Religion & morality > Description of the true nature of schism

[ 2 ]
Congregations. “ In this Ail (fay* be) for prefcrving .
“ Order, Unity and Peace in the Kirk, and for pre-
“ venting of Schifm, they injoined every Member in
“ every Congregation to keep their own Parifh kirk,
“ communicating there in Word and Sacrament.” This
Aft is frequently thrown up by our Author, with very
indecent Infinuations againft it. I fhall in this Place
offer what I intend for the vindicating and clearing of it.
The Preamble to the Aft declares the End and Defign
of it, vise., for preferring Order, Unity, l£c. and for
preventing Schifm. I once defigned to have given a
more large Account of the Nature of Schifm in a Seftion ;
by itfelf; bur, finding that thia Book fwells upon my
Hand, I fhall forbear it: Only, I mull here obferve, :
that we find the Word Schijm ufed leveral Times by the
Apoltle in his firli Epiftle to the Corinthians, as Chap,
i. IO. Now 1 bejeech yon. Brethren,——and that there
be no Divijions among you. The Wcrd Divi/ions is in
the Original Scbiims, Chap. xi. 18. I bear that there be (
Divifans among you, or SCH ISMS. And if we require, 1
What were thefeSchifms jthat were in the Church of •
Corinth? I anfwer. They were Divifions, Differences^ ]
and Janglings amongfl the Members of that Church, i
who ffill remained joined together in externa! Church-
communion, or in the fame Church-Order, DifcipHne , r
and Worfhip: The Apoftle gives a particular Inllance. f
of their Divifionsand Janglings, i Cor. i. iz.end iii. 4. j
One faid, lam Paul ; another, lam ^Apollcs.-j
There was a Siding amongft them about their Miniflers j
and Teachers,'who held the feme Teftimony of Jefus.
And here I obferve, that the Spirit of God in the holy k
Scriptures calls it Schifm, when the Members of a par¬
ticular organical Church put a Difference aniongfl their
faithful Miniflers and Teachers, who are holding the
fame Teltimony of the Lord J[efus: As this is'.SrT>//z» in
the S'cripture-fenfe of the Word, fo it ought to be coti»i v
demned in all the Churches of thrift; and this is that
Schifmand Separation tcflified againft by the abeve Aft