is the final part of the Duty here required To keep the Vnity of the Spirit The Preserving cause is the Peaceable behaviour of the members and this is the mediate Duty here required In the bond of Peace Our own Endeavours are hereto required because as every natural body must by eating and drinking and fit exercise and usage be a cause of its own preservation and not forbear these under pretence of trusting the all-sufficiency of God and as every Political Body must by Government and Arms in case of need preserve themselves under God so must the Body of Christ the Church be diligent in using their best endeavours to preserve the Being and well-being of the whole So that you see here are two causes of the Churches Unity expressed 1. The principal Constitutive cause in which our Unity consisteth and that is The Spirit 2. The Preserving cause by which our Unity is cherished and that is Peace which therefore is called the bond of it The fifth and sixth verses do open this Vnity of Spirit in its parts effects and ends There is One Hope of our Calling that is One Heaven or Life Eternal which is the end of our Christianity and Church Constitution There is one Lord Jesus Christ One Head one Saviour one Soveraign Redeemer to whom by this Spirit the members are all United There is One Faith both one summe of holy Doctrine which all that will be saved must believe which was used to be professed by the adult at Baptism and One internal saving Faith which this Spirit causeth in our Spirits and useth it as a means of our union with Christ in whom we do believe There is One Baptism or solemn Covenanting with God the Father Son and Holy-Ghost and the same promise there to be made by all And there is One God the Father of all from whom we fell and to whom we must be recovered and who is the End of all and to whom Christ and all these means are the Way So that all these are implyed in and conjunct with the Vnity of the Spirit The sense of the Text then briefly is this As all the living true members of Christ and the Church have one Spirit and so one Faith by which they are all united to Christ the Head and so to the Father in and by him which Vnion in One Spirit is your very Life and it that constituteth you true members of Christ and his Church so it must be your care and great endeavour to preserve this Spirit in you and this vital Vnity which by this Spirit you have with Christ and one another and the way to preserve it is by the bond of Peace among your selves It is here evident then that all the members of Christ and his Body have One Spirit and in that is their Union All the question is What Spirit this is And that 's left past all doubt in the Chapter For though the common gifts of the Spirit are sometime called by that name yet these are no further meant in the Text then as appurtenances or additions to greater gifts As godliness hath the promise of the common mercies of this life as well as of the special mercies of the life to come but yet with great difference the later being absolutely promised and the former but limitedly so far as God sees best for us Even so the Spirit gave to the members of the Church both Sanctifying Grace and common Gifts but with great difference giving Sanctification to all and only the members of Christ but giving common gifts also to some others and to them but with limitation for sort and season and measure and continuance as God should see good It is then the same Holy-Ghost as our Sanctifier into whose name we are baptized as wel as into the name of the â—ather and the Son and in whom we all profess to believe that is here meant in my Text. And it is only the Sanctified that are the people United to Christ and to One another This is proved expresly by that which foâ—loweth vers 6 7. It is those that have the One Hope one Lord one Faith one Baptism one God the Father vers 12. It is the Saints and body of Christ that are to be perfected by the Ministry vers 13 15 16. It is those that must come in the Vnity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God to a perfect man to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ and that grow up in all things in Christ the Head It is the Body that is Vnited to him and compacted in Love and edifieth itself in Love vers 20 21 22 23 24. It is those that hâ—vâ— so leâ—rned Christ as to put off tâ—e â—ld man thâ—t is câ—rrupt â—nd are râ—neweâ— in the Spirit of their â—inâ—s and put on the nâ—w man which â—fter God is reâ—tâ—â— in righteouâ—neâ—s and true holiness If thereâ—â—re any words be plain its plain tâ—at its true â—aints only that are here spoken of that have the Vnity of spirit which they must preserve in the bond of Peace And therefore I shall make this Observation the ground of my discourse Doct. The true Vnity of the Catholick Church of Christ consisteth in this that they have all one Sanctifying spirit within them By the Holy-Ghost within them they are all United to Christ and to one another By this One Spirit they are all made â—aints or an Holy people having One Heaven for the matter of their Hopes One Christ their Head One summe of Christian doctrine which they believe containing all the Essentials of Christian Faith and One living principle of Faith to believe it One solemn Covenant with Christ and One God the â—ather their End and All. It is only the Sanctified that have true Christian Vnity and it is unholiness or ungodliness that is the cause of the miserable Divisions of the world Now Sirs you see the Only way to Vnity Even to have One Sanctifying spirit within us and be all an Holy People and there is no way but this Now you see the principal cause of Division even unholiness and refusing the Spirit of Grace In handling this point 1. I shall give you some Propositions that are necessary for the fuller understanding of it 2. I shall demonstrate the Point to you by fuller Evidence of Reason 3. I shall make Application of it I. PRop 1. Though it be only the Sanctified that have the true Unâ—on of Members wâ—th Chrâ—st and the Body yet all that make Profession of Sanctification and Null not that Proâ—ession have an Extrâ—nsick Analogical Union in profession As the wooden or dead leg is united to the body and the dead branch to the Vine And so even Hypocrites must not only dwell among us but be of the same visible Church with us as the chaff and tares are in the same corn-field And as long as they seem Saints we must value them and use them as Saints and love them
leave the infallible judgement to God It is only â—eal Saints that have the internal special Unity of the Spirit and saving Communion but its Professors of Faith and Holiness thaâ— must have external Communion wiâ—h us in Ordinances as they have a visible Union of Profession with the Church But if they profess not Holiness they ought not to have any Christian Communion at all O Christians keep close to Christ the Centeâ— of your Unity and the Scripture which is the Rule of it and cherish the â—pirit which is the vital cause walk evenly and uprightly in a dark generation and give no offence to those without nor to the Church of God Know them that are over you in the Lord and be at Peace among your selves and the God of Peace shall be with you 1 Thes. 5.12 Phil 4.8.9 Object BVt may not a Profession of the same Faith procure a sufficient Vnity among us though all be not Saints and savingly regenerate Let us first be of one Religion and then we may come to be sincere in the Practice of that Religion by Degrees Answ. 1. For the Churches sake we are thankful to God when we see a common concord in Profession though most are false in and to the Religion which they profess Many wayes God doth good to his Church by unfound Professors 1. Their Professing the same Faith doth somewhat tye their hands from persecuting it And of the two we can better bear Hypocrites then Persecutors 2. And it somewhat tyeth their tongues from reproaching the Faith and arguing against it and seducing others from it And of the two it would be more hurtful to the Church to have these men open enemies to the truth and bend their wits and tongues against it and to have the multitude assaulting their neighbours with invectives and cavils against Religion then to have them falsly pretend to be Religious 3. And it is a great mercy to the Church hereby to have the benefit of these mens common parts and interests When they profess the same Religion with us though unsoundly yet it engageth them to stand for the Religion which they profess and their illumination and conviction may lead them to do much service for the truth By this means many hands are at work to build up the Church of Christ. And by this means the lives of many faithful Christians are preserved and their estates much spared Many have skill in building that are not true heirs of the house which they build Many have excellent gifts for preaching and expounding Scripture by which the Church may be edified and the Truth defended against the adversaries when yet the same men may themselves be destitute of the Power of this truth The Church hath great cause to be thankful to God for the gifts of many an unsanctified man Had the Church been denyed the Minâ—stry and Gifts of all mâ—n except Saints it would have been confined to a narrower room and many a soul might have beâ—n unconvâ—rted that have been called by the Ministry of unsanctified men By some such did God work Miracles themselves for the confirmation of the Christian Faith And in times of war if the Church had none but Saints to fight for them it could not stand without a continued Miracle And if we had not the daily help of others in civil and secular affairs we should find by the miss of it what a mercy we undervalued Were every unregenerate man an open enemy to the Church we should live as Patridges and such other birds that must hide themselves from every Passenger 4. Moreover this Profession of Hypocrites doth much restrain them from many a sin by which God would be much dishonoured and the Church more wronged and the godly more grieved and the open enemies more encouraged 5. And also it is some honour to the Gospel in the eyes of men to have a multitude of Professors Should Christs visible Church be as narrow as the mystical and should none be Professors of the Faith but those few that are sanctified Believers the paucity of Christians and narrowness of the Church would be a dishonour to Christ in the eyes of the world and would hinder the Conversion of many a soul. All this I have said that you may see that we do not despise a Unity in Profession and that we are not of those that would have all hypocrites and common professors shut out Yea that we take our selves bound to be very thankful to God for the mercy which he vouchsafeth us by the gifts and favour and help and interest of many such Professors And such a Unity of Profession we shall endeavour to our power heartily to promote as knowing that the Church as visible consisteth of such professours 2. But yet for all this I must come closer to your objection and tell you that this Vnity of meer Profession is comparatively so poor a kind of Unity that this will not this must not satisfie us and serve the turn which I desire you to observe in these discoveries 1. This Unity in meer Profession is properly no Christian Vnity because you are not properly Christians If this be all it is but in the bark and shell that we are agreed It is but a seeming agreement from the teeth outward but not an hearty agreement to be Christians What! shall we all agree to say we are Christians when with most it is not so For all this Agreement you will still have one Father and we another You will not be United with us in Christ the Head you will not have the same Holy Spirit who is the Life of the New creature You will be contrary to us in Nature or Disposition You will not have the same Intention and Ultimate End with us but you will aâ—m at one thing and we at another You will not go the same way nor walk by the same Rule and Law as we It will be but a tying â—ogâ—ther the Living and the Dead Bellâ—râ—ine himself confesseth that the ungodly are but dead members It is not life that Uniteth a dead member to the living You will bâ— stilâ— either openly or secretly betraying the Body to which you profess your selves United and taking part with its deadly enemies the flesh the world and the Devil Your very Hearts and ours will still be contrary You will love the sin that we hate and set our selves against and you will dis-relish that Holy Heavenly life which must be our business and delight Your Affections will go one way and ours another You will Live by sense when we must live by faith and you will be laying up a treasure on earth when we are laying up a treasure in heaven You will be asking counsel of flesh and blood when we must advise with God and his holy Word You will look first to your bodies when we must look first and principally to our souls It will be your business to feed those sins which it is our daily work
that the Vnity of the Church should not be laid on indifferent small or dâ—ubtfull things but that true believers that differ in such things should yet have inward Charity and outward Communion with each other not censuring nor despising nor dividing upon this account p. 323 Convincing Reasons p. 326 Several Vses or Consectaries and an Exhortation applied to our difference about Christmas Day p. 358 ERRATA PAge 90. l. 9. r. enquire p. 91. l. 6. r. except p. 192. l. 7. for now r. in time p. 275. l. 16 for or r. as p. 366. l. 12. for it r. them p. 377. l. 12. dele in Catholick Vnity EPHES. 4.3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace IT seems that Vnity and Felicity are near kin in that the world is so like affected to them both As our Felicity is in God and we lost it by falling from God so our Vnity is in God and we lost it by departing from this Center of Unity And as all men have still a natural desire after Felicity in general but God who is their Felicity they neither know nor desire so have we still a natural desire after Vnity in it self considered but God who is our Unity is little known or desired by the most And as nature can perceive the evil of Misery which is contrary to Felicity and cry out against it and yet doth cherish the certain causes of it and will not be perswaded to let them go So Nature can perceive the evil of Division which is contrary to Vnity and cry out against it and yet will not forbear the causes of Division And therefore as we say of Felicity Nature by Philosophy seeks it Divinity findeth it and Religion possesseth it So may we say of true Vnity Philosophy or Nature seeks it Divinity findeth it and Religion or Holiness possesseth it And as most of the world do miss of Felicity for all their high esteem of it and fall into misery for all their hatred of it because they love not the object and way of Felicity and hate not the Matter and Way of Misery Even so most of the world do miss of Vnity for all their high esteem of Unity and fall into miserable distractions and Divisions for all their hatred of Division because they love not the center and way of Vnity and hate not the occasion and causes of Division And as the very reason why the most are shut out of Happiness is their own wilful refusing of the true matter and means of Happiness and no one could undo them but themselves for all that they are loth to be undone Even so the very Reason why the world attaineth not to Unity is their own wilful refusing of the true Center and Means of Unity and it is themselves that are the wilful causes of their own Divisions even when they cry out against Divisions And as there 's no way to Happiness but by Turning to God from whom we fell that in him we may be happy and no way to God but by Iesus Christ as the Saviour and the Hâ—ly-Ghost as the Sanctifier so there is no way to true Vnity but by Turning to God that we may be one in him and no way to him but being united to Christ and being quickned by that One most holy Spirit that animateth his members And yet as poor souls do weary themselves in vain in seeking Felicity in their own wayes and devices so do they deceive themselves in seeking Vnity in wayes that are quite destructive to Unity One thinks we must be united in the Pope and another in a General Council another saith we shall never have Unity till the Magistrate force us all one way and yet they would not be forced from their own way Another turns Atheist or Infidel or Impious by observing the Divisions that be among Christians and saith It is this Scripture and Religion and Christ that hath set the world together by the ears and we shall never have Unity till we all live according to Nature and cast off their needless cares and fears of another life And thus the miserable deluded world are groping in the dark after Vnity and Felicity while both are at hand and they wickedly reject them and many of them become so mad as to run away from God from Christ from the Spirit as if he were the cause of Misery and Division who is the only Center of Felicity and Vnity And thus as it is but Few that arrive at Happiness for all their desire of it so it is but Few that attain to Vnity to such a Unity as is worth the attaining to I dare presume to take it for granted that all you that hear me this day would fain have Divisions taken away and have Unity and Concord and Peace through the world What say you would you not have us all of one â—iâ—d and of one Religion and would you not fain have an Agreement if it might be through all the world I am confident you would But you little think that its you and such as you that are the hinderers of it All the question is What Mind that is that all should be One in and what Religion that is that all men sâ—ould agree in Every man would have all men of one mind and one Religion but then it must be of his mind and of his Religion and so we are never the nearer an agreement Well! what would you give now to be certainly told the only way to Unity and Agreement There is but One way when you have sought about as long as you will you must come to that One way or you will be never the nearer it What would you give to know undoubtedly which is that One way O that the world were but willing to know it and to follow it when they know it Well! I dare promise you from the information of the Holy-Ghost here given us in this Text that now I have read to to you to tell you the Only way to true Unity and blessed is he that learneth it and walketh in it This Text is a Precept containing the work required of us with its double Object the one the means to the other The next verse is an exposition of this As the Natural man hath One Body and One Soul which constitute it a man so the Church which is the mystical Body of Christ is one Body consisting of many members united by One Spirit Every Common-wealth or Political Body hath 1. It s Constitutive causes that give it its Being and its Unity and 2. It s Administration and preserving causes as Laws Execution Obedience c. that exercise and preserve and perfect its Being The Constitutive cause is the Soveraign and the Subject conjoyned in their Relation So is it with the Church which is a Political Body but of a transcendent kind of Policy The Constitutive Cause of the Church are Christ and the members united in One Spirit And this
daily bread to fit them for Gods service they drown themselves in pleasures or in worldly cares to make provision to satisfie their flesh Instead of valuing and accepting the forgiveness of sin as purchased by Christ and offered in the Gospel they have slight apprehensions of so great a mercy and refuse the conditions of it as too hard and run deeper into debt and wilfully sin more Instead of avoiding Tempâ—ations and flying to Christ for deliverance from evil they tempt themselves and run into Temptations and seek after them and love the evil of sin and are loth to leave it and be delivered from it So that they are against every Petition in the Lords Prayer though they use the words They are also against every Ordinance of God and lick up the vomit of all sects that do oppose them One sect is against the Lords day and so are the ungodly against the sanctifying of it and spending it in holy worship and delighting themselves thereon in God Else what need so many Acts to restrain them from sports and other profanation of it And all will not do Another sect is against Praying but by the Book and would have Minâ—sters restrained from praying in any other words then are commanded him And the ungodly easily receive this opinion anâ— reproach all other prayers as 〈◊〉 temporate and disorderly Another sect is against Church Government by any but Magâ—strates these are called Erastian And the ungodly are not onlâ— against it but detest it and reproach it Let them be called 〈◊〉 Publick Repentance and Confession for any publick sin and 〈◊〉 whether they be not against thâ— discipline I know no outward dâ—ty that they are more against The will hear us Preach with some patience and quietness but when wâ— come to reprove them personally and recover them from scandalous sins by necessary discipline they storm and rage against us and wâ— not endure it Some Separatists are for the Peoples Governing of the Church by a major Vote and Consequently ruling those that God doth caâ— their Rulers and commandeth them to obey Heb. 13.17 And so are the ungodly they would rule their Rulers the Ministers and have them administer the Ordinances of God according to their fancies but they will not be ruled by them Let the Minister but require them to come to him to be instructed or Catechized and they will not be ruled by him they are too old to be Catechized Let him call them to any necessary profession or other duty and they will do what their list Let him but cross any of their conceits and customs and they will sooner revile him then be ruled by him The Separatists will withdraw themselves from our Churches and Gods Ordinances if things be not suited to their mind And so will many of the ungodly Most Parishes in England that I hear of where any kind of Discipline is exercised have more Separatists then Communicants The faâ— greater part of many Parisheâ— forbear the Communion of the Church in the Lords Supper anâ— have done many years together even because they cannot be admitted without examination or without some necessary or lawfuâ— profession or because they cannot have the Sacrament kneeling or put into their hands or the like They will separate and be without the Sacrament or take it in a separate society rather then they will be ruled by the Pastors of the Church in a gesture or undoubtedly lawful thing Another sect of late will not sing Davids Psalms And the ungodly will not do it heartily and reverently but only with the voice Another sect the Anabaptists are against Baptizing Infants And the ungodly do not holily and heartily devote themselves and their infants to God they do not themselves renounce the world the flesh and the devil and take God for their God and Christ for their Saviour to heal and rule them and the Holy-Ghost for their Sanctifier to make them holy and how then can they do this for their children which they refuse themselves When they have offered their children to God in Baptism they bring them to the flesh and the world and the devil in their lives and teach them to break the Covenant which they made So that they are far worse then Anabaptists Another late sect will not Pray morning and evening in their families nor crave Gods blessing on their meat nor teach children and servants the duties of Religion And so is it with the ungodly How many of you that hear me 〈◊〉 day have prayerless families thâ—â— let your people go about their lâ—bours as an Ox to the Yoak without calling upon God How feâ— use to instruct and admonish the families and help to prepare theâ— for death and judgement All thâ—â— are about you may see that yoâ— are guilty of this heresie Another sect alate is risen up that will not keep any constâ—â— times of prayer neither in famâ—â—â— or in private but only when they find themselves in a good mood then they will pray And so it with many of the profane I am aweary of mentioning these desperate errours More of them might be mentioned and the case made plain that almost all the Heresies in the world are meâ— together in the ungodly and unsanctified Would you see the summe of all my charge in order It is this 1. Many sects that trouble us much do yet hold no errours but what may stand with Christianity and Salvation But the ungodly err in the Essentials and overthrow the very Foundation of Religion Their errours will not consist with grace or salvation They are damnable heresies Yea beside all that the sects aforesaid hold they have many damning heresies of their own These deadly hereticks hold that the world is rather to be sought then everlasting Glory that the pleasure of sin is to be chosen before the Holiness of the Saints that their flesh is to be pleased before God that its better venture on their beloved sins and keep them yet a little longâ—r then presently forsake them that the way to heaven which God commandeth and Châ—â—st and all his Apostles weâ—t in is 〈◊〉 aâ—d preciseness and godliness is moâ—â— ado then needs and that the bodâ— must have more care and diligenâ— then the soul and the trifles 〈◊〉 this world be more looked aâ—ter then the one thing necessâ—ry These and abundance such damnable Heresies do dwell in our Câ—ties and Countries in the minds 〈◊〉 those that cry out against Heresieâ— Ungodliness is the greatest Heresâ—â— in all the world 2. Other Hereticks have some of them but one or two errours but the Ungodly have all these together They are the sink of alâ— errours As all Gods Graces maâ—e up the new creature in the sanctified so all deadly errours anâ— vices go to make up the body oâ— ungodliness when it is compleat Its name is Legion for there are many of these evil spirits in it The Anabaptist hath a scab and the Separatist hath a wound but the common
What can you say to this now If you say that your way is not so dangerous it is buâ— our precise uncharitable concâ—it We have shewed you the word of God for it and fourty times moâ—e we could easily shew you And shall we believe you or such as you before God You are lyars but God cannot lye You see not what is done in another world but God seeth it You know not what is in Heaven or Hell but God knoweth And shall we not believe God that knoweth and disposeth of all better then moles that never saw it and ignorant souls that never knew it God saith that Fornicators Adulterers Drunkards Covetâ—us persons revilers or the like shall not inherit the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 6.10.11 and that they that are in the flâ—sh cannot please God and that if you live after the flesh ye shall 〈◊〉 Rom. 8.5.6 7 13. And would you have us believe you that there is no danger in a fleshly life Sirs we desire heartily to be United and Agreed with you but we are loth to buy it so dear as the loss of God and heaven comâ—s to We are willing of Concord with you but we are loth to be damned with you And do you blame us for this And alas if you should tell us a thousand times that you hope there is no such danger or that you hope to scape as well as the godly this is but poor security to us Shall we be so â—ad as to venture our selves on such words as these against the Word of the Ruler of the world What sâ—curity can you give us that we shall scape damnation if we turn ungodly Are you able to save us from the wrath of God Will you undertake to stand between us and his displeasure What say you if we will forsake an holy life and live as careless worldlings do and neglect God and our souls and please the world and our flesh wâ—ll you undertakâ—â—o answer for us in Judgmâ—nt and will you 〈…〉 bear the punishmeâ—t 〈…〉 should bear 〈◊〉 you 〈…〉 â—o save â—s haâ—mless 〈…〉 will you perâ—wade â—s to 〈…〉 do Nay â—f you 〈…〉 it he were a mad man 〈…〉 trust you and 〈…〉 on 〈◊〉 such underâ—â—â—◠〈…〉 know you are not 〈…〉 maâ—â—th 〈…〉 how unable wâ—ll 〈…〉 your selves 〈…〉 an hour 〈…〉 whe◠〈…〉 Commission to carâ—y you◠〈…〉 And shall we trust 〈…〉 your â—oaâ—â—â—g words when 〈◊〉 knâ—w you are 〈…〉 help yoâ—r selves Let us see 〈◊〉 what yoâ— can do fâ—r our selves or us agaiâ—â—â— the preferâ—â—and of God 〈◊〉 you keep off death and 〈◊〉 diseases and live here in healâ—h and wealth for ever whether God will or no How comes it to pass thâ—n that here is never a one of you near two hundred years of age Let us see you chide back approaching death and raise the dead bodies from their graves and heal all the diseases that out off mankind If you cannot do these smaller matters would you have us bâ—lieve that you can saveâ—s from damnation Why Sirs must your neâ—ghbours lie some of them in poverty and some in pain some sick of one disease and some of another and you look on them and cannot cure them or relieve them and yet must we venture our souls upon your words You cannot make an old man young again and can you make the word of God prove false or save those that God hath said shall perish and bring unsanctified men to heaven whether God will or no Well Sirs let them that hate their souls â—r care not whether they are â—aved â—r damned forsake the Lord and an holy life and joyn with you and see whether you can saâ—e theâ—e But for my part I believe the Wâ—râ— of God and upon thâ—s Word 〈◊〉 I am resolved to build my hopâ—s and venture my soul and aâ—l 〈◊〉 little that I have in this 〈◊〉 Trust you on what you please 〈◊〉 shall be my trust And they 〈◊〉 can find a surer ground to 〈◊〉 upon let them take theâ—r course But I must tell you that if you would wish us all to cast awâ—y God and Christ and heaven to agree with you you are moâ—iteâ—â— and not men and if you are sâ— cruel as to desire us to damn our souls for company we must be so careful of our selves as to abhor your motion and raâ—her to haâ—e the dearest thing or person in the world as they would draw us from Christ and everlasting life Luke 14.26 You see than what it is that standeth in our way to hinder us from turning back to you But what dangâ—r would you be in if you should turn to us Would it hurt or hazzard you to forsake your sensual ungodly lives Is there any danger in turning to God and living an holy heavenly life What is the danger Forsooth you may lose your estatâ—s or lives A great matter indeed in comparison of eternal life And must you not lose them shortly whether you will or not And are they not in the powâ—r of God and cannot he prâ—sâ—rve thâ—m if he please and if it be good for them he is liker to do it for his own then for his enemies But indeed he hath told you himself that he thâ—t will save his life shall lose it and he that loseth his life for his sake shall find it even in life everlasting Mat. 16.25 10.39 And yet as the world now goeth in England through the mercy of God your lives are in no danger It is but the scorn of ignorant miserable men that you must endure And will you stick at this in the cause of God and your salvation Nay indeed you are in most dreadful danger every day and night and hour till you forsake your former fleshly lives and turn to Christ You are all the while even within a step of death and hell till you are Converted and made an holy people It is but one stroak of death to put an end to your lives and hopes and you are gone for ever So that you have nothing to lose but an Heaven to gain if you joyn with the godly There is no danger can come to to you by turning unless it be the loss of your sins and that is a loss no more to be fâ—ared then a man should fear to lose the plague or pox or leprosie that hath it Now I beseech you Sirs as men of Conscience or of Reason set both together and equally consider how the case stands between us If we joyn with the unholy we run into Hell and lose God and Christ and Grace and Salvation for evermore But if you turn to the Godly you get out of danger and make the gainfullest match that ever was made by mortal men and you can lose nothing but the sensual pleasures of sin which are but exchanged for the joyes of Saints as sickness is exchanged for health And which now do you think in reason is the fitter that you turn to the godly or they to you Truly if
words of a man that you shall confess did speak impartially and not out of any intemperance or singularity who in a Prosperous University in Peaceable times being himself in favour and of that Judgement and of such Learning as was likely to continue him in favour did yet write thus concerning persecution I mean Doctor Iackson in his Book of saving Faith sect 2. chap. 4. pag. 185. The Ministers of Christ may deny Christ or manifest their ashamedness of his Gospel as directly by not laying his Law as closely to the great Herods of the world as John Baptist did suppose the case be as notorious and as well known to them as if they had been afraid to confess him for fear of being put out of the Synagogues or said with those other Iews We know that God spake with Moses and gave authority to Magistrates but this man we know not whence he is nor do we care for his Counsels Yet were John Baptists kind of preaching used in many Kingdoms though by such as profess the same Religion with the Potentates they should offend with their boldness I think it would prove matter of Martyrdom in the end That any age since Christian Religion was first propagated hath wanted store of Martyrs is more to be attributed to the Negligence Ignorance and Hypocrisie or want of courage in Christs Embassadors or appointed Pastors then unto the sincerity mildness or fidelity of the flock especially of the Bell-weathers or chief ring-leaders Or if Satan had not abated the edge of primitive zeal and resolution by that dishonourable peace concluded between Christianity and Gentilism after the settling of Goths and Vandals in these parts of Christendom had he not utterly benummed mankind by locking up their spiritual senses in midnight darkness and fettering their souls in superstition since the time he himself was let loose Rome Christian had seen more Martyrs even of such as did not much dissent from her in most opinions held within six hundred years of Christ in one year then Rome Heathen at any time had known in ten Even in Churches best Reformed it would be much easier I think to find store of just matter of Martyrdom then of men fit to make Martyrs And he that hath lived any long time in these quiet mansions and seats of Muses secure from Mars his broyls or external violence hath great cause either to magnifie the tender mercies of his gracious God or suspect himself for an Hypocrite if he have not suffered some degrees of Martyrdom But unto such as have been exercised therein it bringeth forth the quiet fruit of Righteousness Thus you see this Learned Doctor though in favour with the Rulers of the age he lived in did think that a man that would not be an Hypocrite but faithfully discharge his duty was likely to suffer Martyrdom from those of the same Profession with himself and that it must be by very great mercy from God or by hypocrisie and unfaithfulness in us if any Minister do scape the hands of the wicked that are of his own Profession So that you may see that meer Profession will make but a poor Agreement or Union among us Sin will be sin still and the flesh will rage still after its prey in unmortified Professors and the Word of God will still disgrace them and condemn them and consequently trouble them and exasperate them So that if you come no nearer to us then a Profession of the Christian Protestant Religion you will still be souldiers in the Army of the Devil and be still flying in the faces of true Believers whenever they do but cross you in your sins 3. Consider also What a poor benefit comparatively it is to your selves to be joyned with the Saints by a bare Profession and no more Will it make you happy to see their faces or live among them So do the bruit beasts and so do their Persecutors Will it make you happy to be called by the name of Christians No more then it maketh a Picture Rational to be called by the name of a man And what if by your parts and moral vertues you are some way helpful to the Church So is the wooden leg to the body which yet is not a member but a crutch 4. Yea me thinks it should rather double your sorrows that you are so miserable among the happy You live with them that have part in Christ when you have none in him You joyn with those that have the Spirit of God and an holy disposition and conversation when you have none You kneel by them whose Spirits are importunate with God in prayer when your hearts are dead You sit by them that are quickned and sanctified by the Word which to you is but a dead and empty sound You are famished among them that are feasting upon Christ and upon the precious promises of eternal life You are but as carkases among the living Their company maketh not you alive but your noysom conversation is grievous unto them unless it be some of you that are embalmed and beflowered with some common graces for the sakes of those that else would be more troubled with you And is this so great a comfort to you to be dead among the living and to be heirs of hell in the midst of them that are heirs of heaven Methinks till you are sanctified it should be a daily horrour to you to look them in the faces and think that they have Christ and grace and you have none and to hear in the holy Assemblies the mention of their happiness and the name of that God that Christ that Heaven where they must live for ever and in which their blessedness consisteth when you must be turned out into everlasting misery That you may not think I am singular in all this I will add here some humane testimony for confirmation of it Zenoras Comment in Epist. Canon Can. 45. ex Basil. M. Epist. 2. ad Amphiloch giveâ— us this as one of the Canons of the Greek Church received from Basiâ— If any one receiving the Name oâ— Christianity shall be a reproach iâ— Christ that is saith Zonaras by â— wiâ—ked life his Name or Appellation is no profit at all to him Anâ— even in the Roman Caâ—on Law this is one Canon taken out of Augustine Parvulus qui bâ—ptiz tur si ad annos rationales veniens nâ—crediderit nec ab illiritis abstinuerit nihil ei prodest quod parvulus accepit Decret part 3. dist 3. p. 1241. that is A Baptized Infant if when he comes to years of discretion doth not believe nor abstain from things unlawful it profiteth him nothing which he received in his infancy If it were needful after the Canons both of the Greek and Latine Church to give you the like words from particular Fathers I could soon perform it 5. You are so far from being Happy by your visible Church-state and outward Profession and Communion with the Church that you have the greater
Preachers for Ceremonies when as if Gods Will and Word in Necessary things to mens Salvation had but been preferred to the will and word of the Bishops about things called Indifferent by themselves the case had been altered and they would rather have let the ignorant have been without a Ceremony then a Sermon It is the unhappy fate of almost all that are set upon unnecessary things that they cannot endure that others should have the liberty of differing from them It is not enough to them to enjoy the freedom of their own Consciences about meats or holydaies or gestures or vestures or other formalities unless all others be compelled to do as they do When they are but moved to comply with others though plain Scripture and the practice of the Primitive Cathilick Church be justly alledged for it yet it moveth them little or nothing But if others will not comply with them they cry out against them as enemies to Unity and Peace and say It is not fit to suffer men to be of so many minds and waies That is It is fit all should be compelled to do as they would have them 12. And another mischief that followeth the making unnecessary things to be Necessary is that it openeth a gap to so many more of the same kind that no man knows how to stop it nor when we have Ceremonies and inventions enough But upon the same ground that these are brought in to day the next Pope or Bishop thinks he may bring another tomorrow and so we can never tell when we have all nor when will be an end 13. And then in the multitude of things unnecessary we shall be in danger of losing the things that are necessary they will be so buryed or obscured in the crowd the substance will scarce be perceived for the ceremony 14. And me thinks it is such height of Pride for mortal men to arrogate such a power and to desire and endeavour such a thing that I wonder how they dare attempt it I mean to make universal or unnecessary Laws for the Church in the matters of faith or worship Can a man that hath one spark of humility left in him desire that his will may be a Law to all others in doubtful or indifferent things and proceed so far as to desire that none may have Liberty in the Church that are not of his opinion or will not be ruled by him in things indifferent or of no necessity Surely a man of any humility would think with himself Am not I also imperfect in knowledge and may I not be mistaken what is my judgement that it should be a Law to the Church and that I should be so highly conceited and confident of it as to turn out godly Ministers or people from the Church or worship of God for not conforming themselves to my opinion in things of such a low indifferent nature He that would be the Law-giver to the Church and suffer none but those of his own opinion in such points would be the Lord of the Church which can know the voice of none but Christ and owneth no other Lord but him 15. And the sin is the greater because they have so little Interest or pretence to lead them to these usurpations They must have their will though it get them nothing Who made them Law-givers to the Church of Christ Cannot they allow Christ this part of the Soveraignty to make Laws for his Church And cannot they be content with a Ministerial power to proclaim and promote the Laws of Christ and according to these to guide his Church 16. And hereby men are drawn to a humane kind of Religion And they do more properly believe obey and worship these Imposers then Jesus Christ when they must fetch the very matter of their Religion not from the Bible but the Canons or Decrees of men their conscience obedience and reward will be according thereunto 17. And hereby the adversaries of the Church have occasion to insult over us and think our Differences to be more then indeed they are When the Unity of the Church is laid upon things Indifferent or of smalest moment there will presently be disagreements and these will be the enemies matter of reproach It is this that makes the Papists tell us of our differences among our selves because we have made them seem something to them when they are next to nothing O say they where is your Church of England now why what 's the matter Is the Church of England dead Or is any thing taken down that was essential to the Church of England was a Prelacy ruling by a lay-Chancelor over many hundred Parishes chosen and Governing without the body of the Clergy Essential to the Church of England I am confident the most of the sober godly Ministers in England are for the Apostolical primitive Episcopacy still Was the Book of Canons or the Book of Common Prayer or the Ceremonies Essential to the Church of England Sure they were not And if so its living still But if any say that these were Essential to it we may thank them for the death of it that made it of such a humane mortal frame which any Prince might spurn down at his pleasure Surely the Church or Churches of Christ in England are of a more heavenly durable frame that may be persecuted but hardly destroyed while the men are living of whom it doth consist Hence also it is that the Papists tell us that we have changed all our worship And wherein why we have not the same Baptism that we had nor the same administration of the Lords Supper nor the same publick Prayer nor the same way of Marrying Churching Burying c. And what 's the difference Is it that we say not at every time the very same words why so you may as well say that Paul was mutable because he wrot not the same words in every one of his Epistles nor spoke not the same words in all his Prayers no not in publick And so both you and we are mutable because we preach not the same words every day in our Sermons God hath bid us Pray but he hath prescribed us no necessary form of words but the Lords Prayer If the difference be that we use not the Common Prayer Book doth that make a different sort of worship Is it not the same sort of worship if we say the same words or words to the same sence either on the Book or off it If once men lay the Nature of worship and the Unity of the Church upon things unnecessary then what changes will seem to be in our worship when indeed there 's none Then the Papists may tell us of our divisions in worship because one man sitteth at the singing of Psalms and another stands and one readeth with spectacles and another without and one weareth a cap and another weareth none and one preacheth on one Text and another upon another But be it known to all the Papists in