and schismatics, for they could discern, without danger of erring, the false from the true, the sincere dissenter from him who was actuated only by ambition or covetousness. But, in the first place, let any man shew me any one such person allowed by the apostles to be sincere or justifiable in his dissent; even then, I would say, that we need not suppose them to be altogether made up of falsehood. St. Paul says of these men, that they were" deceiving and deceived," cheating themselves as well as cheating others. But, farther, you will observe, that I have omitted to notice the passages which relate to those who opposed the apostle personally, Hymenæus, Philætus, or Diotrephes; as to whom, therefore, he might judge from that discernment of the heart, which God had given him. But I have confined myself to what are general directions to the churches, such as were to be followed by them in his absence, or after his death. This is also the case with the epistles written to Titus and Timothy. They all of them respectively contain injunctions to mark or reject those who walked not after the traditions received from the apostles; to avoid those who caused divisions: but what might be the meaning of the traditions, what should be such a division as was criminal, it is clear that the churches were left

2 Tim. iii. 13.

to judge. When Titus was bid, after the first or second admonition, to reject a heretic, most clearly it was left to his judgment to say what was heresy. And we have no reason, not the slightest, to believe that either Timothy or Titus, or the churches of Rome, had the gift of infallibility conferred on them, or could read the hearts of men; if, indeed, the apostles themselves, in their general ministry, and at all times. possessed that power. Those, therefore, to

whom the exhortations which I have cited were addressed, had not, as far as we can see, any other means of judging what were schisms or heresies, than the churches in these days are possessed of. They were to judge according to the traditions, or words of the evangelists and apostles, as they were preserved with them; and it may be said, that we, every one of us, in these days, have a more complete collection of those traditions, than any one church of that day could have possessed. There is, therefore, nothing which should prevent any church in these times from reprobating and condemning heresies and schisms; nay, I apprehend, that every one of the passages which I have cited, does, on the contrary, make it the duty of every Christian community so to do. The example of the apostles must, at least, I conceive, operate so far as to be our justification, if, upon such

occasions, we speak as we feel, if we use the language of boldness, and of simplicity.

I will only add, for the present, that many are the passages which I might further have adduced. I have not alleged the numerous exhortations to unity which abound in the scriptures; nor even that most significant term of edification; a metaphor taken from building, and which implies the strongest and most perfect coherence of all the parts. Enough, however, I trust, has been said to make it evident, that it is not by giving way to every wild opinion that we shall best please God"; but by

14

"I cannot think that this method of preventing our dangers" (those arising from schism,) "is to make such concessions to dis

senters, as will shake and destroy the present constitution, but by reasoning them into union upon such principles as are common "to all the churches of the Reformation. For such principles are, " doubtless, the most proper and the most secure method of uniting "and preserving us against the common enemy," (he means popery,)" and consequently not only the most reasonable, but the "most seasonable method also." Bingham's Pref. to French Church's Apology for the Church of England. Such was the opinion of a most eminent divine, distinguished, not only for his great learning, and knowledge of ecclesiastical antiquities, but for his judgment, sincerity, and candour. It is but fair to subjoin the remark made upon this passage by the well known Dr. Towers, one of the editors of the last edition of the Biographia Britannica, and a (I believe, Socinian) dissenter. "All attempts to reason "men into an exact uniformity of sentiment, have been found inefficacious, and ever will be so. Whenever men dare think for "themselves, they will think differently; but though uniformity of "sentiment be impracticable, persons of very opposite opinions may "unite in mutual candour, forbearance, and benevolence." Biog,

steadily maintaining what was characterised at the beginning as the "apostles' doctrine and "fellowship." And you will, I flatter myself, readily join with me, while I conclude in the strong and appropriate words of St. Paul,

Now, I beseech you, brethren, by the name "of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the

same thing, and that there be no divisions "among you, but that ye be perfectly joined "together in the same mind, and in the same "judgmentt."

Brit. Art. Bingham. Upon this, I may observe, first, that exact uniformity of sentiment is what no man was ever so visionary as to expect. Something much short of that will be sufficient to bring about the unity which is so much insisted upon in the scriptures; and, secondly, it is often useful, nay, enjoined as a duty to aim at that which is in strictness unattainable, as we are all required to be perfect, though no man can hope to attain perfection. It is only by thus endeavouring to bring about the most widely extended, and positively greatest good, that we are enabled to produce the greatest good in our power. Unquestionably, also, in seeking after union, we cannot employ too much candour, forbearance and benevolence, provided, always, that we do not so far mistake the meaning of these terms as to be drawn in to betray the cause in which we are engaged. It is, in fact, as we have seen, to the want of candour, forbearance, and benevolence, that schisms are supposed to have originated,

+ 1 Cor. i. 10.

SERMON III.

MATT. vii. 16.

Ye shall know them by their Fruits,

THIS saying of our blessed Saviour was professedly uttered with a view of pointing out to the disciples an easy and certain test by which they might discover the sort of teachers whom they were to follow, as well as those whom they were to avoid. The right understanding of the words becomes therefore a point of some importance to the subject upon which I am discoursing; and the consideration of them will be of great use in illustrating and enforcing that part of it upon which I am now about to enter; and which has for its abject to shew the obvious tendency of schism, and the causes in which