laid in the dungeon nor had they forbid Amos to prophesie at the Kings Chapel or his Court nor had they mocked the messengers of God and despised his prophets till the wrath of the Lord arose and there was no remedy 2 Chron. 26. 16. Had this Spirit of Vnity been in the persecuting Jews they would not have counted Paul a pestilent fellow and a mover of sedition among the people nor have hunted the Apostles with implacable fury nor have forbidden them to preach to the Gentiles that they might be saved and have brought Gods wrath upon themselves to the uttermost 1 Thes 2. 15 16. Had this Vnity of spirit prevailed in the Nicolaitans and other hereticks of old they had not so early grieved the Apostles and divided and dishonoured the primitive Church nor raised so many Sects and parties among Christians nor put the Apostles to so many vehement obtestations against them and so many sharp objurgations and reproofs Nor had there been down to this day a continuation for so many hundred years of the Churches woful distractions and calamities by the two sorts of afflicters viz. the Clergie Tyrants on one side and the swarms of restless Sectaries on the other And if the Spirit of Vnity ruled in the people there would he less rebelling repining and murmuring against Governours but subjects would render to all their dues tribute to whom tribute custome to whom custome fear to whom fear is due and honour to whom honour Rom. 13. 7. They would owe nothing to any man but to Love one another v. 8. For he that loveth another hath fulfilled the Law For this Thou shalt not commit adultery Thou shalt not kill Thou shalt not steal Thou shalt not bear false witness Thou shalt not covet and if there be any other Commandment it is briefly comprehended in this saying Thou shalt Love thy neighbour as thy self Love worketh no ill to his neighbour Therefore Love is the fulfilling of the Law v. 9 10. Love is long-suffering and kind Love envyeth not Love vaunteth not it self or is not rash nor is puffed up doth not behave it self unseemly seeketh not her own is not easily provoked or siercely angry thinketh no evil rejoyceth not in iniquity but rejoyceth in or with the truth Love beareth or concealeth all things believeth all things hopeth all things endureth all things 1 Cor. 13. 4 c. Did the Vnity of the spirit and Love prevail it would undo most of the Lawyers Atturneys Solicitors Proctors It would give the Judges a great deal of ease It would be a most effectual corrector of the press of the pulpit of the table talk of calumniators and backbiters It would heal factious preachers and people and many a thousand sins it would prevent In a word Love and Vnity are the most excellent Law They are a Law eminenter For it is to such that the Apostle saith there needeth no Law that is no forcing constraining Law which supposeth an unwilling subject For what a man Loveth â—e need not be constrshained to by penalties And men need not many threats to keep them from beating or robbing or slandering themselves And did they but Love God and the Church and their Neighbours and their own souls as they do their bodies piety and justice and concord and felicity would be as common as humanity is As the best physicions are most for strengthening nature which is the true curer of diseases so he that could strengthen Vnity and Love would soon cure most of the persecutions schisms reproaches contentions deceivings over-reaching rash-censuring envy malice revenge and all the injuries which selsishness causeth in the world 4. The Vnity of the spirit is necessary to the fulness of our joy and the true consolation of our lives A private selfish Spirit hath very little matter to feed his joy even his own poor narrow and interrupted pleasures And what are these to the treasures which feast the joy and pleasure of a publick mind If Love Vnite me as a Christian to all Christians and as a man to all the world the blessings of Christians and the mercies of all the world are mine When I am poor in my own body I am rich in millions of others and therefore rich in mind When I am sick and pained in this narrow piece of flesh I am well in millions whose health is mine and therefore I am well in mind when I am neglected abused slandered persecuted in this vile and perishing body I am honoured in the honour of all my brethren and I prosper in their prosperity I abound in their plenty I am delivered in their deliverances I possess the comfort of all the good which they possess Object By the same reason you may say that you are holy in their holiness and righteous in their righteousness which will be a fanatical kind of comâ—ort to ungodly persons Answ He that is himself unholy and unrighteous hath not this Vnity with holy righteous persons He that hath not the spirit hath not the unity of the spirit This frivolous objection therefore goeth upon a mistake as if this Vnity were common to the ungodly But to those that have the spirit of Unity indeed the comfort of all other mens holiness is theirs and that in more than one respect 1. By some degree of causal participation As the common health of the body is extended to the benefit of each particular member And the common prosperity of the Kingdom doth good to the particular subjects Goodness in all men is of a communicative nature as Light and Heat are And therefore as a greater fire much more the Sun doth send forth a more extensive Light and Heat than a spark or candle so the Grace of Life in the Vnited body of Christ doth operate more powerfully for every member than it would do were it confined to that member separatedly As in the holy Assemblies we find by sweet experience that a conjunction of many holy souls doth add alacrity to every one in particular And it is a more lively joyful work and liker to heaven to pray and praise God with many hundreds or thousands of faithful Christians than with a few I know not how the conceit of singularity may work on some but for my part Gods praises sung or said in a full assembly of zealous sincere and serious persons is so much sweeter to me than a narrower Communion yea though many bad and ignorant persons should be present that I must say that it is much against my will when ever I am deprived of so excellent a help 2. And as Efficiently so Objectively a holy soul by this Unity of spirit hath a part in the blessings and Graces of all the world He can know them and think of them so far as he is One with them with such pleasure as he thinketh of his own For what should hinder him Do we not see that husband and wife are pleased by the Riches and honour of each other because
and to their works § 31. III. And they all believe that the Holy Spirit being God and one in Essence with the Father and the Son proceeding from the Father and or by the Son is the Great Witness Agent and Advocate of Christ before at and after his coming into the world incarnate by his gifts of Prophecy Miracles and Sanctification convincing sinners and drawing them to Repent and Believe and dwelling in Believers as an operating cause of Divine Life and Light and Love thus Uniting them to God in Christ their Head and to each other in Faith and Love by which they are gathered to him as his Church or body having the forgiveness of their sins and the adoption of Sons and right to the heavenly inheritance And living in holy communion on earth their souls at death are received to happiness with Christ and their Bodies shall be raised and soul and body Glorified at the last with Jesus Christ and all the blessed in the perfect Vision Love and joyful Praise of the most Glorious Jehovah § 32. And as I. All Christians agree in this Belief so also II. They all solemnly in and by the Baptismal Covenant and their holy Eucharistical Communion and other duties Profess the Consent of their wills to these Relations to God their Creatour Redeemer and Sanctifier and to his Church or body and their thankful Acceptance of the foresaid Gifts And they profess and express their seeking-desires hereof according to the Contents of the Lords Prayer § 33. III. And as to Practice they all agree in professing and promising obedience to Christ according to the Law of Nature the Decalogue and all his Written Laws so far as they understand them and their desire to Learn them to that end § 34. All sincere Christians agree in the true and Hearty Consent to all this And these are the true saved Church of Christ called Invisible because their Hearts-consent is Invisible All other Baptized and Professing Christians with them agree in the Profession of all this And are called The Church-visible their Profession being visible And all this being truly included in Baptism which is our entrance into the Catholick or Universal Church in this before described consisteth our Catholick Communion in Christs body as spiritual or invisible and as visible § 35. II. But besides this Universal Church-Union and Communion for ORDER and Advantage to our great end God hath instituted the ORDER of Christian Assemblies or Particular Churches which are to the Vniversal Church as Cities and Corporations to a Kingdom Which are the noblest and most priviledged parts of the Kingdom but yet not essential parts but eminently Integral For it may be a Kingdom without them and would be if they were all disfranchised and laid common And if Apostles and Evangelists as Itinerant Preachers convert and baptize men they are part of the Church Universal before they are gathered into distinct societies under proper Pastors of their own The Eunuch Act. 8. was baptized into no particular Church but into the universal only and so were many others And meer Baptism as such without any additional contract doth no more If thousands were Converted in America or cast there without Pastors they were parts of the Universal Church if baptized Professing Christians And before the Apostles ordained any fixed Bishops or Pastors of particular Churches the Church Universal was in being though small § 36. But these particular Churches being a great part of Christs Institutions and necessary not only by Precept but as a means to the Well-being of the Universal and the Edification of it and the particular members It must be endeavoured and that with good hope of success that there may so much Particular Church-Vnion be obtained and maintained as shall much conduce to its great and excellent ends That is 1. So much as that in them God the Father Son and Holy Ghost may be Publickly solemnly and constantly confessed by sound doctrine holy worship and holy discipline and conversation 2. So much as that hearty Christian Love may be exercised and maintained and Christians edified in Communion of Saints 3. So much as that God shall accept them delight in them and bless them their converting edifying and comforting souls hearing their prayers and praises and owning them by his Ministry Covenants and grace and differencing them from the people that do not thus confess and worship him and promoting hereby their salvation And if this much be attained it is not to be vilified for want of more nor blotted with reproachful names but acknowledged with thankfulness and praise § 37. III. And yet there is a further degree of concord to be hoped for and endeavoured and that is the concord of these particular Churches with one another That they may all Profess 1. The same faith and necessary doctrine 2. and the same Love to God and one another 3. and the same Hope of life eternal 4. and may offer to God the same necessary and acceptable sort of worship viz. by preaching and applying his holy word recorded in the holy Scriptures preserving and reading them calling upon his holy name by Confession prayer thanksgiving and praises and holding respective communion in the use also of the Sacraments of his Covenant and exercising in some measure such holy Government and Discipline by Pastors overseeing their several flocks as he himself by his institution hath made universally necessary And all this though not in perfection nor every where with the same degree of purity and care yet so far 1. as that Gods word and ordinances be kept up in soundness in all parts and respects necessary to salvation 2. and as may tend to the edifying of the Churches by Love and concord in necessary things and their mutual help by counsel and strength by that concord 3. and the avoiding of pernicious feuds and divisions § 38. The means by which this is to be done 1. by communicatory Letters 2. by Synods 3. and by Civil Governours is after in due place to be explained Thus much of Christian Vnity and Concord may be well hoped for upon just endeavours here on earth But neither Perfection in these nor those unnecessary terms of Concord which some have long taken to be necessary § 39. And indeed so much as may be hoped for is so very hardly to be obtained that if we trusted not to Gods extraordinary Grace more than to any natural probability that appeareth to us in man we should be ready to despair that ever Christians should live long in so much peace and concord And though the great difficulty must not kill our hopes it must much quicken us to strenuous endeavours Of which more anon Satan is so great an enemy to it and every sin in man is so much against it as every disease in the body is against its ease and peace and the multitude and malignity of sins and sinners is so great and the very healers so few and faulty and unskilful
invented expositions will be as liable to be wrested by Hereticks as the Scripture It is ridculous presumption to talk of making any Law profession or Articles that a false Heretick may not subscribe to 3. But there is another remedy against them while they conceal their heresie they are no Hereticks in the judgment of the Church Non apparere here is as non esse when they divulge it the judicatures must correct them It 's vanity to dream that the Law is faulty as long as it is but such as men can break or that any Law can be made which none can break But as they break them they are to be judged 4. And we must not rack and divide the good for fear of such letting in the bad The Churches Concord and peace is of more regard than the keeping out of some secret Heretick yea of old he was not called a Heretick that did not separate from the Church All good men agree to the word of God but all will not agree to every word of yours § 13. I conclude In humane affairs there is nothing without imperfection weakness and incommodity and to pretend the cure of these by impossibilities or mischiefs is the way of such as these Thirteen hundred years have been the true schismaticks and distracters of the Church CHAP. X. A draught or specimen of such Forms as are before mentioned for the Approved and the Tolerated Ministers § 1. TThis Chapter should have gone before the ninth But I thought to pass it by lest it seem presumptuous But the observation how ordinarily men miscarry in this work hath perswaded me to run the hazard of mens censures § 2. 1. The form to be subscribed by the Approved Ministry I A. B. do seriously as in the sight of God profess that as I have been in Baptism devoted by the sacred Covenant to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost renouncing the Devil the world and the flesh so far as they are his enemies so I do unfeignedly Believe in God the Father Son and Holy Ghost and consent still to that Covenant in hope of the grace and Glory promised obliging my self to continue by the help of that grace in Faith Love and sincere obedience to the end More particularly § 3. I. I do unfeignedly Believe 1. That there is one Only God an infinite Spirit of Life understanding and will most perfectly powerful wise and good incomprehensibly Three in One and One essence in Three called persons or subsistences by the Church the Father the Word and the Spirit of whom and through whom to whom are all things he being the Creator preserver Governour and the ultimate End of all Our absolute owner our most just Ruler and our most gracious and amiable Father and benefactor 2. I believe that this God created all the world things invisible and visible And made man in his own Image forming a fit Body and breathing into it a spirit of Life understanding and will fitted and obliged to know love and serve his Creator giving him the inferior Creatures for this use making him their Owner their Governour and their End under God But specially forbidding him to eat of the Tree of knowledge on pain of death 3. The woman being tempted by Satan and the man by the woman both fell by wilful sin from their Holiness Innocency and Happiness into a state of Pravity Guilt and misery under the slavery of the Devil world and flesh under Gods vindictive Justice and the condemnation of his Law Whence sinful corrupted guilty and miserable natures are propagated to all mankind And no meer Creature is able to deliver us § 4. II. I believe that God so loved the world that he gave his only Son to be their Saviour Who being God and one with the Father took our Nature and became man being conceived by the Holy Ghost born of the Virgin Mary named Jesus the Christ who was perfectly holy without sin fulfilling all righteousness and being tempted overcame the Devil and the world and after a life of humiliation gave himself a sacrifice for our sins by suffering a cursed death on the Cross to ransome us and reconcile us unto God and was buryed and descended to Hades and conquering death the third day he rose again And having sealed the New Covenant with his blood he commanded his Apostles to preach the Gospel to all the world and promised the Holy Ghost and after forty daiesascended into heaven where he is God and man the glorified Head over all things to his Church all power being given him in heaven and earth our prevailing Intercessor with God the Father to present us our service acceptable to God and communicate Gods grace and mercies unto us to Teach us Govern protect and judge us and to save and bless and glorifie us § 5. 2. By the new Testament Covenant or Law of grace God through the aforesaid Mediation of Jesus Christ doth freely give to fallen mankind Himself to be their Reconciled God and Father his Son to be their Saviour and his holy Spirit to be their sanctifier and comforter if they will accordingly believe and accept the gift and by faithful covenant give up themselves to him in these Relations Repenting of their sins and consenting to forsake the Devil the world and the flesh so far as they are enemies to God and their salvation and sincerely to obey Christ his Laws and his Spirit to the end bearing the Cross and following him though through sufferings that they may reign with him in Glory All which God will faithfully perform § 6. III. I Believe that God the Holy Spirit proceeding from the Father and from or by the son was given to the Prophets Apostles and Evangelists to be their infallible Guide in preaching and recording the doctrine of salvation and to be the great witness of Christ and his truth by his manifold Divine operations And that he is given to quicken illuminate and sanctifie all true believers and to save them from the Devil the world and the fleshes temptations from sin and from spiritual misery And that the Holy Scriptures indited by this Spirit are to be believed loved and obeyed as the word of God § 7. 2. I believe that all who by true Consent are devoted to God in the foresaid Baptismal Covenant and so continue are one sanctified Church or Body of Christ and have Communion in the same spirit of faith and Love and have forgiveness of their sins and having one God one Christ one spirit one faith one Baptism and one Hope of Heavenly Glory are bound to keep this unity of the spirit in the bond of peace in the Doctrine worship order and conversation and mutual helps which Christ hath by himself or his Apostles commanded avoiding uncharitable contentions divisions injuries and offences And that the Baptized Covenanters and external Professors of the foresaid Covenant consent are the visible
below him to be the Informing soul of the world yet is he more than such a soul to it of Him and through Him and to Him are all things who is All things in all things above all and through all and in us all as is aforesaid and being more intimate to all things as their proper form is the first Vniting principle of all being as he is the first Cause and the End of all And yet it is Above the Creatures to be accounted parts of God for they are not his Constitutive parts who is most simple but slow from him by his Causal efflux and so are by many not falsly called Vna emanatio Divina or a continued effect of one Divine creative or efficient Volition All One as In and Of and To One God and as compaginated among themselves and yet Many by wonderful incomprehensible diversities Ab uno Omnia 28. God is said to be More One with some Creatures than with others as he operateth more excellent effects in one than in others and as he is related to those effects but not as his essence is Nearer to One than to another 29. Accordingly his Vnion with the Intellectual Spirits and souls of men is said to be nearer than with Bodies and his Communion answerably But that is because they are the Nobler product of his Creating or efficient Power and Will 30. And so he is said to be more Vnited to holy souls than to the unholy to the Glorified than to the dammed Because he maketh them Better and communicateth to them more of his Glory and the effects of his Power Wisdom and Love As the Sun is more United to a burning-glass or to a place where it shineth brightly or to some excellent plant which it quickneth than to others 31. Accordingly we must conceive of that Vnion before mentioned Thes 10. of Christ with Believers here and with the glorified hereafter as to his Divine Nature which may well be called mystical and is of late become the subject of some mens contentious opposition and is matter of difficult enquiry to the wisest And yet it is hard to say that in all their hot opposition any sober men are in this disagreed For 1. it is by such commonly confessed that the Spirit of Christ doth operate more excellent effects on believers than on others and on the Blessed than on the damned even making them liker unto God 2. And that this Holy spirit is by Covenant related to them to operate for the future more constantly and eminently in them than in others 3. And that this Spirit proceedeth and is sent from the Father and the Son to do these works 4. And that Christ is Related to each Believing and each Glorifyed soul as one in Covenant self-obliged or a Promiser thus by his Spirit to operate on them 5. And that he is thus Related to the whole Church or society of such persons whereof each Individual is a part So that all this set together telleth us that every Believing and every Glorifyed soul is said to be United to Christ in all these several conjunct respects as to his Godhead 1. In that he eminently operateth Grace and Glory in them that is Holy Life Light and Love by the Holy Ghost And this he doth as God doth all things per essentiam and not as distant by an intermediate Vertue which is neither Creator nor Creature As the very Sun-beams touch the illuminated and heated object 2. By a moral-relative Union by Covenant to that individual person to do such things upon him As husband and wife are United by Covenant for certain uses 3. By a Political Relative Vnion as that person is a member of the Church or Political body to which Christ is United by Promise as aforesaid who denieth any of this and who affecteth more 32. And then our Vnion with Christs humane nature besides the General and special Logical Vnion as he is a Creature a Man of the same Nature with us can be of no Higher or Nearer a sort But differeth from the former so far as the Operations and Relation of a Created Medium differ from those of the Creator That is 1. The humane nature is honoured and used by the Divine as a second cause of the foresaid effects of Grace and Glory on us 2. The humane Nature being of the same species with ours is by a Law obligation and consent related to each Believer and to all the Church as the Root and chief Medium Administrator and Communicator of this Grace and Glory and so as our Relative Head in the foresaid Moral and Political sense communicating those Real Benefits 3. And Christ in his Humanity is the Authorised Lord and Governour of all inferiour means and causes by which and Grace and Glory is conveyed to us as of Angels Ministers Word Sacraments changing Providences c. 4. But whether his own Humane Soul per essentiam immediatam attingentiam do operate on all holy souls and so be Physically also Vnited to them as the Sun is to the quickened plants or animals I told you before I know not yet but hope ere long to know 33. Christs Divine Nature is United to his humane in a peculiar sort as it is not to any other creature But it is not by any change of the Divine but by that peculiar possessing operation and Relation which no other created being doth partake of and which no mortal can comprehend of which I have said more elsewhere 34. All Creatures as such are United in God as the Root or first cause of Nature All Believers and Saints are United in Christ as the Head of the Church as aforesaid and in the Holy spirit as the principle of their sanctification 35. The Political Relative Union of such Saints among themselves is intelligible and sure as having One God one Head one Holy spirit But as I said before how and how far their very substance is One by an Unity analogous to Physical Continuity like the solar Light c. and how far and how they are substantially divers and how and how far the spirit of Holiness doth in a peculiar manner Unite the substances of Holy souls among themselves by Analogie to the Illuminated Air c. and how all souls and Angels are individuate and distinguished I say again is past our reach 36. Seeing Vnion is so naturally desired as Perfection by all creatures known to us it is great mordinateness and folly to fear lest death will by too near an Union end our individuation 37. And as things sensible are the first known by man in flesh and we see that among them Union destroyeth no part of their substance but a sand or Atom is the same thing in Union with others as it would be if separate or solitary and a drop of water hath as true and much existing substance in the Ocean as in its separate state and so of a particle of Air we have reason to
conclude no worse of the ingneous Element nor yet of sensitive or Intellectual spirits For 1. How far they are passive and partible being many we know not Most of the old Fathers especially the Greeks as Faustus Regiensis cited them in the book which Mammertus answered thought that God only was totally Immaterial or Incorporeal And it must not be denyed that every creature doth pati à Deo is passive as from God the first cause and many Philosophers think that all Passivity is a consequent or proof of answerable Materiality And many think that we have no true notion of substantia besides Relative as it doth subsist of it self and substare accidentibus but what is the same with Materia purissima 2. But supposing all this to be otherwise spirits being true substances of a more perfect nature than grosse bodies as they are more inclined to Union inter se so there is as little if not less danger that they should be losers by that Union than that a drop of water should be so For the perfection of the highest nature must needs be more the perfection of all the Parts Physical or intelligible than the perfection of the lowest And the noblest inclineth not to its own loss by desiring Union which to the lowest is no loss 38. It is called in the Text The Vnity of the spirit 1. As it is One species of Spiritual Grace which all the members are endowed with which is their Holiness or Gods Image on them which is called The Spirit in us because it is the immediate and excellent work of Gods spirit As the Sun is said to be in the room because it shineth there 2. As the Spirit is the efficient cause hereof 3. And because this One spirit in all the members inclineth them to Vnity even as the soul of every animal inclineth it to preserve the Unity of all its parts and to abhor wounding and separation as that which will be its pain and tendeth to its destruction by dissolution 39. The Holiness or spiritual qualification of souls which is called The Spirit is Holy or Divine Life Light and Love or the holy disposition of the souls three natural faculties Vital Power or Activity Vnderstanding and Will As all men have One species of humanity so all Saints have this One spirit 40. Though Quickning by holy Life and Illumination be parts of sanctification or this spirit yet the last part Love is the compleating perfective part and therefore is oft called Sanctification specially and by the word Spirit and Love is oft meant the same thing And when the spirit is said to be given to Believers the meaning is that upon and by believing the wonderful demonstrations of Gods Love in Christ the habit of holy Love is kindled in us 41. This holy Love which is gods Image for God is Love usually beginneth at things visible as being the nearest objects to man in flesh And as we see â—od here as in a glass so we first see the Glass before we see God in it And accordingly we first see the Goodness and Loveliness of Gods blessings 〈◊〉 us and of good people and of good words and actions But yet when we come up to the Love of God it is Hâ— that is the chiefest object in whom all the Church by Love is centred so that we thenceforth Love God for himself and all his servants and word as for his sake and impress on them And our Vnion by Love would not be perfect if it United us together only among our selves and did not Unite us all in God and our Redeemer So that the Vnity of the spirit is the Love of God in Christ and of all the faithful yea and of all men so far as God appeareth in them to which Gods spirit strongly enclineth all true believers including holy Life and Light as tending to this Vnity of spiritual Love 42. Therefore Love is not distinctly named after among the particular terms of Vnity as faith and hope are because it is meant by that word There is One spirit 43. The love and Vnity of Christians as in One Church supposeth in Nature a Love to man as man and a desire of the Vnity and concord of mankind As Christianity supposeth humanity 44. But Experience and Faith assure us that this humane Love and Vnity is wofully corrupted and much lost and that though mans soul be convinced by natural light that it is good and have a general languid inclination to it yet this is so weak uneffectual as that the principles of wrath and division prevail against it and keep the world in miserable confusion 45. It is the predominancy of the corrupt selfish inclination which is the great Enemy and destroyer of Love and Vnity 46. Christianity is so far from confining all our Love to Christians that it is not the least use of it to revive and recover our Love to Men as Men so that no men have a full and healed Love to mankind and desire of universal Vnity but believers 47. The purest and strongest Love and Vnity is universal And it is not genuine Christianity if it do not incline us to Love all men as men and all professed Christians as such and all Saints as Saints according to their various degrees of amiableness 48. Love and Vnity which is not thus universal partaketh of wrath and Sâ—hism For he that loveth but a part of men doth not love the rest and he that is Vnited but to a part whether great or small is Schismatically divided from all the rest 49. But Love to All must not be Equal to all nor our Vnity with all Equal as on the same terms or in the same degree As the Goodness of meer Humanity and the meer Profession of Christianity is less and so less amiable than is the Goodness of true sanctification so our Love and Vnity must be diversified All the members of the body must be Loved and their Unity carefully preserved But yet not Equally but the head as an head and the heart as an heart and the stomach as a stomach and all the essential parts as Essential without which it is not a humane body and all the integral parts as such but diversely according to their worth and use The eye as an eye and a tooth but as a tooth Goodness being the object of Love and Love being the life of our Vnity it varieth in degrees as Goodness varieth 50. That Love and Vnity which is sincere in kind may be mixt with lamentable wrath and Schism as all our Graces are with the contrary sin in our imperfect state Not but that all Christians have an habitual inclination to Vniversal Love and Vnity but the act may be hindred by the want of due information and by false reports and misrepresentations of our brethren which hide their amiableness and render them to such more odious than they are 51. Sincere and genuine Love and Vnity hath an Universal care of
all mankind and is very apt to enquire and take knowledge how it goeth with all the world and specially with all the Churches For none can much love and desire that which they mind not or take no thought of And this is the chief News which a true Christian enquireth after whether Gods name be hallowed his Kingdom come and his will be done on Earth as it is done in heaven And of this he is sollicitous even on his death-bed 52. The Vnity of the spirit inclineth men to mourn much for the sects Schisms divisions and discords of believers and to smart in the sense of them as the body does by its wounds And they that bewail them not are so far void of the Vnity of the spirit 53. The Vnity of the spirit helpeth a man greatly to distinguish between wounding and healing Doctrines wounding and healing courses of practice and between wounding and healing persons even as Nature teacheth us to discern and abhor that which would dismember or divide the body as painful and destructive 54. Therefore holy experienced Christians who have most of the Vnity of the spirit are most against the dividing impositions of Church Tyrants and also against the quarrelsom humour and causeless separations of self conceited Singularists whether Dogmatical or superstitious who proudly overvalue their own conceptions forms and modes of worship and doctrine and thence aggravate all that they dislike into the shape of Idolatry Antichristianism false worship or some such hainous sin when the beam of self-conceit and pride in their own eye is worse than the moâ—e of a modall imperfection of words method or matter in anothers eye 55. The Vnity of the spirit inclineth men to hope the best of others till we know it to be untrue and to take more notice of mens vertues than of their faults and love covereth such infirmities as may be covered beareth with one anothers burdens while we consider that we also may be tempted 56. The Vnity of the spirit teacheth and inclineth men to yield for peace and concord to such lawful things whose practice doth truly conduce to unity yea and to give up much of our own right for unity and peace 57. This Love and Vnity of the spirit inclineth men to vigorours Endeavours for concord with all others so that such will not slothfully wish it but diligently seek it They will pursue and follow peace with all men Heb. 12. 14. as far as is possible and as in them lieth Rom. 12. 18. They that are true Peace-lovers are diligent Peace-makers if it be in their power and way 58. This Love and Vnity of the spirit will prevail with the sincere to prosecute it through difficulties and oppositions and to conquer all And it teacheth them at the first hearing to abhor back-biters and slanderous censurers who on pretence of a blind zeal for Orthodoxness or Piety or Purity of worship are ready to reproach those that are not of their mind and way in points where difference is tolerable And when children that are tost up and down and carried to and fro Eph. 4. 14. with every wind of doctrine are presently filled with distast and prejudice when they hear other mens tolerable opinions forms and orders aggravated the right Christian is more affected with displeasure against the self-conceited reproacher who is employed by Satan though perhaps he be a child of God against the Love and Vnity of believers 59. The more any man hath of Love and Vnity of the Spirit the greater matter he maketh of Vniversal Vnity and the more Zealous he is for it A small fire or Candle giveth but a faint and little light and heat and that but a little way But the Sun â—light and heat extendeth to all the surface of the earth and much farther and that so vigorously as to be the life of the things that live on earth so strong love is extensive 60. The more any man hath of Love and the Vnity of the spirit the more resolved and patient he is in bearing any thing for the furthering of Vnity If he must be hated for it or undone for it if his friends censure and forsake him for it If Church Tyrants will ruine him he can joyfully be a Martyr for Love and Vnity If Dogmatists condemn him as an Heretick he can joyfully bear the censure and reproach If blind superstitious persons charge him with Luke-warmness or sinful confederacies or compliance or corrupting Godsâ—worship or such like as their errour leadeth them he can bear evil report and to be made of no reputation and to be slandered and vilisyed by the Learned by the Zealous by his ancient friends rather than forsake the principles affections and practice of Universal Charity Vnity and peace 61. Though Perfection must be desired it is but a very imperfect Unity which can be reasonably hoped for on earth 62. There must go very much wisdom goodness and careful diligence to get and keep Vnity and Peace in our own souls it being that healthful equal temperature and harmony of all within us which few obtain And most have a discord and War or disquiet in themselves But to have a family of such is harder and to have a Church of such yet harder and much more to have a Kingdom of such and a conjunction of such Churches and most of all to bring all the world to such a state And they that have a War in themselves are not fit to be the Peace-making healers of the Church in that degree 63. Yet as every Christian hath so much concord and peace at home as is necessary to his salvation so we may well hope that by just endeavours the Churches may have so much as may preserve the essentials of Christianity and Communion and also may fortifie the Integrals and may much encrease the greatness and glory of the Church and much further holiness and righteousness in its members and remove many of the scandals and sinful contentions which are the great hinderers of piety and are Satans advantages against mans recovery and salvation This much we may seek in hope 64. Despair of success is a an enemy to all pacificatory endeavours and low and narrow designs shew a low Spirit and a little degree of holy love and all other uniting grace 65. An earnest desire of the worlds Conversion and of the bringing in the barbarous ignorant infidels and impious to the knowledge of Christ and a holy life doth shew a large degree of charity and of the Vnity of the spirit which would fain bring in all men to the bond of the same Unity and participation of the same spirit 66. The most publick endeavours therefore of the good of many of Churches of Kingdoms of mankind are the most noble and most beseeming Christianity though it 's possible that an hypocrite may attempt the like to get a name or for other carnal ends 67. And it is very savoury and suitable to the Vnity
of the spirit to hear men in prayer and thanksgiving to be much and fervent for the Churches and for all the world and to make it the first and heartiest of their requests that Gods name may be hallowed his Kingdom come and his will be done on earth as it is done in heaven and not to be almost all for themselves or for a sect or a few friends about them as selfish persons use to be 68. A very fervent desire of Vnion conâ—ined to some few that are mistaken for all or the chief part of the Church with a â—ensorious undervaluing of others and a secret desire that God would weaken and dishonour them because they are against the opinions and the interest of that sect or party is not only consistent with Schism as I said before but is the very state of Schism called Heresie of old And the stronger the desire of that inordinate separating Unity is as opposite to the Common Vnity of all Christians the greater is the Schism Even as a bile or other aposteme or inflammation containeth an inordinate burning collection or confluence of the blood to the diseased place instead of an equal distribution CHAP. III. II. The necessity and Benefits of this Unity and Peace II. THE Necessity and excellency of the Vnity of the spirit and peace will appear in these respects 1. For the good of the particular persons that possess it 2. For the good of Christian societies 3. For the good of the uncalled world 4. For the Glory and well-pleasing of Jesus Christ and of the Father of these in order 1. For the good of each particular person that possesseth it 1. It is the very Health and Holiness of the soul and the contrary is the very state of sin and death What is Holiness but that Vniting Love by which the will adhereth to God and delighteth in his Goodness as it shineth to us in his works and specially in Christ and in all his members and in a common sort in all mankind And what is the unholy state of sin and death but that Conâ—ractedness and retiring to our SELVES by which the selfish person departeth from the due Love of God and others and of that holiness which is contrary to this his selfishness So far as any mans Love is contracted narrowed confined to himself and to a few so far his soul is indeed unsanctified and void of the Vnity of the Spirit or the Spirit of Vnity If a man lived in banishment or a prison uncapable of doing others any good yet if he have that Love and spirit of Unity which inclineth him to do it if he could this is his own health and rectitude and acceptable unto God Little do many Religious people think how much they do mistake unholiness and sin it self for a degree of holiness above their neighbours When they contract and narrow their Christian Love and Communion to a party and talk against the Churches of Christ by disgraceful and Love-killing censures and reproaches as being not holy enough for their Communion this want of the spirit of Love and Unity is their own want of holiness it self It was the old deceit of the Pharisees which Christ the messenger and mediator of love condemned to think that holiness lay more in sacrifices and Ritual observances and in a strict keeping of the Sabbaths rest and such like than in the Love of God and all men And the lesson that Christ twice set them to learn was I will have mercy and not sacrifice He hath most grace and holiness who hath most of the spirit of Love and Unity 2. It is the souls necessary qualification for that life of true Christianity which God hath commanded us in the world It is this inward Health which must enable us to all our duty 1. Without this spirit of Vnity we cannot perform the duties of the first table unto God Our sacrifices will be as loathsome as theirs described Isa 1. and Isa 58. If we lift not up pure hands without wrath and wrangling or disputing for so I would rather translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 2. 8. than doubting our prayers will not be acceptable to God Though it be Christs worthiness for which our prayers and services are accepted yet there must be the subordinate worthiness of necessary qualification in our selves For Christ himself hath annexed specially the express mention of this one qualification in the Lords prayer it self Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us and he repeateth it after For if ye forgive men their trespasses your heavenly Father will forgive you your trespasses but if ye forgive not men their trespasses neither will your heavenly Father forgive you Mat. 6. 13 14. Love is here included in forgiving as a cause in its effect And Christ rather nameth forgiving than Love because men may pretend to that act which is secret in the heart but if it should not work in the necessary fruits of which forgiving others is one it would be but a vain pretence And here I intreat the Reader to consider a while the singularities of this passage of Christ 1. That men that must trust in Christs merits and mediation must yet be told of such an absolute necessity of a Condition or qualification in themselves 2. That Forgiving others as an Act of Love is singled out as this qualification 3. That this condition must be put into the very prayer it self that our own mouths may utter it to God 4. That it must be annexed to this one petition of Forgiveness rather than any of the rest where men are apt to confess their own necessity and where many are readiest to think that Gods mercy and Christs merits and mediation must do all without any condition on their part They that know that their daily bread and deliverance from temptation and evil must have some care and endeavours of their own are yet apt to think that the Forgiveness of sin needeth nothing on their part but asking and receiving 5. That Christ should after single out this one clause to repeat to them by urgent application And yet how little is this laid to heart And indeed the first word in the Lords prayer Our Father teacheth us the same lesson How needful a qualification Love and Vnity are to all that will come to God in prayer He that teacheth us that to Love our neighbour as our selves is the second summary Commandment and even like to the first which is Love to God for it is Loving God in his Likeness on his works doth here call us in all our prayers to express it by Praying for our brethren as for our selves O that men of wrath and wrangling were truly sensible what affections should be expressed by that word OVR FATHER and with what a heart men should say GIVE US and FORGIVE US and how far VS must extend beyond ME and beyond OUR PARTY or our side or our Church in the
first Disciples to give the world such a specimen of Love in this extraordinary way of Community For as extraordinary works of Power that is Miracles must be wrought by the first Preachers of the Gospel to shew Christs power and convince the unbelieving world so it was as needful that then there should be extraordinary works of Love to shew Christs Love and teach them the great work of Love which he came to call and bring men to For the first Book that Christ wrote was on the Hearts of Men which no Philosopher could do In fleshly tables he wrote LOVE TO GOD and MAN by the finger of his Spirit many a year before any Book of the New Testament was written And as his Doctrine was Love one another and Love your enemies forbear and forgive c. so his first Churches must extraordinarily exemplifie and express this doctrine by living in this extraordinary community and selling all and distributing as each had need And afterwards their Love-feasts did long keep up some memorial of it For they were the first sheet as it were of the New Book which Christ was publishing And LOVE was the summ of all that was imprinted on them And their Practice was to be much of the Preaching that must convert the world Christ was not a meer Orator or teacher of Words And non magna loquimur sed vivimus was the profession of his disciples He came not meerly to talk and teach men to talk but to Do and teach men to Do even to do that himself which none else ever did and to teach his followers to do that which no other sort of men did in this world But this leadeth me up to the next Use of Unity V. The SPIRIT of UNITY and LOVE is the Great means of the Churches increase There is a twofold augmentation of the Church 1. Intrinsick and Intensive when it Increaseth in all Goodness and hasteth to perfection And it is this Vital principle of Vniting Love or the Spirit of Vnity which is the immediate cause of this 2. Extensive when the Church is enlarged and more are added to it And it is a Life of Vniting Love among Christians that must do this as much or more than preaching Or at least if that preaching which is but the effect of Knowledge produce Evangelical Knowledge in the hearers yet a Life of Love and Vnity is the adapted means of breeding Love and Vnity the Life of Religion in the world Light may cause Light but Heat must cause Heat and it must be a Living thing that must generate life by ordinary causation That which cometh from the Head may reach the Head and perhaps the Heart but is not so fit to operate on Hearts as that which cometh from the heart Undoubtedly if Christians did commonly live in such Love and Vnity among themselves and shew the fruits of common Love to all about them as their Great master and his Religion teacheth them they would do wonders in converting sinners and enlarging the Church of Jesus Christ Who could stand out against the convincing and Attractive power of Uniting Love Who could much hate and persecute those that Love them and shew that Love This would heap melting coals of fire on their heads Our Saviour knew this when he made this his great Lesson to his disciples and when he prayed Joh. 17. 21 22 23 24. over and over for them which should believe on him through the Apostles word that they all may be One as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in us that the world may believe that thou hast sent me And the Glory which thou gavest me I have given them that they may be One even as we are One I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in One and that the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them as thou hast loved me O when will Christ revive this blessed principle in his followers and set them again on this effectual way of preaching that Love may draw the world into the Churches Vnity Some look for new miracles for the converting of the now-forsaken Nations what God will do of that kind we know not for he hath not told us But Holy Vniting Vniversal Love is a thing which he hath still made our certain duty and therefore we are all bound to seek and do it And therefore we may both pray and labour for it in hope And could we but come up to this known duty we should have a means for the worlds conversion as effectual as miracles and more sweet and pleasant to them and us Obj. But why then is the world still unconverted when all true Christians have this love Ans 1. Alas those true Christians are so few and the hypocrites that are selfish worldlings are so many that the poor people that live among professed Christians do judge of Christianity by those false professours who are indeed no Christians Men see not the hearts of one another Thousands of ungodly persons for interest education and custome take on them the name of Christians who never were such indeed by heart-consent When these counterfeit Christians live like Infidels men think that Christians are no better than Infidels For they think they must judge by the greater number of such as go under the Christian name But if the world could tell who they be that are truly Christians at the heart they would see that they have that spirit of Love which is not in unbelievers 2. And alas the Love and Vnity even of true Christians is yet too imperfect and is darkened and blemished with too much of the contrary vice were Christians perfect Christians they would indeed be the honour of their profession Then Love would be the powerful principle of all their works which would taste of its nature and as it is said of Wine Judg. 9. 13. it cheereth God and man so I may say God and man would be delighted in the sweetness of these fruits For with such Sacrifice God is well pleased Heb. 13. 16. But alas what crabbed and contrary fruits how soure how bitter do many distempered Christians bring forth If it will increase the Church and win men to the Love of Christianity to be reviled or persecuted to be contemned and neglected to be separated from as persons unworthy of our-love and kindness then Christianity will not want propagaters The pouring out of the Spirit was the first planting of the Christian Church And where there is most of Love there is most of the spirit As there needeth no forcing penal Laws to compel men to obey God so far as Love prevaileth in them so if Love were more eminent in the Church Pastors and Professors that they preached and ruled and lived towards all men in the power of sincere and fervent Love there would be less pretence for all that violence oppression and cruelty which hath been long
others They will have worâ— enough at home § 5. Were but Christian Princes and people united as they would be a terror to Turkish and other Infidel Oppressors and in likelihood easily able to vanquish them so they might easily contribute their endeavours to instruct and convince these Infidels with probability of greater success than any attempts have yet had upon them They might with greater advantage send out and maintain men of Learning and other fitness to perform it The Eastern Christians by divisions were broken off from the Greeks The Greeks by division and wickedness fell into the hands of the Turks The divisions of the Western Nations furthered their Conquest and hindred the Greeks recovery The divisions of the Military forces lost Palestine and frustrated their vast labours and expences Lost also Armenian aids and destroyed the hopeful beginnings of the Conversion of the Tartarians The division of Christian Princes hath set up the Papal Kingdom as the Umpire of their feuds That which hath done so much to destroy Churches and Kingdoms and hath murdered many hundred thousand Christians and gone far towards the extirpating of true Christianity out of much of the formerly Christian World must needs unfit us all to recover the World and convert unbelievers § 6. And were but Christian Preachers and Pastors United instead of their pernicious Church-destroying contentions how great things might their united diligence have done If all the mischievous unskilful proud wrangling and worldly ambitious strife by which the Christians were divided into Nestorians Eutychians Monothelites Phantasiasts Donatists Novatians and their Anathematizers c. had been turned into an united force and diligence by Light and Love to have converted Infidels What a happy case had the World been in And what blessings had that part of the Clergy been that now have left their Names and History to reproach and shame § 7. II. And as Efficiently so Objectively and Morally the Vnion of Christians tendeth to convert the World as it is notorious that their divisions have hindered their Conversion Men commonly suspect them to be deceived or deceivers that do not agree among themselves They that reverence united Christians despise them when they see them fall into divisions and learn of themselves to condemn them all by hearing them revile and condemn each other Christ had never made it so great a part of his prayer to his Father that his disciples might be One even as the Father and he were One to this end that the world may know that the Father sent him if this their Union had not been a special means of convincing unbelievers And this was not by a Political Union of the rest of his Disciples under some One of them as the Governing Head of all the rest For no such Head was set over them by Christ nor ever claimed or exercised any such authority But it was a holy Union of Minds in knowledge and faith and of Hearts in Love and of Life in their published Doctrine and their Communion and Conversation The common Sun-light maketh all mens sight whose Organs and Viâ—ive faculty are sound to agree and though a man hath two eyes they see unitedly as if they were one The more united fuel make one fire the more powerful it is to kindle on all other combustible matter near it When many Ministers of the same or several Churches agree it much availeth to procure the belief and obedience of their flocks And when Pastors and people agree it strongly inviteth the reverence and consent of those without By wilful dissensions we are scandals and snares to unbelievers and if Christians live not in Unity Love and Peace they rob the world of a great appointed means of their conversion And they who for so doing do justly exclaim against persecutors and hinderers of the Gospel should also remember how much they participate in that guilt while the Love of Christians to one another is made almost as needful as preaching to the winning of mens Love to faith and holiness § 8. As in the solemn singing of Psalms the harmony of concenting well tuned voices inviteth the hearers to joyn with them by delight when bawling confusion and discord one singing one tune and another another is loathsome and tiresome and driveth men away so would the sweet concent of Christians have won unbelievers to the Love of Christian faith and piety when their divisions and wicked lives have had contrary lamentable effects wo to the world because of offences and wo to them by whom offences come CHAP. VI. The Vnity of Christians is due to the Honour of Christ and is pleasing and amiable to God § 1. IT is not only Miracles that are Christs witness in the world The spirit of Prophecie also is called his witness Rev. 19. 10. And if many Prophets should all say that they speak from Christ and speak contrary things and charge each other with falshood and deceit would this be to his honour or to the credit of their testimony It is the great Concord of the prophecies promises and types of the Old Testament with the history and doctrine of the New and the great concord of all the writers of the New Testament among themselves which greatly facilitateth our belief both of the Old and New And all Infidels who accuse the Scriptures of untruth do accuse it also of contradictions And if they could prove the later they would prove the former § 2. And the spirit of Holiness as it regenerateth and sanctifieth sinners from generation to generation is no less a witness of the Truth and Love and Glory of Christ than prophecies and miracles The same spirit that is the author of prophecie and sacred doctrine is also the author of believers renovation to the image of God And Illumination is not the least or last part of this sanctifying work Christ is the light of the world and his word and spirit are given to enlighten blinded minds and to bring them out of darkness into his marvellous light and from the power of the Prince of darkness and from doing the works of darkness to the Father of Lights who giveth wisdom liberally to them that ask it that they may walk as Children of the light Light is usually called Glory Heaven is the place of the greatest Light and greatest Glory And heavenly wisdom in believers is much of their Glory here begun in which their Father their Saviour and their sanctifier is glorified Whatever therefore obscureth or diminisheth this sacred Light in Saints opposeth that Glory of God and our Redeemer which must appear and shine forth in them The holy Learning of his disciples is the honour of the heavenly Teacher of the Church All true believers are taught of God were they no wiser nor no better than other men where were the testimony and the honour of their Teacher and who would believe that he were a happier Teacher than Philosophers or that he were the true Saviour of
Church-tearing Spirit And to shut out false anathematizing he concludeth with pronouncing Grace to all them that Love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity whoever condemn them § 18. The same Apostle leaveth the same Canon to the Philippians c. 1. v. 15 16. Though some preached Christ not sincerely but of contention supposing to add affliction to his bonds so far was he from silencing them or forbidding men to hear them that he rejoyced that Christ was preached though in pretence and contentiously And ch 2. 1 2 3. he most vehemently importuneth them to be like minded of the same Love of one accord and of one mind But how can that be and on what terms Let nothing be done through strife and vain glory but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves Not say say as I say or be silent Look not every man on his own things but every man on the things of others And not tread down others that you may be great nor think of your own case and reasons only Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God but made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant c. This is the Pastors pattern Let him that is Greater than Christ refuse to stoop so low And his Canon for the Concord is ch 3. 13 14 15 16. To confess our selves imperfect seekers of perfection pressing forward for the prize Let as many as be perfect be thus minded This is your measure here and if in any thing you be otherwise minded God shall reveal even this unto you Nevertheless whereto we have already attained let us walk by the same rule let us mind the same thing As if he said while you agree in true Christianity take it for granted that you will all have imperfection for I have so my self and therefore there will be different judgements in tolerable cases but let this be your Canon notwithstanding such difference while you press towards perfection walk by the Rule of Christian Love in searching after the will of God and mind with Concord the great things which you are all agreed to pursue And bear lovingly with each other in lesser differences and God in this way will teach you more § 19. The same doctrine he delivereth to the Colossians reprehending those that would lay Christian faith or Concord on their will-worship worldly rudiments and ordinances Touch not taste not handle not after the Commandments and doctrine of men in things which have a shew of wisdom in voluntary humility and neglecting the body in worshipping Angels and intruding into unseen things vainly pufft up by fleshly minds And instead of this he exhorteth them to hold the Head Christ who is the true wisdom and bond of unity and believe that in him they are complete and to take heed lest any spoil them of their faith love and concord by Philosophy pretending greater subtilty and vain deceit after the traditions of men and after the rudiments of the world and not after Christ in whom dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily in whom we are compleat And he instances in some such snares Let no man judge you in meat or drink or in respect of an holy day or new Moon or of the Sabbath which are a shadow of things to come c. that is Let no man bring you under such Laws and lay salvation or unity and Concord on them And ch 3. he largely sheweth that in the New Man there is neither Greek nor Jew circumcision or uncircumcision Barbarian or Scythian bond or free but Christ is all and in all And that the true bond of perfection is charity by which the peace of God must rule in their hearts that are called into One body And the subordinate Canons are bowels of mercy kindness humbleness of mind meekness long-suffering forbearing one another and forgiving one another if any man have a quarrel against any even as Christ forgave you so do ye § 20. If any say These are not precepts for Church-Governours but for subjects I answer still They are the precepts of the Holy Ghost by an Apostle that had more authority than any of our Church-Governours and that to all the Churches about their common duty unity and interest binding them and binding us even all the Churches § 21. It would seem tedious to recite all other texts to the same purpose His prohibitions of vain disputes and janglings about the Law and genealogies and his confining men to the common doctrine of Christianity and his warning men to preach no new or other doctrine may be seen in the Epistles to Timothy and Titus § 22. And it is much to be observed 1. That all the hereticks of those times pretended to greater wisdom and curiosity than the Christian Churches had and by such pretences brake their Concord as may be seen in all the Epistles especially Col. 2. Jam. 3. 2. And yet that whenever the Apostles or Christ himself Rev. 2. 3. censure any such hereticks to be forsaken and cast out it is never for any little matter but for denying some common article of the faith as Christs Incarnation the Resurrection c. or for some gross wicked doctrine and practice as fornication and eating things offered to idols or rebelling against Rulers c. Which shews what then were the terms of Church unity and by what Canons they were governed by Gods appointment § 23. I will add that one great warning of Paul which summeth up all 2. Cor. 11. 3. a prophesie of the deceit and corruption of the Churches would to God you could bear with me a little in my folly as proud corrupters account it and indeed bear with me For I am jealous over you with godly jealousie For I have espoused you to one husband and not to usurpers that I may present you as a chaste Virgin to Christ But I fear lest by any means as the Serpent beguiled Eve though his subtilty flattering her with the hopes of higher knowledge so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ Christianity is not a snare for mens wits but a way to their salvation It is a plain and simple thing though most mysterious 1. It consisteth of simplicity of doctrine a few great plain and necessary things and not of philosophical curious subtilties though it forbiddeth not but encourageth the utmost improvement of reason and true learning especially for method elucidation and defence 2. It is a simple and spiritual worship that it commandeth for God is a spirit and will be so worshipped in spirit and in truth The Schismaticks contended whether in this Mountain or at Jerusalem but Christ rebuked that contention 3. And it is a simple sort of Government or Discipline that Christ hath instituted commanding him that will be Greatest to seek his preeminence in being most
will say You shall not communicate with us unless you will swear or say or do some unnecessary thing it is he then that is the divider and unjustly casteth out a Christian CHAP. VII What are the necessary terms of Concord of these single Churches with one another in the same Kingdome or in divers § 1. THat they be under the Government of a Christian Magistrate is necessary to the well-being or great advantage of them though not to the being of which more in due place § 2. That they live as neighbour Churches in Unity of faith and love and avoid all things contrary and to their power help each other according to need and opportunity is their duty § 3. It is necessary that they agree in all things necessary to the communion of men as members of the Church universal mention'd before and in all things essential to particular Churches § 4. If any one excommunicated justly for heresie apostasie or impenitence in any crimes shall offer to defile and endanger any other Church by intrusion or deceit the Church which cast him out is bound by the Laws of Love and Concord to send notice to such endangered neighbour Churches of the person and his case to prevent their hurt And unless the Church that cast him out have criminally forfeited their credit other Churches are bound by the Law of Charity to take their sentence as probably just and not to receive the ejected person till he have either proved his sentence unjust or profess repentance Not that they are bound absolutely to exclude him and deny him audience though yet they claim no superiority over the Church that excommunicated him but as neighbours and parts of the same Church universal they must hear both sides before they deny any Christian communion that claimeth it at least when his allegations have great probability of truth and seem to weigh down all that they have received against him And they may absolve the Criminal upon a just profession of true repentance but such a prosession will not stand with a refusal to confess in the same Church where the man sinned without some special probable reason it being that Church which is most wronged by the scandal and hath heard the causes § 5. If any Church in the same Kingdom or another be accused of violating the Christian faith or of any crime which Christians are bound to disown by avoiding the criminal it is the duty of the accused Church to be ready to satisfie the offended Churches by answering the accusation not as to Rulers by the reasons of obedience but as to Christian neighbours by the rule of common equity and love and for the preservation of unity and peace § 6. If the charge be but general that the Church is guilty of heresie or unsoundness in the faith it is the duty of the accused Church to send to the offended the Profession of their Faith and Religion which need to be no more than this which the offended ought to take as satisfactory We hereby profess that we stand to our Baptismal Covenant fiducially believing in God the Father Son and Holy Ghost our Creator Redeemer and Sanctifier and give up our selves to him accordingly in these Relations Believing the articles of all the Creeds in which the universal Church ever agreed and desiring the things contained in the Lords Prayer and consenting to obey the ten Commandements as delivered to us in nature and by Christ and we profess our obligation and Consent to Believe Love and obey all that we do or shall understand to be the revealed word of God even the sacred Canonical books of Scripture and in this common Belief and Love and practice to livein the Communion of the unniversal Church of Christ Renouncing the Devil the world and the flesh as they are enemies to any of this and all doctrines desires and practices contrary hereunto so far as unfeignedly to endeavour to resâ—â—t and overcome them and when we 〈◊〉 and sin to rise by true repentance And all this in Hope of the Love of God the Father the Grace of the Son in our Pardon Justification and Adoption and the Communion of the Holy Ghost and of the Perfection of these and of our selves with the Church in everlasting Glory This may be briefly exprest in Baptism and to present persons that may receive our explications where they doubt of our understanding or sincerity But to distant suspecting persons or Churches such largeness is useful and this is enough § 7. But if any particular heresie or crime be charged on a neighbour Church it is not to be believed without proof nor they to be disclaimed till the charge be sent to them and their defence be heard And herein they ought to offer satisfaction to the offended Church 1. By denying the charge if false 2. By explaining words and actions which are ambiguous and to be suspected 3. In controverted cases by renewing the foresaid profession of all that is necessary explicitely to be held and promising to renounce any opinion or practice as soon as they perceive it contrary thereto 4. And in all cases of words or deeds expressly contrary to Gods doctrine or Law or which they shall be convinced to be sinfull to confess the errour or crime and humbly crave the prayers of the Church for pardon and profess their purpose of future reformation This is the means and this is enough for the offenders satisfaction And if the errour be no real and discerned denyal of any necessary article of faith but an undiscerned remote consequential contrariety with which the professed holding of that particular necessary article which they seem to overthrow may stand that Church or person is not to be rejected from Communion or hereticated For instance If a Church be accused to be Nestorians or Eutychians or Monothelites their answer ought to be Mary is the Mother of Christ who is God and in that sense of God but not of the Deity or as God And Christs Naâ—ures Wills and operations are two as distinct but not two as divided But if they have not so much easie skill to explain themselves but say rudely as Nestorius I will not say that God was two or three months old or as Cyril and Eutychius and Dioscorus Christs natures were two before the Union but since One and not Two if withal they prosess that they believe Christ to be true God and true man in one person and do not destroy deny or confound the Godhead and manhood or any other essential point of faith or religion they ought not to be hereticated or rejected § 8. No Church hath power or duty to deny any other Communion to another Church or person but such as they had power to grant them But to remote persons or Churches never seen by them as in other lands or Countries they can grant them no Presential local Communion but only Mental Therefore they can eject them from none but mental They
the Father and the Holy Ghost nor Sanctification Consolation and Sealing to the Holy Ghost than to the Father and the Son and so that they are not hence relatively distinguishable to us and by us at all III. Of the Person of Jesus Christ 1. That Christ is but a Creature or not eternal or not of the same Divinâ— Essence as is the Father 2. That Christ hath no humane created soul but the Divine nature was to his body instead of a soul 3. Or that a superangelical created nature united to his Divine nature was instead of a humane soul to his body 4. That Christs body was not derived from the Virgin Mary but only passed through her as water through a Channel 5. That the Mother of Christ alone was as much the cause of his soul and body as our Fathers and Mothers both are of ours 6. That the Virgin Mary was not the Mother of him that was God and man 7. That she was the Mother and actual cause or procreator of the Godhead and of Christ as God 8. That Jesus Christ was two Persons a Divine and Humane 9. That he had not two distinguishable natures viz. the Divine and Humane 10. That he had not two distinguishable understandings wills and operations 11. That the Body of Jesus Christ was incorruptible in and by its own nature and constitution and not only by its union with the Deity and by Gods will decree and preservation 12. That he was begotten by Joseph or some other man 13. That Christs humane nature soul or body suffered no real pain nor was capable of suffering any 14. That he was not of the line of David after the flesh 15. That he had original sin guilt or vitiosity 16. That Christ is not now God and man in heaven 17. That the Glorified Body of Christ is now formally flesh and blood so called univocally as ours having the same formal constitutive essence 18. That every Priest maketh Bread and Wine by the Consecration in the Eucharist to become no longer Bread and Wine but the very Body Flesh and Blood of Christ or that God so maketh it or the Priests speaking those words And so that all the consecrated Bread and Wine since Christs days till now are made Christ's flesh and blood and yet his flesh and blood no whit increased 19. That all believers are by union part of the Natural Person of Christ 20. That the humane nature of Christ is now the Godhead or is become a proper part of the second Person in the Trinity as such And here presumptuous men must take great heed of medling too far some Scholastick Divines say It is errour to say that Christs humane nature is a Part of his person because his Person was perfect from eternity and the Divinity cannot be a Par. of any thing Others say that It is erroâ— to say that the Humane nature is no part of Christ 〈◊〉 seeing it is no part of the Divine Essence or nature therefore it is a part of his person Others say that it is only an Accident of Christ some think that if it were not for fear of the clamours of Ignorant Hereticaters that will call it Nestorianism it were soundest and safest to say that the word Person is equivocal And that as it is taken for the second eternal person in the Trinity the humane nature is no part of it But as it is taken Relatively for the Person of the Mediator the humane nature is a part And so that Christ hath two persons but not univocally but equivocally so called IV. Of the Holy Ghost and the Holy Scriptures 1. That the Holy Ghost is but a creature or not God of the same essence with the Father and the Son 2. That the Holy Ghost is but the Angelical nature or species and as the diabolical nature and many Devils are called singularly the Devil so the many Angels are called the Holy Spirit 3. That the Immortal part of man called his Spirit is the essence of the Holy Ghost 4. That the Holy Ghost as operative on man is not a valid witness of the truth of Christ and Christianity in the world 5. That the Holy Ghost did not impregnate the Virgin Mary or that Christ was not conceived by him 6. That Adam had not the Holy Ghost or true Holiness 7. That the Prophets spake not by the Holy Ghost Or that their prophecies are of Private interpretation that is objectively to be interpreted of such private persons and things as they immediately spake of and which were but types of Christ or grace 8. That the Holy Ghost in the Prophets was not the Spirit of the Redeemer and sent by him 9. That the miracles of Christ and his Apostles were not wrought by the Holy Ghost 10. That the Holy Ghost may set the seal of true uncontrolled miracles to a lie 11. That the Canonical Scriptures were not indited by the Holy Ghost as infallible records of the Divine will 12. That they are but for a time till a perfecter Law is made called The Law of the Spirit 13. That they are imperfect without the supplement of Roman Tradition as part of the Rule of faith and life 14. That they were but occasional writings never intended for the universal law or rule of faith and holy living 15. That there are in the true original as they came from the Apostles some errours 16. That in the present received Originals there is any errour inconsistent with true saving faith and practice 17. That we are not bound to believe the Holy Scriptures to be Gods word but by the authoritative proposal of the Church of Rome that is A general Council subject to the Pope or called or approved by him as authorized thereto by Christ or that we must believe that the Pope or Council are authorized by Christ before we are bound to believe in Christ himself 18. That the Scriptures are not intelligible in necessary things till the Church Council Pope or Fathers expound them to us 19. That the Scriptures have no such imâ—â—ss or excellency by which they manifest themselves to be of God supposing necessary conveyance and ministerial explication 20. That we must not understand any text of Scripture but as the consent of ancient Fathers expoundeth it 21. That the Spirit now given to Poâ—â— Councils or to individual Christians is as much the Rule of faith and life as 〈◊〉 holy Scriptures or that the Spirit is not given now to us 〈◊〉 to teach us to understand believe love and practise Gods word indited by the more emmenâ— inspiration of the Apostles and Prophets â—ut also to inspire us as infallibly to know more than is revealed in the Scripture and that as needful to Salvation Or that it is not so much the Spirit extraordinarily inspiring the Apostles as the Spirit as inspiring ourselves which is every mans rule of faith and life 22. That the Light which is in Heathens Infidels and all men is this
Subjects that are not of their religion or may compell all to those ways of worshipping God which they shall judge best be they right or wrong 6. That Gods Laws are not obligatory to Kings and Kingdomes 7. That Princes or people may preferr their worldly interest before the interest of Religion Souls and God or may set them in opposition against it 8. That Princes must imprison or otherwise punish such as are excommunicated and not absolved by the Clergy without knowing whether the cause be just or unjust by their own exploration 9. That Princes may break Oaths and Covenants when their interest requireth it 10. That subjects have no liberty or propriety in any thing either life wives children or estates but what is at the meer will of Princes to dispose of as they please 11. That it is lawful for subjects to disobey the authority and commands of the higher powers because Christ hath freed us from subjection to men 12. That all Governing authority is originally in the people and by them given to Rulers on what terms they please 13. That therefore the people may depose any Princes where they see cause or may call them to their bar and judge and punish them having themselves the highest governing power 14. That if Princes injure the people the people may therefore rebel take arms against them and depose them 15. Contrarily that no people may defend their lives houses or posterity nor the chastity of their wives by resisting any Tyrants or against the will of Rulers that have no true authority to destroy them 16. That subjects may break their oaths of allegiance whenever their own worldly ends require it or if the Pope disoblige them 17. That if one King wrong another the wronged King may destroy all the others innocent subjects 18. That no war is lawful 19. That it is lawful to defame and dishonour Princes if they are sinners though the contempt tend to disable them from necessary government 20. That none but sanctified persons have true Governing power or dominion 21. That children are bound to obey their parents subjects their Princes and servants their Masters in nothing but what they think is wisely or justly commanded them though it be good or lawful in it self 22. That Parents may not teach children forms of Catechism or prayer nor command them any duty which the child will but say is against his Conscience nor restrain him from any sin which he pleadeth Conscience for 23. That Christian Parents in want may â—ell their Children for slaves to Idolaters or Infidels for supply 24. That Children may disobey their parents in any matters of Religion if the Pope Bishop or Priest so command them XIX Of Duties to our equals or neighbours as such 1. That no man is bound to love another but for his own sake and so far as he is beneficial to him 2. That we are not bound to do another a greater good to the least hurt to our selves 3. That men are not bound to love and preferr the common good of multitudes of their Countrey or the world before their own commodities or lives 4. That no killing of malefactors is lawful by laws and judgement 5. That it is lawful to kill our enemies for meer private revenge or to prevent some evil to our selves though they are innocent 6. That it is lawful to have many wives at once 7. That it is lawful to put away wives or for wives to depart whenever their fleshly or worldly interest seemeth to require it 8. That it is lawful to commit adultery at least by the husband or wives consent 9. That fornication is no sin or no great sin 10. That it is lawful when our need doth urge us to rob steal defraud or oppress others 11. That restitution or reparation is no duty 12. That it is no sin to deceive another by borrowing when we are unable and unlikely to repay and do conceal this 13. That it is not a duty for them that are able to labour in some lawful useful calling for their own maintenance and the common good 14. That it is lawful to lie for our commodity when it hurts not others 15. That it is lawful by backbiting slandering and false witness to disgrace our enemies or be revenged on them 16. That it is lawful for Judges knowingly or rashly to pass unjust judgement against the innocent or just and for advocates or others to promote it 17. That it is lawful for the poor to covet other mens goods and for men to desire and endeavour to draw from others whatever seemeth desirable or needful to our selves 18. That it is no sin to love the world flesh and life better than God Christ grace and glory 19. That it is no sin to be discontent and impatient in our sufferings nor a duty to deny our fleshly pleasure profit or reputation and life for God and for spiritual and everlasting benefits 20. That it is no duty to love our enemies forgive wrongs and forbear each other in their infirmities and provocations XX. Of Death Judgement Heaven and Hell 1. That the souls of believers go not to Christ and happiness nor the souls of the wicked to misery before the Resurrection of the body at the last judgement 2. That there is no Resurrection of the body at least of the wicked or of Infants 3. That Christ will not come in glory to judge the world 4. That we shall not be judged according to what we have done in the body 5. That the faithful shall not be justified and judged to life everlasting 6. That the wicked shall not be condemned to hell or everlasting punishment with the Devils but without holiness men may see God and be saved 7. That no man can know that he hath certain right to Salvation 8. That there is a fire of Purgatory where those that after shall be saved must make penal satisfaction for some of their sins and from which the Popes pardons and masses and other mens merits may deliver souls 9. That the justified shall not live in Glory with God and Jesus Christ and the Angels and the triumphant Church 10. That there is an aereal life of trial before the final judgement where the justified and wicked souls shall again live under conditions of yet winning or losing their heavenly glory 11. That the Devils and damned shall all be delivered at last and either be saved or have another life of tryal And the Glory of the blessed also will have an end and they must by revolution be tryed in flesh here again 12. That it is not a duty to seek first the Kingdome of God and its righteousness and lay up a treasure in heaven and there have our hearts and conversations and thence to fetch our motives and our chiefest hopes and comforts under all the sufferings of this transitory life and the expectation of our certain change THis or such a Catalogue of dangerous doctrines is not to be
them I was once blamed for dating a book out of the Common gaol or prison in London as if it reflected on the Magistrate But I imitated Paul and mentioned nothing which the Rulers took for a dishonour as their actions shewed Doct. 2. Beseeching is the mode and language of wise and faithful Pastors in pleading for Vnity and against Schism in the Church For they are not Lords over the flocks but helpers of their faith They have no power of the sword but of the word They rule not by constraint but willingly nor such as are constrained by them but Voluntiers It is not the way to win Love to God to Pastors or to one another to say Love me or I will lay thee in a gaol stripes are useful to cause fear and timerous obedience but not directly to cause Love And hated Preachers seldom prosper in Converting or Edifying souls or healing disordered divided Churches Doct. 3. Though Grace find us unworthy it maketh men such as walk worthy of their high and heavenly calling that is in a suitable conversation answerable to the principles of their faith and hope Christianity were little better than the false Religions of the world if it made men no better If Christ made not his disciples greatly to differ from the disciples of a meer philosopher he would not be â—hought greatly to differ from them himself The â—ruits of his doctrine and spirit on our hearts and lives are the proofs and witness of his truth we wrong him heinously when we live but like other men And we weaken our own and other mens faith by obscuring a great evidence of the Christian Verity And those that are of eminent holiness and righteousness of life are the great and powerful preachers of faith and shew men by proofs and not only by words that Christ is true Doct. 4. Lowliness is a great part of Christian worthiness and a necessary cause of Christian Vnity and peace This 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is but the same thing which Paul elsewhere Act. 20. 19. tells this same Church that he practised towards them exemplarily himself Lowliness of mind containeth both low and humble thoughts of our selves and low expectations as to honour and respect from others with a submissive temper that can stoop and yield and a deportment liker to the lower sort of people than to the stout and great ones of the world As Mat. 5. to be poor in spirit is to have a spirit fit for a state of poverty not in Love with riches but content with little and patient with all that poor men must endure so Lowliness of mind is a disposition and deportment not like the Grandees of the world but suited to Low persons and Low things condescending to the lowest persons employments and indignities or contempt that shall be cast upon us A proud high-minded person that is looking for preferment and must be somebody in the world is of a spirit contrary to that of Christianity and will never lie even in the sacred Edifice nor be a healer but a troubler of the Church of Christ and must be converted and become as a little child before he can enter into the Kingdom of heaven Mat. 18. 3. And indeed only by selfishness and pride have come the divisions and contentions in the Church even by those that have made it the means of their domination to cry down division because they must have all to Unite in them in Conformity to their opinions Interests and wills A humble soul that can be content to follow a Crucified Christ and to be made of no reputation Phil. 2. 7. Heb. 12. 1 2 3. and to be a servant to all and a Lord of none and can yield and stoop and be despised when ever the ends of his office do require it is a Christian indeed and fit to be a healer Doct. 5. Meekness or Lenity is another part of Christian worthiness and a necessary cause of Vnity and Peace Though in some this hath extraordinary advantage or disadvantage in the temperature of the body yet it is that which persons of all tempers may be brought to by grace A boisterous furious or wild kind of disposition is not the Christian healing spirit If passion be apt to stir wisdom and grace must repress it and Lenity must be our ordinary temper we must be like tame creatures that familiarly come to a mans hand and not like wild things that flye from us as untractable otherwise how will such in Love and peace and sociable concord ever carry on the work of Christ Doct. 6. Love to each other is a great part of Christian worthiness and a most necessary cause of Vnity and peace Of which I hope to say so much by it self if God will as that I shall here pass it by It being the very Heart and Life of Vnity Doct. 7. Long suffering or a patient mind not rash or hasty is another part of Christian worthiness and a necessary Cause of Vnity and peace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath more in it than many well consider of I know it is commonly taken for restraint of anger by patient long-suffering But I think that it chiefly signifieth here and elsewhere in Pauls Epistles that deliberate slowness and calmness of mind which is contrary to passionate haste and rashness When a passionate man is hasty and rash and cannot stay to hear another speak for himself nor to deliberate of the matter and search out the truth nor forbear revenge while he thinketh whether it will do good or harm or what the case will appear in the review this Longanimity will stay men and compose their minds and cause them to take time before they judge of opinions practices or persons and before they venture to speak or do lest what they do in haste they repent at leisure It appeaseth those passions which blind the judgment when wrath doth precipitate men into those conceptions words and deeds which they must after wish that they had never known Hasty rashness in judging and doing for want of the patience lenity of a slow deliberating mind is the cause of most errors Heresies and divisions and of abundance of sin and misery in the world Doct. 8. Bearing supporting and forbearing one another in Love is another part of Gospel worthiness and needful means of Vnity and peace Doubtless to forbear each other patiently under injuries and provocations is a great part of the duty here meant But both Beza who translated it sustinentes and the Vulgar Latine which translateth it supportantes seemed to think that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth something more While we are imperfect sinful men we shall have need of mutual support and help yea we shall be injurious provoking and troublesome to each other And when Christians yea Church Pastors are so far from supporting and sustaining the weak that they cannot so much as patiently bear their censures neglects or other effects of weakness Unity
dividers sense I tell you if you will be welcome to God in your prayers or any other religious services you must come as in Vnion with Christ and with his Universal Church God will receive no one that cometh to him as alone and divided from the rest As you must have Union with Christ the Head so must you have with his Body A divided member is no member but a dead thing Little think many ignorant persons of this who think that the singularity and smallness of their sect or party is the necessary sign of their acceptance with God Because they read Fear not little flock As if a little flock must separate from Christs little flock for fear of being too great And as if his Flock which then was but a few hundreds must be no greater when the Kingdoms of the world are become his Kingdoms Yet such have there been of late among us who first became as they were called Puritans or Presbyterians when they saw them a small and suffering party But when they prospered and multiplyed they turned Independents or Separatists thinking that the former were too many to be the true Church And on the same reason when the Independents prospered they turned Anabaptists And when they prospered they turned Quakers thinking that unless it were a small and suffering party it could not be the Little flock of Christ As if he that is called The Saviour of the world would take it for his honour to be the Saviour only of a few Families or Villages and his Kingdom must be as little as Bethlehem where he was born Should they take the same course about their Language and say that it is not the language of Canaan but of the beast if it grow common and so take up with a new one that it might be a narrow one the folly of it would discover it self And what is the excellency of a Language but significancy and extensive community and what greater plague since Adams sin hath befaln mankind than the division of tongues as hindering communication and propagation of the Gospel And what greater blessing as a means to universal Reformation could be given men than an universal common language And what is the property of Babel but division and confusion of tongues And doth not all this intimate the necessity of a Union of minds While we keep in the Vnity of the Body and spirit we may we must strive for such a singularity as consisteth in an excellency of degree and endeavour to be the best and holiest persons and the usefullest members in the body of Christ But if once you must separate from the body as too good to be members of so great or so bad a society you perish God will own no Church which is so Independent as not to be a member of the universal not any person who is so independent as not to come to him as in Communion with all the Christians in the world We must not approve of the faults of any Church or Christian and so communicate with their sin by Voluntary consent But disowning their sin we must own them as Christs members and have communion with them in faith and Love and holy profession of both and while we are absent in body must be as present in spirit with them and still come to God as in communion with all his Church on earth and offer up our prayers as in conjunction with them and not as a separated independent thing 2. And as our Vnity is part of our necessary fitness for duties of holy worship so is it also for duties of the second table that is of Justice and Charity to men And this is evident in the nature of the thing No man will be exact in Justice till he do as he would be done by And who can do that who Loveth not his neighbour as himself What is our unity but our Love to others as our selves And how can we do the works of Love without Love It is divided SELF that is the cause of all the unmercifulness and injustice in the world Unity maketh my neighbour to be to me as my self and his Interest and welfare to be to me as my own and his loss and hurt to be as mine And were he indeed my self and his welfare and his hurt mine own you may judge without many words how I should use him whether I should shew him mercy in his wants and misery whether I should rejoice with him in his joy and mourn with him in his sorrows whether I should speak well or ill of him behind his back and whether I should persecute him and undo him whether I should defame him and write books to render him odious and to perswade the rulers that he is unworthy to have the liberty of a Christian or of a man to preach to pray to be conversed with or to live Would not uniting Love make a wonderful change in some mens judgements speeches and behaviour and make those men good Christians or good Moralists at least who now when they have cryed up Morality and Charity and good works would perswade men by the Commentary of their practice that they mean Malignity cruelty and the propagating of hatred and all iniquity Where there is not a dominion of LOVE and UNITY there is a dominion of SELFISHNESS and ENMITY and how well these will keep the Commandments which are all fulfilled in LOVE how well they will do good to all men especially to them of the houshold of faith and provoke one another to Love and to good works it is easie for any man to judge Once alienate mens hearts from one another and the Life will shew the alienation 3. This UNITY of SPIRIT and spirit of unity is our necessary preservation against sins of commission as well as of omission as aforesaid even against the common iniquities of the world LOVE and UNITY tyrannize not over inferiours contrive not to tread down others that we may rise and to keep them down to secure our domination They oppress not the poor the weak or innocent They make not snares for other mens Consciences nor lay stumbling-blocks before them to occasion them to sin nor drive men on to sin against Conscience and so to hell to shew mens authority in a thing of nought Had this ruled in Ahab and his Prophets Michaiah had not been smitten on the mouth nor fed in a Prison with the bread and water of affliction nor had Elijah been hunted after as the troubler of Israel Had this unity of spirit ruled in Jeroboam and in Rehoboam one had not stretcht out his hand against the Prophet nor the other despised experienced Counsellours to make heavier the burdens of the complaining people Had it overcome the SELFISHNESS of the Kings of Israel their Calves and High places had not engaged them against the Prophets and been their ruine Had it prevailed in the Kings of Judah and their people Jeremy had not been
their Vnion maketh all to be common to them Are not Parents pleased to see their children prosper and every one delighted in the wellfare of his friend what then if all the world were as near and dear to us as a husband a child or a bosome friend would it not be our constant pleasure to think of Gods blessings to them as if they were our own A narrow spot of ground doth yield but little fruit in comparison of a whole Kingdom or all the earth And he that fetcheth his content and pleasure from so little a clod of earth as his own body must have but a poor and pitiful pleasure in comparison of him that can rejoice in the good of all the world It is Vniting Love which is the great enriching contenting and felicitating art An Art I call it as it is a thing Learned and practised by Rule but more than an Art even a Nature as to its fixed inclination 3. And Vnion maketh other mens Good to be all ours as efficiently and objectively so also finally As all is but a means to one and the same end in which we meet It is my ends that are attained by all the Good that is done and possessed in the world They that have One holy spirit have one end The Glorifying of God in the felicity of his Church and the perfection of his works and the Fulfilling and Pleasing of his blessed will in this his Glory is the end that every true believer doth intend and live for in the world And this One End all Saints all Angels all Creatures are carrying on as means If I be a Christian indeed I have nothing so dear to me or so much desired as this Pleasing and Glorifying of God in the good and perfection of his works This is my Interest In this he must gratiâ—ie me that will be my friend All things are as nothing to me but for this And in this all the world but specially all Saints are continually serving me In serving God they are serving me while they serve my chiefest end and interest If I have a house to build or a field to till or a garden to dress do not the labours of all the builders and workmen serve me and please me while it is my work that they do This is no fancy but the real case of every wise and holy person He hath set his heart and hope upon that end which all the world are joyntly carrying on and which shall certainly be accomplished O blessed be that Infinite Wisdom and Love which teacheth this wisdom and giveth this Vniting Love to every holy soul All other wayes are dividing narrow poor and base This is the true and certain way for every man to be a possessour of all mens blessings and to be owner of the good of all the world They are all doing our Heavenly Fathers will and all are bringing about the common end which every true believer seeketh It is this base and narrow SELFISHNESS and inordinate contractedness of spirit and adhering to individual interest which contradicteth all this and hindereth us from the present joyful tastâ— of the fruits of UNITY which we now hear and read of Yea I can dye with much the greater willingness because besides my hopes of heaven I live even on earth when I am dead I live in all that live and shall live till the end of all I am not of the mind of the selfish person that saith when I am dead all the world is dead or at an end to me But rather God is my highest object His Glory and complacency is my End These shine and are attained more in and by the whole Creation than by me while these go on the End is attained which I was made for And I shall never be separated living or dead from the universal Church or universal world so that when I am dead my end my interest my united fellow-Christians and Creatures will still live If I loved my friend better than my self it would be less grief to me to be banished than for him to be banished And so it would be less grief to me to dye than for him to dye And if I loved the Church and the world but half as much more than my self as my reason is fully convinced there is cause it would seem to me incomparably a smaller evil to dye my self than that the Church or world should dye As long as my Garden flourisheth I can bear the death of the several flowers whose place will the next spring be succeeded by the like And as long as my Orchard liveth I can bear the falling of a leaf or an apple yea of all the leaves and fruit in Autumn which the next spring will repair and restore in kind though not those individual What am I that the world should miss me or that my death should be taken by others or by me for a matter of any great regard I can think so of another and another can think so of me But unhappy selfishness maketh it hard for every man or any man to think so of himself Did UNITY more prevail in men and SELFISHNESS less it would more rejoice a dying man that the Power Wisdom and Goodness of God will continue to shine forth in the Church and world and that others shall succeed him in serving God and his Church when he is dead than it would grieve him that he must dye himself Yea more than all this this Holy UNITY will make all the Joyes of Heaven to be partly ours Even while we are here in pain and sorrows we are members of the Body whose Best part is above with Christ and therefore their joyes are by participation ours as the pleasure of the head and heart extendeth to the smallest members Would it be nothing to a mother if all her children or to a friend if all his friends had all the prosperity and joy that he could wish them The nearer and stronger this holy UNITY is the more joyfully will a believer here look up and say Though I am poor or sick or suffer it is not so with any of the blessed ones above My fellow Christians now rejoyce in Glory The Angels with whom I shall live for ever are full of Joy in the vision of Jehovah My blessed Head hath Kingdom and Power and Glory and Perfection Though I am yet weak and must pass through the gates of death the Gloriâ—ied world are triumphing in perpetual Joyes Their Knowledge their Love their Praises of God are perfect and everlasting beyond all fears of death or any decay or interruption UNITY giveth us a part in all the Joyes of earth and heaven And what then is more desireable to a Believer 5. And in all that is said it appeareth that UNITY is a great and necessary part of our preparation for sufferings and death without this men want the principal comforts that should support them They that can fetch comfort neither from
Earth nor from Heaven but only from the narrow interest of themselves are like a withering branch that 's broken from the tree or like a lake of water separated from the stream that will soon dry up A selfish person hath neither the motives to right suffering nor the truest cordials for a dying man Something or other in this sinful SELF will be still amiss And a selfish person will be still caring fearing or complaining Because he can take but little pleasure in remembring that all is well in Heaven and that if he were nothing God would be still Glorified in the world Therefore the more selfish true Christians are the less is their peace and the more their hearts do sink in suffering Their Religion reacheth little higher than to be still poring on a sinful confused heart and asking How should I be assured of my own salvation When a Christian that hath more of the Spirit of UNITY is more taken up with sweeter things studying how to Glorifie God in the world and rejoycing in the assurance that his name shall be hallowed his Kingdom shall come and his Will shall be done yea and is perfectly done in Heaven that which is first in his desires and prayers is ever the chiefest in his thanksgivings and his Joyes CHAP. IV. The VNITY of the Spirit in the welfare of the Church II. AS the UNITY of the Spirit is the personal welfare of every Christian so is it the common interest of the Church and of all Christian Societies Kingdoms Cities Schools and Families And that in all these respects I. UNITY is the very life of the Church and of all Societies as such The word LIFE is sometime taken for the LIVING PRINCIPLE or FORM and so the SOUL is the LIFE of a Man and the SPIRIT as dwelling and working in us is the Moral or holy-spiritual LIFE of the soul and of the Church as mystical And sometime LIFE is taken for the VNION of the said vital principle with the Organical Body or matter duly united in it self And so the UNION of soul and body is the Life of a man and the Vnion of the Political Head and Body is the Life of political Societies And so the Vnion of Christ and the Church is the Life of the Church And the Union of the members among themselves is as the union of the parts of the organical body the necessary Dispositio materiae without which it cannot have Union with the Head or the effect of Vnion with the Vital principle and so the Union which is essential to the Church As that is no Body whose parts are not united among themselves nor no Living Body which is not united to the soul and in it self so that is no Church or no Society which is not Vnited in it self and no Christian Society or Church which is not united unto Christ It is a gross oversight of them that look at nothing but the Regeneration of the members as essential to the Church and take Vnity to be but a separable Accident Yea indeed Regeneration it self consisteth in the Vniting of persons by Faith and Love to God and the Redeemer and to the body of the Church And if Vnion be Life then Division is no Less than Death Not every degree of division For some breaches among Christians are but wounds But to be divided or separated from Christ or from the Universal Church which is his body is Death it self And even wounds must have a timely cure or else they threaten at least the perishing of the wounded part II. UNITY is the health ease and quiet of the Church and all Societies as well as of each person And Division is its smart and pain And a divided disagreeing Society is a wounded or sick Society in continual suffering and disease But how easie sweet and pleasant is it when brethren dwell together in Unity when they are not of many minds and wills and wayes when they strive not against each other and live not in wrangling and contention when they have not their cross interests wills and parties and envy not or grudge not against each other But every one taketh the common interest to be his own and smarteth in all his brethrens sufferings and hurts when they speak the same things and mind the same interest and carry on the same ends and work O foelix hominum genus Si vestros animos Amor Quo coelum regitur regat saith Boetius Many contrivances good men have had for the recovering of the peace and felicity of Societies And they that despaired of accomplishing it have pleased themselves with feigning such Societies as they thought most happy whence we have Plato's Common-wealth Moor's Vtopia Campanella's Civitas solis c. But when all is done he is the wisest and happiest Politician and the best friend and benefactor to Societies and to mankind who is the skilfullest contriver and best promoter of UNITING LOVE I know that this is like Life in man a work that requireth more than Art But yet I will not say hoc non est artis sed pietatis opus as if art did nothing in it It is Gods work blessing mans endeavours Even in the propagation of natural Life though Deus sol vivificant God is the Quickener and Fountain of all life yet man is the Generator even if it prove true that the soul is created And God will not do it without the act of man So God will not bless Churches and Kingdoms and Families with Vniting-Love without the subordinate endeavours of man And the skill and honesty of the endeavourers greatly conduceth to the success of the work Men that stand in a significant capacity as Rulers and publick Teachers do may do much by holy Art to promote Vniting-Love in all Societies By contriving an Vniting of Interests and not by cudgelling them all into the same Temples or Synagogues as prisoners into a Jaile and by diligent clear teaching them the excellency and necessity of Vnity and Love and mischiefs of dividing selfishness But of this more after in due place All the devices in the world for the felicity of Societies which tend not unto Vnity and all wayes of Vnity which promote not Love are erroneous and meerly frivolous And all that are Contrary to Love are pernicious whatever the contrivers pretend or dream III. UNITY is the strength and preservation of Societies and Selfishness and Division is their weakness their dissolution and their ruine As in Natural so in Political Bodies the closest and perfectest Vnion of Parts maketh the firmest and most durable composition What is the strength of an Army but their UNITY When they obey one General Commander and cleave inseparably together and forsake not one another in fight such an Army would conquer far greater multitudes of incoherent separable men when every Souldier thinketh how to shift for himself and to save his own life whatever become of others a few run away first and shew the
peace they did not serve the Lord Jesus whose great and last command was Love which he made the Nature and character and badge of his true disciples but by those good words and fair speeches deceived the hearts of the simple and deceivable Here there are four words especially to be noted 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we translate good words is commonly translated flattery but as Beza well noteth it signifieth a speaking of things that are plausible in themselves for some good that is in them and that are pretended to be all spoken for the hearers good as Satan pretended when he tempted Eve yea perhaps to be necessary to their salvation or to make them the most knowing and excellent sort of Christians 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth both to Bless them as ministers do that desire their happiness and to praise them and speak well or highly of them And so almost all sects and divided bodies are gathered by flattering the hearers into a conceit that thus they shall become the surest and most excellent Christians and all others are far inferiour to them 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is the Hearts of such hearers that are deceived and not their heads or reason only or chiefly For the good words first take with them by moving their Passions or affections And then the Praise fair promises and speeches kindle a kind of secret spiritual pride and ambition in the heart as Satans words did in Eve to be as Gods in Knowledge And the Heart thus infected and puft up promoteth the deceit of the understanding 4. And this is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hominum minime malorum as Beza translates It is not simple fools but such simple persons as we call harmless or innocents as the Vulgar Latine translates it well meaning men or not ill men People that fear God and have good desires and meanings are for want of Judgement and watchfulness overcome by dividers And on the contrary the amiable examples of Vnity and Concord and their happy effects are recorded in Scripture to make us in Love with them but none so eminent as that of the first Christians It is very remarkable that when Christ would shew the world the work of his Mediation in its notable effects and when he would shew them the excellency of his disciples about the common world and of his Church under the Gospel above that under Moses Law he doth it by shewing them in the power and exercise of Vniting Love Love was it which he came to exercise and demonstrate his Fathers and his own Love was that which he came to kindle in their souls and bring them to possess and practise Perfect Love is the perfect felicity which he hath promised them Love and Unity are the matter of his last and great Command These are the Characters of his genuine disciples and of the renewed Divine Nature in them It was Love and Vnity which must in them be the witness of Christs spirit and power to convince the unbelieving world And therefore it is Love and Vnity which is the matter of his last excellent prayer for them John 17. 22 23 24 25. 15. 12 17. 13. 34. 1 John 3. 14 23. 4. 21. And all these his preparations precepts examples and prayers were accordingly exemplified in the wonderful Love and Concord of his followers When the day of Pentecost was come in which the Holy Ghost must be most eminently communicated to them they were all with One accord in one place Acts 2. 1. The Apostles had an Vnanimity and Concord before proportionable to the measure of their grace which was preparatory to their reception of the eminent gift of the Spirit which increased their unanimity And v. 41 42 43 44 45 46. the three thousand that were suddenly added to the Church continued stedfastly in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and in prayers And all that believed were together and had all things common and sold their possessions and goods and parted them to all men as every man had need And they continuing daily with one accord in the Temple and breaking bread from house to house did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart praising God and having favour with all the people What greater demonstration could be given that Christ is the great Reconciler the messenger gift and teacher of Love the Prince of Peace and the great Vniter of the divided world both with his Father and Himself and with one another In this text Acts 2. and marvellous example you see the design and work of the great Reconciler When men fall out with God they fall out with one another when they depart from the only Center of Vnity they can have no true Unity among themselves when they lose the Love of God they lose the Love of Man as for Gods sake and interest And he that cannot see and Love God in man can see nothing in man that is worthy of much love As he that loveth not a man for his soul and its operations more than for his body loveth him not as a man And few have any great Love to a dead Corpse Cicero could say It is your soul that we speak to and converse with were that departed we should speak to you no more God is more to every man than his soul If God were not their life and amiableness all men would be unlovely loathsome carkasses Therefore wicked men that cannot Love God and Goodness can Love none thoroughly but themselves and for themselves or as Bruâ—es by a low or sensitive kind of love For it is self that they are fallen to from God and Man And yet while self is carnally and inordinately loved instead of God and Man it is but destroyed and undone by that inordinate idolatrous love And he that loveth Himself to his own destruction with a Love more pernicious than anothers hatred doth love his friends but with such a kind of killing love as I have seen some Brutes kill their young ones with the violence of their love that would not suffer them to let them alone Thus all love to man saving a pernicious love doth dye where the love of God and goodness dieth And Cain giveth the world the first specimen or instance of depraved nature in envy and wrath and finally in the murder of his Brother and undoing Himself by setting up and adhering inordinately to himself But when Christ reconcileth God and Man he reconcileth Men to one another For he teacheth men to love God in Man and Man for God with a Holy noble reasonable kind of Love And so to love all men as far as God hath an Interest in all And to Love all Christians with an eminent Love as God is eminently interessed in them And this is Christs work on the souls of men and much of his business which he came for into the world And therefore he would have his
the world that doth not save his own disciples from sin and folly No wonder that God hath no pleasure in fools and that the foolish shall not stand in his fight when they are such a dishonour to Christ and him what fellowship hath Light with darkness And who knoweth not that disagreement proveth ignorance and errour in one party at least When they hold and plead for contrary opinions both cannot be in the right And when this is but in dark and difficult matters of no great influence on our hearts and lives and future hopes it is tolerable and no more to be wondered at than that we are yet but imperfect men in flesh and in this low and darksome world But when it amounteth to that which maketh Christians judge it necessary to anathematize one another and to cast out each other from their communion as intolerable and perhaps to seek one anothers destruction do they not loudly proclaim their shameful ignorance to the world § 3. I know that discipline must be exercised and the precious separated from the vile and this especially for the honour of Christianity For if the Church be as a Swinesty and the clean and unclean the sober and the drunken the chaste and the fornicators equally members of it such a society and their religion will be contemned For sin is a reproach to any people But casting a felon or murderer in Jaile doth much differ from a civil war For the Church to cast out the impure that repent not is necessary to their honour but to divide and subdivide among themselves is their reproach though the dividers have never so fair pretences § 4. I know also what pretences against heresie c. the dividing sects have had in all ages They have pretended that they only being the true Church the condemning and rejecting of all others was necessary to the Churches honour But is it indeed to the honour of the Christian name that so great bodies for so many ages have continu'd to condemn and anathematize each other That the Greek Church condemneth the Western and the Western them That the Eastern and Southern are separated from both And the Western Christians so divided among themselves Who that is not a stranger to man and history knoweth not that it hath been to exercise a Dominion over others and also to extol the skill of their understandings as speaking rightlier than others when they strove about ambiguous words that very much of their anathematizing hath been used And when the Pope hath anathematized the Patriarch of Constantinople he hath anathematized him again yea so hath the Patriarch of Alexandria also And when the three parties the Orthodox the Nestorians and the Eutychians for so many ages have continued anathematizing each other the dishonour falleth on them all in the eyes of beholders and no party recovereth their honour with the rest § 5. Undoubtedly it is they that God shall make the blessed instruments of restoring the necessary means of Concord and thereby of reviving Christian Love and peace that will be the chief and honourable agents for the repairing of the honour of the Christian Church if ever it be repaired in this world All parties seem agreed in this even they that most foolishly and cruelly tear and distract the Church that it must be Love and Concord that at last must heal it and recover its glory if ever it be healed And how much Christ is pleased to see his servants live in Love and peace his office his nature his many and vehement Commands do tell us CHAP. VII III. What obligations are on all Christians to avoid sinful divisions and discord and to promote this Vnity and peace § 1. FRom what is already said it is easie to gather that many and great obligations are on all Christians to be promoters of Concord and enemies of discord and divisions I. The many and express commands of Christ in Scripture do oblige them This is no dark or controverted point written in words which are hard to be understood but plainly uttered and often urged Yea when several of Gods commands are mentioned this is still preferred before most others that can be imagined to stand in competition against it As the uniting Love of God is called the first and great Command so the uniting Love of man is called the second like to that and the summ of the second table and the fulfilling of the Law It is not mentioned as an Accident of the New Creature but as an essential part not as the high qualification of some rare Christian but as that which is necessary and common to all that are the living members of Christ Not only as needful to some inferiour uses but as necessary to all the great Ends of our Religion preferred before sacrifice and all the rituals and not to be dispensed with on any pretence § 2. II. No man therefore can be an obedient servant of Christ that seeketh not to keep the Vnity of the spirit in the bond of peace If he that breaketh one of the least commands and teacheth men so to do shall be called Least in the Kingdom of God what shall he be called and where shall be his lot that breaketh the greatest § 3. III. The Love of God our Father and of Christ our Redeemer doth oblige us For if he that loveth not his brother whom he seâ—th daily cannot Love God whom he never saw how much less he that loveth not the multitude of believers and so great an interest of God in the world as is that unity and concord of the body of Christ And if he that doth or doth not good to one of the least of the servants of Christ is supposed to have done it or not done it to himself how much more he that doth or omitteth that which Christ and his whole Church is so much concerned in § 4. IV. The Love of our own souls obligeth us considering how many and great impediments discord doth raise against all grace and duty and against our holiness comfort and salvation And how much Christian Love and Concord do conduce to the preservation of all grace and to the attainment of Glory All men in true Concord are our helpers and all men in discord are our hinderers and tempters How fair and easie is the way to Heaven among true Loving and agreeing Christians and how hard is it where divisions and contentions take place § 5. V. The Love of our neighbours souls obligeth us to this That which is best for us is best for them Alas carnal minds deceived by sin need not to have the way to heaven made harder nor to be tempted by the discords of Christians to despise them Their own malignity and the devils temptations when we have done our best may suffice to deceive them and undo them Every Christian should be a helper to the salvation of all about him and a souldier under Christ to fight against Satan as he
or practice And sure no such for Images is in the Creed or Decalogue § 26. The same I may say of many other Religious practices As St. Paul speaketh of meats and drinks and dayes Rom. 14. 15. so must we say of all things that are of no greater necessity If men in all these must be brought to uniformity and practising in the same mode it must be either by argument and perswasion or by force The first we are sure will never do it in all things though it may in many All the twenty reasons before mentioned prove it and many hundred years experience much more It is certain to all save blinded persons that all Christians will never be in all things of a mind about Lawful and Unlawful Duty and Sin And 〈◊〉 that force will never do it St. Paul saith of things indifferent that he that doubteth is damned if he eat because he eateth not of faith For whatsoever is not of faith is sin Ungodly persons that have no true Conscience may go against their false Consciences for worldly ends and wilfully sin for fear of men But so will no true Christian unless in the hour of such a temptation as Peters by a fall from which he will rise again to a stronger resolution than he had before No sound believer will sell his soul to save his flesh nor hazard heaven by wilful sin to save his interest on earth So that this way of forcing men to practise contrary to their Consciences in points in which good and tolerable Christians differ will but make up Churches of wicked men that have no conscience joyned with one party that is therein agreed And I shall shew you in due place that they will never devise what to do with the Conscionable dissenters that shall not be far worse than a charitable and peaceable forbearance § 27. III. It is certain that there will never be so great Concord as that all Disputings opposition and passionate and injurious words and writings will cease among all sorts of Christians No nor among all that are honest and upright in the main For as long as one taketh that for a dangerous errour or sin which another taketh for a necessary truth or duty men will even on Gods account think ill of one another and in some measure speak ill as they think They that know that they must not call evil good and good evil nor put darkness for light and light for darkness will abuse and injure one another in things where they confidently err A Lutheran though pious will speak and dispute against a Calvinâ—â— and a Calâ—inist against a Lutheran And so of many other Parties And though it is greatly to be wished that all Christians had humble thoughts of their own understandings and would stay till they know well what they say before they talk much against things or persons and though it be so with wise and eminently sober humble men yet with too many it is far otherwise and like so to continue Perverse disputings and shameful backbitings and speaking evil of things and persons not understood have such unhappy causes in the remnants of dark corrupted nature that they seem to be like to live till a golden age or heaven do cure them Talking and writing against one another even of the same Religion yea praying and preaching against one another must be expected in some degree I would I need not say silencing and persecuting one another yea excommunicating and anathematizing among the worser sort of men such usage as Nazianzen had from one of the famous General Councils and such usage as Chrysostom had from such Bishops as Theophilus Alexand. and Epiphanius and a Council of other Bishops and such as abundance of excellent men in most ages have met with in the like kind and way may be expected again till Bishops and all Christians become more wise and resined persons § 28. II. But affirmatively there is yet an excellent sort and degree of Unity and Concord to be sought with hope among Christians worthy of all our utmost labour Yea there is a true and excellent Unity and Concord which all true Christians do already enjoy consisting in the following things § 29. I. All Christians truly such believe in One God and believe the incomprehensible Trinity and believe Gods Essential Attributes and Grand Relations to man They believe that he is Infinite in Immensity and Eternity and Perfection even a most Perfect Spirit Life Vnderstanding and Will most Powerful Wise and Good the Creator and preserver the Governour and the End of all of whom and through whom and to whom are all things in whom we Live and Move and have our being Most Holy and True and Merciful and Just whom we are bound to believe and trust and love and serve and obey and praise with all our heart and mind and strength and perfectly and everlastingly to see Love and Praise him to Please Him and be Pleased in Him in Glory is the end and happiness of Saints § 30. II. All true Christians believe in One Mediator between God and man Jesus Christ the Eternal Word God and one in Essence with the Father Incarnate assuming the whole Nature of man conceived by the holy Ghost born of the Virgin Mary and was holy harmless undefiled separate from sinners fulfilling all righteousness and overcame the Devil and the world and gave himself a Sacrifice for mans sin by suffering a cursed death on the Cross to ransome us and reconcile us unto God and was buried and went to the departed souls in hades and the third day rose again from the dead having conquered death And having declared the new Covenant or Law of Grace and commanded his Apostles to preach the Gospel to all the world and promised them to send the Holy Spirit he ascended into Heaven before their faces The said Covenant of Grace is summarily this that whereas all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God sin by one man entring into the world and death by sin and so death and condemnation passed upon all in that all have sinned God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever Believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life that is God freely giveth to lost undone sinners Himself to be their reconciled God and Father Jesus Christ to be their Saviour and the Holy Ghost to be their Sanctifier if they will Believe and Trust him and accept the gift and will in serious Covenant which Baptism celebrateth accordingly give up themselves to him Repenting of their sins and consenting to forsake the Devil the world and the Flesh as opposite to God and sincerely though not perfectly obey Christ and his Spirit to the end according to the Law of Nature and his Gospel institutions that so they may overcome and be Glorified for ever And they believe that Christ will come at last in Glory and judge all men according to his Laws
and do so much against their own desired ends that instead of accusing the providence of God we should thankfully wonder that there is so much peace and concord as there is and that all men live not as enemies to each others in continual war or that the devouring Pikes leave so many of the lesser fish alive and the weak and innocent are not wholly a prey to the oppressors CHAP. IX That Christ himself who commanded the Vnity Love and Concord of Christians did prescribe the necessary terms § 1. IF it be once proved that Christ himself hath prescribed the conditions or terms of Christian Union and Communion what remaineth to Christians but to enquire What are those terms Whereas for want of that necessary supposition while men think it is left to them no man knoweth who should do it and the Pope prescribeth his terms and others prescribe their terms and almost each Sect hath different terms § 2. That Christ did prescribe them I shall prove I. Antecedently à Causis II. Consequently ab Effectis III. By proving the necessary exclusion of any other competent prescribers § 3. I. Antecedently it is proved from 1. The universal necessity of the thing 2. And from the office of Christ to do things of such universal necessity and his faithfulness therein § 4. 1. There are few Christians so ignorant or inconsiderate but will confess that the Vnion of Christians is necessary not only to the edification and well being but to the very being of the Church both universal and particular For what is a Church but many Christians united and associated for Church-ends Pull all the Bricks or Timber of the house asunder and it is no house Pull all the Planks and parts of a Ship asunder and it is no Ship Pull all the leaves and sentences of a Book asunder and it is no Book Pull all the parts of a mans body asunder and there remaineth no body of a man considered formally but only materially and in their aptitude to re-union at the resurrection An Army disbanded and dissipated is no Army And certainly it is no Church that hath not Church-unity of parts 2. And all that believe in Christ believe that he came into the world to call and gather his Church and to save them and that he sent his Word his Ministers and Spirit to this end He is the principle of life to the Church his body who first by aggregation uniteth them to himself and one another and then is their constitutive and governing and quickning head It is his undertaken office first to make all his own members and then to govern preserve edifie and save them And how can Christ make his Church without uniting the members Can he build his house and never set the bricks stones or timber together Can you make a Clock or Watch without adapting and uniting the parts And can Christ gather build compaginate and unite his Church and not so much as tell men either Pastors or people what are the Conditions and terms of union and the cement or solder that must unite them § 5. And all Christians confess Christs sufficiency for his office and his perfect faithfulness in performing it He wanted neither Power Wisdom nor Love or Will to gather his own Church or body He was faithful as Moses in all Gods house And he that fulfilled all the righteousness of the Law and whatever was imposed on him as a humbled satisfier of Justice surely no less fulfilled all that belonged to him as the grand Administrator and Benefactor and Executor of Gods mercy and his own will and as Head over all things to his Church Eph. 1. 22 23. § 6. Nay as he was the King and Law giver of the Church who was to give them all their Vniversal Laws binding all men could he be supposed to have done this faithfully if he had left out the very terms of Church-unity and concord when such unity is essential to the Church Did he send the Apostles to disciple and baptize all Nations and be in Gods house the Church as Paul calleth Timothy Pillars and bases of truth yea foundations and Master-builders that must gather his Church out of all the world and yet never tell them What a Church is that is how the parts must be united As he is the Teacher of the Church did he never teach them so necessary a thing as what essential Church-unity is These are such imputations against Christ as seem to deny him to be Christ As he would deny God to be God that would deny his providence and government of the world § 7. Christs Law is to be both the Rule of our actions and his judgement And if he have left out so great a point as the essentiating terms of Church Vnion what momentous acts of our lives are left to be ungoverned and unjudged by the Laws of Christ § 8. Above all men those are bound to consent to what I say who hold that Christs Laws have not left so much as a ceremony undetermined and that nothing may be added or diminished in his worship How much less then hath he left the essentiating terms of Church-unity unprescribed § 9. II. And consequently ab effectis we find that Christ did it 1. He plainly declared what maketh a Christian 2. He declared how all Christians should live in love and concord 3. And how the coalition of these Christians maketh his Church § 10. I. It had been strange if he that came into the world to make men Christians had never told men what a Christian is And if he that sent his Apostles to make Christians had set them to do they knew not what and never told them what a Christian is and consequently what they must perswade men to And if he that promised Justification Pardon Adoption and Glory to all true believers that is to true Christians had yet never told them how they may know that they are such And that he that commanded so much Christian duty publick and private and required Christians to suffer so much for his sake and to look for a reward in Heaven should yet never tell them what Christianity is If Christ made Christianity that is the Laws and description objects and principle then he made a Determinate thing If not hath he left it to man to make Christianity objectively Then how shall we know to whom he gave this power And how many several species of Christianity or faith may be made in the world § II. It is evident in Scripture that Christ sent his Apostles and that he taught them what to preach and particularly that he Matth. 28. 19 20. said Go and Disciple me all Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost teaching them to observe all things whatever I commanded you And it is certain that a Baptized person was then accounted a Christian and Baptism was their Christening and that this was the Church entrance
union Is it that they all unite in Cephas Peter or in One Patriarch or Pope Or that they adhere to men with greater estimation No but contrary It is this that divided them while one was for Paul and another for Apollos and another for Cephas He calls them to unite in Christ alone and not to think of men above that which is written nor to be puffed up for one against another nor to take any Pastors as the Lords of their faith but as Ministers of Christ and stewards of his mysteries given for their good and helpers of their joy and edification c. 3. 4. He tells them that neither is he that planteth any thing neither he that watereth but God that giveth the increase and he that planteth and he that watereth are one c. 3. v. 7 8 9. And in case of eating things offered to Idols as to so much as was lawful in it self he chargeth them to deny their liberty when it will be a stumbling-block to the weak and tells them that he will never eat flesh while the world standeth if it make his brother to offend c. 8. 13. Telling them that when they sin so against the brethren and wound their weak Conscience they sin against Christ v. 12. And he himself would labour for his bread and not take a lawful and due maintenance from them when he saw it would hinder his success c. 9. and would rather dye than any should make void this his glorying v. 15. To the Jews he became as a Jew to gain the Jews and to the weak he became as weak to gain them and was made all things to all men that he might by all means save some v. 20 21 22 23. His rule is Give no offence to Jews or Greeks or to the Church of God even as I please all men in all things not seeking my own profit but the profit of many that they may be saved c. 10. v. 32 33. Their divisions at the Communion he reproveth ch 11. not caused by ceremonious impositions but their own partiality and selfishness The great difference among Christians in gifts and strength he largely openeth c. 12. to shew them that all this must stand with unity and that yet there must be no Schism in the body but the members must have the same care one of another v. 25. yea the less comely parts must have the more care v. 23 24. And ch 15. 1 2 3. he giveth us this sum of the Gospel which he preached Moreover brethren I declare to you the Gospel which I preached which also you have received and wherein ye stand by which also ye are saved if ye hold fast what I preached to you unless you believed in vain Are not here the terms of Christian unity and salvation For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received how that Christ dyed for our sins according to the Scriptures and that he was buried and rose again the third day according to the Scriptures and was seen c. whence our resurrection is proved Here is nothing but the common articles of the Creed and this was the Gospel Indeed St. Paul is an Anathematizer too but it is not of men that differ about words or humane forms but of all them that love not the Lord Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 16. 22. § 15. The same Apostle sharply reprehendeth the faults of the Galatians But what is it for not for differing about things unnecessary but for making such necessary that were not For which he wisheth those cut off that troubled them And he concludeth all with this uniting true Canon c. 6. v. 15 16. For in Christ Jesus neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but a New Creature And as many as walk according to this Canon or Rule peace be on them and mercy and on the Israel of God I Can any thing be plainer No say the battering Canoneers As many as walk according to this Canon but conform not to all our Canons or Decretals let them have no peace or mercy but be cut off from the Isreal of God so contrary is the Papal Spirit to Christs And Paul there giveth also this rule and the reason of it c. 6. 1 2. Brethren if a man be overtaken in a fault ye which are spiritual restore such a one in the spirit of meekness considering thy self lest thou also be tempted bear ye one anothers burdens and so fulfil the Law of Christ And because he knew that self-esteem and contempt of dissenters lay at the root of impatience towards others he addeth If a man think himself to be something to whom all must needs consent when he is nothing he deceiveth himself § 16. The same Apostle to the Ephesians accurately openeth the terms of Christian Unity and Church Concord in my Text purposely describing both the end the instruments and the terms so that I know not how we could have desired more The End is For the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God to a perfect man to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ That we henceforth be no more Children tossed to and fro and carryed about with every wind of doctrine by the slight of men and cunning craftiness whereby they lye in wait to deceive but speaking the truth in love may grow up in him in all things which is the head Christ From whom the whole body fitly joyned together and compacted by that which every joint supplyeth according to the effectual working in the measure of every part maketh increase of the body to the edifying of it self in love Can all the Canons in the world attain more Concord and higher ends than these exprest And the Instruments are the gifts which Christ gave to men even to Apostles Prophets Evangelists Pastors and Teachers and the loving endeavours of all believers § 17. And the Terms of all this Union and Concord are these seven 1. One Body of Christ the only Head that is all true Christians in the world 2. One Spirit given by Christ to quicken illuminate and Sanctifie and confirm and comfort them 3. One Hope of their calling that is the Glorious coming of Christ and our Heavenly Glory 4. One Lord the King Head and Saviour of the Church 5. One Faith that is Christianity expressed in the Churches Creed or common profession 6. One Baptism that is One solemn entrance into the Church and Covenant of God in the publick profession of this one faith 7. One God and father of all who is above all and through and in us all But all this consisting in various degrees of grace and gifts ch 4. v. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7. These are Gods own terms of Christian Unity and Concord sufficient in their kind but judged insufficient by the ignorant proud tyrannical
it So if a Church will cast men from the Sacrament because they dare not sit or stand or kneel and will not allow them otherwise elsewhere to receive it There is no possibility of Concord without tolerating some differing persons and Assemblies Sect. XLV 20. The worst Schism being that which is a separation from the universal Church it followeth that the most schismatical Church-Tyranny is that which unjustly excludeth men from the universal Churches visible Communion for from the spiritual they cannot such are 1. The Anabaptists that undisciple all Infants 2. Those that deny Christendome to such as dare not use or receive the transient Image of the Cross as the engaging dedicating Symbol of Christianity or the Children of such whose Parents dare not so present them nor yet commit the Covenanting for them to men called Godfathers instead of themselves 3. The Seekers that say all the Visible Church is lost 4. But the greatest Schismaticks are the Pope and Papists who unchurch all the Christian World save the Sect or Subjects of the Pope To cut off Christs members from his Body Visible or deny men their place in the universal Church is a far heinouser Schism than to cast them out of or rend them from a particular Church only 5. And the same guilt is on them that by unjust Excommunications pretend to cut men off from the Church universal especially by unjust hereticating whole Parties Countreys or Kingdoms or interdicting whole Kingdoms Gods publick Worship as the Pope hath often done And especially when on such Pretences they excommunicate Kings and raise warres in Kingdoms and embroil the Christian World in blood Sect. XLVI The greatest Causes of Schisms I have opened in the foresaid Scheme and the Preface to my Cathol Theologie viz. I. For Persons 1. A Contentious Clergy 2. Unwise and wicked Rulers 3. The deceived people II. For Qualities 1 Remotely 1. Selfishness and Worldliness in Hypocrites 2. Hasty Judging of things not well understood the common vice of Mankind 3. Slothfulness in Students 2 Neerly 1. Pride or want of Self-acquaintance 2. Ignorance and Error 3. Envy Malice and Bitterness III. The instrumental Engines of Schism are 1. In General Corrupt departing from the Christian Simplicity 2. Particularly 1. From Simplicity of Doctrine by Dogmatists Words and Notions 2. From Simplicity of Practice by superstitious Additions 3. From Simplicity of Discipline by Church-Tyranny and dividing Laws and Impositions Sect. XLVII The mischievous Effects of Schism I have also there named 1. The Corruption of Doctrine by Wranglings 2. The Corruption of Worship by faction partiality and wrath 3. The Corruption of Discipline by Tyranny or Partiality 4. Self-deceit by false Zeal 5. The destruction of Holiness and a heavenly Conversation 6. The Destruction of Love and the life of Wrath and manifold injuries 7. The corrupting and undoing of Civil Rulers by oppression partiality injustice persecution and warres 8. Exposing the innocent to slanders hatred and persecution 9. Hardening the ignorant unbelieving and ungodly to their perdition 10. Hindering the Success of the Gospel 11. Corrupting the Churches weakening them shaming them and strengthening their enemies and drawing down Gods Judgments on them 12. Shaking the Civil peace grieving good Rulers Teachers and People 13. Cherishing all Vice and hindering all men of the comforts and benefits of peaceable Communion with God and one another Whoever are guilty of true Schism or Divisions are guilty of all these consequent mischiefs in a respective degree CHAP. II. The true Preventions and Remedies of Schism Sect. I. TO tell men what should be done for Unity and Peace and for Salvation is far easier than to bring men to the Practice of it And as it is hard to prevail even with one man for all the Requisites hereto so if most of the Christian World were so happy as to be thus qualified yet as one diseased part doth trouble and endanger the whole body so the rest of the world by their badness would keep up common disquietments and troubles so that it is no more a perfect Concord than perfect Knowledge and Holiness which we can hope for in this World Sect. II. 1. It is presupposed that Christ the great Peace-maker hath done much and most to this work already He hath reconciled us to God he hath made himself the Center of our Unity He hath given us sound Doctrine to lead us out of dividing Darkness He hath made us such just and holy Laws as all tend to Unity Love and Peace He hath left us his own perfect and imitable example He hath prescribed the just terms of our Unity and Peace He hath made Love and Meekness and forbearing and forgiving and all healing Principles and Practices the Conditions of his Promises and the great Duties and Marks of his Disciples He hath disgraced and strictly forbidden all dividing qualities and actions all uncharitableness censuring wrath malice envy backbiting evil-speaking discord contention revenge c. He hath threatned to shut out the guilty from his Kingdom He hath instituted Church-discipline to shut them out of his Church till they repent He poured out the Spirit of Love and Concord miraculously at first on his Disciples making them of one heart and mind even to a voluntary Community of their goods He prayed that they all might be One in him He hath appointed his Ministers to preach up Love Concord and Peace throughout the world He hath instituted particular Churches for the exercise of Love Concord and holy Communion He giveth to all true Christians the Spirit of Love and Peace and every one hath so much of these as a new Nature as they have of his Spirit and saving Grace All this and more hath Christ done himself for his Peoples Unity Love and Peace Sect. III. 2. Under Christ the chief Instruments of Concord must be the faithful Ministers of Christ whose duty hereto I have before described Particularly 1. They must be men of more eminent knowledge and gifts than the higher sort of the Flock or else if the People once perceive that they are equal to them they will despise them and turn Preachers and set up for themselves 2. And then such Ministers being not able to deal with Sectaries and Hereticks will betray the Cause of God and the adversaries will carry away the Hearers And it will be easie to bring such persons into Contempt and then the Truth will suffer with them God fitteth men to do the work that he will bless them in Not that every Congregation must needs have such an eminent man for a great Light will shine to other Parishes and an able man in one Parish may be ready to help the next and to confute Gainsayers and may keep up the Credit of the Ministry But it is such that must preserve the Unity and Concord of Believers and preserve the Church from Schism Sect. IV. 2. And if Ministers do not also live in holiness justice charity free from fleshly lusts
all Foxes tails cut off Or if it be about any point that Papists are concerned in that a man calleth men from erroneous Extremes to Truth and Peace he is presently suspected to be of the mind of Cassander Wicelius Grotius or such as they Even Jacob Behmens writing so much for Love and against Wrath hath made some suspect a Treatise that is written for any extensive Christian Love Could Satan but engage a man of ill fame to preach and write fervently for any fundamentall point of Religion I am afraid with many it would make it suspected Sect. XII It is also of great moment for the preventing or remedying of Schism to choose a sit season to manage the remedies Were not men very proud and selfish the fittest season would be times of Civil peace and prosperity And indeed a common peace of many Countreys will hardly be well prosecuted in any other times because it needeth sedate minds and quiet entercourse and friendly communication which warrs and exasperations are against Nor is it a fit time to heal a particular person when he is fined imprisoned persecuted or oppressed For his sense and passion will stop his ears and drive him further from those that he suffers by so far are they mistaken who take violence and severity to be the way But yet Prâ—sperity hath greater hinderances of Love and Peace than Sufferings for then usually the lovers of the World called in Scripture the Enemies of God as they strive most for wealth and power do obtain it and being made Lords and Prelates they think there is no sure and honourable Peace but by all mens submission to their wills and dictates Pride never knoweth the way of Peace but trusteth to insulting passionate violence which cureth Schism as Brandy will do a burning Feaver which may rarely be lodged in such frigid matter as may accidentally cure it which ordinarily would kill And a Schismatick may be such a timerous worldling as that suffering may drive him into outward complyance But Conscience so respecteth God as to count man and all that he can do as nothing Religion is a worshipping and obeying God as God and whoever preferreth any mans Power or Interest before him so far hath no true Religion at all But if a sufferer be to be cured it must not be by him by whom he suffereth but by another that pitieth him and lamenteth his sufferings But usually Pride and carnal Confidence in Prosperity hinder men from that condescension and moderation which is absolutely necessary to Love and Peace Wantonness and Contention are the usual fruits of greatness fullness and worldly ease so that Civil Peace and Religious are too often strangers and being dryed in the Sun-shine we are crumbled to dust And it is Gods ordinary way to cast contentious Wranglers into the Furnace and melt them till they may be cast into one mold Ridley and Hooper were reconciled in Prison When men that fell out are all taken Captives by a common Enemy they are sooner reconciled When men all suffer for the same common Cause and are together in Gaols or Banishment or reproach then go trie whether they will hearken to peace It was the great shame of the English Fugitives in Qu. Maries dayes to fall out at Frankford in their Exile In a word both Prosperity and Adversity have their proper helps and hinderances of Concord but usually times of common Civil Peace are the hopefullest times to treat for a common Religious peace but for smaller quarrelling parties common suffering is a better time Sect. XIII Whoever will be the Instruments of healing Schisms must necessarily preserve his Reputation with those that he would heal or at least with the common sort of religious persons For if once he be commonly ill spoken of the best things which he saith will be despised If he be a Prince if he be commonly reputed a sound and a good man all that he doth will have a good interpretation But if he be taken either for an enemy to Piety or to the Doctrine which prevaileth all that he doth will be suspected for acts of malice Constantius is praised by Hilary himself and many others for a man of laudable disposition and conversation and yet his being for the Arians made all ill taken that he did and he did much that deserved it Theodosius junior and Anastasius were very pious Emperours and great lovers of Peace and strenuously laboured to have kept the Bishops from Schism and Church-warrs but being supposed to favour most that party which the others called Hereticks all that they did was ill interpreted and suspected to be in favour to the Hereticks It is therefore very necessary that a Peace-making Prince be down-right honest and impartial and shew himself conscionable in all his Actions and a lover of Mankind and injurious to none but a special favourer of the good and an enemy to Wickedness Debauchery and Malignity in all For this will make people love and trust him without which nothing will be done And what I say of Princes I must say of Pastors and Preachers If a man be never so zealous for Concord if he be commonly supposed to be an ignorant man or a wicked man or an unconscionable crafty Politician or a Heretick or dangerously erroneous or one that is partial or hath any ill Principles or Designs or a Persecutor or whimsical Fanatick all his Endeavours are like to do but little good The general love and honour that Arch-bishop Usher Bishop Davenant Dr. Preston Mr. Gataker Mr. Fenner Mr. Watton Dr. Stoughton c. had with all sorts of sober men in England made those conciliatory moderating Principles to be regarded which from other men have been received with suspicion if not contempt and scorn Sect. XIV Were there no more said of all this subject but that of Rupertus Meldenius cited by Conradus Bergius it might end all Schisms if well understood and used viz. Si in NECESSARIIS sit UNITAS in NON-NECESSARIIS LIBERTAS in UTRISQUE CHARITAS optimo certe loco essent res nostrae Unity in things necessary Liberty in things unnecessary and Charity in both would do all our work Sect. XV. Or briefly all must be done 1. By the LIGHT of Reason and Sacred Truth adapted to the Understandings of the people and seasonably proposed with good advantage to convince them 2. By the LOVE of Pastors Rulers and Dissenters heaping coals of Fire on their heads 3. By the POWER of Magistrates encouraging men of Truth Piety and peace and restraining men from propagating intolerable Errors and all sorts from violating the Laws of Humanity Christian Sobriety and Charity and the publick peace and not permitting them on pretence of Religion openly to revile and abuse each other so as to keep up mutual hatred and diabolical Calumny and by licentious tongues to wrong each other These few things would better heal the Churches than all the violent and compound Medicines which worldly Jugâ—ers
Gates And it is a greater wonder that Parents and Children should through so many Generations and Countries have so unerring surâ— a memory And it is strange how their own Commentators come to differ about the sense of Thousands of Texts of Scripture if the Churches Tradition have publickly and notoriously delivered down the meaning of them If not how Councils come to be the infallible Commentators and Declarers of the Sense of Scriptures But if really such men believe themselves it will be long before either by fraud or force they can make all others believe such things Sect. IX Gods wisdom appointed a few great and necessary things to be the terms of the Churches Unity and Love but Ignorance and Pride by pretences of Enmity to Error and Heresie have plagued and torn the Churches by Decrees and Canons and led us into a Labyrinth so that men know not where they are nor what to hold nor what the Christian Religion is nor who are Orthodox and who are not so great a work it is to understand such Voluminous Councils and then to be sure that they are all right even when they condemn and damn each other That which hath been the chief Cause and Engine of Division will never become the means or terms of the Unity or Concord of all the Churches But such are the multitude of unnecessary uncertain humane Decrees Laws and Canons of Faith and Religion whatever the proud and ignorant say to the contrary CHAP. VIII The Vniversal Church will never Vnite by receiving all that is now received by Greeks Latines Armenians Abassines Lutherans Calvinists Diocesane Presbyterians Independants Erastians Anabaptists or in full Conformity to any of the present Parties which addeth to the Primitive Simplicity in her terms of Communion or Concord Sect. I. I Must expect that the Evil Spirit which hath long torn the Church and made multitudes tear themselves and foam out Reproach yea and Blood against each other will presently meet the very Title of this Chapter with a charge of Pride against the Writer and say What are you that you should know more than all the Churches in the World And preâ—ume to charge them all with so great Error as not to know the terms of Christian Concord nor the way of Universal Peace But I answer 1. Is the Church now United in any of these terms or ways Are they all Papists Are they all of the Greek Church or Armenian Abassine c Are they all Lutherans or Calvinists c If not why should you conclude that ever they will be Or that any of these are congruous terms of Concord and that the same that doth not heal will heal them Will not Christians be the same as now Sect. II. They never were United on any of these terms I have proved that they were never all Papists And it will be easily granted of the rest that they were never all Greeks Lutherans c. And that which never did unite the Church never will do Sect. III. If you think all must be united in any of these wayes which of them is it And why that rather than any of the rest 1. Must they all be of the Greek opinions You see that the Papists condemn them for Schismaticks And other Churches lament their manifold Corruptions And the Eastern Countries long since divided from them We have here in London a Greek Church new built and Tolerated and their work is done so ignorantly and unreverently that they have usually not twice the number of the officiating or present Priests who join with them 2. Must they all be Papists Never was more Policy and Cruelty used to propagate and prop up any Church under Heaven and yet they cannot prevail for Universal Subjection Nay many Kingdoms and Countries are fallen from them while they used such means to keep them insomuch that by many of the soundest Churches they are taken for no better than Antichristian Hereticks And even the Greek Church separateth from them and pronounceth them Schijmaticks and Excommunicates them every year And they can never obliterate the History of their horrid Schisms and Usurpations and inhumane Butcheries which will alienate many from them Will all the world ever agree to the Dominion of one Usurper Will they all believe the Monster of Transubstantiation Will they all agree That all the Senses of all men are deceived who think that they see and taste Bread and Wine and there is none And that it is necessary to Salvation to renounce all our Senses and the Scripture that oft calls it Bread after the Consecration 1 Cor. 11. Will all agree That God who cannot lie by Supernatural Revelation is the Father of all the lies to Sense that perceive real Bread and Wine and deceiveth them all by his Natural Revelation Will all men believe That every lying fornicating proud and covetous Priest even many Thousands of them can work Miracles at their pleasures every day in the week by making Bread no Bread and turning it into Flesh and 〈◊〉 And that there are visible Accidents without a Subject even a round nothing a white nothing a sweet nothing c. And that there are no substantial sâ—â—ns in that Sacrament of the thing signified And that Christs true Flesh was broken and his Blood shed by himself in the Sacrament before it was broken and shed on the Cross And that two General Councils who decree as de Fide that Christ hath not now Flesh in Heaven hath yet heavenly Flesh in the Sacrament I know that Augustine retracted somewhat as an oversight that looked that way But two General Councils that at Constantinople called the 7th General by some and that at Nice 2d which damned one another about Images yet agreed in this That Christ hath not Flesh in Heaven The words are Bin. p. 378. defin 7. Siauis non confessus fuerit Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum post Assumptionem animatae rationalis intelleâ—â—â—â— carnis simul sedere cum Deo â—atre atque ita quique rursus venturum cum Paternâ Majestate judicaturum vâ—vos mortuos non amplius quidem Carnem neque incorporeum tamen ut videatur ab iâ—s a quibus conpunctus est maneat Deus extra crassitudinem Carnis Anathema And in this they say that the Constantin Council which they are condemning was in the right so that they anathematize the Church of Rome which think that Christ hath Flesh in Heaven and in the Eucharist which they deny yet saying that he hath a Body And let those that would pervert the word Crassitudinem note that he doth not distinguish of Christs flesh and ours as two sorts and say extra carnem Crassam but deny him to have flesh and say extra crassitudinem carnis as an essential property of flesh And one of these Councils the Papists own Will all Christians agree that every Priest must first make his God and then eat him or that he must communicate alone without communion