'We do not dream of anabaptistical perfection': Bramhall and the modesty of the Laudian vision of the Church Catholic
He maketh our Church to be in worse condition than the Church of the Donatists, because "Protestants grant" the Church of Rome doth still retain 'the essence of a true Church', but the Donatists did deny that the Catholic "Church of their time was a true Church". Doth he not see, that he argueth altogether against himself? The schism of the Donatists consisted therein, that they did uncharitably censure the Catholic Church to have lost the essence of the Church; this was indeed to go schismatically out of the communion of the Church: and on the other side this is our safety and security, that we are so far from censuring the Catholic Church, that we do not censure the Roman Church, which is but a particular Church, to be no Church, or to have lost its communion with Christ, nor have separated from it in any essential of Christian religion, but only in corruptions and innovations. Our charity freeth us from schism; the uncharitableness of the Donatists rendered them schismatics. It may be a good lesson for the Romanists, who tread too much in the steps of the Donatists ...
[We] do not dream of an anabaptistical perfection, and upon this very ground do admit them to be a true Church, though imperfect; who have not separated ourselves, but been chased away; who have only forsaken errors, not Churches, much less obstinately, and least of all in essentials; who would gladly be contented to wink at small faults, so they would not obtrude sinful duties upon us as a condition of their communion.
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From The Works of The Most Reverend Father in God, John Bramhall, Volume II.
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