you are mad? (1 Corinthians 14:23). And certainly it is little better when atheists and profane persons do hear of so many discordant and contrary opinions in religion; it doth avert them from the church, and maketh them to sit down in the chair of scorners (Psalms 1:1).
It is but a light thing to be vouched in so serious a matter, but yet it expresseth well the deformity. There is a master of scoffing [Rabelais] that in his catalogue of books of a feigned library sets down this title of a book, The morris dance of heretics. For indeed every sect of them hath a diverse posture or cringe by themselves, which cannot but move derision in worldlings and depraved politics [politicians], who are apt to contemn holy things.
As for the fruit towards those that are within, it is peace, which containeth infinite blessings: it establisheth faith; it kindleth charity; the outward peace of the church distilleth into peace of conscience; and it turneth the labours of writing and reading of controversies into treaties [treatises] of mortification and devotion.
Contrariwise, certain Laodiceans [see Revelation 3:14-16] and lukewarm persons think they may accommodate points of religion by middle ways, and taking part of both, and witty reconcilements, as if they would make an arbitrement between God and man.
Both these extremes are to be avoided, which will be done if the league of Christians, penned by our Saviour himself, were in the two cross clauses thereof soundly and plainly expounded: He that is not with us is against us [Matthew 12:30], and again, He that is not against us is with us [Mark 9:40]; that is, if the points fundamental and of substance in religion were truly discerned and distinguished from points not merely of faith, but of opinion, order, or good intention.
This is a thing may seem to many a matter trivial and done already; but if it were done less partially, it would be embraced more generally.
The nature of such controversies is excellently expressed by St Paul in the warning and precept that he giveth concerning the same, Devita profanas vocum novitates, et oppositiones falsi nominis scientiae [Avoid the profane novelties of words and the contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge (1 Timothy 6:20)]. Men create oppositions which are not, and put them into new terms so fixed as, whereas the meaning ought to govern the term, the term in effect governeth the meaning.
Lucretius the poet, when he beheld the act of Agamemnon, that could endure the sacrificing of his own daughter, exclaimed:
Tantum religio potuit suadere malorum [So powerfully could religion prompt a man to evil deeds].
What would he have said if he had known of the massacre in France [St Bartholomews's Day, 1572] or the powder treason of England [The Gunpowder Plot, 5 November 1605]. He would have been seven times more Epicure and atheist than he was. For as the temporal sword is to be drawn with great circumspection in cases of religion, so it is a thing monstrous to put it into the hands of the common people. Let that be left unto the Anabaptists and other furies.
It was great blasphemy when the devil said, I will ascend and be like the highest [Isaiah 14:14]; but it is greater blasphemy to personate God, and bring him in saying, I will descend and be like the prince of darkness. And what is it better, to make the cause of religion to descend to the cruel and execrable actions of murthering princes, butchery of people, and subversion of states and governments? Surely this is to bring down the Holy Ghost, instead of the likeness of a dove, in the shape of a vulture or raven; and to set out of the bark [barque] of a Christian church a flag of a bark of pirates and assassins.
Therefore it is most necessary that the church by doctrine and decree, princes by their sword, and all learnings (both Christian and moral) as by their Mercury rod [the Caduceus], do damn and send to hell for ever those facts [deeds] and opinions tending to the support of the same, as hath been already in good part done.