when God himselfe is so free to giue T is true You cannot endeauour till God giue grace But t is true too that you are bound to endeauour when hee hath giuen it Bound certainely and therefore Saint Ierome expounds this which is but Councell and Exhortation in Saint Paul by a Precipitur Ther 's Gods command vpon you that you endeauour for vnity in peace And now what if God haue giuen suffciencie nay abundance of Grace and yet there be no Endeauour can any bee blamed then for want of vnity but your selues 'T is true that except the Lord keepe the Citty your Watchmen wake in vaine Psal. 127. But is it any where said in Scripture that if you will set no watch take no care that yet God will keepe the Cittie No sure And this will euer bee found certaine when and wheresoeuer the Vnity of the Spirit is not kept then and there was want of mans endeauour to keepe it in peace And whensoeuer God laies that punishment which followes Disunion vpon a Nation the Sinne vpon which the punishment falls is committed by mans misendeauouring or want of Endeauouring But Peace it selfe cannot hold Vnity long if it be not a firme and a binding peace And this brings in the end of the Text the keeping of Vnity in Vinculo Pacis in the band of peace First then if you will keepe a setled vnity you must haue a firme peace The reason is because in this Vnity many are brought together And many will not be held together without a band Saint Augustine discouered this Vnitas fine nodo facilè dissoluitur That Vnity saith he which hath no knot is easily dissolued This Vnity is so comfortable so beneficiall both to Church and state that it cannot be too fast bound But if it be not fast bound both it and the benefit will soone be lost Now in vinculo in that which bindes this is to be obserued It compasses about all which it containes and then where it meets there 's the knot So that which is bound is held close within the Imbracings of the band And the band is not of one substance and the knot of another but both of one and the same substance So t is heere For the vnity of the Spirit is contained and compassed as it were by peace Peace goes before it to bring it in And Peace goes with it when t is in And Peace goes round about it to keepe it in And where the two ends of Peace meete there vnity is fast and knit vp And the knot is of the same substance with the band Peace too And therefore where the ancient reading of the Text is To keepe Vnity in the band of peace there some will haue it to keepe Vnity in vinculo quod est pax In that band which is peace This band as 't is the band of vnity so 't is well fitted to the vnity it bindes For if you marke it it bindes vnity and the band is but One. In vinculo pacis in the band of peace One band And yet that which is vnum is not vnius that which is but One is not onely of One. For it bindes many whole Churches whole Kingdomes And both bodies are euer safest when the band is One and that One able to hold them For when this One band of peace cannot binde close t is a shrewd Argument either that some ill humor swells and will not endure the band or that the band it selfe is strained and made weake And in both these cases timely helpe must be applied or the vnity of the Body is in Danger You may see this plaine in the Naturall body The out-band of the body is the skinne If the body be too full of humors and they foule and in Motion the body swells till the skinne breaks So t is in the Church and so t is in the state when the Body is too full of humors The inner-band of the body is the Sinewe 'T is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the very word which the Apostle vses The band or the sinew of peace If the sinew bee broken or ouer-strained there 's much paine and weaknesse in the body and the members hang as loose as if they were falling one from another And so t is in the Ecclesiasticall And no other then so in the Ciuill Body If there be but a straining in the band though perhaps the sinew be not yet broken t is high time to looke to the Vnity of the body Well What Remedie then What Why sure there 's none but Vinculum Vinculi The sinew must haue a swathe And that which was wont to binde the body must bee bound vp it selfe And if the Cure light not into honest and good Chirurgions hands it may proue a lame Church and a weake state euer after God blesse the body therefore and direct the Chirurgions Now as the Band of these great Bodies the Church and the state may be broken so the knot which hath euer beene hard to vntie may be cutt And both Church and state haue euer had Cause to feare both both breaking and cutting Saint Ignatius was afraid of this in the Church by and by after the Apostles times And therefore He writes to the Church of Philadelphia In any case to flie and to shunne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the partition or cutting off this knot And indeed t is not fit for any man imployed about this band of peace to haue his Rasor about him And Dauid was afraid of this in the state and hee had Cause great cause For some wilde vnruly men cryed out then Lett 's breake their bands in sunder and cast their cords from vs Psal. 2. What bands Why All the bands of peace and all the bands of allegiance too For the Consultation then was saith Caluin to depose Dauid But hee that dwells in heauen laughed them to scorne ver 4. And then brake them in peeces like a Potters vessell ver 9. Now the Breakers of the band of peace both in Church and Common-wealth are pride and disobedience For these two cry one to another Thatis Pride to disobedience Come lett 's breake the band And this is very obseruable and with reference to this band of peace too You shall neuer see a disobedient man but hee is proud For hee would Obey if he did not thinke himselfe fitter to gouerne Nor shall you euer see a proud man stoope to binde vp any thing But if you see him stoope take heede of him 't is doubtlesse to breake the band of peace The Reason's plaine If hee stoope to binde vp Hee knowes hee shall bee but one of the bundle which his pride cannot endure But if he stoope to loose the band then he may bee free and shew his vertue as he calls it that is hope To runne formost in the head of a Faction Fond men that can bee thus bewitched with pride against themselues For when they are
of God which is One and loues nothing but as it tends to One Nay as the Spirit of God is One and cannot dissent from it selfe no more ought they whom the Spirit hath ioyn'd in One and the Spirit hath ioyn'd the Church in One Therefore he that diuides the Vnity of the Church practices against the Vnity of the Spirit Now this vnity of the Spirit so called because it proceeds from the Spirit of Grace continues in Obedience to it and in the end brings vs to the Spirit that gaue it is the cause of all other vnity that is good and the want of it the Cause of all defects in vnity The presence of it is the Cause of all vnity that is good Of all within the Church no man doubts But 't is of all without the Church too For no Heathen men or states did euer agree in any good thing whatsoeuer but their vnity proceeded from this Spirit and was so farre forth at least a vnity of the Spirit And for states that are Christian and haue mutuall relations to the Church that is in them S. Gregories Rule is true The vnity of the state depends much vpon the peace and vnity of the Church therefore vpon the guidance of the same Spirit And as the presence of the vnity of the Spirit is the Cause of all vnity that is good so the want of it is the Cause of all defects in vnity For as in the Body of a man the Spirit holds the members together but if the soule depart the members fall asunder So 't is in theChurch saith Theophilact and so in the state So litle vnity then in Christendome as is is a great Argument that the Spirit is grieued and hath iustly withdrawn much of his influence And how is the Spirit grieued How why sure by our neglect if not contempt of Him as Hee is One. For as He is the Spirit of fortitude Esay 11. there wee 'l haue him he shall defend vs in warr And as hee is the Spirit of Wisedome there wee 'l haue him too he shall gouerne vs in peace But as heis One Spirit and requires that wee keepe his vnity there wee 'l none of him though we know right well that without vnity peace cannot continue nor warre prosper One vnity there is take heed of it 't is a great Enemy to the vnitie of the Spirit both in Church and Common-wealth S Bafil calls it Concors Odium vnity in hatred to persecute the Church And to this worke their 's vnity enough Mentake counsell together Psal. 2. Saint Augustine calls it vnitatem contra vnitatem A vnity against vnity when Pagans Iewes and Hereticks or any profane crew whatsoeuer make a league against the Churches Vnity And about that work that the name of Israel may bee no more in remembrance that there may be no Church or no reformed Church Gebal and Ammon and Amaleck the Philistins and they that dwell at Tyre are Confederates together Psal. 83. S. Hilary will not vouchsafe to call such vnion vnity Indeed it deserues not the name 'T is not vnity saith he be it in Church or be it in state but 't is a Combination And hee giues his Reason For vnity is in faith and Obedience but Combination is Consortium factionis no other no better the consenting in a faction And all Faction is a Fraction too and an Enemie to Vnity euen while it combines in one For while it combines but a part it destroyes the vnitie of the whole Is the spirit in this Out of question No. For a Faction to compasse it's end I will not say when it sees a theefe it consents to him or that it is alwaies partaker with the Adulterers but this it doth It speakes against its owne Brother and slanders its owne Mothers Sonne Psal. 50. Can any man call this the Vnity of the Spirit Or is this the way to Vnity And now I cannot but wonder what words S. Paul were he now aliue would vse to call backe Vnity into dismembred Christendome For my part Death were easier to mee then it is to see and consider the face of the Church of Christ scratched and torne till it bleeds in euery part as it doth this day And the Coat of Christ which was once spared by Souldiers because it was seamlesse S. Ioh. 19. Rent euery way and which is the miserie of it by the hand of the Priest And the Pope which Bellarmine hath put into the Definition of the Church that there might bee one Ministeriall head to keepe all in vnity is as great as any if not the the greatest cause of diuided Christianity Good God what preposterous thrift is this in men to sowe vp euery small rent in their owne Coat and not care what rents they not onely suffer but make in the Coat of Christ What is it Is Christ only thought fit to weare a torne garment Or can wee thinke that the Spirit of Vnity which is one with Christ wil not depart to seeke warmer cloathing Or if he be not gone already why is there not vnity which is where ere he is Or if he be but yet gone from other parts of Christendome in any case for the passion in the bowels of Iesus Christ I beg it make stay of him heere in our parts For so the Apostle goes on Keepe the Vnity of the Spirit This Exhortation requires too things saith S. Ierome the one that they which haue this vnity of the Spirit keepe it the other that they which haue it not labour to get it And certainely nothing can be more beneficial or more honourable either for Church or state then to get it when they haue it not or to keepe it when they haue it And this is implyed in the very word which the Apostle vses Keepe For no wise man wil aduise the treasuring vp keeping of any thing but that which is of vse and benefit And the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not barely signifie to Keepe but Tueri to defend too which is the stoutest keeping Now all wise men are for vnity And all good men for the vnity of the Spirit Yes saith Saint Isidore Boni seruant Good men keepe it VVise and good men keepe it why then none but fooles and bad men breake it Slie and cunning men perhaps may haue their hands in Diuisions but wise or good men they are not For are they not all without vnderstanding that worke wickednesse Psal. 53. And a greater wickednesse men can hardly work then to dissolue the vnity of the Spirit in either Church orCommonwealth For they doe as much as in them lies to bring profanenesse into the Church and desolation vpon the state Keepe therefore the vnity of the Spirit Keepe Vnity why but what needs that will not vnity keepe it selfe 'T is true vnity is very apt to hang together It proceeds from Charity which is the glue of the Spirit
A SERMON PREACHED On Munday the Seauenteenth of MARCH At Westminster At the opening of the PARLIAMENT By the Bishop of BATHE and WELLES LONDON Printed for RICHARD BADGER 1628. EPHES. 4. 3. Endeauouring to keepe the Unitie of the Spirit in the band of peace THIS Chapter is a great Scripture for Vnity For here we find there is but One Lord whom we serue ver 5. But One God and Father whom wee worship and obey ver 6. But One Spirit whom we receiue while he sanctifies vs ver 4. One Lord One God and Father One Spirit Three in One all Three but one God blessed for euer But one Baptisme by which we are cleansed But one Faith by which wee beleeue ver 5. But one hope vpon which we relye v. 4. But one knowledge by which we are illightened ver 13. But One Bodie of which we are members ver 4. Different Graces but all tending to One Edification Diuers offices but all ioint-Ouerseers of the same worke Till the Building be One and we One in it ver 11. This Chapter is as pressing a Scripture for Exhortation And the first Exhortation is That men would walke worthy of their Calling ver 1. Their calling to be Christians Their calling in Christianitie And that to shew themselues worthie they would endeauor to keepethe Vnity of the Spirit in the band of peace ver 3. All for Vnity And let me tell you VVe often read of One in the Scripture but the word Vnity in the Abstract is no where read either in Old or New Testament but onely in this Chapter and here 't is twice For we are exhorted to keepe it ver 3. But how long why euen till we be made perfect ver 13. that is to the end ofthis life VVhy but what need was there of this Exhortation at Ephesus What why sure very great need For Saint Anselm tells vs Schisma fuit there was a Schisme and a rupture there And Charismata the eminent Graces which God had giuen many of them was made the cause of the Schisme For Corruption at the heart of man breedes pride euen out of Gods graces And they which had these gifts despised them which had them not and separated from them This gaue occasion to false teachers to enter in and lye in wayt to deceiue ver 14. This was the state of the Church of Ephesus How was it in the Citie and the Common-wealth there-while How why the Citie was then a very famous Citie in Ionia a part of Asia the lesse At this time subiect to the Romane Empire Their Proconsul and other Deputies were ouer them Acts 19. But Diana was goddesse there and the Citie heathen Ephesus then was Ethnicke No Religion but Paganisme auowed by the state And the Citie was a stranger to the Church that was in it A Stranger and without as the Apostle speaks 1. Cor. 5. Yet such is the force of Christian Religion that as Herod Ierusalem were troubled when Christ was borne S. Math. 2. So here Demetrius and Ephesus were troubled when the name Religion of Christ was borne and nursed vp among them For the word of God did no sooner growe and preuaile at Ephesus Acts 19. 20. but by and by there arose no small trouble about it ver 23. The Citie and the state Heathen yet troubled when Religion came in Therfore A Citie a state Christian must needes be more troubled when Religion goes out And the ready way to out Religion is to breake the Vnitie of it And the breach of the Vnity of Religion will be sure to trouble the City first and hazard the state after For the state whether Pagan or Christian hath euer smarted more or lesse as the Church hath crumbled into Diuisions S. Paul I know wrote this Epistle to the Church of Ephesus not the Citie And hee called for Vnitie bound vp in peace for the Churches good without any expresse mention either of Citie or state Yet hee well knew that the good both of the State and the Citie would follow vpon it For Vnity is a binder vp And Vnity of Spirit which is religion's vnity is the fastest binder that is And lest it should not bind fast enough it calls in the band of peace So that no man can exhort vnto and endeauor for the Vnity of the Church but at the same time he labours for the good of the state And if it were so at Ephesus where the state was Heathen much more must it needs be so where the state is Christian. I shall follow my Text therfore both in it selfe and in the Consequent which followes vpon it In it selfe and so 't is for the Vnitie of the Church And a maine Text it is sayth S. Ierome against Heresie and Schisme In the Consequence it hath And so t is for the Vnity of the State And a full Consequence it is For Vnitie not kept in the Church is lesse kept in the state And the Schismes and diuisions of the one are both Mothers and Nurses of all disobedience and dis-ioynting in the other So the Apostles exhortation goes on directly to the Church by Consequent to the State And it will behoue both Bodies that all the seuerall members of each Endeauor to keepe the Vnity of the Spirit in the band of peace The Text hath sixe particulars For first here 's the thing it selfe to which the Apostle exhorts That 's Vnity Secondly All Vnity will not serue the turne It must be the Vnity of the Spirit Thirdly what 's to be done with this Vnity It must be kept Fourthly there will bee no keeping of it without a strong Endeauour Fiftly this Endeauour to keepe will bee to no purpose if it be not in peace And sixtly Peace it selfe cannot hold it longe except it bee bound vp in Vinculo in the strongest band that peace hath I beginne with that which is the matter of the Apostles Exhortation T is Vnity A very charitable tye but better knowne then loued A thing so good that 't is neuer broken but by the worst men Nay so good it is that the very worst men pretend best when they breake it 'T is so in the Church Neuer Heretick yet rent her bowels but he pretended that hee raked them for truth T is so in the state Seldome any vnquiet Spirit diuides her Vnion but hee pretends some great abuses which his integrity would remedie O that I were made a Iudge in the land that euery man which hath any Controuersie might come to me that I might doe him Iustice. And yet no worse then Dauid was King when this Cunning was vsed 2 Sam. 15. Vnity then both in Church and Common Wealth is so good that none but the worst willingly breake it And euen they are so farre ashamed of the breach that they must seeme holyer then the rest that they may bee thought to haue
a iust cause to breake it Now to be one here whether in Church or Common-wealth is not properly taken as if all were to be shrunke vp into one Body But One is taken here saith Paulinus pro multorum vnanimitate for the vnanimitie and consent of many in one And the Church and Common-wealth take them seuerally or together they are they can be no otherwise One then Vnione multorum by the vniting and agreeing of many in one And so S. Luke Acts 4. The Church was a multitude of Beleeuers sed coâ—vnum but they liued as if they had had but one heart among them This Vnity then is so One as that it is the vniting of more then one yet such a vniting of many as that when the Common Faith is endangered the Church appeares for it as One. And when the common safety is doubted or the common peace troubled the state appeares for it as one As Israel was said to be knit together as One man Iud. 20. And indeede when One Man is not more at Vnitie in himselfe for his owne defence then the Church and state are for publike defence then both are iustly said to be at Vnitie You see what Vnitie is Will you see what hurt followes vvhere t is broken First Fraction makes vneuen reckonings And t is hard very hard for a man that breakes vnitie to giue either God or man a good account of so doing Hard to giue account but that 's not all For if Vnity be broken if a Diuision bee made the parts must be aequall or vnaequall If the parts be aequall neither of them hath more then halfe its strength If they bee vnaequall one hath not so much And that which hath more vsually hath more pride and so lesse will to vnite And yet for all this pride farre weaker it is then when there was Vnity and altogether Nay in breach of Vnity there is not alwaies safetie for the greater against the lesse For in that greeuous breach in Israel when the Eleuen Tribes came out against Beniamin foure hundred thousand strong and their quarrell good yet they fell twice before them Iudg. 20. Nay this is not all not any almost of the hurt which followes in either Church or state when discontents haue swallowed vp their Vnity For the Church Nothing saith S. Chrisostome doth so prouoke God to anger as to see diuisam Ecclesiam his Church purchased by one blood to be One Body made more made other then One. And for the Common-Wealth A people is as one Cittie yet such a one saith Saint Augustine cui est periculosa dissentio as to whom all breach of Vnity is full of danger For Church and state together It was a greeuous Rent among the Iewes when Manasses deuoured Ephraim Ephraim Manasses and both fell vpon Iudah Esay 9. What followed was God pleas'd with this or were the Tribes in safety that were thus diuided No sure For it followes The wrath of the Lord was not turn'd away but his hand was stretched out still Still How long was that How long Why Till Ephraim and Manasses which could not agree at home were with the rest of the ten Tribes carried away into perpetuall captiuity And Esay liued to see his Prophecy fulfilled vpon them For they were carried away by Salmanasar in the sixt yeere of Hezekiah when Esay flourished This wrath of the Lord was fierce and the people dranke deepe of this Cup. Therefore I goe a farre off both for time and place to fetch this Instance And doe you take care not to bring it neerer home And I pray obserue it too The hand of God was stretched out vpon Ephraim and Manasses but there 's no mention which was the first or which the greater offender Ephraim or Manasses What 's the Reason 'T is because the breach of vnity scarce leaues any Innocent and the hand of God is stretched out vpon all I presse Vnity hard vpon you pardon me this Zeale O that my thoughts could speake that to you that they doe to God or that my tongue could expresse them but such as they are Or that there were an open passage that you might see them as they pray faster then I can speak for vnity But what then will any kinde of Vnity serue the turne Surely any will doe much good But the best is safest and that is the Vnity of the Spirit The learned are not altogether agreed heere what is meant by the Vnity of the Spirit For some thinke no more is meant by it then a bare concord and agreement in minde and will Lett 's keep this and both Church and state shall haue a great deale of freedome from danger But others take the Vnity of the Spirit to be that spirituall concord which none doth none can worke in the hearts of men but the Holy Ghost And I am apter to follow this sence because if you take it but for a bare agreement in iudgment Saint Paul had said enough by naming Vnity Hee needed haue made no Addition of the Spirit And because in the Text 't is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which for the most points out the Holy Spirit And because else Saint Pauls words which Bucer calls Ardentia verba zealous and burning words adde nothing to any euen the Coldest exhortation of the Heathen to Vnity The Vnity then of the Spirit to which the Apostle exhorts includes both Both concord in minde and affections and loue of charitable vnity which comes from the Spirit of God and returnes to it And indeed the Grace of Gods Spirit is that alone which makes men truly at peace and vnity one with another Ei tribuendum non Nobis To him it is to bee attributed not to vs saith Saint Augustine T is Hee that makes men to be of one minde in an house Psal. 68. Now one minde in the Church and one minde in the state come from the same fountaine with One minde in an house All from the Spirit And so the Apostle cle erely ver 4. One Body and one Spirit that is One Body by one Spirit For 't is the Spirit that ioynes all the members of the Church into one Body And 't is the Church that blesses the state not simply with vnity but with that vnity with which it selfe is blessed of God A state not Christian may haue Vnity in it Yes And so may a state that hath lost all Christianity saue the Name But Vnity of the Spirit nor Church nor state can longer hold then they doe in some measure obey the Spirit and loue the Vnity This vnity of the Spirit is closer then any corporall vnion can bee For Spirits meete where Bodies cannot and neerer then Bodies can The Reason is giuen by Saint Chrysostome Because the Soule or Spirit of man is more simple and of one sorme And the Soule apter in it selfe to Vnion is made more apt by the Spirit