which are not established, such as the sister Churches in Scotland and the United States, can rest. Nothing is more easy than to stigmatize every act of self-defence, in such a Church as ours, as bigotry, and the mere statement of truth and facts in support of claims which it has no power to enforce, as persecution; but let the matter be calmly considered, and it will appear in a far different light. The Church itself can properly claim no power of enforcing its laws and regulations beyond that of exclusion. The law of the land is not called upon to interfere by the infliction of civil penalties in behalf of the Church's claims, for this would be just so much persecution. Schism is an offence to be judged of and determined by the great Head of the Church himself, and not by human authority; but surely the Church is not to be prevented from the use of all fair arguments of reasoning and persuasion, nor are its members any more justified in commencing a fresh separation, before they have made themselves thoroughly acquainted with the whole state of the case. Such a proceeding is not necessarily lawful, because the law of the land cannot properly interfere to prevent it, any more than wasteful extravagance, ingratitude, unfeeling selfishness, and many other necessarily tolerated vices. Those who look upon the charge of schism as a mere bugbear to frighten the ignorant, will do well to consider the following testimonies from the primitive Fathers of the Church. So early as the year of our Lord 71, (in the lifetime of St. John,) Ignatius, a glorious martyr of Christ, was constituted bishop of Antioch, and writing to a certain Church, with full authority, as successor of the Apostles, says to them," Be subject to your bishops as to the Lord, and also to the priests and deacons; without these there is no Church of the elect. Let no man do any thing of what appertains to the Church without the bishop; let that sacrament be judged firm and effectual which is dispensed by the bishop, or him to whom the bishop has committed it." "Give heed to your bishop, that God may hearken unto you: my soul for theirs who subject themselves in obedience to their bishops, presbyters, and deacons; let me take my lot with them in the Lord." A. D. 180. Irenæus, bishop of Lyons, disciple of Polycarp, says, "We can reckon those bishops, who have been constituted by the Apostles and their successors, all the way to our times." A. D. 203. Tertullian, against the heretics, says, "Let them produce the original of their Churches ; let them show the order of their bishops, that by their succession, deduced from the beginning, we may see whether their first bishop had any of the Apostles, or apostolical men, for his founder, for thus the apostolical Churches do derive their succession." A. D. 240. St. Cyprian says, "Hence do schism and heresies arise when the bishop, who is one and governor of the Church, by a proud presumption, is despised, and that man who is honoured as worthy by God, is accounted unworthy by man." And again: "Because obedience is not paid to the priest of God, and that there is not one priest at a time in the Church. But if it is so that we are afraid of the boldness of the profligate, we cannot remain Christians any longer; and what wicked men cannot compass by truth and equity, they will accomplish by rashness and despair." A. D. 420. St. Augustine says, "The root of the Christian society is diffused throughout the world, in a sure propagation, by the seats of the apostles and the succession of the bishops." Again: "We embrace the holy Scripture, which, from the times of the presence of Christ himself, by the disposition of the Apostles, and the succession of other bishops from their seats, even to these times, has come down to us safely kept, commended, and honoured through the whole earth. The king bears the image of God, as the bishop that of Christ. Therefore, while he is in that station, he is to be honoured, if not for himself, yet for his order." In later times, Calvin, the Genevese reformer, in his epistle to Cardinal Sadolet, said of those who should reject such a hierarchy as that in England, that he should think no censure too bad for them. Beza (a foreigner) also would not believe that any could reject the order of bishops in a reformed Church: "If there be such," said he, "God forbid that any man in his wits should assent to the madness of such men. Let the Church of England enjoy that singular blessing of God, which I wish may be perpetual to her." In still later times, many of the Non-Conformists, who were so unwisely driven out of the Church at the restoration of Charles II., because they had themselves supplanted the Episcopalians, grievously lamented the separation, and with one voice declared, that nothing but necessity would have induced them to make it; they seem to have abhorred the very idea of justifying schism, or considering it a light matter; so that their example holds out no encouragement for the too common practice, in the present day, of changing from one communion to another, from motives of trifling and fancied preference, or even private pique. JUSTIN MARTYR (before A. D. 200) gives the following account of the manner in which the Christian converts, being renewed through Christ, dedicated themselves to God. "As many as are persuaded and believe that what we teach is true, and undertake to conform their lives to our doctrine, are instructed to fast and pray, and entreat from God the remission of their past sins, we fasting and praying together with them. They are then conducted by us to a place where there is water, and are regenerated in the same manner in which we were ourselves regenerated. For they are then washed in the name of God, the Father and Lord of the universe, and of our Saviour Jesus Christ, and of the Holy Spirit. Since, at our first birth, we were born without our knowledge or consent, in order that we may not remain the children of necessity and ignorance, but may become the children of choice and knowledge, and may obtain in the water remission of the sins which we have committed. The name of God, the Father and Lord of the universe, is pronounced over him who wishes to be regenerated, and has repented of his sins. "After we have thus washed him who has expressed his conviction, and assented to our doctrines, we take him to the place where those who are called brethren are assembled, in order that we may offer up prayers in common for ourselves and for the baptized person, and for all others in every place, that having learnt the truth, we may be deemed worthy to be found walking ng in good works and keeping the commandments, so that we may attain to eternal salvation. Bread is then brought to that brother who presides, and a cup of wine, and he taking them, gives praise and glory to the Father of the universe, through the name of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and employs some time in offering up thanks to him for having deemed us worthy of these gifts. The prayers and thanksgivings being ended, all the people present express their assent by saying Amen. "The president having given thanks, and the people having expressed their assent, they who are called by us deacons give to each of those present a portion of the bread and of the wine mixed with water, over which the thanksgiving was pronounced, and carry away a portion to those who are absent, and this food is called among us, 'The Eucharist,' (or sacrifice of thanksgiving,) of which no one is allowed to partake who does not believe that what we teach is true, and has not been washed with the laver (of baptism) for the remission of sins and unto regeneration, and does not live as Christ has enjoined; njoined: for we do not receive it as common bread and common drink, but as Jesus Christ, our Saviour, being made flesh through the word of God, had both flesh and blood for our salvation; so, in a manner, we are also taught that the food over which thanksgiving has been pronounced, is the flesh and blood of the incarnate Jesus. A Afterward, we remind each other of these things, and they who are wealthy assist those that are in need, and we are always together; and over all our offerings, we bless the Creator of all things, through his Son Jesus Christ, and through the Holy Spirit. And on the day called Sunday, there is an assembling together of all who dwell in the cities and country, and the memoirs of the Apostles, and the writings of the Prophets, are read as long as circumstances permit. Then, when the reader has ceased, the president delivers a discourse, in which he admonishes all present to the imitation of these good things. Then we all rise together and pray, and, as we before said, prayer being ended, bread and wine are brought, and the president offers prayers and thanksgivings, and the people express their assent by saying Amen; and a distribution takes place, of that over which thanksgiving has been pronounced, to each. And they who are wealthy and choose, give as much as they deem fit, and whatever is collected, is deposited with the president, who succours the orphans and widows, and those who, through sickness, are in want, and those who are in bonds. We meet together on a Sunday, because it is the first day in which God, having wrought the necessary change in darkness and matter, made the world; and on this day, Jesus Christ, our Saviour, rose from the dead, and appearing to the apostles and disciples, he taught them the things which we now submit to your consideration *." * See Acts i. 3. and Bishop Kaye on the Writings of Justin Martyr. |