A discovery of divine mysteries, or, The nature and efficacy of the soul of man considered in all its faculties, operations and divine perfections, and how it governs in divine and secular affairs of life ... with many other curious matters : being a compleat body of divine and moral philosophy / by C.B., D.D., Fellow of the Royal Society.

The Duty of Christian Unity, and the Crime of Schisms and Heresies.

There are some People, who are otherwise of great Justness and great Exactness of Rea∣soning, and of clear Idea's and quick Notions, who do not for all that comprehend the Crime of Schism and Heresie. They believe, That retaining that which they call the Foundation of Faith and Salvation, which is to Worship and acknowledge Jesus Christ as Mediator and Redeemer, by whom only Men and Angels themselves can please God, Every one may make a Religion to himself, and follow it ac∣cording to his own Conscience, and give, as well as he understands, his Sence of the Divine Mysteries and of the Divine Word; This is the

Occasion that amongst such it is not material, as to the Fundamentals, what Society they adhere to amongst Christians, and that they account as nothing That which we call Schism and He∣resie; But besides that it cannot be in vain, that the Divine Word so much condemns Schisms and Heresies, tho' we should not know the Crime and Disorder of them, we need but only reflect upon that Sovereign Unity of the So∣vereign Power which Presides over the Union of our Souls and Bodies, for to see and compre∣hend it clearly.

This Sovereign Uniformity, this Unity of Conduct, of Rules, & immutable Laws, whereby this Infinite Power which holds our Souls united to our Bodies, Acts upon our Bodies, and in all the Souls in all the Parts of the World after the same manner, is a sensible Proof and Convicti∣on of its Sovereign Unity; And it is impossible to have an Idea of this Sovereign Unity, with∣out thereby seeing the Crime of all that which we call Schism and Heresie.

But let us proceed, and see how it follows from all that hath been said of the manner how God Acts in our Souls upon the Occasion of our Bo∣dies, as a Necessary and Universal Cause, with a Clearness and Evidence so sensible, That we cannot firmly acquit our selves of any of our Duties, but by the constant and regular Practice of that Christian Self-denial, which makes the whole Foundation of the Gospel, by which we ought to watch without ceasing, to fortifie in

us Conscience and Natural Right, by weakning our Concupiscences.