Creed respectively every one making one as some have feigned and though I deny not what he and Bishop Vsher and many others say of the two or three Articles being not found in the most ancient Copies or Records and though I verily consent to Parker de Descensu and many others that the words of Baptism were the first Creed and that the Creed was brought in by degrees as the Exposition of the Baptismal profession and that at first it had but three Articles I believe in and give up my self to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost Yet I take the Creed in the sence at least to be of necessary use to the ends now mentioned and I think we may say so much as is of greatest antiquity to be Divine and the word of God and a special part of his word more necessary to be believed than many other parts § 15. For 1. Though we receive not the pretended Traditions of Rome or any Church that shall be obtruded on us without proof or as accusing the Scripture of insufficiency yet we never denyed that the Apostles preaching was Gods Word before they wrote it and as well as their writing It being eight years after Christs Ascension as is commonly supposed before the first part of the New Testament was written by St. Matthew and near an hundred years after his incarnation that the last was written by St. John and only four or five of the twelve Apostles having left us any of their writings it were intolerable to deny that the constant preaching of them and all the rest to their death was not done by the inspiration of the same infallible spirit as their writing was and so was the Word of God § 16. 2. And it is certain that Baptism was then as common as Christians and that nothing was sooner done by the Apostles nor more constantly nor with greater concord and concent than discipling persons and baptizing them For this was the summ of their first appointed work in which Christ promised to be with them to the end § 17. 3. It is certain that the Apostles did administer Baptism as wisely and holily according to Christs will as any that ever did come after them And therefore that they did not take up with mens bare saying of three words I believe in God the Father Son and Holy Ghost without understanding what they said All following ages Cathechized or examined the adult before baptism and to this day we would take the contrary course for an abuse Therefore no doubt but the Apostles did it and appointed it § 18. 4. And this is plainly implyed in the Scripture when believers are all said to be inlightned and translated from darkness to light and to know God and Jesus Christ as being life eternal Eph. 1. 18. Act. 26. 18. Joh. 17. 3 c. and to be wise to salvation and indeed when they are said to Believe For believing supposeth understanding And when Peter saith that Baptism saveth not the washing of the filth of the flesh but the answer of a good conscience towards God And when all the Christians in the world as far as we have any notice from the Apostles dayes have been baptized after Profession of faith we have no reason to doubt but that the Apostles used and appointed the requiring of it § 19. 5. In doing this it is no doubt but what they required of the Confessours from their mouths was short and plain or else those multitudes of men and women who were in a short time baptized would neither have had capacity nor time to do it But the words of the Teachers and baptizers in explaining the said articles were large and many For we find that it was their common preaching work § 20. 6. It is most probable by the reason of the thing and the history Act. 2. and elsewhere that at the first no form of words was required and used besides the form in baptism but that the people being instructed in the sense of those words thereupon professed understanding belief and consent And no more is essentially necessary But that after a Creed in terms was the common form which was used by Professors in order to baptism 1. Because so many thousands being baptized the matter being short and meerly Divine they could not be supposed to be left to much variety of expression Divine great necessary things must be spoken with so much caution as may avoid errour heresie corruption and abuse And if every ignorant man and woman were left to use only words of their own devising to express the Christian faith it would be of confounding and dishonourable consequence 2. And the great care that then was used that all Christians might be of one faith and speak the same things and that the heresies then arising might be suppressed doth imply that this necessary means was then used by those that commanded that all be done to edification and unity and in order 3. And many expositors think that this Creed is it that Paul meant by the depositum and form of wholsome words to Timothy 4. But the fullest proof is universal historical tradition and consent of the Christian Churches who have ever used Catechizing and the Creed as the profession of faith in order to baptism and this as from the Apostles without the least notice of any other original of it There is some difference in words between that recited by Irenaeus and two recited by Tertullian and that which we now use and some little difference between that of Marcellus in Epiphanius and that of Aquileia in Ruffinus and ours now used And the forming of the Nicene Creed in other words doth shew that the Churches took not themselves to be so tyed to the same words of the former Creed as not to alter any part of them And it is supposed that before the Nicene Creed the Greek Church had a Creed that had as much of the words of the Nicene as of that called the Apostles And no doubt it was the wisdom of the Apostles and the Churches not to lay too much on particular words and make them seem essential to baptism or more necessary than they were And to this day if any in other words exprest the same thing he may be baptized But ad melius esse and for concord and safety the Churches that still agreed in words of the same sence and mostly the same words as to all that explained the essentials of Christianity found it more and more needful to agree in every word and leave men no room for dangerous diversity though over and above they may explain their minds From whence it was that so great contentions have risen about some single word as the Nicene 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Latines Filióque lest the Creed should be altered at the will of man and the Christian faith seem to be an uncertain mutable thing § 21. By all this it is evident that the Church must make
Gates And it is a greater wonder that Parents and Children should through so many Generations and Countries have so unerring surâ— a memory And it is strange how their own Commentators come to differ about the sense of Thousands of Texts of Scripture if the Churches Tradition have publickly and notoriously delivered down the meaning of them If not how Councils come to be the infallible Commentators and Declarers of the Sense of Scriptures But if really such men believe themselves it will be long before either by fraud or force they can make all others believe such things Sect. IX Gods wisdom appointed a few great and necessary things to be the terms of the Churches Unity and Love but Ignorance and Pride by pretences of Enmity to Error and Heresie have plagued and torn the Churches by Decrees and Canons and led us into a Labyrinth so that men know not where they are nor what to hold nor what the Christian Religion is nor who are Orthodox and who are not so great a work it is to understand such Voluminous Councils and then to be sure that they are all right even when they condemn and damn each other That which hath been the chief Cause and Engine of Division will never become the means or terms of the Unity or Concord of all the Churches But such are the multitude of unnecessary uncertain humane Decrees Laws and Canons of Faith and Religion whatever the proud and ignorant say to the contrary CHAP. VIII The Vniversal Church will never Vnite by receiving all that is now received by Greeks Latines Armenians Abassines Lutherans Calvinists Diocesane Presbyterians Independants Erastians Anabaptists or in full Conformity to any of the present Parties which addeth to the Primitive Simplicity in her terms of Communion or Concord Sect. I. I Must expect that the Evil Spirit which hath long torn the Church and made multitudes tear themselves and foam out Reproach yea and Blood against each other will presently meet the very Title of this Chapter with a charge of Pride against the Writer and say What are you that you should know more than all the Churches in the World And preâ—ume to charge them all with so great Error as not to know the terms of Christian Concord nor the way of Universal Peace But I answer 1. Is the Church now United in any of these terms or ways Are they all Papists Are they all of the Greek Church or Armenian Abassine c Are they all Lutherans or Calvinists c If not why should you conclude that ever they will be Or that any of these are congruous terms of Concord and that the same that doth not heal will heal them Will not Christians be the same as now Sect. II. They never were United on any of these terms I have proved that they were never all Papists And it will be easily granted of the rest that they were never all Greeks Lutherans c. And that which never did unite the Church never will do Sect. III. If you think all must be united in any of these wayes which of them is it And why that rather than any of the rest 1. Must they all be of the Greek opinions You see that the Papists condemn them for Schismaticks And other Churches lament their manifold Corruptions And the Eastern Countries long since divided from them We have here in London a Greek Church new built and Tolerated and their work is done so ignorantly and unreverently that they have usually not twice the number of the officiating or present Priests who join with them 2. Must they all be Papists Never was more Policy and Cruelty used to propagate and prop up any Church under Heaven and yet they cannot prevail for Universal Subjection Nay many Kingdoms and Countries are fallen from them while they used such means to keep them insomuch that by many of the soundest Churches they are taken for no better than Antichristian Hereticks And even the Greek Church separateth from them and pronounceth them Schijmaticks and Excommunicates them every year And they can never obliterate the History of their horrid Schisms and Usurpations and inhumane Butcheries which will alienate many from them Will all the world ever agree to the Dominion of one Usurper Will they all believe the Monster of Transubstantiation Will they all agree That all the Senses of all men are deceived who think that they see and taste Bread and Wine and there is none And that it is necessary to Salvation to renounce all our Senses and the Scripture that oft calls it Bread after the Consecration 1 Cor. 11. Will all agree That God who cannot lie by Supernatural Revelation is the Father of all the lies to Sense that perceive real Bread and Wine and deceiveth them all by his Natural Revelation Will all men believe That every lying fornicating proud and covetous Priest even many Thousands of them can work Miracles at their pleasures every day in the week by making Bread no Bread and turning it into Flesh and 〈◊〉 And that there are visible Accidents without a Subject even a round nothing a white nothing a sweet nothing c. And that there are no substantial sâ—â—ns in that Sacrament of the thing signified And that Christs true Flesh was broken and his Blood shed by himself in the Sacrament before it was broken and shed on the Cross And that two General Councils who decree as de Fide that Christ hath not now Flesh in Heaven hath yet heavenly Flesh in the Sacrament I know that Augustine retracted somewhat as an oversight that looked that way But two General Councils that at Constantinople called the 7th General by some and that at Nice 2d which damned one another about Images yet agreed in this That Christ hath not Flesh in Heaven The words are Bin. p. 378. defin 7. Siauis non confessus fuerit Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum post Assumptionem animatae rationalis intelleâ—â—â—â— carnis simul sedere cum Deo â—atre atque ita quique rursus venturum cum Paternâ Majestate judicaturum vâ—vos mortuos non amplius quidem Carnem neque incorporeum tamen ut videatur ab iâ—s a quibus conpunctus est maneat Deus extra crassitudinem Carnis Anathema And in this they say that the Constantin Council which they are condemning was in the right so that they anathematize the Church of Rome which think that Christ hath Flesh in Heaven and in the Eucharist which they deny yet saying that he hath a Body And let those that would pervert the word Crassitudinem note that he doth not distinguish of Christs flesh and ours as two sorts and say extra carnem Crassam but deny him to have flesh and say extra crassitudinem carnis as an essential property of flesh And one of these Councils the Papists own Will all Christians agree that every Priest must first make his God and then eat him or that he must communicate alone without communion
such bloody work as hath been made by Bishops Councils and Emperors for the suppressing of dissenters What hath been done at Alexandria Antioch Constantinople Jerusalem Rome I have elsewhere shewed The late publisher of his travels in Egypt Vaneslup a Roman they say a Jesuite tells us that Egypt is deprived of her ancient sort of inhabitants destroyed for following Dioscorus and that Justinian killed no less than two hundred thousand of them I believe not his number But if this be true the tyrannical hereticaters are the Pikes in the pond and a far more bloody and devouring sort of men than most of those that they destroy as intolerable 3. But it is not yet divers Religions that is the subject in dispute every different opinion or practice or diversity in some small point in Religion is not a divers Religion He knoweth not what Religion is that thinketh that there are as many different Religions as there are controversies among religious persons In a word Bear a little or you must bear more § 8. Obj. 8. But the tolerated will seduce the ignorant and poison Souls And therefore are no more to be tolerated than murderers souls being more precious than bodies Answ 1. Who have poisoned the Church and souls with more errors and more palpable than the Papists who are most against Toleration 2. The meerly Tolerated being discountenanced by Authority have less advantage to deceive men than the Approved if as erroneous 3. We plead for restraining men from poisoning souls by dangerous doctrines and not for tolerating that But every dissenter or mistaking person is not such a poisoner of souls 4. The Tolerated speaking in publick are more responsible and more easily convicted of their fault than those that do it secretly where there are no witnesses And this your violence cannot hinder 5. As their errors will be openly known so you have advantage openly to confute them and to keep the people right § 9. Obj. 9. But dissenting teachers will unsay what the Approved Teachers say and hinder their work and steal the hearts of the people from them and make their calling bur densome to them Answ 1. They are to be restrained from preaching against any great sure necessary doctrine or practice 2. Christ never sent out his Ministers with a supposition that none should contradict them but with that light and strength which which was to overcome contradiction Do you so debase and disgrace your selves and your religion as to think or say that it cannot prosper if any be but suffered to speak against you 3. Doth the work of Christ afford you no more comfort than shall leave you thus burdened if any will but gainsay you How unlike Christs Ministers or Christians do you speak 4. Have not you that have sound doctrine Gods promise the Rulers countenance maintenance and honour much more to support you than they that are supposed to have none of these 5. If you tolerate not their open preaching their secret endeavours and your seeming cruelty together will alienate more from you and make you not only neglected but abhorred § 10. Obj. 10. The number of the erroneous will increase by a toleration Answ And the number of the ungodly that will say swear or do any thing for worldly respects will increase by your mistaken way of suppressing them 2. It is better that tolerated honest Christians erring in tolerable cases do increase than that they be banished or destroyed and a worldly Ministry thereby lift up abhorred by the religious and heading the malignant and prophane against all serious piety 3. Violence and Tyranny against good men for tolerable error hath already increased that same error more than wiser means would have done and hath introduced worse 4. We have found where I lived in Worcestershire and the neighbouring Counties Warwickshire Staffordshire and Shropshire in the late times of liberty in Religion that an unanimous humble able diligent Ministry frequently and lovingly consulting and all agreeing did more effectually suppress heresie error and schism than violence ever did or would have done The next Parish to me had a grave learned sober Anabaptist B. of D. that had great advantages and yet almost all our flocks were kept from the infection In my own Charge a great Parish of many thousand souls where I was above 14. years we had no one separate assembly nor one sectary that I remember save two or three apostate Infidels or Socinians and two or three Papists A faithful agreeing Ministry with the advantage of a good cause we found sufficient to shame all the Sectaries and frustrate most of their endeavours and to keep the people unanimous and right § 11. Obj. 11. If every one that will may set up for a preacher and gather a congregation or if the ignorant people shall all choose their own Teachers we shall have ignorance error and confusion Answ 1. I told you that every one that will may not turn preacher The Tolerated are to pass their proper tryal as well as the Approved before they receive their Toleration 2. The Churches commonly chose their own Bishops or Pastors for near a thousand years after Christ or had a Negative consenting voice at least And many Canons did confirm it yea and decrees of the Popes themselves yea when the Popes and Emperours in Germany the Henries c. strove about the investing power it was yet granted that the people should have their electing or free conrsenting power continued And no man can be really their Pastor till they consent And your contrary course will make worse work 3. Our way is of all other the safest Two or three locks keep the Churches treasure safest We say none shall be approved but by three parties consent nor Tolerated but by two or three The Ordainers are to consent to him as a Minister and the people as their Minister and the Magistrate as a Tolerated Minister or if any unordained be tolerated which I determine not at least the People and the Ruler must consent and that upon a just testimonial of his ability Piety and fitness for such toleration 4. And yet we speak this but of Pastors not denying but Teachers and Catechizers may be imposed on children infidels and others that are not in Communion with any particular Church § 12. Obj. 12. You would have the Church Articles at least for the Tolerated in Scripture phrase And what 's the phrase without the right sence How easily may Hereticks creep in under such phrases as several men put several sences on Answ 1. Is there not Truth enough in all the Bible in intelligible words necessary to salvation and Church Communion Is the Scripture as insufficient as the Papists make it without their supplemental Traditions or Decrees And had not the Holy Ghost skill to speak even things necessary in tolerable intelligible phrase who are they that are wiser to reform it 2. Almost all words are ambiguous and may be diversly understood your own
and visible symbol of a Christian and Church-member And that all Christs Church hath so accounted of baptism to this day and true Tradition is in no one point so full and constant as in this And moreover the very nature of the thing it self declareth it Is not he a Christian that believeth according to the sense of the institution in God the Father Son and Holy Ghost and by a solemn Vow and Covenant devoteth himself to him as his God and Father his Redeemer and Saviour and his Sanctifier and Comforter and the witness of Christ and that hereupon hath right to justification adoption and the heavenly inheritance Who is a Christian if this be not § 12. The sense of the Catholick Church is so notorious in this that I think there is little disagreement about it The Papists confess it The Protestants confess it See but Vossii Theses de Baptismo and Davenant de Bapt. and especially Gatakers Ammadversions on that of Davenant All confess that all the antient Churches held that to the duly qualified receiver all sin was pardoned in baptism and the person put into a state of life And therefore was a member of the Church § 13. II. And that Christ commanded all Christians to take each other as brethren and to live in Love and that all men by this were to know them to be his disciples is so fully revealed in Scripture that it is needless among Christians to prove it III. As also that such Christians united to him their Head are eo nomine his Church and living in this Love live as the members of his Church must do § 14. And here three things are to be noted 1. That what was done by the Holy Spirit as given extraordinarily to the Apostles as founders or Architects of the Church to lead them into all truth was truly done by Christ himself the Holy Ghost so extraordinarily given being his promised Agent 2. That yet this work of Instituting Baptism as the terms of Church-union he would not leave to the Spirit in the Apostles but was the immediate author of it himself 3. But yet two things hereabout he left to the Apostles 1. To explain to the baptized the true sense of the general words in the baptismal Covenant 2. And to institute part of the terms of Particular Church Order and Vnity who accordingly setled or ordained Elders Bishops or Pastors in every particular Church which at first was for the most part in every City or great Town where the Gospel was received by any competent number and after they added Deacons and Deaconesses or Widows ad melius esse only and they taught them by word and writing to observe all that Christ commanded § 15. III. And as I have proved 1. That it must be done 2. And that Christ did it so 3. It is part of our proof that no other did it or could do it 1. No other had authority to institute Church-Essentials and to give such necessary universal Laws 2. No other came early enough to do it but as his Ministers after Christ had done it 3. No other had wisdom and fitness enough for it nor were fit to agree to make Church essentials 4. De facto History proves they did it not 5. To undertake it is to invade Christs office The Apostles themselves found it done to their hands Much less can any ordinary Pastors since prove any authority from God or any true capacity in themselves for such a work § 16. And if any pretend to it they must be such as lived before Christ had any Evangelical Church that is of the same species as hath been since the institution of Christian baptism or such as have lived only since The former came not in as competitors The latter were too late to be the doâ—â—s of that which was done before Union is essential to the Church in general The necessary terms of Union are essential to it in specie as the Christian Church For necessarium est sine quo res esse non potest It 's no Christian Church without the necessary terms of Church union And therefore before those terms were first made or instituted there was no Church of that species and after there was such a Church and consequently such terms of its Union none could make them they being made before If any that came after did or shall hereafter attempt to make such terms it must be new ones and not the same that constituted the first Church and then their Church will be new and not of the same species as the first Indeed God did make new Laws of Administration and so may a Kingdom without changing the constitution but not new constituting terms Governing Laws which follow the Constitution are not to make the Kingdom a Kingdom or the Church a Church but to preserve the Church and its order and promote its welfare and the Oath of Allegiance maketh a man a Subject without subscribing to the Governing Laws But as a Subject he consenteth to live under those Laws and if he break them he is punishable according to them and for breaking some of them may be cut off and for some crimes a man may be excommunicate But yet excommunication must be distinguished That which totally cuts a man off from the Church must be but a sentence upon proof that he hath first morally cut off himself Lesser crimes must be punished with the lesser excommunication which is but a suspension and that which Paul speaketh of 2 Thess 3. 15. Yet take him not for an enemy but admonish him as a brother § 17. By all this it is most evident that Christ himself the Institutor and maker of his Church hath made the terms of essential Catholick Vnion and that we have nothing to do herein but to find out what are the terms that he hath made and not to enquire what any men since have made or added as being not authorized thereto CHAP. X. No humane terms not made by Christ or his Spirit extraordinarily given to the Apostles are Necessary to the Being of Particular Churches But divers humane acts are necessary to their existence and administration § 1. DIvers men speak diversly of this matter 1. Some say that no form of the Polity of particular Churches is of Divine institution but that God hath left all the forming of them to the will of man 2. Others say that no form of them is lawful but what is of Divine institution And of the first some say that Christ instituted the Papal form and some say General Councils the summam Potestatem to the universal Church and left it to them to form particular Churches Others say that Magistrates are to do it And others that the Diocesane Bishops of every Nation in National or Provincial Synods may do it But all agree that the form of particular Churches must be made by some that had authority from Christ to do it § 2. Of the second sort who hold no
that only Priests should baptize none appropriated it to Bishops some thought Lay-men might baptize in case of necessity and some thought that women also might do it And some thought that though women or Lay-men might not do it lawfully yet factum valet being done such should not be re-baptized And some thought that those that were baptized even by Priests that were Schismaticks or as they called them Hereticks when they separated from common Concord and Communion must be rebaptized And they thought that if they were baptized in such a Schismatical or Heretical society by whomsoever it was not into the true Church In this case Cyprian and the African Bishops with Firmilian and his Collegues were in the wrong when the Bishop of Rome was in the right And the Donatists thought they were but of Cyprians mind For it seems they had there the greater number of Bishops And the greater number went for the Church and the less for hereticks and so they called themselves the Church though out of Africa the number against them or that meddled not in the quarrel was far greater And all this arose but by the contests of two men for the Bishoprick of Carthage some following one and some the other § 2. This errour of Cyprian and the Donatists arose 1. from their not sufficiently distinguishing the Church universal from the Associated Churches of their Countrey nor well considering that Baptism as such is but our entrance into the universal Church and not into this or that particular Church 2. By an abusive or equivocal use of the name Heretick their doctrine being true of Hereticks strictly so called who deny in baptizing any essential part of Christianity but false of Hereticks laxly so called that are only Schismaticks or deny only or corrupt some lower doctrines precepts or practices of Religion § 3. Therefore the Council of Nice truly decided the case by distinction decreeing the re-baptizing of some as such as the Paulinists baptized and not of others That is All that had not true Christian baptism consisting of all the true essentials were to be re-baptized and not others whatever particular Church they were of § 4. Hereupon also among the Roman Doctors it hath been a great debate whether the Priests Intention was necessary to the validity of baptism The true answer to which is this It is one question what is necessary to the justifying of the Priest before the Church and another before God and another question what is necessary to the validity of baptism to the receiver before the Church and another before God And so I answer Supposing that no man shall suffer for anothers fault but for his own 1. If the Priest profess and Intention to baptize in general and express it in the true words of baptism his act ex parte sui is valid coram ecclesiâ though he dissemble 2. If the Priest dissemble his act is a crime and shall be punished by God 3. If he profess not to intend to baptize the person or to intend it in general but to corrupt it in the Essentials it is as a Ministration invalid coram Ecclesiâ and should be done again 4. If the adult person baptized profess baptismal Consent dissemblingly it is valid baptism coram ecclesiâ as to what the Church must do upon it but invalid as to what God is to do as the performer of the Covenant 5. If the person baptized do not so much as profess consent or profess not to consent nor to intend to be then baptized it is no baptism before God or the Church 6. If he profess to be baptized in general but deny any Essential in particular it is not the true Christian baptism but must be better done § 5. When any came in so great errour as that the Church scarce knew whether it was an Essential part of faith and baptism that was denyed it made the Controversie hard about their re-baptizing Many thought that the Photinians and Arians denying Christs Godhead as of the same substance with the father denyed an essential article and were to be re-baptized if they so entred at first Our Socinians are much worse that deny Christs Godhead in a fuller sence And how doth he believe in Christ that believeth him not to be God which is most eminently essential to him § 6. They that are over-bold in altering Christs terms of Church Union and Communion making them less or more or other if they knew what they do would find themselves more concerned in these controversies of baptizing and re-baptizing and consequently greater corrupters than they have thought § 7. To think that Church Vnion is impossible is to deny that there is any Church and consequently any Christ To think that necessary Concord in Communion is impossible is so great a disparagement to the Church as tempteth men by vilifying it to doubt of Christianity For if Christians cannot live in Unity of faith and love and converse what is their Christianity And such despair of Concord will make men suspend all endeavours to attain it For Despair useth no means § 8. And to take into the Church of Christ such as want the Essentials and Christ would not have received is to corrupt his Church and bring in Confusion and such as will dishonour him and will be more hurtful in the Church than they would be without like rebels in a Kingdom or mutineers in an Army or enemies in a Family The nearer the worse § 9. It is for this use especially that Christ hath committed the Church Keyes to the Pastors And the Key of entrance is the Chief Therefore he that judgeth who is to be Baptized exerciseth the chief act of the Church Keyes And he that Baptized was held to have the Power of judging whom to baptize which was never denyed to the Presbyters till after for order some restrained them § 10. It is a strange contrariety of some Pastors to themselves who judge that all Infants of Heathens Jews Turks or wicked men are without exception to be taken into the Church if any ignorant Christian will but offer them and say over a few words and the Adult also if they can but say over the Creed by rote and a few words more and thus fill the Church with Enemies of Christ and yet when they are in deny them Communion unless they will strictly come up to many humane unnecessary impositions as if far stricter obedience to men perhaps in usurpations were necessary than to Jesus Christ § 11. How far Infidels Catechumens or Heretical or Schismatical Assemblies may be tolerated in the world about us by Magistrates is not here to be enquired but hereafter But that the Churches themselves should not corrupt their own Communion by taking and keeping in uncapable persons the nature of the Church and discipline and its ends and the reproof of the Churches Rev. 2. 3. and the judgement of the Universal Church do tell us CHAP. XII The sin and danger of
of the spirit to hear men in prayer and thanksgiving to be much and fervent for the Churches and for all the world and to make it the first and heartiest of their requests that Gods name may be hallowed his Kingdom come and his will be done on earth as it is done in heaven and not to be almost all for themselves or for a sect or a few friends about them as selfish persons use to be 68. A very fervent desire of Vnion conâ—ined to some few that are mistaken for all or the chief part of the Church with a â—ensorious undervaluing of others and a secret desire that God would weaken and dishonour them because they are against the opinions and the interest of that sect or party is not only consistent with Schism as I said before but is the very state of Schism called Heresie of old And the stronger the desire of that inordinate separating Unity is as opposite to the Common Vnity of all Christians the greater is the Schism Even as a bile or other aposteme or inflammation containeth an inordinate burning collection or confluence of the blood to the diseased place instead of an equal distribution CHAP. III. II. The necessity and Benefits of this Unity and Peace II. THE Necessity and excellency of the Vnity of the spirit and peace will appear in these respects 1. For the good of the particular persons that possess it 2. For the good of Christian societies 3. For the good of the uncalled world 4. For the Glory and well-pleasing of Jesus Christ and of the Father of these in order 1. For the good of each particular person that possesseth it 1. It is the very Health and Holiness of the soul and the contrary is the very state of sin and death What is Holiness but that Vniting Love by which the will adhereth to God and delighteth in his Goodness as it shineth to us in his works and specially in Christ and in all his members and in a common sort in all mankind And what is the unholy state of sin and death but that Conâ—ractedness and retiring to our SELVES by which the selfish person departeth from the due Love of God and others and of that holiness which is contrary to this his selfishness So far as any mans Love is contracted narrowed confined to himself and to a few so far his soul is indeed unsanctified and void of the Vnity of the Spirit or the Spirit of Vnity If a man lived in banishment or a prison uncapable of doing others any good yet if he have that Love and spirit of Unity which inclineth him to do it if he could this is his own health and rectitude and acceptable unto God Little do many Religious people think how much they do mistake unholiness and sin it self for a degree of holiness above their neighbours When they contract and narrow their Christian Love and Communion to a party and talk against the Churches of Christ by disgraceful and Love-killing censures and reproaches as being not holy enough for their Communion this want of the spirit of Love and Unity is their own want of holiness it self It was the old deceit of the Pharisees which Christ the messenger and mediator of love condemned to think that holiness lay more in sacrifices and Ritual observances and in a strict keeping of the Sabbaths rest and such like than in the Love of God and all men And the lesson that Christ twice set them to learn was I will have mercy and not sacrifice He hath most grace and holiness who hath most of the spirit of Love and Unity 2. It is the souls necessary qualification for that life of true Christianity which God hath commanded us in the world It is this inward Health which must enable us to all our duty 1. Without this spirit of Vnity we cannot perform the duties of the first table unto God Our sacrifices will be as loathsome as theirs described Isa 1. and Isa 58. If we lift not up pure hands without wrath and wrangling or disputing for so I would rather translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 2. 8. than doubting our prayers will not be acceptable to God Though it be Christs worthiness for which our prayers and services are accepted yet there must be the subordinate worthiness of necessary qualification in our selves For Christ himself hath annexed specially the express mention of this one qualification in the Lords prayer it self Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us and he repeateth it after For if ye forgive men their trespasses your heavenly Father will forgive you your trespasses but if ye forgive not men their trespasses neither will your heavenly Father forgive you Mat. 6. 13 14. Love is here included in forgiving as a cause in its effect And Christ rather nameth forgiving than Love because men may pretend to that act which is secret in the heart but if it should not work in the necessary fruits of which forgiving others is one it would be but a vain pretence And here I intreat the Reader to consider a while the singularities of this passage of Christ 1. That men that must trust in Christs merits and mediation must yet be told of such an absolute necessity of a Condition or qualification in themselves 2. That Forgiving others as an Act of Love is singled out as this qualification 3. That this condition must be put into the very prayer it self that our own mouths may utter it to God 4. That it must be annexed to this one petition of Forgiveness rather than any of the rest where men are apt to confess their own necessity and where many are readiest to think that Gods mercy and Christs merits and mediation must do all without any condition on their part They that know that their daily bread and deliverance from temptation and evil must have some care and endeavours of their own are yet apt to think that the Forgiveness of sin needeth nothing on their part but asking and receiving 5. That Christ should after single out this one clause to repeat to them by urgent application And yet how little is this laid to heart And indeed the first word in the Lords prayer Our Father teacheth us the same lesson How needful a qualification Love and Vnity are to all that will come to God in prayer He that teacheth us that to Love our neighbour as our selves is the second summary Commandment and even like to the first which is Love to God for it is Loving God in his Likeness on his works doth here call us in all our prayers to express it by Praying for our brethren as for our selves O that men of wrath and wrangling were truly sensible what affections should be expressed by that word OVR FATHER and with what a heart men should say GIVE US and FORGIVE US and how far VS must extend beyond ME and beyond OUR PARTY or our side or our Church in the
dividers sense I tell you if you will be welcome to God in your prayers or any other religious services you must come as in Vnion with Christ and with his Universal Church God will receive no one that cometh to him as alone and divided from the rest As you must have Union with Christ the Head so must you have with his Body A divided member is no member but a dead thing Little think many ignorant persons of this who think that the singularity and smallness of their sect or party is the necessary sign of their acceptance with God Because they read Fear not little flock As if a little flock must separate from Christs little flock for fear of being too great And as if his Flock which then was but a few hundreds must be no greater when the Kingdoms of the world are become his Kingdoms Yet such have there been of late among us who first became as they were called Puritans or Presbyterians when they saw them a small and suffering party But when they prospered and multiplyed they turned Independents or Separatists thinking that the former were too many to be the true Church And on the same reason when the Independents prospered they turned Anabaptists And when they prospered they turned Quakers thinking that unless it were a small and suffering party it could not be the Little flock of Christ As if he that is called The Saviour of the world would take it for his honour to be the Saviour only of a few Families or Villages and his Kingdom must be as little as Bethlehem where he was born Should they take the same course about their Language and say that it is not the language of Canaan but of the beast if it grow common and so take up with a new one that it might be a narrow one the folly of it would discover it self And what is the excellency of a Language but significancy and extensive community and what greater plague since Adams sin hath befaln mankind than the division of tongues as hindering communication and propagation of the Gospel And what greater blessing as a means to universal Reformation could be given men than an universal common language And what is the property of Babel but division and confusion of tongues And doth not all this intimate the necessity of a Union of minds While we keep in the Vnity of the Body and spirit we may we must strive for such a singularity as consisteth in an excellency of degree and endeavour to be the best and holiest persons and the usefullest members in the body of Christ But if once you must separate from the body as too good to be members of so great or so bad a society you perish God will own no Church which is so Independent as not to be a member of the universal not any person who is so independent as not to come to him as in Communion with all the Christians in the world We must not approve of the faults of any Church or Christian and so communicate with their sin by Voluntary consent But disowning their sin we must own them as Christs members and have communion with them in faith and Love and holy profession of both and while we are absent in body must be as present in spirit with them and still come to God as in communion with all his Church on earth and offer up our prayers as in conjunction with them and not as a separated independent thing 2. And as our Vnity is part of our necessary fitness for duties of holy worship so is it also for duties of the second table that is of Justice and Charity to men And this is evident in the nature of the thing No man will be exact in Justice till he do as he would be done by And who can do that who Loveth not his neighbour as himself What is our unity but our Love to others as our selves And how can we do the works of Love without Love It is divided SELF that is the cause of all the unmercifulness and injustice in the world Unity maketh my neighbour to be to me as my self and his Interest and welfare to be to me as my own and his loss and hurt to be as mine And were he indeed my self and his welfare and his hurt mine own you may judge without many words how I should use him whether I should shew him mercy in his wants and misery whether I should rejoice with him in his joy and mourn with him in his sorrows whether I should speak well or ill of him behind his back and whether I should persecute him and undo him whether I should defame him and write books to render him odious and to perswade the rulers that he is unworthy to have the liberty of a Christian or of a man to preach to pray to be conversed with or to live Would not uniting Love make a wonderful change in some mens judgements speeches and behaviour and make those men good Christians or good Moralists at least who now when they have cryed up Morality and Charity and good works would perswade men by the Commentary of their practice that they mean Malignity cruelty and the propagating of hatred and all iniquity Where there is not a dominion of LOVE and UNITY there is a dominion of SELFISHNESS and ENMITY and how well these will keep the Commandments which are all fulfilled in LOVE how well they will do good to all men especially to them of the houshold of faith and provoke one another to Love and to good works it is easie for any man to judge Once alienate mens hearts from one another and the Life will shew the alienation 3. This UNITY of SPIRIT and spirit of unity is our necessary preservation against sins of commission as well as of omission as aforesaid even against the common iniquities of the world LOVE and UNITY tyrannize not over inferiours contrive not to tread down others that we may rise and to keep them down to secure our domination They oppress not the poor the weak or innocent They make not snares for other mens Consciences nor lay stumbling-blocks before them to occasion them to sin nor drive men on to sin against Conscience and so to hell to shew mens authority in a thing of nought Had this ruled in Ahab and his Prophets Michaiah had not been smitten on the mouth nor fed in a Prison with the bread and water of affliction nor had Elijah been hunted after as the troubler of Israel Had this unity of spirit ruled in Jeroboam and in Rehoboam one had not stretcht out his hand against the Prophet nor the other despised experienced Counsellours to make heavier the burdens of the complaining people Had it overcome the SELFISHNESS of the Kings of Israel their Calves and High places had not engaged them against the Prophets and been their ruine Had it prevailed in the Kings of Judah and their people Jeremy had not been