THE RIGHT TO PLUNDER

VINDICATED;

Being Chap. XXIX. of the Acts of the Apostles, lately added for the Upholding of Church-rates, &c.

VERSE 1. Now it came to pass, while Paul tarried at Corinth, that he made a rate of twopence in the pound upon the Jews, and upon the Gentiles, and upon the church of God: and the rate was upon this wise:

2. When the brethren came together on the first day of the week, Stephanas, which was the first-fruits of Achaia, being churchwarden that same year, moved that a rate should be made of twopence in the pound for the mitre of Paul, and for his apron, and for the wine, and for the bell-ringers, and for the organist, and for the painted window, and for the beadle, and for the grave-digger, and for the clerk.

3. So a brother whose name was Aristarchus seconded the motion.

4. And Paul, the Lord Bishop of Achaia, sat in the chair, in his rochet; and the very reverend Gaius, Dean of Corinth, sat at his right hand.

5. And a man, whose name was Albinus, rose up straightway in the midst, and said that he was ashamed that the saints should not pay for their own religion, but that they should lay a burden on the Jews and on the Gentiles that believed not, making the truth to become utterly an abomination unto

them.

6. But the brethren lifted up their voices in the vestry with one accord, and cried mightily for about the space of half an hour, Turn him out! and they threw dust in the air, and made no small stir, stamping with their feet, and hissing; insomuch that Albinus was put to shame, and held his peace.

7. And Paul the apostle took the vote, and the brethren lifted up their hands, and they made a rate and a decree that the saints, and the heathen, and the Jews, should offer willingly of their substance twopence in the pound, and that whosoever would not pay should be delivered unto the keeper of the prison, and that his goods should be sold until he had paid all that was due.

9. And they came to the house of one Silvanus, and he was a Hebrew of the Hebrews, and a ruler of the synagogue, and gave alms unto the people; but he knew not the gospel, neither consorted he with the church which was at Corinth.

10. And when the churchwardens demanded of him his rate, behold, he refused to pay, for he said in his heart, Lo! are not all these Nazarenes? and I believe not their words.

11. So the brethren departed from the habitation of the chief ruler of the synagogue, and hasted unto the assembly of the saints; and they rehearsed before the apostle and the elders both the stubbornness of Silvanus and of the idolatrous Greeks.

12. Then Paul rose up, and they which were with him, and rent his garments, and cried with an exceeding loud voice, Anathema! and a young priest, whose name was Tertullianus, did in like manner, and his countenance fell.

13. And Paul spake, and said unto the church wardens and unto the beadle, Go quickly unto the street which is called Straight, unto the house of the ruler of the Jews, nigh unto the gate of the city, with staves in your hands, and carry away suddenly his table, and his bed, and his silver jug, and his spoon, and the spoon of his wife, and whatsoever he hath, and bring them into the market-place, and sell them unto all that pass by, until the rate shall be paid.

14. And if he will shut up the door of his house, behold, ye shall break into it; and if he hold fast to his table, or his bed, or his jug, or his spoon, or anything which is his, ye shall smite him with your truncheon very grievously, and carry him away to the dungeon, and give him the bread of affliction and the water of affliction for six months, until he repent.

15. So the churchwardens went their way, and they took with them a brother

Now, this is a serious matter. Sin and guilt are not things to be trifled with, or to be spoken of lightly. I do not know whether we are charged with schism because we are not Episcopalians, or whether it is because we do not belong to the church that has been made the National Establishment by an Act of Parliament; but on whatever ground the charge is made, if we are really guilty of it, the sooner we are convinced of our error the better; if we are not guilty, your friends who have made the charge ought to retract it, and all of you, as Christians, ought to do your best to vindicate us against so false an accusation.

It is a question that can be settled only by an appeal to the Scriptures: it is from them we must learn what schism is, and who are guilty of it. Now, then, for the teachings of the Scriptures on the subject.

The word "schism" occurs in the English New Testament only once1 Cor. xii. 25. It is a Greek word, and in that passage it is not translated by an English word, but is simply transcribed. The same word occurs in the Greek New Testament seven other times, and in each of these it is translated by an English word. The verb from which the word is derived occurs ten times, and in each case is translated by an English word. Here, then, we have altogether eighteen cases in which the thing schism is spoken of: of these eighteen cases, ten refer to material substances, such as garments, rocks,

Matt. xxvii. 51.-" And behold the veil of the temple was rent (schismatized) in twain.”

Matt. xxvii. 51.-"And the rocks rent" (schismatized).

Mark i. 10.-"He saw the heavens opened" (schismatized).

Mark ii. 21.-The same as Matt. ix. 16.

Mark xv. 38.-The same as Matt. xxvii. 51, first instance.

Luke v. 36.-" The new maketh a rent" (schismatizes).

Luke xxiii. 45.-The same as Mark xv. 38.

John xix. 24.-"Let us not rend (schismatize) it."

John xxi. 11.-" Yet was not the net broken" (schismatized).

In these passages the thing meant by schism is spoken of in connection with a garment, the veil of the temple, rocks, the heavens, Christ's coat, and a net. The general idea is that of a rent or division in the things spoken of, and not a separation from them. The schism to be anticipated in the garment in the case supposed was a rent made in it, not a piece taken from it. The schism in the veil was a rent from the

top to the bottom, not a piece torn from it. And so of the other cases.

II. Five passages in which the word is applied to a mixed multitude:

John vii. 43.-" So there was a division (schism) among the people because of him."

John ix. 16.-"And there was a division (schism) among them."

John x. 19.-"There was a division (schism) therefore again among the Jews for these sayings."

Acts xiv. 4.-" But the multitude of the city was divided" (schismatized). Acts xxiii. 7.-"And the multitude was divided" (schismatized).

What was the schism spoken of in these passages? In the first case, it was a division of opinion among the Jews respecting Jesus of Nazareth; some of them believed that he was the Christ, others denied it. In the second case, it was a division of opinion among the Pharisees respecting Christ; some regarding him as a good man, others as a sinner. In the third case, it was a difference of opinion of a similar character to the preceding; some of the Jews asserting that our Lord was in league with the devil, and others affirming that if he had been, he could not have wrought the miracles which he performed. In the fourth case, it was a difference of feeling among the multitude at Iconium towards Paul and Barnabas; some taking side with them, and others against them. In the fifth case, it was party feeling excited among the multitude at Jerusalem between the Pharisees and the Sadducees. Paul had avowed himself a Pharisee, and hence the Pharisees took his part and the Sadducees took against him. But in all these cases it was a difference of opinion and feeling spoken of as existing

in a multitude of people taken collectively. There was no separation. The schism or division is affirmed as much of those who took the side of Christ and the apostles as of those who opposed them. III. Two passages in which the word is applied to a Christian church:

1 Cor. i. 10.-"Now 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 (schisms) among you," &c.

1 Cor. xi. 18.-"When ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions (schisms) among you."

The schisms referred to in the first passage were differences of opinion and taste respecting ministers of the gospel, leading to "contentions," ver. 11; "envying, strife, and factions," ch. iii. 3. The schisms spoken of in the second passage were certain disorderly and selfish proceedings practised by the Corinthians when met together for the celebration of the Lord's Supper.

Now I beg you to mark distinctly that the schisms that did exist were schisms in one and the same church, existing among them at the very time that they "all came together into one place," ch. xi. 20. And so, of course, the schisms the Corinthians were warned against were schisms of the same kind-contentions, strifes, divisions among themselves. The evils deplored and guarded against were not separations from any given church, but evils that existed at the time "in the church of God that was at Corinth," ch. i. 2.

IV. One passage in which the word is applied to the human body:

1 Cor. xii. 24, 25.-" God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked; that there should be no

schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care one for another."

In this passage we are taught that if, in the human body, there had been any member or part which did not sympathize, and cohere, and act in harmony with all the rest, there would have been schism in the body. The representation is not that a schism would be produced by the separation of a limb from the body, but by the existence of any part in the body that did not feel, co-operate with, and care for the other members. Now precisely this same thing is schism in the church. Such, my fellow-Christians, are the teachings of God's word on the subject; and from these teachings we arrive at the three following conclusions:

1. There may be schismatics among ue, but our being Dissenters does not make us such. If in any given Baptist, or Independent, or Methodist church, there should be members who have "no care" for their fellow-members, and whose want of sympathy should lead to factions and strife among brethren, such men would, on that account, be chargeable with the sin of schism; but not on account of their being members of a church distinct from yours.

2. If, with our views and feelings, we had remained in your church, we should have been schismatics. We believe that some things taught and some things practised in your church are decidedly opposed to the plain teachings of Scripture: hence it becomes our duty to protest against what we believe to be wrong, and to advocate and practise what we believe to be right. But if we remained in your church, and thus did our duty, we should be making parties and divisions

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among you: hence we become Dissenters, that we may not be schismatics. 3. There may be schismatics among those who still remain in the Church of England. That "there are divisions among you" is well known to you all. Some among you are "high-church," and some "low-church;" some sympathize with Mr. Bickersteth and Baptist Noel, and are called "Evangelicals;" others with Dr. Pusey and his friends, and are called Puseyites;" while others remain old-fashioned orthodox Churchmen, and constitute a party somewhere midway between the other two. With so many factions in the same church, there must be schism somewhere. Where is it? Who are the schismatics? The Evangelicals say the Puseyites are wrong, and ought to leave and join the Romanists; the Orthodox and Puseyites say the Evangelicals are wrong, and ought to leave and join the Dissenters. This is the advice one of your own bishops-the Bishop of Exeter-lately gave to some young people in his diocese who had been taught that they were not necessarily regenerated when they were baptized :-"If," says his lordship, "any of you have the least doubt that baptism places you in any other state than that of actual salvation, I entreat and beseech you, that if any such there be, at once rather to leave the church than to receive the holy ordinance of confirmation under such circumstances. Though to take this honest course may cause you pain, it will reflect shame only on those who have mistaught you:" that is, the evangelical clergy. I must leave it for you to settle among yourselves who are the consistent Churchmen, and who are the schismatics; but my own private opinion is