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contra fidem, et contra veritatem; Schism, contra CHAP. V. personas3, contra disciplinam, et contra caritatem.

1 S. HIERON. in Tit. c. 3. He calls it dissensio episcopalis; there being in that age no Christian congregation apart from, or independent of, a Bishop. See below, Pt. i. ch. x.

2 S. AUG. c. Crescon. ii. 7.

3 S. CYPRIAN, Ep. lxvi. p. 167. Inde schismata et hæreses, dum Episcopus, qui unus est et Ecclesiæ præest, superbâ præsumptione contemnitur.

S. AUG. de Fide et Symb. c. 10. Hæretici de Deo falsa sentiendo ipsam fidem violant; schismatici autem dissensionibus iniquis a fraternâ caritate dissiliunt, quamvis ea credant quæ credimus.

Q. What do we learn from Holy Scripture concerning Schism?

A. As the punishment and fearful judgment of Levit. x. 1. God on Nadab and Abihu1 is a solemn warning Num. iii. 4. against Heresy, so is that on Korah a warning Num. xvi. against Schism. Jeroboam, who is characterized Jude 11. 19. 1 Kings xii. in Scripture more than twenty times as he that 27-32. "made Israel to sin," is an example of both Heresy and Schism. St. Paul says to the Corinthians," I 1 Cor. i. 10. beseech you, brethren, by the name of Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions (oxíoμara) among you." And he 1 Cor. xiii. 3. declares that nothing, not even martyrdom, pro- Gal. v. 20, fiteth without charity; and no one can be said to 21. have charity who is wilfully guilty of schism. Schism is a carnal work, and as such excludes from heaven; it tends to the subversion of a

1 Cor. iii. 3.

Church, for a kingdom or house divided against Matt. xii. 25. itself cannot stand; it is a rending of Christ's blessed Body; a violation of the marriage-compact between Him and the Church (μοιχεία πνευματική);

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a disregard of His Divine Example, by which He John xiii. taught His Disciples to love one another; an open contempt of His Prayer, "As Thou, Father, art John xviii. in Me, and I in Thee; so may they also be one in 21, 22. Us, that they may be one, as We are one;" a breaking of the bond of love, by which Christ's

PART I.

John xiii. 35.

Acts ii. 46. iv. 32.

Col. iii. 14.

Gal. v. 22.

Above, pp. 13, 14.

disciples are to be known; a falling away from the practice of the members of the Apostolic Church, who were all of one accord, of one heart and one soul".

1 S. IREN. iii. 43. Hæretici quidem alienum ignem offerentes ad altare Dei, id est alienas doctrinas, a cœlesti igne comburuntur, quemadmodum Nadab et Abiud. Qui vero exsurgunt contra veritatem, et alteros adhortantur contra Ecclesiam Dei, remanent apud inferos voragine terræ absorpti, quemadmodum qui circa Chore, Dathan, et Abiron.

S. CYPRIAN de Unit. Eccl. p. 116.

2 S. IGNATIUS Concerning Schism, Frag. p. 454, ed. Jacobson. οὐδὲ μαρτυρίου αἷμα ταύτην δύνασθαι ἐξαλείφειν Thy ȧμapтlav.-So S. CYPRIAN, de Unit. Eccles. p. 113. Inexpiabilis culpæ discordiæ nec passione purgatur: esse Martyr non potest qui in Ecclesiâ non est; occidi talis potest, coronari non potest.

3 Bp. HORNE's Discourse on Schism (in the Scholar Armed, ii. 320-326).

. But if the Legislature of a country tolerates or encourages schismatics, does it not make Schism to be innocent?

A. No; this is beyond its power. Although a State may remove all the civil penalties of Schism', it cannot diminish its religious guilt; "Pœna potest demi; culpa perennis erit."

1 NORRIS, John, in Christian Institutes, iii. 302, note.

Q. To consider the case of wilful and obstinate Heretics and Schismatics; are they in the Church?

A. We may not say they are in the Invisible Church. For wilful Heretics', as far as their heresy, and wilful Schismatics, as far as their schism, is concerned, have forsaken the true Church of God, which is sound in doctrine, and joined together in unity. But by virtue of the Sacraments which they may have received, and of such articles of the Christian Faith as they may

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still continue to hold, they are so far in the CHAP. V. Visible Church. They are in the field, but they are tares in the field. Being Heretics or Schismatics, but not being Jews, Saracens, Infidels, Atheists, or Apostates, they are still members of the Visible Church, though peccant and unsound members; they are a part, though a maimed and corrupt part, of the Visible Church. "Sunt in Ecclesiâ, quamvis non3 salubriter in Ecclesiâ." They are in the Visible Church, but as long as they are wilful Heretics or Schismatics they do not receive benefit from it3. They are subjects of Christ, but rebellious ones. By breaking the Unity of the Faith and of Worship they forsake Charity, without which other things do not profit, but rather, it is to be feared, may increase their condemnation. (See further below, 1Cor. xiii. 3. Pt. iii. ch. iii.)

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1 HOOKER, III. 1. 7-11, and V. LXIII. 7. V. LXVIII. 6. Many things exclude from the kingdom of God, although from the visible Church they separate not.

MASON de Ministerio Anglican. p. 195.

2 S. AUG. de Bapt. iii. c. 19. Hæretici aliquo modo sunt in Ecclesia, etiam postquam ex illâ exierunt, propter sacramentorum administrationem.

S. AUG. in Breviculo Collationis 3. Ecclesia est corpus vivum, in quo est Anima et Corpus; et quidem Anima sunt interna Spiritus Sancti dona, Fides, Spes, Caritas. Corpus sunt externa professio fidei et sacramentorum communicatio. Ex quo fit, ut quidam sint de animâ et de corpore Ecclesiæ, et proinde uniti Christo Capiti interius et exterius, et tales sunt perfectissimè de Ecclesiâ, sunt enim quasi membra viva in corpore: rursum aliqui sunt de animâ et non de corpore, ut catechumeni et excommunicati, si fidem et caritatem habeant. Denique aliqui sunt de corpore et non de animâ, ut qui nullam habeant internam virtutem, et tamen spe aut timore aliquo profiteantur fidem, et in sacramentis communicent, et tales sunt sicut capilli aut ungues aut mali humores in corpore humano.

HOOKER, III. 1. 7. If by external profession they be Christians, they are of the visible Church of Christ; yea, although they be impious idolaters, wicked heretics, persons excommunicable, yea, and cast out for notorious im

PART I. probity.-Ibid. 8. Of the Visible body of the Church those may be, and oftentimes are, in respect of the main parts of their outward profession, who, in regard of some parts of their very profession are, in the eyes of the sounder part of the Visible Church, most execrable.-Ibid. 11. We must acknowledge even Heretics themselves to be, though a maimed part, yet a part of the Visible Church.-Ibid. 10. Excommunication shutteth not out clean from the Visible Church, but only from fellowship with it in holy duties.-Ibid. 12. Where professed unbelief is, there can be no Visible Church of Christ: there may be, where sound belief wanteth.

3 S. AUG. in Ps. liv. In multis erat mecum: Baptismum habebamus utrique, Evangelium utrique legebamus: erant in eo mecum: in schismate non mecum, in hæresi non mecum. Sed in his paucis, in quibus non mecum, non prosunt multa in quibus mecum. Etenim videte, fratres, quam multa enarravit apostolus Paulus; (1 Cor. xiii.) unum dixit (caritatem) si defuerit, frustra sunt illa.

+ CRAKANTHORPE, Def. Eccl. Angl. p. 83.

S. HIERON. Ephes. i. Dominus noster, cum sit Caput Ecclesiæ, habet membra eos omnes qui in Ecclesiâ congregantur, tam sanctos quam peccatores, sed sanctos voluntate peccatores necessitate sibi conjunctos.

Q. What are the consequent duties of the sounder members of the Church toward Heretics and Schismatics?

A. To feel deep sorrow for them; to act towards them in a spirit of charity; but not to communicate with them in any act of Heresy or Schism, or to encourage or flatter them in it; or to Eph. iv. 15. treat it lightly; but to "speak the truth in love" concerning its sin and danger; to pray for them; to offer them counsel and exhortation; and to employ all practicable means for bringing them to the enjoyment of those spiritual1 blessings which are promised to those who love the peace of the Ps. cxxxiii. Church, and who dwell together in Unity.

cxxii. 6.

1 S. AUG. in S. Joann. Tract. xxxiii. 8. Accipimus ergo et nos Spiritum Sanctum, si amamus Ecclesiam, si charitate compaginamur, si catholico nomine et fide gaudemus. Credamus, fratres, quantum quisque amat Ecclesiam Christi, tantum habet Spiritum Sanctum. See also CLEM. ALEX. Strom. vii. § xv.

CHAP. VI.

CHAPTER VI.

ON PRIVILEGES IN THE CHURCH.

Word of God.-The Church its Witness and
Keeper.

Q. WHAT privileges do the members of the
Church derive through her means from God?

James i. 18.

iii. 17.

A. First, the WORD of GOD pure and entire; 1 Pet. i. 23. which is received from JESUS CHRIST, who is the Head of the Church, and who speaks to us by John xiv. the HOLY SPIRIT, whom He has sent to abide in 16. 26. xvi. His Church.

Q. How is the Word of God received from CHRIST through the Church?

7. 13.

A. As the two Tables of the Law were by God's command consigned to the Ark, so the Deut. x. 2. two Testaments are committed by CHRIST to the Church'.

1 Lord BACON, Confession of Faith, Works, iii. p. 124, ed. 1778. The Church is as the Ark, wherein the Tables of the first Testament were kept and preserved. See also v. 530. De Ecclesiâ et Scripturis. Contradictiones linguarum ubique occurrunt extra tabernaculum Dei. Quare quocunque te verteris, exitum controversiarum non reperies nisi huc te receperis.

Q. How is the Church a Witness and Keeper of Holy Writ?

Rom. iii. 2.

A. The Old Testament is received by us through Isa. viii. 20. the Church of the Jews, to whom " were committed Acts vii. 38. the oracles of God," and who received those "lively xiii. 14, 15. oracles to give unto us," and by whom "of old 27. xv. 21. time they were read in the Synagogues every Sabbath day;" and they were by them delivered, pure and entire, into the hands of the Christian Church. This we know, from the facts, that the Jews, being dispersed in all parts of the world, could never have conspired to make any change

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