malignity of ungodly hearts will be breaking out on all occasions And as now you hear men scorning at the practice of that Religion which themselves profess so if God prevent it not you may shortly see another War take off their restraint and let them loose and then they will seek the blood of those that now they seem to be agreed with At furthest we are sure that very shortly we shall be separated as far as Heaven and Hell if there be not now a nearer agreement then in words and outward Shews and Ceremonies It being then past doubt that there is no happy lasting Unity but in the Spirit and a holy life What hindereth us from so safe so sweet so sure a Peace Why might not all our Parishes agree on such necessary honourable and reasonable terms Why is there in most places but here and there a Person or a Family that will yield to the terms of an everlasting peace live as men that believe they have a God to serve and please and immortall souls to save or lose Is not God willing that all should be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth 1 Tim. 2.4 and that all should agree in so safe a path Why then doth he invite all and tender them his saving mercy and send his messengers to command and importune them to this holy Concord He would take them all into the bond of his Covenant How oft would Christ have gathered all the Children of Ierusalem to him as the Hen gathereth her Chickens under her Wings but it was they that would not Mat. 23.37 He would have the Gospel preached to every creature Mar. 16.15 16. would have the Kingdoms of the world become the Kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ. What then is the cause of this sad division in our Parishes Are Ministers unwilling that their people should all agree in holiness No it would be the greatest favor you could do them and the greatest joy that you could bring to their hearts They would be gladder to see such a blessed Unity then if you gave them all that you have in the world O how a poor Minister would boast and glory of such a Parish He would bless the day that ever he came among them and that ever he was called to the Ministry and that ever he was born into the world for their sakes How easie would all his studies and labours be if they were but sweetned with such success How easily could he bear his scorns and threatnings and abuses and persecutions from others if he saw but such a holy Unity among his people to encourage him So far are your Teachers from excluding you from this happiness that it is the end of their studies preaching prayers yea and of their lives to bring you to partake of it And glad would they be to preach to you and exhort you in hunger and thirst in cold and nakedness in all the contempt and derision of the world if thereby they could but bring their parishes to agree in a life of faith and holiness And sure our difference is not because the godly will not admit you to joyn with them in the waies of God For they cannot hinder you if they would and they would not if they could It is their joy to see the house of God filled with guests that have oâ— the wedding garment We must conclude thereforâ— that it is the ungodly that aâ— the wilfull and obstinate divâ—ders They might be unite to Christ and reconciled 〈◊〉 God and they will not The might be admitted into thâ— Communion of Saints anâ— into the houshold of Goâ— and partake of the Privâ—ledges of his children anâ— they will not They have leaâ— to Read and pray and meditate and walk with God in a heavenly conversation as well as any of their neighbours but they will not It is themselves that are the refusers and continue the division to the displeasing of God and the grief of their friends and the gratifying of Satan and the perdition of their own immortall Souls We might all be united and our divisions be healed and God much honoured and Ministers and good Christians be exceedingly comforted and the Church and Commonwealth be delivered and highly honoured and themselves be saved from everlasting misery if we could but get the hearty consent of these foolish obstinate ungodly men What say you wretched Souls can you deny it How long have your Teachers been labouring in vain to bring you to the hearty Love oâ— God and heaven and serious holiness How long have they been perswading you to set up Reading and Catechizing and constant fervent prayer iâ— your families and yet it is undone How long have they in vain been perswading the worldling from his worldliness and the Proud person to humility and the sensual beast from his tipling and gluttony and other fleshly pleasures And besides this most of the disorders and divisions in the Churches are caused by ungodly men I will instance in a few particulars 1. When we ask any godly diligent Ministers either in London or the Country why they do not unanimously catechize instruct and confer with all the Inhabitants of their Parishes man by man to help them to try their spirituall state and to prepare in health for death and judgement they usually answer us that alas their people will not consent but many would revile them if they should attempt it 2. When we ask them why they do not set up the practice of Discipline which they so unanimously plead for and why they do not call their people to Confirmation or open profession of faith and holiness in order thereto they tell us that their people will not endure it but many will rather set themselves against the Ministry and strengthen the enemy that now endangereth the Churches safety or turn to any licentious Sect then they will thus submit to the undoubted Ordinance of Christ which the Churches are so commonly agreed in as a duty 3. We have an ancienâ— too-imperfect version of the Psalms which we sing in the Congregations in the judgment of all Divines that ever I spoke with about it of what side soever it is our duty to use a better Version and not to perform so excellent a part of the publick Worship so lamely and with so many blemishes And if you ask the Ministers why they do not unanimously agree on a Reformed corrected Version most of them will tell you that their people will not bear it but proudly and turbulently reproach them as if they were changing the Word of God 4. In many places the Sacrament of Baptism is ofter used in private houses then in the publick Assemblies and if we ask the reason of so great a disorder the Ministers will tell us that it is the unruliness and wilfulness of the people that proudly set themselves above their Guides and instead of obeying them must rule them and have their humors
and conceits fulfilled even in the holy things of God or else they will revile the Pastors and make divisions in the Church And this is done by them that in other cases do seem sufficiently to reverence the place of publick Assembly as the house of God and that speak against private meetings though but for prayer repeating Sermons or singing to the praise of God while yet themselves are wilfully bent for such private meetings as are set up in opposition to the publick and that for the administration of so great an Ordinance as the Sacrament of Baptism and in cases where there is no necessity of prâ—vacy And who knows not that our Sacramentall Covenant with God and engagement to a Christian life and reception into a Christian state and priviledges is fitter to be done with the most honourable solemnity then in a conventicle in a private house Too many more such instances I could give you which shew who they be that are the enemies of our Unity Even those that cry out against divisions while they cauâ—e them and cry up Unity concord and obedience while they destroy them And shall we thus continue a division that doth prognosticate our Everlasting division Is there no Remedy for so great a misery when yet our poor ungodly neighbours mâ—y heal it if they will What if the Ministers of the severall Parishes should appoint one day of publick Conference with all the people of their Parishes together and desire all thâ—t are fit to speak to debate the case and give their Reasons why they concur not in their hearts and lives with the holy diligent servants of the Lord and let them heâ—r the Reasons why the godly dare not and cannot come over to their negligent ungodly course and so try who it is long of among them that they arâ— not of One mind and way what if the Ministers then urged it on them to agree all before they parted to unite on the terms which God will own and all uâ—animously to take that course that shall be found most agreeable to his Word and whoever doth bring the fullest proof that his course is best in reason the rest should promise to joyn wâ—th him What if we call the people together and bespeak them as Elijah did 1 Kings â—8 21 How long halt ye between two opinions If the Lord be God follow him but if Baal then follow him If a carâ—less ungodly worldly fleshly life be best and most please God and will comfort you most at death and judgement then hold on in the way that you are in and never purpose hereafter to repent of it but let us all become as sensuall as you But if it be only the life of faith and holiness and seeking first the Kingdom and Righteousness of God that God and Scripture and reason will justifie and that will comfort the soul in the hour of extremity and that you shall with a thousand times you had followed in everlasting misery when wishing is too late if now you continue to neglect it doth not câ—mmon reason then require that we all now agree to go that way which all will desire to be found in at the last One would think if a Minister should treat thus with his Parishioners and urge such a motion as this upon them they should not have the hearts or faces to deny or delay such a necessary Agreement and Engagement that would make their Parish and their souls so happy and which nothing but the Devil and the befooled corrupted minds of sinners hath any thing to say against And yet its likely we should either have such an answer as Elijah had even silence v. 21. The people answered him not a word Or else some plausible promise while we have them in a good mood which would quickly be broken come to nothing For indeed they are all engaged already by their baptismall Covenant and profession of Christianity to the very same thing and yet we see how little they regard it But yet because it is our duty to use the means for the Salvation and Concord of our people and wait on God by prayer for the success I have here shewed you the only way to both Read it impartially and then be your selves the Judges on whom the blame of our greatest and most dangerous divisions will be laid and for shame either give over complaining that men are of so many minds and profess your selves the enemies of Unity and Peace or else give over your damning and dividing course and yield to the Spirit of Christ that would Unite you to his Body and walk in Communion with his Saints and let not these warnings be hereafter a witness against you to your confusion which are intended for your salvation and the healing of our discords by An unworthy servant of Jesus Christ for the Calling and Edifying of his Members Rich. Baxter Decem. 10. 1659. The Contents THE Introduction and Explication of the Text to p. 14 Dâ—ct The true Vnity of the Catholick Church of Christ consisteth in this that they have all one sanctified Spirit within them p. 14 Explicâ—tory Propositions p. 16 Twenty Arguments to prove that Ungodliness is the great divider and that if ever there be a Vnion it must be by the ungodlies comeing ovâ—r to a holy life p. 19 Use 1. Shewing plainly who are the causes of our great divisions p. 37 Vngodliness is all Heretical opinions combined and reduced to practice p. 43 c. It is against every Article of the Creed and every one of the Commandments and every Petition of the Lords Prayer and every Ordinance of Worship p 65 They are worse then meer Sectaries p. 73 Use 2. How little cause the Papists have to glory when they draw an ungodly man meerly into their Church p. 80 Use 3. How falsly Papists and Quakers tell us that the ungodly persons are the fruit of our Ministery p. 83 Use 4. A serious Motion for Vnity and Peace to all that would have us of one Religion p. 88 Some more undenyable Reasons to prove that there is no other way of Vnity but this one p. 100 Quest. What is that Godliness that we must all unite in p. 136 Quest. What the nearer an Agreement should we be Do not the godly differ among themselves p. 178 Use 5. How little hope of perfect Vnity on earth And how much Vnity may be expected among the Godly p. 195 Quest. Whether Vnity in the Profession of one Faith Government and Worship may serve turn Ten discoveries of the insufficiency of a Vnion in meer profession p. 203 How much true godliness would conduce to heal our lesser differences and that we might do well notwithstanding them p. 234 Manifested in twenty four particulars Quest. How then comes it to pass that there are so many differences among those that you call godly Answered p. 288 Advice to the godly p. 308 Rom. 14.1 Explained p. 313 Doct. It is the will of God
daily bread to fit them for Gods service they drown themselves in pleasures or in worldly cares to make provision to satisfie their flesh Instead of valuing and accepting the forgiveness of sin as purchased by Christ and offered in the Gospel they have slight apprehensions of so great a mercy and refuse the conditions of it as too hard and run deeper into debt and wilfully sin more Instead of avoiding Tempâ—ations and flying to Christ for deliverance from evil they tempt themselves and run into Temptations and seek after them and love the evil of sin and are loth to leave it and be delivered from it So that they are against every Petition in the Lords Prayer though they use the words They are also against every Ordinance of God and lick up the vomit of all sects that do oppose them One sect is against the Lords day and so are the ungodly against the sanctifying of it and spending it in holy worship and delighting themselves thereon in God Else what need so many Acts to restrain them from sports and other profanation of it And all will not do Another sect is against Praying but by the Book and would have Minâ—sters restrained from praying in any other words then are commanded him And the ungodly easily receive this opinion anâ— reproach all other prayers as 〈◊〉 temporate and disorderly Another sect is against Church Government by any but Magâ—strates these are called Erastian And the ungodly are not onlâ— against it but detest it and reproach it Let them be called 〈◊〉 Publick Repentance and Confession for any publick sin and 〈◊〉 whether they be not against thâ— discipline I know no outward dâ—ty that they are more against The will hear us Preach with some patience and quietness but when wâ— come to reprove them personally and recover them from scandalous sins by necessary discipline they storm and rage against us and wâ— not endure it Some Separatists are for the Peoples Governing of the Church by a major Vote and Consequently ruling those that God doth caâ— their Rulers and commandeth them to obey Heb. 13.17 And so are the ungodly they would rule their Rulers the Ministers and have them administer the Ordinances of God according to their fancies but they will not be ruled by them Let the Minister but require them to come to him to be instructed or Catechized and they will not be ruled by him they are too old to be Catechized Let him call them to any necessary profession or other duty and they will do what their list Let him but cross any of their conceits and customs and they will sooner revile him then be ruled by him The Separatists will withdraw themselves from our Churches and Gods Ordinances if things be not suited to their mind And so will many of the ungodly Most Parishes in England that I hear of where any kind of Discipline is exercised have more Separatists then Communicants The faâ— greater part of many Parisheâ— forbear the Communion of the Church in the Lords Supper anâ— have done many years together even because they cannot be admitted without examination or without some necessary or lawfuâ— profession or because they cannot have the Sacrament kneeling or put into their hands or the like They will separate and be without the Sacrament or take it in a separate society rather then they will be ruled by the Pastors of the Church in a gesture or undoubtedly lawful thing Another sect of late will not sing Davids Psalms And the ungodly will not do it heartily and reverently but only with the voice Another sect the Anabaptists are against Baptizing Infants And the ungodly do not holily and heartily devote themselves and their infants to God they do not themselves renounce the world the flesh and the devil and take God for their God and Christ for their Saviour to heal and rule them and the Holy-Ghost for their Sanctifier to make them holy and how then can they do this for their children which they refuse themselves When they have offered their children to God in Baptism they bring them to the flesh and the world and the devil in their lives and teach them to break the Covenant which they made So that they are far worse then Anabaptists Another late sect will not Pray morning and evening in their families nor crave Gods blessing on their meat nor teach children and servants the duties of Religion And so is it with the ungodly How many of you that hear me 〈◊〉 day have prayerless families thâ—â— let your people go about their lâ—bours as an Ox to the Yoak without calling upon God How feâ— use to instruct and admonish the families and help to prepare theâ— for death and judgement All thâ—â— are about you may see that yoâ— are guilty of this heresie Another sect alate is risen up that will not keep any constâ—â— times of prayer neither in famâ—â—â— or in private but only when they find themselves in a good mood then they will pray And so it with many of the profane I am aweary of mentioning these desperate errours More of them might be mentioned and the case made plain that almost all the Heresies in the world are meâ— together in the ungodly and unsanctified Would you see the summe of all my charge in order It is this 1. Many sects that trouble us much do yet hold no errours but what may stand with Christianity and Salvation But the ungodly err in the Essentials and overthrow the very Foundation of Religion Their errours will not consist with grace or salvation They are damnable heresies Yea beside all that the sects aforesaid hold they have many damning heresies of their own These deadly hereticks hold that the world is rather to be sought then everlasting Glory that the pleasure of sin is to be chosen before the Holiness of the Saints that their flesh is to be pleased before God that its better venture on their beloved sins and keep them yet a little longâ—r then presently forsake them that the way to heaven which God commandeth and Châ—â—st and all his Apostles weâ—t in is 〈◊〉 aâ—d preciseness and godliness is moâ—â— ado then needs and that the bodâ— must have more care and diligenâ— then the soul and the trifles 〈◊〉 this world be more looked aâ—ter then the one thing necessâ—ry These and abundance such damnable Heresies do dwell in our Câ—ties and Countries in the minds 〈◊〉 those that cry out against Heresieâ— Ungodliness is the greatest Heresâ—â— in all the world 2. Other Hereticks have some of them but one or two errours but the Ungodly have all these together They are the sink of alâ— errours As all Gods Graces maâ—e up the new creature in the sanctified so all deadly errours anâ— vices go to make up the body oâ— ungodliness when it is compleat Its name is Legion for there are many of these evil spirits in it The Anabaptist hath a scab and the Separatist hath a wound but the common
to kill You will make and apprehend it to be your Interest to go contrary to us And what Agreement can there be where there are contrary Interests Under all your outward Profession you will still retain a secret enmity and hatred to the life of holiness and will not have that hearty Love to the Saints as beseems all those that are members of Christ and of the holy Catholick Church So that when you have Communion with the Saints it will be but an external and superficial communion in some common things but you will have no Communion with them in the same Head and Spirit and Promise and Holy Nature and saving Benefits of the Gospel And shall this be called Vnity that leaveth you at so sad a distance as this This is but such a Union as a wooden leg hath to the body or as the vessels of honour and dishonour have by being in the same house together In their highest Professions the Lord himself saith of unsanctified Professors that they are none of Christs Rom. 8.9 and that they cannot be his Disciples Luke 14.33 that they are not Israel though of Israel nor are they children of God nor the seed of promise Rom. 9.6 7 8. and when they plead their highest Priviledges at last Christ will tell them that he knoweth them not Mat. 7.23 25.12 Psalm 1.5 6. And if in mercy to the Church God cause the Lyon and the Lambs to lie down together yet will he not therefore mistake the Lyon for a Lamb. So that you see what a poor kind of Unity and next to none it is that meer profession maketh And therefore this will not serve our turn 2. Moreover if we have no other Unity we are unlike to live in Peace together Though it be our duty to endeavour to have peace with all men yet we can have but little hope of it As long as there is so much difference and contrariety as I have mentioned and as long as there is a secret enmity at the heart it will be working into dissention if God for the sake of his Church restrain it not The godly will be crossing your carnal Interest and hindering you in the sinful wayes of your commodity pleasure or vain-glory They will be calling you to self-denyal which you cannot endure and putting you upon duties of Holiness Righteousness and Mercy which your sinful flesh will utterly refuse If you are scandalous you will be called to Confession Repentance and Reformation or by Church-censures be cut off from them to your shame And the Magistrate also must trouble you by the penalties of the Law The very examples of a strict and holy living which are given you by the godly will displease you because they are so unlike to your lives and therefore witness against your negligence and ungodliness So that it is not possible that we should avoid offending you for our very obedience to God will offend you and our studying and following the Holy Scripture will offend you and our diligent labour to save our souls will offend you and our hateing and avoiding the Poyson of sin will offend you And how then should we live in Peace with such If you yoak a swine and a sheep together one will be drawing to the wash-tub when the other would be at grass and one will be drawing to lie down in the mire when the other would lie clean one will be rooting in the earth and eating dung which the others nature is against It is Christ before me that calleth the wicked by the name of swine and the godly sheep And if you will come no nearer us then this we are like to have but poor Agreement And as our wayes will displease you so your galled malicious hearts will manifest the offence and will be girding and maligning if not slandering deriding or openly persecuting as far as you have power those that thus offend you And what Unity is this 3. If Reason perswade you not do but ask experience it self Whether in all ages men that Profess the same Religion with zealous godly men have not been their persecutors and oft-times more cruel then Infidels themselves The Arrians that called themselves Christians were as cruel to the true Believers as the Heathens The Papists profess the same Christianity as we and take the whole Scripture as the Word of God And yet none of the Heathenish Persecutions do match or come near to their French Massacrees and Spanish Inquisition and the cruelty that in Ireland England and their part of the Christian world they have exercised upon the sheep of Christ. The many Ministers that were silenced in Germany and some imprisoned and many Families undone was by the Lutherans against men that were Protestants as well as they And they that cast out so many Learned holy Ministers in England and occasioned the expulsion of so many thousand persons fearing God were Professed Protestants as well as we And that there may not be the appearance so much as of a difference in Ceremonies to cover their proceedings abundance of conformable men are troubled and undone as well as others and they gave out that none were worse then the conformable Puritans It was a holy observation of the Lords day and opposition to the abuse of it by Dancings and it was hearing Sermons and instructing mens families and praying together that were the things enquired after that occasioned our troubles And who ever was in the right or wrong you all know that the late miserable wars among us was between men that professed themselves to be of the same Religion not only as Christians but as Protestant and Reformed in the main To this day you see among our selves in Towns and Countries that those that do not only dwell with us and come to the same Assâ—mblies with us and profess themselves of the same Protestant Reformed Râ—ligion have yet many of them a sâ—cret malignity against the godly that will not be as loose and negligent as they and will not as madly cast away their souls And also even maâ—y greater Hypocrites that rank themselves with us in the same Church-order and seem to own all Ordinances of God and Government of the Church yet when this Government crosseth them in their carnal wayes and these Ordinances open the nakedness of their miscarriages they prove stark enemies to the Government Officers and Ordinances themselves Indeed however we may abide together as the clean and unclean creatures in Noahs Ark yet still at the heart there is so much enmity or distance and in our Ends and Interests there is so much contrariety that if the Ministers and other followers of Christ will faithfully discharge the duty that is required of them they will certainly be persecuted by men of the same Profession in Religion especially by the Prouder and Loftyer sort of wicked men Because some will receive the same truth better from one then from another I will give you my assertion in the
that the Vnity of the Church should not be laid on indifferent small or dâ—ubtfull things but that true believers that differ in such things should yet have inward Charity and outward Communion with each other not censuring nor despising nor dividing upon this account p. 323 Convincing Reasons p. 326 Several Vses or Consectaries and an Exhortation applied to our difference about Christmas Day p. 358 ERRATA PAge 90. l. 9. r. enquire p. 91. l. 6. r. except p. 192. l. 7. for now r. in time p. 275. l. 16 for or r. as p. 366. l. 12. for it r. them p. 377. l. 12. dele in Catholick Vnity EPHES. 4.3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace IT seems that Vnity and Felicity are near kin in that the world is so like affected to them both As our Felicity is in God and we lost it by falling from God so our Vnity is in God and we lost it by departing from this Center of Unity And as all men have still a natural desire after Felicity in general but God who is their Felicity they neither know nor desire so have we still a natural desire after Vnity in it self considered but God who is our Unity is little known or desired by the most And as nature can perceive the evil of Misery which is contrary to Felicity and cry out against it and yet doth cherish the certain causes of it and will not be perswaded to let them go So Nature can perceive the evil of Division which is contrary to Vnity and cry out against it and yet will not forbear the causes of Division And therefore as we say of Felicity Nature by Philosophy seeks it Divinity findeth it and Religion possesseth it So may we say of true Vnity Philosophy or Nature seeks it Divinity findeth it and Religion or Holiness possesseth it And as most of the world do miss of Felicity for all their high esteem of it and fall into misery for all their hatred of it because they love not the object and way of Felicity and hate not the Matter and Way of Misery Even so most of the world do miss of Vnity for all their high esteem of Unity and fall into miserable distractions and Divisions for all their hatred of Division because they love not the center and way of Vnity and hate not the occasion and causes of Division And as the very reason why the most are shut out of Happiness is their own wilful refusing of the true matter and means of Happiness and no one could undo them but themselves for all that they are loth to be undone Even so the very Reason why the world attaineth not to Unity is their own wilful refusing of the true Center and Means of Unity and it is themselves that are the wilful causes of their own Divisions even when they cry out against Divisions And as there 's no way to Happiness but by Turning to God from whom we fell that in him we may be happy and no way to God but by Iesus Christ as the Saviour and the Hâ—ly-Ghost as the Sanctifier so there is no way to true Vnity but by Turning to God that we may be one in him and no way to him but being united to Christ and being quickned by that One most holy Spirit that animateth his members And yet as poor souls do weary themselves in vain in seeking Felicity in their own wayes and devices so do they deceive themselves in seeking Vnity in wayes that are quite destructive to Unity One thinks we must be united in the Pope and another in a General Council another saith we shall never have Unity till the Magistrate force us all one way and yet they would not be forced from their own way Another turns Atheist or Infidel or Impious by observing the Divisions that be among Christians and saith It is this Scripture and Religion and Christ that hath set the world together by the ears and we shall never have Unity till we all live according to Nature and cast off their needless cares and fears of another life And thus the miserable deluded world are groping in the dark after Vnity and Felicity while both are at hand and they wickedly reject them and many of them become so mad as to run away from God from Christ from the Spirit as if he were the cause of Misery and Division who is the only Center of Felicity and Vnity And thus as it is but Few that arrive at Happiness for all their desire of it so it is but Few that attain to Vnity to such a Unity as is worth the attaining to I dare presume to take it for granted that all you that hear me this day would fain have Divisions taken away and have Unity and Concord and Peace through the world What say you would you not have us all of one â—iâ—d and of one Religion and would you not fain have an Agreement if it might be through all the world I am confident you would But you little think that its you and such as you that are the hinderers of it All the question is What Mind that is that all should be One in and what Religion that is that all men sâ—ould agree in Every man would have all men of one mind and one Religion but then it must be of his mind and of his Religion and so we are never the nearer an agreement Well! what would you give now to be certainly told the only way to Unity and Agreement There is but One way when you have sought about as long as you will you must come to that One way or you will be never the nearer it What would you give to know undoubtedly which is that One way O that the world were but willing to know it and to follow it when they know it Well! I dare promise you from the information of the Holy-Ghost here given us in this Text that now I have read to to you to tell you the Only way to true Unity and blessed is he that learneth it and walketh in it This Text is a Precept containing the work required of us with its double Object the one the means to the other The next verse is an exposition of this As the Natural man hath One Body and One Soul which constitute it a man so the Church which is the mystical Body of Christ is one Body consisting of many members united by One Spirit Every Common-wealth or Political Body hath 1. It s Constitutive causes that give it its Being and its Unity and 2. It s Administration and preserving causes as Laws Execution Obedience c. that exercise and preserve and perfect its Being The Constitutive cause is the Soveraign and the Subject conjoyned in their Relation So is it with the Church which is a Political Body but of a transcendent kind of Policy The Constitutive Cause of the Church are Christ and the members united in One Spirit And this
is the final part of the Duty here required To keep the Vnity of the Spirit The Preserving cause is the Peaceable behaviour of the members and this is the mediate Duty here required In the bond of Peace Our own Endeavours are hereto required because as every natural body must by eating and drinking and fit exercise and usage be a cause of its own preservation and not forbear these under pretence of trusting the all-sufficiency of God and as every Political Body must by Government and Arms in case of need preserve themselves under God so must the Body of Christ the Church be diligent in using their best endeavours to preserve the Being and well-being of the whole So that you see here are two causes of the Churches Unity expressed 1. The principal Constitutive cause in which our Unity consisteth and that is The Spirit 2. The Preserving cause by which our Unity is cherished and that is Peace which therefore is called the bond of it The fifth and sixth verses do open this Vnity of Spirit in its parts effects and ends There is One Hope of our Calling that is One Heaven or Life Eternal which is the end of our Christianity and Church Constitution There is one Lord Jesus Christ One Head one Saviour one Soveraign Redeemer to whom by this Spirit the members are all United There is One Faith both one summe of holy Doctrine which all that will be saved must believe which was used to be professed by the adult at Baptism and One internal saving Faith which this Spirit causeth in our Spirits and useth it as a means of our union with Christ in whom we do believe There is One Baptism or solemn Covenanting with God the Father Son and Holy-Ghost and the same promise there to be made by all And there is One God the Father of all from whom we fell and to whom we must be recovered and who is the End of all and to whom Christ and all these means are the Way So that all these are implyed in and conjunct with the Vnity of the Spirit The sense of the Text then briefly is this As all the living true members of Christ and the Church have one Spirit and so one Faith by which they are all united to Christ the Head and so to the Father in and by him which Vnion in One Spirit is your very Life and it that constituteth you true members of Christ and his Church so it must be your care and great endeavour to preserve this Spirit in you and this vital Vnity which by this Spirit you have with Christ and one another and the way to preserve it is by the bond of Peace among your selves It is here evident then that all the members of Christ and his Body have One Spirit and in that is their Union All the question is What Spirit this is And that 's left past all doubt in the Chapter For though the common gifts of the Spirit are sometime called by that name yet these are no further meant in the Text then as appurtenances or additions to greater gifts As godliness hath the promise of the common mercies of this life as well as of the special mercies of the life to come but yet with great difference the later being absolutely promised and the former but limitedly so far as God sees best for us Even so the Spirit gave to the members of the Church both Sanctifying Grace and common Gifts but with great difference giving Sanctification to all and only the members of Christ but giving common gifts also to some others and to them but with limitation for sort and season and measure and continuance as God should see good It is then the same Holy-Ghost as our Sanctifier into whose name we are baptized as wel as into the name of the â—ather and the Son and in whom we all profess to believe that is here meant in my Text. And it is only the Sanctified that are the people United to Christ and to One another This is proved expresly by that which foâ—loweth vers 6 7. It is those that have the One Hope one Lord one Faith one Baptism one God the Father vers 12. It is the Saints and body of Christ that are to be perfected by the Ministry vers 13 15 16. It is those that must come in the Vnity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God to a perfect man to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ and that grow up in all things in Christ the Head It is the Body that is Vnited to him and compacted in Love and edifieth itself in Love vers 20 21 22 23 24. It is those that hâ—vâ— so leâ—rned Christ as to put off tâ—e â—ld man thâ—t is câ—rrupt â—nd are râ—neweâ— in the Spirit of their â—inâ—s and put on the nâ—w man which â—fter God is reâ—tâ—â— in righteouâ—neâ—s and true holiness If thereâ—â—re any words be plain its plain tâ—at its true â—aints only that are here spoken of that have the Vnity of spirit which they must preserve in the bond of Peace And therefore I shall make this Observation the ground of my discourse Doct. The true Vnity of the Catholick Church of Christ consisteth in this that they have all one Sanctifying spirit within them By the Holy-Ghost within them they are all United to Christ and to one another By this One Spirit they are all made â—aints or an Holy people having One Heaven for the matter of their Hopes One Christ their Head One summe of Christian doctrine which they believe containing all the Essentials of Christian Faith and One living principle of Faith to believe it One solemn Covenant with Christ and One God the â—ather their End and All. It is only the Sanctified that have true Christian Vnity and it is unholiness or ungodliness that is the cause of the miserable Divisions of the world Now Sirs you see the Only way to Vnity Even to have One Sanctifying spirit within us and be all an Holy People and there is no way but this Now you see the principal cause of Division even unholiness and refusing the Spirit of Grace In handling this point 1. I shall give you some Propositions that are necessary for the fuller understanding of it 2. I shall demonstrate the Point to you by fuller Evidence of Reason 3. I shall make Application of it I. PRop 1. Though it be only the Sanctified that have the true Unâ—on of Members wâ—th Chrâ—st and the Body yet all that make Profession of Sanctification and Null not that Proâ—ession have an Extrâ—nsick Analogical Union in profession As the wooden or dead leg is united to the body and the dead branch to the Vine And so even Hypocrites must not only dwell among us but be of the same visible Church with us as the chaff and tares are in the same corn-field And as long as they seem Saints we must value them and use them as Saints and love them