of this nature but I forbeare to use all my power I rather beseech you and is there not locus precibus are you inexorable can you refuse to hearken to the entreaties of him that hath done and suffered so much for your sakes I beseech you brethren you are brethren therefore let there be no divisions I beseech you in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ In the name of Christ that is say some by the authoritie of Christ as the officer in the Kings name In this name I beseech you as if Christ by me did beseech you therefore let there be no divisions Or in the name of Christ that is by the profession of Christianity which you make I beseech you to which all schismes and divisions are most contrary therefore let there be no divisions Or in the name of Christ that is say others by the glory of Christ to which all schismes in the Church are most prejudiciall as you therefore tender the glory of Christ then which nothing should be more deare to us let there be no divisions And in the close of his second Epistle this is his fare-well Be of one minde 2 Cor. 13 11 live in peace No lesse earnest is he in this kinde with his Philippians Phil. 2.1 2 3. If there be any consolation in Christ if any comfort of love if any fellowship of the spirit if any bowels and mercies fulfill you my joy that ye be like-minded having the same love being of one minde of one accord let nothing be done through strife or vain-glory And taking knowledge of some breach betweene 2. Christian women see how he applyes himselfe to them I beseech Euodias Phil 4 2. and beseech Syntiche that they be of the same minde in the Lord The same charge he gives to his Colossians Let the peace of God rule in your hearts Col. 3 15. This is spoken of peace betweene the members of the Church called the peace of God because he commands it and he works it And finally to his Hebrews Follow peace with all men and holinesse Hebr. 12.14 And as he so frequently gives this in charge so doth he no lesse make it his humble suit to God for the Romanes Rom 15.5 Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be like-minded one towards another according to Christ Iesus 2 For the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some may say why all this what makes the Apostle so earnest why should we be so studious of peace and unity to preserve and maintaine it Listen a while and ye shall see good cause why 1 Because of the incomparable nearnesse that is betweene Christians now being knit together by so many bands heare the Apostle in the verses following There is one body Eph. 4 4 5 6. then we are members one of another One spirit one holy Ghost quickning us all as all the members of the naturall body are enlivened by one soule called to one hope of our calling the same glorious inheritance to the joynt hope of which we are called by the Gospell then we are all of us co-heires One Lord then we are all of us fellow-servants One faith by which we all live one doctrine of faith which we all professe One baptisme by which we are all of us initiated into the Church and one Lords Supper as the common Sacrament of our spirituall nourishment and so in generall we all of us participate in the same Sacraments finally One God whom we all worship who is also a common Father to us all then we are brethren A three-fold cord Eccl. 4.12 saith Solomon is not easily broken Behold here is a seven-fold cord and shall not this hold us together Aug. tom 8. in Psal 65. Sub uno capite regimur uno spiritu vivimus unam patriam desideramus omnes We are governed under one head we live by one spirit we all desire one countrey saith Saint Austin with respect to the three former of these bonds Vnius corporis membra sumus Aug. tom 2. Epist 33. unum habemus caput unâ perfundimur gratiâ uno pane vivimus unâ incedimus viâ câdem habitamus domo We are all members of one body we have one head we are all washed with the same grace we live by the same bread we walk in the same way we dwell in the same house saith Paulinus to Saint Austin Were it no more then that we are brethren nothing were more unkindly then contention who knows not how unnaturall it were for brethren to fall out one with another It was Abrahams argument to his kinsman Lot Gen. 13.8 Let there be no strife betweene mee and thee for we are brethren Brethren we are of the nearest kinde having both the same Father God who is the father of all and one mother Eph. 4 6. Gal 4 26. the Church who is the mother of us all therefore no counsell can better fit us then that Gen 45 24 which Ioseph gave his brethren See yee fall not out by the way By this argument from the nee renesse of Christians Aug. tom 8. in Psal 55. Saint Austin argues against the schisme of the Donatists fratres sumus unum Deum invocamus in unum Christum credimus unum Euangelium audimus unum psalmum cantamus unum Amen respondemus unum Alleluja resonamus unum Pascha celebramus quid tu foris es ego intus sum We are brethren we call upon one God we beleeve in one Christ we heare one Gospell we sing the same Psalmes wee answer the same Amen we eccho forth the same Hallelujah we celebrate the same Easter why art thou abroad and I within And elsewhere Aug. tom 7. parte 1 de Emerito ad Eccles Caesaricus plebem Qui adoramus unum Patrem cur non agnoscimus unam matrem Since we worship one Father why doe wee not acknowledge one mother And by the same argument he sets upon the Arrians Si mecum es in omnibus Aug tom 6. de 5. haeres c. 6. quare litigamus una est nobis haereditas possideam us simul fratres sumus simul ad custodiam haereditatis nostrae vigilemus If thou art with me in all things why strive we we have one inheritance let us possesse it together we are brethren let us watch together for the keeping of our inheritance In a word therefore seeing Christians are so nearely linked together it stands us in hand to endeavour to keepe the unity of the Church in the bond of peace 2 Because the divell is a great enemy to our peace he knowes its best fishing in troubled waters It s his maxime Divide impera set them together by the eares and so prevaile against them and therefore he doth all he can to divide us and to sow the seeds of discord among us and it is his great content when he can effect it Aug. tom 10. Serm. à Lovan edit Ser. 74.
us also yea for all 2. Now for the Advice it selfe and here to make use of the aforesaid distribution wee have 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The subject of the advice the unity of the Spirit concerning this two things deserve enquiry 1. What is unity in generall and what it is in this place The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unity notes the joyning together of more things though divers yea though contrary into one as the joyning together of severall bricks or hewen stones or peeces of timber to make one house the putting together of a body propagated from parents and a soule immediatly created of God to become one man the making of Iewes and Gentiles one new man who had beene before of such different dispositions and religions and between whom in that respect there had been such enmity In all these there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unity The unity here spoken of is that of which wee reade under the notion of gathering together into one all things Ephes 1.10 Ephes 2.14 15 16. both in heaven and in earth and of making both Iewes and Gentiles one new man one body one Corporation Verse 19. Verse 21 22. one family one house even one Temple having one head one Lord one King one foundation and corner-stone even Christ who is all in all This unity then is no other then unitas Ecclesiae the unity of the Church as Zanchy saies well Zanch. in locum the conjunction and agreement of the body of Christ the Church composed and made up of diuers people and men coupled and combined under one head Christ be they Iews or Gentiles And this is by S. Bernard Bern. de consid ad Eugen l. 5. c. 8. reckoning up sundry sorts of unity called Vnitas consentanea cum per charitatem multorum hominum est cor unum An unity of consent when by charity passing mutually between divers men they are as if they had all but one heart among them all 2. But why is this unity of the Church called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the unity of the Spirit Here Interpreters differ Some by spirit understand the soule of man and so will have this unity of the Church to be called the unity of the spirit ratione subjecti in relation to the subject of it because the soule not the body is the subject of this unity divers bodies one soule and heart in all Acts 4.32 as S. Luke speaks the bodies of men dispersed far and neare their soules firmely knit together into one so saies Estius Vnitatem spiritus the unity of the spirit Estius in locum that is saies he animorum inter vos conjunctionem the conjunction of your minds among your selves And Mariana thus layes downe the scope of the Apostle in this place Mariana in locum Non vult Apostolus suos animis opinionibus dissentire sed ut idem sapiant The Apostle saies he would not have his Ephesians to dissent in mind and opinion but all to mind the same thing To these learned Calvin assents Calv. in locum Vnitatem spiritus quidam pro spiritali accipiunt quam in nobis efficit Spiritus Dei Some saies he by the unity of the spirit understand here spirits unity which the Spirit of God works in us hee addes certè is solus est qui nos reddit unanimes and indeed it s he alone that makes us to be of one mind but yet he addes Sed ego simpliciùs interpretor de animorum concordia But I saies he doe rather understand it simply of the concord of our minds And indeed hee knowes nothing that knowes not the soule of man to be frequently in holy Writ called the spirit Eccles 12.7 Num. 27.16 The spirit goes to God that gave it saies the Wise man so Moses cals God The God of the spirits of all flesh and the Apostle cals him The Father of spirits Heb. 12 9. Yet others by the spirit understand the holy Ghost the third Person of the ever and equally glorious Trinity who is also in Scripture not seldome called the Spirit without his attribute holy or any other as by our Saviour particularly Ioh. 3.8 Matt. 4.1 So is every one saies he that is born of the Spirit and so S. Matthew speaks Then was Iesus led by the Spirit into the wildernesse c. and thus they will have this unity of the Church called the unity of the Spirit ratione efficientis with respect to the efficient of it namely because the holy Ghost is the Author of this unity Beza in locum Vnitatem Spiritus .i. cujus vinculum sanctus Spiritus est the unity of the spirit that is that unity whereof the holy Ghost is the bond Zanch. in locum saies Beza Vnitatem spiritus quia per sanctum Spiritum fit the unity of the spirit so called because it is caused by the holy Ghost saies Zanchy But these interpretations are not so crosse each to other but that they may well enough consist and stand together as Musculus saies well Musc in locum Anselm in locum and so Saint Anselme having first expounded it Vnitatem spiritus .i. unanimitatem voluntatis ut sit in vobis cor unum anima una The unity of the spirit that is unanimity of will so that there bee in you one heart and one soule doth afterwards adde the other exposition Soliciti servare c. id est solicite servetis quod à vobis non habetis scilicet unitatem id est quod vos estis facti unum quia unitas illa est spiritus id est a Spiritu sancto vobis concessa ideo non est negligenda sed studiose retinenda Endeavouring to keepe c. that is carefully keepe that which you have not of your selves namely unity whereby yee are all made one because this is the unity of the spirit granted to you by the Holy Ghost and therefore it is not to bee sleighted but studiously to bee retained And so this unity of the Church is in two respects called the unity of the spirit 1. For that it is not bodily but a spirituall unity there is not corporalis contactus a bodily touching one of another not the bodies of Christians united into one but their hearts and soules Acts 4.32 as appeares from the fore-named passage of S. Luke 2. For that it is the holy Ghost that is the Author of this unity as the soule and body are united together by the spirits the wasting of which causeth death in the separation of soule and body asunder so by the operation of the Holy Ghost working in us brotherly-love each to other Christ hath coupled all his Elect Iewes and Gentiles into one body in Christ and betweene themselves and this is that which the Apostle saies 1 Cor. 12.13 We are all by one Spirit baptized into one body 2. The thing required with respect
to this unity of the Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Endeavouring to keepe it And here are also two things 1. The thing to bee studied 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to keepe the unity of the spirit 2. The study to bee employed in and about it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 endeavouring it 1. The thing to bee studied servare unitatem spiritus to keepe the unity of the spirit We are not put to make this unity this is a worke beyond our spheare it is a worke of Christ and his Spirit It is God that makes us to bee of one minde this unity is the conjunction of hearts and mindes therefore it must needs bee acknowledged to bee the worke of that God in whose hands alone are the hearts of all men Prov. 21.1 even of Kings also saies Solomon and therefore wee finde this worke by the Apostle ascribed to Christ Ephes 2.14 Hee is our peace who hath made both one saies the Apostle of all men in the world it is true potius collecti sunt quam colligunt they are rather the gathered then the gatherers the subject not the causes of this gathering into one All that wee can doe and all that is required of us is that this unity being made by Christ and his Spirit wee should keepe it entire and inviolable And here wee must know that as it concernes every particular man for himselfe to keepe this unity so though this belongs especially to publike persons it concernes us to provide for others and to take care for them that they be not rented and divided from the unity of the Church by schisme and contention Besides also as Christ hath caused an unity betweene God and us who were before divided and at oddes and enmity through sinnes Esay 59.2 which separate betweene God and us so we must know that it is a thing worthy to take up the study of a Christian to seeke to maintaine this unity and to take heed that wee renew not that difference and enmity which was formerly between God and us by relapsing into sin But yet it is more properly the scope of the Apostle to commend to our care the preservation of that unity which is between particular Christians the particular members of the Church the mysticall body of Christ and about this to exhort us not so much to that care which publike persons ought to have of others with respect to this unity to preserve them in it or to reduce them to it if by any meanes they bee drawn from it though this is not altogether to be excluded as to that care which every Christian ought to have of himselfe to preserve himselfe in this unity not to suffer himselfe to be pulled frō it much more not of himself to make a rent in it 2. The study that is to bee employed in and about this thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 endeavouring to keepe it This is well added for there is no hope that while we live here we should be able perfectly to keepe this unity in respect of others no not in respect of our selves I say not in respect of others for there will bee unquiet men in the Church men of factious dispositions men that will study parts-taking and faction who will bee ready to stir up others to schisme and contention as earnestly as any the most peaceably disposed can bee to perswade to peace and unity men that wil as busily kindle and blow the fire of contention as any can be ready to bring their buckets for the quenching of it Ambitious men who hunting after honour and preferment in the Church if they misse of it envious men who seeing others preferred when themselves are passed by spare not to sow the seeds of discord and to set all in a combustion men that are proudly conceited of their owne devices and contend tooth and naile for them and if all things may not be in all points to an haires breadth as they would have them they care not how they hazard the peace of the Church Nor will there be wanting fit subjects for such blow-coales to worke upon some men that be ignorant that know not how to judge of things poore simple soules though haply well meaning who are easily seduced to whom it happens according to that passage of Solomō Prov. 14.15 The simple beleeves every word as not being able to judge of the devills stratagems as it was in the conspiracy of Absalon with whō went two hundred men out of Ierusalem 2 Sam. 15.11 who were called and went in their simplicity not knowing any thing and some men who having in other respects particular discontents are easily perswaded to joine with and to hearken to those that would seek to draw them into faction and schisme from the unity of the Church These are as tinder ready to take fire from every the least spark that falls on them and as the chaffe easily blowne away by every the least puffe of wind Nor will it be halfe so easie for men peaceably disposed to perswade them to remaine in the unity of the Church as for turbulent spirits to prevaile with them to forsake it Woe to us how have we by lamentable experience found all this to bee too true among our selves But I say further that there will be no hope while we live here below to preserve the unity of the Church entire in respect of our selves for there is not the best nor the most holy man living who hath not reliquias the remainders of unruly passions contrary to the vertues mentioned in the foregoing verse in regard of which even the best while they beare about them these houses of clay will bee prone to schisme and discord How eminent both for place and abilities were S. Paul and S. Barnabas and yet what a fearefull breach did there happen betweene them Acts 15.39 The contention saies S. Luke was so sharpe between them that they departed asunder one from the other We are yet under the hammer and not yet fitly fully coupled together perfect unity never to be prevailed against nor broken is not to be expected in this life but is reserved for heaven there to bee our portion where our love shall be perfect and our happiness absolute Unity in this life cannot bee perfectly kept but that sometimes for a season upon this or that occasion there may be there will be difference of judgement and likely hereupon estrangement of hearts and affections all that wee can doe is to endeavour to keepe it and this it is which the Apostle doth require at our hands 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 endeavouring to keepe it saies Saint Paul And this word here used is emphaticall it notes not a sleight overly and perfunctory endeavour that would be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies perfunctoriè agere so to doe a thing as if wee cared not whether we did it or no but in that he uses this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉