" 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 ye one another with a kifs of CHARITY. Peace be with all that are in Christ Jesus." As to those who are not in Christ Jefus, we are bound not to falute them. 2 John 10. "Whosoever tranfgreffeth, and abideth not in the doctrine of "Christ, hath not God-If there come any unto you, and bring

you

not this doctrine, receive him not into your houses, neither bid "him God fpeed." Communion with them is forbidden, Gal. v. 12. "I would they were even cut off that trouble you, analasa"yles, who disturb, raise 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 disorderly, (alaxlws, breaking his "rank) and not after the TRADITION that he received from

έσ ""

6

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, fee"ing ye know these things before, beware left ye alfo being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfast"nefs. But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord "and Saviour Jefus Chrift." Rom. xvi. 17. "Now I beseech 86 you, brethren, mark them which caufe divifions and offences 66 contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned, and avoid them. "For they that are fuch ferve not our Lord Jesus Christ, 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. 1o. "A man that is an heretic after "the first and fecond admonition, reject; knowing that he that "is fuch is fubverted, and finneth, being condemned of himself: "εεspala, 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 16 pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch no"thing of theirs, left ye be confumed in all their fins.” All that

eat of the facrifices of fuch are abominable. Hof. ix. 4. is Spoken of the schismatical ten tribes and their offerings. 1 Cor. i. 10. "I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jefus, Christ, that ye all fpeak 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 first 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 presence 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 state 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 fchifmn: 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 destroyed 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 fhould be common with the church and fchifm, when the communion even of earthly 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 prieft's office, was ftruck with a leprofy, and cut off from the houfe 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 miniftred, and knit together, increafeth 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 feparated from a tree, it no longer partakes of the life from the root. When 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 fhines 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 house,

6. The ark of Noah was a figure of the church: there can be therefore no falvation out of the church, because 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 should 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 perifh. Jofh. ii. 18.

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

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

II. The church of Chrift is a fold of fheep, under the protection of the shepherd: if the fheep ftrays, it is in the way of

the wolf.

Texts for Love and Unity, refpecting the Church.

Ephef. iv. 4, 5. "There is one body, one spirit, one baptism.” Chrift and the Father are one-these 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 Di, in ecclefia Chrifti, unanimes habitant, concordes et fimplices perfeverant. Matth. xviii. 19. "If two "of you shall AGREE touching any thing that they shall ask, 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 prifon, and brought them out. Matth. v. 23. "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 itself. 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 visible 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 commandnients. "All the law and the

"prophets are fulfilled in this, Thou fhalt love the Lord thy God, "and thy neighbour as thyself." Acts iv. 32. "The company of "those that believed were of one heart, and of one mind." Se when the Spirit defcended, " I 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 hall 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 testimony of his religion, on the unity of his dif ciples. How great, then, must be the offence of expofing his religion to the contempt and disbelief of the world, by making divifions in his church!

Schifm in the Spiritual body of the church, is a greater scandal 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.

CONTROVERSY.

SOME RULES FOR THE STUDY OF IT.

1.STRIP

TRIP the book of its trappings. Collect the arguments ́urged by the author, either for his own scheme, or against yours. Arrange them methodically; ftate them briefly, clearly, and fairly.

II. Mark diligently, and note down conceffions made unawares in different parts of the work, which weaken or destroy the arguments on the other fide.

III. Discover his drift and defign; to what fect he belongs; who are his friends; who applaud him; and who are applauded by him whence he fetches his arguments, &c.

IV. Throw out what is nothing to the purpose, and fix upon the point on which the dispute turns. Find out the jugulum caufæ, where one good stroke will do more than many pages of lax argumentation. A controvertist should be trained as the Arabians train a falcon, to fasten upon the throat of the gazell, and there ftick till the creature drops. See Goldsmith III. 85.

V. Examine whether the opinion contended for be not clogged with more difficulties, and liable to more objections, than the opinion oppofed,

VI. In writing controvery, go as far as you can with your antagonist; join with, and commend what is right in him. He that would do good by what he says, muft oppose and contradict as little as poffible; must make all allowances, and take things in the best light. He must avoid all reproachful language, all that is farcaftical or biting. This never did good from the pulpit or the prefs. The fofteft words make the deepest impreffion.