mandment. Where this commandment is
dishonored, schisms and factions will necessarily arise to corrupt
pure doctrine and faith, and the devil will sow his seed, which
afterwards can be eradicated only with difficulty. When once
self-conceit rules, and one, pretending more learning, wisdom,
goodness and holiness than his fellows, begins to despise others and
to draw men to himself, away from the unity of mind which makes us
one in Christ, and when he desires the first praise and commendation
for his own doctrine and works, his own preaching, then the harm is
already done; faith is overthrown and the Church is rent. When unity
becomes division, certainly two sects cannot both be the true Church.
If one is godly, the other must be the devil's own. On the other
hand, so long as unity of faith and oneness of mind survives, the
true Church of God abides, notwithstanding there may be some weakness
in other points. Of this fact the devil is well aware; hence his
hostility to Christian unity. His chief effort is to destroy harmony.
"Having that to contend with," he tells himself, "my task will be a
hard and wearisome one."

8. Therefore, Christians should be all the more careful to cherish
the virtue of harmony, both in the Church and in secular government.
In each instance there is of necessity much inequality. God would
have such dissimilarity balanced by love and unity of mind. Let
everyone be content, then, with what God has given or ordained for
him, and let him take pleasure in another's gifts, knowing that in
eternal blessings he is equally rich, having the same God and Christ,
the same grace and salvation; and that although his standing before
God may differ from that of his fellows, he is nevertheless in no way
inferior to them, nor is anyone for the same reason at all better
than or superior to himself.

9. In temporal affairs, every inequality in the world can be
harmonized by a unity of mind and heart. In relations other than
spiritual there is mutual love and friendship. How great the outward
dissimilarity between man and wife--in person, nature and employment!
likewise between masters and their subjects. Yet, in mutual
conscientiousness they mutually agree and are well satisfied with
each other. So it would be possible to enjoy life upon earth in peace
and happiness were it not that the devil cannot suffer it. He must
divide hearts and alienate love, allowing no one to take pleasure in
another. He who is illustr