Honest neighbour, don’t be angry. Lay down your hammer, and let us talk a little on this head. You say, “We are in the damnable sin of _schism_, and therefore in as bad a state as adulterers or murderers.” I ask once more, What do you mean by _schism_? “Schism! Schism! Why, it is separating from the church.” Ay, so it is. And yet _every_ separating from the church to which we once belonged, is not schism. Else you will make all the _English_ to be schismatics, ♦by separating from the church of _Rome_. “But we had just cause.” So doubtless we had: whereas schism is a _causeless_ separation from the church of Christ. So far so good. But you have many steps to take before you can make good that conclusion, that a separation from a _particular national_ church, such as the church of _England_ is, whether with sufficient cause or without, comes under the scriptural notion of _schism_. ♦ insert “by” per Errata However, taking this for granted, will you aver in cool blood, that all who die in such a separation, that is, every one who dies a Quaker, a Baptist, an Independent, or a Presbyterian, is as infallibly damned as if he died in the act of murder or adultery? Surely you start at the thought! It makes even nature recoil. How then can you reconcile it to the love that _hopeth all things_? 31. But whatever state they are in, who _causelessly separate_ from the church of _England_, it affects not those of whom we are speaking; for they _do not separate_ from it at all. You may easily be convinced of this, if you will only weigh the particulars following. 1. A great part of these went to _no church_ at all, before they heard us preach. They no more pretended to belong to the church of _England_, than to the church of _Moscovy_. If therefore they went to _no church_ now, they would be no farther from the church than they were before. 2. Those who did _sometimes_ go to church before, go three times as often now. These therefore _do not separate_ from the church. Nay, they are united to it more closely than before. 3. Those who _never_ went to church at all before, do go now _at all opportunities_. Will common sense allow any one to say, that these are _separated from the church_? 4. The main question is, Are they turned from doing the works of the devil, to do the works of God? Do they now live soberly, righteously, and godly, in the present world? If they do, if they live according to the _directions_ of the church, believe her _doctrines_, and join in her _ordinances_: with what face can you say, that these men _separate_ from the church of _England_? 32. But in what state are they whom the clergy and gentry (and perhaps _you_ for one) have successfully laboured to preserve from this damnable sin of _schism_? Whom you have kept from hearing these men, and _separating from the church_?