"ftrife is, there is confufion, and every evil work. But the wif"dom that is from above, is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, "and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without "partiality, and without hypocrify. And the fruit of righteousness "is fown in peace of them that make peace. From whence "come wars and fightings (or brawlings) amongst you? come they not hence, even of your lufts which war in "members?"

your

Schifm excludes from the kingdom of heaven. Gal. v. 20, 21. "They that do fuch things, fhall not inherit the kingdom of "heaven." It is to be rewarded with the fire of judgment. John xv. 4. "He that abideth not in the vine, is caft forth as "a branch, and is burned." Heb. x. 25. " Not forfaking the "affembling of ourselves together, as the manner of fome is." St. Auguftin, Serm. 11. on Matth. xii. 32. makes it the fin against the Holy Ghoft. Schifmatics are to be confidered as exotics. Matth. xv. 13. "Every plant that my heavenly Father "hath not planted, fhall be rooted up." They are withered branches. John xv. 6. Falfe brethren. 2 Cor. ii. 26. " False "brethren unawares brought in." Gal. ii. 4. Matth. vii. 15. "Beware of false prophets, that come to you in fheep's clothing, "but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye fhall know them "by their fruits." Acts xx. 29. " Grievous wolves enter in, not "fparing the flock." Matth. xxiv. 11. "Many falfe prophets "fhall arife, and fhall deceive many." 1 John iii. 14. "He "that loveth not, abideth in death. Whofoever hateth his bro"ther, is a murderer; and ye know that no murderer hath "eternal life-abiding in him." 1 Tim. vi. 3. "If any man "teach otherwife, and confent not to wholesome words, even to "the words of our Lord Jefus Chrift, and the doctrine which is "according unto godliness, he is proud, knowing nothing, but "doating about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh "envy, ftrife, railings, evil furmifings, perverfe difputings (or, "gallings one of another) of men of corrupt minds, and destitute "of the truth, fuppofing that gain is godlinefs: from fuch with"draw thyself." Tit. i. 10. "Many unruly and vain talkers and "deceivers." 1 John v. 14. " This is the confidence we have in "him, that if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth ❝us.-Woe unto that man by whom the offence cometh." Mark ix. 42. "It were hetter that a milftone were hanged about his "neck, &c." Phil. iv. 21. "Salute every faint in Chrift Jefus ;

in his body the church." Tit. iii. 15. "Greet them that love us in the faith." Heb. xiii. 24. "Salute all them that have "the rule over you, and all the faints." 1 Pet. v. 14. "Greet "6 ye one another with a kifs of CHARITY. Peace be with

you all that are in Chrift Jefus." As to thofe who are not in Chrift Jefus, we are bound not to falute them. 2 John 10. "Whofoever tranfgreffeth, and abideth not in the doctrine of "Chrift, hath not God-If there come any unto you, and bring

not this doctrine, receive him not into your houses, neither bid bim God fpeed." Communion with them is forbidden, Gal. v. 12. “I would they were even cut off that trouble you, axalasa"Tales, who difturb, raife factions, overturn, deftroy." 2 Theff. iii. 6. "Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our "Lord Jefus Chrift, that ye withdraw yourselves from every "BROTHER that walketh diforderly, (alaxlws, breaking his "rank) and not after the TRADITION that he received from

❝ us." V. 14. "And if any man obey not our word by this "epiftle, note that man, and have no company with him, that <<he may be ashamed; yet count him not an enemy, but admonish "him as a brother." 2 Pet. iii. 17. "Ye therefore, beloved, feeing ye know these things before, beware left ye alfo being led "away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own ftedfast"nefs. But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift." Rom. xvi. 17. "Now I befecch you, brethren, mark them which caufe divifions and offences "C contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned, and avoid them. "For they that are such serve not our Lord Jefus Chrift, but "their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive "the hearts of the fimple. For your obedience is come abroad "unto all men." Tit. iii. 10. "A man that is an heretic after "the first and second admonition, reject; knowing that he that "is fuch is fubverted, and finneth, being condemned of himfelf: "Espana, he is turned out of the way." Such are to be claffed with heathens and publicans. Matth. xviii. 17. " If he hear not "the CHURCH, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a "publican." Luke xi. 23. "He that is not with me, is against "me; and he that gathereth not with me, fcattereth." Communion was forbidden with Korah. Numb. xvi. 26. "Depart, I 66 pray you, from the tents of thefe wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, left ye be confumed in all their fins." All that VOL. II.

T

eat of the facrifices of fuch are abominable. Hof. ix. 4. is fpoken of the fchifmatical ten tribes and their offerings. 1 Cor. i. 10. "I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jefus "Chrift, that ye all speak the fame thing, and that there be no "divifions (Gr. SCHISMS) among you." Eph. iv. 2. "For"bearing one another in love; endeavouring to keep the unity of "the Spirit in the bond of peace."

Inftances of Schifmatics, &c. punished.

Satan firft broke the unity in heaven, and was caft down to hell. Hatred is oppofite to love. Cain, being of that wicked one, fell into envy, and flew his brother, in a quarrel which was altogether of a religious kind. He went out from the prefence of God, i. e. from the church, as it then was, a fugitive, and a vagabond in the earth; and built a city, in a ftate of feparation from that part of his family in which the church was continued in the line of Seth. The fchifm of Cain was continued till the flood came, and destroyed them all. Corruption became general, through the intermixture of the members of the church with the pofterity of Cain, the people of the fchifm. The crime of Korah and his company was wholly that of fchifin: they funk into the pit. Jeroboam and the ten tribes, who fet up the calves against the one altar at Jerufalem, to fecure their new government, were deftroyed and extirpated for ever. The man of God (1 Kings xiii. 8, 9.) who was fent thither, was neither to eat nor drink at Bethel, the conventicle of the calf; but he did, and was flain for it (ver. 22.) It cannot be, that fpiritual things thould be common with the church and fchifm, when the communion even of carthly things was fo ftrictly prohibited. The people of the Samaritan fchifm, who separated from the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin, were numbered with the Heathens. Matth. x. 5. "Go not into the way of the Gen"tiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not." 2 Chron. xxvi. 21. Uzziah, though king, for intruding into the priest's office, was ftruck with a leprofy, and cut off from the house of the Lord.

Images defcribing Schifm and its confequences.

Col. ii. 19. The church is a body, holding with "the head, from which the whole, by means of joints and bands, having

« nourishment ministred, and knit together, increaseth with the " increase of God." The Spirit is from the head to all the members; fo that if any member is feparated from the body, it must lofe the life of the body.

2. When a bough is separated takes of the life from the root.

from a tree, it no longer parWhen it is cut off, it is foon

withered; and when it is withered, its end is to be burned.

3. A ray of light fhines by its communication with the fun! when it is cut off from that communication with the fource of light, it shines no longer.

4. It is the fame with a ftream of water, which is foon dried up, when it communicates no longer with its fountain.

5. To be joined to any but the bridegroom of the church, is the fin of fpiritual adultery; by which the members of Chrift are made the members of an harlot. The chafte dove has but one mate: one family are in one houfe.

6. The ark of Noah was a figure of the church: there can be therefore no falvation out of the church, becaufe there could be none out of the ark.

7. The feamless coat of Chrift is not to be divided. 1 Kings xi. 30, 31. The prophet divides his coat, to fignify the fchifm that fhould be among the tribes. Chrift's coat was providentially not divided, to fignify the unity that ought to be preferved in his church. We are to put on Chrift entire; if the garment is torn, it must betray our nakedness.

8. Rahab was ordered to gather all her friends into her houfe, that they might be faved: if any were found out of it, they were to perish. Jofh. ii. 18.

9. The Pafchal Lamb was to be eaten in one house: none of it was to be caft out.

10. The old Jerufalem was a pattern of the new there was one temple, and ope altar; all the reft of the world were without.

11. The church of Chrift is a fold of theep, under the protection of the shepherd: if the sheep ftrays, it is in the way of

the wolf.

Texts for Love and Unity, respecting the Church.

Ephef. iv. 4, 5. "There is one body, "There is one body, one spirit, one baptifm." Chrift and the Father are one-thefe three are one-Chriftians are

to be one as they are. Pfal. Ixviii. 7. God maketh men to be of one mind in a houfe. In domo Dei, in ecclefiæ Christi, unanimes habitant, concordes et fimplices perfeverant. Matth. xviii. 19. "If two "of you fhall AGREE touching any thing that they fhall afk, it "fhall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For "where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am "I in the midst of them." But how can he agree with any one, who is at variance with the body of the church, and with the whole fraternity? Chrift was with the three in the furnace, who praised him with one heart, and one voice. He was with two Apostles in prison, and brought them out. Matth. v. 23. "When "When you ftand

praying, forgive, if you have any thing against any one, that "your heavenly Father may forgive you." So again-" offer "not your gift till you are first reconciled to your brother"-much more to the church itfelf. Peace was the legacy which Chrift left to his church" love one another."-" See that ye "fall not out by the way."-" Though we have all faith, yet "without love we are nothing."-" He that abideth in love, "abideth in God, and God in him :" and we have no vifible way of abiding in God, but by abiding with the church, with which he is prefent" Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the "world." The working of miracles would avail nothing, without love keeping the commandments. "All the law and the

"prophets are fulfilled in this, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, "and thy neighbour as thyfelf." Acts iv. 32. "The company of "those that believed were of one heart, and of one mind." ́ So when the Spirit defcended, "they were all with one accord in "one place." They were ordered to remain together in Jerufalem, where the vifible church was, till they were endued with power from on high. John xvii. 20. Chrift prayeth for all those that thall believe-that they may be one-that the world might thence believe that God had fent him-putting the proof of his mission, and the teftimony of his religion, on the unity of his difciples. How great, then, must be the offence of exposing his religion to the contempt and difbelief of the world, by making divifions in his church!

Schifm in the fpiritual body of the church, is a greater fcandal than a corruption in manners; as in the natural body, a wound, or folution of continuity, is worse than a corrupt humour. Bacon's Sentences, V. III. p. 295.