them You will wish and wish a thousand times that you had done as they did and lived as holily as the best on earth You will then wish O that it were to do again and that my life were again to be lived and God would but try me on earth once more Those tongues that railed against Religion will a thousand times more reproach your selves for those reproaches and the neglect of this Religion You will then cry out Where was my wit and reason when I made so mad a change as of God for the creature Christ for sin and Heaven for Hell Do you think Sirs that it were any wisdom for us to Agree with you now in that for which you will fall out with your selves for ever and to go with you in that loose ungodly way which you will wish your selves that you had never known Besides we know that it is only the Saints that we must live with for ever and therefore you must become Saints if you would be Unitâ—d to us here What! Should we be so careful to Agree with you a while and be separated from you eternally or do worse by suffering with you But if you will Unite with us in Christ and Holiness this will be a lasting Unity which you will never have occasion to repent of The Union between the Lord Jesus and his members shall never be dissolved Heartily joyn with his servants now in the wayes of Holiness and you shall certainly joyn with them in the state of Happiness and in the joyful fruition and praises of the Lord. Well Sirs in this much of our treaty I have layed the case plain and open before you and shewed you that we cannot come over to you It is not Possible nor Honest nor Safe we cannot forsake an holy life without forsaking God and our Redeemer and our salvation which no man that is a man indeed should desire us to do nor can we do it till we first forsake our understandings But oâ— your side the case is oâ—herwiâ—e You may turn to God and an holy life without any hurt or wrong to you at all nay it is the only way to your felicity and if you do it not you are undone for ever So that the case is past all controversie before you that there is no way in the world to Unity but by Consent in Piety If half the Common-wealth turn Rebels and so shall make a Division in the body the way to Unite them is by the returning of the Rebels to their Allegiance and not for the true and lawful subjects to turn all Rebels and joyn with them For without the Head there cannot be a Union So that if the world be still divided and disagreed it is not long of the godly but of the ungodly And if you would have an Agreement it s you that must yield who cause the disagreement You may do it and must do it or do worse but the godly may not yield to you What say you now would you have Unity or Division Would you have Peace or no Peace You complain that the world is of so many minds Would you have them all reconciled and of one mind If you would let us see it The work sticks with you on your hands it lyeth and it is you that must do it if ever it be done If you would have all ungodly you deserve not to live on the earth Shall we then without any more ado agree all upon a life of Holiness O that our Towns and Parishes would all joyn together in this Agreement and it must be this or none But perhaps some of you will say What need you make so many words about a matter that no boâ—y doth deny We all knâ—w we should â—e Holy and Godly and nâ—ne should be ungâ—â—ly who doubts of this But the Question is What Holinâ—ss and Godliness is Tell us thâ—refore whâ—t you meâ—n by it â—nâ— who those be that you takâ— to be the Godly sanctified people Answ. If we are all agreed of the Necessity of Holiness then those that are not yet agreed to be Holy themselves do sin against their own consciences and condemn themselves in the things which they allow and wilfully divide themselves from Christ and from his Church And if any of you have been so long Baptized into the Name of the Holy-Ghost as your Sanctifier and yet know not what Sanctification is and who are to be accounted sanctified and godly you shew that you have perfidiously cast away and broak your Covenant with God and made but an â—ll use of your Baptism or any Means and Ordinances since But if you know not who are godly or ungodly I shall quickly tell you A godly man is one that being formerly in a state of sin and misery both strange and backward to God and heaven and an holy life and prone to earthly flesâ—ly pleasures is now by the powerful wâ—rk of the Word and Spirit of God converted to unfeigned faith and repentance broaken-hearted for his former sin and misery flying to Christ as the only Hope anâ— Physitian of his soul and so is made a new creature having his heart set upon God and everlasting life and contemning all the pleasures of the flesh and the things of this world in comparison of his hopes of Glory hating all known sin and not wilfully living in any and loving the highest degree of Holiness and willing to use the means that God hath appointed to destroy the remnants of sin and bring him nearer to perfection This is a truly godly man And he that is not such is ungodly He that yet remaineth in his Natural depraved state and is unacquainted with this great and holy change that hath any sin that he had rather keep then leave and any that he wilfully liveth in and wilfully neglecteth known duties as one that had rather be free from them then perform them and had rather live a fleshly life then a spâ—ritual and an holy life and is more in love with the creature then with God with his life on earth in flesh and sin then a life in heaven wiâ—h God and his â—aints in perfect holiness this man is undoubtedly a wicked and ungodly man how evilly or religiously soever he may seem to live in the world And so I have in a few words told you who they be that are godly and who are the ungodly The Question now that we are treating about is whether we shall all agree together to be godly Do you not believe it to be best and necessary If not you are blind If you do let us agree on it without delay You tell us with many great complaints of the many differences and divisions that are among us but shall we Agree so far as we are agreed that is shall we agree in heart and practice so far as we are agreed in opinion and profession O that you would make a solemn Covenant that you will but Consent and go along
avoid them and the causers and fomenters of them There was never Master so much for Unity as Christ and never was there a Law or a Religion that did so much condemne Divisions and command brotherly Love and Peace and concord and forbearing and forgiving one another as the Christian Law and Religion doth And will you yet say that our Divisions are long of our Religion or of Christ the author of it You may as wisely say that eating is the cause of weakness because that some are weak for all their meat But you will find that none can live without it Or you may say as wisely that Physicians are the causes of the diseases of the world because they do not cure them all I tell you there is none in all the world that have done so much for Unity and Peace as Christ hath done No all the world set together have not done half so much for it as he He hath preached Peace and Unity forgiving and forbearing and Loving one another yea Loving our enemies and he hath gone before us in the perfect practice of what he taught He hath offered himself a Sacrifice to the Justice of his Father that by his blood he might reconcile us unto God He is the great Peacemaker between God and man between Jews and Gentiles taking away the enmity and becoming himself the Head of our Unity and giving us One Spirit one faith one baptism that we might be One in him who is One with the Father So that to charge the Center of Unity with our Divisions and the Prince of Peace himself with our Discords or his holy Word or waies with our Disagreements is all one as to charge the Sun with Darkness and to say that our Law-givers and Laws are the causes of theft and murder and Adultery which condemne them to death that are proved guilty of them The cause of all our disagreements and divisions is because we are no more Holy then we are and because we are no more Religious So that I may leave it now as a Proved Truth that we must Unite in the Spirit and Agree in Holiness of Heart and life if ever we will have true Unity and Agreement AND now Sirs you have seen the only way of Unity opened to you It s plain and past all doubt before you If yet you will divide from God and his servants and if yet you will be numbered with the straglers or quarrellers do not say but Peace was opened and offered to you Do not say You could not have Peace but that you would not Do not say any more hereafter that there were so many Religions and so many waies that you could not tell which to joyn with Never more pretend the differences of the godly as a cloak for your ungodliness I have opened the nakedness of such pretences You shall not be able when your lives are scan'd to look God in the face with such an unreasonable impudent pretence Your consciences and the world shall then be witnesses of your shame that while you cryed out of Sects and heresies and were offended at the Divisions of the Church it was your selves that were the cause of it It was you and such as you that were the great Dividers and that obstinately proceeded in your Divisions when the way of Peace was opened to you and would not be United in the Spirit to Christ nor would not Agree in Holiness with his Church when you were acquainted that there was no other way to Peace Would you but have joyned in a firm and everlaling Covenant to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost as your only Creator Redeemer and Sanctifyer as members of the Holy Catholick Church and have lived in the Communion of the Saints you should have received the Forgiveness of sins the Resurrection of the just and Everlasting Life But in refusing and obstinate refusing these you refused all your hopes of Blessedness and wilfully cast your selves on the wrath of God and therefore must endure it for ever THE last Advice that I have to give upon the ground of this Doctrine is To all that are United in the Spirit and Agreed upon an Holy life I mean to say but little to you now but briefly to tender you these two requests 1. I beseech you Christians but to live as Christians in that holy Unity as your principles and profession do engage you to Hath true Christianity and Holiness such abundance of advantages against division and yet will you be guilty of it Against all these bonds and healing principles and helps will you be dividers Doth it not grieve you and even break your hearts to hear ungodly persons say that Professors are of so many minds and partyes that they know not which of them to follow and that we had never concord since you bore sway O do not seek by your contentious wayes to perswade people that Holiness is a dividing thing and that Religion doth but tend to set the world together by the eares Is it not a precious mercy to us of this place that we have among us but one Church and one Religion and and have not Church against Church and Christian against Christian I charge you from the Lord that you be thankful for this benefit and that you look upon divided places and compare their case with yours that if ever dividers come amongst you the sense of your felicity in this blessed Unity may cause you to reject them and that you do not suffer any Dalilah to rob you of your strength and glory Were you but once here in pieces among your selves what a scorn would you be to all the ungodly what sport would it be to them to hear you disputing against one another and reproaching and condemning one another as bitterly as the wicked do reproach you all Do you not pitty those places where divisions have made Religion to be a scorn and the tender Love and Unity of the Saints is turned into uncharitable censures and separations Take warning then that you come not to the like If you should you would be as unexcusable as any People in the world because you have tryed and tasted so much of the sweetness and benefits of Unity as you have done shew men by your lives that Holiness is the most certain way to Unity as ever you desire either to propagate Holiness or to have any evidence of it in your selves 2. Judge by this undoubted truth of any doctrine that shall be offered you and of the wayes of men and of your selves 1. Suspect that doctrine that tendeth to divisions in the Church If it be not for Unity it is not of God Rom 16.17 Christ came to heal and reconcile and is the Prince of Peace and therefore sendeth not his servants on a contrary errand He will justifie your dividing from the unbelieving world but he hateth dividing among his servants He that 's for Church-division is not in that for Christ or you 2.
propoundeth Impossibilities to be agreed on is the enemy of agreement But it is impossible for us to come to you and so to Unite with you Thâ—s I now prove 1. â—t is Impossible to have any Vniversal Vnity but in an Vniversal Head and Center and that is only God the Father Son and Holy-Ghost As I told you the Army must Unite in the General the Kingdom in the Soveraign the Family in the Master the School in the School-master In order of Nature you must Unite with God in the Redeemer by the sanctifying Spirit before you can Unite with us But while you are unsanctified you are divided from God Do you not feel your minds strange to him your hearts draw back from him and find by his strangeness to you that there is a division It s impossible for us to be United to you till Christ be United to you For 1. It s against Nature seeing he is the Center and the Head and Fountain of Life And what good would it do you to be one with us and not with him 2. God is against any Unity without him If you will not begin with him he will take it but as a treasonable conspiracy and will break it We dare not go without him lest he be angry and destroy us Souldiers must not make either Peace or war not so much as treat without the General Do you not remember how Iehosaphat had like to have sped by a friendship and confederacy with Ahab 2. Moreover the Godly and ungodly are of contrary natures I told you God hath put an enmiâ—y between them You must chanâ—e your nature or we ouâ—s before we can Unite You may as well think else to Unite fire and water or to build in the air or to incorpoâ—â—â—â— fire and Gun-powder or to reconcile men and serpâ—nts and maâ—ry the dog and the bear together Sirs these â—hings are meer impossâ—bilities 2 Cor. 16.14 There is no agreement between Christ and Belial righteousness and unrighteousness light and darkness dâ—ath and life the members of Christ and the members of an harlot or a drunkard or such like We have contrary spirits how then can we be One One hath the Spirit of holiness and the other the Spirâ—â— of profaneness One is led by the Spirit of God and the oâ—her by the flesh We live not by one Law Gods will revealed in hâ—s Word is Our Law and the will of the flesh and the course of the world is your Law We live not on one sort of food how then can we accord together Christ and his heavenly truth and holy Spirit and Ordinances is the meat and drink of the Saints they cannot live without them And the world and fleshly delights are your food you cannot be without it Your food would be our poyson your worldly cares your drunkenness and profaneness would be a torment to an honest heart They cannot live without some Communion with God in Faith and Love by Prayer and â—editation and your heart is against it They have not the same â—nd as you have Their work is all for Heaven and yours is all principally for earth Their work and yours are contrary Thâ—y go one way and you another So that its Impossible to be United and agree till one side change And we cannot Possibly turn to you God holds us fast by his Love and Spirit and will not let us go nor suffer us ever to be willing to go Do you not read Christ â—elling you that its impossible to deceive the Elect that is so far as to turn them away from Christ. We are kept by the mighty power of God through faith to salvation 1 Pet. 1.5 And who can break away from the upholding arms of Almighty power Christ hath such hold of us that he is resolved none shall take us out of his hands Ioh. 10.28 So that we cannot come over again to you But you may come over to us if you will God calls you and Christ would welcome you and the Holy Ghost would hâ—â—p yâ—u the door is set open by the blâ—od of Christ the promise is â—o you and to your children that you may and shall have Christ and life if you will come in and accept the offer The Devil cannot hinder you against your wills he holds you but in the fetters of your own wilfulness by his meer deceits Seeing therefore that you may come over to the sanctified and they cannot possibly come to you let any reasonable man be judge on what terms we should unite and agree 2. Moreover if we Agree it must be on terms of wisdom and honesty A dishâ—nâ—st Agreement is not to be desired but abhorred For you to lâ—ave your ungodliness and turn to the Love and Fear of God is an honest coursâ— of Agreement for it is but to have dishonesty it selâ— and become honest I hope none of you dare charge the way of God and godliness with any dishonesty God calls you to nothing but what is holy and just and good and therefore Honesty requireth you to yield But for the sâ—nctified 〈◊〉 unsanctified for the 〈…〉 bâ—come ungodly to be one 〈◊〉 you this were the bâ—sâ—st dishâ—â—â—sty in the world We know your way to be of the Devil and 〈◊〉 flesh and is it honest then to joyn with you in it We have â—yed too long already in the dâ—â—es oâ— our ignorance and have found it dishonest and deceitful and would you have us go against our own experience We were once in the way that you are in and were forced to renounce it or else we had been undone body and soul for ever and should we â—â—ck up the vomit which we were forced to cast out we were once Agreed with you and God constrained us to break that Agreement and shall we renew it again Alas your way hath cost us dear Many a bitter repenting day and many a sad thought to the breaking of our hearts and the very sense of Gods displeasure a taste of Hell was cast into our consciences many a groan and â—ear and prayer it cost us before we could recover the hurt that we câ—tâ—ht in the way of ungodlinâ—ss and yet we have not fully recovered it to this day And would you have us stark mad to forget so soon our former sorrows and turn to a hâ—e that hath cost us so 〈◊〉 already No we have paid too dear for it and smarted too much for it to go that way any more It brought us to the very brink of Hell and if we had but dyed in that condition we had been damned at this hour And would you be so unreasonable as to wish us to go back again No by that time you know as much of an unsanctified state as we do you will run from it your selves as fast as you can run as â—he Israelites did from the cry of the company of Dathan and Abiram lest the earth should swallow them up also Numb 16.34 We are cerâ—â—in that the Lord
Countries of Professed Christians hath caused many to fall off and caused the enemie to insult We will not for all this break our Rule nor presume to search the hearts of men any further then they appear in outward Evidence We will still take all Professors of Christianity as Christians that Null not their own Profession Basil was advised by Athanasius himself to receive the Arrians themselves into Communion if they did but disown their former errors and subscribe to the Nicene Creed and seek the Communion of the Churches And he practised this though many were offended at it But yet we must needs say that it is better for the Church to have a few that are Holy and answer the nature of their holy Calling then to have multitudes that will but prove our shame and make the Infidel world believe that Christianity is not what it is Yea and these are they most commonly too though they may proceed to a higher profession that are carried about with every wind of doctrine and that turn to Heresies and cause and continue the Divisions of the Church For they that are such serve not the Lord Iesus when they profess to serve him Rom. 16.17 When Heresies do arise it is such chaff as this that is carried away that the Approved Christians indeed may be made manifest 1 Cor. 11.19 Abundance of proud unsanctified persons do us as much good in the Church as fire in our thatch or as mutinous souldiers that are but the enemies agents in the Army to set all the souldiers together by the ears or discover their Councils or blow up their magazins And would you have us contented with such a kind of Agreement and Communion with you as this which you and we are like to be so little the better for if not the worse 9. Furthermore it is not this meer Ageerment in Profession that will satisfie Christ himself and therefore it must not satisfie us It is not in this that he attaineth the principal ends of his Redemption nor seeth the travaile of his Soul Alas the blood of Christ is lost to you and all the Ordinances and means are lost and all the labour of Ministers is but lost to you as to any pardon of sin or life or Heaven that ever you shall have by them if you goe no further And would you have us be contented with such an Agreement as this 10. Lastly Consider that if we Agree no further then in an outward Profession of the Christian faith alas it will be but a short Agreement We may be together here a while in the Church as fishes good and bad in one net but when it is drawn to the shore a separation will be made Here you may sit and kneel among us a while and go away with the Name of Christians But alas it is but a little while till this Agreement will be broken and a dreadful everlasting separation must be made Dreadful to the unsanctified but joyful to the Saints And what great good will it do to you or us to be tyed together a little while by words and shews and then to be everlastingly separated as far as Light from darkness Heaven from Hell and the Greatest Joys from the Greatest sorrows O blame us not if we motion to you and beg of you a far neerer Union and Agreement then this I think I have now sufficiently proved that If we will be indeed of One Religion and ever come to a right Agreement it is The Vnity of the sanctifying Spirit that must do it It must be a Union and Agreement in true Conversion and Holiness of life and nothing lower will serve the turn If God do us any good by the Profession Gifts or Interest of Hypocrites and unsanctified professors we 'l thank him for it and take it as a mercy But it is a higher Design that must be in our Hearts and woe be to them that come no nearer the Holy Catholik Church and the Unity of the Spirit and the Communion of Saints then by an Outward profession and participation of Sacraments and such like outward Ordinances of Communion Quest. BVT suppose we should be Vnited in the Spirit and Agree in Holiness do you think this would heal the Divisions of the Church Doe you not see that the most godly are all in pieces as well as others Is it not such that have been the principal causers of our late Divisions You promised to shew us How we might do well for all our other differences if we were buâ— Agreed in Holiness will you now shew us what Advantage that would be Answ. To be Agreed in Holiness and to be Heartily one in the Essentials of Christianity is an exceeding advantage to us in all our disagreements about lesser things As 1. Were we but once Vnited in the main and Sanctified by the Vniting Spirit of Christ our Principal differences were healed already We should no longer be of different minds whether sin or holiness be best or whether earth or heaven should be chosen for our portion nor whether God or the flesh or world should be obeyed You little think what abundance of differences are at once reconciled in the very hour of a sinners conversion Before that hour we differed in Judgement from all wise men from all the Saints of God from all the holy Prophets Apostles and Martyrs as well as from all the Godly about us and from all men of right Reason and faith and experience Yea we differed from the Holy Ghost from Christ from God himself yea from none so much as him Wicked wretches you differ from the Godly because they Agree with God but you differ more from God then from them When you despise a Holy life are his thoughts like your thoughts when you revile his servants and scorn his yoak and burden as too heavy are you then of the mind of Christ O no Your darkness and his Light are far more distant then you are able to conceive Were you but once Reconciled to God by converting sanctifying light you would at once be Reconciled to his servants for in the matters of chief concernment to the soul they are all of his mind for he is their Instructer And then what a day of healing would that be Oh what abundance of differences are ended upon the day of true Conversion And withal what abundance of differences would be new made For now you Agree with the Devil and with your fleshly desires and with distracted wicked men and all this Agreement would then be broke For this friendship with the world is enmity to God Iam. 4.4 and such Divisions as these Christ tells us that he came to send Luke 12.51 But you would presently be Agreed with God with the Holy Scriptures with all the Apostles and Servants of the Lord and with all men of Spiritual wisdom and experience in the world in the great and principal matters of your lives And it is a multitude of particulars that
is contained in this Agreement that 's made when a sinner is truly sanctified 2. If once you were united in the Spirit and Agreed in a Holy life you would differ in nothing that could keep you out of Heaven And if we have some small differences on Earth as long as they are such as cannot hinder our salvation they may be the more easily born Paul and Barnabas had a little falling out but O how sweetly are they now reconciled Hierom and Chrysostom Epiphanius and Iohn of Hierusalem Theophilus and Chrysostom were at odds Luther and Zuinglius had their disagreements But Oh how happily are they now agreed Our imperfection of Knowledge causeth us here to erre and differ in part But if we are all united in Christ and agreed in the main how quickly shall we see that blessed Light that will reconcile all our controversies Marvail not to find some contests among the most learned and most godly unless you 'l marvail that Earth is not Heaven or that in that body we see not the face of God which is the all-disclosing reconciling light If we were all here together in the dark and were of many opinions about the things before us if one did but come in among us with a candle it might end all our differences in a moment When we are newly out of this obscuring flesh and this dark deceitful earthly world O what an unconceiveable reconciliation will be made by that blessed Light There 's no contending or quarrelling For there are none of those errors or passions that should occasion it As Imperfect Holiness produceth an answerable Imperfect Unity so perfect Holiness will prfectly Unite And is not this then the only way to Unity which will help us here to what is here attainable and secure us of eternal perfect concord in the world that we are passing to O see that you be once Agreed in the things that are necessary to salvation and then the hour is neer at hand that will end all your differences and agree you in the rest 3. If once you be but Agreed in Holiness you will have no difference left that shall destroy any Grace in you that 's necessary to salvation The power of Divine faith and Love and Hope and Fear and Zeal will still be safe Your diseasâ—s will not destroy your vital faculties And if the Head the Heart and principal parts be sound you may the better bear a small distemper The disagreements of the ungodly from God from Scripture and the Saints are mortal to them and prove them under the power of darkness and of Satan that leads them captive at his will 2 Tim. 2.26 Eph. 2.23 Acts 26.18 But the differences of the sanctified are but as the different complexions or statures of children or at worst but as their falling out which will not cause the Father to turn them out of his family so that as long as Faith and Love and Hope and other Graces are kept sound we shall certainly do well for all our differences And this is the benefit of Agreeing in Holiness 4. Moreover if once we were all Agreed in the Spirit and in Holiness of Heart and Life we should escape all Heresies or Errors that effectually subvert the Essentials of the Christian faith Mistaken we might be but Heretikes we could not be I stick not upon the bare word whether smaller errors may be called Heresie but taking Heresie as commonly it s taken a sanctified person cannot at least Habitually be a Heretick For should a man so hold a point inconsistent with any one Essential point of the Christian faith at least Habitually and Practically hold it it s as impossible that this man should be then a Christian as that contradictories should be true And therefore certainly whosoever is a true Christian is frâ—e from such Heresies And therefore as if you are sure a man so holds a Heresie you have no reason to believe his shews of Holiness so where you see a great appearance of real Holiness you must long deliberate and have good evidence before you judgâ— that man a Heretick For this is the certain Priviledge of the Sanctified that they cannot be Hereticks though they may have many errors as in sensu composito all confess 5. Morover if we were but all Agreed in true Holiness we should be freed from most of those scandalous sins which are the common occasion of our reproaches and divisions It is sin that is the greaâ— trouble of the Church and of the world Iohn 7.25 This breeds our quarrels This setteth all into a flame When a Drunkard or an unclean person or a slanderer or a raiseâ— or any scandalous person is râ—proved or openly admonished or for impenitency rejected then the Devil and sin bestir themselves and rage against the Church and Officers and Ordinances of God It is sin within that animateth the malignant to bâ— contentious And it is to defend and take part with sin that they fall out with God and his Word and Servants Now Holiness is contrary to this sin that troubleth us Mortification of sin is part of Sanctification If therefore we were Agreed in Holiness it were as ready a way to procure our Peace as quenching the fire in your thatch is the ready way to save your house I know there are too many scandals given by the best But it is commonly but by the weaker worser sort of the best And it is not a common thing with them neither And none of them make a trade of sinning nor have any unmortified reigning sin If a Noach a Lot a David be once scandalous in all his life this is not the case of all the godly and it is not like the case of the ungodly that are either often or impenitent in it And therefore though it may disturbe the Church yet not so much as the frequent and impenitent scandals of the ungodly O could we but all Agree against this make-bate this great disturber and troubler of the world what Peace might we enjoy 6. And also if once we could Agree in Holiness the matter and occasion of offences separations and contentions would cease What caused the Donatists separation of old but the scandals in the Church and the receiving of such upon repentance into Communion or ministry And so the Novatian schism also was occasioned And though the Donatists and Novatians were too blame to be against the Ordination or reception of such Penitents yet the prevention of the sin would have been the prevention of the breach What hath caused so many to turn separatists in England but seeing so many ungodly persons in our Churches and Communion You that are most offended at Schisms and Private Churches are the common occasions of it your selves If such ungodly persons were not in our Assemblies few godly persons would separate from them Though I do not justifie them yet I must needs condemn you as the cause Were it not for you we should be
we ever agree with such men as these that think themselves wiser then God and Scripture and dare prefer the very folly of their own muddy brains before the word and wisdom of their Maker Give these men as plain Scripture and Reason as you will they have more wit as they think then to believe you and what they want in Reason they have in Pride and Self-conceit and therefore your wisdom is folly to them But now when the Spirit of Holiness comes it takes them down and abaseth and humbleth the proud and self-conceited and makes them ashamed of the folly and weakness of their own understandings so that a man may speak to them now as to men of reason and have a hearing and consideration of his words A humble godly man is low in his own eyes and therefore suspicious of his own understanding in doubtfull things and therefore is more flexible and yielding to the truth when others are so stiffened by Pride that they are readier to deride the wisest that shall contradict them If therefore we could but all Agree in Holy meekness and humility what readier way could there be in the world to draw to an end of our differences and divisions 10. Moreover if we could but Agree in Holiness it would free us from that uncharitableness that causeth our Disagreement in other things and it would possess us with a special endeared Love one to another And who knoweth not that Love is a uniting healing thing Sanctification principally consisteth in Love to God and man and this the unsanctifyed principally want It s want of Love that makes men surmise the worst of one another and make the worst of all that they say do and draw matter of contention from that which never gave them Cause Love would put a better sence upon mens words and deeds or at least would bear them far more easily But instead of Love there is a Natural Enmity in all that are unsanctified to all the servants and the ways of God And can we ever be agreed with our Natural enemies why Malice will so pervert their understandings that all that we say or do will be misconstrued and as a man that looks through a red glass thinks all things to be red that he looks upon so these men through the distemper of their malicious minds will finde matter of quarrelling with all that we can say or do Ill will never saith well Our very obedience to the Law of God and seeking to save our own souls will be matter of quarrel and taken to be our crime If we will not run into Hell fire with them and think there is no danger when we know the contrary it will be a fault sufficient for their malice to reproach us with so that if we should Agree with ungodly men in all our Opinions of Religion yet if we will not damn our souls and make no bones of displeasing the great and dreadfull God there is no Peace to be had with them They have no Peace with God and they have no solid Peace with themselves for God hath professed that there is no peace to the wicked Isa. 48.22 And how then can we expect that they should have peace with us But Sanctification doth beget that effâ—ctual Love that is as healing to a divided Church or to disagreeing persons as the most precious Balsom or Wound-selve is to bodily wounds Love will not let you rest in wrath but will keep you under smart and disquietness till you are either at Peace or have done your part to have procured it Husband and Wife Parents and Children Brethren and Sisters do seldomer fall into greater dissentions then strangers do And when they do fall out they are easilier reconciled The Spirit of Grace doth possess unfained Christians with as dear a love to one another as is between the nearest Relations For by our New birth the Saints are Brethren in Christ. If you saw an Army fighting or a company of people quarrelling and scolding at one another do you think there could be a readier way to make them all friends and end their quarrels then to possess them all with a dear and tender love to one another If it were in my power to cause all contenders to Love those that they contend with as themselves do you think I should not soon agree them Why you know if you know any thing in Christianity that Sanctification causeth men to Love their Neighbors as themselves and to Love one another with a pure heart fervently 1 Pet. 1.22 For by this we know that we are passed from death to life because we love the Brethren He that loveth not his Brother abideth in death Joh. 3 14. And therefore it is a case exceeding plain that the readiest way in the world to reconcile our lesser differences is to be united in the Spirit and to Agree upon a Holy Life 11. Moreover were we all united in the Spirit We should have all one God one Master of our Faith and one Law-giver and Iudge of all our Controversies And this would be an exceeding help to unity The Principal cause of Divisions in the world are the multitude of Rulers and Masters and Judges For with unsanctified men their own Conceits and Carnal Interest is their Counsellor and Judge The Rulers of the world that have the power of the sword and can do them good or hurt in their estates are the Masters of their Religion more then God They will follow this Man or that Man that best pleaseth their fancies and fleshly desires and so will never be of one minde But Sanctification takes down all other Masters of our Faith save Christ and those that declare his will Let flesh and blood say what it will let all the world say what they will if God say the contrary his word shall stand and be a Law to them And can there be a readier way to Unity then to bring us all into one School and subject us all to one Lord and Master and to bring us all to refer our differences to one most wise infallible Judge Though we do not yet understand his will in all things yet when we understand it in the main and are resolved to search after the knowledge of the rest it is a great preparative to our Agreement when we all look but to one for the deciding of our controversies Whereas the unsanctified have as many Judges and Guides as persons For every man is a Guid and Judge to himself 12. Moreover were we but once Agreed in Holiness We should all have one Light for the ending of our differences and that Light would be the true Infallible Light For we should all have the same Holy word of God as the extrinsick Light which is most True as coming from the Lord of Truth And we should all have the Spirit of Truth within to teach us the meaning of that word without and to help our understandings and assist us in
perfection where all our differences will be ended and we shall be perfectly Agreed in mind and will being One in him that is the only Center of Universal Peace and Concord And it s a great comfort to us in our darkness and differences that we are in the sure and ready way to perfect light and Harmony of mind 2. Yea and till we do come thither we are still on the mending hand and if we do but thrive in Holiness we shall certainly thrive in Concord and in Peace And it s a comfort to a sick man not only to be certain of a full recovery but to feel himself daily on the mending hand 3. And in the mean time God himself will bear with all our differences though not so far as to approve or cherish them yet so far as to own us for his children though we are too often falling out with one another and so far as to pitty our frailty and infirmity and to pardon us and deal as a Father with us And if our quarrels cause him to use the rod it is but to keep us in quietness afterwards that as we had the taste of the four fruits of our contentions so we may after have the quiet fruits of righteousness And thus I have given you in four and twenty particular discoveries a sufficient Proof that A Vnity in the Spirit and an Agreement in Holiness hath abundant advantages for our further Agreement in lowers things and such as all other men are destitute of and therefore that there is no way possible for a just a safe a durable Agreement but that we all Agree in a Holy life and be United in the sanctifying Spirit of Christ. BUt perhaps you will Object If all this be so whence comes it to pass that there are so many differences still among those that you call the sanctified Do we not see that they are more contentious and divided into partyes and make more stir about Religion then any others Answ. 1. The differences among the godly are nothing for number or greatness or weight in comparison of yours I have shewed you in my Discourse of the Catholick Church twenty great and weighty points in which they all agree together and in which the ungodly agree not with them What if they agree not whether Church-Government should be exercised by the Elders only the flock consenting or by all the flock the Pastours Guiding Or whether One among the Pastours should be of a superior Degree or of a superior Order or whether they should only be of the same Degree and Order though chosen to preside and moderate for the time What if one think that its Necessary to read the publick Prayers out of a Book and another think its necessary to pray without book and a third more truly thinks it is in it self indifferent whether it be within book or without with other suchlike differences as these which will keep no man out of Heaven Are these like our differences with ungodly men Our differences with you are Whether Heaven or Eath is chiefly to be loved and sought after Whether Grace and Holiness or sin and carelesness be the better whether it be the more sweet and desirable life to be heavenly minded and live in the Love and Service of God and to be much in holy communion with him and meditating upon his Law and upon the Life to come or on the contrary to live to the world and to the flesh whether it be better to obey the Word of God and his Ministers that speak it in his name or obey our fleshly desires and the proud conceits of ignorant minds In a word our difference with the ungodly though they will not confess it and speak out is plainly this whether Heaven or Earth be better and whether God be God and shall be our God and whether Christ be Christ and shall be our Christ and whether the Holy Ghost shall be our sanctifier or whether we shall live after the flesh and Rule our selves against the Will and Word of God and so in effect whether God be God and man be man and whether we should live as men or as beasts and so whether we should choose Salvation or Damnation If you could but understand your selves and the depth of your deceitful hearts you would see that here lyeth the difference For though some of the unsanctified have a fair and plausible deportment and will speak handsomly of the Christian Religion because they have had ingenuous Christian education yet all this is indeed but little more then formal complement so far are they from a Heavenly mind and a heart that 's truly set on God as their careless lives and carnal unsavory conference sheweth if not their scorns at a state of Holiness So that our differences are nothing in comparison of the difference with you 2. Moreover the servants of God do mind the matters of Religion more seriously then others do and therefore their differences are brought to light and made more observable to the world Their very heart is set upon these heavenly things and therefore they cannot make light of the smallest truth of God and this may be some occasion of their difference Whereas the ungodly differ not about Religion because they have heartily no Religion to to differ about They trouble not themselves about these matters because they do not much regard them And is this a Unity and peace to be desired I had rather have the discord of the Saints then such a concord of the wicked They are so careful about their duty that they are afraid of missing it in the least particular and this with their Imperfect light is the reason of their disputings about these matters But you that are careless of your duty can easily agree upon a way of sin or take any thing that comes next to hand They honour the Worship of God so much that they would not have any thing out of order but you set so little by it that you will be of the Religion that the King is of let it be what it will be And its easy to agree in such an ungodly careless course Astronomers have many controversies about the positions and motions of the heavens and all Philosophers have many controversies about the matter of their Sciences when ignorant men have none of their controversies because they understand not and therefore regard not the things that the learned differ about And will you think ever the better of Ignorance or ever the worse of Learning for this The controversies of Lawyers of Historians Chronologers Geographerr Physicians and such like do no never trouble the brains of the ignorant But for all that I had rather be in Controversie with the Learned then without such controversie with you If you scatter a handful of Gold or Diamonds in the street perhaps men will scramble for them and fall out about them when swine will trample on them and quietly despise them because
that the Vnity of the Church should not be laid on indifferent small or dâ—ubtfull things but that true believers that differ in such things should yet have inward Charity and outward Communion with each other not censuring nor despising nor dividing upon this account p. 323 Convincing Reasons p. 326 Several Vses or Consectaries and an Exhortation applied to our difference about Christmas Day p. 358 ERRATA PAge 90. l. 9. r. enquire p. 91. l. 6. r. except p. 192. l. 7. for now r. in time p. 275. l. 16 for or r. as p. 366. l. 12. for it r. them p. 377. l. 12. dele in Catholick Vnity EPHES. 4.3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace IT seems that Vnity and Felicity are near kin in that the world is so like affected to them both As our Felicity is in God and we lost it by falling from God so our Vnity is in God and we lost it by departing from this Center of Unity And as all men have still a natural desire after Felicity in general but God who is their Felicity they neither know nor desire so have we still a natural desire after Vnity in it self considered but God who is our Unity is little known or desired by the most And as nature can perceive the evil of Misery which is contrary to Felicity and cry out against it and yet doth cherish the certain causes of it and will not be perswaded to let them go So Nature can perceive the evil of Division which is contrary to Vnity and cry out against it and yet will not forbear the causes of Division And therefore as we say of Felicity Nature by Philosophy seeks it Divinity findeth it and Religion possesseth it So may we say of true Vnity Philosophy or Nature seeks it Divinity findeth it and Religion or Holiness possesseth it And as most of the world do miss of Felicity for all their high esteem of it and fall into misery for all their hatred of it because they love not the object and way of Felicity and hate not the Matter and Way of Misery Even so most of the world do miss of Vnity for all their high esteem of Unity and fall into miserable distractions and Divisions for all their hatred of Division because they love not the center and way of Vnity and hate not the occasion and causes of Division And as the very reason why the most are shut out of Happiness is their own wilful refusing of the true matter and means of Happiness and no one could undo them but themselves for all that they are loth to be undone Even so the very Reason why the world attaineth not to Unity is their own wilful refusing of the true Center and Means of Unity and it is themselves that are the wilful causes of their own Divisions even when they cry out against Divisions And as there 's no way to Happiness but by Turning to God from whom we fell that in him we may be happy and no way to God but by Iesus Christ as the Saviour and the Hâ—ly-Ghost as the Sanctifier so there is no way to true Vnity but by Turning to God that we may be one in him and no way to him but being united to Christ and being quickned by that One most holy Spirit that animateth his members And yet as poor souls do weary themselves in vain in seeking Felicity in their own wayes and devices so do they deceive themselves in seeking Vnity in wayes that are quite destructive to Unity One thinks we must be united in the Pope and another in a General Council another saith we shall never have Unity till the Magistrate force us all one way and yet they would not be forced from their own way Another turns Atheist or Infidel or Impious by observing the Divisions that be among Christians and saith It is this Scripture and Religion and Christ that hath set the world together by the ears and we shall never have Unity till we all live according to Nature and cast off their needless cares and fears of another life And thus the miserable deluded world are groping in the dark after Vnity and Felicity while both are at hand and they wickedly reject them and many of them become so mad as to run away from God from Christ from the Spirit as if he were the cause of Misery and Division who is the only Center of Felicity and Vnity And thus as it is but Few that arrive at Happiness for all their desire of it so it is but Few that attain to Vnity to such a Unity as is worth the attaining to I dare presume to take it for granted that all you that hear me this day would fain have Divisions taken away and have Unity and Concord and Peace through the world What say you would you not have us all of one â—iâ—d and of one Religion and would you not fain have an Agreement if it might be through all the world I am confident you would But you little think that its you and such as you that are the hinderers of it All the question is What Mind that is that all should be One in and what Religion that is that all men sâ—ould agree in Every man would have all men of one mind and one Religion but then it must be of his mind and of his Religion and so we are never the nearer an agreement Well! what would you give now to be certainly told the only way to Unity and Agreement There is but One way when you have sought about as long as you will you must come to that One way or you will be never the nearer it What would you give to know undoubtedly which is that One way O that the world were but willing to know it and to follow it when they know it Well! I dare promise you from the information of the Holy-Ghost here given us in this Text that now I have read to to you to tell you the Only way to true Unity and blessed is he that learneth it and walketh in it This Text is a Precept containing the work required of us with its double Object the one the means to the other The next verse is an exposition of this As the Natural man hath One Body and One Soul which constitute it a man so the Church which is the mystical Body of Christ is one Body consisting of many members united by One Spirit Every Common-wealth or Political Body hath 1. It s Constitutive causes that give it its Being and its Unity and 2. It s Administration and preserving causes as Laws Execution Obedience c. that exercise and preserve and perfect its Being The Constitutive cause is the Soveraign and the Subject conjoyned in their Relation So is it with the Church which is a Political Body but of a transcendent kind of Policy The Constitutive Cause of the Church are Christ and the members united in One Spirit And this
is the final part of the Duty here required To keep the Vnity of the Spirit The Preserving cause is the Peaceable behaviour of the members and this is the mediate Duty here required In the bond of Peace Our own Endeavours are hereto required because as every natural body must by eating and drinking and fit exercise and usage be a cause of its own preservation and not forbear these under pretence of trusting the all-sufficiency of God and as every Political Body must by Government and Arms in case of need preserve themselves under God so must the Body of Christ the Church be diligent in using their best endeavours to preserve the Being and well-being of the whole So that you see here are two causes of the Churches Unity expressed 1. The principal Constitutive cause in which our Unity consisteth and that is The Spirit 2. The Preserving cause by which our Unity is cherished and that is Peace which therefore is called the bond of it The fifth and sixth verses do open this Vnity of Spirit in its parts effects and ends There is One Hope of our Calling that is One Heaven or Life Eternal which is the end of our Christianity and Church Constitution There is one Lord Jesus Christ One Head one Saviour one Soveraign Redeemer to whom by this Spirit the members are all United There is One Faith both one summe of holy Doctrine which all that will be saved must believe which was used to be professed by the adult at Baptism and One internal saving Faith which this Spirit causeth in our Spirits and useth it as a means of our union with Christ in whom we do believe There is One Baptism or solemn Covenanting with God the Father Son and Holy-Ghost and the same promise there to be made by all And there is One God the Father of all from whom we fell and to whom we must be recovered and who is the End of all and to whom Christ and all these means are the Way So that all these are implyed in and conjunct with the Vnity of the Spirit The sense of the Text then briefly is this As all the living true members of Christ and the Church have one Spirit and so one Faith by which they are all united to Christ the Head and so to the Father in and by him which Vnion in One Spirit is your very Life and it that constituteth you true members of Christ and his Church so it must be your care and great endeavour to preserve this Spirit in you and this vital Vnity which by this Spirit you have with Christ and one another and the way to preserve it is by the bond of Peace among your selves It is here evident then that all the members of Christ and his Body have One Spirit and in that is their Union All the question is What Spirit this is And that 's left past all doubt in the Chapter For though the common gifts of the Spirit are sometime called by that name yet these are no further meant in the Text then as appurtenances or additions to greater gifts As godliness hath the promise of the common mercies of this life as well as of the special mercies of the life to come but yet with great difference the later being absolutely promised and the former but limitedly so far as God sees best for us Even so the Spirit gave to the members of the Church both Sanctifying Grace and common Gifts but with great difference giving Sanctification to all and only the members of Christ but giving common gifts also to some others and to them but with limitation for sort and season and measure and continuance as God should see good It is then the same Holy-Ghost as our Sanctifier into whose name we are baptized as wel as into the name of the â—ather and the Son and in whom we all profess to believe that is here meant in my Text. And it is only the Sanctified that are the people United to Christ and to One another This is proved expresly by that which foâ—loweth vers 6 7. It is those that have the One Hope one Lord one Faith one Baptism one God the Father vers 12. It is the Saints and body of Christ that are to be perfected by the Ministry vers 13 15 16. It is those that must come in the Vnity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God to a perfect man to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ and that grow up in all things in Christ the Head It is the Body that is Vnited to him and compacted in Love and edifieth itself in Love vers 20 21 22 23 24. It is those that hâ—vâ— so leâ—rned Christ as to put off tâ—e â—ld man thâ—t is câ—rrupt â—nd are râ—neweâ— in the Spirit of their â—inâ—s and put on the nâ—w man which â—fter God is reâ—tâ—â— in righteouâ—neâ—s and true holiness If thereâ—â—re any words be plain its plain tâ—at its true â—aints only that are here spoken of that have the Vnity of spirit which they must preserve in the bond of Peace And therefore I shall make this Observation the ground of my discourse Doct. The true Vnity of the Catholick Church of Christ consisteth in this that they have all one Sanctifying spirit within them By the Holy-Ghost within them they are all United to Christ and to one another By this One Spirit they are all made â—aints or an Holy people having One Heaven for the matter of their Hopes One Christ their Head One summe of Christian doctrine which they believe containing all the Essentials of Christian Faith and One living principle of Faith to believe it One solemn Covenant with Christ and One God the â—ather their End and All. It is only the Sanctified that have true Christian Vnity and it is unholiness or ungodliness that is the cause of the miserable Divisions of the world Now Sirs you see the Only way to Vnity Even to have One Sanctifying spirit within us and be all an Holy People and there is no way but this Now you see the principal cause of Division even unholiness and refusing the Spirit of Grace In handling this point 1. I shall give you some Propositions that are necessary for the fuller understanding of it 2. I shall demonstrate the Point to you by fuller Evidence of Reason 3. I shall make Application of it I. PRop 1. Though it be only the Sanctified that have the true Unâ—on of Members wâ—th Chrâ—st and the Body yet all that make Profession of Sanctification and Null not that Proâ—ession have an Extrâ—nsick Analogical Union in profession As the wooden or dead leg is united to the body and the dead branch to the Vine And so even Hypocrites must not only dwell among us but be of the same visible Church with us as the chaff and tares are in the same corn-field And as long as they seem Saints we must value them and use them as Saints and love them
out against Divisions when your hearts are thus divided from God and his servants You must learn to Love them with a special Love and Christ in them before you can be United with them 14. There is no Unity to be had wiâ—hout a Love to the Body that you are United to You must Love the Church and long for its prosperity and the success of the Gospel and the downfall of wickedness Thus do the Saints but thus do not the ungodly Nay many of them are glad when they hear of any evil befall the godly 15. There is no true Vnity without a singular respect to the special members that are the ligaments and chief Instruments of Unity even the Officers of the Church and most useful members The Overseers of the Church must be highly esteemed in Love for their work sake 1 Thes. 5.12 Thâ—s do the godly but not the ungodly 16. There must be an inward inclination to the Communion of Saints before there can be any agreement and Unity All that are of the Holy Catholick Church must desire the Communion of Saints Their delight must be in them Psal. 16.3 But the ungodly have no such delight in their Communion 17. If you will have Vnity and Communion with the Church you must have a Love to the Holy Ordinances which are the means of Communion as to the Word of God heard and read to Prayer Sacraments Confession c. But the ungodly have either a distaste of these or but a common delight in the outside and not in the Spirit of the Ordinance And therefore they cannot agree with the Church when you loath that which is our mâ—at and drink and we cannot feed at one Table together what Agreement can there be 18. If you will Agree you must wâ—rk in the same Vineyard and labour in the same employment and walk the same way as the sanctified do And that is in a way of holiness and righteousness giving all diligence to make your calling and election sure 2 Pet. 1.10 If you live to the flesh and they live to the Spirit Rom. 8.5 13. What Unity and Agreement can there be 19. There is no Unity to be had unless you will joyn in a defensive and offensive league and in an opposition to that which would tend to our destruction What Common-wealth will Unite with them that defend their enemies and rebels There is an enmity put in the beginning between the seed of the woman and of the Serpent Gen. 3.15 Because we are not of the world the world will hate us Iohn 15.19 If you will be United to the Church and people of Christ you must be at enmity with sin and hate it and joyn for the destroying of it and you must be souldiers in Christs Army which the Devil and his army fight against and you must fight against the flesh the world and the devil and not live in friendship with them But this the unsanctified will not do 20. And therefore because you will not be United to them in the state and Kingdom of Grace you shall not be United with them in the state and Kingdom of Glory And thus I have made it plain to you that none can have true Union with the Church of Christ but only they that are sanctified by the Spirit Use I. BY this time you may see if you are willing to see who it is long of that the world is all in pieces by divisions and who are the greatest hinderers of Unity Even unsanctified ungodly men And you may see how fit these men are to cry out against Divisions that are the principal causes of them And how wisely they deal to cry up Unity and in the mean time resist the only ground and way of Unity As Ioshua said to Achan 7.25 Why hast thou troubled us the Lord shall trouble thee this day So I may say to all the ungodly Why trouble you the Church and hinder Vnity you shall one day have trouble your selves for this They cry out against the Ministry and others that fear God as Ahab did to Elijah Art thou he that troubleth Israel But saith Elijah It is thou and thy Fathers house that trouble Israel in that ye have forsaken the Commandment of the Lord 1 King 18.17 18. Sirs I tell you and I may confidently tell you when I have proved it so fully that it is the ungodly that are the great Dividers of the world It s you that make the breach and keep it open We are willing to agree to any thing that is reasonable or pâ—ssible but there is no possibility of Agreeing with the ungodly unless they will turn It would make any honest heart to ake to see these wreâ—ches set all on fire and then cry out against others as the Authors of it As Nero set Rome on fire and then persecuted the Christians for it as if it had been done by them They pluck up the Foundations and hold most damnable practical errours and when they have done they go about reviling other men as erroneous I speak not in the excuse or extenuation of other mens errours I have spoke my part against them also But I tell you it is the prophane and ignorant rabble and all the ungodly whether Gentlemen Schollars or of what rank soever that are the great dividers and stand at the greatest distance from Christian Unity O what a happy Church should we have for all the sects that trouble us so much if it were not for ungodliness that animateth some of those sects and virtually containeth many more Had we none but men fearing God to deal with we should have no opposition to the Essentials of Religion and we should still have the comfort of agreeing with them in all things necessary to salvation They would carry on their differences in Christian meekness charity and moderation and at the worst our Agreement would be greater then our disagreement But when we have to deal with haters of holiness or at least with men that are strangers to the sanctifying work of the Spirit we have predominant Pride and Selfishness and Covetousness to strive against We have radicated Infidelity and enmity to God and holiness giving life and strength to all their errours and making them stubborn and wilful and scornful against the clearest truths that can be shewed them There is no dealing effectually with a carnal heart for any but God himself Unless we can create light in them as well as reveal the truth to them what good can we do them What good doth the Sun to a man that is blind They have understandings left and therefore they can err but they have no heavenly light in them and therefore they cannot choose but err They have wills and therefore are capable of sin but they have no holy rectitude of them and therefore sin they will with obstinacy When we dispute with the godly that err through weakness we deal with men that have eyes in their heads and
their hopes for pardon and salvation either in their own good works or carnaâ— shifts or at least by false conceptions do make Christ not indeed to be Christ To have many Saviours is a damnable errour And how many do the ungodly make to themselves while they depart from the Lord Christ To deny the Holy-Ghost is a damnable errour And what elâ—e do all the ungodly in the world that will not be sanctified by him This is the most palpable errour that they are guilty of They are baptized into the name of the Holy-Ghost as their Sanctifier and yet they will not be sanctified by him Nay some of them make a mock of the Spirit and of sanctification And some of them wâ— hearken to false deceiving Spirits instead of the Holy Spirit oâ— God Some Hereticks have denyed some parts of the Scripture and Infidels deny it all And what less do all ungodly men that believe it not heartily and will not obey it but deny it in parts and refuse subjection to it They will not be so holy not they let Scripture say what it will Are not all the ungodly against the Scripture Many a time have I heard them when the times more encouraged them deriding the Bible and those that did but carry a Bible or speak of the Scripture or read it in their houses Certainly he that fights against Scripture in his life is more against it then he that only denies it with his tongue Moreover the Pelagian Hereticks denyed Original sin and justified mans Nature And so doth profaness in a very great measure Never were the ungodly truly humbled for their Original sin nor saw any such matter in themselves as to make them abhor themselves And what is this but actually to deny it The same Pelagians made light of Grace which is Gods Image upon the soul. But in this the ungodly go quite beyond them They make a matter of nothing of Holiness but account it a fancy or a needless thing and many of them hate it and if the times did but favour their malice there were no living near them for any that fear God In this they are Deâ—â—h in flesh I cannot liken them to any heresie but Devilism they go so far beyond the professions of them all One sect is against those that are their opposers and another see against their opposers but ungodliness is against all that are godly of every party whatsoever and is in open arms or secret enmity against the army of Christ and against himself The Simonians and Nicolaitanâ— and Gnosticks of old did hold that men might do any outward action when there is no other way to escape suffering as long as they keep their hearts to God So think the ungodly as appeareth by their practice Before they will lose their estates and be brought to poverty or before they will lie in prison or be burnt at a stake they will say any thing or do any thing They would worship a piece of bread as if it were God they would turn to Papists or any that can do them a mischief if it were the Turks Alas the particular sects among us do play a small game in comparison of the ungodly and hold but petty errours to theirs One sect is against one Ordinance and another sect is against another Ordinance but the ungodly are against all The Sectaries are against something in the manner or out-side of the work but the ungodly are against the Spirit and Life and substance of the duty it self One sect depraveth the doctrine of Faith and another the doctrine of Repentance and another the doctrine of Obedience But the ungodly deprave all the doctrine of Godliness yea deny it and not only deprave it They sweep away all before them and go by whole-sale They stand not to speak as other Hereticks against this Grace or that Grace but against all It is Godliness it self that the ungodly are against The Sectaries oppose all parts of the Catholick Church saving their own But the ungodly are against the Holy Catholick Church it self as it is a Church and as it is Holy they are against it The Church is a Society combined for holy obedience to Christ and the ungodly are against that holy Obedience The Sectaries would have no Communion of Saints but in their own way But the ungodly are against the Communion of Saints in it self for they are against the Saints that hold this Communion The Papists and Quakers are against our Ministry and rail at them and labour to bring them into hatred So do the worser sort of the ungodly even of them that say they are Protestants of our own Relâ—gion In their houses and in the Ale-houses in their ordinary discourse they are cavilling against the Ministers or reproaching them And some of them are more bitter haters and revilers of them then almost any hereticks that we meet with Yea some of them are glad to hear the Quakers and Anabaptists reproach them and secretly set them on Only they are ashamed to own these revilers because they see them come off in the end with so much disgrace But if they were but sure that Papists or Quakers or any sect that is against a godly Ministry had power in their hands to go through with their work the multitude of the ungodly among us would soon joyn with them How plainly did this appear in our laâ— wars when few Ministers of noted diligence and piety that deâ—ired to have lived at home in quietness could be suffered to live among them but the ungodly rise up against them as if they hâ—d been Turks or Jews and drove them into Garrisons to save their lives The Separatists and Quakers and other sects dispute against the Ministry with cavils and railings but the ungodly would dispute them down with halters and hatchets with fire and sword if the merciful Governour of the world did not tye their hands The Quakers and many Anabaptists and Separatists are against Tythes and all settled maintenance of the Ministry And do I need to tell you that the ungodly covetous worldlings are of the same mind What need had Ministers else to sue for their Tyâ—hes Were it not for fear of treble damages the Ministers in many Parishes of England should not have bread to their mouthes nor cloathes to their backs before they got it by suit at Law How commonly do they think that all is woon and is currently their own that they can but defraud the Minister of If it were not that they are under disgrace the Quakers would soon have disciples enow upon this very account because they are against Tythes And gladly do the ungodly covetous people hearken to that doctrine and get their books and would fain have that opinion take as Orthodox If the Prince and Parliament would but turn Quakers and cry down Tythes yea and Ministry too the miserable ungodly multitude would quickly be of that Religion and entertain their Laws with ringing of
Law as not being capable of the use and ends of a Law And so if our salvation or damnation lye on our obedience to Gods Word and Law it s an intolerable reproach to God and it to say it is such as we cannot understand 3. Must we not be judged by this Law Undoubtedly we must And then should we not measure our Causes by it now 4. May not Arbitrators make use of a Law to decide a controversie before it come to the Judâ—e Doubtless they may 5. What Judge would you have There are but two in the world that pretend to be the Universal Infallible Judge of controversies and that is the Pope and a General Council For a General Council there is none now in the world nor like to be to the end of the world God forbid we should defer our Peace till then And its Decrees are as dark and much more uncertain then the Word of God And for the Pope he is Head of a sect or party and therefore not fit to be judge you may well know he will judge on his own side He must be judged by this Word of God himself He is too far off of all conscience for us to go or send to Where Rome is the most of you know not A shorter journey may better dispatch our work The Papists themselves tell us that many Popes have been Murderers Adulterers Simonists perjured persons and some Hereticks and Infidels And must such as these be our only Judges They have erred oft already and therefore they may deceive us And if you send for the Popes Sentence you must take the Messengers word that he was there and that its true But yet if all this will not serve turn I will make a motion that none can gainsay that hath the face of a Christian. Let us first agree in all those points that Papists and Protestants Calvinists and Lutherans Arminians and Anabaptists and Seperatists and all parties that deserve to be called Christians are agreed in What say you is not this a reasonable motion O happy you and happy the places where you live if you would but stand to it And let us consider of this motion first in the General state of our difference and then in the particular parts of it Truly Sirs the main difference in this world is between the Godly and the Vngodly and all other differences that are not parts of this are nothing to this being of lesser danger and easier toleration or cure The whole world is divided into two Armies Christ is the Captain General of one and the Saints only his true Souldiers and the seeming Saints his seeming Souldiers The Devil is the General of the other and all the unregenerate or ungodly are his Souldiers An enmity is put since the beginning between the seed of the woman and of the Serpent Gen. 3.15 and there is no middle state nor one man on earth that is not in one of these Armies I come not to reconcile the Commanders Christ and Satan for they are unreconcileable but to reconcile you to Christ and draw you from a deceiver I tell you â—irs this great difference between the holy and the unholy is the first that must be healed We can go no further with you if you will not begin here at the heart of the difference When this is doâ—e you shall see before I have done with you that I will quickly tell you how we may do well for all our other differences You know if one of us believe that there is a God and another that there is none iâ— were foolery for us to dispute how God must be worshipped before we are agreed that there is a God So here when it is the nature of ungodliness to make men false to the very truths that they do profess and heartily to be of no Religion at all it is in vain to dispute about circumstances and mode with such kind of men Who would dispute whether Infants should be baptized with a man thaâ— knows not whâ—â— Baptism is Evâ—n an accepting of God for ouâ— God and Christ for our Lord and Saviour and the Holy Ghost for our Sâ—nctifier and an absolute delivering up our selves to the blessed Trinity in these relations by a solemn Covenant professed â—nd sealed by water renouncing the flesh the world and the Devil O were but this much practically known we should be all United in this one Baptism Still I say Unholiness is thâ— great point of difference and the dungâ—on of Confusion and puddle where all the heresies of the world are blendâ—d and made into a body that is something worse then heresie When you cry up Unity and cry down Holiness you are distracted and know not what you say You talk of joyning us together and you cast away â—he glue and soder You talk of building the Church in unity and you cast away the lime and morter the pins and nails and all that should fasten them You complain that the garment of Christ is rent and you throw away the needle and thred that should sow it up You see our wounds and blood and take on you to have pitty on the Church and call for healing but you hate and cast away the only salve Do you not yet know that the Churches Unity is a Unity of the Spirit and of Holiness and that there is no way in the world for us and you to be United unless you will be Sanctified and live in the Spirit as you have done in the flesh Sirs let us come nearer the matter â— know our Towns and Countries have two sorts of persons in them some are Converted and some Unconverted some holy and some unholy some live for heaven and some are all for earth some are ruled by the Word of God and some by their own flesh or wills If ever these agree and be United one party must come over to the other Either the Godly must become ungodly or the ungodly must become Saints and godly Which must it be which do you think in your Consciences is the way Must we yield to you or should you 〈◊〉 away to us Pardon that I 〈◊〉 my self with the sanctified 〈◊〉 dare not deny the mercies of God and the priviledges of his house Let us come fairly to debate the Case and lay our Reasons together and I will here protest to you if you can give us better reasons why we should forsake a godly life I 'le turn to you and if we can give you better reasons why you should embrace an holy life will you here promise to turn to us and let them carry it that have the better cause and let us be resolved to go away United and fall all together into that one way that shall be proved to be the best Well let us come to a debate and see whether we must come to you or you to us 1. If we ever agree and unite you know it must be on terms that are possible He that
with the Godly so far as you confess you ought to do and would but Unite with us in faithfulness to the truths which you cannot deny I think it will be best to call you to the tryal in some particulars 1. I hope we are all Agreed that there is one only God that maâ—e us and preserveth us and Redeemed us and therefore that we are wholly his and should resign our selves and all that we have absolutely to him for his service He is not worthy the name of a man that denyeth this And shall we aâ—l Agree now in the Practice of this much Shall we wholly resign our selves and all that we have to God and labour to know what God would have us be and do and that let us resolve upon whatever the flesh or the world say to the contrary Were but this much well resolved on we were in a fair way to a full agreement 2. We are all Agreed in Opinion or Profession that this God is our only Happiness and his favour is better then all the world and that he is infinitely Wise and Good and Powerful and therefore that he must be Loved above all things whatsoever and must be most feared and served and trusted and depended on And shall we but Agree all in the Practice of this much O that you would but heartily consent and do it Did we but joyn together in Loving God above all and fearing and trusting and serving him before all we should quickly be of one heart and soul and in a very fair way to a perfect agreâ—ment 3. We are all Agreed that profess Christianity that sin hath made us miserable and brought us under the wrath and curse of God and that the Lord Jesus Christ having Redeemed us by his blood is the only Physitian and Remedy for our souls and having manifested such infinite Love in our Redemption and also purchased Dominion over us we are strongly bound to Rejoyce in his salvation and fly to him for Safety and rest upon him and live in the thankful admirations of his Love and in careful Obedience to his gracious Laws And shall we all Agree in the Practice of this much Will you fly to Christ with broken bleeding hearts for safety from sin and wrath and Hell and set more by him then by all the world Will you study with all Saints to comprehend his Love Eph. 3.18 19 and admire him and his mercies and devote your selves to him and be ruled by him O that we were but all agreed in this much 4. We are all agreed in Opinion or Profession that the Holy Ghost is the Sanctifier of Gods elect or of all that shall be saved and that except a man be born again by the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of heaven and that without holiness none shall see God and that no man is the Son of God that hath not in him the Spirit of his Son 1 Cor. 12.12 13. Eph. 4.5 Ioh. 3.5 6. Heb. 12.14 Rom. 8.9 Gal. 4.4 Were we but all such now as we are agreed we must be and would you but all Consent to this Sanctification and newness of life the great difference were healed and the work were done 5. Moreover we are all Agreed or seem to be so that the holy Scripture is the word of God and of infallible truth and therefore must be believed and made the Rule of our Judgements and our lives Shall we all agree now in the practice of this Will you appeal to the Scripture and shall it be our Rule If the flesh perswade you to another course and murmur at the strictness of Gods Word if custom be against it and the greater number be against it if your profits or pleasures or worldly honours be against it and your former opinions and practice have been against it will you yet believe the Scripture before all and be ruled by it above all the world You are agreed I hope that God is to be obeyed rather then men or then the flesh and the Devil Will you resolve that 〈◊〉 shall be so O if the Word of God might be the Rule how quickly should we be agreed For all the Popish cavils at its difficulty and mens divers expositions yet how soon should we be agreed 6. We are all agreed in Opinion or Profession that there is a heaven for the Sanctified even an endless unconceivable Glory with God in the seeing of his face and enjoying him in perfect Love and Joyes and that the seeking of this everlasting Glory should be the main and principal business of our lives which all things must give place to He that will deny this can have no pretence to call himself a Christian. O that we might but all agree in the practising of this and that the principal love and desire of our souls were set upon the Heavenly blessedness and the chiefest of our care and labour might be laid out for the obtaining of it Agree in this and all will be agreed at last 7. We are all Agreed in our profession that there is an Hell or state of endless torments where all the finally unsanctified and ungodly must be for ever But why do we not agree in the diligent avoiding of such a dreadful misery and using our best endeavours to escape it 8. We are all agreed in Profession that the flesh is our enemy and must be mortified But will you agree in the practice of this mortification We are agreed iâ— Profession that the world is our enemy and must be contemned and that it is a vain and worthless thing compared with the Glory that is to come But yet mâ—n 〈◊〉 not agree to renounce the world unfeignedly and to be stranger to it and part with all rather thâ—â— with God and a good Conscience but while men spâ—ak contemptuously of the world they seek 〈◊〉 far more eagerly then heaven We are agreed that the Devil is our enemy and yet men will not forsaâ—â— his service 9. We are all agreed in profession that sin is a most hateful thing hated of God condemned by his Word and the only cause of the damnation of souls And yet men love it and live in it with delight Shaâ—l we agree all to deal with sin as we speak of it Will Magistrates and Ministers and people joyn together to banish it out of Town and Countrey Particularly we are agreed I hope that whoredom and wantonness and gluttony and drunkenness and strife and envying and lying and deceit and cursing and swearing and railing and backbiting and speaking against an holy life are all groâ—s hateful damning sins which every Christian must abhor But why do you not agree in the hateing and forsaking and beating down of these sins But Town and Countrey swarmeth with them as a carkase doth with maggots or a stinking pond with frogs and toads So that Magistrates and Ministers punishments and perswasions the Laws of the Land and the Laws of God can do but little to
admittance and access to God And will you now reâ—use and undo your selves The sanctâ—fied are Gods Jewels Mal. 3.17 his treasure and peculâ—ar people the beloved of his soul and his delight and the only people in the world that shall be saved This is true for God hath spoken it And you may be of this blessed number if you will God hath not separated you from them or shut you out by forbidding you to come among them O do not you separate and shut out your selves You see your godly neâ—gâ—bours in possession of this priviledge And may not you have it if you will May not you study the Wâ—rd of God and call upon him in prayer and seâ— your selves for heaven as well as they Where doâ—h the â—cripture command them to it any morâ— then you or forbâ—d yâ—u any more then them The door â—s open you may come in if you will You have the same means and call and offer and 〈◊〉 â—nd leave to 〈…〉 life as thâ—y And wâ—ll you 〈…〉 much of thediffâ—renâ—â— yâ—â—rselves as to be the only râ—â—users God hath done so much for you by the deâ—â—h of Christ and so orderâ—d the matter in the promises and offers of the Gospel that none of you shall be able to say at â—â—st I wâ—uld â—uin have bâ—en 〈◊〉 the blâ—ssed 〈◊〉 anâ—â—ain hâ—vâ— livâ—d in the Vniâ—n and Communiâ—â— of Saints but I 〈…〉 nâ—t give 〈◊〉 and Christ â—nd his Church wâ—ulâ— nâ—t râ—ceivâ—â—e and entertâ—in me Not a man â—r woman of you shall have this excuse And thâ—reforâ— come in and joyn with the Saints thank God that you may 8. And consider also that if you will not Agree with us in matter of Holiness we can never well make up the rest of our differences Our smaller Controversies will never be well agreed if you will not agree in the main But if this were Agreed we should in season certainly heal the rest It would make a mans heart ake to hâ—ar wretched sinners talk of our differences about Bishops and Ceremonies and Common-prayer and Holy-daies and Infant-Baptism and the like that are dead in their sins and are yet disagreed from us in the very bent of heart and life Alas Sirs you have other matters then these first to talk of and trouble your selves with A man that is ready to die of a Consumption should not be taking care to cure the warts or freckles in his face We have greater matters wherein we differ from you then kneeling at the Sacrament or observation of daies or other Ceremonies or doubtful opinions in matters of doctrine Let us first be Agreed all to serve One Master and seek One End and be Ruled by One Law and hate known sin and live a holy life and then we shall be ready to treat with you about a further Agreement But to talk of small matters when we differ in the greatest matters in the world as much as your souls are worth and in matters which Heaven or Hell lyeth on this is but childish trifling and whatever we may do for the Peace of the Church with such yet to your selves that will be small advantage Nay I must tell you that it is usually but the cunning of the Devil and the hypocrisie of your own hearts that makes you turn your talk to these controversies when the great breach is unhealed between Christ and you It s commonly made a shift to delude and quiet a debauched conscience Our poor people will not by any perswasion be drawn to an holy heavenly life but live in worldliness and fleshliness â—n swearing and drunkenness and lying and deceit and filthiness and proâ—anâ—ness and hate the Minister or Christian that doth reprove them and then forsooth they talk of Common-prayer Boâ—k and Holy-dayes and Bishops and knâ—eling at the Sacrament to makâ— oâ—hers and perhaps â—heir deluded hearts believe that this is the controversie and diffâ—rence And so a wretched drunkaâ—d or worldling peswades himsâ—lf that he is a Râ—ligious man as if the difference between him and he godly were but about these Ceremonies or Church-Orders When alas we differ in greater matterâ— as light and darkness life and death yea next to the difference between Heaven and Hell And I must tell you that you do but wrong the party or cause that you pretend to when you will â—eeds engage your selves among them What hath done more to the dishonour of the Bishops and Common-prayer Book and other late Orders and Ceremonies of the Church then to see and hear the rabble of drunkards swearers scorners at holiness and such like to plâ—ad for them and be violent defenders of them If you would devise how to shame these things and bring them down you can scarce contrive a more effectual waâ— thâ—n â—o set all the ungodly scandalous wretches to cry thâ—m up and become theâ—r Patrons For it wâ—ll make abundâ—nce of soberer people begin to question whether it be liâ—ely to be good that hath such Defenders on one side and Adversaries on the other side And therefore Sirs let us begin our closure and agreement in the main if you would be ever thâ— better for it and have Unity indeed And if you say What the neâ—rer shall we be for Agreement in the other things Do not the Godly still differ about Church-Government and Orders and Ceremonies I answer 1. If we never should be Agreed in these on earth we might bear it the more quietly because our very hearts and souls are United in the main even in matters abundance greater and in all that salvation is laid upon and therefore we have this comfort in thâ— midst of our differences that we shall all shortly come to Heaven and that perfection and blessed face of God will Unite and perfectly agree us in all things 2 In the mâ—an time we could hold a holy Communion with them in the substance of Gods Worship and we have a daily Communion with them in the Spirit and and an endeared Love to one another 3. And the Holiness of their natures will encline them to mannage our remaining differences with meekness humility self-denyal moderation and with great râ—spect to the safety of the whole Church and the honour of God and of the Gospel 4. And yet I must add that with such there is a far greater advantage to hâ—al the smallest difference that remains then with any other When we have one God to awâ— us and one Heaven to draw us and one Christ for our Head â—nd one Spirit and new nature to principâ—e us and dispose us and one Law to Rule us and have all one ultimaâ—e End and Interest heâ—e is a greâ—â— advantage for healing of any particular differences that may arise If the livâ—r or splâ—â—n or stomack or brain or lungs be unsound the sores that are without will hardly be cured yea if there were none these inward diseases may breed thâ—m but when all is well within the strength of nature without a medicine will do much
to cure such small distempers that arise without The life of â—aith the love of God the love of Brethren and the Churches peace and welfare with the humility and self-dâ—nyal that is in every Christian will do a great deal to the healing of divisions among the Godly They will be content to meet together in Love and pray it out and refer the matter to the holy Scripture and they have all some special illumination of the Spirit But perhaps you will say Why are they not then more fully agreed I answer 1. Because there are such a multitude of ungodly persons among them that hinder them from opportunities and advantages for agreement And many of these ungodly ones are hypocrites that take on them to be godly and so are traytors in our bosoms and hinder peace the more by seeming to be godly when they are not 2. Because of the remnant of sin that is yet in the sanctified and because they are not yet perfect and in Heaven If they had no sin they would have no divisions And as their sin is healed as to the dominion of it but not perfectly till they come to heaven so their divisions are healed in the main but not perfectly till they are perfectly United to God in Glory 9. Consider also I beseech you what a joy it would be to Christ and to the Angels of heaven and to all good men if you would but all make such an Agreement and heartily joyn together in Holiness The whole 15. Chapter of Lukâ— â—s by divers Parables to tell you this wâ—at Joy there is in heaven it self for the conversâ—on of one sinner O what would there be then if Towns and Countries would agree in Holiness And I am certain it should be a Joy to the Princes and Rulers of the earâ—h for such a Unity only will â—old and be a blessing to their Dominions Plutarch makes it Agâ—silâ—us his reason why the Spartans had no Walls because the people being 〈◊〉 of one minde had no need or Walls And Pliny tells us of a stone that will swim if it be whole and sink if it be broken And so will Common-wealths that are brokeâ— fâ—om Christ and void of the cement of the Spirit that should â—nite them And to the Ministers of the Gospel and all good Christianâ— such an Unity as this would be an unspeakable joy Somewhat I know of other mens hearts by mine own Could I but prevail with this Nation yea with this one Town and Parish to meet all together and hearâ—ily Consent Agree and Resolve to joyn all together in an heavenly life I should more rejoyce in it then if I had the house full of gold and silver yea as to mine own interest then if I were Lord of all the world O what a joyful day were this if I could this dâ—y bring you to this Holy Unity and Agreement How comfortably should I spend the few remaining dayes of my pilgrimage among you if you would but all be brought to this Whereas I may now say as David Psalm 120.5 for all the godly that are among you Wo is me thâ—t I sâ—journ in Mesech that I dwell in the Tâ—ntâ— of Kedar My soul â—ath too long dwelt with him that hateth this holy peace I am for peace but when I speak and perswade men to it they are for war and continuance in the dividing course 〈◊〉 ungodliness Alas it grieveth us to see such divisions in all the Churches and Nations of the Christian world and O that we did know how to heal them But when we cannot heal the most ungodly separations and divisions of one Town and Parish it discourageth us from hoping for any great matters of such large extent Some attempts I have made and more I would fain make to further a Union and Peace among the Churchâ—s through the Land But when I cannot procure the Unity of this one Town and Parish what hope can I have to look any further â—lâ—s what a shame is this to you and what a grief to us that we cannot bring one Parish one Village that ever I knew of in all England to be all of a mind in thosâ— great those weighty needful things where it is worse thâ—n a madness for men to bâ— unresolved or disâ—greed As Melanthus made a jeâ—t of a great man that went about to reconcile all Greece and bring all the Princes and Stâ—tes to Peâ—ce when he could not bring hâ—s wiâ—e and her servant-maid to agreement in his own house So with what hopes can we attempt any publick peace when we cannot bring one Parish one Village yâ—a but very few â—amilies to agree in that which they must agree in or else the refusers will be certainly condemned I beseech you â—irs make glad the 〈…〉 of your Teachers â—nd of all good mâ—n by your Agreement You owe us this Comfort and you owe it to Christ and the Angels of heaven deny us not our due but without any more delay Agree togeâ—her to live as Saints What a Joy it would be to your Pastors you are not easily able to believe When Gregory Thaumatuâ—gus came first to be Bishop of Neocâ—sarea he found but seventeen Chrâ—stians in the City And when he lay on his death-bed he desired them to make enquiry how many Infidels were unconverted and they found but just sâ—venteen Infidels left and all the rest were converted to Christianity And though he rejoyced that he left but just as many unconverted Infidels as he found converted Christians yet he grieved withall that he should leave those seventeen in the power of the Devil When I came to you I found you all Professed Christians But Oh that I could say that I shall leave but seventeen unconverted when I am called from you for all that O that there were no more thâ—t are Infidels or Impious under the name of Christians But I and you are unworthy of so great a mercy 10. And I pray you consider this in time that all of you that now refuse this Agreement in Holiness will wish ere long that you had heartily embraced it and joyned with the godly and done as they And why will you not be of the mind that you will be shortly of And why will you be of that way and company that you will wish at last you had not been of The Prodigal in Luke 15. did think it a slavery to be kept up so strictly by his Fathers eye he must have his portion in his own possession and abroad he must be gone but when smart had taught him another lesson and misery had bâ—ought him to himself then he is glad to be an hired servant and casteth himself at his Fathers feet in the confession of his unworthiness to be called a son God grant that thâ—s may prove your case But let me tell it you for a certain truth theâ—e is not one of you that now 〈…〉 tâ— become so 〈◊〉 and joyn your selves in the wayes of God but
â—he time is a hand when 〈…〉 Grâ—ce or Hell shall make you â—iâ—h and wish â—gain thaâ— you might have but â—he pooreâ—â— lowest place in 〈…〉 which you so despâ—sed 〈◊〉 what I say to you Sirs in the name of God If the Loâ—d of Heaven do not shortly make the dullest heart the greatest dender of godlâ—ness among you that heareth these words to wish and wish an hundred times that he had lived as holy anâ— heavenly a life as the strictest of those that he foâ—merly derided â—hen call me a false Prophet for ever and spare not Whâ—n you feel the misery of unholy souls and see the happinesâ— of the Saints above you then O that you had been but such as they and lived as they whatever it cost you And as Balaâ—m you will shortly say O that I might ill the death of the righteous and that my last and may bâ— as his Numb 23.10 There is never a one of you all but would fain be among the Saints at Judgement and receive their Sentence and reward and therefore its best for you joyn with them now or it will be too laâ—e to wish iâ— then 11. If all this will not serve the turn but you will needs stand off and separate your selves fâ—om the servants of Christ be it known to you you shall ere long have separation enough and be further from them then your hearts can wish As you would not be United to them and joyn with â—hem in Holinesâ— so you shall not be partakers with them of their Happiness One Heaven will not hold you both and there is but One to hold you and therefore an everlasting separation shall be made Between them and you will a great gulf be set so that they that would pass from you to them shall never be able Luke 16.26 When they stand on the right hand you shall be set upon the left and when they hear Come ye blessed you shall hear Go ye cursed and when they go awâ—y into lifâ— eternâ—l you shall go â—way into evâ—rlasting punishment Mat. 25.31 32 41 46. Then you shall see that the man is blessed that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly nor standeth in the way of sinners nâ—r sitteth in the seat of the scornful but his delight is in the Law of the Lord and in his Law doth he meâ—itate day and night The ungodly ar◠〈◊〉 so but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the Iudgement nor sinners in the Congrâ—gation of the righteous For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous but the Way â—f the ungodly shall perish Psalm 1. Then you will say to them that now you differ from Give us of your oyl for our Lamps â—re gone out Oh that we had part in your holiness and your hopes but they will answer you Not so lest there be not enough for us and you We have little enough for our selves you should have done as we did but then it will be too late Mat. 25.8 9 10. It will then make the proudest heart to shake to hear Depart from me all ye that are workers of iniquity I never knew you Matth. 7.23 You departed from me and would not live in the Communion of Saints and now Christ himself of whom you boasted and in whom you trusted will not know you but cause you to depart much further then you desired both from his â—aints and him These are the true revelations of God which may be laught at and slâ—ghted now but will certainly be made good on all that are not now United to Christ and his Church 12. And let me tell you to consummate your mâ—seâ—y when that day of everlasting separation comes those servants of Christ whâ—m you refused to joyn with in an holy life will be so iâ— any witnesses against you to your condemnation As Christ tells you Mat. 25. he will say In as much as you 〈…〉 to one of thâ—sâ— you 〈◊〉 it nâ—t me â—o in as much as you râ—fused the Communion of Saints and peâ—haps derided them you refuâ—ed Communâ—on 〈◊〉 Châ—ist hâ—mself aâ—d derided him Then â—hey 〈◊〉 testâ—fie 〈…〉 you We were willing to hâ—vâ— had his company in the way â—f holiness but he refused it And when you see them set so far above you then your own consciences will say We might have been of this blâ—ssâ—d Society and would not we might have done as thâ—y and now spâ—â—l as they we were often entreatâ—d 〈◊〉 by our Teachers â—nd full glad would the godly hâ—ve been of our compâ—â—y in an holy life but we â—estinately refused all Wrâ—t heâ—thâ—â— we are we refused all Wâ— thâ—â—ght iâ— reâ—â—lâ—ss our hâ—arts wâ—râ—â—gâ—inst it we prâ—ferrâ—d 〈…〉 anâ— prâ—fits and creâ—it 〈…〉 â—f the worlâ— bâ—fâ—re it an◠〈…〉 â—ustly do wâ— pâ—rish in â—ur 〈…〉 lie in yoâ—der â—urnin◠〈◊〉 and be separated as far as Hâ—â—l is â—â—om Hâ—â—ven frâ—m thâ—se that we willfully â—eparâ—tâ—â— fâ—om on â—arth â—eloved hearers I were not a Believer if I did nâ—t foresee this dâ—eâ—dâ—ul day and I were nâ—t a man if I did not desire that you might escape this misery and therefore I could do no less then warn you as you love your selves and would not be separated from them for ever that you would presently be United to the Godly and live in the true Communion of the Saints and withdraw your selves from the wayes of the ungodly lest you be found among them and perish with them I have done my part in telling you the truth and now must leave the success to God Use ult BUT I must conclude with a word of advice to the Godly I have made a very large ambitious motion for the conversion of all at once But alas it is far from my expectation that it should prevail I am not so unacquainted with the power of sin and the subtilty of the Devil and the wilfulness of blind unsanctified men and the ordinary course of Providence in this work as to cherish any hopes that All the Town and Parish should Consent If many or any more do I shall be glad But plurima quaeras ut pauca feras An high motion when reasonable may be serviceable to lower hopes By what I have here said you may see how little hope there is that ever the Church should have any such Peace on earth as we desire If unhoâ—iness be the hinderance and the greatest part of the world are so unholy and so our Unity is like to rise no higher then our Piety you may see then how much Unity to look for But for your own parts be sure among your selves to maintain the Unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace Love the Brother-hood even Saints as Saints And because you are not the searchers of the heart proceed according to the Word of God Let all that Profess themselves a sanctified people and live so as that you cannot certainly disprove their profession be used as Saints by you and
leave the infallible judgement to God It is only â—eal Saints that have the internal special Unity of the Spirit and saving Communion but its Professors of Faith and Holiness thaâ— must have external Communion wiâ—h us in Ordinances as they have a visible Union of Profession with the Church But if they profess not Holiness they ought not to have any Christian Communion at all O Christians keep close to Christ the Centeâ— of your Unity and the Scripture which is the Rule of it and cherish the â—pirit which is the vital cause walk evenly and uprightly in a dark generation and give no offence to those without nor to the Church of God Know them that are over you in the Lord and be at Peace among your selves and the God of Peace shall be with you 1 Thes. 5.12 Phil 4.8.9 Object BVt may not a Profession of the same Faith procure a sufficient Vnity among us though all be not Saints and savingly regenerate Let us first be of one Religion and then we may come to be sincere in the Practice of that Religion by Degrees Answ. 1. For the Churches sake we are thankful to God when we see a common concord in Profession though most are false in and to the Religion which they profess Many wayes God doth good to his Church by unfound Professors 1. Their Professing the same Faith doth somewhat tye their hands from persecuting it And of the two we can better bear Hypocrites then Persecutors 2. And it somewhat tyeth their tongues from reproaching the Faith and arguing against it and seducing others from it And of the two it would be more hurtful to the Church to have these men open enemies to the truth and bend their wits and tongues against it and to have the multitude assaulting their neighbours with invectives and cavils against Religion then to have them falsly pretend to be Religious 3. And it is a great mercy to the Church hereby to have the benefit of these mens common parts and interests When they profess the same Religion with us though unsoundly yet it engageth them to stand for the Religion which they profess and their illumination and conviction may lead them to do much service for the truth By this means many hands are at work to build up the Church of Christ. And by this means the lives of many faithful Christians are preserved and their estates much spared Many have skill in building that are not true heirs of the house which they build Many have excellent gifts for preaching and expounding Scripture by which the Church may be edified and the Truth defended against the adversaries when yet the same men may themselves be destitute of the Power of this truth The Church hath great cause to be thankful to God for the gifts of many an unsanctified man Had the Church been denyed the Minâ—stry and Gifts of all mâ—n except Saints it would have been confined to a narrower room and many a soul might have beâ—n unconvâ—rted that have been called by the Ministry of unsanctified men By some such did God work Miracles themselves for the confirmation of the Christian Faith And in times of war if the Church had none but Saints to fight for them it could not stand without a continued Miracle And if we had not the daily help of others in civil and secular affairs we should find by the miss of it what a mercy we undervalued Were every unregenerate man an open enemy to the Church we should live as Patridges and such other birds that must hide themselves from every Passenger 4. Moreover this Profession of Hypocrites doth much restrain them from many a sin by which God would be much dishonoured and the Church more wronged and the godly more grieved and the open enemies more encouraged 5. And also it is some honour to the Gospel in the eyes of men to have a multitude of Professors Should Christs visible Church be as narrow as the mystical and should none be Professors of the Faith but those few that are sanctified Believers the paucity of Christians and narrowness of the Church would be a dishonour to Christ in the eyes of the world and would hinder the Conversion of many a soul. All this I have said that you may see that we do not despise a Unity in Profession and that we are not of those that would have all hypocrites and common professors shut out Yea that we take our selves bound to be very thankful to God for the mercy which he vouchsafeth us by the gifts and favour and help and interest of many such Professors And such a Unity of Profession we shall endeavour to our power heartily to promote as knowing that the Church as visible consisteth of such professours 2. But yet for all this I must come closer to your objection and tell you that this Vnity of meer Profession is comparatively so poor a kind of Unity that this will not this must not satisfie us and serve the turn which I desire you to observe in these discoveries 1. This Unity in meer Profession is properly no Christian Vnity because you are not properly Christians If this be all it is but in the bark and shell that we are agreed It is but a seeming agreement from the teeth outward but not an hearty agreement to be Christians What! shall we all agree to say we are Christians when with most it is not so For all this Agreement you will still have one Father and we another You will not be United with us in Christ the Head you will not have the same Holy Spirit who is the Life of the New creature You will be contrary to us in Nature or Disposition You will not have the same Intention and Ultimate End with us but you will aâ—m at one thing and we at another You will not go the same way nor walk by the same Rule and Law as we It will be but a tying â—ogâ—ther the Living and the Dead Bellâ—râ—ine himself confesseth that the ungodly are but dead members It is not life that Uniteth a dead member to the living You will bâ— stilâ— either openly or secretly betraying the Body to which you profess your selves United and taking part with its deadly enemies the flesh the world and the Devil Your very Hearts and ours will still be contrary You will love the sin that we hate and set our selves against and you will dis-relish that Holy Heavenly life which must be our business and delight Your Affections will go one way and ours another You will Live by sense when we must live by faith and you will be laying up a treasure on earth when we are laying up a treasure in heaven You will be asking counsel of flesh and blood when we must advise with God and his holy Word You will look first to your bodies when we must look first and principally to our souls It will be your business to feed those sins which it is our daily work
to kill You will make and apprehend it to be your Interest to go contrary to us And what Agreement can there be where there are contrary Interests Under all your outward Profession you will still retain a secret enmity and hatred to the life of holiness and will not have that hearty Love to the Saints as beseems all those that are members of Christ and of the holy Catholick Church So that when you have Communion with the Saints it will be but an external and superficial communion in some common things but you will have no Communion with them in the same Head and Spirit and Promise and Holy Nature and saving Benefits of the Gospel And shall this be called Vnity that leaveth you at so sad a distance as this This is but such a Union as a wooden leg hath to the body or as the vessels of honour and dishonour have by being in the same house together In their highest Professions the Lord himself saith of unsanctified Professors that they are none of Christs Rom. 8.9 and that they cannot be his Disciples Luke 14.33 that they are not Israel though of Israel nor are they children of God nor the seed of promise Rom. 9.6 7 8. and when they plead their highest Priviledges at last Christ will tell them that he knoweth them not Mat. 7.23 25.12 Psalm 1.5 6. And if in mercy to the Church God cause the Lyon and the Lambs to lie down together yet will he not therefore mistake the Lyon for a Lamb. So that you see what a poor kind of Unity and next to none it is that meer profession maketh And therefore this will not serve our turn 2. Moreover if we have no other Unity we are unlike to live in Peace together Though it be our duty to endeavour to have peace with all men yet we can have but little hope of it As long as there is so much difference and contrariety as I have mentioned and as long as there is a secret enmity at the heart it will be working into dissention if God for the sake of his Church restrain it not The godly will be crossing your carnal Interest and hindering you in the sinful wayes of your commodity pleasure or vain-glory They will be calling you to self-denyal which you cannot endure and putting you upon duties of Holiness Righteousness and Mercy which your sinful flesh will utterly refuse If you are scandalous you will be called to Confession Repentance and Reformation or by Church-censures be cut off from them to your shame And the Magistrate also must trouble you by the penalties of the Law The very examples of a strict and holy living which are given you by the godly will displease you because they are so unlike to your lives and therefore witness against your negligence and ungodliness So that it is not possible that we should avoid offending you for our very obedience to God will offend you and our studying and following the Holy Scripture will offend you and our diligent labour to save our souls will offend you and our hateing and avoiding the Poyson of sin will offend you And how then should we live in Peace with such If you yoak a swine and a sheep together one will be drawing to the wash-tub when the other would be at grass and one will be drawing to lie down in the mire when the other would lie clean one will be rooting in the earth and eating dung which the others nature is against It is Christ before me that calleth the wicked by the name of swine and the godly sheep And if you will come no nearer us then this we are like to have but poor Agreement And as our wayes will displease you so your galled malicious hearts will manifest the offence and will be girding and maligning if not slandering deriding or openly persecuting as far as you have power those that thus offend you And what Unity is this 3. If Reason perswade you not do but ask experience it self Whether in all ages men that Profess the same Religion with zealous godly men have not been their persecutors and oft-times more cruel then Infidels themselves The Arrians that called themselves Christians were as cruel to the true Believers as the Heathens The Papists profess the same Christianity as we and take the whole Scripture as the Word of God And yet none of the Heathenish Persecutions do match or come near to their French Massacrees and Spanish Inquisition and the cruelty that in Ireland England and their part of the Christian world they have exercised upon the sheep of Christ. The many Ministers that were silenced in Germany and some imprisoned and many Families undone was by the Lutherans against men that were Protestants as well as they And they that cast out so many Learned holy Ministers in England and occasioned the expulsion of so many thousand persons fearing God were Professed Protestants as well as we And that there may not be the appearance so much as of a difference in Ceremonies to cover their proceedings abundance of conformable men are troubled and undone as well as others and they gave out that none were worse then the conformable Puritans It was a holy observation of the Lords day and opposition to the abuse of it by Dancings and it was hearing Sermons and instructing mens families and praying together that were the things enquired after that occasioned our troubles And who ever was in the right or wrong you all know that the late miserable wars among us was between men that professed themselves to be of the same Religion not only as Christians but as Protestant and Reformed in the main To this day you see among our selves in Towns and Countries that those that do not only dwell with us and come to the same Assâ—mblies with us and profess themselves of the same Protestant Reformed Râ—ligion have yet many of them a sâ—cret malignity against the godly that will not be as loose and negligent as they and will not as madly cast away their souls And also even maâ—y greater Hypocrites that rank themselves with us in the same Church-order and seem to own all Ordinances of God and Government of the Church yet when this Government crosseth them in their carnal wayes and these Ordinances open the nakedness of their miscarriages they prove stark enemies to the Government Officers and Ordinances themselves Indeed however we may abide together as the clean and unclean creatures in Noahs Ark yet still at the heart there is so much enmity or distance and in our Ends and Interests there is so much contrariety that if the Ministers and other followers of Christ will faithfully discharge the duty that is required of them they will certainly be persecuted by men of the same Profession in Religion especially by the Prouder and Loftyer sort of wicked men Because some will receive the same truth better from one then from another I will give you my assertion in the
words of a man that you shall confess did speak impartially and not out of any intemperance or singularity who in a Prosperous University in Peaceable times being himself in favour and of that Judgement and of such Learning as was likely to continue him in favour did yet write thus concerning persecution I mean Doctor Iackson in his Book of saving Faith sect 2. chap. 4. pag. 185. The Ministers of Christ may deny Christ or manifest their ashamedness of his Gospel as directly by not laying his Law as closely to the great Herods of the world as John Baptist did suppose the case be as notorious and as well known to them as if they had been afraid to confess him for fear of being put out of the Synagogues or said with those other Iews We know that God spake with Moses and gave authority to Magistrates but this man we know not whence he is nor do we care for his Counsels Yet were John Baptists kind of preaching used in many Kingdoms though by such as profess the same Religion with the Potentates they should offend with their boldness I think it would prove matter of Martyrdom in the end That any age since Christian Religion was first propagated hath wanted store of Martyrs is more to be attributed to the Negligence Ignorance and Hypocrisie or want of courage in Christs Embassadors or appointed Pastors then unto the sincerity mildness or fidelity of the flock especially of the Bell-weathers or chief ring-leaders Or if Satan had not abated the edge of primitive zeal and resolution by that dishonourable peace concluded between Christianity and Gentilism after the settling of Goths and Vandals in these parts of Christendom had he not utterly benummed mankind by locking up their spiritual senses in midnight darkness and fettering their souls in superstition since the time he himself was let loose Rome Christian had seen more Martyrs even of such as did not much dissent from her in most opinions held within six hundred years of Christ in one year then Rome Heathen at any time had known in ten Even in Churches best Reformed it would be much easier I think to find store of just matter of Martyrdom then of men fit to make Martyrs And he that hath lived any long time in these quiet mansions and seats of Muses secure from Mars his broyls or external violence hath great cause either to magnifie the tender mercies of his gracious God or suspect himself for an Hypocrite if he have not suffered some degrees of Martyrdom But unto such as have been exercised therein it bringeth forth the quiet fruit of Righteousness Thus you see this Learned Doctor though in favour with the Rulers of the age he lived in did think that a man that would not be an Hypocrite but faithfully discharge his duty was likely to suffer Martyrdom from those of the same Profession with himself and that it must be by very great mercy from God or by hypocrisie and unfaithfulness in us if any Minister do scape the hands of the wicked that are of his own Profession So that you may see that meer Profession will make but a poor Agreement or Union among us Sin will be sin still and the flesh will rage still after its prey in unmortified Professors and the Word of God will still disgrace them and condemn them and consequently trouble them and exasperate them So that if you come no nearer to us then a Profession of the Christian Protestant Religion you will still be souldiers in the Army of the Devil and be still flying in the faces of true Believers whenever they do but cross you in your sins 3. Consider also What a poor benefit comparatively it is to your selves to be joyned with the Saints by a bare Profession and no more Will it make you happy to see their faces or live among them So do the bruit beasts and so do their Persecutors Will it make you happy to be called by the name of Christians No more then it maketh a Picture Rational to be called by the name of a man And what if by your parts and moral vertues you are some way helpful to the Church So is the wooden leg to the body which yet is not a member but a crutch 4. Yea me thinks it should rather double your sorrows that you are so miserable among the happy You live with them that have part in Christ when you have none in him You joyn with those that have the Spirit of God and an holy disposition and conversation when you have none You kneel by them whose Spirits are importunate with God in prayer when your hearts are dead You sit by them that are quickned and sanctified by the Word which to you is but a dead and empty sound You are famished among them that are feasting upon Christ and upon the precious promises of eternal life You are but as carkases among the living Their company maketh not you alive but your noysom conversation is grievous unto them unless it be some of you that are embalmed and beflowered with some common graces for the sakes of those that else would be more troubled with you And is this so great a comfort to you to be dead among the living and to be heirs of hell in the midst of them that are heirs of heaven Methinks till you are sanctified it should be a daily horrour to you to look them in the faces and think that they have Christ and grace and you have none and to hear in the holy Assemblies the mention of their happiness and the name of that God that Christ that Heaven where they must live for ever and in which their blessedness consisteth when you must be turned out into everlasting misery That you may not think I am singular in all this I will add here some humane testimony for confirmation of it Zenoras Comment in Epist. Canon Can. 45. ex Basil. M. Epist. 2. ad Amphiloch giveâ— us this as one of the Canons of the Greek Church received from Basiâ— If any one receiving the Name oâ— Christianity shall be a reproach iâ— Christ that is saith Zonaras by â— wiâ—ked life his Name or Appellation is no profit at all to him Anâ— even in the Roman Caâ—on Law this is one Canon taken out of Augustine Parvulus qui bâ—ptiz tur si ad annos rationales veniens nâ—crediderit nec ab illiritis abstinuerit nihil ei prodest quod parvulus accepit Decret part 3. dist 3. p. 1241. that is A Baptized Infant if when he comes to years of discretion doth not believe nor abstain from things unlawful it profiteth him nothing which he received in his infancy If it were needful after the Canons both of the Greek and Latine Church to give you the like words from particular Fathers I could soon perform it 5. You are so far from being Happy by your visible Church-state and outward Profession and Communion with the Church that you have the greater
the application and destroy the corruptions that blind us and hinder us from perceiving the Truth Whereas the unsanctified are all in the Dark and what wonder if there they disagree and are of many minds They be not guided by the word and Spirit and they are strangers to the Light that must Reconcile us if ever we be reconciled It s true too true that the godly are illuminated but in part and therefore as yet they differ in part But yet this imperfect illumination doth more to a true and safe Agreement then all the world can do besides If you would stop your ears against the flesh yield all to the teachings of the word and Spirit we should be sooner agreed 13. And if we were once United in the Spirit and Holiness We should all have the use and benefit of all the Reconciling Healing means and Ordinances of God which would be an exceeding great advantage to us The unsanctified have but the outside the sound and shell of Ordinances but it is the Sanctified that have the light and life and fruit of them Every Chapter that you read and every Sermon that you hear will do somewhat towards the healing of our breaches It will further our Knowledge and our Love The Communion of the Saints in all holy Duties especially at the Lords Supper when they partake of one Christ will enflame their Love and humble them for their divisions and soder and glue their hearts together as being all one bread and one body And so they will be all as of one heart and soul Acts 4.32 1 Cor. 10.16 17. Acts 2.42 43 44 46. When we hear of the tender Love of Christ to his weakest members how can we choose but love them if we be his Disciples When we hear how much and how freely he hath forgiven us how can we choose but forgive them Mat. 18.35 When we have Communion with them in holy worship as servants of the same Lord as Members of the same body how can we choose but have the affections of fellow-Members 1 Cor. 12.26 When we joyn with them in Prayer or holy Conference and perceive the fragrant odour of their Graces and the holy breathings of their souls after God we cannot choose but Love Christ in them As the new Commandment so frequently pressed in the Gospel is the Law of Love Ioh. 15.12 17. and the New Nature of the Saints is a Disposition of Love for this they are taught of God effectually 1 Thes. 4.9 So the Ordinances do all of them exercise that Love and engage us to it We must leave our gift at the Altar and go first and be reconciled to our Brother if we remember he hath any thing against us Matth. 5.23 24. We must pray for forgiveness but on condition that we do forgive Differences and Divisions that make a breach in Christian Charity are so insufferable among the Saints that they long for healing and smart as the wounded body doth till the time of healing and are pained as a bone out of joynt till it be set again And as they cannot bear it themselves when they are themselves so the Church cannot bear it but is engaged to watch over them and to set them in joynt again so that God hath hedged in his Servants into one holy Society that they should not straggle from him or from each other and hath set Pastors over them for this very end to guide them and keep them in holy Unity Ephes. 4.11 12 13 14. Now all these Uniting Healing Ordinances are effectual upon the Sanctified for their hearts are open to them and their New nature is suited to the new Commandment and work But to others they are in a manner as Food or Physick to the dead They hate the power of them they break the holy Enclosure of Discipline and proudly Rebel against their Guides and say Let us break their bands and cast away their cores from us Psal. 2.3 what must we be Ruled by such and such It is but the outside of Sacraments Praises and Prayers that they are acquainted with and these have no such healing force So that in this you see the great advantage that we should have for full agreement if we were but once agreed in the main and United by the Sanctifying Spirit 14. Moreover if once we were United in the Spirit and in Holyness We should manage all our differences in a holy manner and be awakened and disposed to seek after healing in a healing way It would put us upon enquiring after Peace and studying the meetest terms of Peace till we had found out the way in which we should accord The Spirit of Love and Holiness would provoke us to begin and seek for Peace with those that will not seek to us and that seem averse to it and to follow after peace when it flyeth from us Heb. 12 14. and even to lie down at the feet of men and deny our honour and worldly Interest if it might procure Brotherly love and peace Whereas a proud unsanctifyed heart will scorn to stoop especially to those that are below them or have wronged them and will scorn to ask forgiveness of those that they have wronged When you have shewed them the plainest word of God for it and perswaded them to it with undeniable reasons you lose your labour and may almost as well perswade the fire to be cold If you will stoop and humble your self to him and ask him forgiveness and give him the honour or change your minde and be of his opinion and say as he saith and do as he would have you perhaps you may have some Peace with the most ungodly man But the servants of Christ have a spirit of Meekness and Humility and Self-denyal and therefore if there be fallings out among them they can humble themselves and seek for reconciliation If there be difference in Judgement about any weighty matters they will go or send to one another as Brethren and confer about it in Love and meekness and search the Scripture and seek after Truth and compare their evidences and Pray together for that Light and Love that must Reconcile them If they fall out they can say to one another We are Brethren and must not Live at a distance nor suffer any wounds in our Affections or any breach of Charity to remain The Sun must not go down upon our wrath Come lâ—t us go together in private and beg of God that he would repair our Love and reconcile us and prevent such breaches for the time to come And thus they can pray themselves friends again I am perswaded that one quarter of an hours fervent Prayer would do more to quiet our distempered minds and reconcile us if thus we would get together in private then many hours debates without it Now the Spirit of holiness is a Spirit of Prayer and therefore disposeth the servants of Christ as meekly and lovingly to search for Truth so earnestly to