_Prop._ IV. It is not ignorance or error about the mere integrals of christianity, which maketh them no christians who hold the essentials, that is, the baptismal covenant.[209]
_Prop._ V. That the baptismal covenant might be rightly understood and professed, the churches have still used the creed as the explication of the covenant, in point of faith; and taken it for the symbol of the christian belief. And no further profession of faith was or is to be required, as necessary to the being of christianity.[210]
_Prop._ VI. If proud usurpers or censurers take on them to excommunicate, or unchristian, or unchurch others, without authority and cause, this maketh them not to be no christians, or no churches, that are so used.[211]
_Prop._ VII. Therefore to know which is the true catholic or universal church, is but to know who are baptized, professed christians.[212]
_Prop._ VIII. The reformed churches, the Lutherans, the Abassines, the Coptics, the Syrians, the Armenians, the Jacobites, the Georgians, the Maronites, the Greeks, the Moscovites, and the Romanists, do all receive baptism in all its visible essentials, and profess all the essentials of the christian religion, though not with the same integrity.[213]
_Prop._ IX. He that denieth any one essential part, in itself, is so a heretic as to be no christian, nor true member of the church, if it be justly proved or notorious: that is, none ought to take him for a visible christian, who know the proof of his denying that essential part of christianity, or to whom it is notorious.[214]
_Prop._ X. He that holdeth the essentials primarily, and with them holdeth some error which by unseen consequence subverteth some essential point, but holdeth the essentials so much faster, that he would forsake his error if he saw the inconsistence, is a christian notwithstanding; and if the name heretic be applicable to him, it is but in such a sense, as is consistent with christianity.[215]
_Prop._ XI. He that is judged a heretic and no christian justly by others, must be lawfully cited, and heard plead his cause, and be judged upon sufficient proof, and not unheard, or upon rash presumption.[216]
_Prop._ XII. Christianity and heresy being personal qualities, and no where found but in individuals, nor one man guilty of another's error, it followeth that it is single persons upon personal guilt that must be judged.[217]
_Prop._ XIII. Any man may judge another to be a christian or heretic, by a private judgment of discerning, or the reason which guideth all human actions; but only church rulers may judge him by that public judgment, which giveth or denieth him his public privileges and communion.[218]
_Prop._ XIV. If by notorious injustice church rulers condemn christians as no christians, though they may thereby deny them communion with those public assemblies which they govern, yet do they not oblige the people to take such injured persons for no christians. Else they might oblige all to believe a lie, to consent to malicious injuries, and might disoblige the people from truth, righteousness, and charity.[219]
_Prop._ XV. There is no one natural or collective head and governor of all the churches in the world (the universal church) but Jesus Christ; and therefore there is none that by such governing power, can excommunicate any man out of the universal church; and such usurpation would be treason against Christ, whose prerogative it is.[220]
_Prop._ XVI. Yet he that deserveth to be excommunicated from one church, deserveth to be excommunicated by and from all, if it be upon a cause common to all; or that nullifieth his christianity.[221]
_Prop._ XVII. And where neighbour churches are consociate and live in order and concord, he that is orderly excommunicate from one church, and it be notified to the rest, should not be taken into the communion of any of the rest, till he be cleared, or become fit for their communion.[222] But this obligation ariseth but from the concord of consociate churches, and not from the power of one over the rest; and it cannot reach all the world, where the person cometh not, nor was ever known; but only to those who through neighbourhood are capable of just notice, and of giving or denying communion to that person.
_Prop._ XVIII. From all this it is clear, that it is not either papists alone, or Greeks alone, or protestants alone, or any party of christians, who are the universal church, seeing that church containeth all christians.[223] And that reviling others (yea, whole nations) as heretics, schismatics, and no christians or churches, will no more prove the revilers to be the only church or christians, than want of love will prove a man to be one of Christ's disciples, who by love are known to all men to be his.