together that they have a reall union one with another So in this mystical and spiritual body all the Saints have not only each for his owne part a union and conjunction with Jesus Christ but also a reall union and conjunction one with another which is the foundation of many duties which every one of them are thereby bound to perform one to another and of many priviledges which thereby they injoy with and by one another as shall God willing be afterwards opened unto you Now this my Text speakes as plainly as any man could wish when it saith that we being many that is all we Christians all that truly beleeve in and professe the name of Christ being very many are all one body in Christ that is we all meet and are one in him and that is not all but we are also all of us members one of another Now the first of these the reall indissoluble and spirituall union that all the people of Christ have with Christ their head is a most divine excellent and necessary truth and indeed is the foundation and principle of all our Christian life and therefore most worthy to be understood by all Gods people But that not being the maine drift of the holy Ghost in this place I forbear to speak of at this time and shal treat only of the second and that is the union and conjunction that is and ought to be between all the people of Jesus Christ one with another they being members one of another and therein shall indeavour first to prove and clear it and then hasten to the application of it For the proof of it I shall not need any other Texts then those that I have mentioned already that 1 Cor. 12. how fully and clearly doth the Apostle teach that the eye the hand the foot and every member are for the good and use of the whole and none of them can say I have no need of thee or I have no need of thee God having so ordered it that every one of them needs one another and every one of them are and ought to be usefull one to another yea that even the most mean and feeble of all the members are not onely of the body as well as the rest but are necessary to the good of the whole and those members which we are prone to think lesse honourable and more uncomely God hath appointed in this mysticall body as well as in our naturall bodies to have the more honour put upon them And so in that other fore-mentioned place the fourth of the Ephesians where he saith That the whole body being joyned together by that that every joynt supplieth c. there is not the least joynt but it makes for the supply for the edification of the whole To these might be added all those places which speake of the Church as one corporation or body under other resemblances one vine one house one City c. whereof very many do occur in the holy Scriptures but all these things will be clearer in my subsequent Discourse wherein for the fuller clearing the doctrinal part I shall a little insist upon two maine questions and then endeavour to resolve a doubt or two which may seem to lye as objections against all the Saints making but one body First If the Saints bee one body c. it may bee demanded wherein this unity of the Saints stands or what are the things wherein all the members of Christ have union one with another Secondly If they be thus all one what are the bands and ligaments whereby this vast multitude are all of them tyed thus firmly together For the first If all the Church and people of Jesus Christ be all really one one with another and have thereby a communion one with another the Question is what are those things wherein they are thus one To which I answer the particulars are both many and excellent but because I would not burden your memories I desire you to turne to and consider with me but one onely Text which indeed doth comprehend the sum of all that can be said about it and that is Eph. 4. ver. 4 5 6. the Apostle exhorting all the Saints to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace the better to encourage them to it useth this motive For there is one body and one spirit and one hope of your calling one Lord one faith one baptism one God and Father of all who is above you all and through you all and in you all Now in these seven Unities are comprehended all the things wherein all the Saints of Christ are one therefore I shall endeavour briefly to open them First They are all of them one body that is all Gods people throughout all the world are but one incorporation and there is no one of them but hee hath as really a membership in the body of Christ as any other of them as in an Army though every one be not an Officer nor every Souldier equally valiant or skilfull yet every one is equally a member of the Army and as in a City or Corporation every Free-man though no Mayor Alderman or Master of a company c. yet is as really a member of the City as any other or look as in a building it may be some rooms may be larger beautifuller and usefuller yet there is not the least stud the least naile the least pin but it is as really a part of the building as the maine post that upholds it So take the Church of Christ which is made up of the collection and aggregation of all Gods people there is not one of them but hee may truly say I am a part of that house body or building of Jesus Christ as reall as any other Secondly and they are all one in this that there is but one Spirit which I thinke signifies these two things for other Scriptures teach me so to interpret it First they are all of them animated and led by the selfe-same Spirit that as the members of the body though they be it may be many hundreds yet there is one individual soule that animates them all so in the Church of Christ all the Saints every one of them have the selfe-same Spirit of Jesus Christ which is the principle of their life and animates every one of them but that is not all but by the same Spirit he secondly means the Spirit as it is the Administrator or distributor of all the gifts of Christ that whatsoever gifts graces operations administrations are to be found in the whole Church the self-same Spirit distributes his gifts variously as he pleaseth to some more and to some lesse yet gives them all to and for the good of the whole Church in generall and for every member in its particular so the Spirit of God himselfe interprets this in the first of the Corinthians and the twelfth from ver. 4. to 14. There are diversities of gifts but the
same Spirit the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every one to profit withall to one is given a word of wisdome to another the word of knowledge to another faith to another the gift of healing c. but all these worketh that one and the self-same Spirit dividing to every man severally as he will that is the second they are all one body and they have one Spirit Thirdly and they are all one in this That they all have the same hope of their calling by hope there is not meant the grace of hope whereby we expect and waite for the good that Christ hath purchased for us but there it signifies the object of hope and therefore is called the hope of our calling which in other places is called the hope set before us and plainly signifies that which the Holy Ghost cals the common salvation of all Gods people the meanest as well as the greatest have a share in the great things laid up in store for them all which they all aspire to and seek after and in the end doe all injoy which is the end of their faith and hope the salvation of their soules there is one Body one Spirit one hope of their calling Fourthly They have all one Lord one Lord what is that to interpret this aright bee pleased to remember this one rule that where-ever in the New Testament you find God and Lord both mentioned together to signifie distinct Persons Lord always signifies Jesus Christ as Mediator as in 1 Cor. 8. and other places there are gods many and lords many but we have but one God that is over all and one Lord by whom are all things and we by him so that by one Lord he there means that all the Saints throughout the world have their addresse to God only in the name and mediation of the same Lord Jesus Christ they have but one Advocate one Intercessour one Mediator between God and them and by whom alone are communicated to them all the good things which come from God Then fifthly they have all one faith there is one Lord and one Faith I conceive that there by faith is not meant the grace of faith although if that be meant as I shal shew you by and by yet they have all that one faith but there he meanes by faith the rule Doctrine and object of faith the Doctrine which is beleeved and signifies that all the Saints throughout the world doe by faith receive and beleeve the selfe-same truths which give them an interest in God and our Lord Jesus Christ which carry them to eternal Salvation Now because this seemes a little difficult I must endeavour a little more fully to cleare it then I have done any of the former I say all the members of Christ throughout the world have one faith the meaning is in every Age and every corner of the world where Christ hath any of his people there are some common Doctrines wherein Salvation is to be found in which all Gods people doe agree each of them beleeving and receiving them for his particular for although great Clerkes doe know and understand many truthes which others are ignorant of yea and among the people of Christ there are great differences and divisions in their opinions in many particular things of weight and concernment yet if you sever the things wherein they differ one from another and set them aside and gather into one symboll or summe those great truthes wherein they all agree there wil be found so much truth imbraced by all the people of God which wil bring them all to Salvation being really beleeved and answered with a holy conversation For instance looke this day into all the corners of the earth East West North and South where the name of Christ is knowne and professed the great fundamental Doctrines which bring Salvation are received by all the members of Christ Truth is there are in many places damnable Heresies superinduced which if received the foundation is destroyed but Christs Spirit in all the Saints either make them see the danger of them and abhor them or else in mercy keep them ignorant of them and so I doubt not but it is even in the Church of Rome this day among whom Christ wil have a people to be called out from among them when that Babilon is to be destroyed though their Doctrine in the grosse summe as set forth in the Councel of Trent wil not stand with Salvation yet some latent members of Christs Church among them doe through mercy see and shun those things which are damnable or are ignorant of that mystery of iniquity and place all their hope of Salvation in Christ alone and lead their lives in holinesse according to their measure of Light received The summe of all comes to this That among all Christs people in the world there is imbraced so much truth as being accompanied with an answerable conversation wil save them and notwithstanding the remainders of their mistakes errours corruptions of judgement about lesser truthes and corruptions in their conversations we may comfortably say of them all as the Apostle doth in the sixth of the Galathians As many as walk according to this rule peace be upon them and upon the Israel of God This is the fifth thing that all the Saints in every corner of the world have one faith and if also you would take faith for the grace of faith whereby each for their part are united to Jesus Christ which faith also is the principle of that Life of Grace which the Saints lead in this world for we live by faith in this also all Gods people in the world have the same faith which is therefore called the faith of Gods elect and the like precious faith so they are one body have one Spirit one hope of their calling one Lord one faith Then 6ly and they have all one Baptism which is not to be taken literally barely for the Sacrament of washing with water but either it is taken as some interpret it for the Spiritual part of Baptisme which is their new Birth the washing away of their sins and the washing of them with Gods Spirit or rather as it was the custom in the Jewish Church to have all their Ordinances signified by circumcision whence therefore all who imbraced the Jewes manner of worship are called the Circumcision because it was the first Ordinance and that which sealed them to all the rest so I conceive he meanes by Baptisme that as it is the first Ordinance so it is here used to expresse all Gospel institutions so that by one Baptisme he meanes that Gods people all have the same Ordinances or meanes for their edification and building up in Christ And then lastly they have all one God and father of all who is above them all and through them all and in them all which signifies that they all have one God which is their Soveraigne Lord the Father
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
Congregations slow from this Church to the rest or whether any wayes at all it may doe any judicial or judiciary act is a most noble question and much disputed amongst learned Divines especially in our latter age my haste doth not allow me to meddle with that controversie only thus much I may safely assert 1 That all the Officers Offices and gifts that Christ gave when he ascended up into heaven he gave them all to this Church and they all serve for the gathering edifying and perfecting of this Church 2 And as any ever were or are converted to Christ from the world they are all primarily added to this Church 3 Yea and all whether particular Christians or numbers of Christians associated all are to act as parts of this Church and consequently in reference to the good of this whole Church all having such relation to and dependance upon this Church as parts have to the whole and a standing in a particular Church-relation doth no more take off from duties to this great body which is the great Common-wealth then the Jewes being ranked under their several Tribes or in their particular Cities were taken off from the duties which they owed to the whole Common-wealth of Israel c. that therefore he who is justly clave non errante excommunicated or cast out of any particular Church is cast out from all Churches as he who is shut out of any one Gate of a City is shut out of every ward of that City yea out of the whole City it selfe Having thus farre cleared the Doctrinall part I now proceed to the application of it and there are many excellent uses which this Lesson doth afford I shal handle only two at this time 1. for instruction 2. For duty First for instruction from all this it appeares that to be a Member of the Church of Christ or the Association of all Gods people into this one body is the only desirable good Fellowship and Society in this world You shal read of a great many other Fellowships and Co-partnerships you may read in the first of the Proverbs of a fellowship of Theeves in Isa. 56. of a company of Drunkards in Psal. 2. of a Society of Malignants and abundance of several companies and societies of men there are some joyned for pleasure some for profit and many glory and take great content in the society and fellowship and fruit they enjoy in those whom they are linked with but ah beloved when things are rightly viewed it will appeare that the Congregation or the Society of the Church of the first borne whose names are written in Heaven wherein all the Saints of God from the beginning of the world to the end of it are all joyned in one body all of them united to Christ and one to another having the same Spirit the same Lord the same hope all of them one in all these seven things which I have opened to you it will I say one day appeare this is the only desirable society under Heaven Let them therefore who are men of other societies glory as much as they please in their supposed good Fellowship when in the meane time they are strangers from the Common-wealth of Israel But let us count our selves happy that we have a part and lot in this communion wherein we have Fellowship not only one with another but with the Father and his Sonne Jesus Christ Secondly it hence also followes for our instruction That none in all the world are or ought to be judged Members of the Church of Christ but only those that have the Spirit of Jesus Christ in them really regenerate really holy really united to Christ the Head these and no other are Members of the Church which is Christs Body which is a Lesson of very great use You all know there is at this day much disputing about what things are requisite to make men Church-members some very learned men maintain That to make a man admittable into Christs Church or to make him a Church-member no more is in the Scripture required but only that he give up his name and professe that he is willing to learne the wayes of Christ and to walke in them the Church of Christ being say they appointed as a Schoole to traine Schollars up into which are admitted not only those that are Learned but those who are willing to learne Others say That is too laxe if you wil own a man as a Church-member he must be able to give you an account of his faith and a promise of a voluntary subjection to the Gospel of Christ for time to come and if they come to that then you may take them in and owne them as Church-members Others say You must yet goe further unlesse you can in the judgement of your owne charity conceive that the worke of Grace is really wrought in their hearts you are not to owne them or joyne with them if you can probably hope that then you may take them in Others will goe yet further and say These things are not sufficient for unlesse there be a right admission by Baptisme when you make your first confession all the rest is in vaine and upon these points we dispute till we have disputed our selves into a thousand peeces Now Brethren be pleased to know that though there be good use of these debates to direct us to know the persons with whom we may exercise the acts of communion in the wayes and worship of Christ yet none of all these rise up to prove a man to be a Member of the Church of Jesus Christ there are indeed signes and rules that may teach us with whom we may joyne in visible and external Fellowship and whom we may reject or cast out if they be taken in but these are not rules to make us know who are reall Members of the Church of Christ indeed as the Church is denominated from some external things these rules direct us to judge with whom and to whom we may communicate in those external things but these are clearly two Distinct questions with whom we may joyne in visible and externall communion and who are truly Members of this Church of Christ Of the latter there is but one note and that is if they be united to Christ the Head have the quickning Spirit of Christ in them and the grace of Love wrought in them which note is invisible and not external and can be knowne only in our owne Consciences if this be wanting let men carry themselves never so wel so that all the people of Christ under heaven should owne them yet Jesus Christ ownes them not and you may truly say that all they who have not communion with God the Father and the Lord Jesus and his holy Spirit have no reall communion with the Saints therefore let no man rest or pride himselfe in being joyned in this or that Church-fellowship a carnal or unconverted man whatsoever his outward shape
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
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