Owen - BX5085 O84x 1681

( 2: 3 2 3. ed_State, Order, and Rule, hath not the leaft Affinity tinto Schifine. It will not therefore be admitted, that any thing can fall :under the note And Guilt of Schifine, which hath not refpe& unto`fome Church .[-late, Order, aule, Unity or Uniformity, that is of Chrilts Inítitu- tion. There are three Notions of Schifine that deferve our Confideration. i. The firft is that of Divifoes among the elenzhers ofthefame Church, all ofthem abiding fiill in the fame outward Communion, without any Separation into di- ftin6t Parties. And unto Schifine in this Notion ¿f it three things do concur ; (z.) Want of that. mutual Love, Condefcenfion and Forbearance, which are required in all the Members of the ftme Church, with the Moral Evils of Whifperings, Back-bitings, and evil furmizes, that enfue thereon. (20 An undue 2dherence untoCome Church Officers above others, canfïng difputes and janglings. (3.) Diforder in the Attendance unto the Duties of Church Airemblies, and the Worthip ofGod 'perform- ed in them. This is the only Notion of Schifine, that is exemplified in the Scripture, the only evil that is con- demned under that name; This will appear unto any, who [hall with heedfulnefs read the Eplles of Paul the ,Apoflle unto theCorinthians, wherein alone the nature of this Evil is fated and exemplified. But this Confidera- tion of Schifm hath been almoft utterly loft for many Ages; whatever men do in Churches, fò that they de- part not from the outward Communion of them, it would be accounted ridiculous to efteem them Schif maticks.

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