1. An Engagement to and profession of Faith in the Promised Seed as promised and future 2. An Engagement to Moses Law for this use it had after the Law was given Now when Christ was come that man that would still be Circumcised into and profess to expect a Messiah yet to come and that would engage himself to that Law which contained the Types of a future Messiah and was but a School-master to lead to Christ I say that person that was thus Circumcised as all were that received it according to the institution did plainly deny that Christ was come and therefore Christ could profit them nothing But yet a man that used but the outward sign to avoid an impediment to the Gospel as Paul did in the case of Timothy or if it were erroneously as a meer Custom as the Abassines now do might yet be saved by Christ nevertheless 2. And when Paul used it it was as an indifferent thing but he condemned it as supposed necessary 3. When he used it it was in the beginning of the publication of the Gospel that as Austin speaks he might give the Ceremonies an honourable burial But when he condemned it it was after the full Publication of the abolition of the Law against those that would have raked it out of the grave again 4. He bore with it in the weak but he condemned it in the wilfull 5. He bore with it in those that scrupled the forsaking it as they were Jews but he condemned it in those that would have laid this yoke as necessary on the Gentiles Object But it seems here that Paul is against the necessary observation of the Lords day when he is for esteeming all days alike Answ. If you understand the subject of the debate you will understand his speech It is only Jewish Holy-days that was the matter in Question and therefore of these only is he to be understood As for the Lords day its plain in the New Testament that Christ did not only rise upon it and appear to his Disciples on it and send down the Holy Ghost upon it but that the Disciples presently after Christs Resurrection began their Religious Assemblies on it and so continued them by the guidance of the Holy Ghost and so setled that day for the use of the Holy Assemblies of the Church calling it the Lords day Ioh. 21.19 26. Act. 2.1 20.7 1 Cor. 16.2 Rev. 1.10 And it is past all doubt in the History of the Church that since the Apostles days till now the Church hath constantly kept this day as thus established by the name of the Lords day which the Fathers called the Christian Sabbath as they applyed the name of an Altar to the Table and of a Sacrifice to the Supper of the Lord so that he that will reject the observation of the Lords day must take on him to be wiser then the Holy Ghost in the Apostles and then all the Catholick Church of Christ from the beginning till these contentious persons did arise The Text being thus explained the Doctrine before mentioned is plain in it before us viz. Doctrine IT is the will of God that the Vnity of the Church should not be laid upon indifferent small and doubtfull points but that true Believers who differ in such things should notwithstanding have inward Charity and outward Communion with one another not Censuring nor despising nor dividing from each other upon this account In handling this point I shall briefly shew you 1. What I mean by things indifferent 2. What I mean by smaller matter 's 3. What by doubtfull things or disputations And then I shall give you the Reasons of it and then Apply it 1. For the Explication 1. By things indifferent I do not mean things hic nunc indifferent in the use but things that are not ordinarily in themselves either commanded as Duties or forbidden as sins but left as Lawfull or Indifferent by the Scriptures unless as some accident or circumstance may make them to be good or evil 2. By smaller matter 's its none of my intent to perswade you that any thing that is but an appurtenance to Faith or Piety is Absolutely small But they are small in comparison of the far greater things and so small that many are saved without them and they are not of flat necessity to salvation and the Greater matters must be preferred before them 3. By things doubtfull I do not mean such as are not certainly revealed in the Scripture nor yet such as perverse Heretical men do raise doubts about when they are plain in themselves But I mean such points as are revealed certainly but more darkly then the greater points and therefore cannot be so clearly known so that the sum is this 1. Indifferent things must not be taken to be Necessary or sinful but to be indifferent 2. Lower and Lesser points must not be taken to be Greater or Weightier then they are 3. Points of less certainty that are more darkly revealed must not be taken to be more clear and certain to us then they are 4. And it is not on such darker smaller matters that God hath laid our salvation or that the Churches Unity and Peace dependeth II. FOr the fuller Demonstration of this let these Reasons be observed 1. If our Unity were laid on these smaller matters the multitude of them is such that we should never Agree in all The Essentials of Christianity are so few that all men may well be expected to learn and know and entertain them But the smaller points are so many that there is no hope of an universal Agreement in them all You know in the Body of man or Beast the great Master veins that are the stock of all the rest are but a few but follow them further and you shall have so many Divisions and sub-divisions till you find them to be many hundreds or thousands So is it with the Arteries and with the Nerves The Body of a Tree is but one and the first division perhaps is but into two or three parts but follow it to the very ends of the branches and you may find many thousands So is it in Divinity And therefore if none should be in Unity with the Church but those that understand every branch of Christian verity what hope of Union could there be 2. Moreover the smaller points are far less discernable then the greater be and therefore there is the less hope that ever the Church should have Unity in these The great armes of a Tree are easily discerned when the extremities of the branches are very small The trunks of the master-veins are great and easily seen but the points and capillar veins are so small as hardly to be perceived So God in mercy hath made very plain those few essential points of faith that salvation lyeth on but if you follow on these generals to all the particulars and appurtenances you shall find them run so small as well as so many as
Catholick Vnity OR The only way to bring us all to be of one Religion By Rich. Baxter To be read by such as are offended at the differences in Religion and are willing to do their part to heal them JAMES 3.17 But the Wisdom that is from above is first Pure then Peaceable Gentle easie to be intreated c. London Printed by R. W. for Thomas Underhill and Francis Tyton and are to be sold at the sign of the Anchor and Bible in Pauls Church-yard and at the three Daggers in Fleet-street 1660. To all those in the severall Parishes of these Nations that complain of the disagreements in matters of Religion Men and Brethren AS in the midst of all the impiety and dishonesty of the world it is some comfort to us that yet the Names of Piety and Honesty are still in credit and ungodliness and dishonesty are terms of disgrace so that those that will be ungodly and dishonest are fain to use the Mask and Vail of better names to hide their wickedness so also it is some comfort to us in the midst of the uncharitableness and discords of this age that yet the Names of Love and Concord â—ound so well and are honoured by those that are furthest from the Things For thus we seem agreed in the main cause and have this advantage in our debates that whatever shall be proved to be against Love and Unitâ— and Peace we are all oâ— us obliged by our professions to dâ—sown I may suppose that all that read these words will speak against the uncharitableness and contentâ—ons and divisions of the present times as well as I. Doth it grieve my soul to hear professed Christians so censoriously condemning and passionately reviling one another while they are proudly justifying themselves I suppose you 'l say It grieves you also Do I mourn in secret to see so many divisions and subdivisions and Church set up against Church and Pastors against Pastors in the same Parishes and each party labouring to disgrace the other and their way that they may promote their own I suppose you will say You do so tâ—o Do I lament it as the Nations shame that in Religion men are of so many minds and manage their differences so unpeaceably that it is become the stumbling block to the ungodly the grief of our friends and the derâ—sion of our enemies I know you will say that this also is your lamentation And is it not a wonder indeed that such a misery should be continued which all men are against and which cannot be continued but by our wilfull choice Is it not strange that we are so long without so great a blessing as Unity and Peace while all men say they love it â—nd desire it and while we may have it if we will But the cause is evident while men love Unity they hate the Holiness in which we must Unite While they love Peace they hate the necessary means by which it must be obtained and maintained The way of Peace they have not known or knowing it they do abhor it As well as they love Unity and Peace they love the Causes of discord and division much better The drunkard and whore-monger and worldling say they love the salvation of their souls But yet while they love and keep their sins they will miss of the salvation which they say they love And so while men love their ungodliness and dividing wayes we are little the better for their love of peace If men love Health and yet love Poyson and hate both medicine and wholsom food they may miss of health notwithstanding they love it Where know you a Parish in England that hath no disagreements in matters of Religion In this Parish where I live we have not several Congregations nor are we divided into such parties as in many other places But we have here the great division some are for Heaven and some for Earth some love a holy diligent life and others hate it some pray in their Families and teath them the word and fear of God and others do not some spend the Lords Day in holy exercises and others spend much of it in idleness and vanity some take the service of God for their delight and others are weary of it and live in ignorance because they will not be at the pains to learn Some make it the principal care and business of their lives to prepare for death and make sure of everlasting life and others will venture their souls on the wrath of God and cheat themselves by their own presumption rather then be at this sweet and necessary labour to be saved Some hate sin and make it their dayly work to root out the relicts of it from their hearts and lives and others love it and will not leave it but hate those that reprove them and endeavour their salvation And as long as this great division is unhealed what other means can bring us to any happy Unity It would make a mans heart bleed to consider of the folly of the ungodly rout that think it would be a happy Union if we could all agree to read one form of prayer while some love and others hate the holiness which they pray for and if we could all agree to use the sign of the Cross in Baptism while one half either understand not the Baptismall Covenant or wilfully violate it and neglect or hate and scorn that mortified holy life which by that solemn Vow and Covenant they are engaged to They are solicitous to bring us all to unity in the gesture of receiving the Sacrament of the Lords Supper while some take Christ and life and others take their own damnation When they should first agree in being all the faithfull servants of one Master they make a great matter of it that the servants of Christ and of the Devil may use the same bodily posture in that worship where their hearts are as different as spirit and flesh Poor people think that it is the want of Uniformity in certain Ceremonies of mans invention that is the cause of our great divisions and distractions When alas it is the want of unity in matters of greater consequence even of Faith and Love and Holiness as I have here shewed If once we were all children of one Father and living members of one Christ and all renewed by one sanctifying Spirit and aimed at one end and walked by one Rule the word of God and had that special Love to one another which Christ hath made the mark of his Disciples this were an Agreement to be rejoyced in indeed which would hold us together in the most comfortable relations and assure us that we shall live together with Christ in everlasting blessedness But alas if our Agreement be no better then to sit together in the same seats and say the same words and use the same gestures and Ceremonies our hearts will be still distant from each other our natures will be contrary and the
and conceits fulfilled even in the holy things of God or else they will revile the Pastors and make divisions in the Church And this is done by them that in other cases do seem sufficiently to reverence the place of publick Assembly as the house of God and that speak against private meetings though but for prayer repeating Sermons or singing to the praise of God while yet themselves are wilfully bent for such private meetings as are set up in opposition to the publick and that for the administration of so great an Ordinance as the Sacrament of Baptism and in cases where there is no necessity of prâ—vacy And who knows not that our Sacramentall Covenant with God and engagement to a Christian life and reception into a Christian state and priviledges is fitter to be done with the most honourable solemnity then in a conventicle in a private house Too many more such instances I could give you which shew who they be that are the enemies of our Unity Even those that cry out against divisions while they cauâ—e them and cry up Unity concord and obedience while they destroy them And shall we thus continue a division that doth prognosticate our Everlasting division Is there no Remedy for so great a misery when yet our poor ungodly neighbours mâ—y heal it if they will What if the Ministers of the severall Parishes should appoint one day of publick Conference with all the people of their Parishes together and desire all thâ—t are fit to speak to debate the case and give their Reasons why they concur not in their hearts and lives with the holy diligent servants of the Lord and let them heâ—r the Reasons why the godly dare not and cannot come over to their negligent ungodly course and so try who it is long of among them that they arâ— not of One mind and way what if the Ministers then urged it on them to agree all before they parted to unite on the terms which God will own and all uâ—animously to take that course that shall be found most agreeable to his Word and whoever doth bring the fullest proof that his course is best in reason the rest should promise to joyn wâ—th him What if we call the people together and bespeak them as Elijah did 1 Kings â—8 21 How long halt ye between two opinions If the Lord be God follow him but if Baal then follow him If a carâ—less ungodly worldly fleshly life be best and most please God and will comfort you most at death and judgement then hold on in the way that you are in and never purpose hereafter to repent of it but let us all become as sensuall as you But if it be only the life of faith and holiness and seeking first the Kingdom and Righteousness of God that God and Scripture and reason will justifie and that will comfort the soul in the hour of extremity and that you shall with a thousand times you had followed in everlasting misery when wishing is too late if now you continue to neglect it doth not câ—mmon reason then require that we all now agree to go that way which all will desire to be found in at the last One would think if a Minister should treat thus with his Parishioners and urge such a motion as this upon them they should not have the hearts or faces to deny or delay such a necessary Agreement and Engagement that would make their Parish and their souls so happy and which nothing but the Devil and the befooled corrupted minds of sinners hath any thing to say against And yet its likely we should either have such an answer as Elijah had even silence v. 21. The people answered him not a word Or else some plausible promise while we have them in a good mood which would quickly be broken come to nothing For indeed they are all engaged already by their baptismall Covenant and profession of Christianity to the very same thing and yet we see how little they regard it But yet because it is our duty to use the means for the Salvation and Concord of our people and wait on God by prayer for the success I have here shewed you the only way to both Read it impartially and then be your selves the Judges on whom the blame of our greatest and most dangerous divisions will be laid and for shame either give over complaining that men are of so many minds and profess your selves the enemies of Unity and Peace or else give over your damning and dividing course and yield to the Spirit of Christ that would Unite you to his Body and walk in Communion with his Saints and let not these warnings be hereafter a witness against you to your confusion which are intended for your salvation and the healing of our discords by An unworthy servant of Jesus Christ for the Calling and Edifying of his Members Rich. Baxter Decem. 10. 1659. The Contents THE Introduction and Explication of the Text to p. 14 Dâ—ct The true Vnity of the Catholick Church of Christ consisteth in this that they have all one sanctified Spirit within them p. 14 Explicâ—tory Propositions p. 16 Twenty Arguments to prove that Ungodliness is the great divider and that if ever there be a Vnion it must be by the ungodlies comeing ovâ—r to a holy life p. 19 Use 1. Shewing plainly who are the causes of our great divisions p. 37 Vngodliness is all Heretical opinions combined and reduced to practice p. 43 c. It is against every Article of the Creed and every one of the Commandments and every Petition of the Lords Prayer and every Ordinance of Worship p 65 They are worse then meer Sectaries p. 73 Use 2. How little cause the Papists have to glory when they draw an ungodly man meerly into their Church p. 80 Use 3. How falsly Papists and Quakers tell us that the ungodly persons are the fruit of our Ministery p. 83 Use 4. A serious Motion for Vnity and Peace to all that would have us of one Religion p. 88 Some more undenyable Reasons to prove that there is no other way of Vnity but this one p. 100 Quest. What is that Godliness that we must all unite in p. 136 Quest. What the nearer an Agreement should we be Do not the godly differ among themselves p. 178 Use 5. How little hope of perfect Vnity on earth And how much Vnity may be expected among the Godly p. 195 Quest. Whether Vnity in the Profession of one Faith Government and Worship may serve turn Ten discoveries of the insufficiency of a Vnion in meer profession p. 203 How much true godliness would conduce to heal our lesser differences and that we might do well notwithstanding them p. 234 Manifested in twenty four particulars Quest. How then comes it to pass that there are so many differences among those that you call godly Answered p. 288 Advice to the godly p. 308 Rom. 14.1 Explained p. 313 Doct. It is the will of God
is the final part of the Duty here required To keep the Vnity of the Spirit The Preserving cause is the Peaceable behaviour of the members and this is the mediate Duty here required In the bond of Peace Our own Endeavours are hereto required because as every natural body must by eating and drinking and fit exercise and usage be a cause of its own preservation and not forbear these under pretence of trusting the all-sufficiency of God and as every Political Body must by Government and Arms in case of need preserve themselves under God so must the Body of Christ the Church be diligent in using their best endeavours to preserve the Being and well-being of the whole So that you see here are two causes of the Churches Unity expressed 1. The principal Constitutive cause in which our Unity consisteth and that is The Spirit 2. The Preserving cause by which our Unity is cherished and that is Peace which therefore is called the bond of it The fifth and sixth verses do open this Vnity of Spirit in its parts effects and ends There is One Hope of our Calling that is One Heaven or Life Eternal which is the end of our Christianity and Church Constitution There is one Lord Jesus Christ One Head one Saviour one Soveraign Redeemer to whom by this Spirit the members are all United There is One Faith both one summe of holy Doctrine which all that will be saved must believe which was used to be professed by the adult at Baptism and One internal saving Faith which this Spirit causeth in our Spirits and useth it as a means of our union with Christ in whom we do believe There is One Baptism or solemn Covenanting with God the Father Son and Holy-Ghost and the same promise there to be made by all And there is One God the Father of all from whom we fell and to whom we must be recovered and who is the End of all and to whom Christ and all these means are the Way So that all these are implyed in and conjunct with the Vnity of the Spirit The sense of the Text then briefly is this As all the living true members of Christ and the Church have one Spirit and so one Faith by which they are all united to Christ the Head and so to the Father in and by him which Vnion in One Spirit is your very Life and it that constituteth you true members of Christ and his Church so it must be your care and great endeavour to preserve this Spirit in you and this vital Vnity which by this Spirit you have with Christ and one another and the way to preserve it is by the bond of Peace among your selves It is here evident then that all the members of Christ and his Body have One Spirit and in that is their Union All the question is What Spirit this is And that 's left past all doubt in the Chapter For though the common gifts of the Spirit are sometime called by that name yet these are no further meant in the Text then as appurtenances or additions to greater gifts As godliness hath the promise of the common mercies of this life as well as of the special mercies of the life to come but yet with great difference the later being absolutely promised and the former but limitedly so far as God sees best for us Even so the Spirit gave to the members of the Church both Sanctifying Grace and common Gifts but with great difference giving Sanctification to all and only the members of Christ but giving common gifts also to some others and to them but with limitation for sort and season and measure and continuance as God should see good It is then the same Holy-Ghost as our Sanctifier into whose name we are baptized as wel as into the name of the â—ather and the Son and in whom we all profess to believe that is here meant in my Text. And it is only the Sanctified that are the people United to Christ and to One another This is proved expresly by that which foâ—loweth vers 6 7. It is those that have the One Hope one Lord one Faith one Baptism one God the Father vers 12. It is the Saints and body of Christ that are to be perfected by the Ministry vers 13 15 16. It is those that must come in the Vnity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God to a perfect man to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ and that grow up in all things in Christ the Head It is the Body that is Vnited to him and compacted in Love and edifieth itself in Love vers 20 21 22 23 24. It is those that hâ—vâ— so leâ—rned Christ as to put off tâ—e â—ld man thâ—t is câ—rrupt â—nd are râ—neweâ— in the Spirit of their â—inâ—s and put on the nâ—w man which â—fter God is reâ—tâ—â— in righteouâ—neâ—s and true holiness If thereâ—â—re any words be plain its plain tâ—at its true â—aints only that are here spoken of that have the Vnity of spirit which they must preserve in the bond of Peace And therefore I shall make this Observation the ground of my discourse Doct. The true Vnity of the Catholick Church of Christ consisteth in this that they have all one Sanctifying spirit within them By the Holy-Ghost within them they are all United to Christ and to one another By this One Spirit they are all made â—aints or an Holy people having One Heaven for the matter of their Hopes One Christ their Head One summe of Christian doctrine which they believe containing all the Essentials of Christian Faith and One living principle of Faith to believe it One solemn Covenant with Christ and One God the â—ather their End and All. It is only the Sanctified that have true Christian Vnity and it is unholiness or ungodliness that is the cause of the miserable Divisions of the world Now Sirs you see the Only way to Vnity Even to have One Sanctifying spirit within us and be all an Holy People and there is no way but this Now you see the principal cause of Division even unholiness and refusing the Spirit of Grace In handling this point 1. I shall give you some Propositions that are necessary for the fuller understanding of it 2. I shall demonstrate the Point to you by fuller Evidence of Reason 3. I shall make Application of it I. PRop 1. Though it be only the Sanctified that have the true Unâ—on of Members wâ—th Chrâ—st and the Body yet all that make Profession of Sanctification and Null not that Proâ—ession have an Extrâ—nsick Analogical Union in profession As the wooden or dead leg is united to the body and the dead branch to the Vine And so even Hypocrites must not only dwell among us but be of the same visible Church with us as the chaff and tares are in the same corn-field And as long as they seem Saints we must value them and use them as Saints and love them
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
to kill You will make and apprehend it to be your Interest to go contrary to us And what Agreement can there be where there are contrary Interests Under all your outward Profession you will still retain a secret enmity and hatred to the life of holiness and will not have that hearty Love to the Saints as beseems all those that are members of Christ and of the holy Catholick Church So that when you have Communion with the Saints it will be but an external and superficial communion in some common things but you will have no Communion with them in the same Head and Spirit and Promise and Holy Nature and saving Benefits of the Gospel And shall this be called Vnity that leaveth you at so sad a distance as this This is but such a Union as a wooden leg hath to the body or as the vessels of honour and dishonour have by being in the same house together In their highest Professions the Lord himself saith of unsanctified Professors that they are none of Christs Rom. 8.9 and that they cannot be his Disciples Luke 14.33 that they are not Israel though of Israel nor are they children of God nor the seed of promise Rom. 9.6 7 8. and when they plead their highest Priviledges at last Christ will tell them that he knoweth them not Mat. 7.23 25.12 Psalm 1.5 6. And if in mercy to the Church God cause the Lyon and the Lambs to lie down together yet will he not therefore mistake the Lyon for a Lamb. So that you see what a poor kind of Unity and next to none it is that meer profession maketh And therefore this will not serve our turn 2. Moreover if we have no other Unity we are unlike to live in Peace together Though it be our duty to endeavour to have peace with all men yet we can have but little hope of it As long as there is so much difference and contrariety as I have mentioned and as long as there is a secret enmity at the heart it will be working into dissention if God for the sake of his Church restrain it not The godly will be crossing your carnal Interest and hindering you in the sinful wayes of your commodity pleasure or vain-glory They will be calling you to self-denyal which you cannot endure and putting you upon duties of Holiness Righteousness and Mercy which your sinful flesh will utterly refuse If you are scandalous you will be called to Confession Repentance and Reformation or by Church-censures be cut off from them to your shame And the Magistrate also must trouble you by the penalties of the Law The very examples of a strict and holy living which are given you by the godly will displease you because they are so unlike to your lives and therefore witness against your negligence and ungodliness So that it is not possible that we should avoid offending you for our very obedience to God will offend you and our studying and following the Holy Scripture will offend you and our diligent labour to save our souls will offend you and our hateing and avoiding the Poyson of sin will offend you And how then should we live in Peace with such If you yoak a swine and a sheep together one will be drawing to the wash-tub when the other would be at grass and one will be drawing to lie down in the mire when the other would lie clean one will be rooting in the earth and eating dung which the others nature is against It is Christ before me that calleth the wicked by the name of swine and the godly sheep And if you will come no nearer us then this we are like to have but poor Agreement And as our wayes will displease you so your galled malicious hearts will manifest the offence and will be girding and maligning if not slandering deriding or openly persecuting as far as you have power those that thus offend you And what Unity is this 3. If Reason perswade you not do but ask experience it self Whether in all ages men that Profess the same Religion with zealous godly men have not been their persecutors and oft-times more cruel then Infidels themselves The Arrians that called themselves Christians were as cruel to the true Believers as the Heathens The Papists profess the same Christianity as we and take the whole Scripture as the Word of God And yet none of the Heathenish Persecutions do match or come near to their French Massacrees and Spanish Inquisition and the cruelty that in Ireland England and their part of the Christian world they have exercised upon the sheep of Christ. The many Ministers that were silenced in Germany and some imprisoned and many Families undone was by the Lutherans against men that were Protestants as well as they And they that cast out so many Learned holy Ministers in England and occasioned the expulsion of so many thousand persons fearing God were Professed Protestants as well as we And that there may not be the appearance so much as of a difference in Ceremonies to cover their proceedings abundance of conformable men are troubled and undone as well as others and they gave out that none were worse then the conformable Puritans It was a holy observation of the Lords day and opposition to the abuse of it by Dancings and it was hearing Sermons and instructing mens families and praying together that were the things enquired after that occasioned our troubles And who ever was in the right or wrong you all know that the late miserable wars among us was between men that professed themselves to be of the same Religion not only as Christians but as Protestant and Reformed in the main To this day you see among our selves in Towns and Countries that those that do not only dwell with us and come to the same Assâ—mblies with us and profess themselves of the same Protestant Reformed Râ—ligion have yet many of them a sâ—cret malignity against the godly that will not be as loose and negligent as they and will not as madly cast away their souls And also even maâ—y greater Hypocrites that rank themselves with us in the same Church-order and seem to own all Ordinances of God and Government of the Church yet when this Government crosseth them in their carnal wayes and these Ordinances open the nakedness of their miscarriages they prove stark enemies to the Government Officers and Ordinances themselves Indeed however we may abide together as the clean and unclean creatures in Noahs Ark yet still at the heart there is so much enmity or distance and in our Ends and Interests there is so much contrariety that if the Ministers and other followers of Christ will faithfully discharge the duty that is required of them they will certainly be persecuted by men of the same Profession in Religion especially by the Prouder and Loftyer sort of wicked men Because some will receive the same truth better from one then from another I will give you my assertion in the
the application and destroy the corruptions that blind us and hinder us from perceiving the Truth Whereas the unsanctified are all in the Dark and what wonder if there they disagree and are of many minds They be not guided by the word and Spirit and they are strangers to the Light that must Reconcile us if ever we be reconciled It s true too true that the godly are illuminated but in part and therefore as yet they differ in part But yet this imperfect illumination doth more to a true and safe Agreement then all the world can do besides If you would stop your ears against the flesh yield all to the teachings of the word and Spirit we should be sooner agreed 13. And if we were once United in the Spirit and Holiness We should all have the use and benefit of all the Reconciling Healing means and Ordinances of God which would be an exceeding great advantage to us The unsanctified have but the outside the sound and shell of Ordinances but it is the Sanctified that have the light and life and fruit of them Every Chapter that you read and every Sermon that you hear will do somewhat towards the healing of our breaches It will further our Knowledge and our Love The Communion of the Saints in all holy Duties especially at the Lords Supper when they partake of one Christ will enflame their Love and humble them for their divisions and soder and glue their hearts together as being all one bread and one body And so they will be all as of one heart and soul Acts 4.32 1 Cor. 10.16 17. Acts 2.42 43 44 46. When we hear of the tender Love of Christ to his weakest members how can we choose but love them if we be his Disciples When we hear how much and how freely he hath forgiven us how can we choose but forgive them Mat. 18.35 When we have Communion with them in holy worship as servants of the same Lord as Members of the same body how can we choose but have the affections of fellow-Members 1 Cor. 12.26 When we joyn with them in Prayer or holy Conference and perceive the fragrant odour of their Graces and the holy breathings of their souls after God we cannot choose but Love Christ in them As the new Commandment so frequently pressed in the Gospel is the Law of Love Ioh. 15.12 17. and the New Nature of the Saints is a Disposition of Love for this they are taught of God effectually 1 Thes. 4.9 So the Ordinances do all of them exercise that Love and engage us to it We must leave our gift at the Altar and go first and be reconciled to our Brother if we remember he hath any thing against us Matth. 5.23 24. We must pray for forgiveness but on condition that we do forgive Differences and Divisions that make a breach in Christian Charity are so insufferable among the Saints that they long for healing and smart as the wounded body doth till the time of healing and are pained as a bone out of joynt till it be set again And as they cannot bear it themselves when they are themselves so the Church cannot bear it but is engaged to watch over them and to set them in joynt again so that God hath hedged in his Servants into one holy Society that they should not straggle from him or from each other and hath set Pastors over them for this very end to guide them and keep them in holy Unity Ephes. 4.11 12 13 14. Now all these Uniting Healing Ordinances are effectual upon the Sanctified for their hearts are open to them and their New nature is suited to the new Commandment and work But to others they are in a manner as Food or Physick to the dead They hate the power of them they break the holy Enclosure of Discipline and proudly Rebel against their Guides and say Let us break their bands and cast away their cores from us Psal. 2.3 what must we be Ruled by such and such It is but the outside of Sacraments Praises and Prayers that they are acquainted with and these have no such healing force So that in this you see the great advantage that we should have for full agreement if we were but once agreed in the main and United by the Sanctifying Spirit 14. Moreover if once we were United in the Spirit and in Holyness We should manage all our differences in a holy manner and be awakened and disposed to seek after healing in a healing way It would put us upon enquiring after Peace and studying the meetest terms of Peace till we had found out the way in which we should accord The Spirit of Love and Holiness would provoke us to begin and seek for Peace with those that will not seek to us and that seem averse to it and to follow after peace when it flyeth from us Heb. 12 14. and even to lie down at the feet of men and deny our honour and worldly Interest if it might procure Brotherly love and peace Whereas a proud unsanctifyed heart will scorn to stoop especially to those that are below them or have wronged them and will scorn to ask forgiveness of those that they have wronged When you have shewed them the plainest word of God for it and perswaded them to it with undeniable reasons you lose your labour and may almost as well perswade the fire to be cold If you will stoop and humble your self to him and ask him forgiveness and give him the honour or change your minde and be of his opinion and say as he saith and do as he would have you perhaps you may have some Peace with the most ungodly man But the servants of Christ have a spirit of Meekness and Humility and Self-denyal and therefore if there be fallings out among them they can humble themselves and seek for reconciliation If there be difference in Judgement about any weighty matters they will go or send to one another as Brethren and confer about it in Love and meekness and search the Scripture and seek after Truth and compare their evidences and Pray together for that Light and Love that must Reconcile them If they fall out they can say to one another We are Brethren and must not Live at a distance nor suffer any wounds in our Affections or any breach of Charity to remain The Sun must not go down upon our wrath Come lâ—t us go together in private and beg of God that he would repair our Love and reconcile us and prevent such breaches for the time to come And thus they can pray themselves friends again I am perswaded that one quarter of an hours fervent Prayer would do more to quiet our distempered minds and reconcile us if thus we would get together in private then many hours debates without it Now the Spirit of holiness is a Spirit of Prayer and therefore disposeth the servants of Christ as meekly and lovingly to search for Truth so earnestly to
Preachers for Ceremonies when as if Gods Will and Word in Necessary things to mens Salvation had but been preferred to the will and word of the Bishops about things called Indifferent by themselves the case had been altered and they would rather have let the ignorant have been without a Ceremony then a Sermon It is the unhappy fate of almost all that are set upon unnecessary things that they cannot endure that others should have the liberty of differing from them It is not enough to them to enjoy the freedom of their own Consciences about meats or holydaies or gestures or vestures or other formalities unless all others be compelled to do as they do When they are but moved to comply with others though plain Scripture and the practice of the Primitive Cathilick Church be justly alledged for it yet it moveth them little or nothing But if others will not comply with them they cry out against them as enemies to Unity and Peace and say It is not fit to suffer men to be of so many minds and waies That is It is fit all should be compelled to do as they would have them 12. And another mischief that followeth the making unnecessary things to be Necessary is that it openeth a gap to so many more of the same kind that no man knows how to stop it nor when we have Ceremonies and inventions enough But upon the same ground that these are brought in to day the next Pope or Bishop thinks he may bring another tomorrow and so we can never tell when we have all nor when will be an end 13. And then in the multitude of things unnecessary we shall be in danger of losing the things that are necessary they will be so buryed or obscured in the crowd the substance will scarce be perceived for the ceremony 14. And me thinks it is such height of Pride for mortal men to arrogate such a power and to desire and endeavour such a thing that I wonder how they dare attempt it I mean to make universal or unnecessary Laws for the Church in the matters of faith or worship Can a man that hath one spark of humility left in him desire that his will may be a Law to all others in doubtful or indifferent things and proceed so far as to desire that none may have Liberty in the Church that are not of his opinion or will not be ruled by him in things indifferent or of no necessity Surely a man of any humility would think with himself Am not I also imperfect in knowledge and may I not be mistaken what is my judgement that it should be a Law to the Church and that I should be so highly conceited and confident of it as to turn out godly Ministers or people from the Church or worship of God for not conforming themselves to my opinion in things of such a low indifferent nature He that would be the Law-giver to the Church and suffer none but those of his own opinion in such points would be the Lord of the Church which can know the voice of none but Christ and owneth no other Lord but him 15. And the sin is the greater because they have so little Interest or pretence to lead them to these usurpations They must have their will though it get them nothing Who made them Law-givers to the Church of Christ Cannot they allow Christ this part of the Soveraignty to make Laws for his Church And cannot they be content with a Ministerial power to proclaim and promote the Laws of Christ and according to these to guide his Church 16. And hereby men are drawn to a humane kind of Religion And they do more properly believe obey and worship these Imposers then Jesus Christ when they must fetch the very matter of their Religion not from the Bible but the Canons or Decrees of men their conscience obedience and reward will be according thereunto 17. And hereby the adversaries of the Church have occasion to insult over us and think our Differences to be more then indeed they are When the Unity of the Church is laid upon things Indifferent or of smalest moment there will presently be disagreements and these will be the enemies matter of reproach It is this that makes the Papists tell us of our differences among our selves because we have made them seem something to them when they are next to nothing O say they where is your Church of England now why what 's the matter Is the Church of England dead Or is any thing taken down that was essential to the Church of England was a Prelacy ruling by a lay-Chancelor over many hundred Parishes chosen and Governing without the body of the Clergy Essential to the Church of England I am confident the most of the sober godly Ministers in England are for the Apostolical primitive Episcopacy still Was the Book of Canons or the Book of Common Prayer or the Ceremonies Essential to the Church of England Sure they were not And if so its living still But if any say that these were Essential to it we may thank them for the death of it that made it of such a humane mortal frame which any Prince might spurn down at his pleasure Surely the Church or Churches of Christ in England are of a more heavenly durable frame that may be persecuted but hardly destroyed while the men are living of whom it doth consist Hence also it is that the Papists tell us that we have changed all our worship And wherein why we have not the same Baptism that we had nor the same administration of the Lords Supper nor the same publick Prayer nor the same way of Marrying Churching Burying c. And what 's the difference Is it that we say not at every time the very same words why so you may as well say that Paul was mutable because he wrot not the same words in every one of his Epistles nor spoke not the same words in all his Prayers no not in publick And so both you and we are mutable because we preach not the same words every day in our Sermons God hath bid us Pray but he hath prescribed us no necessary form of words but the Lords Prayer If the difference be that we use not the Common Prayer Book doth that make a different sort of worship Is it not the same sort of worship if we say the same words or words to the same sence either on the Book or off it If once men lay the Nature of worship and the Unity of the Church upon things unnecessary then what changes will seem to be in our worship when indeed there 's none Then the Papists may tell us of our divisions in worship because one man sitteth at the singing of Psalms and another stands and one readeth with spectacles and another without and one weareth a cap and another weareth none and one preacheth on one Text and another upon another But be it known to all the Papists in
who Christ is nor what it is to be a Christian are so much for kneeling at the taking of the Lords Supper that they dare not be so unreverent as to sit or stand but will raâ—her never receive at all nor are they fit till they change in a greater matter then the gesture And yet poor souls they think themselves to be very Religious and more Reverent then others and that here lyeth the difference between them It would grieve the heart of a considerate man to see a multitude of miserable sinners to live in wickedness in cursing swearing drunkenness filthiness neglect of God and a holy life drowned in worldly-mindedness and as regardless of the life to come as if they thought they should die like the beasts and even hating those that will not be ungodly as well as they and yet as hot for Ceremonies and Holy-days and kneeling at the Sacrament and the Common-prayer-Book as if they were more devout then others and it seems they have made themselves believe in good earnest that they are true Christians and Godly men because in the depth of their ungodliness they can make a stir against those that will not be of their mind and use these Ceremonies as well as they If any of you say that I am now speaking against your opinions or Ceremonies themselves as if I could not give you leave to use them you will but shew your selves mistaking hearers and false reporters No it is the laying too much stress on these matters and making Indifferent things seem Necessary as if Gods Worship or the Unity of the Church lay on them which I speak against And therefore I must needs say that both sides may be guilty of this sin Principally the Imposers of them that would have all men forc't to do as they do and next them there may be too much guilt in those that make indifferent things seem evil or lesser evils to be much greater then they are and so would make a Religion of avoiding what others make it their Religion to observe And whether your Religion lie in being for or against these points in question such as the Apostle speaks of in my Text is no great difference For the Religion of both will prove but a meer shadow yea an over hot opposing of such Middle things doth teach those that are for them to believe that they are matters of very great moment or else they think you would not make so great a matter of them And then when you have taught them by your fierce opposition to make a Great matter of them and custom and their party hath taught them to think their way is best both these set together do delude their souls and make them think that because of their Formalities they are godly men in the depths of their ignorance ungodliness and misery 20. Lastly observe how we sin against the sad experience of the Church in all Ages by laying our Religion or Unity upon these smaller or unnecessary things What hath distracted the Church so much as contendings about their Ceremonies and Orders and precedency and superiority Heresies I know have done their part especially the Arrians but smaller matters have had two great a hand in it what plentifull evidence could I give you of this The lamentable divisions of the Christian world about Easter day which the first General Council was fain to meet about and decide is too sad an Instance But alas the present Age it self hath given us too sad and plenteous proofs of it By a heap of Ceremonies and unnecessary things the Roman Church hath almost drownd both the Doctrine Worship and Discipline of Christ and miserably torn the Church in pieces and so continues to do And what work this mistake hath made in England I have no minde to tell you while our smart and sufferings tell you of it more plainly then is fit for me to do Indifferent things have shut out that which was better then Indifferent Consider well these twenty Reasons and then judge whether the Religion or Vnity of the Church should be placed in unnecessary things The imposing of them I shall speak of by it self Vse FRom the Text and Doctrine explained and confirmed we may see these following Consectaries arise 1. Hence we see the tender mercy of God to them that are sincere in the Faith though weak If their understandings be dark and their judgements in lesser things mistaken and their Consciences therein erroneous yet if they be but true Believers and right in the main and willing to know the mind of God and to obey it God would not have them excluded from the Communion of the Saints but rather received with charity and compassion and would have the stranger bear with their infirmities Rom. 15.1 He will not himself reject them and therefore he would not have them rejected or despised by his Servants Vse 2. Hence also we may see that God will bear more and so must his Church with smaller Errors then with the uncharitable or dividing management of those errors Though men should erre about meats or days or such like matters we must yet receive them and love them as Believers But yet if they will hereupon despise or censure one another to the breach of Charity and trouble of the Church for this they must be sharply rebuked as Paul here doth Vse 3. Hence also you may learn How far men should desire and enjoy a Liberty in matters of Religion and how far the Magistrate should interpose with force and how far not A liberty to live in sin or to subvert the Gospel and the souls of others the Magistrate should give to none But a Toleration in things of a lower nature that hazardeth not mens souls nor the Unity of the Church should be granted to the weak Can we be bound with Charity to receive them and yet to provoke the Magistrate to punish them and deal severelyer with them then we This may not be desired Vse 4. Hence also you may see what an enemy Popery is to the Unity of the Church and how impossible it is that the Church should have Unity upon their terms when they have composed a Religion of so many Ceremonies and unnecessary things and new devised Articles and Sacraments and none must be a Catholick Christian with them that will not be of thâ—s â—â—â—â—gion and vow or practise all their Novelties So far are they 〈◊〉 practising the Doctrine of my Texâ— that they set themselves in opâ—osition to it and place their Religâ—on and the Unity of their Church in such things as Paul here requireth us not so much as to judge one another in or in worse then these A Catholick Unity is impossible on their terms Vse 5. To conclude I advise all that are unfeigned friends to the Unity of the Church to practise the wholsom Doctrine of this Text. If you have Zeal there 's sin enough in your selves and oâ—hers to lay iâ— out upon Bear
the world that our Religion is not changed at all Our worship is the same whether within Book or without Our Prayers are the same for matter with those in the Common Prayer Book And if I should one day use the Common Prayer Book and another day forbear it I should not change the worship of God To pray is part of his worship but whether it be on a Book or off it is no part at all but only a mode or circumstance which may be altered as occasion serveth I doubt not but a Book is fittest for some but not for all And do they think that we know not what adding and chopping and changing they have made with their Mass Book Who is it then that hath changed their worship Is it like the same Book that it was before the changes made by Gregory the great It was so ordinary a thing to change the manner and forms of worshp that private Bishops did it without any Synods whence else had the world the forms that are now in use Tell us how many of those in the Biblioth Patrum were made by Apostle or General Council if you can When Basil the great had set up a new way of singing to God and made some other changes in worship the Clergy of Neocesarea were offended with him for the novelty and told him that none of that was used in Gregory's dayes To whom he answers that neither was their own Letany known in Gregory's dayes who yet had lived not 140 years before and was the famous founder of their Church by miracles Basil Epist. 63. And Basil added to the Clergie of Neocesara But how can you tell that these things were not in use in Gregories daies when you have kept nothing unchanged which he was used to And that you may see his mind in this he adds But I pardon all these things though God will examine all Only let the principal things be kept safe If we had changed the Sacraments as the Papists have done viz. a Commemorative Sacrifice into a Real Sacrifice of Christ himself the Sacramental Body and blood of Christ into the Real Body and blood the administration of it in both kinds into one kind alone defrauding the people of the cup the Communion into a private Mass the people only looking on the Priest when he receiveth alone himself c. I say had we made such changes as these they might have called us changelings indeed and have told us of novelties in the worship of God 18. Moreover this laying so much upon lower or unnecessary things doth impoverish the soul and make it low and empty and formal according to the matter that it hath to work upon As the great unquestionable Truths of God are they that sanctifie and elevate the soul and leave their Image on it so will contending about private opinions or laying out our zeal in ceremonies and shaddows depress the soul and famish it and turn our Religion into a shaddow We find by sad experience that people are so prone to turn all Religion into meer words and shews and customary formalityes that when we have done our best we cannot cure them of this mortal sin God is a Spirit and will have such worshippers as worship him in spirit and in truth John 4.23 We have little need to cherish this disease of hypocrisie seeming histrionical outside Religiousness when we see so many perish by it after all that we can do for their deliverance 19. And this making a Religion of unnecessary things or laying the Churches Unity thereon is a dangerous snare to delude the Ignorant and ungodly and make them believe that they are godly people and in the way to Heaven as well as others I use not this or any Argument against the profitable use of any forms in order to the understanding of the matter nor against the due circumstantiating of the worship of God But if profitable forms and Gods own Ordinances are somwhat lyable to this abuse we cannot devise how to increase the danger and quite enthral these miserable souls more certainly then by multiplying unnecessary formalityes and placing Religion and Unity in them For they that are most ignorant and empty of the Love and fear of God and the bitterest enemies to a Heavenly life will presently set in with these formalities and make themselves a Religion of these and then they will take themselves as godly as the best You shall never make them believe that they are ungodly They think the difference lyeth but in the way and manner of serving God You serve him one way and they another but yet they serve him as well as you Yea they will overdo in these Indifferent things that they may make up that which is wanting in true godliness and then they will think that they are better and righter then you Thus did the Heathens cry out against the ancient Christians with a Tollite impios away with the ungodly and killed them and cast them to wild beast to be torn by them because they would not worship their Idols And so many ungodly wretches now that will not be perswaded to a Holy life will yet cry dow others as impious because they observe not all the Ceremonies which they observe When we have used all the means we can to bring them to the study of the Scripture and to meditate in the Law of the Lord and to holy conference and servent prayer to hatred of sin the contempt of the world the mortifying of the flesh to the Love of God above all to a thankful admiration of the Love of Christ and the great mystery of Redemption to the believing delightful forethoughts of everlasting life and preparation for it c. I say when we have done all to bring them to this which is godlyness indeed we lose our labour and leave them as we find them They cannot away with so precise a life But yet a Religion they will have instead of it to deceive their souls and quiet them in the way to Hell For instance I must speak it with grief of heart that I meet with no small number among us that know not who Christ is some say he is God and not man some say he is man and not God some say he was made both God and man at once some say he is neither God nor man but a Spirit some say he is not God but the Son of God and hath the power of God given him Abundance say that he is God only and not man now he is in Heaven though he was both on earth and very many know not what Christianity is nor wherein the Christian Religion doth consist And yet all these persons that are Heathens rather then Christians are the most zealous Keepers of Christmass as it is called and the bitterest condemners of those that do not and so do make themselves believe that they are Christians as well as others The same persons that know not