a facultie of life and a right through that facultie to act in and by it self the worke of its owne office and hath immediatly from the head its direction what to doe and is not under the command of any particular fellow-member yet in the use of this facultie and in the exercise of this right every member is directed by the head to subordinate it selfe to the service of the whole and to depend upon the unitie thereof and not to stand or act by it self for the Apostle saith that the eye cannot say to the hand I have no need of thee nor the head though head and over all the rest to the feet though but feet and under all the rest I have no need of you but even the weakest and the most unseemly members are the most necessary and every one of them in the performance of their duties towards the whole for none of them are allowed to doe any thing for themselves alone are made to depend upon each other If this doctrine were laid to heart and applied practically without disputing to particular matters now in dispute and if our braines were lesse and our consciences more exercised in looking herein to that which is without all dispute the known will of God wee should not need to be troubled with the nicities though wee might conferre about them of the proper seat of right to power and government and with the nationall debates of the prioritie of the universall and of the rights and priviledges of the particular Churches upon which rocks our affections being now split all the duties of necessary communion correspondency and concurrence are neglected amongst us notwithstanding all the known excellencie commendablenesse and usefulnes thereof Therefore my purpose is to set before the consciences of those that seek life the lovelinesse of this dutie whereunto we have already attained if so be we will but put forth our hand unto it as to the tree of life in the midst of the Paradise of God and not feed upon the Theory of disputable opinions concerning particular rights and priviledges which are to us a tree of the knowledge of good and evill whereof the fruit doth worke nothing but death and enmitie between God and us and between man and man nothing but strife and distances by reason of our pride wherewith our knowledge doth puffe us up to appeare somewhat more then others in all our undertakings Sect. II. Of the excellency of unitie and of the fountaine thereof Charitie THe holy Ghost hath set himself of purpose to commend Unitie and Charitie unto us which now I am to speak of in two severall places of Scripture which I shall make the matter of this Section to represent onely the heads thereof in brief unto such as are conscionable that by themselves they may lay the thing to heart and weigh it consideratly that God may perswade their affections to the practise thereof ⧠The excellencies of brotherly unitie are set forth in the 133. Psal where first by way of preface and proposition the holy Ghost doth call upon us and invites us to contemplate and observe the same with admiration in the twofold propertie thereof viz. the goodnesse and the pleasantnesse which is in it Behold how good and how pleasant it is for Brethren to dwell together in unitie Vers 1. Then secondly by way of proof and demonstration he doth shew wherein that goodnesse and pleasantnesse doth consist and whence it doth proceed The goodnesse and pleasantnesse of brotherly unitie doth consist in this that it doth bring with it to those that maintain it all manner of blessings in great plentie The blessings are both spirituall and bodily the first in the Church the second in the Common-wealth The spirituall blessings bestowed in the Church are the graces of the holy anointing it is like the oyntment whose excellencies are 1. in their worth the precious oyntment 2. in their use and application which is to consecrate and make men Priests unto God by the vertues conferred upon their principall faculties upon the head the beard Aarons beard 3. in their abundance and fruitfull proceeding from the head to all the inferiour parts it ran down upon the beard went down upon the skirts of his garment Vers 2. The bodily blessings bestowed in the Common-wealth are the fruits of the earth in the highest parts thereof both farre from the Church and neer unto the same As the dew of Hermon a hill and land farre from Jerusalem neer Jordan and the dew that descendeth upon the mountaines of Zion Vers 3. All this goodnesse and pleasantnesse doth accompany brotherly unitie because the Lord hath commanded the blessing to bee there viz. where unitie is and the blessing which he hath commanded is even life for evermore Vers 3. and consequently all the meanes of life and if of life eternall then of temporall also for wee have the promise that if wee seek the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse all other things shall bee added unto us Matth. 6.33 Now from all this which is the cleer doctrine of the holy Ghost I shall make this inference onely that if these promises are made to brotherly unitie by reason of the blessing of God upon those that maintain it in Church and Common-wealth then we may denounce the contrary threatnings unto those that maintain it not Rom. 2.8 9. for the wrath of God is upon those that are contentious and obey not the truth Hitherto of unitie The ground of it is love as may bee gathered from 1 Cor. 12.25 where the same care of members one for another which is the effect of their love is the cause why there is no rent in the body and consequently why unitie is preserved For where that loving care is not unitie is not but a rent will bee as wee may daily perceive in our dolefull estate Therefore all the excellencies that belong to brotherly unitie are first and originally to be attributed unto charity But then there are yet other excellencies which are more immediatly attributed unto it by the holy Ghost in 1 Cor. 13. where the Apostle having in the foregoing Chapter from the beginning reckoned up the spirituall gifts which are given to the Saints in the Church to profit withall in the unitie of the body as is cleer from Vers 7. compared with Vers 12 13. of Chap. 12. he commeth in the conclusion of that Chapter to exhort the Saints to covet earnestly the best gifts and to encourage them unto this dutie he promiseth to shew them the way which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 most excellent Which is that which immediatly in the following 13th Chapter he begins to describe From whence this inference doth offer it selfe that as the chief and most excellent meanes to attaine to all spirituall gifts is the practise and exercise of love so the neglect of that dutie is the chief cause of the decay and losse of all spirituall gifts Now the Apostle in
Christ in his prayer unto the Father where hee desires that all beleevers may bee made perfect in one John 17.23 and if all beleevers then all Congregations of beleevers 5. If severall Congregations may not intend to stand as by themselves and walke as separate from one another in the administration of Christs Ordinances which they have received by a common rule and are to professe before the world in publick as one body in Christ then it will follow cleerly that it is farre lesse lawfull unto them in the prosecution of matters tending to mutuall edification in ordinary or in extraordinary and weighty matters of common and necessary concernment to stand and walke by themselves alone without a due respect unto their Brethren and some tie of association towards their neighbour Congregations So that I take this to bee an undeniable principle and maxime of Brotherly association in Churches That nothing which with conveniencie and to the benefit of the Gospel it selfe or to the edification of others therein can bee done unitedly and joyntly ought to bee done dividedly and separately For when Christ doth pray for a perfect union of all beleevers which may worke upon the world a beleef that the Father hath sent him Ioh. 17.23 I cannot conceive that hee doth meane any thing lesse then such an association which may reach unto all the Acts of his worship and the visible administration of all duties and ordinances belonging to his Kingdome For nothing but such an union professedly maintained in his name is able to convince the world finally that hee is come from the Father Thus farre then or rather thus neer the Congregations ought to bee associated if it bee possible and that it is possible and will bee effected in due time is certaine because Christ hath prayed that it should bee for the manifestation of his name unto the world and the Father cannot deny him this request Hitherto I have insisted upon that which I conceive is or will bee assented unto by all upon the undeniable grounds of brotherly communion Now I shall offer the other Propositions which for a more part cular accommodation of differences have been assented unto * See also the papers of the Divines of the Assembly given to the Committee for accommodation lately published Pag. 4 5 6 7 8 9 p 29. 30 31. and elsewhere and are agreed upon by some leading men of both sides as followeth 6. All professors whether single or in a body are bound in conscience to give an account of their wayes to their Brethren or to any that shall require it of them and that not arbitrarily but as a dutie appointed by God to be observed Mr. Burroughs Irenicum pag. 43. 7. Concerning the admission of members which come from one Congregation into another to bee thereunto distinctly associated because this doth reflect commonly upon some particular interests of men wherein the rules of holy communion are not taken notice of therefore offences are frequently given and taken up in this matter which to prevent these agreements have been offered as a remedie thereunto 1 That no Congregation should bee gathered and made up of the Members of other setled Congregations except they bee in an orderly way dismissed by these with whom they were associated 2 That no member comming from another Church with which wee are in brotherly Communion shall be admitted to become a distinct member of our societie till the Church from which hee commeth bee made acquainted with his purpose to associate with us 3. That none who is said to belong to that neighbourhood or association which is called a Parish though hee doth not professe himselfe a member in that way shall bee received as a member of any distinct Congregation untill the Officers thereof have enquired concerning his life and conversation of those that are Rulers of the said neighbourhood and of the Congregations neerest unto his habitation to whom it is likely hee may have had some relation or which may have taken notice of his wayes and profession One of the chief mysteries and originall causes of our manifold divisions doth lie in this outward circumstantiall manner of the association of members into a Congregation and the reason hereof as I take it is partly because men naturally seek rather to please themselves in the satisfaction of some humors of their owne then to edifie others partly because the true use of Christian libertie and the relation wherein all true professors stand one to another in Christ is either not understood or not minded in comparison of some circumstantials of our owne coining to our selves upon any one of which wee use to lay more weight then upon all the fundamentalls of Christs appointment And till his grace and good spirit discover and worke out this self pleasing humour wee cannot hope for peace and unitie almost in any thing although our agreement be never so fundamentall in all things Sect. IV. Of the Officers and Rulers of severall Congregations and their association THe Officers of every Congregation are under a twofold relation of unitie to each other First as they are Professors Secondly as they are Officers that is specially intrusted with a charge in the profession As they are Professors they are neerer in Brotherhood then as they are Officers For their profession doth give them an immediate interest into Christ and to one another in him but their Office doth give them no interest either in him or in each other further then they are true to the profession whence it followeth that except they bee associated in the mysticall body of Christ they cannot be associated in the ministery thereof It followeth also further that the relation wherein they stand to each other as Christians being the onely foundation of their Brotherhood all the other relations which are ministeriall must yeeld and bee subordinate thereunto So that all the bonds which may settle their association in the ministery must be intended no further then they serve to advance and confirme the brotherhood and association which is setled upon the truth of Christianitie For if any combination of Ministers bee framed otherwise or to any other end then to strengthen the fundamentalls of Faith and to increase the fruits of true Christianitie in holinesse and love it will beget nothing else but a Papacie because the root of the Papall Hierarchie and the foundation whereupon that mystery of iniquitie was raised in the Church was nothing else but the aime of an association of Church Officers subordinating the profession to their places and making use of the fundamentals of truth to set up themselves above others for it may bee evidenced that all the superstitious devices and politick practises of Popery to blind men and by an implicit faith to keepe them in subjection resolve themselves at last into this principle and aime of setting up themselves above Christianitie in the hearts of men which is properly the Temple of God Therefore
that of Christianitie and that of the Ministery And thirdly they are bound to observe these rules towards the workes and in the performances of their Ministeriall administrations more exactly then in and towards other common duties because those workes and performances are of a more important nature then other workes as being more universall and more leading in their kind and such as more neerly concerne the glory of God and reflect upon the soules of men in order to him so that a small failing in any of these is more hurtfull to the profession then a greater fault in any other kind So that wee must forcibly conclude that because all the common rules of Christianitie are more obligatory unto Ministers towards one another in the duties of their calling then unto common professors that therefore the chief and most fundamentall rules of the holy profession which concerne love and unitie communion and correspondency are more binding towards them chiefly in the workes of their Ministeriall administration then towards any others and consequently that the neglect of the least of these duties in any of them is a greater guilt and lesse excusable then in any others the commission of a grosse misdemenour A little moat in the eye will trouble the whole body more then a great handfull of dirt and dust cast upon any other part of the face and the least prick that may bee in the heart or in the pia mater of the braine as Physitians say will kill a man infallibly but a great wound in the flesh nay a stab through the whole body may be cured A thorne in a small joynt will indanger a gangrene to the whole body whereas a great impostume in a part of the flesh will be without danger may be a means though with some trouble to purge the whole of many evill humours Thus a little sparke of disaffection in one Minister against another or breach of unitie in the least dutie of their charge may prove infinitely more hurtfull to the whole Church of God then great and grosse hostilities in common professors for matters of outward concernment Now amongst all the faults and defaults of Ministers in their charge that of the want of mutuall love and of care to maintaine the unitie of the spirit in the profession of Christianitie together with a delight to stand at a distance by themselves is to me one of the greatest because it doth directly crosse the chief end of their Ministeriall function which is to gather the beleevers into one visible body and to bring that body to the perfection of spirituall unitie which may bee cleerly gathered from John 17.21 22 23. compared with Ephes 4.12 13 14 15 16. And if this bee the chiefe end of their Ministery then the maine neglect of the meanes by which this end may bee obtained and without which it cannot bee prosecuted must needs bee their greatest guilt whence it will cleerly follow that to maintain no communion in spirituall things one with another is one of their greatest faults because most directly crosse to the end of their administration So then if to maintaine spirituall communion is a dutie in this respect fundamentall and necessary then it followeth that the engagements unto a concurrence and the lawfull wayes of spirituall correspondency are also fundamentall and necessary to the work of the Ministery and must bee entertained because without these the dutie of holy Communion cannot bee maintained nor the unities of the Church brought to any visible perfection but rather visibly dissolved Thus then upon this consideration it is an undeniable Scripturall truth That for the Ministers of the Gospel in the duties of their Ministeriall charge nothing is more conscionable nothing more commendable nothing more profitable and nothing more sutable to the glory of God and the perfecting of the Saints then that they should maintaine a brotherly communion and correspondency one with another and such as neglect it walke not worthy of the calling wherewith they are called in the common profession of Christianitie Sect IV. Of the practise of those that are set before us as infallible examples in the Ministery ALthough the mediatory actions of Jesus Christ in the flesh as hee is our Saviour are not imitable nor were they performed to bee imitated by any for hee alone is the onely Mediatour between God and man yet his relations unto us as our brother sanctifying us in our flesh Heb. 2.11 and the wayes of his converse amongst men were such that in all cases of dutie wherein wee are to come to God or to behave our selves dutifully one towards another in respect of God he hath left us either an example which wee are bound to imitate or a precept which wee ought to observe and which hee himselfe did practise For in this hee is the Captaine of our salvation because hee went before us in all things and wee are bound to follow not onely him before all others but also none further then they are found to bee his followers 1 Cor. 11.1 and for this cause wee see that the Apostles as in all other things so chiefly in these duties of love unitie forbearance and condescension towards the weake doe alledge his practise as the strongest argument that can bee used to oblige us thereunto Thus 1 John 3.16 Hee laid downe his life for us and wee ought to lay downe our lives for the Brethren Ephes 5.1 2. Bee yee followers of God as deer children and walke in love as Christ also hath loved us Coloss 3.13 Even as Christ forgave you so also doe yee Gal. 6.2 Beare yee one anothers burthens and so fulfill the Law of Christ 1 Pet. 4.1 Forasmuch as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh arme your selves likewise with the same mind And the Apostle Phil. 2. Having used many strong inducements to perswade us to love and unitie Vers 1 2. and to disswade us from strife and division vers 3. then vers 4. hee exhorts us to mutuall care of one another whereunto as an argument is brought in Christs example as the chiefest of all other motives Vers 5 6 7 8. Let this mind bee in you which was in Christ Jesus c. and Christ saith to his Father John 17.22 The glory which thou gavest me I have given them that they may bee one even as we are one By glory I understand here grace as 1 Pet. 5.1 partaker of the glory that shall bee revealed As concerning Christs practise in his Ministery to avoid braches and contentions between him and others it is set forth by the holy Ghost in Isa 42.2 3. and Matth. 12.19 20. thus Hee shall not strive nor cry neither shall any man beare his voyce in the streets a bruised reed shall hee not breake and the smoaking flax shall hee not quench till hee send forth judgement unto victory And concerning his way to bring us to unitie with himselfe and with God the Apostle doth set it forth as
the meanes of a mutuall forbearance of in offensive differences 3. The persons are not to bee many who treat Such a Treatie of three or at the most of foure chiefe Divines on each side who should be wholly set apart from all other imployments to apply themselves day and night to this worke and who should have the freedome at all times severally and joyntly without the formalitie of an ordinary Committee to meet may by Gods blessing become a meanes to lay the ground of a confidence betweene the parties if onely the fit method and manner of proceeding first in the Treatie it selfe and then in the communication of that which they shall agree upon can bee observed The Reasons why I would have no more but three or at the most foure on each side to treat are these 1 Three or foure truely moderate and quiet spirited men will bee sooner found easier spared from other taskes and be able to meet more frequently and constantly then a greater number on each side 2 This smaller number will bee lesse subject to distraction and disagreement within it selfe then a greater number 3 This number will bee sufficient to make a tryall and to discover the way towards an Accommodation which without prejudice to either side may bee tendered to all But if a great number should bee engaged on each side they might beget a new division if the parties should not consent unto their results 4 The way and method of Treating which is onely safe and wherein lyeth a secret inforcement towards an agreement in Christianitie cannot be followed by many so well as by few And to make this good Let us now speake of the last point which is the method and manner of proceeding both in the Treatie it selfe 4. The method and manner of proceeding in the treaty and in the communication of the results thereof to gaine the assent of parties In this method and manner of proceeding something there must bee preliminary to make the worke more sad and serious to those that goe about it and these that goe about the work more pious and conscientious in it Something there must bee also decretorily observed to make the worke more orderly and effectuall towards the end for which it is to bee set afoot As for the preliminary or preparatory worke I would have the Divines that shall bee chosen and those that doe choose them to meete alone to set a day privately apart amongst themselves 1. For the preliminaries to seeke Gods face with Fasting and Prayer that they may receive his direction in the worke which they shall take in hand At this time of their humiliation I would have them to be exercised not onely in Prayers and mutuall exhortations to provoke each other to the duties of servent love and of sinceritie but also in conferences whereby they should as in the presence of God calling upon him at the proposall of every new matter deliberate upon three points First of the distinct and particular end which they should set before their eyes in their future Treatie to determine it Secondly of the speciall and appropriate meanes to reach that end in righteousnesse according to the will of God Thirdly of the orderly course which should be followed in the prosecution of these meanes by their Treatie amongst themselves Of which three heads a Note should be made in writing for a memoriall and rule of proceeding to bee faithfully observed Herein all should declare their willingnesse to be engaged towards each other as in the feare and presence of God and that the engagement may bee more effectually binding and not liable to doubts in time to come at the end of the day and of their conference they should attest and solemnize their mutuall engagement by the subscription of their hands unto an Act or instument which afterward should bee laid up in the Reposiorie where all their other Acts are to bee kept as the ground of their future proceeding And I would advise that amongst other things to be mentioned in that Writing or Instrument they would oblige themselves expresly unto these clauses 1. That they shall not onely doe all things conscionably and sincerely between God and themselves but also that they shall deale openly and clearely one toward another without all mentall Reservations in all points of their Treatie 2. That they shall looke to nothing in all their consultations but to the prosecution of clear and undeniable duties of Christianitie without any respect to outward interests to their relations unto parties or to any humane concernments whatsoever 3. That none shall secretly divulge or openly publish any thing which in their Treatie shall be agreed upon as an Act neither by word of mouth or otherwise directly or indirectly to any without foreknowledge leave and full consent of all that are joyned in the Treatie 4. That nothing in the world shall retard or stop them from endeavouring to proceed constantly towards the Period of their Treatie which they shall have agreed upon to prosecute And for the better observation of these clauses I would advise the States-men themselves by whose authority they should bee called and appointed to meet not to desire to know any of the results of their Treatie before it bee brought to a full Person and they of themselves thinke it fit to impart the same unto them I have pregnant reasons for this which I need not here to mention It will bee absolutely most expedient that immediatly after the first meeting wherein the States-men should be with them to enter them upon their work they should wholly leave them unto themselves except onely to call upon them now and then from time to time to encourage them to proceed constantly without interruption 2. For the worke it self and the way to proceed therein And thus much for the preparative ingagements now I come to the work of the meeting to give advice concerning the matter the manner and the circumstances thereof to make it orderly within it self and without all prejudice effectuall towards others which will bee if the right way of communicating their results be taken and followed In these things I shall bee brief because the particular determination of all things of this nature doth belong properly to those that are appointed to meet yet because generalls may give without all prejudice some overtures to advince their negotiation I shall offer these following thoughts to their consideration First then I conceive that all their meetings to treat should begin and end with prayers and that by turnes one of each side should preside and lead their actions so that every time by course a new man should have the chaire Secondly he that doth preside or lead the action shall gather the results and put them to paper and after the Treatie they shall be registred in the booke of their Acts and at the end of every meeting subscribed by all Thirdly there shall bee two books kept
one containing the Diurnall or brief Narrative of the daily proceedings of each Meeting another containing nothing else but the results of each treatie or the advices which shall be agreed upon to advance the accommodation of differences 4 To keepe these two bookes there shall be a peculiar Trunk or Chest or Box with two severall lockes fixed to the meeting place and every one of the one side shall have a key for the one locke and every one of the other side a key for the other lock so that none of either side alone shall bee able to open the Cheff but any two of both sides shall have power to doe it and to make use of their Registers as they shall think good 5 The times of their meetings should bee constantly appointed once for all and inviolably observed because they are wholly to bee set apart to attend the worke without interruption 6 If at any time by reason of some invincible impediment as of sicknesse or some other unavoidable accident one of the number be absent the meeting shall not bee void yet the Acts thereof shall not be Registred till he that was absent hath seen them and approved of them 7 Nothing shall bee carried by the major part of voices what is not consented unto by all shall not bee any Act. 8 The matter of the Treatie shall not bee concerning doctrinall truths because it is supposed that there is no materiall difference therein between the parties but concerning practicall duties relating either to the constitution or to the government of the Churches or to the exercise of Religious worship in a private or publick way 9 The manner of their Treaty shall not proceed by way of debate and dispute to argue what is right or wrong in respect of the particular practises of parties but it shall proceed in the way of positive Declarations and Answers unto certaine Questions which shall bee proposed as cases of conscience to be resolved from the Word of God and the undeniable principles of Christianitie 10. He then that sitteth in the chaire shall aske of every one what matter he would have taken into consideration what shall be offered by every one shall be noted in a memoriall by it self then the question shall be in what order the things offered shall be thought upon and when that which is to be first in order shall be determined a question shall bee framed thereof as a case of conscience to be resolved by the word from which every one shall gather his Answer and bring it in against the next meeting in writing and when the writings are compared that wherein they all doe agree shall onely be taken as a result of their Treatie and that wherein they differ shall be left untouched except some proposall be made which doth take with all for the reconcilement of the difference 11 In bringing in their answers they shall avoid large discourses and set downe that which they shall deliver upon the point to be resolved in short Aphorismes and Propositions per thesim Antithesim and to facilitate the matter each side should contract their severall answers into one summe containing that in which they all doe agree that so at their meeting together the comparison may be made onely between two writings out of which the agreement is to be extracted as a common result upon the Question which was proposed 12 When the resolutions of all profitable questions tending to an accommodation of our differences shall be thus gathered without contradictory debates into cleer and distinct propositions which shall be taken from Gods Word to be offered as an advice unto the dissenting parties towards an agreement then they shall be put into some order and ranked under their proper heads of matters to be communicated unto the rest of each side 13 The way of communicating matters I conceive may bee this 3. For the communication of that which shall be concluded First let the preliminarie determinations of the Treaty bee published by setting forth the Art and Instrument of the mutuall engagement of those that are called to the Treatie and let this be done immediatly after the Treaty is begun to the end that the rest of both sides may know the end of the Treaty and bee desired to recommend the effect thereof to God in their publick and private Prayers Secondly when the Treatie is at an end let there bee a brief narrative published of the order and method of proceeding used in the Treatie to let all see how equally and amiably matters have been carried Thirdly when this is done towards all indifferently then let the results of all the deliberations upon all the questions be printed but not made common to all onely first to the States-men who set the Treaty afoot a certaine number of copies are to bee imparted that they may distribute and send the same to the most peaceable and moderate spirits of each side to engage them to declare how farre they give their assent thereunto and when the chief shall have declared their sense thereof and it doth appeare that the advice is not rejected the Houses of Parliament may be moved to move the Assembly of Divines to declare their sense and approbation of the same which being done the Houses should concurre with their authority not onely to permit but to recommend the practise thereof unto all Thus I have done for the present with these suggestions rather to satisfie your desire and discharge mine owne conscience then that I have any great hope they will bee laid to heart yet who knoweth where this seed may fall and what God may doe with it I know assuredly that hee will doe good to Israel to these that are of a cleane heart Psal 73.1 Matth. 5.9 Iam. 3 1â— I know that the peace-makers are pronounced blessed and called the Sonnes of God and that the fruit of righteousnesse is sowen in peace of them that make peace Now the God of Peace and Truth be with you alwayes Amen From Sion House Septemb. 12. 1647. A Preface to the ensuing discourse shewing what are the speciall lets of Ecclesiasticall Reconciliation and what the causes of Divisions are amongst Ministers and how to be remedied SIR YOu know what hopes you gave me when I was at Sion House that some effectuall course would bee followed to reconcile our differences about matters of Religion I did thereupon impart unto you very freely my thoughts concerning the whole businesse how it might bee advanced as I conceived The Treatie of an accommodation begun at London Since that time being here at London the hopes which you gave me were confirmed by the zeale and forwardnesse of those who in the Citie gave occasion to the best affected to meet at severall conferences whereof the ayme was very laudable and necessary viz. to prevent both in Church and State the imminent dangers of Tyranny on the one hand and of Anarchie on the other and to find
it cannot bee deni d that they spring originally from hence seeing every thing is ultimately resolved into that whereof it was first begotten From all which I draw this conclusion in brief that all associations of Church-Officers or of any other publick Officers of what kind soever who subordinate not themselves and the interest which they have in each other by their Offices and by their associations unto the ends of Christianitie to exalt the unitie thereof that Christ may bee seene above all therein but seeke to make the way of Christianitie or the association of Christians subordinate to the advantage of their places above others are Papall and Antichristian Let then all parties looke to their aimes in their associations whether they bee called Independent or Presbyteriall Associations and whether they bee setled upon Episcopall or Erastian principles and let all Magistrates looke to their interests and wayes of prosecuting the same by their associations whether they bee Democraticall Aristocraticall Parliamentary or Monarchicall whatsoever their character frame or modell is as to the matter of circumstantials which is all that ordinarily men as men looke after Let I say all these Officers of each kind or such as out of the mixt multitude upon the ruines of others doe thrust themselves into places of trust and profit and seeke to strengthen themselves by combinations of their owne framing I say againe let all these looke well to it every one in his particular association if their whole aime and the frame of their society bee not to subordinate themselves and their combinations and confederacies to the setting up of that union which is essentiall unto the profession of Christianity and which alone shall last eternally they shall bee utterly broken to pieces without all remedy For the Word of God by the Prophet Isaiah cannot faile Isa 8 9 10. which saith Associate your selves ye people and ye shall bee broken in peeces gird your selves and ye shall bee broken in pieces gird your selves and ye shall bee broken in pieces take counsell together and it shall come to nought speake the word and it shall not stand For God is with us Here the Prophet speaking in the name of the Church doth provoke the whole world and bids the people thereof a defiance that though they joyne all in one and gird themselves with all their strength and all their counsells and resolutions bee brought to full maturitie yet that they shall be without effect that they shall bee broken to pieces in their associations and disappointed in their counsels and resolutions because God is with his Church as the head of their association Thus wee see that the Spirit of God doth blow upon all the designes of men so farre as they are not subordinate unto God for wherein men are not subordinate they are opposit unto him and hee will certainly be stronger then his opposits And if the Question bee made concerning the Church and those that belong thereunto what their dutie is in times of trouble and feare when all the world is providing for their safetie with confederacies strength and counsell I say if such a question bee made the answer will bee found in the following words of the Prophet from vers 11. till the end of the Chapter whereof this is the summe First that they should take heed lest they bee drawne and engaged into worldly confederacies for humane feares but that they should sanctifie God alone in their hearts and make him their feare vers 11 12 13. because the Lord will bee to all those that doe so a sanctuary but to others a rock of offence vers 14 15. Secondly that they should bind up the testimony and seale the Law amongst the Disciples of the Lord that is to say that they who are taught of God for these are his Disciples should make the testimony of Jesus the onely bond of their unitie and that the seale of this bond should bee their obedientiall submission unto the Law of God vers 16. Thirdly that they should arme themselves with patience to waite for the Lords comming who is hid from the eyes of the world and with resolution to appeare before him although the world doth wonder at them vers 17.18 Fourthly and lastly when in cases of difficultie men shall bee destitute of counsell and not know what to doe then to consult onely with the Law and the Testimony and not to betake themselves to any other Oracle vers 19 20. and whosoever doth not follow this advice shall bee driven into utter despaire vers 21 22. Thus wee see what the counsell of God is concerning humane associations what the issues thereof will bee and what the way is to preserve our soules from that despaire which doth attend those that forsake God and subordinate not their counsels and associations to his will This then will bee our wisedome to take this warning whether wee bee Professors or Officers but chiefly this must bee the ground of the ministeriall association in reference to their charges to make use thereof onely for the furtherance of holy Communion in the profession of Christianitie And although I cannot say that it is so amongst the Combinations which now are on foot yet I am sure that these grounds will bee assented unto by all that are taught of God and that their practise may bee answerable thereunto I shall offer that whereunto both sides doe agree and which without contradiction will be sufficient to enter them upon a Ministeriall correspondencie both for the advancement of true Brotherhood in Christianity amongst themselves as also for the preservation of themselves and of their flocks from partaking of other mens sinnes For to these two heads the matters of agreement in the point of association may be referred Of the first I shall offer these Propositions 1 The Officers of Sister Churches making profession of their brotherhood in Christ should desire to advance each other to perfection and to that effect should have frequent meetings for brotherly conferences 2 Cor. 13.9 Malach. 3.16 2 The chief ends of their meetings and conferences should bee to maintaine the unitie of the Spirit whereunto they have attained to make it more compleat in love and to gaine others to concurre with them by the truth therein 3 They should for these ends set themselves in a way to make their conferences effectually conscionable constant without interruption and disorderlinesse which way may bee setled upon these grounds First upon a voluntary engagement freely entered into which should containe these heads that seeing they acknowledge one another fellow-members of the body of Christ and fellow-servants of the same Master in the same houshold of Faith for the accomplishment of his will that therefore they are resolved to give to each other the right hand of fellowship in doing the worke of their Ministery Gal. 2. ver 1 11. that they will entertaine brotherly meetings and conferences to that end and that they will never
parties to a more perfect unitie then as yet they have attained unto is to find out and settle rules of mutuall condescension Secondly the meanes to make the path plaine and easie to maintaine and walke in the unitie which shall bee setled is to remove move by common consent and upon conscionable motives all the causes of disaffection and of breaches For if both sides cannot onely yeeld and stoop to embrace each other in love but also remove all that which may occasion the dissolving of that embracement we may bee sure that peace and unitie will bee setled without interruption Therefore in hope that either now or hereafter this may bee laid to heart and followed to produce a necessary toleration I shall offer my thoughts of these two meanes CHAP. X. Of the rules of condescension how they may bee found out VVEe have formerly seene that some toleration amongst Christians is necessary if so then undoubtedly some condescension also towards one another because without some yeelding it is not imaginable that any mutuall forbearance can bee setled or transacted amongst parties that are at variance and although this might suffice to satisfie the scruples of some who perhaps will boile at the matter of condescension as prejudiciall to the truth of the holy profession yet I shall adde a word to shew the lawfulnesse of such a course as being a dutie recommended unto us by God and necessary for edification The Apostle Rom. 15.1 2. saith that we ought not to please our selves but that every one of us should please his neighbour for his good to edification Now in this case every one is supposed to be strong and the neighbour whom hee ought to please is by the Apostle supposed to be weake Therefore wee are all bound to yeeld unto each other as supposing others to be weake that wee may be able to edifie each other And to presse this home as a dutie to the conscience of all hee doth give us Christ example as a patterne thereof in this particular that he did not seek to please himselfe but condescended even to beare reproaches that wee might bee edified by that which is written of him vers 3. and 4. And then to make an application of this unto the end for which he doth prescribe it as a dutie hee first prayeth to God for us and secondly exhorts us to the imitation of Christs example His prayer is that God would grant us to be like minded one towards another according to Christ Jesus that wee may glorifie God with one mind and mouth where he intimates two things which are in this matter very considerable First that except wee have this grace to bee so minded unto each others as Christ was to us wee cannot bee at unitie amongst our selves Secondly that except wee be united with one mind and one mouth in our profession of Christ God cannot be glorified by us vers 5 6. Then his exhortation is a consequence inferted upon these premises thus ver 7. Wherefore receive yee one another as Christ also received us to the glory of God Now Christ received us to the glory of God that is to the participation of Gods love and goodnesse by a great condescension unto our weaknesse studying not to please himselfe but us to our good therefore wee are all bound to yeeld unto each other in like manner so then some condescension is both lawfull and requisite Compare with this that which is further to this purpose delivered concerning Christ Phil. 2.4 5 6 7. and 1 Pet. 2.21 22 23. But to presse further the point which in this dutie is to be heeded let us consider the precept given by the Apostle Rom. 12. 16. and his owne practise which hee sets before us elsewhere to bee followed as an example of that rule The precept is this Be of the same mind one towards another mind not high things but condescend to men of low estate or to mean things bee not wise in your own conceits As if he had said it is your dutie to bee like minded towards each other in love and that you may not bee taken off from performing this take heed to your thoughts that you neither affect high matters wherein naturally men use to please themselves nor that you bee in love with your owne wisedome but studie rather to make your mindes pliable and bring your selves to condescend to men and matters that are meane and low for except you all resolve upon this you can never bee of the same mind one towards another So then wee see that some condescension is not onely lawfull but wholly requisite to maintaine love and unitie and resist pride and self-love whence strife and confusion doth proceed Answerable unto this rule was the Apostles own practise mentioned 1 Cor. 9. for our imitation for there from the first verse till the 19th he sheweth that although hee had a full right to take maintenance from the Church of Corinth for his service done to them yet he would not doe it but condescended rather for their weaknesse sake to make the Gospel of Christ without charge unto them lest hee might bee thought to abuse his power in the Gospel So then to prevent an inconveniencie hee did condescend to quit his right to a benefit and a conveniencie which he might otherwise have lawfully enjoyed But then from vers 19. till the end of the Chapter hee speakes of another kind of condescension wherein hee did exercise himself and which hee relates that hee might therein bee imitated by others which was this that although hee was free from all men yet hee made himselfe a servant to all that hee might gaine the more Vers 19. To the Jewes he became as a Jew to them that are under the Law as under the Law Vers 20. To them that are without Law as without Law though hee was not without Law to God but under the Law to Christ Vers 21. To the weake he became as weake and he made himselfe by way of condescension all things unto all men that hee might by all meanes save some Vers 22. And the reason why hee exercised himselfe in this dutie was not onely for the good of others but for his owne good also in three things First that he might partake of the Gospel with every one in every condition Vers 23. Secondly that hee might keepe himselfe in a fit temper of spirit so to run in his calling as to receive the prize and so to fight as not to beate the aire Vers 24 25 26. And thirdly that hee might bee master of his own body lest if hee neglected the dutie of bringing it into subjection hee might bee found himselfe a reprobate after all his paines in preaching the Gospel unto others Vers 27. Thus wee see that the Apostle doth make this not onely a dutie which as lawfull but in some sort necessary to the faithfull discharge of the ministeriall function even so farre that without the performance
in the feare of God shall lay to heart the wofull condition of the Churches of Christ in this land will perceive that amongst the manifold causes of our miserable breaches and sinfull distractions The cause of all one miseries the originall and consequently the greatest of all the rest is this That such as are called to bee the Ministers of the Gospel who by their owne confession are Brethren and fellow-labourers in the same imployment doe not maintaine those duties of Brotherly love fellowship and communion which by the nature of their work and by the appointment of their Lord and Master are made necessary for the manifestation of his glory and for their own mutuall edification For seeing by that which hath been hitherto shewed it must needs be acknowledged that they ought to stand together and looke upon each other as Brethren begotten of the same Father as fellow-souldiers in the same fight and warfare and as fellow-members in the same body of Christ Seeing I say this is confessed and cannot bee denied to bee so it will follow also undeniably that they ought in conscience to discharge the duties belonging to these relations which are not onely to professe a Brotherhood but to bee knit together in fervent love to have the same care one for another and joyntly to communicate in things belonging to the kingdome of Christ But that these duties notwithstanding all these relations are neither really thought upon nor at all prosecured to any purpose almost by any is no lesse undeniable and must needs although to our great shame be plainly and ingenuously confessed Seeing then the guilt of this their fault is so great and so apparent that no colour of excuse can bee pretended to extenuate it therefore the judgement is ripe for them and the punishment hath now in the sight of all the world most justly overtaken them For whereas they were lately in a capacitie to bee as happy within themselves and as profitable to the Kingdome of Christ abroad as any of all the Ministers on earth if they had continued in their unitie now they are like to bee more unsetled and more miserable within themselves and lesse respected by others and lesse usefull both at home and abroad towards the cause of Christ then any that are elsewhere in all the Churches this onely because they have suffered themselves in their profession to bee divided and have not regarded nor doe they yet regard the duties of their Christian Brotherhood so much as outward concernments The guilt of the Ministery For by this meanes they have corrupted the Covenant and are become partiall in the Law and caused many to stumble at the Law Mal. 2.8 9. and therefore the Lord hath made them contemptible and caused all their adversaries to prevaile against them so that they have just cause to give glory unto him to lay their hands upon their mouths to be sensible of their guiltinesse and to accept of the punishment of their transgressions Ephe. 4.1 2 3. For if the very vocation wherewith all the professors of the Gospel are called unto God doth oblige them to keepe the unitie of the spirit in the bond of peace one with another farre more doth it oblige the Ministers to intend before others this great and fundamentall dutie in the vocation wherewith they are called And if all the members of the mysticall body of Christ are by Gods appointment fitly joyned together and ought to bee compacted in their stations to make the increase of the body unto the edifying of it selfe in love by that which every joynt supplieth then it must needs also be granted that the chief joynts of these members are more especially appointed by God and obliged in conscience to bee united in their relations and compacted in the duties of their ministeriall imployments But how farre they are not onely distant from this conjunction but have even an aversion unto it I need not at all to mention the thing is cleere as the Sunne at noone day nor shall I search at whose dore the fault doth principally lie whether here or there for I know that every one will justifie his owne proceedings But this I shall freely say and I say it with grief of heart and therefore I hope without offence to either side that this is the great sinne of the Ministery and the misery of this Nation that at this time when a concurrence of affections and of endeavours is so absolutely necessary for the preservation of the truth in the very fundamentals thereof The sinfull misery following upon this guilt and when we all are called forth to fight in the same cause as it were for our life that I say at this time there is so much of animositie prevailing and so small a sense of Christianitie in common duties and of imminent dangers found in mens hearts that it is almost impossible to move any to compassionate one anothers calamities farre lesse to draw any to rise up and stand united for each others conservation that I say againe it is so with us at such a time this is the great sinne of the Ministery and the misery of this Nation For where is the man to bee found that doth truely mourne and not rejoyce rather at his opposites parties failings and miscarriages and yet wee know that charitie doth not rejoyce at iniquitie where is hee that doth seeke to heale breaches upon common principles and without a particular interest 1 Cor. 13.6 1 Cor. 13.5 and yet wee all know that charitie doth not seeke it selfe and who is hee that doth blow a â—â—â—â—trait from the battell and seeke for a cessation from needlesse and injurious controversies who is hee that doth endeavour a through and unprejudicate reconciliation and who dare owne a Treatie for mutuall condescension without a feare of being cast off or fallen upon by his Brethren and yet wee all know that wee are seriously exhorted even because the Lord is at hand to let our moderation bee known to all men Phil. 4.5 1 Pet. 3.11 1 Cor. 9.22 Rom. 12.18 and that wee are expresly commanded to seeke peace and follow after it and that it is our dutie to become all things unto every one for their edifications sake and if it bee possible and so farre as in us lyeth to have peace with all men What shall wee say then to these things shall wee still justifie our selves notwithstanding the manifest transgression of all these rules No surely for to cover or to excuse this fault would aggravate the guilt thereof and to discover or condemne it is the way to gaine pardon for it but to reforme and remove the causes thereof is that onely which in this case will make us happy for it will availe nothing to confesse our sinne except it bee forsaken Let us then looke upon it so as to resolve effectually upon a course of reformation Our sinne in a word is this breach of
against that Church 3 And lastly That the keyes of the kingdome of heaven with authoritie to bind and loose on earth whatever should be bound and loosened in heaven shall be given to this Church These promises I beleeve to bee so sure that they shall never faile Therefore I must conclude that neither the foundation of the Church nor the Church which is builded thereupon nor the Ministeriall authoritie of the keyes given to that Church shall faile so long as this world doth last For what although some doe not beleeve and are disobedient to the will of God shall their unbelief and disobedience make the faith and truth of God without effect God forbid yea all men are to bee found liars that God may bee found true for he hath concluded all in unbelief that he might have mercy upon all therefore in his sayings he shall be justifified and when he is judged overcome Wee must therefore acknowledge that by our unrighteousnesse the righteousnesse of God is to be commended and that although we of this Nation should utterly faile him and bee no more worthy to be counted his Church yet that he will never faile to doe what hee hath said unto the seed of Christ amongst men and never recall the word which hee hath spoken concerning his Church But this we are bound to beleeve Isa 59.21 that wheresoever there is a societic of men beleeving with their heart and with their mouth making openly profession of this truth that Jesus is the Christ the Sonne of the living God there is a Church existent and wheresoever a Church is existent there the authoritie of the keyes is not wanting because Christ hath said that the gates of hell shall not prevaile against it I shall then confidently conclude from these premises two things first seeing there are societies of beleevers which are here existent and known to bee built upon that truth which is the foundation that therefore notwithstanding all these failings in particular duties whereof they are guiltie that yet Gods promise for the main will never be wanting to them as to his Church Secondly I may infer this also that notwithstanding all the advantages which Satan seemeth to have gotten both against the Ministery of this Church and against their administrations therein whereby hee doth blast them and the fruit of their labours yet wee may bee sure that he shall never prevaile so farre as to make void the priviledge of the Church which is to have a right to the keyes of the kingdome of heaven and thereby to the administration of all Christs Ordinances Now then although indeed it is very sad and lamentable that the Builders themselves should be so far wanting to their dutie as by their divisions to give such an advantage unto Satan that hee should bee able visibly to pull down more then they are able to build up yet we know that all things even these same and such like failings The comfort of beleevers against these evils Psal 76.10 will worke together for the best towards those that love God and that all the advantages which Satan hath gotten against the kingdome of Christ will tend together to Gods greater glory and Satans owne overthrow at last For as the wrath of man shall surely praise the Lord so the plots of Satan and all his prevailing upon the infirmities of his Saints when he shall have mercy upon Zion will redound exceedingly to the increase of his glory by the manifestation of the riches of his grace and of the stabilitie of his purposes in setting up the kingdome of Jesus Christ through a finall and totall destruction of all the enemies thereof Seeing then I have cause to hope for such an issue of this warfare I shall not feare that the discovery of this failing in the Ministery will bee taken as a reproach to discredit them towards others in their function which I acknowledge in its own way and degree to be of God not of man but rather as an admonition of love to show to those that are conscionable the necessity of laying their owne condition to heart and of seeking the remedy thereof in that way wherein it may bee found And that I may not bee wanting unto this designe I shall adde one thing more The necessitie of unitie further pressed for the demonstration of the necessitie of this dutie of brotherly unitie which is so much neglected amongst us that afterwards I may come to speake more fully of the usefulnesse and excellency thereof In the profession of Christianitie the Apostle saith that neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision Gal. 6.15 16. but a new creature And as many as walke by this rule Peace saith bee will bee upon them and mercy and upon the Israel of God Here then wee see that the fruits of Peace and of mercy are Gods blessings upon the life of the new Creature and where these fruits are not at all apparent but on the contrary a spirit of strife of bitternesse of hatred and of mercilesse affection doth prevaile there wee needs must say that the old creature is still alive because the wisedome which is earthly Iam. 3.14 15 16 17 18. sensuall and devillish which is the old mans rule brings forth such effects Now it is the proper worke of the true Ministers of the Gospel to perswade all men to live the life of the new Creature and to mortifie the members of the old man Col. 3.5.8 which are upon the earth whereof these are a part But if through the spirit of division and variance the Ministers themselves are intangled in these passions and that even one against another so that they doe not shew forth all meeknesse with all long-suffering and forbearance wherein they ought to receive each other to the glory of God as Christ received us how can they performe this worke how can they perswade others to walke by a rule which they mind not and wherein they themselves are not exercised It is cleer then that to doe the proper worke of their Ministery it is necessary for them to intend the dutie of brotherly love and unitie Moreover it is said here that neither circumcision nor uncircumcision doth availe any thing in Christ Jesus and if this is so then the division and distraction which is amongst us for things of such a kind is sinfull and necessary to bee left off for I am sure that circumcision to the Jewes and uncircumcision to the Gentile was a matter of greater concernment then any thing about which wee at this time are divided And if that ought not to have made a breach between them farre lesse these things amongst us Now that which by the new Creature is available in Christ Jesus Gal. 5.6 is faith onely which worketh by love If then the Ministers of the Gospel are appointed by God to beget faith and love in their hearers that is to perswade the unbeleevers thereunto and to
build up and confirme and increase the beleevers therein by the testimony of Jesus and by their unitie and love amongst themselves how shall they bee able to doe this except they bee first agreed to hold forth the same testimony and except there be some amiable concurrence amongst them in the workes of their Ministery Therefore as faith and love are inseparably necessary to make a true Christian so the testimony of Jesus and the spirit of unitie are inseparably requisite for the worke of the Ministery For as there is an absolute necessitie lying upon the Ministery to beare witnesse unto the truth towards the manifestation thereof for the saving of their own soules So they are also no lesse necessitated to maintain the profession of their unitle for the edification of their hearers For without this profession that manifestation will never in reason be found a truth fit to convict the world which otherwise it may be because as it is just that when witnesses doe not agree their testimony should not be received so it is equitable that when they doe agree their testimony should not be rejected And if by this onely default they make their testimony without effect it is evident that to establish the truth and not to discredit it to uphold the Ministery and not to make it contemptible to build up the Churches and not to ruine them and to confirme the faith of the Professors and not to stagger them the profession and practise of Brotherly unitie amongst the Ministers of the Gospel is absolutely necessary For all may see that are not blind and senselesse that originally nothing but the neglect of this dutie hath deprived us of all our hopes and blessings and brought us under the yoake of all these miseries Upon all which this consequence doth manifestly follow that the onely way to preserve the remnant which is left entire to restore that which is not utterly decaied in the Church and to helpe this distracted State unto some settlement if there be any possibility of attaining it is this That the Ministers of the Gospel should set themselves to concurre and correspond together that they may hold forth unto the world in the testimony of Jesus Christ the lovelinesse the peaceablenesse the meeknesse and the unitie of his spirit to the end that both they and their hearers may follow therein his footsteps as hee is gone before us to leave us an example For this is a path of the new and the living way which hee hath consecrated for us and out of this way no man can come unto the Father it is therefore absolutely necessary that such as will enter into the holiest become followers of God as deare children and walke in love as Christ also hath loved us and made himselfe as one of us even our Brother to gaine us unto God CHAP. XIV Concerning the usefulnesse and commendablenesse of brotherly unitie in the worke of the Ministery Sect. I. What the communion and correspondency is wherein our unitie is to be setled HItherto wee have reflected upon that which doth make the studie of brotherly love and unitie amongst us absolutely necessary to avoid the danger of ruine and destruction and the guilt of hindering the progresse of the Gospel in the world now wee shall reflect also upon the usefulnesse and commendablenesse of the dutie in reference unto the work of the Ministery It is no generous disposition to be drawn by meer necessitie and feare unto a dutie but to bee moved thereunto by the lovelinesse of grace and by that which is excellent therein is praiseworthy and argueth a noble and vertuous inclination Therefore wee shall set our selves to worke upon this inclination and indeavour to waken it in every one that hath ingenuitie And my aime shall bee rather to deale with the understandings of all able to consider of their wayes to demonstrate that which I conceive to bee a dutie then with the affections of any to perswade them unto a performance before they are convicted of that which is the will of God therein For I shall speak to Ministers and such as I must suppose to bee conscionable and to those I knew nothing so effectuall to perswade as to evidence unto them that a matter is conformable unto the will of God for nothing but this doth interest conscience into action Now lest I should bee mistaken in that which I shall desire to offer as a dutie of the Ministery I shall contract all which for the present I have to say to one assertion which having opened I shall endeavour to make good The assertion is this That although there were no danger of any enemies Act. 20.28 29 30. Phil. 1.27 1 Cor. 1.10 11 12. or of inward breaches and divisions in the Church for the preventing of which to study the unitie of the spirit it wholly necessary yet that for the true 1 Ministers of the Gospel in the duties 2 of their ministeriall charge nothing is more conscionable 3 nothing more profitable 4 nothing more commendable 5 and nothing more sutable to the glory of God 6 and the perfecting 7 of the Saints then to 8 maintain a Brotherly communion 9 and correspondency one with another and that such as lay not this dutie to heart but love rather to stand and walke by 10 themselves and to maintaine the principles 11 of a singular distance from their brethren in the Minnistery will not bee able in the end to approve their consciences unto God that they walke worthy of the calling wherewith they are called This assertion is somewhat large therefore to open the parts thereof that my meaning may bee the better understood I shall say of the severall heads thereof thus 1 That by the true Ministers of the Gospel are meant none but such persons as are authorized by an ordinary and regular way of calling to administer the publick ordinances of Christ in his Church 2 That by the duties of their Ministeriall charge are meant the workes which in and towards the Church are to bee performed as an office and such are To labour in the word and prayer to have the care of gathering and constituting the Church to rule and govern the Saints committed to their charge as one body in Christ to dispense the seales of the Covenant to those that belong unto it and to exercise Church discipline over those that are liable to it all which they are bound to attend as occasion is offered and the edification of the Church doth require 3 That when I say a thing is conscionable I meane that it is prescribed by God in his word as a dutie which cannot be neglected without contracting of guilt unto the conscience 4 When I say that a thing is profitable I meane that it doth yeeld in its owne kind some benefit to him that useth it 5 When I say that a thing is commendable I meane that it hath qualities for which it is to bee esteemed and
can bee no common profession or publick manifestation of the life of Christ unto the world by a body of Professors And for this cause Christ hath made the fundamentall law of the profession in common and the badge of his disciples unto the world to bee this that they should love one another as hee hath loved them Iohn 13.34 35. A new commandement I give unto you that yee love one another as I have loved you that yee also love one another by this shall all men know that yee are my disciples if yee have love one to another Now if this Law is common to all as they are Christians so that the transgressours thereof doe forfeit their right in Christianitie and are not to bee acknowledged Christs Disciples if they persevere in this fault then it is evident that such of the Ministery as observe it not in their Ministeriall relation one towards another are farre more guiltie then others because their charge in the common profession doth oblige them more to this dutie then others in as much as they are more bound thereby to uphold the truth of the profession then others are for they are the joynts of the body and the instruments of the communion between the members which if they through want of love to each other do either breake or not advance they are not onely guiltie of their owne disunion from their fellow labourers in the Ministery but also of the disjoynting of all other professors and members of Christ one from another in the way of the common calling And this is so much the more to be heeded by how much the Scripture is more frequent and earnest in pressing this dutie and the effects thereof then any other thing requisite in the obedience of Faith To reckon up all the particular commandements and strong motives which are in the New Testament to enforce the practise of this dutie is not my purpose at this time but I would onely remonstrate unto those that intend to bee faithfull unto God and conscionable in their ministery that as the fundamentall Lawes of the common profession which are the practise of love and unitie belong more unto them in respect of each other then unto single members in respect of one another because mutuall love and unitie in the Ministers entertained or not entertained doth beget or destroy the same in common professors so the effects meanes and consequents of those duties are more eminently the concernment of their calling then of any others Therefore I shall briefly point at some places of Scripture wherein the chief effects and meanes of those fundamentals are earnestly recommended unto all that the Ministery of this age may see therein the rule of their comportment and how far wee are strayed from it Wee are then all commanded and that as a dutie wherein wee are to walke worthy of the vocation wherewith wee are called to study the unitie of the Spirit in the bond of peace because all our fundamentall relations to all the meanes and to Christ and God the Authors of our salvation are one and the same Ephes 4.1 2 3 4. 5 6. and 1 Cor. 1.10 11 12 13. and 2 Cor. 13.11 Col. 3.13 14 15. Therefore wee are commanded againe and againe to be of the same mind each towards another Rom. 12.16 Phil. 2.2 to have the same love and to be of one accord Phil. 2.2 and 1 Pet. 3.8 and 1 John 4.7 8.11 12. 5.1 and 2 John 5 6. and 1 Pet. 1.22 and the measure and hight of this love is that we are bound in imitation of Christ to lay downe our lives for our brethren 1 John 3.16 and Joh. 15.12 13. far more then ought wee to deny our selves in lesser things The effects of these graces and the meanes to honour the holy profession by the practise thereof are of two sorts the one positive the other negative The positive effects of the spirit of love and unitie are the expressions of all good will towards others in the common profession and the use of all the meanes whereby the integritie thereof may be upheld in every one These are chiefly 1 Mutuall care to build up each other to pray for each other to keep each other in the love of God Jud. 20.21 and to this effect 2 To looke to each others things and not to our owne things alone Phil. 2.4 and 1 Cor. 10.24 3 To serve each other in love Gal. 5.13 4 To please our neighbour for good to his edification Rom. 15.2 5 To provoke one another to love and good workes Heb. 10.24 and to follow the good whereunto we are provoked Hebr. 12.14 6 To exhort and admonish one another Heb. 3.13 Rom. 15.14 7 To preferre others to our selves in love and by humility Rom. 12.10 Phil. 2.3 8 To have compassion on each other in cases of infirmitie considering our owne condition lest wee also be tempted Jud. 22. Gal. 6.1 9 To beare one anothers burdens and in the spirit of meeknesse supporting the weake to restore one another Gal. 6.1 2. and 1 Thes 5.14 Rom. 15.1 10 To make a difference of faults and to save some as pulling them out of the fire Jud. 22 23. The negative effects of this spirit are the inclinations and indeavours whereby all evills which may occasion the breach of unitie or love are avoided And to this effect wee are commanded 1 Not to seeke or to please our selves Rom. 15.1.3 Phil. 2.4.6 7 8. 2 Not to have any evill will or hatred against any 1 Pet. 2.1 and 1 John 2.9 10 11. 3 Not to bee vaine-glorious to provoke any or to envie one another Gal. 5.26 4 Not to revenge or recompense evill with evill Rom. 12.17.19.21 and 1 Thes 5.15 but to forbeare and to forgive one another in cases of offence Ephes 4.2 Col. 3.13 5 Not to murmur nor dispute nor to give offence unto any Phil. 2.14 15 16. and 1 Cor. 10.32 6 Not to strive nor to fight nor to beat our fellow servants Matth. 24.49 and to avoid this it is especially required in the Ministers of the Gospel 2 Tim. 2.24 25. Of all which and such like duties whereof the Scriptures are full and which tend to perfect the Saints in their holy communion and to direct brethren in the common profession of Christianitie to advance truth and holinesse in themselves and others wee must say this that they oblige Ministers in a threefold respect above others For they are not onely bound to observe these rules in all their wayes as they are Christians but they are moreover bound to observe them First towards all more eminently then other common professors because they are appointed to bee the Salt of the earth and the light of the world and as a City built upon a hill that cannot bee bid Matth. 5.13 14. Secondly towards their fellow Ministers more especially and distinctly then towards others because they are bound to them by a double tie of followship viz. by
Brotherly Communion and Correspondency in Acts 15. vers 1. till 30. where one Church doth crave and another doth contribute assistance counsell and authoritie in a Synodicall way towards the decision and settlement of the difference which broke forth amongst them Fourthly the example wherein Ministers amongst themselves did strengthen one another in the worke of their employment towards the Churches is that of the Apostles of the Jewes and Gentiles who having communicated together concerning the doctrine which they preached Gal. 2. vers 2. and made known to one another their practise Verse 3 4 5 6. to gaine mutuall approbation and confirmation therein Verse 6.7 8. they did enter into a contract of followship Vers 9. and an obligation of Communion and communication of good things between their Churches Vers 9 10. Nor was it found lawfull or answerable to the truth of the Gospel that upon humane considerations or partiall respects that Communion should be broken Vers 11. till the end From all which againe doth follow that which formerly hath beene concluded that nothing is more conscionable nothing more commendable nothing more profitable and nothing more sutable to the glory of God and the perfecting of the Saints in the worke of the Ministery then that the Ministers of the Gospel should maintaine a Brotherly Communion and correspondency one with another and that such as neglect this dutie walke not worthy of the calling wherewith they are called in imitation of Christ and his Apostles Sect. V. Concerning that which concernes the Office of the Ministery in it self IF wee reflect upon the Ministeriall office in it selfe and consider that whereunto it hath a speciall reference wee shall find that all Ministers that are faithfull to their charge are bound at all times to have respect unto foure things The first is their relation unto Christ as they are under him who is the head of the Church The second is their relation to the Church as therein they are Officers The third is their relation to the workes of their charge in the Office The fourth is their relation to their fellow labourers in these workes None of these respects must be wanting because without their subordination unto Christ they are no Ministers nor are they otherwise in Christ but as they are members of his Church nor can they bee counted members without a work to performe because the use of every member is to be an Organ of the soul in the body now the soul of this body is the spirit of Christ and every true beleever is a member Organicall in his own place that is appointed to some usefull worke Nor is any member alone but it is put together with the rest to make up the whole by mutuall conjunction and cooperation therefore none doth worke as it is alone but as it standeth united with its fellow-labourers in every worke And as none of these respects can bee wanting in the office of the Ministery so none besides these are needfull for if a member doth duely depend upon his head and standeth in its right place in the body and hath a lively facultie to doe its owne worke and is no wayes disjoynted but fitly compacted and linked to the other members in doing its work nothing can bee further desired or wished for in it These are then the essentiall and proper relations under which a Minister as an Officer of the Church is to bee considered Now if it bee found that in the profession of truth and holinesse nothing doth make him so fit for his office in all these relations as to maintaine the duties of brotherly love unitie communion and correspondencie and that without the studie of these hee cannot stand aright in any of those relations then I suppose that these duties will without contradiction bee acknowledged to bee the most commendable and usefull that hee can apply himselfe unto and that without the observance of the same hee cannot bee said to walke worthy of the vocation wherewith hee is called Let us therefore take these relations into a more distinct consideration and see how therein by these duties a Minister is fitted for his office First then a Minister by his Office is subordinate unto Christ as a Servant as a Disciple and as a friend of his and to make these relations evident to the world and sure to himself is to make his calling and election sure which is effected when both others are made to see and hee himself doth assuredly of himselfe know that what hee doth in his charge is done to serve Christ as it becommeth his Disciple and friend But except his behaviour in all the workes of his charge bee sutable to that love whereby Christ his master did love us and thereby did unite himselfe unto us these relations will not bee evidenced For to be a faithfull servant of Christ he must make two things appeare First that hee serves none but him alone as the Apostle doth Gal. 1.10 and as Christ requires of all to bee done when hee tells us that none can serve two masters Matth. 6.24 And secondly that hee applies himselfe to the same worke which Christ did For hee commands all his servants to follow him Iohn 12.26 namely in that service which hee performed which was to doe the will and manifest the love of his Father unto us therefore the Apostle 2 Cor. 4.5 in order to this doth professe not to preach himselfe but Christ Jesus the Lord and himselfe a servant to the Corinthians for Iesus sake This was to be a servant of the love of Jesus to us to invite all to bee reconciled to God for his sake 2 Cor. 5.18 19.21 and 6.1 As the imployment is nothing else but a service of love Gal. 5.13 that is to expresse the love and fulfill the Law of Christ 1 Cor. 16.14 Gal. 6.2 so the infallible character of a disciple by which hee is to bee distinguished in the world from all others is mutuall love and unitie as is cleer by Iohn 13.35 and herein as well as in holding forth the word they are to approve themselves to bee the light of the world Matth. 5.14 which will appeare by comparing these two places Phil. 2.14 15 16. with 1 John 2.9 10 11. The whole relation then of being a true servant and Disciple is evidenced by nothing more then by this worke of love and mutuall unitie Lastly also it is evident that none can claime the title of being Christs friend but by the performance of this dutie For Christ hath intailed the right to this dignitie wholly upon this condition which is cleerly expressed Iohn 15.12 13 14 15 16 17. This is my commandement that yee love one another as I have loved you greater love hath no man then this that a man lay downe his life for his friends Yee are my friends if yee doe whatsoever I command you c. And when in vers 15. and 16. hee hath shewed how much by his friendship to
them hee hath obliged them already and what further obligations they should receive from his Father hee concludes vers 17. thus These things I command you that you love one another So that hee puts all the relations which wee have to him of servants of disciples and of friends upon the expression of our love to each other from whence wee must forcibly conclude that if there bee no such expression of love but rather of disaffection and of hatred to one another in our Ministery that wee make it apparent unto the world and to our owne consciences when they awake it will bee evident that wee are none of his servants nor his disciples nor his friends but rather the servant disciples and friends of his enemy Ephes 6 1â— the Prince of wickednesse in heavenly matters Therefore let no man bee deceived with faire pretences of holinesse and with large pleas and discourses about speciall rights the Apostle tells us that if wee have bitter envy and strife in our hearts one against another and if wee glory therein wee lie against the truth Iam. 3.14 15.16 For the wisedome by which men are led in such cases descendeth not from above but is earthly sensuall and devillish Secondly in relation to the Church as it is a house of God the Ministers therein are builders 1 Cor. 3.10 11 12. as it is the houshold of faith they are stewards of the Mysteries of God 1 Cor. 14.1 2. and as it is a flock they are shepheards thereof 1 Pet. 5.2 Now if in building the same house there bee no concurrence and correspondency between the builders thereof how will it bee fitly framed together as it ought to bee Ephes 20.21 Can builders that have no spirituall communion but are rather disunited in their wayes frame fitly one and the same house for Gods spirit to dwell in And if in a great houshold where one steward cannot oversee all severall stewards being appointed to do all by one and the same rule of administration yet they agree not amongst themselves but walke different wayes and crosse each other will not this distraction disorder the affaires of the houshold will not this reflect upon their Lord and Master as if he could not govern his family in peace And if severall shepheards belonging to a great flock to feed it jointly doe every one take a part thereof for himself and feed it separately each from other without any care to maintaine good neighbourhood and acquaintance but rather to crosse one another in their walkes and draw sheep one from another how will they bee able to answer it to him that hath intrusted them with the joynt care of his flock I find that when the soul which is in love with Christ doth seeke to find him out Cant. 1.7.8 it is afraid to turne aside unto the flockes of his companions and when it is directed how to come to him it is bid goe forth by the footsteps of the flock and feed besides the shepheards tents whence wee may observe that the multitude of flocks under many pretending to bee Christs companions doe perplex the soule and turne it aside from him but the unitie of the flock under shepheards that are united is the way wherein Christ is to bee found Thirdly their relation to the workes of their employment doth wholly necessitate them to maintaine mutuall love and unitie because not onely these duties in themselves are a principall part of their worke but what ever else doth belong to their charge whether it concerne the Church or the Gospel it can neither bee acceptable unto God nor profitable unto men except it bee done in the spirit of love and unitie First then that these duties are recommended unto them as a maine part of the very worke which is chiefly to be aimed at in their profession I suppose hath been abundantly made out by that which formerly hath been alleadged Secondly that nothing can bee acceptable unto God without this frame of spirit is evident because God is love and hee that loveth not knoweth not God 1 John 4.8 and on the contrary hee that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and God in him ibid. Vers 16. Moreover he that doth not all his workes in love as he is commanded 1 Cor. 16.14 transgreseth the whole Law by the unlovely frame of his spirit because as love is the fulfilling of the whole Law Rom. 13.8 9 10. So the want of it must needs bee the transgression of the whole Law and hee that is not subject to the Law of God cannot please him saith the Apostle Rom. 8.7 8. And as nothing can bee acceptable unto God which is not done in love so it cannot bee profitable unto men For if God blesse it not how can it prosper towards them and how can hee blesse that which is displeasing to him And then the Apostle tells us that knowledge is apt to puffe men up but it is Charitie which edifieth 1 Cor. 8.1 And what I say of love may bee verified of unitie as it is the fruit of love inseparable from it in Christs aime John 17.23 and equally recommended to us by the Apostle 1 Cor. 1.10 and 2 Cor. 13.11 Ephes 4.1 Ephes 4.1 till 7. Phil. 2.2 whence wee see that all things which are to bee done by any must thus bee qualified to find acceptance but if wee looke more distinctly upon the proper workes of their employment towards the Church and for the Gospel wee shall perceive more cleerly the intrinsecall coherence which is found between these duties and the Ministeriall administrations For the workes of their administration towards the Church are all the Ordinances of God belonging to the publick worship in the word and prayer whereunto the Sacraments Acts 6.4 the Government and the Discipline are subordinate that therein by the Word and Prayer the Saints may have communion with God through the Spirit The whole substance and summe of all that they have to doe is expressed by the Apostle Ephes 4. from Vers 11. till 17. where I observe that all the gifts and Offices which Christ hath given to his Church Ephes 4. Vers 11. both the extraordinary of Apostles Prophets and Evangelists and the ordinary of Pastors and teachers their worke is the same towards the Church unto the worlds end namely this 1. To bee serviceable in perfecting the Saints and in building up the body of Christ Vers 12. in Faith and knowledge till they all come to the unitie thereof unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ Vers 13. Where wee see that the end of their worke is nothing else but the perfection of unitie and consequently if any should not aime at this it is evident that they come short of the true end of their administration of the ordinances and shoot not at the marke which God hath set before them Secondly their service is to preserve by this meanes the
hath a spirituall communion with Christ and within it self by the meanes of that which every joynt supplyeth if then every part by his joynt that is by his Minister to whom is joyned a societie of Saints as a part of the whole is bound to supply to another part that which is his effectuall working towards the building up of the body in Love then it is absolutely necessary for him to correspond and concur with his neighbour and fellow-joynts for how can any part supply any thing to another part of the body without the joynt thereof So then wee must observe that the Associations of the Saints which are undeniable true parts of the whole should edifie one another by that which every joynt supplyeth For to that effect joynts are in the body and the Apostle saith in the whole body to let us understand that all the particular Associations of Beleevers in respect of the common profession are to bee counted as one Association and that by the joynts which God hath set in the whole the parts therefore are fitly to bee joyned together whence wee must gather that Ministers are not onely joynts to unite individuall Professors into a societie but to unite one Congregation unto another for hee saith that the whole is compacted by joynts it followeth then that the Congregations though distinct by themselves and one within themselves as to their severall joynts yet ought to bee further joynted with other Congregations and not to bee at a distance and stand by themselves as parts of the whole disjoynted from each other a which is the posture whereat many desire to stand and is the practise of too many upon severall pretences to the great dishonour of the Gospel in the common profession of Christianitie But how contrary this is unto the true end of the publick worship of God to the calling of the Ministery to the aime of Christ in giving gifts unto men to the perfecting of the Saints and to the edifying of the body of Christ I hope such as are conscionable will bee able to see by that which hath beene hitherto said And although I thinke it needlesse to speake much more of this relation which Ministers ought to maintaine one to another seeing it hath already beene proved that all the Commandements of brotherly love of unitie of mutuall care of communion and correspondency which are given to all Christians in the common profession are more particularly binding unto Ministers towards each other in respect of their Ministeriall charges Yet I shall briefly mention three or foure speciall duties which seeme to be enjoyned more distinctly unto them rather as they are Ministers then as they are Christians because they have a respect rather unto their publick charge and employment wherein they relate one another then unto the common profession by it selfe First they are not onely bound to serve all men Ministerially as Christ served us but they are by his example and precept more distinctly commanded to serve one another Matth. Chap. 20. Vers 27 28. Whosoever will bee chiefe among you let him bee your servant even as the Sonne of man came not to bee ministred unto but to minister and give his life a ransome for many Secondly they are bound to looke first unto themselves and then to the flock Acts 20. Vers 28. Take heed therefore unto your selves and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers c. For Vers 29. 30. they are foretold that amongst them grievous Wolves will enter in and of their owne selves that is some of their owne vocation men shall arise speaking perverse things to draw away Disciples after them If then all must looke diligently lest a root of bitternesse spring up in the Church and many bee defiled thereby Hebr. 12.15 farre more is it the dutie of Ministers to looke to each other herein Thirdly they are bound to looke upon themselves and their gifts as not for themselves but for all and chiefly for each other to profit withall according to that of the Apostle 1 Cor. 12. Vers 7. The manifestation of the Spirit is given to every one to profit withall to the Ministers ordinarily the greatest and most usefull manifestations are given and they can profit most thereby one towards another because in being profitable thereby unto each other they are inabled so much the more to be profitable unto all Fourthly and lastly in the use of their spirituall gifts wherein they intend to bee profitable unto all they are to subject themselves one to another as it is written 1 Cor. 14. Vers 29.32 Let the Prophets speake and let the others judge And the Spirits of the Prophets are subject to the Prophets From all which as the duties of mutuall love and unitie are necessarily to bee inferred so the meanes to maintaine and exercise the same which are the wayes of spirituall communion and correspondency must needs also bee acknowledged to bee their dutie for where the end is commanded there the meanes also without which that end cannot bee attained is also commanded so that wee must cleerly conclude that this is an undeniable Scripturall Truth That the Ministers of the Gospel are bound to maintaine brotherly unitie communion and correspondency one with another because in the duties of their Ministeriall charge nothing is found more conscionable nothing more commendable nothing more profitable and nothing more sutable to the glory of God and the calling by which they are called to the perfecting of the Saints and to the edifying of the body of Christ then this dutie is and therefore whosoever doth not walke by this rule doth not walke worthy of the vocation wherewith hee is called in the Gospel and whosoever doth walke thereby peace and mercy bee upon him and upon all the Israel of God Amen FINIS BRotherly Unitie amongst all Christians especially amongst the Ministers of Christ being in it selfe so excellent and comely at all times and considering the danger and sad consequences of our present divisions so desirable and necessary at this time I conceive all overtures and counsels having a true tendency thereunto worthy the publick light And doe therefore approve the publication of this ensuing discourse intitled A Peace-maker without partialitie and hypocrisie c. June 6. 1648. Joseph Caryl