he resolved to make them the very rule of his government and he did so for First for himselfe he tels us in Psal 119 Thy judgements have I laid before me There he makes them his owne rule Then he prayes over his Son Solomon O Lord give here to Solomon my son a perfect heart that he may keep thy commandements that they might rule his Son Well then Thy judgements But is not all justice and judgement Gods Yes out of doubt In generall justice and judgement are from him Therefore it is a great advantage to people in any kingdome even among Infidels to have the kingdom administred by justice and judgement But yet to make a kingdom perfect and entire to have the judgement Gods and the kingdome firme then there must these graines be put into the ballance First it must be justice not onely given but guided all along by God and Grace If this be not judgement cannot remaine firme in any man or any King Now as it holds it workes for worke it cannot beyond the strength it hath therefore if Gods spirit assist it not it may faint and faile just there and then when on the sudden it may shake a kingdome Secondly it must be judgement that is alway Gods and it must distribute rewards and punishments as God commands If justice and judgement role this eye aside though it may continue for ought may appeare to others and themselves yet they begin to looke squint and in part leave God Therefore if any pretended cunning way of justice and judgement so called shall debase and sinke the honour of God and the sincerity of Religion If any Municipall Law be made in any kingdome to strengthen such designes as are injurious to God and his worship there must there will come a failing upon all such kingdomes wheresoever they are and then it will appear though perhaps too late that the judgements of their King were not Gods judgements Thirdly it must be judgement that as much as humane infirmity can beare must be free from taint both within and without within at the heart of the King and his Judges under him and without from all possession in the ear and from all corruption in the hand If this be not Justice which should onely be blind to see no persons becomes so blind that it can see no truth and justice that is so blind cannot be Gods Therefore if the justice and judgement of a kingdome cut up its owne foundation can any man thinke it can build safely and wisely upon it for the State it cannot be And this Thine in the text for I must hasten Thy judgements It is so full a circumstance I cannot leave it yet For by it you may see how necessary it was then for David and how requisite it is now for all Kings to pray to God and to him alone for judgement For no King can master the Scepter well but by justice and judgement And you see it cannot be done by any kind of judgement neither but that that is Gods judgement in the upright integrity of it And then who can give Gods judgements but God himselfe who is as he is called Isay 30. The God and the God of judgement surely none can have it but he in perfection nor none can give it to others to make them perfect but he Therefore Austine askes the question but meerely in scorne What! is it come to that dost thou thinke that thou canst give justice judgement unto thy selfe No thou canst not for no man can give himselfe that that he hath not that that he hath already he needs not This our Prophet tels us plainly for tho the King love judgement yet it is God that prepares Equity and Righteousnesse in Jacob O blessed are all they that waite for him For if they waite he will give and that no lesse than Judgement his judgements to the King One circumstance behind yet is that the words are properly a prayer in the most native sense of prayer Not a thanksgiving onely that God had given him his judgements For though God had given David his judgements and he was thankfull for such a gift as this yet thinks here is not his proper worke but humiliation and supplication And it is an excellent thing to see a King at his prayers for then you see two things at once a greater and a lesser King God and the King And though wee cannot see God as we see the King yet when we see Majesty humbled and in the posture of a Supplicant we cannot in a sort but see that infinite unspeakeable Majesty of that God whom even Kings adore and are made far greater by their humblest adoration For when I pray you was Solomon the Sonne of this King at his greatest glory Surely you shall finde him at his greatest then immediatly upon the finishing of the Temple And how doe you find Solomon there just at his Fathers worke he was there at his prayers upon his knees saith the text 1. King 8. upon his knees whereas now many meane unworthy men are loath to bow their knees or stoope in prayer to God Now this prayer was a prayer indeed for prayer is apt to beg not to buy He that pleads desert challengeth reward of duty but he that prayeth relies upon the mercy and goodnesse of the Giver And this is the way that David comes to God both for himselfe and for his Son And I pray marke it David here the great example of a praying King he saith not retribue domine Lord repay me for the paines of my government for my service of the people or for my worship to thy selfe there is none of this but da domine Give Lord that thou art able to doe by thy power that thou art ready to do by thy goodnesse O Lord let not mine or my peoples unworthinesse hinder that Let not their murmuring disobedience be heard so farre as to thee but Lord give the King thy judgements and then I will execute them to thine honour and their good This was Davids way and it was prevalent And out of question be he King or Subject he that askes no more at Gods hands than either of both askes and shall have too little But God gives much to humble Sutors Iudgements and his judgements And neither the Prophet did ask nor God did give the earnest and pledge of this judgement onely but judgement it selfe to the King And certajnly the King had need to pray thus And so had the people as great need as the King for if this prayer be not made what assurance have you that God will give and if God will not give the King cannot have and if the King cannot receive justice and judgement hee cannot distribute it to the people ver 2. And if judgement be not distributed to the people there will be no peace ver 3. And where the people doe not receive judgement from the King and peace from themselves what
challengeth us for breach of this peace in our separation from them But we say and justly the breach was theirs by their separation not onely from disputable but from evident truth Nor are we fallers out of the Church but they fallers off from verity Let them returne to primitive truth and our quarrell is ended In the meane time it is possibile in nobis both possible and in us to pray that God would in his time fill the Church with truth first and then with peace Now rogate pacem pray for peace is a very full circumstance in the Text I cannot leave it yet For when I consider that he that calls so earnestly for peace is David it fills me with wonder For David was a sword-man with a witnesse One of the greatest warriers that ever was 2 Sam. 7. and most victorious Nay though God had anoynted him before to the Kingdome yet the meanes which first made him known to Saul and afterwards famous in Israel was first his conquest of Goliah 1. Reg. 17. and then his sword against the Philistims Therefore if David be come in upon rogate pacem pray for Peace it cannot be accounted onely the Gowne-mans or the weak mans prayer but it is the wise and the stout mans too for David was both And certainly it is not cowardize to pray for peace nor courage to call for troubles That is the spirit of David that can sing before the Arke of God rogate pacem pray for peace But if the Philistims will disturbe Gods peace and his then and not before he will dye them in their owne blood And Rogate pacem pray for peace looks yet another way upon Davids person For at the first David was King onely over the Tribe of Judah where he reigned seven yeeres and six moneths 2 Sam. 5. The other eleven Tribes followed Ishbosheth the sonne of Saul 2 Sam. 2. But he did not compose this Psalme till the carrying of the Arke to Jerusalem at which time he was King over all both Israel and Judah So Rogate pacem pray for peace was not Davids counsell onely when his Territories were lesse Judah and Hebron but after the great accesse of the eleven Tribes too when he was strong when God had divided his enemies before him even as water is divided asunder as himselfe praiseth God and confesseth 2 Sam. 5. And therefore either Davids example is not worth the following or else a King in honour and a King in plenty and a King that hath added Jerusalem to Hebron eleven Tribes to one may make it his high honour Rogare pacem Jerusalem to pray to God and perswade with men for the peace of Christendome And David had good reason to bee at Rogate pacem pray for peace For though hee scarce tooke any warre in hand but with Gods approbation and against Gods enemies yet we finde 1 Chron. 22. that his Battels and his Blood were the cause why God would not suffer him to build his Temple He might sing before the Ark he might serve him in the Tabernacle but no Temple would he have built by hands in blood Solomons hands Hands of peace must doe that What is the reason What Why it may be it is because when the blood and spirits of a man are heated be the Warre never so just yet to say no more aliquid humani intervenit some heated passion strikes where and as it should not And as Saint James hath it The wrath of man doth not accomplish the righteousnesse of God And the Historian tells us they are not a few that are guilty to themselves parum innocenter exactae militiae Againe I cannot bee so unthankfull to God and my Text but that I must fit one circumstance more to Rogate pacem pray for peace And it is Pray for it this day Why this day Why Why David brought up the Arke with this Psalme and would have built the Temple But Gods answer to him was No But behold a sonne is borne unto thee which shall be a man of peace for I will give him rest from all his enemies round about therefore his name is Salomon and I will send peace and quietnesse upon Israel in his dayes 1 Chron. 22. And had not David then great reason to call upon his people even all of all sorts to pray for that Peace which God would give by Salomon And surely we have a Jerusalem a State and a Church to pray for as well as they And this day was our Salomon the very Peace of our Jerusalem borne And though hee were not borne among us yet hee was borne to us and for the good and well-fare of both State and Church And can yee doe other than Rogare pacem pray for peace in the day nay Nativity the very birth-day of both Peace and the Peace-maker Certainly so unnaturall to your Prince so unthankfull to God you cannot be I will leade you the way to pray for Him his Honour and his Peace That this day may returne often and crowne many and happy and blessed yeeres upon him I had now done with Rogate pacem pray for peace but that Jerusalem is come againe in my way But it is a strange Jerusalem Not the old one which is literall in my Text for which David would have prayers nor that which succeeded it Jerusalem of Iew and Gentile converted for which we must pray But a Ierusalem of gold and precious stones as is described Apoc. 21. which shall be bnilt for them againe upon earth in greater gloy than ever it was And this Jerusalem upon earth is that which is called the Heavenly Jerusalem Heb. 12. 22. And the new Jerusalem Apoc. 21. 2 10. So it is not now sufficient that the Jewes shall be in Gods good time converted to the faith of Christ as the Apostle delivers it Rom. 11. But these converted Jewes must meet out of all Nations the ten Tribes as well as the rest and become a distinct and a most flourisbing Nation againe in Jerusalem And all the Kings of the Gentiles shall doe homage to their King Good God what a fine people have we here Men in the Moone I will not trouble you with any long discourse wherein this errour with or parts from the Chiliasts nor is it worth any settled confutation Onely I cannot desire you Rogare pacem to pray for any peace to this Jerusalem It was an old error of the Jewes which denyed Christ come that when their Messias did come they should have a most glorious temporall Kingdome and who but they I cannot say the Author of this vanitie denies Christ come God forbid But this I must say that many places of the old Testament which concerne the Resurrection from the dead and which looke upon Christ in his first or second comming are impiously applyed to this returne of the Jewes which saith he is to them as a Resurrection from the dead And
faithfull He must trust And now to end at home David is gone long since to his Hope the Mercy of the Highest But a King a gracious King is living over us in Peace and Happinesse as our eyes see this day I know He remembers why God set Him over this great and numerous people that is in benedictione even to blesse them And that he hath been a Blessing unto them Malice it selfe cannot deny And I make no question but he will go on with the Text and be Blessings to them for ever For ever through his whole time and for ever in his generous Posterity Tu dedisti Gods gift is through all this and I will ever pray that it may never faile He hath given this people all His time the Blessing of Peace And the sweet Peace of the people is Praeconium Regnantium the Glory of Kings And Gods gift is in this too For though it be the King that Blesses yet it is God that gives Blessing to Blessing it selfe And suppose Peace end in Warre Tu dedisti Gods gift reaches thither too For the Battell is the Lords 1 Reg. 17. The Battell yes and the Victory For sayth S. Basil Dextera victrix Whosoever be the Enemy the right hand that conquers him is the Lords Now for his Blessing it is fit he should receive Joy But if he will have that true and permanent and no other is worth the having he must looke it in vultu Dei in Gods countenance If he looke it any where else especially where the joy of his countenance shines not there will be but false representations of joy that is not This day the Anniversary of his Crowne is to all his loving Subjects Dies Gaudii and Dies Spei A day of Joy and a day of Hope A day of joy For what can be greater than to see a Just and a gracious King multiplying his yeares And a day of Hope And what can be fitter than to put him in minde even this day that a Kings strength is at sperat in Domino His trust in the Lord the preserver of men Job 7. That as God upon this day did settle His Hope and His Right to this Kingdome upon Him So upon this day which in this yeers revolution proves His day too Dies Domini the Lords day as well as His hee would continue the setling of his Hope on him by whom all the Kings of the Earth beare rule Prov. 8. I say Settle upon Him and his Mercy that is the last The very feet of Kings stand High and in high places slips are dangerous Nothing so fit so able to stand by them as Misericordia Altissimi the Mercy of the Highest In the goodnesse and the power of this Mercy he hath stood a King now almost five and fifty yeares nay a King He was before he could stand Through many dangers the Mercy of the Highest hath brought Him safe Let Him not goe from under it and it followes my Text verse 8. His right hand shall finde out all that hate Him And for himselfe Non commovebitur He shall not be moved not miscarry And so we offer up our Evening sacrifice unto God for Him and for our selves that God will ever give and he may ever be a Blessing to is People That His yeeres may multiply and yet not outlive His joy That this day may come about often and yet never returne but In Gaudio vultus Dei in the joy of Gods countenance upon the King and In Gaudio vultus Regis in the Ioy of the Kings countenance upon the People That the mercy of the most High may give Him hope in the Lord and strengthen it That His Hope may rest upon the Mercy that gave it That in all His businesses as great as His place His Successe may be Non commâ—veri not to miscarry That He may goe on a straight course from Blessing others in this life to be Blessed Himselfe in Heaven And that all of us may enjoy Temporall Blessings under Him and Eternall with Him for evermore And this CHRIST JESUS for his infinite merit and mercy sake grant unto us To whom with the Father and the holy Spirit three persons and one God be ascribed all might Majesty and Dominion this day and for ever AMEN SERM. III. Preached on Monday the 6. of Feb. 1625. at Westminster at the opening of the PARLIAMENT PSAL. 122. ver 3 4 5. Jerusalem is builded as a Citie that is at unity in it selfe or compacted together For thither the Tribes goe up even the Tribes of the Lord to the Testimony of Israel to give thanks unto the Name of the Lord. For there are the Seats or the Thrones of Judgement even the Thrones of the house of David SOme are of opinion this Psalme was made by David and delivered to the Church to be sung when the Ark of God was carryed up to Jerusalem when Jerusalem was setled by David to be the speciall seate both of Religion and the Kingdome The people were bound thrice a yeere at Easter Pentecost and the Feast of Tabernacles to come up and worship at Jerusalem Deu. 16. And some think this Psalme was prophetically made to sing by the way to sing wheÌ„ they went up by the steps to the Temple And 't was fit for they came up with joy And joy is apt to set men a singing And at joy the Psalme begins I was glad when they said unto me We will goe into the house of the Lord. But whatsoever the use of this Psalme was in any speciall Service certaine it is that Jerusalem stands here in the letter for the City and in type and figure for the State and the Church of Christ My Text looks upon both and upon the duty which the Jewes did then and which we now doe owe to both The Temple the Type of the Church that 's for God's service No Temple but for that The City the Type of the State that 's for the peoples peace No happy State but in that Both the Temple and the State God's house and the Kings both are built upon Pillars And it is not long since I told you out of Psal 75. that there are many times of exigence in which if God doe not beare up the Pillars no strength which the Pillars have in and of themselves can support the weight that lies upon them Be they Pillars of the Temple or Pillars of the State Therefore here to ease the Pillars God hath built up Buttresses if men doe not pull them downe to stay the maine walls of both buildings The Buttresse and support of the Temple is Religion God will not blesse the house if men doe not honour and serve him in it The Buttresse and stay of the Kingdome is Justice God will not blesse the State if Kings and Magistrates doe not execute judgement If the widdow and the fatherlesse have cause to cry out against the Thrones of Justice So
Circumcision and a paring off round about of heated and unruly affections in the handling of differences And there must be a Circumcision and a paring off of foolish and unlearned Questions yea and of many Modal too such as are fitter to engender strife than godlinesse 2 Tim. 2. or no peace This is the way and no other that I know to see Jerusalem flourish as a City at unity within it selfe both for State and Church The second praise of Jerusalem is from the Religion of it For thither the Tribes goe up even the Tribes of the Lord to the Testimonie of Israel to give thanks to the name of the Lord. Jerusalem is very right now At unity and Religious Oh that It had knowne the day of its visitation and continued so Luk. 19. For at this time the Tribes went up to the Temple It begins well for to the Temple to the Church to the consecrated place of Gods service is one of the best journies men of all sorts can make And you may give a shrewd guesse at the devotion of the time by the frequenting of the Church And this their publike comming to worship at the Temple was Gods expresse commandement Exod. 23. Therefore assembling and meeting at publike service in the Church is no humane Institution but from God himselfe Nor is this Ceremony Jewish or Ambulatory to cease with the Law and that Temple but omnino perpetuum altogether permanent in the Church of Christ Christians must to the Church and place of service too Why but what are they to doe when they come there What why Jerusalem was right here too They did give thanks to the name of the Lord and there 'T is no good signe when men are to seeke what they should doe when they come to Church Yet if any man be ignorant my Text will informe him men are there now to doe as they did then to give thanks to the name of the Lord. The 70. and the Vulgar have it To confesse to the name of the Lord. It comes all to one For be the word Thanke or Confesse it stands here expressive of the whole Liturgie of all the publike externall Service of God All which if it be not accompanyed with the inward service of the heart is worth nothing So they went to the Temple as we must goe to the Church to confesse to pray to worship to praise to give thanks to God which even under the Law was preferred before Sacrifice it selfe Psal 50. Nor may the wisdome of the world think that to pray and to give thanks to God are void actions For what ever worldlings think the Church doth great service to the State while it prayes And it is no hard thing to prove this out of those Politicians themselves which have given the world just cause to think they wrapped up God in their pocket when they went to counsel For their great Master confesseth that not a few but many things happen to States ex fato urgente out of such a pressing destiny that they cannot be prevented though the remedies be obvious and at hand And is it so Why then where is the wisdome of the Wise 1 Cor. 1. Is it not confounded out of question ' t is For ye see the remedy is acknowledged to be at hand and yet not found This purblind wisdome cannot see it But to come home to him This Fatum urgens what ere it be if there be a remedy and at hand it may be prevented 'T is true it cannot by worldly wisdome onely For nisi Dousinus except the Lord keepe the City all other watchfulnesse is in vaine Psal 127. But then allow God that which is fit for him due to him The highest roome at the Councell-Table hee 'l quickly divert this Fatum urgens this pressing necessity The time was when Ruine was travelling so fast toward Nineve that it came within 40. dayes of the City Ion. 3. And it was fatum urgens it came on apace Did any wiseman of that State discover that danger secure a remedy Not a man The Prophet preached the danger and Devotion as blind as 't is thought stumbled upon the Remedy Prayer and Repentance things with which worldly wisdome hath little to doe And therefore to pray and give thankes are no empty Actions for the State Well then To pray To praise To worship To give thanks here 's a great deale of service mentioned to God and yet sure no more than needs But in the antient Church of the Iewes was there no Reading no Preaching of the Law to informe people Yes out of question They heard Moses the Prophets in their Synagogues every Sabbath day Acts 13. yea and in the Temple too if S. Basil be right But marke then The Originall Copy of the Law The word of God written in Tables of Stone was in the Temple at Ierusalem And there the Priests which were to judge according to the Law Deut. 17. This Law they might and did expound but they might not crosse with it No preaching in their severall Synagogues and Parishes that I may so terme them but was according to the Law conteined in the Arke at the Temple the Mother Church And 't was fit For if every man may preach as he list though he pretend the Law and the Gospell too Ierusalem will be quickly out of unity in it selfe And if they leave comming to the Arke and the Testimony the world will soone have as many differences in Religion as there be yong ignorant and bold Priests in Parishes Now there was a double Testimony and Convention between God and the people The Law was the witnesse and covenant on Gods part with the people And that the people should come and tender their homage and obedience to God and the Law that was the Testimony and the Covenant of the people with God Deut. 16. God he promised to be present at the Arke Exod. 25. and he performed it Num. 7. And so God is alwayes ready at his end of the Covenant All the feare is we fall short and come not as we should either to heare Gods Testimony to us or to give Testimony to the world by our obedience And herein as in all things else Christ be mecifull that brought mercie into the Covenant And you may observe too that this comming to the Temple to pray and to worship is called here by the Prophet an Ascent or going up Ascenderunt and an Ascent it is It was fitted in the Letter For the Temple at Ierusalem was built upon mount Moriah no going up to it but by an Ascent And 't is fit in regard of the Materiall Church now For how low soever the situation of any of them be yet 't is motus sursum upward still and towards heaven to frequent the Church And 't is fit in regard of the whole Militant Church That 's an Ascent too to come out of Paganisme
calls it Concors Odium unity in hatred to persecute the Church And to this worke there 's unity enough Men take counsell together Psal 2. Saint Augustine calls it unitatem contra unitatem a unity against unity when Pagans Jewes and Hereticks or any prophane crew whatsoever make a league against the Churches unity And about that worke that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance that there may be no Church or no reformed Church Gebal and Ammon and Amaleck the Philistims and they that dwell at Tyre are Confederates together Psal 83. S. Hilary will not vouchsafe to call such union unity Indeed It deserves not the name 'T is not unity saith he be it in Church or be it in State but 't is a Combination And hee gives his Reason For unity is in faith and Obedience but Combination is Consortium factionis no other no better the consenting in a faction And all Faction is a Fraction too and an Enemy to unity even while it combines in one For while it combines but a part it destroyes the unity of the whole Is the Spirit in this Out of question No. For a Faction to compasse it's end I will not say when it sees a theefe it consents to him or that it is alwaies partaker with the Adulterers but this it doth It speaks against its owne Brother and slanders its owne Mothers Sonne Psal 50. Can any man call this the unity of the Spirit or is this the way to Unity And now I cannot but wonder what words S. Paul were he now alive would use to call backe Vnity into dismembred Christendome For my part Death were easier to me than it is to see and consider the face of the Church of Christ scratched and torne till it bleeds in every part as it doth this day And the Coat of Christ which was once spared by Souldiers because it was seamblesse S. Ioh. 19. Rent every way and which is the miserie of it by the hand of the Priest And the Pope which Bellarmine hath put into the Definition of the Church that there might bee one Ministeriall head to keep all in Vnity is as great as any if not the greatest cause of divided Christianity Good God what preposterous thrift is this in men to sowe up every small rent in their owne Coat and not care what rents they not onely suffer but make in the Coat of Christ What is it Is Christ onely thought fit to weare a torne garment Or can we thinke that the Spirit of Vnity which is one with Christ will not depart to seeke warmer cloathing Or if he be not gone already why is there not Vnity which is where ere he is Or if he be but yet gone from other parts of Christendome in any case for the passion and in the bowels of Iesus Christ I beg it make stay of him here in our parts For so the Apostle goes on Keepe the Unity of the Spirit This Exhortation requires two things saith S. Ierome the one that they which have this Unity of the Spirit keep it the other that they which have it not labour to get it And certainly nothing can be more beneficial or more honourable either for Church or State than to get it when they have it not or to keepe it when they have it And this is implyed in the very word which the Apostle uses Keepe For no wise man will advise the treasuring up and keeping of any thing but that which is of use and benefit And the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not barely signifie to Keepe but Tueri to defend too which is the stoutest keeping Now all wise men are for Vnity And all good men for the Vnity of the Spirit Yes saith S. Isidor Boni servant Good men keepe it Wise and good men keepe it why then none but fooles and bad men breake it Sly and cunning men perhaps may have their hands in Divisions but wise or good men they are not For are they not all without understanding that worke wickednesse Psal 53. And a greater wickednesse men can hardly worke than to dissolve the Vnity of the Spirit in either Church or Common-wealth For they doe as much as in them lies to bring profanenesse into the Church and desolation upon the State Keepe therefore the Vnity of the Spirit Keep Vnity why but what needs that will not unity keepe it selfe T is true unity is very apt to hang together It proceeds from Charity which is the glue of the Spirit not severed without violence Yea but for all this it needs keeping In the Church it needs keeping And therefore the Prophets and Governours of the Church are called Custodes Keepers Watchmen and Overseers Ezek. 3. and Acts 20. And they must watch as well over her Peace as her Truth And yet there are so many that scatter the tares of Schisme and Heresie that her Vnity is not kept In the Common-wealth it needs keeping too For her Governours are Custodes Civitatis Keepers of the City But there also there are not few that trouble the waters for their owne fishing And many times a Common-wealth is in danger to lose her Unity just as Ephesus did Act. 19. At which time all the City was troubled but the greater part knew not why And the true cause of the Division was no more but this Demetrius and his fellowes were afraid they should lose their gaine if Diana and her Temple kept not up their greatnesse Now this noyse at Ephesus doth not onely tell us that unity needs keeping but it informes us farther of the way to keep it The way to keep unity both in Church and State is for the Governors to carry a watchfull eye over all such as are discoverd or feard to have private ends For there 's no private end but in some thing or other it will be lead to run crosse the publique And if gaine come in though it be by making shrines for Diana 't is no matter with them though Ephesus be in an uproare for it And certainly there 's no keeping of Unity in either Church or State unlesse men will be so temperate when it comes to a lump at least as to lay down the private for the publique's sake and perswade others to do the like Else saith Saint Chrysostome Quicquid ducit ad amorem sui dividit unitatem whatsoever leads men to any love of themselves and their owne ends helpes to divide the unity And the Schoole applyes it both to Church and State For in the Church they which seeke their owne and not that which is Christs who is publicum Ecclesiae the publique interest of the Church depart from the Vnity of the Spirit And in an earthly City the unity of that is gone when the Citizens studdy their owne not the publique good Why but when then is Vnity to be kept When why surely at all times if it
goes round about it to keepe it in And where the two ends of Peace meete there Unity is fast and knit up And the knot is of the same substance with the bond Peace too And therefore where the antient reading of the Text is To keepe Unity in the bond of peace there some will have it to keepe Vnity in vinculo quod est pax In that band which is peace This bond as 't is the bond of unity so 't is well fitted to the unity it bindes For if you marke it it bindes unity and the bond is but One In vinculo pacis in the bond of peace One band And yet that which is unum is not unius that which is but One is not onely of One For it bindes many whole Churches whole Kingdomes And both bodies are ever safest when the bond is One and that One able to hold them For when this One bond of peace cannot bind close 't is a shrewd argument either that some ill humor swells and will not endure the bond or that the bond it selfe is strained and made weake And in both these cases timely helpe must be applied or the Vnity of the Body is in Danger You may see this plaine in the Naturall body The out-bond of the body is the skinne If the body be too full of humors and they foule and in Motion the body swells till the skinne breakes So t is in the Church and so t is in the State when the body is too full of humours The inner-bond of the body is the Sinew 'T is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the very word which the Apostle uses The bond or the sinew of peace If the sinew be broken or over-strained there 's much paine and weakenesse in the body and the members hang as loose as if they were falling one from another And so t is in the Ecclesiasticall And no other than so in the Civill Body If there be but a straining in the bond though perhaps the sinew be not yet broken t is high time to looke to the Unity of the Body Well What Remedy then What Why sure there 's none but Vinculum Vinculi The sinew must have a swathe And that which was wont to bind the Body must be bound up it selfe And if the Cure light not into honest and good Chirurgions hands it may prove a lame Church and a weake State ever after God blesse the Body therefore and direct the Chirurgions Now as the bond of these great bodies the Church and the State may be broken so the knot which hath ever beene hard to unty may be cutte And both Church and State have ever had Cause to feare both both breaking and cutting Saint Ignatius was afraid of this in the Church by and by after the Apostles times And therefore He writes to the Church of Philadelphia In any case to to flie and shunne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the partition or cutting off this knot And indeed t is not fit for any man imployed about this bond of peace to have his Rasor about him And David was afraid of this in the State and he had cause great cause For some wilde unruly men cryed out then Let 's break their bonds in sunder and cast their cords from us Psal 2. What bonds Why All the bonds of peace and all the bonds of allegiance too For the Consultation then was saith Calvin to depose David But he that dwells in heaven laughed them to scorne ver 4. And then brake them in pieces like a Potters vessell ver 9. Now the Breakers of the bond of peace both in Church and Common-wealth are pride and disobedience For these two cry one to another That is Pride to disobedience Come let 's breake the bond And this is very observable and with reference to this bond of peace too You shall never see a disobedient man but he is proud For he would Obey if he did not thinke himselfe fitter to govern Nor shall you ever see a proud man stoope to binde up any thing But if you see him stoope take heede of him 't is doubtlesse to breake the bond of peace The Reason's plaine if hee stoope to binde up He knowes he shall be but one of the bundle which his pride cannot endure But if he stoope to loose the bond then he may be free and shew his vertue as he calls it that is hope To runne formost in the head of a Faction Fond men that can be thus bewitched with pride against themselves For when they are bound up though but as one of the Bundle yet therein under God they are strong and safe But when the Bond is broken and they perhaps as they wish in the Head headlong they runne upon their owne Ruine Thus you have seene the Apostles care for Vnity For Unity but faine would he have it of the Spirit This Unity he desires you should keep yea studdy and endeavour to keepe as the Spirit is ready to prevent and assist that you may be able to keepe it This Unity must be kept in peace And if you will have it sure in the bond of peace That which remaines is that you obey and follow the Apostles Exhortation That all of you in your selves and with others endeavour to keepe the Vnity of the Spirit in the bond of peace both in Church and Common-wealth For good Counsell such as here our Apostles is doth not make Church or State happy when 't is given but when 't is followed And to the danger that may come it addes guilt to all such as will not obey the counsell that they may prevent the danger And let me say thus much for the Vnity of the Spirit 'T is that which ties us one to another and all to God and God to all Without God we cannot be safe either in this life or that to come And without this Vnity no man is sure of his Neighbours assistance nor any man of Gods But by this Unity GOD himselfe is content to be bound to you And that which is bound is sure and ready at need Et sortis cum debili ligatus illum portat se saith Saint Chrysostome And strength bound to weakenesse beares up both it selfe and weaknesse And in this sense I can admit of Scaligers Subtilty That Vnity is Omnipotent Keepe Vnity then and be sowre t is honourable Justice upon any that shall endeavour to breake it He deserves not to live that would dissolve that bond by which God hath bound himselfe to assist the Church and the Common-wealth Our adversaries make Vnity a Note of the Church and they perswade such as will beleeve them that we have no Unity and so no Church I would not have Occasion given them to inlarge their doctrine lest in the next place they take upon them to prove that we have no Common-wealth neither for want of Vnity Now to keepe Vnity I have made bold to direct you one