we are One We dye when we cease to be One and we decay when by separation we hasten towards it and we grow weak when by looseness we grow more separable Therefore all Loosening opinions or principles which tend to abate the Love and Vnity of Christians are weakening principles and tend to death Schisms in the Church and feuds or wars in the Commonwealth and mutinies in Armies are the approaches or threatnings of death Or if such â—evers and bloody fluxes prove not mortal the cure must be by some excellent remedy and Divine clemency and skill Discordia Ordinum est reipublicae venenum saith Livy For as Salust saith War is easily begun as fire in the City easily kindled but to end it requireth more ado And the â—nd is seldom in the power of the same persons that began it much less will it end as easily as it might have been prevented It 's like the eruption of waters that begin at a small breach in the damm or banks but quickly make themselves a wider passage Prov. 26. 17. He that passeth by and medleth with strife which is not to him is like one that taketh a dog by the ears Prov. 17 14. The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water therefore leave off contention before it be medled with or exasperated or stirred up to rage As passion inclineth men to strive rail or some way hurt so all discord and division inclineth men to a warring depressing way against others As Gregory saith When perverse minds are once engaged ad studium contrarietatis to a study of contrariety they arm themselves to oppugne all that is said by another be it wrong or right for when the person through contrariety is displeasing to them even that which is right when spoken by him is displeasing And when this is the study of each member to prove all false or bad that another saith or doth and to disgrace and weaken one another what strength what safety what peace what duration can be to that society IV. UNITY is also the BEAUTY and Comeliness of the Church and all societies Perfect UNITY without Diversity is proper to God But ab Vno omnia that all the innumerable parts of his Creation should by Order and VNITY make ONE UNIVERSE or world that all the members of the Church of Christ of how great variety of gifts degrees and place soever should make one Body this is the Divine skill and this Order and Vnity is the Beauty of his works If the Order and Vnity of many Letters made not words and of many words made not sentences and of many sentences made not Books what were their excellency or use If many Notes ordered and united made not Harmony what were the pleasure of musick or melody And how doth this Concord make it differ from a discordant odious noise The Unity of well-ordered Materials is the Beauty of an Edifice And the Unity of well-ordered and proportioned members is the symmetrie and Beauty of the Body It delighteth mans nature more to read the history of Loves and amiable concord which is the charming snare in tempting Lustâ—books than to read of odious and ruinating discords And no doubt but the many histories of sinful discord and their effects are purposely recorded in Scripture to make it the more hateful to all believers This is the use of the recorded malice of Cain to Abel of the effect of the Babel division of tongues of the disagreement of the servants of Abraham and Lot of the envy of Josephs brethren and of Esau's thoughts of revenge against Jacob and of Jacobs fear of him of the discord of Laban and Jacob of the bloody fact of Simeon and Levi and Jacob's dying detestation of it and his curse of the two Hebrews that strove with each other and one of them with Moses of the Israelites murmurings and mutinies against Moses Abimelech's cruelty against his brethren of the tribe of Ephraim's quarrel with Jephta and the Israelites with the Benjamites and their war of the envy of Saul against David and his pursuit of his and Doegs cruelty against the Priests of Absoloms rebellion against David of Joabs murders and his death of Solomons jealousie and execution of Adonijah of Rehoboams foolish difference with his subjects and the loss of the ten tribes and Jeroboam's reign of the continual wars of Juda and Israel of the many malicious actions of Priests and people against Jeremiah Amos and other Prophets and Messengers of God of the persecuting cruelty of Herod against Christ and the Infants in his jealousies about his Crown of the Jews malicious and foolish opposition to Christ of Christs disciples striving which should be the Greatest and the aspiring request of James and John of the short dissention of Paul and Barnabas c. Are not all these unpleasant histories to us and written to make dissentions odious To this end it is that we have the sad history of the early contentions between the Jewish and the Gentile Christians about Circumcision and the Law and the reconciling assembly Act. 15. To this end we have the sad history and sharp reproofs of the factions and sidings among the Corinthians of the false Apostles envy raised against Paul among the Corinthians and Galatians and of those that preached Christ out of envy and in strife to add affliction to his bonds Phil. 1. of the many heresies that rose up even in those first Churches to trouble desile them and disgrace them To this end we have the abundance of sharp rebukes of contentious persons and such as strove about words and genealogies and the Law and the reproofs of many of the Asian Churches Rev. 2. 3. and the odious description of the hereticks 2 Pet. 2. Jud. c. not only as corrupters of doctrine but in a special manner as Separatists and dividers of and from the Christian Churches To this end we have the sad predictions that two sorts should arise and tear the Churches Act. 20. Grievous wolves that should not spare the flocks and some of themselves that should speak perverse things to draw away disciples after them To this use we have so many vehement obtestations and exhortations against discord and divisions even in those times of vigorous Love and Concord such as 1 Cor. 1. 10 c. 3. c. Phil. 2. 1 2 c. 3. 14 15 16. and abundance such of which hereafter And even those that by their Master are taught not to be too forward in seeing the mote in anothers eye must yet be intreated to Mark them that cause Divisions and offences and avoid them and whereas they that were such pretended to be the most excellent servants of Christ and to speak more sublimely and spiritually for greater edification and advancement of Knowledge than the Apostles did it was no ill censoriousness to judge that being the Causes of Divisions and offences contrary to Christs doctrine of Love Vnity and
to common reason a palpable contradiction 14. Whether there be any one passive Element Earth Water or Air any where existent in an Vnion of its proper Atomes without a mixture of any other Element is a thing unknown to mortals 15. So is it whether there be any where existent a body of the united Atomes of the several passive Elements without the active 16. The mixt Beings known to us do all consist of an union of the passive and active Elements or of these united 17. We perceive by sense what Vnion and Division of Passive matter is which hath separable parts But how far spirits are passive as all under God are in some degree and whether that Passivity signifie any kind of Materiality as well as Substantiality and how far they are extensive or partible or have any Degrees analogous to Parts and so what their Vnity is in a positive conception and how spirits are Many and how One and whether there be existent One Universal spirit of each kind Vegetative sensitive and Intellective and whether they are both One and many in several respects with many such like questions These are all past humane certain knowledge in this life Many it is certain that there be But whether that Number here be Quantitas discreta and how they are Individuate and distinguishable and how 't is that Many come from One or two in generation are questions too hard for such as I. 18. But we see in Passive matter that the parts have a natural propensity to Vnion and the aggregative inclination is so strong as that thence the Learned Dr. Glisson Lib. de Vitâ Naturae copiously maintaineth that all Matter hath Life or a Natural Vital self-moving Vertue not as a compounding part but as a formal inadequate conception In which though I consent not yet the Aggregative Inclination is not to be denyed All heavy terrene bodies hasten to the earth by descent and all the parts of Water would unite and Air much more 19. The grosser and more terrene any Body is the easilier the parts of it continue in a local separation you may keep them easily divided from one another though they incline to the whole But liquids more hasten to a closure and Air yet much more 20. Whether this their strong inclination to Vnity be a natural Principle in the passive Elements themselves or be caused by the Igneous Active part which is ever mixed with them and whose Vnity in it self is more perfect or whether it principally proceed from any spiritual substance which animateth all things and is above the Igneous substance I think is too hard for man to determine 21. But so great is the Union of the whole Igneous substance that is within our knowledge that we can hardly tell whether it have divisible separable parts and more hardly prove that there are any parts of it actually separated from the rest even where by Termination and Reception in the Passive matter there is the most notable distinction The Light of the Sun in the air is One and that Light seemeth to be the effect of the present substance of the solar fire and not a quality or motion locally distant from it A burning-glass may by its Receptive aptitude occasion a combustion by the Sun-beams in one place which is not in another But those beams that terminate on that glass are not separated from the rest As there are in Animals fixed spirits which are constitutive parts of the solid members and moved spirits which carry about the humours and yet these are not separated from each other so the Earth it self and its grosser parts have an Igneous principle still resident in them as fire is in a flint or steel and indeed in every thing And this seemeth to be it which many call Forma telluris But that all these are not contiguous or united also to the common Solar fire or Igneous Element is not to be proved The same Sun-beams may kindle many things combustible and light many Candles which yet are all one undivided fiery substance though by the various Receptivity of matter so variously operating as if there were various separate substances And as all these Candles or fires are One with the solar fire in the Air so are they therefore One among themselves and yet not One Candle because that word signifieth not only the common fire but that fire as terminated and operative on that particular Matter The stars are many but whether they be not also One fiery substance diversifyed only by Contraction and Operation of its parts upon some suitable Receptive matter or contracted simply in it self without separation from all other parts is more than we are able to determine 22. They that hold that non datur vacuum must hold that all things in the world are One by most intimate conjunction or Union of all the parts of being And yet distinguishable several ways 23. We constantly see a numerical difference of substances made by Partible Receptive matter when yet the informing substance in them all is One in it self thus variously terminated and operating so one Vine or Pear Tree hath many Grapes or Pears numerically different And many leaves and branches and roots And yet it is one vegetative substance which animateth or actuateth them all which consisteth not of separated parts And that Tree which is thus principled is it self Vnited to the Earth and radicated in it is a real part of it as a mans hair is an Accident or as some will call it an Accidental part of the man or the feathers of a bird And consequently the forma arboris or its vegetative spirit and the forma telluris are not separated but One. And we have no reason to think that there is not as true an Union between that forma telluris and the forms or spirits of the sun stars or other Globes of the same kind as there is between the spirits of the Earth and plants So that while Vegetative Spirits are many by the diversity of Receptive or Terminative matter and perhaps other ways to us unknown yet seem they to be all but One thus diversifyed as One soul is in many members 24. Seeing the Noblest natures are most perfect in Vnity and the basest most divisible we have no reason to think that the Vital principles of the divers sensitive Animals meerly such are not as much One as the divers principles of plants or vegetables are 25. And as little reason have we to think that there is no sort of Vnity among the divers Intellectual substances seeing their nature is yet more perfect and liker to God who is perfectly one 26. It is not to be doubted but the Vniverse of created being is one consisting of parts compaginated and Vnited though the bond of its Vnion be not well known to us 27. But it is certain that they are all Vnited in God though we know not the chief created Cause of Unity and that though it be
and English Kings will see what ado Kings had to keep the Bishops and Priests from filthy fornication and utter corruption of their function § 4. 4. Obj. But if Princes meddle with Pastors Preachers and Religion when far more of them are bad than good and erroneous than in the right it must follow that more good will be hindered by them than evil and in most places the best will be persecuted by them and the worst approved and preferred Answ 1. And was it not so and worse under the Popes and their Prelates Let their own historians judge 2. Nay it hath been ill Clergy men that have instigated Princes to do most of the chief to the Church that they have done 3. This tells us the calamitous case of mankind but not at all how to help it 4. This argument should urge Princes to amend but not to neglect their duty for fear of doing it amiss By the like argument in Moscovy they have put down preaching saying Most will preach amiss And others put down all praying save the reading of imposed words saying that most else will pray amiss And so these would restrain Princes from Governing Bishops and Preachers and matters Ecclesiastical saying Else they will do most amiss 5. But it is supposed that Princes have their Councils And as they consult with Lawyers in matters of Law and with Souldiers in matters of War and with Physicions in matters of that profession so they will consult with Divines as they are called in matters of Divinity and Religion § 5. Obj. 5. But Religion is to be perswaded and not forced which will but make hypocrites Ans We cannot force men to know or believe and we ought not to force them to lie But they may be restrained from doing notorious mischief and constrained to hear that they may learn § 6. Obj. 6. But that which you think wrong seemeth right to them and every mans Conscience is his Law and he must obey it and whatsoever is not of faith is sin Ans 1. None but the Atheist or irreligious take all Religion to be uncertain Man is naturally Animal religiosum made to serve God in order to future happiness And Religion were no Religion if a man could have no satisfactory notice of its truth 2. No mans Conscience is his Law no more than it is the Law of the land It is but as his eye in reading it a discerner of the Law And mistake is not discerning 3. No man ought to take evil for good nor to do evil because he thinketh it good but first to use means for information and then to judge better and then to do better 4. Though whatever is not of saith is sin yet whatever is of errour is of sin too and not of faith And we are not for forcing men against their conscience to any thing unnecessary or any thing which they are uncapable of but for restraining them from that mischief which an erring judgement leaveth them to and putting them on necessary duty which they can do should they not be forced to feed their children if their Consciences be against it Or to pay their debts or their taxes tythes and other dues § 7. Obj. 7. On the other side some and more will say that any toleration of diversity in Religion especially of Assemblies is contrary to the unity and harmony which should be among Christians and will cherish heart-burnings and cause differences in the State and foment seditions and rebellious no discord having worse effects than those about religion Answ 1. To tell us that men are dark and selfish and proud and passionate and therefore contentious and that this is the calamity that sin hath brought on all the world is but to tell us what we all must know But what 's that to the Cure All sin and all discord is contrary to our desired concord and is our reproach But shall no sinners therefore be endured Ye suffer fools gladly saith St. Paul seeing you yourselves are wise 2. Will your way of violence make this better or far worse Will men that really have any religion forsake it for fear of any thing that you can do against them It is not Religion if it set not God above man When they suffer by you will they like you or your opinions the better for hurting them or the worse If ever you let them out of prison will they not come out more alienated by exasperation If you force the timerous or hypocrites to dissemble to save the flesh will they not hate you and your doctrine the more as that which soul and body are both oppressed by And will not their sufferings move compassion in the people and your cruelty alienate those that else would never have forsaken you what a shameful thing is it to hear and read mens tragical outcries against necessary toleration which Christianity and humanity plead for while they are the causes of that which they exclaim against and are furiously making it tenfold worse If diversity in Religion be such an evil cause it not by your unnecessary Laws and Canons and making engines to tear the Church in pieces which by the ancient simplicity and commanded mutual forbearance would live in such a measure of Love and Peace as may be here expected Are men liker to hate you or to plot rebellions for being gently used as men or cruelly like slaves or dogs Nay slaves are freemen in comparison of those that are dissenters from the Pope if he get them in his power Though it be but for refusing to deny belief to all mens senses and consequently to Gods natural revelation If you can cure all mens errours do it but begin at home But killing is not curing in the sense of wise Physicions or Patients Your way cureth errour as the man that was angry with the Looking-glass for shewing him his ugly face did cure it by breaking it into twenty pieces and then it shewed him twenty ugly faces for one There are no tolerated sorts among us here that are more accused by all for seditiousness and rebellion when they once got some seeming strength than the Anabaptists and the people called the fifth Monarchy men But have they ever even at Munster made any such horrid slaughters in the world as the great enemies of Toleration have done Did they ever murder 200000 people that lived peaceably at once as the Frish Papists did Or forty thousand if not as some say twice as many as they did at the French Massacre Or so many thousands if not millions say some as were kill'd of the Albigenses and Waldenses in France Piedmont Italy Germany c. Or did they ever use Christians as the Inquisition hath done Or did they ever use Emperors as Henry the fourth and fifth and Frederick were used Or kill two Kings successively as Henry the third and Henry the fourth of France were killed Nay did ever the Novatians yea or the furious Prelatical Donatists make