(238) what was done by them and their Followers, the Ge- neral Nature, and Moral Evil ofCaufelefs Schifines and Divifions, will be eafily granted. But it is that wherein we are not concerned, be the efpeciall nature ofSchiftne what it will. Nor did theymakeufe ofany one Reafon, whereon the Merit of the prefent Caufe doth depend. The ovatians (the modeller Se& of the two) pre- tended only a Defec`l in Dfipline, in granting Church Communion unto fuch asthey would not have received, though their were apparently in the wrong proceeding on miftaken Principles. The Donatills pleaded only force Perfonal Crimes in force few Bithops, fallen into in the time of Perfecution, which they could never prove, and thereon grew angry with all the World, who would not condemn them and renounce their Communion as well as they. There flight Pretences, they made the Occafian and Reafon, of renouncing the Communion ofthewhole vfble CatholickChurch, in all its diftributions for Communion, that is, all particular Churches ; and confinedSacraments and Salvation ab- folutely unto their own Parties. And hereon they fell intomany other woful Mifcarriages, efpecially thofe of the latter fort. It is indifferent by what Name any are pleafed to call thisEvil and Folly. A Sin' and Evil it was, Schifine or what you pleafe to term it, and juftly condemned by all Chriftians not joyning with them, in thofe days. And that which was the animating Prin- ciple ofthe Tumult of the Donatifis; was a Suppofiti- on, that the Continuationofthe true Church ftate de- pended on the Succeve Ordination ofBithops, which having as they thought (unduely enough) failed in one or two Inftances, it became the DeftructionofaChurch ftate, not only in the Churches where fuch Miftakes ,had
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