the Spirit is altogether invincible in all the faithful Among true Christians some are not justified by faith and some by works but all are saved through faith without the works of the law Among true Christians one Believers faith doth not apprehend one word and anothers another word but the faith of each and of all apprehends one and the same word of truth and life which is Christ himself Yesterday and to day and the same for ever Among Believers one doth not live his own life and another Christs which indeed would make them very different and unequal but all live Christs life alike and none their own And thus is the whole Church knit together in Vnity of Faith Now this unity of faith is mightily able to preserve peace among Believers notwithstanding diversity either of inward gifts or outward works 1. Vnity of Faith preserves peace notwithstanding diversity of inward gifts inasmuch as we are not made members of Christs body through such and such gifts but meerly through faith and so he that hath one or a less gift is equally a member of Christ through his faith with him that hath another or a greater gift and so unity of faith which makes us all one body in Christ is to keep us one notwithstanding diversity of gifts and operations and diversity of gifts are in no wise to divide where there is unity of faith Further among them that believe where there is the more gift there is only the more labour but there is not another or a better Christ and where there is the less gift there is the same Christ equally enjoyed through faith He that had five Talents given him brought in five that he had gained and he that had ten ten but he that brought in most Talents had not more of Christ then he that brought in fewer and he that brought in fewer had not less of him then he that brought in more but each having Christ alike by faith brought in the exercise of his several gifts And so unity of Faith is to keep us one notwithstanding diversity of inward gifts And secondly it is to keep us one notwithstanding diversity of outward works For unity of Faith makes all believers righteous alike though they differ in outward work For in Christs Kingdom each ones righteousness is reckoned by his faith not by his outward works And therefore Paul Heb 13.7 having reckoned up many excellent works of the Fathers doth not enjoyn us to follow their works but their faith saying Whose faith follow considering the end of their conversation seeing the unity of the Church stands in unity of faith and there may be unity of faith in diversity of works for faith uses freely any outward laws manners forms works so farr as they may tend to the mortifying of our bodies and the edifying of our neighbours wherein faith also will judge for it self and will suffer no body to judge for it and in all change of works faith is the same and changes not and the Church still remains one through unity of faith in the midst of variety and diversity of outward works And therefore where men are accounted Christians for such and such outward works sake and this unity of faith is not taught and received there the gates of hell do certainly prevail And this is the fifth bond of the true Churches unity Vnity of Faith Now they break this bond of the Churches unity that live out of this faith of Gods Elect seeing it is written That the just shall live by faith And therefore they that live by sense in the things of the world or by form in the things of God they live out of this faith and unity of the Church 1. They that live by sense in the things of the world break this bond of the Churches unity even such as minde and affect and love and desire earthly things and have all their joy comfort sweetness satisfaction support and confidence in the creature these live out of the unity of the Church seeing the life of sense is clean contrary to the life of faith Faith carrying us to live in God out of the creature and sense carrying us to live in the creature out of God 2. They that live by form in the things of God whether it be called Conformity as the Prelates called it or Vniformity as the Rhemists do also break this bond of the Churches unity For to live upon this or that form of religion or worship so as to think our selves good Christians therefore and others evil that shall live otherwise is to fall apparently from the faith of the Church seeing faith doth not live upon this or that form of Religion but it lives on Christ only in every duty and whatsoever form it may use for a help to the infirmity of the flesh yet in the use of forms it lives above forms in Iesus Christ and his fulness The sixth bond of the true Churches unity is ONE BAPTISME The true Church which is the body or flesh of Christ hath but one and the self same Baptism by which it is purified which is the Baptism of the Spirit For the Apostle speaks here of that Baptism wherein the whole Church is one which is not the Baptism of the sign which hath often been altered and changed but the Baptism of the substance which comprehends all believers and all ages and under several and various dispensations and was the same before Christs comming in the flesh as since believers both of the Iews and Gentiles of the Old and New Testament drinking all alike into one Spirit though these more plentifully then those So that though many have wanted the Baptism of water yet not one member of the true Church hath wanted the Baptism of the Spirit from whence our true Christianity begins Now this Baptism of the Spirit is the onely Baptism that hath power and efficacy to make Christians one For through the Baptism of the Spirit it is that the Church is made one body as Paul saith 1 Cor. 12.13 For by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body whether we be Iews or Greeks whether we be bond or free and have been all made to drink into one Spirit The true Church drinks all into one Spirit as ye have heard and not into many and through one Spirit are baptized into one body and not into many and believers are never truly one till they partake of this one Baptism Now this Baptism of the Spirit as it is but one so it is administred onely by one Christ as Iohn Baptist witnesseth Math. 3.11 saying I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance but he that cometh after me is mightier then I whose shoes I am not worthy to bear he shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire For as none can give the Son but the Father so none can baptize with the Spirit but the Son for this is Christs proper and
Rites which the Apostles greatly regarded but lest such things free to the Liberty of Christians every man to use therein his own discretion for the using or not using thereof Whereupon as concerning all the ceremonial observations of dayes times places meats drinks vestures and such others of all these things neither was the diversity among men greatly noted nor any Vniformity greatly required Thus Christian Liberty prevailed in the Church and Christian men did not much struggle about indifferent things till the Asians and Romans began to dis-agree about Easter-day to compose which controversy Polycarpus a godly Martyr went to Rome ann 157. and in the reign of Antoninus Pius to Anicetus then Bishop there and though these two to wit Polycarpus and Anicetus differed in their judgements and opinions in this matter yet they still retained Christian communion and avoided all breach of peace Afterwards in the reign of Commodus the Christians enjoying some respite from pesecution began to contend again among themselves about the ceremony of Easter and neither yet did the difference prevail so far as to break the bond of love and communion of brotherly life though they of the West pretending the tradition of Paul and Peter which yet indeed was the tradition of Hermes and Pius and not theirs kept one day and they of Asia pretending the tradition of Iohn kept another After this Victor Bishop of Rome rose up a great stickler in the controversy of Easter and would needs have excommunicated the Churches of Asia for not yielding to his judgement to whom Iraeneus writing touching the diversity of outward things used by the Primitive Christians hath these words Notwithstanding the variety of ceremonies among the former Christians they all kept peace among themselves and we saith he still retain it and the difference of our fasting commends the unity of our faith And thus the Doctrine of Christian liberty remained sound and entire till this Victors time which was ann 200. And he earnestly endeavoured to draw or rather inforce the Churches of Asia to his opinion And then began the Vniformity of keeping that Feast to be first required as a thing necessary and all they to be accounted as Heretickes and Schismatikes who dissented from the judgement of the Bishop of Rome Now against this judgement of Victor Polycrates and many other Bishops and brethren of Asia declared and the matter had burst out into a great flame had not some godly men of those times brought forth the word of God to quench it Among whom Iraeneus as Eusebius relates speaks to this effect That the variety and difference of ceremonies is no strange matter in the Church of Christ when as this variety is not onely in the day of Easter but also in the manner of fasting and in divers other usages among the Christians For some fast one some two dayes some more and others counting 40. hours both day and night reckon that for their full fast day And this so divers fashion of fasting in the Church began not in our time but in theirs who lived before us And yet notwithstanding they with all this diversity were in unity amongst themselves and so be we Neither doth this difference of ceremonies any thing hinder but rather commend the agreement of our faith And he bringeth forth the examples of the Fathers of Telesphorus Pius Anicetus Soter Eleutherius and such others who neither observed the same usage themselves nor prescribed it to others and yet notwithstanding kept Christian charity with such as came to communicate with them though not observing the same form of things which they observed as well appeared by Polycarpus and Anicetus who although they agreed not in one uniform custom of rites Communionem tamen inter se habuerunt yet had communion with one another And thus Iraeneus in his practice answering his name perswaded the peace of the Church notwithstanding diversity of forms and rites And so Christian liberty was still preserved in the Church against the tyranny of Vniformity till the Nicene Councel And farther Socrates the Writer of the Ecclesiastical History who lived after the dayes of Theodosius speaking of the fasting before Easter saith The Christians that dwell at Rome fast three weeks continually before Easter besides the Sabbath and the Sunday but those that dwell in Illyria and all Greece and Alexandria fast six weekes before Easter And speaking of the severall sorts of fasting in severall Churches saith And because no can bring forth any Commandment written of this matter it is plain that the Apostles left this fast free to every mans minde and will that no man might be compelled by fear and necessity to do that which is good And in the same Chapter he relates many several forms and usages in several Christian Churches and concludes that matter thus But saith he to commit to writing all the rites of Churches that are used in each City and Country as it would be very troublesome so hardly could it be done And yet further I finde that Austin who was sent into England by Pope Gregory ann 598. among other questions to the Pope propounds this as one That seeing there is but one faith how it should happen that the customes and ceremonies of Churches should be so divers And Gregory returns this answer The custom of the Church of Rome what it is you know wherein you have been brought up from your youth but rather it pleaseth me better that whether it be in the Church of Rome or in any French Church where ye finde any thing that seemeth better to the service and pleasing of God that ye choose the same and so infer and bring into the English Church which is yet new in the faith the best and pickedst things chosen out of many Churches For things are not to be beloved for the place sake but the place is to be beloved for the things that be good Wherefore such things as be good godly and religious those choose out of all Churches and induce to your people that they may take root in the minds of English men So that yet you see the Church was not enslaved by any enforced Vniformity but kept its own Christian freedom till Antichrist grew up to more heighth and got the secular power of Princes to do what he listed in the Church and then he and his Clergy made laws of all that seemed good in their own eyes and enforced men to them against their wills And thus he reigned for many hundred yeers together till the determinate time of the Apostacy began to be fulfilled and then God poured forth his Spirit upon some chosen servants of his to oppose Antichrist as in other parts of the mystery of iniquity so in this also of Uniformity Among others who after the general falling away opposed this Vniformity was Iohn Gerson Chancellor of Paris who lived about an 100. yeers before Luther and in many things received
then Christ nor we worse then the devil If they be righteous and have the truth with them as they say they have and we be unrighteous why do they fear since the truth ought not to be afraid of falshood and Zorobabel declared That truth is of all things the most mighty and overcometh all things For Christ is the truth John 14. I am the way the truth and the devil is the father of lyes John 8. Therefore if the Pope and his Priests have the truth let them overcome us with the word of God but if they have lyes then they cannot long abide in all their presumption Wherefore we exhort and beseech all the Imperial Cities all Kings Princes Noble-men rich poor for Gods sake and for his Righteousness that one of them write hereof to another and that there may be some means made how we may commune with you safely and friendly at some such place as shall be fit both for you and us and bring with you your Bishops and Teachers and let them and our Teachers fight together with the word of God and let us hear them and let not one overcome the other by violence or false subtilty but only by the word of God c. By all which it appears That let mens Doctrine be what it will they ought to be heard and convinced by the word and not presently to be silenced and subdued by force Now secondly if upon hearing and debating things by the word it shall clearly appear that our adversaries hold such things which are so false and erroneous that they cannot be reckoned believers and members of Christ that hold them not can retain those Doctrines without unvoidable damnation then in this case the true Church hath Authority from the word to do these things 1. To condemn the doctrine 2. To excommunicate their persons 1. The Church ought to condemn the doctrine as contrary to the Gospel and to that eternal and unchangeable and most clear and certain truth which Christ hath heard from the Father and delivered to his Church which is the faith once given to the Saints and never to be altered And so to tell the people what Doctrine it is even such as carries in it an utter enmity to Christ and his Spirit and so consequently death and damnation and that therefore they are to take heed of it as they love eternall life and would void eternall death And thus Christ condemned the Doctrine of the Scribes and of the Pharisees and of the Sadduces and bid his Disciples Beware of them and Paul the Doctrine of Hymeneus and Philetus which did eâ—t as a canker c. 2. The Church in this case may also excommunicate the Person yea though he should be silent and not seduce others seeing believers 〈…〉 have no true 〈…〉 the word of life in which all the true communion of the faithfull stands Wherefore such pâ—â—sons may justly be cut off from the Society of the faithfull But herein also these Rules are to be observed to wit 1. That this censure be not proceeded to for every varying from the truth as is already said but for denying such truths or holding such errors as make a man incapable of salvation 2. That this be not done till all other wayes have been tryed to reclaim him 3. That this be done not by two or three persons but by the whole Church or communion 4. That it be done not by their own but by Christs Authority who is alwayes present in his Church as the Head of that body and that it be done not by any humane Passion or violence but by the efficacy of the holy Spirit who is alwayes present among believers as the Spirit of those members And this Excommunication thus regulated is the last punishment the Church can inflict by the warrant and authority of Christ and it cannot imprison any or banish them or fine them or put them to death for we must not expound that place of Paul Hareticum hominem devita as Hugo Charensis did to take a Heretike out of his life but him that is a Heretike we must avoid we must not kill the former being Christs rule the latter Antichrists Now these things have I spoken and propounded to the faithfull and Churches of Christ wherever the providence of God shall cast this Book which may travel farther on this errand then weak flesh can do and I so propound them all as being most ready my self to hear from any what they can propound in more light 〈…〉 in these matters they will ye◠〈…〉 over and preserve Peace and Vnity in the true Church of Christ The desire of which through Gods goodness is much stronger in my heart then any private interest or respect of mine own FINIS 2 Cor. 11.6 â—cclesia Regiâ—a misericordiae cujus viscera sunt merae miserationes remissiones peccatorum Cito vos omnes ut respondeatis mihi coram Attissimo justissimo Iudice post paucos annos The peace propounded is 1. Not between the Church and the world 2. Nor between the carnal and spiritual children of the Church Spiritual Christians make up the body of Christ. Carnal Christians the body of Antichrist Peace between the children of pâ—ace What the right Church is not What it is How the Church of God differs from the Churches of men How the true Church may be known though spiritual and invisible Quest. 2. Answ. How we may be joyned to the true Church though invisible The Church the body as well as Christ the head a great mystery The Church just such a body as Christ is a Head Wherein the Unity of the true Church lies The right Church is one body This one body comprehends Believers of all Ages Of all sorts Many things to be considered from the Churches unity of body 1 Cor. 12. Who break this bond of the Churches Unity The right Church is one Spirit Who break â—his bond of Unity Quest. Answ. The right Church have one hope of their calling Who break this bond of Unity The right Church hath one Lord. Who break this bond of the Churches Unity The Assemblies vote for their government The right Church hath one faith Unity of faith preserves peace 1. Notwithstanding diversity of inward gifts 2. Notwithstanding diversity of outward works Who break this bond of the Churches Unity Who break this bond of Unity The right Church hath one God and Father of them all The true Church is a Kingdom of Brethren Where all are 1. Alike dear to God 2. Alike dear to us This one God and Father of the true Church is 1. Above you all 2. Through you all 3. In them all Who break this bond of Unity There is no other bond of the Churches unity besides these seven It is a wicked thing to cry up Uniformity in the stead of this Unity How the union which God hath wrought among Believers should be preserved in the
Political but a spiritual body even the body of Christ. Paul in several of his Epistles takes pleasure to set forth the unity of the Church by this similitude as in Rom. 12.4 5. As we have many members in one body and all members have not the same office So we being many are one body in Christ and every one members one of another And again 1 Cor. 12.12 As the body is one and hath many members and all the members of that one body being many are but one body so also is Christ Where he cals the body by the name of the head both making up one Christ. Now this Unity of Body comprehends believers of all ages and of all sorts 1. Of all ages for all believers that hath been in the world heretofore or now are or shall be hereafter do all make up but one body of Christ though born and brought forth of God in several times and ages of the world as in a natural example a childe is not born all in a moment but is brought forth by degrees and though one part be born and another not yet born this doth not hinder unity of body in the child so the bringing forth the Church into the world in several ages doth in no wise hinder this unity of body 2. As this unity of body comprehends believers of all ages so also of all sorts and conditions Iews and Gentiles bond and free c. all which are made one body in Christ. Paul in Ephes. 2.15 speaking of Jews and Gentiles saith That Christ of these twain who differed as much as mankinde could he hath made in himself one new man For Christ melting these two by his Spirit which is as fire causes each to depart from himself and makes both together one new man or body of Christ in himself and thus makes peace For as long as men remain different bodies or men there is no peace amongst them but when Christ makes them one body in himself he makes peace between them unity of body being a most necessary bond of peace in the Church as the Apostle testifies Col. 3.15 Let the peace of God rule in your hearts to the which ye are called in one body Now from this unity of body in the true Church we may note very considerable things all to our present purpose 1. That unity of body in the Church flows from unity of head for here the members do not first conspire into an unity of body among themselves and after choose a head to their body but first these members are united to the Head and then to one another in and with the Head and so because there is but one true head Christ there is but one true body the Church 2. As the members of the natural body are born such through a natural birth before they do or can exercise any acts or offices sutable to such members and do not first exercise such offices and then after are made such members as for instance the eye doth not first see and then or therefore is made an eye in the body or the ear first hear and then or therefore is made an ear in the body but the eye is first born an eye in the body and then sees and the ear is born an ear and then hears c. So in the spiritual body of Christ each Christian hath his membership meerly from a new or spiritual birth and hath his office from his membership and not from any action or operation of his own before he was a member In this spiritual as in the natural body the eye is born an eye and therefore it sees and the foot is born a foot and therefore it walks and each believer is only that which he is through a new birth and cannot be placed in such and such an office by men no more then men can place a seeing eye or walking foot in the natural body but they must be born there ere they can be there Each member in the true Church is born in his place and office by God and is not placed there by man and when the Church perceives this grace in its members it suffers them to exercise those places and offices in the body in which God hath produced or brought them forth by his Spirit 3. This unity of body stands well with a difference or distinction of members and the difference of members doth not hinder but help the unity of body for saith Paul The body is not one member but many and if they were all one member where were the body And therefore in the body there are diversity of members and each member hath its several form and office If the whole body were an eye where were the hearing and if the whole were an ear where were seeing smelling walking c. So in the unity of Christs body there are diversity of members with diversity of gifts and offices and so one hath the word of wisdom another the word of knowledge another the word of faith another the gift of healing c. Every member in this body being in office and having received the Spirit to profit withal And so again Rom. 12.6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us he speaks of all the members of the body which have some or other gifts given to them if it be prophesie let us prophesie according to the proportion of faith if ministry let us wait on our ministring or he that teacheth on teaching or he that exhorteth on exhortation c. So that in the true Church unity stands with diversity but in the false unity will not stand without uniformity 4. In this true Church or one body of Christ notwithstanding diversity of members and offices there is still an equality among them all seeing all alike make up one body in which regard one member is as necessary to the body as another and no member can say to another that I contribute more to the making up of the body then thou the most honourable member cannot say thus to the most mean not the Apostles themselves to Believers among the Gentiles for we are the body of Christ as well as they and they are the body of Christ no more then we wherefore no member for diversity of office is to lift up himself above another member who is as necessary as it self to the making up the body and also is every whit as useful in its place 5. As in the natural body each member is contented with its â—wn place and office in the body so is every member through the grace given unto it contented with its place and office in the spiritual body and not one either envies or despises another 6. The members of the natural body do not each live to them selves but all of them serve one another and each of them serves all as the eye sees for the foot and the whole body and the hand works for the
much clear light from God he in his Sermon before the King of France in the name of the Vniversity of Paris pro pace unione Graecorum in his 7 th consideration speaks thus Men ought not generally to be bound by the positive determinations of Popes and it will as well hold of all others who arrogate to themselves an Ecclesiastical Supremacy whether they be Councels or Assemblies to hold and believe one and the same manner of Government in things that doe not immediately concern the truth of our Faith or of the Evangelical Law And he saith this consideration well taken and understood would be the principal key to open a door of peace between the Greeks and Latines who differ in many outward Forms and Rules as in Baptisme the Latine Church saith I baptize thee the Greek Baptizetur servus Christi Let this servant of Christ be baptized And in the Supper the Latine Church used unleavened the Greek leavened bread c. And herein he spoke as a Christian that said Quaelibet provincia abundet sensusuo Let every Province abound in its own sense Note also saith he that a good Prince permits divers Laws and Customs of divers of his Subjects so they be not evidently against the Law of Nature And not to do so would often be the destruction of the Commonwealth As the Lord of Arras a City of Picardie was wont to say that Flanders would be governed otherwise then France or Burgundy And this consideration saith he rightly understood to wit not to press Uniformity in the Church but to let the Church use its liberty in these things would be an excellent beginning of the Reformation of the Church notwithstanding the contradiction of many of the Court of Rome Luther also that chosen Vessel of Christ did clearly oppose this evil of Vniformity He thus delivers his judgement touching Vniformity of Ceremonies If one Church will not follow another of its own accord in those outward things what need is there that it should be compelled by the Decrees of Councels which presently are turned into laws and snares of souls And therefore let one Church freely imitate another or let it be suffered to use its own way so that unity of Spirit be preserved in Faith and the Word though there be variety and diversity in the flesh or Elements of the world Again the same Luther after he had set down a Form of Celebrating the Supper for the Church of Christ at Wittingberg concludes thus In quibus omnibus cavendum ne legem ex libertate faciaemus c. That is In all which we must take heed that we make not a law of liberty or constrain them to sin who shall either do otherwise or shall omit some things so they permit the words of blessing to remain entire and do all act here in Faith For these ought to be the Rites of CHRISTIANS that is of the children of the FREE-WOMAN who may keep them willingly and of their own accord having power to change them when and as often as they will And therefore there is no cause that any should either desire or establish any necessary Form as a law in this matter whereby he may either ensnare or trouble mens consciences And therefore we read not in the ancient Fathers or Primitive Church any example of any such Rite but onely in the Romane Church And if so be they had established any thing for a law in this matter we ought not to have kept it Quod legibus hic obstringi nec possent nec debent Because these things neither could nor ought to be bound by Laws Moreover if divers men shall use a diverse Rite let none either judge or contemne another but let every one abound in his own sense and let us all favour and judge the same things though for Forms we act diversly and let each Rite please others lest by diversity of Rites follow diversity of opinions and sects as it came tō pass in the Church of Rome For outward Rites though we cannot want them as neither meat nor drink yet they commend us not to God but onely Faith and love commend us to him And therefore let that of Paul take place here That the Kingdom of God is not meat and drink but righteousness peace and joy in the Holy Spirt and so no Rite nor Form is the Kingdom of God but faith within us c. And at the end of the same form for the Church of Wittenberg which he writes out for Nicholas Hausmannus a Godly Minister he saith Which Copy either you or others may follow if you please if not we willingly give place to the anointing being our selves to receive from you or any others more profitable things These things he spake like a Christian indeed and we acknowledge the voice of Christ in him as in others that act these things peremptorily and command and inforce them by secular power we are sensible of the voice of strangers and of such strangers as are Theeves and Murtherers Melancton also perswades certain Christians to unity who differed in Vniformity in these words Seeing we do agree among our selves in the chief Articles of Christian Doctrine let us imbrace one another with mutual love and let not unlikeness and variety of Rites and Ceremonies and Bucer quoting this place adds no nor of Ecclesiastical government disjoyn our minds Upon all these Testimonies which these godly men give from the light of the word which we acknowledge in them it is evident that all forms are to be left free to the faithful and Congregations of Saints and when any shall set down any form the Congregations of the faithful may use them so far forth as they please or may add or alter or wholly reject them and no Laws are to be made in this matter which the secular power should inforce to insnare Consciences and to infringe Christian Liberty and to straighten the Spirit in those in whom it dwels and to obscure the vertues of Christ in his people Wherefore it is most evident that they are most horribly mistaken that now urge external Vniformity on the Church as the only means of Vnity who scarce minding I am sure not naming one body one spirit one hope of calling one Lord Faith Baptism c. to make the Church one do earnestly and fiercely labour for one outward Form and Order one Directory one Confession one Catechism one Discipline and to have these things of their own devising inforced on the Church by the power of the State as the onely means their hearts can find out to make the Church one But the Seers are blinde in this matter and the Prophets prophesie false things For if the unity of the Church stand onely or chiefly in Vniformity what woful division will be found in it For the Fathers before the flood lived in one form the Fathers after the flood in another the Believers under