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
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
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
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
of Schisme from their principles of judgement their principles of judgement carry them to the practice of that which is a rending of the Church Others though their principles of judgement be right yet are Schismaticall through principles of a corrupt heart and spirit I shall speake to both these but principally to the first sort First all those whose erroneous judgements make them Schismaticall as I conceive may all be brought to these foure First Independency properly so called is one of the highest principles of Schisme all such Christians whether they be single persons or associated bodies yea though all the Christians in a Nation associated into a body doe looke upon themselves as absolute and independent from the rest of the Church of Christ with whom the rest of the Church of Christ hath nothing to doe this I say is one of the highest principles of Schisme in the world but doe not mistake me I know there are some called and branded with the name of Independency who professe they abhor both the name and thing I meane such as conceive that a particular Church hath all power in it selfe and that no other assembly can authoritatively call them to an account so as to dissolve their sentences or excommunicate them because they conceive that the government of the Church is not placed in Synods or in any other Assembly then that of a particular Congregation yet readily acknowledge that themselves are but part of the Church and ought to be countable to the Church of Christ for their wayes and that if upon brotherly counsel given by other Churches they reforme not they may and ought to with-draw from all Christian communion with them whether their way of being countable be right or no I dispute not only I say this is not the Independency here intended but I meane any man or company of men who looke upon themselves as an intire Civil State or Common-wealth lookes upon it selfe how small soever it be as in Italy there are some such which containe not above one City or two yet they count all the world hath nothing to do with them nor are they to be countable to any other State no not to the whole world any further then their owne interest carries them either for their owne safety or as they make use of them this is true State independency so is it here when any persons or company of Christians looke upon themselves as totum quid seorsum as men by themselves and in their intentions carry not themselves as parts of the great Common-wealth accounting it a thing little or nothing materiall so they professe the Name and faith of Christ and serve him whether they doe it in the communion of the Catholick Church or out of it as if they were not persons contained within the whole or part of the same Common-wealth this I say is high and deep Schism the very nature of Christs Church being one Body requires that whatsoever any whether persons or Churches do in matters of Religion teaching or being taught praying fasting Almes-giving in word and Sacraments yea in beleeving loving hoping c. should all be done intentionally with relation to and communion with the whole Church of Christ this first principle lies deep rooted many live by it though few wil own it 2 Others are deeply schismatical from principles of judgement who are so farre in love with their own constitution or way of Association into Church-Order that they condemne all the other Assemblies throughout the world as no Churches of Christ because they be not modelled and moulded according to the Plat-form of their own particular Church-order and association I doe not deny but it is possible that some of Gods people may have some such great mistakes lye upon them that they cannot possibly joyne in all Christian ordinances with any congregation in the world as the converted Christian Jewes while they were under that apprehension that no man ought to be owned but he that was circumcised I say as long as that errour possest them they could never joyn in all Ordinances with the rest of the Gentiles and how farre the rest of the people of God should beare with such and still own them as Christs servants is a thing worth the studying but certainly the principle it selfe is most destructive to the unity of the Church To refraine fellowship and communion with such Churches or Companies who professe Christ their Lord whose faith is sound whose worship is Gospel-worship whose lives are holy unlesse they will come into that very particular way of Church order which they have pitched upon is a dreadfull renting of the Church of Christ to peeces for if all Christs people in the world are one body and all thereby bound to have communion one with another then certainly that principle which necessitates men to cast off it may be nine hundred ninety nine parts of a thousand must needs be dangerous and Schismatical of this none are so guilty as the Church of Rome who circumscribe the Church of Christ within the precinct of the Roman Jurisdiction and cast off all Christians and all Churches in the East West North and South yea cast them off from all hope of Salvation who subject not themselves to their way 2. Nor can our rigid Separatists bee any way excused who censure and condemne all other Churches whatever their faith worship and conversation be meerly because they are not gathered into Church-order according to their own patternes This so strict bounding of our christian communion by outward formes I humbly conceive hath been a great and almost generall fault among the Churches of Europe ever since the Reformation in some Churches the large forme of the confession of their faith is made the Shibboleth without owning and subscribing to this without abating of a tittle no communion to be injoyed in other Churches without conforming to their formes of Prayers Rites and Ceremonies in administration of the Sacraments no communion to be injoyed in others without submitting to their forme of Church-government no communion and with these of whom I now speake without submitting to their manner and forme of gathering into Church-fellowship none to be owned or acknowledged to be Churches of Christ but alas how little is to be found in Scripture to bound our fellowship and communion of Saints by any of these things In the Scripture Churches are cryed up or downe commended and blamed according as their fundamentall faith was sound and their lives holy and I doubt not but one day we shall all judge those Churches the best whose substantial faith is soundest and lives most holy whether their first manner of gathering were every way regular or not Suppose that in an Army the Lawes of that Army were That none should be prest to serve but all to come in as Volunteers that their Officers should bee so and so chosen and qualified now suppose in this Army should be
with this Suite And secondly Let us not onely pray but let us labour to promote it and let us to this end examine our owne principles and let us count no principle no affection no disposition of spirit worth the keeping which wil not let us bee one with them with whom Christ is one and let us beleeve that while we are in this world we shal all of us know in part and but in part beleeve in part and but in part let us never expect to finde in this life all who agree in fundamental truths to agree in all other truths and let us beleeve that though every truth of Christ be precious and worthy to be contended for yet every truth is not necessary to salvation nor necessary to be found in all with whom we ought to hold and exercise Christian communion many meats which are whole some yet cannot be relished by all with whom we may sit at the same table while we are here we shal often see cause to differ in our judgement about many precious truths but wee shall never see cause to differ in affection from those whom Jesus Christ loveth Certainly I may love where Christ loves and I may imbrace where Christ imbraceth and I may not interdict where Christ doth not interdict and wee may and ought to bee of one heart with them with whom wee cannot be of one minde in all things the time is coming when we shal be of one minde Luther and Calvin are of one mind in heaven while their Disciples wrangle on earth at which day he will appeare with more comfort who beares and forbeares with his weak and erring brethren then he is like to do that loves not his brother sure I am this is Pauls counsel who said Whereto we have attained let us mind the same things and if any be otherwise minded the Lord will reveale it to him in his due time And therefore I conclude this Use with that speech of the Apostle Above all put on love that is the band of perfection and let the peace of God rule in your hearts I meane that peace the Lord Jesus Christ is the Authour of let that rule in your hearts The Greeke word signifies let it bee as the Officer the Greekes had in their solemne Games who determined and quieted all differences in all strifes and contentions to whom he gave the Palm that quieted all the rest So let the peace of God be such a brabeutes let it rule in our hearts And the Spirit of God presseth it there upon this very ground because we are called thereunto in one body We are brethren let us not strive or if we do contend let us contend who shal be most holy who shal love most who shal beare most one with another till that blessed day come when Christs light shal shine so perfectly upon us that wee shal be all of one minde and one heart in all things Thus much for the first great duty That Saints are all one body therefore there should be no schisme no divisions among them The second is That all the members should have the like care one of another that is they should not onely love one another and study to bee at peace one with another but they should all sympathize one with another if one be honoured all should rejoyce if one suffer all the rest should mourn yea they should all account themselves but as Stewards for the good of all and expresse this in using all their talents for the good of the soules of all and the bodyes of all each within the compasse of his owne calling and especially in the particular Church where the Lord hath set them These things are of great concernment and for daily use and therefore most worth the handling But I suspect I have already presumed upon your patience Consider what I have said and the Lord give you understanding in all things FINIS Introduction shewing the coherence and scope of the Text Ephes. 4. 16. The generall Doctrine propounded The Church is Christs body And explained And proved out of Scripture 1 Cor. 12. 12 c. Vers. 7. Vers. 12. Vers. 13. Eph. 4. from 1â— to 16. opened and explained Wherein the comparison stands between the Church and a natural body The union of the Saints one with another 1 Cor. 12. 15. 22 23 24. Quest 1. Ephes. 4 4 5 6. opened Heb. 6. 18. Iude 3. 1 Cor. 8. 5. Gal. 6. 16. Titus 1. 1. 2 Pet. 1. 2. Quest 3. What are the bands of this Union Answ First The Spirit of Christ teaching and ruling them all Esai 11. 6 7 8. Ezek 11. 19 Ezek. 36. 27 2 Band the grace of love 1 Cor. 12. 31 and cap. 13 Col. 3. 14 Ioh. 13 34 3â— Ephes. 4. 16 3 Q. How is it then that the Scripture speaks of many Churches if all are but one Church Answ. Application 1 Instruction Therefore this communion of Saints is that brotherly good fellowship Prov. 1. 14. Esa. 56 12. Psal. 2. 2. 1 Joh. 1. 3. 2 Instruction Therefore none are true members of this Church but regenerate men 1 Joh. 1. 3. 3 Instruction Therefore the most usefull Christians are the most noble members 2 Use for exhortation 1 Therefore there must be no Schisme in the Church 1 Cor. 12. 25. What Schisme is 2 The greatnesse of the sin of Schisme In the nature of it Eph. 1. 10. Joh. 17. 21. â— Tim. 1. 5 2 In the effects of it Eph. 4. 16. 3 Who are guilty of it Who are guilty of the sin of Schisme Answ. 1. In generall most Christians this day are guilty of it This opened more particularly Negatively All separation is not Schisme such as are Schismaticks who separate from Hereticks or Idolaters Or from persecutors Some are schismaticks from principles of an erroneous judgement some from principles of a corrupt heart Schismaticks from corrupt judgement are Independents properly so called 2 All who renounce all other Churches because not of their own manner of constituon Of which the Papists are most guilty 3. All who refuse communion with persons erring in points not fundamentall Rom. 14. 3 4 10 c. First objection against this third branch Answ. Object 2. Answ. Object 3. Answ. Object 4. Gal. 5. 12. Answ. Gal. 5. 2. Rom. 14. 22. 4 They are Schismaticall who separate from true Churches for light causeâ— Heb. 10. 25. Jude 19. 2 Some are Schismaticall from principles of a corrupt heart 1 As self-lovers and self-seekers Phil. 2. 4. Plutarch 2 Proud and high-minded spirits 3 Quarrelsome and railing spirits 4 Busie-bodies Rom. 2. 3. 1 Pet. 4. 15. 5 All factious spirits 1 Cor. 12. Rom. 16. 17. 6 All who delight in the society of Schismaticks Exhort 1. To lament our divisions Ephes. 1. 10. Iohn 17. 2â— Exhort 2. To endeavour to cure them 1 Pray for it Phil. 3. 15. Col. 3. 14. 15. Vse 2. The members to have the like care one of another
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