Lesson viz. The whole Church or the collection or aggregation of all the Saints are one body in Christ of which body Christ is the head and all the Saints are members Which I will indeavour briefly to explain and then come to that branch which I have chosen to insist upon this day Know then that our Lord Jesus Christ in the Scripture is said to have a twofold body the one a natural body that body which was conceived in the wombe of the Virgin which was borne into the world wherein Christ lived which dyed rose againe and is now ascended up into heaven this natural body of Christ is not the body meant in my Text But secondly Christ hath another body very often mentioned in the Scripture which is called his mysticall body or a body in a mystery but because that may be looked upon but as a blinde which every man may interpret according to his own fancy therefore the Spirit of God hath taught us that the collection or aggregation or the thus gathering together of all the Saints in one which the Scripture cals the body of Christ though it be not his naturall body yet it is to him as his naturall body and this I pray you to marke and give me leave to prove because it is the onely foundation of all the Discourse that I am this day to make to you I say The Church when the Scripture cals it the body of Christ is to him as his naturall body that is they stand to Christ in the same relation that the naturall body doth stand to the naturall head and Christ stands to them in the same relation that a natural head doth to the naturall body and all the members that is all beleevers or Saints ' stand in the same relation one to another as the members of a naturall body doe stand one to another this I say is the foundation of all and out of the many Texts which might bee alledged to prove it I shall onely to this which I have in hand which saith expresly that wee are all one body in Christ and every one members one of another mention two more which are so plaine that he that runs may read this truth in them one is in the 1 Cor. 12. Indeed almost the whole Chapter is a proofe and an improvement of this one truth the Apostle tels them in the beginning of the Chapter that there are given to the Church diversities of gifts diversities of administrations diversities of operations and all these come from the same Spirit and this Spirit that gives these gifts and administrations and operations hee gives them all to this end that there may be a profiting of the whole and presently that you may understand his meaning tels us that look as it is in the naturall body there is abundance of members joyned and every one have their severall office for the good of all so is Christ saith he by Christ there he doth not mean Jesus Christ in his humane nature onely but Christ mysticall Christ and all his members gathered into one and then goes on in the thirteenth verse and tels us That by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body whether Jewes or Gentiles bond or free and are all made to drink into one Spirit and so throughout to the end of the Chapter prosecutes the same comparison of Christs being as a naturall head to his Church and all the Saints as naturall members to Christ and one to another and the duties which follow thereupon The other place is Ephes. 4 from 12. to 17. in the beginning of the Chapter he exhorted them earnestly to live in love and keepe the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace to provoke them the better to it he shews them verse 4. 5 and 6. in how many things they are one of which you shal hear more afterward Then vers 7. he addes that each of them had received gifts which were the fruits of Christs ascention all which were given for the converting edifying and perfecting of the body of Christ untill it attaine unto the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ that they all might grow up in all things unto him that is the head even Christ Now that it might appear what kinde of head and body is meant he presently fals upon this similitude of a naturall body verse 16. From whom the whole body fitly joyned and compacted together by that which every joynt supplieth according to the effectual working in the measure of every part maketh increase of the whole body to the edifying of it selfe in love And almost parallel to this is Col. 2. 19. where the Apostle tels us that from Christ the head all the body by joynts and bands is knit together receives nourishment administred and so increaseth with the increase of God Nothing can be plainer that look as it is in the naturall body the Lord hath so cast it and what the Head doth for its part the Liver for its part the Heart for its part the Brain for its part and every Joynt and Sinew for its part the whole body growes up to a full stature and all grows up together so hath the Lord ordained and cast it to be in the Church of Christ Now this foundation being laid that though the Church be not Christs naturall body it is yet as his naturall body The great Question is Wherein doth this comparison or resemblance stand To that I answer first it is easie for a man to name many particulars wherein the comparison will not hold betwixt the Church and a naturall body and it is as easie for a man to name many things wherein they are very like one to another but we must not be wise beyond the Scripture nor stretch it any further then the Lord intends it I humbly conceive that the comparison lies properly in these two things First That as in the naturall body the members and every member hath a reall union with the head for its owne part having the same spirit animating it that is in the head and thereby hath a communion with and dependance upon the head in all the offices that the head can do for it so every particular Christian or member of the Church hath a reall indissoluble spiritual union and conjunction with the Lord Jesus Christ having his Spirit communicated unto them which is the foundation of all their communion the very root and principle of their spirituall life and which inables them every one for their part to live unto Christ that is one Secondly Which is the thing I intend that as in the natural body all the members doe not onely meet in the head as all the lines do meet in a Center and are one there though they do not touch one another anywhere else but they are all by the wonderfull power and wisdome of God so contrived and compacted and joyned
Congregations slow from this Church to the rest or whether any wayes at all it may doe any judicial or judiciary act is a most noble question and much disputed amongst learned Divines especially in our latter age my haste doth not allow me to meddle with that controversie only thus much I may safely assert 1 That all the Officers Offices and gifts that Christ gave when he ascended up into heaven he gave them all to this Church and they all serve for the gathering edifying and perfecting of this Church 2 And as any ever were or are converted to Christ from the world they are all primarily added to this Church 3 Yea and all whether particular Christians or numbers of Christians associated all are to act as parts of this Church and consequently in reference to the good of this whole Church all having such relation to and dependance upon this Church as parts have to the whole and a standing in a particular Church-relation doth no more take off from duties to this great body which is the great Common-wealth then the Jewes being ranked under their several Tribes or in their particular Cities were taken off from the duties which they owed to the whole Common-wealth of Israel c. that therefore he who is justly clave non errante excommunicated or cast out of any particular Church is cast out from all Churches as he who is shut out of any one Gate of a City is shut out of every ward of that City yea out of the whole City it selfe Having thus farre cleared the Doctrinall part I now proceed to the application of it and there are many excellent uses which this Lesson doth afford I shal handle only two at this time 1. for instruction 2. For duty First for instruction from all this it appeares that to be a Member of the Church of Christ or the Association of all Gods people into this one body is the only desirable good Fellowship and Society in this world You shal read of a great many other Fellowships and Co-partnerships you may read in the first of the Proverbs of a fellowship of Theeves in Isa. 56. of a company of Drunkards in Psal. 2. of a Society of Malignants and abundance of several companies and societies of men there are some joyned for pleasure some for profit and many glory and take great content in the society and fellowship and fruit they enjoy in those whom they are linked with but ah beloved when things are rightly viewed it will appeare that the Congregation or the Society of the Church of the first borne whose names are written in Heaven wherein all the Saints of God from the beginning of the world to the end of it are all joyned in one body all of them united to Christ and one to another having the same Spirit the same Lord the same hope all of them one in all these seven things which I have opened to you it will I say one day appeare this is the only desirable society under Heaven Let them therefore who are men of other societies glory as much as they please in their supposed good Fellowship when in the meane time they are strangers from the Common-wealth of Israel But let us count our selves happy that we have a part and lot in this communion wherein we have Fellowship not only one with another but with the Father and his Sonne Jesus Christ Secondly it hence also followes for our instruction That none in all the world are or ought to be judged Members of the Church of Christ but only those that have the Spirit of Jesus Christ in them really regenerate really holy really united to Christ the Head these and no other are Members of the Church which is Christs Body which is a Lesson of very great use You all know there is at this day much disputing about what things are requisite to make men Church-members some very learned men maintain That to make a man admittable into Christs Church or to make him a Church-member no more is in the Scripture required but only that he give up his name and professe that he is willing to learne the wayes of Christ and to walke in them the Church of Christ being say they appointed as a Schoole to traine Schollars up into which are admitted not only those that are Learned but those who are willing to learne Others say That is too laxe if you wil own a man as a Church-member he must be able to give you an account of his faith and a promise of a voluntary subjection to the Gospel of Christ for time to come and if they come to that then you may take them in and owne them as Church-members Others say You must yet goe further unlesse you can in the judgement of your owne charity conceive that the worke of Grace is really wrought in their hearts you are not to owne them or joyne with them if you can probably hope that then you may take them in Others will goe yet further and say These things are not sufficient for unlesse there be a right admission by Baptisme when you make your first confession all the rest is in vaine and upon these points we dispute till we have disputed our selves into a thousand peeces Now Brethren be pleased to know that though there be good use of these debates to direct us to know the persons with whom we may exercise the acts of communion in the wayes and worship of Christ yet none of all these rise up to prove a man to be a Member of the Church of Jesus Christ there are indeed signes and rules that may teach us with whom we may joyne in visible and external Fellowship and whom we may reject or cast out if they be taken in but these are not rules to make us know who are reall Members of the Church of Christ indeed as the Church is denominated from some external things these rules direct us to judge with whom and to whom we may communicate in those external things but these are clearly two Distinct questions with whom we may joyne in visible and externall communion and who are truly Members of this Church of Christ Of the latter there is but one note and that is if they be united to Christ the Head have the quickning Spirit of Christ in them and the grace of Love wrought in them which note is invisible and not external and can be knowne only in our owne Consciences if this be wanting let men carry themselves never so wel so that all the people of Christ under heaven should owne them yet Jesus Christ ownes them not and you may truly say that all they who have not communion with God the Father and the Lord Jesus and his holy Spirit have no reall communion with the Saints therefore let no man rest or pride himselfe in being joyned in this or that Church-fellowship a carnal or unconverted man whatsoever his outward shape
of Schisme from their principles of judgement their principles of judgement carry them to the practice of that which is a rending of the Church Others though their principles of judgement be right yet are Schismaticall through principles of a corrupt heart and spirit I shall speake to both these but principally to the first sort First all those whose erroneous judgements make them Schismaticall as I conceive may all be brought to these foure First Independency properly so called is one of the highest principles of Schisme all such Christians whether they be single persons or associated bodies yea though all the Christians in a Nation associated into a body doe looke upon themselves as absolute and independent from the rest of the Church of Christ with whom the rest of the Church of Christ hath nothing to doe this I say is one of the highest principles of Schisme in the world but doe not mistake me I know there are some called and branded with the name of Independency who professe they abhor both the name and thing I meane such as conceive that a particular Church hath all power in it selfe and that no other assembly can authoritatively call them to an account so as to dissolve their sentences or excommunicate them because they conceive that the government of the Church is not placed in Synods or in any other Assembly then that of a particular Congregation yet readily acknowledge that themselves are but part of the Church and ought to be countable to the Church of Christ for their wayes and that if upon brotherly counsel given by other Churches they reforme not they may and ought to with-draw from all Christian communion with them whether their way of being countable be right or no I dispute not only I say this is not the Independency here intended but I meane any man or company of men who looke upon themselves as an intire Civil State or Common-wealth lookes upon it selfe how small soever it be as in Italy there are some such which containe not above one City or two yet they count all the world hath nothing to do with them nor are they to be countable to any other State no not to the whole world any further then their owne interest carries them either for their owne safety or as they make use of them this is true State independency so is it here when any persons or company of Christians looke upon themselves as totum quid seorsum as men by themselves and in their intentions carry not themselves as parts of the great Common-wealth accounting it a thing little or nothing materiall so they professe the Name and faith of Christ and serve him whether they doe it in the communion of the Catholick Church or out of it as if they were not persons contained within the whole or part of the same Common-wealth this I say is high and deep Schism the very nature of Christs Church being one Body requires that whatsoever any whether persons or Churches do in matters of Religion teaching or being taught praying fasting Almes-giving in word and Sacraments yea in beleeving loving hoping c. should all be done intentionally with relation to and communion with the whole Church of Christ this first principle lies deep rooted many live by it though few wil own it 2 Others are deeply schismatical from principles of judgement who are so farre in love with their own constitution or way of Association into Church-Order that they condemne all the other Assemblies throughout the world as no Churches of Christ because they be not modelled and moulded according to the Plat-form of their own particular Church-order and association I doe not deny but it is possible that some of Gods people may have some such great mistakes lye upon them that they cannot possibly joyne in all Christian ordinances with any congregation in the world as the converted Christian Jewes while they were under that apprehension that no man ought to be owned but he that was circumcised I say as long as that errour possest them they could never joyn in all Ordinances with the rest of the Gentiles and how farre the rest of the people of God should beare with such and still own them as Christs servants is a thing worth the studying but certainly the principle it selfe is most destructive to the unity of the Church To refraine fellowship and communion with such Churches or Companies who professe Christ their Lord whose faith is sound whose worship is Gospel-worship whose lives are holy unlesse they will come into that very particular way of Church order which they have pitched upon is a dreadfull renting of the Church of Christ to peeces for if all Christs people in the world are one body and all thereby bound to have communion one with another then certainly that principle which necessitates men to cast off it may be nine hundred ninety nine parts of a thousand must needs be dangerous and Schismatical of this none are so guilty as the Church of Rome who circumscribe the Church of Christ within the precinct of the Roman Jurisdiction and cast off all Christians and all Churches in the East West North and South yea cast them off from all hope of Salvation who subject not themselves to their way 2. Nor can our rigid Separatists bee any way excused who censure and condemne all other Churches whatever their faith worship and conversation be meerly because they are not gathered into Church-order according to their own patternes This so strict bounding of our christian communion by outward formes I humbly conceive hath been a great and almost generall fault among the Churches of Europe ever since the Reformation in some Churches the large forme of the confession of their faith is made the Shibboleth without owning and subscribing to this without abating of a tittle no communion to be injoyed in other Churches without conforming to their formes of Prayers Rites and Ceremonies in administration of the Sacraments no communion to be injoyed in others without submitting to their forme of Church-government no communion and with these of whom I now speake without submitting to their manner and forme of gathering into Church-fellowship none to be owned or acknowledged to be Churches of Christ but alas how little is to be found in Scripture to bound our fellowship and communion of Saints by any of these things In the Scripture Churches are cryed up or downe commended and blamed according as their fundamentall faith was sound and their lives holy and I doubt not but one day we shall all judge those Churches the best whose substantial faith is soundest and lives most holy whether their first manner of gathering were every way regular or not Suppose that in an Army the Lawes of that Army were That none should be prest to serve but all to come in as Volunteers that their Officers should bee so and so chosen and qualified now suppose in this Army should be
Lutherans had had many disputes to see if they could fetch off one another from their principles and could not do it the Calvinists even the holiest and learnedst of them such as Calvin Beza Martyr Zanchy Vrsin Pareus have offered to owne them as brethren as Churches of Christ and would have been willing to heare them to receive Sacraments with them the rigid Lutherans refused it and cry out From communion with the Calvinists Good Lord deliver us Now say I the Schisme was on the Lutherans part if the Lutherans had offered it and the Calvinists had rejected the Schisme had laine on the Calvinists part Bring it yet nearer many of these opinions are got in among us especially about free-will Infant-baptisme formes of Church-government c. and we should not refuse communion with any of them supposing their lives unblameable If they will hold communion with us I say if they will for ordinarily erroneous persons are proud and must have all mens sheaves bow down to theirs and will close only with teachers and companies according to their owne lusts but if we in a spirit of Christian love would have peace and they refuse it then both the errour and schisme lyeth at their doore But against all this it may be and is objected What a speckled bird would you make a particular church Suppose the church you should be an Officer unto should be such a medly of some holding the morality of the Lords day some denying it some for Infant-baptisme some condemning it some like the Presbyterian-government others are for the Episcopal others like a Congregational better then either of them some would have their children baptised others are utterly against it some of them Calvinists some Lutherans to have a Church made up of all these would not this be a reproach to you to be a Pastor to such a flock To which I answer what reproach would it be to me to be Pastor of such a Church as Jesus Christ is a head of If the Church of Christ wherein his Spirit rules to whom he is a head and which shal be saved be made up of all these what reproach if prejudice did not blinde mens eyes could it be to any of us to have such members to be members of our Congregations But doe you then intend a toleration of all these opinions would you have Lutherans and Anti-sabbatarians Anabaptists and others tolerated among us I answer first what the Magistrates office is about toleration or non-toleration I have nothing to doe to meddle with at this time my doctrine confines me to speake only of Church forbearance and upon that account I answer if by toleration you meane an approbation of these God forbid we must approve of no errour we should all seeke to make one another imbrace every truth of Christ But if by toleration you meane a not cutting them off unlesse they lay downe their errours and renounce them that indeed I plead for we should hold Christian communion with them for Christ thus beares with them and will have us beare one with another and as it is in our naturall body if a man have an ulcer in his hand or his leg if ordinary medicines wil not cure it he wil wait till the strength of nature work out the humour or till by the providence of God he can light of some more happy medicines then yet have been propounded but he will not cut his hand or his leg off so long as it may be any wayes usefull to him so is the case here Thirdly Some will yet object indeed if you meane to bear with them for a while till the truth hath been set before them that they have all meanes of conviction it wil be granted but suppose all paines have been taken the truth hath been propounded they have been reasoned with and they still hold the same then they may be judged obstinate and self-condemned I answer plainly faith as it is the imbracing of any particular truth is as well the gift of Gods Spirit as that faith whereby we receive Christ for our Saviour no wisdome or rhethoricke of man can ever make a man receive the faith of any one doctrine of Christianity till Gods Spirit inable him and it is a far easier matter to non-plus a man in disputing then it is to clear his understanding and inable him to receive a truth and when such persons do appeal to the searcher of hearts that it is meer want of light which hinders them from being of one minde our Christian love which ever judgeth the best should rest satisfied especially when their lives are unblameable we must not take upon us to be Lords of their faith and therefore after many disputes and conferences between the dissenting Churches in Germany when they were not able to dispute one another out of their principles as I before noted the Calvinists propounded to hold an amicable Christian communion one with another and if in a fair debating way they could afterward satisfie one another well and good in the meane time they would wait till Christ would give more light and upon this account the Calvinists and Lutherans in Polonia doe at this day live in concord both of them retaining their opinions And in truth we all professe to doe the same toward them for I hardly know any amongst us but confesse the Helvetians Lutherans c. are true Churches notwithstanding their errours Now say I shal a company associated in such and such opinions bee counted a true Church and shal not a particular man who holds the same points be counted a true visible member or shal we hold communion with them in Germany and shal we deny it to our brethren in England God forbid that the exercise of our Christian charity and communion should vary according as Regions vary If whole Churches be owned because of their faith and holinesse of life notwithstanding their errours to be true visible Churches then one man that hath those errours may goe for a true visible Christian because of his faith and holinesse And in truth they who are the brethren of our elder brother are our brethren wil we nil we and we shal repent if we use them not as brethren Yet againe it wil be said but Paul did wish they were all cut off that troubled the Galatians I answer But mark who they were they were such who brought such a doctrin that he profest if they imbraced it Christ would profit them nothing they who would set up a new Christ a new way of salvation to seek justification by their own works he prayed they might be cut off but he never wished it for errours of a lower nature But lastly some may yet demand and say What if they who hold such Opinions joyn in communion with you and in your communion make it their worke and practise for errour is very Pragmatical to draw all the rest of your company
with this Suite And secondly Let us not onely pray but let us labour to promote it and let us to this end examine our owne principles and let us count no principle no affection no disposition of spirit worth the keeping which wil not let us bee one with them with whom Christ is one and let us beleeve that while we are in this world we shal all of us know in part and but in part beleeve in part and but in part let us never expect to finde in this life all who agree in fundamental truths to agree in all other truths and let us beleeve that though every truth of Christ be precious and worthy to be contended for yet every truth is not necessary to salvation nor necessary to be found in all with whom we ought to hold and exercise Christian communion many meats which are whole some yet cannot be relished by all with whom we may sit at the same table while we are here we shal often see cause to differ in our judgement about many precious truths but wee shall never see cause to differ in affection from those whom Jesus Christ loveth Certainly I may love where Christ loves and I may imbrace where Christ imbraceth and I may not interdict where Christ doth not interdict and wee may and ought to bee of one heart with them with whom wee cannot be of one minde in all things the time is coming when we shal be of one minde Luther and Calvin are of one mind in heaven while their Disciples wrangle on earth at which day he will appeare with more comfort who beares and forbeares with his weak and erring brethren then he is like to do that loves not his brother sure I am this is Pauls counsel who said Whereto we have attained let us mind the same things and if any be otherwise minded the Lord will reveale it to him in his due time And therefore I conclude this Use with that speech of the Apostle Above all put on love that is the band of perfection and let the peace of God rule in your hearts I meane that peace the Lord Jesus Christ is the Authour of let that rule in your hearts The Greeke word signifies let it bee as the Officer the Greekes had in their solemne Games who determined and quieted all differences in all strifes and contentions to whom he gave the Palm that quieted all the rest So let the peace of God be such a brabeutes let it rule in our hearts And the Spirit of God presseth it there upon this very ground because we are called thereunto in one body We are brethren let us not strive or if we do contend let us contend who shal be most holy who shal love most who shal beare most one with another till that blessed day come when Christs light shal shine so perfectly upon us that wee shal be all of one minde and one heart in all things Thus much for the first great duty That Saints are all one body therefore there should be no schisme no divisions among them The second is That all the members should have the like care one of another that is they should not onely love one another and study to bee at peace one with another but they should all sympathize one with another if one be honoured all should rejoyce if one suffer all the rest should mourn yea they should all account themselves but as Stewards for the good of all and expresse this in using all their talents for the good of the soules of all and the bodyes of all each within the compasse of his owne calling and especially in the particular Church where the Lord hath set them These things are of great concernment and for daily use and therefore most worth the handling But I suspect I have already presumed upon your patience Consider what I have said and the Lord give you understanding in all things FINIS Introduction shewing the coherence and scope of the Text Ephes. 4. 16. The generall Doctrine propounded The Church is Christs body And explained And proved out of Scripture 1 Cor. 12. 12 c. Vers. 7. Vers. 12. Vers. 13. Eph. 4. from 1â— to 16. opened and explained Wherein the comparison stands between the Church and a natural body The union of the Saints one with another 1 Cor. 12. 15. 22 23 24. Quest 1. Ephes. 4 4 5 6. opened Heb. 6. 18. Iude 3. 1 Cor. 8. 5. Gal. 6. 16. Titus 1. 1. 2 Pet. 1. 2. Quest 3. What are the bands of this Union Answ First The Spirit of Christ teaching and ruling them all Esai 11. 6 7 8. Ezek 11. 19 Ezek. 36. 27 2 Band the grace of love 1 Cor. 12. 31 and cap. 13 Col. 3. 14 Ioh. 13 34 3â— Ephes. 4. 16 3 Q. How is it then that the Scripture speaks of many Churches if all are but one Church Answ. Application 1 Instruction Therefore this communion of Saints is that brotherly good fellowship Prov. 1. 14. Esa. 56 12. Psal. 2. 2. 1 Joh. 1. 3. 2 Instruction Therefore none are true members of this Church but regenerate men 1 Joh. 1. 3. 3 Instruction Therefore the most usefull Christians are the most noble members 2 Use for exhortation 1 Therefore there must be no Schisme in the Church 1 Cor. 12. 25. What Schisme is 2 The greatnesse of the sin of Schisme In the nature of it Eph. 1. 10. Joh. 17. 21. â— Tim. 1. 5 2 In the effects of it Eph. 4. 16. 3 Who are guilty of it Who are guilty of the sin of Schisme Answ. 1. In generall most Christians this day are guilty of it This opened more particularly Negatively All separation is not Schisme such as are Schismaticks who separate from Hereticks or Idolaters Or from persecutors Some are schismaticks from principles of an erroneous judgement some from principles of a corrupt heart Schismaticks from corrupt judgement are Independents properly so called 2 All who renounce all other Churches because not of their own manner of constituon Of which the Papists are most guilty 3. All who refuse communion with persons erring in points not fundamentall Rom. 14. 3 4 10 c. First objection against this third branch Answ. Object 2. Answ. Object 3. Answ. Object 4. Gal. 5. 12. Answ. Gal. 5. 2. Rom. 14. 22. 4 They are Schismaticall who separate from true Churches for light causeâ— Heb. 10. 25. Jude 19. 2 Some are Schismaticall from principles of a corrupt heart 1 As self-lovers and self-seekers Phil. 2. 4. Plutarch 2 Proud and high-minded spirits 3 Quarrelsome and railing spirits 4 Busie-bodies Rom. 2. 3. 1 Pet. 4. 15. 5 All factious spirits 1 Cor. 12. Rom. 16. 17. 6 All who delight in the society of Schismaticks Exhort 1. To lament our divisions Ephes. 1. 10. Iohn 17. 2â— Exhort 2. To endeavour to cure them 1 Pray for it Phil. 3. 15. Col. 3. 14. 15. Vse 2. The members to have the like care one of another