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A57166
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The staves of beauty & bands opened in a sermon preached at Yarmovth, August 23, 1663 / by Edward, Lord Bishop of Norwich.
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Reynolds, Edward, 1599-1676.
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1663
(1663)
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Wing R1290; ESTC R2972
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35,887
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91
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a singular and eminent Blessing of God thereunto God made man at the first after his own Image so that as the Lord is wholly one and undivided in himself no dissonancy between any of his Attributes Decrees or Counsels so in man as he came out of Gods hands there was an exact harmony and agreement his Affections consonant unto his Will his Will to his Reason and his Reason to God And being thus perfectly One with himself he could not but be one likewise with others who were perfectly like himself as finding nothing more in them from the which to differ then in himself But when sin came into the world it brake the bond of Union between God and man making us enemies unto him by wicked works and so separating between him and us and hiding hie face from us It brake the bond of Union between a man and himself the Will rebelling against the Mind the Sensitive part against the rational one lust warring against another and all against the Soul It brake the bond of Union between man and man between one wicked man and another upon the ground of different Interests hateful and hating of one another between wicked men and good men upon the ground of contrary seeds the the Lord having put enmity between the Seed of the woman and the Seed of the Serpent Because God hath chosen his Church out of the world therefore the world hateth them When he had his Church only in one single people the Jews who dwelt alone and were not reckoned among the Nations we find not only in the Scriptures but also in prophane Writers how great scorn and contempt was cast upon chem by those of other Nations And when Christian Religion began to obtain in the world the like horrible Reproaches were cast upon Christians as we read of Thyestaea convivia Oedipi incestus in Tertullian Eusebius and others So true is that of Solomon He that is upright in the way is an abomination unto the wicked This Enmity Christ came to heal and to remove by preaching and by giving peace unto men working the hearts of his people to be at unity and peace one with another in which respect Christ saith of his Church My Dove my undefiled is but one Cant 6. 9. Now a thing may be said to be one two manner of ways there is unum per unitatem when a thing is so one as that it doth not any way consist of many as God is one by the absolute simplicity of his Nature without any diversity of part and part power and act matter and form subject and accident being and not being There is likewise unum per unionem when one thing is constituted and made up of many things united and joyned together and thus the Church is One We being many saith the Apostle are one bread and one body And again as the body is one and hath many members and all the members of that one body being many are one body so also is Christ. In this respect it is compared sometimes to an Army made up of many Souldiers ordered into Companies and Regiments under the Command of one General called the Captain of the Host of the Lord and the Captain of our Salvation Sometimes to a City compacted together and accurately proportioned in all the parts and measures thereof Sometimes to the Tabernacle of the Congregation wherein divers Curtains were coupled and joyned together by loops and taches into one Sanctuary Sometimes to the Temple wherein many goodly stones were framed and fitted into a Magnificent Structure in which respect the Church is called the House of God the Houshold of Faith the whole Family of Heaven and Earth a building fitly framed together and growing unto a holy Temple in the Lord Sometimes to a Vine consisting of one root and many branches and to a body wherein many members are conjoyned under one Head and animated by one Soul Thus the Church is One. And albeit we frequently read in the plural of the Churches of the Saints the Churches of Asia of Macedonia of Galatia of Syria and Cilicia yet all these are members of one and the same Catholick Church as many Cities of one Kingdome and many houses of one City For all the persons all the Assemblies and Associations in the world who acknowledge and worship one true God and one Mediator between God and Man the Lord Jesus walking by one and the same rule of Faith and Love in the Gospel do all make up but one Catholick Church And the former Resemblances and Similitudes whereby it is expressed lead us to the consideration of a threefold Unity in the Church 1. An Unity by way of Disposition and Order as in an Army or Building 2. An Unity by way of Composition or integral Completion as between the parts of the body unto the perfection of the whole 3. An Unity by way of Constitution or Essential Concurrence of Soul and Body unto one man or of the Subject and vital principles whereby it is animated There is then in the Church 1. An Unity of Order as the Apostle rejoyced when he beheld the Order of the Church at Colosse And this consisteth 1. In Variety of Offices and in the due and regular Subordination of those one unto another and of the body unto them all as the Apostle telleth us that God hath set in the Church first Apostles secondarily Prophets thirdly Teachers c. And that Christ when he ascended up on high gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ and these the Apostle requireth the rest of the Body to Esteem very highly in love to obey them and submit themselves unto them because they watch for their Souls 2. In Variety of Ordinances in the which Christ is set forth before the eyes of his people Such are Reading the Scripture for as in that Church of the Jews Moses and the Prophets were read in the Synagogues every Sabbath day So the Apostle directeth the Reading of his Epistlâ—s in the Christian Church Preaching of the Word how shall they hear saith the Apostle without a Preacher and how shall they preach except they be sent Prayer as the Temple is called an house of Prayer for all people and Peter and John went up to the Temple at the hour of Prayer Baptism Go and teach all Nations Baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost The Supper of the Lord The Cup of Blessing which we bless is it not the Communion of the blood of Christ the bread which we break is it not the Communion of the Body of Christ 3. In variety of Gifts which the
Lord doth severally divide as it pleaseth him for the profit and good of the whole body In the Administration of which Ordinances Offices and Gifts such Decency and Order is to be observed as that it may appear that in all the Churches of the Saints God is a God of Peace and not of Confusion ordaining in all of them that as God hath distributed to every man called every man so he should abide with God within the Precincts of his own Calling not running before he be sent but serving the Lord in that rank station wherein he hath set him 2. An Integral Vnity as between all the parts of an intire body joyned in due order together unto the compleating of the whole and this Unity presupposeth a double Vnion the one of the body to the head the other of the members to one another of both which the Apostle speaketh Ephes. 4. 15 16. 1. There is a bond of Vnion between Christ and his body the Church He that is joyned unto the Lord is one Spirit and this Bond is on Christs part his Spirit whereby he joyneth himself unto his Body we are an habitation of God through the Spirit and on a Believers part his Fatth whereby he joyneth himself to Christ and appointeth him for his Head by which means Christ dwelleth in the hearts of his people Both which the Apostle putteth together calling it the Spirit of Faith 2 There is a Bond of Vnion between the members of the body amongst themselves viz. The mutual Love of Believers unto one another called the Band of perfectness whereby they are knit together for this Grace is that Cement which joyneth the Stones of this spiritual building into one Temple being shed abroad into their hearts by the holy Spirit and is therefore called the Love of the Spirit Rom. 15. 30. as elsewhere the Vnity the Supply and the Fellowship of the Spirit For where this Unity of Spirit and Love is every member doth make a Supply according to the measure which it self hath for the increasing and edifying of the body walking together in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost 3. An Essential Vnity or as St. Hilary calls it Naturalis Vnitas as the body and the soul being joyned together maketh one man and thus Christ is said to make in himself of twain one new man by the participation of that one Spirit which was without measure poured out upon Christ the Head and from his Fulness shed abroad in such proportion upon his Members as he is variously pleased to dispence unto them by which means Christ is formed in us liveth in us and is a quickning Spirit unto us for the Spirit of Christ is that divine seed whereby we are regenerated unto his life and likeness and as St. Peter expresseth it are partakers of the Divine Nature 4. Consequent upon this Essential Vnity whereby all the mystical members of Christ are animated and enlivened by one and the same quickning Spirit doth follow a Moral unity of hearts and minds between all of them as it is said of the Primitive Christians that the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul. And this Moral unity is four-fold 1. An Vnity of Faith in the great and necessary Doctrines of Salvation or in the knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ called by the Apostle the Foundation the Principles of the Doctrine of Christ the form of sound words the proportion or Analogy of Faith the knowledge of Jesus Christ and him Crucified the doctrine and truth which is after godliness the Faith of the Gospel the Faith of Jesus the Mystery of Godliness the Rule by which we should walk called by the Ancients the Seed of Doctrine the Character of the Church the Rule which is common to small and great in one word whatever Doctrine there is the knowledge whereof and assent where-unto is simply necessary unto Salvation in this all who shall be saved do first or last most unanimously agree Differences there may be and usually are in less necessary points which are matters quaestionum non fidei as S. Austin speaks for we know but in part and are not yet come to be perfect men and till the members have attained unto their full stature there cannot be expected an universal consent and harmony of judgements in all points even among the best and most learned men in which case notwithstanding we should receive one another in love and Brotherly Communion because God himself receiveth even those who thus differ into his favour but the Spirit of God doth never fail to lead all that shall be saved into all necessary truths and to preserve them from any damnable and pernicious doctrines 2. Vnity in obedience wherein all holy men do agree albeit some may much exceed others in their progress and degrees of holiness as we may see by comparing the Testimony given unto Asa and unto Josiah such are Repentance from dead works without which we cannot be saved Reliance upon Christ alone by a sincere and unfeigned faith for Life and Salvation A true love of the Lord Jesus and of all that are his A sincere regard unto all Gods Commandments and an hatred of every false way A desire to fear Gods Name and a purpose of heart to cleave unto him and follow him fully Lastly Self-denial submitting our Will and Reason in all things to the Word and Will of God There may be great differences in the spiritual growth and degrees of holiness between one Christian and another some sick others healthy some strong others weak some little children others young men some bruised reeds and smoaking flax others bold as a Lyon But this is obedientia parvis magnisque communis 3. Unity in Worship For though different Churches may have different observances in the External forms and modes of Divine Service yet in the Substantials of Worship they all agree viz. that God is to be worshipped in spirit and in truth and to be sanctified in all those that draw nigh unto him That we are to call upon God only in the Name of Christ as our alone Advocate and Mediator giving thanks unto God the Father by him That we are not to worship Creatures who cannot know our hearts nor answer our prayers nor supply our wants in whom we are not required to believe but are to hold the head to keep our selves from Idols 4. Unity in Ends and Designs for being Brethren in the same Family fellow Citizens with one another and of the houshold of Faith having one Hope one Lord one Faith one Baptisme one God and Father of all the same Enemies to oppose the same interests and common Salvation to