cation. Even now societies of various "denominations," hold it their duty to communicate with all of their own party. The Independents and Baptists unite in “Unions,” and send messages to their brethren in America, and elsewhere. The Presbyterians meet in synods, the Methodists in conference. Lutherans, Calvinists, Romanists, &c. all feel it their bounden duty to communicate with those, whom they regard as constituting the church of Christ; and generally, the separation of a new sect from any of their communions is regarded as wrong, though some societies are prevented by their principles, from opposing what they confess to be a grievous evil. 4. It is needless to spend much time in detailing the doctrine of English theologians, and of our churches, on this subject. The canons of the synod of London A.D. 1603, excommunicate any who shall separate from the church, or who shall affirm that any meetings, assemblies, or congregations within this land, which are separated from the established churches, may rightly assume the name of true churches". Nowell's Catechism says of those, "who cause strife and dissent in the church, and disturb it with factions, that such men are cut off from all hope of salvation through the remission of sins, until they agree and are reconciled with the church." Archbishop Usher speaks of communion in the universal church as follows: "Thus must we conceive of the catholic church, as of one entire body made up of the collection and aggregation of all the faithful unto the unity thereof; from which union there ariseth unto every one of them such a relation b Canons, ix. x. and xi. i P. 108. Oxford ed. by Jacobson. to, and a dependance upon the church catholic, as parts use to have in respect of their whole. Whereupon it followeth, that neither particular persons, nor particular churches, are to work as several divided bodies by themselves, which is the ground of all schism; but are to teach, and to be taught, and to do all other Christian duties, as parts conjoined unto the whole, and members of the same commonwealth or corporation'." Bishop Pearson says: "It is necessary to believe the church of Christ, which is but one; that being in it, we may take care never to cast ourselves or be ejected out of it.....A man may not only passively and involuntarily be rejected, but also may by an act of his own, cast out or reject himself, not only by plain and complete apostacy, but by a defection from the unity of truth, falling into some damnable heresy; or by an active separation, deserting all which are in communion with the catholic church, and falling into an irrecoverable schism....There is a necessity of believing the catholic church, because, except a man be of that, he can be of none." Finally, I shall cite the words of Archbishop Potter: "Whoever is separated from any sound part of the church by schism or just excommunication, is by that means separated from the whole church. Just as we find in natural bodies, that in one body there are many members, and whatever is united to any one of them, is thereby united to the whole body; as on the contrary, whatever is cut off from any member, does by that separation lose its union with the whole body.... Whence appears the necessity which every Christian lies under, of maintaining communion with the partiOn the Creed, art. Holy Catholic Church. Sermon before the King, on Eph. iv. 13. cular church wherein he lives, in order to his communion with the church catholic, and with Christ the head of it!" 5. We may infer from the preceding part of this section, that separation from the church is incapable of justification. No excuse can be admitted in the case of positive and deadly sin, except the plea of ignorance; and this does not render the act less heinous, though he who commits it may be "beaten with few stripes." To separate openly from the universal church, or, which is the same thing, to separate from a particular church, on grounds and principles which equally involve separation from the universal church, is, as I have said, inexcusable; and St. Augustine affirms it thus: "We are certain, that no one can justly have separated himself from the communion of all nations ";" and long afterwards Calvin acknowledged the same: "Let both these truths remain fixed; that he who voluntarily deserts the external communion of a church, where the word of God is preached and his sacraments administered, is without excuse; and that the vices of few or of many are no obstacle to prevent us from professing our faith there, by means of the ceremonies instituted by God". The excuses which may be offered are of various sorts. Personal edification and spiritual improvement, correction of deficiencies in discipline, rites, &c., and other advantages may be alleged to justify separation. These are all overthrown immediately by the apostle: "As we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm 'Church Government, p. 459. m"Nos autem certi sumus, neminem se a communione omnium gentium juste separare potuisse.' -Epist. 93. al. 48. c. 9. p. 242. n Instit. iv. c. 1. s. 19. may be one, even as we are: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one: and that the world may know that Thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as Thou hast loved me" (John xvii. 20— 23.). This perfect unity, for which our blessed Saviour so earnestly prayed, was to be the result of Christian charity; and it obviously includes the notion of external communion in all religious matters, for how could those who should refuse to hold any religious intercourse with their brethren, be accounted in any way obedient to the dictates of divine charity? 3. Accordingly the Apostles not only urged unceasingly the necessity of possessing this holy virtue, "the bond of perfectness," but of fulfilling all the duties of external intercourse which flowed from it. Their admonitions were: "That ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;" "Let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing" (Phil. i. 27. iii. 16.); "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is" (Heb. x. 25.); “Be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren," &c. (1 Pet. iii. 8.); "With long suffering forbearing one another in love, endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" (Eph. iv. 2, 3.); "Fulfil ye my joy.. being of one mind.. Let nothing be done through strife or vain glory" (Phil. ii. 2.): and, finally, what is strongest of all: "Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same things, and that there be no divisions among you, but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind, and in the same judgment. For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren.... that there are contentions among you. Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul, and I of Apollos, and I of Cephas, and I of Christ," &c. (1 Cor. i. 10—12.) Nothing can prove more plainly the religious communion of the Christian brethren, and the holy zeal of the apostle to preserve it perfect and unimpaired by the least division. 4. We observe the effects of such exhortations and instructions in the state of the church then. In every place the brethren assembled together to partake of the "one bread" which united them by such sacred ties, and to hear the exhortations of the same "rulers" who were established in the church by God, to “give account for their souls." And farther, the Christians of the church in each particular locality, communicated with their brethren in all other places, as they had opportunity. The churches of Macedonia, of Corinth, and Galatia, made contributions for those of Judea. The church of Antioch sent relief to the brethren in Judea, and transmitted it to the elders of that Church by the hands of Barnabas and Saul; and they again evinced their communion by sending messengers to consult the apostles who presided there. The church of Ephesus wrote to the disciples in Achaia, exhorting them to receive Apollos (Acts xviii. 27.). Paul was accompanied to Troas by members of the churches of Berea, Thessalonica, Derbe, and Asia; and all were present when the church at Troas met to "break bread" (Acts xx. 4. 7.). St. Paul commanded the Romans to receive Phoebe, a deaconess of Cenchreæ, "in the Lord" (Rom. xvi. 1.). "The churches of Christ" saluted the faithful of Rome (xvi. 16.). The churches of Asia" saluted" that of Corinth (1 Cor. xvi. 19.). Letters of commendation were given to the faithful who went from one church to another in travelling, or for |