·- Tkmi{chiefs of Schifm : What keepetll it from Jhame and llatred. Cc.ntcr of UJity. 0 what glorious Churches, where the Learned Writm of thofe ages once lived, arc now extinct, and the places turned to the Worfhip of the Devil and a Deceiver ; through the ambition and contentions of the Bifbops, that fhould have been the bonds of their Unity and p~ace ~ But doth England need to look back ioto Hitlory, or look abroad in forreign Lands, for inllances of the fad df<cts of difcord ? Is there any one, good or bad in this age, that bath fpent his dayes in fuch a Jlecp, as not to know what Divifions have done, when they have made fuch ruines in Church and State, and kindled fuch confuming fl•mes, and raifed fo many Sects and Panics, and filled fo ma– ny hearts with unchaxitable rancour, and fo many mouths with flanders and rcvilings, and turned fo many prayers into fin, by poyfoning tltcm with pride and factious oppofitions, and hath let out tlreams of blood and fury, over all the Land? He that makcth light of the Divifions ofChritlians in thefe Kingdoms, or loveth nO( thofe that fpeak again!\ them, doth fbew himfelf to be fo impenitent' in them, as to be une of thofc terrible effects of them, that fbould be a pillar of S;lt to warn after ages to take heed. ~· 76. J o. Yea, this is a heinous aggravation of this fin, that commonly it is jufiified, and not repented of by thofe that do commit it. When a drunkard, or a whoremonger will confefs his fin, a Church-divider willlland to it, and defend it: And wo to them that call evil good, and good evil. Impenicency is aterrible aggtavation of fin. 743 9· 7 7 , 11, And it is yet the more heinous, in that it is commonly fathered upon God. If a drun– kard or whoremonger fbould fay, God commandeth me to do it, and I ferve God by it, would you not think this a horrid aggravation~ When did you ever know a Sect or party, how contrary foever among themfelves, but they all pretended Gods authority, and entitled him to their fin, and called it his firvice, and cenfured others as ungodly, or lefs godly, that would not do as bad as they ~ St. Jomes is put to confute them that thought this wifdom was from above, and fo didglory in their fin, and lye ogainft tbe 1ru1b, when their wifdom was from beneath, and no better than eartbly,{tnfulll and dcvillilh. For the wifdom from above, is ftrft pure, then peoceoblt, gentle, eafie 10 be entrtoled,fuU ofmercy,&c. James3.t7• ~- 9. 78. 12· Church divifioAs are unlike to our Heavenly fiate, and in fame regard worfi than the Kingdom of the Devil, for he would not dtj!roy it, by dividing it againll it fclf, Mottb. 11. 26. 0 wh.r a bldfed harmony of united holy fouls, will there be in the Heavenly Jerufalem, where we hope to dwell for ever? There will be no difcords, envyings, Sideings or contendings, one being of this pu ty, and another of that : but in theUnity of perfect Love, that world of Spirits, with joyful , praife will magnifie their Creator. And is a lnarling envy or jarring difeord the likely way to filch Epb. ~· 1l>1 t an end> Is the Church ofChrill aBobel of confufion? Should they be divided party againll party 1 here, thar mufi be one in perfect Love for ever? Shall they here be condemning each other, as none of the children of the Mol\ High, who there mull live in fwcetel\ concord~ If there be fbame in Heaven, you will beafbamed to meetthofe in the delights of Glory, and fee them entertained by the Lord of Love, whom you reviled and call out of the Church, or your communion caufi:lefiy on eanh. 9· 79· Remember now that Schifm, and m~king parties and divifions in the Church, is not fo fmall a fin as many take it for: lt is the accounting it a duty , and a part of Holinefs, which is the greatetl caufe that it profpmth in the world : And it will never be reformed till men have right apprebenfiun. of the evil of it. Why is it that fober people are fo fu and free from the fins of {wearing, drunkennefs, fornicationand lafci.vioufnefs, but becaufe rhefe fins are under fo odious a character, as helpeth them eaGiy to perceive the evil of them : And till Church-divifions be rightly apprehended, as whored6m, and fweuing) and drunkcnncfs are, they will never be well cwed. (m.. print then:fore on your minds the true Character of them, which I have here laid down, and look abroad upon the effects, and then ·you will fear this confounding fin, as much as a confuming Plague, 9· So. The two great caufes that keep Divifions from being hated as they ought, are r. A chari- . _ ~able. refpe~ to the good tlut is in Chu_rc~·divider: , ~arrying us t? ovexlook the evil of fhc fm : ~~~~d: JUdgmg of 11 by the Perfons that commit 1t, and thmkmg that nothmg fbould feem odious that is ""' apprc- ut: tbtirs, bccaufe many of them are in other refpcd:s of blameldS pious convc:rfations. And indeed hen!ioiis of every Chriilian, mull fo prudently reprehend, the millakes and faults of pious men, as not to afperfe $cbifme•. - the piety which is conjunCl:; and therefore not to make their perfons odious, but to give the pedon all his jull commendations for his piety, while we oppofe and aggravate his fin: Becaufe Chrill himfelf fo difiiuguilheth between the good and the evil, and the perfon and the fin ; and lovcth hi< own for their good, while he hateth their tvil; and fo mull we: And becaufe it is the.grand defign ofSatan, by the faults of the godly to make their Per[ons hated firfi, and their PieiJ next, and fo to banilh Religion from the world: And every friend of Chrifi mull fhew himfelf an enemy to this d<fign of Saran. But yet the fin mufi be difowncd and oppofed, while the perfon is Loved according to his ~orth. Chrifi will give no thanks for fuch Love to his children, as chcriOmh their Church-dcllroymg fins : There lS no greater enemy to fin than Chnll, though there be no greater friend to fouls. Godlincfs was never intended to be a fortrefs for iniquity ; or a battery for the Devil to mount his Cannons on again!l rhc Church; nor for a blind to cover the Powder~mincs of Hell. Satan never oppof,thTruth, andGudlinefs, and Vnity fo dangefoufiy, as when he can make Religious men his mftrumcms. Remember therefore rhat all mtn are v'niJy, and God1 imereft and honour mull not be fac.'ificed to theirs, nor the moll Holy be abufed, in reverence to the holiell of finful men. c ''cc
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