A PERSWASIVE TO Peace Unity AMONG CHRISTIANS Notwithstanding their different Apprehensions in lesser things 1 Cor. 1.10 Now I beseech you Brethren by the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ that ye all speak the same thing and that there be no Divisions among you but that ye be perfectly joyned together in the same mind and in the same Judgment Phil. 2.2 Fulfill ye my joy that ye be like minded having the same Love being of one accord of one mind Rom. 14.19 Let us therefore follow after the things which make for Peace and things wherewith one may edifie another LONDON Printed for B. Aylmer at the Three Pigeons in Cornhil near the Poultry 1672. A PERSWASIVE TO Peace and Unity AMONG CHRISTIANS THE deep sense of the very ill effects of our Church-Divisions hath put me as it should do every good Christian upon healing considerations An account of some of which I shall give in the following Discourse which I shall ground on the words of St. Paul Eph. 4.3 Endeavouring to keep the Unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace Which contain that behaviour in part by which Christians may and ought to walk worthy of that Vocation to which they are called Unto which the Apostle doth with the greatest earnestness exhort and perswade them in this and the two former Verses And the words give us occasion to inquire into two things 1. What is meant by the Unity of the Spirit 2. How this Unity is preserved by Peace and how we are to endeavour so to preserve it 1. What is meant by the Unity of the Spirit The Unity of the Spirit is that One-ness among Christians which the Spirit of God worketh or effecteth by the Gospel which is the Ministration of the Spirit For by the Spirits operation through that Men become one in Faith or Perswasion one in Profession one in Affection and one in Communion And by their Union and agreement in these or the three former of these they become one Body or Spiritual Corporation under Christ the Head of it By one Spirit we are all Baptized into one Body and are made to drink into one Spirit 1 Cor. 12.13 For the work of the Ministry till we all come to the Unity of the Faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God Ephes 4.12 13. 1. They are by the Spirit made one in faith or perswasion touching the great fundamental truths in the Christian Religion such as the Apostle doth instance in in the three following Verses Even as ye were called in one hope of your Calling One Lord one Faith one Baptism one God and Father of all who is above all and through all and in you all First they are all called by the Gospel to embrace Christianity in One Hope of obtaining forgiveness of sins and eternal Life Secondly they all agree in professing Faith in One Lord Jesus Christ as the only Mediator in opposition to the Lords many the many Mediators the Heathen professed to have and to worship 1 Cor. 8.5 6. Thirdly they all agree in the Belief that the Doctrine of the Gospel by Christ and his Apostles contained in the Holy Scriptures is a revelation from God touching what Men ought to believe and how they ought to live called the One Faith and the Common Faith from the Christians unanimous agreement in it Tit. 1.4 Fourthly they all agree and are one in the belief of One God and Father of all in opposition to the many Idol-gods worshipped by others Fifthly there is also One Baptism by which all the Christians with one consent make profession solemnly of their belief in and Dedication to the Worship and Service of the Father Son and Holy Ghost into whose Name they were Baptized and by which as by a sacred Rite they are solemnly declared to be of the one Body the Church By one Spirit are all Baptized into one Body 2. They all agree and are one in the Profession of the Common Faith the fundamental Doctrines of the Gospel the belief of which is of necessity to Salvation Which Profession is called The acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness Tit. 1.1 2 Tim. 2.25 The acknowledgment of the Mystery of God and of the Father and of Christ Col. 2.2 As with the heart they believe unto Righteousness so with the Mouth confession is made unto Salvation Rom. 10.10 3. So far as they are Christians indeed they are all one in affection or Brotherly Love They Love all Men even those that are not Christians with a love of compassion desiring and seeking their good but they love their fellow Christians wish a special kind of love for the appearance of good in them for their one-ness with them in the Faith called a loving or the Truths sake which is in them 2 John 1.2 And a loving them in the 〈◊〉 Tit. 3.15 By which they become One 〈◊〉 and 〈…〉 togethâ—◠〈◊〉 Love Act. 4.32 Col. 2.2 And hence it is that Faith in our Lord 〈◊〉 Christ and love to all the Saints are frequently joyned together in Scripture 4. All they that rightly be of the Unity of the Spirit are also one in Communion One in their Communion in Grace mutually loving one another and praying one for another One in Communion in Gifts edifying one another as they have opportunity And one in Communion in Ordinances communicating together in Ordinances of Divine Worship Spiritually with all and locally with those among whom they live 1 Cor. 10.17 For we being many are one Bread and one Body for we are all partakers of that one Bread These are the things in which the Unity of the Spirit doth especially consist Not that I limit it to these only for it is the work of the Spirit in the Gospel to be bringing the Believers to speak all the same thing and to be perfectly joyned together in the same mind and in the same judgment in the lesser things of Religion as well as the greater but their actual agreement lyeth mostly in the greater 2. How this Unity is preserved by Peace and how we are to endeavour so to preserve it Unity in the whole community of Christians is preserved by each Member's observing the Laws and Rules made for the Government and good Order of the whole in their carriage towards each other For while every Man Acts his own part only and keeps in his own Rank according to Rule there is no confusion no disturbance no division and peace and confusion or disorder are put in opposition to one another 1 Cor. 14.33 Christ the Head of the Church or Spiritual Corporation hath made several excellent Laws and Rules to govern the Members of his Body in their behaviour one towards another for the common good of the whole and for the Honour of their Religion and of him who is the great Founder of it As that all their things should be done in Charity That they be gentle and courteous humble and condescending in Honour
28.18 And the reason is plain because they can never be disproved to be Disciples of Christ in one sence or other that are visibly of the Church For the Church is Christ's School and all that are of the Church are Christ's Scholars If they say Infants are no Disciples because they are not in a capacity to learn I answer Although they are not in the properest and nearest capacity to learn yet it doth not therefore follow that they are in no such capacity of it as that they may be called and reputed to be Disciples or Learners The Scripture useth to reckon or impute the doing of things to Children when yet they have been but in as remote a capacity of doing those things themselves as they are of Learning Thus little Children were said to enter into Covenant Deut. 29.11 12. to keep Covenant and to break Covenant Gen. 17 10.14 And the Children of the Kohothites of a moneth old were said to keep the charge of the Sanctuary Numb 3.28 And Levi to pay Tithes in Abraham while he was yet in his Loins Heb. 7.9 10. Doubtless they were said to do these things either because they did them virtually in their Parents as being morally one with them untill they could chuse for themselves Or else because they were under visible Circumstances of being certainly taught by their Parents to do them themselves when they should be in the nearest and properest capacity so to do and to own what their Parents had done on their behalf in the mean time as much as if they had done it in their own Persons But for whether of these reasons or for both or for any other they were said to do such things while but Children for the same reasons may little Children while but such be as truly said to be Disciples or Learners And upon one account or other Children as well as Parents are called Disciples in Act. 15.10 Where somes urging the necessity of the Gentiles being Circumcised after the manner of Moses that is to be proselyted by Circumcision is called a laying a yoak upon the neck of the Disciples Seeing then the manner of Moses was to Circumcise Proselytes both Fathers and Male Children and the pressing the continuance of this among all Gentiles Proselyted to Christianity is called a putting a yoak upon the neck of the Disciples it is impossible to prove but that the Children as well as the Fathers are meant by the Disciples upon whose neck the yoak would have been laid because it is manifest they as well as their Fathers were the Persons whose Circumcision was urged as necessary For these reasons I conclude they will never be able to prove little Children to be no Disciples and if not they can never be able to prove them excluded out of Christ's Commission for Baptizing Disciples 3. They cannot prove that the ends of Baptism are not attained when Administred to Infants of Believing Parents First one great end of Baptism is to signifie to all Men by visible sign and representation the same thing which Gods Covenant in the Gospel doth by Word Baptism conveys to the mind by the sense of seeing the same thing as the word of the Gospel doth by the sense of hearing which is the Covenant of Salvation or the terms on which God hath promised to save Men. Christ's Death Burial and Resurrection as the means by which pardon and Salvation are conditionally obtained for and promised to all Men are signified in Baptism And our dying unto sin and rising to a new Life as the condition upon which that pardon and Salvation are promised are likewise signified in Baptism Hence we are said to be buryed with Christ in Baptism into Death and to be raised with him Rom. 6.3 4 5 6. Col. 2.12 And to be saved as by a figure by Baptism as it signifies the Resurrection of Christ and the answer of a good Conscience 1 Pet. 3.21 And because the substance of the new Covenant is represented in Baptism thence it is that Baptism is called the sign of the Covenant And because it is an institution of God to assure Men that upon the terms signified by it they shall be pardoned and saved thence it is called the Seal of the Covenant as Circumcision for the like reason was For Circumcision was a sign to signifie upon what condition God promised Men to be their God and a Seal to assure them that upon their performing that Condition he would be their God And the Condition signified was Circumcision in the Spirit as St. Paul expounds it Rom. 2.28 29. that is mortification or the change of the heart the same for substance with the new Birth represented in Baptism But then Baptism no more than Circumcision doth signifie that all that have received it have performed the Condition of the promise of Salvation therein signified but to assure them and all others that upon the performance of it the benefits promised shall be conferred For the sign of the Covenant doth not signifie more to Men than the Covenant it self and the Covenant it self doth not signifie to Men that they have performed the Condition of it As to this end then as Circumcision was of a publick and common use to the Females as well as the Males though they were not circumcised themselves so is Baptism much more both to the Persons themselves who are Baptized and to all others as well when it is administred to Children as when to Men of riper years 2. Another end of Baptism is to oblige the Persons Baptized to perform the Condition of the Covenant in being born again of making them new hearts and becoming new Creatures as ever they hope to receive the benefits of pardon and Salvation promised in the Covenant upon that Condition It is from this Obligation that a holy Life is frequently pressed upon Christians from their having been Baptized and that it is called the Baptism unto Repentance Rom. 6. Col. 2 and 3 Chap. Mark 1. And Baptism can be no less an Obligation to Repentance and a Holy Life when administred to Infants than Circumcision was in like case and yet St. Paul said that whosoever was Circumcised was bound to keep the Law Gal. 5. And those Baptized in their Infancy if when they come to years of discretion do prove such as make Conscience of their own personal Obligation they usually take themselves to be as much obliged by their Infant-Baptism as they do who are Baptized at years of discretion and discharge it as well All which considered Infant-Baptism cannot be proved a Nullity as to this end neither 3. Another end of Baptism if it be not the same with that before mentioned is a solemn dedication of the person Baptized to the Worship and Service of the Father Son and Holy Spirit called a being Baptized in the Name or into the Name of Father Son and Holy Ghost Mat. 28. And is not such an Act done by Parents as obliging to their Children
preferring one another That they put on bowels of mercy and kindness That they forbear one another in love That the strong bear the Infirmities of the weak That they bear one anothers burthens That they forgive one another That they admonish exhort and comfort one another as there is occasion That they have the same care one for another That they provoke not one another That they lay no stumbling block in one anothers way That all things be done to edifying That they joyn together in solemn Acts of God's Worship as they have opportunity That the Pastours Teach and Rule the People well and that the People learn of them and obey them and the like Now so far as these and other like Laws are kept and observed so far Peace and good Order is kept and thereby Unity preserved For there is no rent or division in the Body till Men break the Laws of good Order But so far as the Laws of good Order in the Christian Community are broken so far the peace thereof is disturb'd and to what degree the peace thereof is disturb'd to that degree is the Unity thereof weakned and threatened to be broken if it he not thereby broken indeed As for instance in case part of the Members of this Community differ in their Opinions from the rest about undetermined circumstances of Order or Worship some holding these and others holding those best to agree with general Rules If then either the one or the other do urge or impose their own apprehensions or oppose the others that differ from them to the apparent breach of the great Laws of Charity and general edification Then is the Churches peace thereby disturb'd and the Unity thereof more or less broken and then eminently so when it proceeds to separation But when Christians that agree in the essentials of Christianity do manage all their different apprehensions about lesser matters especially about undetermined circumstances and matters of doubtful disputation with such Humility Charity Meekness Gentleness Tenderness Condescention and forbearance as is no ways apt to discover in them any slighting of their Brethren or uncharitableness towards them nor is any wayes apt to beget such like distempers in their Brethren towards themselves to the interrupting of their mutual Communion Then may they be truly said to keep the Unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace though they otherwise differ in their thoughts about such things because by such a behaviour they observe the Laws of good Order provided by our Lord and Master in such cases as I shall shew more particularly afterwards In the mean time by what hath been thus said in general you may understand how we are to endeavour to keep the Unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace and that is by a prudent and careful keeping close to the Laws which our Blessed Saviour hath given those of his great Houshold to govern themselves by in their carriage one towards another under all their different apprehensions and opinions in such like things as aforesaid And for the manner of endeavouring it The phrase and manner of speaking used in Scripture in pressing this duty of Peace and Unity plainly shews that the preservation or recovery of it is most industriously to be endeavoured If it be possible and as much as in you lyeth live peaceably with all Men Rom. 12.18 Seek peace and ensue it 1 Pet. 3.11 Follow Peace with all Men Heb. 12.14 Though it flye from us yet we must follow after it and if it be possible overtake and bring it back again Nay we are not only to follow after Peace but also to follow after the things that make for peace that tend to it Rom. 14.19 And because this is that which I principally design in these Papers I shall enlarge my Discourse the more about it And what I shall say in shewing yet more particularly how we are to endeavour to keep the Unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace may pass under the name of Directions thereabout if you please I. Direction If we would endeavour it to purpose we must lay the Foundation in the peaceable Government of our own Spirits in Humility and Charity banishing thence such passions and evil humours as will otherwise betray Men into unpeaceable practices and make them disturbers of the Churches Peace and consequently breakers of her Unity A first of all we must lay aside Pride and Vain-glory and manage all our matters one with another with lowliness of mind meekness and modesty For unchristian contention which is contrary to Peace springs from Pride and height of Spirit Only by Pride cometh contention saith Solomon Prov. 13.10 By Pride a Man over-values himself and undervalues another He over-values his own understanding reasoning and judgment and as much slights and undervalues anothers This makes him impatient of opposition and to think hardly of them that will not bow to his reasonings and judgment and say as he says The immoderate desire to maintain the epuration of his own judgment of which he hath so high a conceit makes him overlook or but slightly consider what is offered by another in opposition to it or differing from it And hence arise immoderate and unpeaceable contendings especially when the parties contending are both sick of one Disease though the one may have a better cause in hand then the other This St. Paul cautioned the Christians against Gal. 5.26 Let us not be desirous of Vain-glory provoking one another envring one another When Men are ambitious and vain-glorious would be thought some body or to appear considerable in the account of others every little opposition is apt to provoke their passion and they in that passion are apt again to say and do that which tends to provoke others And when the fire is by this means kindled it is not easily quenched For Where envying and strife is there is confusion and every evil work Jam. 3.16 But where Humility Meekness and Modesty of mind bear sway there the Peace of the Church is in little danger of suffering by such Such will esteem others better then themselves when they are scarce their equals they will have a better opinion of their wisdome and piety then of their own And this disposes them to look not every Man on his own things but also on the things of other and as impartially and with as much fairness to consider and weigh what is offered by them as what is offered by themselves and to be as willing and ready to receive as to give satisfaction St. Paul well knew how conducible such a tongue is to the peace and tranquillity of the Church and to the comfort and benefit of Church-Communion when he said Let nothing be done through strife or vain-glory but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves Look not every man on his own things but every man also on the things of others Phil. 2.3 4. And if after all this fairness
of proceeding to give or to receive satisfaction there yet remains a difference in judgment about things which are not of the essence of Christianity yet there will be no unpeaceable striving nor contending no ill and provoking reflexions among such as are of this humble and modest temper but they will quietly and patiently bear with one another in Love as knowing themselves not to be infallible The Servant of the Lord must not strive but be gentle unto all Men patient in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves shewing all meekness to all men 2 Tim. 2.24 25. Tit. 3.2 It was said of our Lord himself who was meek and lowly in heart that he shall not strive nor cry neither shall any man hear his voyce in the streets Mat. 12.19 And if this way of proceeding will not reconcile the different-minded to our judgment when we have truth on our side much less will any thing that we can do in a more imperious and passionate way of proceeding For the wrath of Man worketh not the Righteousness of God It is no fit Instrument or Tool for that Work Jam. 1.20 Whereas by a patient and peaceable forbearance not only Unity in affection and Communion is preserved but many times the dissenting party won upon and brought to a better understanding By long forbearing is a Prince perswaded and a soft Tongue breaketh the bone Prov. 25.15 And as for Charity there is nothing qualifies a Man more to keep the Unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace then this The several properties of it are described by St. Paul in 1 Cor. 13 4-7 Do as it were conspire and naturally tend to promote peace and good agreement To what degree Charity dwells in any Man to that degree it disposeth him to suffer long and to forbear revenge to be kind and ready to do good and indisposeth him to Envy others in what they excell him to vaunt himself or to be puffed up or to behave himself unseemly or unbecomingly in word or deed or to seek his own with neglect of others benefit or to be easily provoked or to think or surmize evil or to Interpret things to the worst sence or to rejoyce in anothers halting though an Adversary but inclines him to rejoyce in the Truth and when right to keep place It enables a Man to bear with all things in another so far as is consistent with his and the general good to believe all things that are any wayes credible that tend to excuse or commend others To hope all things and not to despair but that a Neighbour may by his Charitable endeavours be recovered though he hath miscarried and to endure all things labour pains and many inconveniencies to himself so he may but be serviceable to others And if these be the properties of Charity well may it be called the bond of perfectness and Christians exhorted above all things to put it on How can it be thought that they can ever divide or separate in whom Love with these properties dwells And as Charity is of a healing so it is also of a comprehensive Nature I can scarce propose any endeavours properly useful to keep the Unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace but more or less of these properties of Charity will be found in them And it is so universally usefull for the right conduct of all affairs in the Church that St. Paul gives it in charge thus 1 Cor. 16.14 Let all your things be done with Charity a line and vein of this should run through all And if all Christians had but this salt in themselves to allude to Mark 9. it would so season their converse that they would have peace one with another Where there is entireness of affection and a peaceable correspondence among Christians it makes them unwilling to differ from one another in judgment or practice There is such a comfort in Love as the phrase is Phil. 2.1 that it makes them very unwilling to admit of any difference that may diminish that comfort or weaken that love And this disposeth them to look not on their own things only but also on the things of others and to weigh without prejudice or partiallity what each offers to other which is the way to have the weaker brought over to the stronger in any thing wherein they differ And in this way doth the Church edifie it self in love Ephes 4.16 Being knit together in love even unto all riches of full assurance of understanding as the phrase is Col. 2.2 And indeed it is a common thing for one Man to be brought over to anothers judgment through affection to him being prepared thereby to give his reasonings the greatest liberty and scope in his judgment Whereas on the contrary it is a strong temptation to Men to differ from them in judgment and practice from whom they have departed in affection St. Paul could easily believe there were divisions in the Church of Corinth when he fore-knew there would be Heresies among them the one being the fore-runner of the other and a lesser difference making way for a greater as by sad experience we have seen in our dayes 1 Cor. 11.18 19. St. Paul observed it in some who having first swerved from Charity they quickly turned aside unto vain jangling 1 Tim. 1.5 6. Whereas Love is the bond of perfectness as it is called it is the strongest bond it holds the parts longest and fastest together Col. 3.14 It being a Master grace and of a benigne Nature it hath a kindly influence upon a mans judgment and whole practice As the integrity of the upright doth guide them so will their Charity too He that loveth his Brother abideth in the light and there is no occasion of stumbling in him 1 Joh. 2.10 It is doubtless then more for want of love then want of light when the Unity of the Spirit is not kept in the bond of peace This then is the first Direction that we would by a diligent use of all good means and motives cherish and nourish Humility and Charity in our minds and Spirits as principles of such a peaceable behaviour as directly tends to preserve Unity in the Church II. Direction This Unity is to be endeavoured to be kept in the bond of Peace by all good Christians by their being careful to abstain from despising and censuring one another upon account of their different apprehensions about the lesser things in Religion so long as they are agreed in the main Unless these be forborn in such cases its next to an impossibility to preserve peace and Unity among them These unchristian practices as they are the effects of pride and uncharitableness so they are and have been two great peace-destroyers and Church-dividers There is and ever hath been and will be different measures of knowledge understanding and grace in the several Members of the same Body Some are weak in the Faith and some strong some Babes and some strong Men. Upon account
of which difference of knowledge and grace differences are apt more or less to arise among them The weak are apt to be more scrupulous than the strong as being more in the dark and so apter to stumble Whereupon the strong if they be not restrained by Humility and Charity are apt to despise them when they cannot make them understand what is plain and evident to them themselves And the weak again if they be not restrained by Humility and Charity are apt to judge and censure the strong as if they were not so conscientious because not so scrupulous as themselves And upon this despising and judging one another the bond of peace is broken and a way prepared for dividing For when the weak see themselves neglected slighted not regarded and set at nought by the strong it discourages them and takes off the pleasure of their Society and Communion and makes them weary of it and becomes a temptation to them to forsake it and to follow any opposite party that will head them And when the strong again find themselves judged and censured by the weak as if they were Men of little Conscience they are apt to look upon themselves as being by such prejudice taken up against them put out of a capacity of serving them which becomes a temptation to them to neglect them and somewhat to estrange themselves from them Or however though that temptation should not prevail so far upon them yet all endeavours of the strong to help and cure the weak are by the prejudice which the weak have against them when they once fall to judging them made very much ineffectual so mischievous and baneful to the Churches peace and Unity is proud despising and uncharitable censuring one another This was the case between the believing Jews and Gentiles upon which the first considerable breach we read of brake out in the Christian Church of which we have an account in Act. 15. and Rom. 14. and other places The believing Jews durst not use such liberty in meat as the believing Gentiles did nor did the believing Gentiles think themselves obliged to be circumcised and to observe Jewish Festivals as the believing Jews thought they were Hereupon the believing Gentiles which understood their Liberty despised the believing Jews when they could not make them understand it too And the believing Jews on the other hand fell to judging the believing Gentiles as looser than themselves and as Men of no Conscience because they did not make Conscience of Meats and days of Circumcision as well as themselves And upon this unchristian carriage of one towards another under their different apprehensions in these things great divisions sidings and disturbances among them did ensue Now that all such despising and judging one another and dividing from one another about their difference in lesser matters of doubtful disputation should be forborn by Christians so long as they agree in the essentials of Christianity St. Paul declares upon these two grounds among others 1. Because upon the Common Faith wherein they were both agreed they were at the first received by the Lord into his Church and so into a near Relation to himself And therefore their after-differences which did not destroy that Foundation upon which that Relation was first built were no sufficient ground of despising or judging one another or of dividing or withdrawing one from another This is plainly set down in these words Let him that eateth not despise him that eateth not and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth for God hath received him Rom. 14.3 And this reason is farther backed and urged again Chap. 15.7 Wherefore receivere one another as Christ also received us to the glory of God Those whom God hath received into his Church upon such and such grounds we may not we ought not to discourage or reject by despising or judging or withdrawing so long as that remains in them upon which God at first received them Which holds in all other cases of difference between Christians that agree in the main as these did as well as in this between the believing Jews and Gentiles It is upon the like reason and ground that our Apostle in the words upon which I found my discourse and those following Ephes 4. presseth upon Christians the great duty of endeavouring to keep the Unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace viz. because they were at first incorporated into one Body by a profession and acknowledgment of one God and Father of all of one Lord Jesus Christ of one Holy Spirit of the Father and the Son of one Doctrine of Faith of one Hope of one Baptism Which fundamental points believed and lived to are sufficient to Salvation And if so they are sufficient bonds of Union and boundaries of Communion whatever difference in lesser things may otherwise occur For more in profession cannot be absolutely necessary to Church-Communion then what in reality is absolutely necessary to Salvation For as the one doth constitute the Church as invisible so doth the other the Church as visible And the same thing which constitutes the Church as visible must needs invest the Members thereof in a right to its external priviledges And if the Church had kept this her ground upon which she was first built and not made more conditions of Communion she had never been cut mangled and torn into I know not how many pieces as she hath been and at this day is And I see not any probability of her recovery to her primitive Union and Communion till she return to this her first Foundation of Union and boundary of Communion But a return to this would quickly do it if all Christians would acquiesce therein And why they should not as well as the primitive Christians the best Christians that ever the World saw did I understand not nor ever could hear any good reason to make me understand it 2. St. Pauls other reason why Christians that agree in the main as aforesaid should not despise or judge or withdraw from one another for their differing in lesser things is this because both parties differing but only so are to be presumed in the judgment of Charity to aim at the pleasing of God in what they differently hold and do For Charity according to which we are to guide our selves in all such cases of difference thinketh no evil but believeth and hopeth all things concerning others in the best sence and construction their Actions are capable of This was the case of the believing Jews and Gentiles they both aimed at the pleasing of God even in those things wherein they differed He that regardeeh the day regardeth it to the Lord and he that regardeth not the day to the Lord he doth not regard it He that eateth eateth to the Lord saith he for he giveth God thanks and he that eateth not to the Lord he eateth not and giveth God thanks Rom. 14.6 Both aimed at the approving themselves to God in
as to make them agree with us 2. That we do as impartially weigh what those that differ from us do offer for our satisfaction as what we our selves do offer to satisfie them In doing of which we shall in part discharge that duty enjoyned us in Phil. 2.4 Look not every Man on his own things but every Man also on the things of others And by this we shall make it appear that we are willing to agree with those that differ from us as far as possibly we can as far as any reason or ground appears to bear us out in so doing And if we herein begin to those which differ from us it will induce them if there be any candor in them to return the like to us And this is the way to reduce the difference to a narrow compass and to make it as little as may be And when it appears to be but little it will be the easier to satisfie one another about it or however we shall then be the better able peaceably to bear with one another in it But if this be not done it will beget a suspition that we affect to differ and to strive for Victory more than for Truth and Peace and that it is more from a spirit of contradiction than Conscience that we differ 3. When any alter their judgment either upon grounds found out by their own search and studies or offered to them by others so that they come over to them in whole or in part from whom they differed before then beware of representing this as matter of Odium and reproach to them so long as they are not worse in their Morals The contrary that is the doing so hath been an ill practice and such as hath tended greatly to block up the way of a due and Christian compliance with them from whom through mistake they have once professedly differed While it hath been represented as matter of reproach to Men not to stand their ground and to be true to their principles they have once received though found erroneous enough when better considered and looked into it hath proved a great temptation doubtless unto many to neglect an impartial and thorow-examination of the grounds of their Opinion or practice and to be prejudiced against all that is offered by others to convince them of mistake Mens Reputation among their party is a dangerous snare to hold them fast in error and a great impediment to their understanding and discerning the Truth when it is declared to them when it tends to draw them off and to expose them to reproach among their party and a great prejudice and bar against their receiving and owning of it Why do ye not understand my speech Even because ye cannot hear my word said our Saviour to the Jews John 8.43 They had no mind to embrace his Doctrine which would bring them into disgrace with their party the Pharisees and therefore they had no mind so to consider it as to understand it Which made our Saviour say again How can ye believe which receive honour one of another and seek not the honour that cometh from God only Joh. 5.44 But if Men would but understand and consider that it is truly honourable and praise-worthy in the sight of God and Wise Men to love and own Truth where ever they find it and however disguised by its Adversaries and to be of open and free minds to consider and try all things and when they discover Truth to buy it at any rate though it cost them more than the loss of their Reputation among an erring party they would then neither fright others nor be scared themselves from exchanging error for Truth Schism for Peace and Unity by reproachful nick-names V. Direction Those that would keep the Unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace had need to be of publick Spirits and still to seek their own personal and private satisfaction in subordination to a publick good and not in opposition to it to preserve the publick Peace and Unity of the Church and the benefits that depend thereon before the pleasing of themselves in things not absolutely necessary but convenient only If this be not observed there will be no avoiding divisions and separations And the Reason hereof is taken from the different apprehensions capacities and tempers of the several parts and Members of the Church By reason of this those circumstances about the administration of Holy things which will best please some good Men will not so well satisfie others This we find to be true by the different usages of the parts of the Reformed Church in several Nations and by the different perswasions and inclinations of the parts of the Church in one and the same Nation yea in one and the same City Town and Parish as is well known So that if one part of the Church should refuse Communion with the other in the same Ordinances unless they can have them administred upon terms best pleasing to themselves and if the other part of the Church of a different opinion therein should do so too separation follows of course till they can all be of one mind in those disputable things But in all such cases the publick concerns of Religion should sway more with us than what otherwise would be more to our liking The profit of the whole is more to be attended than the pleasing of our selves when the question is not which is good and which is simply bad this or that But only which is better this or that St. Paul walked by this Rule in bearing with yea in chusing some things for publick edification sake when circumstances made them necessary thereunto which out of those circumstances he would not have chosen nor could well bear with Even as I saith he please all Men in all things not seeking my own profit but the profit of many that they may be saved 1 Cor. 10.33 Under some circumstances he would forbear things which under others he would not and thus he would eat no meat while the World stands rather than make his Brother to offend He chose to labour with his own hands for his support rather than to take Money from others when he saw the interest of the Christian Religion would be disadvantaged thereby And he Circumcised Timothy purified himself and took on him a Vow after the Jewish mode when so to do tended to publick good though otherwise the doing of such things could not be without some regret to him considering how slightingly he speaks of them at other turns And thus he took up and laid down many things even as the publick interest of Religion lead him to it To them that were under the Law he became as one under the Law and as without Moses's Law to them that were without it and all this he reckoned to be consistent with his being under the Law to Christ To the weak he became as weak that he might gain the weak he was made all things to all
had respect to the capacity and temper of the People he preached to them as they were able to bear Mar. 4.33 And did forbear to declare many things to his Disciples which he had to say Because they could not hear them then John 16.12 Christians of all Capacities whether their standing be higher or lower in the Church are to do nothing to one another but what doth well consist with Love The precept is Universal both in respect of Persons and things Let all your things be done with Charity 1. Cor. 16.14 By Love serve one another Gal. 5.13 Forbearing one another in Love Ephes 4.2 The very severities of Excommunication are to proceed from Love to the delinquents soul That the Spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus And therefore nothing should be imposed that savours of want of Love or tenderness No burdening of one anothers Consciences but rather bearing one anothers burthens and so fulfilling the Law of Christ Imitating St. Paul who said I was gentle among you even as a Nurse cherisheth her Children And without doubt this is the best method to preserve and increase Peace Love and Unity and the edification of the Church Eph. 4.16 Edifying it self in Love VII Direction Those that would endeavour to keep the Unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace as they ought must not so contend on any side for external circumstances about the administration of holy things as thereby to expose the substantials of Christianity Peace Charity and Unity to ruine and destruction For the preservation of that which is most essential to the keeping of the Unity of the Spirit as Peace and Charity are is more to be endeavoured than the retaining what is but circumstantial to it as a more or less convenient mode of Administration is The Unity of the Spirit may be kept in the use of a less convenient mode of Administration when a more convenient cannot be had without the loss of Peace Charity and Unity but the Unity of the Spirit cannot be kept where Peace and Charity are banished Peace Charity and Unity are duties of a higher Nature than circumstances about Administrations that are not absolutely necessary but only more convenient To love our Neighbour as our selves is the Royal Law Jam. 2.10 one of the two great Commandments Mat. 22.39 the fulfilling of the Law Rom. 13.10 the more excellent way 1 Cor. 12.31 greater than Faith or Hope 1 Cor. 13. last ver And so Peace is that in which together with Righteousness and Joy in the Holy Ghost the Kingdome of God consists Rom. 14.17 and which is to Rule in our hearts and to over-rule in many cases Col. 3.15 Charity and Peace are great Moral duties in which much of the Christian Religion in the power of it doth consist as being that wherein a Man most resembles God and by which God dwells in him and he in God 1 Joh. 4.16 And when these fall into competition with circumstances relating not to the being but only to the better constitution of Churches and Ministry and the Administration of Ordinances in a better mode and to the better exercise of discipline and government they are to give place to Peace Love and Unity and not Peace Love and Unity to them 1. Because those are but means subordinate and subservient to these as their end and the means as such are no farther useful than they are serviceable to their end Which may be the reason why washing of Saints feet the gifts of Charity the annointing the Sick with Oyl in the Name of the Lord have been dis-used though otherwise once enjoyned 2. Those controverted points about the betterness of wayes and modes of Administration on which side soever the Truth falls are not things wherein the glory of God the Honour and success of Religion and the good and Salvation of Men are so much concerned as they are in the great duties of Love Peace and Unity and what depends upon these and therefore it must needs be a duty of a higher Nature and of greater obligation to secure and promote Love Peace and Unity which are the greater than the betterness of Modes of Administration which are but the less And a Man's duty in the less is to be pleaded only in subordination to his duty in the greater but never in opposition to it And therefore well might St. Paul say above all these things put on Charity which is the bond of perfectness Col. 3.14 And St. Peter likewise above all things have fervent Charity among your selves 1 Pet. 4.12 And if above all things then above the circumstances relating to the constitution of Churches to Ministry Administration of Holy things and discipline I might both amplifie and exemplifie this and over-prove it in shewing how that duties which become so only by institution are alwayes to give way to Moral duties when they come in competition I will have Mercy and not Sacrifice Hos 6.6 Mat. 9.13 and 12.7 Go and be first reconciled to thy Brother and then come and offer thy gift Mat. 5.24 Circumcision waited upon and was suspended upon a Moral necessity forty years in the Wilderness being intermitted so long Josh 5. Now then if positive precepts themselves are superseded by Moral when they come into competition then so are those things much more which are but circumstances relating to institutions and such circumstances too as that it is matter of dispute among Wise and good Men on both sides which whether these or those do best agree with the Nature and ends of those institutions Now that our dividing separating and running into parties upon the account of the lesser things fore-mentioned does tend to the decay and destruction of Love as well as Peace and Unity is a thing too apparent in our own experience to need proof That which is an occasion of separation will certainly lessen if it do not quite destroy Love The Law of Commandments contained in Ordinances which was a Wall of Separation or partition between Jews and Gentiles is called the Enmity Ephes 2.15 Because as it did separate them it was the cause of enmity and laid waste Charity as all separation upon a Religious account ever hath done more or less And to deny this whatever one of late hath said to the contrary is to contradict the general sense and experience of Men. And therefore what is our dividing upon the terms before described but a Method of seeking to purchase little things in Religion with the loss of great Of securing Circumstances with the loss of substance of obtaining supposed conveniencies with the loss of what is certainly and absolutely necessary it is as if they should have Robbed the Temple to build a Synagogue And I fear this will be found an ill way of trading with our Master's Talents and such as will turn but to a bad account when profit and loss is computed The want of a due care to prefer Charity before things less
then it is a reason to prove that the Lord hath not received them St. Peter thought it a good reason why the Christians should make no difference between believing Jews and believing Gentiles though they were of different perswasions about the necessity and non-necessity of Circumcision wherein the one erred because the Lord made no difference but gave to one the Holy Ghost as well as to the other and purified the hearts of the one by Faith as well as the other Acts 15.8 9. His reason is not setcht from the Nature of the things wherein they differed but from God's giving them an equal interest in his grace notwithstanding their difference When God had vouchsafed the gift of his grace and Spirit to the Gentiles as well as to the Jews St. Peter thought that if after this he should have kept the same distance from them as before he thought he was bound to do he should have withstood God in so doing Act. 11.17 For as much then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ what was I that I could withstand God To keep at a distance from those to whom God draws nigh in the Communication of his grace and Spirit is it seems to steer a course against God or to withstand him 3. The Anabaptists and Pedobaptists if Godly do by Faith hold Communion one with another in eating the same Spiritual meat and drinking the same Spiritual drink the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ which is the thing signified in the Lord's Supper Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood ye have no Life in you Joh. 6.53 And therefore they cannot duly deny Communion with them in the Lord's Supper it self which is the sign 1. Because if they do they thereby cross one great end and design of God in that Ordinance which is to increase and strengthen Love and Unity among Christians in communicating together in the sign upon account of their joynt-interest in and Relation to Christ the Substance Christians by their Communion in that Ordinance are made to drink into one Spirit or into one-ness of Spirit 1 Cor. 12.13 But by their thus refusing to Communicate one with another they do not only sin in not using the Lord's appointed means to increase and strengthen Love and Unity upon account of common interest in the same Saviour but also in that by such their refusal they destroy Unity and weaken diminish Love they pull down instead of building up steer a contrary course to Christ in appointing that Ordinance 2. Men's right to the sign proceeds upon the best account from their right to the thing signified though not from that only As those who have right to such or such an Estate in Land have thereby a right to the deeds and evidences by which such a right is to be declared So those that have a right to the Body and Blood of Christ through Faith have thereby a right to the Lord's Supper as an evidence appointed by God by which such their right is to be declared and acknowledged And therefore as a detaining of such evidence from him who by having right to the Land hath right to the evidence would be an injury even so for any as much as in them lies to detain the Lord's Supper from them who by having right to the Body and Blood of Christ have right to the Lord's Supper as an evidence and sign thereof would be an injury likewise and that so much greater too as Spiritual things are of more value then temporal 3. It is absurd and against common reason for them to grant that the Godly Pedobaptists have Communion with them in the greater and better part and yet for a supposed errour consistent with saving Faith Love to deny it them in the less whenas the greater alwayes includes the less But for the Godly Pedobaptists to be partakers of like precious Faith with them and thereby to eat of that Flesh which is meat indeed and to drink of that Blood which is drink indeed together with themselves a thing which the Anabaptists will not deny is certainly to have hold and enjoy Communion with them in the greater better more Spiritual and more substantial part of Communion and therefore to deny it them in the out-side and letter of it which is far less considerable is very incongruous and contradictious What was objected by distinguishing between an immediate and remote right if it should be here brought in again hath been answered before and the answer need not be repeated but only applyed here And let it be remembred alwayes that there is a vast difference between those who deny and those that hold the necessity and usefulness of water Baptism in these latter Ages of the Church The Pedobaptists are as much for water-Baptism as the Anabaptists are and hold themselves as firmly engaged by their Infant-Baptism as they do by their after-Baptism If this were not so their case would not be so pleadable as now it is And for any to separate from them upon account of their being Baptized in their Infancy as it is without ground from Scripture I conceive so it is without all president in the Church of Christ for the first fifteen hundred years and more Though some in the ancient Church were Baptized in Infancy and some at Age yet there was never any breaking of Communion among them upon that score so far as ever I could learn untill a Reformation of a Reformation was set on foot the one to puzle and confound the other I mean the attempt of the Anabaptists in Germany to Reform the Reformation by Luther and others Which may be a motive to reflect upon what they have done and to review their grounds Can they think to out-do the Church in her purest times in point of Communion Me-thinks they should greatly suspect themselves in their undertaking wherein they go so manifestly contrary to the Universal Church in all places and Ages till so lately as afore-said II. Dividing Principle to be avoided That it is unlawful to hold Communion with parochial Congregations notwithstanding they have been Baptized into the Profession of the true Faith and continue in that profession This is another grand dividing Principle indeed They who hold this and practice accordingly must prove such Communion unlawful or else lye under the guilt of a sinful Schism or causless separation and of all the evil and mischievous effects and consequences of it And to prove it unlawful they must prove it is so either by proving 1. That all the Members of each Parochial Assembly from which they separate are destitute of saving grace or 2. By proving that the mixture of bad with good makes Communion unlawful or 3. By proving the constitution of such Congregations bad upon account of that distribution by which the whole Nation is divided into its parts and precincts or 4. By proving the worship
true is no good Argument against the due use of it in propagating the true He is the Minister of God to thee for good saith the Scripture and as long as he doth that which tends to publick good he is not out of his way to be sure Rom. 13.4 Every Christian is bound to promote the interest of Religion according to his capacity he that is head of a Family as such is bound to do it and so he that is head of a Kingdome as such is bound to do it likewise every one is under an obligation to do it according to their Talents and several abilities It 's true indeed that since all such as are the Higher Powers are Ministers of God for good to the People and have no power from God to do any thing against the Truth but for the Truth It is greatly to be wished and fervently to be prayed for in behalf of all Christian Princes and Governours that God would give them Wisdome that nothing may be imposed upon their People by them in the Worship of God but what hath a plain and apt tendency one way or other to further Edification or to help their Devotion And that such wayes and methods of promoting these ends may be made use of as are least lyable to exception or disputation thereby to cut off as much as may be all occasion of Division and pretence of dissatisfaction that so Peace Love and Unity may be recovered and the happy effects of them obtained Yet when all is done that can be done there will in all National settlements of this Nature be place for the Exercise of humane prudence And indeed I know no Sect or party but though they decry humane prudence about the Worship of God never so much yet do make use of it themselves in their Administration of Holy things and are necessitated so to do if they will Worship God publickly at all The Ordinances of Baptism Lord's Supper Word and Prayer as touching the matter and substance of them are particularly and expresly determined in Scripture But many particulars about the Administration of these are left to the guidance and direction of general Rules for Edification It is not determined in particular what Prayers shall be made either before or after the Administration of Baptism or the Lord's Supper or what exhortation shall be made to the People upon the occasion of them It is not determined in particular how or in what way or method the Word and Prayer shall be used in Church-Assemblies As how much and what part of the Scripture shall be read at one meeting or how or what way the Minister shall improve the Word by Preaching as whether by what occurrs to his present thoughts upon occasion of what is then read or by uttering what he hath prepared by painful studies otherwise or whether he shall do this with or without the help of Notes Nor is it particularly determined whether all or part or none of the publick Prayers shall be in a prescribed Form except the Lord's Prayer or whether any of it shall or shall not be read out of a Book or whether Prayer shall be made both before and after Sermon Now in this case those to whom it belongs to take order for the setling of God's publick Worship in a Nation with the best advice they can take will necessarily be put upon considering whether it is best to leave all these things wholly to each Minister's Liberty and choyce or wholly to limit them or whether to leave them partly at Liberty as in the Pulpit and partly to limit them And while they deliberate on these things several circumstances will come under consideration As the different abilities and various tempers of the Ministers and the various capacities and tempers of the People as whether that which may be best for some may be best for all or whether somewhat of a middle Nature may not best accommodate all and what hath anciently been practised in the Church of God and what is practised in other Reformed Churches and which way is most likely to preserve Truth and Peace in the Church and the like And when Men have only general Rules to guide and govern themselves by in determining such things as these it must be remembred that it is a thing incident to the holiest and wisest Men to differ in their application of particular cases to general Rules when a great variety of Circumstances are to be taken in to make a right judgment in the case their different measures of light if not of Interests too exposing them thereunto Their late differences under a greater Liberty in this kind then can now be expected is a sufficient proof of this And when things of this Nature are done determined upon the best terms as is thought by them into whose hands the Providence of God hath cast it though it should be otherwise not only in the thoughts of many others but also really in it self yet if nothing be thereby imposed as a Condition of Communion but what Circumstances considered is Lawful the reasons formerly given may I conceive well sway with all sober and peaceable-minded Christians rather to make the best use they can of the present settlement then to chuse to separate because it is not in all things to their mind For if there should not be a bearing with one another in such lesser differences for general Edification sake and the interest of Religion in the main and for the maintenance of Peace and Love till by discreet sober and peaceable means those that differ can work themselves or those that differ from them into a nearer agreement how should it ever be expected that Christians should maintain such fellowship upon their agreement in the substantials of Christianity notwithstanding circumstantial differences as for which the Scripture is far more express then it is for such particular modes of Worship as those are about which they differ If differences in judgment about Circumstances whereby the substance of Religion is not in danger should be a sufficient ground of separation its probable there would be almost as many separations as Churches in the World Having now done with what I had to say to take Men off from those Dividing Principles which are chiefly considerable I shall pursue my Directions for endeavouring to keep the Unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace no further considering what plentiful provision there is already made for Direction in the Cure of Church-divisions as by others so especially by that laborious Servant of the Lord Mr. Baxter I shall therefore conclude this Discourse with a few motives to perswade the several parties which are Divided to Unite again and to endeavour to keep the Unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace And that all on all hands would manifest themselves to be such hearty lovers of Peace Unity and Charity as for the sake thereof those that are uppermost would count it no