"4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.7 But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift."
Ephesians 4:4-7
Down the ages of the Church an attitude has existed which can perhaps best be described as a 'separatist' view, and which has frequently been mooted in modern times, for different reasons. It is the attitude by which people can sometimes feel so strongly about certain doctrines or issues that they regard them as a ground for separation from a denomination or a congregation. There are, of course notable examples in Church history of separations taking place such as the Reformation in the 16th century and the Disruption in 1843, when the established church in Scotland was sundered. It can hardly be controverted, however, that the further down the line one comes, the greater has been the tendency for 'splits within splits' to take place, as the sorry history of Presbyterianism in Scotland has shown, with families being split on what now seem to be the flimsiest of grounds. One would have thought that the dangers of division in denominations or groups would have become abundantly evident by this time. Church history has a great deal to teach us, if we are prepared to read, learn, mark, and inwardly digest it. We cannot simply dismiss these deeply held convictions, however, as mere bigotry; at the same time, however, one has to recognise that almost any deeply held viewpoint can be elevated to the status of a fundamental issue, and made a ground for separation and secession. We shall continue this theme further in tomorrow's Note.