6

This word, as generally employed, has lost, to a great extent, its real scriptural meaning; and has been chiefly distinguished as a term of reciprocal crimination, bandied to and fro between almost all religious parties. This Greek apparition' has been supposed to haunt every one's house but our own, Do the sanctuary where others worship, and the forms they adopt, correspond in all points with ours?-there is beauty;-there is something which approaches to perfection;—there is the familiar symbol of unity-all else is Schism!

The Romanist saw schism in its last stage of heretical apostasy, in whatever militated against the infallibility of St. Peter's chair, and the visible unity of the church under one supreme head. But though Romanism be internally, as it ever was,-its external relations are much changed; and he who, once, seldom 'spake,' but as a dragon,' and in loud anathemas, now often appears ' like a lamb.'* The charge which Rome either spares, as being without effect, or feebly utters, Protestants, it is to be lamented, have taken up against Protestants; as though they were anxious, now that the thunders of the Vatican seem almost spent, to imitate, as far as possible, their ancient terrors, by filling the church with the storms of mutual strife!

* Rev. xii. 11.

To the orthodox* Protestant, schism may be every form, even of orthodox Protestantism, that is not his own. The Episcopalian, especially if his be the national religion, may readily discover schism in the conventicle,' in parity of ministers, and in ordination not episcopal. The sturdy Presbyterian of the Commonwealth, saw schism in everything but the Solemn League and Covenant,' and the form and order of the Kirk. The rigid Independent of the same period, though more tolerant as to religious liberty, than others, might be too much disposed to regard as schism, that very communion of Christians of different churches, which is both an expression and a source of catholic charity. He might be apt to fancy he saw Ichabod' inscribed on the door of every sanctuary, the terms of admission into which, were not precisely like his own. Or, while he pronounced Episcopacy' a Schism from all the Reformation,' and 'New Presbyter but Old Priest writ large,' he might forget that schism had any place in the list of his temptations. The strict Baptist treats infant-baptism as a schism, if not a heresy, by excluding from his communion all who have not been baptized by immersion, on a profession of faith; whereas the question respect

* The term orthodox, is here used merely to distinguish those who hold the leading doctrines of the Reformation.

ing baptism, as it is one of the most disputed in theology, and relates not to what is doctrinal, but only ritual, would surely seem to demand special forbearance on both sides. Even the inoffensive and philanthropic Friend, may be sometimes found, unless he is misrepresented, detecting something like schism, in his own circle, in the form of occasional attendance at public worship with Christians who do not hold silent meetings.

On the other hand, the Sceptic of the day will see schism, in its religious sense, nowhere. In his vocabulary, it may be marked as a barbarous term, which ought to be expunged from the language. Miscalling by the sacred name of charity, the latitudinarianism which makes no distinction between religious truth and error, he regards inquiries on this subject, as uncertain and useless speculations; especially as they have no affinity with the physical and the material, which appears to be the reigning taste of the age. Mistaking that freedom of opinions, which is the glory of civil liberty, for a licence to religious indifference; and identifying independence of human authority in religion, with exemption from responsibility to God for our belief; he views all those questions between Christians, which involve an estimate of the peculiarities of Christianity, as little else than the contests of self-interest, bigotry,

or fanaticism. The sceptical spirit of the age may not, it is true, so often as formerly, embody itself in direct attacks on the truth:-it may have become somewhat retiring, and wary; but it is still frequently to be discerned in the disguise of candour and liberality; and its traces may sometimes be found in the literature of our times, distinctly marking a distaste for everything that is earnest and decided in evangelical religion.-The more need have Christians, therefore, in conscientiously maintaining, among themselves, the right of private judgment, to give none offence.'*

The inquiry respecting the nature and relations of Schism, however, will not be lightly regarded by any who have learned to reverence the authority of Scripture: for, here, we find it treated as an evil of great magnitude in the church. Let us, then, attach to the subject the importance which belongs to it; let it have from us the serious and candid attention which it demands; and let our views of it be sought immediately from that testimony, which is 'truth without any mixture of error.' We shall then, if our deductions be correct, be in a condition to judge how far the sense in which the term Schism may have been used in ecclesiastical history, and especially in modern times, accords with its usage in the New Testa

* ἀπρόσκοποι γίνεσθε, κ. τ. λ. 1 Cor. x. 32.

ment; and how we may best endeavour to expel the evil from our own hearts.

2

SECTION II.

SCRIPTURE-USE OF THE TERM SCHISM.

I. The Greek noun,' which is the origin of the English word SCHISM, signifies, primarily, a rent, division, or separation; being derived from a verb which means to rend, or cleave asunder. The verb is used, literally, eight times; relating, three times, to the veil of the temple,' which 'was rent,'' and, once, to the rocks' which 4 were rent, while Jesus was on the cross: once, in reference to new cloth,' which makes a rent' in an 'old garment:'5 once to the vesture' of Jesus, when the soldiers said, 'Let us not rend it once, to the heavens,' which were opened' or separated, when the Spirit descended on Jesus at his baptism;' and once, to Peter's net,' which was 'not broken,' by the weight of the fishes that were caught in it. —The

6

2 σχίζω.

8

Mark xv. 38. Luke xxiii. 45.

5 Luke v. 36.