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First Letter Concerning Toleration/43 


are of different religions, because these also take only the Scriptures, 
and those I know not what traditions, for the rule of their religion. 

This being settled, it follows, first, that heresy is a separation made 
in ecclesiastical communion between men of the same religion for some 
opinions no way contained in the rule itself; and, secondly, that amongst 
those who acknowledge nothing but the Floly Scriptures to be their rule 
of faith, heresy is a separation made in their Christian communion for 
opinions not contained in the express words of Scripture. Now this sepa- 
ration may be made in a twofold manner: 

1 . When the greater part, or by the magistrate’s patronage the stronger 
part, of the Church separates itself from others by excluding them out of 
her communion because they will not profess their belief of certain opin- 
ions which are not the express words of the Scripture. For it is not the 
paucity of those that are separated, nor the authority of the magistrate, 
that can make any man guilty of heresy, but he only is a heretic who 
divides the Church into parts, introduces names and marks of distinc- 
tion, and voluntarily makes a separation because of such opinions. 

2. When any one separates himself from the communion of a Church 
because that Church does not publicly profess some certain opinions 
which the Floly Scriptures do not expressly teach. 

Both these are heretics because they err in fundamentals, and they 
eiT obstinately against knowledge; for when they have determined the 
Floly Scriptures to be the only foundation of faith, they nevertheless lay 
down certain propositions as fundamental which are not in the Scrip- 
ture, and because others will not acknowledge these additional opinions 
of theirs, nor build upon them as if they were necessary and fundamen- 
tal, they therefore make a separation in the Church, either by withdraw- 
ing themselves from others, or expelling the others from them. Nor does 
it signify anything for them to say that their confessions and symbols 
are agreeable to Scripture and to the analogy of faith; for if they be 
conceived in the express words of Scripture, there can be no question 
about them, because those things are acknowledged by all Christians to 
be of divine inspiration and therefore fundamental. But if they say that 
the articles which they require to be professed are consequences de- 
duced from the Scripture, it is undoubtedly well done of them who be- 
lieve and profess such things as seem unto them so agreeable to the rule 
of faith. But it would be very ill done to obtrude those things upon 
others unto whom they do not seem to be the indubitable doctrines of the 
Scripture; and to make a separation for such things as these, which