found some Souldiers who at first were forced in or Officers who came corruptly by their places suppose whole Troops or Companies of these who yet being in prove as good Souldiers as faithful skilfull valiant for the Cause as any other it may be beyond any others think you these would not be owned by the Army when they should be found such Or suppose in Marriage at the first the Parties marry while not of years of discretion or to please Parents or the like yet afterward come to love and live in their Marriage-relation according to the Word thinke wee these shall not be owned as Husband and Wife so is the case here Let mee for present suppose these men or Churches to whom I speak to be at their fiâ—st gathâ—ring according to the purest patterne and let mee also suppose another Company irregularly joyned it may be forced in and that also whilst they are ignorant prophane c. and that their Minister also was put upon them now if the Lord please to worke upon those effectually so that Minister and people grow sound in the faith holy in their lives pure in their worship zealous for the truth when possibly they who boast of their first joyning are grown like Sardis to have a name to be alive and yet are dead c. shal we thinke the Lord Jesus wil not owne the other before themselves yes doubtlesse and so should all his people give me leave to adde one thing more That the notion of making the first gathering of people into Church-fellowship to be the rule to direct us with whom we may joyne or not joyne this I say may make us refuse some Churches upon whom are apparently seen the Scripture Characters of a Golden Candlestick and imbrace communion with others only upon a humane testimony or report for in that Church above mentioned I may see a visible profession of soundnesse in faith and holinesse there in the other men only tell me the first were not orderly gathered and the others were to conclude this branch this principle of renouncing all Churches for want of a supposed orderly gathering or for want of some such desirable perfection which themselves injoy is so dangerous and schismatical that I feare not to say that it is more lawful to have a Church-standing in the corruptest Church in the world where salvation and life may be obtained by the doctrine held out and the way profest in that Church though there should be very many frailties and corruptions amongst them then with that company how holy soever it seemes to be that wil necessitate such as joyne with them to renounce communion with all the rest of the Body of Jesus Christ upon earth Thirdly another principle of Schism and which I conceive to be of larger and of farre greater extent and may make a fairer plea for it selfe then yet any named is that which shuts up many servants of Christ that they cannot joyne nor afford Christian communion unto others for some particular errours found in their profession of faith or some frailties found in their conversation I say that principle which makes the servants of Christ deny communion to them to whom Christ wil not deny communion to interdict communion with them with whom Christ doth not interdict communion is a renting principle Conceive my meaning in a plaine comparison Suppose in a Corporation there were some rules given by their Charter and Founder concerning their infranchizement that whosoever is so and so qualified shal be a Free-man if that Corporation or any number shal deny freedome to any so qualified or shal disfranchise any for any offence for wch the Charter whereby they all stand doth not warrant them they are guilty of rending their Charter and they usurpe a power not given them by their founder so is it in the Church let me give a few instances Take the Churches in the Apostles time some of them did think it utterly unlawful to eat any meat that had been offered to an Idol some did think all days were alike some thought that it was utterly unlawful to eat any thing but herbes c. Suppose now that the number of those who held these opinions should have gone to the rest of the Church and said You are too lax in your principles unlesse you will renounce that carnall ungodly liberty which you take to eate in Idols temples or to eate meat that hath been offered to an Idol c. we professe we must renounce communion with you they had been Schismaticks in doing so If on the other side the Church had called them and said You by your strict opinions cut short the liberty Christ hath purchased for us by his bloud unlesse you lay aside these conceits of yours we cast you out then the Schisme had laine on their part because the Charter of Christianity hath provided that for these things the people of God should not rent one from another but bear one with another that thereby they might heale one another Come a little nearer our own times Take the Reformed Churches as now they stand all the Churches of France and Geneva though they be sound in their faith yet generally they are against the divine institution of the Lords day Goe to Helvetia amongst the Switzers generally the Churches there are against all Divine-right of any Church-government and require nothing but the help of the Magistrate to keep their people in order Go from them if you wil among the Lutherans among them are many as we judge dangerous opinions the Arminian points and besides them Consubstantiation and the ubiquity of Christs body and the like The like might be said in many particulars of the Swedes and Danes all these Churches being sound in the fundamentals and owned by Christ ought also to own one another there are indeed some doctrines wherein if men or Churches be not sound the Lord Christ wil have nothing to do with them or if a Churches worship be Idolatrous the Lord Christ wil not hold communion with them but there are some errours in doctrines and corruptions in conversation for which though Christ like them not he doth not reject them apply this to our purpose At this day the Socinians deny the Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ the Deity of the Holy Ghost the Trinity of Persons they deny that Jesus Christ hath merited or satisfied for his people these doctrines overthrow our Christianity and we count the holders of these to have nothing with Christians in common but only the name therefore we renounce them The Papists also besides some fundamentall errours as justification by the merit of our owne workes c. are most abominably Idolatrous in their worship and the Lord therefore bids us come out from them but take all the rest of the Churches of Christ in Europe and I humbly conceive that we ought and must owne them to be Churches of Christ and therefore when the Calvinists and the
of Schisme from their principles of judgement their principles of judgement carry them to the practice of that which is a rending of the Church Others though their principles of judgement be right yet are Schismaticall through principles of a corrupt heart and spirit I shall speake to both these but principally to the first sort First all those whose erroneous judgements make them Schismaticall as I conceive may all be brought to these foure First Independency properly so called is one of the highest principles of Schisme all such Christians whether they be single persons or associated bodies yea though all the Christians in a Nation associated into a body doe looke upon themselves as absolute and independent from the rest of the Church of Christ with whom the rest of the Church of Christ hath nothing to doe this I say is one of the highest principles of Schisme in the world but doe not mistake me I know there are some called and branded with the name of Independency who professe they abhor both the name and thing I meane such as conceive that a particular Church hath all power in it selfe and that no other assembly can authoritatively call them to an account so as to dissolve their sentences or excommunicate them because they conceive that the government of the Church is not placed in Synods or in any other Assembly then that of a particular Congregation yet readily acknowledge that themselves are but part of the Church and ought to be countable to the Church of Christ for their wayes and that if upon brotherly counsel given by other Churches they reforme not they may and ought to with-draw from all Christian communion with them whether their way of being countable be right or no I dispute not only I say this is not the Independency here intended but I meane any man or company of men who looke upon themselves as an intire Civil State or Common-wealth lookes upon it selfe how small soever it be as in Italy there are some such which containe not above one City or two yet they count all the world hath nothing to do with them nor are they to be countable to any other State no not to the whole world any further then their owne interest carries them either for their owne safety or as they make use of them this is true State independency so is it here when any persons or company of Christians looke upon themselves as totum quid seorsum as men by themselves and in their intentions carry not themselves as parts of the great Common-wealth accounting it a thing little or nothing materiall so they professe the Name and faith of Christ and serve him whether they doe it in the communion of the Catholick Church or out of it as if they were not persons contained within the whole or part of the same Common-wealth this I say is high and deep Schism the very nature of Christs Church being one Body requires that whatsoever any whether persons or Churches do in matters of Religion teaching or being taught praying fasting Almes-giving in word and Sacraments yea in beleeving loving hoping c. should all be done intentionally with relation to and communion with the whole Church of Christ this first principle lies deep rooted many live by it though few wil own it 2 Others are deeply schismatical from principles of judgement who are so farre in love with their own constitution or way of Association into Church-Order that they condemne all the other Assemblies throughout the world as no Churches of Christ because they be not modelled and moulded according to the Plat-form of their own particular Church-order and association I doe not deny but it is possible that some of Gods people may have some such great mistakes lye upon them that they cannot possibly joyne in all Christian ordinances with any congregation in the world as the converted Christian Jewes while they were under that apprehension that no man ought to be owned but he that was circumcised I say as long as that errour possest them they could never joyn in all Ordinances with the rest of the Gentiles and how farre the rest of the people of God should beare with such and still own them as Christs servants is a thing worth the studying but certainly the principle it selfe is most destructive to the unity of the Church To refraine fellowship and communion with such Churches or Companies who professe Christ their Lord whose faith is sound whose worship is Gospel-worship whose lives are holy unlesse they will come into that very particular way of Church order which they have pitched upon is a dreadfull renting of the Church of Christ to peeces for if all Christs people in the world are one body and all thereby bound to have communion one with another then certainly that principle which necessitates men to cast off it may be nine hundred ninety nine parts of a thousand must needs be dangerous and Schismatical of this none are so guilty as the Church of Rome who circumscribe the Church of Christ within the precinct of the Roman Jurisdiction and cast off all Christians and all Churches in the East West North and South yea cast them off from all hope of Salvation who subject not themselves to their way 2. Nor can our rigid Separatists bee any way excused who censure and condemne all other Churches whatever their faith worship and conversation be meerly because they are not gathered into Church-order according to their own patternes This so strict bounding of our christian communion by outward formes I humbly conceive hath been a great and almost generall fault among the Churches of Europe ever since the Reformation in some Churches the large forme of the confession of their faith is made the Shibboleth without owning and subscribing to this without abating of a tittle no communion to be injoyed in other Churches without conforming to their formes of Prayers Rites and Ceremonies in administration of the Sacraments no communion to be injoyed in others without submitting to their forme of Church-government no communion and with these of whom I now speake without submitting to their manner and forme of gathering into Church-fellowship none to be owned or acknowledged to be Churches of Christ but alas how little is to be found in Scripture to bound our fellowship and communion of Saints by any of these things In the Scripture Churches are cryed up or downe commended and blamed according as their fundamentall faith was sound and their lives holy and I doubt not but one day we shall all judge those Churches the best whose substantial faith is soundest and lives most holy whether their first manner of gathering were every way regular or not Suppose that in an Army the Lawes of that Army were That none should be prest to serve but all to come in as Volunteers that their Officers should bee so and so chosen and qualified now suppose in this Army should be
A SERMON PREACHED To the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen of the City of London at their Anniversary meeting on Easter Monday April 1652 at the SPITTLE WHEREIN The Unity of the Saints with Christ the Head and especially with the Church the Body With the duties thence arising are endeavoured to be cleared Tending to heale our Rents and Divisions The second Impression corrected by the Authour By STEPHEN MARSHAL B. D. and Minister of the Gospel at Finchingfield in Essex 1 Cor. 12. 13. By one Spirit we are all baptized into one body whether wee be Jewes or Gentiles whether we be bond or free and have been all made to drinke into one Spirit Zach. 8. 19. Therefore love the truth and peace LONDON Printed by R. I. for Stephen Bowtel at the Bible in Popes Head-Alley 1653. To the RIGHT HONOURABLE THE Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen of the famous City of LONDON Right Honourable MY earnest desire to help quench the flames of our Church-divisions which threaten destruction to us all put mee upon the study of this Theame when I was called to Preach at your late solemne Anniversary meeting the same desire hath perswaded me to yeeld ready obedience to your Order for the publishing of it I doubt not but as it was the prayer of our blessed Saviour That all his Saints might be one so it is the desire of all true Christians that Jesus Christ would make all his to be of one mind and of one heart and when they cannot be of one minde yet to be of one heart and I am as assured that in his due time he will effect it when that blessed time is approaching such Doctrines as this plaine Sermon holds forth will be more seriously studied and more readily imbraced then they are at this day If this mite may contribute any thing to it yea if it doe but provoke divided and ingaged men to search the Scriptures whether these things here delivered be true or not and especially if it occasion some other of his servants who have obtained greater ability and more leasure to arise and put their hand to this worke of reconciliation and pacification I should then hope that the Day-star of our peace begun to appear however I have peace in the discharge of my duty and humbly commend the healing of all our breaches to him who is the Prince of peace to him also I commend your selves and your great work and subscribe my selfe Your Servant in and for the Lord STEPHEN MARSHALL The Unity of the Saints with Christ and especially among themselves ROM. 12. 4 5. For 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 THat you may the better understand the true scope of the Holy Ghost in these words it is necessary that I carry you a little back The Apostle having in the eleven first Chapters at large opened the Doctrine of Faith begins in this twelfth Chapter with the second part of our Christian Religion which is the Doctrine of Evangelicall obedience and there hee first propounds the generall nature of it That it is a giving up of our selves to be holy and living sacrifices unto God yeelding unto him a reasonable service Secondly He sets it out by the generall rule of it and that is first Negative not to bee conformed to the world the modes and customes and manners of men And Secondly Positive viz. to search and know with a renewed minde what is the will of God and as the will of God is discovered to imbrace and obey it acknowledging it to be a good and an acceptable will to us these two are generall Then in the next place hee begins more particularly to shew wherein this will of God doth stand or what he hath revealed for the direction of his people And in the third verse he doth propound one particular rule to which because he would have it take the better place he makes this Preface I say through the grace that is given me as if hee should have said I propound that which through mercy I well understand to be a most excellent and necessary rule viz. That every one would be earefull to imploy that talent which the Lord hath trusted him with within the compasse of his owne line and place thereby to be usefull and profitable to the whole that is the scope of those words That no man should thinke more highly of himselfe then he ought to thinke but to think soberly according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith the same thing which the Apostle 1 Cor. 12. 7. means by the manifestation of the Spirit which is given to every man to profit withall to be faithfull in the imployment of that talent which the Lord hath be trusted him with and to use it within the bounds of his own line and calling and not to thrust himselfe into other mens office or worke which the Apostle afterward more fully prosecutes verse 6 7 8. Now because some man might a little wonder that the Apostle should begin with this as the very first duty which he imposeth upon Christians that therefore the necessity and weight of it might the more appear he useth a most apt and elegant similitude look as it is in the natural body of man the members are very many take the joynts and sinews nerves and vaines c there are abundance of them and every one of them is indowed with some faculty or other and all the multitude of members doe make but one body wherein every member doing its owne office the whole is nourished and should they neglect the performance of what God in Nature had intrusted them with or should not each of them keepe to their owne worke this neglect or disorder would tend to the destruction of the whole even so hath the Lord appointed and ordered it in the Church of Christ that all the people of God scattered throughout the world though their multitude bee not to be numbred yet all these are all compacted by the Lords institution into one body and in this one body they are all of them not onely members of Jesus Christ the head but every one of them members one of another and given gifts and abilities to be imployed by them for their common good each needing another each bound to helpe one another and by what every one is bound in his place to supply the whole Church which is the body of Christ growes up to perfection as is most excellently laid down Ephes. 4. 16. And thus I have brought you to my Text and opened the generall scope and meaning of it which words in themselves doe containe the Unity of the Saints in one body with Christ the head and each of them one with another from which without any more preamble or interpretation I propound this one onely
Lesson viz. The whole Church or the collection or aggregation of all the Saints are one body in Christ of which body Christ is the head and all the Saints are members Which I will indeavour briefly to explain and then come to that branch which I have chosen to insist upon this day Know then that our Lord Jesus Christ in the Scripture is said to have a twofold body the one a natural body that body which was conceived in the wombe of the Virgin which was borne into the world wherein Christ lived which dyed rose againe and is now ascended up into heaven this natural body of Christ is not the body meant in my Text But secondly Christ hath another body very often mentioned in the Scripture which is called his mysticall body or a body in a mystery but because that may be looked upon but as a blinde which every man may interpret according to his own fancy therefore the Spirit of God hath taught us that the collection or aggregation or the thus gathering together of all the Saints in one which the Scripture cals the body of Christ though it be not his naturall body yet it is to him as his naturall body and this I pray you to marke and give me leave to prove because it is the onely foundation of all the Discourse that I am this day to make to you I say The Church when the Scripture cals it the body of Christ is to him as his naturall body that is they stand to Christ in the same relation that the naturall body doth stand to the naturall head and Christ stands to them in the same relation that a natural head doth to the naturall body and all the members that is all beleevers or Saints ' stand in the same relation one to another as the members of a naturall body doe stand one to another this I say is the foundation of all and out of the many Texts which might bee alledged to prove it I shall onely to this which I have in hand which saith expresly that wee are all one body in Christ and every one members one of another mention two more which are so plaine that he that runs may read this truth in them one is in the 1 Cor. 12. Indeed almost the whole Chapter is a proofe and an improvement of this one truth the Apostle tels them in the beginning of the Chapter that there are given to the Church diversities of gifts diversities of administrations diversities of operations and all these come from the same Spirit and this Spirit that gives these gifts and administrations and operations hee gives them all to this end that there may be a profiting of the whole and presently that you may understand his meaning tels us that look as it is in the naturall body there is abundance of members joyned and every one have their severall office for the good of all so is Christ saith he by Christ there he doth not mean Jesus Christ in his humane nature onely but Christ mysticall Christ and all his members gathered into one and then goes on in the thirteenth verse and tels us That by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body whether Jewes or Gentiles bond or free and are all made to drink into one Spirit and so throughout to the end of the Chapter prosecutes the same comparison of Christs being as a naturall head to his Church and all the Saints as naturall members to Christ and one to another and the duties which follow thereupon The other place is Ephes. 4 from 12. to 17. in the beginning of the Chapter he exhorted them earnestly to live in love and keepe the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace to provoke them the better to it he shews them verse 4. 5 and 6. in how many things they are one of which you shal hear more afterward Then vers 7. he addes that each of them had received gifts which were the fruits of Christs ascention all which were given for the converting edifying and perfecting of the body of Christ untill it attaine unto the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ that they all might grow up in all things unto him that is the head even Christ Now that it might appear what kinde of head and body is meant he presently fals upon this similitude of a naturall body verse 16. From whom the whole body fitly joyned and compacted together by that which every joynt supplieth according to the effectual working in the measure of every part maketh increase of the whole body to the edifying of it selfe in love And almost parallel to this is Col. 2. 19. where the Apostle tels us that from Christ the head all the body by joynts and bands is knit together receives nourishment administred and so increaseth with the increase of God Nothing can be plainer that look as it is in the naturall body the Lord hath so cast it and what the Head doth for its part the Liver for its part the Heart for its part the Brain for its part and every Joynt and Sinew for its part the whole body growes up to a full stature and all grows up together so hath the Lord ordained and cast it to be in the Church of Christ Now this foundation being laid that though the Church be not Christs naturall body it is yet as his naturall body The great Question is Wherein doth this comparison or resemblance stand To that I answer first it is easie for a man to name many particulars wherein the comparison will not hold betwixt the Church and a naturall body and it is as easie for a man to name many things wherein they are very like one to another but we must not be wise beyond the Scripture nor stretch it any further then the Lord intends it I humbly conceive that the comparison lies properly in these two things First That as in the naturall body the members and every member hath a reall union with the head for its owne part having the same spirit animating it that is in the head and thereby hath a communion with and dependance upon the head in all the offices that the head can do for it so every particular Christian or member of the Church hath a reall indissoluble spiritual union and conjunction with the Lord Jesus Christ having his Spirit communicated unto them which is the foundation of all their communion the very root and principle of their spirituall life and which inables them every one for their part to live unto Christ that is one Secondly Which is the thing I intend that as in the natural body all the members doe not onely meet in the head as all the lines do meet in a Center and are one there though they do not touch one another anywhere else but they are all by the wonderfull power and wisdome of God so contrived and compacted and joyned
of whom originally are all things and to whom alone as supreame all their addresses are made in the mediation of Christ and in whom alone they all acquiesce and rest as their supream good and last end and is therefore here said to be above them all and through them all and in them all above all in regard of his Soveraignty and divine Eminency through them in regard both of his providentiall and gracious administrations and in them all in regard of his neare relation and conjuction with them in Christ his Sonne In all these seven things all the people of God throughout the world are one they all of them have a state standing and membership in the same body they all are anoynted by the same Spirit and all the gifts of the Spirit are intended for the good of them all they all have the same common salvation they all have their accesse to God in the name and mediation of the same Christ and all doe imbrace the same common truths they all live upon the same Gospel-ordinances and administrations and they all serve and reverence and seeke to injoy and rest in one supream God who is our God and the God of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in all these things they have copartnership fellowship and are herein as I may say heires in Gavel-kinde And let this be for the first question viz. What are the things wherein all the Saints and people of Christ are one The second is What are the bands that doe tye all the Saints and people of Christ thus together Surely it must needs be some strange Genius of Government that must be able to keep in one such infinite multitudes so differing in their languages in their birth in their spirits in their educations in almost all things wherein temperature or corruption can make men opposite and contrary one to another what strange band must it be which can keep all these so united that you may predicate all these seven things of every one of them I answer the bands of them are not any politick tricks of mens devising the Church of Rome saith it is impossible the Church of Christ should be kept thus in unity unlesse you allow some visible head that may have a visible government over all and upon whose judgement and decision all must depend but we need not look after any such devices the bands are of Jesus Christs own appointing and giving which are these two The first is his holy Spirit given to every one of them which doth not only serve as a band to tye them all to Christ their head but this self-same Spirit is intended by Christ the head to be the band that should tye them all one to another and therefore it is said 1 Cor. 12 13. That we are all made to drinke into one Spirit that as we are all united into one head so we are all made to drink into one spirit conceive it thus The Lord Jesus being the quickning head of all his people gives the self same spirit which resides in him without all measure and pouring it out in what measure he pleaseth upon all his people This Spirit makes them all so to understand his Laws rules and directions that without any other Teachers not excluding the use of his owne Ordinances but any device or policy of men he makes them all to understand what is the minde of their Lord which are the duties imposed upon them by their Lord and so inlightning their minds and ruling their hearts makes them conformable to all his good pleasure and thereby keeps them all in this peace and unity one with another A most excellent instance you have of this in Esa. 11. where the Lord Christ is spoken of first as he is the head and of him it is said there that he hath the spirit of wisdome and the spirit of knowledge and the spirit of the feare of the Lord signifying thereby how fitted and inabled he is to the worke of being head of the Church to ver. 5. then afterwards ver. 6 c. he tels you how all his people shal be associated and joyned together that the Wolfe shal agree with the Lamb the Leopard with the Kid the Calf and the young Lion and a little child shal lead them the Cow and the Bear the sucking child and the Asp the weaned childe and the Cockatrice none shal hurt other that is people who before they came under Christs government were as Lions Beares and Serpents one towards another shal now all be united and live in peace What strange Discipline must it be that can make Lions and Lambs Tigers and Cockatrices and little Kids and Children agree thus together the reason of it is given in the ninth verse All the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord that is that spirit of knowledge which Jesus Christ is endowed with shal be poured out upon all the Lords people and them let them be of what nature or disposition they wil as this Spirit prevailes where he doth but informe them that this or that is the minde of Christ this Spirits teaching wil make them all of one minde and all live in peace thus one with another and this is the same which the Lord elsewhere promiseth both in 11. of Ezek. and the 36. of Ezek. I will put my spirit in them end cause them to walke in my Statutes and keep my Ordinances and my Judgements and doe them Now this band of the Spirit of Christ is such a band of union which none of all the heathen Philosophers or Law-givers ever so much as dreamed of Plato Lycurgus or any of them who have framed plat-formes of Common-wealths and propounded meanes how all the subjects should be kept in concord and peace could never once thinke of such a thing as this is but our Head the Lord Jesus hath both promised and done it Then secondly there is another band which is a secondary and subordinate band and that is the grace of Love the grace of Christian love and charity which in this place you are not to look upon only as a particular grace a branch of the Image of Christ as all other saving graces are but as a grace exalted by Christ to this peculiar office that it should be the band to tye all the Lords people in one and so the Scripture saith expresly of it The Apostle Paul having opened the conjunction of all the Saints in one body 1 Cor. 12. doth in the latter end of the Chapter exhort them all to labour after the best gifts which might edifie the Church But behold saith he I wil shew you a more excellent way a more excellent way then what why a more excellent way for edification of the Church then Apostles Prophets Pastors Teachers Governments helps take them all he would shew them an excellent way beyond all these what is that the grace of love which he
or mould be in his profession that man for his Spiritual standing belongs to another Corporation There are two great Spiritual corporations the one is that wheâ—eof Christ is the Head the other is the corporation of Hel whereof the Devil is the Prince now all men let them be of what Profession they wil if they be not under Christ the Head they belong to another corporation and their external visible profession alters not their Spiritual relation A lump of Lead whilst it is in the lump it is a lump of base Metall called Lead melt this and mould it into the forme of a Beast what is it then it is but a leaden Beast melt it and mould it againe into the forme of a man it is but a Leaden man melt it and mould it againe into the forme of an Angel it is but a Leaden Angel So I say take a carnal Man an unregenerate Man he is a carnal man whilst he professeth no Religion suppose him then to professe himselfe a Protestant at large he is but a carnall Protestant suppose him next to joyne himselfe into some Church Order let him joyne with those that are called of the Presbyterian way he is a carnall Presbyterian Take him off from that put him into the Congregationall way what is he then a carnal congregational man joyne him next if you wil to those who deny our Baptisme he is then but a carnal Anabaptist he is stil a carnal an ungodly man belonging to the corporation of Satan whatsoever his out-side be and know ye all for certain that no Bastard no Gibeonite no Hypocrite no man unconverted what gifts soever he may have what reputation soever he may have amongst men he is no member of the Church of Christ unlesse the Spirit of Christ be in him I say therefore againe beare not your selves too much upon your visible Church-standing as too many doe beleeve it it s an easie thing for the children of the world to put on an outward forme of Church-communion but O! how hard is it to become a new creature to resigne up it selfe wholly to Jesus Christ and the guidance of his holy Spirit and I presse this the more upon this account also viz. were this well understood it would satisfie and cure the mistake of many who thinke that there are the same rules to direct us with whom we must exercise our external communion as there is to judge with whom Jesus Christ exercises his communion no no we may exercise outward acts of communion by the appointment of God with those unto whom Jesus Christ never communicates himselfe nor his Spirit Thirdly one instruction more which I doe but name from all this That the Church of Christ is but one Body it followes plainly that therefore among all the great multitudes of the Members of the Church they are the honourablest and noblest Members who are most useful for the common good of the Church as it is in a Natural body the Liver that makes bloud for all the body the Heart that makes spirits for all the body the Stomach that digests meat for all the body and the Eye which sees for the whole body c. these are counted the noblest and excellentest So among all Christians the man or men who are most useful best fitted for use and laid out for use these wil one day be found and acknowledged the honourablest Members of the Church of Christ what esteeme soever the world hath of them But the maine use which I purpose and which indeed we most need is to shew what duties doe arise from this unity of the Saints in one body and they are two which the Apostle Paul layes downe in the first of the Corinthians the twelfth chap. vers. 25. when he had shewed how the Lord had framed all his people into one body he then tels us to what end and purpose all this was done viz. First That there should be no schisme in the body Secondly That therefore all the members ought to have the like care one of another The first of these I purpose with the Lords assistance to speake somewhat to at this time because all the Church the Saints the people of God in all the world are but one body therefore rents and divisions are most unnaturall and destructive to it I hope you wil all judge it a necessary and seasonable Theam it being almost our epidemical disease we being rent and torne into multitudes of sects and divisions which this doctrine of the unity of the Church of Christ doth utterly condemn and therefore though I know it is an unpleasing subject and possibly many may give me small thanks for it yet truly I durst not being called to this place but cast in my mite towards the healing of this wofull distemper and three things I shall endeavour to cleare about it First What Schisme is and what is the nature of it Secondly the greatnesse of it what a horrible sin it is And thirdly and principally I will labour to shew you who they are that are guilty of it For the first what it is It s usually defined to be a rash or unjust separation in matters of Religion but I would rather describe it to be a renting violating dissolving or breaking of that unity which ought to be amongst Christians or amongst all the Saints of Christ And this rending or breaking of this union properly lyes in two things one is inward and that is dissolving or breaking the band or bands which the Lord hath given to tye them all together which band on our part as you have heard before is the grace of love and therefore the breaking off of love among Christians whether it be from all the Church or from a particular Church yea or from a particular man I say the dissolving or breaking of this spirituall band hath in it the very intrinsecall nature of the sinne of Schisme the Lord having appointed that grace to be the band to tye his people together but because the inward band is invisible and therefore not easie to judge of therefore there is a second thing in Schism and that is a denying or with-drawing from the exercise of those things which Christ hath given as the symboles or pledges of love amongst his people as conversing together praying together hearing together conferring together receiving Sacraments and the like together the with-drawing from these or the denying of these otherwise then Jesus Christ directs in his Word These things are visible and therefore Divines use to appropriate the name of Schism to such with-drawings or denyings which indeed are but the fruites of the other for the dissolving of the band of love is the root of the disease and the denying of the expressions and exercise of love are the bitter fruits growing from that evill root So then he or they who ever they are that do deny to exercise or with-draw from the exercise of those things
which Jesus Christ hath made to bee both duties and pledges of love among his people are truly and properly guilty of the sin of Schism the nature of this sin of Schism lying properly in this that it is against Christian love and hereby also you may learne the difference between Heresie and Schisme Heresie is a false opinion which destroyes faith but Schisme is either an opinion or practice against charity The first of them which is against faith tends to rend off from Christ the head The second which is against love tends to the rending off from the body This for the nature of it In the next place let us consider the greatnesse of this sin and the rather because in truth the name and charge is grown so common amongst us as formerly the name of Puritan was that many make no account of it whether they be charged justly or unjustly with it but who ever considers of it according to the sense of the Scripture wil find that the sin of Schisme is a most hainous sin The greatness of it not easily set forth in words whether you consider it in the nature of it or the effects of it In 1 The nature of it its contrary to one of the highest ends of Christs great undertaking which is that all his people should bee one he dyed to that end to make them one with himselfe and one with one another he begged it of his Father that they should be one now this sinne tends to frustrate this great designe of Jesus Christ And secondly It is contrary to all the Commandements of Christ for all the Commands which he hath given to his people for the ordering of their conversation himselfe tels us That the end of the Commandement is love 2 If we consider the effects of it they are most dreadful and mischievous For first it is wonderfully dishonourable to Jesus Christ for whereas he holds out to all the world that his people are one house one body one city which is at unity compacted together c. this is a publick confutation of it makes Jerusalem appeare as a Babel a City of confusion a Kingdome divided wherein is nothing but disorders and tumults and the like And as it is dishonourable to Christ so it wonderfully hinders and destroyes the edification of the Church both the edification of them who make the Schisme and the edification of them from whom the rent is made depriving them of that spiritual good they might and should receive and supply from and to one another for though Iesus Christ the head be the only fountaine of our spiritual life yet it is as true that Christs usuall way of exercising strengthning increasing and perfecting it is in the fellowship of the body that by what every joynt supplyes the whole may be increased so that if we weigh it seriously we must conclude That as nothing within the bounds of the Church more argues a conformity to the spirit of the Gospel then the study of unitie peace and concord so few things more argue an opposition to Christs worke and his peoples good then this spirit of division But the third is the greatest question who are guilty of it and before I enter upon this discovery give me leave to premise this that in our dayes it is in this point of Schisme as it was of old in the primitive Church in the first point of Heresie what opinions the Ancients would make odious they would brand with the name of Heresie and thereby sometimes very truths of Christ were condemned as Heresies so it is at this day in the point of Schisme the Papists cry downe all who professe Christianity through the whole world as Schismaticks who joyn not with and subject not unto the Church of Rome The Prelatical party usually account all Schismaticks who are not under the Church-government of Bishops come among them who are for the Presbytery many of them call all Schismaticks who joyn in any other way the Congregational men as they are called have the same esteeme of them who depart from them and goe into another way I premise this only for this end that you may hence conclude that doubtlesse sometimes the name is given where it should not be given Now let us returne to our Question Who they are that are guilty Answ. Truly with sorrow I must reply It is a hard thing to say in our sad dayes who is not guilty as in Common-wealths where the bands and sinews of Civil government are cut asunder no conjunction or associating of a people into or under government Politicians say that in such times Every man is at war with every man every man is an enemy to every man so the Lord for our sinnes hath poured this evil upon us that we lye in confusion almost every man is divided from every man and so deep hath the malady taken root that many are in love with it and like their very divisions and as it is in popular tumults no man will heare any man but still the confused noyse goes on so in truth is it with us we are not willing to heare of agreement he is almost an enemy who would labour a pacification or reconciliation The Lord have mercy upon us our divisions are very great and sad but as a generall declaiming against sin never converted a man from sin untill he bee convinced that himself be guilty of this or that sin so my declaiming against Schisme in generall wil not heal it until I discover more particularly who they are that are guilty of it And to this I answer first negatively all departure separation and denying to joyn in Ordinances from some such as call themselves Christians is not Schisme the Israelites separation from Jeroboams Calves was no Schisme if the faith of a people be heretical or their worship be idolatrous the Lord bids his servants come out from such a people I adde further that although the faith of a Church be sound and the worship pure for the substance yet if that Church or Company wil presse some such things which others cannot practise without sin and which unlesse they will practice though against their consciences they must be under intollerable persecution as losse of state life c. or spirituall anathematisme unjust excommunications or the like to with-draw from such a people provided that still they will retaine those truths which are held by that persecuting Church and be ready to perform what Christian duty of love lyes in their power towards them this with-drawing is no Schism it is no more then Christ and his Disciples did to the Church of Jerusalem and no more then the Lord hath bid his people do when they are persecuted in one place to with-draw and flye to another 2 I answer positively they who are guilty of the sin of Schisme may be reduced under two heads Some are guilty
into their errors and labour to infect all yea to put all into flames of division and confusion unlesse they can prevaile Shall we indure to see our brethren and our people before our eyes drawne into errors although those errors it may be are not fundamentall I answer First I know no great hurt for men to be permitted modestly and humbly to debate among their Brethren the things wherein they differ But Secondly I answer If men who hold differing opinions in these lesser points can neither be content to follow Pauls counsel to have their faith in these to themselves before God nor modestly propound their arguments and grounds and so be quiet but must make it their work to draw it may be weak ones into doubtful disputations and thereby take them off from the study and prosecution of more weighty things I can bee no Advocate for such people if they judge the spreading of their opinions to be such a duty that they take themselves bound in conscience to do all that is possible to draw all others in to them I know no remedy but such people must be contented to with-draw and joyne with such Churches where their opinions are received for it cannot be conjectured that in any Society of any nature men will be quietly tolerated who shall professedly be boutefues and kindle-fires to disturbe their peace and alwayes putting them into flames Suppose a man were of Erastus his opinion that there is no Church-Government by Christs appointment and yet withall should joyne in a Congregationall or Presbyterian way and they also willing to joyne in Church-Fellowship with him as knowing his errour not to be fundamentall if this man will now make it his worke to draw them off from what they beleeve to be Christs Ordinance and their duty that they must either all yeeld to him or enjoy no quiet this I say will prove intolerable thus also it is in Civil associations Suppose in any Corporation where a Court of Aldermen or Common-Counsell should bee Judges if the major part judge any Cause before them and the residue who judge otherwise wil not be content to sit downe but be alwayes quarrelling and calumniating the rest charging them to be erroneous or unrighteous Judges such unquiet and turbulent carriage over-throws all and is not compatible with humane Society Beloved I beseech you pardon me that I have been so long upon this third Branch for I confesse it is deeply settled upon my spirit that were this rule received it would have a great influence upon the healing of our divisions I know indeed that many learned and holy men think otherwise and doe conceive that their zeale for Christs truth must not suffer them thus far to tolerate them who hold errors derogatory to the truth of Christ but I humbly conceive that zeale for Christs truth should never use other meanes to preserve Christs truth then Christ himselfe hath appointed zeale to preserve Justice and Righteousnesse and to punish disorders in a Common-wealth is very commendable but yet that zeale would not be commendable in a Magistrate who should hang a man for such a fault for which the Law hath only appointed the house of Correction or Whipping-post Let us confine our selves to Christs rules and then let our zeale burn as hot as may be Fourthly There is yet one sort more and they are such whose principles carry them to separate from particular Churches for light causes suppose some defects or some miscarriages in their Church-government it may be some too great connivence at unworthy or scandalous persons or it may be some defects or miscarriages in their publick administrations I say the renting off and departing from particular Churches for such causes as these wil be found to be but Schism to separate from Churches from which Christ doth not separate is schismatical now it is cleare in the Scripture Christ Jesus owneth Churches who are defective in many things and if as I said before Churches should bear with particular persons in their errors certainly particular persons should bear with Churches and therefore when a Churches faith is sound for the substance and their worship Gospel-worship though their Government be not perfect and other defects found among them we must not separate and separation from them is the more unjust if that Church bee seeking for light and willing to be informed I grant there may bee slitting from one Church to another for greater edification which is without condemning that Church they slit from but separation from a true Church for want of some desirable perfection is a fruit of this bitter root of Schisme because it rents where Christ rents not for if we looke into the Scripture we shal find there were Churches who had many errours in Faith others disorderly in their Worship others had many among them loose in their conversations but not one word of the Holy Ghosts counselling the Lords people to with-draw from them or to go and gather into a body by themselves they are often called upon to do what they can to heale them but not one word of separating from them or with-drawing from them indeed we sometimes read of some who separated themselves but we may also read in the same places what sad brands the Spirit of God gives them and should it bee lawful for every errour and every miscarriage or for the want of some desirable perfection thus to rend off we must rend and rend and rend for ought I know to the end of the world and the union and communion of Christs people would come almost to nothing whereas he would have all his throughout the world as they injoy communion with himselfe so to injoy as their occasion and need requires communion with all his Saints now such limitations and restrictions as these are make such a communion impossible I am veriâ—y perswaded that were the union and communion of the people of Christ rightly knowne there is no Saint in any part of the world but where ever he comes might demand upon the profession of his faith and his voluntary subjection to the Gospel his right in the Ordinances hear the Word with them pray with them receive the Sacrament with them I say onely upon that ticket that hee professeth that faith which is the common faith of Gods people and while hee is with them walkes according to the Gospel rule now where mens principles doe shut them up after the manner I have been treating of these things are not practicable I shut up all this discourse concerning all these who are schismatical through erroneous judgements with this briefe corollary The communion of Saints one with another is not only a priviledge but a duty injoyned by Christ he hath not left us at liberty to chuse with whom we wil hold communion and to refuse whom we lift no as ever wee wil appear before him with comfort wee must hold communion with those who professe his
name and labour to keep with them all the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace Now as these are schismatical from erroneous judgements so there are others from principles of a corrupt heart I shall only name them and indeed naming them is sufficient to convince them for no man dares take upon him to justifie them yet named they must be for they are as mischevious as the others First therefore all selfe-lovers and selfe-seekers with whom all others in their affections and spirits are regarded onely as they can make use of them we know that if the members of the body were thus affected the whole body would soon perish Private-wealths-men are never good Commonwealths-men Paul exhorted the Saints not to looke upon our owne things but every man on the things of others else it is impossible but we must divide from them as our private interest leads us This self-seeking ruined and overthrew Carthage and the other of seeking the publick-weale built up Rome and so is it in our great and spiritual Common-wealth Secondly All proud insolent arrogant high-minded men who must have rule and beare sway where ever they come or who use to despise and contemn others I have no need of thee full of themselves and sleighting of others This spirit of pride is a cursed root bringing forth heresie schisme contention and every evil work The first rent which ever was in Gods family was the pride of the Angels and ever since it hath born the like fruit examples are innumerable Cain Esau Corah Dathan c. Thirdly All quarrelsome railing froward spirits who upon every dissent from them in any opinion or in matters of conversation fall into railing language branding others with odious terms seeking to make them infamous and hateful railing never cures errour or infirmity but keeps division open and makes the breach wider truth and love joyned together may work great things but truth and bitternesse can do little Fourthly And so are all busie-bodies who must have an oare in every mans boat who cannot be content to keep within their owne calling but as the Apostle expresseth their nature in this Text are wise or thinke more highly of themselves then they ought to think all these polypragmatical spirits which delight to be Bishops in all mens Diocesses are dangerous persons nothing more divides or rends the body then when the members keepe not to their owne worke And fiftly All factious people who where ever they come wil be making parties though it may be they draw them not into a new Church yet divide into several parties some for Pauls and some for Apollos and some for another and all that is but to make themselves seem some body and serve their own bellies Paul often complains of such kind of men these carnal men made the schisme in Corinth of these he admonishes the Romans Mark them who cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which you have learned and avoid them for they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ but their owne bellies A very sad sentence Sixtly and lastly All they whose spirits carry them to foment and cherrish such as make rents and divisions who not onely bear with such as we would bear with a disease so bear with as yet to lance it and seek to cure it but delight in them as to make them the men of their counsel and confederacy and thereby doe harden them in their way expose themselves unto snares and occasion others who are weak to incline to these dividers all these some from one principle others from another help to rend and divide that body which Christ would have preserved in unity I have thus far according to my weaknesse discovered to you the true causes and in part the instruments of our woful divisions which have made the Church of Christ present it selfe such a rueful spectacle as it is at this day what remaines but only these two things First That we all lament this and mourn for it Secondly That we all labour to help to cure it First That we all lament it I confesse our divisions in opinions are very sad but our divided affections are sadder were our spirits united the spirit of love would have such a power upon our hearts that when we had once learned to follow the truth in love truth and love would carry all before them Ah that God would teach us to lay it to heart and to mourne that wee should be as so many Ishmaels our sword against every man and every mans against us Beloved we little consider how precious the peace of the Church of Christ ought to be even more precious then our lives we little consider how dishonourable our divisions are to Jesus Christ making his Jerusalem appeare as Babel a disordered and confused heap when he dyed to make us one and prayed to his Father that we might be one we thus to expose his body to be a scorne and reproach is very sad We little consider how pleasing our divisions are to Satan who prevailes upon our hearts while we thus furiously busie our heads nor how pleasing are they to our common enemies who no doubt do secretly foment them that thereby they may destroy us and get the rule over us our divisions and sub-divisions are strong weapons in their hands against us Little doe wee lay to heart these things if wee did our hearts would bleed in secret for them and I humbly beseech you let these things be to us for a lamentation And secondly Labour to heale them Beloved it must be done Christ wil have it done he wil compel us to it he wil beat us into one or he wil beat us til we are none he wil not bear long if we remaine as we are and therefore let all Gods people first pray earnestly for it Oh pray for the peace of Jerusalem intreate the Prince of peace and the Spirit of peace to grant us peace to heale our divisions to raise up healing instruments make it our supplication every day that our Lord the good Samaritan would poure in oyle and wine and bind up these our woful rents he and he alone can doe it I read that when the divisions in Germany about matters of Religion were extream hot and fierce the Emperor Charles the fifth made a decree called the Interim that there should bee common and publick peace in Germany and none to make war upon other for the cause of Religion but that Christian amity should be practised by all until a free and general Councel should be called Oh pray to Christ for such an Interim that we might not quarrel but live in love untill himselfe reveale such light as wil make his people all of one minde Charles made the Decree but could not give the heart our Lord can give the Decree and the heart also Follow him