A brief enquiry into the true nature of schism

Let us therefore see what the Scripture saith concerning Schism, not concerning the Evil of it, we are all convinced of that, but concerning the Nature and formalis ratio of it.

The Old Testament will not help us so much in this enquiry as the New, for as to the binding of the Jews to worship only in one place, at Jerusalem, and to offer only upon that Altar, it was a Precept purely Ceremonial, and to us Christians is vacated by that Gospel rule which wills us to pray every where, and their Synagogues then (not their Temple) were the Patterns of Christian Assemblies.

Only one Scripture occurs in the Old Testament, which perhaps will help-to rectify some mistake about Schism. It is the instance of Eldad and Medad who prophesied in the Camp, Numb. 11. 26, &c. The case in short is this: Eldad and Medad were persons upon whom the Spirit rested, i. e. Who were by the extraordinary working of the Spirit endued with gifts equal to the rest of the seventy Elders, and were written, i. e. Had a call to the work, but they went not out unto the Tabernacle as the rest did, though God himself had appointed that they should, v. 16. And they prophesied in the Camp, i. e. Exercised their gifts in private among their Neighbours, in some common Tent. Upon what inducements they did this, doth not appear, but it is evident that it was their weakness and infirmity thus to separate from the rest of their Brethren. If any think they prophesied by a necessitating, and irresistible Impulse, they may remember, that the Spirit of the Prophets is subject to the Prophets, 1 Cor. 14. 32.

Only one Scripture occurs in the Old Testament, which perhaps will help-to rectify some mistake about Schism. It is the instance of Eldad and Medad who prophesi'd in the Camp,