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Congregations. "In this Act (says he) for preserving Order, Unity and Peace in the Kirk, and for preventing of Schism, they injoined every Member in every Congregation to keep their own Parish kirk, communicating there in Word and Sacrament." This Act is frequently thrown up by our Author, with very indecent Insinuations against it. I shall in this Place offer what I intend for the vindicating and clearing of it. The Preamble to the Aft declares the End and Design of it, viz., for preserving Order, Unity, &c. and for preventing Schism. I once designed to have given a more large Account of the Nature of Schism in a Section by itself; but, finding that this Book swells upon my Hand, I shall forbear it: Only, I must here observe, that we find the Word Schism used several Times by the Apostle in his first Epistle to the Corinthians, as Chap, i. 10. Now I beseech you, Brethren,———and that there be no Divisions among you. The Word Divisions is in the Original Schisms, Chap. xi. 18. I hear that there be Divisions among you, or SCHISMS. And if we require, What were these Schisms that were in the Church of Corinth? I answer. They were Divisions, Differences, and Janglings amongst the Members of that Church, who still remained joined together in external Church communion, or in the same Church-Order, Discipline,and Worship: The Apostle gives a particular Instance of their Divisions and Janglings, i Cor. i. iz. and iii. 4. One said, I am of Paul; another, I am of Apostles. There was a Siding amongst them about their Ministers and Teachers, who held the same Testimony of Jesus. And here I observe, that the Spirit of God in the holy Scriptures calls it Schism, when the Members of a particular organical Church put a Difference amongst their faithful Ministers and Teachers, who are holding the fame Testimony of the Lord Jesus: As this is Schism in the Scripture-sense of the Word, so it ought to be condemned in all the Churches of Christ; and this is that Schism and Separation testified against by the above Act
