INSTITUTES OF THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION
TRANSLATED BY
HENRY BEVERIDGE
CHAPTER 2
COMPARISON BETWEEN THE FALSE CHURCH AND THE TRUE
SECTION 5
5. The objection of personal succession, and the charge of heresy and
schism, refuted both from Scripture and Augustine.
As to their charge of heresy and schism, because we preach a different
doctrine, and submit not to their laws, and meet apart from them for
Prayer, Baptism, the administration of the Supper, and other sacred rites,
it is indeed a very serious accusation, but one which needs not a long and
labored defense. The name of heretics and schismatics is applied to those
who, by dissenting from the Church, destroy its communion. This
communion is held together by two chains — viz. consent in sound
doctrine and brotherly charity. Hence the distinction which Augustine
makes between heretics and schismatics is, that the former corrupt the
purity of the faith by false dogmas, whereas the latter sometimes, even
while holding the same faith, break the bond of union (August. Lib.
Quaest. in Evang. Matthew.). But the thing to be observed is, that this
union of charity so depends on unity of faith, as to have in it its beginning,
its end, in fine, its only rule. Let us therefore remember, that whenever
ecclesiastical unity is commended to us, the thing required is, that while
our minds consent in Christ, our wills also be united together by mutual
good-will in Christ. Accordingly Paul, when he exhorts us to it, takes for
his fundamental principle that there is “one God, one faith, one baptism”
(Ephesians 4:5). Nay, when he tells us to be “of one accord, of one mind,”
he immediately adds, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ
Jesus” (Philippians 2:2, 5); intimating, that where the word of the Lord is
not, it is not a union of believers, but a faction of the ungodly.
, although he does fall asleep on me
