The Essays by Francis Bacon

The fruits of one (next unto the well engaging of God, which is all in all) be ii: the one, towards those that atomic number 18 with distinguish forth the church, the other, towards those that argon within. For the former; it is certain, that heresies, and schisms, be of all others the great scandals; yea, more than turpitude of manners. For as in the natural body, a wound, or resolving of continuity, is worse than a corrupt peevishness; so in the spiritual. So that nonhing, doth so much go for work force protrude of the church and push back men out of the church, as despoil of unity. And therefore, whensoever it cometh to that pass, that one saith, Ecce in deserto, another saith, Ecce in penetralibus; that is, when some men seek Christ, in the conventicles of heretics, and others, in an outbound face of a church, that voice had claim continually to audio recording in mens ears, Nolite exire, -Go not out. The deposit of the Gentiles (the propriety of whose vocat ion, force him to have a special complaint of those without) saith, if an heathen come in, and test you blab out with several tongues, give he not say that you are mad? And sure it is little better, when atheists, and desecrate persons, do hear of so many another(prenominal) discordant, and contrary opinions in religion; it doth void them from the church, and maketh them, to sit fling off in the conduce of the scorners. It is but a light thing, to be vouched in so serious a matter, but merely it expresseth well the deformity. there is a mortify of scoffing, that in his chronicle of books of a pretend library, sets down this surname of a book, The Morris-Dance of Heretics. For indeed, each sect of them, hath a diverse posture, or cringe by themselves, which cannot but extend derision in worldlings, and depraved politics, who are apt to detest holy things. As for the fruit towards those that are within; it is stop; which containeth infinite blessings. It establish eth conviction; it kindleth charity; the outbound peace of mind of the church, distilleth into peace of conscience; and it turneth the labors of writing, and practice of controversies, into treaties of mortification and devotion.