554 CHARACTER OF A SOUND, heresy and a sect, every where spoken against ; Acts xxviii. 22. xxiv. 14. But for, all that, heresy is a fruit of the flesh, (Gal. v. 20.) and some of them called damnable; (2 Pet. ii. 1.) and they are the trial of the church, to difference the approved members from thechaff; 1 Cori xi. 19. And an obstinate heretic is to be avoided by true believers; Titus iii. 10. And the Pharisees and Sadducees are well reputed to be several sects; Acts v. 17..xv. 5. xxvi. 5. And dividers and divisions are justly branded, as afore- said. There must be no schism in the body of Christ; 1 Cor. xii. 25. The following of selected teachers, in a way of division from the rest, or opposition to them, doth show that men are carnal in too great a measure, though it be not in predominancy, as in the profane. "And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, as unto babes to Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat ; for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able, for ye are yet,carnal.. For whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men ? For tyhile one saith, I am of Paul, and another, I am of Apollos, are áe not camal ?" 2 Cor. iii. 1-3. How much, more when he that is for Paul doth censure and rail at Cephas and Apollos ! He that bath seen the course ofmen professing godliness in England in this, age, may'easilÿ and sadly know how prone weak Christians are to unjust separations and divisions, and what are thè effects. He that had heard many zealous in prayer, and other duties, and the next year see them. turning Quakers, and railing in the open congregations at the most able, holy, self-denying ministers of Christ, and at their flocks, with a Come down, thou deceiver, thou hireling, thou wolf; ye are all greedy dogs,' &c., and shall see how yet poor souls run into that revilingand irrational sect, (to say nothing of all other sects among us,) will ne longer doubt whether the weak be inclined to schism, but will rather lament the dangerousness of their station, and know that all is not done when a sinner is converted from an ungodly state. Study the reason of those three texts; Ephes. iv. 13 -16. " For the edifying the body of Christ, till we all come, in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a'perfect man, and the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; so that we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive ; but speaking the truth in .love, may grow up into him in all things; which is the head, even Christ; from whom the whole body, fitly joined together and compacted, by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the mesure of every part, maketh increase of the body, to the edifyingof itself
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