shame What! would you have us think you are against Divisions when you divide from God and Christ and the Holy Ghost from the Scripture from the holy Catholick Church and from the Communion of Saints Can you for shame say that you are for Unity and Agreâ—ment when you are dividing from us and will not agree with us unless we will be as mad as you and damn our souls for company with you To hear these ungodly men talk against sects and divisions in the Church is as if we heard a man that hath the leprosie cry out against those that have the itch or a murderer childe another for foul words 3. And I must tell you while you remain ungodly you are the great Hereticks and Separatists that trouble the Church of God more then abundance of those that you reproach I excuse not the least but none of them are like you As death is worse then sickness as being that which all sickness tends to and the worst that it can do so Ungodliness is worse then sects and particular Errours or Heresies it being the worst that any errour can do to make a man ungodly There are no such Separatists in the world as you It is not only from a particular Church or Ordinance that you separate but as I said even now you separate from God that made you from Christ that bought you from the Spirit that should sanctifie you from the Word of God that must Rule you or Condemn you from the body of Christ and the holy Communion of his people The Church would have you joyn with them in holy worship and your godly neighbours would have you joyn with them in prayer and holy lives and you will not but separate from them all They cannot have your help against the sins of the time and place you live in They cannot have your company in the way to heaven but when they go one way you go another way You are the great troublâ—rs of the world and break the Peace of Church and State and of all that you have to do with You trouble Magistrates and make work for Lawyers you trouble Ministers and frustrate their labours and make their lives grievous to them when it is much in your hands to make them joyous You trouble all the godly that are about you and you will find at last that you have most of all troubled your own souls For shame therefore before you speak any more against Sects and Separatists or any other troublers of the Church give over the ungodly separation which you continue in and come in to the Unity of the Church your selves and live in that Communion of Saints which you say you do believe and do not go on to trouble the Church abundance more then those that you speak against 4. Consider also Whether you have not as much reason to live a diligent holy life and seek God and your salvation with all your might as any of your neighbours have and therefore whether your own Necessity doth not call aloud to you to Vnite with them and to do as they do Your Godly neighbours are meditating on the Word of God when you are thinking of the world or on vanity they are discoursing of the life to come when you are talking of your worldly business or pouring out a company of idle words Ask your conferences now whâ—ther you have not as much need to study the Scripture and prepare for the life to come as they Your godly neâ—ghbours are at prayer when you are sinning and drowned in the inordinate cares of the woâ—ld and have no heart to thâ—ir employment Let conscience speak whether you have not as much need to pray as they They abhor sin and are afraid of it when you boldly venture on it Let conscience tell you Whether you have not as much cause to be afraid of sin as they Yea and an hundred times more for you are under the guilt and power of it O wonderful madness of the ungodly world that the example of the godly should not bring them to some consideration A man that is converted and reconciled to God and hath a pardon of all his sins and is in a state of salvation and walketh humbly and uprightly with God doth yet think all too little that he can do but fasteth and prayeth and watcheth against temptations and humblâ—th his flesh and followeth after God continually and lamenteth after all that he is so bad can do no more And his neighbor that liveth by him is an ignorant stupid sinner unconverted and under the guilt of his sin and under the curse and wrath of God having no assurance of salvation nay it is certain that he would be cast into Hell the next hour if he die in that condition and yet this man feels not any such need of prayer and holy meditation and conference and so religious and strâ—ct a life He that hath lost almost all the time of his life and is not only quite behind-hand in knowledge and abilities but is an unsanctified miserable wretch not sure to be out of Hell an hour this man perceiveth no such necessity of an holy life nor why he should make so much ado As if a rich man should be put to daily labour and a man that hath nothing should think it needless Or as if a man that hath the tooth-ake or a slight disease should send to the Physitian and he that hath the Plague should sit still and say What needs this trouble Sirs I beseech you look upon the holiest and most heavenly neighbours you have and bethink you whether you have not much more need to be diligent then they Have not you immortal souls to save or lose as well as they Are not you in danger of damnation as much and an hundred times more then they Should not God be your master as well as theirs and his Law your Rule as well as theirs and Heaven be as dear to you as to them Bethink your selves when you hear them praying or reading or repeating Sermons and Sanctifying the Lords day and fearing to offend Have not I as much need to do all this as any of them If then you have as much cause and need to live a godly life as others joyn with them in it and let all the Town agree together and none withdraw but he that can say I have no need of it 5. And I pray you consider also how easie it would make the way to heaven if we would but all Vnite and Agree to go together in it This is it that discourageth the weak and makâ—s it so hard a matter to be saved because there are so few that are godly but if one or two poor people be resolved to seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and to please God and save their souls the rest do either look on and refuse to joyn with them or else speak against them and make them their ordinary
sin and wâ—ll have the sorer punishment because among such examples such means and calls and mercies you yet resist the Grace of Christ and are void of that Holiness which your tongues Profess The poor Indians hear not that which you daily or weekly hear nor have the opportunities in publick and private that you have had If they lie in ignorance and unbelief they can say it is because they never read or heard the Scripture nor ever had a man to tell them of the blessed tidings of Redemption or open to them the way to life But so cannot you say for your selves They were the less excusable if they had seen but one of your dayes or joyned but once in those holy Assemblies which you profane The mouth of Christ himself hath told us concerning the rejecters of his Ministers and his Gospel that it shall be easier for Sodom in the day of Judgement then for them Mat. 10.15 You will find a hotter place in Hell that pass thither from those seats from this Assembly from such a neighbourhood and such a Nation then if you had passed thither from among the Turks oâ— Indians 6. Moreover there is in some respects less hope of your salvation that have long lived unconverted in the outward Communion of the Church then of other men As a sick man is in a more desperate case that hath long used the best and only means and all in vain then he that never used any I confess you have the advantage of being still under the means and that is your hope as long as it lasteth but then you have the dreadful symptom of frustrating these means and that is your terrour above those that yet remain without 7. Moreover if you agree with us but in Profession and outward Communion you will be thereby more capable of doing us the greater mischief I know God doth benefit his Church by many of the unsanctified as I said before But many others of them are the greatest plagues to it One enemy in our own Armies or in our Councils may do more against us then ten thousand open enemies abroad False-hearted Bishops Pastors yea and Magistraâ—es that have the Name and not the Nature of Christians are they that have betrayed the Church and broken it in pieces and made the cause of Christ a stepping-stone to their worldly ends It was a Doeg that betrayed David and Abimelech It was a Iudas that betrayed Christ himself You are now our daily hearers and live some of you civilly among us and take your selves confidently for Christians and Saints as well as others and secrâ—tly scorn those that would rob you of that honour as appropriating it unto themselves and say as Zedekiah to Micaiah when he struck him 1 King 22.24 Whiâ—h way went the Spirit of the Lord from me to speeak unto thee But if the times should turn and you had but your will at least if you were but forced or driven by Authority we should soon find many of you to be blood-thirsty enemies that now are so confident that you are Christians and true servants of God A little money would hire those Iudas'es to betray Christ and his Cause and Church that now are our familiars and put their hands into the same dish with the true Disciples While they are among us they are not of us and therefore when Temptations come they will be gone from us It s well if half this Assembly that are now hearing me would stick to Godliness if Godliness were but the persecuted scorned way of the times Yea if they would not forsake even the name it self of Christian and forsake these Assemblies and outward worship if the Rulers were against it and did but persecute it so that it must cost them any thing dear to hold it 8. Moreover these hollow-hearted Christians that agree with us but in the outside and the name are capable of dishonouring Christ and the Gospel much more then if they were open enemies If a professed Heathen or Infidel live wickedly this cannot be cast upon the Gospel or the Christian name nor can Christ and his servants be hit in the teeth with it or reproached by it But when those that take on them to be Christians and joyn with Christians in their publike worship shall live like Heathens or worse then some of them what greater wrong can be done to Christ will he not one day take such wretches by the throats and sâ—y If thou must have thy Pride and Drunkenness and Coveteousness if thou must needs swear and curse and rail or live an ungodly fleshy life thou shouldest have kept thee out of my Church and not have called thy self a Christian and taken an easier place in Hell Must thou bring thy wickedness into my house and among my servants to dishonour me Must I and my servants be reproached with thy crimes And this is one great cause why Christ hath appointed Discipline in his Church to admonish and Reform or reject the scandalous And this is the reason among many others why faithful Christians though they would make no unjust divisions and separations would yet have the Church of Christ kept clean by use of holy Discipline as he hath appointed Because it is from such false-hearted Professors usually that the name of Christ is reproached in the world These are they for the most part that make Turkes and Jewes and all other enemies say that Christians are as bad as others because those that are as bad as others do take on them to be Christians When Drunkards and Fornicators and Covetous persons and profane do come to the Congregation and say they are Christians when in heart and deed they are not what wonder then if Infidels and Enemies of the Church reproach us and say You see what Christians are How could a Papist do the Protestants a cunninger and surer mischief then to take on him a Protestant and then commit fornication or other horrid lewdness or joyn with some abominable Sect to make men think that the Protestants are such as these And how can you do Christ a greater wrong then to carry the dung of the world into his Church and to cover all the crimes of Infidels with the name and garb of Christianity that it may be said All these are the crimes of Christians And therefore it is that Christ and his faithful Ministers though they would have as many as is possible to be saved yet are not so forward to take in all as others be For Christ needeth not servants but it s they that need him and he had rather have a few that will honour him by mortifyed holy lives then a multitude that will but cause his name and Gospel to be reproached It is certain from Church-history that the holy life of some one or few persons as Gregory Thaumaturgus Macarius and many the like hath drawn in multitudes and converted Countries to the faith when the wickedness of whole Towns and
Countries of Professed Christians hath caused many to fall off and caused the enemie to insult We will not for all this break our Rule nor presume to search the hearts of men any further then they appear in outward Evidence We will still take all Professors of Christianity as Christians that Null not their own Profession Basil was advised by Athanasius himself to receive the Arrians themselves into Communion if they did but disown their former errors and subscribe to the Nicene Creed and seek the Communion of the Churches And he practised this though many were offended at it But yet we must needs say that it is better for the Church to have a few that are Holy and answer the nature of their holy Calling then to have multitudes that will but prove our shame and make the Infidel world believe that Christianity is not what it is Yea and these are they most commonly too though they may proceed to a higher profession that are carried about with every wind of doctrine and that turn to Heresies and cause and continue the Divisions of the Church For they that are such serve not the Lord Iesus when they profess to serve him Rom. 16.17 When Heresies do arise it is such chaff as this that is carried away that the Approved Christians indeed may be made manifest 1 Cor. 11.19 Abundance of proud unsanctified persons do us as much good in the Church as fire in our thatch or as mutinous souldiers that are but the enemies agents in the Army to set all the souldiers together by the ears or discover their Councils or blow up their magazins And would you have us contented with such a kind of Agreement and Communion with you as this which you and we are like to be so little the better for if not the worse 9. Furthermore it is not this meer Ageerment in Profession that will satisfie Christ himself and therefore it must not satisfie us It is not in this that he attaineth the principal ends of his Redemption nor seeth the travaile of his Soul Alas the blood of Christ is lost to you and all the Ordinances and means are lost and all the labour of Ministers is but lost to you as to any pardon of sin or life or Heaven that ever you shall have by them if you goe no further And would you have us be contented with such an Agreement as this 10. Lastly Consider that if we Agree no further then in an outward Profession of the Christian faith alas it will be but a short Agreement We may be together here a while in the Church as fishes good and bad in one net but when it is drawn to the shore a separation will be made Here you may sit and kneel among us a while and go away with the Name of Christians But alas it is but a little while till this Agreement will be broken and a dreadful everlasting separation must be made Dreadful to the unsanctified but joyful to the Saints And what great good will it do to you or us to be tyed together a little while by words and shews and then to be everlastingly separated as far as Light from darkness Heaven from Hell and the Greatest Joys from the Greatest sorrows O blame us not if we motion to you and beg of you a far neerer Union and Agreement then this I think I have now sufficiently proved that If we will be indeed of One Religion and ever come to a right Agreement it is The Vnity of the sanctifying Spirit that must do it It must be a Union and Agreement in true Conversion and Holiness of life and nothing lower will serve the turn If God do us any good by the Profession Gifts or Interest of Hypocrites and unsanctified professors we 'l thank him for it and take it as a mercy But it is a higher Design that must be in our Hearts and woe be to them that come no nearer the Holy Catholik Church and the Unity of the Spirit and the Communion of Saints then by an Outward profession and participation of Sacraments and such like outward Ordinances of Communion Quest. BVT suppose we should be Vnited in the Spirit and Agree in Holiness do you think this would heal the Divisions of the Church Doe you not see that the most godly are all in pieces as well as others Is it not such that have been the principal causers of our late Divisions You promised to shew us How we might do well for all our other differences if we were buâ— Agreed in Holiness will you now shew us what Advantage that would be Answ. To be Agreed in Holiness and to be Heartily one in the Essentials of Christianity is an exceeding advantage to us in all our disagreements about lesser things As 1. Were we but once Vnited in the main and Sanctified by the Vniting Spirit of Christ our Principal differences were healed already We should no longer be of different minds whether sin or holiness be best or whether earth or heaven should be chosen for our portion nor whether God or the flesh or world should be obeyed You little think what abundance of differences are at once reconciled in the very hour of a sinners conversion Before that hour we differed in Judgement from all wise men from all the Saints of God from all the holy Prophets Apostles and Martyrs as well as from all the Godly about us and from all men of right Reason and faith and experience Yea we differed from the Holy Ghost from Christ from God himself yea from none so much as him Wicked wretches you differ from the Godly because they Agree with God but you differ more from God then from them When you despise a Holy life are his thoughts like your thoughts when you revile his servants and scorn his yoak and burden as too heavy are you then of the mind of Christ O no Your darkness and his Light are far more distant then you are able to conceive Were you but once Reconciled to God by converting sanctifying light you would at once be Reconciled to his servants for in the matters of chief concernment to the soul they are all of his mind for he is their Instructer And then what a day of healing would that be Oh what abundance of differences are ended upon the day of true Conversion And withal what abundance of differences would be new made For now you Agree with the Devil and with your fleshly desires and with distracted wicked men and all this Agreement would then be broke For this friendship with the world is enmity to God Iam. 4.4 and such Divisions as these Christ tells us that he came to send Luke 12.51 But you would presently be Agreed with God with the Holy Scriptures with all the Apostles and Servants of the Lord and with all men of Spiritual wisdom and experience in the world in the great and principal matters of your lives And it is a multitude of particulars that
is contained in this Agreement that 's made when a sinner is truly sanctified 2. If once you were united in the Spirit and Agreed in a Holy life you would differ in nothing that could keep you out of Heaven And if we have some small differences on Earth as long as they are such as cannot hinder our salvation they may be the more easily born Paul and Barnabas had a little falling out but O how sweetly are they now reconciled Hierom and Chrysostom Epiphanius and Iohn of Hierusalem Theophilus and Chrysostom were at odds Luther and Zuinglius had their disagreements But Oh how happily are they now agreed Our imperfection of Knowledge causeth us here to erre and differ in part But if we are all united in Christ and agreed in the main how quickly shall we see that blessed Light that will reconcile all our controversies Marvail not to find some contests among the most learned and most godly unless you 'l marvail that Earth is not Heaven or that in that body we see not the face of God which is the all-disclosing reconciling light If we were all here together in the dark and were of many opinions about the things before us if one did but come in among us with a candle it might end all our differences in a moment When we are newly out of this obscuring flesh and this dark deceitful earthly world O what an unconceiveable reconciliation will be made by that blessed Light There 's no contending or quarrelling For there are none of those errors or passions that should occasion it As Imperfect Holiness produceth an answerable Imperfect Unity so perfect Holiness will prfectly Unite And is not this then the only way to Unity which will help us here to what is here attainable and secure us of eternal perfect concord in the world that we are passing to O see that you be once Agreed in the things that are necessary to salvation and then the hour is neer at hand that will end all your differences and agree you in the rest 3. If once you be but Agreed in Holiness you will have no difference left that shall destroy any Grace in you that 's necessary to salvation The power of Divine faith and Love and Hope and Fear and Zeal will still be safe Your diseasâ—s will not destroy your vital faculties And if the Head the Heart and principal parts be sound you may the better bear a small distemper The disagreements of the ungodly from God from Scripture and the Saints are mortal to them and prove them under the power of darkness and of Satan that leads them captive at his will 2 Tim. 2.26 Eph. 2.23 Acts 26.18 But the differences of the sanctified are but as the different complexions or statures of children or at worst but as their falling out which will not cause the Father to turn them out of his family so that as long as Faith and Love and Hope and other Graces are kept sound we shall certainly do well for all our differences And this is the benefit of Agreeing in Holiness 4. Moreover if once we were all Agreed in the Spirit and in Holiness of Heart and Life we should escape all Heresies or Errors that effectually subvert the Essentials of the Christian faith Mistaken we might be but Heretikes we could not be I stick not upon the bare word whether smaller errors may be called Heresie but taking Heresie as commonly it s taken a sanctified person cannot at least Habitually be a Heretick For should a man so hold a point inconsistent with any one Essential point of the Christian faith at least Habitually and Practically hold it it s as impossible that this man should be then a Christian as that contradictories should be true And therefore certainly whosoever is a true Christian is frâ—e from such Heresies And therefore as if you are sure a man so holds a Heresie you have no reason to believe his shews of Holiness so where you see a great appearance of real Holiness you must long deliberate and have good evidence before you judgâ— that man a Heretick For this is the certain Priviledge of the Sanctified that they cannot be Hereticks though they may have many errors as in sensu composito all confess 5. Morover if we were but all Agreed in true Holiness we should be freed from most of those scandalous sins which are the common occasion of our reproaches and divisions It is sin that is the greaâ— trouble of the Church and of the world Iohn 7.25 This breeds our quarrels This setteth all into a flame When a Drunkard or an unclean person or a slanderer or a raiseâ— or any scandalous person is râ—proved or openly admonished or for impenitency rejected then the Devil and sin bestir themselves and rage against the Church and Officers and Ordinances of God It is sin within that animateth the malignant to bâ— contentious And it is to defend and take part with sin that they fall out with God and his Word and Servants Now Holiness is contrary to this sin that troubleth us Mortification of sin is part of Sanctification If therefore we were Agreed in Holiness it were as ready a way to procure our Peace as quenching the fire in your thatch is the ready way to save your house I know there are too many scandals given by the best But it is commonly but by the weaker worser sort of the best And it is not a common thing with them neither And none of them make a trade of sinning nor have any unmortified reigning sin If a Noach a Lot a David be once scandalous in all his life this is not the case of all the godly and it is not like the case of the ungodly that are either often or impenitent in it And therefore though it may disturbe the Church yet not so much as the frequent and impenitent scandals of the ungodly O could we but all Agree against this make-bate this great disturber and troubler of the world what Peace might we enjoy 6. And also if once we could Agree in Holiness the matter and occasion of offences separations and contentions would cease What caused the Donatists separation of old but the scandals in the Church and the receiving of such upon repentance into Communion or ministry And so the Novatian schism also was occasioned And though the Donatists and Novatians were too blame to be against the Ordination or reception of such Penitents yet the prevention of the sin would have been the prevention of the breach What hath caused so many to turn separatists in England but seeing so many ungodly persons in our Churches and Communion You that are most offended at Schisms and Private Churches are the common occasions of it your selves If such ungodly persons were not in our Assemblies few godly persons would separate from them Though I do not justifie them yet I must needs condemn you as the cause Were it not for you we should be
out against Divisions when your hearts are thus divided from God and his servants You must learn to Love them with a special Love and Christ in them before you can be United with them 14. There is no Unity to be had wiâ—hout a Love to the Body that you are United to You must Love the Church and long for its prosperity and the success of the Gospel and the downfall of wickedness Thus do the Saints but thus do not the ungodly Nay many of them are glad when they hear of any evil befall the godly 15. There is no true Vnity without a singular respect to the special members that are the ligaments and chief Instruments of Unity even the Officers of the Church and most useful members The Overseers of the Church must be highly esteemed in Love for their work sake 1 Thes. 5.12 Thâ—s do the godly but not the ungodly 16. There must be an inward inclination to the Communion of Saints before there can be any agreement and Unity All that are of the Holy Catholick Church must desire the Communion of Saints Their delight must be in them Psal. 16.3 But the ungodly have no such delight in their Communion 17. If you will have Vnity and Communion with the Church you must have a Love to the Holy Ordinances which are the means of Communion as to the Word of God heard and read to Prayer Sacraments Confession c. But the ungodly have either a distaste of these or but a common delight in the outside and not in the Spirit of the Ordinance And therefore they cannot agree with the Church when you loath that which is our mâ—at and drink and we cannot feed at one Table together what Agreement can there be 18. If you will Agree you must wâ—rk in the same Vineyard and labour in the same employment and walk the same way as the sanctified do And that is in a way of holiness and righteousness giving all diligence to make your calling and election sure 2 Pet. 1.10 If you live to the flesh and they live to the Spirit Rom. 8.5 13. What Unity and Agreement can there be 19. There is no Unity to be had unless you will joyn in a defensive and offensive league and in an opposition to that which would tend to our destruction What Common-wealth will Unite with them that defend their enemies and rebels There is an enmity put in the beginning between the seed of the woman and of the Serpent Gen. 3.15 Because we are not of the world the world will hate us Iohn 15.19 If you will be United to the Church and people of Christ you must be at enmity with sin and hate it and joyn for the destroying of it and you must be souldiers in Christs Army which the Devil and his army fight against and you must fight against the flesh the world and the devil and not live in friendship with them But this the unsanctified will not do 20. And therefore because you will not be United to them in the state and Kingdom of Grace you shall not be United with them in the state and Kingdom of Glory And thus I have made it plain to you that none can have true Union with the Church of Christ but only they that are sanctified by the Spirit Use I. BY this time you may see if you are willing to see who it is long of that the world is all in pieces by divisions and who are the greatest hinderers of Unity Even unsanctified ungodly men And you may see how fit these men are to cry out against Divisions that are the principal causes of them And how wisely they deal to cry up Unity and in the mean time resist the only ground and way of Unity As Ioshua said to Achan 7.25 Why hast thou troubled us the Lord shall trouble thee this day So I may say to all the ungodly Why trouble you the Church and hinder Vnity you shall one day have trouble your selves for this They cry out against the Ministry and others that fear God as Ahab did to Elijah Art thou he that troubleth Israel But saith Elijah It is thou and thy Fathers house that trouble Israel in that ye have forsaken the Commandment of the Lord 1 King 18.17 18. Sirs I tell you and I may confidently tell you when I have proved it so fully that it is the ungodly that are the great Dividers of the world It s you that make the breach and keep it open We are willing to agree to any thing that is reasonable or pâ—ssible but there is no possibility of Agreeing with the ungodly unless they will turn It would make any honest heart to ake to see these wreâ—ches set all on fire and then cry out against others as the Authors of it As Nero set Rome on fire and then persecuted the Christians for it as if it had been done by them They pluck up the Foundations and hold most damnable practical errours and when they have done they go about reviling other men as erroneous I speak not in the excuse or extenuation of other mens errours I have spoke my part against them also But I tell you it is the prophane and ignorant rabble and all the ungodly whether Gentlemen Schollars or of what rank soever that are the great dividers and stand at the greatest distance from Christian Unity O what a happy Church should we have for all the sects that trouble us so much if it were not for ungodliness that animateth some of those sects and virtually containeth many more Had we none but men fearing God to deal with we should have no opposition to the Essentials of Religion and we should still have the comfort of agreeing with them in all things necessary to salvation They would carry on their differences in Christian meekness charity and moderation and at the worst our Agreement would be greater then our disagreement But when we have to deal with haters of holiness or at least with men that are strangers to the sanctifying work of the Spirit we have predominant Pride and Selfishness and Covetousness to strive against We have radicated Infidelity and enmity to God and holiness giving life and strength to all their errours and making them stubborn and wilful and scornful against the clearest truths that can be shewed them There is no dealing effectually with a carnal heart for any but God himself Unless we can create light in them as well as reveal the truth to them what good can we do them What good doth the Sun to a man that is blind They have understandings left and therefore they can err but they have no heavenly light in them and therefore they cannot choose but err They have wills and therefore are capable of sin but they have no holy rectitude of them and therefore sin they will with obstinacy When we dispute with the godly that err through weakness we deal with men that have eyes in their heads and
daily bread to fit them for Gods service they drown themselves in pleasures or in worldly cares to make provision to satisfie their flesh Instead of valuing and accepting the forgiveness of sin as purchased by Christ and offered in the Gospel they have slight apprehensions of so great a mercy and refuse the conditions of it as too hard and run deeper into debt and wilfully sin more Instead of avoiding Tempâ—ations and flying to Christ for deliverance from evil they tempt themselves and run into Temptations and seek after them and love the evil of sin and are loth to leave it and be delivered from it So that they are against every Petition in the Lords Prayer though they use the words They are also against every Ordinance of God and lick up the vomit of all sects that do oppose them One sect is against the Lords day and so are the ungodly against the sanctifying of it and spending it in holy worship and delighting themselves thereon in God Else what need so many Acts to restrain them from sports and other profanation of it And all will not do Another sect is against Praying but by the Book and would have Minâ—sters restrained from praying in any other words then are commanded him And the ungodly easily receive this opinion anâ— reproach all other prayers as 〈◊〉 temporate and disorderly Another sect is against Church Government by any but Magâ—strates these are called Erastian And the ungodly are not onlâ— against it but detest it and reproach it Let them be called 〈◊〉 Publick Repentance and Confession for any publick sin and 〈◊〉 whether they be not against thâ— discipline I know no outward dâ—ty that they are more against The will hear us Preach with some patience and quietness but when wâ— come to reprove them personally and recover them from scandalous sins by necessary discipline they storm and rage against us and wâ— not endure it Some Separatists are for the Peoples Governing of the Church by a major Vote and Consequently ruling those that God doth caâ— their Rulers and commandeth them to obey Heb. 13.17 And so are the ungodly they would rule their Rulers the Ministers and have them administer the Ordinances of God according to their fancies but they will not be ruled by them Let the Minister but require them to come to him to be instructed or Catechized and they will not be ruled by him they are too old to be Catechized Let him call them to any necessary profession or other duty and they will do what their list Let him but cross any of their conceits and customs and they will sooner revile him then be ruled by him The Separatists will withdraw themselves from our Churches and Gods Ordinances if things be not suited to their mind And so will many of the ungodly Most Parishes in England that I hear of where any kind of Discipline is exercised have more Separatists then Communicants The faâ— greater part of many Parisheâ— forbear the Communion of the Church in the Lords Supper anâ— have done many years together even because they cannot be admitted without examination or without some necessary or lawfuâ— profession or because they cannot have the Sacrament kneeling or put into their hands or the like They will separate and be without the Sacrament or take it in a separate society rather then they will be ruled by the Pastors of the Church in a gesture or undoubtedly lawful thing Another sect of late will not sing Davids Psalms And the ungodly will not do it heartily and reverently but only with the voice Another sect the Anabaptists are against Baptizing Infants And the ungodly do not holily and heartily devote themselves and their infants to God they do not themselves renounce the world the flesh and the devil and take God for their God and Christ for their Saviour to heal and rule them and the Holy-Ghost for their Sanctifier to make them holy and how then can they do this for their children which they refuse themselves When they have offered their children to God in Baptism they bring them to the flesh and the world and the devil in their lives and teach them to break the Covenant which they made So that they are far worse then Anabaptists Another late sect will not Pray morning and evening in their families nor crave Gods blessing on their meat nor teach children and servants the duties of Religion And so is it with the ungodly How many of you that hear me 〈◊〉 day have prayerless families thâ—â— let your people go about their lâ—bours as an Ox to the Yoak without calling upon God How feâ— use to instruct and admonish the families and help to prepare theâ— for death and judgement All thâ—â— are about you may see that yoâ— are guilty of this heresie Another sect alate is risen up that will not keep any constâ—â— times of prayer neither in famâ—â—â— or in private but only when they find themselves in a good mood then they will pray And so it with many of the profane I am aweary of mentioning these desperate errours More of them might be mentioned and the case made plain that almost all the Heresies in the world are meâ— together in the ungodly and unsanctified Would you see the summe of all my charge in order It is this 1. Many sects that trouble us much do yet hold no errours but what may stand with Christianity and Salvation But the ungodly err in the Essentials and overthrow the very Foundation of Religion Their errours will not consist with grace or salvation They are damnable heresies Yea beside all that the sects aforesaid hold they have many damning heresies of their own These deadly hereticks hold that the world is rather to be sought then everlasting Glory that the pleasure of sin is to be chosen before the Holiness of the Saints that their flesh is to be pleased before God that its better venture on their beloved sins and keep them yet a little longâ—r then presently forsake them that the way to heaven which God commandeth and Châ—â—st and all his Apostles weâ—t in is 〈◊〉 aâ—d preciseness and godliness is moâ—â— ado then needs and that the bodâ— must have more care and diligenâ— then the soul and the trifles 〈◊〉 this world be more looked aâ—ter then the one thing necessâ—ry These and abundance such damnable Heresies do dwell in our Câ—ties and Countries in the minds 〈◊〉 those that cry out against Heresieâ— Ungodliness is the greatest Heresâ—â— in all the world 2. Other Hereticks have some of them but one or two errours but the Ungodly have all these together They are the sink of alâ— errours As all Gods Graces maâ—e up the new creature in the sanctified so all deadly errours anâ— vices go to make up the body oâ— ungodliness when it is compleat Its name is Legion for there are many of these evil spirits in it The Anabaptist hath a scab and the Separatist hath a wound but the common
admittance and access to God And will you now reâ—use and undo your selves The sanctâ—fied are Gods Jewels Mal. 3.17 his treasure and peculâ—ar people the beloved of his soul and his delight and the only people in the world that shall be saved This is true for God hath spoken it And you may be of this blessed number if you will God hath not separated you from them or shut you out by forbidding you to come among them O do not you separate and shut out your selves You see your godly neâ—gâ—bours in possession of this priviledge And may not you have it if you will May not you study the Wâ—rd of God and call upon him in prayer and seâ— your selves for heaven as well as they Where doâ—h the â—cripture command them to it any morâ— then you or forbâ—d yâ—u any more then them The door â—s open you may come in if you will You have the same means and call and offer and 〈◊〉 â—nd leave to 〈…〉 life as thâ—y And wâ—ll you 〈…〉 much of thediffâ—renâ—â— yâ—â—rselves as to be the only râ—â—users God hath done so much for you by the deâ—â—h of Christ and so orderâ—d the matter in the promises and offers of the Gospel that none of you shall be able to say at â—â—st I wâ—uld â—uin have bâ—en 〈◊〉 the blâ—ssed 〈◊〉 anâ—â—ain hâ—vâ— livâ—d in the Vniâ—n and Communiâ—â— of Saints but I 〈…〉 nâ—t give 〈◊〉 and Christ â—nd his Church wâ—ulâ— nâ—t râ—ceivâ—â—e and entertâ—in me Not a man â—r woman of you shall have this excuse And thâ—reforâ— come in and joyn with the Saints thank God that you may 8. And consider also that if you will not Agree with us in matter of Holiness we can never well make up the rest of our differences Our smaller Controversies will never be well agreed if you will not agree in the main But if this were Agreed we should in season certainly heal the rest It would make a mans heart ake to hâ—ar wretched sinners talk of our differences about Bishops and Ceremonies and Common-prayer and Holy-daies and Infant-Baptism and the like that are dead in their sins and are yet disagreed from us in the very bent of heart and life Alas Sirs you have other matters then these first to talk of and trouble your selves with A man that is ready to die of a Consumption should not be taking care to cure the warts or freckles in his face We have greater matters wherein we differ from you then kneeling at the Sacrament or observation of daies or other Ceremonies or doubtful opinions in matters of doctrine Let us first be Agreed all to serve One Master and seek One End and be Ruled by One Law and hate known sin and live a holy life and then we shall be ready to treat with you about a further Agreement But to talk of small matters when we differ in the greatest matters in the world as much as your souls are worth and in matters which Heaven or Hell lyeth on this is but childish trifling and whatever we may do for the Peace of the Church with such yet to your selves that will be small advantage Nay I must tell you that it is usually but the cunning of the Devil and the hypocrisie of your own hearts that makes you turn your talk to these controversies when the great breach is unhealed between Christ and you It s commonly made a shift to delude and quiet a debauched conscience Our poor people will not by any perswasion be drawn to an holy heavenly life but live in worldliness and fleshliness â—n swearing and drunkenness and lying and deceit and filthiness and proâ—anâ—ness and hate the Minister or Christian that doth reprove them and then forsooth they talk of Common-prayer Boâ—k and Holy-dayes and Bishops and knâ—eling at the Sacrament to makâ— oâ—hers and perhaps â—heir deluded hearts believe that this is the controversie and diffâ—rence And so a wretched drunkaâ—d or worldling peswades himsâ—lf that he is a Râ—ligious man as if the difference between him and he godly were but about these Ceremonies or Church-Orders When alas we differ in greater matterâ— as light and darkness life and death yea next to the difference between Heaven and Hell And I must tell you that you do but wrong the party or cause that you pretend to when you will â—eeds engage your selves among them What hath done more to the dishonour of the Bishops and Common-prayer Book and other late Orders and Ceremonies of the Church then to see and hear the rabble of drunkards swearers scorners at holiness and such like to plâ—ad for them and be violent defenders of them If you would devise how to shame these things and bring them down you can scarce contrive a more effectual waâ— thâ—n â—o set all the ungodly scandalous wretches to cry thâ—m up and become theâ—r Patrons For it wâ—ll make abundâ—nce of soberer people begin to question whether it be liâ—ely to be good that hath such Defenders on one side and Adversaries on the other side And therefore Sirs let us begin our closure and agreement in the main if you would be ever thâ— better for it and have Unity indeed And if you say What the neâ—rer shall we be for Agreement in the other things Do not the Godly still differ about Church-Government and Orders and Ceremonies I answer 1. If we never should be Agreed in these on earth we might bear it the more quietly because our very hearts and souls are United in the main even in matters abundance greater and in all that salvation is laid upon and therefore we have this comfort in thâ— midst of our differences that we shall all shortly come to Heaven and that perfection and blessed face of God will Unite and perfectly agree us in all things 2 In the mâ—an time we could hold a holy Communion with them in the substance of Gods Worship and we have a daily Communion with them in the Spirit and and an endeared Love to one another 3. And the Holiness of their natures will encline them to mannage our remaining differences with meekness humility self-denyal moderation and with great râ—spect to the safety of the whole Church and the honour of God and of the Gospel 4. And yet I must add that with such there is a far greater advantage to hâ—al the smallest difference that remains then with any other When we have one God to awâ— us and one Heaven to draw us and one Christ for our Head â—nd one Spirit and new nature to principâ—e us and dispose us and one Law to Rule us and have all one ultimaâ—e End and Interest heâ—e is a greâ—â— advantage for healing of any particular differences that may arise If the livâ—r or splâ—â—n or stomack or brain or lungs be unsound the sores that are without will hardly be cured yea if there were none these inward diseases may breed thâ—m but when all is well within the strength of nature without a medicine will do much
to cure such small distempers that arise without The life of â—aith the love of God the love of Brethren and the Churches peace and welfare with the humility and self-dâ—nyal that is in every Christian will do a great deal to the healing of divisions among the Godly They will be content to meet together in Love and pray it out and refer the matter to the holy Scripture and they have all some special illumination of the Spirit But perhaps you will say Why are they not then more fully agreed I answer 1. Because there are such a multitude of ungodly persons among them that hinder them from opportunities and advantages for agreement And many of these ungodly ones are hypocrites that take on them to be godly and so are traytors in our bosoms and hinder peace the more by seeming to be godly when they are not 2. Because of the remnant of sin that is yet in the sanctified and because they are not yet perfect and in Heaven If they had no sin they would have no divisions And as their sin is healed as to the dominion of it but not perfectly till they come to heaven so their divisions are healed in the main but not perfectly till they are perfectly United to God in Glory 9. Consider also I beseech you what a joy it would be to Christ and to the Angels of heaven and to all good men if you would but all make such an Agreement and heartily joyn together in Holiness The whole 15. Chapter of Lukâ— â—s by divers Parables to tell you this wâ—at Joy there is in heaven it self for the conversâ—on of one sinner O what would there be then if Towns and Countries would agree in Holiness And I am certain it should be a Joy to the Princes and Rulers of the earâ—h for such a Unity only will â—old and be a blessing to their Dominions Plutarch makes it Agâ—silâ—us his reason why the Spartans had no Walls because the people being 〈◊〉 of one minde had no need or Walls And Pliny tells us of a stone that will swim if it be whole and sink if it be broken And so will Common-wealths that are brokeâ— fâ—om Christ and void of the cement of the Spirit that should â—nite them And to the Ministers of the Gospel and all good Christianâ— such an Unity as this would be an unspeakable joy Somewhat I know of other mens hearts by mine own Could I but prevail with this Nation yea with this one Town and Parish to meet all together and hearâ—ily Consent Agree and Resolve to joyn all together in an heavenly life I should more rejoyce in it then if I had the house full of gold and silver yea as to mine own interest then if I were Lord of all the world O what a joyful day were this if I could this dâ—y bring you to this Holy Unity and Agreement How comfortably should I spend the few remaining dayes of my pilgrimage among you if you would but all be brought to this Whereas I may now say as David Psalm 120.5 for all the godly that are among you Wo is me thâ—t I sâ—journ in Mesech that I dwell in the Tâ—ntâ— of Kedar My soul â—ath too long dwelt with him that hateth this holy peace I am for peace but when I speak and perswade men to it they are for war and continuance in the dividing course 〈◊〉 ungodliness Alas it grieveth us to see such divisions in all the Churches and Nations of the Christian world and O that we did know how to heal them But when we cannot heal the most ungodly separations and divisions of one Town and Parish it discourageth us from hoping for any great matters of such large extent Some attempts I have made and more I would fain make to further a Union and Peace among the Churchâ—s through the Land But when I cannot procure the Unity of this one Town and Parish what hope can I have to look any further â—lâ—s what a shame is this to you and what a grief to us that we cannot bring one Parish one Village that ever I knew of in all England to be all of a mind in thosâ— great those weighty needful things where it is worse thâ—n a madness for men to bâ— unresolved or disâ—greed As Melanthus made a jeâ—t of a great man that went about to reconcile all Greece and bring all the Princes and Stâ—tes to Peâ—ce when he could not bring hâ—s wiâ—e and her servant-maid to agreement in his own house So with what hopes can we attempt any publick peace when we cannot bring one Parish one Village yâ—a but very few â—amilies to agree in that which they must agree in or else the refusers will be certainly condemned I beseech you â—irs make glad the 〈…〉 of your Teachers â—nd of all good mâ—n by your Agreement You owe us this Comfort and you owe it to Christ and the Angels of heaven deny us not our due but without any more delay Agree togeâ—her to live as Saints What a Joy it would be to your Pastors you are not easily able to believe When Gregory Thaumatuâ—gus came first to be Bishop of Neocâ—sarea he found but seventeen Chrâ—stians in the City And when he lay on his death-bed he desired them to make enquiry how many Infidels were unconverted and they found but just sâ—venteen Infidels left and all the rest were converted to Christianity And though he rejoyced that he left but just as many unconverted Infidels as he found converted Christians yet he grieved withall that he should leave those seventeen in the power of the Devil When I came to you I found you all Professed Christians But Oh that I could say that I shall leave but seventeen unconverted when I am called from you for all that O that there were no more thâ—t are Infidels or Impious under the name of Christians But I and you are unworthy of so great a mercy 10. And I pray you consider this in time that all of you that now refuse this Agreement in Holiness will wish ere long that you had heartily embraced it and joyned with the godly and done as they And why will you not be of the mind that you will be shortly of And why will you be of that way and company that you will wish at last you had not been of The Prodigal in Luke 15. did think it a slavery to be kept up so strictly by his Fathers eye he must have his portion in his own possession and abroad he must be gone but when smart had taught him another lesson and misery had bâ—ought him to himself then he is glad to be an hired servant and casteth himself at his Fathers feet in the confession of his unworthiness to be called a son God grant that thâ—s may prove your case But let me tell it you for a certain truth theâ—e is not one of you that now 〈…〉 tâ— become so 〈◊〉 and joyn your selves in the wayes of God but
â—he time is a hand when 〈…〉 Grâ—ce or Hell shall make you â—iâ—h and wish â—gain thaâ— you might have but â—he pooreâ—â— lowest place in 〈…〉 which you so despâ—sed 〈◊〉 what I say to you Sirs in the name of God If the Loâ—d of Heaven do not shortly make the dullest heart the greatest dender of godlâ—ness among you that heareth these words to wish and wish an hundred times that he had lived as holy anâ— heavenly a life as the strictest of those that he foâ—merly derided â—hen call me a false Prophet for ever and spare not Whâ—n you feel the misery of unholy souls and see the happinesâ— of the Saints above you then O that you had been but such as they and lived as they whatever it cost you And as Balaâ—m you will shortly say O that I might ill the death of the righteous and that my last and may bâ— as his Numb 23.10 There is never a one of you all but would fain be among the Saints at Judgement and receive their Sentence and reward and therefore its best for you joyn with them now or it will be too laâ—e to wish iâ— then 11. If all this will not serve the turn but you will needs stand off and separate your selves fâ—om the servants of Christ be it known to you you shall ere long have separation enough and be further from them then your hearts can wish As you would not be United to them and joyn with â—hem in Holinesâ— so you shall not be partakers with them of their Happiness One Heaven will not hold you both and there is but One to hold you and therefore an everlasting separation shall be made Between them and you will a great gulf be set so that they that would pass from you to them shall never be able Luke 16.26 When they stand on the right hand you shall be set upon the left and when they hear Come ye blessed you shall hear Go ye cursed and when they go awâ—y into lifâ— eternâ—l you shall go â—way into evâ—rlasting punishment Mat. 25.31 32 41 46. Then you shall see that the man is blessed that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly nor standeth in the way of sinners nâ—r sitteth in the seat of the scornful but his delight is in the Law of the Lord and in his Law doth he meâ—itate day and night The ungodly ar◠〈◊〉 so but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the Iudgement nor sinners in the Congrâ—gation of the righteous For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous but the Way â—f the ungodly shall perish Psalm 1. Then you will say to them that now you differ from Give us of your oyl for our Lamps â—re gone out Oh that we had part in your holiness and your hopes but they will answer you Not so lest there be not enough for us and you We have little enough for our selves you should have done as we did but then it will be too late Mat. 25.8 9 10. It will then make the proudest heart to shake to hear Depart from me all ye that are workers of iniquity I never knew you Matth. 7.23 You departed from me and would not live in the Communion of Saints and now Christ himself of whom you boasted and in whom you trusted will not know you but cause you to depart much further then you desired both from his â—aints and him These are the true revelations of God which may be laught at and slâ—ghted now but will certainly be made good on all that are not now United to Christ and his Church 12. And let me tell you to consummate your mâ—seâ—y when that day of everlasting separation comes those servants of Christ whâ—m you refused to joyn with in an holy life will be so iâ— any witnesses against you to your condemnation As Christ tells you Mat. 25. he will say In as much as you 〈…〉 to one of thâ—sâ— you 〈◊〉 it nâ—t me â—o in as much as you râ—fused the Communion of Saints and peâ—haps derided them you refuâ—ed Communâ—on 〈◊〉 Châ—ist hâ—mself aâ—d derided him Then â—hey 〈◊〉 testâ—fie 〈…〉 you We were willing to hâ—vâ— had his company in the way â—f holiness but he refused it And when you see them set so far above you then your own consciences will say We might have been of this blâ—ssâ—d Society and would not we might have done as thâ—y and now spâ—â—l as they we were often entreatâ—d 〈◊〉 by our Teachers â—nd full glad would the godly hâ—ve been of our compâ—â—y in an holy life but we â—estinately refused all Wrâ—t heâ—thâ—â— we are we refused all Wâ— thâ—â—ght iâ— reâ—â—lâ—ss our hâ—arts wâ—râ—â—gâ—inst it we prâ—ferrâ—d 〈…〉 anâ— prâ—fits and creâ—it 〈…〉 â—f the worlâ— bâ—fâ—re it an◠〈…〉 â—ustly do wâ— pâ—rish in â—ur 〈…〉 lie in yoâ—der â—urnin◠〈◊〉 and be separated as far as Hâ—â—l is â—â—om Hâ—â—ven frâ—m thâ—se that we willfully â—eparâ—tâ—â— fâ—om on â—arth â—eloved hearers I were not a Believer if I did nâ—t foresee this dâ—eâ—dâ—ul day and I were nâ—t a man if I did not desire that you might escape this misery and therefore I could do no less then warn you as you love your selves and would not be separated from them for ever that you would presently be United to the Godly and live in the true Communion of the Saints and withdraw your selves from the wayes of the ungodly lest you be found among them and perish with them I have done my part in telling you the truth and now must leave the success to God Use ult BUT I must conclude with a word of advice to the Godly I have made a very large ambitious motion for the conversion of all at once But alas it is far from my expectation that it should prevail I am not so unacquainted with the power of sin and the subtilty of the Devil and the wilfulness of blind unsanctified men and the ordinary course of Providence in this work as to cherish any hopes that All the Town and Parish should Consent If many or any more do I shall be glad But plurima quaeras ut pauca feras An high motion when reasonable may be serviceable to lower hopes By what I have here said you may see how little hope there is that ever the Church should have any such Peace on earth as we desire If unhoâ—iness be the hinderance and the greatest part of the world are so unholy and so our Unity is like to rise no higher then our Piety you may see then how much Unity to look for But for your own parts be sure among your selves to maintain the Unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace Love the Brother-hood even Saints as Saints And because you are not the searchers of the heart proceed according to the Word of God Let all that Profess themselves a sanctified people and live so as that you cannot certainly disprove their profession be used as Saints by you and
leave the infallible judgement to God It is only â—eal Saints that have the internal special Unity of the Spirit and saving Communion but its Professors of Faith and Holiness thaâ— must have external Communion wiâ—h us in Ordinances as they have a visible Union of Profession with the Church But if they profess not Holiness they ought not to have any Christian Communion at all O Christians keep close to Christ the Centeâ— of your Unity and the Scripture which is the Rule of it and cherish the â—pirit which is the vital cause walk evenly and uprightly in a dark generation and give no offence to those without nor to the Church of God Know them that are over you in the Lord and be at Peace among your selves and the God of Peace shall be with you 1 Thes. 5.12 Phil 4.8.9 Object BVt may not a Profession of the same Faith procure a sufficient Vnity among us though all be not Saints and savingly regenerate Let us first be of one Religion and then we may come to be sincere in the Practice of that Religion by Degrees Answ. 1. For the Churches sake we are thankful to God when we see a common concord in Profession though most are false in and to the Religion which they profess Many wayes God doth good to his Church by unfound Professors 1. Their Professing the same Faith doth somewhat tye their hands from persecuting it And of the two we can better bear Hypocrites then Persecutors 2. And it somewhat tyeth their tongues from reproaching the Faith and arguing against it and seducing others from it And of the two it would be more hurtful to the Church to have these men open enemies to the truth and bend their wits and tongues against it and to have the multitude assaulting their neighbours with invectives and cavils against Religion then to have them falsly pretend to be Religious 3. And it is a great mercy to the Church hereby to have the benefit of these mens common parts and interests When they profess the same Religion with us though unsoundly yet it engageth them to stand for the Religion which they profess and their illumination and conviction may lead them to do much service for the truth By this means many hands are at work to build up the Church of Christ. And by this means the lives of many faithful Christians are preserved and their estates much spared Many have skill in building that are not true heirs of the house which they build Many have excellent gifts for preaching and expounding Scripture by which the Church may be edified and the Truth defended against the adversaries when yet the same men may themselves be destitute of the Power of this truth The Church hath great cause to be thankful to God for the gifts of many an unsanctified man Had the Church been denyed the Minâ—stry and Gifts of all mâ—n except Saints it would have been confined to a narrower room and many a soul might have beâ—n unconvâ—rted that have been called by the Ministry of unsanctified men By some such did God work Miracles themselves for the confirmation of the Christian Faith And in times of war if the Church had none but Saints to fight for them it could not stand without a continued Miracle And if we had not the daily help of others in civil and secular affairs we should find by the miss of it what a mercy we undervalued Were every unregenerate man an open enemy to the Church we should live as Patridges and such other birds that must hide themselves from every Passenger 4. Moreover this Profession of Hypocrites doth much restrain them from many a sin by which God would be much dishonoured and the Church more wronged and the godly more grieved and the open enemies more encouraged 5. And also it is some honour to the Gospel in the eyes of men to have a multitude of Professors Should Christs visible Church be as narrow as the mystical and should none be Professors of the Faith but those few that are sanctified Believers the paucity of Christians and narrowness of the Church would be a dishonour to Christ in the eyes of the world and would hinder the Conversion of many a soul. All this I have said that you may see that we do not despise a Unity in Profession and that we are not of those that would have all hypocrites and common professors shut out Yea that we take our selves bound to be very thankful to God for the mercy which he vouchsafeth us by the gifts and favour and help and interest of many such Professors And such a Unity of Profession we shall endeavour to our power heartily to promote as knowing that the Church as visible consisteth of such professours 2. But yet for all this I must come closer to your objection and tell you that this Vnity of meer Profession is comparatively so poor a kind of Unity that this will not this must not satisfie us and serve the turn which I desire you to observe in these discoveries 1. This Unity in meer Profession is properly no Christian Vnity because you are not properly Christians If this be all it is but in the bark and shell that we are agreed It is but a seeming agreement from the teeth outward but not an hearty agreement to be Christians What! shall we all agree to say we are Christians when with most it is not so For all this Agreement you will still have one Father and we another You will not be United with us in Christ the Head you will not have the same Holy Spirit who is the Life of the New creature You will be contrary to us in Nature or Disposition You will not have the same Intention and Ultimate End with us but you will aâ—m at one thing and we at another You will not go the same way nor walk by the same Rule and Law as we It will be but a tying â—ogâ—ther the Living and the Dead Bellâ—râ—ine himself confesseth that the ungodly are but dead members It is not life that Uniteth a dead member to the living You will bâ— stilâ— either openly or secretly betraying the Body to which you profess your selves United and taking part with its deadly enemies the flesh the world and the Devil Your very Hearts and ours will still be contrary You will love the sin that we hate and set our selves against and you will dis-relish that Holy Heavenly life which must be our business and delight Your Affections will go one way and ours another You will Live by sense when we must live by faith and you will be laying up a treasure on earth when we are laying up a treasure in heaven You will be asking counsel of flesh and blood when we must advise with God and his holy Word You will look first to your bodies when we must look first and principally to our souls It will be your business to feed those sins which it is our daily work
words of a man that you shall confess did speak impartially and not out of any intemperance or singularity who in a Prosperous University in Peaceable times being himself in favour and of that Judgement and of such Learning as was likely to continue him in favour did yet write thus concerning persecution I mean Doctor Iackson in his Book of saving Faith sect 2. chap. 4. pag. 185. The Ministers of Christ may deny Christ or manifest their ashamedness of his Gospel as directly by not laying his Law as closely to the great Herods of the world as John Baptist did suppose the case be as notorious and as well known to them as if they had been afraid to confess him for fear of being put out of the Synagogues or said with those other Iews We know that God spake with Moses and gave authority to Magistrates but this man we know not whence he is nor do we care for his Counsels Yet were John Baptists kind of preaching used in many Kingdoms though by such as profess the same Religion with the Potentates they should offend with their boldness I think it would prove matter of Martyrdom in the end That any age since Christian Religion was first propagated hath wanted store of Martyrs is more to be attributed to the Negligence Ignorance and Hypocrisie or want of courage in Christs Embassadors or appointed Pastors then unto the sincerity mildness or fidelity of the flock especially of the Bell-weathers or chief ring-leaders Or if Satan had not abated the edge of primitive zeal and resolution by that dishonourable peace concluded between Christianity and Gentilism after the settling of Goths and Vandals in these parts of Christendom had he not utterly benummed mankind by locking up their spiritual senses in midnight darkness and fettering their souls in superstition since the time he himself was let loose Rome Christian had seen more Martyrs even of such as did not much dissent from her in most opinions held within six hundred years of Christ in one year then Rome Heathen at any time had known in ten Even in Churches best Reformed it would be much easier I think to find store of just matter of Martyrdom then of men fit to make Martyrs And he that hath lived any long time in these quiet mansions and seats of Muses secure from Mars his broyls or external violence hath great cause either to magnifie the tender mercies of his gracious God or suspect himself for an Hypocrite if he have not suffered some degrees of Martyrdom But unto such as have been exercised therein it bringeth forth the quiet fruit of Righteousness Thus you see this Learned Doctor though in favour with the Rulers of the age he lived in did think that a man that would not be an Hypocrite but faithfully discharge his duty was likely to suffer Martyrdom from those of the same Profession with himself and that it must be by very great mercy from God or by hypocrisie and unfaithfulness in us if any Minister do scape the hands of the wicked that are of his own Profession So that you may see that meer Profession will make but a poor Agreement or Union among us Sin will be sin still and the flesh will rage still after its prey in unmortified Professors and the Word of God will still disgrace them and condemn them and consequently trouble them and exasperate them So that if you come no nearer to us then a Profession of the Christian Protestant Religion you will still be souldiers in the Army of the Devil and be still flying in the faces of true Believers whenever they do but cross you in your sins 3. Consider also What a poor benefit comparatively it is to your selves to be joyned with the Saints by a bare Profession and no more Will it make you happy to see their faces or live among them So do the bruit beasts and so do their Persecutors Will it make you happy to be called by the name of Christians No more then it maketh a Picture Rational to be called by the name of a man And what if by your parts and moral vertues you are some way helpful to the Church So is the wooden leg to the body which yet is not a member but a crutch 4. Yea me thinks it should rather double your sorrows that you are so miserable among the happy You live with them that have part in Christ when you have none in him You joyn with those that have the Spirit of God and an holy disposition and conversation when you have none You kneel by them whose Spirits are importunate with God in prayer when your hearts are dead You sit by them that are quickned and sanctified by the Word which to you is but a dead and empty sound You are famished among them that are feasting upon Christ and upon the precious promises of eternal life You are but as carkases among the living Their company maketh not you alive but your noysom conversation is grievous unto them unless it be some of you that are embalmed and beflowered with some common graces for the sakes of those that else would be more troubled with you And is this so great a comfort to you to be dead among the living and to be heirs of hell in the midst of them that are heirs of heaven Methinks till you are sanctified it should be a daily horrour to you to look them in the faces and think that they have Christ and grace and you have none and to hear in the holy Assemblies the mention of their happiness and the name of that God that Christ that Heaven where they must live for ever and in which their blessedness consisteth when you must be turned out into everlasting misery That you may not think I am singular in all this I will add here some humane testimony for confirmation of it Zenoras Comment in Epist. Canon Can. 45. ex Basil. M. Epist. 2. ad Amphiloch giveâ— us this as one of the Canons of the Greek Church received from Basiâ— If any one receiving the Name oâ— Christianity shall be a reproach iâ— Christ that is saith Zonaras by â— wiâ—ked life his Name or Appellation is no profit at all to him Anâ— even in the Roman Caâ—on Law this is one Canon taken out of Augustine Parvulus qui bâ—ptiz tur si ad annos rationales veniens nâ—crediderit nec ab illiritis abstinuerit nihil ei prodest quod parvulus accepit Decret part 3. dist 3. p. 1241. that is A Baptized Infant if when he comes to years of discretion doth not believe nor abstain from things unlawful it profiteth him nothing which he received in his infancy If it were needful after the Canons both of the Greek and Latine Church to give you the like words from particular Fathers I could soon perform it 5. You are so far from being Happy by your visible Church-state and outward Profession and Communion with the Church that you have the greater
more of a mind among our selves But when your rotten ulcers and corrupted lives have raised a stink in our Assemblies this causeth our Division The Separatists stop their noses and are gone and will come here no more and the rest of us think that for your sakes and the Peace of the Church we should stay as long as well we can like Patient Surgeons that will not forsake their Patient because of a rotten stinking sore as long as there is any hope of cure or of saving the body by cutting off the rotten member And thus while some are more patient and charitable towards you and some are more impatient of your sin or else afraid of Gods displeasure for having communion with you here comes our divisions among our selves for your sakes And therefore if we were but Agreed in Holiness all this were ended There would then be no habituated Drunkard or worldling or railer or swearer or other ungodly persons in our Churches and then who could scruple communion with them and so what should hinder but we might all be one and yet will you not agree in this 7. Yea if we were united in the Spirit of Holiness the very Dividing unpeaceable Disposition of men would it self be healed and so we should have Peace For an uncharitable dividing disposition is part of the old man and of that unholiness which we must forsake And charity and meekness and a peaceable healing temper is Holiness it self And therefore this must needs do much to heal and reconcile us Read but Iames 3. throughout and it will satisfie you of this if you will be satisfied Those that pretend to be wiser then the rest of the godly and to have more illumination if yet they have bitter envying and strife in their hearts they Glory in vain and lie against the truth For this Wisdom descendeth not from above but is earthly sensual and devilish He that is truly wise and endued with knowledg in the Church must shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of Wisdom For the wisdom that is from above is first pure then Peaceable gentle easy to be intreated full of mercy and good fruits without partiality and without hypocrsie But where envying and strife is there is confusion and every evil work James 3.13 14 15 16 17. See here what a spirit sanctification doth contain and whether this be not the only healing way It is first indeed Pure but next it is Peaceable gentle and easy to be intreated They that cause Divisions and offences contrary to the Doctrine which is taught do not serve the Lord Iesus what ever they may pretend or think Peace and Holiness must be followed together Heb. 12.14 Yea Peace with all men if it be possible and in our power Rom. 12.18 so that by changing the unpeaceable Disposition and drying up the fountain of our strifes an Agreement in the Spirit would reconcile us 8. Moreover if we would all Agree in the spirit of Holiness it would destroy that Carnal selfish disposition and that end which is the dividing Interest and take away the bone of our contentions It is selfishness that causeth the great Divisions in Church and State and sets the world together in wars and quarrels Every unsanctified man is selfish his self and selfish interest is more to him then God and his interest And such men as these will never live with any man in peace any longer then they may have their will and way They will not agree with neighbours if self be but toucht by any They will have the Magistrate when ever he would punish them They will hate the Pastors of the Church if they faithfully discharge their offices in reproving them and calling them to Repentance and such Confession as is necessary to their cure If it were Father or Mother a selfish person cannot bear it if they go against his selfish interest There 's no living at peace with selfish men if you do but cross them in their credit or profit or sensual delights and this we must do unless we will incur the displeasure of our Lord. We are cast upon an Impossibility of living in Peace with wicked men For God hath commanded us to to rebuke them plainly and not to suffer sin upon them And if we disobey God to please men it will cost us dearer then their favour can repay But if we obey God and do our duty we are as sure to be hated and reproached with the most as that the earth is under our feet Give a wicked selfish sinner as plain Scripture and Reason as can be given and you shall not stir him from his selfish interest If you punish him or reprove him openly or exercise Church-censures on him or any way touch his carnal selfish interest and when you have done go about to satisfie him with Reason you may as well almost go Reason a hungry dog from his carrion or Reason a Wolf into the nature of a Lamb or Reason a Mastiff to be friends with a Bear Many a tryal I have made and many a time I have stopt their mouthes and satisfied them in reason that they ought to deny themselves and confess and forsake their sins and yield to God or made them confess so much at the least But their selfish minds were no more satisfied for all that then if I had never spoken to them Scripture is no Scripture nor Reason is no Reason to them nor God shall be no God to them if self do but contradict it and that is when ever he contradicteth self They can no more believe and Like and Love that doctrine or duty or counsel or course of life that crosseth self and calls them to any great self-denial then a child can love to be corrected So that self being so certain a Peace-breaker and disturber of the world and yet being the Reigning Principle in all that are unsanctified you may easily see that this is the hindrance of our Vnity and Concord and that sanctification must needs be the Principal remedy For sanctification is the destruction of selfishness and teacheth men self-denial and centreth all men in one Interest which is God Among the unsanctified there are as many Ends and Interests as Men For every one of them hath a self to Please And then what Unity can there be But the sanctified are all United in God as their common Principle End and All and therefore must needs be reconciled 9. Moreover if we could but all Agree in the Spirit of Holiness We should then overcome that pride and self-conceitedness that breaks our peace and raiseth errors and puts us into dissentions What makes us all so hardly to Agree and to be of so many minds and ways but that every man naturally is proud and self-conceited and wise in his own eyes and confident of every fancy of his own All his own Reasons seem strong to him and Gods own Reasons do seem unreasonable to him And can
What ever holiness they may pretend to adhere not to those men and think not too highly of them that are for Divisions among the Churches or servants of the Lord. You 'l see them repent or come to shame and confusion at the last You flie from Christ if you flie from Unity 3. Think not that you have any more of the Spirit or of Holiness than you have of Love to the Unity of the Saints It is the spirit of Satan and not of Christ that leadeth you to Church-divisions It is a counterfeit Holiness that maketh you not desirous of Unity with all the Saints If you be not first pure and then peaceable your wisdom is not from above As you would all take that man to be an enemy to Holiness that is an enemy to Chastity Temperance or common honesty So have you reason to think of him that is an enemy to the Churches Unity and Peace Shew that you have the Spirit by the Unity of the Spirit and shew that you are Holy by loving the Union and Communion of the Saints Rom. 14.1 Him that is weak in the Faith receive ye but not to doubtful Disputations I Have already proved to you in the foregoing Discourse 1. That the true Unity of the Church of Christ is a Unity of the Spirit and that the unsanctified are the causes of our Divisions 2. That a Unity in meer Profession is but a low and miserable Unity which will not satisfie nor serve the turn 3. That a Unity in the Spirit of Holiness is a great advantage for the healing of all our lesser differences or that we may do well for all those differences if we are truly sanctified I come now to the fourth and last part of my Discourse which is to shew you that It is not the will of God that the Vnity of his Church should consist in things indifferent or in the smaller matters or in points of doubtfull Disputation To which end I have chosen this Text in which Paul doth purposely and plainly lay down this point in order to the reconciling of a difference that was then among the Romans I shall not now stand to discuss whether the weak that Paul here speaks of were some Christians tainted with a Pythagorear conceit and guilty of some excessive Austerities which some have thought 1. Because here is no mention of Circumcision 2. and because they are said to eat herbs only or whether it were some Converts of the Jews that scrupled the forsaking of their ancient Ceremonies which is the common and likelier Exposition 1. The person here spoken of is Him that iâ— weak in the Faith that is who is yet so ignorant in the Doctrine of â—aith as not to know that these Ceremonies are abolished or these matters are no part of duty which he placeth duty in and consequently who is so weak in Conscience as that he dare not omit the observation of these days and Ceremonies The Points in which the weakness of these persons is said to be manifested are 1. In their abstaining from flesh and eating herbs 2. In their observation of certain days as Holy 2. The thing commanded is that these persons for all their weakness be Received that is 1. Into brotherly internal Charity 2. Into Christian external Communion For it seems that by reason of this their weakness there grew Divisions in the Church The weak were so self-conceited as to censure the strong because they did not observe their Ceremonies And the strong were too contemptuous of the weak and made light of them as a superstitious people unfit for their Communion Paul chides them both the weak for censuring the strong and the strong for contemning the weak and commandeth that for the future the weak forbear his judging and the strong Receive the weak whom they contemned and so that they joyn in inward Love and external Communion 3. And he addeth this caution for the manner of their reception and behaviour that it must not be to doubtfull Disputations either to the censuring of one another or to unseasonable uncharitable contendings and disputes about these smaller things Three things Paul seemeth to suppose in the matter of their controversie 1. That they were matter of some Indifferency 2. That they were small and of lowest consideration in Religion 3. That to the weak they were so dark and doubtfull as to be the matter of Disputes But for all these he would have no breach in their Charity or Communion One doubt we must not overpâ—ss And that is How this will stand with what he saith in the Epistle to the Galathians Here he saith Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not One man esteemeth one day above another another esteemeth every day alike Let every man be fully perswaded in his own minde But there he saith Ye observe days and moneths and times and years I am afraid of you lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain Gal. 4.10 11. And of Circumcision Gal. 5.2 3. Behold I Paul say unto you If ye be Circumcised Christ shall profit you nothing for I testifie again to every man that is circumcised that he is a debtor to do the whole Law â—or the understanding of this you must observe 1. That there is a great difference between Circumcision and the Ceremonies here spoken of 2. And between the outward act of Circumcision and the Sacrament of Circumcision as appointed by God 3. And there is a great difference between the using it as necessary to Justification and the using the outward part only for some lawfull end 4. And between the time when the Gospel was but newly revealed and the time when it was oft and fully declared to the world 5. And between those that are ignorant for want of full information and those that are obstinate after long instruction 6. And between those that scruple the omission of such Ceremonies themselves and those that would obtrude them as necessary upon others Observing these distinctions you may see the difficulty plainly resolved as followeth 1. In this Text Rom. 14. Paul speaketh not of Circumcision but of meats and days only For Circumcision engaged men further to Moses Law then these single Ceremonies 2. When Paul saith he was afraid of the Galathians because of their observation of days and weeks and moneths he means because they still adhered to the abrogated Law after so long and plain Instruction 3. And though he circumcised Timothy Acts 16.3 and yet speak against it Gal. 5.2 3. the difference of the Cases is exceeding great For 1. It was but the outward Circumcision of the flesh that he used with Timothy as with one that did not intend by it any engagement to Moses or necessity of it to Justification But it was the entire Sacrament of Circumcision which was pretended to continue necessary by the false Teachers and which he exhorted the Galathians to refuse And Circumcision as a Sacrament doth signifie two principal things
that it is impossible that Unity should consist in these 3. Furthermore if our Unity were laid on these Religion would be for none but the learned and as the Ancients ordinarily argue against the Heathens that cavilled at the plainness of the Scripture God should be then Partial and should make a way to Heaven that poor men cannot go For the poor cannot possibly attain to so much Learning and spend so much of their lives in study as may bring them to the knowledge of all these lower difficult points 4. Yea if our Unity or Salvation lay on these it is certain it would shut us out all both from Unity and Salvation so that there would no two be at Unity in all the world and no One be saved For all men on earth are Ignorant in many lesser truths even such as are revealed to us in the Scripture and we should endeavour to understand What man dare affirm that he understandeth every word of the Holy Scripture Did the Pope himself think that he had attained to this Infallibility he would ere this have written us an infallible Commentary If the best must say with Paul himself we know but in part then sure those smaller doubtful things which all the truly sanctified know not are not the matter of the Unity of the Church 5. I have shewed in my Discourse of the Catholick Church that to shut out all from the Church and our Communion that differ from us in such lower things is utterly against the design of Christ and the tenour of the Gospel and very dishonourable to him and to his Church God hath more mercy then to shut out the weak and will you dishonour him so far as to perswade the world that he hath no such mercy The design of the Gospel is Grace and Love How tender was Christ even of his little ones that believe in him How compassionate is he to them in their infirmities And would you go about to perswade the world that he hath so little of this compassion as that he will admit none to Heaven or to the Communion of his Church but those that attain to Knowledge and Agreement in all these lesser doubtful Controversies and indifferent things The Church is small enough already but if you would cut off all that do not Agree in every circumstance you would make it small indeed This is no better then under pretence of Faith and Unity to un-Church the Church and damn your selves and all the world 6. The Arguments in the Text are very forcible verse 3. For God hath received him As if he should say Dare you despise or cast out him that God receiveth ver 4. Who art thou that judgest another mans servant ver 10. Why dost thou judge thy brother or why dost thou set at naught thy brother we shall all stand before the judgement seat of Christ The Church doth not censure men for small or doubtful things nor must we condemn those that God doth not condemn 7. The laying such stress on smaller things doth multiply controversies and fill the minds of men with scruples and ensnare their consciences and engage men in parties against each other to the certain breach of Charity and ruine of the Peace of the Church and of their souls The fire of Contention will never go out for want of fewel if unnecessary things be made necessary and small things pretended to be great uncertain things pretended to be certain Abundance of vice will be daily set and kept at work upon this borrowed stock 8. And what a world of precious Time will be wasted by this means while men are Studying and Reading to maintain their own opinions and when they must waste their hours when they are together in Conferences and wrangling-Disputations to the discomposing of their own and others minds and certain troubling the Church of God! Oh what use have we for those precious hours for surer greater and more needful things 9. The things that our salvation and the Churches Peace are indeed laid upon are so great so necessary so pleasant and so profitable that it leaveth us the more without excuse to waste our time in things unnecessary We have our great Creator to know and honour we have the mysterie of Redemption to search into and admire we have the Nature and Life and Death and Resurrection and Ascension and Glorification and Intercession of Christ to study and believe and all the Love and Wisdom of God the Mercy and the Holiness and Justice that was revealed in him we have Judgment to prepare for all the Graces of the Spirit of Christ to be received or cherished increased and exercised in our Souls We have a Hell to scape and a Heaven to obtain and the foreseen glory of it to feed upon for the strengthning and delighting of our Souls we have many particular duties of Holiness and Righteousness to attend And in the midst of all this great employment should we make more work and trouble to our selves and that about unnecessary things 10. These unnecessary or lower things when once they are advanced above their ranck do undermine and wrong the greater matters which they pretended to befriend They divert the thoughts and speeches from them and take up the affections and will not be contented with their due proportion but are as the Proverb is like a Begger on horse-back that will never light If men be but set upon Ceremonies or private opinions of their own they are upon it in all companies and you shall sometimes have almost nothing else from them And that 's not all but the Interest of their unnecessary or lower points is ordinarily set up against the Interest of that Body of Christian Verities which we are all agreed in so that they can be contented that Christianity lose much advantage in the greater points that their cause may be advantaged If this were not so we should not have had ceremonies formalities have cast out such abundance of excellent Preachers heretofore Nor private Opinions have set so many against the labours of faithful Ministers as to our grief and shame we have lately seen And the mischief is that unnecessary things made necessary do so involve the Imposers interest with their own that they think they are Necessitated to drive them on and see their Impositions obeyed or else their wisdom or authority is 〈◊〉 â—1 And thus they directly lead men to persecution and occasion those that must needs have their wills to Lord it over Gods heritage 1 Pet. 5.3 when the desire of being the Churches God hath prevailed so far with any of its members as to set them upon a course of Law-giving and domineering and bringing others into a conformity to their wills they look upon all men as sinners that disobey them and think that their power will warrant them to force â—â—edience to their commands or 〈◊〉 to deprive the Church of her Pastors Many a Congregation have I known change