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ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A37070 The interest of England in the Protestant cause Dury, John, 1596-1680. 1659 (1659) Wing D2864; ESTC R15464 21,459 33

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danger wherein we are more then others is not the onely reason which doth oblige us to procure this Correspondency more then others but the engagement which lies upon the Godly Party and the State it self of this Nation more eminently then upon others to procure it is another obligation binding us thereunto This Engagement is eminently apparent in three Declarations of the State First in the Remonstrance of the State of the Kingdome published by the Parliament Anno 1641. Secondly in the Nationall League and Covenant of both Kingdoms Thirdly and lastly in the Declaration of the Parliament published the 12 of July in the year 1653. In the Remonstrance of the State of the Kingdome at the latter end thereof the Clause obliging the Godly Party which then did manage Publick affairs to mind a Correspondency towards forraign Protestants is expressed in these words We will labour by all offices of friendship to unite the Forraign Churches with us in the same Cause and to seek their Libertie Safety and Prosperity as bound thereunto by Charity to them and by wisedome for our own good for by this means our own strength shall be increased and by a mutuall concurrence to the same common end we shall be able to procure the good of the whole body of the Protestant Profession This is as solemne a promise fully and expresly obliging them to seek this Concurrence and Correspondency as can in so few words be expressed In the National League and Covenant the last words thereof engage also deeply those that did swear it to desire affectionately as in the presence of God and consequently when opportunity should be to endeavour sincerely this That the success of our proceedings may be deliverance and safety to all God's people and an encouragement to other Christian Churches groaning under and in danger of the yoke of Antichristian Tyranny to join with us in the same or like Association and Covenant to the Glory of God the enlargement of the Kingdom of Chrict and the peace and Tranquility of Christian Kingdoms and Common wealths This profession being made in presence of God with a hand lifted up unto Heaven by the Godly Party of both Nations as it is conscionably to be minded so it cannot reach the End for which it is made to give an encouragement to other Christian Churches to assert jointly with us their Gospel-Liberty except we endeavour to maintain a Religious Correspondency with them In the Declaration of the Parliament of the year 1653. the address is made in express terms To all God's people as well in Neighbour Nations as in this the professions are more zealous and a●ge to this effect then any of the former For they declare a great expectation of the breaking forth of the Kingdom of Christ in all the earth they manifest their faith and hope to this effect That God will not suffer his people here to deal falsely with him in his Cause till he hath accomplished his great work and brought about his great ends And thereupon they make an earnest prayer that God would unite their hearts to himself that they may be one amongst themselves and with all the people of God who are members of the Body of Christ and that they may bee fitted and used as Instruments in the hand of God for a more full and clear revealing of the Lord Jesus and a right promulgation of the blessed Gospel and the true interest of his Kingdom and the advance thereof that oppressing yoaks may be broken and all burthens removed that his Tabernacle may be fully raised up and his Temple built by his Spirit that all his people may have one lip one heart one consent one shoulder to bow down and worship him that the envy of Judah and Ephraim may be taken away that they may be one in one fold with one Shepherd that the Swords and Speares may bee turned into plough shares and pruning hooks and the earth filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the Sea Now where such profession are so solemnly and so largely in a publick way addressed unto God and all his people in this and in Neighbour Nations and made in a manner the chief matter which was aimed at in that Nationall Assembly of the States in Parliament what can be conceived more obliging towards the undertaking of the work If therefore we should put forth no endeavours to perform this Duty whereof wee acknowledge our selves so fully convicted by so many Professions and Vows and Prayers and Declarations will it not be a guilt lying so much the heavier upon us in the day of our accounts by how much the more we have engaged our selves unto it Certainly God will not be mocked and if after so many Protestations in times of distresse and Deliverances since obtained and Successes given in to inable us to perform our Vows and Engagements we should undertake nothing towards the discharge of this duty which lyeth so eminently upon us our guilt will suddenly overtake us and the punishment thereof if not prevented by some attempts sutable to our Engagements will be fearfull and severe Therefore that it may bee prevented the second Query should be laid to heart viz. How a Religious Corrospondency may be procured and maintained between the Godly Party of this Nation and the Forraign Protestants But to Answer this Second Query before any resolution appear that the Duty of Correspondency will be intended seemeth superfluous if not preposterous it will then bee seasonable to speak of this thing when some shall be deputed to take the matter into consideration and undertake the management thereof In the mean time let me take God and all that are Godly in these Nations to witness that I have herein not been wanting to my duty but have discharged my conscience in faithfullness to the Churches and to the State of these Nations concerning this great concernment if others who ought to mind it without partiality no less seriously then I do discharge not their Duty in their places when called upon and when the opportunity doth require their concurrence the fault will lye so much the more heavily upon them by how much they have been more earnestly pressed to mind their Duty Nor can any pretence be alledged why it should not be done at this time without any delay Is it not now seasonable yea necessary that we should lay the animosities and interests of parties aside to imbrace a Gospell-Interest and is the Gospell-Interest any thing else then that all who have received the Truth which is after Godliness should own one another in that whereunto they have attained and walking by the same Rules mind the same thing which is the end of the Cammandement to serve one another through love out of a pure heart out of a good Conscience and out of Faith unfeigned Why may we not all declare that whereunto we have attained are we not bound to give an account of the Faith and
profession doth consist in the soundness of the doctrine of Faith and in the holiness of life of the professors Tit. 1.1 3 9. and 2.11 12 13 14. and those that make profession of Christianity are obliged by the speciciall command of God to maintain and advance both these one towards another 1 Pet. 4.10 and towards all men Mat. 5.16 by the Communion of Saints which consists not only in the conjunction of believers to strive together for the Faith of the Gospell Phil. 1.27 Jude 3. But also in a reall endeavour to strive one for another in prayers Ephes 6.18 And by the conjunction or rather communication of their gifts and graces to provoke one another to love and to good works Heb. 10.24 Now such endeavours as these cannot possibly be put forth by any except they maintain some Religious correspondency one with another to that effect therefore such a correspondency is absolutely requisite to be intended and upheld between all the Godly of these Nations and their neighbour professors of the Truth And if we mind it not it is evident that we come short of a Fundamentall duty and fall under the guilt of breaking the Communion of Saints of neglecting the fight for the Faith and of carelesness to provoke one another unto love and good works which God will certainly require at our hands if wee continue so to do having so great cause and so many and fair opportunities to do otherwise 2. The end for which God doth give the gifts and graces of his Spirit unto the Saints is that the members of the Body of Christ should profit thereby one towards another 1 Cor. 12.7 and that they should trade therewith to gain more graces for themselves Luk. 19.12 13. Mat. 25.14 But it is no more possible to do this without maintaining an intercourse of Spirituall Correspondency one with another then it is possible to the dis-jointed members of a naturall body to conveigh blood and nourishment each to other Therefore a course of Religious Correspondency is absolutely necessary for this cause also And if this be not intended God's aim in giving his gifts unto his Saints and Churches is not fulfilled and he will certainly deprive such of the gifts which they have received who continue under the guilt of not making a right use thereof For if the end of God's giving should bee answered by our receiving then wee are bound in Conscience to receive grace onely for the advancement of his Glory 1 Corinth 10.31 and of our mutuall edification 1 Cor. 14.26 and Rom 14.19 and 15.2 And if these two ends are so subordinate one to another that God cannot be glorified otherwise by us then by this that wee bring forth much fruit one towards another John 15.6 for our good cannot reach to him as David saith Psal 16.2 but to the Saints that are in the earth and to the excellent ones in whom ought to be all our delight Ibid. ver 3. then it will follow that the main use of all grace is the improvement thereof towards others But it is not possible to intend this improvement of our goodness towards the Saints for mutuall edification except we use means to know one anothers spirituall condition by some course of spirituall Correspondency Therefore such Correspondency is wholly necessary to be settled and entertained if we will not deprive God of his glory and the Saints of the interest which they should have in us by the right use of our Talents towards them 3. The means by which these ends are to bee attained is to endeavour to keep the Unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace which we are commanded and by many reasons exhorted to do Ephes 4.3 4 5 6. Now this endeavour being the effect immediately flowing from Charity which is the chiefe edifying grace as appeareth by 1 Cor. 8 1 and chap. 13. per tot urn and Ephes 4.15 16. And seeing Charity cannot be maintained nor edification advanced nor the unity of the Spirit upheld except there be an endeavour put forth to take notice of one anothers state therefore a Correspondency for mutuall intelligence in spirituall matters tending to unity and peace in the profession of the Truth is a thing absolutely necessary amongst such as intend sincerely to uphold the Truth of the Gospel-profession or if they intend it not it is evident that they come short of the Fundamentall duty of the life of Christianity by neglecting the means of mutuall edification wherein God is chiefly glorified and such as continue in this neglect and order not their way aright in the profession of the Gospel shall never see the salvation of God Psal 50.23 Of the Second THe present sad condition of the Churches comes under a twofold Consideration the one is in respect of their unacquaintedness with one anothers state the other is in respect of the opposition at which they are to cross one another in their ways If the Protestant Churches though agreeing in the same Faith and in the Rules of order be considered as unacquainted with one another's state and consequently at a distance in their mindes one from another Two evils arise from thence First they not onely make void the Truth of the holy profession by the neglect of the Duties belonging thereunto whereby the name of God is dishonoured their own mutual edification hindered and the glory and comfort of that unity which should be amongst them in the manifestation of love and holiness is darkned But by this means they being at a distance and dis-jointed from each other are void of that care which the members of Jesus Christ should have one of another for their mutuall good and become lyable to all the inconveniencies which are incident unto a solitary condition whereof Solomon gives us briefly the heads Eccl. 4 9 10 11 12. which are the want of help in bad occurrences want of encouragement and counsell in good enterprises and want of defence in cases of opposition Therefore saith he two are better then one for they have a good reward for their labour ver 9. The meaning is for their joining in labour and this good reward is their freedom from the forenamed inconveniencies which one that is alone is subject unto For saith he wo be to him that is alone when he falleth there is none to help him up ver 10. that is if a mischance happen or he lye under it there is none to remove it And again if two lye together they have heat but how can one alone be warm ver 11. If two lay their heads and hearts together in one design to contrive it or put it in execution they will warm one anothers affections and resolutions but one alone can add nothing to his own wisedom courage or strength and then Solomon saith if one prevail against one there are two to withstand him ver 12. That is if an adversary assault one alone he may be overcome but if there be two to