ed individuals than
their fellows, a distinction they do not merit. They will give honor
to no one, even when they have to recognize the superiority of his
gifts over their own. In their envy, anger, hatred and vengefulness,
they seek occasion to create factions and to draw people to
themselves. Therefore Paul exhorts first to the necessary virtue of
love, having which men will be enabled to exercise humility, patience
and forbearance toward one another.

19. The character of the evils resulting to the Church from divisions
and discords in doctrine is evident from the facts. Many are
deceived; the masses immediately respond to new doctrine brilliantly
presented in specious words by presumptuous individuals thirsting for
fame. More than that, many weak but well-meaning ones fall to
doubting, uncertain where to stand or with whom to hold. Consequently
men reject and blaspheme the Christian doctrine and seek occasion to
dispute it. Many become reckless pleasure-lovers, disregarding all
religion and ignoring the Word of God. Further, even they who are
called Christians come to have hard feelings against one another,
and, figuratively, bite and devour in their hate and envy.
Consequently their love grows cold and faith is extinguished.

20. Of so much disturbance in the Church, and of the resulting
injuries to souls, are guilty those conceited, factious leaders who
do not adhere to the true doctrine, preserving the unity of the
Spirit, but seek to institute something new for the sake of advancing
their own ideas and their own honor, or gratifying their revenge.
They thus bring upon themselves damnation infinitely more intolerable
than others suffer. Christians, then, should be careful to give no
occasion for division or discord, but to be diligent, as Paul here
admonishes, to preserve unity. And this is not an easy thing to do,
for among Christians occasions frequently arise provoking self-will,
anger and hatred. The devil is always at hand to stir and blow the
flame of discord. Let Christians take heed they do not give place to
the promptings of the devil and of the flesh. They must strive
against them, submitting to all suffering, and performing all
demands, whether honor, property, physical welfare or life itself be
involved, in the effort to prevent, so far as in them lies, any
disturbance of the unity of doctrine, of faith and of Spirit.

"There is one body, and one Spirit, even as also ye were called in
one hope of