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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A81213	The moderator: endeavouring a full composure and quiet settlement of those many differences both in doctrine and discipline, which have so long disturbed the peace and welfare of this common-wealth. Intended (especially at this time) to beget a brotherly love and unity amongst the ministers and people of all the three nations; the Parliament having now appointed a committee for receiving proposals for the propagation of the gospel. Brotherly unity amongst all Christians, especially amongst the ministers of Christ, being in it self so excellent and comely at all times, and (considering the danger and sad consequences of our present divisions) so desirable and necessary at this time: I conceive all overtures and counsels having a true tendency thereunto, worthy the publike light, and do therefore approve the publication of this ensuing discourse. Joseph Carly.	Caryl, Joseph, 1602-1673, attributed name.	1652 (1652)	Wing C780B; Thomason E664_1; ESTC R206830	94,748	118

of the Prophet from vers 11. till the end of the Chapter whereof this is the summe First that they should take heed lest they bee drawne and engaged into worldly confederacies for humane feares but that they should sanctifie God alone in their hearts and make him their feare vers 11 12 13. because the Lord will bee to all those that doe so a sanctuary but to others a rock of offence vers 14 15. Secondly that they should bind up the testimony and seale the Law amongst the Disciples of the Lord that is to say that they who are taught of God for these are his Disciples should make the testimony of Jesus the onely bond of their unitie and that the seale of this bond should bee their obedientiall submission unto the Law of God vers 16. Thirdly that they should arme themselves with patience to waite for the Lords comming who is hid from the eyes of the world and with resolution to appeare before him although the world doth wonder at them vers 17. 18. Fourthly and lastly when in cases of difficultie men shall bee destitute of counsell and not know what to doe then to consult onely with the Law and the Testimony and not to be take themselves to any other Oracle vers 19 20. and whosoever doth not follow this advice shall bee driven into ●tler despaire vers 21 22. Thus wee see what the counsell of God is concerning humane associations what the issues thereof will bee and what the way is to preserve our soules from that despaire which doth attend those that forsake God and subordinate not their counsels and associations to his will This then will bee our wisedome to take this warning whether wee bee Professors or Officers but chiefly this must bee the ground of the ministeriall association in reference to their charges to make use thereof onely for the furtherance of holy Communion in the profession of Christianitie And although I cannot say that it is so amongst the Combinations which now are on foot yet I am sure that these grounds will bee assented unto by all that are taught of God and that their practise may bee answerable thereunto I shall offer that whereunto both sides doe agree and which without contradiction will be sufficient to enter them upon a Ministeriall correspondencie both for the advancement of true Brotherhood in Christianity amongst themselves as also for the preservation of themselves and of their flocks from partaking of other mens sinnes For to these two heads the matters of agreement in the point of association may be referred Of the first I shall offer these Propositions 1 The Officers of Sister Churches making profession of their brotherhood in Christ should desire to advance each other to perfection and to that effect should have frequent meetings for brotherly conferences 2 Cor. 13. 9. Malach. 3. 16. 2 The chief ends of their m●etings and conferences should bee to maintaine the unitie of the Spirit whereunto they have attained to make it more compleat in love and to gaine others to concurre with them by the truth therein 3 They should for these ends set themselves in a way to make their conferences effectually conscionable constant without interruption and disorderlinesse which way may bee setled upon these grounds First upon a voluntary engagement freely entered into which should containe these heads that seeing they acknowledge one another fellow-members of the body of Christ and fellow-servants of the same Master in the same houshold of Faith for the accomplishment of his will that therefore they are resolved Gal. 2. ver 1-11 to give to each other the right hand of fellowship in doing the worke of their Ministery that they will entertaine brotherly meetings and conferences to that end and that they will never suffer any circumstantiall differences of opinions or practises to breake their association or hinder their ordinarily appointed meetings and conferences Secondly upon some rules and orders which in like manner every one should assent unto freely and expresly so farre as hee doth finde himself convicted of the justice and equitie thereof the substance of which orders may bee this That in their conferences confusion shall bee avoyded that an equall and orderly freedome of speech shall bee yeelded unto all and that a libertie of dissenting unpartially upon reasons alledged shall bee given unto every one Thirdly upon the meanes of some correspondency betweene severall associations for seeing all that are willing to associate cannot possibly meet at the same conferences by reason of the distances of places and mens different occasions therefore severall knots and companies of associats will arise and lest they being unacquainted with one anothers wayes take disagreeing resolutions and mistake one anothers meanings therein for this cause some meanes of correspondencie between distant associations is to bee agreed upon for the communication of matters belonging to the advancement of truth in love between them Hitherto wee have looked upon the first head wherein there is an agreement in the Rules by which the association is to be framed for mutuall edification now follow the matters of agreement belonging to the second head which is the use of their association for the preservation of themselves and of their flocks from partaking in other mens sinnes Of which I shall set downe almost word by word that which I finde granted by Mr. Burroughs in his Iren●cum or Heart Divisions pag. 43. which I conceive the Brethren of the other side will fully assent unto and ought to lay as a sufficient ground of associating in a brotherly way His words are these 1 They viz. the dissenting Brethren acknowledge that Synods of other Ministers and Elders about them are an Ordinance of Jesus Christ for the h●lping of the Church against Errors Schisines and Scandals 2 That these Synods may by the power they have from Christ admonish men or Churches in his name when they see evills continuing in or growing upon the Church and their admonitions carry with them the authority of Jesus Christ 3 As there shall be cause they may declare men or Churches to be subv●rters of the Faith or otherwise according to the nature of the offence to shame them before all the Churches about them 4 They may by a solemne act in the name of Jesus Christ refuse any further communion with them till they repent 5 They may declare and that also in the name of Christ that these erring people or Churches are not to bee received into followship with any the Churches of Christ nor to have communion one with another in the Ordinances of Christ To these Propositions if a full assent bee given as by many no doubt there is I cannot imagine what should hinder or may obstruct the profession of their unitie and a concurrence to settle their associations for a joynt and mutuall assistance in the worke of brotherly preservation of each other from the guilt of other mens sinnes Thus then wee see that the

feare is the endeavour of force and if I once begin to endeavour force I seeke not onely security to my selfe but the conquest of that which I thinke is mine opposit because I cannot naturally rest secure as long as that which I count an enemy is not subdued and whatsoever I doe not trust I am apt to account an enemy therefore whilst I make nothing my friend but mine owne force I am apt to trust to nothing else but it From all which this doth follow that as soone as I forsake the simplicitie of my love I beget naturally feares within my selfe and when I take a course to secure my selfe from my feares by force I multiply feares in others and give them cause to mistrust me Let me then cure mine owne feares first which I have of others and then I shall bee able to cure the feares which others have of me if I take the beame out of mine owne eye I shall see cleer to take the moat out of my neighbours But the question will be How shall I cure mine owne feares Quest Truely to answer this I know none other way but to follow Answ Isa ● 12. 13. Gods counsell by the Prophet Isaiah Say ye not saith the Lord A confederacie to all them to whom this people shall say A confederacie neither feare ye their feare nor be afraid sanctifie the Lord of hosts himselfe and let him bee your feare and let him bee your dread It is The cure of our owne fears then nothing else but the base feare of men upon politick considerations and the want of the true feare of God upon divine Principles which troubles mee and drives mee to courses which make others afraid of mee but if I did not at all looke to men but unto God alone if I did not confide in mine owne force but in the Almighty others would finde cause to confide in mee As I behave my selfe towards God so I must expect that others will behave themselves towards mee if I mean from my heart well towards others in God God will move others to meane so also towards me And who is he saith the 1 Pet. 3. 13 14. Apostle that will harme you if ye bee follwers of that which is good if I mind nothing but that which is good to every one what cause have I to think that any will mind harme or evill against me But suppose I suffer wrong whiles I minde that which is good and righteous the Apostle saith that I am happy and if I am happy I need not bee afraid of men nor troubled at my suffering But what if I bee afraid and troubled is it not because I am not willing to suffer in doing good if then I to avoyd suffering for righteousnesse will secure my selfe by force and make others afraid of mee it is evident that I doe not commit my selfe and my cause to God in well doing but I take it in mine owne hand to manage it by mine owne strength and how this will prosper I need not to mention But now you will perhaps say How should I become a constant Quest follower of that which is good To answer this the Doctrin and Rule of Christ is without all Answ Matth. 7. 11. exception Whatsoever you would have others to doe to you doe you to them also the meaning is doe you it first unto them for we are commanded to consider one another to provoke each other to love and to good workes If I must consider to provoke then hee that is to bee provoked to love hath not yet applyed himself unto The way to follow that which is good the dutie but I am obliged to goe before him in the way thereof and therefore I must expresse my love to him first although hee hath not done his dutie to mee If then I would have another to trust me it is cleere by this rule that I must first shew that I doe trust him but if I shew not this then I provoke him to the contrary namely not to trust mee And if but the Law which the Gentiles by common nature knew were heeded in this case it would take away the causes of our differences and jealousies and teach us to follow that which is good Quod tibi fieri non vis alteri nefeceris What thou wouldest not have done to thy self doe not thou to any Is it that thou wouldest not have any feare thee or suspect thee or arme himselfe against thee then doe not thou feare and suspect him or arme thy selfe against him Wouldst thou not have all thy faults ript up and all advantages taken against thee to bring thee into discredit then rip not up the faults of others and take no advantages against them to discredit them Wouldst thou not be judged condemned and disarmed doe not judge condemne and endeavour to disarme others For with what judgement thou judgest Matth. 7. 2. thou shalt be judged and with what measure thou dost mete it shall bee measured unto thee againe and if thou wilt disarme others and keepe them as captives under thy power thou must expect Rev. 13. 10. Esa 33. 1. to bee disarmed and led captive under the power of others for God doth render to every one according to his workes Wilt thou then follow that which is good doe not make thy selfe terrible unto any because thou wouldest have none to be terrible unto thee cure thine owne distempers meane well towards others and as thou hast opportunitie make the power which thou hast in thine hand serviceable unto others for good for hee that hath power to doe good to those that are under his power and doth it not is foolish and weake and by not using his power to the end for which it is given doth overthrow himselfe by it Summisque negatum stare diu things at the height stand not long Therefore if a man hath not learned of Christ to deny himselfe in the use of his power hee must fall under the weight of it now the weight of it is nothing else but the jealousie of State which it begets in others that are equalls or inferiors I have done with the causes hindering others to confide in us The second thing to bee considered is How wee shall finde out 2. The way to finde out such as we ought to deale withall is those that are fittest to entertaine and receive the good which wee doe follow and in case of aversion from us how to make them susceptible of better impressions For to conquer the world it is not enough to meane well and to doe that which in it selfe is good but the good which is done must bee well placed also A good seed should be sowen in fruitfull ground else how will it multiply Now to doe this let me offer these thoughts 1 No man is able exactly to discerne his owne farre lesse 1. To free our selves from prejudice towards all other mens hearts our

a foot but in the Parliament The Parliament is there where by the Kings authority according to the constitution of the Kingdome the bodies of Peeres and Commons are met to order the affaires of the Kingdome intrusted to their care Onely now for matter of order it is to bee wished that the things henceforth to bee debated and voted should looke rather forward then backward that is that the Houses should rather determine things tending to our settlement in time to come then alter or unsettle things present or call things past into question before our settlement bee in view or the foundation thereof established If an Act of Oblivion were past on all sides for things done in the heat of strife since the parties were formed and positive Counsels entertained for preventing of breaches hereafter wee might hope to see better dayes shortly then otherwise wee are like to enjoy in this generation But I shall leave the civill Treaties to those to whom they are intrusted by the Kingdome and beseeching the Lord to give them one mind in his feare to make them all faithfull to their publick trust without selfe-seeking and interests of parties I shall speake of a Treatie which may relate unto the settlement of the Churches This Ecclesiasticall Treatie is of absolute necessitie that ingenuous 2. Concerning Church matters To advance which men may not mistake one another as for the most part in these differences they doe for it is cleer that matters are misunderstood on both sides and being misrepresented hainously to the simple multitude by many and no body labouring effectually to rectifie mistakes our divisions must needs 1 Railing is to be restrained on all sides bee multiplied and our breaches made greater If then the freedome which hitherto hath been taken and abused on both sides to traduce each other in the Presse and Pulpit can neither by authoritie nor by perswasion bee restrained wee are never like to gaine any advantage for the composure of mens affections by a Treatie though never so faire never so orderly never so peaceable and effectuall in it selfe for it will never become so unto others because as long as the windes blow fiercely the Seas will bee stormie as long as railing accusations continue passions will bee raised and whiles passions rule conscience is asleepe judgement is darkned and men are not capable of rationall and good proposals For this Reason also the men to be chosen for the Treatie on both sides must not onely be conscionable judicious and learned but moreover free from all pre-ingagement and passion Then the Treatie it selfe although for 2. The countenance of authoritie is to be had to set it afoot the same cause it may not bee publick for then it must have publick authoritie whereupon a thousand inconveniences will follow to make it fruitlesse yet it must not bee altogether private but should have the foreknowledge and countenance of authoritie to beget it lest it be wholly slighted and inconsiderable So then let some of the peaceable and chiefe leading States-men of both sides being thereto either deputed or allowed by the rest of each side order and direct the Treatie in a course which shall bee wholly free from partialitie and let a jealousie be raised against the intent and purpose of such a Treatie let it bee declared that it shall not bee to conclude any thing for that cannot bee done without the full knowledge and consent of parties but onely to try what hopes there may bee of finding a sure way to procure an accommodation either by the meanes of a reconcilement or by the meanes of a mutuall forbearance of inoffensive differences Such a Treatie of three or at the 3. The persons are not to bee many who treat most of foure chiefe Divines on each side who should be wholly set apart from all other imployments to apply themselves day and night to this worke and who should have the freedome at all times severally and joy●tly without the formalitie of an ordinary Committee to meet may by Gods blessing become a meanes to lay the ground of a confidence betweene the parties if onely the fit method and manner of proceeding first in the Treatie it selfe and then in the communication of that which they shall agree upon can bee observed The Reasons why I would have no more but three or at the most foure on each side to treat are these 1 Three or foure truely moderate and quiet spirited men will bee sooner found easier spared from other taskes and be able to meet more frequently and constantly then a greater number on each side 2 This smaller number will bee lesse subject to distraction and disagreement within it selfe then a greater number 3 This number will bee sufficient to make a tryall and to discover the way towards an Accommodation which without prejudice to either side may bee tendered to all But if a great number should bee engaged on each side they might beget a new division if the parties should not consent unto their results 4 The way and method of Treating which is onely saf● and wherein lyeth a secret inforcement towards an agreement in Christianitie cannot be followed by many so well as by few And to make this good Let us now speake of the last point which is the method and 4. The method and manner of proceeding in the treaty manner of proceeding both in the Treatie it selfe and in the communication of the results thereof to gaine the assent of parties In this method and manner of proceeding something there must bee preliminary to make the worke more sad and serious to those that goe about it and these that goe about the work more pious and conscientious in it Something there must bee also decretorily observed to make the worke more orderly and effectuall towards the end for which it is to bee set afoot As for the preliminary or preparatory worke I would have 1. For the preliminaries the Divines that shall bee chosen and those that doe choose them to meete alone to set a day privately apart amongst themselves to seeke Gods face with Fasting and Prayer that they may receive his direction in the worke which they shall take in hand At this time of their humiliation I would have them to be exercised not onely in Prayers and mutuall exhortations to provoke each other to the duties of fervent love and of sinceritie but also in conferences whereby they should as in the presence of God calling upon him at the proposall of every new matter deliberate upon three points First of the distinct and particular end which they should set before their eyes in their future Treatie to determine it Secondly of the speciall and appropriate meanes to reach that end in righteousnesse according to the will of God Thirdly of the orderly course which should be followed in the prosecution of these meanes by their Treatie amongst themselves Of which three heads a Note should be

indirectly to draw mens windes from the way of Christ by this way of his owne creating then he hath clearely gained his end because he will be able to keepe mens understandings in darknesse that is in ignorance or doubt of the truth and their will and affections in confusion and disorder that is in a frame opposit The direct meanes of erecting Satans kingdome to the Law of God and his righteousnesse Now Satan will bee able to doe this directly by his instruments when hee can cause the profession of ignorance to be advanced set up and commended by authority or commanded by a Law or when hee can cause the knowledge and practise of any thing besides that which is setled by meer humane authority for certain ends of State to be made a crime punishable by death by infamie or by any other penaltie and when he can cause the whole frame and profession of Religion to bee fitted onely to establish that greatnesse wherein the glory of the outward state and the authority of his instruments doth consist All which Satan doth with a high hand grosly in the Mahumetan but with more subtiltie and most compleatly in the Papall state and this hee is able to doe every where else in some competent measure wheresoever the maximes of absolute dominion are maintained and where the great Idoll of Politicians which is called the reason or interest of State is onely worshipped and the true reason and interest of Conscience and Religion is laid aside and comparatively not at all regarded I say wheresoever this course is followed there Satan is able to oppose the kingdome of Christ directly But where hee cannot attaine to this hee taketh the neerest The indirect means whereby Satan sets up his kingdome way hee can to gaine the same purpose indirectly which is done by making all doctrines of Truth doubtfull and all Gospel Ordinances full of confusion Now to make all Truths doubtfull hee raiseth disputes and doth find out wayes to make them undecidable and this he doth chiefly by the meanes of those that should bee the unanimous witnesses of that Truth which is called into question when they are disunited amongst themselves And to confound the Ordinances he setteth every one promiscuously upon the administration thereof in his owne way not onely by giving a freedome unto all both to doe without controule what they please in such matters and to condemne and oppose every one that is not of their way but also by disanulling the authoritie by which all order should bee setled in Church and Common-wealth And to bring all this to passe his main endeavour is to cause the Ministers of the Gospel either to bee subordinate unto his ministers in all things at their will or by variance of judgement amongst themselves and difference of practises from each other to lose their way to neglect the rules of unitie and forbearance which the Word prescribeth to uphold the communion of Saints which is their strength to breake the bonds of love and peace and having ingaged them into quarrels to bring them within the compasse of his reach that is to move them to act their controverties by the wayes of the power and policie of his kingdome for self aimes For if hee once can corrupt the simplicitie of their mindes so that they minde not truely the dutie of being conformable to the Word in every thing and to the spirituall aime of Christs walking in the world and if he can ingage them into worldly designes to advance the same in a worldly way hee hath gotten them cleerly within his reach where he will endeavour to the utmost first to cause them utterly forget and lay aside the aime of their spirituall calling Secondly to allure them unto and affect them with the appearance and glory of his dominion Thirdly to act them by the principles of outward feares and hopes to that which hee would have them doe and when hee hath once gotten them thus farre under the power of this snare he will be able without resistance to carry them headlong amongst themselves to more and more uncharitablenesse and unconscionablenesse of conversation whereby breaches will bee multiplied and made irreconciliable For although a difference arise but from a very small and circumstantiall matter amongst them as it doth naturally fall out amongst other men yet Satan aiming at them above all others to get advantages against them if he doth find them in such a case either without brotherly and charitable affections or inclined to please themselves hee will bee able to worke upon them first jealousies and by jealousies mistakes and by mistakes a distance and strangenesse by reason of worldly aimes differently carried on and when plots and passions are come to some maturitie crosse courses and mutuall provocations will bee set on foot reall injuries will bee offered complaints and clamours will break forth which in continuance make the divisions of hearts past all remedy and irreconciliable because it is not possible that men who aime at worldly matters should deny themselves either the use of their wit and passions in the prosecution of their designe or neglect the strength which they have in hand when they thinke it can serve their turne For if they should doe so they should seeme to quit their designes and so lose at once both the credit and profit thereof which to men that make use of their reason onely to compasse their owne will and to that effect can employ both power and policie is a thing altogether insufferable as being no lesse contemptible then folly and as hatefull as death This I conceive to bee one of the mysteries of iniquity by which Satan doth prevaile against the Ministers of the Gospel even against many men that are otherwise godly and able but are not sufficiently aware of his wiles by which they are drawn from their owne and ensnared in his way by which meanes their hands being weakned in their work hee gaineth his end at least indirectly by their infirmities and miscarriages Therefore all such as are conscionably sensible of their own frailties and of those dangers should bee wakened from securitie to become watchfull over their owne souls in these times of temptation for amongst the Protestant Churches where with the increase of knowledge a true sense of Christian libertie is begotten in the minds of professors Satan hath none other way to fit to erect his kingdome as this is of dividing the Ministers for which cause as wee see their divisions daily increased so the remedies should be the more earnestly thought upon and offereed with freedome and tendernesse unto all indifferently but chiefly to those who are neerest in principles and have least cause to walke asunder and b● at a distance These remedies can bee none other but the helpes to holy The remedy against Satans way of corrupting the ministery communion amongst Ministers in the prosecution of spirituall aimes tending to the advancement of Truth

perfection of spirituall unitie which may bee cleerly gathered from John 17. 21 22 23. compared with Ephes 4. 12 13 14 15 16. And if this bee the chiefe end of their Ministery then the maine neglect of the meanes by which this end may bee obtained and without which it cannot bee prosecuted must needs bee their greatest guilt whence it will cleerly follow that to maintain no communion in spirituall things one with another is one of their greatest faults because most directly crosse to the end of their administration So the● if to maintaine spirituall communion is a dutie in this respect fundamentall and necessary then it followeth that the engagements unto a concurrence and the lawfull wayes of spirituall correspondency are also fundamentall and necessary to the work of the Ministery and must bee entertained because without these the dutie of holy Communion cannot bee maintained nor the unities of the Church brought to any visible perfection but rather visibly dissolved Thus then upon this consideration it is an undeniable Scripturall truth That for the Ministers of the Gospel in the duties of their Ministeriall charge nothing is more conscionable nothing more commendable nothing more profitable and nothing more sutable to the glory of God and the perfecting of the Saints then that they should maintaine a brotherly communion and correspondency one with another and such as neglect it walke not worthy of the calling wherewith they are called in the common profession of Christianitie Sect IV. Of the practise of those that are set before us as infallible examples in the Ministery ALthough the mediatory actions of Jesus Christ in the flesh as hee is our Saviour are not imitable nor were they performed to bee imitated by any for hee alone is the onely Mediatour between God and man yet his relations unto us as Heb. 2. 11. our brother sanctifying us in our flesh and the wayes of his converse amongst men were such that in all cases of dutie wherein wee are to come to God or to behave our selves dutifully one towards another in respect of God he hath left us either an example which wee are bound to imitate or a precept which wee ought to observe and which hee himselfe did practise For in this hee is the Captaine of our salvation because hee went before us in all things and wee are bound to follow not onely him before all others but also none further then they are found to bee his followers 1 Cor. 11. 1. and for this cause wee see that the Apostles as in all other things so chiefly in these duties of love unitie forbearance and condescension towards the weake doe alledge his practise as the strongest argument that can bee used to oblige us thereunto Thus 1 John 3. 16. Hee laid downe his life for us and wee ought to lay downe our lives for the Brethren Ephes 5. 1 2. Bee yee followers of God as deer children and walke in love as Christ also hath loved us Coloss 3. 13. Even as Christ forgave you so also doe yee Gal. 6. 2. Beare yee one anothers burthens and so fulfill the Law of Christ 1 Pet. 4. 1. Forasmuch as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh arme your selves likewise with the same mind And the Apostle Phil. 2. Having used many strong inducements to perswade us to love and unitie Vers 1 2. and to disswade us from strife and division vers 3. then vers 4 hee exhorts us to mutuall care of one another whereunto as an argument is brought in Christs example as the chiefest of all other motives Vers 5 6 7 8. Let this mind bee in you which was in Christ Jesus c. and Christ saith to his Father John 17. 22. The glory which th●u gavest me I have given them that they may b●e one even as we are one By glory I understand here grace as 1 Pet. 5. 1. partaker of the glory that shall bee revealed As concerning Christs practise in his Ministery to avoid breaches and contentions between him and others it is set forth by the holy Ghost in Isa 42. 2 3. and Matth. 12. 19 20. thus Hee shall not strive nor cry neither shall any man beare his voyce in the streets a bruised reed shall hee not breake and the smoaking fl●x shall hee not quench till hee send forth judgement unto victory And concerning his way to bring us to unitie with himselfe and with God the Apostle doth set it forth as an example to bee imitated Rom. 15. Vers 2 3. Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification for even Christ pleased not himselfe c. which is further applied to our practise vers 5 6 7. The God of patience and consolation grant you that ye be like minded one towards another according to Christ Jesus that you may with one mind and one mouth glorifie God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ wherefore receive yee one another as Christ also received us to the glory of God And then explained in shewing what the work of Christs Ministery was Vers 8 9. Now I say that Jesus Christ was a Minister of the Circumcision for the Truth of God to confirme the promises made unto the Fathers and that the Gentiles might glorifie God for his mercy c. Where wee may cleerly understand that by Christs Ministeriall behaviour which was without strife free from all clamours and disputes and which did tend to the uniting of all both Jewes and Gentiles both circumcised and uncircumcised unto God wee are taught to bee without partialitie to endeavour the communication of Gods glory unto all and obliged in our Ministery not to stand and walke by our selves to satisfie our owne desires and enjoy our rights and priviledges which wee pretend unto for private content but rather to please others to their edification although wee should suffer reproaches for their sake For thus Christ was reproached by the Pharisees who were much in love with their owne holinesse for conversing and eating with Publicans and sinners Matth. 9. Vers 10 11 12. Chap. 11. 19. and upon this ground of pleasing others and receiving all that came in his way to the glory of God Christ conversed did eat and drinke with the Samaritanes with whom other Jewes had no dealings John 4. 9. till vers 43. Nor was it without a mystery that at his death hee was crucified between two Malefactors that the Scripture might bee fulfilled which saith and hee was numbred with the transgressors Marke 15. 27 28. For by God and by himselfe justly in respect of the imputation of our sinnes to him and by sinners unjustly hee was numbred in his life and in his death one of them for their good to save them This example of Christ in his Ministery made the Apostle Paul become all things unto all men that hee might gaine some and partake of the Gospel with every one as hee himselfe doth set forth his owne practise to exhort us