those for whom that institution has been graciously set on foot in the world, are not altogether the spiritual persons they ought to be. But what does this prove? but that the Church of England is in the same condition, in which the visible Church of Christ ever was, and ever will be to the end of its earthly progress: answering to our Saviour's description of it, under the appropriate emblem of a net cast into the sea; gathering of every kind, both bad and good; which remain to be distinguished from each other, when the net being drawn to shore at the end of time, a final separation shall be made between them; when the members of the invisible Church, namely, those who have been sanctified upon earth, shall enter into the joy of their Lord; whilst those who are unqualified for such a distinction, shall be cast away. It is however with the visible Church only that we are conversant in this world. And as the object of the divine institution of this Church was to prepare and qualify for admission into the invisible Church in Heaven; such being the way which God has appointed to make fallen man holy,

and to conduct him in safety through a wicked world to his kingdom in glory; it follows that whoever, led by the error of an enthusiastic mind, persuades himself that he may in this case attain the end, whilst be neglects the use of the preparatory and appointed means, does thereby invert the established order of divine wisdom; and rashly ventures, in the conduct of his salvation, to make himself, indirectly at least, wiser than that merciful Projector of it, who does nothing in vain.

Such then being, it is presumed, the important object of the Church in this world, it must of necessity be a visible society; a society possessing those external marks of distinction, under the form of its constitution, and the orders of its ministry, by which the Christian professor may certainly know what it is, and where it is to be found. Consequently, there is no such expression as that of the invisible Church to be met with, through the whole course of the sacred writings.

In a word then, and to discriminate with Hooker; when we speak of the everlasting promises made by God to his

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Church, to be realized to all the spiritual members of it; we are then speaking of Christ's mystical or invisible Church: but when we speak of duties which members of the Church are bound to perform, we are then speaking of that visible Church, originally instituted by Christ on earth; the unity of which visible body or society consists, in that uniformity preserved among its members; by reason of that "one Lord, whose servants they all pro"fess to be; that one faith, which they all " acknowledge; that one baptism, where"with they are all initiated." To call upon Christians therefore to become members of an invisible Church; to continue stedfast in communion with an invisible Church; and to obey invisible rulers; for such the rulers in the Church necessarily must be, if the Church itself be an invisible society; is certainly, so far from being the language of inspiration, that it cannot be admitted to be the language of common sense.

CHAPTER III.

The Principle, on which the Church of England brings the charge of SCHISM, against Separatists from her Communion with the advantages derivable from Communion with the Church of England, briefly contrasted with the disadvantages attendant on separation from it.

THE object of the preceding Chapter was to ascertain the nature of the sin of SCHISM; and, to place the proof of that sin, in its relation to the Church of Christ, on the strong ground of Scripture; for the purpose of confining the reader's attention, as far as might be, to the plain letter of the Bible, which he has before him: in the charitable hope, that were members of the Church as well acquainted with the nature of this sin, as they ought to be, those at least among them who possess serious thoughts of religion, would not, it is presumed, for the sake of gratifying an idle and dangerous curiosity, wilfully subject themselves to the charge of it. The prin

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