Vol. 2

;42 ST. MARK.and schisms serve only to purify the church, to separatethe chafFfrom the good grain, and to render theelect fit to form the body of unity, which is the church,and to enter into the eternal unity of God. Thereason of this is, because his Spirit makes even divisionitself useful in fastening the bond of unitVj andbrings out of this darkness the light of peace.Effectthis, O Lord, and effect it as soon as possible,according to thy decrees and will." 26, And if Satan rise up against himself, and bedivided, he cannot stand, but hath an end."How guilty then ishe who divides the children ofthe church, by calumnies, dissensions, and jealousies?To divide the church is to endeavour to destroy itbut hereby a man can only destroy himself.Schismis an attempt against the unity of Christ's mysticalbody, which is the church ; against the unity of hisSpirit, which is the bond thereof; against the unityof Christ, who is the head of it;and against the unityof God himself, who is the principle, the pattern, andthe perfection of all unity and society, by the unityof his essence, and the society of his persons.Sect. V.— T/ie strong Ma?i armed.the Holy Ghost,The sin againstChrisfs mother and brethren." 27. No man can enter into a strong man'shouse, and spoil his goods, except he will first bindthe strong man ; and then he will spoil his house."There is an irreconcilable enmity betwixt Christand the devil, the church and hell, the Christian andthe world, charity and concupiscence.The former ofthese two cannot be in any heart but only so far asthe latter is therein suppressed. When the devil is