Countenance how chearful the Discourse how sweet the Sleep and how full of Content is the whole Life of the Peaceable Minded Man How lovely a melody in the Ears of God and Men doth an Assembly of such Christians make when united together in acts of Religious Worship How much more pleasant are the smooth and even ways of Peace than the rugged Paths of Discord and Contention Is it not much more delightful to behold the Heavens smiling upon us with a serene and chearful Countenance than frowning with Clouds or big with Storms and Thunder Is it not much more sweet to sail in a quiet and calm Sea than to be tost about with a Tempest and be continually in fear of every rolling unruly Wave to hear Harmonious Sounds than grating Janglings and to dwell in a well Governed City than in a wild and savage Wilderness Peace is the way to the truest Pleasure and indeed is itself the greatest Felicity Hence the Angels in their holy Anthem when they wished the greatest Happiness to Men knew not how better to express their Sense than by saying On Earth Peace Good Will to Men Luke 2. 14. 3. Peace is the Churches strength Peace is the sinew of Society as Mony is of War the Cement that holds the parts together and distinguishes the Congresses of Men from Herds of Beasts or which is as bad the tumultuous Confusions of the Rabble Christian Churches might be immortal did they not kill themselves by Divisions the deepest Wounds have been given to Christianity in the Houses of its pretended Friends by Heresies and Schisms rending and tearing the unity of the Body He must be a great Stranger in the History of the Church who knows not that it flourished while it walk'd in love and injoyed Peace among its Children but the adding to the Foundation the Wood and Hay and Stubble of their own Inventions and dividing thereupon gave occasion to the rise of Turk and Pope and all the dismal consequences thereof Divisions stop'd the progress and cramp'd the growth of Christianity and hath so of Reformed Christianity to this day The most successful policy of our Enemies whereby they have done us the greatest mischief of all hath been by fomenting incouraging and cursedly improving our intestine Feuds We have foolishly put Weapons into their Hands or rather been destroying our selves while they have look'd on with Scorn and Laughter Were we but peacefully united among our selves we should quickly dishearten our Enemies and laugh at all the attempts of Rome and France and Hell for our ruin and Destruction Peace would be a mighty Bulwark to defend us and would better prevent the Invasions of our Foes than all our Wooden Walls on the Sea or Fortresses and Castles by Land 4. Peace tends to the comfort of the Church there can be no comfortable communion of Saints no bearing each others burdens no communicating the experiences of the workings of Gods Spirit in one anothers Souls of the answer of our several Prayers and various methods of God's dealings with us in his different ways of Discipline and Comfort so long as we are at variance among our selves When Souls groan under the burden of Sin and Guilt never was Drink so welcom to the Thirsty Traveller as the converse of truly Spiritual Christians to restore such in the Spirit of Meekness and speak Peace unto them from the Scripture and their own Experience But where Divisions are this cannot be had or if it be in some measure is often confined to an inconsiderable Party and each particular division wants the assistance of the rest so that the breach of their Catholick Love and Communion necessarily makes a breach in their comfort and hinders the mutual sympathizing assisting and comforting one another 5. Peace tends to the increase of the Church when our Lord repeated his Petitions for Unity he twice alledgeth one and the same reason that the World might know that God had sent him John 17. 21 23 As if the union and love of his Followers were the strongest proof of the Divinity of their Master and the powerfullest perswasive to Jews and Heathens to acknowledge and receive him for their Lord and Saviour as if his excellent Doctrin admirable Precepts and extraordinary Miracles would not do without it and indeed though Instruction be necessary and People perish for want of Knowledge yet Instruction without Example will do little good and no Example is more open to observation than that of Peace and Love and the want thereof in the Preachers of Truth makes the best Doctrin in their Mouths suspected hardens the Wicked in their sin and tempts many to Atheism If you speak with disagreeing Tongues Unbelievers will say you are Mad and sit down in the Seat of the Scorner to allude to 1 Cor. 14. 23. 6. Peace is a great means of Edifying by the means of Grace The Apostle in Eph. 4. 16. speaks of the close and intimate Union of the Body of Christ as a necessary means to receiving increase from Christ and edifying it self in love and Col. 2. 2. being knit together in love is laid down as a means to the full assurance of understanding to the full practical perswasion of the Truth and excellency of the Gospel and the want of this render'd the solemn Assemblies of the Corinthians fruitless and barren 1 Cor. 11. 17. St. Paul chargeth them with a sad miscarriage in their Spiritual Traffick growing worse in the use of what should have made them better the Holy Supper of the Lord and the reason is given Ver. 18. I hear there be Divisions among you Divisions abate the fervency of our Prayers blunt the edge of our Devotions seize on the vitals of Christianity evaporate the life and power of Religion in impertinent squabble and unless Almighty Grace prevent will quickly spread like a Gangrene so as to eat out the heart thereof 7. Peace in Christian Churches is an Emblem of Heaven the more that part of the Church which is Militant here below doth abound in Love and Peace the more it resembles that part which is triumphant above This is indeed the great difference between Angels and Devils Heaven and Hell the Devils have great degrees of Power and Knowledge perhaps not much below what Angels have but Angels and Glorified Saints abound in Love Sweetness Benignity and live in the joyful uninterrupted exercise of mutual Endearments whereas a Spirit of Malice and Envy Hatred and Revenge is the very complexion of Satan and temper of Hell But O how happy will it be to dwell in that Society where there 's no Mistake or Envy Ignorance or Prejudice or carnal Interest to occasion the least Jar or Discord but all pure Peace Seraphick Love and perfect Harmony as with God so also between themselves where the strange Fire of misguided Zeal is extinguished by the more powerful Flames of Heavenly Love and the unhappy names of dividing Sects are no more known where
same end this would engage us to mutual offices of peace and we should readily comply with the Apostle's Counsel Eph. 4. 3. Keep the unity of the Spirit in the Bond of peace Many more Directions might be added but these if well practis'd would quickly extinguish those Heats and Animosities which have made Earth so like to Hell and produce those Heavenly Fruits of peace which might create a Paradise here below make the Church which in a very sad sense is now Militant nearly resemble the Church Triumphant And now Men and Brethren what remains but that we put in practice the Duties recommended Then might we hope our Land would become a Goshen not only in respect of Spiritual Light but also of its freedom from those Locusts and Caterpillars dividing Lusts that have so long wasted and consumed us Blessed be God that he hath in so great a measure heal'd our Breaches and thus far united us together May not we hope that this is but the beginning of what God designs for us like the dawning of the Morning in order to a perfect day May not we hope that those Glorious Times are hastning when the Lord shall be one and his Name one Zach. 14. 9. and that that Promise is near its accomplishment Ier. 32. 39. I will give them one Heart and one way that they may fear me for ever for the good of them and of their Children after them May not we hope that the Philadelphian state which some expect now draws nigh when Brotherly Love shall flourish and be more enlarg'd How happy would it be if this Union were yet more extensive if the Name of Reformed Christian were only known and all those divided Names laid aside whereby we have been unhappily distinguish'd By Mutual Compliances and Condescentions this is no impossible Task And who knows but this beginning may issue in so happy a Conclusion This may well be the subject of our Wishes and earnest constant Prayers John 13. 34. A new Commandment I give unto you that ye love one another as I have loved you that ye also love one another AMong all the advantages of the Christian Religion wherein it exceeds the defective Rules of Pagan Philosophy and obscure Institutions of Moses there is nothing wherein it more excels than in the Doctrin of Love and Charity a Duty which is urg'd in the plainest Words and pressed by the strongest Arguments and made not the high qualification of some eminent Saints but a necessary essential part of the new Creature A Duty not only necessary to some inferior uses but to all the great ends of Religion and not to be dispensed with on any pretence A Duty that is made the Badg and Character of Christ's Disciples and that which our dying Redeemer strictly charged his Followers to observe as in the Text A new Commandment I give unto you that ye love one another Our Saviour knowing the time of his Departure was near at hand in this Chapter gives his Disciples an admirable instance of his condescending Love in stooping to that servile Office of washing their Feet And this he did on purpose that they should imitate him and not think the lowest Offices of Charity for their Brethrens good too mean and base for them Afterwards having given the Sop to Iudas who went out with an intention to betray him he tells his Disciples of his speedy Separation from them and lest they should be too much cast down at hearing of his Departure he tells them that he should be Glorified and God the Father in him i. e. that he should give great discoveries of his Deity and God the Father would discover the unsearchable depths of his Wisdom inconceivable heights of his Love and infinite strictness of his Holiness and Justice by his Death and advance him straightway to the highest degrees of Glory And then being filled with an affectionate love to them he speaks as an indulgent Father to the Sons of his Love Little Children yet a little while I am with you ver 33. and as if he should have said O my Disciples whom I love with no less ardent affection than a Father doth his darling and tender Infant there remains but a small space wherein I shall make my abode with you in the Flesh therefore as I said to the Hardened Iews Whither I go ye cannot yet come One Request and Command I your dying Lord leave with you Let my Love to you be the rule and measure of your Love to one another A New Commandment I give unto you There is some difference among Expositors concerning the Sense of this Expression Some render it this renewed Commandment this Command that hath been almost obliterated by the corrupting Doctrins of the Pharisees and false Glosses of the Jewish Teachers I now by my Doctrin and Example renew unto you Some by New understand most excellent Thus we read of a New Song a most excellent Song of New Wine of the most delicious sort and kind q. d. Whatever Commands you neglect be sure to comply with this the most excellent of all Subjects take care to observe the New Commands of their Princes let your careful Obedience to this be as if it were newly promulged So others understand it A New Commandment say others because we must be still renewing it Owe no Man any thing but to love one another Rom. 13 8. Pay all your Debts but this Debt of Love you must be always paying and yet always owing I rather think it is called a New Commandment because it is expounded after a New manner directed according to a new Rule and required in higher measures and degrees than ever before for though this Duty was not wholly unknown to Mankind before yet never was it so taught or encouraged never was such an illustrious example given of it nor such weight and stress laid upon it in any former Institution and special Measures of Assistance proper to Gospel times are vouchsafed to work it in our Hearts So that it is as if our Saviour should have said Whereas it hath been said by them of old time thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self I give you a new Rule as I have loved you so love one another after a more indearing manner than the Iews that the World may see the excellency of my Doctrin above that of Moses Love bear an hearty esteem one for another and imploy your selves in mutual Offices of Kindness as acknowledging one another to be Brethren and Fellow Disciples As I have loved you though you cannot love one another to such a degree yet testify your love by such instances and to such degrees as your nature is capable of This is the meaning of the Text Christ came into the World to demonstrate and exercise his Father's Love and his own Love he came to kindle in the Souls of Men and therefore gives us this excellent Commandment The Words being thus explained the
and ardent that brought our Lord from Heaven to Earth carry'd him through the difficulties of Poverty Reproach and Scorn enabled him to bear the contradiction of Sinners and the pain and shame of the Cross herein Christ as well as God the Father commended his love towards us Rom. 5. 8. rendred it great and admirable beyond all expression or parallel In that while we were yet Sinners Christ died for us We must act according to this pattern Love one another with a pure heart fervently 1 Pet. 1. 22. Our Love must not be cold and indifferent frozen or congeal'd but we must entertain a fervent Affection one for another 3. Our Love must be prevailing as Christ's was Christ lov'd us above Gold or Silver or Earthly Pomp and Greatness above his own Temporal Ease and Delight and was ready to wade through Storms and Dangers and Difficulties for our sakes So must we love our Brethren above our Carnal Interest Honour Wealth and Pleasure Thus Moses evidenc'd his Love to the people of God by forsaking the dazling Honours and bewitching Pleasures of Pharaoh's Court and chusing Affliction with them rather than Sin Thus must we be willing to renounce our own Ease and Liberty for their sakes when God and his Honour calls Nay we must Love them better than the nearest ungodly Relations Christ lov'd those that were related to him in the Spirit far better than the nearest ungodly Relations according to the Flesh. There is indeed a natural sensitive Love and Propension towards near Relations and we are ordinarily bound in the first place to provide for them supply their wants and give them these outward effects of our Love But still we must have a higher rational esteem of the godly and value their Graces above the most lovely natural perfections of others and the best must be prefer'd in point of Honour though others may be prefer'd in point of Maintenance 4. Our Love must be impartial and universal as Christ's was He did not confine it to his own Countrymen the Jews and die to procure Pardon Grace and Glory for them only but for us Gentiles also while he was upon Earth The Faith of the Centurion and importunity of the Canaanitish Woman tho' Aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel attracted his Esteem and Admiration and where-ever he beheld the Grace of God and Image of Holiness he lov'd it 'T is very observable he is more sharp and severe in his Invectives against the Pharisees than any other Persons because of their stingy narrow Spirit confining Religion to their own particular Sect and scorning and despising all that were not of their own Party as if all the rest of Mankind were in a Reprobate Damnable State Our Christian Love must thus resemble our Saviours It must be enlarg'd to all Saints to the whole Fraternity of Christians To be partial in our Love is a sign 't is unsound to make our own Opinions the Shiboleth to distinguish between a true and counterfeit Christian is very unreasonable Where there is a Profession of the Baptismal Covenant the Essentials of the Christian Faith and a Life in some measure answerable we must love such as Christians not withstanding their mistakes and erroneous Principles in lesser points We justly condemn the Church of Rome for confining Salvation to themselves and Damning all the World besides Let us take heed how we condemn our selves by contracting the Church of God into a narrower compass lest we censoriously damn those whom Christ will save and perhaps place on higher Seats of Glory than our selves We know who it was that said Lord I thank thee I am not as this Publican when he was really in a far worse condition Our Love to a Party must not blind our Judgments or pervert our Affections as to all the rest Keep up therefore an impartial universal Love to all professed Christians as such and hate a dividing Spirit Take heed how you stigmatize those with the Name of Hereticks who shall stand at the Right Hand of Christ and take not up the Devils accursed Imployment to become Accusers of those that are really your Brethren 5. Our Love must be proportion'd to the degrees of their Grace as Christ's was Christ that certainly knows who are most furnish'd with Divine Grace must needs love these with an higher degree than others of a lower Form and Classis in Christianity St. Iohn who it seems had the most ardent love and Eminent degrees of Grace among the Apostles was his peculiar Favourite and Darling Disciple had the highect place next his Lord lay in his Bosom according to the custom of those Eastern Countreys which was to lye and not to sit at Meals and is call'd the Disciple whom Iesus loved John 13. 23. Christs love was not a fond unaccountable Passion but the result of his Reason and Judgment Because he lov'd him best we may therefore justly conclude he was really above the rest in Piety Thus must our love be proportion'd Some are but weak Christians and we can have but small and doubtful perswasions of their sincerity Others are stronger and we may be more confident as to them The one must be lov'd as Christians but the other with an higher degree as bearing more lively representations of the holy God We must not respect the Persons of any but their goodness and love those best that are really so This Property will discover the Hypocrisie of many who will bear with Holiness in a lower degree and speak well of those who though Godly in the main are too remiss and careless in their Conversations but swell with Rage and Malice against those that are most Eminent for Piety What doth this Temper shew but a Graceless Heart if we bear not the highest Love to the best Christians how dwelleth the Love of God in us Alas can infinite perfect Holiness be lov'd by him that loves not the best Representations of it that this imperfect state affords If the light of the Moon which is not without its spots doth offend us how can we bear the far more resplendent brightness of the Sun it self How unmeet is he for the Communion of Angels and perfected Spirits that is not pleas'd much more that is offended with the highest degrees of Holiness in this state of Imperfection The true Christian having a prevailing Love to God will Love his Image where-ever he finds it and where it is more clear and unsullied and drawn out in more Beautiful Characters his Love will be proportionably greater and more affectionate 6. Our Love must be compassionate and sympathizing Christ could not refrain from weeping when he beheld Ierusalem where was the then visible Church of God and laments her foreseen destruction When Peter deny'd him not once but thrice with Curses and Imprecations He did not disregard him as he might justly do such a perfidious Servant but though he was unconcern'd for himself and silently bore the
THE Country's Concurrence WITH THE London United Ministers In their late HEADS of AGREEMENT SHEWING The Nature and Advantages of a General Union among PROTESTANTS In Two Discourses Delivered before an Assembly of Ministers in the County of Southampton By SAMVEL CHANDLER Author of The Excellency of the Christian Religion LONDON Printed for Iohn Dunton at the Raven in the Poultry and Iohn Salusbury at the Rising-Sun over against the Royal Exchange in Cornhil 1691. TO THE READER THE late happy Union between Two prevailing Parties among us is a fit Subject of Joy and Thankfulness That Differences which have been managed with too much heat for so many Years should now be so happily composed and the Contending Parties should mutually condescend and concur together in so fair an Agreement is a Blessing we have reason gratefully to acknowledge that the Country should so readily and unanimously agree with their Brethren in the City on the same Terms and throughout the whole Nation there should be such a willing consent to lay aside those distinguishing Names and Terms which have hitherto so miserably divided us These things afford sufficient matter for praise to that God who rules the Hearts of Men and stills the ragings of the People I have long waited that some Abler Pen should publickly express the Countries Sense of this great Mercy I said Days should speak and Multitude of Years should teach Wisdom But there is a Spirit in Man and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding Iob 32. 7 8. Being invited by my Brethren to Preach before them on this occasion I composed the following Meditations and have now made them publick for more general use I hope the honesty of the Intention will attone for the weakness and unskilfulness of the Manager I am willing to believe that Irenicums will now be more acceptable than they have hitherto been in this wrangling divided Age and the Sons of Peace will be no longer liable to Reproach and Scorn O how happy would it be if this Union were more extensive and an end were put to that Ceremonious War that hath infested our Borders ever since the Reformation God seems by his Providences to make way for such a glorious work he hath not long since by putting us in mind of our common danger inclined us to be more favourable one towards another He hath by surprizing Providences exalted to the Throne a Prince of known Piety and Moderation who hath placed such in the Episcopal Chairs as are Men Famous for their healing truly Christian Spirits happy endeavours have been used for stopping that inundation of Wickedness and Prophaness which hath so wofully overrun our Land All these are happy preparations for a general Union and blessed presages that God hath yet Designs of Mercy towards us and will not suffer our Enemies to prevail against us Let us all therefore help on so good a work by our Hearty Prayers Holy Lives and endeared Love Let us maintain an unity in Love and Affection though we arrive not at Uniformity in Rituals and the Ceremonial parts of Religion In a word to conclude all with the Expressions of excellent Bishop Hall Let us be at Peace with our selves and at War with none but Hell and Rome That these Discourses may be some way useful for the advancement of Love and Peace is the Hearty Earnest Prayer of a Lover of Peace and Truth Samuel Chandler 1 Thes. 5. 13. And be at Peace among your selves NOtwithstanding the frequent commands of our Lord to Love and Unity and the earnest Calls and Persuasions of all his Apostles yet how apt we are to forget and overlook them all our unpeaceable Strifes and censorious uncharitable Contentions are too sad a Witness Though our God be the God of Love and our Saviour the Prince of Peace and Love be the last Legacy and earnest Request of our dying Redeemer yet he that beholds the bitter malice and envy wrath and unchristian Jars of the Professors of the same Faith and Followers of the same Blessed Jesus must needs think it his great Duty to attempt the reviving that Love which is very much decayed and that Charity which hath almost forsaken the Earth When we see the Blood and feel the Smart and hear the Noises of Professed Christians armed with Malice and Spite against each other 't is the duty of every Messenger of Peace to sound a Retreat from this unnatural War and persuade the furious Combatants to cease those Strifes and forbear those hot Contentions which do so much dishonour God disparage Religion grieve our Friends and make such ridiculous sport for our Enemies That therefore I may endeavour to allay these unnatural heats and disorders I have chosen the Words read and if St. Paul had any reason in those early Ages of Christianity when Love most flourished and Christians were most peacefully united together to call upon them to be at Peace among themselves surely we have now far greater occasion to do so since Christianity is broken into so many odious fractions and by-names and every little difference is apt to provoke our Anger and cause our Passions to boyl up to too excessive heights God hath indeed highly favoured us by his Providence by now calming our Spirits removing our Jealousies and Mis-understandings one of another and reconciling those Differences which have unhappily divided us many Years So that now we can strengthen one anohers Hands in the work of our Lord and glory in the title of United Brethren We are now come together solemnly to testify our Thankfulness to God for this happy Union which many of us have long sighed and prayed and waited and laboured for in vain Suffer me therefore to shew you the nature and excellencies of Peace and direct my self and you to those Gospel methods whereby our Happiness may be continued and promoted Be at Peace among your selves For the connexion of these Words we need look back no further than ver 12. where the Apostle having persuaded the Thessalonians to a due respect to their Ministers and Spiritual Guides for their Works sake exhorts them here as a means to this to be at Peace among themselves as if he should have said unpeaceable disorders will grieve your Ministers hearts detract from that just esteem which is due to their Office and render their labours often useless and unsuccessful therefore be at Peace among your selves The Words are plain and easie in themselves and need rather an hearty Meditation and diligent improvement than any laborious Explication The Observation I shall raise from the Words is this That it is the duty and should be the practice of Christian Churches to be at Peace among themselves In handling whereof I shall use this Method 1. Explain the nature of Peace 2. Shew the Advantages of Peace in Christian Churches 3. Add some Directions for the better maintaining and promoting it 1. The nature of Peace 1. Peace implies a command over irregular Passions
Heart to quake and tremble As for Paul he is rude in Speech homely in his Expressions and hath no Majesty nor Presence in a Pulpit I admire therefore their Ignorance that are for him I am for Apollos A Third I am for Cephas How doth he stoop to the lowest and meanest capacity doth not Preach about such deep Mysteries as Paul nor with such flaunting Eloquence as Apollos but feeds us with the sincere Milk of the Word and teaches so plainly that the most Ignorant may understand him I wonder therefore he is no more followed and that Paul and Apollos are preferred before him I am for Cephas Thus we may suppose the Corinthians might jangle among themselves for which St. Paul so sharply reproves them and may not we take his Reproofs to our selves are not we apt to heap up to our selves Teachers and have Mens Persons in admiration so to value some as unreasonably to scorn and slight others forgetting that they are all the Servants of Christ deputed and sent by him that in much Wisdom and Mercy hath given them various Gifts for the Edification of the Church that as one is eminent in some respects so in others 〈◊〉 Brethren may exceed them 〈◊〉 must consider they all Preach 〈◊〉 same Doctrin and direct to the same way to Salvation and it is more the fault of our own corrupt Hearts than of the Minister if we profit not by their Labours 2. Be much in Contemplation of the Love of God in Christ This will blow up a holy Flame of Love to him and all his Members when we remember how dearly and tenderly Christ loves all his Saints this will constrain us to lay aside all Wrath and Bitterness and live in Peace such a glorious precedent must needs be a cogent Argument and can hardly be resisted Love and Peace is the very Image of our Heavenly Father the Copy Christ hath set us and the Lesson he hath written for our Learning in Lines of his own Blood An hearty Love to God will engage us to be at peace with the whole fraternity of Christians and love them without Dissimulation 3. Make the great design of Religion yours viz. the advancement of Holiness and recovery of the Image of God in the Souls of Men Remember Religion is not designed meerly to fill your Heads with airy notions to tip your Tongues for Discourse or enable you to talk plausibly for the truth that it consists not in little Speculative Opinions or Ceremonious Trifles but the great design of it is to direct us in the government of our Passions subduing our Lusts and conquering the Impediments that hinder our Recovery and Salvation In a word Religion consists in a penitent return to God by Faith in Christ and Obedience to his Gospel let us take this to be our main business then we shall have so much work to do at home that we shall have little inclination to pry into the Infirmities of others or quarrel with them That Man would be esteemed by all as bereav'd of his Wits that should be picking causless Quarrels with his Neighbours about a Chip of Wood or a broken Hedge when a Fire in his House is consuming his Goods and Children We all stand on the Borders of the Grave and Confines of Eternity our great business is to quench the Flames of Lust which otherwise will prepare us for Everlasting Burnings and therefore surely we should not waste our precious Minutes in strife and contention 4. Avoid Extreams in disputable Points Every Truth lyes in the middle between two Falshoods and he that goes far from one is apt to slip into the other After all the confidence and boast of disputers there will be uncertainty in lesser Points and when we travel in uncertain Roads 't is best to chuse the middle here we may be sure to meet with Charity and Peace and very probably Truth in their Company The great occasion of our Differences hath been that Men have look'd so much at the evil of one Extream as to forget the Error on the other side like an ignorant Physician who to Cure a Man of a dead Palsie casts him into a Phrenzy I dare with some confidence affirm that most of those Disputes that are so hotly agitated among Protestants are in the Extreams and consist more in words than things because the Curse of Babel has so confounded our Languages that though our Sentiments are much the same we understand not one anothers meaning And if Men would but hearken to calm dispassionate Reason they might soon find out such healing Reconciling Principles as would quickly make us one among our selves and a terror to our Romish Adversaries Let the Apostles Counsel be in this sense therefore obeyed Phil. 4. 5. Let your Moderation be known unto all Men. 5. Avoid unpeaceable Dividers those who make it their work to soment Differences and stir up Strife and sow Seeds of Discord among Brethren are said to be an abomination to the Lord take upon them a very ill imployment and carry on a design quite contrary to the Gospel of Peace and therefore are to be avoided that they may be ashamed I speak not this of my self but the Apostle Paul is very earnest in the same Advice Rom. 16. 17 18. Now I beseech you Brethren mark them which cause Divisions and Offences contrary to the Doctrin which ye◠have learned and avoid them for they that are such serve not our Lord Iesus Christ but their own Belly and by good Words and fair Speeches deceive the Hearts of the Simple 6. Frequently joyn together in the same Exercises of Religious Worship When Christians come together in the same Assemblies this naturally tends to abate their strangeness calm their Spirits remove unreasonable Jealousies and Suspicions and inclines them to a Cordial Endeared Love This was one great means of promoting that hearty affection which was among the Members of the primitive Church They continu'd stedfastly in the Apostles Doctrin and Fellowship and breaking of Bread and Prayer Acts 2. 42. And the same method would retrieve that love and peace the want of which hath crumbl'd us into parties and been the unhappy occasion of so many woful Effects Did we but more frequently resort to the House of Prayer more diligently hearken to and more faithfully improve Ministerial Instructions more readily submit to Pastoral Discipline more carefully watch over one another and more tenderly advise and reprove and edifie one another more solemnly pray with and for one another and more constantly celebrate that uniting Ordinance the Lords Supper together we should soon see the Blessed peaceful effects of so doing Did Neighbouring Churches counsel each other and maintain mutual correspondences for the advancement of Love and Holiness occasionally communicate together when convenient and look upon themselves not as divided Bodies or carrying on separate Interests but all united under the same Head acting according to the same Rule and for the