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A60131 An exhortation to repentance, and union among Protestants, or, A discourse upon the burden of Dumah Shower, John, 1657-1715. 1688 (1688) Wing S3663; ESTC R38911 54,488 64

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for us who can be against us Rom. 8.31 we are apt to question the Power of God this is at the bottom of our unbelieving Fears were it otherwise See Numb 11.19 21. we should not believe and trust God least when Dangers are greatest When Abraham's faith had overcome that Difficulty about the Power of God he was able to triumph over all discouragements Hebr. 11.17 18 19. God can do more abundantly for us than we can ask or think and give Spiritual and Temporal Salvation at once that upon Mount Sion there shall be Deliverance and Holiness too Obad. 47. Let us not then be discouraged God rules over all the Kingdoms of the Earth and changeth the Government and Governours of them as he pleaseth He hath tossed up and down the Powers of the world by turns and can and will do the like again as shall best serve the ends of his Glory and the accomplishment of his word Sometimes almost all the Princes of Europe have been Protestants and on a sudden the scene hath changed and the most of them have given their Power to the Beast In one year Anno Christi 1619. See Rushworths Collect 17 Jacobi 1. when in Holland the Synod of Dort was called the King of England was a Protestant and the Prince Elector Palatine a Protestant was chosen King of Bohemia and four or five Princes in Germany were also Protestants insomuch that some were ready to cry out the Golden Age was come and the Glory of the latter Times But within one year all was turned again when the Bohemians were routed and their new King and Queen forced to fly into Holland being over-thrown by the Imperial Forces in the famous Battel at Prague Upon which the Protestant Union in Germany declin'd and most of the Princes of it reconciled themselves to the Emperor and only interceded for the Palatine but in vain We must trust in God and live by faith notwithstanding all the changes and revolutions of the world tho the Kings of the Earth should not be Nursing Fathers to the Church as well as when they are The last Counsel is mutual Forgiveness and Forbearance with serious endeavors in our several Places after Christian Concord And because of the seasonableness of this advice to English Protestants I shall speak of it under several Considerations which may enforce the duty and assist us in the performance of it First Consider the Common obligations we are all under as Christians to Brotherly Love and Charity and to endeavor the Unity and Peace of the Church These things were never discommended by any and therefore it will not be needful to say much in the Praise of them as that Love is the fulfilling of the Law the End of Faith the badge of a Christian c. that all Knowledge Gifts Utterance Sufferings are in vain where this is wanting But 't is Ignorance and mistake concerning the nature of Brotherly Love and Union and of the way and means that lead to it that hath made our Divisions and the Consequences of them so mischievous to the Church of God. For the Unity of the Church in Faith and Love may very well be preserved without having just the same Conceptions of all Revealed Objects Such an Union as that is morally impossible and can never be expected and therefore to endeavor the Peace of the Church on that Foundation is an hopeless and vain attempt As much may be said concerning an Union in doubtful unscriptural Rites Orders and Ceremonies None of our Lords commands of Unity or directions for it do either require or so much as mention this Many lesser Differences in opinion and practice are consistent with the nature ends and fruit of that Vnity recommended and enjoyned by the Gospel if such differences be but manag'd with a spirit of love mutual Forbearance and condescention Our great care must be to Remember our Relation to the Vriversal Church of Christ upon Earth which is first in order of nature by our Baptism before our Relation to any particular Church and is both more noble more necessary and more Durable We must therefore take heed of confining our Love to any one Party of Christians because of our mind and way altogether as unreasonable as to love only those of our own Age Stature or Complexion lest the great and more comprehensive Interest of Christians and Provestants be forgotten and neglected lest a narrow Zeal for a small Party of Christians should prejudice the Interest of the Universal Church or cause of Christianity There is one God and one Lord one Head and one Saviour into whose name we are all Baptized one Covenant which all in Baptism make with this one God and Saviour One spirit whereby we are all Regenerated one New Creature in all Holy Christians begotten by this Spirit One Gospel the Rule of Faith and Life and Foundation of our Common Hope one Body of Christ both Mystical and Visible all real Christians are members of the former and all professing Christians of the latter by visible subjection to Christ as their Head one way of Faith and Holiness wherein all must walk one End and Happiness which all expect and one Heaven where all the Children of God shall meet and live forever however they fall out by the way with one mind and Heart in one Blessed work of Praising our Creator Redeemer and Sanctifier From hence cannot but result an obligation to Brotherly love and Unity in seeking the Peace and Prosperity of the whole Christian Church not reproaching others as Hereticks and Schismaticks who are not of our mind in lesser things not partially excusing the faults of them who are and aggravating those of other Christians and Brethren whose salvation we should desire and endeavor and not lay snares before 'em much less hate and persecute 'em because in some things they do not think and speak and act as we do How unbecoming is it the Disciples of the Prince of Peace his Ministers especially to render the greatest part of Christians odious and tempt the weak to Slanders Judgings and Envies which are fruits of the Flesh If ever God will Heal his Broken Churches a spirit of Love and Unity and moderation must be reviv'd instead of fierce dividing zeal and the H. Scriptures alone be thought a sufficient Rule and no mens Confessions made the Test of Church Communion any farther than as plainly agreeing with the H. Scriptures Concord and Union upon such terms in which we are all agreed must be our Cure if ever we are cured But Healing Truths are never likely to be entertain'd among us till God give healing spirits to the Pastors and Leaders of the Church The Concessions of the moderate men of all Parties would be a sufficient foundation for Agreement in Christian love to one another for the Interest of the whole managing the lesser differences with mutual forbearance and condescention without endangering or troubling the Church Loving
those with whom we cannot in all particulars joyn corresponding with them in what we can praying for and with them Treating them as Brethren and subjects of the Kingdom of Christ pittying them in their Afflictions Sufferings Errors and Temptations relieving their wants as we are able having no aversation to their Persons not seeking their Hurt or rejoycing in it not judging or censuring them any otherwise than natural Reason and the Rule of Scripture will allow much less rejecting them from the Body of Christ by unchurching of ' em They who are thought to go farthest from the Church of England's Discipline while they all acknowledg the Doctrine of the 39 Articles however they may be accused have declared their Moderation as to their Brethren from whom they differ in as full and charitable Expressions as can well be desired * Mr. Phil. Nye hath wrotea book to prove the lawfulness of hearing the Preachers in Parish Churches and before him Ames against Johnson Treatise of Evang. Love and Unity p. 85 86. God forbid saith Dr. Owen that any such thought should enter into our Hearts as tho the Churches constituted in all things according to our light and the rules we apprehend apointed in Scripture for that purpose should be the only true Churches in the World and whilst we judge others to be true Churches we shall not be much moved or provokt by their Judgment who think ours are none because we differ from them and plead for Reformation beyond their measure We have the same thoughts of the Christian Churches in Europe called Reformed the same love towards them the same readiness for Communion with them as we would desire any Disciples of Christ in the World to have bear or exercise towards us We do not think that the things wherein they fail wherein they miss or out-go the rule are in their own nature absolutely destructive of their Church State. Dear Experience one would think should now call us to mutual forbearing one Another in Love. And whatever be the Reward of Reconcilers from men commonly to be ill thought and spoken of by many of the differing parties yet he that calleth to Love and union calls to Holiness All that is against Love is against Holiness against God against Christ against his Spirit his Church and the Interest of Mankind The want of forbearing one another in Love hath brought us more than once very near to Ruin. And how long and how often have we been warned of this Preface to his Interest of England The pious and Judicious Mr. Corbet told our Brethren thirty years ago That they who contemned All Overtures of Peace Union and Accommodation might come to see the need and know the want of it as well as others for who knoweth said he what God is doing or where will be the end of his working whose Judgments are unsearchable and past our finding out And how often hath the Reverend Mr. Baxter told the world to the displeasing some of all Parties that what Party soever it be that endeavors a Union by the Extirpation and Ruin of the other part whether Episcopal Presbyterian Independent or Anabaptist is Schismatrcal and takes the way of Desolation Secondly Consider the impossibility of our agreement in things Dark Doubtful and Numerous and the unreasonableness of endeavoring it by ways of Violence The terms of Christian Vnion laid down by the Apostle 4 Ephes 1 2 3 4 5. are sew and sure plain and possible And after all the methods that have been tried by any to bring us to unite upon other terms than those of the Scripture we see they are as far from effecting it as ever Every one must endeavour to be fully persuaded in his own mind as to what he is to believe and practise in things sacred and Religious nor may he make his own understanding the Rule of Truth and Worship unto others Every Conscientious man ought to be determin'd by his own reason and Judgment regulated by the word of God concerning his duty as to the Edification of his Soul. For men to adhere to any particular Church or to refuse communion with any when opportunity offers on any other account than because they think it their Duty to do so is neither becoming Men or Christians And they wo are Conscious of their own Sincerity herein will be most inclin'd to judge favourably of Others who differ from them and to hope that they also Act sincerely upon the like Principle according to their Light. And will likewise be carefull how they fasten ill and odious Consequences upon those different Opinions which Others hold if they be such as they disown and would detest the Doctrines if they were convinc't that any such Consequences did belong to them After all that can be said or done to justifie the Severities which any have used in such Cases towards their Brethren I exclude none who have at any time been guilty the greatest part of Sober men will still believe that all Power from God to Christian Princes and Pastors is for Edification and not for Destruction that he never gave any against his own Laws and the Interest of the souls of men They will still think that they are most concerned it should be for the wellfare of their own souls and can best tell what they find to be profitable or hurtful to 'em and most for their edification and that if no Humane Authority can tye up a man to eat that which he cannot digest so neither to attend that Ministry only which they do not find so much to the Advantage and Edification of their souls as some other which God affords them The different Relishes of the minds of men may here be considered and the benefit of gratifying them in order to edification For I know of some and hear of many who profess that they are never more Reverent devout and serious and their Hearts more affected than in the use of the Common Prayer others profess with the like seriousness as to themselves that they Experience the Contrary And shall we think it reasonable that they should be obliged to the measures of the former or that either should censure the other as not belonging to Christ on that account Is there any Law of Christ any Rule of the Gospel any duty of Love to the Brethren that can require men to hinder their Edification or to joyn in ordinary local Communion there where they cannot attain the great ends of Church Communion Nevertheless we must be Careful not to have the Faith of our Lord I. James 2.1 Christ with respect of Persons For there is a culpable Partiality with respect to Ministers causing Envyings ● Cor. 3.3.4 Divisions and Strifes which the Apostle condemn'd in the Church of Corinth Were Ministers humble and self-denying and did we more Earnestly desire and seek the Honour of God the Advancement of Holiness and the salvation of souls we should rejoyce if the people