offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learnt, and avoid them; for they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ." "The time will come (said St. Paul to Timothy) when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears." Again, St. Paul speaks of there being "one Lord, one faith, one baptism." He declares that there should be no schism (or division) in the body." And he exhorts us to "keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." And writing to the Christians at Corinth, he says, "I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind, and in the same judgment." And you remember no doubt those remarkable words, which our Lord Himself uttered just before His crucifixion. We have them in John xvii ; where we find Him thus interceding for His own beloved Church and people, " Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; that they

all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that thou hast sent me."

I do not say that every one who dissents from the Church of England must needs be guilty of the grave offence of schism. Some have been driven to it by the Church's neglect in past years. Some again have been brought up as Dissenters from their childhood. And others, through ignorance of the Church's claims and the Church's teaching, have been led to join what they really imagined to be a purer communion. But those who have lightly separated from a Church which is both sound and scriptural, either because it suited their convenience, or because they took offence at something said or done by their clergyman, have indeed been guilty of that sin, and have thereby incurred God's displeasure.

Oh how much have those to answer for, who rend and divide the body of Christ's people! It is a strong measure to tear away a branch from the parent stem. And it is a solemn thing to cut one's self off from our Mother Church. God forgive those who have

32 FURTHER REASONS FOR BEING A CHURCHMAN.

done so! May it be our endeavour to promote that unity which is so dear to our Lord Himself! For surely if the world saw us united, instead of separated-praying together, and drawing the cord tighter which binds us to one another-it would believe that God was among us of a truth.

Hasten, O Lord, the time, when thy little flock shall feed together in the same pasturewhen Ephraim shall no more envy Judah, and Judah shall not envy Ephraim-when there shall be one fold under one Shepherd.

33

CHAPTER IV.

THE IMPORTANCE OF BELONGING TO
TRUE CHURCH.

I HAVE now given you Ten reasons, and I hope good reasons, why we should love our Church. Truly she is a safe guide to us on our heavenly journey, and there is safety in belonging to her.

I have sometimes heard it said that it matters little to what Body of Christians we attach ourselves-that it does not signify to what earthly Church we belong, so that we get to heaven at last. But it does matter a great deal.

It is true, that when a Building is erected, the scaffolding is no longer needed. When a grain of Wheat is ready for the garner, the husk may be thrown away; or when a Nut is fully ripe, its shell is of no further use. But

D

would it not be unwise to undo the scaffoldpoles whilst the house is being built-or to despise the husk before the harvest time-or again to strip off the shell before the kernel within is fully ripe?

Even so with regard to the outward Church. As the scaffolding is important, whilst the stones and the timber are being put into their places; and the husk and the shell are not only valuable, but even necessary, in the formation of the grain and of the kernel which they contain; so we should value the outward Church during the time when our souls are being built up and formed for eternity-as long as the ripening process for heaven is going on. It has a very important purpose to serve. And then, when the present state of things comes to an end, the outward help, and outward covering as it were, will be cast aside, and the life within will alone remain. It must therefore be of the greatest importance where we cast in our lot, whether in a sound, or unsound, Church.

Suppose we were called upon to make a perilous descent down one of the cliffs of Dover, and our chance of safety consisted in