from fpiritual direction, as among the effentials of Christianity, because without it the pure doctrine would not long be preferved in the world; and therefore BURNET could not mean that his defcription of a church fhould have that extenfive application which you appear to have affixed to it, by giving the title of churches to the congregations of fectarists of every denomination. For if fuch was the Bishop's meaning, he wrote against the established doctrine of the church, of which he was an appointed governor, and muft ftand condemned by the language of both articles and canons, Had the Bishop foreseen that fuch an use would have been made of his comment, as to justify feparation from the visible church of CHRIST in this country, and thereby introduce that wild notion of church unity, which you have attempted to graft upon it, we must do him the juftice. to suppose, that he would have guarded against it.

To rectify your notion concerning the Divine grace of Christian charity, which you apply to perfons who are acting in direct contradiction to it, I take leave to recommend to your attention the thirteenth chapter of ST. PAUL'S first epistle to the Corinthians; which was exprefsly addreffed to the confideration of the fchifmatics, then arifing in the church of Corinth.

In the preceding chapter, the Apostle had been arguing from the connexion and unity prevailing among the members of the natural body, whereby the general welfare of the body was promoted, to the neceffity of a fimilar connexion and unity among the members of the fpiritual body, the church. And that the Corinthians might not mistake his meaning, he directs their attention to the immediate object he had in view, in the figurative allufion made ufe of on the occafion; by telling them plainly, in the twentyseventh verse, that they were the body of CHRIST, and members in particular. At the time the Apoftle wrote this Epistle, there was a fchifm in the church of Corinth. Some men, proud of the diftinction to which they thought themselves entitled by the fuperiority of their gifts, had broken away from the order and unity of the Apoftolic church. With a view to restrain thefe men from this felf-fufficient practice, which the Apostle forefaw would ultimately tend to the ruin of the church, he tells them plainly in the thirteenth chapter, that though poffeffed of all the gifts that could be mentioned, yet, if thofe gifts led to the breaking the unity of the church, by dividing them into feparate congregations independent of each other, they would profit them nothing: for

the great Christian law of charity," which envieth not, which vaunteth not itself, which is not puffed up, which feeketh not her own, is not eafily provoked, which beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things," would, in a word, constrain them, as members of the Christian church, to do any thing, to bear any thing, to give up any thing, rather than that the peace and unity of it fhould be broken.

Such is the meaning of this most striking chapter; in which the Apostle feems to have exerted all his powers of eloquence, in order to promote that most effential characteristic of Chriftianity, the love of the brethren, which your mode of writing upon this occafion appears calculated to destroy. The Apostle. thought that all divifion among Christians was to be fedulously avoided; that Christian charity, the confequence of Christian, unity, might be preserved, You think that it fignifies nothing into what feparate focieties Christians are divided; " provided they agree in effentials and fundamentals, each feparating party may adorn and exercise the divine grace of Christian charity in their own sphere." ST. PAUL, therefore, entertained fentiments on this fubject directly oppofite to those which you feem to entertain

1

upon it. He thought that divifion among Christians led to a breach of charity; and for that reafon he exerted himself fo much to prevent it. You think that the bond of charity may be preserved among Christians, who, in ST. PAUL's judgment, take the most certain way to break it, provided there is agreement in effentials and fundamentals; which in your language means, provided they are all found Calvinists, it matters not into how many different fects Christians are broken. Members of the Christian church, and those who have separated from it, may all meet together, and live in Chriftian communion with each other; epifcopacy, prefbytery, indepen dency-either, or neither, or all three, it is all one. To talk about the unity of the Christian church, and the fin of fchifm, in the sense in which ST. Paul talked of these fubjects, and with the exprefs view of preferving the peace of the church, is in your idea" to do an effential injury to the church of England, by holding her up as of an intolerant spirit.' Page 20. "It is to attempt to break and disturb her peace." Page 157.

You would tell us probably, in the language of Dr. EDWARDS, a rigid Calvinist in the beginning of the laft century, with whose writings I fhould judge you

to be perfectly well acquainted, that it is high time to learn fobriety, and to be fenfible of the fufficient mischief that has lurked under the pretence of advancing the unity of the church;" and that, if we would attain to the character of being liberal-minded men, we must give up all church ideas, which have been derived from Apoftolic precept and primitive practice; and accommodate ourselves to the prefent popular notions upon that fubject. In order to promote what you are pleased to call the true unity of the church, the established clergy must go to the meeting-house; they must lay afide all prejudices about the neceffity of regular ordination and church communion; the wall of the LORD's vineyard must be thrown down, that Christians may walk in and out, backward and forward, at their will; and then, Sir, in your judgment, the established harmony of what you are pleased to call the churches of our bleffed LORD's vineyard will be complete, and the attempt of every honeft guide to lead the members of CHRIST's church in the old paths will be vain.

But though the world may go after you, and though a divine of the old ftamp, in thefe days of

* Dr. EDWARDS', of Cambridge, fermon on the ift of May, 1707.. VOL. II

X