dwell together in Unity The Words being an Argument for Unity it may seem less proper to divide them and my design being to set out the excellency and advantages of this Divine Grace I shall pursue it in the Characters here given in the Psalmists Description of it 't is both good and pleasant Which two are prevailing Arguments and the most forcible perswasives to engage our love and affections to any thing recommended to us for these two generally sway mens choice and all their pursuits are after what they apprehend as good or pleasant But before I press the Motives to Unity it seems necessary to know what it is since it is so rare to be met with that it seems to be little understood though indeed it is generally better unstood than practised Unity however single in it self yet is diversified by its Object and so is as various as the respects in which men may be united but I instance only in three sorts both as most comprehensive and chiefly to be endeavoured after 1. An Unity in Faith and Profession 2. In Worship and Practice 3. In Mind and Affection 1. Unity in Faith and Profession which is so named by the Apostle Eph. 4. 13. Which is absolutely necessary to the being of a Christian who by Faith is incorporated into the body of Christ and by Unity of the Faith is conjoyned to the members of that Body which are all united under one head For the Faith was once delivered says St. Jude and being but once delivered can be but One and as there is no way to be saved but by Faith so there is but one Faith to be saved by and therefore they that hope to receive the end of their Faith the salvation of their Souls must maintain the Unity of the Faith which is lost if divided and is no Faith if not the same that was once delivered In this respect we make it part of our Christian Profession to believe One Catholick Church because all agreeing in the same Faith though the Members be many yet the Church is but one because the Faith is but one for there is but one Lord and one Faith Eph. 4. 5. One Lord as the Foundation of all and one Faith whereby we assent to those truths which were received from Christ by the Apostles and by them delivered to Believers who are therefore all Members of one and the same Church because they profess one and the same Faith Now as we cannot be Christians without Faith so we cannot be of that One Catholick Church without the Unity of it and therefore as St. Jude exhorts ought to contend earnestly for that Faith once delivered that as St. Paul presses it we may keep the Unity of it in the bond of Peace For we may contend earnestly in this Case without breach of Peace or Charity since the end of this holy contention is an happy Unity namely of Faith and Profession 2. There is an Unity in Worship and Practice Which is consequent on the former when they that agree in the same Profession wear the same Badg and Livery and are known by the same signs and symbols of Worship and Communion This is that Unity of the Spirit Eph. 4. 3. or Spiritual Unity both as an effect of the Spirit and a sign of Spirituality when we manifest our Unity in the Faith by the correspondence of our Practice whether in the same Rites of Worship or the expressions of our Christian Communion thus we are made one by Worshipping the same God in one and the same manner We become one by Baptism the Sacrament of our Initiation which being as the Apostle says but one they which are admitted to it in receiving it are one and we are made one by participating of the same Supper of the Lord who commanded Eat ye all of this and drink ye all of this and so by communicating of one become as to that Communication one according to that of the Apostle 1 Cor. 10. 7. We being many are one Bread and one Body for we are all partakers of that one Bread So that when we list our selves under the same Banner as we do in our Baptism and engage in the same Warfare against the Devil the World and the Flesh whose Friendship we renounce and declare enmity against them when we all participate of the same Body whereof we are all Members and like the Israelites all eat the same spiritual meat and all drink the same spiritual drink when with the first Apostolick Church we continue in the Apostles Doctrine and Fellowship and in breaking of Bread and in Prayer when we are unanimous in the Worship of God and the holy Offices of Religion then do we hold fast the Bond of Unity and maintain the Communion of the faithful 3. Unity of Mind and Affection Which is the Unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace that great badg of Christianity the new Commandment that the Son of God prescrib'd to his followers that dying Legacy which he bequeathed to his Disciples that they should love one another that Unity which the Apostles so frequently and pathetically press in their Epistles St. Paul to the Corinthians 2 Epist 13. 11 Be of one mind and live in Peace to the Philippians 2. 2 That ye be like-minded having the same love being of one accord of one mind St. Peter to the dispersed Christians 1 Ep. 3. 8. Finally be ye all of one mind having compassion one of another love as Brethren be pittiful be courteous This is the peculiar Badg of our Profession which in its Nature and Design is a Religion of Love and Unity and nothing unites more strictly than kindness and affection For as in the Body Natural the Members however different in shape and distant in site from one another yet being all animated by the same Soul become one Body so the collective Body of Christians however distant in Place or differing in Language yet being all of one mind and affection make up one Body the Church of Christ On which account we offer up our Prayers to God for the preservation and protection of the Church Catholick to testifie our Unity with all the Members of that Body and express our hearty wishes for their welfare and prosperity and though the Gospel has extended our Charity and made it universal yet we are to have a more peculiar regard and love to them that are of the houshold of Faith Christians are all Brethren and thereby obliged to all the endearments of Brotherly Kindness and Affection and when their Unity in the Faith and Agreement in Worship is compleated by the Concord of their Mind and Affections there needs nothing more to make that perfect harmony which was once beheld in the Primitive Church when the whole multitude of Believers were all of one heart and of one soul Acts 4. 32. a joyful prospect to behold and lovely to look upon that which raised envy in their Enemies yet astonishment withal
Ecce quà m se mutuò diligunt Christiani behold said they how Christians love one another but a ravishing sight to them that wish well to Sion to see Brethren so dwell together in Unity I know there are other kinds of Unity besides these already mentioned as Unity of Discipline and Government Wherein that the Christian Churches did once all agree seems plain from hence that all sides admit this as a great Truth that is the best Form of Government which comes nearest to the Primitive Platform so that in the Primitive Church there was an Unity of Discipline the same Order of Men the same Form of Government in all the Churches of Christ Happy had it been had it received no alteration happy were we were all our differences in that respect silenced into an amicable agreement that as there is no Church where there is no Order no Ministry so we might all be of one and the same Church by enjoying the same Order and Ministry There is also an Unity of Opinion when men not only build upon the same Foundation but raise the same superstructure and agree not only in fundamentals but shake hands also in less necessary truths and have the same Sentiments and Opinions as well as Interests in all things An Unity that may be seen in Parties and Factions especially to promote an Interest or secure a Design but otherwise is very rare to be met with For as long as there are men of different Complexions and divided Interests there will be different Conceptions and disagreeing Opinions among them Certain it is that mens Tempers and Complexions strongly incline them to some Opinions more than others and no less evident it is that the prejudices of Education Acquaintance and Custom do no less strongly byass mens fancies with kindness to some Opinions and a dislike of others so that till all men are cast in the same mold and act upon the same Principles and drive on the same end and design Unity in Opinion is not like to be Universal Indeed both this and the other are rather to be wish'd than hoped for for till men be willing to part with their Opinions which yet few men are there is small hopes of Union that way and till men become Humble and Obedient to the Discipline and Government of the Church no hopes to be united under any one Form Besides that Opinions encrease with the age of the World and are daily multiplyed and men grow more fond of their own Form of Discipline and more averse to all others So that there is small hopes of a perfect correspondence in all things till we come to that happy Union which the Apostle describes Eph. 4. 13. till we all come in the Unity of the Faith and of the knowledg of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ But if we cannot hope to see them yet we may and ought to pursue after them which would every one of us in his several capacity sincerely endeavour we should enjoy that blessing of the Lord to behold Truth and Unity met together to see Righteousness and Peace kiss each other and the only method to pursue those ends a right is to maintain inviolable that threefold Unity in Faith in Worship and Affection which is indispensably necessary to make us One with that Body whereof Christ is the head For Unity in the Faith is Catholick Unity without which we cannot be Members of the Body of Christ Unity in Worship is Church Unity without which we cannot hold the Communion of Saints and Unity in Mind and Affection is that Unity of Charity without which we violate the Commands and Obligations of the Gospel But if we keep these intire and twist this threefold cord we make it strong and not easie to be broken And when our Faith is One and our Worship uniform and agreeable and our minds conspire in united affections we then wear his Livery whose Coat was seamless the Emblem of Unity not rent by Schism nor torn by Separation then like Brethren we dwell together in Unity and how good and pleasant that is to behold is next to be made out 'T is good and pleasant excellent properties to rerecommend a thing to our love and affections for good is the great Object of our choice And What more endearing than that which is good and pleasant too 't is good that intimates its necessity and usefulness 't is pleasant that implies its delight and comeliness We 'l survey each property distinctly that we may better behold its perfection 1. It s Necessity and Usefulness Of which we need no other Evidence than the strong Enforcements and Obligations which the Gospel lays upon us to Unity and the powerful Arguments wherewith the Apostles of Christ press it upon his Disciples and Followers I instance only in St. Paul and observe in this Argument 1. The strength of his Reasoning 2. The persuasiveness of his Oratory The one is that every thing in our Religion is an Argument to Unity as you have it Eph. 4. 4 5. there is one Body and one Spirit and one Hope of our Calling one Lord one Faith one Baptism one God and Father of all every thing in our Religion is one and so ought all they to be who are Proselytes to that Religion The other is his powerful Eloquence and persuasive Rhetorick whilst persuading his Philippians to love and amity and perhaps in no Author whatsoever occurs a more pathetick and endearing strain than that in which he wooes and beseeches them to Unity and Uniformity Phil. 2. 1 2 If there be any consolation in Christ if any comfort of love if any fellowship of the Spirit if any bowels and mercies fulfil ye my joy that ye be like-minded having the same love being of one accord of one mind per sanctum amicitiae nomen per chara amoris pignora per mutuò datam fidem these are powerful Charms but far less prevailing Oratory than the Apostle here used to press the Philippians to be of one accord of one mind and no doubt but the great earnestness wherewith the Apostle enforced it proceeded from his sense of the necessity and advantages of it For it is good in all those respects which conduce to the good of Society or the Interest of Mankind good for the publick and for every private man good for them that rule and for them that obey 1. Good for the Publick since it is not only essential to Society but the foundation of all the Priviledges we reap thereby a Society cannot consist without Union and Concord but dissolves into a rout and unruly herd when divided and disunited and there can be neither Order nor Government where there is not mutual agreement as Aristotle observ'd of Thieves and Robbers that they must agree together and be true to one another or else must needs dissolve and cannot hold together For there is no other bond
THE Beauty of Vnity IN A SERMON PREACHED AT PRESTON in Lancashire At the Opening of the GUILD-MERCHANT held There September 4. 1682. By RICHARD WROE B. D. and Chaplain to the Lord Bishop of CHESTER LONDON Printed for Benj. Tooke at the Ship in St. Paul's Church-yard MDCLXXXII To the Worshipful ROGER SVDELL Mayor of PRESTON And to the ALDERMEN and COMMON-COUNCIL of that Ancient BOROUGH GENTLEMEN WHen I received the intimation of your desires that I would preach your Guild-Sermon I was very ready to comply with your request that I might manifest my willingness to serve you and own that respect which you were pleased to shew me by making it the unanimous Vote of your Common-Council But when I was importun'd by you and those worthy Persons that were present to honour your Solemnity to Publish what I had Preach'd to you I was much more unwilling to yield to it being averse to appear in Print and loth to be exposed to the Censures of a Critical Age. But I have denied my self that I may not seem to deny you any thing and in this only am ambitious that I may be able to gratifie so honest and Loyal a Corporation The solemnity of a Guild-Merchant is peculiar to your Town and I think no where else observed in England at least not with that Formality and Grandeur and with that respect and free Entertainment given to those Persons of Quality and Gentry that from all parts flock to see it and are wellcomed with the honorary Freedom of your Corporation It seems strange that so ancient and laudable a Custom should be singular and if an account of your decent and regular management of it were made publick I doubt not but it would invite other places to follow your example But as this is your peculiar Priviledg so I reckon it your great happiness that you live like a Fraternity and are not more careful of your own Franchises than conformable to the Laws such especially as are made to preserve Society by preventing Dissension and Division and you may justly glory in this that for sundry years last past no Separate Meeting or Seditious Conventicle has disturbed the Peace of your Corporation or divided you into Parties and Factions but you have lived as Brethren in Peace and Unity and worshipped God with Order and Uniformity I heartily wish it may always be the honor of your Corporation to be famous for Agreement and Unity and have endeavoured all I could to endear it in the ensuing Discourse which if it may any way contribute to so good an effect I have my design and let God have the Glory I am sure the meaning was honest to persuade to Love and Peace and promote Union and Agreement and will hope it may be serviceable to that end since you were pleased to think it so I know not what entertainment it may find amongst those that read it but I cannot wish for a more kind reception than it had from them that heard it what ever others judg of it it challenges a favourable Construction from you whose Importunity made it Publick and thereby have given me an Opportunity to tell the World how much I am Your most Humble and Obedient Servant RICHARD WROE A SERMON ON Psalm CXXXIII 1. Behold how good and how pleasant it is for Brethren to dwell together in Unity UNity is a word that carries joy and pleasantness in its sound a thing so Divine and Excellent that among all the perfections of this inferior World there is no more lively Resemblance or fairer Emblem of Heavens Glory which is therefore perfect because it cannot be confounded by disorder nor disturb'd by disagreement but is compleated in an eternal Unity And were there Art equal to the Subject to set out its graceful Lineaments and comely Proportions it would be found most true of this Divine Grace of Unity what has been said of Virtue by some of the Ancients that she is so lovely in her self and so comely to behold that could she be seen embodyed all the Beholders would be ravished with her Beauty and fall in love with her But though I cannot hope to reach its due Character or make a just transcript of so fair an Original yet I shall expose her to your view in the Psalmists Description of her Beauty Behold how good and how pleasant it is for Brethren to dwell together in Unity A subject never unseasonable and now very suitable to the times we live in and proper to the Occasion we are met about For when our divisions are so many and our distractions so great when the Peace of the Church is rent by Schism and that of the State endanger'd by Faction and Discontent what remedy can be effectual to heal our Distempers and close up our Wounds but Agreement and Unity and where shall we hope to behold that pleasant prospect sooner than among them who are already embodyed into an united Society by mutual Interests and particular Obligations And when can we more properly Discourse of it than before a Fraternity whose very Essence consists in Unity their Priviledges being the result of mutual Society and the very Title of Corporation implying that Correspondence and Relation which the Members of the Body have both to the whole and to one another Let me therefore bespeak your attention both as Brethren adopted into one Common Fraternity which you are here met to represent and as fellow Members of the same Body Subjects of the same Government whose Peace and Prosperity I hope you all wish well to and pray for whilst I endeavour to recommend to you the excellencies and advantages of Unity which is the only solid and lasting Foundation of our peace and settlement both in Church and State For the Design of general Unity must first begin at particular persons and places and there is no hopes to see its happy Influence Publick and Universal till the exercise of it be made exemplary in the lesser Societies of Families and the larger Corporations of Towns and Cities May you lead the way and set the pattern of a compleat Fraternity united not only in Franchises and Priviledges but in mind and affections and so begin that blessed Concord which would undoubtedly make us an happy people among our selves and a terror to the Nations round about Were our Towns and Cities model'd as Jerusalem once was a City at Unity with it self we might then expect to see that thorough Reformation which has been so long talk'd of but is impossible ever to be effected by Schism and Faction Would they that pretend to contend so earnestly for the Faith but as zealously endeavour to keep the Unity of the Faith in the bond of Peace would every one of us in his own Sphere contribute his Prayers and Endeavours hereto we should then rejoyce to behold the blessed and happy effects of Agreement and Unity and by joyful experience find how good and pleasant it is for Brethren to
Peace as busie as ever to embroil us And the same Engins employed to undermine our Foundations By the Papists we are still condemn'd for Hereticks and Schismaticks and how are they combin'd by Oaths and Promises by Vows and Obligations to extirpate Heresie and if we look that way may we not see the Edomites and the Ishmaelites the Moabites and Hagarens Gebal and Ammon and Amalek the Philistines and them of Tyre all gnashing their teeth at us and gaping to devour us Neither does all our danger blow from that Quarter For have we not Traytors within our own Walls that are no less sedulous to betray us and as unanimous in their Hatred and Opposition to us Have not Dissenters of all sorts united against us who were never at one either among themselves or with any Church of Christ Have not Arts been used to get them own'd for Protestants who were never yet Christians rather than want a Party to carry on the Designs of Schism and Faction Are not they who formerly entred into a Solemn League and Covenant against our established Church Projecting a new but more wicked and dangerous Association And is it not then high time for them to unite who wish well to the Government both of Church and State Certainly we may learn Wisdom from our Enemies that since they are so diligent to Confederate together for our ruin we may frustrate their Attempts by the same Methods of Unity and Agreement Especially when we consider 2. That there is no other apparent means of safety Our Saviour said A Kingdom divided against it self cannot stand When our Divisions are so many what can heal our Breaches but Unity 'T is well known how fatal the Divisions of Christians have been to the Peace of Christendom The Turk had never enlarged his Territories so far had not the Dissensions of those that should have opposed him made way for him Nor can any thing so soon put a stop to his growing Greatness as the Peace and Union of Christian Princes and nothing has more endangered the Protestant Religion since the happy Reformation of it than the Divisions of Protestants among themselves The Pope and his Conclave know it too well and fear nothing so much as the Union of Protestants nor envy any reformed Church so much as ours and therefore use all their Arts and Emissaries to embroyl us and divide us into Factions and Parties thereby at once weakning our Interest and strengthning their own 'T is strange indeed that men of sense and reason should not discern the Jesuite in the Dissenters Disguise when he has so long frequented and so frequently Preach'd in most separate Meetings 'T is more strange that they that pretend so much Zeal against Popery should oppose that Church which is the only regular Bulwark and Defence against it 'T is most of all strange that the most active true Protestants as they call themselves should be the Jesuites chiefest Engine and best Friends to Rome Yet plain it is that men may go to Rome by Geneva and many that seem to Travel to the latter are posting directly to the former 'T is to be feared 't is no unfrequented path and is found the securest way to pass unsuspected He knows little that sees not how like to each other they are both in Principles and Practice that the Dissenter sharpens his Weapons at the forge of the Romish Philistines and that the Covenanter and Associator act but what the Jesuite Teaches And however some men measure their Zeal to the Reformed Religion by their Opposition to that of Rome and ground all their Cavils against our establish'd Church on pretended fears and suspicions yet I think no wise man needs to doubt but to widen our breaches is the readiest way to let in Popery God at last open their eyes that they may see their danger and discover their mistake and in his mercy turn their hearts as David once bowed the hearts of the men of Judah as one man 2 Sam. 19. 14. That they may be faithful in their Allegiance to the King and hearty in the Religion of our Church and then we need not fear the craft of the Conclave nor the Designs of the Consistory Were all men but truly sensible of the advantages of Unity they would endeavour after it Were we so united we should be happy And that we may every one in our several Capacities contribute our hearty endeavours hereto I shall close up the Exhortation with a twofold Direction of the Apostle both suitable to our Meeting both highly conducing to the ends of Union and Peace 1. The first is his advice to the Thessalonians 1 Ep. 4. 11 Study to be quiet and to do your own business Would men do their own business they would find work enough at home would they study to be quiet they would not busie themselves in other mens matters And never more need of this advice than in this Pragmatical Age wherein men study to be unquiet and make it their Employment to meddle in other mens Concerns Almost every man sets up for a Politician or Reformer of Religion and shall pretend to dictate to his Superiors how to manage affairs of State and compose differences in the Church Every Club of idle and talkative Persons are become as Censorious and Dogmatical as if they were as wise as a Council-Table and as Judicious in Religion as a Convocation God knows 't is the fault of the Age and God grant it prove not fatal to our Peace and Happiness For alass we have already almost talk'd the State into Confusion and Religion into Atheism or Indifferency which is little better The best on 't is such Busie-bodies are usually catch'd in their own snares and it has oft been found dangerous to intrude into another mans Office or Employment Uzzah would needs put forth his hand to hold the Ark and was struck dead because he medled with that which was none of his business 2 Sam. 6. 6 7. Uzziah invaded the Priests Office and would burn Incense but while the Censer was in his hand his sin was writ on his forehead he was struck with a Leprosie and cut off from the House of the Lord 2 Chron. 26. 16. Dathan and Abiram were Associating against Moses and Aaron and the Earth swallowed them up Sheba blew a Trumpet of Sedition and soon after his head was thrown over the wall Absolom was too busie with the Kings affairs and would needs sit in the Tribunal but was hanged in the Oak as a fitter place for him and we may easily call to mind some very lately among our selves that have talk'd themselves into an Halter and found how fatal it is to be too trayterously sawcy and medling Better far for us to do our own business with quietness and leave other men to do theirs and in so doing we shall find no difficulty from our selves nor discouragement from others Let us resolve to be faithful to our own business and