hardened in their unbelief and impiety they presently stand up with the Pharisee in the Temple and cry out Thanks be to God I am not as other men are not as this false worshipper or Formalist nor that Heretick or Schismatick c. then they think they are religious enough for a great deal of the Religion of this day dissolves into negatives men are better able to tell you what they are not then what they are in Religion 6. In your labouring against Errors take heed of false accusations of charging persons tainted with one or some Errors with many others of a dangerous tendency which they profess a detestation against this evil practice hath much tended to Division and establishing some persons in their Errors they hold for when they have heard that point wherein they are said to be deluded opposed and spoke against by a slanderous tongue and uncharitable spirit they have concluded it to be a truth from the Error and evil of the spirit opposing it and have been so much moved to observe false witnesses to rise up against them who laid to their charge things that they knew not Errors that their souls abhor that they never heeded the Arguments against the chief point in controversie but are hereby further prejudiced against the truth prest upon them by the falsehood and slanderousness of the mouth pleading for it concluding the same fountain cannot send forth both sweet water and bitter and hereby this erroneous way of opposing Error doth serve some of the main designs of the father of Error and Lyes for next to the corrupting of the judgement he endeavours in order to lock them up in Error to incense their hearts and prejudice them in their affections against the truth and the professors of it which this untruth-like spirit and carriage of the pretended friends of truth doth exceedingly promote 7. In your opposing Errors controversal and of lesser moment take heed you thereby give not countenance and encouragement to Errors more weighty and fundamental least whiles you are pulling a mote out of the eyes of some you do thereby put a beam into the eyes of others some on the one hand so rigidly opposing Error in those of the separation that they harden and confirm others erring against the main truths of the new birth and regeneration setling poor carnal people upon the Lees of their formal profession and outward priviledges in the neglect of sanctifying grace and spiritual qualifications whereby thousands of poor souls are led blindfold to perdition yet made beleeve they are the onely Orthodox true Christians because they are free from some lesser controversal Errors some holy persons may be infected with when in the mean time they are ignorant of the main points of salvation and void of the very power and life of godliness yet by this sinfull daubing of some Preachers with untempered morter are perswaded of themselves Laodicean like that they are rich and have need of nothing and knows not that they are wretched and miserable poor blinde and naked the blood of whose souls will be required at such Preachers hands by the Lord Ezek. 33.8 9. Solomon saith Him that saith to the wicked thou art righteous him shall the people curse and if so then surely him will not the righteous God bless he who would not have his childrens bread cast to Dogs would much less have Dogs accounted Children whilst his Children are accounted Dogs which is a crying sin at this day amongst some such as would be loth not to be accounted godly Ministers who ye shall observe carry themselves towards some poor Christians in their Parishes who differ from them as towards the worst of men and in their Pulpits are more vehement and harsh against them then against the most prophane impious persons and practices and in the mean while administer the precious sealing Ordinances of the Gospel to a mixt multitude many if not most of which being ignorant scandalous and prophane persons common scoffers at Religion common swearers drunkards Sabbath-breakers c. yet all those saving some general admonitions against sin and general exhortations to duty shall be spoke of and to and walked towards as the Church of Christ and people of God and if there be some more sober person or persons who are free from the fore-mentioned scandals and have attained to some Historical knowledge of Religion and close but with them in the way of worship they are for especially if by their estate or interest they be able to serve their designs why such men must be esteemed of and cried up for eminent godly men when as to any inward sanctifying work of grace in their hearts there is no more appearance of it then there was of Gospel in Paul when he was Saul the persecutor or of the work of regeneration in Nicodemus when he came to Christ by night Now what is this less then justifying the wicked for a reward and taking away the righteousness of the righteous from him Isa 5.23 And the same sort of evil is to be discerned though not in so great a measure in them that are rigidly for separation and particular opinions many of them will be ready to have a huge good opinion and shew a singular respect to persons that favour them in their particular perswasions though otherwise loose notional frothy persons void of any savour or power of Godliness and in the mean time have a slight esteem of persons both sober and gratious that differ from them against whom they will be ready to take up an evil report and joyn with carnal loose people in reproaching them whereby the mindes of such carnal Incendiaries are setled in a loose frothy notional frame against the gravity and purity of Religion now these practises of all hands though they may be vailed under pretences of zeal for Truth against Error or for purity of worship against the Traditions and customs of men yet they are impious and evil in themselves besides exceeding prejudicial and destructive both to the purity and unity of Gods people and ought to be avoided and witnessed against as the worst sort of ungodliness in godly persons But though I could not omit the giving these cautions to all that pretend a Love to Jerusalem's Peace yet little is my expectation as to the furtherance of this blessed work from such as have engaged themselves far in these carnal contendings for spiritual things for evils clothed with good and plausible pretences are not easily reclaimed therefore I shall direct my self chiefly in what I have further to say to Gospel Ministers to those few names in Sardis that have not defiled their garments with these contentious dividing practices for many there are I hope that for the Divisions of Reuben have great thoughts of heart whose souls long for Sions Peace who with Jeremiah could wish their heads were waters and their eyes fountains of tears that they might weep day and night for the slain of
GOSPEL-SEPARATION Separated from its Abuses OR THE Saints Guide IN GOSPEL-FELLOWSHIP WHEREBY They may be directed not onely to preserve the Purity but withall the Unity of GOSPEL-WORSHIP By a well-wisher to Sions Purity and Unity R. L. Mercy and Truth have met together Righteousness and Peace have kissed each other Psal 85.10 Therefore love the Truth and Peace Zach. 8.19 Imprimatur JOSEPH CARYL LONDON Printed for Giles Calvert at the Black Spread Eagle at the West end of Pauls 1657. TO HIS EXCELLENCY Charls Fleetwood Esq Lord Deputy of IRELAND My Lord THough the Truth asserted by this little Treatise have but few Friends amongst whom you deserve to be numbered in the first rank yet is it able to plead its own cause for where-ever its absence is there wants no Arguments to prove the worth of its presence for as the Puritie of the Gospel may be esteemed in the mystical Body of Christ as its life blood so its Unity may be next esteemed as its health and strength and life without health is but a lingring death but I am perswaded I need not spend time to beget in you a love to this Truth you have evidenced the sincerity of your love thereto and therein I hope have tasted of that fruit of righteousness which is sown in peace of them that make peace Jam. 3.18 The reason why Contention and division have been more natural to Gods people then union in all ages is because it is more naturally suitable to their unregenerate part therefore those duties and graces that most crosse the lusts of the flesh must necessarily be attended with most difficulty and opposition but to ballance that they are also attended with proportionable inward comfort and peace and therefore my Lord though imposing oppressing principles and spirits do cry out against you as the injurious Israelites did against Moses Exod. 2.14 yet cease not to plead with them Ye are Brethren why do ye wrong one another though it may cost you dear at the present yet consider the Lord that made it up to him is able to do so to you Among the rest of those excellent principles the Lord hath born an approving testimony unto in the day of his glorious power none have been attended with more signal evidences of his presence with and delight in then this pleaded for Most disowned instruments that have tendred their service to the Lord in the Work of this Generation have profest and declared a love to Gods ways and people but therein have confined their care affection to a part if not the least spiritual part of them which the Lord took so unkindly at their hands that he visibly removed the Tabernacle of his presence from among them and chose the same people despised and slighted by them to be the instruments of his praise and glory in the great work he hath done for his people in these Nations And easie it is to demonstrate if it were not too large a discourse for an Epistle that as those persons so singularly owned by the Lord have declined abated in this principle so hath the Lord withdrawn from them and left them to that destraction and miserable confusion they are at this day involved in as if the Lord should say if you withdraw your equal respect and affection from any of my people I will withdraw mine from you And do but well weigh and consider the visible principles and frame of spirit of such persons who are vehemently driving on the interest of some part of Gods people under some peculiar notion they have received of the truth or work of the Generation in opposition to the rest that are not like-minded And ye may observe a visible inconsistency in their principles and practices to the obtaining or securing the very things they pretend for That my Lord it is not onely your praise but your mercy that your heart is kept in an even frame towards all the Lords people in this day in which so many eminent Professors are through temptation and stumbling blocks laid in their way by the weakness and frailties of some of the Lords people growing weary and faint in their minds as to the stedfast practice of and impartial respect to Saints as such and to be good in bad times is the best testimony of goodness from a good principle Therefore as your discouragements and opposition encrease labor to encrease in your confidence and diligence though you may have War without you may have Peace within And of all dangers be most watchful against heart-risings and alienation of affection towards such who are contrary-minded to you herein that is the stone many at this day are stumbling on They measure out their respect and affection to Saints proportionably to that respect and affection they or their principles receive from them whereas the cheif excellency of this principle above others lieth in this difference that it can extend respect to others upon the account of duty to Christ though disrespect on the account of different opinion be returned to them again for uniting principles must be attended with the exercise of uniting Graces if they intend to be successful in uniting work That the Lord may guide you in all your streights support you under all your burthens and render into your bosom plentiful returns of all that kindness you have shewn unto and weaknesses you have over-looked in his people for his Image sake upon them is the earnest prayer of the most unworthy of Your Excellencies sincere Servants in Ireland RICH. LAWRENCE The Author to the Churches of Christ in the Dominions of England c. To them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus called to be Saints 1 Cor. 1.1 And to all the faithful in Christ Jesus with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord Grace and Peace be multiplied Beloved in the Lord HEre is a Treatise presented to your view which stands in much need of your favourable consideration as to the weakness and imperfection in the writing thereof but if you can overlook them the Truth endeavored to be held out thereby is worth your studying and enquiring after It is a Truth that hath many Hangers-on but few faithful Servants many Gospel Merchants have been trading for this goodly Pearl but few have been willing to go to the price of it they have had Peace in their mouthes but War in their hearts like those Micah speaks of chap 3.5 They bite with their teeth and cry peace but if thou wouldest obtain the precious unity of Saints thou must not onely seek peace but pursue it Psal 34.14 not stand still and call it to thee but follow after the things that make for peace Rom. 14.19 If the peace of God once rule in thy heart it will guide thy feet into this way of peace this work of peace will surely attend thy soul with the comforts and joy of peace nay the Lord himself shall give you peace always
much controversy as the former for say some They that are not of a scandalous conversation are of a suitable conversation and if so then many Papists nay Jews Turks and Pagans are of a suitable conversation for abundance of all them are free from scandal in their lives and do walk very unblameably Paul before his conversion was according to the Law blamelesse the Pharises made cleane the outside of the Cup and Platter and therefore sure a Suitable conversation to the Gospel must be more then a meer moral conversation but if all persons of the several perswasions walking by these Rules that admit of so much variousness and uncertainty were put to give their several meanings in these qualifications they would leave the enquirer after truth at a greater uncertainty then they found him But surely the Lord hath not left his People in this great and weighty Case at so evident an uncertainty and therefore to spend no more time in this labyrinth of different Opinions in this Case Let us consider what light the infallible word of the Lord wil afford us therein For as the Lord knows who are his Jo. 10.14 and is known of his Col. 1.10 so hath he left to his Church and people a rule of knowing one another from all the people of the world Psal 4.3 But know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself And since the day that the Lord put an enmity betwixt the two seeds Gen. 3.15 there have been visible marks and rules of distinction to know them by After Abels death we read nothing of a visible Church or Gods visible worship upon earth until the dayes of Seth who was given in stead of Abel whom Cain slew and after his posterity began to increase in the earth that is after Enoch was born then began men to call upon the name of the Lord Gen. 24.25 26. in whose seed the Church of God continued until the Flood at which time the Church and people of God polluted themselves and corrupted the holy seed by mixing themselves in marriages with the seed of the world For the Sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair and took them wives of all which they chose at which the Lord was greatly provoked and said My Spirit shall not always strive with flesh Gen. 6.2.3 and after the Flood the holy seed was again revived in Shem Gen. 9.26 27. in whose line the visible Church continued until Abraham's time with whom the Lord again renewed his Covenant and made another separation betwixt the two seeds Gen. 12.2 3. who again reformed and revived the visible worship of God Gen. 12.7.8 Gen. 13.4 After which God did at several times not onely renew his Covenant of Promise but in the seventeenth of Genesis did declare more fully then before the Condition of his Covenant for as before he usually said my Covenant will I keep with thee he here saith my Covenant thou shalt keep with me verses 9 10 11 12 13 14. And God said unto Abraham Thou shalt keep my Covenant therefore thou and thy seed after thee in their generations This is my Covenant which ye shall keep between me and you and thy seed after thee Every man-child among you shall be circumcised And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskins and it shall be a token of the Covenant between me and you And he that is eight dayes old shall be circumcised among you every man child in your generations he that is born in the house or bought with money of any stranger which is not of thy seed He that is born in thy house and he that is bought with thy money must needs be circumcised and my Covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting Covenant And the uncircumcised man-child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised that soul shall be cut off from his people he hath broken my Govenant In which words the Lord doth ordain and establish a new pale or bound to his Church which was never again to be altered for Abrahams seed and circumcision in the type or in the Antitype in the flesh or spirit shall ever continue to be the true bound of Gods Church militant which Covenant we finde was renewed again to Isaac Gen. 26.1 2 3 4. Rom. 9.7 Gal. 4.28 Hebr. 11.1 And after that to Jacob Gen. 28.13 14 15. from whose time this Covenant of distinction was usually repeated to be the Covenant made with Abraham Isaac and Jacob Exod. 2.24 Lev. 26.42 and that for an everlasting Covenant 1 Chron. 16.16 17. compared with the thirty fourth verse Which Rule of Church-membership or visible bound of Gods Church continued in the type unquestionable until the coming of the promised Messiah Luke 1.59 2.21 And therefore the Pharisees in the 8th of John thought they made a good plea to Christ verse 33. We are Abrahams seed and verse 39. Abraham is our Father which our Saviour admits to be true verse 37. I know that ye are Abraham's seed And this priviledge Paul pleaded Rom. 11.1 Hath God cast away his people God forbid for I also am an Israelite of the seed of Abraham And so against those false teachers in the Church of Corinth 2 Cor. 11. Are they Hebrews so am I are they Israelites so am I are they the seed of Abraham so am I By all which and much more of that nature that might be added it is a truth out of controversie that the Condition of the Covenant made with Abraham c. was the standing unalterable bounds of the Church of God until Christ came who did not at all disannul this Covenant as it was a distinguishing Covenant nor alter the least Condition of it but fulfilled it that what our Lord saith of the Law in general may be truly applyed to this particular Think not that I am come to destroy the Law and the Prophets I am not come to destroy but to fulfill for verily I say unto you till heaven and earth pass one jot or one title shall in no wise pass from the Law till all be fulfilled Mat. 5.17 18. And so Paul argues Rom. 3.31 Do we then make void the Law through Faith God forbid we establish the Law So that we must not seek for another Rule to know Gods Church and people by under the Gospel then what was under the Law But to enquire after that Legal Rule Gospelized that what the seed of Abraham and Circumcision under the Law were Types of under the Gospel that must we enquire for and make the same use of the Antitype now which the type then served for Now the seed of Abraham in the Flesh typed out to us the seed of Abraham in the Spirit the Carnal seed under the Law was the type of the Spiritual seed under the Gospel Rom. 4.11 to the end Rom. 9.10 first verses so Gal. 3.14 to to the end concluding with these words if ye be Christs then are ye
and substance of the form and ought to be proportionably preferred before it and therefore we finde the Lord despising and pouring contempt upon the true form when it hath been so abused as to set up it self against or without the true power To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me saith the Lord I am full of your burnt-offerings of Rams and the fat of fed beasts I delight not in the blood of Bullocks nor of Lambs or of he-goats when you come to appear before me who hath required this at your hands to tread my Courts Bring no more vain oblations incense is abomination unto me the new Moons and Sabbaths and calling of Assemblies I cannot away with It is iniquity even the solemn meeting Your new Moons and appointed Feasts my soul hateth they are a trouble to me I am weary to bear them so Isa 29.13 Ezek. 33.30 Yet all these particular performances were the required instituted Acts of Gods visible worship which he blames them for the neglect of Isa 43 21 22 23 24. Mal. 1. 8. compared with the 13 14. But when his people become carnal observers of his visible worship crying as those carnal Jews did the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord Jer. 7.4 without manifesting a due regard to the life and power of Religion which all outward acts of worship are but the shadow and form of Then behold to obey is better then Sacrifice 1 Sam. 15.12 He will have mercy then and not Sacrifice Hosea 6.6 Mat. 9 13. Then to do Justice and Judgement is more acceptable to the Lord then Sacrifice Pro. 21.32 as the Scribe replied to our Saviour Mark 12.3 Well Master thou hast said the truth for there is one God and none other but be and to love him with al the heart and with all the understanding and with all the soul and with all the strength and to love his neighbour as himself is more then all whole burnt-offerings and sacrifices and when Jesus saw â—hat he answered discreetly he said unto him Thou art not far from the Kingdom of God in which reply the Lord places a great deal of weight in persons esteeming the power of Religion much above the form of it And from all these Scriptues I would infer that in our strivings about the true forms of worship we should have a tender regard to the preserving and propagating the true power before it if they come in competition in regard the Lord hath so evidently in his word declared his well-pleasedness in the power when mentioned distinct from the form but never to the form when mentioned distinct from the power Object Do you think the power of Religion can consist without the true form Answ If by true form is meant a sincere desire after the true form and a consciencious walking up thereto so far as the soul is convinced or perswaded of the truth thereof I answer no For I do not judge the power of Religion can consist in the wilfull and setled neglect of the least of Gods Commandments even in his visible worship when nothing comes in competition therewith of more immediate concernment to Gods Church and Glory But if you mean by true form the perfect unerring Observance of the outward Acts of Gods worship without the mistake of the Rule given in his word Then I answer it may in regard the most understanding and sincere Christian is fallible and subject to mistake for the proof of which our own sad experience speaks loud for I hope there is none so uncharitably rigid of any perswasion retaining gracious qualifications but wil admit that amongst such as are godly differing from them there are some that are both able and sincere and that if they were convinced of their duty in the matter wherein they are judged to erre would practice it and in that case I judge it is against all the rules of spiritual and natural Reason as wel as Scripture to compel a conformity to a visible Act of worship before the conscience be convinced of its duty therein or at least unprincipled in Judgement and Conscience against the Act required which all that separate from or reject gracious persons for not conforming to such Acts of worship before conviction do evidently do For I judge there can be no higher impulsion upon conscience in a gracious person their anonstating of him from his visible interest in priviledge with the visible Church of Christ which surely sincere Christians do value above their Liberty or the greatest outward good they enjoy yet this they must lose if they will not conforme to Acts of worship against their judgment and Conscience and these violations of conscience are oft practised by such as most cries up Liberty of Conscience as if the imposing of practises and principles upon gracious persons conscientiously dissenting from them were no violation of Conscience Object But there are some differences of opinion betwixt such as are Godly about the visible worship of God that are inconsistent to unity in Gospel Order for where some are possitively for and others positively against the same thing how can such agree together to walk in one fellowship Answ Either those positive contraries must be about things of that weight that one side must come within some of the Former Rules before minded page 17. or otherwise of lesse weight for which there is no visible rule in Scripture to separate and withdraw from If the former the sound in Judgment hath there an evident rule to withdraw and separate from If the latter then to walk tenderly and charitably towards each other then the strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak not to please themselves then Pauls rule Philip. 3.15 16. comes in Let us therefore as many as be perfect or sincere be thus minded and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded God shall reveal even this unto you Neverthelesse whereto we have already attainted let us walk by the same rule let us mind the same thing Object But you would do well to be more particular as to those controversies amongst the Godly about the power of the Keyes the extent of Christs death Baptisme c. Answ Though I do judge as those and the most of such like controversies are held by the generality of the Godly of each perswasion the erring party wheresoever it is is not incommunicable nor the differences about them of that extent as to be inconsistent to an Orderly and comfortable walking together in the fellowship of the Gospel and therein each enjoying both the purity and liberty of his conscience they walking tenderly and humbly towards each other therein yet I shall decline a particular speaking my thoughts at present having reason to be sensible of my own insufficiency and disability for that work and being in hope the Lord may draw out the heart of some more able to engage in this controversy against controversyes whereby I shall
whence they are hewn and the hole of the pitt whence they are digged they would be less in offensive termes and scornefull carriages towards poore carnal professors they would rather say as Paul argues 1 Cor. 4.7 who maketh us to differ from others what have we that we did not receive Unto whom I shall conclude with Pauls reply Now if you did receive it why doe ye glory as if you had not received it I might multiply many more Answers to Objections that may lie in the way of this duty of making beginnings in this blessed worke but I hope the prosperous success of some whose hearts the Lord shall engage in the practice hereof will be more convincing arguments to prove that gracious holy persons of different judgments may comfortably walke together in Gospel fellowship edifying each other in their most holy faith without being offensive or grievous one to another in their different mindes then I am able to adde and therefore I shall conclude what I have to say to Gospell Ministers as to their propagating this pretious truth with this one direction 4. If providence hath placed your present residence amongst a people so frowardly bent to dividing principles and practices that the labouring to promote this Gospel union might be so ill resented by them as might render your present ministration unacceptable and thereby unsuccesfull amongst them that you have cause to take up Davids complaint Psal 120.7 I am for peace but when I speak they are for warre Then it is my opinion you ought to suspend earnest pressing the practice of this Gospel union and say as the Lord did Iohn 16.12 I have yet many things to say but you cannot beare them now But yet not to close with such in their rigid dividing principles as Peter and Barnabas did Gal. 2.12 13. but to be daily labouring to remove them for take but away the rubbish and dross of Christians principles and spirits and then like hewn stones they will unite of themselves 1. By the rubbish and dross of their spirits that hinders union I meane those sinful distempers of spirit that are contrary to the uniting graces before mentioned as Pride and Passion selfe conceit Envy Hatred Emulations and the like for if these were once removed and the opposite graces strengthned inclinations to union would become as natural to them as now inclinations to division are for remove but the cause and the effect ceaseth and if you should convince them of the evill of their dividing principles before their dividing spirits were subdued they would be no more capable to practice this Gospel union then a drunken man would be capable to goe without staggering and therefore if nothing else can be done towards this worke be preparing the spirits of Gods people with uniting graces 2. By the rubbish or dividingness of their principles I meane such notions and tenents as naturally tend to division which Christians of most perswasions have received by tradition from their fathers as I may say that because former good men of the same opinion with them and the people all along professing the same way with them have so done therefore they conceive they must do so too of which sort of dividing principles are 1. A confining their Christian relation affection and duty within the limits of their own judgements allowing God to have no visible Church nor judging themselves to owe any special duty to Christians as Brethren beyond their own rule of fellowship which principle is usually the nurse if not the mother of these following practices From hence proceed all those scruples which hinder Saints from a free participation of each others gifts and graces on the one hand such as are rigid against Separation will neither hear nor joyn with any but such as are of their own Principles they will either have Objections against their Call and Ordination or otherwise against their judgement and qualifications and thereby oft deprive themselves of a soul-searching powerful instruction and stand picking the bones of a dry sapless Historica Discourse set off with the trimming of some humane excellency that the other might want more minding what the dish is the Lord presents the Bread of life to them in then the purity and spiritualness of the Bread it self when the Lord doth usually put this treasure of his graces and spiritual gifts into earthen vessels that the glory might be of God and not of man 2 Cor. 4.7 He oft times hides these things from the wise and prudent when he reveals them to babes and sucklings Mat. 11.25 I having observed some whom I judge godly to rigid upon this hand that they have rather chose to hear where the Speaker hath been a visible ungracious person or stay at home then to attend a powerful heart-searching Godly Preacher contrary-minded in some things to them And on the other hand many poor Christians do run into the like extream for as the former makes humane defects the Rule of Rejection they go neer to make them the Rule of Election and so by both the true Rule of gracious qualifications and spiritual gifts where-ever found are declined and set light by and put in competition with every circumstantial thing whereas if Christians would make that which tends most to answer the ends of hearing viz. the nourishment edification and comfort of their souls the rule of hearing these things would not be and nothing would more tend to further the Saints union then the removal of these hinderances in their providential Communion in things wherein they are agreed for if gracious persons different-minded did but sometimes meet to pour out their Souls to the Lord together in prayer for their joynt concernments and to taste the preciousness of each others experiences and graces by a mutuall communication of spiritual gifts it would much tend to remove uncharitable jealousies and endear their hearts one to another that was the Argument Peter used to convince the unbeleeving Jews that the Gentiles were pertakers with them of the same grace Acts 11.17 Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gifts as he did unto us who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ what was I that I could withstand God unto which Reason they assented v. 18. When they heard these things they held their peace and glorified God saying Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life From which Scripture you may clearly gather that it was both Peters and the believing Jews opinion that such ought to own and esteem each other as fellow-brethren in the Gospel of Christ whom God had granted the same precious gifts and graces unto And I may say it is impossible for Christians ever to come to an union in things wherein they differ until they come to a Communion in things wherein they agree for while Christians be at the utmost distance one from another they can never come to acknowledge of any thing that is obliging or uniting for we may