III. On the contrary, consider well of the mischiefs of divisions. 1. It is the killing of the church, (as much as lieth in the dividers,) or the wounding it at least. Christ's body is one, and it is sensible; and therefore dividing it tendeth directly to the destroying it, and at least will cause its smart and pain. To reform the church by dividing it, is no wiser than to cut out the liver, or spleen, or gall, to cleanse them from the filth that doth obstruct them, and hinder them in their office; you may indeed thus cleanse them, but it will be a mortal cure. As he that should divide the kingdom into two kingdoms dissolveth the old kingdom, or part of it at least, to erect two new ones; so he that would divide the catholic church into two, must thereby destroy it, if he could succeed; or destroy that part which divideth itself from the rest. Can a member live that is cut off from the body, or a branch that is separated from the tree? [Sidenote: Whether papists or protestants are schismatics.] _Quest._ O but, say the Romanists, why then do you cut off yourselves from us? the division is made by you, and we are the church, and you are dead till you return to us. How will you know which part is the church, when a division is once made? _Answ._ Are you the church? Are you the only christians in the world? The church is, all christians united in Christ their Head. You traitorously set up a new usurping head; and proclaim yourselves to be the whole church, and condemn all that are not subjects to your new head: we keep our station, and disclaim his usurpation, and deny subjection to you, and tell you that as you are the subjects of the pope, you are none of the church of Christ at all; from this treasonable conspiracy we withdraw ourselves; but as you are the subjects of Christ we never divided from you, nor denied you our communion.[153] Let reason judge now who are the dividers. And is it not easy to know which is the church in the division? It is all those that are still united unto Christ: if you or we be divided from Christ and from christians that are his body, we are then none of the church; but if we are not divided from Christ, we are of the church still: if part of a tree (though the far greater part) be cut off or separated from the rest, it is that part (how small soever) that still groweth with the root that is the living tree. The Indian fig tree, and some other trees, have branches that take root when they touch the ground: if now you ask me whether the branches springing from the second root, are members of the first tree, I answer, 1. The rest that have no new root are more undoubtedly members of it. 2. If any branches are separated from the first tree, and grow upon the new root alone, the case is out of doubt. 3. But if yet they are by continuation joined to both, that root which they receive their nutriment most from, is it which they most belong to. Suppose a tyrant counterfeit a commission from the king to be